theduran--2020-03-18--Biden Stumbles to the Lead

Biden Stumbles to the Lead

Submitted by InfoBrics , authored by William Stroock , author of military fiction… Last week was a tough one for the American economy , stock market , and public .
Slowly , the number of Wuhan Coronavirus cases in the United States rose to more than 3,500 .
The New York Stock Exchange , NASDAQ , and S & P all had their worst weeks since the Financial Crisis of 2008 .
At the same time , Saudi Arabia and Russia began a petroleum-price war pushing the price of oil down to levels at which many American producers can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ little better .
Here in New Jersey , the number of Wuhan Coronavirus cases reached 178 by Monday .
The number of cases in this observer ’ s county is five , with one infection in our own town .
Governor Phil Murphy , who might one day make an excellent Democrat presidential candidate , ordered the closure of bars , restaurants , and schools .
The governor has asked for an 8 PM to 5 AM curfew and is “ strongly discouraging non-essential travel ” .
Murphy has also mobilized the New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 miles west of New York City , the grocery stores are decently stocked , except for meats , disinfecting wipes , and , of course , toilet paper .
Across the Hudson River , Mayor Bill DeBlasio has closed the schools until at least 30 April and public health officials expect a massive jump in the number of Wuhan Coronavirus cases as testing becomes more available .
In Washington , House Republicans wrangled with Speaker Nancy Pelosi over an economic relief bill covering issues like health insurance and paid sick leave .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ abortion into the bill , a disastrous move that made it seem as if Pelosi was holding up important legislation over a Democrat pet issue .
She eventually struck the abortion funding for the bill , after which Trump tweeted his support for the measure .
Now , the Senate takes up the bill .
On Wednesday night , President Trump addressed the nation from the Oval Office .
In a short speech , he touted the actions his administration has taken so far .
But mostly , the speech was a pep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus will not have a chance against us , ’ the President said .
‘ No nation is more prepared or more resilient than the United States.
’ Then , on Friday , President Trump declared a national emergency .
After reading from prepared notes and listing more actions he had taken , the president introduced executives from several American pharmaceutical companies and big box retailers and announced a plan to provide millions of tests at thousands of locations , with results coming within 24-36 hours .
Google is building a massive web @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test sites .
As President Trump talked , the markets rose and then skyrocketed when he announced the Feds would purchase oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve .
This move to help beleaguered American oil companies should amount to a federal purchase of nearly 100 million barrels of oil .
By the time the press conference was over , the NYSE rose more than 9 percent and gained nearly 2,000 points .
The Federal Reserve , too , came to the aid of the markets , pumping in 1.5 trillion dollars of cash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a point .
But , on Monday , the market plunged once again , erasing Friday ’ s gains .
In fact , all of the market gains made since President Trump took office are gone .
Democrat Party frontrunner Joe Biden had another interesting week .
On Thursday , he gave a speech outlining his plans for the Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic .
He called Trump ‘ xenophobic ’ and slammed the travel restrictions the administration placed on Asia and Europe .
He said , ‘ Overall , this virus laid bare the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Then , on Friday , Biden ’ s campaign live-streamed a question and answer session .
The broadcast was riddled with technical difficulties , blank screens , background noise , garbled words , and people who were brought on camera before they were ready .
The broadcast was filled with awkward pauses and silences .
But , the biggest problem with Joe Biden ’ s livestream was Joe Biden .
He often looked down at his phone or stared blankly into the camera .
As he talked about healthcare , Biden went on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it done and I can get it done quickly .
And people will be covered .
But even I can ’ t do that for another two years…another year…between now and November…or actually January.
’ At one point , Biden wondered off camera as he babbled on the Delaware and Chesapeake River estuaries .
Biden was tested during Sunday Night ’ s debate .
For once , Bernie Sanders attacked him directly .
But voters are usually uninterested in twenty-five-year-old votes and the minutiae of campaign finance laws .
Biden kept listing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point with ‘ First ’ and running on until ‘ Second ’ and so on .
Sanders , who has been saying the exact same socialist things since 2016 , didn ’ t really land a decent punch .
Biden certainly got the better of the debate and almost certainly won the nomination , despite everything .
Watching the man during the debate , one hand on the podium , the other in his pocket while he smirked at Sanders , one got the sense that Biden thinks he ’ s good at @ @

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 week was a tough one for the American economy, stock market, and public. Slowly, the number of Wuhan Coronavirus cases in the United States rose to more than 3,500. The New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, and S&P all had their worst weeks since the Financial Crisis of 2008. At the same time, Saudi Arabia and Russia began a petroleum-price war pushing the price of oil down to levels at which many American producers cannot compete. This week looks to be little better.
Here in New Jersey, the number of Wuhan Coronavirus cases reached 178 by Monday. The number of cases in this observer’s county is five, with one infection in our own town. Governor Phil Murphy, who might one day make an excellent Democrat presidential candidate, ordered the closure of bars, restaurants, and schools. The governor has asked for an 8 PM to 5 AM curfew and is “strongly discouraging non-essential travel”. Murphy has also mobilized the New Jersey National Guard. Here, about 30 miles west of New York City, the grocery stores are decently stocked, except for meats, disinfecting wipes, and, of course, toilet paper. Across the Hudson River, Mayor Bill DeBlasio has closed the schools until at least 30 April and public health officials expect a massive jump in the number of Wuhan Coronavirus cases as testing becomes more available.
In Washington, House Republicans wrangled with Speaker Nancy Pelosi over an economic relief bill covering issues like health insurance and paid sick leave. Pelosi tried to sneak federal funding for abortion into the bill, a disastrous move that made it seem as if Pelosi was holding up important legislation over a Democrat pet issue. She eventually struck the abortion funding for the bill, after which Trump tweeted his support for the measure. Now, the Senate takes up the bill.
On Wednesday night, President Trump addressed the nation from the Oval Office. In a short speech, he touted the actions his administration has taken so far. But mostly, the speech was a pep talk to the nation. ‘The virus will not have a chance against us,’ the President said. ‘No nation is more prepared or more resilient than the United States.’ Then, on Friday, President Trump declared a national emergency. After reading from prepared notes and listing more actions he had taken, the president introduced executives from several American pharmaceutical companies and big box retailers and announced a plan to provide millions of tests at thousands of locations, with results coming within 24-36 hours. Google is building a massive web portal for identifying and directing patients toward test sites.
As President Trump talked, the markets rose and then skyrocketed when he announced the Feds would purchase oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. This move to help beleaguered American oil companies should amount to a federal purchase of nearly 100 million barrels of oil. By the time the press conference was over, the NYSE rose more than 9 percent and gained nearly 2,000 points. The Federal Reserve, too, came to the aid of the markets, pumping in 1.5 trillion dollars of cash and slashing interest rates by a half a point. But, on Monday, the market plunged once again, erasing Friday’s gains. In fact, all of the market gains made since President Trump took office are gone.
Democrat Party frontrunner Joe Biden had another interesting week. On Thursday, he gave a speech outlining his plans for the Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic. He called Trump ‘xenophobic’ and slammed the travel restrictions the administration placed on Asia and Europe. He said, ‘Overall, this virus laid bare the severe shortcomings of the current administration.’ Then, on Friday, Biden’s campaign live-streamed a question and answer session. The broadcast was riddled with technical difficulties, blank screens, background noise, garbled words, and people who were brought on camera before they were ready. The broadcast was filled with awkward pauses and silences.
But, the biggest problem with Joe Biden’s livestream was Joe Biden. He often looked down at his phone or stared blankly into the camera. As he talked about healthcare, Biden went on and on. ‘I can get it done and I can get it done quickly. And people will be covered. But even I can’t do that for another two years…another year…between now and November…or actually January.’ At one point, Biden wondered off camera as he babbled on the Delaware and Chesapeake River estuaries. Biden was tested during Sunday Night’s debate. For once, Bernie Sanders attacked him directly. But voters are usually uninterested in twenty-five-year-old votes and the minutiae of campaign finance laws. Biden kept listing the things he would do, prefacing each point with ‘First’ and running on until ‘Second’ and so on. Sanders, who has been saying the exact same socialist things since 2016, didn’t really land a decent punch. Biden certainly got the better of the debate and almost certainly won the nomination, despite everything. Watching the man during the debate, one hand on the podium, the other in his pocket while he smirked at Sanders, one got the sense that Biden thinks he’s good at this.
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theduran--2020-03-18--Washington Attempts To Intimidate Indonesia Not to Buy Russian Weapons

Submitted by InfoBrics , authored by Paul Antonopoulos is a Research Fellow at the Center for Syncretic Studies… Correspondents from Bloomberg reported that under pressure from Washington , Indonesia will likely refuse to buy Russian and Chinese weapons .
A U.S. State Department spokesman informed Bloomberg that the United States had asked all its allies and partners to abandon new contracts to buy Russian military equipment to avoid sanctions under the Countering America ’ s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act ( CAATSA ) .
This law was signed by U.S. President Donald Trump in the summer of 2017 and has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aggression against many states , especially Russia , China , Iran and North Korea .
Unsurprising the targeted states are officially considered by the White House to be a rival .
The goal of American policy is to deny Russia the revenue it needs to continue its “ malign influence , ” according to Bloomberg .
Through economic sanctions , Washington tries to influence the domestic and foreign policies of these countries .
Interpreting this legislation more broadly , the U.S. could impose sanctions against any country that defies Washington ’ s demands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially in with military technology .
However , behind the endless rhetoric about the necessity of American security , there is still an endless goal to remove competitors from the lucrative arms market .
It is also clear that in recent times , Trump has sent his diplomats to Southeast Asian countries to persuade them to not buy Russian or Chinese weapons , and rather , of course , American ones .
Indonesia has been a customer of Russian weapons since Achmed Sukarno was the head of the country in the early years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration of Joko Widodo plans to buy 11 Russian Su-35 aircraft , but Washington has made it clear that if that happens , they will impose sanctions against Jakarta .
The Indonesian side suspended these plans .
It comes as even earlier they refused to negotiate with China over the contract to buy patrol boats because of pressure from the U.S. What motivates the U.S. to behave so aggressively in the arms market is because Russia has always been a major supplier of weapons to Southeast Asian countries and the Eurasian country ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be far cheaper , but also much more reliable compared to their American-made counterparts .
Between 2010 and 2017 , Moscow sold $ 6.6 billion of weapons to the region , while the U.S. only sold $ 4.5 billion in sales during the same period .
The major buyer of Russian military equipment is unsurprisingly Vietnam , a long-time ally since the Cold War period , and accounted for 78 % of total Russian arms exports in the region .
Russian arms exports have many advantages compared to the U.S .
When looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more reliable than their U.S. counterparts , the S-400 air defense missile system comes to mind as it is half the price of the American Patriot system that failed to defend Saudi ARAMCO oil sites and U.S. troops in Iraq from Iranian missile attacks .
In addition , the Russian side is also open to comprises , for example , to provide weapons in exchange for Indonesian palm oil rather than just dollars as Washington demands .
The Russian arms sales deal is not accompanied by political and ideological conditions .
Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who buy their equipment must comply with , such as Western human rights standards or serving U.S. hegemony .
If we look at Turkey , we can see all the difficulties facing the country because its defiance against Washington to buy the S-400 system .
Or back in Southeast Asia , in 2016 , Washington refused to supply rifles to the Philippine government because they brutally fought against drug trafficking and did not follow U.S. demands .
It must be remembered that in the early 1960 ’ s , the U.S. imposed an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided to annex the resource rich West Papua .
Russian sales derive from commercial rules , not paying attention to political factors and ideology .
Whether Indonesia will break its long relations with the U.S. and capitulate to its demands remains to be seen , but it is likely as Russia will not react in the same irrational manner as Trump would .

Submitted by InfoBrics, authored by Paul Antonopoulos is a Research Fellow at the Center for Syncretic Studies…
Correspondents from Bloomberg reported that under pressure from Washington, Indonesia will likely refuse to buy Russian and Chinese weapons. A U.S. State Department spokesman informed Bloomberg that the United States had asked all its allies and partners to abandon new contracts to buy Russian military equipment to avoid sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). This law was signed by U.S. President Donald Trump in the summer of 2017 and has been used to justify Washington’s economic aggression against many states, especially Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. Unsurprising the targeted states are officially considered by the White House to be a rival. The goal of American policy is to deny Russia the revenue it needs to continue its “malign influence,” according to Bloomberg.
Through economic sanctions, Washington tries to influence the domestic and foreign policies of these countries. Interpreting this legislation more broadly, the U.S. could impose sanctions against any country that defies Washington’s demands by cooperating with Russia and China, especially in with military technology. However, behind the endless rhetoric about the necessity of American security, there is still an endless goal to remove competitors from the lucrative arms market. It is also clear that in recent times, Trump has sent his diplomats to Southeast Asian countries to persuade them to not buy Russian or Chinese weapons, and rather, of course, American ones.
Indonesia has been a customer of Russian weapons since Achmed Sukarno was the head of the country in the early years of the Cold War. The current administration of Joko Widodo plans to buy 11 Russian Su-35 aircraft, but Washington has made it clear that if that happens, they will impose sanctions against Jakarta. The Indonesian side suspended these plans. It comes as even earlier they refused to negotiate with China over the contract to buy patrol boats because of pressure from the U.S.
What motivates the U.S. to behave so aggressively in the arms market is because Russia has always been a major supplier of weapons to Southeast Asian countries and the Eurasian country’s weapons are not only proving to be far cheaper, but also much more reliable compared to their American-made counterparts. Between 2010 and 2017, Moscow sold $6.6 billion of weapons to the region, while the U.S. only sold $4.5 billion in sales during the same period. The major buyer of Russian military equipment is unsurprisingly Vietnam, a long-time ally since the Cold War period, and accounted for 78% of total Russian arms exports in the region. Russian arms exports have many advantages compared to the U.S. When looking at how Russian weapons are far cheaper and more reliable than their U.S. counterparts, the S-400 air defense missile system comes to mind as it is half the price of the American Patriot system that failed to defend Saudi ARAMCO oil sites and U.S. troops in Iraq from Iranian missile attacks. In addition, the Russian side is also open to comprises, for example, to provide weapons in exchange for Indonesian palm oil rather than just dollars as Washington demands.
The Russian arms sales deal is not accompanied by political and ideological conditions. Washington has a very rigorous check that people who buy their equipment must comply with, such as Western human rights standards or serving U.S. hegemony. If we look at Turkey, we can see all the difficulties facing the country because its defiance against Washington to buy the S-400 system. Or back in Southeast Asia, in 2016, Washington refused to supply rifles to the Philippine government because they brutally fought against drug trafficking and did not follow U.S. demands. It must be remembered that in the early 1960’s, the U.S. imposed an arms embargo on Indonesia when the government decided to annex the resource rich West Papua. Russian sales derive from commercial rules, not paying attention to political factors and ideology. Whether Indonesia will break its long relations with the U.S. and capitulate to its demands remains to be seen, but it is likely as Russia will not react in the same irrational manner as Trump would.


theduran--2020-03-18--U.S. political tools in Europe are working

Starting with the 1950s years of the 20th century European countries has been taking efforts to unite .
Europe has been living in the European Union format since signing the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 .
This treaty created the European Union with its pillar system , including foreign and home affairs alongside the European Community .
The European states did their best to pursue an independent policy , develop collective responsibilities and rights .
It was not an easy way and for some period of time the new format successfully worked .
External influence was not evident especially in such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Germany .
They were strong enough to be independent economically and politically and had authority among more weak countries in the region , such as Baltic States , Hungary , Romania , Bulgaria and some others .
But times have changed .
The UK has left the organization , local conflicts and economic crises have made united Europe weaker .
Time came when the U.S. which skillfully masked influence and secretly manipulated European politicians , openly “ entered the scene.
” Security situation in Europe made it possible for the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The main reason is imperfect European defence system which had not been fully developed in the united Europe and now is only part of NATO .
As we know , NATO is almost fully controlled by Washington .
Thus , in terms of defence , the EU is completely dependent on the United States .
Today this military dependence is transferring to the political one .
Washington ties hands of European political leaders by creating favorable conditions in the region to protect its interests .
It created hotbeds of tension in Europe and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the problems .
The U.S. is a boss ; Europe is only a tool to counter the main adversary – Russia .
The problem is that the European governments themselves are neither ready to act in the new conditions , nor take responsibility .
For instance , the Baltic states are used to relying on a stronger partner , which is the United States , and even do not try to contradict .
Thus , against the background of the spread of coronavirus , it would be logical to cancel such mass maneuvers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The U.S. is not ready to conceal it .
Washington has high hopes for developing its military logistics capabilities in Europe and does not want to miss the opportunity even if the exercises lead to an outbreak of coronavirus in Europe and among the US military .
Big politics – big sacrifices .
And who really rules Romania ?
It is NATO .
Who rules Poland ?
Poles , but at the behest of the Americans .
Who rules the Baltic States ?
The Americans .
These countries do not have a social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behavior of their citizens .
The population of these states is almost completely manipulated .
So Europe faces many challenges and Russian threat is not the only threat .
Another big problem is deep dependence on the U.S. , which pursues its own political , military and economic interests in the region , increasing tensions between Europe and Russia .

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 Adomas Abromaitis…
Starting with the 1950s years of the 20th century European countries has been taking efforts to unite. Europe has been living in the European Union format since signing the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. This treaty created the European Union with its pillar system, including foreign and home affairs alongside the European Community.
The European states did their best to pursue an independent policy, develop collective responsibilities and rights. It was not an easy way and for some period of time the new format successfully worked.
External influence was not evident especially in such European economical giants as the United Kingdom and Germany. They were strong enough to be independent economically and politically and had authority among more weak countries in the region, such as Baltic States, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and some others.
But times have changed. The UK has left the organization, local conflicts and economic crises have made united Europe weaker. Time came when the U.S. which skillfully masked influence and secretly manipulated European politicians, openly “entered the scene.”
Security situation in Europe made it possible for the United States to dictate Europe what to do. The main reason is imperfect European defence system which had not been fully developed in the united Europe and now is only part of NATO. As we know, NATO is almost fully controlled by Washington. Thus, in terms of defence, the EU is completely dependent on the United States.
Today this military dependence is transferring to the political one. Washington ties hands of European political leaders by creating favorable conditions in the region to protect its interests. It created hotbeds of tension in Europe and then offers its own solution to settle the problems. The U.S. is a boss; Europe is only a tool to counter the main adversary – Russia.
The problem is that the European governments themselves are neither ready to act in the new conditions, nor take responsibility. For instance, the Baltic states are used to relying on a stronger partner, which is the United States, and even do not try to contradict. Thus, against the background of the spread of coronavirus, it would be logical to cancel such mass maneuvers as Defender Europe 2020 exercise. But The U.S. is not ready to conceal it. Washington has high hopes for developing its military logistics capabilities in Europe and does not want to miss the opportunity even if the exercises lead to an outbreak of coronavirus in Europe and among the US military. Big politics – big sacrifices.
And who really rules Romania? It is NATO. Who rules Poland? Poles, but at the behest of the Americans. Who rules the Baltic States? The Americans. These countries do not have a social structure capable of organizing the actions and behavior of their citizens. The population of these states is almost completely manipulated.
So Europe faces many challenges and Russian threat is not the only threat. Another big problem is deep dependence on the U.S., which pursues its own political, military and economic interests in the region, increasing tensions between Europe and Russia.
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theduran--2020-03-18--Saudi purge continues as MbS pushes Kingdom towards bankruptcy (Video)

The Duran ’ s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the latest MbS purge in Saudi Arabia , as the Kingdom accelerates towards insolvency .
Subscribe to The Duran on YouTube – Find us on BitChute .
The Duran Audio Podcast : Follow on Soundcloud – Subscribe on iTunes .
Authored by Patrick Cockburn via The Independent : The fear caused by the coronavirus outbreak is greater than that provoked by a serious war because everybody is in the front line and everybody knows that they are a potential casualty .
The best parallel is the terror felt by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ army ; even if , in the present case , the invader comes in the form of a minuscule virus .
The political consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic are already vast because its advance , and the desperate measures taken to combat it , entirely dominate the news agenda and will go on doing so for the foreseeable future , although it is in the nature of this unprecedented event that nothing can be foreseen .
History has not come to a full stop because of the virus , however : crucial events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are being ignored by people wholly absorbed by the struggle for survival in the face of a new disease .
Many of these unrecognised but very real crises are taking place in the Middle East , the arena where great powers traditionally stage confrontations fought out by their local proxies .
Top of the list of critical new conflicts that have been overshadowed by the pandemic is the battle for the throne of Saudi Arabia : Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ( MbS ) , whose dwindling band of admirers describe him as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sort of palace coup by arresting his uncle , Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz , and his cousin , Prince Mohammed bin Nayef , whom he displaced as crown prince in 2017 .
The new purge of close relatives by MbS may be motivated by his wish to eliminate any potential rivals for the crown who might step forward upon the death of King Salman , his 84-year-old father .
This need to settle the royal succession has become more urgent in the past few weeks because the US presidential election in November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essential ally : Donald Trump , a man who has become increasingly discredited by his shambolic response to Covid-19 , and who faces Joe Biden ’ s emergence as the likely Democratic candidate for the presidency .
Trump has been a vital prop for MbS , standing by him despite his role in starting an unwinnable war in Yemen in 2015 and his alleged responsibility for the gruesome murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in 2018 .
MbS has denied personal involvement in the killing , but told PBS last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I get all the responsibility , because it happened under my watch.
” The record of misjudgements by MbS after he established himself as the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia five years ago makes Inspector Clouseau seem like a strategist of Napoleonic stature by comparison .
Every one of his initiatives at home and abroad has stalled or failed , from the endless and calamitous war in Yemen to the escalating confrontation with Iran that culminated in Tehran ’ s drone and missile attack on Saudi oil facilities last September .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ break with Russia and flood the market with Saudi crude oil just as world demand is collapsing because of the pandemic ’ s economic impact .
In living memory in the Middle East , only Saddam Hussein displayed a similar combination of hubris and erratic performance that inspired disastrous ventures such as the Iraqi invasion of Iran in 1980 and of Kuwait in 1990 .
I once asked a Russian diplomat knowledgeable about the workings of the Iraqi ruler ’ s inner circle why none of his senior lieutenants , some of whom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned him against taking such idiotic decisions .
“ Because the only safe thing to do in those circles was to be 10 per cent tougher than the boss , ” explained the diplomat .
MbS reportedly shows similar impatience towards anybody critical of the latest cunning plan .
When it comes to the oil price war , the likelihood is that the Kremlin will have thought this through and Riyadh will not .
Russian financial reserves are high and its reliance on imports less than during the last price conflict five years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Inevitably , all the oil states in the Middle East are going to be destabilised , Iraq being a prime example because of its complete reliance on oil revenues .
Iran , suffering from the worst outbreak of Covid-19 in the region , was already staggering under the impact of US sanctions .
In time , the Russians may overplay their hand in the region – as all foreign players appear to do when over-encouraged by temporary successes .
For the moment , however , they are doing nicely : in Syria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s forces has squeezed the rebel enclave in Idlib without Turkey , despite all the belligerent threats of President Erdogan , being able to do much about it .
These developments might have provoked a stronger international reaction two months ago , but they are now treated as irrelevant sideshows by countries bracing themselves for the onset of the pandemic .
It is easy to forget that only 10 weeks ago , the US and Iran were teetering on the edge of all-out war after the Iranian general Qassem Soleimani was assassinated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strike .
After ritualistic Iranian retaliation against two US bases , both sides de-escalated their rhetoric and their actions .
Rather than drastically changing course , however , the Iranians were probably re-evaluating their strategy of pinprick guerrilla attacks by proxies on the US and its allies : this week , the US accused an Iranian-backed paramilitary group of firing rockets at an American base north of Baghdad , killing two Americans and one Briton .
Iran has evidently decided that it can once again take the risk of harassing US forces .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Middle East and the rest of the world : a second term for President Trump looks much less likely than it did in February .
The election of Biden , an archetypal member of the Washington establishment , might not change things much for the better , but it would restore a degree of normality .
Trump ’ s foreign policy in the Middle East and elsewhere has always been less innovative in practice than his supporters and critics have claimed .
Often , in Iraq and Afghanistan , it was surprisingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The biggest difference was Trump ’ s abandonment of the nuclear deal with Iran , but even there Trump relied on the “ maximum pressure ” of economic sanctions to compel the Iranians to negotiate .
For all Trump ’ s bombast and jingoism , he has never actually started a war .
However , this is now changing in a way that nobody could have predicted , because in its political impact the pandemic is very like a war .
The political landscape is being transformed everywhere by this modern version of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond coherently to the threat and blaming foreigners for its spread , Trump is visibly self-isolating the US and undermining the hegemonic role it has played since the Second World War .
Even if Biden is elected as the next president , the US will have lost its undisputed primacy in a post-pandemic world .

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 latest MbS purge in Saudi Arabia, as the Kingdom accelerates towards insolvency.
Support Free Speech:
Subscribe to The Duran on YouTube – Find us on BitChute.
The Duran Audio Podcast:
Follow on Soundcloud – Subscribe on iTunes.
Authored by Patrick Cockburn via The Independent:
The fear caused by the coronavirus outbreak is greater than that provoked by a serious war because everybody is in the front line and everybody knows that they are a potential casualty. The best parallel is the terror felt by people facing occupation by a hostile foreign army; even if, in the present case, the invader comes in the form of a minuscule virus.
The political consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic are already vast because its advance, and the desperate measures taken to combat it, entirely dominate the news agenda and will go on doing so for the foreseeable future, although it is in the nature of this unprecedented event that nothing can be foreseen.
History has not come to a full stop because of the virus, however: crucial events go on happening, even if they are being ignored by people wholly absorbed by the struggle for survival in the face of a new disease. Many of these unrecognised but very real crises are taking place in the Middle East, the arena where great powers traditionally stage confrontations fought out by their local proxies.
Top of the list of critical new conflicts that have been overshadowed by the pandemic is the battle for the throne of Saudi Arabia: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), whose dwindling band of admirers describe him as “mercurial”, this month launched a sort of palace coup by arresting his uncle, Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, and his cousin, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, whom he displaced as crown prince in 2017.
The new purge of close relatives by MbS may be motivated by his wish to eliminate any potential rivals for the crown who might step forward upon the death of King Salman, his 84-year-old father. This need to settle the royal succession has become more urgent in the past few weeks because the US presidential election in November might see the crown prince lose an essential ally: Donald Trump, a man who has become increasingly discredited by his shambolic response to Covid-19, and who faces Joe Biden’s emergence as the likely Democratic candidate for the presidency.
Trump has been a vital prop for MbS, standing by him despite his role in starting an unwinnable war in Yemen in 2015 and his alleged responsibility for the gruesome murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in 2018. MbS has denied personal involvement in the killing, but told PBS last year: “It happened under my watch. I get all the responsibility, because it happened under my watch.”
The record of misjudgements by MbS after he established himself as the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia five years ago makes Inspector Clouseau seem like a strategist of Napoleonic stature by comparison. Every one of his initiatives at home and abroad has stalled or failed, from the endless and calamitous war in Yemen to the escalating confrontation with Iran that culminated in Tehran’s drone and missile attack on Saudi oil facilities last September.
The latest gamble by MbS is to break with Russia and flood the market with Saudi crude oil just as world demand is collapsing because of the pandemic’s economic impact. In living memory in the Middle East, only Saddam Hussein displayed a similar combination of hubris and erratic performance that inspired disastrous ventures such as the Iraqi invasion of Iran in 1980 and of Kuwait in 1990.
I once asked a Russian diplomat knowledgeable about the workings of the Iraqi ruler’s inner circle why none of his senior lieutenants, some of whom were intelligent and well informed, had warned him against taking such idiotic decisions. “Because the only safe thing to do in those circles was to be 10 per cent tougher than the boss,” explained the diplomat. MbS reportedly shows similar impatience towards anybody critical of the latest cunning plan.
When it comes to the oil price war, the likelihood is that the Kremlin will have thought this through and Riyadh will not. Russian financial reserves are high and its reliance on imports less than during the last price conflict five years ago between the two biggest oil exporters. Inevitably, all the oil states in the Middle East are going to be destabilised, Iraq being a prime example because of its complete reliance on oil revenues. Iran, suffering from the worst outbreak of Covid-19 in the region, was already staggering under the impact of US sanctions.
In time, the Russians may overplay their hand in the region – as all foreign players appear to do when over-encouraged by temporary successes. For the moment, however, they are doing nicely: in Syria, the Russian-backed offensive of President Assad’s forces has squeezed the rebel enclave in Idlib without Turkey, despite all the belligerent threats of President Erdogan, being able to do much about it.
These developments might have provoked a stronger international reaction two months ago, but they are now treated as irrelevant sideshows by countries bracing themselves for the onset of the pandemic. It is easy to forget that only 10 weeks ago, the US and Iran were teetering on the edge of all-out war after the Iranian general Qassem Soleimani was assassinated at Baghdad airport in a US drone strike. After ritualistic Iranian retaliation against two US bases, both sides de-escalated their rhetoric and their actions. Rather than drastically changing course, however, the Iranians were probably re-evaluating their strategy of pinprick guerrilla attacks by proxies on the US and its allies: this week, the US accused an Iranian-backed paramilitary group of firing rockets at an American base north of Baghdad, killing two Americans and one Briton. Iran has evidently decided that it can once again take the risk of harassing US forces.
Covid-19 is already changing political calculations in the Middle East and the rest of the world: a second term for President Trump looks much less likely than it did in February. The election of Biden, an archetypal member of the Washington establishment, might not change things much for the better, but it would restore a degree of normality.
Trump’s foreign policy in the Middle East and elsewhere has always been less innovative in practice than his supporters and critics have claimed. Often, in Iraq and Afghanistan, it was surprisingly similar to that of Barack Obama. The biggest difference was Trump’s abandonment of the nuclear deal with Iran, but even there Trump relied on the “maximum pressure” of economic sanctions to compel the Iranians to negotiate. For all Trump’s bombast and jingoism, he has never actually started a war.
However, this is now changing in a way that nobody could have predicted, because in its political impact the pandemic is very like a war. The political landscape is being transformed everywhere by this modern version of the Great Plague. By failing to respond coherently to the threat and blaming foreigners for its spread, Trump is visibly self-isolating the US and undermining the hegemonic role it has played since the Second World War. Even if Biden is elected as the next president, the US will have lost its undisputed primacy in a post-pandemic world.
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theduran--2020-03-19--UK herd immunity strategy fails (Video)

UK herd immunity strategy fails (Video)

The Duran ’ s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss Boris Johnson ’ s decision to drop its herd immunity approach to battling the coronavirus .
Johnson ’ s government has had to admit that the strategy of allowing coronavirus to spread and build up immunity among the UK population , was a failure .
Subscribe to The Duran on YouTube – Find us on BitChute .
The Duran Audio Podcast : Follow on Soundcloud – Subscribe on iTunes .
For a few days , Britain stood alone .
While continental Europeans were closing schools and putting soldiers on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the British government ’ s official advice to its citizens was , essentially , just to keep calm and carry on .
Schools , restaurants , theaters , clubs , and sporting venues remained open ; only the over-70s and those with flu-like symptoms were advised to stay at home .
The low-key British response was driven by a controversial theory embraced by the U.K. government ’ s top scientists : that the best way to ease the long-term consequences of the coronavirus pandemic was to allow the virus to spread naturally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s herd immunity .
On Monday night , that theory collided with the facts .
A new analysis by immunologists at Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine of the impact of the coronavirus in Italy suggested that up to 30 percent of patients hospitalized with the virus would require intensive care treatment .
Those numbers , if repeated in the U.K. , would quickly overwhelm Britain ’ s state-run National Health Service .
Within hours of the report , U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson appeared at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Downing St. to reverse the herd immunity policy .
Acknowledging that “ drastic action ” was required , Johnson announced that from now on Britons should try to work from home and voluntarily refrain from unnecessary travel and social contact .
But Johnson ’ s tone , Britain ’ s policy , and indeed the reaction of many Britons remained in strong contrast to the rest of Europe—a striking echo of the prime minister ’ s go-it-alone approach to Brexit earlier in the year .
Johnson is now taking an approach closer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public for voluntary cooperation rather than ordering it—than to that of the European Union .
In contrast , France ’ s President Emmanuel Macron , warning that his country was “ in a state of war ” with the coronavirus , announced that citizens would have to register their intention to leave their houses in a nationwide website or face a 38 euro ( $ 42 ) fine , enforced by 100,000 police officers .
Britain has not enforced any mandatory bans on movement or on the opening of bars and places @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the government was giving “ very strong advice that public venues such as theaters should no longer be visited ” but added , “ I don ’ t believe it will be necessary to use ” enforcement powers .
And on the evening of Johnson ’ s announcement , Twitter filled with images of many Britons cheerfully defying the government ’ s advice by drinking in pubs and clubs .
The following morning , the prime minister ’ s own father , 79-year-old Stanley Johnson , defiantly told a chat show that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a pub if I need to go to a pub.
” Johnson ’ s go-it-alone strategy had been under fire for several days from both opposition leaders at home and officials abroad .
Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn blasted the government for being “ complacent ” and “ well behind the curve ” in its handling of the coronavirus outbreak .
Singapore ’ s Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong told journalists Sunday that the “ U.K .
and Switzerland … have abandoned any measure to contain or restrain the virus.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scientific rationale behind Johnson ’ s herd immunity policy , urging the government to publish evidence for its refusal to follow the rest of Europe into immediate lockdown .
“ We have a small window of opportunity to protect our nation , to learn about this new emerging virus and to deal with this unprecedented threat to global health , ” wrote Arne Akbar , the president of the British Society for Immunology .
On a less rational level , the hashtag # ToryGenocide trended on Twitter , with users accusing Johnson and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick and the elderly to die .
Government insiders insist that the criticism is unfair and that the Johnson administration has stuck strictly to the advice of the country ’ s best doctors .
“ Of course at a time like this people are going to blame the government for everything , ” said one senior civil servant who sees Johnson on a daily basis but is not authorized to speak on the record .
“ The truth is , what you [ the public ] hear is what we hear .
… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He ’ s told the British people that there will be deaths .
He ’ s said that this is an extremely serious crisis and that our priority is to save lives , with the presumption that it ’ s too late to try to contain the outbreak.
” He added that the idea that the government has been playing down the crisis is “ nonsense … we have been acting on the best science that we have.
” Monday night ’ s U-turn was “ an excellent example of how we respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facts change , our policy changes.
” As soon as the working team from Imperial College and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine submitted its new conclusions that the old go-slow approach would not work , “ there was no hesitation : we changed the official advice within three hours , ” said the source .
In a Monday night press conference coordinated with Johnson ’ s administration , Imperial College epidemiologist Azra Ghani explained that his team had been “ expecting herd immunity to build [ but ] we now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cope with that.
” The U.K. ’ s posture has , accordingly , officially shifted from containment to “ epidemic suppression … [ as ] the only viable strategy at the current time , ” Ghani told journalists .
Yet Britain ’ s response continues to differ markedly from the rest of the continent ’ s—as well as from many U.S. states and cities that have mandated full lockdowns .
As of Tuesday , Britain and Belarus remained the last two countries in Europe where schools have not been closed .
And the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s lead and ban travel from outside Britain .
Though many British airlines have announced that they will be cutting capacity by up to 80 percent , airports , cross-channel ferries , and the Channel Tunnel remain open .
The U.K. government ’ s key rationale for not piling on mandatory restrictions on movement and social interactions has been the fear that Britons will develop “ behavioral fatigue ” and resume normal life before the outbreak is contained .
The logic is that strict social quarantine is not sustainable for more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new outbreaks of the virus as people defy the restrictions .
Last week over 200 prominent British scientists challenged the government ’ s approach in an open letter that questioned whether “ enough is known about ‘ behavioural fatigue ’ ” —and said , “ ‘ Carrying on as normal ’ for as long as possible undercuts [ the ] urgency ” of the anti-coronavirus message .
Reliance on sometimes-controversial behavioral science theories has long been a hallmark of a group of key U.K. government advisors—many of whom previously worked on the successful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advisor to Johnson and one of the most powerful figures in the administration , has frequently spoken and written about how data science and behavioral modeling are the key to successful campaigning and governance .
The British government ’ s approach to the coronavirus has reflected Cummings ’ s faith .
Last week , Susan Michie , the director of the Centre for Behaviour Change at University College London and a member of the government ’ s advisory group on COVID-19 , confirmed that a key part of the government ’ s approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COM-B ” model .
This theory states that behavior change can only be achieved if a population has sufficient “ capability , opportunity , and motivation.
” “ Unless you can tick all three of those , the behavior is not going to happen , ” Michie told the Guardian .
“ If a big bunch of the population is not that concerned and you ’ re asking people to sacrifice quite a lot , it won ’ t be as effective if those two things are well-matched.
” In other words , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cummings who requested anonymity , “ just telling people to obey isn ’ t going to work.
” Insiders believe that the Johnson-Cummings approach of nudging and persuading people into coronavirus-limiting behaviors will ultimately be more effective than the European stance of banning social interaction and punishing lawbreakers .
“ That sort of government bossiness isn ’ t going to work with British people , ” Cummings ’ s colleague said .
“ The end result is the same , but it works much better when people choose to do it.
” If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family is anything to go by , there may be some truth to that logic .
If Britain ’ s new prime minister eventually succeeds in persuading his own father into respecting nationwide quarantine , he may succeed with the rest of the country , too .

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 Boris Johnson’s decision to drop its herd immunity approach to battling the coronavirus.
Johnson’s government has had to admit that the strategy of allowing coronavirus to spread and build up immunity among the UK population, was a failure.
Support Free Speech:
Subscribe to The Duran on YouTube – Find us on BitChute.
The Duran Audio Podcast:
Follow on Soundcloud – Subscribe on iTunes.
Via Foreign Policy…
For a few days, Britain stood alone.
While continental Europeans were closing schools and putting soldiers on the streets to enforce strict quarantine rules, the British government’s official advice to its citizens was, essentially, just to keep calm and carry on. Schools, restaurants, theaters, clubs, and sporting venues remained open; only the over-70s and those with flu-like symptoms were advised to stay at home. The low-key British response was driven by a controversial theory embraced by the U.K. government’s top scientists: that the best way to ease the long-term consequences of the coronavirus pandemic was to allow the virus to spread naturally in order to build up the population’s herd immunity.
On Monday night, that theory collided with the facts. A new analysis by immunologists at Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine of the impact of the coronavirus in Italy suggested that up to 30 percent of patients hospitalized with the virus would require intensive care treatment. Those numbers, if repeated in the U.K., would quickly overwhelm Britain’s state-run National Health Service.
Within hours of the report, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson appeared at a daily briefing at No. 10 Downing St. to reverse the herd immunity policy. Acknowledging that “drastic action” was required, Johnson announced that from now on Britons should try to work from home and voluntarily refrain from unnecessary travel and social contact.
But Johnson’s tone, Britain’s policy, and indeed the reaction of many Britons remained in strong contrast to the rest of Europe—a striking echo of the prime minister’s go-it-alone approach to Brexit earlier in the year. Johnson is now taking an approach closer to that of U.S. President Donald Trump—appealing to the public for voluntary cooperation rather than ordering it—than to that of the European Union.
In contrast, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, warning that his country was “in a state of war” with the coronavirus, announced that citizens would have to register their intention to leave their houses in a nationwide website or face a 38 euro ($42) fine, enforced by 100,000 police officers. Britain has not enforced any mandatory bans on movement or on the opening of bars and places of entertainment.
Instead, Johnson said that the government was giving “very strong advice that public venues such as theaters should no longer be visited” but added, “I don’t believe it will be necessary to use” enforcement powers. And on the evening of Johnson’s announcement, Twitter filled with images of many Britons cheerfully defying the government’s advice by drinking in pubs and clubs. The following morning, the prime minister’s own father, 79-year-old Stanley Johnson, defiantly told a chat show that “of course I’ll go to a pub if I need to go to a pub.”
Johnson’s go-it-alone strategy had been under fire for several days from both opposition leaders at home and officials abroad. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn blasted the government for being “complacent” and “well behind the curve” in its handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Singapore’s Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong told journalists Sunday that the “U.K. and Switzerland … have abandoned any measure to contain or restrain the virus.” Several top British doctors had questioned the scientific rationale behind Johnson’s herd immunity policy, urging the government to publish evidence for its refusal to follow the rest of Europe into immediate lockdown. “We have a small window of opportunity to protect our nation, to learn about this new emerging virus and to deal with this unprecedented threat to global health,” wrote Arne Akbar, the president of the British Society for Immunology. On a less rational level, the hashtag #ToryGenocide trended on Twitter, with users accusing Johnson and his Conservative Party of deliberately allowing the sick and the elderly to die.
Government insiders insist that the criticism is unfair and that the Johnson administration has stuck strictly to the advice of the country’s best doctors.
“Of course at a time like this people are going to blame the government for everything,” said one senior civil servant who sees Johnson on a daily basis but is not authorized to speak on the record. “The truth is, what you [the public] hear is what we hear. … Boris has actually been extremely straight. He’s told the British people that there will be deaths. He’s said that this is an extremely serious crisis and that our priority is to save lives, with the presumption that it’s too late to try to contain the outbreak.”
He added that the idea that the government has been playing down the crisis is “nonsense … we have been acting on the best science that we have.” Monday night’s U-turn was “an excellent example of how we respond, based on science … when the facts change, our policy changes.” As soon as the working team from Imperial College and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine submitted its new conclusions that the old go-slow approach would not work, “there was no hesitation: we changed the official advice within three hours,” said the source. In a Monday night press conference coordinated with Johnson’s administration, Imperial College epidemiologist Azra Ghani explained that his team had been “expecting herd immunity to build [but] we now realize it’s not possible to cope with that.” The U.K.’s posture has, accordingly, officially shifted from containment to “epidemic suppression … [as] the only viable strategy at the current time,” Ghani told journalists.
Yet Britain’s response continues to differ markedly from the rest of the continent’s—as well as from many U.S. states and cities that have mandated full lockdowns. As of Tuesday, Britain and Belarus remained the last two countries in Europe where schools have not been closed. And the U.K. has refused to follow the EU’s lead and ban travel from outside Britain. Though many British airlines have announced that they will be cutting capacity by up to 80 percent, airports, cross-channel ferries, and the Channel Tunnel remain open.
The U.K. government’s key rationale for not piling on mandatory restrictions on movement and social interactions has been the fear that Britons will develop “behavioral fatigue” and resume normal life before the outbreak is contained. The logic is that strict social quarantine is not sustainable for more than a short period and will lead to new outbreaks of the virus as people defy the restrictions. Last week over 200 prominent British scientists challenged the government’s approach in an open letter that questioned whether “enough is known about ‘behavioural fatigue’”—and said, “‘Carrying on as normal’ for as long as possible undercuts [the] urgency” of the anti-coronavirus message.
Reliance on sometimes-controversial behavioral science theories has long been a hallmark of a group of key U.K. government advisors—many of whom previously worked on the successful Brexit campaign. Dominic Cummings, chief advisor to Johnson and one of the most powerful figures in the administration, has frequently spoken and written about how data science and behavioral modeling are the key to successful campaigning and governance. The British government’s approach to the coronavirus has reflected Cummings’s faith. Last week, Susan Michie, the director of the Centre for Behaviour Change at University College London and a member of the government’s advisory group on COVID-19, confirmed that a key part of the government’s approach was modeled on the so called “COM-B” model. This theory states that behavior change can only be achieved if a population has sufficient “capability, opportunity, and motivation.”
“Unless you can tick all three of those, the behavior is not going to happen,” Michie told the Guardian. “If a big bunch of the population is not that concerned and you’re asking people to sacrifice quite a lot, it won’t be as effective if those two things are well-matched.” In other words, according to a source who works with Cummings who requested anonymity, “just telling people to obey isn’t going to work.”
Insiders believe that the Johnson-Cummings approach of nudging and persuading people into coronavirus-limiting behaviors will ultimately be more effective than the European stance of banning social interaction and punishing lawbreakers.
“That sort of government bossiness isn’t going to work with British people,” Cummings’s colleague said. “The end result is the same, but it works much better when people choose to do it.” If the behavior of Johnson’s own family is anything to go by, there may be some truth to that logic. If Britain’s new prime minister eventually succeeds in persuading his own father into respecting nationwide quarantine, he may succeed with the rest of the country, too.
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theduran--2020-03-19--Sneaky swamp drops Mueller ‘Russian troll farm’ case amidst corona crisis (Video)

The Duran ’ s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the Justice Department ’ s decision to drop charges initiated by disgraced Special Counsel , Robert Mueller ’ s case against two Russian companies that were accused of funding a social media meme campaign to further their “ strategic goal to sow discord in the U.S. political system , including the 2016 presidential election.
” Subscribe to The Duran on YouTube – Find us on BitChute .
The Duran Audio Podcast : Follow on Soundcloud – Subscribe on iTunes .
A federal judge allowed the Justice Department to drop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special counsel Robert Mueller of funding social media disinformation efforts aimed at the 2016 presidential election .
Concord Management and Consulting and Concord Catering , both run by a Russian oligarch named Yevgeniy Viktorovich Prigozhin , were indicted in February 2018 for their role in funding the disinformation activities of the St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency , which Mueller ’ s report said “ carried out the earliest Russian interference operations identified by the investigation — a social media campaign designed to provoke and amplify political and social discord in the United States.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the prosecution , citing the evasiveness of the Concord companies , its refusal to provide information , and the potential for national security secrets to be revealed during the upcoming trial , scheduled to kick off in early April .
Jury selection for the trial was only two weeks away .
“ There is a substantial federal interest in defending American democratic institutions , exposing those who endeavor to criminally interfere with them , and holding them accountable , which is why this prosecution was properly commenced in the first place , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the District of Columbia told the federal court Monday .
“ In light of the defendant ’ s conduct , however , its ephemeral presence and immunity to just punishment , the risk of exposure of law enforcement ’ s tools and techniques , and the post-indictment change in the proof available at trial , the balance of equities has shifted .
It is no longer in the best interests of justice or the country ’ s national security to continue this prosecution.
” Prigozhin , a military contractor dubbed Russian President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of his catering company and ties to the Kremlin , was one of 13 Russians indicted in February 2018 , along with the IRA and his two Concord companies .
Concord Management and Consulting hired a U.S. law firm to defend itself .
U.S. District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich repeatedly expressed frustration with what she saw as Concord ’ s incomplete and evasive responses to court orders .
Eric Dubelier , an attorney with Reed Smith , a global firm , represented Concord during the proceedings and insisted the company was complying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Justice Department said on Monday that “ Concord has demonstrated its intent to reap the benefits of the Court ’ s jurisdiction while positioning itself to evade any real obligations or responsibility.
” Prosecutors cited “ recent events and a change in the balance of the government ’ s proof due to a classification determination ” and “ other facts described in more detail in a classified addendum ” which led them to believe that continuing the prosecution “ promotes neither the interests of justice nor the nation ’ s security.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ has been eager and aggressive in using the judicial system to gather information about how the United States detects and prevents foreign election interference.
” The Justice Department said it “ must also weigh the potential risks to the national security that are necessarily associated with a trial of this nature ” because it “ risks publicizing sensitive law enforcement information regarding measures used to investigate and protect against foreign influence over the political system.
” Prosecutors said , “ a classification determination bearing on the evidence the government properly gathered during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available to the government at trial ” and “ that forces the prosecutors to choose between a materially weaker case and the compromise of classified material.
” The Justice Department determined the prosecution would be more trouble than it was worth and insisted that it had acted in “ good faith ” during the court proceedings while lamenting that “ sensitive non-public information in discovery has gone to Russia.
” Mueller ’ s report stated , “ the first form of Russian election influence came principally from ” the IRA funded by Prigozhin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IRA conducted social media operations targeted at large U.S. audiences with the goal of sowing discord in the U.S. political system , ” Mueller said .
“ These operations constituted ‘ active measures ’ ( активные мероприятия ) , a term that typically refers to operations conducted by Russian security services aimed at influencing the course of international affairs.
” The special counsel said , “ the IRA later used social media accounts and interest groups to sow discord in the U.S. political system through what it termed information warfare.
” Mueller ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , found that the Russians had interfered in the 2016 election in a “ sweeping and systematic fashion , ” but he “ did not establish ” any criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia .
Earlier this month , the head of the State Department ’ s Global Engagement Center told Congress that Russia has mobilized “ an entire ecosystem ” of disinformation to prey on global fears that have accompanied the outbreak of the coronavirus .
“ We ’ ve been watching the narratives that are being pushed out — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lea Gabrielle testified .
“ Unfortunately , we have been able to assess that accounts tied to Russia — the entire ecosystem of Russian disinformation — has been engaged in the midst of this world health crisis.
” FBI Director Christopher Wray testified to Congress in February that Russian efforts “ to sow discord on both sides of an issue and to generate controversy and to generate distrust in our democratic institutions on our election process ” have “ never stopped ” which remains a “ 24/7 , 365 days a year threat @ @

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 Justice Department’s decision to drop charges initiated by disgraced Special Counsel, Robert Mueller’s case against two Russian companies that were accused of funding a social media meme campaign to further their “strategic goal to sow discord in the U.S. political system, including the 2016 presidential election.”
Support Free Speech:
Subscribe to The Duran on YouTube – Find us on BitChute.
The Duran Audio Podcast:
Follow on Soundcloud – Subscribe on iTunes.
Via The Washington Examiner…
A federal judge allowed the Justice Department to drop charges against two Russian companies accused by special counsel Robert Mueller of funding social media disinformation efforts aimed at the 2016 presidential election.
Concord Management and Consulting and Concord Catering, both run by a Russian oligarch named Yevgeniy Viktorovich Prigozhin, were indicted in February 2018 for their role in funding the disinformation activities of the St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency, which Mueller’s report said “carried out the earliest Russian interference operations identified by the investigation — a social media campaign designed to provoke and amplify political and social discord in the United States.”
But the Justice Department backed away from the prosecution, citing the evasiveness of the Concord companies, its refusal to provide information, and the potential for national security secrets to be revealed during the upcoming trial, scheduled to kick off in early April. Jury selection for the trial was only two weeks away.
“There is a substantial federal interest in defending American democratic institutions, exposing those who endeavor to criminally interfere with them, and holding them accountable, which is why this prosecution was properly commenced in the first place,” Timothy Shea, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia told the federal court Monday. “In light of the defendant’s conduct, however, its ephemeral presence and immunity to just punishment, the risk of exposure of law enforcement’s tools and techniques, and the post-indictment change in the proof available at trial, the balance of equities has shifted. It is no longer in the best interests of justice or the country’s national security to continue this prosecution.”
Prigozhin, a military contractor dubbed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “chef” because of his catering company and ties to the Kremlin, was one of 13 Russians indicted in February 2018, along with the IRA and his two Concord companies. Concord Management and Consulting hired a U.S. law firm to defend itself.
U.S. District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich repeatedly expressed frustration with what she saw as Concord’s incomplete and evasive responses to court orders.
Eric Dubelier, an attorney with Reed Smith, a global firm, represented Concord during the proceedings and insisted the company was complying with the Justice Department’s subpoenas.
The Justice Department said on Monday that “Concord has demonstrated its intent to reap the benefits of the Court’s jurisdiction while positioning itself to evade any real obligations or responsibility.” Prosecutors cited “recent events and a change in the balance of the government’s proof due to a classification determination” and “other facts described in more detail in a classified addendum” which led them to believe that continuing the prosecution “promotes neither the interests of justice nor the nation’s security.”
Prosecutors noted that the Russian company “has been eager and aggressive in using the judicial system to gather information about how the United States detects and prevents foreign election interference.”
The Justice Department said it “must also weigh the potential risks to the national security that are necessarily associated with a trial of this nature” because it “risks publicizing sensitive law enforcement information regarding measures used to investigate and protect against foreign influence over the political system.”
Prosecutors said, “a classification determination bearing on the evidence the government properly gathered during the investigation limits the unclassified proof now available to the government at trial” and “that forces the prosecutors to choose between a materially weaker case and the compromise of classified material.”
The Justice Department determined the prosecution would be more trouble than it was worth and insisted that it had acted in “good faith” during the court proceedings while lamenting that “sensitive non-public information in discovery has gone to Russia.”
Mueller’s report stated, “the first form of Russian election influence came principally from” the IRA funded by Prigozhin and his Concord companies.
“The IRA conducted social media operations targeted at large U.S. audiences with the goal of sowing discord in the U.S. political system,” Mueller said. “These operations constituted ‘active measures’ (активные мероприятия), a term that typically refers to operations conducted by Russian security services aimed at influencing the course of international affairs.”
The special counsel said, “the IRA later used social media accounts and interest groups to sow discord in the U.S. political system through what it termed information warfare.”
Mueller’s 448-page report, released last April, found that the Russians had interfered in the 2016 election in a “sweeping and systematic fashion,” but he “did not establish” any criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Earlier this month, the head of the State Department’s Global Engagement Center told Congress that Russia has mobilized “an entire ecosystem” of disinformation to prey on global fears that have accompanied the outbreak of the coronavirus. “We’ve been watching the narratives that are being pushed out — false narratives — around coronavirus,” Lea Gabrielle testified. “Unfortunately, we have been able to assess that accounts tied to Russia — the entire ecosystem of Russian disinformation — has been engaged in the midst of this world health crisis.”
FBI Director Christopher Wray testified to Congress in February that Russian efforts “to sow discord on both sides of an issue and to generate controversy and to generate distrust in our democratic institutions on our election process” have “never stopped” which remains a “24/7, 365 days a year threat.”
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theduran--2020-03-19--While we sing…trillions in bailouts…2629 infected Italian docs

My fears all along have come true : the crisis in Lombardy was translated to “ Humanity will be wiped out if we ( mostly in NATO ) don ’ t place our citizens on lockdown under army “ protection ” while we arrange for trillion £ $ € bailouts to our most corrupt and inefficient corporations .
We will throw some coins at the sheeple to keep them appeased while they are fighting with their families at home over the remote control ” .
How is it possible that life is going on as normal in most of India @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
I don ’ t believe in big plots to take over the world , but I do think people have become so conditioned to believing what they read on Guardian , NYT , Fox etc .
I can ’ t believe that while we ’ re standing here singing on our balconies ( I have no problems with that ) this story is not in the news headlines .
Nobody is talking about how we got here even though WHO activated their surveillance system for pneumonia of unknown aetiology on Jan 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isolated properly .
Back then we were hoping that WWIII would not start , but actually it sort of did but in a very insidious way .
Who are we fighting ?
We are fighting for our right to think independently .
We ’ re fighting for the right to view humanity as one species homo sapiens .
We ’ re being told to hate this one or that one .
How is 2629 medical pros infected not a TOP STORY IN ITALY ?
I have written an article in which I tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was at first localized in a handful of hospitals and is largely the result of incompetence , arrogance and racism by the politicians in charge of the regional health system of Lombardy .
We were told : xyz country is a lying authoritarian scumbag .
But if it ’ s happening in Italy….we need to go into full drama queen mode .
Something is not right here .
I don ’ t believe in grand conspiracies .
I ’ ve spent a lot of time on virological.org Here is my hypothesis in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been circulating in many places in the world since probably November .
It was documented as a bizarre flu case .
2 .
It is not known where the virus originated , it is unlikely to be deliberate .
3 .
In Wuhan , they were the first to notice the anomalous cases .
They reacted extremely quickly because they didn ’ t want a repeat of SARS in WUHAN ( a MAJOR RAIL HUB IN THE CENTRE OF CHINA ) right before Chinese New Year .
4 .
The crisis in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to b ) get their populations to blame China 5 .
This has then snowballed out of control .
Please inform yourself properly , don ’ t hate any other country or blame them for your problems and above all , stay safe !

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.
My fears all along have come true: the crisis in Lombardy was translated to “Humanity will be wiped out if we (mostly in NATO) don’t place our citizens on lockdown under army “protection” while we arrange for trillion £$€ bailouts to our most corrupt and inefficient corporations. We will throw some coins at the sheeple to keep them appeased while they are fighting with their families at home over the remote control”.
How is it possible that life is going on as normal in most of India, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan etc.?
I don’t believe in big plots to take over the world, but I do think people have become so conditioned to believing what they read on Guardian, NYT, Fox etc.
I can’t believe that while we’re standing here singing on our balconies (I have no problems with that) this story is not in the news headlines. Nobody is talking about how we got here even though WHO activated their surveillance system for pneumonia of unknown aetiology on Jan 3, even before the virus had been isolated properly.
Back then we were hoping that WWIII would not start, but actually it sort of did but in a very insidious way.
Who are we fighting? We are fighting for our right to think independently. We’re fighting for the right to view humanity as one species homo sapiens. We’re being told to hate this one or that one.
How is 2629 medical pros infected not a TOP STORY IN ITALY?
I have written an article in which I tried to argue that the crisis in Italy was at first localized in a handful of hospitals and is largely the result of incompetence, arrogance and racism by the politicians in charge of the regional health system of Lombardy.
We were told: xyz country is a lying authoritarian scumbag. But if it’s happening in Italy….we need to go into full drama queen mode.
Something is not right here.
I don’t believe in grand conspiracies. I’ve spent a lot of time on virological.org
Here is my hypothesis in a few sentences:
1. The virus has been circulating in many places in the world since probably November. It was documented as a bizarre flu case.
2. It is not known where the virus originated, it is unlikely to be deliberate.
3. In Wuhan, they were the first to notice the anomalous cases. They reacted extremely quickly because they didn’t want a repeat of SARS in WUHAN (a MAJOR RAIL HUB IN THE CENTRE OF CHINA) right before Chinese New Year.
4. The crisis in Wuhan presented an opportunity for NATO countries to
a) attack China in the media
b) get their populations to blame China
c) scare their populations
5. This has then snowballed out of control.
Please inform yourself properly, don’t hate any other country or blame them for your problems and above all, stay safe!
https://thesaker.is/letter-from-locked-down-lombardy/
https://www.ansa.it/english/news/2020/03/18/coronavirus-2629-medical-professionals-infected-report_a4255c21-4480-4734-87b2-ad38b51e93db.html?fbclid=IwAR1_lXwdsUn2YNBL1pI-insYJySnjttfhLUTsRRSxaKH4NylY-kG5tlx-D0
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theduran--2020-03-19--The Next Woman To Get Away With Murder

The Next Woman To Get Away With Murder

What is the best way to get away with murder ?
In the United States especially , it is to wear a badge .
Police officers who shoot innocent citizens are seldom brought to book .
In the UK , police shootings do happen , but they are extremely rare .
Domestic murders on the other hand are sadly all too common .
Men murder their wives and lovers ; women murder their husbands and lovers .
The big difference is that when a woman is the perpetrator rather than the victim , there will always be some mischief-maker waiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perpetrator into the victim and the victim into the perpetrator .
One such mischief-maker is the lawyer Harriet Wistrich ; she ’ s done this quite a few times over the years , and is hoping to do it again soon with two women : Farieissia Martin and Emma-Jayne Magson ( pictured above with the tattooed chest ) .
Like Sally Challen who put a hammer in her handbag then battered her estranged husband over the head twenty times , they are guilty as sin .
Years after Challen ’ s conviction , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collaborator Julie Bindel how Richard Challen had raped her on a number of occasions .
Yet she still went back for more .
At her trial in 2011 , the jury heard how she had accessed his e-mails , monitored his Facebook page , and his voicemail messages .
She asked a neighbour to spy on him , yet curiously , all this was later interpreted as him stalking and harassing her .
The Martin case was discussed here in a recent article .
Magson is cut from the same cloth , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the man with whom she lived .
So how does Miss Wistrich plan to spring Martin and Magson from prison ?
Both these women were convicted of murder on overwhelming evidence , and normally new evidence will not be admitted on appeal .
The same provision applies broadly in the United States and most countries that have fair criminal justice systems .
However , under the Criminal Appeal Act , 1995 , fresh evidence can be admitted subject to two broad criteria .
It must be evidence that is “ capable of belief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time , or if it was available at the time , there must be a reasonable explanation for its not being adduced at trial .
No one is entitled to more than one trial .
The exclusion of fresh evidence is for a very good reason .
Given enough time and resources , evidence can be adduced to “ prove ” a guilty party is actually innocent .
Existing witnesses can be “ got at ” , ie bribed ; new witnesses can be conjured up out of thin air ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wistrich is of course aware of this , and spoke candidly about it in a documentary on the Challen case .
Her technique for getting around the fresh evidence exclusionary rule is to manufacture some mental aberration in her client , find some so-called expert witness to testify to its reality – like Barbara Ziv in the recent Harvey Weinstein case – then piggyback fresh evidence on the back of it , that fresh evidence being what a horrible person the victim was , and how he deserved it .
The reader can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s misnamed Justice For Women website .
Here is what she or one of her team writes about the Magson case .
( This page has been archived by the WayBack Machine in the event of any further gaslighting by its creators ) .
“ 23-year old Emma-Jayne Magson killed her partner James Knight in March 2016 .
She has never denied that she inflicted the fatal stab wound which caused his death.
” That is a massive lie .
After Magson ’ s conviction , Leicestershire Police released the audio of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite clearly telling the operator she has no idea what had happened .
She stabbed him with a steak knife .
Leaving aside this grotesque lie , the Court Of Appeal is now being told that Magson was/is suffering from unstable personality disorder .
Which means what ?
A mental disorder , so-called , is not a medical condition , it is simply a description of a person ’ s behaviour .
When Rurik Jutting was tried in Hong Kong for torturing two prostitutes to death , his legal team claimed he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In other words , he enjoyed torturing people to death .
Does that mean he should be released , or treated as a patient rather than the psychopathic lowlife he is ?
Regarding Magson , Harriet Wistrich is clearly hoping the Court Of Appeal will also take into account the evidence that was not adduced at her trial .
There are good reasons for this .
This “ new ” evidence was invented only since her trial , while other evidence that was not submitted is totally irrelevant .
For example : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the end of her relationship with a previous abusive partner .
She had in her childhood witnessed domestic abuse and her adolescent and adult relationships with men were characterised , in the main , by her deferential and accommodating role.
” So here we have poor Emma .
She goes from man to man , from abuser to abuser .
The reality is that like Farieissia Martin , Emma-Jayne Magson gave as good as she got and then some .
There is certainly no evidence that James Knight ever stabbed Magson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Farrell ever raped Farieissia Martin .
So which of these lovelies will be the first to get away with murder ?
That depends on which one gets to the Court Of Appeal first .
And on just how gullible are the appellate judges .
In 1998 , Lord Justice Kennedy drove a bus through the appeal of Zoora Shah , who had poisoned her lover Mohammed Azam .
Sadly he is now long retired .
One can only hope that whoever does hear their cases will not be taken in as easily as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have donated to the crowdfunding appeal set up by Magson ’ s mother .

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.
What is the best way to get away with murder? In the United States especially, it is to wear a badge. Police officers who shoot innocent citizens are seldom brought to book. In the UK, police shootings do happen, but they are extremely rare. Domestic murders on the other hand are sadly all too common. Men murder their wives and lovers; women murder their husbands and lovers. The big difference is that when a woman is the perpetrator rather than the victim, there will always be some mischief-maker waiting to cry foul, to turn the perpetrator into the victim and the victim into the perpetrator.
One such mischief-maker is the lawyer Harriet Wistrich; she’s done this quite a few times over the years, and is hoping to do it again soon with two women: Farieissia Martin and Emma-Jayne Magson (pictured above with the tattooed chest). Like Sally Challen who put a hammer in her handbag then battered her estranged husband over the head twenty times, they are guilty as sin. Years after Challen’s conviction, she told Wistrich’s lover and collaborator Julie Bindel how Richard Challen had raped her on a number of occasions. Yet she still went back for more. At her trial in 2011, the jury heard how she had accessed his e-mails, monitored his Facebook page, and his voicemail messages. She asked a neighbour to spy on him, yet curiously, all this was later interpreted as him stalking and harassing her.
The Martin case was discussed here in a recent article. Magson is cut from the same cloth, a violent woman who took a knife to the man with whom she lived. So how does Miss Wistrich plan to spring Martin and Magson from prison?
Both these women were convicted of murder on overwhelming evidence, and normally new evidence will not be admitted on appeal. The same provision applies broadly in the United States and most countries that have fair criminal justice systems. However, under the Criminal Appeal Act, 1995, fresh evidence can be admitted subject to two broad criteria. It must be evidence that is “capable of belief” and evidence that was not available at the time, or if it was available at the time, there must be a reasonable explanation for its not being adduced at trial. No one is entitled to more than one trial.
The exclusion of fresh evidence is for a very good reason. Given enough time and resources, evidence can be adduced to “prove” a guilty party is actually innocent. Existing witnesses can be “got at”, ie bribed; new witnesses can be conjured up out of thin air; exculpatory forensic evidence can be manufactured…
Harriet Wistrich is of course aware of this, and spoke candidly about it in a documentary on the Challen case. Her technique for getting around the fresh evidence exclusionary rule is to manufacture some mental aberration in her client, find some so-called expert witness to testify to its reality – like Barbara Ziv in the recent Harvey Weinstein case – then piggyback fresh evidence on the back of it, that fresh evidence being what a horrible person the victim was, and how he deserved it.
The reader can actually see this on Miss Wistrich’s misnamed Justice For Women website. Here is what she or one of her team writes about the Magson case. (This page has been archived by the WayBack Machine in the event of any further gaslighting by its creators).
“23-year old Emma-Jayne Magson killed her partner James Knight in March 2016. She has never denied that she inflicted the fatal stab wound which caused his death.”
That is a massive lie. After Magson’s conviction, Leicestershire Police released the audio of her emergency call. She can be heard quite clearly telling the operator she has no idea what had happened. She stabbed him with a steak knife.
Leaving aside this grotesque lie, the Court Of Appeal is now being told that Magson was/is suffering from unstable personality disorder. Which means what? A mental disorder, so-called, is not a medical condition, it is simply a description of a person’s behaviour. When Rurik Jutting was tried in Hong Kong for torturing two prostitutes to death, his legal team claimed he was “suffering from” sexual sadism disorder. In other words, he enjoyed torturing people to death. Does that mean he should be released, or treated as a patient rather than the psychopathic lowlife he is?
Regarding Magson, Harriet Wistrich is clearly hoping the Court Of Appeal will also take into account the evidence that was not adduced at her trial. There are good reasons for this. This “new” evidence was invented only since her trial, while other evidence that was not submitted is totally irrelevant.
For example: “Emma met James Knight not long after the end of her relationship with a previous abusive partner. She had in her childhood witnessed domestic abuse and her adolescent and adult relationships with men were characterised, in the main, by her deferential and accommodating role.”
So here we have poor Emma. She goes from man to man, from abuser to abuser. The reality is that like Farieissia Martin, Emma-Jayne Magson gave as good as she got and then some. There is certainly no evidence that James Knight ever stabbed Magson, and there is no evidence that Kyle Farrell ever raped Farieissia Martin.
So which of these lovelies will be the first to get away with murder? That depends on which one gets to the Court Of Appeal first. And on just how gullible are the appellate judges. In 1998, Lord Justice Kennedy drove a bus through the appeal of Zoora Shah, who had poisoned her lover Mohammed Azam. Sadly he is now long retired. One can only hope that whoever does hear their cases will not be taken in as easily as the mainstream media, and the saps who have donated to the crowdfunding appeal set up by Magson’s mother.
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