bonginoreport--2020-08-12--U.S. General Warns of Possible ISIS Resurgence Over Next Decade

The Pentagon ’ s top general in the Middle East warned Wednesday that the U.S. is “ going to have huge problems ” with a massive Islamic State resurgence over the coming decade without a sweeping new international plan to de-radicalize young men and women across the Middle East .
Speaking at an online forum hosted by the U.S. Institute of Peace , Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie , head of U.S. Central Command , sounded the alarm about conditions at the sprawling al-Hol refugee camp in northeastern Syria and other such compounds in the region .
The al-Hol facility , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , women and children from Iraq and Syria as well as captured Islamic State fighters , recently saw its first confirmed COVID-19 cases , raising fears that thousands may die as the virus spreads across the camp .
But there are longer-term , potentially even more deadly concerns , Gen. McKenzie said .
“ I look at it as a tactical problem and a strategic problem .
The tactical problem , we ’ re managing that .
We ’ re continuing operations against ISIS , ” he said .
“ The strategic problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to repatriate , to de-radicalize , to bring these people that are at grave risk in these camps back .
… We ’ re buying ourselves a strategic problem 10 years down the road , 15 years down the road , we ’ re going to do this all over again .
I would prefer to avoid that.
” Since 2014 , the U.S. has led a major international coalition to defeat the Islamic State , also known as ISIS , which at its height controlled huge swaths of territory across Iraq and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world .
The U.S. and its partners claimed victory over ISIS as a physical entity last year .
While the group remains a threat — and , analysts fear , may even be working to actively undermine U.S. peace efforts in Afghanistan — Gen. McKenzie and other Pentagon leaders fear the stage is being set for the organization to return as an even more powerful force .
Gen. McKenzie said it ’ s imperative that the U.S. and its allies develop a long-term plan to deradicalize potential ISIS recruits at scale , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refugee camps in Syria .
Such a plan , he said , likely involves returning ISIS prisoners and displaced persons to their home countries and integrating them back into society .
That approach , while workable in theory , has proven difficult to implement in practice .
“ It ’ s going very slow from my perspective .
I think it needs to go faster .
I don ’ t have an answer besides repatriation , ” Gen. McKenzie said .
“ We either deal with this problem now or deal with it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ road.
” “ If we stay where we are , we ’ re going to have huge problems , ” he continued .
“ Huge problems in the near term , I think , with lots of people potentially dying [ from COVID-19 and other diseases ] and I think huge problems in the long term because I have yet to see a scheme that can talk about deradicalization at scale .
… I am still struggling to find something that works .
”

The Pentagon’s top officer for the Middle East warned Wednesday that the U.S. will face “huge problems” from a resurgent Islamic State over the coming decade unless Washington develops a sweeping initiative to deradicalize young men and women in several Middle East hot spots.
Although the terrorist group known as ISIS has been stripped of its “caliphate” in Syria and Iraq, Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, who heads U.S. Central Command, sounded the alarm that the group remains active and bent on recruiting a new generation of jihadis.
Speaking at an online forum hosted by the U.S. Institute of Peace, Gen. McKenzie offered a sobering glimpse of the challenges facing Washington and its partners. Analysts say ISIS remains fully capable of conducting smaller-scale terrorist strikes while pursuing deeper strategic aims in various regions around the world.
Some foreign policy specialists have warned that the group has already forged a tenuous, albeit mutually beneficial, relationship with elements of the Taliban in Afghanistan toward the goal of thwarting the American-led peace efforts there.
Such an alliance could be especially dangerous as the U.S. draws down troop levels in the war-torn nation over the coming months as part of a landmark deal the Taliban reached with the Trump administration this year to reduce violence.
Pentagon leaders have expressed confidence that ISIS no longer poses the direct global and U.S. national security threat it represented at its peak five years ago, but Gen. McKenzie suggested that a robust and long-term deradicalization initiative is missing. He said Washington may be committing a strategic blunder that could result in a serious ISIS resurgence down the road.
DOCUMENT: Reported ISIS attacks in July 2020
The general made specific reference to the al-Hol refugee camp in northeastern Syria, which houses more than 65,000 displaced men, women and children from Iraq and Syria as well as captured Islamic State fighters.
He cited al-Hol as an example of the long-term challenges facing the U.S. and its allies. It is “one of the worst places in the world,” he said, and could, along with similar camps, emerge as a major breeding ground and recruitment center for the next wave of ISIS terrorists.
“I look at it as a tactical problem and a strategic problem. The tactical problem, we’re managing that. We’re continuing operations against ISIS,” Gen. McKenzie told the U.S. Institute of Peace forum.
“The strategic problem, though, unless we find a way to repatriate, to deradicalize, to bring these people that are at grave risk in these camps back … we’re buying ourselves a strategic problem 10 years down the road, 15 years down the road,” he said. “We’re going to do this all over again. I would prefer to avoid that.
“Bad things are going to happen if you keep a lot of people there,” he said of al-Hol. “If we stay where we are, we’re going to have huge problems.”
The heart of the problem, regional analysts say, is the presence inside the camps of young men from a range of ethnic backgrounds and nationalities who are or have been sympathizers of ISIS in Syria or Iraq.
The Trump administration has struggled to persuade the fighters’ countries of origin — whether in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East or elsewhere — to take custody of the young men.
Camps like al-Hol are also filled with thousands of women and children who were driven from their homes by ISIS, and the international community has no clear plan for what to do with them in the long term.
“I am still struggling to find something that works,” Gen. McKenzie said Wednesday.
An evolving threat
U.S. officials say the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has mostly completed a metamorphosis from extremist army to scrambling terrorist outfit focused on targeted attacks such as suicide bombings, despite having a significantly reduced capability over the past three years.
“It has some capabilities but far weaker than what it used to have,” Ambassador William Roebuck, the administration’s deputy special envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, said during the forum.
“To a significant degree, it is not able to mount sophisticated attacks or operations or [to] tactically coordinate,” Mr. Roebuck said. “Most of what you see it launching is [attacks] against targets of opportunity, assassination of individuals who cooperate, for example, with our partner forces” in Iraq and Syria.
In July, the group carried out at least 23 attacks in Syria alone, according to data compiled by the Counter Extremism Project. Those attacks were aimed mostly at forces loyal to Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, who for years has waged a simultaneous war against ISIS and U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a key American ally in battling the terrorist group.
Perhaps more alarming are recent attacks perpetrated more than 2,000 miles away in Afghanistan by the group’s affiliate there, ISIS-Khorasan, or ISIS-K.
This month, ISIS-K mounted a major assault on a prison in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, in an attempt to free hundreds of militant fighters held there. At least 29 people were killed as Afghan security forces exchanged gunfire with the ISIS-K fighters for hours.
Hundreds of prisoners escaped during the assault, though Afghan government officials say the vast majority were rounded up and returned to the prison.
While ISIS and the Taliban have traditionally have been rivals, Afghan government officials have argued that they are pursuing a marriage of convenience. In some cases, they say, the Taliban could be clandestinely providing intelligence and logistics for ISIS-K to carry out attacks in order to maintain the appearance that the Taliban are sticking to the terms of their reduction in violence deal with Washington.
In exchange for a Trump administration commitment to significantly reduce the number of American troops in Afghanistan, the February deal called for the Taliban to cease any attacks on U.S.-led coalition forces and to stop providing safe haven for extremist groups, including ISIS and al Qaeda.
The deal also laid out a blueprint for peace talks between the Taliban and the U.S.-backed Afghan government in Kabul. Attacks such as the one that rocked the Jalalabad prison would likely poison such talks if the Taliban are proved to be involved.
Analysts warn that incidents such as the Jalalabad prison attack could become more common in the region.
“Jail raids like the one in Jalalabad send a clear message to the jihadists who have been captured: Your co-religionists will not abandon you,” Thomas Joscelyn, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, wrote in a recent analysis published by the think tank. “It’s a message that is intended to boost morale, especially after the group has suffered multiple setbacks.”
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.


bonginoreport--2020-08-12--DC Mayor Orders Removal of “Defund the Police” Mural

Yesterday night , construction crews arrived under orders from Muriel Bowser , the mayor of Washington DC , in order to pave over the portion of the mural painted at the recently inaugurated Black Lives Matter Plaza that said “ defund the police . ''
The mural itself was commissioned by the city government , and originally just read “ black lives matter ” in big yellow letters .
The next day , however , activists added “ defund the police ” next to it .
Ironically , the same workers who performed the work were ordered by the mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ original and added slogans .
It seems the mayor didn ’ t have a problem with it the first time around .
“ Defund the police ” has been one of the main points of the BLM movement nationwide , and indeed even in other countries .
Recently , BLM groups have taken on all sorts of issues as their own that go far beyond the pale of police brutality .
Mayor Bowser gave an interview in which she stated in very broad terms that public safety has to do with a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but that she didn ’ t plan to alter the DC police budget .
Many online have speculated that the Democrat mayor 's move to pave over the `` defund the police '' mural is connected to how politically inconvenient the message is for Joe Biden , who just picked Kamala Harris , the former top cop of California as his running mate .

Yesterday night, construction crews arrived under orders from Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington DC, in order to pave over the portion of the mural painted at the recently inaugurated Black Lives Matter Plaza that said “defund the police."
“Defund the police” is not a slogan that is polling well for Biden. | DC Mayor Muriel Bowser today ordered construction crews to pave over the “defund the police” portion of Black Lives Matter Plaza, on 16th Street near the White House. | pic.twitter.com/M6VkS2cK2J — Mike (@Doranimated) August 12, 2020
The mural itself was commissioned by the city government, and originally just read “black lives matter” in big yellow letters. The next day, however, activists added “defund the police” next to it.
Ironically, the same workers who performed the work were ordered by the mayor to refresh the paint on both the original and added slogans. It seems the mayor didn’t have a problem with it the first time around.
“Defund the police” has been one of the main points of the BLM movement nationwide, and indeed even in other countries. Recently, BLM groups have taken on all sorts of issues as their own that go far beyond the pale of police brutality.
Mayor Bowser gave an interview in which she stated in very broad terms that public safety has to do with a lot of other things than just policing, but that she didn’t plan to alter the DC police budget.
Many online have speculated that the Democrat mayor's move to pave over the "defund the police" mural is connected to how politically inconvenient the message is for Joe Biden, who just picked Kamala Harris, the former top cop of California as his running mate.


bonginoreport--2020-08-12--Billionaire Media Mogul Sumner Redstone Dead at 97

Sumner Redstone , the billionaire media magnate whose family company controls CBS and Viacom , and whose career spilled over from boardrooms to gossip sheets , has died .
He was 97 .
Redstone ’ s health had steadily deteriorated over the past decade before his passing on Tuesday .
National Amusements , the media holding company he controlled , confirmed his death in a Wednesday statement .
“ Sumner played a critical role in shaping the landscape of the modern media and entertainment industry , ” the company said .
“ Sumner , a loving father , grandfather and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his family who take comfort knowing that his legacy will live on for generations to come.
” Though buffeted in the past decade by physical decline , succession battles and warring ex-girlfriends , Redstone in his day was a business juggernaut and once the richest man in entertainment .
Through his prescient confidence in the future of cable TV , Redstone built Viacom — and himself — into a powerhouse .
“ Viacom is me , and I am Viacom , ” he was famous for saying .
Redstone took a small chain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and , through bare-knuckle takeover battles and sheer determination , became a dominant force in entertainment .
As the chairman and controlling shareholder of CBS and Viacom , he presided over an array of media businesses that included CBS , Paramount Pictures , Showtime , Simon & Schuster , MTV , Comedy Central and Nickelodeon .
In 1999 , he added the Tiffany Network to his holdings .
The $ 37 billion merger with CBS catapulted Redstone from the business pages onto the public stage at age 76 .
“ What I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of drive-in movie theaters and building them up into two of the best media companies in the world , ” he told Forbes in October 2007 .
He also rose to become one of America ’ s richest men , amassing a personal fortune estimated by Forbes at more than $ 6 billion .
Redstone claimed credit for coining the phrase , “ Content is king ” — a mantra he would repeat when asked about emerging threats to his empire .
In his relentless drive , Redstone earned a reputation as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mercurial leader obsessed with his own stock price .
His fractious relationships with family members set up a decades-long struggle over who would gain control of an irrevocable trust that holds his interests in CBS and Viacom .
His personal life — including a penchant for squiring around much younger women — provided ample fodder for the gossip pages .
The twice-divorced media mogul ended his 52-year-marriage to Phyllis Redstone in 1999 .
He split from his second wife , Paula Fortunato , a school teacher , in 2008 after a five-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his first marriage , Brett and Shari .
Redstone made no secret of his desire to outlast his rivals and retain his grip on his empire .
Despite his fading health , he refused to talk about his succession plans , declaring that he intended to live forever .
“ I have no intention of dying , ” the then-91-year-old Redstone told The Hollywood Reporter in September 2014 .
Sumner Murray Rothstein was born May 27 , 1923 , on Boston ’ s West End .
His parents , the late Belle and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s name to Redstone in 1940 .
He was born in a tenement , but his father had done well enough to move the family to the affluent suburb of Brighton when Redstone was still a young boy .
Redstone attended Harvard and Harvard Law School .
As an undergraduate , he was tapped by a Japanese history professor to help break Japan ’ s military codes .
After law school , Redstone was a special assistant to US Attorney General Thomas C. Clark .
He later headed up the tax department at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he joined his father ’ s Dedham , Mass.
, business , Northeast Theater Corp. His father also owned the Boston branch of the Latin Quarter nightclub .
Redstone went to work alongside his younger brother , Edward , and his arrival would spawn the first of several family feuds that spanned decades and several court battles .
Edward sued his father and brother , accusing them of mismanagement and other wrongdoing .
He left the business after they bought out his stake .
Redstone eventually took over the company from his father @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest theater chains in the country and changed its name to National Amusements Inc. , or NAI .
Redstone had a close call at Boston ’ s Copley Plaza Hotel in March 1979 .
He survived a fire that raged through the building by clinging to a ledge outside his room , but was badly burned .
The harrowing ordeal left him was scars on his arms and legs .
It took him more than a year and multiple surgeries to recover , but he insisted the incident played no role in fueling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t take near death to bring you to life .
Life begins whenever you want it to begin , ” he wrote in his 2001 autobiography , “ A Passion to Win.
” At the age of 64 , a time when most CEOs are thinking about retiring , Redstone seized the opportunity to become a bigger player in the entertainment world .
Worried that pay TV and VCRs would hurt movie theater attendance , he started to look for a “ cutting edge ” company to future-proof his business .
In 1987 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bruising takeover battle for Viacom , then the owner of MTV and Showtime , and shrugged off criticism that he vastly overpaid .
He went on to wage a similar takeover battle for Paramount Communications , beating fellow media moguls Barry Diller and John Malone with a nearly $ 10 billion bid , and then bought movie rental giant Blockbuster Entertainment for $ 8 billion .
In 2000 , Redstone pulled off what was then the largest media marriage ever , when Viacom acquired its former corporate parent , CBS , for $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mel Karmazin as his eventual replacement in 2000 , gushing over his new lieutenant in announcing the deal to buy CBS .
But after four years and numerous reports of a frayed relationship , Karmazin stepped down as president and chief operating officer of the combined company .
The falling out was part of a pattern for Redstone : He would gush over his top lieutenants , only to turn on them when they didn ’ t move fast enough or failed to share his fixation on the stock price .
Redstone seemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the then-82-year-old mogul announced plans to split his empire into two publicly traded companies and set up a succession race .
Viacom got the faster-growing cable networks and film studio , while the slower-growing broadcast , radio and book publishing businesses went with CBS .
MTV pioneer Tom Freston was named head of Viacom , while broadcast veteran Les Moonves led CBS .
Redstone remained the chairman of both companies , controlling the shares through NAI .
But a year later , Redstone forced out Freston , a stunning move that Redstone said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s internet strategy — or lack thereof — and lagging stock price .
Freston was replaced by Philippe Dauman , a member of the Viacom board of directors and a close confidant of Redstone ’ s .
Just a few weeks earlier , Redstone had split with one of Paramount ’ s biggest film stars , Tom Cruise .
Redstone cited the actor ’ s embrace of Scientology as well as his controversial behavior — jumping on Oprah Winfrey ’ s couch and declaring his love for then-wife Katie Holmes — as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a falling out with his only son , Brent , who sued his father for trying to cut him out of the company .
Redstone settled the suit by buying out Brent ’ s stake .
The two didn ’ t speak for years .
He was also estranged from his only daughter , Shari , with whom he feuded over whether she would one day succeed him as the chairman of both companies .
Redstone threatened to oust Shari altogether — at one point communicating with her only by fax — until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to building her own business endeavors .
Shari nonetheless rejected her father ’ s $ 1 billion offer to buy out her 20 percent stake in NAI .
And in 2015 , a stunning reversal brought the two back together .
They set about ejecting Viacom chief Dauman , whom Sumner once called “ the wisest man I ever met.
” Dauman resisted being ousted on grounds that Shari was orchestrating the coup to seize company control for herself .
He also questioned Sumner ’ s mental capacity , claiming his former ally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was doing .
Dauman settled with Viacom for $ 72 million in August 2016 , resolving a handful of lawsuits .
His forced exit , however , signaled that the long-estranged Redstones — father and daughter — were on the same page .
The two then explored reuniting CBS and Viacom , but temporarily pulled back after encountering resistance from Moonves and his board .
Shari ’ s constant revisiting of the idea prompted CBS to file suit in May 2018 .
But two months later , The New Yorker published a bombshell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harassment by Moonves .
He resigned after a second expose surfaced , and CBS and National Amusements reached a broad settlement that increased Shari Redstone ’ s power over the companies .
After investigating Moonves ’ alleged misconduct , the CBS board in December 2018 fired him for cause , depriving him of $ 120 million in severance .
CBS and Viacom agreed to merge last year , united the companies after a split that Redstone had engineered 13 years earlier .
Redstone was among the National Amusements directors who gave unanimous approval @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building his empire , Redstone ’ s participation at corporate events became minimal in 2014 and he spoke only a few words on earnings calls .
Fortune magazine reported he attended his last board meetings that year and cited a witness who said he dozed and drooled during it , which raised the question about whether he was fit to run the company .
The next year , the Wall Street Journal reported Redstone had suffered mini-strokes that made speaking difficult , although he remained mentally sharp .
In 2018 , the paper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been communicating with an iPad that was preloaded with audio clips of his voice saying “ Yes , ” “ No ” and “ F–k you.
” Former girlfriend Manuela Herzer challenged Redstone ’ s mental competence in a November 2015 lawsuit after he kicked her out of his estate , referring to him as a “ living ghost.
” The suit revealed a bizarre , secluded life in his Beverly Park mansion that included frequent demands for sex and steak .
The suit alleged Redstone was hospitalized numerous times in 2014 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catheter and severe speech impediments .
A judge rejected the suit , but Herzer continued to pursue legal action against Shari Redstone , alleging criminal racketeering .
The suit was thrown out in May 2016 by a California judge who ruled that Redstone ’ s testimony had disproved Herzer ’ s claims .
Herzer appealed the judge ’ s ruling , and the parties settled in 2019 .

Sumner Redstone, the billionaire media magnate whose family company controls CBS and Viacom, and whose career spilled over from boardrooms to gossip sheets, has died. He was 97.
Redstone’s health had steadily deteriorated over the past decade before his passing on Tuesday. National Amusements, the media holding company he controlled, confirmed his death in a Wednesday statement.
“Sumner played a critical role in shaping the landscape of the modern media and entertainment industry,” the company said. “Sumner, a loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather, will be greatly missed by his family who take comfort knowing that his legacy will live on for generations to come.”
Though buffeted in the past decade by physical decline, succession battles and warring ex-girlfriends, Redstone in his day was a business juggernaut and once the richest man in entertainment.
Previous 1 of 5 Next Advertisement Sumner Redstone (from left), former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Christopher Polk Ted Turner (left) and Sumner Redstone ASSOCIATED PRESS Advertisement Sumner Redstone Jesse Grant/WireImage Advertisement
Through his prescient confidence in the future of cable TV, Redstone built Viacom — and himself — into a powerhouse.
“Viacom is me, and I am Viacom,” he was famous for saying.
Redstone took a small chain of drive-in theaters started by his father and, through bare-knuckle takeover battles and sheer determination, became a dominant force in entertainment.
As the chairman and controlling shareholder of CBS and Viacom, he presided over an array of media businesses that included CBS, Paramount Pictures, Showtime, Simon & Schuster, MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon.
In 1999, he added the Tiffany Network to his holdings. The $37 billion merger with CBS catapulted Redstone from the business pages onto the public stage at age 76.
“What I’m proudest of is taking a bunch of drive-in movie theaters and building them up into two of the best media companies in the world,” he told Forbes in October 2007.
He also rose to become one of America’s richest men, amassing a personal fortune estimated by Forbes at more than $6 billion.
Redstone claimed credit for coining the phrase, “Content is king” — a mantra he would repeat when asked about emerging threats to his empire.
In his relentless drive, Redstone earned a reputation as a limelight-loving CEO, a win-at-any-cost dealmaker and a mercurial leader obsessed with his own stock price.
His fractious relationships with family members set up a decades-long struggle over who would gain control of an irrevocable trust that holds his interests in CBS and Viacom.
His personal life — including a penchant for squiring around much younger women — provided ample fodder for the gossip pages.
The twice-divorced media mogul ended his 52-year-marriage to Phyllis Redstone in 1999. He split from his second wife, Paula Fortunato, a school teacher, in 2008 after a five-year marriage. He has two children from his first marriage, Brett and Shari.
Redstone made no secret of his desire to outlast his rivals and retain his grip on his empire. Despite his fading health, he refused to talk about his succession plans, declaring that he intended to live forever.
“I have no intention of dying,” the then-91-year-old Redstone told The Hollywood Reporter in September 2014.
Early years
Sumner Murray Rothstein was born May 27, 1923, on Boston’s West End. His parents, the late Belle and Michael Rothstein, changed the family’s name to Redstone in 1940. He was born in a tenement, but his father had done well enough to move the family to the affluent suburb of Brighton when Redstone was still a young boy.
Redstone attended Harvard and Harvard Law School. As an undergraduate, he was tapped by a Japanese history professor to help break Japan’s military codes. After law school, Redstone was a special assistant to US Attorney General Thomas C. Clark. He later headed up the tax department at a law firm.
In 1954, he joined his father’s Dedham, Mass., business, Northeast Theater Corp. His father also owned the Boston branch of the Latin Quarter nightclub. Redstone went to work alongside his younger brother, Edward, and his arrival would spawn the first of several family feuds that spanned decades and several court battles.
Edward sued his father and brother, accusing them of mismanagement and other wrongdoing. He left the business after they bought out his stake. Redstone eventually took over the company from his father, built it into one of the largest theater chains in the country and changed its name to National Amusements Inc., or NAI.
Redstone had a close call at Boston’s Copley Plaza Hotel in March 1979. He survived a fire that raged through the building by clinging to a ledge outside his room, but was badly burned. The harrowing ordeal left him was scars on his arms and legs. It took him more than a year and multiple surgeries to recover, but he insisted the incident played no role in fueling his ambitions.
“It doesn’t take near death to bring you to life. Life begins whenever you want it to begin,” he wrote in his 2001 autobiography, “A Passion to Win.”
The mogul
At the age of 64, a time when most CEOs are thinking about retiring, Redstone seized the opportunity to become a bigger player in the entertainment world. Worried that pay TV and VCRs would hurt movie theater attendance, he started to look for a “cutting edge” company to future-proof his business.
In 1987, he borrowed billions to fund a bruising takeover battle for Viacom, then the owner of MTV and Showtime, and shrugged off criticism that he vastly overpaid. He went on to wage a similar takeover battle for Paramount Communications, beating fellow media moguls Barry Diller and John Malone with a nearly $10 billion bid, and then bought movie rental giant Blockbuster Entertainment for $8 billion.
In 2000, Redstone pulled off what was then the largest media marriage ever, when Viacom acquired its former corporate parent, CBS, for $35 billion. He tapped CBS president Mel Karmazin as his eventual replacement in 2000, gushing over his new lieutenant in announcing the deal to buy CBS.
But after four years and numerous reports of a frayed relationship, Karmazin stepped down as president and chief operating officer of the combined company.
The falling out was part of a pattern for Redstone: He would gush over his top lieutenants, only to turn on them when they didn’t move fast enough or failed to share his fixation on the stock price.
Empire divided
Redstone seemed headed for semi-retirement in 2005, when the then-82-year-old mogul announced plans to split his empire into two publicly traded companies and set up a succession race. Viacom got the faster-growing cable networks and film studio, while the slower-growing broadcast, radio and book publishing businesses went with CBS.
MTV pioneer Tom Freston was named head of Viacom, while broadcast veteran Les Moonves led CBS. Redstone remained the chairman of both companies, controlling the shares through NAI.
But a year later, Redstone forced out Freston, a stunning move that Redstone said stemmed from his frustration with Viacom’s internet strategy — or lack thereof — and lagging stock price.
Freston was replaced by Philippe Dauman, a member of the Viacom board of directors and a close confidant of Redstone’s.
Just a few weeks earlier, Redstone had split with one of Paramount’s biggest film stars, Tom Cruise. Redstone cited the actor’s embrace of Scientology as well as his controversial behavior — jumping on Oprah Winfrey’s couch and declaring his love for then-wife Katie Holmes — as the reason for the split.
Succession
Redstone had a falling out with his only son, Brent, who sued his father for trying to cut him out of the company. Redstone settled the suit by buying out Brent’s stake. The two didn’t speak for years.
He was also estranged from his only daughter, Shari, with whom he feuded over whether she would one day succeed him as the chairman of both companies. Redstone threatened to oust Shari altogether — at one point communicating with her only by fax — until she backed off and turned her energies to building her own business endeavors.
Shari nonetheless rejected her father’s $1 billion offer to buy out her 20 percent stake in NAI. And in 2015, a stunning reversal brought the two back together. They set about ejecting Viacom chief Dauman, whom Sumner once called “the wisest man I ever met.”
Dauman resisted being ousted on grounds that Shari was orchestrating the coup to seize company control for herself. He also questioned Sumner’s mental capacity, claiming his former ally lacked the wherewithal to know what he was doing.
Dauman settled with Viacom for $72 million in August 2016, resolving a handful of lawsuits. His forced exit, however, signaled that the long-estranged Redstones — father and daughter — were on the same page.
The two then explored reuniting CBS and Viacom, but temporarily pulled back after encountering resistance from Moonves and his board.
Shari’s constant revisiting of the idea prompted CBS to file suit in May 2018. But two months later, The New Yorker published a bombshell article citing multiple instances of alleged sexual harassment by Moonves. He resigned after a second expose surfaced, and CBS and National Amusements reached a broad settlement that increased Shari Redstone’s power over the companies.
After investigating Moonves’ alleged misconduct, the CBS board in December 2018 fired him for cause, depriving him of $120 million in severance.
CBS and Viacom agreed to merge last year, united the companies after a split that Redstone had engineered 13 years earlier. Redstone was among the National Amusements directors who gave unanimous approval to the reunion.
A ‘living ghost’
After decades spent building his empire, Redstone’s participation at corporate events became minimal in 2014 and he spoke only a few words on earnings calls. Fortune magazine reported he attended his last board meetings that year and cited a witness who said he dozed and drooled during it, which raised the question about whether he was fit to run the company.
The next year, the Wall Street Journal reported Redstone had suffered mini-strokes that made speaking difficult, although he remained mentally sharp. In 2018, the paper reported that the aging media tycoon had been communicating with an iPad that was preloaded with audio clips of his voice saying “Yes,” “No” and “F–k you.”
Former girlfriend Manuela Herzer challenged Redstone’s mental competence in a November 2015 lawsuit after he kicked her out of his estate, referring to him as a “living ghost.” The suit revealed a bizarre, secluded life in his Beverly Park mansion that included frequent demands for sex and steak.
The suit alleged Redstone was hospitalized numerous times in 2014, leaving him with a feeding tube, catheter and severe speech impediments. A judge rejected the suit, but Herzer continued to pursue legal action against Shari Redstone, alleging criminal racketeering.
The suit was thrown out in May 2016 by a California judge who ruled that Redstone’s testimony had disproved Herzer’s claims. Herzer appealed the judge’s ruling, and the parties settled in 2019.
With Post wires


bonginoreport--2020-08-12--Lightning Outlast Blue Jackets In 5-OT NHL Playoff Game

One day into the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs and already there ’ s an instant classic .
Or make that two , depending on how you count .
The Blue Jackets and Lightning went five overtimes — that ’ s two full games , plus two extra periods for good measure — before they could find a Game 1 winner , as Brayden Point scored 10:27 into the fifth overtime on the 151st shot of the game to give the Lightning a 3-2 victory at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto .
Columbus goaltender Joonas Korpisalo set a record with 85 saves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mark of 73 , set by the Islanders ’ Kelly Hrudey in a 4-OT , Game 7 win over the Capitals on April 18 , 1987 .
“ It ’ s tiring for sure but then it gets fun at some point , ” said Point , who had scored the first goal for the Lightning way back in the first period of the fourth-longest game in NHL history .
“ I don ’ t know how many guys played a game like that , that long .
It was an exciting one.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an NHL record .
Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 61 saves on 63 shots .
The game , which started at 3:09 p.m. , went so long it pushed Game 1 of the Bruins-Hurricanes series , originally scheduled for 8 p.m. on the same ice , to 11 a.m. Wednesday .
The final goal was scored at 9:20 p.m. , nearly 4 ¹/₂ hours after the tying goal was scored .
“ You just try to go save by save , not thinking too much , ” Korpisalo told reporters in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretty good .
The boys , they were battling hard in front of me.
” Only five games in playoff history have gone at least five overtimes , with a game between the Mighty Ducks and Stars on April 24 , 2003 , the last to go at least five extra periods .
Pierre-Luc Dubois scored in the first period on the power play and Oliver Bjorkstrand added a goal late in the second period to give Columbus — the No .
7 seed in the East — a pair of short-lived leads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other goal for the second-seeded Lightning , tying things just 23 seconds into the third period .
The teams are meeting in the first round for the second straight year , with the Lightning looking to rebound from being swept 16 months ago by the underdog Blue Jackets , who became the first No .
8 seed to oust the winner of the Presidents ’ Trophy in four games .

One day into the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs and already there’s an instant classic. Or make that two, depending on how you count.
The Blue Jackets and Lightning went five overtimes — that’s two full games, plus two extra periods for good measure — before they could find a Game 1 winner, as Brayden Point scored 10:27 into the fifth overtime on the 151st shot of the game to give the Lightning a 3-2 victory at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Columbus goaltender Joonas Korpisalo set a record with 85 saves in a playoff game, passing the mark of 73, set by the Islanders’ Kelly Hrudey in a 4-OT, Game 7 win over the Capitals on April 18, 1987.
“It’s tiring for sure but then it gets fun at some point,” said Point, who had scored the first goal for the Lightning way back in the first period of the fourth-longest game in NHL history. “I don’t know how many guys played a game like that, that long. It was an exciting one.”
The 151 combined shots are also an NHL record. Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 61 saves on 63 shots. The game, which started at 3:09 p.m., went so long it pushed Game 1 of the Bruins-Hurricanes series, originally scheduled for 8 p.m. on the same ice, to 11 a.m. Wednesday.
The final goal was scored at 9:20 p.m., nearly 4 ¹/₂ hours after the tying goal was scored.
“You just try to go save by save, not thinking too much,” Korpisalo told reporters in Toronto. “I think I felt pretty good. The boys, they were battling hard in front of me.”
Only five games in playoff history have gone at least five overtimes, with a game between the Mighty Ducks and Stars on April 24, 2003, the last to go at least five extra periods.
Pierre-Luc Dubois scored in the first period on the power play and Oliver Bjorkstrand added a goal late in the second period to give Columbus — the No. 7 seed in the East — a pair of short-lived leads in regulation. Yanni Gourde had the other goal for the second-seeded Lightning, tying things just 23 seconds into the third period.
The teams are meeting in the first round for the second straight year, with the Lightning looking to rebound from being swept 16 months ago by the underdog Blue Jackets, who became the first No. 8 seed to oust the winner of the Presidents’ Trophy in four games.
— With AP


bonginoreport--2020-08-12--New Dinosaur Related to T-Rex Discovered

A new species of dinosaur has been discovered on the Isle of Wight .
Palaeontologists at the University of Southampton believe four bones found at Shanklin last year belong to a new species of theropod dinosaur .
It lived in the Cretaceous period , 115 million years ago , and is estimated to have been up to 4m ( 13ft ) long .
It has been named Vectaerovenator inopinatus and belongs to the group of dinosaurs that includes Tyrannosaurus rex and modern-day birds .
The name refers to the large air spaces found in some of the bones - from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the creature - which is one of the traits that helped the scientists identify its theropod origins .
These air sacs , also seen in modern birds , were extensions of the lung , and it is likely they `` helped fuel an efficient breathing system while also making the skeleton lighter '' , the University of Southampton said .
The fossils were found in three separate discoveries in 2019 and handed in to the nearby Dinosaur Isle Museum at Sandown , where they are being displayed .
Robin Ward , a regular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Isle of Wight with his family when they made their discovery .
`` The joy of finding the bones we discovered was absolutely fantastic , '' he said .
James Lockyer , from Spalding , Lincolnshire , was also visiting the island when he found another of the bones .
`` It looked different from marine reptile vertebrae I have come across in the past , '' he said .
`` I was searching a spot at Shanklin and had been told , and read , that I would n't find much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make sure I search the areas others do not , and on this occasion it paid off . ''
Paul Farrell , from Ryde , added : `` I was walking along the beach , kicking stones and came across what looked like a bone from a dinosaur .
`` I was really shocked to find out it could be a new species . ''
Chris Barker , who led the University of Southampton study , said : `` We were struck by just how hollow this animal was - it 's riddled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its skeleton must have been rather delicate .
`` The record of theropod dinosaurs from the 'mid ' Cretaceous period in Europe is n't that great , so it 's been really exciting to be able to increase our understanding of the diversity of dinosaur species from this time .
`` You do n't usually find dinosaurs in the deposits at Shanklin as they were laid down in a marine habitat .
You 're much more likely to find fossil oysters or drift wood , so this is a rare find indeed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lived in an area just north of where its remains were found , with the carcass having washed out into the shallow sea nearby .
The university findings are due to be published in the journal Papers in Palaeontology and co-authored by those who discovered the fossils .

The name refers to the large air spaces found in some of the bones - from the neck, back and tail of the creature - which is one of the traits that helped the scientists identify its theropod origins.


bonginoreport--2020-08-12--David Daleiden Explains Why Kamala Harris is the “Greatest Threat to Civil Rights” In American Histo

David Daleiden Explains Why Kamala Harris is the “Greatest Threat to Civil Rights” In American History

The Center for Medical Progress ’ s David Daleiden , who helped expose Planned Parenthood ’ s harvesting and sale of fetal body parts in 2015 , spoke out Tuesday night after Joe Biden announced California Sen. Kamala Harris would be his running mate .
“ Lots of people are asking me what I think of the news tonight , ” he said on Twitter .
“ [ Kamala Harris ] is the greatest threat to First Amendment civil rights our country has ever seen .
I know because she had my home raided for speaking the truth about her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 , as Attorney General of California , Harris was behind the raid of his apartment , in which authorities seized a laptop and several hard drives that contained the videos he filmed as part of his expose of Planned Parenthood .
Some of the confiscated drives contained “ some very damning footage that has yet to be released to the public , ” he said at the time .
A May 13 , 2020 statement announcing CMP and Daleiden were suing Harris , Planned Parenthood , and California Attorney General Becerra for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris was doing the abortion giant ’ s bidding .
Beginning under the leadership of now-U.S .
Senator Kamala Harris , the California Attorney General ’ s office targeted Daleiden ’ s speech under the video recording law at the urging of Planned Parenthood , the National Abortion Federation , and StemExpress , a fetal tissue procurement company with deep ties to the professional abortion industry .
While running for U.S. Senate , Harris had a secret in-person meeting with Planned Parenthood executives in Los Angeles , including witnesses in her investigation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of Planned Parenthood ’ s political agenda in California .
Two weeks later , Daleiden ’ s home was raided by the California Department of Justice .
California DOJ reports reveal that they were instructed by Planned Parenthood ’ s attorney Beth Parker , a defendant in the lawsuit , to seize “ the computers used to produce the videos.
” Last year , Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Federation attempted to intervene in the Attorney General ’ s prosecution of Daleiden to dictate how he would be allowed to present @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes an absolute protection for recordings made for the purpose of gathering evidence of violent crimes , and Planned Parenthood and NAF wanted to block off any evidence or testimony that would reveal criminality in their fetal tissue programs .
( CMP ) Pro-lifers were quick to recall Harris 's abuse of power as California AG after the announcement .

The Center for Medical Progress’s David Daleiden, who helped expose Planned Parenthood’s harvesting and sale of fetal body parts in 2015, spoke out Tuesday night after Joe Biden announced California Sen. Kamala Harris would be his running mate.
“Lots of people are asking me what I think of the news tonight,” he said on Twitter. “[Kamala Harris] is the greatest threat to First Amendment civil rights our country has ever seen. I know because she had my home raided for speaking the truth about her political patrons at Planned Parenthood.”
Lots of people are asking me what I think of the news tonight—@KamalaHarris is the greatest threat to First Amendment civil rights our country has ever seen. I know because she had my home raided for speaking the truth about her political patrons at Planned Parenthood. ???? — David Daleiden (@daviddaleiden) August 12, 2020
In 2016, as Attorney General of California, Harris was behind the raid of his apartment, in which authorities seized a laptop and several hard drives that contained the videos he filmed as part of his expose of Planned Parenthood. Some of the confiscated drives contained “some very damning footage that has yet to be released to the public,” he said at the time.
A May 13, 2020 statement announcing CMP and Daleiden were suing Harris, Planned Parenthood, and California Attorney General Becerra for violating his civil rights, explains that Harris was doing the abortion giant’s bidding.
Beginning under the leadership of now-U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, the California Attorney General’s office targeted Daleiden’s speech under the video recording law at the urging of Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion Federation, and StemExpress, a fetal tissue procurement company with deep ties to the professional abortion industry. While running for U.S. Senate, Harris had a secret in-person meeting with Planned Parenthood executives in Los Angeles, including witnesses in her investigation, to discuss issues in the investigation as part of Planned Parenthood’s political agenda in California. Two weeks later, Daleiden’s home was raided by the California Department of Justice. California DOJ reports reveal that they were instructed by Planned Parenthood’s attorney Beth Parker, a defendant in the lawsuit, to seize “the computers used to produce the videos.” Last year, Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Federation attempted to intervene in the Attorney General’s prosecution of Daleiden to dictate how he would be allowed to present his defense. The California recording law includes an absolute protection for recordings made for the purpose of gathering evidence of violent crimes, and Planned Parenthood and NAF wanted to block off any evidence or testimony that would reveal criminality in their fetal tissue programs. (CMP)
Pro-lifers were quick to recall Harris's abuse of power as California AG after the announcement.
Will any journo do a story of how ???@KamalaHarris?, AG of CA, raided the home of ?@daviddaleiden? and seized his hard drives bc he investigated Planned Parenthood, a donor to AG.
They say to hell with equality under the law. We stand to fight for exactly that. pic.twitter.com/5SjfiGdwBd — James O'Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) August 11, 2020


bonginoreport--2020-08-13--IEA Sees Global Oil Demand for 2020 at 91.1 Million Barrels/Day

An Eastar Jet Inc. aircraft , front , and Jeju Air Co. aircraft sit on the tarmac at Incheon International Airport in Incheon , South Korea , on Wednesday , Aug. 12 , 2020 .
The International Energy Agency lowered its global oil demand forecasts for the first time in several months on Thursday , as the number of Covid-19 infections remains high and amid ongoing weakness in the aviation sector .
In a closely-watched monthly report , the IEA said it now sees global oil demand for 2020 at 91.1 million barrels per day , reflecting a fall of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This revised forecast is 140,000 barrels per day lower than the IEA 's previous projection .
The agency also revised down its 2021 global oil demand estimate by 240,000 barrels per day to 97.1 million barrels per day , with jet fuel demand identified as the `` major source '' of weakness .
The report comes shortly after the world 's largest oil and gas firms reported historic losses in the second quarter as coronavirus lockdown measures led to an unparalleled demand shock in energy markets .
Earlier this year , IEA Executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may well come to represent the worst year in the history of oil markets .
`` Recent mobility data suggest the recovery has plateaued in many regions , although Europe , for now , remains on an upward trend , '' the IEA said in its release Thursday .
`` For road transport fuels , demand in the first half of 2020 was slightly stronger than anticipated , but for the second half we remain cautious and the upsurge in Covid-19 cases has seen us downgrade our estimates , mainly for gasoline .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at $ 45.29 on Thursday morning , more than 0.3 % lower , while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures stood at $ 42.52 , down around 0.4 % .
Oil prices have slipped more than 25 % year-to-date .

An Eastar Jet Inc. aircraft, front, and Jeju Air Co. aircraft sit on the tarmac at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea, on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020.
The International Energy Agency lowered its global oil demand forecasts for the first time in several months on Thursday, as the number of Covid-19 infections remains high and amid ongoing weakness in the aviation sector.
In a closely-watched monthly report, the IEA said it now sees global oil demand for 2020 at 91.1 million barrels per day, reflecting a fall of 8.1 million barrels per day year-on-year.
This revised forecast is 140,000 barrels per day lower than the IEA's previous projection.
The agency also revised down its 2021 global oil demand estimate by 240,000 barrels per day to 97.1 million barrels per day, with jet fuel demand identified as the "major source" of weakness.
The report comes shortly after the world's largest oil and gas firms reported historic losses in the second quarter as coronavirus lockdown measures led to an unparalleled demand shock in energy markets.
Earlier this year, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol told reporters that 2020 may well come to represent the worst year in the history of oil markets.
"Recent mobility data suggest the recovery has plateaued in many regions, although Europe, for now, remains on an upward trend," the IEA said in its release Thursday.
"For road transport fuels, demand in the first half of 2020 was slightly stronger than anticipated, but for the second half we remain cautious and the upsurge in Covid-19 cases has seen us downgrade our estimates, mainly for gasoline."
International benchmark Brent crude futures traded at $45.29 on Thursday morning, more than 0.3% lower, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures stood at $42.52, down around 0.4%.
Oil prices have slipped more than 25% year-to-date.


bonginoreport--2020-08-13--Big 12 Moves Ahead With Plans For Fall Football Season After Big Ten, Pac-12 Postpone Theirs

University administrators of schools in the Big 12 conference are not yet willing to cancel the 2020 fall football season , and have agreed to push forward with a September start .
University presidents , chancellors , and athletic directors across the Big 12 met with medical experts for 90 minutes on Tuesday night before the conference ’ s executive board voted to continue moving forward with plans for a fall football season amid the coronavirus pandemic , according to The Athletic .
The board ’ s decision comes after two other Power 5 conferences , the Big Ten and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the season until at least the spring .
Along with the Big 12 , the ACC and SEC are also still weighing options and looking for a way to play games in the fall .
Ahead of the vote , Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades told SicEm365 that he expected a vote on the future of the season .
“ Do I feel we can move forward safely and put our student-athletes in the best possible position ?
I do .
I believe that , ” Rhoades said .
“ If I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m a Big 12 student-athlete , an SEC student-athlete , an ACC student-athlete , I ’ m asking , ‘ OK , sounds like the two other Power 5 conferences don ’ t think it ’ s safe .
Why do you think it ’ s safe ?
’ And we better have a great answer .
So this is … really , really tough , really , really complicated.
” “ I feel like for me personally , and you could say , ‘ Well , Mack , what more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I feel like if I have to vote and make a decision today , I ’ m doing it because I ’ m placed in a corner and I would like to have a few more conversations and have a few more bits and pieces of information , ” Rhoades said .
The Big 12 conference released a fall schedule on Wednesday showing a Sept. 26 start date for conference play .
The board agreed to a “ 9+1 ” season , meaning one non-conference game to be played at the start of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Athletic reports that most teams in the conference have already worked out non-conference opponents , though none have been officially announced so far .
Coaches and players have been publicly advocating to play the fall season as scheduled , including many who compete in the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences which have already called off the season .
Some programs in those conferences have begun talks with outside conferences about the possibility of joining the conference temporarily for the 2020 fall season .
Those talks have yet to yield any results , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saban , who competes in the SEC , has said that his players are much safer competing in the fall than they are spending it at home in their own communities .
At the university , the coaching and training staff can monitor players and give regular tests for the coronavirus , as well as keep the players out of bars and other scenes where Saban says the players are more likely to contract COVID-19 .
“ I want to play , but I want to play for the players ’ sake , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Saban said .
“ I know I ’ ll be criticized no matter what I say , that I don ’ t care about player safety .
Look , players are a lot safer with us than they are running around at home .
We have around a 2 % positive ratio on our team since the Fourth of July .
It ’ s a lot higher than that in society .
We act like these guys can ’ t get this unless they play football .
They can get it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bar or just hanging out.
” The Daily Wire is one of America ’ s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news , opinion , and entertainment .
Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a member .

University administrators of schools in the Big 12 conference are not yet willing to cancel the 2020 fall football season, and have agreed to push forward with a September start.
University presidents, chancellors, and athletic directors across the Big 12 met with medical experts for 90 minutes on Tuesday night before the conference’s executive board voted to continue moving forward with plans for a fall football season amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to The Athletic.
The board’s decision comes after two other Power 5 conferences, the Big Ten and Pac-12, announced that they were postponing the season until at least the spring. Along with the Big 12, the ACC and SEC are also still weighing options and looking for a way to play games in the fall.
Ahead of the vote, Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades told SicEm365 that he expected a vote on the future of the season.
“Do I feel we can move forward safely and put our student-athletes in the best possible position? I do. I believe that,” Rhoades said. “If I’m a student-athlete, though, and I’m a Big 12 student-athlete, an SEC student-athlete, an ACC student-athlete, I’m asking, ‘OK, sounds like the two other Power 5 conferences don’t think it’s safe. Why do you think it’s safe?’ And we better have a great answer. So this is … really, really tough, really, really complicated.”
“I feel like for me personally, and you could say, ‘Well, Mack, what more information are you waiting for?’ I feel like if I have to vote and make a decision today, I’m doing it because I’m placed in a corner and I would like to have a few more conversations and have a few more bits and pieces of information,” Rhoades said.
The Big 12 conference released a fall schedule on Wednesday showing a Sept. 26 start date for conference play. The board agreed to a “9+1” season, meaning one non-conference game to be played at the start of the season before conference play begins. The Athletic reports that most teams in the conference have already worked out non-conference opponents, though none have been officially announced so far.
Coaches and players have been publicly advocating to play the fall season as scheduled, including many who compete in the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences which have already called off the season. Some programs in those conferences have begun talks with outside conferences about the possibility of joining the conference temporarily for the 2020 fall season. Those talks have yet to yield any results, however.
Alabama head football coach Nick Saban, who competes in the SEC, has said that his players are much safer competing in the fall than they are spending it at home in their own communities. At the university, the coaching and training staff can monitor players and give regular tests for the coronavirus, as well as keep the players out of bars and other scenes where Saban says the players are more likely to contract COVID-19.
“I want to play, but I want to play for the players’ sake, the value they can create for themselves,” Saban said. “I know I’ll be criticized no matter what I say, that I don’t care about player safety. Look, players are a lot safer with us than they are running around at home. We have around a 2% positive ratio on our team since the Fourth of July. It’s a lot higher than that in society. We act like these guys can’t get this unless they play football. They can get it anywhere, whether they’re in a bar or just hanging out.”


bonginoreport--2020-08-13--Jerry Jones Plans to Decide Cowboys’ Anthem Stance With “Grace”

Two years ago , Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones said that if any of his players knelt for the national anthem , the Cowboys would not play .
Now , Jerry Jones is saying times have changed , and so might the Cowboys anthem stance .
The owner of one of the few teams in the NFL to have never had an anthem protester , elaborated on his thought process regarding the anthem on Wednesday .
“ Everybody in this country knows where I stand and where the Cowboys stand when it comes to the flag , ” Jones said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jones said : The key word .
.
.
is a word called grace .
Grace .
That was then , two years ago .
This is now .
We have had very , very sensitive times .
I don ’ t need to share that we ’ re also embroiled in a very other sensitive time with the challenge , and the war literally with the virus .
These are very sensitive times .
I have nothing to prove as far as where I ’ m standing with the flag and where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prove regarding my players and my support of our players .
What I do want to show and want us all to be a part of is a word called grace .
Grace .
Not only grace in our actions but grace in our understanding of where they ’ re coming from .
I want our players to understand the perception and where they ’ re coming from regarding the flag and the sensitivity there and the many memories there .
And I want our fans to understand and better do because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last few months and want them to understand where our players are coming from there , and they do not feel like that the ones who .
.
.
kneel , they do not feel like they ’ re dishonoring the flag .
I ’ m going to have grace .
I ’ ve had grace .
Many of you have written and criticized me for having too much grace and understanding regarding our players , and I probably have .
And I ’ m going to have grace regarding the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Somewhere in between there as the weeks , as we get together with our team , as we discuss with the team , somewhere in between there is how we ’ re going to handle it .
Jones says they will discuss the matter as a team .
We ’ re going to have grace when we sit here and look at how we ’ re going to handle it .
I haven ’ t met to the detail and in depth with our players that I want to .
I have talked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very engaged people .
I have had input from ex-presidents .
I ’ ve had input from presidents .
I ’ ve had input from a cross section of our players , former players , and I will continue to have input .
This is a very serious matter .
We ’ ve asked for the platform .
We have the platform .
We ’ re going to show grace .
I ’ m going to show grace , and I ’ d to show that kind of grace in every sensitive matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ genuine here .
I ’ m giving here the benefit of the doubt relative to any decision that I make .
I have one thing : My job is to run the Dallas Cowboys .
My job is to do what ’ s right .
We ’ ve asked for all of this interest , and we ’ ve asked for our players to give everything they ’ ve got .
I want to sit down when I have an issue and I have a decision to make , I want to show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with grace and come up with the right solution .
I don ’ t know what we ’ re going to be faced with here a month from now or two months from now .
When it happens , I ’ m giving you the backdrop of how I ’ ll make the decision at the time or encourage our players .
Our players have always been open ears for anything that I have to offer and I ’ ve been open-eared with what they have to offer , and that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that certainly sounds like Jones is laying the foundation for allowing players to protest .
By invoking “ Grace , ” a word with obvious religious symbolism , he could be an attempt to appeal to the “ Better Angels ” of Cowboys fans who are opposed to anthem protests .
In any event , it ’ s hard to imagine that the players will have any opinion other than a unanimous or near unanimous vote to protest when Jones seeks their opinion .
At that point , Jones will have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his beliefs about the anthem , or adjusting to these “ sensitive times .
”

Two years ago, Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones said that if any of his players knelt for the national anthem, the Cowboys would not play. Now, Jerry Jones is saying times have changed, and so might the Cowboys anthem stance.
The owner of one of the few teams in the NFL to have never had an anthem protester, elaborated on his thought process regarding the anthem on Wednesday.
“Everybody in this country knows where I stand and where the Cowboys stand when it comes to the flag,” Jones said.
Though, that wasn’t all Jones said:
The key word . . . is a word called grace. Grace. That was then, two years ago. This is now. We have had very, very sensitive times. I don’t need to share that we’re also embroiled in a very other sensitive time with the challenge, and the war literally with the virus. These are very sensitive times. I have nothing to prove as far as where I’m standing with the flag and where the Cowboys stand. I have nothing to prove regarding my players and my support of our players. What I do want to show and want us all to be a part of is a word called grace. Grace. Not only grace in our actions but grace in our understanding of where they’re coming from. I want our players to understand the perception and where they’re coming from regarding the flag and the sensitivity there and the many memories there. And I want our fans to understand and better do because of what’s gone on over the last few months and want them to understand where our players are coming from there, and they do not feel like that the ones who . . . kneel, they do not feel like they’re dishonoring the flag. I’m going to have grace. I’ve had grace. Many of you have written and criticized me for having too much grace and understanding regarding our players, and I probably have. And I’m going to have grace regarding the people that are sensitive about our flag. Somewhere in between there as the weeks, as we get together with our team, as we discuss with the team, somewhere in between there is how we’re going to handle it.
Jones says they will discuss the matter as a team.
We’re going to have grace when we sit here and look at how we’re going to handle it. I haven’t met to the detail and in depth with our players that I want to. I have talked to literally double handfuls of very, very engaged people. I have had input from ex-presidents. I’ve had input from presidents. I’ve had input from a cross section of our players, former players, and I will continue to have input. This is a very serious matter. We’ve asked for the platform. We have the platform. We’re going to show grace. I’m going to show grace, and I’d to show that kind of grace in every sensitive matter that comes up. Everybody’s genuine here. I’m giving here the benefit of the doubt relative to any decision that I make. I have one thing: My job is to run the Dallas Cowboys. My job is to do what’s right. We’ve asked for all of this interest, and we’ve asked for our players to give everything they’ve got. I want to sit down when I have an issue and I have a decision to make, I want to show the world that I can do it with grace and come up with the right solution. I don’t know what we’re going to be faced with here a month from now or two months from now. When it happens, I’m giving you the backdrop of how I’ll make the decision at the time or encourage our players. Our players have always been open ears for anything that I have to offer and I’ve been open-eared with what they have to offer, and that’s what we’ll do.
So, that certainly sounds like Jones is laying the foundation for allowing players to protest. By invoking “Grace,” a word with obvious religious symbolism, he could be an attempt to appeal to the “Better Angels” of Cowboys fans who are opposed to anthem protests.
In any event, it’s hard to imagine that the players will have any opinion other than a unanimous or near unanimous vote to protest when Jones seeks their opinion. At that point, Jones will have to decide whether “Grace” means sticking to his beliefs about the anthem, or adjusting to these “sensitive times.”
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themighygwinn


bonginoreport--2020-08-13--Rose McGowan Calls Out Kamala Harris Over Donations From Harvey Weinstein

While Hollywood stars drool over Kamala Harris , actress Rose McGowan has shown up to deliver a sobering reality check .
The actress and # MeToo activist is calling out the newly minted vice presidential candidate for accepting donations from Harvey Weinstein when she was attorney general of California .
“ Did you return the money Weinstein gave you ?
” McGowan tweeted Wednesday .
“ How many predators bankroll you ?
” Kamala Harris accepted $ 2,500 from Harvey Weinstein for her re-election campaign for California attorney general in 2014 .
Three years later , she received another $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the U.S. Senate .
Weinstein was one of Hollywood ’ s most active political donors , coralling big-ticket celebrity donations for Democratic candidates , including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton .
The former Miramax boss is now serving a 23-year jail sentence in New York after being convicted of rape and sexual assault .
McGowan has alleged in her memoirs that Weinstein raped her at the Sundance Film Festival in 1997 .
She has said that Hollywood ignored her claims about Weinstein for years , allowing the producer to continue to prey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have accused Weinstein of sexual assault and harassment .
Shortly after the Weinstein scandal broke in 2017 , Harris ’ s spokesman said the senator planned to donate the Weinstein contributions to the California-based Equal Rights Advocates , a women ’ s rights group .
Rose McGowan has emerged as one of Joe Biden ’ s biggest Hollywood critics after Tara Reade accused the senator of sexually assaulting her three decades ago when she worked as a Congressional staffer .
Last year , Kamala Harris stated that she believes the women who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including unwanted touching and kissing .
“ I believe them , and I respect them being able to tell their story and having the courage to do it , ” Harris said .
Follow David Ng on Twitter @ HeyItsDavidNg .
Have a tip ?
Contact me at dng @ breitbart.com

While Hollywood stars drool over Kamala Harris, actress Rose McGowan has shown up to deliver a sobering reality check. The actress and #MeToo activist is calling out the newly minted vice presidential candidate for accepting donations from Harvey Weinstein when she was attorney general of California.
“Did you return the money Weinstein gave you?” McGowan tweeted Wednesday. “How many predators bankroll you?”
Did you return the money Weinstein gave you? @SenKamalaHarris How many predators bankroll you? https://t.co/vQmcCllRDB — rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) August 12, 2020
Kamala Harris accepted $2,500 from Harvey Weinstein for her re-election campaign for California attorney general in 2014. Three years later, she received another $2,500 donation from Weinstein for her bid for the U.S. Senate.
Weinstein was one of Hollywood’s most active political donors, coralling big-ticket celebrity donations for Democratic candidates, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. The former Miramax boss is now serving a 23-year jail sentence in New York after being convicted of rape and sexual assault.
McGowan has alleged in her memoirs that Weinstein raped her at the Sundance Film Festival in 1997. She has said that Hollywood ignored her claims about Weinstein for years, allowing the producer to continue to prey on young women. Dozens have women have accused Weinstein of sexual assault and harassment.
Shortly after the Weinstein scandal broke in 2017, Harris’s spokesman said the senator planned to donate the Weinstein contributions to the California-based Equal Rights Advocates, a women’s rights group.
Rose McGowan has emerged as one of Joe Biden’s biggest Hollywood critics after Tara Reade accused the senator of sexually assaulting her three decades ago when she worked as a Congressional staffer.
TARA READE IS TELLING THE TRUTH https://t.co/TEBxzLQ2dU — rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) April 24, 2020
Last year, Kamala Harris stated that she believes the women who have accused Joe Biden of inappropriate behavior, including unwanted touching and kissing. “I believe them, and I respect them being able to tell their story and having the courage to do it,” Harris said.
Follow David Ng on Twitter @HeyItsDavidNg. Have a tip? Contact me at dng@breitbart.com


bonginoreport--2020-08-13--Ron DeSantis lobbies ACC and SEC for Fall Football

The Big Ten and Pac-12 became the first Power 5 conferences to postpone their football seasons Tuesday , joining the Mid-American and Mountain West as Football Bowl Subdivision conferences to shelve fall sports amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
That ’ s a mistake , Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis said Tuesday , imploring the Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) and Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) to stick with their plans to kick-off football seasons in September .
“ We are here to say from the state of Florida , we want you guys to play , ” DeSantis said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a collegiate athletics roundtable Tuesday at FSU ’ s Albert J. Dunlap Athletic Training Facility in Tallahassee .
In his push to reopen the state ’ s schools and colleges , DeSantis repeatedly has stressed the importance of high school and collegiate fall sports , saying canceling them will put student-athletes more at risk once they are no longer in “ protective bubbles ” provided by their teams .
“ We believe that discussions about short-circuiting the season are entirely misplaced , and I support Florida State continuing to play with the season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout the state of Florida , ” DeSantis said .
FSU President John Thrasher said the university has its own testing lab , can get players ’ results in a day and the Seminoles are preparing to play their first game Sept. 12 .
“ What we frankly want to send is a message to some of the other schools that may be teetering on whether or not to play football , ” Thrasher said .
“ We think it is in the best interests of our athletes for us to play football.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 22-year-olds just quarantining at their house , that ’ s unrealistic .
There ’ s so many other things that guys are going to go do , which is not safe , ” FSU wide receiver Keyshawn Helton said .
“ Let ’ s be clear , ” DeSantis said .
“ You don ’ t have sports , it ain ’ t like there ’ s not going to be activities going on with college students .
In fact , it will be unsupervised , it will be unstructured .
Just from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the kids , I think , in the athletic program.
” Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis assured Florida ’ s 12 universities in a letter Monday their schools would be shielded from liability lawsuits .
“ If you ’ re concerned about the legal liability of letting student-athletes compete , let ’ s talk , ” Patronis wrote .
“ Next legislative session , I plan to pursue legislation to protect our businesses and nonprofits from legal firms who see the coronavirus as a business opportunity.
” FSU and the University of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University of Florida is in the SEC .
Both are among college football ’ s Power 5 conferences , along with the Big Ten , Big 12 and Pac-12 .
Many conferences , including the ACC and SEC , had cancelled nonconference football games , nixing the annual rivalry showdown between FSU and UF , which DeSantis also has lobbied to get back on the schedule .
DeSantis made a similar overture regarding prep sports last week .
The Florida High School Athletic Association ( FHSAA ) Board of Directors reversed plans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County Public Schools , the nation ’ s fourth-largest school district , threatened to leave the association if it did not delay the season .
The FHSAA board will discuss fall sports when it meets Thursday .
Its Athletic Directors Advisory Committee ( ADAC ) has recommended football season begin with practices Nov. 30 practices and games Dec. 14 .

The Big Ten and Pac-12 became the first Power 5 conferences to postpone their football seasons Tuesday, joining the Mid-American and Mountain West as Football Bowl Subdivision conferences to shelve fall sports amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
That’s a mistake, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday, imploring the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Southeastern Conference (SEC) to stick with their plans to kick-off football seasons in September.
“We are here to say from the state of Florida, we want you guys to play,” DeSantis said to Florida State University football players at a collegiate athletics roundtable Tuesday at FSU’s Albert J. Dunlap Athletic Training Facility in Tallahassee.
In his push to reopen the state’s schools and colleges, DeSantis repeatedly has stressed the importance of high school and collegiate fall sports, saying canceling them will put student-athletes more at risk once they are no longer in “protective bubbles” provided by their teams.
“We believe that discussions about short-circuiting the season are entirely misplaced, and I support Florida State continuing to play with the season, as I do all the sports throughout the state of Florida,” DeSantis said.
FSU President John Thrasher said the university has its own testing lab, can get players’ results in a day and the Seminoles are preparing to play their first game Sept. 12.
“What we frankly want to send is a message to some of the other schools that may be teetering on whether or not to play football,” Thrasher said. “We think it is in the best interests of our athletes for us to play football.”
“You talk about 18- to 22-year-olds just quarantining at their house, that’s unrealistic. There’s so many other things that guys are going to go do, which is not safe,” FSU wide receiver Keyshawn Helton said.
“Let’s be clear,” DeSantis said. “You don’t have sports, it ain’t like there’s not going to be activities going on with college students. In fact, it will be unsupervised, it will be unstructured. Just from a corona perspective, you would want the kids, I think, in the athletic program.”
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis assured Florida’s 12 universities in a letter Monday their schools would be shielded from liability lawsuits.
“If you’re concerned about the legal liability of letting student-athletes compete, let’s talk,” Patronis wrote. “Next legislative session, I plan to pursue legislation to protect our businesses and nonprofits from legal firms who see the coronavirus as a business opportunity.”
FSU and the University of Miami are in the ACC. The University of Florida is in the SEC. Both are among college football’s Power 5 conferences, along with the Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12.
Many conferences, including the ACC and SEC, had cancelled nonconference football games, nixing the annual rivalry showdown between FSU and UF, which DeSantis also has lobbied to get back on the schedule.
DeSantis made a similar overture regarding prep sports last week. The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Board of Directors reversed plans to begin fall sports as scheduled after Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the nation’s fourth-largest school district, threatened to leave the association if it did not delay the season.
The FHSAA board will discuss fall sports when it meets Thursday. Its Athletic Directors Advisory Committee (ADAC) has recommended football season begin with practices Nov. 30 practices and games Dec. 14.


bonginoreport--2020-08-13--HHS Secretary Azar Salutes Taiwan’s First Democratic President

On his last day in Taiwan , U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar visited the shrine of former Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui .
Azar praised Lee , who died at the age of 97 on July 30 , for leaving a “ democratic legacy ” he said will “ forever propel the U.S.-Taiwan relationship forward.
” The Chinese Communist Party , which despises Lee as the “ godfather of Taiwanese secessionism ” and is fuming over Azar ’ s historic visit to the island , snarled that the HHS secretary “ abandoned the millions of people who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stage a political show.
” Lee Teng-hui was Taiwan ’ s first democratically elected president and its first native-born head of state .
He was also the last president , to date , from the Kuomintang Party , which founded the Taiwanese state but is currently the more pro-China of the two main Taiwanese parties .
The Chinese government was not happy when Lee brought bold democratic reforms to the presidency after climbing the political ladder as a relatively staid Kuomintang man .
Beijing denounced Lee as a political Trojan horse , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ a deformed test-tube baby cultivated in the political laboratory of hostile anti-China forces.
” Lee held office from 1988 to 2000 after decades of authoritarian rule , most of it conducted under outright martial law .
He was a staunch critic of Communist China and firmly insisted on Taiwan ’ s sovereign status .
As an elder statesman in 2018 , he tried to set up a referendum that would have formally changed the name of the government he once led to “ Taiwan ” instead of “ Republic of China , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tolerates .
One of his last political adventures involved helping to establish a new party called the Formosa Alliance whose platform includes declaring independence from China .
“ Formosa ” is a name for Taiwan that China arguably dislikes even more than “ Taiwan.
” “ China ’ s goal regarding Taiwan has never changed .
That goal is to swallow up Taiwan ’ s sovereignty , exterminate Taiwanese democracy and achieve ultimate unification , ” Lee warned in a 2018 interview with the New York Times .
The American Institute in Taiwan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. embassy to the Republic of China , praised Lee as a “ reformer , partner , and friend of the United States.
” “ President Lee ’ s success in transforming Taiwan into a beacon of freedom and democracy and in cementing the U.S.-Taiwan friendship will be felt by many future generations , ” AIT said .
The South China Morning Post anticipated that the public memorial to Lee constructed in Taipei earlier this month could become a diplomatic flashpoint , especially if a high-ranking U.S. official instead of a “ middleweight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heavyweight visit came to pass on Wednesday , as departing HHS Secretary Alex Azar visited the Lee shrine and praised his accomplishments in much the same terms as AIT .
“ President Lee ’ s democratic legacy will forever propel the U.S.-Taiwan relationship , ” Azar wrote in a handwritten note left at the shrine .
After a subsequent visit to a mask factory , Azar said the United States will “ continue to support Taiwan as our friend and our partner across security , economic and healthcare issues .
”

On his last day in Taiwan, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar visited the shrine of former Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui.
Azar praised Lee, who died at the age of 97 on July 30, for leaving a “democratic legacy” he said will “forever propel the U.S.-Taiwan relationship forward.”
The Chinese Communist Party, which despises Lee as the “godfather of Taiwanese secessionism” and is fuming over Azar’s historic visit to the island, snarled that the HHS secretary “abandoned the millions of people who are struggling with illness and visited Taiwan instead to stage a political show.”
Lee Teng-hui was Taiwan’s first democratically elected president and its first native-born head of state. He was also the last president, to date, from the Kuomintang Party, which founded the Taiwanese state but is currently the more pro-China of the two main Taiwanese parties.
The Chinese government was not happy when Lee brought bold democratic reforms to the presidency after climbing the political ladder as a relatively staid Kuomintang man. Beijing denounced Lee as a political Trojan horse, and on one memorable occasion called him “a deformed test-tube baby cultivated in the political laboratory of hostile anti-China forces.”
Lee held office from 1988 to 2000 after decades of authoritarian rule, most of it conducted under outright martial law. He was a staunch critic of Communist China and firmly insisted on Taiwan’s sovereign status.
As an elder statesman in 2018, he tried to set up a referendum that would have formally changed the name of the government he once led to “Taiwan” instead of “Republic of China,” the name Beijing (barely) tolerates. One of his last political adventures involved helping to establish a new party called the Formosa Alliance whose platform includes declaring independence from China. “Formosa” is a name for Taiwan that China arguably dislikes even more than “Taiwan.”
“China’s goal regarding Taiwan has never changed. That goal is to swallow up Taiwan’s sovereignty, exterminate Taiwanese democracy and achieve ultimate unification,” Lee warned in a 2018 interview with the New York Times.
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the de facto U.S. embassy to the Republic of China, praised Lee as a “reformer, partner, and friend of the United States.”
“President Lee’s success in transforming Taiwan into a beacon of freedom and democracy and in cementing the U.S.-Taiwan friendship will be felt by many future generations,” AIT said.
The South China Morning Post anticipated that the public memorial to Lee constructed in Taipei earlier this month could become a diplomatic flashpoint, especially if a high-ranking U.S. official instead of a “middleweight” visited to pay respects.
That heavyweight visit came to pass on Wednesday, as departing HHS Secretary Alex Azar visited the Lee shrine and praised his accomplishments in much the same terms as AIT.
“President Lee’s democratic legacy will forever propel the U.S.-Taiwan relationship,” Azar wrote in a handwritten note left at the shrine.
After a subsequent visit to a mask factory, Azar said the United States will “continue to support Taiwan as our friend and our partner across security, economic and healthcare issues.”


bonginoreport--2020-08-13--Erdogan Embraces Afghan Terror Leader

Erdogan Embraces Afghan Terror Leader

It has now been almost two years since President Trump bestowed the Medal of Honor on Staff Sgt .
Ronald Shurer II .
Shurer was a true hero .
As Trump ’ s recount of his actions show , he scaled a cliff to reach his comrades , who were under attack by “ roughly 200 well-trained and well-armed terrorists.
” He was shot in the head but still managed to rescue most of his team and many of their Afghan partners .
He subsequently joined the Secret Service .
That this spring , the 41-year-old lost his life to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his family but also for our nation .
The terrorists to which Trump referred , however , were not mere Taliban .
Rather , they were members of Hizb-e Islami under the command of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar .
Who was Hekmatyar ?
During the Soviet invasion and occupation of Afghanistan , Hekmatyar grew to become one of the most prominent Mujahedin commanders , famous not for his prowess on the battlefield — unlike many of his peers , he never actually scored a victory against the Red Army — but rather for his duplicity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a mad scramble to the top .
Afghans who knew him as an opponent or even as a friend described him as a sociopath .
Ordinary Afghan citizens knew him as the “ Butcher of Kabul ” for shelling the city repeatedly for no other reason than to ensure promotion to make the murder stop .
He ultimately did become prime minister in 1993 and again in 1996 , but he had destroyed what was left of the country in order to achieve that position .
He was also a man for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States to cut him off , but Pakistan ’ s Inter-Services Intelligence embraced him fully .
Prior to the rise of the Taliban , Hekmatyar was the Inter-Services Intelligence ’ s chief proxy ; they only shifted resources to the Taliban because the upstart group was not impeded initially by the human rights baggage that came with Hekmatyar .
Hekmatyar has repeatedly targeted Americans .
His relationship with al Qaeda and its founder , Osama bin Laden , led the State Department to designate Hekmatyar a terrorist .
After U.S.-led forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on its feet after decades of civil war , Hekmatyar repeatedly targeted Americans .
His fighters , for example , ambushed a U.S. convoy in August 2005 .
In 2012 , his group claimed responsibility for an attack targeting flight attendants for a charter company used by the U.S. Embassy .
The terrorists Shurer faced down ?
Hekmatyar ’ s group .
While the Afghan government subsequently agreed to a peace deal with Hekmatyar , Afghans victimized by Hekmatyar ’ s terrorism still seek justice .
Pakistan continues latent support for Hizb-e Islami @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taliban to pursue efforts to hobble Afghanistan ’ s recovery .
Hekmatyar is Machiavellian and has also sought an insurance policy lest he become too reliant on Islamabad .
That insurance policy has been Turkey .
This is why , less than a year before Trump bestowed the Medal of Honor on Shurer , Hekmatyar flew to Turkey on a Turkish air ambulance to seek treatment for an undisclosed illness in an Istanbul hospital .
He was welcomed there by none other than Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan , who promised that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hekmatyar ’ s triumphant return .
It was not their first meeting : Photos published in the Turkish press and a video that subsequently surfaced showed the two met at the height of Hekmatyar ’ s Mujahedin-era reign of terror in Afghanistan .
While mayor of Istanbul , Erdogan referred to himself as “ the Imam of Istanbul ” and a “ servant of Sharia.
” While Western diplomats insisted Erdogan had evolved away from the radicalism of his youth and early career , when Turkish forces invaded northern Syria , they did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be “ jihad for the sake of Allah.
” More recently , during a May 4 briefing on COVID-19 , Erdogan dismissed the “ leftovers of the sword , ” a derogatory phrase that referred to the survivors of massacres perpetrated by the Ottomans and Turkey against Armenian , Greek , and Assyrian Christian communities .
Erdogan also seeks to utilize his partnership with Hekmatyar to help shape Afghanistan ’ s post-war political order .
The U.S. should not let them .
The persistence of Erdogan ’ s relationship with Hekmatyar illustrates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Erdogan was ever anything more than a jihadi in a business suit , no matter how many diplomats projected their hopes of change on him .
To trust Erdogan ’ s word now — in Afghanistan , in Syria , in Libya , in Somalia , or anywhere else — is to betray the memory and heroism of Shurer .
Michael Rubin ( @ Mrubin1971 ) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner 's Beltway Confidential blog .
He is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a former Pentagon @ @

It has now been almost two years since President Trump bestowed the Medal of Honor on Staff Sgt. Ronald Shurer II. Shurer was a true hero. As Trump’s recount of his actions show, he scaled a cliff to reach his comrades, who were under attack by “roughly 200 well-trained and well-armed terrorists.” He was shot in the head but still managed to rescue most of his team and many of their Afghan partners. He subsequently joined the Secret Service. That this spring, the 41-year-old lost his life to cancer is a tragedy not only for his family but also for our nation.
The terrorists to which Trump referred, however, were not mere Taliban. Rather, they were members of Hizb-e Islami under the command of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
Who was Hekmatyar? During the Soviet invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, Hekmatyar grew to become one of the most prominent Mujahedin commanders, famous not for his prowess on the battlefield — unlike many of his peers, he never actually scored a victory against the Red Army — but rather for his duplicity. He repeatedly back-stabbed other Afghan commanders in a mad scramble to the top. Afghans who knew him as an opponent or even as a friend described him as a sociopath.
Ordinary Afghan citizens knew him as the “Butcher of Kabul” for shelling the city repeatedly for no other reason than to ensure promotion to make the murder stop. He ultimately did become prime minister in 1993 and again in 1996, but he had destroyed what was left of the country in order to achieve that position. He was also a man for hire. His instability and unreliability led the United States to cut him off, but Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence embraced him fully. Prior to the rise of the Taliban, Hekmatyar was the Inter-Services Intelligence’s chief proxy; they only shifted resources to the Taliban because the upstart group was not impeded initially by the human rights baggage that came with Hekmatyar.
Hekmatyar has repeatedly targeted Americans. His relationship with al Qaeda and its founder, Osama bin Laden, led the State Department to designate Hekmatyar a terrorist. After U.S.-led forces entered Afghanistan to help Afghanistan get back on its feet after decades of civil war, Hekmatyar repeatedly targeted Americans. His fighters, for example, ambushed a U.S. convoy in August 2005. In 2012, his group claimed responsibility for an attack targeting flight attendants for a charter company used by the U.S. Embassy. The terrorists Shurer faced down? Hekmatyar’s group. While the Afghan government subsequently agreed to a peace deal with Hekmatyar, Afghans victimized by Hekmatyar’s terrorism still seek justice.
Pakistan continues latent support for Hizb-e Islami to have a Plan B to the Taliban to pursue efforts to hobble Afghanistan’s recovery. Hekmatyar is Machiavellian and has also sought an insurance policy lest he become too reliant on Islamabad. That insurance policy has been Turkey.
This is why, less than a year before Trump bestowed the Medal of Honor on Shurer, Hekmatyar flew to Turkey on a Turkish air ambulance to seek treatment for an undisclosed illness in an Istanbul hospital. He was welcomed there by none other than Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who promised that he would himself travel to Kabul to celebrate Hekmatyar’s triumphant return. It was not their first meeting: Photos published in the Turkish press and a video that subsequently surfaced showed the two met at the height of Hekmatyar’s Mujahedin-era reign of terror in Afghanistan.
While mayor of Istanbul, Erdogan referred to himself as “the Imam of Istanbul” and a “servant of Sharia.” While Western diplomats insisted Erdogan had evolved away from the radicalism of his youth and early career, when Turkish forces invaded northern Syria, they did so under fatwa, declaring their reason to be “jihad for the sake of Allah.” More recently, during a May 4 briefing on COVID-19, Erdogan dismissed the “leftovers of the sword,” a derogatory phrase that referred to the survivors of massacres perpetrated by the Ottomans and Turkey against Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian Christian communities. Erdogan also seeks to utilize his partnership with Hekmatyar to help shape Afghanistan’s post-war political order.
The U.S. should not let them. The persistence of Erdogan’s relationship with Hekmatyar illustrates that it was wishful thinking to believe that Erdogan was ever anything more than a jihadi in a business suit, no matter how many diplomats projected their hopes of change on him. To trust Erdogan’s word now — in Afghanistan, in Syria, in Libya, in Somalia, or anywhere else — is to betray the memory and heroism of Shurer.
Michael Rubin (@Mrubin1971) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner's Beltway Confidential blog. He is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a former Pentagon official.