theduran--2020-02-03--Romania Willingly Becomes a U.S. Drone Base Aimed Against Russia

Submitted by InfoBrics , authored by Paul Antonopoulos , Research Fellow at the Center for Syncretic Studies… The already existing tensions in the Black Sea region have heightened because of the Defender-Europe 2020 exercises , which include ten participating states , including the Black Sea state of Romania .
Through these U.S.-led exercises , that are mostly aimed against Russia ’ s Kaliningrad enclave in the Baltics , the U.S.-made MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance and assault drones , made infamous for being used in the assassination of Iranian Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani earlier this month , were deployed in Romania .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and CIA ’ s strategic squadron on the Black Sea and close to Russia does not contribute in any way to maintaining regional security , and rather these offensive weapons that were used in the assassination of high-ranking officials of enemy countries , aims to pressurize Russia further .
The deployment of such drones in Romania shows that the former Warsaw Pact country is willingly going beyond its NATO responsibilities by becoming a critical staging point for anti-Russian pressure .
Moscow has mentioned on several occasions that it would consider these assault drones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , banned by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty .
Despite this warning , it had done little to influence the decision of Warsaw to permanently host the drones at the Mirosławiec airbase in western Poland .
The Romanian airbase Câmpia Turzii is the host of these offensive weapons .
Although in the event of a military conflict in the Black Sea region , Russian anti-aircraft and missile defense units could intercept and destroy unmanned targets , even those in take-off position , this move to host offensive U.S.-made weapons is part of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contain Russia in the Black Sea .
Romania is not the only anti-Russian state on the Black Sea – Bulgaria and Turkey are also NATO members , and Ukraine and Georgia are weaponized states with aspirations of joining NATO .
The U.S. are effectively leading efforts for a coalition against Russia in the Black Sea , even though it is unlikely that these states have the combined power to challenge Russian naval and aerial dominance in the region .
The U.S. Air Force Command in Europe announced that the MQ-9 Reaper drones will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support a series of operations , gathering information , monitoring and air reconnaissance in the Black Sea area .
These drones can fly a distance of 6,000 kilometers , a distance that can comfortably cover Moscow , St. Petersburg and even the western fringes of Siberia .
This is a dangerous prospect for Russia considering that these drones are capable of not only carrying out assassinations , but can also carry a nuclear warhead .
The drones have been used to deadly effect in Iraq and Afghanistan where it has begun replacing piloted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air force .
The Pentagon has invested $ 3 million in the construction on a hangar and other sites in Romania for the deadly drones .
These facts confirm the existence of long-term plans to use the Câmpia Turzii air base as an aerodrome for sending American drones to strategic targets in Eastern Europe when need be , all with the aim of pressuring Russia .
The Defender-Europe 2020 exercises primarily aims to put pressure on Kaliningrad , but the deployment of these drones has now demonstrated that it is a multipronged exercise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of operations .
Effectively the Defender-Europe 2020 exercises stretches from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea , in a show of force to demonstrate to Russia that any war with NATO will be conducted across two seas and the entirety of its European land border with the exception of perhaps Finland .
This move to turn Romania into a U.S. drone base against Russia has wider aspirations for some leading thinkers in Washington .
Moldova , a neighobring Romanian-speaking country , has been identified by the highly influential RAND think tank to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Sea .
This identification of Moldova also comes as the U.S. military base network is expanding in Romania with the arrival of 500 U.S. servicemen in order to strengthen the Kogâlniceanu air base .
Chisinau has cooperated with NATO allies and partner states for several years through the Partnership for Peace and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council .
Moldova also bought weapons in 2018 in accordance to the Alliance ’ s standards .
However , the Moldovan Constitution ensures that the country is a neutral state , and according to the polls , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NATO membership .
Although RAND has identified Moldova to become a hub for the U.S. military , this will unlikely occur , essentially meaning Washington ’ s policymakers are concentrating on further militarizing Romania against Russia .
Although Romania is consolidating its position in the anti-Russian bloc , the drones do cause a matter of concern , but perhaps not seriously enough as Russia will have confidence in its own air defense capabilities , especially with the famed S-400 missile defense system .
This still does not deter the fact that Romania is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military to oppose Russia .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Submitted by InfoBrics, authored by Paul Antonopoulos, Research Fellow at the Center for Syncretic Studies…
The already existing tensions in the Black Sea region have heightened because of the Defender-Europe 2020 exercises, which include ten participating states, including the Black Sea state of Romania. Through these U.S.-led exercises, that are mostly aimed against Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave in the Baltics , the U.S.-made MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance and assault drones, made infamous for being used in the assassination of Iranian Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani earlier this month, were deployed in Romania.
The presence of the Pentagon’s and CIA’s strategic squadron on the Black Sea and close to Russia does not contribute in any way to maintaining regional security, and rather these offensive weapons that were used in the assassination of high-ranking officials of enemy countries, aims to pressurize Russia further. The deployment of such drones in Romania shows that the former Warsaw Pact country is willingly going beyond its NATO responsibilities by becoming a critical staging point for anti-Russian pressure.
Moscow has mentioned on several occasions that it would consider these assault drones to be the equivalent of medium-range missiles, banned by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Despite this warning, it had done little to influence the decision of Warsaw to permanently host the drones at the Mirosławiec airbase in western Poland.
The Romanian airbase Câmpia Turzii is the host of these offensive weapons. Although in the event of a military conflict in the Black Sea region, Russian anti-aircraft and missile defense units could intercept and destroy unmanned targets, even those in take-off position, this move to host offensive U.S.-made weapons is part of a larger strategy to pressurize, isolate and contain Russia in the Black Sea. Romania is not the only anti-Russian state on the Black Sea – Bulgaria and Turkey are also NATO members, and Ukraine and Georgia are weaponized states with aspirations of joining NATO. The U.S. are effectively leading efforts for a coalition against Russia in the Black Sea, even though it is unlikely that these states have the combined power to challenge Russian naval and aerial dominance in the region.
The U.S. Air Force Command in Europe announced that the MQ-9 Reaper drones will be relocated to Romania until spring to support a series of operations, gathering information, monitoring and air reconnaissance in the Black Sea area. These drones can fly a distance of 6,000 kilometers, a distance that can comfortably cover Moscow, St. Petersburg and even the western fringes of Siberia. This is a dangerous prospect for Russia considering that these drones are capable of not only carrying out assassinations, but can also carry a nuclear warhead. The drones have been used to deadly effect in Iraq and Afghanistan where it has begun replacing piloted F-16 and A-10 flights by the U.S. air force.
The Pentagon has invested $3 million in the construction on a hangar and other sites in Romania for the deadly drones. These facts confirm the existence of long-term plans to use the Câmpia Turzii air base as an aerodrome for sending American drones to strategic targets in Eastern Europe when need be, all with the aim of pressuring Russia.
The Defender-Europe 2020 exercises primarily aims to put pressure on Kaliningrad, but the deployment of these drones has now demonstrated that it is a multipronged exercise against Russia that has expanded the focus of operations. Effectively the Defender-Europe 2020 exercises stretches from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, in a show of force to demonstrate to Russia that any war with NATO will be conducted across two seas and the entirety of its European land border with the exception of perhaps Finland.
This move to turn Romania into a U.S. drone base against Russia has wider aspirations for some leading thinkers in Washington. Moldova, a neighobring Romanian-speaking country, has been identified by the highly influential RAND think tank to become another U.S. military hub on the Black Sea. This identification of Moldova also comes as the U.S. military base network is expanding in Romania with the arrival of 500 U.S. servicemen in order to strengthen the Kogâlniceanu air base. Chisinau has cooperated with NATO allies and partner states for several years through the Partnership for Peace and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. Moldova also bought weapons in 2018 in accordance to the Alliance’s standards. However, the Moldovan Constitution ensures that the country is a neutral state, and according to the polls, the majority of the population is against NATO membership. Although RAND has identified Moldova to become a hub for the U.S. military, this will unlikely occur, essentially meaning Washington’s policymakers are concentrating on further militarizing Romania against Russia.
Although Romania is consolidating its position in the anti-Russian bloc, the drones do cause a matter of concern, but perhaps not seriously enough as Russia will have confidence in its own air defense capabilities, especially with the famed S-400 missile defense system. This still does not deter the fact that Romania is willingly becoming a hub for the U.S. military to oppose Russia.
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theduran--2020-02-03--Pelosi-Schiff-Nadler impeachment hoax crashes & burns in Senate vote (Video)

The Duran ’ s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the Senate decision to call no further witnesses and essentially begin the process to wind down the Pelosi-Schiff-Nadler impeachment hoax .
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It ’ s high time to end this impeachment farce once and for all .
For starters , the flimsy articles of impeachment that Democrats have brought forth aren ’ t crimes , much less the “ high crimes ” required to remove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sufficient grounds to end this charade that ’ s chock full of presumptions and assumptions from partisans that the president may have done something wrong .
Now , add the fact that everyone in Washington knows that Democrats won ’ t obtain the two-thirds vote required from the Republican-controlled Senate to oust President Donald Trump .
This is especially true given that the transcript of his July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Zelenskiy shows no quid pro quo and no crimes committed .
Moreover , a witness with firsthand knowledge of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has stated there was “ no pressure ” and Trump did nothing wrong .
Other top Ukrainian government officials confirmed this .
That ’ s what parties involved said .
Now , let ’ s look at the actions that took place in the aftermath of the call .
U.S. military aid was timely delivered to Ukraine and no investigations were opened into Joe Biden or Hunter Biden .
So why on earth are we still here ?
So documented liars and conspiracy theorists like House manager Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endless fishing expedition against the president on the taxpayers ’ dime ?
Or so Schiff — an unhinged Trump hater — can continue to lie and smear the president before the Senate and the American people ?
Talk about a colossal waste of time and taxpayer dollars .
On Wednesday , Schiff , who has previously lied about his contacts with the infamous whistleblower , earning him four Pinocchios from The Washington Post last year , lied again .
This time , it was before Chief Justice Roberts and the Senate chamber .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who the whistleblower is despite his Congressional staff being in contact with the whistleblower last summer , reportedly colluding with Schiff ’ s office to take down the president .
Are the American people supposed to believe Schiff — who ’ s been persecuting the president for the past 3 1/2 years with one partisan-fueled investigation after another — had no knowledge of this ?
Only a fool ’ s fool would believe .
Schiff was also one of the lead architects and propagandists behind the debunked “ Russian Collusion ” hoax — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sitting president in history .
This corrupt politician is still misleading the American people and now insisting that Senate Republicans allow former national security adviser John Bolton to be called as a witness in the impeachment trial based on dubious allegations in his soon-to-be-released book .
Schiff will accept testimony from literally anyone who can damage the president and advance the Democratic political agenda — no matter whether the witness is credible .
Here ’ s the evidence : Fox News released two videos this week that every American should see .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV interview in August 2019 discussing the president ’ s phone call with Zelenksy .
Bolton appeared very relaxed and pleased with the call saying it was “ warm and cordial.
” He also said it was a “ high priority ” of the administration to combat corruption .
Now ask yourself this : If the president engaged in misconduct — or criminal acts warranting impeachment — why did Bolton speak so positively about the conversation ?
Could it be that after the president fired him , Bolton changed his tune to coincide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Consider the other video making the rounds of Schiff giving a TV interview when the president named Bolton national security adviser .
Schiff said Bolton lacked credibility .
“ This is someone who ’ s likely to exaggerate the dangerous impulses of the president toward belligerence , his proclivity to act without thinking and his love of conspiracy theories , ” he told MSNBC ’ s Rachel Maddow on March 22 , 2018 .
But now that Bolton has an ax to grind against the president and aims to juice sales for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe a witness he says is not credible ?
You can ’ t be serious .
Senators must put an end to this travesty once and for all .

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 Senate decision to call no further witnesses and essentially begin the process to wind down the Pelosi-Schiff-Nadler impeachment hoax.
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Via Fox News…
It’s high time to end this impeachment farce once and for all.
For starters, the flimsy articles of impeachment that Democrats have brought forth aren’t crimes, much less the “high crimes” required to remove a sitting president. That alone is sufficient grounds to end this charade that’s chock full of presumptions and assumptions from partisans that the president may have done something wrong.
Now, add the fact that everyone in Washington knows that Democrats won’t obtain the two-thirds vote required from the Republican-controlled Senate to oust President Donald Trump. This is especially true given that the transcript of his July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Zelenskiy shows no quid pro quo and no crimes committed.
Moreover, a witness with firsthand knowledge of the phone call in question, Zelenskiy, has stated there was “no pressure” and Trump did nothing wrong. Other top Ukrainian government officials confirmed this. That’s what parties involved said. Now, let’s look at the actions that took place in the aftermath of the call. U.S. military aid was timely delivered to Ukraine and no investigations were opened into Joe Biden or Hunter Biden.
Case closed.
So why on earth are we still here? So documented liars and conspiracy theorists like House manager Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and his power-thirsty Democratic colleagues can continue this endless fishing expedition against the president on the taxpayers’ dime?
Or so Schiff — an unhinged Trump hater — can continue to lie and smear the president before the Senate and the American people? Talk about a colossal waste of time and taxpayer dollars.
On Wednesday, Schiff, who has previously lied about his contacts with the infamous whistleblower, earning him four Pinocchios from The Washington Post last year, lied again. This time, it was before Chief Justice Roberts and the Senate chamber. Schiff said he doesn’t know who the whistleblower is despite his Congressional staff being in contact with the whistleblower last summer, reportedly colluding with Schiff’s office to take down the president.
Are the American people supposed to believe Schiff — who’s been persecuting the president for the past 3 1/2 years with one partisan-fueled investigation after another — had no knowledge of this? Only a fool’s fool would believe.
Schiff was also one of the lead architects and propagandists behind the debunked “Russian Collusion” hoax — perhaps the biggest disinformation campaign waged against a sitting president in history.
This corrupt politician is still misleading the American people and now insisting that Senate Republicans allow former national security adviser John Bolton to be called as a witness in the impeachment trial based on dubious allegations in his soon-to-be-released book. Schiff will accept testimony from literally anyone who can damage the president and advance the Democratic political agenda — no matter whether the witness is credible.
Here’s the evidence: Fox News released two videos this week that every American should see. One is of John Bolton giving a TV interview in August 2019 discussing the president’s phone call with Zelenksy. Bolton appeared very relaxed and pleased with the call saying it was “warm and cordial.” He also said it was a “high priority” of the administration to combat corruption.
Now ask yourself this: If the president engaged in misconduct — or criminal acts warranting impeachment — why did Bolton speak so positively about the conversation? Could it be that after the president fired him, Bolton changed his tune to coincide with the release of his tell-all book?
Consider the other video making the rounds of Schiff giving a TV interview when the president named Bolton national security adviser. Schiff said Bolton lacked credibility. “This is someone who’s likely to exaggerate the dangerous impulses of the president toward belligerence, his proclivity to act without thinking and his love of conspiracy theories,” he told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on March 22, 2018.
But now that Bolton has an ax to grind against the president and aims to juice sales for his book, Schiff wants us to believe a witness he says is not credible?
You can’t be serious.
Senators must put an end to this travesty once and for all.
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theduran--2020-02-03--Bezos backtracks on MbS-Saudi phone hacking, lawsuits incoming (Video)

The Duran ’ s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the latest twist in the Bezos-MbS-Sanchez nude selfie pics , as the Amazon CEO and WaPo owner , Jeff Bezos , has now been sued for defamation by his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez ’ s brother .
Lauren Sanchez ’ s brother has denied the giving nude photos to a tabloid publication .
The Saudi MbS hack has now been debunked , and the current lawsuit now claims that Jeff Bezos has falsely named Michael Sanchez as the selfie source .
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Jeff Bezos was sued for defamation by his girlfriend ’ s brother in a lawsuit accusing the Amazon.com Inc. chief executive officer of falsely claiming the brother provided lurid photographs to the National Enquirer .
The lawsuit was filed late Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court by Michael Sanchez , the brother of Lauren Sanchez and subject of media reports that he was a source for the Enquirer ’ s splashy report last year revealing the affair between his sister and Bezos .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ controversy , now involving allegations that Saudi Arabia ’ s crown prince participated in a hack of Bezos ’ phone and an investigation by federal prosecutors in New York .
The lawsuit also names Gavin de Becker , a security consultant who works for Bezos , as a defendant .
It accuses Bezos and de Becker of telling journalists that Michael Sanchez provided graphic nude photographs of the Amazon CEO to the tabloid .
In the filing , Michael Sanchez acknowledges he entered a confidential agreement to “ cooperate strategically ” with American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s parent company , but said he did so to “ get ahead of the story ” in an effort to limit the backlash against his sister and Bezos .
He says he didn ’ t provide the photographs to the Enquirer and couldn ’ t have been the source for them because he never possessed them .
A lawyer for Bezos , William Isaacson , said Bezos would respond to the accusations in court .
“ Michael is my older brother , ” Lauren Sanchez said in a statement provided by her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretly provided my most personal information to the National Enquirer — a deep and unforgivable betrayal .
My family is hurting over this new baseless and untrue lawsuit , and we truly hope my brother finds peace.
” De Becker did not respond to a message seeking comment .
A United Nations report last month accused Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of possible complicity in the hack of Bezos ’ phone , based on an analysis conducted by a consulting firm hired by Bezos .
Saudi Arabia has denied the allegation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arabia ’ s alleged actions to the Enquirer report .
At the time the Bezos story was published , AMI was already operating under a non-prosecution agreement with the Manhattan U.S. attorney ’ s office , after admitting its role in hush-money payments made to women who allegedly had affairs with President Donald Trump .
In a blog post shortly after the Enquirer ’ s story about the affair , Bezos accused the tabloid of extortion and blackmail in their handling of the story .
That prompted prosecutors to reopen their investigation to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement .
That investigation was still ongoing as of late last year , according to people familiar with it .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the latest twist in the Bezos-MbS-Sanchez nude selfie pics, as the Amazon CEO and WaPo owner, Jeff Bezos, has now been sued for defamation by his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez’s brother.
Lauren Sanchez’s brother has denied the giving nude photos to a tabloid publication. The Saudi MbS hack has now been debunked, and the current lawsuit now claims that Jeff Bezos has falsely named Michael Sanchez as the selfie source.
Support Free Speech:
Subscribe to The Duran on YouTube – Find us on BitChute.
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Via Bloomberg…
Jeff Bezos was sued for defamation by his girlfriend’s brother in a lawsuit accusing the Amazon.com Inc. chief executive officer of falsely claiming the brother provided lurid photographs to the National Enquirer.
The lawsuit was filed late Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court by Michael Sanchez, the brother of Lauren Sanchez and subject of media reports that he was a source for the Enquirer’s splashy report last year revealing the affair between his sister and Bezos. The story has expanded into an international controversy, now involving allegations that Saudi Arabia’s crown prince participated in a hack of Bezos’ phone and an investigation by federal prosecutors in New York.
The lawsuit also names Gavin de Becker, a security consultant who works for Bezos, as a defendant. It accuses Bezos and de Becker of telling journalists that Michael Sanchez provided graphic nude photographs of the Amazon CEO to the tabloid.
In the filing, Michael Sanchez acknowledges he entered a confidential agreement to “cooperate strategically” with American Media Inc., the National Enquirer’s parent company, but said he did so to “get ahead of the story” in an effort to limit the backlash against his sister and Bezos.
He says he didn’t provide the photographs to the Enquirer and couldn’t have been the source for them because he never possessed them.
A lawyer for Bezos, William Isaacson, said Bezos would respond to the accusations in court.
‘Unforgivable Betrayal’
“Michael is my older brother,” Lauren Sanchez said in a statement provided by her lawyer, Terry Bird. “He secretly provided my most personal information to the National Enquirer — a deep and unforgivable betrayal. My family is hurting over this new baseless and untrue lawsuit, and we truly hope my brother finds peace.”
De Becker did not respond to a message seeking comment.
A United Nations report last month accused Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of possible complicity in the hack of Bezos’ phone, based on an analysis conducted by a consulting firm hired by Bezos. Saudi Arabia has denied the allegation, and the report did not link Saudi Arabia’s alleged actions to the Enquirer report.
Federal Case
At the time the Bezos story was published, AMI was already operating under a non-prosecution agreement with the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office, after admitting its role in hush-money payments made to women who allegedly had affairs with President Donald Trump.
In a blog post shortly after the Enquirer’s story about the affair, Bezos accused the tabloid of extortion and blackmail in their handling of the story. That prompted prosecutors to reopen their investigation to determine if AMI had violated its non-prosecution agreement. That investigation was still ongoing as of late last year, according to people familiar with it.
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theduran--2020-02-03--How Much Is Tulsi Gabbard’s Reputation Worth?

Tulsi Gabbard ’ s defamation action against Hillary Clinton , which was filed last month , has provoked a mixed reaction .
Die hard Clinton supporters and the very few who don ’ t like the Congresswoman from Hawaii regard her filing the suit with contempt .
Everyone else believes it is justified .
We can for the moment ignore the quantum claimed , although Tulsi certainly looked like a million dollars when clad in that white suit she walked into the arena where she would demolish the Presidential aspirations of the odious Kamala Harris in spectacular fashion .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this action ?
Unless it is settled before trial in her favour , the answer is probably no , for two reasons .
The first is that , although dating to 1964 , New York Times v Sullivan , still apparently the leading case for this type of defamation claim , severely restricts its scope for public figures .
The second reason is by no means obvious .
This is that while there is such a creature as a libel-proof plaintiff , Hillary Clinton has made herself a virtually libel-proof defendant .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which lowers a person ’ s reputation in the eyes of right thinking men and women .
Traditionally , defamation actions have been expensive to bring , although ordinary people have at times sued successfully .
For ordinary people , getting into print was either expensive or difficult .
Every major media outlet had libel lawyers it could run dubious material by , and letters to the editor could be tailored to remove any possibly defamatory material .
The Internet and most especially social media has changed all that .
YouTube , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is said to have up to 2 billion users , more than one person in four on the planet .
That is staggering , and although not every YouTube user has a ( Google ) account , if only one person in a million posted one defamatory comment a year , that would be enough to keep every lawyer on Earth in court in perpetuity .
Some material posted to social media is grossly defamatory , indeed Hillary Clinton has herself been libelled many times , often in professionally crafted videos that claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least one ( certifiable lunatic of an ) individual has accused her of actual rape , and many people take the Clinton Death List seriously .
This list has now expanded to dozens of names , but ask yourself how many 72 year olds a similar list could not be compiled about .
That aside , her pronouncements since losing out in 2016 have become tiresome and bizarre in equal measure .
The causes of her losing that election have now run well into two if not three figures , indeed she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s victory but herself .
The claim that Trump colluded with Russia in some bizarre fashion started with her , it was she who financed the scurrilous Steele dossier .
She and her cohorts also cheated Bernie Sanders .
She branded half of Trump ’ s supporters as deplorables – irredeemable bigots – and has since branded Jill Stein and Heaven knows who else Russian agents , puppets , assets… When he heard the audio of her smear on Tulsi , Bill Whittle summed her up in a nutshell : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be libeled by a respected politician is one thing ; to be libeled by a madwoman who lives in a fantasy world is another thing entirely .
If this case does go to trial and Tulsi wins , the reader should expect only extremely modest damages , because no one with half a brain now takes anything Hillary Clinton says with anything but a grain of salt .
Or maybe a boulder .

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.
Tulsi Gabbard’s defamation action against Hillary Clinton, which was filed last month, has provoked a mixed reaction. Die hard Clinton supporters and the very few who don’t like the Congresswoman from Hawaii regard her filing the suit with contempt. Everyone else believes it is justified.
We can for the moment ignore the quantum claimed, although Tulsi certainly looked like a million dollars when clad in that white suit she walked into the arena where she would demolish the Presidential aspirations of the odious Kamala Harris in spectacular fashion. The big question is, can she win this action? Unless it is settled before trial in her favour, the answer is probably no, for two reasons.
The first is that, although dating to 1964, New York Times v Sullivan, still apparently the leading case for this type of defamation claim, severely restricts its scope for public figures. The second reason is by no means obvious. This is that while there is such a creature as a libel-proof plaintiff, Hillary Clinton has made herself a virtually libel-proof defendant. This needs some explanation.
Defamation is that which lowers a person’s reputation in the eyes of right thinking men and women. Traditionally, defamation actions have been expensive to bring, although ordinary people have at times sued successfully. For ordinary people, getting into print was either expensive or difficult. Every major media outlet had libel lawyers it could run dubious material by, and letters to the editor could be tailored to remove any possibly defamatory material.
The Internet and most especially social media has changed all that. YouTube, where the Clinton-Gabbard claim has been uploaded, is said to have up to 2 billion users, more than one person in four on the planet. That is staggering, and although not every YouTube user has a (Google) account, if only one person in a million posted one defamatory comment a year, that would be enough to keep every lawyer on Earth in court in perpetuity.
Some material posted to social media is grossly defamatory, indeed Hillary Clinton has herself been libelled many times, often in professionally crafted videos that claim she is an accessory to rape, at least one (certifiable lunatic of an) individual has accused her of actual rape, and many people take the Clinton Death List seriously. This list has now expanded to dozens of names, but ask yourself how many 72 year olds a similar list could not be compiled about.
That aside, her pronouncements since losing out in 2016 have become tiresome and bizarre in equal measure. The causes of her losing that election have now run well into two if not three figures, indeed she has blamed everyone on planet Earth for Trump’s victory but herself. The claim that Trump colluded with Russia in some bizarre fashion started with her, it was she who financed the scurrilous Steele dossier. She and her cohorts also cheated Bernie Sanders. She branded half of Trump’s supporters as deplorables – irredeemable bigots – and has since branded Jill Stein and Heaven knows who else Russian agents, puppets, assets…
When he heard the audio of her smear on Tulsi, Bill Whittle summed her up in a nutshell: “Hillary Clinton is insane”.
To be libeled by a respected politician is one thing; to be libeled by a madwoman who lives in a fantasy world is another thing entirely. If this case does go to trial and Tulsi wins, the reader should expect only extremely modest damages, because no one with half a brain now takes anything Hillary Clinton says with anything but a grain of salt. Or maybe a boulder.
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theduran--2020-02-02--Pakistan plans to ink dual citizenship deal with Turkey

02/02/20 – WEll , well , well .
Is this a way to get around US Congressional restrictions on “ @ @ @ @ @ circumventing end use restrictions for helicopter engines and things like that ?
“ Shah also @ @ @ @ @ training programs and the upgrading of law enforcement equipment with Turkey.
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theduran--2020-02-02--Salvini inches closer to leading Italy (Video)

The Duran ’ s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the Italian regional elections in Emilia-Romagna and Calabria , where despite failing to win in Emilia-Romagna , Salvini ’ s Lega had a strong showing in a far left region , proving once again that he is poised to soon take over as Prime Minister of Italy .
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There was real fear in Europe over what could have happened this weekend in Italy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been terrible for the tenuous ruling coalition between PD and Five Star Movement .
But the center-left held serve against the insurgent campaign of Matteo Salvini and his Lega-led coalition .
Emilia-Romagna is the birthplace of Italian Communism and has been a stronghold for the political left for decades .
Even though Salvini et.al .
failed to win the day this is a clear case of failing falling forward .
It ’ s a massive improvement for the center-right in Italy and will effect how the region is governed .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is also clear that Five Star is now in complete collapse as an opposition party , garnering only 3.5 % in E-M and just 7.3 % in Calabria .
Nationally , Five Star is now polling between 15-17 % , flirting with political irrelevance if the numbers drop much lower than this .
But , where will those voters go ?
Five Star was born as an opposition party to entrenched and corrupt Italian political elites .
It was decidedly Euroskeptic and it ’ s not handled the transition from outsider gadfly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force at all .
Mattia Zulianello has a great article up on the London School of Economics and Political Science blog about how Five Star ’ s lack of internal cohesion has doomed it to an Icarus-like flight too close to the sun and crashing back down to earth while Salvini ’ s Lega continues to be a force capable of transforming Italian politics for a generation .
Five Star originally emerged ( and remained until 2018 ) as an anti-system party that rejected cooperation with the other parties in the system and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposition to both the centre-right and centre-left .
At that time , it declared that it would only cooperate with the other parties on a strict issue-by-issue ( and law-by-law ) basis .
The M5S rejected the legitimacy of the other parties in the strongest terms and fully-fledged cooperation was out of the question .
However , anti-system parties often eventually integrate into the system they previously opposed .
This is especially true for populist parties as they are the ‘ new normal ‘ in European party systems and governments today .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a long or short process , according to the various incentives of the political system and electoral results , and is usually accompanied by a series of programmatic and organisational reforms .
The zenith of the integration of populist parties is represented by their eventual entry into national office .
In many cases , populist parties are indeed able to survive office , and even to gain votes in subsequent elections .
Italy ’ s Lega is a case in point .
After a first disastrous experience in office ( 1994 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefited from a ‘ learning process ’ .
It now has a long record of government participation and dominates the Italian agenda .
According to all the polls , the party led by Matteo Salvini is by far the strongest in the country today ( estimated at 32 % ) .
This is why Lega ’ s support in E-M has steadily risen over the course of the last three elections there and was nearly capable , in just a three-year time horizon to unseat the establishment there .
Only a bitter fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , kept E-M from turning “ blue.
” Previous elections saw turnout drop as low as 30 % .
Who turns up to vote when the outcome is predetermined ?
Look at the results closely and you ’ ll see the thing disquieting the Italian plutocrats this morning .
Five Star and PD ’ s support dropped a combined twenty points .
Not only is Five Star in freefall but it looks like PD may be as well .
The next government in E-M will not take the voters for granted like they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Italy scooped up the 7 seats in the government lost by PD , who no longer rule with a massive majority .
The results for Calabria were even worse .
The Center-Left coalition lost more than thirty-two points over the 2014 election .
And while that outcome wasn ’ t in doubt beforehand it shouldn ’ t be discounted either .
Like Umbria ’ s election last fall , these results are telling everyone that big change is on Italy ’ s horizon .
The markets today are breathing a sigh of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a bit .
But for how long ?
Yes , the ruling coalition survives another day .
Yes , it ’ s a little stronger than it was yesterday .
But , Five Star as a party is in the early stages of collapse and the infighting among its high-ranking members will continue until such time as the coalition breaks .
Salvini was right back in August to dissolve the coalition .
As Italy sinks economically and politically he is in the position to rally the populists , secure their support and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the blame .
And , as Zulianello suggests , since Lega is a properly constituted and functional organization , when it returns to government it will do so with a clear mandate and clearly-defined goals .
These are two things Five Star could never deliver on .
Join my Patreon for more fresh takes on the corners of the global political landscape Install and Use the Brave Browser to help ensure our continuing to be able to do so .

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 Italian regional elections in Emilia-Romagna and Calabria, where despite failing to win in Emilia-Romagna, Salvini’s Lega had a strong showing in a far left region, proving once again that he is poised to soon take over as Prime Minister of Italy.
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Via Gold Goats ‘n Guns…
There was real fear in Europe over what could have happened this weekend in Italy. Regional elections in Emilia-Romagna and Calabria could have been terrible for the tenuous ruling coalition between PD and Five Star Movement.
But the center-left held serve against the insurgent campaign of Matteo Salvini and his Lega-led coalition.
Emilia-Romagna is the birthplace of Italian Communism and has been a stronghold for the political left for decades. Even though Salvini et.al. failed to win the day this is a clear case of failing falling forward.
It’s a massive improvement for the center-right in Italy and will effect how the region is governed. But the big story here is Five Star.
It is also clear that Five Star is now in complete collapse as an opposition party, garnering only 3.5% in E-M and just 7.3% in Calabria.
Nationally, Five Star is now polling between 15-17%, flirting with political irrelevance if the numbers drop much lower than this. But, where will those voters go?
Five Star was born as an opposition party to entrenched and corrupt Italian political elites. It was decidedly Euroskeptic and it’s not handled the transition from outsider gadfly channeling voter frustration into an effective governing force at all.
Mattia Zulianello has a great article up on the London School of Economics and Political Science blog about how Five Star’s lack of internal cohesion has doomed it to an Icarus-like flight too close to the sun and crashing back down to earth while Salvini’s Lega continues to be a force capable of transforming Italian politics for a generation.
Five Star originally emerged (and remained until 2018) as an anti-system party that rejected cooperation with the other parties in the system and presented itself as a separate pole in opposition to both the centre-right and centre-left. At that time, it declared that it would only cooperate with the other parties on a strict issue-by-issue (and law-by-law) basis. The M5S rejected the legitimacy of the other parties in the strongest terms and fully-fledged cooperation was out of the question. However, anti-system parties often eventually integrate into the system they previously opposed. This is especially true for populist parties as they are the ‘new normal‘ in European party systems and governments today. The integration and legitimation of populist parties can be a long or short process, according to the various incentives of the political system and electoral results, and is usually accompanied by a series of programmatic and organisational reforms. The zenith of the integration of populist parties is represented by their eventual entry into national office. In many cases, populist parties are indeed able to survive office, and even to gain votes in subsequent elections. Italy’s Lega is a case in point. After a first disastrous experience in office (1994), the Lega, over time, benefited from a ‘learning process’. It now has a long record of government participation and dominates the Italian agenda. According to all the polls, the party led by Matteo Salvini is by far the strongest in the country today (estimated at 32%).
This is why Lega’s support in E-M has steadily risen over the course of the last three elections there and was nearly capable, in just a three-year time horizon to unseat the establishment there. Only a bitter fight driving massive turnout, nearly 59%, kept E-M from turning “blue.”
Previous elections saw turnout drop as low as 30%. Who turns up to vote when the outcome is predetermined?
Look at the results closely and you’ll see the thing disquieting the Italian plutocrats this morning. Five Star and PD’s support dropped a combined twenty points. Not only is Five Star in freefall but it looks like PD may be as well. The next government in E-M will not take the voters for granted like they have been.
Lega and the Brothers of Italy scooped up the 7 seats in the government lost by PD, who no longer rule with a massive majority.
The results for Calabria were even worse. The Center-Left coalition lost more than thirty-two points over the 2014 election. And while that outcome wasn’t in doubt beforehand it shouldn’t be discounted either. Like Umbria’s election last fall, these results are telling everyone that big change is on Italy’s horizon.
The markets today are breathing a sigh of relief. Salvini has been beaten back for a bit. But for how long? Yes, the ruling coalition survives another day. Yes, it’s a little stronger than it was yesterday. But, Five Star as a party is in the early stages of collapse and the infighting among its high-ranking members will continue until such time as the coalition breaks.
Salvini was right back in August to dissolve the coalition. As Italy sinks economically and politically he is in the position to rally the populists, secure their support and gain support while the government takes all the blame.
And, as Zulianello suggests, since Lega is a properly constituted and functional organization, when it returns to government it will do so with a clear mandate and clearly-defined goals.
These are two things Five Star could never deliver on.
Join my Patreon for more fresh takes on the corners of the global political landscape
Install and Use the Brave Browser to help ensure our continuing to be able to do so.
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theduran--2020-02-02--“Deal of the Century” greenlights Israeli annexation, apartheid, and subjugation of Palestinians

Submitted by InfoBrics , authored by Sarah Abed , independent journalist and analyst… On Sunday , ahead of the big Tuesday reveal in the White House , US President Donald J. Trump delivered to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the so-called “ Deal of the Century ” also known as the “ Middle East Peace Plan ” .
The proposal however is absent of any semblance of a realistic deal or a feasible plan to solve Israeli-Palestinian issues as it benefits one side at the expense of the other .
Quite frankly , it ’ s not even worth the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was rejected by Palestinian leaders before Tuesdays unveiling .
The United Nations rejected the proposal and reiterated that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should be solved based on UN resolutions and international law and bilateral agreements based on pre-1967 lines .
Trump has ignored the two-state solution adopted by the UN and international community and is proposing his own plan which is heavily influenced and supported by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee ( AIPAC ) a strong lobby group that advocates pro-Israel policies to Congress and the Executive Branch on domestic and international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s President Trump ’ s Senior Advisor and son-in-law , Jared Kushner has been busy working on the eighty-page document and the accompanying map which graphically demonstrates how Israel will be using this farce of a deal to continue it ’ s illegal occupation and annexation of Palestinian land .
Kushner ’ s Middle East expertise is limited to his real estate investment projects in Israel which fostered strong family relations with Netanyahu and the twenty-five books he read while preparing for his “ peace agreement ” .
Trump , Kushner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an agreement or deal that could be entered into by the Israeli ’ s and Palestinians for their mutual benefit instead their supposed “ vision for peace , prosperity , and a brighter future for Israeli ’ s and Palestinians ” has an underlining agenda to bolster Israel ’ s subjugation of Palestinians , theft , murder , annexation and occupation .
Netanyahu said that his cabinet would vote on the measure to apply Israeli sovereignty to West Bank settlements and the strategic Jordan valley on Sunday , which could account for 30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ territory which Israel seized from Jordan in the 1967 war which Palestinians were planning on using for their future state .
However , Netanyahu might encounter some legal complications because the current cabinet is an interim cabinet till the upcoming election .
As happy and proud as Trump and Kushner were on Tuesday while unveiling the “ Scam of the Century ” , in the White House , there was one man in the room who was beaming with unrestrained glee , Netanyahu referred to Trump ’ s “ Deal of the Century @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Century ” and said that Israel will not miss this opportunity .
In a room full of Zionists , Evangelicals , and White House Officials , not a single Palestinian political leader , advisor , or otherwise was present , which again speaks to the illegitimacy of this supposed “ peace plan ” .
Ambassadors from Bahrain , Oman , and the UAE attended and will be paying for the economic portion of the deal , but they represent less 1 % of the Arab population and have aligned themselves with Israel and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enemy , Iran .
Trump said that this was a win-win opportunity for both sides , but clearly this and everything else he has done in the past three years entirely favors Israel while subjugating Palestinians such as but not limited to moving the US embassy to Jerusalem , claiming that the Golan heights belong to Israel , and unilaterally withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA ) aka Iran Nuclear deal .
Trump ’ s “ Slap of the Century ” as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas referred to it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years to work towards becoming a state , President Trump went on to say that he is asking Palestinians to meet the challenges of peaceful co-existence .
This would include disarming Hamas , broadly accepting the Jewish character of the Israeli state and in exchange they would be granted limited autonomy within a Palestinian homeland that consists of multiple non-contiguous enclaves scattered throughout the West Bank and Gaza .
Israel would retain “ security ” aka control over not only Palestinian enclaves but Palestinian borders , airspace , aquifers , maritime waters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israel would be allowed to annex the Jordan valley and Jewish communities in the West Bank .
Palestinians would be allowed to select their political leaders but would not have any political rights in Israel .
This fraudulent Mideast “ peace plan ” is a thinly veiled plan for apartheid and increases tensions between the two contentious parties .
The timing of this big reveal is important to note , as it serves as a distraction from the political woes that both Trump and Netanyahu are currently facing .
President Trump is currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Senate and Israel ’ s Attorney General filed a criminal indictment against Netanyahu on a series of corruption charges .
Not only was this sham of a “ peace plan ” made without the participation of Palestinians but it defies international law and international precedent on the issue and ignores Palestinian interests .
Without question by declaring Jerusalem Israel ’ s “ undivided ” capital , Trump has angered and pushed Palestinians away from coming to any sort of possible resolution to decades of violent conflict .
Now Israel has more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israeli colonies in occupied West Bank due to this proposal .
Not only is the United States promoting the theft , plundering , and illegal annexation of Palestinian land but the Syrian Golan Heights as well .
Disturbing historical parallels have been drawn between Palestinians and the Bantu people of South Africa .
Ten territories were designated as quasi-autonomous states for the black African population during the mid to late 20th century and kept under control of the white supremacist state .
The “ Steal of the Century ” is intended to bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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 Sarah Abed, independent journalist and analyst…
On Sunday, ahead of the big Tuesday reveal in the White House, US President Donald J. Trump delivered to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the so-called “Deal of the Century” also known as the “Middle East Peace Plan”. The proposal however is absent of any semblance of a realistic deal or a feasible plan to solve Israeli-Palestinian issues as it benefits one side at the expense of the other. Quite frankly, it’s not even worth the ink or paper it was printed on and was rejected by Palestinian leaders before Tuesdays unveiling.
The United Nations rejected the proposal and reiterated that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should be solved based on UN resolutions and international law and bilateral agreements based on pre-1967 lines. Trump has ignored the two-state solution adopted by the UN and international community and is proposing his own plan which is heavily influenced and supported by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) a strong lobby group that advocates pro-Israel policies to Congress and the Executive Branch on domestic and international issues.
For the past three year’s President Trump’s Senior Advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner has been busy working on the eighty-page document and the accompanying map which graphically demonstrates how Israel will be using this farce of a deal to continue it’s illegal occupation and annexation of Palestinian land.
Kushner’s Middle East expertise is limited to his real estate investment projects in Israel which fostered strong family relations with Netanyahu and the twenty-five books he read while preparing for his “peace agreement”.
Trump, Kushner, and Netanyahu never actually intended to create an agreement or deal that could be entered into by the Israeli’s and Palestinians for their mutual benefit instead their supposed “vision for peace, prosperity, and a brighter future for Israeli’s and Palestinians” has an underlining agenda to bolster Israel’s subjugation of Palestinians, theft, murder, annexation and occupation. Netanyahu said that his cabinet would vote on the measure to apply Israeli sovereignty to West Bank settlements and the strategic Jordan valley on Sunday, which could account for 30 percent of the West Bank, occupied territory which Israel seized from Jordan in the 1967 war which Palestinians were planning on using for their future state. However, Netanyahu might encounter some legal complications because the current cabinet is an interim cabinet till the upcoming election.
As happy and proud as Trump and Kushner were on Tuesday while unveiling the “Scam of the Century”, in the White House, there was one man in the room who was beaming with unrestrained glee, Netanyahu referred to Trump’s “Deal of the Century” as the “Opportunity of the Century” and said that Israel will not miss this opportunity. In a room full of Zionists, Evangelicals, and White House Officials, not a single Palestinian political leader, advisor, or otherwise was present, which again speaks to the illegitimacy of this supposed “peace plan”.
Ambassadors from Bahrain, Oman, and the UAE attended and will be paying for the economic portion of the deal, but they represent less 1% of the Arab population and have aligned themselves with Israel and western nations because they share a common enemy, Iran.
Trump said that this was a win-win opportunity for both sides, but clearly this and everything else he has done in the past three years entirely favors Israel while subjugating Palestinians such as but not limited to moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, claiming that the Golan heights belong to Israel, and unilaterally withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) aka Iran Nuclear deal.
Trump’s “Slap of the Century” as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas referred to it, states that Palestinians would have four years to work towards becoming a state, President Trump went on to say that he is asking Palestinians to meet the challenges of peaceful co-existence. This would include disarming Hamas, broadly accepting the Jewish character of the Israeli state and in exchange they would be granted limited autonomy within a Palestinian homeland that consists of multiple non-contiguous enclaves scattered throughout the West Bank and Gaza. Israel would retain “security” aka control over not only Palestinian enclaves but Palestinian borders, airspace, aquifers, maritime waters, and electromagnetic spectrum. In addition, Israel would be allowed to annex the Jordan valley and Jewish communities in the West Bank. Palestinians would be allowed to select their political leaders but would not have any political rights in Israel. This fraudulent Mideast “peace plan” is a thinly veiled plan for apartheid and increases tensions between the two contentious parties.
The timing of this big reveal is important to note, as it serves as a distraction from the political woes that both Trump and Netanyahu are currently facing. President Trump is currently the subject of an on-going impeachment trial in the Senate and Israel’s Attorney General filed a criminal indictment against Netanyahu on a series of corruption charges.
Not only was this sham of a “peace plan” made without the participation of Palestinians but it defies international law and international precedent on the issue and ignores Palestinian interests. Without question by declaring Jerusalem Israel’s “undivided” capital, Trump has angered and pushed Palestinians away from coming to any sort of possible resolution to decades of violent conflict. Now Israel has more of a reason to annex major illegal Israeli colonies in occupied West Bank due to this proposal. Not only is the United States promoting the theft, plundering, and illegal annexation of Palestinian land but the Syrian Golan Heights as well.
Disturbing historical parallels have been drawn between Palestinians and the Bantu people of South Africa. Ten territories were designated as quasi-autonomous states for the black African population during the mid to late 20th century and kept under control of the white supremacist state. The “Steal of the Century” is intended to bring about a similar fate for Palestinians.
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theduran--2020-02-02--The Coming Fall of the House of Windsor and the Clash of ‘Two Christianities’

The last months have seen the most remarkable fissures breaking in the foundation of the House of Windsor whose austere image of duty and Christian morality have entirely broken down under a firestorm of scandals showcasing the culture of crime and degeneracy prevalent across the upper ranks of the empire .
Scandal for royals by itself is nothing astounding .
Hell , an entire tabloid industry has been built around it .
What is exceptional is the amount of morally repugnant scandal breaking all at once and the systemic shock effect it has had on the institutions of the monarchy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ring patronized by royalty with tentacles across the elite of the western world came to light in extreme detail with the effect that Royal Prince Andrew has found himself “ fired ” from all positions of authority in order to live in a state of early retirement .
To the horror of the royals , Andrew ’ s connection to Epstein has renewed interest in the earlier Jimmy Saville scandal which blew up after the TV show host ’ s death in 2011 .
At that moment hundreds pedophilia ( and necrophilia ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The fact that Saville was a lifelong friend of both Princes Charles and Andrew alike was even more detrimental a fact than the Epstein connection .
For thinking people , these scandals have awakened a renewed interest in the truth of another crime arranged by the royal family over 20 years ago : The assassination of Princess Diana on August 31 , 1997 .
The best exposition of the truth of this murder was presented in the 2011 documentary Unlawful Killing directed by Keith Allan and funded by Mohammed al Fayed ( father @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you have not yet watched this film , I couldn ’ t recommend it more highly .
Seriously… do it .
Today , Diana ’ s younger son Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have made headlines announcing their unprecedented abdication from “ senior positions ” in the royal family in order to “ work to become financially independent , while continuing to fully support Her Majesty the Queen ” … in Canada .
While theories abound as to why this is happening from gossipy circles who wish to count the various @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently courting the royal couple , I wish to evaluate this anomaly from a slightly different angle .
This angle addresses the very battle in western civilization between two forms of Christianity showcased dramatically in the 2018 wedding ceremony which must be seen to be believed and demonstrated something very important about the clash of “ Two Christianities ” which has shaped the last 2000 years of western history .
This battle is found in the opposing concepts of Man , God and Nature ’ s law from which all definitions of “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Beauty ” , “ Truth ” and “ Love ” emanate .
In the case of what we will call “ oligarchical Christianity ” preferred by slave owners and imperialists , we will classify that perverted version which denies the validly of such passages as 1 Corinthians 13 preferring instead to emphasize the submissiveness of slaves to masters , masses to priesthoods and serfs to Caesar .
Obedience without love or knowledge which slave owners used to keep their human property in bondage for centuries is the Christianity that modern critics like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opium for the masses ” .
The other form of Christianity is found in the total opposition to slavery due to the principled faith that ALL humans , regardless of race , are made in the image of the Creator and with implicitly inalienable rights .
This was the revolutionary Christianity that gave birth to the greatest freedom struggles of history internationally including the anti-slavery movement of the 19th century through to the 20th century Civil Rights movement led by Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr .
This more potent Christianity expresses itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the common denominator is the PRINCIPLE of 1 Corinthians 13 – with Paul ’ s directive to love in a total , agapic , revolutionary manner even if it means the loss of one ’ s own security and even one ’ s own life .
Before Christ , this form of love which imperialists mortally feared was embodied eloquently in the 5th century BC drama Prometheus Bound written by Aeschylus ( more to be said below ) .
So how does this lesson of the ‘ two Christianities ’ manifest itself in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s departure from the collapsing House of Windsor ?
To answer that , I ’ d like to take a short review of the royal couple ’ s 2018 wedding which featured a most anomalous occurrence which one would have to see in order to believe .
The Fractures Grow at the Royal Wedding As the guests arrived in the usual pomp and regalia that such an event typically entails , all appeared to be unfolding according to British Anglican standards of conduct and Kantian elitism .
As the keynote speaker Bishop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Episcopal Church ( 1 ) ) began his sermon , something began to change .
Based upon the scowling expressions of the Queen , her consort and squirming discomfort of other royals in the audience , one could see why something had fallen completely “ off script ” .
Opening the ceremony , the bishop gave a speech one would never have thought possible in the walls of the Church of St. George which has only known the hollow form of oligarchical Christianity for centuries .
Speaking on the nature of genuine agapic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of empire , Rev .
Curry stated : “ Jesus said , ‘ you shall love the lord , your god , with all your heart , all your soul , all your mind and all your strength .
This is the first and great commandment.
’ And the second is like it .
Love your neighbor as yourself .
And then in Matthews ’ version , he added , he said on these two , love of god and love of neighbor , hang all the law , all the prophets , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the holy prophets , everything in the scriptures , everything that god has been trying to tell the world , love god .
Love your neighbors .
And while you ’ re at it , love yourself .
Someone once said that Jesus began most revolutionary movement in all of human history , a movement grounded in the unconditional love of god for the world .
And a movement mandating people to live that love .
And in so doing , to change not only their lives but the very life of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about some power , real power , power to change the world.
” Curry shifted gears near the end of his sermon in order to celebrate the figure of Aeschylus ’ drama named Prometheus , the fire-bringer who stole fire from Zeus in order to share it with mankind at the cost of thousands of years of torture .
It is an open secret that the modern environmentalist movement ’ s longest living founder and patron is none other than Prince Philip himself , who co-founded the World Wildlife Fund for Nature in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bernhardt of Bilderberger fame .
Married to the head of the Anglican Church , Prince Philip expressed this misanthropic anti-Christian view of man on multiple occasions over the years and has even publically stated his wish to be “ reincarnated as a deadly virus ” to solve overpopulation .
In a December 1981 People Magazine interview , His royal virus laid it all out when he said : It is also an open secret that the guiding ethic of the environmental movement which Philip and Bernhardt founded identified the figure of Prometheus as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has caused all of the “ environmental disequilibrium ” throughout history that their anti-growth decarbonisation schemes have sought to undo .
A leading Commander of the British Empire , friend of Philip and top advisor to Pope Francis , Sir Hans Schellenhuber co-authored the 2015 Encyclical Laudato Si which led into the Vatican push for a new category of “ climate sins ” which dovetails the international Green New Deal when he stated : Experiencing the fire of Promethean Christianity burn the skin of royal viruses like Prince Philip in the morally hollowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was really refreshing .
The musical intervention featuring African American spirituals displayed an honesty in that profane den of hypocrisy which was also a welcomed breath of fresh air .
Whatever the deeper reasons for Harry and Markle ’ s departure from their positions to create a new life distanced from the monarchy , we do know that this schism between image and reality has occurred , and is growing larger every day .
One can almost hear the echo of Edgar Poe ’ s Roderick Usher ( an archetype for all royals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in horror at the reality that the days of Feudal grandeur are over , as the fissures long ignored in the manor ’ s foundations result in the collapse of the house and all it stands for .
With these humble thoughts in mind , I hope you enjoy watching the royals squirm as much as I did .

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.
From the Strategic Culture Foundation
The last months have seen the most remarkable fissures breaking in the foundation of the House of Windsor whose austere image of duty and Christian morality have entirely broken down under a firestorm of scandals showcasing the culture of crime and degeneracy prevalent across the upper ranks of the empire. Scandal for royals by itself is nothing astounding. Hell, an entire tabloid industry has been built around it. What is exceptional is the amount of morally repugnant scandal breaking all at once and the systemic shock effect it has had on the institutions of the monarchy.
Earlier last year an international pedophilia ring patronized by royalty with tentacles across the elite of the western world came to light in extreme detail with the effect that Royal Prince Andrew has found himself “fired” from all positions of authority in order to live in a state of early retirement. To the horror of the royals, Andrew’s connection to Epstein has renewed interest in the earlier Jimmy Saville scandal which blew up after the TV show host’s death in 2011. At that moment hundreds pedophilia (and necrophilia) cases spanning decades was made public. The fact that Saville was a lifelong friend of both Princes Charles and Andrew alike was even more detrimental a fact than the Epstein connection.
For thinking people, these scandals have awakened a renewed interest in the truth of another crime arranged by the royal family over 20 years ago: The assassination of Princess Diana on August 31, 1997. The best exposition of the truth of this murder was presented in the 2011 documentary Unlawful Killing directed by Keith Allan and funded by Mohammed al Fayed (father of Dodi al Fayed). If you have not yet watched this film, I couldn’t recommend it more highly. Seriously… do it.
Today, Diana’s younger son Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have made headlines announcing their unprecedented abdication from “senior positions” in the royal family in order to “work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty the Queen”… in Canada. While theories abound as to why this is happening from gossipy circles who wish to count the various Clinton-connected figures of the western liberal establishment currently courting the royal couple, I wish to evaluate this anomaly from a slightly different angle.
The Clash of ‘Two Christianities’
This angle addresses the very battle in western civilization between two forms of Christianity showcased dramatically in the 2018 wedding ceremony which must be seen to be believed and demonstrated something very important about the clash of “Two Christianities” which has shaped the last 2000 years of western history.
This battle is found in the opposing concepts of Man, God and Nature’s law from which all definitions of “Justice”, “Goodness”, “Beauty”, “Truth” and “Love” emanate. In the case of what we will call “oligarchical Christianity” preferred by slave owners and imperialists, we will classify that perverted version which denies the validly of such passages as 1 Corinthians 13 preferring instead to emphasize the submissiveness of slaves to masters, masses to priesthoods and serfs to Caesar.
Obedience without love or knowledge which slave owners used to keep their human property in bondage for centuries is the Christianity that modern critics like Marx and Engels have attacked as “opium for the masses”.
The other form of Christianity is found in the total opposition to slavery due to the principled faith that ALL humans, regardless of race, are made in the image of the Creator and with implicitly inalienable rights. This was the revolutionary Christianity that gave birth to the greatest freedom struggles of history internationally including the anti-slavery movement of the 19th century through to the 20th century Civil Rights movement led by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. This more potent Christianity expresses itself in various forms and denominations, but the common denominator is the PRINCIPLE of 1 Corinthians 13 – with Paul’s directive to love in a total, agapic, revolutionary manner even if it means the loss of one’s own security and even one’s own life. Before Christ, this form of love which imperialists mortally feared was embodied eloquently in the 5th century BC drama Prometheus Bound written by Aeschylus (more to be said below).
So how does this lesson of the ‘two Christianities’ manifest itself in the current story of Harry and Markle’s departure from the collapsing House of Windsor?
To answer that, I’d like to take a short review of the royal couple’s 2018 wedding which featured a most anomalous occurrence which one would have to see in order to believe.
The Fractures Grow at the Royal Wedding
As the guests arrived in the usual pomp and regalia that such an event typically entails, all appeared to be unfolding according to British Anglican standards of conduct and Kantian elitism. As the keynote speaker Bishop Michael Curry (head of the American Episcopal Church (1)) began his sermon, something began to change. Based upon the scowling expressions of the Queen, her consort and squirming discomfort of other royals in the audience, one could see why something had fallen completely “off script”.
Opening the ceremony, the bishop gave a speech one would never have thought possible in the walls of the Church of St. George which has only known the hollow form of oligarchical Christianity for centuries. Speaking on the nature of genuine agapic love in opposition to the hollow shell of empire, Rev. Curry stated:
“Jesus said, ‘you shall love the lord, your god, with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength. This is the first and great commandment.’ And the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself. And then in Matthews’ version, he added, he said on these two, love of god and love of neighbor, hang all the law, all the prophets, everything that Moses wrote, everything in the holy prophets, everything in the scriptures, everything that god has been trying to tell the world, love god. Love your neighbors. And while you’re at it, love yourself. Someone once said that Jesus began most revolutionary movement in all of human history, a movement grounded in the unconditional love of god for the world. And a movement mandating people to live that love. And in so doing, to change not only their lives but the very life of the world itself. I’m talking about some power, real power, power to change the world.”
Curry shifted gears near the end of his sermon in order to celebrate the figure of Aeschylus’ drama named Prometheus, the fire-bringer who stole fire from Zeus in order to share it with mankind at the cost of thousands of years of torture.
“Fire, to a great extent, made human civilization possible. Fire, made it possible to cook food and to provide sanitary ways of eating, which reduced the spread of disease in its time. Fire made it possible to heat warm environments and thereby made human migration around the world a possibility, even into colder climates. Fire made it possible—there is no—there was no Bronze Age without fire. No Iron Age without fire. No Industrial Revolution without fire. The advances of science and technology are greatly dependent on the human ability and capacity to take fire and use it for human good.”
It is an open secret that the modern environmentalist movement’s longest living founder and patron is none other than Prince Philip himself, who co-founded the World Wildlife Fund for Nature in 1961 along with his bosom buddy Prince Bernhardt of Bilderberger fame. Married to the head of the Anglican Church, Prince Philip expressed this misanthropic anti-Christian view of man on multiple occasions over the years and has even publically stated his wish to be “reincarnated as a deadly virus” to solve overpopulation. In a December 1981 People Magazine interview, His royal virus laid it all out when he said:
“Human population growth is probably the single most serious long-term threat to survival. We’re in for a major disaster if it isn’t curbed… The more people there are, the more resources they’ll consume, the more pollution they’ll create, the more fighting they will do. We have no option. If it isn’t controlled voluntarily, it will be controlled involuntarily.”
It is also an open secret that the guiding ethic of the environmental movement which Philip and Bernhardt founded identified the figure of Prometheus as the core enemy image of man which has caused all of the “environmental disequilibrium” throughout history that their anti-growth decarbonisation schemes have sought to undo.
A leading Commander of the British Empire, friend of Philip and top advisor to Pope Francis, Sir Hans Schellenhuber co-authored the 2015 Encyclical Laudato Si which led into the Vatican push for a new category of “climate sins” which dovetails the international Green New Deal when he stated:
“In the age of fire, mankind has grown to a certain planetary power… And thus we are steering on in complete ignorance of the firewalls of the planetary system. Is there an alternative course? There are many! But all require, not reform, but rather the early defeat of the fossil-nuclear complex.”
Experiencing the fire of Promethean Christianity burn the skin of royal viruses like Prince Philip in the morally hollowed walls of St. George’s Cathedral was really refreshing. The musical intervention featuring African American spirituals displayed an honesty in that profane den of hypocrisy which was also a welcomed breath of fresh air.
Whatever the deeper reasons for Harry and Markle’s departure from their positions to create a new life distanced from the monarchy, we do know that this schism between image and reality has occurred, and is growing larger every day. One can almost hear the echo of Edgar Poe’s Roderick Usher (an archetype for all royals) sitting in his hollowed castle screaming in horror at the reality that the days of Feudal grandeur are over, as the fissures long ignored in the manor’s foundations result in the collapse of the house and all it stands for.
With these humble thoughts in mind, I hope you enjoy watching the royals squirm as much as I did.


theduran--2020-02-02--Record Numbers of Bombs Dropped in Afghanistan, a Downed E-11a and Stolen US Secrets:

2/1/20 – The most recent “ headline ” from Afghanistan was the so-called “ discovery ” of the SIGAR reports which regularly document the tragedy of American policy in Afghanistan and which verify what many of us already knew for years .
Jezail.org has long maintained that the official US policy on Afghanistan is NOT to get out .
Afghanistan is the founding AUMF ( Authorization to Use Military Force ) given to the White House to conduct an undeclared war .
But the enemy is a tactic , “ terrorism ” , more than an identifiable political or military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the war in Afghanistan a shape shifting characteristic .
One day we have been fighting against Al-Qaeda , the next we ’ re fighting the Taliban , the next we are nation building , the next we are crusading for women ’ s rights and so on .
It ’ s never quite the same and the more one drills down to identifying a reason to end a war , or set waypoints for progress in the war or measure progress in the war – the more vague everything becomes .
But like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stewards of US foreign and military policy have convinced themselves that America needs to stay in Afghanistan .
Presidents can say what they want and they do .
But they are not in control of US foreign policy as they should be .
There seems to have been some kind of “ Caine Mutiny ” in Washington .
This has become more or less an open secret with a number of senior government officials challenging the constitutional basis of a president ’ s responsibility to have a firm hand on the tiller of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his campaign promises , this president seems to have a poor understanding of where we are at in Afghanistan .
This is somewhat understandable because fewer and fewer people familiar with the ways of Washington believe that Donald Trump is being properly informed of events in any of our wars by his own cabinet and staff .
Jezail.org has experience in the insurgent point of view in Afghanistan .
We point to some simple observations that go a long way to making a solid assessment of America ’ s position in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a waypoint in the Afghan War to be on the watch for .
It comes from a book written in the early 1980 ’ s by Olivier Roy on the Russian experience in Afghanistan .
A key sentence for us was this : Soviet or Communist authority in Afghanistan was “ limited to the range of their machine guns ” .
That is a specific , identifiable and unambiguous measurement .
We ’ ve been at or near that point for a long time now .
Not only are the Taliban and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Kabul at will , they don ’ t seem to be able to stop themselves from doing so .
Now , when a bomb goes off , it doesn ’ t even make a headline in the US press any more .
It may even jeopardize “ peace talks ” in Doha but they go off just the same .
Americans in Afghanistan are mostly confined to base camps and safe areas and can not wander the countryside freely .
But here is a new waypoint to consider : click here American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Afghanistan than ever before .
This is not a path out of Afghanistan .
The Soviets didn ’ t escalate air strikes before they packed up and left .
Curiously , it seems that the Pentagon is finally getting around to small footprint Special Forces type deployments to get specific , targeted missions accomplished .
It is backed up by airpower that is closely coordinated with ground forces .
It was experimented with as early as the 1970 ’ s but never really adopted by the Pentagon as any kind of doctrine because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expensive weapons systems involved .
It is a method of fighting in Afghanistan jezail.org once advocated .
Predictably , the Pentagon is still getting it wrong .
It makes heroes out younger fighting officers instead of braided flag officers and that is a cultural sin in the Pentagon .
Instead flag officers now want expensive systems and machines at their command to control a battlefield from half a world away .
Yet , in spite of all of the battlefield intelligence systems that the Pentagon has spent lavishly on , they still can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civilians .
So , with most of the missions that are meant to eradicate “ the enemy ” , whoever or whatever that is , there is so much “ collateral damage ” that the end result is to make more Afghans hate the US and long for a return of the Taliban .
The result is that Pentagon planners have constructed a self defeating violence loop .
What also is not adequately realized is the danger of any strategy that relies on US air superiority .
There has been a steady loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are described as crashes .
That leaves independent observers in a quandary .
Either , the quality of US training of pilots has gone down precipitously or they are not all crashes .
Take your pick .
Jezail.org suspects that the Taliban may have MANPADS that no one wants to admit .
They will be effective against helicopters .
More ominously , a US e-11a came down last week .
This is a high altitude aircraft .
If it was taken down , it likely was not done with standard AAA .
Jezail.og @ @ @ @ @ @ @ E-11a ’ s undoubtedly have counter measures .
Pentagon officials have dismissed the MANPAD cause as being far fetched as well .
But they have no explanation that makes sense .
Jezail.org now wonders if some form of digital warfare technology was used to hijack the E-11a ’ s avionics to bring it down .
We do know that the Iranian air defenses have been able to crack US drone codes and have been able to down a number of American drones in this manner .
We also know that Pakistan ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ digital warfare capabilities .
Most disturbingly , we are also aware of a trade in US military code security breeches through Israel , beginning with Jonathan Pollard and progressing to this from 2012 : click here One can quibble about the sources on this , Wikipedia and the Jerusalem Post .
Neither are exactly the Guardian or the New York Times are they ?
!
But the fact is that a US military E-11a went down mysteriously over Afghanistan and there is a long history of trading technical military secrets through Israel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maintenance ?
Pilot error ?
Jezail.org doubts this .
But we do know that Israeli military officers have been roaming freely in the Pentagon for years and we are concerned .
Merely assuming an indefinite technical edge over an adversary is a very bad idea in any case .
Historically , the Nazis tried it and got as far as Stalingrad .
Their assumption of greater technical ability ended even as they accumulated ever more enemies .
They had no idea that the Allies had cracked their entire military encryption regime , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ command officers began to suspect this was the case , Guderian and Hoth in particular , the OKW made no serious changes .
Sound familiar ?
By the battle of Kursk , the much vaunted German offensive power ceased to exist only to be replaced by tortured spasms such as Manstein ’ s “ miracle ” at Kharkov and the Battle of the Bulge in the West .
The Allies had been reading their communications , something like reading their emails .
What jezail.org sees is an increasing over reliance on a military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the battlefield and is becoming ever more precarious .
In addition , we see a comfort level with an imagined air power and digital tech superiority which does not exist .
At the same time , American foreign policy is one of sanctions and making enemies out of competitors and competitors of allies .
The result is an ever increasing global isolation .
Jezail.org is very concerned for members of the US military serving in Afghanistan .
We see a growing possibility of a fate like that of Elphinstone ’ s army in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was classic imperial hubris .
It has been said that history does not repeat itself but it does rhyme .

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.
2/1/20 – The most recent “headline” from Afghanistan was the so-called “discovery” of the SIGAR reports which regularly document the tragedy of American policy in Afghanistan and which verify what many of us already knew for years. Jezail.org has long maintained that the official US policy on Afghanistan is NOT to get out. Afghanistan is the founding AUMF (Authorization to Use Military Force) given to the White House to conduct an undeclared war. But the enemy is a tactic, “terrorism”, more than an identifiable political or military entity. This gives the purpose of the war in Afghanistan a shape shifting characteristic. One day we have been fighting against Al-Qaeda, the next we’re fighting the Taliban, the next we are nation building, the next we are crusading for women’s rights and so on. It’s never quite the same and the more one drills down to identifying a reason to end a war, or set waypoints for progress in the war or measure progress in the war – the more vague everything becomes. But like the British empire before us, the stewards of US foreign and military policy have convinced themselves that America needs to stay in Afghanistan. Presidents can say what they want and they do. But they are not in control of US foreign policy as they should be. There seems to have been some kind of “Caine Mutiny” in Washington. This has become more or less an open secret with a number of senior government officials challenging the constitutional basis of a president’s responsibility to have a firm hand on the tiller of foreign policy. Sadly, in spite of his campaign promises, this president seems to have a poor understanding of where we are at in Afghanistan. This is somewhat understandable because fewer and fewer people familiar with the ways of Washington believe that Donald Trump is being properly informed of events in any of our wars by his own cabinet and staff.
Jezail.org has experience in the insurgent point of view in Afghanistan. We point to some simple observations that go a long way to making a solid assessment of America’s position in the region. Years ago, jezail.org identified a waypoint in the Afghan War to be on the watch for. It comes from a book written in the early 1980’s by Olivier Roy on the Russian experience in Afghanistan. A key sentence for us was this: Soviet or Communist authority in Afghanistan was “limited to the range of their machine guns”. That is a specific, identifiable and unambiguous measurement. We’ve been at or near that point for a long time now. Not only are the Taliban and the Pakistani ISI able to detonate truck bombs in Kabul at will, they don’t seem to be able to stop themselves from doing so. Now, when a bomb goes off, it doesn’t even make a headline in the US press any more. It may even jeopardize “peace talks” in Doha but they go off just the same. Americans in Afghanistan are mostly confined to base camps and safe areas and cannot wander the countryside freely. But here is a new waypoint to consider: click here
American military command is dropping more bombs on Afghanistan than ever before. This is not a path out of Afghanistan. The Soviets didn’t escalate air strikes before they packed up and left. Curiously, it seems that the Pentagon is finally getting around to small footprint Special Forces type deployments to get specific, targeted missions accomplished. It is backed up by airpower that is closely coordinated with ground forces. It was experimented with as early as the 1970’s but never really adopted by the Pentagon as any kind of doctrine because the early experiments didn’t have expensive weapons systems involved. It is a method of fighting in Afghanistan jezail.org once advocated. Predictably, the Pentagon is still getting it wrong. It makes heroes out younger fighting officers instead of braided flag officers and that is a cultural sin in the Pentagon. Instead flag officers now want expensive systems and machines at their command to control a battlefield from half a world away.
Yet, in spite of all of the battlefield intelligence systems that the Pentagon has spent lavishly on, they still cannot stop killing the wrong people, civilians. So, with most of the missions that are meant to eradicate “the enemy”, whoever or whatever that is, there is so much “collateral damage” that the end result is to make more Afghans hate the US and long for a return of the Taliban. The result is that Pentagon planners have constructed a self defeating violence loop.
What also is not adequately realized is the danger of any strategy that relies on US air superiority. There has been a steady loss of helicopters in Afghanistan all of which are described as crashes. That leaves independent observers in a quandary. Either, the quality of US training of pilots has gone down precipitously or they are not all crashes. Take your pick. Jezail.org suspects that the Taliban may have MANPADS that no one wants to admit. They will be effective against helicopters. More ominously, a US e-11a came down last week. This is a high altitude aircraft. If it was taken down, it likely was not done with standard AAA. Jezail.og doubts that it was a MANPAD. E-11a’s undoubtedly have counter measures. Pentagon officials have dismissed the MANPAD cause as being far fetched as well. But they have no explanation that makes sense. Jezail.org now wonders if some form of digital warfare technology was used to hijack the E-11a’s avionics to bring it down. We do know that the Iranian air defenses have been able to crack US drone codes and have been able to down a number of American drones in this manner. We also know that Pakistan’s military has always been working on its’ digital warfare capabilities. Most disturbingly, we are also aware of a trade in US military code security breeches through Israel, beginning with Jonathan Pollard and progressing to this from 2012: click here
One can quibble about the sources on this, Wikipedia and the Jerusalem Post. Neither are exactly the Guardian or the New York Times are they?! But the fact is that a US military E-11a went down mysteriously over Afghanistan and there is a long history of trading technical military secrets through Israel. Is there any alternative explanation? Maintenance? Pilot error? Jezail.org doubts this. But we do know that Israeli military officers have been roaming freely in the Pentagon for years and we are concerned. Merely assuming an indefinite technical edge over an adversary is a very bad idea in any case. Historically, the Nazis tried it and got as far as Stalingrad. Their assumption of greater technical ability ended even as they accumulated ever more enemies. They had no idea that the Allies had cracked their entire military encryption regime, “Enigma”. Even though some senior command officers began to suspect this was the case, Guderian and Hoth in particular, the OKW made no serious changes. Sound familiar? By the battle of Kursk, the much vaunted German offensive power ceased to exist only to be replaced by tortured spasms such as Manstein’s “miracle” at Kharkov and the Battle of the Bulge in the West. The Allies had been reading their communications, something like reading their emails.
What jezail.org sees is an increasing over reliance on a military tactical approach that is not working on the battlefield and is becoming ever more precarious. In addition, we see a comfort level with an imagined air power and digital tech superiority which does not exist. At the same time, American foreign policy is one of sanctions and making enemies out of competitors and competitors of allies. The result is an ever increasing global isolation. Jezail.org is very concerned for members of the US military serving in Afghanistan. We see a growing possibility of a fate like that of Elphinstone’s army in 1842. The cause of that defeat was classic imperial hubris.
It has been said that history does not repeat itself but it does rhyme.
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