veteranstoday--2020-12-07--Pakistan: Our Hike in the Wilderness

Pakistan: Our Hike in the Wilderness

“ I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires ” – — Susan B Anthony .
“ The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life ” – Jane Addams After losing the opportunity of invading Gilgit-Baltistan and disrupting CPEC at Karakorum Highway ( KKH ) via DBO road due to Chinese action in May-Jun this year , India is now planning to up the ante by once again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and waging a limited war in a specific region like disputed Azad Jammu & Kashmir ( AJK ) , where it hopes to keep the conflict limited to conventional war .
Going by the threatening statements of Gen Rawat Bipen , India must have earmarked objectives of strategic importance in AJK , the loss of which would embarrass Pak military leadership .
Even loss of one to two heights would give an opportunity to inflamed opposition to exploit it to the hilt to defame the army .
In case Pakistan decides to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopes that the US will step in and prevent Pakistan .
Our enemy is not India alone .
India couldn ’ t have dared to make Indian Occupied Kashmir ( IOK ) its integral part on August 5 , 2019 without the full back up support of US and Israel .
India is a problem but the bigger problem is USA , and still bigger problem is the blind faith of our leadership in USA .
This infatuation is not fading irrespective of repeated betrayals .
The US-India-Israel nexus which is anti-Pakistan is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or wished away .
The other issue at hand is our fancy for Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ( KSA ) , which should now have vaporized after Riyadh showed its true colors .
After asking Islamabad to return the $ 2 billion loans and cancelling the oil given on deferred payment , there are reports that the whole lot of Arab States including KSA would soon be recognizing Israel and forming a block with US , Israel , the West and India .
There is a strong possibility that Pak troops in Gulf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israeli troops and military instructors hired from US and Israel .
The fate of millions of Pakistanis working in Arab States hangs in the balance .
UAE has stopped giving visas to Pakistanis on the pretext of Covid-19 , but India being the second biggest affected country in the world , no restrictions are imposed on Indian nationals .
KSA is pressuring Pakistan to recognize Israel .
Prince MBS has changed colors and can no more be blindly depended upon .
Another worrying development is the presence of 20,000 Blackwater operatives at Bagram @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) that were brought from Iraq and Syria and married up with Jamaatul Ahrar ( JuA ) at Nangarhar in 2014 by Ajit Doval .
He has now rejuvenated the splintered TTP based in safe havens of Afghanistan by reuniting JuA and Hizbul Ahrar with TTP .
Lashkar-e-Islam and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi have also been aligned with TTP .
The proscribed groups have been provided funds to once again foment terrorism in restive regions of Pakistan .
Likewise , the Baloch rebel groups have also be united under the umbrella of BRAS which comprises BLA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ based proscribed groups have been put together under JSMM which comprise of MQM London , JSQM and JSM .
Shafi Burfat has handed over the reins of jSMM to Altaf Hussain residing in London .
There has been a sudden upsurge of acts of terror in Pakistan in the last two months .
Reports are that Erik Prince , head of Blackwater , who is a close friend of Joe Biden will take over the security of Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US troops .
Blackwater , Daesh and ANSF would operate jointly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out attacks in Pakistan .
If true , it will enable India to keep both Afghanistan and Pakistan destabilized , thus pouring cold water on our high hopes of peaceful Afghanistan .
If there is some veracity in the above scenario , the unstable political front at home and with so many quislings and anti-Pakistan elements together with the Pakistan Democratic Movement ( PDM ) ever ready to promote the agenda of our enemies will add to our woes .
It makes the overall security situation highly grave .
Armed forces alone can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the hybrid war , and would need full back up support of the nation as was the case in 1965 war .
The economy can not improve unless there is political stability and there is law and order .
It looks that our enemies have won the battle of minds by cloning the minds of the elites and the educated through tutored narratives and perceptions spread by our media houses , several of which are on the payroll of outsiders .
Unfortunately , due to acute political polarization , the ruling regime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enemies than external enemies .
Both camps have adopted an uncompromising stance and in this political battle , the army misconstrued as pro-PTI and anti PML-N is getting compromised and is losing face .
This is exactly what our enemies want since they know that dent can be made in Pakistan only when the army gets discredited in the eyes of the people .
There was a time that great majority in Pakistan used to consider India as arch enemy ; all our guns were trained against India .
Hindus were viewed as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hypocrites carrying a dagger under their armpits .
Only a handful talked in favor of India but they were severely censured .
The trend has changed now .
We have forgotten our real enemies and we have turned our guns inwards .
Political polarization and hatred have scaled new heights and the government and its allies have drawn battle lines against the union of 11 opposition parties which have staged public gatherings in big cities and indulged in diatribe against the government and the army leadership .
Both refuse to talk to each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political temperature is rising .
The PDM leaders intend sending their resignations to the National Assembly Speaker on Nov 13 as hinted by Mariam Nawaz .
This move will be followed by the long march to Islamabad in January next year to force the government to step down and hold mid-term elections .
The civil society , public and private office holders , veterans , anchors and journalists spew venom against the government and the opposition .
Guests on TV talk shows are often quarrelsome and at times they indulge in fights .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Given the state of intolerance and extremism of the society , the situation is heading towards chaos .
We lament about the attitude of Indian leaders that they have a bad habit of holding Pakistan responsible for all the wrongs in their country .
Instead of giving a tit for tat response , our leaders have all along maintained a defensive and apologetic stance and they leave no stone unturned to befriend India .
Our policy of appeasement is one-sided .
Instead of reciprocating our friendly gestures , India keeps hatching conspiracies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friendly posture towards our arch enemy , our government has adopted a highly belligerent posture against the opposition .
It seems that every problem in Pakistan these days has something to do with the Sharif brothers , their family and cohorts .
It is as if the country has no other issue — all the rest would be fine if only these people are put behind bars .
It is inconceivable that the fulfillment of this wish will actually help the man in the street in any meaningful way .
If all this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as claimed , why is there almost no discussion of the issues that actually concern the latter and the country as a whole ?
1 .
The need to control the population that has risen almost seven-fold —- from 35 million in 1947 to 220 million .
How can any responsible individual not be worrying about where it is taking us ?
What are we doing to provide jobs , schools , universities , hospitals , housing and above all , food for these ever-rising numbers ?
From where will the land @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed for these come from ?
2 .
The population shift from the villages is leading to the creation of megacities with their mega management issues .
Should we not be actively engaging in finding ways to reverse this trend ?
3 .
The administrative system that was once the envy of the world , now lies in tatters .
Who is going to fix it and when ?
If only we can spend as much time and effort in dealing with this as we do on putting Nawaz Sharif in jail .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the state of the system of education that lays the foundation of future generations and builds the country .
5 .
No government made any effort to build institutions and to improve the system of justice .
Governance , management and economy would never improve without reforming the institutions .
6 .
India is building dams in huge numbers to make us water scarce and dry our arid lands .
It will take many years for our two hydro power projects to get completed .
How do we plan to meet our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two dams ?
7 .
Accountability of the culprits is necessary provided the process is fair and transparent and not selective .
Can the ongoing accountability drive be termed as equitable , and are the ones holding others accountable saints ?
How can the accountability be fair in the absence of accountability bill which is lying in pending tray since 2010 , and the judiciary , police , NAB , FIA etc .
have not been reformed , and the PTI is filled with bad hats from other parties ?
How come the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ above board ?
8 .
Perhaps Jinnah ’ s greatest achievement was that he rescued the Muslims of India from the clutches of disastrous Maulanas .
His successors have done their best to destroy this legacy and left increasing numbers of hapless people vulnerable to the fatal attraction of the siren song of these false prophets .
Don ’ t the people in power know where it will land the country ?
Don ’ t they care ?
We have thrown the Quaid ’ s motto “ unity , faith and discipline ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part is that those among us who should know better seem blissfully unconcerned or unable to see beyond their noses .
They seem to have absolved themselves of the responsibility and left it all to ‘ others ’ whoever they might be .
Hiding from the issue is not going to solve it .
The time to speak up and stand up to be counted is now .
The job of any government is to unite the people ; not divide them — to care for all of them and not sacrifice national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is there only to serve all of the people , including those who did not vote for it .
It has to carry all of the people with it .
This is the very essence of good leadership .
A good leader knows the right path to follow .
The hike in wilderness we have taken is leading to disunity , despair and ultimately disaster .
At this rate , there is bound to be a reaction sooner than later .
We don ’ t know what shape it will take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go by , it will not be good for the country or the PTI for that matter .
The only way out to meet the external threats squarely is to achieve unity , achieve political stability , consolidate home front and uplift the economy .
It is time for a national dialogue to avert the political impasse .
The writer is a retired Brig Gen , war veteran , defence & security analyst , international columnist , author of five books , Chairman Thinkers Forum Pakistan , Director Measac Research Centre , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
[ email protected ]

Another worrying development is the presence of 20,000 Blackwater operatives at Bagram airbase, and Daesh Khurasan (ISIS) that were brought from Iraq and Syria and married up with Jamaatul Ahrar (JuA) at Nangarhar in 2014 by Ajit Doval
Asif Haroon Raja
“I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires” – — Susan B Anthony.
“The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life”– Jane Addams
After losing the opportunity of invading Gilgit-Baltistan and disrupting CPEC at Karakorum Highway (KKH) via DBO road due to Chinese action in May-Jun this year, India is now planning to up the ante by once again intensifying terrorism in the restive zones, and waging a limited war in a specific region like disputed Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), where it hopes to keep the conflict limited to conventional war. Going by the threatening statements of Gen Rawat Bipen, India must have earmarked objectives of strategic importance in AJK, the loss of which would embarrass Pak military leadership. Even loss of one to two heights would give an opportunity to inflamed opposition to exploit it to the hilt to defame the army. In case Pakistan decides to use nukes to save its territory, India hopes that the US will step in and prevent Pakistan.
Our enemy is not India alone. India couldn’t have dared to make Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) its integral part on August 5, 2019 without the full back up support of US and Israel. India is a problem but the bigger problem is USA, and still bigger problem is the blind faith of our leadership in USA. This infatuation is not fading irrespective of repeated betrayals. The US-India-Israel nexus which is anti-Pakistan is a reality and cannot be severed or wished away.
The other issue at hand is our fancy for Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), which should now have vaporized after Riyadh showed its true colors. After asking Islamabad to return the $ 2 billion loans and cancelling the oil given on deferred payment, there are reports that the whole lot of Arab States including KSA would soon be recognizing Israel and forming a block with US, Israel, the West and India. There is a strong possibility that Pak troops in Gulf States would be replaced by Indian and Israeli troops and military instructors hired from US and Israel. The fate of millions of Pakistanis working in Arab States hangs in the balance.
UAE has stopped giving visas to Pakistanis on the pretext of Covid-19, but India being the second biggest affected country in the world, no restrictions are imposed on Indian nationals. KSA is pressuring Pakistan to recognize Israel. Prince MBS has changed colors and can no more be blindly depended upon.
Another worrying development is the presence of 20,000 Blackwater operatives at Bagram airbase, and Daesh Khurasan (ISIS) that were brought from Iraq and Syria and married up with Jamaatul Ahrar (JuA) at Nangarhar in 2014 by Ajit Doval. He has now rejuvenated the splintered TTP based in safe havens of Afghanistan by reuniting JuA and Hizbul Ahrar with TTP.
Lashkar-e-Islam and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi have also been aligned with TTP. The proscribed groups have been provided funds to once again foment terrorism in restive regions of Pakistan. Likewise, the Baloch rebel groups have also be united under the umbrella of BRAS which comprises BLA, BLF and BRG.
The Sindh based proscribed groups have been put together under JSMM which comprise of MQM London, JSQM and JSM. Shafi Burfat has handed over the reins of jSMM to Altaf Hussain residing in London. There has been a sudden upsurge of acts of terror in Pakistan in the last two months.
Reports are that Erik Prince, head of Blackwater, who is a close friend of Joe Biden will take over the security of Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US troops. Blackwater, Daesh and ANSF would operate jointly to confront the Taliban and also carry out attacks in Pakistan. If true, it will enable India to keep both Afghanistan and Pakistan destabilized, thus pouring cold water on our high hopes of peaceful Afghanistan.
If there is some veracity in the above scenario, the unstable political front at home and with so many quislings and anti-Pakistan elements together with the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) ever ready to promote the agenda of our enemies will add to our woes. It makes the overall security situation highly grave.
Armed forces alone cannot singly tackle the multiple external threats and the hybrid war, and would need full back up support of the nation as was the case in 1965 war. The economy cannot improve unless there is political stability and there is law and order.
It looks that our enemies have won the battle of minds by cloning the minds of the elites and the educated through tutored narratives and perceptions spread by our media houses, several of which are on the payroll of outsiders. Unfortunately, due to acute political polarization, the ruling regime and opposition parties consider each other bigger enemies than external enemies. Both camps have adopted an uncompromising stance and in this political battle, the army misconstrued as pro-PTI and anti PML-N is getting compromised and is losing face.
This is exactly what our enemies want since they know that dent can be made in Pakistan only when the army gets discredited in the eyes of the people.
There was a time that great majority in Pakistan used to consider India as arch enemy; all our guns were trained against India. Hindus were viewed as double dealers, crooked, cowardly, hypocrites carrying a dagger under their armpits. Only a handful talked in favor of India but they were severely censured. The trend has changed now. We have forgotten our real enemies and we have turned our guns inwards.
Political polarization and hatred have scaled new heights and the government and its allies have drawn battle lines against the union of 11 opposition parties which have staged public gatherings in big cities and indulged in diatribe against the government and the army leadership. Both refuse to talk to each other and with every passing day the political temperature is rising. The PDM leaders intend sending their resignations to the National Assembly Speaker on Nov 13 as hinted by Mariam Nawaz. This move will be followed by the long march to Islamabad in January next year to force the government to step down and hold mid-term elections.
The civil society, public and private office holders, veterans, anchors and journalists spew venom against the government and the opposition. Guests on TV talk shows are often quarrelsome and at times they indulge in fights. Social media is adding fuel to fire. Given the state of intolerance and extremism of the society, the situation is heading towards chaos.
We lament about the attitude of Indian leaders that they have a bad habit of holding Pakistan responsible for all the wrongs in their country. Instead of giving a tit for tat response, our leaders have all along maintained a defensive and apologetic stance and they leave no stone unturned to befriend India. Our policy of appeasement is one-sided. Instead of reciprocating our friendly gestures, India keeps hatching conspiracies to harm Pakistan.
While maintaining a friendly posture towards our arch enemy, our government has adopted a highly belligerent posture against the opposition. It seems that every problem in Pakistan these days has something to do with the Sharif brothers, their family and cohorts. It is as if the country has no other issue — all the rest would be fine if only these people are put behind bars. It is inconceivable that the fulfillment of this wish will actually help the man in the street in any meaningful way.
If all this is for the love of the people, as claimed, why is there almost no discussion of the issues that actually concern the latter and the country as a whole?
For instance:
1. The need to control the population that has risen almost seven-fold —- from 35 million in 1947 to 220 million. How can any responsible individual not be worrying about where it is taking us? What are we doing to provide jobs, schools, universities, hospitals, housing and above all, food for these ever-rising numbers? From where will the land, water, money and other resources needed for these come from?
2. The population shift from the villages is leading to the creation of megacities with their mega management issues. Should we not be actively engaging in finding ways to reverse this trend?
3. The administrative system that was once the envy of the world, now lies in tatters. Who is going to fix it and when? If only we can spend as much time and effort in dealing with this as we do on putting Nawaz Sharif in jail.
4. The less said the better about the state of the system of education that lays the foundation of future generations and builds the country.
5. No government made any effort to build institutions and to improve the system of justice. Governance, management and economy would never improve without reforming the institutions.
6. India is building dams in huge numbers to make us water scarce and dry our arid lands. It will take many years for our two hydro power projects to get completed. How do we plan to meet our water needs till the commissioning of the two dams?
7. Accountability of the culprits is necessary provided the process is fair and transparent and not selective. Can the ongoing accountability drive be termed as equitable, and are the ones holding others accountable saints? How can the accountability be fair in the absence of accountability bill which is lying in pending tray since 2010, and the judiciary, police, NAB, FIA etc. have not been reformed, and the PTI is filled with bad hats from other parties? How come the allies of PTI with tainted past are above board?
8. Perhaps Jinnah’s greatest achievement was that he rescued the Muslims of India from the clutches of disastrous Maulanas. His successors have done their best to destroy this legacy and left increasing numbers of hapless people vulnerable to the fatal attraction of the siren song of these false prophets. Don’t the people in power know where it will land the country? Don’t they care? We have thrown the Quaid’s motto “unity, faith and discipline” into dustbin.
Perhaps the most worrying part is that those among us who should know better seem blissfully unconcerned or unable to see beyond their noses. They seem to have absolved themselves of the responsibility and left it all to ‘others’ whoever they might be. Hiding from the issue is not going to solve it. The time to speak up and stand up to be counted is now.
The job of any government is to unite the people; not divide them — to care for all of them and not sacrifice national interest for the sake of political expediency. It is there only to serve all of the people, including those who did not vote for it. It has to carry all of the people with it. This is the very essence of good leadership.
A good leader knows the right path to follow. The hike in wilderness we have taken is leading to disunity, despair and ultimately disaster.
At this rate, there is bound to be a reaction sooner than later. We don’t know what shape it will take but, if past experience is anything to go by, it will not be good for the country or the PTI for that matter.
The only way out to meet the external threats squarely is to achieve unity, achieve political stability, consolidate home front and uplift the economy. It is time for a national dialogue to avert the political impasse.
The writer is a retired Brig Gen, war veteran, defence & security analyst, international columnist, author of five books, Chairman Thinkers Forum Pakistan, Director Measac Research Centre, Member CWC PESS & Veterans Think Tank. asifharoonraja@gmail.com


veteranstoday--2020-12-07--Yes, Virginia, COVID-19 is Real

Yes, Virginia, COVID-19 is Real

Health Editor ’ s Note : Yes , Virginia , COVID-19 is real .
If you are not practicing the health strategies to avoid contracting and spreading COVID-19 , BEGIN NOW !
In case you have been living under a rock and have not heard , read , or know what the health strategies are to help to stop the COVID-19 pandemic , here they are with some added by me .
• Universal face mask use and wear it over both nose and mouth • Stay at the least 6 feet or preferably more from any individual you do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups of any size , indoors or outdoors • Stay home unless you are buying food , need medicines , or seeking medical care • DO go outside to exercise but stay physically distanced from anyone you do not live with and do not touch common surfaces such as hand rails , door nobs , handles , etc .
• Do not leave your home if you are ill. • Do not be around anyone who is ill. • Increase ventilation , especially important in the cold months when we are mostly indoors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested • Protect essential workers by wearing a mask and do what you can to not become a coronavirus statistic .
Healthcare workers are getting so tired and discouraged .
• Wash , Wash , Wash your hands all the time with soap and water or use alcohol hand gets when you can not use soap and water • Never touch your face , mouth , nose , or eyes without first thoroughly washing your hands • When a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available , GET IT !
It is not hard to understand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surging of numbers of cases and deaths due to COVID-19…..Carol ATTENTION READERS Due to the nature of independent content , VT can not guarantee content validity .
We ask you to Read Our Content Policy so a clear comprehension of VT 's independent non-censored media is understood and given its proper place in the world of news , opinion and media .
All content is owned by author exclusively .
Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT , other authors , affiliates , advertisers , sponsors , partners or technicians .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
All images within are full responsibility of author and NOT VT. About VT - Read Full Policy Notice - Comment Policy Due to the nature of independent content , VT can not guarantee content validity.We ask you toso a clear comprehension of VT 's independent non-censored media is understood and given its proper place in the world of news , opinion and media.All content is owned by author exclusively .
Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT , other authors , affiliates , advertisers , sponsors , partners or technicians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nature .
All images within are full responsibility of author and NOT VT .

Carol graduated from Riverside White Cross School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio and received her diploma as a registered nurse. She attended Bowling Green State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Literature. She attended the University of Toledo, College of Nursing, and received a Master’s of Nursing Science Degree as an Educator.
She has traveled extensively, is a photographer, and writes on medical issues. Carol has three children RJ, Katherine, and Stephen – one daughter-in-law; Katie – two granddaughters; Isabella Marianna and Zoe Olivia – and one grandson, Alexander Paul. She also shares her life with her husband Gordon Duff, many cats, and two rescues.


veteranstoday--2020-12-07--Vaccine (V) Day to Begin in U.K. 12/8/2020

Carol graduated from Riverside White Cross School of Nursing in Columbus , Ohio and received her diploma as a registered @ @ @ @ @ Green State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Literature @ @ @ @ @ of Toledo , College of Nursing , and received a Master ’ s of Nursing @ @ @ @ @ has traveled extensively , is a photographer , and writes on medical issues .
Carol @ @ @ @ @ Katherine , and Stephen – one daughter-in-law ; Katie – two granddaughters ; Isabella Marianna @ @ @ @ @ one grandson , Alexander Paul .
She also shares her life with husband Gordon Duff @ @ @ @ @ two rescue pups .


veteranstoday--2020-12-07--‘The Politics of hiring Wall Street people is bad’: Biden has kept bankers and traders at bay, but w

‘The Politics of hiring Wall Street people is bad’: Biden has kept bankers and traders at bay, but will it last?

And that ’ s despite Wall Street collectively donating nearly $ 80 million to Biden ’ s election effort and , by my informal count , voting overwhelmingly for him .
But “ the politics of hiring Wall Street people is bad , ” says Jeff Hauser , the executive director of the Revolving Door Project , a watchdog for political appointees in Washington .
Donald Trump , of course , surrounded himself with Wall Street brass , including from firms that never wanted a thing to do with him in his prepresidential days , when his behavior as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Deutsche Bank extremely wary of him .
Once in the Oval Office , though , boom !
It was his way of trying to obtain instant credibility in the financial markets .
He had his quintet of former Goldman Sachs executives , Gary Cohn ( national economic adviser ) , Steve Mnuchin ( Treasury secretary ) , Dina Powell ( deputy national security adviser ) , Steve Bannon ( chief strategist ) , and Anthony Scaramucci ( director of communications ) .
Trump nominated another longtime Goldman banker , Jim Donovan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donovan withdrew his name from consideration .
Trump also had Wilbur Ross , a private-equity mogul and former restructuring banker at Rothschild , as Commerce secretary .
Larry Kudlow , his current national economic adviser , was the chief economist at Bear Stearns before heading off to CNBC as a television host .
As chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission…read more

To move forward with a campaign promise to reduce student debt, the Biden administration has to choose how broad or targeted to make the reductions, risking helping groups seen as undeserving and widening political fault lines https://t.co/sywVOBfNpj — The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) December 7, 2020
And that’s despite Wall Street collectively donating nearly $80 million to Biden’s election effort and, by my informal count, voting overwhelmingly for him. But “the politics of hiring Wall Street people is bad,” says Jeff Hauser, the executive director of the Revolving Door Project, a watchdog for political appointees in Washington.
Donald Trump, of course, surrounded himself with Wall Street brass, including from firms that never wanted a thing to do with him in his prepresidential days, when his behavior as a notorious grifter made every Wall Street bank but Deutsche Bank extremely wary of him. Once in the Oval Office, though, boom! It was his way of trying to obtain instant credibility in the financial markets.
He had his quintet of former Goldman Sachs executives, Gary Cohn (national economic adviser), Steve Mnuchin (Treasury secretary), Dina Powell (deputy national security adviser), Steve Bannon (chief strategist), and Anthony Scaramucci (director of communications).
Trump nominated another longtime Goldman banker, Jim Donovan, to be Mnuchin’s deputy but Donovan withdrew his name from consideration. Trump also had Wilbur Ross, a private-equity mogul and former restructuring banker at Rothschild, as Commerce secretary. Larry Kudlow, his current national economic adviser, was the chief economist at Bear Stearns before heading off to CNBC as a television host. As chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission…read more
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/12/biden-has-kept-the-bankers-and-traders-at-bay-but-will-it-last?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=biz&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_mailing=thematic_business_120720&utm_medium=email&bxid=5cc9e0963f92a477a0e84869&cndid=54271285&sourcecode=thematic_suitesheet&utm_term=Thematic_Business


veteranstoday--2020-12-08--Seattle Salmon Die After Rainstorms

Seattle Salmon Die After Rainstorms

Coho Salmon Being Killed by Chemical in Car Tire Debris Health Editor ’ s Note : A rubber additive ( 6PPD ) that makes car tires last longer is killing spawning Coho salmon in Seattle area .
When 6PPD washes off of the roads into streams and rivers it becomes 6PPD-quinone and is deadly for the salmon .
Simple run-off water from roads is making its way into streams and rivers and killing salmon .
This is not only a big problem for the salmon , but what about humans ?
Is there a way that this stormwater runoff can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6PPD-quinone from reaching waterways ?
Moving stormwater through soil before it arrives at the water source would help some , but as is often the case , the expense of correcting this huge human error is large and in the end would mimic the passive filtration that was in existence before humans destroyed wetlands for agriculture and buildings .
Ironic but if nothing is done , the stormwater runoff will continue to be deadly for fish and who knows what or who else……Carol ATTENTION READERS Due to the nature of independent content , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ask you to Read Our Content Policy so a clear comprehension of VT 's independent non-censored media is understood and given its proper place in the world of news , opinion and media .
All content is owned by author exclusively .
Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT , other authors , affiliates , advertisers , sponsors , partners or technicians .
Some content may be satirical in nature .
All images within are full responsibility of author and NOT VT. About VT - Read Full Policy Notice - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent content , VT can not guarantee content validity.We ask you toso a clear comprehension of VT 's independent non-censored media is understood and given its proper place in the world of news , opinion and media.All content is owned by author exclusively .
Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT , other authors , affiliates , advertisers , sponsors , partners or technicians .
Some content may be satirical in nature .
All images within are full responsibility of author and NOT VT .


veteranstoday--2020-12-08--WWII Nazi Enigma Machine Found in Baltic Sea


veteranstoday--2020-12-08--Yeager Dies at 97

Yeager Dies at 97

Gordon Duff is a Marine combat veteran of the Vietnam War .
He is a disabled veteran and has worked @ @ @ @ @ for decades .
Gordon is an accredited diplomat and is generally accepted as one of @ @ @ @ @ .
He manages the world ’ s largest private intelligence organization and regularly consults with @ @ @ @ @ has traveled extensively , is published around the world and is a regular guest on @ @ @ @ @ than “ several ” countries .
He is also a trained chef , wine enthusiast @ @ @ @ @ specializing in historical weapons and restoration .
Business experience and interests are in energy and @ @ @

The lead video is from me. Rent the film (not the series and enjoy the score by Bill Conti)
Chuck Yeager, missed.
ATTENTION READERS We See The World From All Sides and Want YOU To Be Fully Informed
In fact, intentional disinformation is a disgraceful scourge in media today. So to assuage any possible errant incorrect information posted herein, we strongly encourage you to seek corroboration from other non-VT sources before forming an educated opinion.
About VT - Policies & Disclosures - Comment Policy In fact, intentional disinformation is a disgraceful scourge in media today. So to assuage any possible errant incorrect information posted herein, we strongly encourage you to seek corroboration from other non-VT sources before forming an educated opinion.
Due to the nature of uncensored content posted by VT's fully independent international writers, VT cannot guarantee absolute validity. All content is owned by the author exclusively. Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT, other authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners, or technicians. Some content may be satirical in nature. All images are the full responsibility of the article author and NOT VT.


veteranstoday--2020-12-09--Trump Engineered Vaccine Shortage to Push up Deaths, Kill Biden Economy

While Trump contested the election , foreign buyers have taken all available doses of vaccines Americans were supposed to be receiving…including massive deliveries to Israel for Jews only…vaccines taken from American first responders .
Israel got theirs today , Britain a few days ago…while Americans are now being told “ maybe July , ” which will extend deaths and lockdowns month after month after month… Politico : The United States could be heading for a vaccine cliff this spring , with shortages forcing hundreds of millions of Americans to wait for shots amid intense global competition for limited doses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ doses each of vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna , but the U.S. is unlikely to get additional doses anytime soon because of strong international demand .
And both vaccines require two doses per person , effectively halving the already scarce supply .
Trump administration officials insisted Tuesday that most American adults can be vaccinated by May .
But despite President Donald Trump ’ s attempt to compel vaccine sales to the U.S. by executive order , most Americans ’ best hope of getting a shot by spring or early summer may rest on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work — such as the doses being developed by Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca .
“ We ’ re clearly not going to get there ” with the Moderna and Pfizer shots , said Peter Hotez , a virologist and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine who is working on a vaccine candidate with partners in India .
“ We ’ re going to need four or five different vaccines.
” The United States has reserved roughly 800 million doses from six manufacturers — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Moderna — but it ’ s not yet clear whether all of their vaccines will prove safe and effective enough to use .
And the two frontrunners have inked deals with multiple countries that are stretching thin their early supplies .
The Trump administration is not alone in assuming that all of its big vaccine bets will pay off .
Several other countries ’ estimates “ are based on a best-case scenario , ” said Krishna Udayakumar , founding Director of the Duke Global Health Innovation Center , whose team has tracked global @ @ @ @ @

Vaccines and open restaurants and schools now many months away as Trump sends America's vaccines to Israel
While Trump contested the election, foreign buyers have taken all available doses of vaccines Americans were supposed to be receiving…including massive deliveries to Israel for Jews only…vaccines taken from American first responders.
Israel got theirs today, Britain a few days ago…while Americans are now being told “maybe July,” which will extend deaths and lockdowns month after month after month…
Politico: The United States could be heading for a vaccine cliff this spring, with shortages forcing hundreds of millions of Americans to wait for shots amid intense global competition for limited doses.
The Trump administration has bought 100 million doses each of vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, but the U.S. is unlikely to get additional doses anytime soon because of strong international demand. And both vaccines require two doses per person, effectively halving the already scarce supply.
Trump administration officials insisted Tuesday that most American adults can be vaccinated by May. But despite President Donald Trump’s attempt to compel vaccine sales to the U.S. by executive order, most Americans’ best hope of getting a shot by spring or early summer may rest on vaccines that have not yet been proven to work — such as the doses being developed by Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca. “We’re clearly not going to get there” with the Moderna and Pfizer shots, said Peter Hotez, a virologist and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine who is working on a vaccine candidate with partners in India. “We’re going to need four or five different vaccines.” The United States has reserved roughly 800 million doses from six manufacturers — including 100 million each from Pfizer and Moderna — but it’s not yet clear whether all of their vaccines will prove safe and effective enough to use. And the two frontrunners have inked deals with multiple countries that are stretching thin their early supplies. The Trump administration is not alone in assuming that all of its big vaccine bets will pay off. Several other countries’ estimates “are based on a best-case scenario,” said Krishna Udayakumar, founding Director of the Duke Global Health Innovation Center, whose team has tracked global vaccine purchases. Read Full Article on Politico.com


veteranstoday--2020-12-09--How Long Does COVID-19 Immunity Last? Still Working on That

COVID-19 Update : Reinfection Almost Never Happens for at Least 6 Months Health Editor ’ s Note : New findings from a study using thousands healthcare workers in England who contracted COVID-19 and produced antibodies to it were unlikely to become infected again or if reinfection , not for 6 or so months .
In the rare instance when a person again tested positive , after recovery from first infection , rarely showed signs of a new illness .
At this point it is not written in stone how long protective antibodies remain .
While this may be promising news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live another day , there are still many who have never been infected and are cannon fodder for this virus .
We know that the vaccine will be given in two doses and will most probably end up being a yearly vaccination , as is the influenza vaccine….Carol ATTENTION READERS Due to the nature of independent content , VT can not guarantee content validity .
We ask you to Read Our Content Policy so a clear comprehension of VT 's independent non-censored media is understood and given its proper place in the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All content is owned by author exclusively .
Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT , other authors , affiliates , advertisers , sponsors , partners or technicians .
Some content may be satirical in nature .
All images within are full responsibility of author and NOT VT. About VT - Read Full Policy Notice - Comment Policy Due to the nature of independent content , VT can not guarantee content validity.We ask you toso a clear comprehension of VT 's independent non-censored media is understood and given its proper place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and media.All content is owned by author exclusively .
Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT , other authors , affiliates , advertisers , sponsors , partners or technicians .
Some content may be satirical in nature .
All images within are full responsibility of author and NOT VT .

COVID-19 Update: Reinfection Almost Never Happens for at Least 6 Months
How long does #COVID19 #immunity last? It’s still too soon for a final answer, but new @UniofOxford findings from #healthcare workers show #reinfection almost never happens for at least 6 months. #NIH https://t.co/Oop6GbMECt — Francis S. Collins (@NIHDirector) December 8, 2020
Health Editor’s Note: New findings from a study using thousands healthcare workers in England who contracted COVID-19 and produced antibodies to it were unlikely to become infected again or if reinfection, not for 6 or so months. In the rare instance when a person again tested positive, after recovery from first infection, rarely showed signs of a new illness.
At this point it is not written in stone how long protective antibodies remain. While this may be promising news among those that have survived infection to live another day, there are still many who have never been infected and are cannon fodder for this virus. We know that the vaccine will be given in two doses and will most probably end up being a yearly vaccination, as is the influenza vaccine….Carol
Carol graduated from Riverside White Cross School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio and received her diploma as a registered nurse. She attended Bowling Green State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Literature. She attended the University of Toledo, College of Nursing, and received a Master’s of Nursing Science Degree as an Educator. She has traveled extensively, is a photographer, and writes on medical issues. Carol has three children RJ, Katherine, and Stephen – one daughter-in-law; Katie – two granddaughters; Isabella Marianna and Zoe Olivia – and one grandson, Alexander Paul. She also shares her life with her husband Gordon Duff, many cats, and two rescues. Carol’s Archives 2009-2013


veteranstoday--2020-12-08--SCOTUS to Trump: ‘Eat Shit and Die’

SCOTUS to Trump: ‘Eat Shit and Die’

Due to the nature of independent content , VT can not guarantee content validity.We ask you toso a clear comprehension @ @ @ @ @ media is understood and given its proper place in the world of news , opinion @ @ @ @ @ by author exclusively .
Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT , other @ @ @ @ @ , sponsors , partners or technicians .
Some content may be satirical in nature .
@ @ @ @ @ responsibility of author and NOT VT .

ATTENTION READERS We See The World From All Sides and Want YOU To Be Fully Informed
In fact, intentional disinformation is a disgraceful scourge in media today. So to assuage any possible errant incorrect information posted herein, we strongly encourage you to seek corroboration from other non-VT sources before forming an educated opinion.
About VT - Policies & Disclosures - Comment Policy In fact, intentional disinformation is a disgraceful scourge in media today. So to assuage any possible errant incorrect information posted herein, we strongly encourage you to seek corroboration from other non-VT sources before forming an educated opinion.
Due to the nature of uncensored content posted by VT's fully independent international writers, VT cannot guarantee absolute validity. All content is owned by the author exclusively. Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT, other authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners, or technicians. Some content may be satirical in nature. All images are the full responsibility of the article author and NOT VT.


veteranstoday--2020-12-08--“Why I Chose Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense”

President-elect Joe Biden writes in The Atlantic : “ Why I Chose Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense ” In a new essay for The Atlantic , President-elect Joe Biden announces and outlines his decision to nominate General Lloyd Austin to be the Secretary of Defense .
Biden writes : “ Austin ’ s many strengths and his intimate knowledge of the Department of Defense and our government are uniquely matched to the challenges and crises we face .
He is the person we need in this moment.
” “ In his more than 40 years in the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extraordinary skill and profound personal decency , ” writes Biden .
“ He is a true and tested soldier and leader .
I ’ ve spent countless hours with him , in the field and in the White House Situation Room .
I ’ ve sought his advice , seen his command , and admired his calm and his character .
He is the definition of a patriot.
” The essay continues : “ I respect and believe in the importance of civilian control of our military and in the importance of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Austin .
We need empowered civilians working with military leaders to shape DoD ’ s policies and ensure that our defense policies are accountable to the American people .
Austin also knows that the secretary of defense has a different set of responsibilities than a general officer and that the civil-military dynamic has been under great stress these past four years .
He will work tirelessly to get it back on track.
” The full piece by President-elect Joe Biden is now at The Atlantic : “ Why I Chose Lloyd Austin as @ @ @ @ @

President-elect Joe Biden writes in The Atlantic: “Why I Chose Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense”
In a new essay for The Atlantic, President-elect Joe Biden announces and outlines his decision to nominate General Lloyd Austin to be the Secretary of Defense. Biden writes: “Austin’s many strengths and his intimate knowledge of the Department of Defense and our government are uniquely matched to the challenges and crises we face. He is the person we need in this moment.”
“In his more than 40 years in the United States Army, Austin met every challenge with extraordinary skill and profound personal decency,” writes Biden. “He is a true and tested soldier and leader. I’ve spent countless hours with him, in the field and in the White House Situation Room. I’ve sought his advice, seen his command, and admired his calm and his character. He is the definition of a patriot.”
The essay continues: “I respect and believe in the importance of civilian control of our military and in the importance of a strong civil-military working relationship at DoD—as does Austin. We need empowered civilians working with military leaders to shape DoD’s policies and ensure that our defense policies are accountable to the American people. Austin also knows that the secretary of defense has a different set of responsibilities than a general officer and that the civil-military dynamic has been under great stress these past four years. He will work tirelessly to get it back on track.”
The full piece by President-elect Joe Biden is now at The Atlantic: “Why I Chose Lloyd Austin as Secretary of Defense.”


veteranstoday--2020-12-08--NEO – Farewell incredulous Trump: All hail belligerent Biden

by Phil Butler , with New Eastern Outlook , Moscow , …and the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences , a research institution for the study of the countries and cultures of Asia and North Africa .
[ Editor ’ s Note : Phil Butler may be living on Crete , but he still has his pulse on American politics from afar .
We are happy to have him after his challenging morning a few years ago when he was resuscitated twice , and still in the fight .
Most of the world is on edge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exit stage left ’ , and to have someone hopefully a hell of a lot more qualified than he take over the job .
So far , when it comes to people with deep government experience , Biden has a bench that makes the former Trump team look like the impostors they were .
That said , the Biden team may be in over their heads , with the US debt already run up into the stratosphere by Trump , where more than a few wonder how an implosion can be avoided , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spigot to save the economy .
I have not yet heard of a Biden appointment of chief alchemist yet , which is what we need , someone that can turn lead into gold , and in large quantities .
We have a battle going on with the Covid stimulus , where the Democrats want companies to be held liable for employee Covid deaths , when there may not have been personal protection equipment for them to buy , because the Kushner family had bought up US supplies to run the prices up .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden camp anything about governors and mayors being held liable for unneeded deaths due to their laxity to enforce virus protection efforts that were widely supported by our medical experts .
I am at the point of eliminating immunity for everyone .
If they don ’ t like the heat , then they can just stay out of politics .
I am hoping that when this is over , we can take a fresh look at how we govern our country to prevent a recurrence of the insanity we have been put through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Editor ’ s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal Jim 's work includes research , field trips , Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more .
Thanks for helping .
Click to donate > > Five hundred thousand people died of hunger in our world since President Donald Trump lost the US presidential election to Joe Biden .
Since Trump began his tantrum over the loss , 20,000 Americans have died of COVID-19 , the “ fake virus ” , in ICUs across the nation .
In war-torn Yemen , where Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 million children are at risk from malnutrition , cholera , or death from above .
Since Donald Trump lost to Biden , the most powerful man in the world has played golf 9 times at this golf resort in Potomac , Virginia .
Yes , President Trump has played golf more frequently since losing to Joe Biden , than at any time in his presidency .
He ’ s Tweeted from his golf cart to his dwindling following , how the only fair election in America is one he wins .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new golf ball from his pocket , in a miraculous find of a lost one near a water hazard .
Trump , the biggest cheat whoever inhabited the White House , is losing his mind over his unthinkable unpopularity .
For Joe Biden ’ s counted votes are the most in US election history .
Some reading this will grimace , that a geopolicy expert would condemn any politician so .
But Donald Trump is not even a politician .
He can not even claim to be so high as the lowest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say ; “ He ’ s so low he could crawl under a snake ’ s belly with a tophat on , ” in describing such people .
This is who we elected as our Commander in Chief .
And we should all drop to our knees and praise the almighty , that the world is still in one piece .
Not that the incoming president will save us from a near-certain apocalypse because of his handlers .
Now , to continue .
In the three weeks since America chose warmonger Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has wasted tens of billions of the taxpayer ’ s money in his Baby Huey crybaby rant .
The nation is more separated than at any time since the American Civil War , and largely because her sitting president can not even summon the decency to admit defeat .
Trump , the spoiled sport who millions tied their hopes to , can not even manage to finish the job he started in January of 2017 .
You remember , the job he swore to God he would undertake !
Now , with one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ golf cart , the former billionaire casino owner finishes off with a swig of bourbon , a Big Mac , and a hearty “ Hi Oh Silver ” , what ’ s left of the office of president .
And let ’ s not talk about $ 22 trillion in debt the people now owe .
Trump ’ s part in this , is three times higher than any president in history .
Vanity Fair Magazine writer Charlotte Klein calls Trump the “ Mad King ” in her scathing and appropriate story about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While every court in the land throws out Trump ’ s expensive lawsuits , the golfer in charge hides in his kingly lair emerging only to tee-off for another golf round every weekend .
On the world stage , however , America is no longer present .
The United States ’ role in world affairs is on auto-pilot .
Yes , really !
Think about this for a moment .
The most powerful nation on Earth is just coasting along , leaderless , pretending that facts are not facts , trying to rewrite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Madagascar , a pandemic has forced thousands of families to eat insects .
The drought there , brought on by the “ fake ” global warming Trump ’ s big energy pals say isn ’ t happening , is mirrored in dozens of nations around our planet .
In Vermont , where Trump was crushed by Joe Biden in the election , record malnutrition is a huge problem .
Yes , you read that correctly , America has New England states where people are going hungry in record numbers .
Read or listen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Trump reminisces about his latest birdie on the golf course , one-in-six American children are desperately hungry .
And his whining goes on , and on , and on .
But the crybaby is not only blind to starvation in his own country , but he ’ s also oblivious to Gaza , and the scores of dead farmers slain by extreme Islamists in Nigeria over the weekend .
Trump is not on live TV condemning war , or hunger , or climate disasters , or the imminent forced lockdowns coming to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world how he should be king , mad or not .
Food banks in America are running out of resources to feed one in four children suffering from hunger , and the one person who could do something about it is whining , bitching , and moaning because he is not “ loved ” enough .
Trump ’ s brand of American leadership is a cross between a Vaudeville show and a Stephen King horror , America these days .
Thai protesters are storming the royal guard barracks .
Christmas markets in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , hurricanes have left people homeless and hungry .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 244 points after gains Trump had bragged about .
And poorer Americans will not get a new $ 1,200 stimulus check to pad their empty cardboard coffers before Trump leaves .
The only smidgeon of news indicating Trump is doing his job is a report that son-in-law ( Prince ) Jared Kushner is headed to Saudia Arabia and Qatar to try and broker some deal against Iran .
The Trump administration has been keen to arm the Saudis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other Middle East neighbors , and to help American oil companies and energy giants win big back home .
Kushner , who some see as a “ bag man ” for a kind of Trump mob , is surely up to no good .
The slumlord husband of Ivanka Trump is most likely seeking a refuge for the American “ royal ” minions if things go decidedly wrong for Donald Trump after Biden takes office .
The couple will certainly be unwelcome in their former jet-set New York circle .
Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still is an ongoing disaster for America and the world .
He may not be responsible for Earth being closer than was initially thought to the Milky Way galaxy ’ s gigantic black hole ( yes , scientists found this ) , but he is single-handedly responsible for degrading American influence around the world .
Trump may not be behind the humongous fireball that mysteriously lit the skies over Japan the other day , but he did manage to hate nearly everyone on the planet .
The current president probably had nothing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Darth Vader ) passing away , but he sure has cast a dark shadow on the presidency the last four years .
While Trump either sulked in his Oval Office chair , McDonald ’ s burger and fry wrappers strewn everywhere , a massive earthquake from the Yellowstone caldera might have ended civilization as we know it .
Fortunately , Mother Earth decided Trump has enough blood on his hands .
Farewell , you unwise , unkind , unthinking , and unthinkable brute of a world leader .
All hail Sleepy Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best friend .
Phil Butler , is a policy investigator and analyst , a political scientist and expert on Eastern Europe , he ’ s an author of the recent bestseller “ Putin ’ s Praetorians ” and other books .
He writes exclusively for the online magazine “ New Eastern Outlook .
”

by Phil Butler, with New Eastern Outlook, Moscow, …and the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a research institution for the study of the countries and cultures of Asia and North Africa.
[ Editor’s Note: Phil Butler may be living on Crete, but he still has his pulse on American politics from afar. We are happy to have him after his challenging morning a few years ago when he was resuscitated twice, and still in the fight.
Most of the world is on edge waiting for the ‘acting president to exit stage left’, and to have someone hopefully a hell of a lot more qualified than he takes over the job. So far, when it comes to people with deep government experience, Biden has a bench that makes the former Trump team look like the impostors they were.
That said, the Biden team may be in over their heads, with the US debt already run up into the stratosphere by Trump, where more than a few wonder how an implosion can be avoided, with talk of Biden turning on the spigot to save the economy.
I have not yet heard of a Biden appointment of chief alchemist yet, which is what we need, someone that can turn lead into gold, and in large quantities.
We have a battle going on with the Covid stimulus, where the Democrats want companies to be held liable for employee Covid deaths, when there may not have been personal protection equipment for them to buy, because the Kushner family had bought up US supplies to run the prices up.
Yet we do not hear from the Biden camp anything about governors and mayors being held liable for unneeded deaths due to their laxity to enforce virus protection efforts that were widely supported by our medical experts.
I am at the point of eliminating immunity for everyone. If they don’t like the heat, then they can just stay out of politics. I am hoping that when this is over, we can take a fresh look at how we govern our country to prevent a recurrence of the insanity we have been put through here… Jim W. Dean ]
Jim's Editor’s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal
Jim's work includes research, field trips, Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more. Thanks for helping. Click to donate >>
First published … December 08, 2020
Five hundred thousand people died of hunger in our world since President Donald Trump lost the US presidential election to Joe Biden. Since Trump began his tantrum over the loss, 20,000 Americans have died of COVID-19, the “fake virus”, in ICUs across the nation.
In war-torn Yemen, where Trump’s arms sold to the Saudis kill, 12 million children are at risk from malnutrition, cholera, or death from above. Since Donald Trump lost to Biden, the most powerful man in the world has played golf 9 times at this golf resort in Potomac, Virginia.
Yes, President Trump has played golf more frequently since losing to Joe Biden, than at any time in his presidency. He’s Tweeted from his golf cart to his dwindling following, how the only fair election in America is one he wins. He shares his crazy ideas as he drops a new golf ball from his pocket, in a miraculous find of a lost one near a water hazard.
Trump, the biggest cheat whoever inhabited the White House, is losing his mind over his unthinkable unpopularity. For Joe Biden’s counted votes are the most in US election history.
Some reading this will grimace, that a geopolicy expert would condemn any politician so. But Donald Trump is not even a politician. He cannot even claim to be so high as the lowest of the low. My Mom used to say; “He’s so low he could crawl under a snake’s belly with a tophat on,” in describing such people.
This is who we elected as our Commander in Chief. And we should all drop to our knees and praise the almighty, that the world is still in one piece. Not that the incoming president will save us from a near-certain apocalypse because of his handlers. Now, to continue.
In the three weeks since America chose warmonger Joe Biden as our leader, Donald Trump has wasted tens of billions of the taxpayer’s money in his Baby Huey crybaby rant. The nation is more separated than at any time since the American Civil War, and largely because her sitting president cannot even summon the decency to admit defeat.
Trump, the spoiled sport who millions tied their hopes to, cannot even manage to finish the job he started in January of 2017. You remember, the job he swore to God he would undertake!
Now, with one foot on the accelerator pedal of his golf cart, the former billionaire casino owner finishes off with a swig of bourbon, a Big Mac, and a hearty “Hi Oh Silver”, what’s left of the office of president. And let’s not talk about $22 trillion in debt the people now owe. Trump’s part in this, is three times higher than any president in history.
Vanity Fair Magazine writer Charlotte Klein calls Trump the “Mad King” in her scathing and appropriate story about Trump’s descent into insanity. While every court in the land throws out Trump’s expensive lawsuits, the golfer in charge hides in his kingly lair emerging only to tee-off for another golf round every weekend.
On the world stage, however, America is no longer present. The United States’ role in world affairs is on auto-pilot. Yes, really! Think about this for a moment. The most powerful nation on Earth is just coasting along, leaderless, pretending that facts are not facts, trying to rewrite a democratic vote!
Meanwhile, in Madagascar, a pandemic has forced thousands of families to eat insects. The drought there, brought on by the “fake” global warming Trump’s big energy pals say isn’t happening, is mirrored in dozens of nations around our planet.
In Vermont, where Trump was crushed by Joe Biden in the election, record malnutrition is a huge problem. Yes, you read that correctly, America has New England states where people are going hungry in record numbers.
Read or listen to Vermont Public Radio. Today, as Trump reminisces about his latest birdie on the golf course, one-in-six American children are desperately hungry. And his whining goes on, and on, and on. But the crybaby is not only blind to starvation in his own country, but he’s also oblivious to Gaza, and the scores of dead farmers slain by extreme Islamists in Nigeria over the weekend.
Trump is not on live TV condemning war, or hunger, or climate disasters, or the imminent forced lockdowns coming to American cities, he’s telling the world how he should be king, mad or not. Food banks in America are running out of resources to feed one in four children suffering from hunger, and the one person who could do something about it is whining, bitching, and moaning because he is not “loved” enough.
Trump’s brand of American leadership is a cross between a Vaudeville show and a Stephen King horror, America these days. Thai protesters are storming the royal guard barracks. Christmas markets in Europe are called off. In Honduras, hurricanes have left people homeless and hungry.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 244 points after gains Trump had bragged about. And poorer Americans will not get a new $1,200 stimulus check to pad their empty cardboard coffers before Trump leaves.
The only smidgeon of news indicating Trump is doing his job is a report that son-in-law (Prince) Jared Kushner is headed to Saudia Arabia and Qatar to try and broker some deal against Iran. The Trump administration has been keen to arm the Saudis, to broker a coalition between Israel and other Middle East neighbors, and to help American oil companies and energy giants win big back home.
Kushner, who some see as a “bag man” for a kind of Trump mob, is surely up to no good. The slumlord husband of Ivanka Trump is most likely seeking a refuge for the American “royal” minions if things go decidedly wrong for Donald Trump after Biden takes office. The couple will certainly be unwelcome in their former jet-set New York circle.
Donald Trump was a disaster. Excuse me, still is an ongoing disaster for America and the world.
He may not be responsible for Earth being closer than was initially thought to the Milky Way galaxy’s gigantic black hole (yes, scientists found this), but he is single-handedly responsible for degrading American influence around the world. Trump may not be behind the humongous fireball that mysteriously lit the skies over Japan the other day, but he did manage to hate nearly everyone on the planet.
The current president probably had nothing to do with Star Wars legend Dave Prowse (Darth Vader) passing away, but he sure has cast a dark shadow on the presidency the last four years.
While Trump either sulked in his Oval Office chair, McDonald’s burger and fry wrappers strewn everywhere, a massive earthquake from the Yellowstone caldera might have ended civilization as we know it. Fortunately, Mother Earth decided Trump has enough blood on his hands.
Farewell, you unwise, unkind, unthinking, and unthinkable brute of a world leader. All hail Sleepy Joe Biden, the arms dealer’s best friend.
Phil Butler, is a policy investigator and analyst, a political scientist and expert on Eastern Europe, he’s an author of the recent bestseller “Putin’s Praetorians” and other books. He writes exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook.”


veteranstoday--2020-12-08--Family of Black Ohio man shot dead by white officer accuses police of lying about killing

“ My brother literally walked across the yard , walked into the back fence to get to the side door , had his subway and mask in one hand keys in the other , UNLOCKED AND OPENED THE DOOR and stepped in the house before shooting him , ” Harper wrote .
“ IF HE WAS SUCH A THREAT WHY DID YOU WAIT SO LONG TO SHOOT ?
!
WHY DID TOU [ sic ] KILL A MAN WALKING INTO HIS OWN HOME ?
!
” Goodson was shot and killed by police though he has not a target of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a gun .
Nobody believes them as organizations such as the fugitive task force involved are generally made of rogue officers .
Check the photo above .
VT : Victim , Casey Goodson , was returning from a dentist visit , parked his car in his driveway and was unlocking his door while carrying bags of takeout food in his other hand .
Police say he was waving a gun also , using his third arm , and had to shoot him in the back 3 times to protect themselves .
Nobody believes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 , a coverup then also .
Guardian : The family of a 23-year-old Black man shot dead by a white police officer in Columbus , Ohio , on Friday have accused police of lying about the circumstances of the killing and demanded accountability for his death .
Casey Goodson Jr was shot as he entered his home carrying sandwiches from Subway , according to multiple accounts by family members .
His mother said he was shot three times in the back , according to a Facebook post attributed to her .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the door , a lawyer for the Goodson family said .
Police on Sunday identified the shooter as a Franklin county sheriff ’ s deputy , Jason Meade , a 17-year veteran of the force .
As a member of the US marshals service fugitive taskforce , Meade was in the area participating in an unrelated search for a suspect before he shot Goodson , police said .
But activists and family members called for an expanded investigation and expressed outrage that Peter Tobin , US marshal for the southern district of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday night that the killing was justified .
“ He was seen driving down the street waving a gun , and that ’ s when the deputy , at some point after that , he confronted him and it went badly , ” Tobin said .
That explanation was challenged as intolerably thin and the version of events was sharply disputed by members of Goodson ’ s family , their representatives and by activists .
“ That narrative leaves out key details that raise cause for extreme concern , ” a lawyer for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sunday .
“ Casey was coming home from a dentist appointment that day , ” he said .
read more…

Guardian: The family of a 23-year-old Black man shot dead by a white police officer in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday have accused police of lying about the circumstances of the killing and demanded accountability for his death.
Casey Goodson Jr was shot as he entered his home carrying sandwiches from Subway, according to multiple accounts by family members. His mother said he was shot three times in the back, according to a Facebook post attributed to her. He died on his stoop with his keys in the door, a lawyer for the Goodson family said.
Police on Sunday identified the shooter as a Franklin county sheriff’s deputy, Jason Meade, a 17-year veteran of the force. As a member of the US marshals service fugitive taskforce, Meade was in the area participating in an unrelated search for a suspect before he shot Goodson, police said.
But activists and family members called for an expanded investigation and expressed outrage that Peter Tobin, US marshal for the southern district of Ohio, said at a press conference Friday night that the killing was justified.
“He was seen driving down the street waving a gun, and that’s when the deputy, at some point after that, he confronted him and it went badly,” Tobin said.
That explanation was challenged as intolerably thin and the version of events was sharply disputed by members of Goodson’s family, their representatives and by activists.
“That narrative leaves out key details that raise cause for extreme concern,” a lawyer for the family, Sean Walton, said on Sunday. “Casey was coming home from a dentist appointment that day,” he said. read more…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/07/casey-goodson-jr-family-black-ohio-man-shot-dead-white-police-officer


veteranstoday--2020-12-08--Guardian: ‘A nightmare’: why were a black couple targeted in a shocking Texas police raid?

Guardian : While the police in Fort Worth , Texas , ransacked Nelda Price ’ s home , an officer directed her to put her hands together – as if she were praying – so he could restrain her with zip ties .
“ I told him , ‘ I am praying .
Because I don ’ t understand why you ’ re here , and I don ’ t know what this is about , ’ ” Nelda told the Guardian .
On 11 March , she and her husband John , both Black and in their late 60s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room , dressed for bed , when a noise interrupted them .
Nelda ’ s first instinct was to get up and investigate , but after John thought he heard gunshots , he pushed her to the floor .
By the time they looked up , Fort Worth police had already broken through their iron gate and were storming the front door , guns drawn .
Without any explanation , the officers demanded that John and Nelda put their hands up , then took them outside for questioning .
In a traumatic spectacle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 policemen loudly tore through the Prices ’ belongings as emergency vehicles swarmed the block .
The elderly couple waited outdoors in their pajamas and nightgown ; after asking several times , Nelda was finally allowed to grab a sweater .
“ It was like a nightmare , ” she said .
“ You just don ’ t expect something like that to happen.
” No one would answer any of the Prices ’ questions about what was happening , even as several officers pointed out red flags that their colleagues had targeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s pleas for John ’ s medication – until his blood pressure spiked so high that they called an ambulance .
Once Nelda and John were allowed back inside , they discovered a search warrant lying on the dining room table , allegedly connecting them to methamphetamines and narcotics trafficking .
read more..

Fort Worth police have still not said why Nelda Price and her husband John, who died weeks later, were restrained in their pajamas
Guardian: While the police in Fort Worth, Texas, ransacked Nelda Price’s home, an officer directed her to put her hands together – as if she were praying – so he could restrain her with zip ties.
“I told him, ‘I am praying. Because I don’t understand why you’re here, and I don’t know what this is about,’” Nelda told the Guardian.
On 11 March, she and her husband John, both Black and in their late 60s, had been chatting in the dining room, dressed for bed, when a noise interrupted them. Nelda’s first instinct was to get up and investigate, but after John thought he heard gunshots, he pushed her to the floor.
Fort Worth police have still not said why #NeldaPrice and her husband John, who died weeks later, were restrained in their pajamas. https://t.co/ID57wV7lYu — The N9ne's ⚖🗽 🗞9⃣🌍🇺🇸 (@TheWholeN9nes) December 8, 2020
By the time they looked up, Fort Worth police had already broken through their iron gate and were storming the front door, guns drawn. Without any explanation, the officers demanded that John and Nelda put their hands up, then took them outside for questioning. In a traumatic spectacle that lasted hours, about 20 or 30 policemen loudly tore through the Prices’ belongings as emergency vehicles swarmed the block. The elderly couple waited outdoors in their pajamas and nightgown; after asking several times, Nelda was finally allowed to grab a sweater. “It was like a nightmare,” she said. “You just don’t expect something like that to happen.” No one would answer any of the Prices’ questions about what was happening, even as several officers pointed out red flags that their colleagues had targeted the wrong people. Police refused Nelda’s pleas for John’s medication – until his blood pressure spiked so high that they called an ambulance. Once Nelda and John were allowed back inside, they discovered a search warrant lying on the dining room table, allegedly connecting them to methamphetamines and narcotics trafficking. read more.. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/08/fort-worth-texas-police-elderly-black-couple


veteranstoday--2020-12-08--Loaded his pants: Trump flees Medal of Freedom ceremony for Dan Gable

he shit his pants and just left dan gable hanging pic.twitter.com/80zZoHqrRH
Background: Trump used Dan Gable as a prop to win Iowa (sic) back in October. Now he simply has no use for him after the photo op.
Also, Trump has a LOT of difficulty saying Iowa.https://t.co/60EzXJQz54 pic.twitter.com/bcXl7sUHcb
— KevinlyFrauder 🇺🇲🇨🇦🇲🇼🇸🇿 (@KevinlyFather) December 8, 2020


veteranstoday--2020-12-08--Trump Facing Criminal and Civil Charges (morning videos)

.com/watch?v=jS8SUqqZD5k
ATTENTION READERS We See The World From All Sides and Want YOU To Be Fully Informed
In fact, intentional disinformation is a disgraceful scourge in media today. So to assuage any possible errant incorrect information posted herein, we strongly encourage you to seek corroboration from other non-VT sources before forming an educated opinion.
About VT - Policies & Disclosures - Comment Policy In fact, intentional disinformation is a disgraceful scourge in media today. So to assuage any possible errant incorrect information posted herein, we strongly encourage you to seek corroboration from other non-VT sources before forming an educated opinion.
Due to the nature of uncensored content posted by VT's fully independent international writers, VT cannot guarantee absolute validity. All content is owned by the author exclusively. Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT, other authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners, or technicians. Some content may be satirical in nature. All images are the full responsibility of the article author and NOT VT.


veteranstoday--2020-12-10--Israeli Space Security Chief: Aliens exist and Trump has been briefed

Former Israeli space security chief says extraterrestrials exist , and Trump knows about it A “ galactic federation ” has been waiting for humans to “ reach a stage where we will understand… what space and spaceships are , ” Haim Eshed said .
A former Israeli space security chief has sent eyebrows shooting heavenward by saying that earthlings have been in contact with extraterrestrials from a “ galactic federation.
” “ The Unidentified Flying Objects have asked not to publish that they are here , humanity is not ready yet , ” Haim Eshed , former head of Israel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directorate , told Israel ’ s Yediot Aharonot newspaper .
The interview in Hebrew ran on Friday , and gained traction after parts were published in English by the Jerusalem Post on Tuesday .
A respected professor and retired general , Eshed said the aliens were equally curious about humanity and were seeking to understand “ the fabric of the universe.
” Eshed said cooperation agreements had been signed between species , including an “ underground base in the depths of Mars ” where there are American astronauts and alien representatives .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government and the aliens .
They signed a contract with us to do experiments here , ” he said .
Eshed added that President Donald Trump was aware of the extraterrestrials ’ existence and had been “ on the verge of revealing ” information but was asked not to in order to prevent “ mass hysteria.
” “ They have been waiting until today for humanity to develop and reach a stage where we will understand , in general , what space and spaceships are , ” Eshed said , referring to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israeli officials did not immediately respond to NBC News ’ request for comment .
Sue Gough , a spokesperson for the Pentagon , declined to comment .
read more…

A “galactic federation” has been waiting for humans to “reach a stage where we will understand… what space and spaceships are,” Haim Eshed said.
A former Israeli space security chief has sent eyebrows shooting heavenward by saying that earthlings have been in contact with extraterrestrials from a “galactic federation.”
https://twitter.com/ndtv/status/1336537950339776515?s=20
“The Unidentified Flying Objects have asked not to publish that they are here, humanity is not ready yet,” Haim Eshed, former head of Israel’s Defense Ministry’s space directorate, told Israel’s Yediot Aharonot newspaper. The interview in Hebrew ran on Friday, and gained traction after parts were published in English by the Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
A respected professor and retired general, Eshed said the aliens were equally curious about humanity and were seeking to understand “the fabric of the universe.”
Eshed said cooperation agreements had been signed between species, including an “underground base in the depths of Mars” where there are American astronauts and alien representatives.
“There is an agreement between the U.S. government and the aliens. They signed a contract with us to do experiments here,” he said.
Former Israeli space security chief claims that earthlings have been in contact with extraterrestrials. Haim Eshed told Israel's Yediot Aharonot newspaper that they "have asked not to publish that they are here, humanity is not ready yet." https://t.co/6TKTniTy1F — NBC News (@NBCNews) December 8, 2020
Eshed added that President Donald Trump was aware of the extraterrestrials’ existence and had been “on the verge of revealing” information but was asked not to in order to prevent “mass hysteria.”
“They have been waiting until today for humanity to develop and reach a stage where we will understand, in general, what space and spaceships are,” Eshed said, referring to the galactic federation.
Former head of Israeli space security program says aliens exist, but they think humans aren't ready, so they only communicate with the governments of the US and Israel. Trump found out and was going to tell everyone, but they convinced him to keep quiet. https://t.co/83oAY8u93T pic.twitter.com/ncNJSKTdsP — Richard Hanania (@RichardHanania) December 7, 2020
The White House and Israeli officials did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment. Sue Gough, a spokesperson for the Pentagon, declined to comment. read more…
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weird-news/former-israeli-space-security-chief-says-extraterrestrials-exist-trump-knows-n1250333?fbclid=IwAR34KCYAcOXL4cwuWBJLugvGBaoDuuBc78f2rIvy5WIKJtzA__3morHgrBI


veteranstoday--2020-12-09--Internal emails exonerate OPCW’s Dr. Brendan Whelan on Douma attack in Syria

[ Editor ’ s Note : VT has extensively covered the Douma false flag chemical attack that was used to justify a US missile strike to blunt the Syrian Army offensive in the area , which it did .
The OPCW forever soiled its pants by not only editing their own professional inspector ’ s report , but rewrote it to justify the US false flag attack against a non-existent Syrian chemical weapons program , as it had been earlier dismantled .
But once again , solely due to independent journalism , those who had access to some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along to be released , to honor Dr. Brendan for his being hung out to dry by his OPCW superiors .
But even this victory is a bittersweet one , despite the OPCW having been caught as a “ controlled entity , ” and not independent at all .
However , this is not the only instance of it having happened inside these make-believe organisations .
We are not naïve enough to think these kinds of events should never happen .
They always have and always will .
But the big shame is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing happens to them .
This seems to have been structured this way to limit the damage when exposures happen .
Who can name even one top OPCW official ?
Who would someone go to register a legal complaint , and is there an entity that would even have jurisdiction to do so ?
So what can we do ?
We can ’ t get anyone fired .
We don ’ t have the power to defund the org .
All I can think of would be to shut the OPCW down and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that does have outside oversight to prevent a charade like this , and with suitable punishments for faked reports .
It would be a nice Christmas present for us all .
In the meantime , we will try to see if we can contact Dr. Whelan somehow to pass on our thanks .
And we thank the little kid below and his father for their testimony on how the jihadis pretended to be treating them for a gas attack , when it was just dust from normal shelling… Jim W. Dean ] Jim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowdfunded via PayPal Jim 's work includes research , field trips , Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more .
Thanks for helping .
Click to donate > > An investigative report shows how a senior expert with the UN chemical watchdog — who blew the whistle on its doctoring a report about Syria — was privately praised by the body ’ s directors , who nonetheless failed to raise alarm about the fraud for political reasons .
In July 2018 , the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons ( OPCW ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released a report alleging that Syria had conducted a chemical attack against Douma , one of its southwestern towns .
This September , Grayzone – an independent and reputable investigative news website – revealed how the report that was seeking to justify earlier Western missile attacks on the Arab country was issued after the OPCW heavily manipulated an original one .
The original report that had been compiled by , a 16-year OPCW veteran , had cleared the Syrian government of any role in the Douma attack .
Whelan found out about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the organization ’ s senior officials .
On Monday , Grayzone showed he earned praise for his integrity and courage in exposing the shenanigans .
“ [ Y ] ou took all the steps to maintain your moral and professional integrity and that ’ s what matters most , ” one OPCW director told him in an email found by the website .
“ You produced a lot of knowledge and unselfishly shared every bit of what you know with others , enthusiastically .
I thank you very much for this , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to commend you as well for your character and strong values , which have stood firm at times when it would have been easier to simply ‘ let it go ’ without fighting for what you believed was right , ” the second director noted .
“ Thank you for everything , it will be difficult to replace you… , ” he added .
One OPCW official , who also praised Whelan , however , feared that release of the original report would be helping the “ Russian narrative.
” According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ admission that the organization ’ s independence and impartiality have become subordinate to geopolitics.
” The Douma attack came when the Syrian army was about to win the battle against foreign-backed militants there .
The Western strikes that followed it , saw the United States , Britain , and France launching coordinated missile attacks against sites and research facilities near the Syrian capital Damascus and the western Syrian city of Homs .
The Western allies claimed at the time that the operation had sought to paralyze , what they called , the Syrian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Syrian government surrendered its stockpiles of chemical weapons to a joint mission led by the UN and the OPCW in 2014 .

OPCW whistleblower privately praised for exposing doctored Syria report: Docs
…from PressTV, Tehran
[ Editor’s Note: VT has extensively covered the Douma false flag chemical attack that was used to justify a US missile strike to blunt the Syrian Army offensive in the area, which it did.
The OPCW forever soiled its pants by not only editing their own professional inspector’s report, but rewrote it to justify the US false flag attack against a non-existent Syrian chemical weapons program, as it had been earlier dismantled.
But once again, solely due to independent journalism, those who had access to some of the OPCW emails on the subject passed them along to be released, to honor Dr. Brendan for his being hung out to dry by his OPCW superiors.
But even this victory is a bittersweet one, despite the OPCW having been caught as a “controlled entity,” and not independent at all. However, this is not the only instance of it having happened inside these make-believe organisations.
We are not naïve enough to think these kinds of events should never happen. They always have and always will. But the big shame is that even when they are caught, nothing happens to them.
This seems to have been structured this way to limit the damage when exposures happen. Who can name even one top OPCW official? Who would someone go to register a legal complaint, and is there an entity that would even have jurisdiction to do so?
So what can we do? We can’t get anyone fired. We don’t have the power to defund the org. All I can think of would be to shut the OPCW down and start a new one in its place that does have outside oversight to prevent a charade like this, and with suitable punishments for faked reports.
It would be a nice Christmas present for us all. In the meantime, we will try to see if we can contact Dr. Whelan somehow to pass on our thanks. And we thank the little kid below and his father for their testimony on how the jihadis pretended to be treating them for a gas attack, when it was just dust from normal shelling… Jim W. Dean ]
Jim's Editor’s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal
Jim's work includes research, field trips, Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more. Thanks for helping. Click to donate >>
First published … December 08, 2020
An investigative report shows how a senior expert with the UN chemical watchdog — who blew the whistle on its doctoring a report about Syria — was privately praised by the body’s directors, who nonetheless failed to raise alarm about the fraud for political reasons.
In July 2018, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), as the watchdog is officially known, released a report alleging that Syria had conducted a chemical attack against Douma, one of its southwestern towns.
This September, Grayzone – an independent and reputable investigative news website – revealed how the report that was seeking to justify earlier Western missile attacks on the Arab country was issued after the OPCW heavily manipulated an original one.
The original report that had been compiled by, a 16-year OPCW veteran, had cleared the Syrian government of any role in the Douma attack.
Whelan found out about the manipulation, but was publicly rebuffed by the organization’s senior officials. On Monday, Grayzone showed he earned praise for his integrity and courage in exposing the shenanigans.
“[Y]ou took all the steps to maintain your moral and professional integrity and that’s what matters most,” one OPCW director told him in an email found by the website.
“You produced a lot of knowledge and unselfishly shared every bit of what you know with others, enthusiastically. I thank you very much for this,” another wrote to him.
“I want to commend you as well for your character and strong values, which have stood firm at times when it would have been easier to simply ‘let it go’ without fighting for what you believed was right,” the second director noted. “Thank you for everything, it will be difficult to replace you…,” he added.
One OPCW official, who also praised Whelan, however, feared that release of the original report would be helping the “Russian narrative.”
According to Grayzone, this is “a tacit admission that the organization’s independence and impartiality have become subordinate to geopolitics.”
The Douma attack came when the Syrian army was about to win the battle against foreign-backed militants there.
The Western strikes that followed it, saw the United States, Britain, and France launching coordinated missile attacks against sites and research facilities near the Syrian capital Damascus and the western Syrian city of Homs.
The Western allies claimed at the time that the operation had sought to paralyze, what they called, the Syrian government’s capability to produce chemicals.
The Syrian government surrendered its stockpiles of chemical weapons to a joint mission led by the UN and the OPCW in 2014.


veteranstoday--2020-12-09--Is There a Supervolcano Under Aleutian Islands?


veteranstoday--2020-12-09--Medical D Day For Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccine to 50 States and Territories

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution : Everyone Should Be On the Same Plan Health Editor ’ s Note : First of all , we have had months to determine how a COVID-19 vaccine will be dispensed , haven ’ t we ?
We have needed and will need a non-politically , non-economically oriented play book .
As it looks now , it will be up to the states and territories to distribute COVID-19 vaccines .
This process would be most effective if all states/territories used the same game plan , very much unlike what has been done ( or not done ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
Rolling out the vaccine is next on the list of ways to control this pandemic .
It is easy to determine the order of who goes first for vaccines .
Those who are most at risk to contract COVID-19 should be at the top of the list .
Right ?
How will the physically existing doses of vaccine be allotted ?
Do all states receive equal amounts despite census counts ?
Common , scientific , and medical sense says healthcare workers and nursing home residents should receive the first doses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ death by COVID-19 would determine those who come next .
Those with existing health issues , elderly and what decade does that begin ?
60 , 65 , 70 ?
What is medically known is that the elderly have less robust immune systems and if they are vaccinated early on , coronavirus will not be able to spread to them as the COVID-19 surges mount .
Unfortunately , there are wide variations in dispersal orders .
Also , who will be responsible for the actual inoculation process in each state , county ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ health department and in others , well no one really knows as some are being secretive ( does this sound familiar ) as to where the vaccination sites will be and where the vaccine supplies will be delivered .
Please , let the vaccination process remain calm , orderly , safe , without the urges that drive people to clean out the toilet paper shelves in super markets .
Two doses of vaccine will give immunity , so making sure people get back for that second dose is important .
So , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your second dose of the vaccine , practice all safety measures .
There must be time for your body to build up antibodies after vaccination .
That being said , I will be masking up in public , avoiding groups of any size , staying physically distanced from others I do not live with , washing my hands all the time , staying away from anyone who is ill , not traveling , staying home for Christmas , etc…..Wait your turn…..Carol

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution: Everyone Should Be On the Same Plan
Getting a vaccine has been a huge undertaking. How all 50 states scramble to dole them out is the next massive challenge. https://t.co/PUslPS62Bu pic.twitter.com/fX900VVhgs — USA TODAY (@USATODAY) December 8, 2020
Health Editor’s Note: First of all, we have had months to determine how a COVID-19 vaccine will be dispensed, haven’t we? We have needed and will need a non-politically, non-economically oriented play book. As it looks now, it will be up to the states and territories to distribute COVID-19 vaccines. This process would be most effective if all states/territories used the same game plan, very much unlike what has been done (or not done) in attempts to control the spread of coronavirus. Rolling out the vaccine is next on the list of ways to control this pandemic. It is easy to determine the order of who goes first for vaccines. Those who are most at risk to contract COVID-19 should be at the top of the list. Right? How will the physically existing doses of vaccine be allotted? Do all states receive equal amounts despite census counts?
Common, scientific, and medical sense says healthcare workers and nursing home residents should receive the first doses. Then those who are most vulnerable to death by COVID-19 would determine those who come next. Those with existing health issues, elderly and what decade does that begin? 60, 65, 70? What is medically known is that the elderly have less robust immune systems and if they are vaccinated early on, coronavirus will not be able to spread to them as the COVID-19 surges mount.
Unfortunately, there are wide variations in dispersal orders. Also, who will be responsible for the actual inoculation process in each state, county? In some states this will be the health department and in others, well no one really knows as some are being secretive (does this sound familiar) as to where the vaccination sites will be and where the vaccine supplies will be delivered. Please, let the vaccination process remain calm, orderly, safe, without the urges that drive people to clean out the toilet paper shelves in super markets. Two doses of vaccine will give immunity, so making sure people get back for that second dose is important. So, in the meantime, until you have received your second dose of the vaccine, practice all safety measures. There must be time for your body to build up antibodies after vaccination. That being said, I will be masking up in public, avoiding groups of any size, staying physically distanced from others I do not live with, washing my hands all the time, staying away from anyone who is ill, not traveling, staying home for Christmas, etc…..Wait your turn…..Carol
Carol graduated from Riverside White Cross School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio and received her diploma as a registered nurse. She attended Bowling Green State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Literature. She attended the University of Toledo, College of Nursing, and received a Master’s of Nursing Science Degree as an Educator. She has traveled extensively, is a photographer, and writes on medical issues. Carol has three children RJ, Katherine, and Stephen – one daughter-in-law; Katie – two granddaughters; Isabella Marianna and Zoe Olivia – and one grandson, Alexander Paul. She also shares her life with her husband Gordon Duff, many cats, and two rescues. Carol’s Archives 2009-2013