theduran--2020-02-17--Is U.S. Sponsored Regime Change War Coming to Georgia?

Submitted by InfoBrics , authored by Paul Antonopoulos , Research Fellow at the Center for Syncretic Studies… Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili ( October 2012 – November 2013 ) is leading his party to dominate the Georgian parliament in the upcoming Autumn elections , if they actually go on schedule and not earlier as many commentators are speculating .
Ivanishvili , Georgia ’ s richest man , ended his stint as Prime Minister on 20 November 2013 coming under extreme pressure from the West , but returned to politics in 2018 when he was elected as leader of the ruling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win the upcoming elections .
This extreme pressure came because he maintained friendly relations with Moscow and was not subservient to NATO demands .
As Ivanishvili is becoming a serious candidate to become the potential next leader of Georgia , the U.S. has begun applying pressure against the Russian-friendly politician knowing that his election will see NATO plans stall in the Caucasus .
At the end of January , U.S. House of Representatives , Republic Congressman Pete Olson ( R-TX ) slammed Ivanishvili on Twitter over so-called human rights , stating “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Grouch from Sesame Street have in common with Republic of Georgia ’ s oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili ?
What they have in common ?
Answer – they are both puppets who trash their own homes .
Vladimir Putin ’ s puppet [ Bidzina Ivanishvili ] has attacked the investment in Georgia and crushed basic human rights.
” By investments , Olson was referring to Texan oil company Frontera Resources who are in the middle of a bitter dispute with Georgia ’ s Oil and Gas Corporation .
Georgia ’ s ambassador to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Olson ’ s tweet , saying “ the tone , in which the Congressmen supporting Frontera Resources address the ( former ) Georgian Prime Minister – the Prime Minister of the United States ’ strategic partner state – is absolutely unacceptable.
” It becomes clear then that the attack against Ivanishvili is not because of supposed human rights abuses but rather to protect U.S. oil corporations in the Caucasian country .
Olson claimed that it was Vladimir Putin who “ is happy to control Georgia ’ s oil , ” again suggesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Russian puppet .
With Olson mentioning supposed human right abuses in Georgia , this could set a dangerous precedent for the U.S. to remove Ivanishvili to protect their geostrategic and economic interests in the Caucasus .
Supposed human rights abuses have been used in part of campaigns to legitimize and justify regime change wars in Iraq , Syria , Libya and elsewhere .
Although it is unlikely the U.S. will employ such drastic measures as a direct regime change war like in the case of Iraq and Libya , human right abuses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanctions against independent states such as Venezuela .
Although Georgia is mostly a subservient state to NATO , any rise of Ivanishvili can see this be reversed , undoing Washington ’ s increased influence in the Caucasus , a pivotal region that connects Russia to the Middle East .
The pressure against Ivanishvili did not end with Olson ’ s comments and was followed by a Bloomberg piece published on Friday that described Ivanishvili as Georgia ’ s “ shadow boss , ” and claimed that the country slid into “ authoritarianism ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course , the author of the article , Eli Lake , did not explain how Georgia has become authoritarian or returned to repression , but that is not the purpose .
Just as Olson never explained how Ivanishvili broke any human rights , neither did Lake explain why he used the words he did – rather , these buzzwords are meant to stir emotion in the reader and prepare a path to justify to the American public any upcoming U.S.-backed upheaval in Georgia , just as was done before the regime change wars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bloomberg disclaims that “ this column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners , ” the purpose , as mentioned , is to stir emotion within readers using buzzwords .
Bloomberg was founded and is owned by Michael Bloomberg , a former mayor of New York City ( 2002-2013 ) and currently a candidate in the Democratic Party primaries for the 2020 United States presidential election .
The Olson tweet and Bloomberg article suggests that there is consensus against Ivanishvili across the U.S. political spectrum which can mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resemblance to the Ukrainian crisis that emerged in 2014 with relentless planning from opposition figures with the U.S. and other Western hegemonic powers .
Inevitably , what follows are accusations of corruption and human right abuses ( as has already occurred ) , disorders and upheavals ( protests have been ongoing since June 2019 ) , and eventually a coup .
Although there are no suggestions that a coup attempt may occur to install pro-NATO figures , Georgia is walking along a shaky path , especially now that U.S. political figures and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and human right abuses while also pointing the finger against Russia for being responsible for these so-called regressions in the Caucasian country .
It begs the question , is a regime change war coming to Georgia ?

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Submitted by InfoBrics, authored by Paul Antonopoulos, Research Fellow at the Center for Syncretic Studies…
Former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili (October 2012 – November 2013) is leading his party to dominate the Georgian parliament in the upcoming Autumn elections, if they actually go on schedule and not earlier as many commentators are speculating. Ivanishvili, Georgia’s richest man, ended his stint as Prime Minister on 20 November 2013 coming under extreme pressure from the West, but returned to politics in 2018 when he was elected as leader of the ruling Dream-Democratic Georgia Party who are expected to win the upcoming elections. This extreme pressure came because he maintained friendly relations with Moscow and was not subservient to NATO demands. As Ivanishvili is becoming a serious candidate to become the potential next leader of Georgia, the U.S. has begun applying pressure against the Russian-friendly politician knowing that his election will see NATO plans stall in the Caucasus.
At the end of January, U.S. House of Representatives, Republic Congressman Pete Olson (R-TX) slammed Ivanishvili on Twitter over so-called human rights, stating “I have a question. What does Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street have in common with Republic of Georgia’s oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili? What they have in common? Answer – they are both puppets who trash their own homes. Vladimir Putin’s puppet [Bidzina Ivanishvili] has attacked the investment in Georgia and crushed basic human rights.” By investments, Olson was referring to Texan oil company Frontera Resources who are in the middle of a bitter dispute with Georgia’s Oil and Gas Corporation. Georgia’s ambassador to the U.S., David Bakradze, hit back at Olson’s tweet, saying “the tone, in which the Congressmen supporting Frontera Resources address the (former) Georgian Prime Minister – the Prime Minister of the United States’ strategic partner state – is absolutely unacceptable.” It becomes clear then that the attack against Ivanishvili is not because of supposed human rights abuses but rather to protect U.S. oil corporations in the Caucasian country. Olson claimed that it was Vladimir Putin who “is happy to control Georgia’s oil,” again suggesting that Ivanishvili acts without independence and is a Russian puppet.
With Olson mentioning supposed human right abuses in Georgia, this could set a dangerous precedent for the U.S. to remove Ivanishvili to protect their geostrategic and economic interests in the Caucasus. Supposed human rights abuses have been used in part of campaigns to legitimize and justify regime change wars in Iraq, Syria, Libya and elsewhere. Although it is unlikely the U.S. will employ such drastic measures as a direct regime change war like in the case of Iraq and Libya, human right abuses have also been used to justify crippling sanctions against independent states such as Venezuela. Although Georgia is mostly a subservient state to NATO, any rise of Ivanishvili can see this be reversed, undoing Washington’s increased influence in the Caucasus, a pivotal region that connects Russia to the Middle East.
The pressure against Ivanishvili did not end with Olson’s comments and was followed by a Bloomberg piece published on Friday that described Ivanishvili as Georgia’s “shadow boss,” and claimed that the country slid into “authoritarianism” and regressed “into repression.” Of course, the author of the article, Eli Lake, did not explain how Georgia has become authoritarian or returned to repression, but that is not the purpose. Just as Olson never explained how Ivanishvili broke any human rights, neither did Lake explain why he used the words he did – rather, these buzzwords are meant to stir emotion in the reader and prepare a path to justify to the American public any upcoming U.S.-backed upheaval in Georgia, just as was done before the regime change wars began in Syria and Libya. Although Bloomberg disclaims that “this column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners,” the purpose, as mentioned, is to stir emotion within readers using buzzwords. Bloomberg was founded and is owned by Michael Bloomberg, a former mayor of New York City (2002-2013) and currently a candidate in the Democratic Party primaries for the 2020 United States presidential election. The Olson tweet and Bloomberg article suggests that there is consensus against Ivanishvili across the U.S. political spectrum which can mean upcoming dangers for Georgia.
This bares resemblance to the Ukrainian crisis that emerged in 2014 with relentless planning from opposition figures with the U.S. and other Western hegemonic powers. Inevitably, what follows are accusations of corruption and human right abuses (as has already occurred), disorders and upheavals (protests have been ongoing since June 2019), and eventually a coup. Although there are no suggestions that a coup attempt may occur to install pro-NATO figures, Georgia is walking along a shaky path, especially now that U.S. political figures and the media are playing the narrative of corruption and human right abuses while also pointing the finger against Russia for being responsible for these so-called regressions in the Caucasian country.
It begs the question, is a regime change war coming to Georgia?
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theduran--2020-02-17--Nord Stream 2: why Ukraine and Poland are against it

Submitted by InfoBrics , authored by Lucas Leiroz , research fellow in international law at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro… There is no doubt about the fundamental importance of the gas flow for the European energy balance .
There is even less doubt about Russia ’ s role in this process .
Western Europe is not self-sufficient in producing gas , depending on its import .
It is speculated that in a long time Europe will need less and less imported gas , however , for many years it will remain dependent on this business .
At this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefited , especially when we consider Nord Stream 2 .
The Nord Stream 2 project includes a gas pipeline with an annual capacity of 55 billion cubic meters , which transports gas directly from Russia to Germany .
Right there , the great controversies started , raised by Western strategists concerned with the prominent role of Russia .
The big problem seen by them is that the agreement would diminish the importance of Ukraine and Poland in the gas route , reducing the annual flow of these countries .
In the long run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flows in Europe forever .
Ukraine and Poland , which increasingly consolidate themselves as Russia ’ s geopolitical opponents , will have their role reduced , tending to disappear in a few years .
This has become a cause of despair and justification for international maneuvers with the intention of boycotting the project and guaranteeing benefits for Ukraine and Poland in their relations with the West .
Above all , Nord Stream 2 will make Germany a very important country on the gas route .
The agreement mutually benefits Moscow and Berlin and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ towards a near future of political , economic and energy collaboration , lessening the inevitable instability that arises from the dependence on flows from Ukraine and Poland , considering tensions increasingly more serious between these countries and Russia – with great emphasis on Ukraine , where a conflict against Russian minorities remains unresolved in Donbass .
The project is the most advanced in the ambitions of a Russian-European strategic axis .
We can then see the complete inconsistency behind the ideologies and strategic plans of the Polish and Ukrainian governments , which both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favor of Western Europe , which they so much want to serve , and at the same time , hinder strategic planning that will benefit Europe in everything , just because it also benefits Russia .
This reveals that the anti-Russian sentiment of these countries is beyond any strategic rationality , being , therefore , used by foreign forces that do not want the benefit of neither Europeans nor Russians .
Nord Stream 2 is a fundamental project for Europe ’ s energy security .
The agreement is the only way to stabilize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guaranteeing a free and safe flow , which in a short time will replace the route that has hitherto guaranteed the Ukrainian monopoly , making Kiev embark on ambitious and irresponsible anti-Russian campaigns , guaranteed by dependence on gas flow .
The needs of both Europe and Russia are not in line with Ukrainian – and Polish – plans against Russia , which are strongly influenced by the US interests in the region .
As Russia and Europe strengthen their ties , Kiev and Warsaw will have to make fundamental decisions , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and security in multilateral relations or the unwanted conflict of interests .
At some point , Ukraine and Poland will realize that distancing from Russia and aligning with the West will cost them dearly , as it is with Russia , not them , that Europe has the most to profit from .
Apparently , Europe has already begun to realize this reality and has done its best to maintain good relations , at least on an economic and energy level , with Moscow .
What will ultimately be left to the pro-Western @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fundamental choice about their destinies .
If Ukraine and Poland are to return to the important role they had previously played in the energy flow , they will have to undergo a general overhaul of their political and geopolitical concepts .
It is essential to understand the change that is becoming increasingly clear in the contemporary world : the transition from unipolarity to multipolarity , which is marked by the breaking of old alliances .
The United States and Western Europe are becoming increasingly distant .
Their interests no longer coincide , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasingly distant from the bipolar reality of the world during the Cold War .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Submitted by InfoBrics, authored by Lucas Leiroz, research fellow in international law at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro…
There is no doubt about the fundamental importance of the gas flow for the European energy balance. There is even less doubt about Russia’s role in this process. Western Europe is not self-sufficient in producing gas, depending on its import. It is speculated that in a long time Europe will need less and less imported gas, however, for many years it will remain dependent on this business. At this point, Russia and Europe are mutually benefited, especially when we consider Nord Stream 2.
The Nord Stream 2 project includes a gas pipeline with an annual capacity of 55 billion cubic meters, which transports gas directly from Russia to Germany. Right there, the great controversies started, raised by Western strategists concerned with the prominent role of Russia. The big problem seen by them is that the agreement would diminish the importance of Ukraine and Poland in the gas route, reducing the annual flow of these countries.
In the long run, Nord Stream 2 will change gas flows in Europe forever. Ukraine and Poland, which increasingly consolidate themselves as Russia’s geopolitical opponents, will have their role reduced, tending to disappear in a few years. This has become a cause of despair and justification for international maneuvers with the intention of boycotting the project and guaranteeing benefits for Ukraine and Poland in their relations with the West.
Above all, Nord Stream 2 will make Germany a very important country on the gas route. The agreement mutually benefits Moscow and Berlin and strengthens Russia’s ties with Europe towards a near future of political, economic and energy collaboration, lessening the inevitable instability that arises from the dependence on flows from Ukraine and Poland, considering tensions increasingly more serious between these countries and Russia – with great emphasis on Ukraine, where a conflict against Russian minorities remains unresolved in Donbass. The project is the most advanced in the ambitions of a Russian-European strategic axis.
We can then see the complete inconsistency behind the ideologies and strategic plans of the Polish and Ukrainian governments, which both deny and condemn their Slavic roots in favor of Western Europe, which they so much want to serve, and at the same time, hinder strategic planning that will benefit Europe in everything, just because it also benefits Russia. This reveals that the anti-Russian sentiment of these countries is beyond any strategic rationality, being, therefore, used by foreign forces that do not want the benefit of neither Europeans nor Russians.
Nord Stream 2 is a fundamental project for Europe’s energy security. The agreement is the only way to stabilize the European dependence on Russian gas, guaranteeing a free and safe flow, which in a short time will replace the route that has hitherto guaranteed the Ukrainian monopoly, making Kiev embark on ambitious and irresponsible anti-Russian campaigns, guaranteed by dependence on gas flow. The needs of both Europe and Russia are not in line with Ukrainian – and Polish – plans against Russia, which are strongly influenced by the US interests in the region. As Russia and Europe strengthen their ties, Kiev and Warsaw will have to make fundamental decisions, according to which they will choose between peace and security in multilateral relations or the unwanted conflict of interests.
At some point, Ukraine and Poland will realize that distancing from Russia and aligning with the West will cost them dearly, as it is with Russia, not them, that Europe has the most to profit from. Apparently, Europe has already begun to realize this reality and has done its best to maintain good relations, at least on an economic and energy level, with Moscow. What will ultimately be left to the pro-Western governments of Kiev and Warsaw will be the fundamental choice about their destinies.
If Ukraine and Poland are to return to the important role they had previously played in the energy flow, they will have to undergo a general overhaul of their political and geopolitical concepts. It is essential to understand the change that is becoming increasingly clear in the contemporary world: the transition from unipolarity to multipolarity, which is marked by the breaking of old alliances. The United States and Western Europe are becoming increasingly distant. Their interests no longer coincide, as the dynamics of contemporary geopolitics become increasingly distant from the bipolar reality of the world during the Cold War.
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theduran--2020-02-17--Bern it all Down: Sanders’ Appeal

Bern it all Down: Sanders’ Appeal

Submitted by InfoBrics , authored by William Stroock , author of military fiction… Last summer this columnist wrote that Senator Bernie Sanders would gradually lose support to more intersectionally viable candidates like Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren .
Harris is gone , Warren is going , and after winning in Iowa and New Hampshire , Bernie Sanders is the Democrat frontrunner .
Panicking establishment Dems point out that Sanders is not yet getting even 30 % of the vote .
But Sanders is gaining traction .
A Yahoo/YouGov poll taken last week showed Sanders defeating each one of his rivals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg , whom Sanders defeats 53 % to 38 % .
Bloomberg was once a Republican and endorsed George W. Bush for president in 2004 .
Even so , he is becoming the preferred choice of Establishment Democrats , # NeverTrump Republicans and others in the Democrat party fearing Sanders will win the nomination .
Over the past several weeks , Bloomberg has spent nearly $ 400 million of his own money .
He has spared no expense , hiring political consultants , data analysts , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bloomberg has saturated the air waves with political advertisements .
Those ads tout his extremely successful business career and his three terms as Mayor of New York .
They also burnish his liberal credentials by linking him to President Obama and highlighting his gun control efforts .
To further solidify his standing with Establishment Democrats , this weekend Bloomberg announced that he would consider Hillary Clinton for Vice President .
Despite carpet bombing the political battlefield with cash , Bloomberg does not have an army of fanatical supports .
Sanders does .
Bernie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the living symbol of a movement .
A 78 year old socialist would seem a strange choice to carry the banner of modern socialism , yet he is the choice of the young , eager left .
Congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez ( D-NY ) leader of the Squad of Freshman Democrat firebrands has already endorsed Sanders .
Overall Sanders enjoys the support of about 25 % of the Democrat Party .
The so called ‘ Bernie Bros ’ are young , enthusiastic Democrats who loathe President Trump , reject American capitalism , and embrace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who grew up during the era of Bush and Obama .
This generation has endured slow economic growth , crushing student debt , slim job prospects and endless war .
The Millennials have no memory of the Cold War or the stagflation of the 1970s .
No wonder Bernie Sanders seems like a fresh solution to them .
So , what exactly does Sanders mean by Socialism ?
Opponents are quick to call him a communist , a serious charge in America even after the Cold War .
Sanders has given those opponents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s he supported Nicaragua ’ s communist government and , in 1986 , he attended a commemoration of the communist Revolution there .
He visited the Soviet Union in 1988 and lavished praise upon the Soviet system .
He ’ s stated that ‘ we could learn a lot from Cuba ’ , visited Havana in 1989 , and extoled Castro ’ s virtues .
In Sanders ’ defense , he has qualified those statements with criticism .
In his writing and public utterances Sanders has used Marxist terms like ‘ means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ socialist ’ on television , Sanders is quick to interject , ‘ Democratic Socialist ’ .
He insists and has insisted since the 1980s that , to him , ‘ Socialism means democracy , ’ and has said , ‘ I believe very strongly in the right of descent.
’ Which certainly sets Sanders apart from the likes of Stalin and Mao .
On the issues , he supports AOC ’ s Green New Deal , free college , forgiveness of student debt , Medicare for all , and a host of other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stuff ’ .
In this , Bernie Sanders has been remarkably consistent his entire adult life .
Whether mayor of Burlington , a congressman , senator , or presidential candidate , Sanders has always advocated socialism for America .
Which does not mean Sanders is inflexible .
This campaign he has embraced the complicated doctrine of ‘ wokeness ’ or ‘ intersectionality ’ in which race , sexuality and gender are deemed the determinative factors in American life .
Sander ’ s ‘ evolution ’ on the issues is a matter of political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders has unkempt white hair and a slight frame .
Despite having a heart attack last year , he is remarkably spry .
He ’ s certainly more energetic than the stammering and confused Joe Biden .
On the stump , Sanders seems the archetype of an old Jewish curmudgeon , the uber-cool and ironic comedian Larry David ( Sanders ’ near doppelganger regularly impersonates him , perhaps making the old man more palpable to young Democrats .
While everything about Elizabeth Warren ( who claimed she had native American ancestry ) seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he thinks and comes off as genuine .
Overall , Sanders is a serious and likable personality .
In the 2008 primary , the Democrat Party Establishment favored Hillary Clinton , but she was ambushed and defeated by Barrack Obama .
Obama was elected with high hopes .
But , his $ 750 billion stimulus package failed , Obamacare simply complicated the healthcare system , and his signature Iran Deal is now defunct .
At the end of two terms the supposedly transformational president ’ s administration left his supporters disappointed and facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time for Sanders has arrived .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Submitted by InfoBrics, authored by William Stroock, author of military fiction…
Last summer this columnist wrote that Senator Bernie Sanders would gradually lose support to more intersectionally viable candidates like Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren. Harris is gone, Warren is going, and after winning in Iowa and New Hampshire, Bernie Sanders is the Democrat frontrunner. Panicking establishment Dems point out that Sanders is not yet getting even 30% of the vote. But Sanders is gaining traction. A Yahoo/YouGov poll taken last week showed Sanders defeating each one of his rivals in a head-to-head matchup. This includes former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whom Sanders defeats 53% to 38%.
Bloomberg was once a Republican and endorsed George W. Bush for president in 2004. Even so, he is becoming the preferred choice of Establishment Democrats, #NeverTrump Republicans and others in the Democrat party fearing Sanders will win the nomination. Over the past several weeks, Bloomberg has spent nearly $400 million of his own money. He has spared no expense, hiring political consultants, data analysts, and an army of internet meme generators. Bloomberg has saturated the air waves with political advertisements. Those ads tout his extremely successful business career and his three terms as Mayor of New York. They also burnish his liberal credentials by linking him to President Obama and highlighting his gun control efforts. To further solidify his standing with Establishment Democrats, this weekend Bloomberg announced that he would consider Hillary Clinton for Vice President. Despite carpet bombing the political battlefield with cash, Bloomberg does not have an army of fanatical supports.
Sanders does. Bernie Sanders is not merely a candidate but the living symbol of a movement. A 78 year old socialist would seem a strange choice to carry the banner of modern socialism, yet he is the choice of the young, eager left. Congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) leader of the Squad of Freshman Democrat firebrands has already endorsed Sanders. Overall Sanders enjoys the support of about 25% of the Democrat Party. The so called ‘Bernie Bros’ are young, enthusiastic Democrats who loathe President Trump, reject American capitalism, and embrace socialism. These are the American Millennials who grew up during the era of Bush and Obama. This generation has endured slow economic growth, crushing student debt, slim job prospects and endless war. The Millennials have no memory of the Cold War or the stagflation of the 1970s. No wonder Bernie Sanders seems like a fresh solution to them.
So, what exactly does Sanders mean by Socialism? Opponents are quick to call him a communist, a serious charge in America even after the Cold War. Sanders has given those opponents plenty of ammunition. In the 1980’s he supported Nicaragua’s communist government and, in 1986, he attended a commemoration of the communist Revolution there. He visited the Soviet Union in 1988 and lavished praise upon the Soviet system. He’s stated that ‘we could learn a lot from Cuba’, visited Havana in 1989, and extoled Castro’s virtues. In Sanders’ defense, he has qualified those statements with criticism. In his writing and public utterances Sanders has used Marxist terms like ‘means of production’.
When called ‘socialist’ on television, Sanders is quick to interject, ‘Democratic Socialist’. He insists and has insisted since the 1980s that, to him, ‘Socialism means democracy,’ and has said, ‘I believe very strongly in the right of descent.’ Which certainly sets Sanders apart from the likes of Stalin and Mao. On the issues, he supports AOC’s Green New Deal, free college, forgiveness of student debt, Medicare for all, and a host of other ideas dismissed by Republicans as ‘Free Stuff’. In this, Bernie Sanders has been remarkably consistent his entire adult life. Whether mayor of Burlington, a congressman, senator, or presidential candidate, Sanders has always advocated socialism for America. Which does not mean Sanders is inflexible. This campaign he has embraced the complicated doctrine of ‘wokeness’ or ‘intersectionality’ in which race, sexuality and gender are deemed the determinative factors in American life. Sander’s ‘evolution’ on the issues is a matter of political convenience.
At 78 years old, Sanders has unkempt white hair and a slight frame. Despite having a heart attack last year, he is remarkably spry. He’s certainly more energetic than the stammering and confused Joe Biden. On the stump, Sanders seems the archetype of an old Jewish curmudgeon, the uber-cool and ironic comedian Larry David (Sanders’ near doppelganger regularly impersonates him, perhaps making the old man more palpable to young Democrats. While everything about Elizabeth Warren (who claimed she had native American ancestry) seems forced and fake, Sanders says what he thinks and comes off as genuine. Overall, Sanders is a serious and likable personality.
In the 2008 primary, the Democrat Party Establishment favored Hillary Clinton, but she was ambushed and defeated by Barrack Obama. Obama was elected with high hopes. But, his $750 billion stimulus package failed, Obamacare simply complicated the healthcare system, and his signature Iran Deal is now defunct. At the end of two terms the supposedly transformational president’s administration left his supporters disappointed and facing four years of Donald Trump. Perhaps the time for Sanders has arrived.
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theduran--2020-02-17--Globalists push to imprison Matteo Salvini over migrant policy (Video)

The Duran ’ s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the senators in Italy who voted on Wednesday to lift immunity for popular , nation state leader Matteo Salvini , opening the way for a trial over accusations that he illegally detained migrants in the Mediterranean Sea last year .
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Having voted to lift his immunity from prosecution , the Italian Senate has cynically followed the US Democrats ’ playbook by creating a legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the League ’ s Matteo Salvini .
Salvini ’ s 14-month term as Italy ’ s interior minister was a rollercoaster ride , as he ruled the national political agenda and built a massive power base – much to the chagrin of his former political allies , who are now exacting their revenge .
The Senate vote to lift his parliamentary immunity , meaning a prison sentence of up to 15 years comes into play , is the first step of the traditional ruling class towards stopping the political force that is Salvini @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has barely spent a day out of the headlines .
Because the political establishment , particularly those convinced that they were born to rule , do not like politicians such as Matteo Salvini , Donald Trump , or Nigel Farage .
These figures get under their skin , because they have a knack for connecting with voters that just comes naturally .
They don ’ t need teams of speechwriters and ear-whisperers constantly trying to read a mood and steer a course .
They just know it .
With a fair amount of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter account , they can wreak havoc with establishment ambition , deliver results that no-one expected , and create power from unlikely liaisons .
They are pragmatic , charismatic men .
And the establishment is determined to stop them .
So Salvini , the head of the right-wing Northern League Party , is now in his own Italian version of Trump ’ s impeachment sideshow , facing trial on kidnap charges for refusing to allow more than 100 migrants to disembark from a coast guard ship off Sicily in August 2019 .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was riding high , outraging the establishment and delighting his growing band of supporters with his hardline stance on immigration .
He was also in a coalition government with the Five Star Movement ( MS5 ) , and could rely on their support to face down opposition .
He was involved in around 25 standoffs with rescue ships trying to offload migrants but stood firm , much to the delight of ordinary people and the fury of the establishment and the EU .
But after a rare misfire last year , he finds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partner MS5 now ruling alongside their new PD ( Democratic Party ) friends in Rome .
Having worked in the European Parliament alongside both the League and MS5 during separate terms as members of the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy group , I know that there is no love lost between the members of these two hugely ambitious parties .
If one sees an opportunity to wound the other , it will seize it without delay .
Still burning from Salvini ’ s audacious move to collapse their coalition and force national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Salvini , who dismissed the possibility of erstwhile enemies teaming up against him – MS5 and their pals are no longer to bound to support Italy ’ s most popular politician , and will relish the chance to help bring him down .
It shows the scale of Salvini ’ s power that all this effort is being spent on a politician who isn ’ t even in government .
Il fenomeno Salvini has been languishing on the opposition benches since last August , but still he towers over the political landscape @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that even though the League did not win the recent Emilia-Romagna elections ( they were never really expected to ) , their strong performance – up more than 11 percent in the traditionally PD-held region , largely at the expense of the poorly performing MS5 – was enough to rattle Rome .
It doesn ’ t take too much imagination to believe the current move against Salvini is a response to that result .
After all , there are six more regional elections this year , and each time the League performs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MS5-PD coalition even further .
It ’ s like death by a thousand cuts .
If Salvini can be subjected to a show trial on inflated charges of kidnapping , maybe that will have an effect on his electoral showing and stop the League steam train in its tracks .
If it backfires , which it has every chance of doing , then maybe it will bring down the Italian government .
In that case , there is only one winner : step forward , Matteo Salvini .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the senators in Italy who voted on Wednesday to lift immunity for popular, nation state leader Matteo Salvini, opening the way for a trial over accusations that he illegally detained migrants in the Mediterranean Sea last year.
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Via RT…
Having voted to lift his immunity from prosecution, the Italian Senate has cynically followed the US Democrats’ playbook by creating a legal sideshow to combat the growing popularity of the League’s Matteo Salvini.
Salvini’s 14-month term as Italy’s interior minister was a rollercoaster ride, as he ruled the national political agenda and built a massive power base – much to the chagrin of his former political allies, who are now exacting their revenge.
The Senate vote to lift his parliamentary immunity, meaning a prison sentence of up to 15 years comes into play, is the first step of the traditional ruling class towards stopping the political force that is Salvini – who, even in opposition, has barely spent a day out of the headlines.
Because the political establishment, particularly those convinced that they were born to rule, do not like politicians such as Matteo Salvini, Donald Trump, or Nigel Farage.
These figures get under their skin, because they have a knack for connecting with voters that just comes naturally. They don’t need teams of speechwriters and ear-whisperers constantly trying to read a mood and steer a course. They just know it.
With a fair amount of energy, a smart phone and a Twitter account, they can wreak havoc with establishment ambition, deliver results that no-one expected, and create power from unlikely liaisons. They are pragmatic, charismatic men.
And the establishment is determined to stop them.
So Salvini, the head of the right-wing Northern League Party, is now in his own Italian version of Trump’s impeachment sideshow, facing trial on kidnap charges for refusing to allow more than 100 migrants to disembark from a coast guard ship off Sicily in August 2019.
At the time of the incident, Salvini was riding high, outraging the establishment and delighting his growing band of supporters with his hardline stance on immigration. He was also in a coalition government with the Five Star Movement (MS5), and could rely on their support to face down opposition.
He was involved in around 25 standoffs with rescue ships trying to offload migrants but stood firm, much to the delight of ordinary people and the fury of the establishment and the EU.
But after a rare misfire last year, he finds himself on the outside, with former partner MS5 now ruling alongside their new PD (Democratic Party) friends in Rome.
Having worked in the European Parliament alongside both the League and MS5 during separate terms as members of the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy group, I know that there is no love lost between the members of these two hugely ambitious parties. If one sees an opportunity to wound the other, it will seize it without delay.
Still burning from Salvini’s audacious move to collapse their coalition and force national elections last year – an uncharacteristic mistake by Salvini, who dismissed the possibility of erstwhile enemies teaming up against him – MS5 and their pals are no longer to bound to support Italy’s most popular politician, and will relish the chance to help bring him down.
It shows the scale of Salvini’s power that all this effort is being spent on a politician who isn’t even in government. Il fenomeno Salvini has been languishing on the opposition benches since last August, but still he towers over the political landscape.
So much so, in fact, that even though the League did not win the recent Emilia-Romagna elections (they were never really expected to), their strong performance – up more than 11 percent in the traditionally PD-held region, largely at the expense of the poorly performing MS5 – was enough to rattle Rome. It doesn’t take too much imagination to believe the current move against Salvini is a response to that result.
After all, there are six more regional elections this year, and each time the League performs well, it undermines the fragile governing MS5-PD coalition even further. It’s like death by a thousand cuts.
If Salvini can be subjected to a show trial on inflated charges of kidnapping, maybe that will have an effect on his electoral showing and stop the League steam train in its tracks.
If it backfires, which it has every chance of doing, then maybe it will bring down the Italian government. In that case, there is only one winner: step forward, Matteo Salvini.
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theduran--2020-02-18--Soldier from 173rd Airborne injured by another soldier in Grafenwoehr street brawl

An American soldier was injured in a brawl Saturday night on a Grafenwoehr street that ’ s home to several bars , German police and U.S. military officials said .
“ At this time , we are investigating a 21-year-old man ” who is suspected of injuring the soldier in the brawl , said Werner Stopfer , chief of police in the town of Eschenbach , whose officers responded to calls about the melee about 2 a.m. on Alte Amberger Strasse in Grafenwoehr .
The injured soldier was from the 173rd Airborne Division , said Maj. Christopher Bradley , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ units in Grafenwoehr and in Vicenza , Italy .
He was treated for his injuries and returned to duty , Bradley added .
The other person involved also is an American soldier , said Bradley , but it was unclear which unit he was attached to .
German police detained the suspect and handed him over to U.S. military police , said Stopfer .
By the time German police officers had arrived on the scene from Eschenbach , about 7 miles away , about two dozen people were involved in a street brawl @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether all of those involved in the fight are American service members .
Soldiers from the 173rd have been accused of being involved in numerous violent incidents in Vicenza , including a fight in which one Italian man ’ s jaw was fractured and another person sustained broken ribs .
The incident in the Italian city ’ s old town in November spurred the 173rd Airborne Brigade ’ s commander to put Contra Pescherie Vecchie — which , like Alte Amberger Strasse in Grafenwoehr , is home to several popular bars — off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Patrols by military police will be stepped up this weekend in the Grafenwoehr area “ to ensure proper discipline and provide support to any soldiers in need , ” said Bradley .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
An American soldier was injured in a brawl Saturday night on a Grafenwoehr street that’s home to several bars, German police and U.S. military officials said.
“At this time, we are investigating a 21-year-old man” who is suspected of injuring the soldier in the brawl, said Werner Stopfer, chief of police in the town of Eschenbach, whose officers responded to calls about the melee about 2 a.m. on Alte Amberger Strasse in Grafenwoehr.
The injured soldier was from the 173rd Airborne Division, said Maj. Christopher Bradley, a spokesman for the division, which has units in Grafenwoehr and in Vicenza, Italy. He was treated for his injuries and returned to duty, Bradley added.
The other person involved also is an American soldier, said Bradley, but it was unclear which unit he was attached to.
German police detained the suspect and handed him over to U.S. military police, said Stopfer.
By the time German police officers had arrived on the scene from Eschenbach, about 7 miles away, about two dozen people were involved in a street brawl, said Stopfer. It was unclear whether all of those involved in the fight are American service members.
Soldiers from the 173rd have been accused of being involved in numerous violent incidents in Vicenza, including a fight in which one Italian man’s jaw was fractured and another person sustained broken ribs.
The incident in the Italian city’s old town in November spurred the 173rd Airborne Brigade’s commander to put Contra Pescherie Vecchie — which, like Alte Amberger Strasse in Grafenwoehr, is home to several popular bars — off limits to brigade soldiers for 45 days.
Patrols by military police will be stepped up this weekend in the Grafenwoehr area “to ensure proper discipline and provide support to any soldiers in need,” said Bradley.
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theduran--2020-02-18--Dresden Terror Bombing, Like Hiroshima, a Maniacal Warning to Moscow

Authored by Finian Cunningham via The Strategic Culture Foundation.com : This weekend 75 years ago , the German city of Dresden was razed to the ground by British and American aerial bombardment .
At least 25,000 mainly civilians were destroyed in raid after raid by over 1,200 heavy bombers , indiscriminately dropping high explosives and incendiaries .
It took seven years just to clear the rubble .
The destruction of Dresden , a world-famous cultural center of Baroque majesty , has been long dogged by controversy .
Official British and American military accounts claim it was necessary to hasten the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reasoning that resonates with US claims for dropping the atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 .
Critics say , however , that the mass bombing of Dresden was immaterial in the effort to defeat Nazi Germany .
It was a wanton act of terror – a war crime – carried out by the British and Americans .
Critics point out that most of the industrial and military targets on the outskirts of the beautiful city were largely left untouched by the bombing .
British wartime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have expressed misgivings about the morality of this and other indiscriminate bombing of German civilian centers .
Ardent advocates of the terror-bombing campaign said it would exhaust German morale .
A classic case of ends justifying means , no matter how vile the means .
There were also claims at the time that the damage to Nazi communication and transport lines would aid the advancing Soviet Red Army .
But there is good reason to believe that the rationale for the obliteration of Dresden was for an altogether more sinister reason .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of terror aimed at Nazi Germany , but rather a show of maniacal power to the Soviet Union .
A British Royal Air Force memo on the Dresden operation noted that it would “ show the Russians when they arrive what Bomber Command can do.
” ( See caption 17 in this linked photo essay . )
By mid-February 1945 , the front lines of the Western and Eastern allied forces were such that the American and British ground troops had not yet entered Germany territory , while the Soviet Red Army had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mere 70 kilometers from Berlin , the seat of the Third Reich .
Such was the keen advance of the Soviets that the Western allies were concerned that the Red Army might take all of German territory .
Rather than aiding Soviet forces from the mass bombing of Dresden , Leipzig and other cities in the German east , it seems plausible that , as the above British RAF memo indicates , the Western allies were intent on demonstrating a shockingly brutal , raw power to Moscow .
Not just military power , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means necessary to defeat enemies .
There is a direct analogy here with the subsequent atomic bombing of Japan .
At the Potsdam conference in July 1945 following the defeat of Nazi Germany and the carve-up of Berlin , giving the Western allies shared control of the German capital way beyond their final front lines , the American president Harry Truman relished the ability to drop a sinister hint to Josef Stalin about a newly acquired secret weapon – the A-bomb .
As with the earlier British and American bombing of Dresden and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little military justification for dropping the atomic weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9 .
Like Dresden , the military significance of those cities was dubious .
The death of 200,000 civilians from the atomic inferno was not a military necessity for defeating imperial Japan , as Truman ’ s top generals MacArthur and Eisenhower were advising him against .
So if the bombing of Hiroshima or Nagasaki was unnecessary from a military point of view to end the Pacific War , why was it done ?
As with Dresden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of terror by Western powers to let the Soviet Union know that nothing would be off-limits in the postwar geopolitical stand-off that was anticipated and which became the Cold War .
When the A-bombs were dropped on Japan , Stalin was said to have been frozen by reports of the awesome new destructive power .
The Soviet Union was not to develop its A-bomb until 1949 .
The terror unleashed at Hiroshima and Nagasaki seems to have had the intended effect of halting Soviet Red Army advances that were being made into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The American troop lines were relatively remote by comparison with their Soviet counterparts , yet after the A-bombing the US was catapulted to take over both Asian-Pacific territories in the postwar period .
Not unlike the precocious territorial gains that were acquired by the Western allies in defeated Nazi Germany .
Thus the moral controversies about the British and American bombing of German and Japanese cities goes way beyond arguments about the right or wrong of mass murder for the supposed purpose of ending wars .
That moral hazard is difficult enough .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ picture ; one in which the cold , calculated use of terror and genocide is not about ending war , but rather to simply exert geopolitical power against a perceived rival in the postwar era .
Terror for terror sake , evil for evil sake .
A final note : it has become fashionable to falsify the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany by claiming that the Red Army became an occupying tyranny in eastern Europe after the war ’ s end .
Suffice to say that if the Soviets committed even a fraction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out by the Americans and British from their aerial bombing of civilians in both Germany and Japan , one would never hear the end of deafening Western condemnations against Moscow to this day , and for decades to come .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Authored by Finian Cunningham via The Strategic Culture Foundation.com:
This weekend 75 years ago, the German city of Dresden was razed to the ground by British and American aerial bombardment. At least 25,000 mainly civilians were destroyed in raid after raid by over 1,200 heavy bombers, indiscriminately dropping high explosives and incendiaries. It took seven years just to clear the rubble.
The destruction of Dresden, a world-famous cultural center of Baroque majesty, has been long dogged by controversy. Official British and American military accounts claim it was necessary to hasten the collapse of the Third Reich; with a reasoning that resonates with US claims for dropping the atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
Critics say, however, that the mass bombing of Dresden was immaterial in the effort to defeat Nazi Germany. It was a wanton act of terror – a war crime – carried out by the British and Americans. Critics point out that most of the industrial and military targets on the outskirts of the beautiful city were largely left untouched by the bombing. British wartime leader Winston Churchill is even said to have expressed misgivings about the morality of this and other indiscriminate bombing of German civilian centers.
Ardent advocates of the terror-bombing campaign said it would exhaust German morale. A classic case of ends justifying means, no matter how vile the means.
There were also claims at the time that the damage to Nazi communication and transport lines would aid the advancing Soviet Red Army.
But there is good reason to believe that the rationale for the obliteration of Dresden was for an altogether more sinister reason. It wasn’t so much an act of terror aimed at Nazi Germany, but rather a show of maniacal power to the Soviet Union.
A British Royal Air Force memo on the Dresden operation noted that it would “show the Russians when they arrive what Bomber Command can do.” (See caption 17 in this linked photo essay.)
By mid-February 1945, the front lines of the Western and Eastern allied forces were such that the American and British ground troops had not yet entered Germany territory, while the Soviet Red Army had crossed the Oder River and were a mere 70 kilometers from Berlin, the seat of the Third Reich. Such was the keen advance of the Soviets that the Western allies were concerned that the Red Army might take all of German territory.
Rather than aiding Soviet forces from the mass bombing of Dresden, Leipzig and other cities in the German east, it seems plausible that, as the above British RAF memo indicates, the Western allies were intent on demonstrating a shockingly brutal, raw power to Moscow. Not just military power, but a will power to use any means necessary to defeat enemies.
There is a direct analogy here with the subsequent atomic bombing of Japan. At the Potsdam conference in July 1945 following the defeat of Nazi Germany and the carve-up of Berlin, giving the Western allies shared control of the German capital way beyond their final front lines, the American president Harry Truman relished the ability to drop a sinister hint to Josef Stalin about a newly acquired secret weapon – the A-bomb.
As with the earlier British and American bombing of Dresden and other German cities, there was arguably little military justification for dropping the atomic weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9. Like Dresden, the military significance of those cities was dubious. The death of 200,000 civilians from the atomic inferno was not a military necessity for defeating imperial Japan, as Truman’s top generals MacArthur and Eisenhower were advising him against.
So if the bombing of Hiroshima or Nagasaki was unnecessary from a military point of view to end the Pacific War, why was it done?
As with Dresden, the point was a monstrous display of terror by Western powers to let the Soviet Union know that nothing would be off-limits in the postwar geopolitical stand-off that was anticipated and which became the Cold War.
When the A-bombs were dropped on Japan, Stalin was said to have been frozen by reports of the awesome new destructive power. The Soviet Union was not to develop its A-bomb until 1949.
The terror unleashed at Hiroshima and Nagasaki seems to have had the intended effect of halting Soviet Red Army advances that were being made into the Korean Peninsula and onwards to Japan. The American troop lines were relatively remote by comparison with their Soviet counterparts, yet after the A-bombing the US was catapulted to take over both Asian-Pacific territories in the postwar period. Not unlike the precocious territorial gains that were acquired by the Western allies in defeated Nazi Germany.
Thus the moral controversies about the British and American bombing of German and Japanese cities goes way beyond arguments about the right or wrong of mass murder for the supposed purpose of ending wars. That moral hazard is difficult enough. But even more fiendish is a bigger picture; one in which the cold, calculated use of terror and genocide is not about ending war, but rather to simply exert geopolitical power against a perceived rival in the postwar era. Terror for terror sake, evil for evil sake.
A final note: it has become fashionable to falsify the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany by claiming that the Red Army became an occupying tyranny in eastern Europe after the war’s end. Suffice to say that if the Soviets committed even a fraction of the crimes that were actually carried out by the Americans and British from their aerial bombing of civilians in both Germany and Japan, one would never hear the end of deafening Western condemnations against Moscow to this day, and for decades to come.
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theduran--2020-02-18--Q: The Silent War Continues

Q: The Silent War Continues

We ’ re living in dramatic times that are difficult to understand .
One way to try to interpret them is through the cryptic clues provided by Q , which appear on an anonymous online forum and imply top-secret knowledge of upcoming events .
As I wrote in my article “ An Introduction to Q , ” “ Q ’ s followers believe that Q is a military intelligence operation , the first of its kind , whose goal is to provide the public with secret information… Q is a new weapon in the game of information warfare , bypassing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communicate directly with the public.
” It ’ s interesting to note that shortly after my article was published here , American Thinker suffered a series of unprecedented hacking attempts .
Also noteworthy is that Twitter permanently shut down the account of Zero Hedge , a popular finance blog , two weeks after it posted my article .
President Trump continues to bring attention to Q , repeatedly retweeting Q followers , featuring Q fans in his ad campaign , and making a public display of a “ Q baby ” at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump the obvious question : What do you think about Q ?
Instead , the media keeps ratcheting up its attacks on Q and the ever-growing worldwide movement that Q inspires .
On February 9 , both the AP and New York Times published blistering anti-Q articles , claiming that Q promotes baseless , debunked far right conspiracies and accusing Q of inciting violence in deranged followers .
The day before this latest media ambush , a massive cyber assault temporarily brought down 8kun , the message board on which Q posts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tweeted , At the same time that 8kun was attacked , X22 Report , which covers Q postings , also was bombarded .
On its Twitter feed , the site wrote it was “ being attacked from 54 different countries using hundreds of different IP addresses , I have never seen anything like it.
” On February 12 , in response to these events , Q posted , “ Highly sophisticated ‘ State-level ’ attacks [ v 8kun ] followed by FAKE NEWS attacks [ v Q ] the next day ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ – – why ?
It ’ s time to wake up.
” In almost 4,000 posts , Q has painted a disturbing , multi-faceted portrait of a global crime syndicate that operates with impunity .
In recent weeks , President Trump has grown more explicit about some of the syndicate ’ s crimes .
Speaking to the National Governors Association , President Trump stated , in an almost casual , offhand manner , why the United States had recently upgraded its nuclear missile technology at great expense .
“ …we ’ re buying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tremendous number of the super-fast .
We call them super-fast where they ’ re four , five , six , or even seven times faster than ordinary missiles .
We need that because again , Russia has some .
I won ’ t tell you how they got it .
They got it supposedly from the Obama Administration when we weren ’ t doing it .
And that ’ s too bad .
It ’ s not good .
But that ’ s how it happened.
” The President ’ s lawyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more specific in his accusations , tweeting “ The Biden Family Enterprise has been selling his office for years .
The corrupt media has been covering up .
It was handed to me and I had the courage to reveal it knowing the Swamp would try to destroy me .
I served my country .
They are betraying it .
I will not stop.
” Q followers were not surprised by President Trump ’ s remarks or Giuliani ’ s charges , since they have probed into Q ’ s numerous clues about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Q Army reads the headlines through a different lens than those who rely on the mainstream media for information .
For instance , Q followers expected Jussie Smollett ’ s recent arrest on charges related to his alleged staging of a hate crime , and they anticipate his hoax will be tied directly to two failed presidential candidates and their political strategies .
I would like to offer some Q references that may help to illuminate recent events and prepare us for future developments .
With the defeat of the impeachment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launching significant countermoves against those he accuses of plotting a coup .
Q followers anticipate that he will declassify sensitive government documents , revealing shocking crimes and collaborations .
The exposed criminals are likely to respond with dangerous counterattacks , most of which are unseen by the public .
As Q recently wrote , the silent war continues .
Let ’ s take a look at some recent events , in light of Q ’ s messages .
Trump Acquitted of Impeachment Charges : When Republicans lost the House of Representatives in 2018 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They feared the Democrats would use their new power to unleash disruptive investigations and push impeachment .
Q responded several times that the Senate was the target , emphasizing that the Q team ’ s midterm election strategy centered on strengthening the Senate as part of a long-term plan .
With President Trump emerging from the impeachment ordeal at his political zenith , Q ’ s confidence in the midterm election results continues to resonate .
The Best Is Yet To Come : Trump ’ s New Reelection Theme President Trump ended his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declaring , “ The best is yet to come.
” This statement , with its inherent optimism , appears to be central to his reelection message , and he and his team have deployed it several times .
The President debuted this message on January 28 by concluding his massive rally in Wildwood , New Jersey with these exact words .
However , Q followers were already familiar with the slogan , because Q had dropped it at 2:26 that same afternoon .
Trump Hints at Tarmac Meeting Deal : On June 27 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ General Loretta Lynch held a supposedly impromptu meeting on her plane at Phoenix Airport , where they discussed ( according to them ) golf and grandchildren .
Skeptics have long suspected that Clinton and Lynch were working out a deal in which Lynch agreed to drop the probe into Hillary Clinton ’ s email scandal in exchange for a payoff .
On January 14 , at his Milwaukee rally , President Trump offered some insight into the nature of the payoff , when he suggested that Bill Clinton promised Lynch a Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary ’ s expected victory .
Q followers were already familiar with this scenario , because on February 6 , 2018 , Q had posted the following message about the Tarmac meeting : SC/LL deal > AS 187 Here ’ s how some Q followers interpreted that message : The Supreme Court/Loretta Lynch deal was connected to the purported murder of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia .
( Note : 187 is police code for murder .
Q often uses this term when discussing alleged Deep State murders . )
Scalia died suddenly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2016 , and was declared dead of natural causes over the phone .
No coroner or medical examiner ever saw him and no autopsy was performed .
Trump accuses Adam Schiff of being “ a very sick man.
” President Trump has accused House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff of various acts of political chicanery , but in a January 26 tweet , he raised his criticism to another level : “ Shifty Adam Schiff is a CORRUPT POLITICIAN , and probably a very sick man .
He has not paid the price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done to our Country !
” The president ’ s words immediately evoked one of Q ’ s signature phrases , which Trump himself has also said : “ These people are sick.
” But moving from “ these people ” to the specific person of “ Adam Schiff ” marks another phase of disclosure .
On January 31 , 2018 , Q dropped hints that Schiff committed serious criminal acts that connected to the Standard Hotel chain .
Q directed attention to a California helicopter crash that had just killed Kimberly Watzman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in West Hollywood , and asked : “ What happened @ those hotels ?
” Perhaps some context for these potential criminal acts may be inferred from Schiff ’ s close friendship with Ed Buck , a major Democratic donor who was arrested in October 2019 for killing two men with drug overdoses in his apartment and almost killing a third .
Schiff has also publicly praised his friend , Dr. Bruce Hensel , the NBC medical correspondent , who was arrested in 2019 for sex charges involving a 9-year-old girl .
Q @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Great Awakening , ” in which the world moves from “ dark to light.
” As the darkness of horrific elite secrets gives way to the light of public scrutiny , our fortitude will be tested .
But Q assures us , “ You are watching the systematic destruction of the OLD GUARD.
” And when the news gets too frightening , it ’ s worth remembering Q ’ s oft-repeated directive : “ Pray.
” Q posts are compiled here : https : //qmap.pub/ https : //qanon.pub/

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Authored by Deborah Franklin via AmericanThinker.com:
We’re living in dramatic times that are difficult to understand. One way to try to interpret them is through the cryptic clues provided by Q, which appear on an anonymous online forum and imply top-secret knowledge of upcoming events.
As I wrote in my article “An Introduction to Q,” “Q’s followers believe that Q is a military intelligence operation, the first of its kind, whose goal is to provide the public with secret information… Q is a new weapon in the game of information warfare, bypassing a hostile media and corrupt government to communicate directly with the public.” It’s interesting to note that shortly after my article was published here, American Thinker suffered a series of unprecedented hacking attempts. Also noteworthy is that Twitter permanently shut down the account of Zero Hedge, a popular finance blog, two weeks after it posted my article.
President Trump continues to bring attention to Q, repeatedly retweeting Q followers, featuring Q fans in his ad campaign, and making a public display of a “Q baby” at a rally. Yet the media never asks Trump the obvious question: What do you think about Q?
Instead, the media keeps ratcheting up its attacks on Q and the ever-growing worldwide movement that Q inspires. On February 9, both the AP and New York Times published blistering anti-Q articles, claiming that Q promotes baseless, debunked far right conspiracies and accusing Q of inciting violence in deranged followers. The day before this latest media ambush, a massive cyber assault temporarily brought down 8kun, the message board on which Q posts. Ron Watkins, 8kun’s administrator, tweeted,
“Attacks have been coming in all day. Very sophisticated and expensive attacks; the person paying for this likely has deep pockets.”
At the same time that 8kun was attacked, X22 Report, which covers Q postings, also was bombarded. On its Twitter feed, the site wrote it was “being attacked from 54 different countries using hundreds of different IP addresses, I have never seen anything like it.”
On February 12, in response to these events, Q posted, “Highly sophisticated ‘State-level’ attacks [v 8kun] followed by FAKE NEWS attacks [v Q] the next day? Coordinated? Ask yourself a simple question – – why? It’s time to wake up.”
In almost 4,000 posts, Q has painted a disturbing, multi-faceted portrait of a global crime syndicate that operates with impunity. In recent weeks, President Trump has grown more explicit about some of the syndicate’s crimes. Speaking to the National Governors Association, President Trump stated, in an almost casual, offhand manner, why the United States had recently upgraded its nuclear missile technology at great expense. “…we’re buying new, we have the super-fast missiles, tremendous number of the super-fast. We call them super-fast where they’re four, five, six, or even seven times faster than ordinary missiles. We need that because again, Russia has some. I won’t tell you how they got it. They got it supposedly from the Obama Administration when we weren’t doing it. And that’s too bad. It’s not good. But that’s how it happened.”
The President’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has also grown more specific in his accusations, tweeting “The Biden Family Enterprise has been selling his office for years. The corrupt media has been covering up. It was handed to me and I had the courage to reveal it knowing the Swamp would try to destroy me. I served my country. They are betraying it. I will not stop.”
Q followers were not surprised by President Trump’s remarks or Giuliani’s charges, since they have probed into Q’s numerous clues about the treachery of America’s elite. The Q Army reads the headlines through a different lens than those who rely on the mainstream media for information. For instance, Q followers expected Jussie Smollett’s recent arrest on charges related to his alleged staging of a hate crime, and they anticipate his hoax will be tied directly to two failed presidential candidates and their political strategies.
I would like to offer some Q references that may help to illuminate recent events and prepare us for future developments. With the defeat of the impeachment threat, President Trump appears to be launching significant countermoves against those he accuses of plotting a coup. Q followers anticipate that he will declassify sensitive government documents, revealing shocking crimes and collaborations. The exposed criminals are likely to respond with dangerous counterattacks, most of which are unseen by the public. As Q recently wrote, the silent war continues.
Let’s take a look at some recent events, in light of Q’s messages.
Trump Acquitted of Impeachment Charges: When Republicans lost the House of Representatives in 2018, many Q followers were dismayed. They feared the Democrats would use their new power to unleash disruptive investigations and push impeachment. Q responded several times that the Senate was the target, emphasizing that the Q team’s midterm election strategy centered on strengthening the Senate as part of a long-term plan. With President Trump emerging from the impeachment ordeal at his political zenith, Q’s confidence in the midterm election results continues to resonate.
The Best Is Yet To Come: Trump’s New Reelection Theme
President Trump ended his recent State of the Union address by declaring, “The best is yet to come.” This statement, with its inherent optimism, appears to be central to his reelection message, and he and his team have deployed it several times.
The President debuted this message on January 28 by concluding his massive rally in Wildwood, New Jersey with these exact words. However, Q followers were already familiar with the slogan, because Q had dropped it at 2:26 that same afternoon.
Trump Hints at Tarmac Meeting Deal: On June 27, 2016, Bill Clinton and then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch held a supposedly impromptu meeting on her plane at Phoenix Airport, where they discussed (according to them) golf and grandchildren. Skeptics have long suspected that Clinton and Lynch were working out a deal in which Lynch agreed to drop the probe into Hillary Clinton’s email scandal in exchange for a payoff.
On January 14, at his Milwaukee rally, President Trump offered some insight into the nature of the payoff, when he suggested that Bill Clinton promised Lynch a Supreme Court appointment, which would be conferred after Hillary’s expected victory.
Q followers were already familiar with this scenario, because on February 6, 2018, Q had posted the following message about the Tarmac meeting: SC/LL deal > AS 187
Here’s how some Q followers interpreted that message: The Supreme Court/Loretta Lynch deal was connected to the purported murder of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. (Note: 187 is police code for murder. Q often uses this term when discussing alleged Deep State murders.) Scalia died suddenly at a Texas ranch on February 13, 2016, and was declared dead of natural causes over the phone. No coroner or medical examiner ever saw him and no autopsy was performed.
Trump accuses Adam Schiff of being “a very sick man.” President Trump has accused House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff of various acts of political chicanery, but in a January 26 tweet, he raised his criticism to another level: “Shifty Adam Schiff is a CORRUPT POLITICIAN, and probably a very sick man. He has not paid the price, yet, for what he has done to our Country!”
The president’s words immediately evoked one of Q’s signature phrases, which Trump himself has also said: “These people are sick.” But moving from “these people” to the specific person of “Adam Schiff” marks another phase of disclosure. On January 31, 2018, Q dropped hints that Schiff committed serious criminal acts that connected to the Standard Hotel chain. Q directed attention to a California helicopter crash that had just killed Kimberly Watzman, General Manager of the Standard Hotel in West Hollywood, and asked: “What happened @ those hotels?” Perhaps some context for these potential criminal acts may be inferred from Schiff’s close friendship with Ed Buck, a major Democratic donor who was arrested in October 2019 for killing two men with drug overdoses in his apartment and almost killing a third. Schiff has also publicly praised his friend, Dr. Bruce Hensel, the NBC medical correspondent, who was arrested in 2019 for sex charges involving a 9-year-old girl.
Q has named this extraordinary time “The Great Awakening,” in which the world moves from “dark to light.” As the darkness of horrific elite secrets gives way to the light of public scrutiny, our fortitude will be tested. But Q assures us, “You are watching the systematic destruction of the OLD GUARD.” And when the news gets too frightening, it’s worth remembering Q’s oft-repeated directive: “Pray.” Q posts are compiled here: https://qmap.pub/ https://qanon.pub/
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theduran--2020-02-18--Trump Plans to Keep U.S. Troops Permanently in Iraq

A reliable and exceptionally knowledgeable source , who doesn ’ t wish to be publicly identified , has confidentially informed me that an agreement has been reached in which U.S. troops will remain permanently in Iraq but under exclusively NATO command , no longer under the command of CentCom ( US Central Command in the Middle East ) .
On February 12th , NATO ’ s defense ministers agreed to increase operations in Iraq .
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has been working ever since Fall of 2019 to prepare this plan ( Trump had been pushing for it even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consulted in Jordan with King Abdullah , and also in Brussels with Sabri Bachtabji , Tunisia ’ s Minister of Foreign Affairs , because Tunisia is a key part of Trump ’ s plan , to use other NATO nations as America ’ s proxies controlling the Middle East .
On February 1st , pro-Muslim-Brotherhood Turkey agreed to the plan , and will be transferring jihadists ( al-Qaeda-affiliated groups , plus some ISIS ) from Syria ’ s jihadist-filled Idlib Province , into Libya , via Tunisia , so as to boost the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now backed by U.S. , EU , and Turkey ) to defeat the forces of Khalifa Haftar ( former Gaddafi-supporter , now in the Libyan civil war claiming as his objective the defeat of all jihadists there ) .
Whereas U.S. , EU , and Turkey , back al-Sarraj , Russia isn ’ t involved in the war , except trying to negotiate peace there , but al-Sarraj rejects any involvement by Russia .
Turkey ’ s interest in Libya is to win Libya ’ s backing so as to be in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emerging competition for rights to oil and gas under nearby parts of the Mediterranean Sea .
To have Libya beholden to Turkey would be to increase the likelihood of Turkey ’ s getting that offshore oil .
America ’ s position regarding the jihadists that Turkey has been protecting in Syria ’ s Idlib province is that they can be useful as proxy boots-on-the-ground to defeat Haftar , whom America too opposes , favoring al-Sarraj , whom Turkey likewise backs ; so , Turkey and U.S. are cooperating on this effort in Libya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overthrowing Syria ’ s secular Government and replacing it with one that would be acceptable to the fundamentalist-Sunni Saud family who own Saudi Arabia .
In order to do this , America will therefore need to keep its forces in Iraq .
Otherwise , Russia and Iran , both of which America and the Sauds hope ultimately to conquer , would have stronger influence in the Middle East , which neither America nor the Sauds want .
America invaded Iraq not only directly for its international corporations to profit , but also in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there from which to control the entire Middle East — bases that are supplied out of the world ’ s largest Embassy building ( from which even other U.S. embassies are supplied ) , which building was constructed in Baghdad after the 2003 invasion .
Trump ’ s plan now is to bring in NATO allies , so that they will help out in the Middle East , more than in the past .
Trump wants America ’ s vassal-nations to absorb some of the financial burdens of imposing empire , so that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to fund the full cost of it , for the benefit of the billionaire owners of international corporations that are based in the United States and in its allied ( or vassal ) ( including other NATO ) countries .
This is why Stoltenberg has been working , for months , to effectuate Trump ’ s plan .
On February 1st , the veteran Middle Eastern reporter David Hearst headlined at his Middle East Eye site , “ EXCLUSIVE : US military offers Iraq a partial pullback ” , and he reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military told the Iraqis present that the United States was prepared to leave positions in or near Shia-majority areas , such as Balad Air Base , which is located 80km north of Baghdad and houses US trainers and contractors .
Washington , the Iraqis were told , could even consider reducing its presence in Baghdad .
“ We are prepared to leave some of the Shia-majority areas , like the base in Balad .
Maybe we could reduce our presence in Baghdad , ” the military representative told his Iraqi counterparts , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Iraqi capital would be reduced to guarding its embassy and the airport .
However , the US side categorically ruled out withdrawing from their biggest air base in Iraq , and indeed the whole Middle East , Ain al-Assad .
… For the US side , Ain al-Assad was its “ red line ” .
The representative said : “ We can not even start talking about withdrawing [ from that base ] .
Withdrawal is out of the question.
” Such was the sensitivity of these discussions that they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meeting took place in the private residence of the Canadian ambassador to Jordan in Amman , Middle East Eye was told .
Present at the meeting was a representative of the US military , a Nato official and a senior Iraqi security adviser .
America needs the vast Ain al-Assad base in order ultimately to overthrow Bashar al-Assad ( no relation ) , Syria ’ s secular President , who is allied with Russia and with Iran .
NATO will increasingly be taking over this function of assisting the war for regime-change in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ East Monitor bannered “ Iraq : Washington to strengthen presence of NATO to disengage militarily from Baghdad ” and reported that America ’ s allies will take over there but “ This will only work if the NATO mission includes a strong US component.
” So : America ’ s withdrawal will be only nominal .
This will help NATO by assuring that Trump won ’ t abandon NATO if he wins a second term , and it will also help Trump to win a second term by Trump ’ s claiming to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without actually doing any such thing .
The aim of this is to fool the public everywhere .
In international affairs , this is the way to win : first , fool your own public ; then , get your allies to fool theirs .
That builds a “ coalition.
” Donald Trump is doing precisely this .
Trump is continuing Barack Obama ’ s wars , just like Barack Obama continued George W. Bush ’ s wars .
The plan for America to control the Middle East remains on course , now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often said , “ America is the one indispensable nation.
” ( All others are therefore “ dispensable.
” ) It is certainly the leading nation .
And America ’ s aristocracy possess patience .
They know that Rome wasn ’ t built in a day .
In order to be the leading nation and the biggest international aggressor ( so that “ America is the one indispensable nation ” ) , what is essential is to treat every other nation as being “ dispensable ” ( make them fear you ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the leading nation wants , or else they will be dispensed with — they will become added to the list of target-nations to be conquered .
They are dispensable ; they are disposable .
A disposable nation is aware of its subordinate position .
On February 15th , the International Institute for Strategic Studies reported that the US dedicated a significantly higher proportion of its defence budget to procurement and R & D than its NATO allies .
European countries are increasing their defence investments as a share of their total spending – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funds rose from 19.8 % in 2018 to 23.1 % in 2019 – but the equivalent category reached 29 % in the US .
The United States ’ defence investments were thus worth around four times as much as European states ’ combined .
A nation which spends 29 % of its GDP on “ defence ” might be weak in other ways , but everyone in the world will fear it , and all other nations will know that they are “ dispensable , ” because the country which spends that high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one which does ) also happens to have the world ’ s largest economy .
Any other country , which isn ’ t one of its vassals , will be viewed by it ( or by its aristocracy ) as being an “ enemy ” — a nation that is targeted for “ regime-change , ” instead of for being a market .
And being a targeted nation is very different than being a target market .
It is to be only a target — a target of sanctions , a target of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then a target of invasion and military occupation , like Iraq is .
Iraq and Iran and Syria — and every other nation that is friendly toward Russia — all of them , are targets of the U.S. regime .
That ’ s why Trump plans to keep U.S. forces in Iraq : Iraq was conquered in 2003 , and he wants it to stay that way .
Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author , most recently , of They ’ re Not Even Close : The Democratic vs. Republican Economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ S VENTRILOQUISTS : The Event that Created Christianity .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Eric Zuesse, originally posted at The Saker
A reliable and exceptionally knowledgeable source, who doesn’t wish to be publicly identified, has confidentially informed me that an agreement has been reached in which U.S. troops will remain permanently in Iraq but under exclusively NATO command, no longer under the command of CentCom (US Central Command in the Middle East).
On February 12th, NATO’s defense ministers agreed to increase operations in Iraq. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has been working ever since Fall of 2019 to prepare this plan (Trump had been pushing for it even before that), and Stoltenberg has consulted in Jordan with King Abdullah, and also in Brussels with Sabri Bachtabji, Tunisia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, because Tunisia is a key part of Trump’s plan, to use other NATO nations as America’s proxies controlling the Middle East.
On February 1st, pro-Muslim-Brotherhood Turkey agreed to the plan, and will be transferring jihadists (al-Qaeda-affiliated groups, plus some ISIS) from Syria’s jihadist-filled Idlib Province, into Libya, via Tunisia, so as to boost the forces of Fayez al-Sarraj (former monarchist now backed by U.S., EU, and Turkey) to defeat the forces of Khalifa Haftar (former Gaddafi-supporter, now in the Libyan civil war claiming as his objective the defeat of all jihadists there). Whereas U.S., EU, and Turkey, back al-Sarraj, Russia isn’t involved in the war, except trying to negotiate peace there, but al-Sarraj rejects any involvement by Russia. Turkey’s interest in Libya is to win Libya’s backing so as to be in a stronger position to win turf in the emerging competition for rights to oil and gas under nearby parts of the Mediterranean Sea. To have Libya beholden to Turkey would be to increase the likelihood of Turkey’s getting that offshore oil.
America’s position regarding the jihadists that Turkey has been protecting in Syria’s Idlib province is that they can be useful as proxy boots-on-the-ground to defeat Haftar, whom America too opposes, favoring al-Sarraj, whom Turkey likewise backs; so, Turkey and U.S. are cooperating on this effort in Libya.
America’s interest is in overthrowing Syria’s secular Government and replacing it with one that would be acceptable to the fundamentalist-Sunni Saud family who own Saudi Arabia. In order to do this, America will therefore need to keep its forces in Iraq. Otherwise, Russia and Iran, both of which America and the Sauds hope ultimately to conquer, would have stronger influence in the Middle East, which neither America nor the Sauds want. America invaded Iraq not only directly for its international corporations to profit, but also in order to have its hundreds of bases there from which to control the entire Middle East — bases that are supplied out of the world’s largest Embassy building (from which even other U.S. embassies are supplied), which building was constructed in Baghdad after the 2003 invasion. Trump’s plan now is to bring in NATO allies, so that they will help out in the Middle East, more than in the past. Trump wants America’s vassal-nations to absorb some of the financial burdens of imposing empire, so that America’s taxpayers won’t need to fund the full cost of it, for the benefit of the billionaire owners of international corporations that are based in the United States and in its allied (or vassal) (including other NATO) countries. This is why Stoltenberg has been working, for months, to effectuate Trump’s plan.
On February 1st, the veteran Middle Eastern reporter David Hearst headlined at his Middle East Eye site, “EXCLUSIVE: US military offers Iraq a partial pullback”, and he reported that,
A representative of the US military told the Iraqis present that the United States was prepared to leave positions in or near Shia-majority areas, such as Balad Air Base, which is located 80km north of Baghdad and houses US trainers and contractors.
Washington, the Iraqis were told, could even consider reducing its presence in Baghdad.
“We are prepared to leave some of the Shia-majority areas, like the base in Balad. Maybe we could reduce our presence in Baghdad,” the military representative told his Iraqi counterparts, who understood from this that the US presence in the Iraqi capital would be reduced to guarding its embassy and the airport.
However, the US side categorically ruled out withdrawing from their biggest air base in Iraq, and indeed the whole Middle East, Ain al-Assad. …
For the US side, Ain al-Assad was its “red line”.
The representative said: “We cannot even start talking about withdrawing [from that base]. Withdrawal is out of the question.”
Such was the sensitivity of these discussions that they were held well away from Iraq. The meeting took place in the private residence of the Canadian ambassador to Jordan in Amman, Middle East Eye was told.
Present at the meeting was a representative of the US military, a Nato official and a senior Iraqi security adviser.
America needs the vast Ain al-Assad base in order ultimately to overthrow Bashar al-Assad (no relation), Syria’s secular President, who is allied with Russia and with Iran. NATO will increasingly be taking over this function of assisting the war for regime-change in Syria.
On February 15th, Middle East Monitor bannered “Iraq: Washington to strengthen presence of NATO to disengage militarily from Baghdad” and reported that America’s allies will take over there but “This will only work if the NATO mission includes a strong US component.” So: America’s withdrawal will be only nominal. This will help NATO by assuring that Trump won’t abandon NATO if he wins a second term, and it will also help Trump to win a second term by Trump’s claiming to be withdrawing from the Middle East even without actually doing any such thing.
The aim of this is to fool the public everywhere. In international affairs, this is the way to win: first, fool your own public; then, get your allies to fool theirs. That builds a “coalition.” Donald Trump is doing precisely this.
Trump is continuing Barack Obama’s wars, just like Barack Obama continued George W. Bush’s wars. The plan for America to control the Middle East remains on course, now, ever since 2001. As Obama often said, “America is the one indispensable nation.” (All others are therefore “dispensable.”) It is certainly the leading nation. And America’s aristocracy possess patience. They know that Rome wasn’t built in a day. In order to be the leading nation and the biggest international aggressor (so that “America is the one indispensable nation”), what is essential is to treat every other nation as being “dispensable” (make them fear you), so that either they will do as the leading nation wants, or else they will be dispensed with — they will become added to the list of target-nations to be conquered. They are dispensable; they are disposable. A disposable nation is aware of its subordinate position. On February 15th, the International Institute for Strategic Studies reported that
the US dedicated a significantly higher proportion of its defence budget to procurement and R&D than its NATO allies. European countries are increasing their defence investments as a share of their total spending – for those countries with available data, funds rose from 19.8% in 2018 to 23.1% in 2019 – but the equivalent category reached 29% in the US. The United States’ defence investments were thus worth around four times as much as European states’ combined.
A nation which spends 29% of its GDP on “defence” might be weak in other ways, but everyone in the world will fear it, and all other nations will know that they are “dispensable,” because the country which spends that high a percentage (and there is only one which does) also happens to have the world’s largest economy. Any other country, which isn’t one of its vassals, will be viewed by it (or by its aristocracy) as being an “enemy” — a nation that is targeted for “regime-change,” instead of for being a market. And being a targeted nation is very different than being a target market. It is to be only a target — a target of sanctions, a target of coups, and, if those fail, then a target of invasion and military occupation, like Iraq is.
(However, actually, the U.S. spends only around 7% — $1.5 trillion divided by $22 trillion — of its economy toward the Pentagon and the rest of America’s military. Still, it might be the highest percentage on Earth. Because around $1 trillion yearly in U.S. military spending is off-the-books, that ‘defence’ figure could actually be closer to 10%. But it’s not 29%. Right now, around 20% of U.S. GDP goes to buy healthcare, which is the very largest percentage for healthcare of any country on the planet. America’s quality of healthcare is at or near the lowest of all industrialized nations; so, the wastage in its healthcare is even larger than in its military.)
Iraq and Iran and Syria — and every other nation that is friendly toward Russia — all of them, are targets of the U.S. regime. That’s why Trump plans to keep U.S. forces in Iraq: Iraq was conquered in 2003, and he wants it to stay that way.
—————
Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author, most recently, of They’re Not Even Close: The Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records, 1910-2010, and of CHRIST’S VENTRILOQUISTS: The Event that Created Christianity.
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