theduran--2020-01-12--Trillions of Dollars in U.S. Military Spending Are Unaccounted-For

Eric Zuesse ( This updated version is first published at The Saker . )
This article from 21 July 2017 is here updated and expanded to the present ; and the dead links in it have been replaced by functional ( this time , archived — and thus more permanent ) links : Before documenting that many trillions of dollars in U.S. Government military spending have been and are unaccounted-for , and that by far the most corrupt U.S. federal Department is the ‘ Defense ’ Department , it is important to document here , by means of the links @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that , at least after the 9/11 event , the most respected institution in America has been and is the military , and so there exists in the United States a profoundly deceived public , which is a reflection of America ’ s having also a thoroughly corrupt national press or ‘ news ’ -media , a U.S. press that is controlled by the same group of individuals who control the ‘ defense ’ contractors such as Lockheed Martin — the firms that derive all or almost all of their incomes from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its allied governments .
In other words : the U.S. is controlled by a racket , and is not ( in any other than the formal sense — e.g.
, its Constitution ) a democracy .
Consequently , this article will document in its links , that the publicized and widespread view that the U.S. is a democracy instead of a dictatorship is false and results from the dictatorship ’ s control over America ’ s press , with support from also the press in countries that are allied with and vassals of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and for the past two decades , as is shown in annual Gallup polls taken since 1973 , the American public has displayed far higher confidence and trust in “ The Military ” than in any other “ Institution ” ( including than churches , schools , the Presidency , the police , courts — any ) .
This enormous public respect for , basically , America ’ s Military-Industrial Complex or MIC , didn ’ t even exist before 9/11 .
This overwhelmingly militarized American mentality is specifically in the 21st century @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 20th century .
In fact , back in 1973 ( the year Gallup first polled this ) , the most-respected institution was “ The Medical System , ” which then was 80 % respected , and now is only 36 % respected .
Ever since 2002 ( right after 9/11 ) , “ The Military ” has been respected more than 70 % ( around twice as much as “ The Medical System ” now is ) , and it ’ s the only “ Institution ” that is consistently above @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” comes close , in the upper 60s .
Next down is “ Police ” in the lower 50s .
Then , everything else is in the 30s or lower .
Maybe the Government ’ s two responses to 9/11 ( first , the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan , which caused respect for the military to leap up 13 % in 2002 but produced total failure ; and , then , the other alleged 9/11 response , the 2003 invasion of Iraq , raised the figure yet another 3 % ) were the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owners of America ’ s giant weapons-manufacturers .
This permanently militarized America , which exists ever since 9/11 , enriches them enormously .
The U.S. Government has served these corporate owners superbly , while the rest of the population pays the tab for it ( via their taxes , and via their soldiers ’ corpses — not even to mention the far more numerous corpses of residents in the invaded countries , such as Afghanistan , Iraq , Libya , Syria , and Yemen ) .
So , there is this steady high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. public trust it more than anything else .
And yet — according to the Inspector General ( IG ) of the U.S. Department of Defense ( DOD ) — many billions , and sometimes even trillions , of dollars , in the Department ’ s periodic financial reports , are not documented .
What has happened to this money from U.S. taxpayers is unknown — it ’ s gone missing ( alleged to have been spent , but to payees unidentified ) .
That ’ s the exact opposite of trustworthy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this vast chasm of financial darkness continues year-after-year ( yet without at all reducing Americans ’ trust in “ The Military ” ) .
Apparently , Americans , as a lot , are gluttons for punishment — or else our ‘ news ’ -media haven ’ t sufficiently reported the “ waste , fraud , and abuse ” that “ The Military ” ( the most-respected U.S. institution ) are doing to the American public .
( And those media covered-up for the regime and uncritically spread its lies — such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2002 — as if those allegations by the corrupt Government were instead facts , and so America ’ s press are themselves part of the regime ; they ’ re only fakes as ‘ journalists ’ , and so they certainly share in this Government ’ s guilt . )
Either way , there is this extraordinarily high public confidence in the military , ongoing year-after-year , though the U.S. DOD continues to be the only unauditable federal Department , and though expenditures amounting ( over the years ) into trillions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as will be documented in this article , will be the American ‘ news ’ -media ’ s chance to call the public ’ s attention to this discrepancy between the military ’ s reality , versus the public ’ s perceptions of that reality , by their publishing this documentation ( if they finally decide to do it — which they ’ ve never yet done ) : On July 14th , Catherine Austin Fitts posted to her website links to some of the key relevant federal documents .
Her site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the documents that refer to trillions of dollars unaccounted-for are also linked-to below , and are then quoted from , so that a reader can obtain — even without clicking onto the links — a sense both of the enormity of the corruption , and also of the authoritativeness of the official statements that are being made in these documents , regarding the extent of that corruption .
I am using here the word “ corruption ” because whenever an official finding by a U.S. government agency is reporting trillions of dollars of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purposes and recipients which are unknown , I call it “ corruption , ” on the basis that : regardless of whether or not the matter is intended or is instead sloppiness , even mere sloppiness is heinous if it ranges into trillions of dollars of taxpayer-money missing or wrongly spent .
Even sloppiness , of that magnitude , in the expenditure of taxpayer funds , reflects corruption , if it continues on for years , or especially ( as it is shown to do here ) for decades , and still has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most recent such IG report makes clear ( on page 7 of 74 ) that “ Army and Defense Finance and Accounting Service Indianapolis personnel did not adequately support $ 2.8 trillion in third quarter adjustments and $ 6.5 trillion in yearend adjustments made to Army General Fund data during FY 2015 financial statement compilation.
” These “ adjustments ” — a total of $ 9.3 trillion over the half-year period examined — had been made to prior unacceptable reports , but were still failing to explain where the money had gone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solari , of Catherine Austin Fitts ) , and excerpts from the main documents , which excerpts are posted immediately below it : “ DOD and HUD Missing Money : Supporting Documentation for $ 21 Trillion of Undocumentable Adjustments ” “ Dr .
Skidmore and his team have now reviewed additional documentation and undocumented adjustments at DOD and HUD now total $ 21 trillion – more than the outstanding debt on the US government balance sheet.
” “ We determined that 236 , totaling $ 2 trillion , of the 263 third quarter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 170 , totaling $ 2.1 trillion , of the 194 yearend JV adjustments in our sample , were in fact unsupported.
” “ OASA ( FM & C ) and DFAS Indianapolis personnel did not adequately document or support adjustments made to AGF data during FY 2015 financial statement compilation .
Specifically , OASA ( FM & C ) and DFAS Indianapolis personnel did not adequately support $ 2.8 trillion in JV adjustments for third quarter and $ 6.5 trillion in JV adjustments for yearend.17 ” 23 September 2011 “ Testimony of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Auditing ” “ We found the Department ’ s review process included less than half of the fiscal year 2010 first quarter gross outlays.10 … Comptroller officials stated that the $ 167.5 billion in outlays the Department did not examine for improper payments included internal and intragovernmental transfers .
Those outlays were not subject to the OMB reporting requirements since the payments did not leave the Government .
However , we later determined that Comptroller officials did not perform a reconciliation to determine whether these outlays were internal or intragovernmental transfers .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that all outlays are being examined for overpayments and in order to accurately report the extent of the overpayments .
Specifically , DoD did not review approximately $ 167.5 billion of the $ 303.7 billion in gross outlays for high dollar overpayments .
Additionally , some overpayments that we or the Department identified were not reported , and the First Quarter FY 2010 High Dollar Overpayments Report did not include sufficient information about recoveries and corrective actions.
” “ Unless DoD improves its methodology to review all its disbursements , it will continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will likely miss opportunities to collect additional improper payments.
” “ We are concerned with the accuracy and reliability of the Department ’ s estimation process .
Without a reliable process to review all expenditures and identify the full extent of improper payments , the Department will not be able to improve internal controls aimed at reducing improper payments .
12 The Department ’ s financial management processes are not always adequate to prevent or detect improper payments .
For example , in our recent audit of a contract supporting Broad Area Maritime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not validate that the contractor was entitled to $ 329.3 million it received as of January 12 , 2010 .
These are costs paid to contractors that Defense Contract Audit Agency questioned because they do not comply with rules , regulations , laws and/or contract terms which meets the definition of an improper payment .
These improper payments the audit agency identified are greater than the $ 1.3 billion of improper payments the Department identified during 2004 to 2010.
” 20 July 2000 : “ STATEMENT OF ROBERT J. LIEBERMAN ASSISTANT INSPECTOR GENERAL @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ON DEFENSE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS HOUSE BUDGET COMMITTEE ON DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT Report No .
D-2000-167 DELIVERED : July 20 , 2000 ” “ The audits of the FY 1999 DoD financial statements indicated that $ 7.6 trillion of accounting entries were made to compile them .
This startling number is perhaps the most graphic available indicator of just how poor the existing systems are .
The magnitude of the problem is further demonstrated by the fact that , of $ 5.8 trillion of those adjustments that we audited this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reliable explanatory information and audit trails or were made to invalid general ledger accounts .
About $ 602.7 billion of accounting entries were made to correct errors in feeder reports.
” Here , from the list of the 100 largest U.S. federal Government contractors , are the 20 largest recipients of U.S. federal government money : The following is a list of the Top-100 U.S. Department of Defense ( DoD ) Prime Contractors in Fiscal Year ( FY ) 2015 ranked by total contract funds awarded [ and showing also the aggregate percentage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contractors going to each company ] .
1 .
Lockheed Martin Corp. , 10.71 % of all U.S. $ to contractors As is obvious , all or almost all of these firms are contractors to ( recipients of money from ) the U.S. Department of Defense ; and they may reasonably be presumed to be benefiting significantly from some of the unaccounted-for payments from the U.S. DOD .
However , if the money isn ’ t going to them , then where is it going ?
And why ?
And for what ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ answer these questions ?
And why are U.S. ‘ news ’ -media not publicizing this matter so as to force such investigations ?
Are payoffs involved — payoffs for silence ?
Why are none of the ‘ news ’ -media that have the resources to explore these questions , publishing their own investigations into it , since Congress won ’ t investigate ?
And , since the Inspector General ’ s reports into these matters have had no impact , why isn ’ t the focus finally shifting away from studying to find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecuting the people who — at the very least — failed to do what they were being paid to do : keep track of every cent of taxpayers ’ money ?
If doing that job is too dangerous , then shouldn ’ t the people who are tasked to do it be paid more , so as to cover their exceptionally high personal risk ?
Is all of this secrecy really necessary in order to keep “ The Military ” far on top as the most respected of all institutions in the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harms that the U.S. military has actually caused in Iraq , Libya , Syria , etc.
, destroying those countries and others ?
How much would the American public ’ s respect for the military — the mass-killing institution — be brought down , if the truth about it were known ?
Would the mass-killing institution deserve to be the most respected institution even if it weren ’ t so profoundly corrupt ?
This company will be merging with Raytheon in 2020 .
UTX is up by 19.12 percent year-to-date , with its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L3 Harris develops advanced defense technologies in communications .
It is up by 55.82 percent year-to-date , at US $ 207.46 .
Huntington Ingalls is a major component of US Navy shipbuilding capacity .
The company is trading at US $ 207.37 , up by 7.69 percent year-to-date , though it has been much higher .
Leidos is a technology company with major contracts with the Department of Defense .
The company was trading at US $ 80.54 as of August this year , up 54.79 percent year-to-date .
Booz Allen Hamilton is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once called the “ world ’ s most profitable spy organization ” by Bloomberg .
The company is trading up 58.94 percent year-to-date at US $ 70.46 as of August .
On 21 May 2017 , I headlined “ U.S .
$ 350 Billion Arms-Sale to Sauds Cements U.S.-Jihadist Alliance ” and reported that , “ On Saturday , May 20th , U.S. President Donald Trump and the Saud family inked an all-time record-high $ 350 billion ten-year arms-deal that not only will cement-in the Saud family ’ s position as the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weaponry , but will make the Saud family , and America ’ s ruling families , become , in effect , one aristocracy over both nations , because neither side will be able to violate the will of the other .
As the years roll on , their mutual dependency will deepen , each and every year.
” I followed that up , on 14 August 2018 , by “ America ’ s Militarized Economy ” and opened with “ Donald Trump ’ s biggest success , thus far into his Presidency , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion ( originally $ 350 billion ) of U.S.-made weapons to the Saudi Arabian Government , which is owned by its royal family , after whom that nation is named .
This sale alone is big enough to be called Trump ’ s ‘ jobs plan ’ for Americans .
It is also the biggest weapons-sale in all of history .
It ’ s 400 billion dollars , not 400 million dollars ; it is gigantic , and , by far , unprecedented in world-history.
” That ’ s what has mainly been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America ’ s ‘ defense ’ contractors .
It also underscores why Trump refuses to blame Saudi Arabia ’ s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman al-Saud for ordering Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi to be chopped up in Istanbul and disposed of , even while Trump blames leaders of Iran , Syria , Venezuela , etc.
, for all sorts of alleged ( usually fictitious ) atrocities .
On December 24th , İbrahim Karagül , of Turkey ’ s Yeni Safak newspaper , bannered “ Khashoggi murder : Five executions , one cover-up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said , of Saudi Arabia ’ s ‘ investigation ’ into Khashoggi ’ s murder : The case was a setup , the trial was a setup , the death sentences are also a setup .
The Saudi administration , which refrained from disclosing even the whereabouts of Khashoggi ’ s body , resolved to kill those who did the crown prince ’ s dirty work to save Salman .
This is an act of silencing , destruction of evidence , the liquidation of people whose loyalty is in doubt and who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the leader of the murder team , was not convicted .
Even Mohammad al-Otaibi , Istanbul consul general , whom Turkey showed as the unwanted man and asked the king to withdraw , was not even accused .
Ahmed Asiri , deputy chief of intelligence who planned the murder – and was supposedly dismissed – was released .
But , because the vast majority of Americans don ’ t get to know any of this , they think that today ’ s America is still like pre-1945 America was , instead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fascist powers themselves were .
Germany , Italy , and Japan , had heavily militarized economies during the 1930s through early 1940s , and America has a heavily militarized economy ever since ( at least ) 1980 , and especially now — long after the Cold War ended on Russia ’ s side in 1991 , and especially long beyond any reasonable excuse for these constantly rising ‘ defense ’ expenditures .
There ’ s economic growth in such countries ( that is , in imperialistic fascist countries ) , and almost all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ‘ defense ’ contractors .
What grows , then , in such countries , isn ’ t actually the patient , but the tumor .
However , lots of Americans don ’ t know the difference between the two and are satisfied with any type of growth at all , and they even respect the world ’ s most corrupt military more than they respect any other institution .
In a functioning democracy , this would be impossible , because any public anywhere would be outraged by it and would be in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knew about it .
Furthermore , if this were a democracy , then the entire public would already have learned about this , and the situation wouldn ’ t have reached so bad — and so dangerous ( for the entire world — such as now , after Trump assassinated Iran ’ s # 2 leader ) — a stage , as it already has reached , while nothing was being done to stop it and to imprison ( and nationalize the wealth of ) the U.S. billionaires who have been behind ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Government and getting the public to fund these imperialistic operations of the nation ’ s aristocrats .
Astronomical political corruption is the sole source of all of this .
And this corruption is in the courts , and not only in Congress and in the Executive , and allows this rape of democracy to be called ‘ constitutional ’ and thus go unpunished , and thus to become constantly worse .
Soaring wealth-inequality , not only inside the United States , but throughout the world , results from this .
And the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where there is impunity ( because it ’ s ‘ constitutional ’ — even though that ’ s only a lie about what the Founders had meant by their Constitution ) .
When the crooks actually write the laws , the laws become crooked .
When the crooks also control the ‘ news ’ -media , the public are defenseless because ignorant and deceived .
Wherever fascism is in control , this is the way that it functions .
HOW THE ESTABLISHMENT RESPOND TO THIS : Mick West , who blogs as metabunk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ Establishment ” or the billionaires ’ preferences of what the public should believe ; and , on 16 May 2018 , he headlined “ Debunked : Missing $ 21 Trillion / $ 6.5 Trillion / $ 2.3 Trillion – Journal Vouchers ” , and he presented a representative of America ’ s Military-Industrial Complex ( MIC ) asserting , to U.S. House members , that “ this is not a new story , it dates back to 2001 and before , ” and , West noted , “ All these things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says ‘ occur after the money is spent ’ .
They are things that you want to get right in your accounting , but if you get the values wrong then it does not mean you ’ ve lost the money .
It means you ’ ve got some estimate wrong , and you ’ ll put to little or to much [ West meant “ too much or too little ” ] in one fund or another.
” Referring , then , to the $ 21 trillion , he wrote , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though , still not missing money , still just unsupported accounting information transfers.
” However , only a sucker would take that casual attitude to the enormous amount of money in the ‘ defense ’ budget that is “ unsupported ” as to who received it , and whether or not those payments were in accord with what Congress had actually authorized .
Furthermore , such a casual attitude toward U.S. ’ defense ’ -expenditures — the expenditures which constitute actually over half of the U.S. federal Government ’ s discretionary expenditures , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world ’ s military expenditures — is an invitation to corruption in over half of this Government ’ s annually authorized spending ; and any intelligent person would expect that such an invitation would be taken advantage of by insiders who are in a position to benefit from it .
West quotes from only one alleged authority , the “ Defense Department Comptroller , David L. Norquist , ” a person who is largely responsible for the problem , who said “ it ’ s an accounting problem that does need to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underlying issues , ” but ( at 1:43 in the accompanying video ) “ it ’ s not the same thing as not being able to account for money that Congress has given you to spend , but it ’ s still a problem that needs to be fixed.
” Mick West simply trusted this statement , by Norquist — though Norquist is one of the officials responsible for the problem — but Norquist failed to prove ( and wasn ’ t even asked to prove it , by the Representatives whom he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t seem to be alarmed about where that $ 21T actually went ) his key assertion , that “ it ’ s not the same thing as not being able to account for money that Congress has given you to spend.
” And , even if that assertion , by that official , is true ( which should not be assumed , and which even seems ludicrous on its very face ) , the problem is unquestionably an invitation to corruption in ‘ defense ’ -expenditures , and those are precisely the type @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income to the federal Government ’ s contractors , the corporations that make all or most of their profits from sales to the federal Government and to its allied governments ( such as to the Saud family ) .
Therefore , casually allowing — and not even investigating as being possibly treasonous — these expenditures , is , itself , enormously scandalous , but the Representatives there were treating it so casually .
In fact , at the very opening of the hearing , which was held on 10 January 2018 ( at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hearing ) the Chairman of the Committee emphasized the “ We must spend more ” on the military , even though we already spend around half of the entire world ’ s military expenditures .
Manifestly , this hearing was a charade .
In the full video , the passage that Mick West quoted from is at 18:00-22:00 , and the Representatives were clearly on the side of the charade , not on the side of the American people .
Clearly , all members of that Committee , the House Armed Services Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pockets of firms such as Lockheed Martin .
On 15 November 2018 , Reuters headlined “ Pentagon fails its first-ever audit , official says ” , and reported that “ ‘ We failed the audit , but we never expected to pass it , ’ Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan told reporters.
” On 27 November 2018 , The Nation headlined “ Exclusive : The Pentagon ’ s Massive Accounting Fraud Exposed ” and David Lindorff opened : “ On November 15 , Ernst & Young and other private firms that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they could not complete the job .
Congress had ordered an independent audit of the Department of Defense , the government ’ s largest discretionary cost center — the Pentagon receives 54 cents out of every dollar in federal appropriations — after the Pentagon failed for decades to audit itself .
The firms concluded , however , that the DoD ’ s financial records were riddled with so many bookkeeping deficiencies , irregularities , and errors that a reliable audit was simply impossible.
” So , that was the result of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is virtual treason by the federal Government .
In short : Congress is satisfied for this situation to continue , and the members of Congress evidently have no fear that the voters back home will vote against them if a challenger makes this issue a major issue in that Senator ’ s or Representative ’ s next Party primary .
The presumption is that the voters don ’ t care , and that the ‘ news ’ -media won ’ t enlighten the voters about this matter , and about how it impacts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. will categorize as being an “ ally , ” to sell weapons to , and which nations it will categorize as being an “ enemy , ” to target for conquest .
Invading and militarily occupying all of these countries which ‘ our ’ Government calls an “ enemy ” ( though that country never even threatened , much less invaded , the U.S. ) is the end-product of a vast amount of corruption — this much is absolutely clear .
None of this could happen if the United States Government did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia after Russia ended it on its side in 1991 .
Russia is the U.S. aristocracy ’ s necessary bogey-man .
For example : how many Americans know that in June 2013 , which was months before the Maidan demonstrations even started in Russia ’ s next-door-neighbor Ukraine on 21 November of that year , the U.S. federal Government was already seeking U.S. Government contractors to transform a building in Sevastopol Crimea in Ukraine into becoming part of a U.S. naval base there which Obama was planning to replace Russia ’ s largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and still remains — located there since 1783 ?
He had started by no later than June of 2011 his planning for the February 2014 coup in Ukraine .
The origin of this goes all the way back to 26 July 1945 , but the next key date was 24 February 1990 , which continued the Cold War after Russia ended it .
Anyone who writes about U.S. policy and doesn ’ t place this issue front and center is either misinformed or else corrupt .
But anyone who does place it front @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , perhaps , at struggling non-mainstream U.S. national news-media ) .
This is how much of a dictatorship today ’ s U.S. has now become .
Lying and cover-up have now become obligatory in all of the mainstream U.S. media , so as to prevent the American public from knowing what this article has documented to be true .
This article has been written as an introduction to understanding recent American history .
Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author , most recently , of They ’ re Not Even Close : The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and of CHRIST ’ S VENTRILOQUISTS : The Event that Created Christianity .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Eric Zuesse (This updated version is first published at The Saker.)
This article from 21 July 2017 is here updated and expanded to the present; and the dead links in it have been replaced by functional (this time, archived — and thus more permanent) links:
Before documenting that many trillions of dollars in U.S. Government military spending have been and are unaccounted-for, and that by far the most corrupt U.S. federal Department is the ‘Defense’ Department, it is important to document here, by means of the links that will be provided in this article, that, at least after the 9/11 event, the most respected institution in America has been and is the military, and so there exists in the United States a profoundly deceived public, which is a reflection of America’s having also a thoroughly corrupt national press or ‘news’-media, a U.S. press that is controlled by the same group of individuals who control the ‘defense’ contractors such as Lockheed Martin — the firms that derive all or almost all of their incomes from sales to the U.S. Government and to its allied governments. In other words: the U.S. is controlled by a racket, and is not (in any other than the formal sense — e.g., its Constitution) a democracy. Consequently, this article will document in its links, that the publicized and widespread view that the U.S. is a democracy instead of a dictatorship is false and results from the dictatorship’s control over America’s press, with support from also the press in countries that are allied with and vassals of America’s dictatorship.
Now, and for the past two decades, as is shown in annual Gallup polls taken since 1973, the American public has displayed far higher confidence and trust in “The Military” than in any other “Institution” (including than churches, schools, the Presidency, the police, courts — any).
This enormous public respect for, basically, America’s Military-Industrial Complex or MIC, didn’t even exist before 9/11. This overwhelmingly militarized American mentality is specifically in the 21st century, and existed virtually not at all in the 20th century. In fact, back in 1973 (the year Gallup first polled this), the most-respected institution was “The Medical System,” which then was 80% respected, and now is only 36% respected. Ever since 2002 (right after 9/11), “The Military” has been respected more than 70% (around twice as much as “The Medical System” now is), and it’s the only “Institution” that is consistently above 70%. Only “Small Business” comes close, in the upper 60s. Next down is “Police” in the lower 50s. Then, everything else is in the 30s or lower. Maybe the Government’s two responses to 9/11 (first, the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, which caused respect for the military to leap up 13% in 2002 but produced total failure; and, then, the other alleged 9/11 response, the 2003 invasion of Iraq, raised the figure yet another 3%) were the best things that ever happened for the owners of America’s giant weapons-manufacturers. This permanently militarized America, which exists ever since 9/11, enriches them enormously. The U.S. Government has served these corporate owners superbly, while the rest of the population pays the tab for it (via their taxes, and via their soldiers’ corpses — not even to mention the far more numerous corpses of residents in the invaded countries, such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen).
So, there is this steady high American respect for the MIC. The U.S. public trust it more than anything else. And yet — according to the Inspector General (IG) of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) — many billions, and sometimes even trillions, of dollars, in the Department’s periodic financial reports, are not documented. What has happened to this money from U.S. taxpayers is unknown — it’s gone missing (alleged to have been spent, but to payees unidentified). That’s the exact opposite of trustworthy.
According to the DOD’s IG, this vast chasm of financial darkness continues year-after-year (yet without at all reducing Americans’ trust in “The Military”). Apparently, Americans, as a lot, are gluttons for punishment — or else our ‘news’-media haven’t sufficiently reported the “waste, fraud, and abuse” that “The Military” (the most-respected U.S. institution) are doing to the American public. (And those media covered-up for the regime and uncritically spread its lies — such as about ‘Saddam’s WMD’ in 2002 — as if those allegations by the corrupt Government were instead facts, and so America’s press are themselves part of the regime; they’re only fakes as ‘journalists’, and so they certainly share in this Government’s guilt.) Either way, there is this extraordinarily high public confidence in the military, ongoing year-after-year, though the U.S. DOD continues to be the only unauditable federal Department, and though expenditures amounting (over the years) into trillions of dollars still remain unaccounted-for. But here, as will be documented in this article, will be the American ‘news’-media’s chance to call the public’s attention to this discrepancy between the military’s reality, versus the public’s perceptions of that reality, by their publishing this documentation (if they finally decide to do it — which they’ve never yet done):
On July 14th, Catherine Austin Fitts posted to her website links to some of the key relevant federal documents. Her site is linked-to below, and some of the documents that refer to trillions of dollars unaccounted-for are also linked-to below, and are then quoted from, so that a reader can obtain — even without clicking onto the links — a sense both of the enormity of the corruption, and also of the authoritativeness of the official statements that are being made in these documents, regarding the extent of that corruption.
I am using here the word “corruption” because whenever an official finding by a U.S. government agency is reporting trillions of dollars of taxpayer money that have been spent for purposes and recipients which are unknown, I call it “corruption,” on the basis that: regardless of whether or not the matter is intended or is instead sloppiness, even mere sloppiness is heinous if it ranges into trillions of dollars of taxpayer-money missing or wrongly spent. Even sloppiness, of that magnitude, in the expenditure of taxpayer funds, reflects corruption, if it continues on for years, or especially (as it is shown to do here) for decades, and still has not been stopped.
In fact, the most recent such IG report makes clear (on page 7 of 74) that “Army and Defense Finance and Accounting Service Indianapolis personnel did not adequately support $2.8 trillion in third quarter adjustments and $6.5 trillion in yearend adjustments made to Army General Fund data during FY 2015 financial statement compilation.” These “adjustments” — a total of $9.3 trillion over the half-year period examined — had been made to prior unacceptable reports, but were still failing to explain where the money had gone. Here is the main site (solari, of Catherine Austin Fitts), and excerpts from the main documents, which excerpts are posted immediately below it:
——
http://web.archive.org/web/20171002003213/https://solari.com/blog/dod-and-hud-missing-money-supporting-documentation/
https://archive.is/wMF1q
“DOD and HUD Missing Money: Supporting Documentation for $21 Trillion of Undocumentable Adjustments”
2 October 2017, Catherine Austin Fitts, News & Commentary
“Dr. Skidmore and his team have now reviewed additional documentation and undocumented adjustments at DOD and HUD now total $21 trillion – more than the outstanding debt on the US government balance sheet.”
——
26 July 2016 “Army General Fund Adjustments Not Adequately Documented or Supported”
http://web.archive.org/web/20191113014716/https://media.defense.gov/2016/Jul/26/2001714261/-1/-1/1/DODIG-2016-113.pdf
“We determined that 236, totaling $2 trillion, of the 263 third quarter JV adjustments in our sample, and 170, totaling $2.1 trillion, of the 194 yearend JV adjustments in our sample, were in fact unsupported.”
“OASA(FM&C) and DFAS Indianapolis personnel did not adequately document or support adjustments made to AGF data during FY 2015 financial statement compilation. Specifically, OASA(FM&C) and DFAS Indianapolis personnel did not adequately support $2.8 trillion in JV adjustments for third quarter and $6.5 trillion in JV adjustments for yearend.17”
——
23 September 2011 “Testimony of the [DOD] Deputy Inspector General for Auditing”
https://web.archive.org/web/20121010184926/http://www.dodig.mil/IGInformation/IGInformationReleases/DoDIG_Testimony_Final%20(HOGR-20110923).pdf
“We found the Department’s review process included less than half of the fiscal year 2010 first quarter gross outlays.10 … Comptroller officials stated that the $167.5 billion in outlays the Department did not examine for improper payments included internal and intragovernmental transfers. Those outlays were not subject to the OMB reporting requirements since the payments did not leave the Government. However, we later determined that Comptroller officials did not perform a reconciliation to determine whether these outlays were internal or intragovernmental transfers. A complete reconciliation is still needed to demonstrate that all outlays are being examined for overpayments and in order to accurately report the extent of the overpayments. Specifically, DoD did not review approximately $167.5 billion of the $303.7 billion in gross outlays for high dollar overpayments. Additionally, some overpayments that we or the Department identified were not reported, and the First Quarter FY 2010 High Dollar Overpayments Report did not include sufficient information about recoveries and corrective actions.”
“Unless DoD improves its methodology to review all its disbursements, it will continue to understate its estimate of overpayments and will likely miss opportunities to collect additional improper payments.”
“We are concerned with the accuracy and reliability of the Department’s estimation process. Without a reliable process to review all expenditures and identify the full extent of improper payments, the Department will not be able to improve internal controls aimed at reducing improper payments. 12 The Department’s financial management processes are not always adequate to prevent or detect improper payments. For example, in our recent audit of a contract supporting Broad Area Maritime Surveillance, we found DoD personnel did not validate that the contractor was entitled to $329.3 million it received as of January 12, 2010. These are costs paid to contractors that Defense Contract Audit Agency questioned because they do not comply with rules, regulations, laws and/or contract terms which meets the definition of an improper payment. These improper payments the audit agency identified are greater than the $1.3 billion of improper payments the Department identified during 2004 to 2010.”
——
https://archive.is/kW8Tf
20 July 2000: “STATEMENT OF ROBERT J. LIEBERMAN ASSISTANT INSPECTOR GENERAL DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE BEFORE THE TASK FORCE ON DEFENSE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS HOUSE BUDGET COMMITTEE ON DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT Report No. D-2000-167 DELIVERED: July 20, 2000”
“The audits of the FY 1999 DoD financial statements indicated that $7.6 trillion of accounting entries were made to compile them. This startling number is perhaps the most graphic available indicator of just how poor the existing systems are. The magnitude of the problem is further demonstrated by the fact that, of $5.8 trillion of those adjustments that we audited this year, $2.3 trillion were unsupported by reliable explanatory information and audit trails or were made to invalid general ledger accounts. About $602.7 billion of accounting entries were made to correct errors in feeder reports.”
——
THE MAJOR RECIPIENTS OF FEDERAL FUNDS:
Here, from the list of the 100 largest U.S. federal Government contractors, are the 20 largest recipients of U.S. federal government money:
https://archive.is/j2XGb
The following is a list of the Top-100 U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Prime Contractors in Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 ranked by total contract funds awarded [and showing also the aggregate percentage of total U.S. federal spending on private contractors going to each company].
1. Lockheed Martin Corp., 10.71% of all U.S. $ to contractors
2. The Boeing Company, 5.33%
3. Raytheon Company, 4.54%
4. General Dynamics Corp., 4.22%
5. Northrop Grumman Corp., 3.49%
6. United Technologies Corp., 2.58%
7. L-3 Communications Holdings Inc., 1.86%
8. BAE Systems plc, 1.63%
9. Humana Inc., 1.31%
10. Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc., 1.13%
11. Bechtel Group Inc., 1.07%
12. Health Net Inc., 1.01%
13. Unitedhealth Group Inc., 0.97%
14. SAIC Inc., 0.92%
15. General Atomic Technologies Corp., 0.85%
16. McKesson Corp., 0.79%
17. Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, 0.75%
18. AmerisourceBergen Corp., 0.68%
19. Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp., 0.65%
20. United Launch Alliance L.L.C., 0.63%
As is obvious, all or almost all of these firms are contractors to (recipients of money from) the U.S. Department of Defense; and they may reasonably be presumed to be benefiting significantly from some of the unaccounted-for payments from the U.S. DOD. However, if the money isn’t going to them, then where is it going? And why? And for what? Why is there no congressional investigation to answer these questions? And why are U.S. ‘news’-media not publicizing this matter so as to force such investigations? Are payoffs involved — payoffs for silence? Why are none of the ‘news’-media that have the resources to explore these questions, publishing their own investigations into it, since Congress won’t investigate? And, since the Inspector General’s reports into these matters have had no impact, why isn’t the focus finally shifting away from studying to find how much is missing, toward instead prosecuting the people who — at the very least — failed to do what they were being paid to do: keep track of every cent of taxpayers’ money? If doing that job is too dangerous, then shouldn’t the people who are tasked to do it be paid more, so as to cover their exceptionally high personal risk? Is all of this secrecy really necessary in order to keep “The Military” far on top as the most respected of all institutions in the United States — even after all of the harms that the U.S. military has actually caused in Iraq, Libya, Syria, etc., destroying those countries and others? How much would the American public’s respect for the military — the mass-killing institution — be brought down, if the truth about it were known? Would the mass-killing institution deserve to be the most respected institution even if it weren’t so profoundly corrupt?
UPDATED DATA:
https://investingnews.com/top-defense-contractors/
http://archive.is/Zzpn6
“10 Top US Defense Contractors”
Scott Tibballs – August 8, 2019
1. Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT)
Revenue: US$53.8 billion; year-to-date gains: 39.5 percent
2. Boeing (NYSE:BA)
Revenue: US$101.1 billion, year-to-date gains: 2.34 percent
3. Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC)
Revenue: US$30 billion, year-to-date gains: 46.7 percent
4. Raytheon (NYSE:RTN)
Revenue: US$27 billion, year-to-date gains: 19.72 percent
5. General Dynamics (NYSE:GD)
Revenue: US$36.1 billion, year-to-date gains: 15 percent
6. United Technologies
This company will be merging with Raytheon in 2020. UTX is up by 19.12 percent year-to-date, with its shares valued at US$129.01.
7. L3 Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX)
L3 Harris develops advanced defense technologies in communications. It is up by 55.82 percent year-to-date, at US$207.46.
8. Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII)
Huntington Ingalls is a major component of US Navy shipbuilding capacity. The company is trading at US$207.37, up by 7.69 percent year-to-date, though it has been much higher.
9. Leidos (NYSE:LDOS)
Leidos is a technology company with major contracts with the Department of Defense. The company was trading at US$80.54 as of August this year, up 54.79 percent year-to-date.
10. Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE:BAH)
Booz Allen Hamilton is a cyber security and intelligence company, once called the “world’s most profitable spy organization” by Bloomberg. The company is trading up 58.94 percent year-to-date at US$70.46 as of August.
ADDED OBSERVATIONS, regarding those recently soaring military sales:
On 21 May 2017, I headlined “U.S. $350 Billion Arms-Sale to Sauds Cements U.S.-Jihadist Alliance” and reported that, “On Saturday, May 20th, U.S. President Donald Trump and the Saud family inked an all-time record-high $350 billion ten-year arms-deal that not only will cement-in the Saud family’s position as the world’s largest foreign purchasers of U.S.-produced weaponry, but will make the Saud family, and America’s ruling families, become, in effect, one aristocracy over both nations, because neither side will be able to violate the will of the other. As the years roll on, their mutual dependency will deepen, each and every year.”
I followed that up, on 14 August 2018, by “America’s Militarized Economy” and opened with “Donald Trump’s biggest success, thus far into his Presidency, has been his sale of $400 billion (originally $350 billion) of U.S.-made weapons to the Saudi Arabian Government, which is owned by its royal family, after whom that nation is named. This sale alone is big enough to be called Trump’s ‘jobs plan’ for Americans. It is also the biggest weapons-sale in all of history. It’s 400 billion dollars, not 400 million dollars; it is gigantic, and, by far, unprecedented in world-history.”
That’s what has mainly been driving the recent massively increased sales-volumes of America’s ‘defense’ contractors. It also underscores why Trump refuses to blame Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman al-Saud for ordering Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi to be chopped up in Istanbul and disposed of, even while Trump blames leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, etc., for all sorts of alleged (usually fictitious) atrocities. On December 24th, İbrahim Karagül, of Turkey’s Yeni Safak newspaper, bannered “Khashoggi murder: Five executions, one cover-up can’t save you.” and he said, of Saudi Arabia’s ‘investigation’ into Khashoggi’s murder:
The case was a setup, the trial was a setup, the death sentences are also a setup. The Saudi administration, which refrained from disclosing even the whereabouts of Khashoggi’s body, resolved to kill those who did the crown prince’s dirty work to save Salman. This is an act of silencing, destruction of evidence, the liquidation of people whose loyalty is in doubt and who are likely to talk.
Saud al-Qahtani, the leader of the murder team, was not convicted. Even Mohammad al-Otaibi, Istanbul consul general, whom Turkey showed as the unwanted man and asked the king to withdraw, was not even accused. Ahmed Asiri, deputy chief of intelligence who planned the murder – and was supposedly dismissed – was released.
But, because the vast majority of Americans don’t get to know any of this, they think that today’s America is still like pre-1945 America was, instead of having switched to become more like the fascist powers themselves were. Germany, Italy, and Japan, had heavily militarized economies during the 1930s through early 1940s, and America has a heavily militarized economy ever since (at least) 1980, and especially now — long after the Cold War ended on Russia’s side in 1991, and especially long beyond any reasonable excuse for these constantly rising ‘defense’ expenditures. There’s economic growth in such countries (that is, in imperialistic fascist countries), and almost all of it goes to the controlling owners of ‘defense’ contractors. What grows, then, in such countries, isn’t actually the patient, but the tumor. However, lots of Americans don’t know the difference between the two and are satisfied with any type of growth at all, and they even respect the world’s most corrupt military more than they respect any other institution. In a functioning democracy, this would be impossible, because any public anywhere would be outraged by it and would be in open revolt against it if only they knew about it. Furthermore, if this were a democracy, then the entire public would already have learned about this, and the situation wouldn’t have reached so bad — and so dangerous (for the entire world — such as now, after Trump assassinated Iran’s #2 leader) — a stage, as it already has reached, while nothing was being done to stop it and to imprison (and nationalize the wealth of) the U.S. billionaires who have been behind (and so enormously profiting from) heisting the Government and getting the public to fund these imperialistic operations of the nation’s aristocrats. Astronomical political corruption is the sole source of all of this. And this corruption is in the courts, and not only in Congress and in the Executive, and allows this rape of democracy to be called ‘constitutional’ and thus go unpunished, and thus to become constantly worse.
Soaring wealth-inequality, not only inside the United States, but throughout the world, results from this. And the biggest crimes are at the top — where there is impunity (because it’s ‘constitutional’ — even though that’s only a lie about what the Founders had meant by their Constitution).
When the crooks actually write the laws, the laws become crooked. When the crooks also control the ‘news’-media, the public are defenseless because ignorant and deceived. Wherever fascism is in control, this is the way that it functions.
HOW THE ESTABLISHMENT RESPOND TO THIS:
Mick West, who blogs as metabunk dot org, is a propagandist for the “Establishment” or the billionaires’ preferences of what the public should believe; and, on 16 May 2018, he headlined “Debunked: Missing $21 Trillion / $6.5 Trillion / $2.3 Trillion – Journal Vouchers”, and he presented a representative of America’s Military-Industrial Complex (MIC) asserting, to U.S. House members, that “this is not a new story, it dates back to 2001 and before,” and, West noted, “All these things are accounting things that, as Norquist says ‘occur after the money is spent’. They are things that you want to get right in your accounting, but if you get the values wrong then it does not mean you’ve lost the money. It means you’ve got some estimate wrong, and you’ll put to little or to much [West meant “too much or too little”] in one fund or another.” Referring, then, to the $21 trillion, he wrote, “This is just more of the same though, still not missing money, still just unsupported accounting information transfers.” However, only a sucker would take that casual attitude to the enormous amount of money in the ‘defense’ budget that is “unsupported” as to who received it, and whether or not those payments were in accord with what Congress had actually authorized. Furthermore, such a casual attitude toward U.S. ’defense’-expenditures — the expenditures which constitute actually over half of the U.S. federal Government’s discretionary expenditures, and even around half of the total world’s military expenditures — is an invitation to corruption in over half of this Government’s annually authorized spending; and any intelligent person would expect that such an invitation would be taken advantage of by insiders who are in a position to benefit from it. West quotes from only one alleged authority, the “Defense Department Comptroller, David L. Norquist,” a person who is largely responsible for the problem, who said “it’s an accounting problem that does need to be solved because it can help hide other underlying issues,” but (at 1:43 in the accompanying video) “it’s not the same thing as not being able to account for money that Congress has given you to spend, but it’s still a problem that needs to be fixed.” Mick West simply trusted this statement, by Norquist — though Norquist is one of the officials responsible for the problem — but Norquist failed to prove (and wasn’t even asked to prove it, by the Representatives whom he was there addressing, who didn’t seem to be alarmed about where that $21T actually went) his key assertion, that “it’s not the same thing as not being able to account for money that Congress has given you to spend.” And, even if that assertion, by that official, is true (which should not be assumed, and which even seems ludicrous on its very face), the problem is unquestionably an invitation to corruption in ‘defense’-expenditures, and those are precisely the type of federal expenditures that overwhelmingly dominate the income to the federal Government’s contractors, the corporations that make all or most of their profits from sales to the federal Government and to its allied governments (such as to the Saud family). Therefore, casually allowing — and not even investigating as being possibly treasonous — these expenditures, is, itself, enormously scandalous, but the Representatives there were treating it so casually. In fact, at the very opening of the hearing, which was held on 10 January 2018 (at 02:12 in the video of the 1:41:33-long hearing) the Chairman of the Committee emphasized the “We must spend more” on the military, even though we already spend around half of the entire world’s military expenditures. Manifestly, this hearing was a charade. In the full video, the passage that Mick West quoted from is at 18:00-22:00, and the Representatives were clearly on the side of the charade, not on the side of the American people. Clearly, all members of that Committee, the House Armed Services Committee, behave as if they are in the pockets of firms such as Lockheed Martin.
On 15 November 2018, Reuters headlined “Pentagon fails its first-ever audit, official says”, and reported that “‘We failed the audit, but we never expected to pass it,’ Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan told reporters.”
On 27 November 2018, The Nation headlined “Exclusive: The Pentagon’s Massive Accounting Fraud Exposed” and David Lindorff opened: “On November 15, Ernst & Young and other private firms that were hired to audit the Pentagon announced that they could not complete the job. Congress had ordered an independent audit of the Department of Defense, the government’s largest discretionary cost center — the Pentagon receives 54 cents out of every dollar in federal appropriations — after the Pentagon failed for decades to audit itself. The firms concluded, however, that the DoD’s financial records were riddled with so many bookkeeping deficiencies, irregularities, and errors that a reliable audit was simply impossible.”
So, that was the result of the latest version of this charade, which is virtual treason by the federal Government.
In short: Congress is satisfied for this situation to continue, and the members of Congress evidently have no fear that the voters back home will vote against them if a challenger makes this issue a major issue in that Senator’s or Representative’s next Party primary. The presumption is that the voters don’t care, and that the ‘news’-media won’t enlighten the voters about this matter, and about how it impacts, for example, which nations the U.S. will categorize as being an “ally,” to sell weapons to, and which nations it will categorize as being an “enemy,” to target for conquest.
Invading and militarily occupying all of these countries which ‘our’ Government calls an “enemy” (though that country never even threatened, much less invaded, the U.S.) is the end-product of a vast amount of corruption — this much is absolutely clear.
None of this could happen if the United States Government did not secretly continue the Cold War against Russia after Russia ended it on its side in 1991. Russia is the U.S. aristocracy’s necessary bogey-man. For example: how many Americans know that in June 2013, which was months before the Maidan demonstrations even started in Russia’s next-door-neighbor Ukraine on 21 November of that year, the U.S. federal Government was already seeking U.S. Government contractors to transform a building in Sevastopol Crimea in Ukraine into becoming part of a U.S. naval base there which Obama was planning to replace Russia’s largest naval base, which had been — and still remains — located there since 1783? He had started by no later than June of 2011 his planning for the February 2014 coup in Ukraine.
The origin of this goes all the way back to 26 July 1945, but the next key date was 24 February 1990, which continued the Cold War after Russia ended it.
Anyone who writes about U.S. policy and doesn’t place this issue front and center is either misinformed or else corrupt. But anyone who does place it front and center will be unemployed (except, perhaps, at struggling non-mainstream U.S. national news-media). This is how much of a dictatorship today’s U.S. has now become. Lying and cover-up have now become obligatory in all of the mainstream U.S. media, so as to prevent the American public from knowing what this article has documented to be true. This article has been written as an introduction to understanding recent American history.
—————
Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author, most recently, of They’re Not Even Close: The Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records, 1910-2010, and of CHRIST’S VENTRILOQUISTS: The Event that Created Christianity.
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theduran--2020-01-12--Atoms for Peace vs. Atoms for War: The Only Fix for Iran-U.S. Relations

War hawks in Israel and Washington have been quick to denounce Iran ’ s nuclear power ambitions for years with the repeated excuse that “ Iran has so much oil that nuclear energy is irrelevant for them- unless they wanted to build an Islamic Bomb !
” Hogwash .
As we shall come to see , not only has Iran ’ s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei created a 2003 fatwa declaring nuclear weapons forbidden under Islamic Law , but Iranian leaders were already calling for the need to transition to a new and superior form of energy in order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over 70 years ago… ironically through the help of the USA !
On December 8 , 1953 a speech was delivered at the United Nations by President Dwight D. Eisenhower which has come to be known as his Atoms for Peace speech .
As flawed as Eisenhower was as a political leader , this speech did provide a valuable gateway out of the unwinnable Cold War logic of Mutually Assured Destruction that had officially begun with the Soviet Union ’ s first detonation of their own atomic bomb in 1949 .
The U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year internal coup begun in 1945 over the Anglo-American deep state which had purged much of the U.S. intelligentsia of genuine patriots under the FBI-run red scare and 1947 creation of the CIA .
Using a talented hive of sociopaths under the direction of the Dulles Brothers , the Deep State had perverted U.S. foreign policy by launching the Korean War in 1950 , and worked as Britain ’ s dumb giant in the overthrow Iran ’ s nationalist leader Mohammed Mossadegh in August 1953 when the later attempted to nationalise Britain ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 ) .
Though a competent General , Eisenhower was admittedly naïve and only realized the full extent of what had gone on under his watch during his last days as President in 1961 as outlined in his Military Industrial Complex speech .
This part of history is vitally important to revive now , since Eisenhower ’ s efforts to undo the terrible injustice caused by America ’ s complicity in the Iranian regime change as well as broader threat of nuclear annihilation remains the only functional pathway to a durable peace in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breaks from neo-con pressure in ways that Eisenhower failed to do throughout the 1950s , and returns to this spirit , the future looks bleak indeed .
Atoms for Peace and the Birth of Iranian Atomic Energy In his 1953 speech , Eisenhower laid out the threats and opportunities which the peaceful use of the atom created : “ The United States knows that if the fearful trend of atomic military build-up can be reversed , this greatest of destructive forces can be developed into a great boon , for the benefit of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that peaceful power from atomic energy is no dream of the future .
The capability , already proved , is here today .
Who can doubt that , if the entire body of the world ’ s scientists and engineers had adequate amounts of fissionable material with which to test and develop their ideas , this capability would rapidly be transformed into universal , efficient and economic usage ?
” The president listed several domains where the peaceful application of the atom would be of value to humanity saying : “ Experts would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the needs of agriculture , medicine and other peaceful activities .
A special purpose would be to provide abundant electrical energy in the power-starved areas of the world.
” He ended by dropping the conceptual bombshell which shook the foundations of the newly emerging Deep State by calling for a joint U.S.-Russia alliance to cooperate on deploying this new technology around the world under a spirit of goodwill and mutually assured survival when he said this vision would “ allow all peoples of all nations to see that , in this enlightened age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , both of the East and of the West , are interested in human aspirations first rather than in building up the armaments of war.
” An earlier attempt to establish U.S.-Russia entente was made by Stalin who welcomed a meeting with the newly elected President in December 1952 .
Stalin ’ s death in March 1953 ended this potential .
Many of the world ’ s nations who have suffered the most under the hands of the “ dumb giant ” deep state America in recent decades actually found a close ally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be surprised to discover that Atoms for Peace established the creation of atomic energy programs for Argentina , Brazil , India , Pakistan and Iran ( to name but a few ) , through providing training to thousands of students internationally , as well as providing nuclear technology transfers , and financing ( most of which ended in the wake of JFK ’ s assassination ) .
In 1955 the first International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy took place in Geneva under the leadership of Dr. Homi Bhaba ( father @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1957 the USA and Iran signed the Cooperation Concerning Civil Uses of Atoms that set the foundation for the 1959 creation of the Tehran Nuclear Research Center .
Over the coming year , the first generation of Iranian nuclear scientists were trained in MIT and in 1967 , the USA supplied Iran with a 5 megawatt research reactor and enriched uranium fuel .
By 1969 , the pace of nuclear development both within America and abroad had dropped drastically due in large measure to the deep state takeover of western governments and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empire and post-industrial consumerism .
This mis-anthropic agenda took the form of the 1970s CFR/Trilateral Commission-led “ Controlled Disintegration of the Economy ” .
An important recipe in this Controlled Disintegration agenda took the form of the 1973-74 oil shocks which saw oil prices skyrocket four-fold as tankers replete with oil were kept harbored off the coasts of America under direction of Henry Kissinger .
This operation was laid out in full by historian William Engdahl in his 1992 Century of War : Anglo-American Oil Politics and the New World Order .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran announced that his nation would refocus its energy policies on aggressive nuclear power development , funded by its vast oil revenues .
In 1974 the Shah created the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization ( IAEO ) saying “ Petroleum is a noble material , much too valuable to burn… we envision producing , as soon as possible 23 000 mW of electricity using nuclear plants.
” In 1976 , Iran ’ s nuclear energy budget was increased from $ 36 million to a whopping $ 1 billion and commitments to build 23 reactors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France and the USA .
Even President Ford , in a rare moment of sovereign thinking agreed to provide Iran with a reprocessing facility to complete the fuel cycle .
Things were proceeding well as the two first 1190 mW reactors built by Germany were 80 % and 50 % completed when the Shah was suddenly overthrown by a regime change operation put into motion by none-other than the CFR ’ s Zbigniew Brzinzski , Cyrus Vance and Henry Kissinger in 1979 .
Within weeks ALL contracts were cancelled and the two reactors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ derailing of a pro-nuclear orientation occurred with the execution of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who documented his fight with Kissinger over the latter ’ s denial of Pakistan ’ s right to access nuclear power ( 2 ) .
The anti-nuclear tides began to slowly turn in Iran ’ s favor in 1992 when China began supplying nuclear fuel to Iran and in 1995 Russia began to assist in the completion of the unfinished reactors .
In 2011 , the first 1000 mW reactor came online and a 2nd reactor was begun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rosatom with several more planned for the coming decade .
While the American neocons and their Zionist brethren have continued a policy of asymmetric war , cyber war , economic war , assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists ( and now military officials ) , Russia has proven herself to be the true heir to the spirit of Eisenhower ’ s Atoms for Peace .
Rosatom has taken up the torch of nuclear energy diplomacy with gusto in recent years by providing valuable nuclear power assistance to both Iran and Turkey while aggressively building @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact that these three nations are the guarantors of the Astana Peace Process for Syria should also not be missed .
Russia has also demonstrated an enlightened interest in assisting African nations in their nuclear ambitions with agreements signed with South Africa , Egypt , Zambia , Ghana , Rwanda , Uganda , Sudan , Kenya , Ethiopia , Congo and Nigeria with scores of imperially-minded racists in London screaming of the “ inappropriateness ” of this advanced technology to the ‘ dark continent ’ .
Under the guiding win-win framework of China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran and the world has been given a master key to permanently throw off the threat of nuclear annihilation .
Does President Trump have the moral and intellectual stamina to resist the neo-con pressure now and return America to its better traditions or will he permit himself to be used as a tool of the deep state by unleashing the nuclear dogs of war ?
( 1 ) The 2013 admission of primary guilt to the 1953 coup by the Obama/Brennan CIA is a major sleight of hand as both Obama and Brennan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the British Fabian Society and 5 Eyes Intelligence Apparatus .
More energy has been invested into maintaining the myth of the “ American Empire ” since WW2 than most readers can possibly imagine .
Contrary to popular opinion , it isn ’ t Britain which serves America in the Anglo-American relationship but the reverse .
Up until 1952 , America had bilateral agreements in support of Mossadegh and it was always the British that ran Iranian oil politics and intrigue .
( 2 ) Awaiting his execution in prison in 1979 , Bhutto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Pakistan energy sovereignty saying : “ We were on the threshold of full nuclear capability , when I left the Government to come to this death cell .
We know that Israel and South Africa have full nuclear capability .
The Christian , Jewish , and Hindu civilizations have this capability .
The Communist Powers also possess it .
Only the Islamic civilization was without it but that position was about to change .
Dr. Henry Kissinger , the Secretary of State for the United States , has a brilliant mind .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ insult the intelligence of the United States by saying that Pakistan needed the Reprocessing Plant for her energy needs .
In reply , I told him that I will not insult the intelligence of the United States by discussing the energy needs of Pakistan , but in the same token , he should not insult the sovereignty and self-respect of Pakistan by discussing the plant at all .
The General [ Zia ] got the lemon- “ limbo ” -from the President of France .
Pakistan got the ladu .
The PNA got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sentence.
” Matthew Ehret is the Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Patriot Review and has authored 3 volumes of ‘ Untold History of Canada ’ book series .
His works appear regularly on The Duran , Strategic Culture , Sott , Fort Russ , Zero Hedge , Global Times , L.A. Review of Books , LeSaker.fr , Vigile Quebec , South Front and Veterans Today .
He is a correspondent/BRI Expert for Tactical Talk .
In 2019 Matthew co-founded the Montreal-based Rising Tide Foundation .
He can be reached at [ email protected ]

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
War hawks in Israel and Washington have been quick to denounce Iran’s nuclear power ambitions for years with the repeated excuse that “Iran has so much oil that nuclear energy is irrelevant for them- unless they wanted to build an Islamic Bomb!”
Hogwash. As we shall come to see, not only has Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei created a 2003 fatwa declaring nuclear weapons forbidden under Islamic Law, but Iranian leaders were already calling for the need to transition to a new and superior form of energy in order to escape the geopolitical constraints of oil politics over 70 years ago… ironically through the help of the USA!
On December 8, 1953 a speech was delivered at the United Nations by President Dwight D. Eisenhower which has come to be known as his Atoms for Peace speech. As flawed as Eisenhower was as a political leader, this speech did provide a valuable gateway out of the unwinnable Cold War logic of Mutually Assured Destruction that had officially begun with the Soviet Union’s first detonation of their own atomic bomb in 1949. The U.S. had itself been reeling over an 8 year internal coup begun in 1945 over the Anglo-American deep state which had purged much of the U.S. intelligentsia of genuine patriots under the FBI-run red scare and 1947 creation of the CIA. Using a talented hive of sociopaths under the direction of the Dulles Brothers, the Deep State had perverted U.S. foreign policy by launching the Korean War in 1950, and worked as Britain’s dumb giant in the overthrow Iran’s nationalist leader Mohammed Mossadegh in August 1953 when the later attempted to nationalise Britain’s Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in 1951 (1).
Though a competent General, Eisenhower was admittedly naïve and only realized the full extent of what had gone on under his watch during his last days as President in 1961 as outlined in his Military Industrial Complex speech.
This part of history is vitally important to revive now, since Eisenhower’s efforts to undo the terrible injustice caused by America’s complicity in the Iranian regime change as well as broader threat of nuclear annihilation remains the only functional pathway to a durable peace in Iran or globally today. Unless Trump breaks from neo-con pressure in ways that Eisenhower failed to do throughout the 1950s, and returns to this spirit, the future looks bleak indeed.
Atoms for Peace and the Birth of Iranian Atomic Energy
In his 1953 speech, Eisenhower laid out the threats and opportunities which the peaceful use of the atom created:
“The United States knows that if the fearful trend of atomic military build-up can be reversed, this greatest of destructive forces can be developed into a great boon, for the benefit of all mankind. The United States knows that peaceful power from atomic energy is no dream of the future. The capability, already proved, is here today. Who can doubt that, if the entire body of the world’s scientists and engineers had adequate amounts of fissionable material with which to test and develop their ideas, this capability would rapidly be transformed into universal, efficient and economic usage?”
The president listed several domains where the peaceful application of the atom would be of value to humanity saying:
“Experts would be mobilized to apply atomic energy to the needs of agriculture, medicine and other peaceful activities. A special purpose would be to provide abundant electrical energy in the power-starved areas of the world.”
He ended by dropping the conceptual bombshell which shook the foundations of the newly emerging Deep State by calling for a joint U.S.-Russia alliance to cooperate on deploying this new technology around the world under a spirit of goodwill and mutually assured survival when he said this vision would “allow all peoples of all nations to see that, in this enlightened age, the great Powers of the earth, both of the East and of the West, are interested in human aspirations first rather than in building up the armaments of war.”
An earlier attempt to establish U.S.-Russia entente was made by Stalin who welcomed a meeting with the newly elected President in December 1952. Stalin’s death in March 1953 ended this potential.
Many of the world’s nations who have suffered the most under the hands of the “dumb giant” deep state America in recent decades actually found a close ally in this better America. One might be surprised to discover that Atoms for Peace established the creation of atomic energy programs for Argentina, Brazil, India, Pakistan and Iran (to name but a few), through providing training to thousands of students internationally, as well as providing nuclear technology transfers, and financing (most of which ended in the wake of JFK’s assassination).
In 1955 the first International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy took place in Geneva under the leadership of Dr. Homi Bhaba (father of Indian Atomic Energy), and in 1957 the USA and Iran signed the Cooperation Concerning Civil Uses of Atoms that set the foundation for the 1959 creation of the Tehran Nuclear Research Center. Over the coming year, the first generation of Iranian nuclear scientists were trained in MIT and in 1967, the USA supplied Iran with a 5 megawatt research reactor and enriched uranium fuel. By 1969, the pace of nuclear development both within America and abroad had dropped drastically due in large measure to the deep state takeover of western governments and the imposition of a new logic of empire and post-industrial consumerism. This mis-anthropic agenda took the form of the 1970s CFR/Trilateral Commission-led “Controlled Disintegration of the Economy”.
The Controlled Disintegration Agenda
An important recipe in this Controlled Disintegration agenda took the form of the 1973-74 oil shocks which saw oil prices skyrocket four-fold as tankers replete with oil were kept harbored off the coasts of America under direction of Henry Kissinger. This operation was laid out in full by historian William Engdahl in his 1992 Century of War: Anglo-American Oil Politics and the New World Order.
An unexpected effect was that the Shah of Iran announced that his nation would refocus its energy policies on aggressive nuclear power development, funded by its vast oil revenues. In 1974 the Shah created the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) saying “Petroleum is a noble material, much too valuable to burn… we envision producing, as soon as possible 23 000 mW of electricity using nuclear plants.”
In 1976, Iran’s nuclear energy budget was increased from $36 million to a whopping $1 billion and commitments to build 23 reactors were arranged with companies in Germany, France and the USA. Even President Ford, in a rare moment of sovereign thinking agreed to provide Iran with a reprocessing facility to complete the fuel cycle. Things were proceeding well as the two first 1190 mW reactors built by Germany were 80% and 50% completed when the Shah was suddenly overthrown by a regime change operation put into motion by none-other than the CFR’s Zbigniew Brzinzski, Cyrus Vance and Henry Kissinger in 1979. Within weeks ALL contracts were cancelled and the two reactors remained unbuilt for decades. A parallel derailing of a pro-nuclear orientation occurred with the execution of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who documented his fight with Kissinger over the latter’s denial of Pakistan’s right to access nuclear power (2).
Russia Revives Atoms for Peace
The anti-nuclear tides began to slowly turn in Iran’s favor in 1992 when China began supplying nuclear fuel to Iran and in 1995 Russia began to assist in the completion of the unfinished reactors. In 2011, the first 1000 mW reactor came online and a 2nd reactor was begun anew in 2019 under the guidance of Rosatom with several more planned for the coming decade.
While the American neocons and their Zionist brethren have continued a policy of asymmetric war, cyber war, economic war, assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists (and now military officials), Russia has proven herself to be the true heir to the spirit of Eisenhower’s Atoms for Peace.
Rosatom has taken up the torch of nuclear energy diplomacy with gusto in recent years by providing valuable nuclear power assistance to both Iran and Turkey while aggressively building nuclear power reactors at home. The fact that these three nations are the guarantors of the Astana Peace Process for Syria should also not be missed.
Russia has also demonstrated an enlightened interest in assisting African nations in their nuclear ambitions with agreements signed with South Africa, Egypt, Zambia, Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia, Congo and Nigeria with scores of imperially-minded racists in London screaming of the “inappropriateness” of this advanced technology to the ‘dark continent’.
Under the guiding win-win framework of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, Iran and the world has been given a master key to permanently throw off the threat of nuclear annihilation. Does President Trump have the moral and intellectual stamina to resist the neo-con pressure now and return America to its better traditions or will he permit himself to be used as a tool of the deep state by unleashing the nuclear dogs of war?
Footnotes
(1) The 2013 admission of primary guilt to the 1953 coup by the Obama/Brennan CIA is a major sleight of hand as both Obama and Brennan were (and are) tools of the British Fabian Society and 5 Eyes Intelligence Apparatus. More energy has been invested into maintaining the myth of the “American Empire” since WW2 than most readers can possibly imagine. Contrary to popular opinion, it isn’t Britain which serves America in the Anglo-American relationship but the reverse. Up until 1952, America had bilateral agreements in support of Mossadegh and it was always the British that ran Iranian oil politics and intrigue.
(2) Awaiting his execution in prison in 1979, Bhutto wrote of the sabotage of his fight for Pakistan energy sovereignty saying: “We were on the threshold of full nuclear capability, when I left the Government to come to this death cell. We know that Israel and South Africa have full nuclear capability. The Christian, Jewish, and Hindu civilizations have this capability. The Communist Powers also possess it. Only the Islamic civilization was without it but that position was about to change. Dr. Henry Kissinger, the Secretary of State for the United States, has a brilliant mind. He told me that I should not insult the intelligence of the United States by saying that Pakistan needed the Reprocessing Plant for her energy needs. In reply, I told him that I will not insult the intelligence of the United States by discussing the energy needs of Pakistan, but in the same token, he should not insult the sovereignty and self-respect of Pakistan by discussing the plant at all. The General [Zia] got the lemon-“limbo”-from the President of France. Pakistan got the ladu. The PNA got the halva. I got the Death Sentence.”
Matthew Ehret is the Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Patriot Review and has authored 3 volumes of ‘Untold History of Canada’ book series. His works appear regularly on The Duran, Strategic Culture, Sott, Fort Russ, Zero Hedge, Global Times, L.A. Review of Books, LeSaker.fr, Vigile Quebec, South Front and Veterans Today. He is a correspondent/BRI Expert for Tactical Talk. In 2019 Matthew co-founded the Montreal-based Rising Tide Foundation. He can be reached at matt.ehret@tutamail.com
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theduran--2020-01-12--War against Orthodox Church turns towards Serbia and Montenegro (Video)

The Duran ’ s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss protests in Serbia and Montenegro , with thousands of supporters of the Serbian Orthodox Church , calling into question a new law on religion and property seizure set to take effect in Montenegro .
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Under the slogan “ We won ’ t give up holy places ” , Serbian Orthodox clergy , right-wing and conservative movements and other citizens marched on Wednesday from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the city , the St Sava Church .
During the walk , described as a prayer gathering , traffic in the city centre and the main streets was closed , while the police secured the event .
This was the third time people have taken to the streets in Belgrade against the new law on religion , which Montenegro ’ s parliament adopted on December 27 , despite fierce objections from the Serbian Church , its supporters and pro-Serbian opposition parties .
Critics of the law , which mandates the formation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country , say it is designed to dispute – and rob – the Serbian Church of its assets .
During two previous gatherings which mainly drew right-wing groups and football fans , fireworks were launched at the Montenegrin embassy in Belgrade in an attempt to torch the Montenegrin flag , drawing strong condemnation from Podgorica .
Amid continuing tensions , Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic cancelled an announced visit to Montenegro on January 6 , where he had planned to attend Orthodox Christmas ceremonies together with local Serbs .
“ I made that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have been conflict , ” Vucic told a press conference on January 4 , accusing the Montenegrin authorities of using his visit to portray it as an attack on the independence and the constitutional order of this country .
Three days later Serbian Patriarch Irinej accused Montenegro of “ denying its own history ” through the new law .
“ With the Law on Freedom of Religion , the authorities in Montenegro want to weaken [ Montenegro ’ s ] awareness of its Serbian origins and name , ” Irinej told a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests intensified over Orthodox Christmas in Montenegro , where tens of thousands gathered for liturgies across the country .

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 protests in Serbia and Montenegro, with thousands of supporters of the Serbian Orthodox Church, calling into question a new law on religion and property seizure set to take effect in Montenegro.
Support Free Speech:
Subscribe to The Duran on YouTube – Find us on BitChute.
The Duran Audio Podcast:
Follow on Soundcloud – Subscribe on iTunes.
Via Balkan Insight…
Under the slogan “We won’t give up holy places”, Serbian Orthodox clergy, right-wing and conservative movements and other citizens marched on Wednesday from the centre of Belgrade to the largest church in the city, the St Sava Church.
During the walk, described as a prayer gathering, traffic in the city centre and the main streets was closed, while the police secured the event.
This was the third time people have taken to the streets in Belgrade against the new law on religion, which Montenegro’s parliament adopted on December 27, despite fierce objections from the Serbian Church, its supporters and pro-Serbian opposition parties.
Critics of the law, which mandates the formation of a register of all religious sites in the country, say it is designed to dispute – and rob – the Serbian Church of its assets.
During two previous gatherings which mainly drew right-wing groups and football fans, fireworks were launched at the Montenegrin embassy in Belgrade in an attempt to torch the Montenegrin flag, drawing strong condemnation from Podgorica.
Amid continuing tensions, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic cancelled an announced visit to Montenegro on January 6, where he had planned to attend Orthodox Christmas ceremonies together with local Serbs.
“I made that decision because I’m sure there would have been conflict,” Vucic told a press conference on January 4, accusing the Montenegrin authorities of using his visit to portray it as an attack on the independence and the constitutional order of this country.
Three days later Serbian Patriarch Irinej accused Montenegro of “denying its own history” through the new law.
“With the Law on Freedom of Religion, the authorities in Montenegro want to weaken [Montenegro’s] awareness of its Serbian origins and name,” Irinej told a daily newspaper, Vesti.
Meanwhile, protests intensified over Orthodox Christmas in Montenegro, where tens of thousands gathered for liturgies across the country.
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theduran--2020-01-12--Iranian “aerospace analyst” writes book on Ukrainian airforce….

Wanting to know more about the PS752 flight allegedly losing its own ASD-B /GPS signal and leaving the civilian air corridor by some metres and being unable to identify itself , I was on some pilot forum looking for information .
On the pilot forum there was discussion of how there was an Iranian commando base just 4 miles NE of the flight path ; PS752 seemed to be assigned to PAROT 2 , the SID when flying out of IKA .
The plane just before being shot had for some reason turned back towards the airport .
Crash site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The pilot forum says one “ Babak Taghvaee ” got it right from the beginning , even had the photos of the missile head etc .
Before the formal admission came from the Iran military .
In fact Babak ’ s twitter feed claims he forced the admission from the Iranian military .
On January 7 , the FAA already banned US airlines from flying through Iran ’ s airspace and most airlines were rerouting flights away from Iran/Iraq airspace even if it meant higher fuel costs .
There were lots of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air defenses immediately after their missile attack on US bases in Iraq were on a state of high alert , similar to 9/11 following the planes hitting the Pentagon and Twin Towers .
They were expecting a US reprisal and their chain of command was in a decentralized defensive mode .
And yet there ’ s this Ukrainian airliner just flying around at such an odd time so close to a sensitive military installation .
The plane seems to have turned back towards the airport ( as was also reported on RT ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those of the plane and/or Iranian defense systems .
What was so urgent that the flight could not be cancelled ?
It had already been delayed by an hour and IKA could not have been a bustling airport that night .
So I check Babak ’ s twitter expecting some apolitical , nerdy technical airplane guy and : 1 .
He knows about airplanes .
For the last six years he specifically knows about Ukrainian airplanes .
He just happens to have a book coming out on the Ukrainian airforce .
His pinned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort , finally my book about history & current fate of # Ukrainian Air Force as well as its role in the war against pro- # Russia separatists in # Donbass is ready .
“ Guardians of the # Ukraine ” will be published in # UK on 16 September 2019.
” 2 .
He is one of the first to be interviewed by Western media , e.g .
the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation , explaining why it was a missile , etc .
etc .
At least his voice is .
3 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his press conference , # Hajizadeh , commander of # IRGC|ASF said that their Tor-M1 operators had requested # Iran Civil Aviation Org .
( # ICAO ) to cancel all commercial flights over # Tehran because they had reports about incoming # US cruise missiles but # ICAO refused !
” 4 .
On January 7 , the US had banned its airlines from flying over Iran after the attack on the US bases .
Is it true that ICAO refused Iran permission to close its airspace to commercial flights ?
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few hours after of the attack on the US base in Iraq when the Iranian military was on high alert .
Why on earth would Ukraine International AIrlines not cancel their flight from the night ?
Why was it given an SID so close to anything remotely sensitive , that might be attacked by the US ?
What on earth was so urgent that the flight had to depart that night ?
5 .
But , as his Twitter reveals , our man Babak is not only an “ aerospace engineer ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at his twitter account , he is streaming a series of very detailed updates on the protests in Iran , protests which allegedly are demanding regime change specifically because of the Iranian military accidentally shooting down the Ukrainian passenger plane .
Despite Iran ’ s government having taken full responsibility .
( 6 .
I don ’ t remember Iranians demanding Bush be regime-changed when Iran Air 655 was shot down in 1988 .
William Rogers got a Legion of Merit for that .
It took the US 4 years to admit to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s twitter is providing extraordinary in depth real time coverage of the protests for regime change in Iran instigated by the accidental shooting down of the Ukrainian plane….he ’ s tweeting away about the “ arrest ” and release of the UK ambassador ( which I understood to be a questioning only ) and the brutal treatment of protesters by the Iranian police force , complete with graphic images .
It ’ s rather a lot for one man to be doing .
And in fact he is angry on his Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is just one man , whether he exists… .
8 .
CBC refers to him as an “ aerospace / defense analyst ” .
His Medium bio says he ’ s an ex-aircraft technician .
And a contributor to BBCPersian .
As Mercouris said in a podcast due to sanctions etc .
there are now fewer airlines flying out of Iran right now , but on such a tense night they could ’ t cancel or delay flights for a few hours ?
?
?
The attack on US airbases took place on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flight 752 was scheduled to take off at 05:15 local time ( UTC+3:30 ) , but was delayed .
It departed Stand 116 and took off from Runway 29R at 06:12:47 local time .
The final ADS-B data received was at 06:14:45 , less than two minutes after departure .
So literally , Ukraine allows it ’ s commercial planes to fly through an active war zone while the Iranian military is on very high alert with the chain of command decentralized and operators having authority to shoot withoutr requesting permission .
Mercouris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many political consequences from this shooting down .
But right as Babak is tweeting his real time updates , the US/UK headlines are all about the protests all over Iran demanding regime change because of the shooting down of the plane .
So here we have some Iranian aerospace defense analyst who just happened to get photos of the missile head that hit the Ukrainian airplane .
He just happens to be funneling info to pilot forums along with information about the flight path of PS752 before the Iranian military admitted anything .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ down planes he pops up on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ( CBC ) and other news channels to explain the situation to everyone .
Then as the US/UK media are spinning out headlines about protests against the Iranian regime due to the shooting down of the plane our man Babak turns out to totally pro Iranian regime change , and he is sending out very detailed live updates and video as “ protests ” unfold in Iran following the admission by the Iranian government .
The plane shot down just happens to be Ukrainian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of and over Iran at least for a few hours , our man Babak just happens over the last six years to have been writing a book on the heroic Ukrainian airforce standing up to Russia .
That has been SIX years in the making , coinciding rather neatly with the 2014 Ukrainian revolution .
CBC claims they reached him in Cologne , Germany .
His twitter says he is based in Valletta .
He seems to have good connections to CBC , BBC .
He is posting on pilot forums before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also seems to have tons of videos in real time about all the protests in Iran .
Babak Taghvaee is the Everywhere Man .

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.
Wanting to know more about the PS752 flight allegedly losing its own ASD-B /GPS signal and leaving the civilian air corridor by some metres and being unable to identify itself, I was on some pilot forum looking for information. On the pilot forum there was discussion of how there was an Iranian commando base just 4 miles NE of the flight path; PS752 seemed to be assigned to PAROT 2, the SID when flying out of IKA. The plane just before being shot had for some reason turned back towards the airport. Crash site: 35°33’42.71″N 51°6’11.98″E.
The pilot forum says one “Babak Taghvaee” got it right from the beginning, even had the photos of the missile head etc. Before the formal admission came from the Iran military. In fact Babak’s twitter feed claims he forced the admission from the Iranian military. On January 7, the FAA already banned US airlines from flying through Iran’s airspace and most airlines were rerouting flights away from Iran/Iraq airspace even if it meant higher fuel costs. There were lots of articles on that. Iran’s air defenses immediately after their missile attack on US bases in Iraq were on a state of high alert, similar to 9/11 following the planes hitting the Pentagon and Twin Towers. They were expecting a US reprisal and their chain of command was in a decentralized defensive mode.
And yet there’s this Ukrainian airliner just flying around at such an odd time so close to a sensitive military installation. The plane seems to have turned back towards the airport (as was also reported on RT) And the communications just jammed, either those of the plane and/or Iranian defense systems. What was so urgent that the flight could not be cancelled? It had already been delayed by an hour and IKA could not have been a bustling airport that night.
So I check Babak’s twitter expecting some apolitical, nerdy technical airplane guy and:
1. He knows about airplanes. For the last six years he specifically knows about Ukrainian airplanes. He just happens to have a book coming out on the Ukrainian airforce. His pinned tweet: “After 6 years of effort, finally my book about history & current fate of #Ukrainian Air Force as well as its role in the war against pro-#Russia separatists in #Donbass is ready. “Guardians of the #Ukraine” will be published in #UK on 16 September 2019.”
2. He is one of the first to be interviewed by Western media, e.g. the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, explaining why it was a missile, etc. etc. At least his voice is.
3. His own twitter claims: “During his press conference, #Hajizadeh, commander of #IRGC|ASF said that their Tor-M1 operators had requested #Iran Civil Aviation Org. (#ICAO) to cancel all commercial flights over #Tehran because they had reports about incoming #US cruise missiles but #ICAO refused!”
4. On January 7, the US had banned its airlines from flying over Iran after the attack on the US bases. Is it true that ICAO refused Iran permission to close its airspace to commercial flights? This shooting of the plane occurred only a few hours after of the attack on the US base in Iraq when the Iranian military was on high alert. Why on earth would Ukraine International AIrlines not cancel their flight from the night? Why was it given an SID so close to anything remotely sensitive, that might be attacked by the US? What on earth was so urgent that the flight had to depart that night?
5. But, as his Twitter reveals, our man Babak is not only an “aerospace engineer”. Quite literally, as I am looking at his twitter account, he is streaming a series of very detailed updates on the protests in Iran, protests which allegedly are demanding regime change specifically because of the Iranian military accidentally shooting down the Ukrainian passenger plane. Despite Iran’s government having taken full responsibility.
(6. I don’t remember Iranians demanding Bush be regime-changed when Iran Air 655 was shot down in 1988. William Rogers got a Legion of Merit for that. It took the US 4 years to admit to the mistake).
7. Babak’s twitter is providing extraordinary in depth real time coverage of the protests for regime change in Iran instigated by the accidental shooting down of the Ukrainian plane….he’s tweeting away about the “arrest” and release of the UK ambassador (which I understood to be a questioning only) and the brutal treatment of protesters by the Iranian police force, complete with graphic images. It’s rather a lot for one man to be doing. And in fact he is angry on his Twitter feed that people have questioned whether he is just one man, whether he exists….
8. CBC refers to him as an “aerospace / defense analyst”. His Medium bio says he’s an ex-aircraft technician. And a contributor to BBCPersian.
As Mercouris said in a podcast due to sanctions etc. there are now fewer airlines flying out of Iran right now, but on such a tense night they could’t cancel or delay flights for a few hours??? The attack on US airbases took place on 8 January 2020 (UTC+03:00). Flight 752 was scheduled to take off at 05:15 local time (UTC+3:30), but was delayed. It departed Stand 116 and took off from Runway 29R at 06:12:47 local time. The final ADS-B data received was at 06:14:45, less than two minutes after departure. So literally, Ukraine allows it’s commercial planes to fly through an active war zone while the Iranian military is on very high alert with the chain of command decentralized and operators having authority to shoot withoutr requesting permission.
Mercouris said he didn’t expect too many political consequences from this shooting down. But right as Babak is tweeting his real time updates, the US/UK headlines are all about the protests all over Iran demanding regime change because of the shooting down of the plane.
So here we have some Iranian aerospace defense analyst who just happened to get photos of the missile head that hit the Ukrainian airplane. He just happens to be funneling info to pilot forums along with information about the flight path of PS752 before the Iranian military admitted anything. Once the Iranian military admits to shooting down planes he pops up on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and other news channels to explain the situation to everyone. Then as the US/UK media are spinning out headlines about protests against the Iranian regime due to the shooting down of the plane our man Babak turns out to totally pro Iranian regime change, and he is sending out very detailed live updates and video as “protests” unfold in Iran following the admission by the Iranian government.
The plane shot down just happens to be Ukrainian. While everyone else is cancelling flights out of and over Iran at least for a few hours, our man Babak just happens over the last six years to have been writing a book on the heroic Ukrainian airforce standing up to Russia. That has been SIX years in the making, coinciding rather neatly with the 2014 Ukrainian revolution. CBC claims they reached him in Cologne, Germany. His twitter says he is based in Valletta. He seems to have good connections to CBC, BBC. He is posting on pilot forums before the Iran military admits anything. He also seems to have tons of videos in real time about all the protests in Iran.
Babak Taghvaee is the Everywhere Man.
Tweets by BabakTaghvaee
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