theduran--2020-01-19--Secret Wars, Forgotten Betrayals, Global Tyranny. Who Is Really in Charge of the U.S. Military?

Authored by Cynthia Chung via The Strategic Culture Foundation : “ There is a kind of character in thy life , That to the observer doth thy history , fully unfold.
” Once again we find ourselves in a situation of crisis , where the entire world holds its breath all at once and can only wait to see whether this volatile black cloud floating amongst us will breakout into a thunderstorm of nuclear war or harmlessly pass us by .
The majority in the world seem to have the impression that this destructive fate totters back and forth at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is only normal then , that during such times of crisis , we find ourselves trying to analyze and predict the thoughts and motives of just this one person .
The assassination of Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani , a true hero for his fellow countrymen and undeniably an essential key figure in combating terrorism in Southwest Asia , was a terrible crime , an abhorrently repugnant provocation .
It was meant to cause an apoplectic fervour , it was meant to make us who desire peace , lose our minds in indignation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ we should not do .
In order to assess such situations , we can not lose sight of the whole picture , and righteous indignation unfortunately causes the opposite to occur .
Our focus becomes narrower and narrower to the point where we can only see or react moment to moment with what is right in front of our face .
We are reduced to an obsession of twitter feeds , news blips and the doublespeak of ‘ official government statements ’ .
Thus , before we may find firm ground to stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we must first have an understanding as to what caused the United States to enter into an endless campaign of regime-change warfare after WWII , or as former Chief of Special Operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff Col. Prouty stated , three decades of the Indochina war .
An Internal Shifting of Chess Pieces in the Shadows It is interesting timing that on Sept 2 , 1945 , the very day that WWII ended , Ho Chi Minh would announce the independence of Indochina .
That on the very day that one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occur in history ended , another long war was declared at its doorstep .
Churchill would announce his “ Iron Curtain ” against communism on March 5th , 1946 , and there was no turning back at that point .
The world had a mere 6 months to recover before it would be embroiled in another terrible war , except for the French , who would go to war against the Viet Minh opponents in French Indochina only days after WWII was over .
In a previous paper I wrote titled “ On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I went over a major re-organisation of the American government and its foreign intelligence bureau on the onset of Truman ’ s de facto presidency .
Recall that there was an attempted military coup d ’ état , which was exposed by General Butler in a public address in 1933 , against the Presidency of FDR who was only inaugurated that year .
One could say that there was a very marked disapproval from shadowy corners for how Roosevelt would organise the government .
One key element to this reorganisation under Truman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign intelligence bureau that was formed by FDR , the Office of Strategic Services ( OSS ) on Sept 20 , 1945 only two weeks after WWII was officially declared over .
The OSS would be replaced by the CIA officially on Sept 18 , 1947 , with two years of an American intelligence purge and the internal shifting of chess pieces in the shadows .
In addition , de-facto President Truman would also found the United States National Security Council on Sept 18 , 1947 , the same day he founded the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose intended function was to serve as the President ’ s principal arm for coordinating national security , foreign policies and policies among various government agencies .
In Col. Prouty ’ s book he states , “ In 1955 , I was designated to establish an office of special operations in compliance with National Security Council ( NSC ) Directive # 5412 of March 15 , 1954 .
This NSC Directive for the first time in the history of the United States defined covert operations and assigned that role to the Central Intelligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had been directed to do so by the NSC , and further ordered active-duty Armed Forces personnel to avoid such operations .
At the same time , the Armed Forces were directed to “ provide the military support of the clandestine operations of the CIA ” as an official function.
” What this meant , was that there was to be an intermarriage of the foreign intelligence bureau with the military , and that the foreign intelligence bureau would act as top dog in the relationship , only taking orders from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President , as we will see , the President is very far from being in the position of determining the NSC ’ s policies .
“ There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare.
” – Sun Tzu On January 20th , 1961 , John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as President of the United States .
Along with inheriting the responsibility of the welfare of the country and its people , he was to also inherit a secret war with communist Cuba run by the CIA .
JFK was disliked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certain corridors of the Pentagon , they knew where he stood on foreign matters and that it would be in direct conflict for what they had been working towards for nearly 15 years .
Kennedy would inherit the CIA secret operation against Cuba , which Prouty confirms in his book , was quietly upgraded by the CIA from the Eisenhower administration ’ s March 1960 approval of a modest Cuban-exile support program ( which included small air drop and over-the-beach operations ) to a 3,000 man invasion brigade just before Kennedy entered office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans that was determined by neither President Eisenhower , who warned at the end of his term of the military industrial complex as a loose cannon , nor President Kennedy , but rather the foreign intelligence bureau who has never been subject to election or judgement by the people .
It shows the level of hostility that Kennedy encountered as soon as he entered office , and the limitations of a President ’ s power when he does not hold support from these intelligence and military quarters .
Within three months into JFK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pigs ( April 17th to 20th 1961 ) was scheduled .
As the popular revisionist history goes ; JFK refused to provide air cover for the exiled Cuban brigade and the land invasion was a calamitous failure and a decisive victory for Castro ’ s Cuba .
It was indeed an embarrassment for President Kennedy who had to take public responsibility for the failure , however , it was not an embarrassment because of his questionable competence as a leader .
It was an embarrassment because , had he not taken public responsibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the real reason why it failed .
That the CIA and military were against him and that he did not have control over them .
If Kennedy were to admit such a thing , he would have lost all credibility as a President in his own country and internationally , and would have put the people of the United States in immediate danger amidst a Cold War .
What really occurred was that there was a cancellation of the essential pre-dawn airstrike , by the Cuban Exile Brigade bombers from Nicaragua , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jets .
This airstrike was ordered by Kennedy himself .
Kennedy was always against an American invasion of Cuba , and striking Castro ’ s last jets by the Cuban Exile Brigade would have limited Castro ’ s threat , without the U.S. directly supporting a regime change operation within Cuba .
This went fully against the CIA ’ s plan for Cuba .
Kennedy ’ s order for the airstrike on Castro ’ s jets would be cancelled by Special Assistant for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy , four hours before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take off from Nicaragua , Kennedy was not brought into this decision .
In addition , the Director of Central Intelligence Allen Dulles , the man in charge of the Bay of Pigs operation was unbelievably out of the country on the day of the landings .
Col. Prouty , who was Chief of Special Operations during this time , elaborates on this situation “ Everyone connected with the planning of the Bay of Pigs invasion knew that the policy dictated by NSC 5412 , positively prohibited the utilization of active-duty military personnel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was an “ air cover ” position written into the official invasion plan…The “ air cover ” story that has been created is incorrect.
” As a result , JFK who well understood the source of this fiasco , set up a Cuban Study Group the day after and charged it with the responsibility of determining the cause for the failure of the operation .
The study group , consisting of Allen Dulles , Gen. Maxwell Taylor , Adm. Arleigh Burke and Attorney General Robert Kennedy ( the only member JFK could trust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to Bundy ’ s telephone call to General Cabell ( who was also CIA Deputy Director ) that cancelled the President ’ s air strike order .
Humiliatingly , CIA Director Allen Dulles was part of formulating the conclusion that the Bay of Pigs op was a failure because of the CIA ’ s intervention into the President ’ s orders .
This allowed for Kennedy to issue the National Security Action Memorandum # 55 on June 28th , 1961 , which began the process of changing the responsibility from the CIA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As Prouty states , “ When fully implemented , as Kennedy had planned , after his reelection in 1964 , it would have taken the CIA out of the covert operation business .
This proved to be one of the first nails in John F. Kennedy ’ s coffin.
” If this was not enough of a slap in the face to the CIA , Kennedy forced the resignation of CIA Director Allen Dulles , CIA Deputy Director for Plans Richard M. Bissell Jr. and CIA Deputy Director Charles Cabell .
In Oct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had offensive Soviet missiles 90 miles from American shores .
Soviet ships with more missiles were on their way towards Cuba but ended up turning around last minute .
Rumours started to abound that JFK had cut a secret deal with Russian Premier Khrushchev , which was that the U.S. would not invade Cuba if the Soviets withdrew their missiles .
Criticisms of JFK being soft on communism began to stir .
NSAM # 263 , closely overseen by Kennedy , was released on Oct 11th , 1963 , and outlined a policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ from Vietnam ] by the end of 1963 ” and further stated that “ It should be possible to withdraw the bulk of U.S. personnel [ including the CIA and military ] by 1965.
” The Armed Forces newspaper Stars and Stripes had the headline U.S .
TROOPS SEEN OUT OF VIET BY ’ 65 .
Kennedy was winning the game and the American people .
This was to be the final nail in Kennedy ’ s coffin .
Kennedy was brutally shot down only one month later , on Nov , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just be seen as a tragic loss but , more importantly , it should be recognised for the successful military coup d ’ état that it was and is .
The CIA showed what lengths it was ready to go to if a President stood in its way .
( For more information on this coup refer to District Attorney of New Orleans at the time , Jim Garrison ’ s book .
And the excellently researched Oliver Stone movie “ JFK ” ) Through the Looking Glass On Nov. 26th 1963 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s murder , de facto President Johnson signed NSAM # 273 to begin the change of Kennedy ’ s policy under # 263 .
And on March 4th , 1964 , Johnson signed NSAM # 288 that marked the full escalation of the Vietnam War and involved 2,709,918 Americans directly serving in Vietnam , with 9,087,000 serving with the U.S. Armed Forces during this period .
The Vietnam War , or more accurately the Indochina War , would continue for another 12 years after Kennedy ’ s death , lasting a total of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ops wars continued , but the next large scale-never ending war that would involve the world would begin full force on Sept 11 , 2001 under the laughable title War on Terror , which is basically another Iron Curtain , a continuation of a 74 year Cold War .
A war that is not meant to end until the ultimate regime changes are accomplished and the world sees the toppling of Russia and China .
Iraq was destined for invasion long before the vague Gulf War of 1990 and even before Saddam Hussein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Iraq-Iran war in the 1980s .
Iran already suffered a CIA backed regime change in 1979 .
It had been understood far in advance by the CIA and US military that the toppling of sovereignty in Iraq , Libya , Syria and Iran needed to occur before Russia and China could be taken over .
Such war tactics were formulaic after 3 decades of counterinsurgency against the CIA fueled “ communist-insurgency ” of Indochina .
This is how today ’ s terrorist-inspired insurgency functions , as a perfect CIA formula for an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 2010-2013 ) Michael Morell , who was supporting Hillary Clinton during the presidential election campaign and vehemently against the election of Trump , whom he claimed was being manipulated by Putin , said in a 2016 interview with Charlie Rose that Russians and Iranians in Syria should be killed covertly to ‘ pay the price ’ .
Therefore , when a drone stroke occurs assassinating an Iranian Maj. Gen. , even if the U.S. President takes onus on it , I would not be so quick as to believe that that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story .
Just as I would not take the statements of President Rouhani accepting responsibility for the Iranian military shooting down ‘ by accident ’ the Boeing 737-800 plane which contained 176 civilians , who were mostly Iranian , as something that can be relegated to criminal negligence , but rather that there is very likely something else going on here .
I would also not be quick to dismiss the timely release , or better described as leaked , draft letter from the US Command in Baghdad to the Iraqi government that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country .
Its timing certainly puts the President in a compromised situation .
Though the decision to keep the American forces within Iraq or not is hardly a simple matter that the President alone can determine .
In fact there is no reason why , after reviewing the case of JFK , we should think such a thing .
One could speculate that the President was set up , with the official designation of the IRGC as “ terrorist ” occurring in April 2019 by the US State Department , a decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Pompeo , who were both members of the NSC at the time .
This made it legal for a US military drone strike to occur against Soleimani under the 2001 AUMF , where the US military can attack any armed group deemed to be a terrorist threat .
Both Bolton and Pompeo made no secret that they were overjoyed by Soleimani ’ s assassination and Bolton went so far as to tweet “ Hope this is the first step to regime change in Tehran.
” Bolton has also made it no secret @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump in his possible impeachment trial .
Former CIA Director Mike Pompeo was recorded at an unknown conference recently , but judging from the gross laughter of the audience it consists of wannabe CIA agents , where he admits that though West Points ’ cadet motto is “ You will not lie , cheat , or steal , or tolerate those who do.
” , his training under the CIA was the very opposite , stating “ I was the CIA Director .
We lied , we cheated , we stole .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( long pause ) It reminds you of the glory of the American experiment.
” Thus , it should be no surprise to anyone in the world at this point in history , that the CIA holds no allegiance to any country .
And it can be hardly expected that a President , who is actively under attack from all sides within his own country , is in a position to hold the CIA accountable for its past and future crimes .

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 Cynthia Chung via The Strategic Culture Foundation:
“There is a kind of character in thy life, That to the observer doth thy history, fully unfold.”
– William Shakespeare
Once again we find ourselves in a situation of crisis, where the entire world holds its breath all at once and can only wait to see whether this volatile black cloud floating amongst us will breakout into a thunderstorm of nuclear war or harmlessly pass us by. The majority in the world seem to have the impression that this destructive fate totters back and forth at the whim of one man. It is only normal then, that during such times of crisis, we find ourselves trying to analyze and predict the thoughts and motives of just this one person. The assassination of Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, a true hero for his fellow countrymen and undeniably an essential key figure in combating terrorism in Southwest Asia, was a terrible crime, an abhorrently repugnant provocation. It was meant to cause an apoplectic fervour, it was meant to make us who desire peace, lose our minds in indignation. And therefore, that is exactly what we should not do.
In order to assess such situations, we cannot lose sight of the whole picture, and righteous indignation unfortunately causes the opposite to occur. Our focus becomes narrower and narrower to the point where we can only see or react moment to moment with what is right in front of our face. We are reduced to an obsession of twitter feeds, news blips and the doublespeak of ‘official government statements’.
Thus, before we may find firm ground to stand on regarding the situation of today, we must first have an understanding as to what caused the United States to enter into an endless campaign of regime-change warfare after WWII, or as former Chief of Special Operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff Col. Prouty stated, three decades of the Indochina war.
An Internal Shifting of Chess Pieces in the Shadows
It is interesting timing that on Sept 2, 1945, the very day that WWII ended, Ho Chi Minh would announce the independence of Indochina. That on the very day that one of the most destructive wars to ever occur in history ended, another long war was declared at its doorstep. Churchill would announce his “Iron Curtain” against communism on March 5th, 1946, and there was no turning back at that point. The world had a mere 6 months to recover before it would be embroiled in another terrible war, except for the French, who would go to war against the Viet Minh opponents in French Indochina only days after WWII was over.
In a previous paper I wrote titled “On Churchill’s Sinews of Peace”, I went over a major re-organisation of the American government and its foreign intelligence bureau on the onset of Truman’s de facto presidency. Recall that there was an attempted military coup d’état, which was exposed by General Butler in a public address in 1933, against the Presidency of FDR who was only inaugurated that year. One could say that there was a very marked disapproval from shadowy corners for how Roosevelt would organise the government.
One key element to this reorganisation under Truman was the dismantling of the previously existing foreign intelligence bureau that was formed by FDR, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) on Sept 20, 1945 only two weeks after WWII was officially declared over. The OSS would be replaced by the CIA officially on Sept 18, 1947, with two years of an American intelligence purge and the internal shifting of chess pieces in the shadows. In addition, de-facto President Truman would also found the United States National Security Council on Sept 18, 1947, the same day he founded the CIA. The NSC was a council whose intended function was to serve as the President’s principal arm for coordinating national security, foreign policies and policies among various government agencies.
In Col. Prouty’s book he states, “In 1955, I was designated to establish an office of special operations in compliance with National Security Council (NSC) Directive #5412 of March 15, 1954. This NSC Directive for the first time in the history of the United States defined covert operations and assigned that role to the Central Intelligence Agency to perform such missions, provided they had been directed to do so by the NSC, and further ordered active-duty Armed Forces personnel to avoid such operations. At the same time, the Armed Forces were directed to “provide the military support of the clandestine operations of the CIA” as an official function.”
What this meant, was that there was to be an intermarriage of the foreign intelligence bureau with the military, and that the foreign intelligence bureau would act as top dog in the relationship, only taking orders from the NSC. Though the NSC includes the President, as we will see, the President is very far from being in the position of determining the NSC’s policies.
An Inheritance of Secret Wars
“There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare.” – Sun Tzu
On January 20th, 1961, John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as President of the United States. Along with inheriting the responsibility of the welfare of the country and its people, he was to also inherit a secret war with communist Cuba run by the CIA.
JFK was disliked from the onset by the CIA and certain corridors of the Pentagon, they knew where he stood on foreign matters and that it would be in direct conflict for what they had been working towards for nearly 15 years. Kennedy would inherit the CIA secret operation against Cuba, which Prouty confirms in his book, was quietly upgraded by the CIA from the Eisenhower administration’s March 1960 approval of a modest Cuban-exile support program (which included small air drop and over-the-beach operations) to a 3,000 man invasion brigade just before Kennedy entered office.
This was a massive change in plans that was determined by neither President Eisenhower, who warned at the end of his term of the military industrial complex as a loose cannon, nor President Kennedy, but rather the foreign intelligence bureau who has never been subject to election or judgement by the people. It shows the level of hostility that Kennedy encountered as soon as he entered office, and the limitations of a President’s power when he does not hold support from these intelligence and military quarters.
Within three months into JFK’s term, Operation Bay of Pigs (April 17th to 20th 1961) was scheduled. As the popular revisionist history goes; JFK refused to provide air cover for the exiled Cuban brigade and the land invasion was a calamitous failure and a decisive victory for Castro’s Cuba. It was indeed an embarrassment for President Kennedy who had to take public responsibility for the failure, however, it was not an embarrassment because of his questionable competence as a leader. It was an embarrassment because, had he not taken public responsibility, he would have had to explain the real reason why it failed. That the CIA and military were against him and that he did not have control over them. If Kennedy were to admit such a thing, he would have lost all credibility as a President in his own country and internationally, and would have put the people of the United States in immediate danger amidst a Cold War.
What really occurred was that there was a cancellation of the essential pre-dawn airstrike, by the Cuban Exile Brigade bombers from Nicaragua, to destroy Castro’s last three combat jets. This airstrike was ordered by Kennedy himself. Kennedy was always against an American invasion of Cuba, and striking Castro’s last jets by the Cuban Exile Brigade would have limited Castro’s threat, without the U.S. directly supporting a regime change operation within Cuba. This went fully against the CIA’s plan for Cuba.
Kennedy’s order for the airstrike on Castro’s jets would be cancelled by Special Assistant for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy, four hours before the Exile Brigade’s B-26s were to take off from Nicaragua, Kennedy was not brought into this decision. In addition, the Director of Central Intelligence Allen Dulles, the man in charge of the Bay of Pigs operation was unbelievably out of the country on the day of the landings.
Col. Prouty, who was Chief of Special Operations during this time, elaborates on this situation “Everyone connected with the planning of the Bay of Pigs invasion knew that the policy dictated by NSC 5412, positively prohibited the utilization of active-duty military personnel in covert operations. At no time was an “air cover” position written into the official invasion plan…The “air cover” story that has been created is incorrect.”
As a result, JFK who well understood the source of this fiasco, set up a Cuban Study Group the day after and charged it with the responsibility of determining the cause for the failure of the operation. The study group, consisting of Allen Dulles, Gen. Maxwell Taylor, Adm. Arleigh Burke and Attorney General Robert Kennedy (the only member JFK could trust), concluded that the failure was due to Bundy’s telephone call to General Cabell (who was also CIA Deputy Director) that cancelled the President’s air strike order.
Kennedy had them.
Humiliatingly, CIA Director Allen Dulles was part of formulating the conclusion that the Bay of Pigs op was a failure because of the CIA’s intervention into the President’s orders. This allowed for Kennedy to issue the National Security Action Memorandum #55 on June 28th, 1961, which began the process of changing the responsibility from the CIA to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As Prouty states, “When fully implemented, as Kennedy had planned, after his reelection in 1964, it would have taken the CIA out of the covert operation business. This proved to be one of the first nails in John F. Kennedy’s coffin.”
If this was not enough of a slap in the face to the CIA, Kennedy forced the resignation of CIA Director Allen Dulles, CIA Deputy Director for Plans Richard M. Bissell Jr. and CIA Deputy Director Charles Cabell.
In Oct 1962, Kennedy was informed that Cuba had offensive Soviet missiles 90 miles from American shores. Soviet ships with more missiles were on their way towards Cuba but ended up turning around last minute. Rumours started to abound that JFK had cut a secret deal with Russian Premier Khrushchev, which was that the U.S. would not invade Cuba if the Soviets withdrew their missiles. Criticisms of JFK being soft on communism began to stir.
NSAM #263, closely overseen by Kennedy, was released on Oct 11th, 1963, and outlined a policy decision “to withdraw 1,000 military personnel [from Vietnam] by the end of 1963” and further stated that “It should be possible to withdraw the bulk of U.S. personnel [including the CIA and military] by 1965.” The Armed Forces newspaper Stars and Stripes had the headline U.S. TROOPS SEEN OUT OF VIET BY ’65. Kennedy was winning the game and the American people.
This was to be the final nail in Kennedy’s coffin.
Kennedy was brutally shot down only one month later, on Nov, 22nd 1963. His death should not just be seen as a tragic loss but, more importantly, it should be recognised for the successful military coup d’état that it was and is. The CIA showed what lengths it was ready to go to if a President stood in its way. (For more information on this coup refer to District Attorney of New Orleans at the time, Jim Garrison’s book. And the excellently researched Oliver Stone movie “JFK”)
Through the Looking Glass
On Nov. 26th 1963, a full four days after Kennedy’s murder, de facto President Johnson signed NSAM #273 to begin the change of Kennedy’s policy under #263. And on March 4th, 1964, Johnson signed NSAM #288 that marked the full escalation of the Vietnam War and involved 2,709,918 Americans directly serving in Vietnam, with 9,087,000 serving with the U.S. Armed Forces during this period.
The Vietnam War, or more accurately the Indochina War, would continue for another 12 years after Kennedy’s death, lasting a total of 20 years for Americans.
Scattered black ops wars continued, but the next large scale-never ending war that would involve the world would begin full force on Sept 11, 2001 under the laughable title War on Terror, which is basically another Iron Curtain, a continuation of a 74 year Cold War. A war that is not meant to end until the ultimate regime changes are accomplished and the world sees the toppling of Russia and China. Iraq was destined for invasion long before the vague Gulf War of 1990 and even before Saddam Hussein was being backed by the Americans in the Iraq-Iran war in the 1980s. Iran already suffered a CIA backed regime change in 1979.
It had been understood far in advance by the CIA and US military that the toppling of sovereignty in Iraq, Libya, Syria and Iran needed to occur before Russia and China could be taken over. Such war tactics were formulaic after 3 decades of counterinsurgency against the CIA fueled “communist-insurgency” of Indochina. This is how today’s terrorist-inspired insurgency functions, as a perfect CIA formula for an endless bloodbath.
Former CIA Deputy Director (2010-2013) Michael Morell, who was supporting Hillary Clinton during the presidential election campaign and vehemently against the election of Trump, whom he claimed was being manipulated by Putin, said in a 2016 interview with Charlie Rose that Russians and Iranians in Syria should be killed covertly to ‘pay the price’.
Therefore, when a drone stroke occurs assassinating an Iranian Maj. Gen., even if the U.S. President takes onus on it, I would not be so quick as to believe that that is necessarily the case, or the full story. Just as I would not take the statements of President Rouhani accepting responsibility for the Iranian military shooting down ‘by accident’ the Boeing 737-800 plane which contained 176 civilians, who were mostly Iranian, as something that can be relegated to criminal negligence, but rather that there is very likely something else going on here.
I would also not be quick to dismiss the timely release, or better described as leaked, draft letter from the US Command in Baghdad to the Iraqi government that suggests a removal of American forces from the country. Its timing certainly puts the President in a compromised situation. Though the decision to keep the American forces within Iraq or not is hardly a simple matter that the President alone can determine. In fact there is no reason why, after reviewing the case of JFK, we should think such a thing.
One could speculate that the President was set up, with the official designation of the IRGC as “terrorist” occurring in April 2019 by the US State Department, a decision that was strongly supported by both Bolton and Pompeo, who were both members of the NSC at the time. This made it legal for a US military drone strike to occur against Soleimani under the 2001 AUMF, where the US military can attack any armed group deemed to be a terrorist threat. Both Bolton and Pompeo made no secret that they were overjoyed by Soleimani’s assassination and Bolton went so far as to tweet “Hope this is the first step to regime change in Tehran.” Bolton has also made it no secret that he is eager to testify against Trump in his possible impeachment trial.
Former CIA Director Mike Pompeo was recorded at an unknown conference recently, but judging from the gross laughter of the audience it consists of wannabe CIA agents, where he admits that though West Points’ cadet motto is “You will not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those who do.”, his training under the CIA was the very opposite, stating “I was the CIA Director. We lied, we cheated, we stole. It was like we had entire training courses. (long pause) It reminds you of the glory of the American experiment.”
Thus, it should be no surprise to anyone in the world at this point in history, that the CIA holds no allegiance to any country. And it can be hardly expected that a President, who is actively under attack from all sides within his own country, is in a position to hold the CIA accountable for its past and future crimes.
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theduran--2020-01-19--Why Is Western Media Not Questioning the Mysterious Death of Australian Youth Activist Wilson Gavin?

Authored by Robert Bridge via The Strategic Culture Foundation : Following a protest against a ‘ drag queen story time ’ at a library in Australia , Wilson Gavin , 21 , the president of the University of Queensland Liberal National Club , was found dead the next morning at a train station .
Local media , while going out its way to portray Gavin and his fellow protesters as hell-raisers , has yet to ask any serious questions with regards to the young man ’ s alleged suicide – at a time when he was reportedly house-sitting for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was a story that epitomizes exactly how low Western media has sunk , the story involving the events leading up to the tragic death of Wilson Gavin would have to rank very high .
On Sunday , Gavin and about fifteen members of the University of Queensland ’ s Liberal National Club ( UQLNC ) walked into the Brisbane Square Library where a ‘ Drag Queen Story Hour ’ event for children was in full swing .
Gavin went face-to-face with the star of the show , drag queen Johnny Valkyrie , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to chant “ drag queens are not for kids.
” No violence , no broken chairs , just a group of university students expressing their displeasure with a controversial event that is sponsored by the local government , i.e .
the taxpayers .
What happened next was as predictable as winter in Russia .
Social media lit up with thousands of people providing their personal commentary on the incident .
An extra big log was tossed on the fire as the popular Australian band , The Veronicas , shared footage of the incident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ bigotry is alive in Brisbane today.
’ The New Zealand Herald described the social media backlash that ensued against Wilson Gavin by quoting a friend , who wished to remain anonymous ( “ out of fear of becoming a target ” too , the paper explained ) : “ Gavin was relentlessly trolled with vile insults and taunts , and … received some messages with an encouragement that he die.
” “ Some members of his family , classmates and friends were tracked down and contacted , while his school , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraged to kick him out.
” The between-the-line message here seems to be , ‘ see what happens to people who protest too much ?
’ As the media went to great lengths to demonstrate the public wrath Gavin had incurred for daring to speak his mind at a library event ( The Herald exhausted the bulk of its article discussing the “ dangers of mob rule ” on social media and “ public shaming ” ) , it failed to show the tremendous outpouring of support that he and his fellow students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media were divided into two camps , which is normally the case involving any controversial subject .
After all , millions of people are vigorously opposed to the idea of drag queens reading stories to children at public libraries , or at any other venue for that matter .
Yet the media seriously downplayed that side of the debate , pushing the idea that “ public shaming ” led to Gavin ’ s decision to end his life .
More on that later .
Another particularly inexplicable aspect about the media coverage is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drag queens and their ‘ storytelling ’ to very young children , as if nothing could be more natural .
What books were the queens reading from ?
We are never told , but somehow I doubt it was Jack and Jill , unless one or both of them had undergone a sex-change operation along the way .
But I digress .
The main message the media strove to deliver was that the young protesters were mean brutes , intimidating the performers and frightening staff and children , as if the sight of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the worst possible thing that could happen to them .
Meanwhile , there was zero discussion about the possible psychological effects a child may experience when confronted with drag queens , as well as their personal choice of fine literature .
No discussion as to why there needs to be a Drag Queen Story Time for children – paid for out of the public purse – in the first place .
No comments provided by respectable psychologists about the possible mental side effects these children could face down the road .
Instead , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the families suffered the very worst ordeal .
ABC Australia , for example , interviewed Jenny Griffin , a mother of two children , ages 6 and 8 , who commented , “ I was worried , I was concerned for my kids ’ safety , ” she said .
“ This was their first introduction to this more violent homophobia.
” Valkyrie , aka Queenie , said , “ There were children crying , families distressed and of course , [ fellow drag queen ] Diamond ( whose full stage name is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allusion to a sexual act that should be considered inappropriate for children ) and I were victim to vilification , harassment and nuisance.
” After several minutes of publicly expressing their criticism , the Queensland students peacefully exited the building , escorted by a single security guard .
End of story ?
Unfortunately not .
Early the next morning , Wilson Gavin was found dead at a train station as the result of “ critical injuries.
” Within a matter of hours the media was calling his death a suicide .
Before continuing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gavin .
Wilson Gavin , as president of the LNC at his university , courted controversy on numerous occasions in the course of his short life .
At the age of 19 , Gavin , and despite being homosexual , voiced his opposition to gay marriages by organizing a ‘ You Can Say No ’ rally and making several appearances on national television .
On another occasion , Gavin brilliantly defended the British monarchy on an episode of “ Outsiders , ” a political talk show .
“ I ’ m a lover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m a lover of all things beautiful , ” he said on the show .
“ And there ’ s nothing more traditional in this country than the monarchy.
” Judging by Gavin ’ s extremely confident demeanor in those past interviews , and at the library protest , he did not come across as a person who could be easily upset by hurtful remarks over social media .
Indeed , just the opposite .
He seemed to relish the opportunity to prove his detractors wrong .
In short , he was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead of him , and that fact may have unsettled his enemies .
Although it is impossible to know what is going on inside of any person ’ s head , the fact that Gavin ’ s alleged suicide has shocked so many people is telling .
According to the Star Observer ( “ Setting Australia ’ s LGBTI agenda since 1979 , ” it declares in its masthead ) , “ Gavin was found dead at Chelmer Railway Station this morning at 7:07am .
Ambulance officers who attended say he died from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further details.
” On Thursday , The Guardian provided one short sentence regarding police accounts of the death : “ Police did not treat his death as suspicious.
” In place of hard-hitting questions , the article provided the number for a suicide hotline as if the case was already closed .
While a nice gesture that is not the sort of information the public needs from the media .
Journalists need to be asking how a young man met his early demise at a train station in the wee hours of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of controversy on social media .
The public deserves to know more about the circumstances of the alleged suicide considering the context of events prior to that tragic moment Why is the possibility of foul play not mentioned – not even within the context to deny it , as if this were some sort of impossibility – as a matter of protocol in such a case ?
One more note .
As mentioned earlier , on the weekend of his death , Gavin had been minding the home of a politician , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Party Senator Paul Scarr , the Daily Mail Australia reported .
Yet Liberal National politicians have said they have been disaffiliated from the UQLNC that Gavin headed since last month .
Now , considering how media rarely shies away from sensational stories , the fact that it is not following up on this bit of information is , at the very least , strange .
Since the death of Wilson Gavin and the protest he organized , two petitions have been started on Brisbane City Council ’ s website to ban the @ @ @ @ @ @

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 Robert Bridge via The Strategic Culture Foundation:
Following a protest against a ‘drag queen story time’ at a library in Australia, Wilson Gavin, 21, the president of the University of Queensland Liberal National Club, was found dead the next morning at a train station. Local media, while going out its way to portray Gavin and his fellow protesters as hell-raisers, has yet to ask any serious questions with regards to the young man’s alleged suicide – at a time when he was reportedly house-sitting for a Liberal National Party Senator.
If ever there was a story that epitomizes exactly how low Western media has sunk, the story involving the events leading up to the tragic death of Wilson Gavin would have to rank very high.
On Sunday, Gavin and about fifteen members of the University of Queensland’s Liberal National Club (UQLNC) walked into the Brisbane Square Library where a ‘Drag Queen Story Hour’ event for children was in full swing. Gavin went face-to-face with the star of the show, drag queen Johnny Valkyrie, aka Queenie, as the group began to chant “drag queens are not for kids.” No violence, no broken chairs, just a group of university students expressing their displeasure with a controversial event that is sponsored by the local government, i.e. the taxpayers.
What happened next was as predictable as winter in Russia. Social media lit up with thousands of people providing their personal commentary on the incident. An extra big log was tossed on the fire as the popular Australian band, The Veronicas, shared footage of the incident on Instagram, with the smug remark, ‘bigotry is alive in Brisbane today.’
The New Zealand Herald described the social media backlash that ensued against Wilson Gavin by quoting a friend, who wished to remain anonymous (“out of fear of becoming a target” too, the paper explained): “Gavin was relentlessly trolled with vile insults and taunts, and … received some messages with an encouragement that he die.”
“Some members of his family, classmates and friends were tracked down and contacted, while his school, The University of Queensland, was publicly encouraged to kick him out.”
The between-the-line message here seems to be, ‘see what happens to people who protest too much?’
As the media went to great lengths to demonstrate the public wrath Gavin had incurred for daring to speak his mind at a library event (The Herald exhausted the bulk of its article discussing the “dangers of mob rule” on social media and “public shaming”), it failed to show the tremendous outpouring of support that he and his fellow students had received. The comments on social media were divided into two camps, which is normally the case involving any controversial subject. After all, millions of people are vigorously opposed to the idea of drag queens reading stories to children at public libraries, or at any other venue for that matter. Yet the media seriously downplayed that side of the debate, pushing the idea that “public shaming” led to Gavin’s decision to end his life. More on that later.
As current State patron of the UQ LN Club, I’m deeply saddened to hear of the death of Wilson Gavin. Wilson & his friends took a principled stand to protect children from inappropriate sexualisation & gender fluid ideology. For that he was treated terribly. Wilson, RIP! — Mark Robinson MP (@MarkRobinsonMP) January 13, 2020
Another particularly inexplicable aspect about the media coverage is that every single publication sympathized with the drag queens and their ‘storytelling’ to very young children, as if nothing could be more natural. What books were the queens reading from? We are never told, but somehow I doubt it was Jack and Jill, unless one or both of them had undergone a sex-change operation along the way. But I digress.
The main message the media strove to deliver was that the young protesters were mean brutes, intimidating the performers and frightening staff and children, as if the sight of well-dressed college students chanting a slogan was the worst possible thing that could happen to them. Meanwhile, there was zero discussion about the possible psychological effects a child may experience when confronted with drag queens, as well as their personal choice of fine literature. No discussion as to why there needs to be a Drag Queen Story Time for children – paid for out of the public purse – in the first place. No comments provided by respectable psychologists about the possible mental side effects these children could face down the road. Instead, the media pushed the ridiculous narrative that the families suffered the very worst ordeal.
ABC Australia, for example, interviewed Jenny Griffin, a mother of two children, ages 6 and 8, who commented, “I was worried, I was concerned for my kids’ safety,” she said. “This was their first introduction to this more violent homophobia.”
Valkyrie, aka Queenie, said, “There were children crying, families distressed and of course, [fellow drag queen] Diamond (whose full stage name is ‘Diamond Good-rim,’ a clear allusion to a sexual act that should be considered inappropriate for children) and I were victim to vilification, harassment and nuisance.”
After several minutes of publicly expressing their criticism, the Queensland students peacefully exited the building, escorted by a single security guard. End of story? Unfortunately not. Early the next morning, Wilson Gavin was found dead at a train station as the result of “critical injuries.” Within a matter of hours the media was calling his death a suicide. Before continuing, a few necessary words about Mr. Gavin.
Wilson Gavin, as president of the LNC at his university, courted controversy on numerous occasions in the course of his short life. At the age of 19, Gavin, and despite being homosexual, voiced his opposition to gay marriages by organizing a ‘You Can Say No’ rally and making several appearances on national television.
On another occasion, Gavin brilliantly defended the British monarchy on an episode of “Outsiders,” a political talk show.
“I’m a lover of all things traditional. I’m a lover of all things beautiful,” he said on the show. “And there’s nothing more traditional in this country than the monarchy.”
TWEET: https://twitter.com/skynewsaust/status/999605056331661313?lang=en
Judging by Gavin’s extremely confident demeanor in those past interviews, and at the library protest, he did not come across as a person who could be easily upset by hurtful remarks over social media. Indeed, just the opposite. He seemed to relish the opportunity to prove his detractors wrong. In short, he was a young intelligent man with a successful future ahead of him, and that fact may have unsettled his enemies. Although it is impossible to know what is going on inside of any person’s head, the fact that Gavin’s alleged suicide has shocked so many people is telling.
According to the Star Observer (“Setting Australia’s LGBTI agenda since 1979,” it declares in its masthead), “Gavin was found dead at Chelmer Railway Station this morning at 7:07am. Ambulance officers who attended say he died from critical injuries, but have provided no further details.”
On Thursday, The Guardian provided one short sentence regarding police accounts of the death: “Police did not treat his death as suspicious.”
In place of hard-hitting questions, the article provided the number for a suicide hotline as if the case was already closed. While a nice gesture that is not the sort of information the public needs from the media. Journalists need to be asking how a young man met his early demise at a train station in the wee hours of the morning following a protest that triggered a lot of controversy on social media. The public deserves to know more about the circumstances of the alleged suicide considering the context of events prior to that tragic moment Why is the possibility of foul play not mentioned – not even within the context to deny it, as if this were some sort of impossibility – as a matter of protocol in such a case?
One more note. As mentioned earlier, on the weekend of his death, Gavin had been minding the home of a politician, who has been identified as federal Liberal National Party Senator Paul Scarr, the Daily Mail Australia reported. Yet Liberal National politicians have said they have been disaffiliated from the UQLNC that Gavin headed since last month. Now, considering how media rarely shies away from sensational stories, the fact that it is not following up on this bit of information is, at the very least, strange.
Since the death of Wilson Gavin and the protest he organized, two petitions have been started on Brisbane City Council’s website to ban the Drag Queen Story Time events.
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theduran--2020-01-19--Macron pulls back on reforms in France as strikes continue (Video)

The Duran ’ s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the French President Macron ’ s decision to not press ahead with pension age reform in order to put an end to the punishing transit strikes that have plagued France for months .
Subscribe to The Duran on YouTube – Find us on BitChute .
The Duran Audio Podcast : Follow on Soundcloud – Subscribe on iTunes .
A majority of French people think the showdown between President Emmanuel Macron and unions over pensions has been mishandled by the government , a poll published on Wednesday found .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news channel BFMTV , showed that 67 percent of French people think the pension reform has been “ poorly managed ” by the Macron government , compared with 32 percent who think the opposite .
Fifty-six percent of respondents said they were “ opposed ” to the reform in its current form , while 43 percent said they backed the planned changes .
The poll also put public support for the strike action against the reform at 53 percent , compared with 46 percent against .
The public sector strikes are now in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action has lost momentum since the centrist government made some concessions last week and as strikers face mounting financial pressure to return to work .
The government has pledged to merge the country ’ s 42 sector-specific pension schemes into a single , points-based system under which for each euro contributed , every pensioner would have equal rights .
But it has agreed to scrap a plan to make people work longer , notably by raising the age at which a person could draw a full pension to 64 while maintaining the legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the proposal outright .
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said in a letter to unions and employers : “ The compromise that I ’ m offering … seems to me the best way to peacefully reform our retirement system.
” But the hardline CGT and FO unions , which want the reform dropped altogether , balked at the offer and called on workers to continue striking .
The unions blocked ports and disrupted power production on Thursday , but turnout dropped again at protest marches and the impact of strikes fizzled out .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Interior Ministry tallied only 187,000 people marching nationwide , including 23,000 in Paris ; compared to 452,000 , including 56,000 in Paris , last week .
The first mass protest against the reform on December 5 drew more than 800,000 people nationwide .
But the FO and CGT unions refuse to give up the fight and have called another nationwide protest against the “ absurd and unfair ” reform on January 24 .
They also urged public sector workers to down tools on January 22 and 23 .
M Macron ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s convoluted and costly pension system is part of an election pledge to put the country on a solid financial footing .
With one of the lowest retirement ages among industrialised nations , France currently spends the equivalent of 14 percent of economic output on pensions .
As such , the government insists the reform is needed to end chronic deficits that could reach £14.5 billion ( €17bn ) by 2025 if no action is taken .
M Philippe aims to present the reform bill on January 24 so that it can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aim of passing a law before the summer recess .
• The Elabe poll of 1,005 people aged 18 and over was conducted online between January 14-15 .

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 French President Macron’s decision to not press ahead with pension age reform in order to put an end to the punishing transit strikes that have plagued France for months.
Support Free Speech:
Subscribe to The Duran on YouTube – Find us on BitChute.
The Duran Audio Podcast:
Follow on Soundcloud – Subscribe on iTunes.
Via Express UK…
A majority of French people think the showdown between President Emmanuel Macron and unions over pensions has been mishandled by the government, a poll published on Wednesday found. The poll, conducted by Elabe for the news channel BFMTV, showed that 67 percent of French people think the pension reform has been “poorly managed” by the Macron government, compared with 32 percent who think the opposite.
Fifty-six percent of respondents said they were “opposed” to the reform in its current form, while 43 percent said they backed the planned changes.
The poll also put public support for the strike action against the reform at 53 percent, compared with 46 percent against.
The public sector strikes are now in their 44th day, but the industrial action has lost momentum since the centrist government made some concessions last week and as strikers face mounting financial pressure to return to work.
The government has pledged to merge the country’s 42 sector-specific pension schemes into a single, points-based system under which for each euro contributed, every pensioner would have equal rights.
But it has agreed to scrap a plan to make people work longer, notably by raising the age at which a person could draw a full pension to 64 while maintaining the legal retirement age at 62 after unions rejected the proposal outright.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said in a letter to unions and employers: “The compromise that I’m offering … seems to me the best way to peacefully reform our retirement system.”
But the hardline CGT and FO unions, which want the reform dropped altogether, balked at the offer and called on workers to continue striking.
The unions blocked ports and disrupted power production on Thursday, but turnout dropped again at protest marches and the impact of strikes fizzled out.
At a sixth nationwide protest organised by unions, the Interior Ministry tallied only 187,000 people marching nationwide, including 23,000 in Paris; compared to 452,000, including 56,000 in Paris, last week.
The first mass protest against the reform on December 5 drew more than 800,000 people nationwide.
But the FO and CGT unions refuse to give up the fight and have called another nationwide protest against the “absurd and unfair” reform on January 24. They also urged public sector workers to down tools on January 22 and 23.
M Macron’s radical move to modernise France’s convoluted and costly pension system is part of an election pledge to put the country on a solid financial footing.
With one of the lowest retirement ages among industrialised nations, France currently spends the equivalent of 14 percent of economic output on pensions.
As such, the government insists the reform is needed to end chronic deficits that could reach £14.5 billion (€17bn) by 2025 if no action is taken.
M Philippe aims to present the reform bill on January 24 so that it can be discussed in parliament next month with the aim of passing a law before the summer recess.
• The Elabe poll of 1,005 people aged 18 and over was conducted online between January 14-15.
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theduran--2020-01-20--US Trade Talks with China Must Ultimately Fail

Regardless of public opinion about the impeachment trial and how it will go — whether for or against — once again Washington is all show and no go .
Even though the impeachment gambit must fail , the current idea that the administration will simply romp home to victory in 2020 is not guaranteed .
The US Democratic party lacks a true leader and is riven with division but just as Mr Trump was an unexpected victor in 2016 , nothing in US internal politics is ever certain .
Where the American people are concerned , so long as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they see the US trade dispute with China to be more of a curiosity than a threat .
That ’ s because the major media pushes Russia-mania plus the bizarre and Orwellian postulate that only Iran is a threat to America… and that provides plenty of political cover to obscure the fact that China could end the US hegemonic unipolar moment in an instant .
Historically the US has always done what ’ s best for its own business interest regardless of any other consideration .
At some point that US hegemonic morphed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influence to ensure a positive outcome for the US .
Then , it hoped to damage its proclaimed adversaries by financial sanctions , as well as regime change and the creation of failed states .
Now , the US damages it friends and allies and even itself to achieve a perceived favorable global economic outcome .
China could end the US unipolar moment in an instant with a myriad of financial tools at its disposal — and without firing a shot .
By the gold carry trade or by currency ; by implementing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US debt assets and reserve assets and closing its direct line into the US Treasury ; by currency markets , or with strategic new trade partnerships — as foreseen by the Belt and Road initiative — China could end the US hegemonic in a moment .
China ’ s leaders are well aware of that .
But China does not see itself or its future as an interventionist state enforcing its will globally by force of arms to maintain its currency , regardless of what the Council on Foreign Relations talking heads say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States as global hegemonic power by challenging the dollar US as global reserve currency with its own currency .
In other words , China does not wish to play an outright game of global domination by coercion to maintain its interests… nor does it need to .
But when challenged , China will act .
By June of 2019 riots in Hong Kong paralyzed the province .
In a rare accusatory statement China ’ s ambassador to the US implied that the west may be involved in stoking Hong Kong tensions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and trade frustrations with Washington , China made a statement by engaging Iraq in an agreement to rebuild Iraq ’ s destroyed infrastructure in exchange for oil , which greatly favored China over the US .
Then , just two weeks later , Rubio ’ s Hong Kong bill passed in response to the Hong Kong riots and was perhaps rushed through in response to Iraq ’ s new oil deal with China .
In the article Trump ’ s True Motives in Iraq : What You ’ re Not Being Told author @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent US moves in the Middle East and how they may interlock to oppose China , beyond the US commitment to oil , arms sales , and support for Israel .
How the foregoing recent US actions detailed in Webb ’ s article may benefit the continued primacy of the US dollar is beyond scope here , but Ms Webb concisely sums up the US-Iraq dilemma this way : ‘ The distinction may lie in the fact that , while the U.S. may now be less dependent on oil imports from the Middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to continue to dominate how oil is traded and sold on international markets in order to maintain its status as both a global military and financial superpower .
Indeed , even if the U.S. is importing less Middle Eastern oil , the petrodollar system .. requires that the U.S. maintains enough control over the global oil trade so that the world ’ s largest oil exporters , Iraq among them , continue to sell their oil in dollars.
’ Now with the US assassination of Iran ’ s key military leader Suleimani at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was ) Washington hopes that not just Iraq but Iran too has learned a violent lesson… and hopes that China ’ s leadership has learned it , too .
That ’ s because Washington is threatening China , this time over its continued purchase of Iran ’ s oil in opposition to US sanctions .
As reported , Steve ‘ IndyMAC ’ Mnuchin stated : “ China is subject to sanctions just like everybody else .
We actually sanctioned some of their shipping companies that were involved in the [ Iran ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pursue sanctions activities against China and anybody else around the world that continues to do business with them.
” Mnuchin made the threat in January , because in December 2019 China actually increased its commitment to develop Iran ’ s oil .
As such Houston has only one problem .
China is an independent sovereign nation acting to some degree beyond its previous orbit with Washington .
Should Senator Marco Rubio and the Neocon/Neoliberal crew driving their reckless DC bus continue their road rage versus China , the consequences are likely to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China wishes to avoid that crash .
Even so , if the United States continues its dangerous wizard-behind-the-curtain game , US pursuit of a further trade deal with China will fail .
As we began this article , this is a game of time and time is on China ’ s side .
For one thing , an October surprise is always possible in US politics .
Meanwhile the ever-higher march of US market shares proves two other points : one being US dollar inflation , and the other is the gamed and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So maybe , just maybe… there will be a real US black swan event this time in 2020 ?
It seems most of the rest of the world hopes so .
China , like the United States , will continue to pursue its own best interest worldwide .
By US actions on trade , indications are that China ‘ s change of focus from west to east is gradual , but progressing .
The nature of the global banking system and structural changes needed to accommodate one trillion in China reserves is still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hegemonic world order .
But if the west and particularly Washington continues with its provocative , careless , and even reckless policy toward China then China has more than enough ammunition to respond , beyond a simple failure of US trade talks .
Steve Brown is the author of “ Iraq : the Road to War ” ( Sourcewatch ) editor of “ Bush Administration War Crimes in Iraq ” ( Sourcewatch ) “ Trump ’ s Limited Hangout ” and “ Federal Reserve : Out-sourcing the Monetary System to the Money Trust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an antiwar activist , a published scholar on the US monetary system , and has appeared as guest contributor to The Duran , Fort Russ News , Lew Rockwell Report , SOTT , and Strategika51 .
Twitter : @ newsypaperz

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 Steve Brown…
Regardless of public opinion about the impeachment trial and how it will go — whether for or against — once again Washington is all show and no go. Even though the impeachment gambit must fail, the current idea that the administration will simply romp home to victory in 2020 is not guaranteed. The US Democratic party lacks a true leader and is riven with division but just as Mr Trump was an unexpected victor in 2016, nothing in US internal politics is ever certain.
Where the American people are concerned, so long as the Dow Jones Industrial average creeps ever-higher, they see the US trade dispute with China to be more of a curiosity than a threat. That’s because the major media pushes Russia-mania plus the bizarre and Orwellian postulate that only Iran is a threat to America… and that provides plenty of political cover to obscure the fact that China could end the US hegemonic unipolar moment in an instant.
Historically the US has always done what’s best for its own business interest regardless of any other consideration. At some point that US hegemonic morphed to frequently and unfairly leverage its global influence to ensure a positive outcome for the US. Then, it hoped to damage its proclaimed adversaries by financial sanctions, as well as regime change and the creation of failed states . Now, the US damages it friends and allies and even itself to achieve a perceived favorable global economic outcome.
China could end the US unipolar moment in an instant with a myriad of financial tools at its disposal — and without firing a shot. By the gold carry trade or by currency; by implementing universal yuan currency convertibility; by dumping US debt assets and reserve assets and closing its direct line into the US Treasury; by currency markets, or with strategic new trade partnerships — as foreseen by the Belt and Road initiative — China could end the US hegemonic in a moment. China’s leaders are well aware of that.
But China does not see itself or its future as an interventionist state enforcing its will globally by force of arms to maintain its currency, regardless of what the Council on Foreign Relations talking heads say. China does not foresee itself usurping the United States as global hegemonic power by challenging the dollar US as global reserve currency with its own currency. In other words, China does not wish to play an outright game of global domination by coercion to maintain its interests… nor does it need to. But when challenged, China will act.
By June of 2019 riots in Hong Kong paralyzed the province. In a rare accusatory statement China’s ambassador to the US implied that the west may be involved in stoking Hong Kong tensions. So, after months of diplomatic and trade frustrations with Washington, China made a statement by engaging Iraq in an agreement to rebuild Iraq’s destroyed infrastructure in exchange for oil, which greatly favored China over the US. Then, just two weeks later, Rubio’s Hong Kong bill passed in response to the Hong Kong riots and was perhaps rushed through in response to Iraq’s new oil deal with China.
In the article Trump’s True Motives in Iraq: What You’re Not Being Told author Whitney Webb details the complex geopolitics behind recent US moves in the Middle East and how they may interlock to oppose China, beyond the US commitment to oil, arms sales, and support for Israel. How the foregoing recent US actions detailed in Webb’s article may benefit the continued primacy of the US dollar is beyond scope here, but Ms Webb concisely sums up the US-Iraq dilemma this way:
‘The distinction may lie in the fact that, while the U.S. may now be less dependent on oil imports from the Middle East, it still very much needs to continue to dominate how oil is traded and sold on international markets in order to maintain its status as both a global military and financial superpower. Indeed, even if the U.S. is importing less Middle Eastern oil, the petrodollar system .. requires that the U.S. maintains enough control over the global oil trade so that the world’s largest oil exporters, Iraq among them, continue to sell their oil in dollars.’
[Link: https://www.mintpressnews.com/hidden-parliamentary-session-revealed-trump-motives-iraq-china-oil/264155/ ]
Now with the US assassination of Iran’s key military leader Suleimani at a key moment (and political assassination it was) Washington hopes that not just Iraq but Iran too has learned a violent lesson… and hopes that China’s leadership has learned it, too. That’s because Washington is threatening China, this time over its continued purchase of Iran’s oil in opposition to US sanctions. As reported, Steve ‘IndyMAC’ Mnuchin stated:
“China is subject to sanctions just like everybody else. We actually sanctioned some of their shipping companies that were involved in the [Iran] oil, and we will continue to pursue sanctions activities against China and anybody else around the world that continues to do business with them.”
Mnuchin made the threat in January, because in December 2019 China actually increased its commitment to develop Iran’s oil. As such Houston has only one problem. China is an independent sovereign nation acting to some degree beyond its previous orbit with Washington. Should Senator Marco Rubio and the Neocon/Neoliberal crew driving their reckless DC bus continue their road rage versus China, the consequences are likely to be dire for all. Of course, China wishes to avoid that crash. Even so, if the United States continues its dangerous wizard-behind-the-curtain game, US pursuit of a further trade deal with China will fail.
As we began this article, this is a game of time and time is on China’s side. For one thing, an October surprise is always possible in US politics. Meanwhile the ever-higher march of US market shares proves two other points: one being US dollar inflation, and the other is the gamed and rigged nature of US share markets. So maybe, just maybe… there will be a real US black swan event this time in 2020? It seems most of the rest of the world hopes so.
China, like the United States, will continue to pursue its own best interest worldwide. By US actions on trade, indications are that China‘s change of focus from west to east is gradual, but progressing. The nature of the global banking system and structural changes needed to accommodate one trillion in China reserves is still a major stumbling block to the new hegemonic world order. But if the west and particularly Washington continues with its provocative, careless, and even reckless policy toward China then China has more than enough ammunition to respond, beyond a simple failure of US trade talks.
Steve Brown is the author of “Iraq: the Road to War” (Sourcewatch) editor of “Bush Administration War Crimes in Iraq” (Sourcewatch) “Trump’s Limited Hangout” and “Federal Reserve: Out-sourcing the Monetary System to the Money Trust Oligarchs Since 1913”; Steve is an antiwar activist, a published scholar on the US monetary system, and has appeared as guest contributor to The Duran, Fort Russ News, Lew Rockwell Report, SOTT, and Strategika51. Twitter: @newsypaperz
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theduran--2020-01-20--Attempts to Remove Morales’ Memory from Bolivia Will Likely Reinvigorate an Anti-Imperialist Struggl

Attempts to Remove Morales’ Memory from Bolivia Will Likely Reinvigorate an Anti-Imperialist Struggle

Submitted by InfoBrics , authored by Paul Antonopoulos , Research Fellow at the Center for Syncretic Studies… Last Wednesday , the coup government of Bolivia launched a massive military operation claiming to be a pre-emptive strike against the expected violence to occur this Wednesday during Plurinational State Foundation Day celebrations that memorializes the change in the name of the country and the adoption of a new constitution in 2009 under the Presidency of Evo Morales .
Heavily armed military personnel on the streets , arrest warrants and the denouncements of deputies who are intimidated by violent groups has just continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paz .
The increased militarization has occurred despite violence , vandalism and looting decreasing since November when Morales was driven out of Bolivia .
However , the fear continues and justice has been politicized to such a degree that the coup government has itself reported that there are more than 64,000 judicial proceedings in progress against former authorities and officials associated with Morales ’ administration – all leading up to the elections on May 3 .
However , the dilemma for the putschists is a fear that Morales ’ Movement to Socialism ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has refused to legitimize the current leader of Bolivia , Jeanine Añez , further complicating the upcoming elections .
It is for this reason , with the huge popularity of Morales remaining , that the coup government fears what might occur on Wednesday , which is not only a Morales-era public holiday , but also the date on which the constitutional mandate of the Executive and Legislative powers ends .
Even if the parliament decides to ratify the extension of the mandate by the Constitutional Court , the frustrations of the people might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people were reinvigorated with Morales stating “ If between now and in a little while… I were to return [ to Bolivia ] or someone else goes back , we must organize as in Venezuela , armed militias of the people , ” referring to Bolivarian people ’ s militias organized by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro .
However , this could be a dangerous statement that could serve to justify further repression and the militarization of Bolivia .
Evo Morales then went to Twitter to say “ Peace , reconciliation and unity in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restoring the rule of law , eliminating motorcycle groups and fighting , ultimately , against inequality , discrimination and poverty.
” It is this very symbol of Bolivian sovereignty and independence that Añez has prioritized the removal of statues and images of Morales from the public sphere .
However , it is very unlikely that this would be enough to remove the memory of Morales that Bolivians have for the country ’ s first indigenous president .
Bolivians people know the removal of references to Morales publicly will not erase his achievements from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a political crisis for months that still has no solution , the next few days before the anniversary of the founding of the Plurinational State on January 22 has put the government on top military alert , which now realizes that it can not erase a country ’ s history at a stroke or deny its identity .
However , Añez has decided to silence those voices and as she can not dissuade them by deploying the army and police to the streets .
The little widespread popularity that the coup government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the visit of Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director of the United States National Security Council ’ s Western Hemisphere Affairs directorate , Mauricio Claver-Carone , to Bolivia who reiterated his support for Añez on behalf of Trump .
Claver-Carone and Añez talked about Trump ’ s priorities in this so-called transitional period .
In the regional domain scheme , Trump can not let the Andean country escape from his hands , which is why it is likely that he pushed Añez to rename the anti-imperialist school that Morales created @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 , which was renamed on Friday to Heroes of Ñancahuazu – after the Bolivian military unit that killed revolutionary figure Ernesto “ Che ” Guevara in 1967 , according to TeleSUR .
This was of course part of a wider effort to destroy the memory of Morales in Bolivia .
The arrival of Áñez to power , by a coup d ’ etat in November , gave a twist to Bolivia ’ s international policy , which during the almost 14 years of Morales ’ administration had assumed an “ anti-imperialist ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. ambassador and the U.S. anti-drug ( DEA ) and cooperation ( USAID ) agencies .
Claver-Carome visit certainly improved several steps of rapprochement between La Paz and Washington after the fall of Morales in November .
Although Claver-Carome said that his visit sought to deepen the links between the two countries , of which he said they had the same democratic interests and values , the attempts to destroy the memory of Morales is likely to backfire and create a renewed vigor for support behind the MAS .
It is for this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the violence and persecution against Morales ’ supporters , especially as Wednesday will be a highly charged and emotive day , in which Morales supporters view the resistance to her putschist government as part of an anti-imperialist struggle .

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…
Last Wednesday, the coup government of Bolivia launched a massive military operation claiming to be a pre-emptive strike against the expected violence to occur this Wednesday during Plurinational State Foundation Day celebrations that memorializes the change in the name of the country and the adoption of a new constitution in 2009 under the Presidency of Evo Morales. Heavily armed military personnel on the streets, arrest warrants and the denouncements of deputies who are intimidated by violent groups has just continued under the U.S.-backed coup government in La Paz.
The increased militarization has occurred despite violence, vandalism and looting decreasing since November when Morales was driven out of Bolivia. However, the fear continues and justice has been politicized to such a degree that the coup government has itself reported that there are more than 64,000 judicial proceedings in progress against former authorities and officials associated with Morales’ administration – all leading up to the elections on May 3.
However, the dilemma for the putschists is a fear that Morales’ Movement to Socialism (MAS) Party may win. Morales has refused to legitimize the current leader of Bolivia, Jeanine Añez, further complicating the upcoming elections. It is for this reason, with the huge popularity of Morales remaining, that the coup government fears what might occur on Wednesday, which is not only a Morales-era public holiday, but also the date on which the constitutional mandate of the Executive and Legislative powers ends. Even if the parliament decides to ratify the extension of the mandate by the Constitutional Court, the frustrations of the people might explode.
This comes as the Bolivian people were reinvigorated with Morales stating “If between now and in a little while… I were to return [to Bolivia] or someone else goes back, we must organize as in Venezuela, armed militias of the people,” referring to Bolivarian people’s militias organized by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. However, this could be a dangerous statement that could serve to justify further repression and the militarization of Bolivia.
Evo Morales then went to Twitter to say “Peace, reconciliation and unity in Bolivia they will only be achieved by restoring the rule of law, eliminating motorcycle groups and fighting, ultimately, against inequality, discrimination and poverty.”
It is this very symbol of Bolivian sovereignty and independence that Añez has prioritized the removal of statues and images of Morales from the public sphere. However, it is very unlikely that this would be enough to remove the memory of Morales that Bolivians have for the country’s first indigenous president. Bolivians people know the removal of references to Morales publicly will not erase his achievements from their memory.
With Bolivia being mired by a political crisis for months that still has no solution, the next few days before the anniversary of the founding of the Plurinational State on January 22 has put the government on top military alert, which now realizes that it cannot erase a country’s history at a stroke or deny its identity. However, Añez has decided to silence those voices and as she cannot dissuade them by deploying the army and police to the streets.
The little widespread popularity that the coup government has will continue to decline, especially after the visit of Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director of the United States National Security Council’s Western Hemisphere Affairs directorate, Mauricio Claver-Carone, to Bolivia who reiterated his support for Añez on behalf of Trump. Claver-Carone and Añez talked about Trump’s priorities in this so-called transitional period. In the regional domain scheme, Trump cannot let the Andean country escape from his hands, which is why it is likely that he pushed Añez to rename the anti-imperialist school that Morales created in the Armed Forces of Bolivia in 2016, which was renamed on Friday to Heroes of Ñancahuazu – after the Bolivian military unit that killed revolutionary figure Ernesto “Che” Guevara in 1967, according to TeleSUR. This was of course part of a wider effort to destroy the memory of Morales in Bolivia.
The arrival of Áñez to power, by a coup d’etat in November, gave a twist to Bolivia’s international policy, which during the almost 14 years of Morales’ administration had assumed an “anti-imperialist” position, including the expulsion of the U.S. ambassador and the U.S. anti-drug (DEA) and cooperation (USAID) agencies. Claver-Carome visit certainly improved several steps of rapprochement between La Paz and Washington after the fall of Morales in November.
Although Claver-Carome said that his visit sought to deepen the links between the two countries, of which he said they had the same democratic interests and values, the attempts to destroy the memory of Morales is likely to backfire and create a renewed vigor for support behind the MAS. It is for this reason that Áñez must consider scaling down the violence and persecution against Morales’ supporters, especially as Wednesday will be a highly charged and emotive day, in which Morales supporters view the resistance to her putschist government as part of an anti-imperialist struggle.
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theduran--2020-01-20--Berlin Summit on Libya Folds with a CIA Reunion

When liar , thief , and ex-CIA director Pompeo was announced as an attendee to the proposed Libya ceasefire summit in Berlin all hope for any political settlement died .
Besides a photo-op for Merkel , Macron , and various other global miscreants and incompetents , the 19 January Berlin event was most notable as a high-five meet-up for one former CIA asset and his ex-director .
But whether Warlord Khalifa and CIA Mike danced together to the Los Guerreros tune We Lie , We Cheat , We Steal is , as yet , unknown .
Drinks all around anyway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope for any sort of political settlement in Libya among the clowns who call themselves Rulers of the Planet , considering the compromised sorts and circumstances involved .
The first bit of bad news for the Libya talks was the Libyan National Army ’ s oil export blockade enacted on the same day as the talks were held , effectively shutting-off Libya ’ s oil exports .
Since the Libyan National Oil Company ( LNOC ) provides funding to both sides in the conflict , the blockade news was surprising since the Warlord @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own LNA coffers as well .
One hope versus the oil blockade is oil-rich Algeria , a Mena player which prefers to act in the background .
Algeria was somewhat surprisingly invited to the Berlin summit , represented by weak leader Tebboune who is unresponsive to widespread opposition and constant anti-government protests .
Tebboune was effectively sidelined in the Libya talks despite Algeria ’ s key but somewhat obscure role in the Libyan conflict .
Like Warlord Haftar , Tebboune was not pictured in an amusing group photo taken of the conference lackeys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Angela Merkel , major regional player bin Zayed ( United Arab Emirates ) was not present at the Libya conference sending only his foreign minister Ab , further assuring that no real progress would occur .
According to one source , bin Zayed quit funding the Wagner Group in Libya ( hint : it ’ s not the Russians ! )
and other mercenary forces in Libya… for now .
And that was the turning point needed for Moscow to host the first Libyan ceasefire meeting , the meeting Warlord Haftar graced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s bin Zayed has evidently blinked based on the notoriety his liberal spending on militarist adventures and mercenaries has gained him in the media , and now somewhat ironically says he is a man of peace .
Not the first time bin Zayed has claimed that and then went on to fund more conflict .
bin Zayed prefers to maintain a low profile with regard to the violence he underwrites via his ample resources .
But the media coverage became particularly troublesome for bin Zayed subsequent to the important ceasefire announced on January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call in lieu of attendance at the Berlin Libya summit speaks volumes about his lack of veracity on the subject of peace .
Notably absent too in any real functionary sense was LNA Warlord Haftar .
Haftar met separately and privately with German chancellor Angela Merkel before the conference , but did not hang around long enough to provide input or appear in the bizarre group photo .
Al Sarraj took a more active role meeting leaders and shook hands with Haftar , but met Merkel separately to discuss key topics on Libya @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference was Turk leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan , who met privately with Russian leader Vladimir Putin… Erdogan even appeared in the group photo .
Erdogan – along with the Italian minister – essentially protested the loss of Libyan oil shipments to Turkey , and for that matter Italy , due to the LNA blockade .
Erdogan was vocal as usual and made himself heard , subject being the oil blockade and alleged LNA aggression .
The only resolution made by conference participants is that all nations must adhere to the UN arms embargo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Warlord must have laughed into their beer about .
So , the Berlin conference was more of a Bohemian Grove irrelevance based on globalist ritual than a real search for political solutions to the crisis in Libya .
Being the crisis that the United States and NATO engineered some nine years ago .
One very serious question now is about how Turkey and Italy will deal with the LNA Libyan oil blockade .
Whether the blockade will cause hostilities to resume is unclear , but Libyan oil has been bargain-basement cheap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time now .
If the LNA oil blockade persists , that will likely push Turkey closer to Algeria – a goal Turkey has been courting for some time .
Due to its troubled history , a high-profile alliance between Algeria and Turkey is perhaps unlikely .
But this government that likes to work in the shadows may export its oil in greater quantities to Turkey and Italy albeit at higher prices than Libya ’ s — and get that underway very soon .
Frequently ignored and under-rated by the west , Algeria is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spheres of influence , with a modern high-tech economy and highly developed industries .
Finally , comes the question whether the Libyan ceasefire will hold .
With some knowledge about how the Libyan National Army operates — and also considering the volatile oil blockade situation that a volatile leader in Turkey must face – let ’ s submit that hostilities will resume .
There are already some rumblings around Mitiga airport and low-level militia attacks near Tripoli .
If hostilities do resume in Libya , a weak and impotent European Union can certainly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vile influence of the CIA ’ s liars , thieves , and mad assassins who presently rule the world .
Or we can ask why the abomination that is both the EU and United States was ever allowed to destroy Libya in the first place .
Just because , they came , they saw.. they killed.. ?
Steve Brown is the author of “ Iraq : the Road to War ” ( Sourcewatch ) editor of “ Bush Administration War Crimes in Iraq ” ( Sourcewatch ) “ Trump ’ s Limited Hangout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Monetary System to the Money Trust Oligarchs Since 1913 ” ; Steve is an antiwar activist , a published scholar on the US monetary system , and has appeared as guest contributor to The Duran , Fort Russ News , Lew Rockwell Report , SOTT , and Strategika51 .
Twitter : @ newsypaperz

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 Steve Brown…
When liar, thief, and ex-CIA director Pompeo was announced as an attendee to the proposed Libya ceasefire summit in Berlin all hope for any political settlement died. Besides a photo-op for Merkel, Macron, and various other global miscreants and incompetents, the 19 January Berlin event was most notable as a high-five meet-up for one former CIA asset and his ex-director. But whether Warlord Khalifa and CIA Mike danced together to the Los Guerreros tune We Lie, We Cheat, We Steal is, as yet, unknown. Drinks all around anyway.
Seriously, there was no real hope for any sort of political settlement in Libya among the clowns who call themselves Rulers of the Planet, considering the compromised sorts and circumstances involved. The first bit of bad news for the Libya talks was the Libyan National Army’s oil export blockade enacted on the same day as the talks were held, effectively shutting-off Libya’s oil exports. Since the Libyan National Oil Company (LNOC) provides funding to both sides in the conflict, the blockade news was surprising since the Warlord will thus scupper funds destined for his own LNA coffers as well.
One hope versus the oil blockade is oil-rich Algeria, a Mena player which prefers to act in the background. Algeria was somewhat surprisingly invited to the Berlin summit, represented by weak leader Tebboune who is unresponsive to widespread opposition and constant anti-government protests. Tebboune was effectively sidelined in the Libya talks despite Algeria’s key but somewhat obscure role in the Libyan conflict. Like Warlord Haftar, Tebboune was not pictured in an amusing group photo taken of the conference lackeys.
Other than a pre-meeting phone call to Angela Merkel, major regional player bin Zayed (United Arab Emirates) was not present at the Libya conference sending only his foreign minister Ab, further assuring that no real progress would occur. According to one source, bin Zayed quit funding the Wagner Group in Libya (hint: it’s not the Russians!) and other mercenary forces in Libya… for now. And that was the turning point needed for Moscow to host the first Libyan ceasefire meeting, the meeting Warlord Haftar graced by walking out of.
UAE’s bin Zayed has evidently blinked based on the notoriety his liberal spending on militarist adventures and mercenaries has gained him in the media, and now somewhat ironically says he is a man of peace. Not the first time bin Zayed has claimed that and then went on to fund more conflict. bin Zayed prefers to maintain a low profile with regard to the violence he underwrites via his ample resources. But the media coverage became particularly troublesome for bin Zayed subsequent to the important ceasefire announced on January 12th. Bin Zayed’s phone call in lieu of attendance at the Berlin Libya summit speaks volumes about his lack of veracity on the subject of peace.
Notably absent too in any real functionary sense was LNA Warlord Haftar. Haftar met separately and privately with German chancellor Angela Merkel before the conference, but did not hang around long enough to provide input or appear in the bizarre group photo. Al Sarraj took a more active role meeting leaders and shook hands with Haftar, but met Merkel separately to discuss key topics on Libya.
Present and more active at the conference was Turk leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who met privately with Russian leader Vladimir Putin… Erdogan even appeared in the group photo. Erdogan – along with the Italian minister – essentially protested the loss of Libyan oil shipments to Turkey, and for that matter Italy, due to the LNA blockade. Erdogan was vocal as usual and made himself heard, subject being the oil blockade and alleged LNA aggression.
The only resolution made by conference participants is that all nations must adhere to the UN arms embargo and ceasefire, which CIA buddies Pompeo and the Warlord must have laughed into their beer about. So, the Berlin conference was more of a Bohemian Grove irrelevance based on globalist ritual than a real search for political solutions to the crisis in Libya. Being the crisis that the United States and NATO engineered some nine years ago.
One very serious question now is about how Turkey and Italy will deal with the LNA Libyan oil blockade. Whether the blockade will cause hostilities to resume is unclear, but Libyan oil has been bargain-basement cheap for Turkey and Italy for quite some time now. If the LNA oil blockade persists, that will likely push Turkey closer to Algeria – a goal Turkey has been courting for some time.
Due to its troubled history, a high-profile alliance between Algeria and Turkey is perhaps unlikely. But this government that likes to work in the shadows may export its oil in greater quantities to Turkey and Italy albeit at higher prices than Libya’s — and get that underway very soon. Frequently ignored and under-rated by the west, Algeria is an oil-rich country somewhat outside major geo-political spheres of influence, with a modern high-tech economy and highly developed industries.
Finally, comes the question whether the Libyan ceasefire will hold. With some knowledge about how the Libyan National Army operates — and also considering the volatile oil blockade situation that a volatile leader in Turkey must face – let’s submit that hostilities will resume. There are already some rumblings around Mitiga airport and low-level militia attacks near Tripoli.
If hostilities do resume in Libya, a weak and impotent European Union can certainly be fingered, incapable of confronting the vile influence of the CIA’s liars, thieves, and mad assassins who presently rule the world. Or we can ask why the abomination that is both the EU and United States was ever allowed to destroy Libya in the first place. Just because, they came, they saw.. they killed..?
Steve Brown is the author of “Iraq: the Road to War” (Sourcewatch) editor of “Bush Administration War Crimes in Iraq” (Sourcewatch) “Trump’s Limited Hangout” and “Federal Reserve: Out-sourcing the Monetary System to the Money Trust Oligarchs Since 1913”; Steve is an antiwar activist, a published scholar on the US monetary system, and has appeared as guest contributor to The Duran, Fort Russ News, Lew Rockwell Report, SOTT, and Strategika51. Twitter: @newsypaperz
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