veteranstoday--2020-01-13--2020: The Clandestine Super Secretive Year Ahead

Happy New Year everybody !
It ’ s going to be a good one , I think , with Brexit and a second Trump term to look forward to .
We ’ ll need to keep on our toes , however , like a midget at a urinal , with apologies to Naked Gun .
It ’ s been a shorter year for Iranian terrorist Qassem Suleimani than he planned , but his death means that many innocent people will live .
I ’ m doubtful that there ’ ll be another war in the Middle East , but Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ambition to control the region .
Shooting down Ukrainian airliners isn ’ t going to help .
The scientific case for anthropogenic global warming is going to come under increasing scrutiny and I suspect that Sir Keir Starmer will be the new leader of the Labour Party , with Rebecca Long-Bailey as runner up .
I trust all y ’ all had a happy Christmas .
We had the usual crop of Carry On movies , giving further reminders of the late Talbot Rothwell OBE ’ s brilliance as a screenwriter .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , by the way , doing the scripts for concerts in LuftStalag III at Sagan .
One of my favorite lines of his is in Carry On Henry .
Sid James as Henry VIII asks Kenneth Williams as Thomas Cromwell whether his intended , Queen Marie of Normandy , has been chaste : “ all over Normandy ” comes the reply !
The only setback in my Christmas was that my pudding didn ’ t light .
Well it did , sort of , but the Remy Martin spluttered out quickly .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should have warmed the brandy first .
I ’ ll know for next Christmas .
There are a number of skills in my skill-set but cooking ain ’ t one of them .
The taking out of Major-General Suleimani on January 3rd was a major blow to the Islamic Republic of Iran .
He was their key strategist and the smartest member of the regime .
Responsible for thousands of deaths over the years , he could hardly be heard to complain , although I daresay that he was a bit annoyed at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about not being consulted , but OPSEC ( Operational Security ) was paramount .
The Pentagon clearly has doubts about the reliability of ‘ Ritter ’ Mark ‘ von ’ Sedwill , the Cabinet Secretary , to whom our intelligence agencies report , doubts which I respectfully share .
Until we put our house in order we can hardly be expected to be consulted over operations where just one loose lip could sink the ship .
‘ Von ’ Sedwill is currently trying to destabilize the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing agreement by handing our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offense , but he tends to see himself as our Supreme Leader .
Just as the Iranian people can ’ t offload Ayatollah Khamenei without outside help it may be that there ’ s no one in Britain powerful enough to get rid of Sir Mark , not that I ’ m advocating a drone strike on Whitehall .
It would raise eyebrows and there would be bound to be a letter in the Times .
If he ’ s left in post however it will be the end of Five Eyes as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ doesn ’ t have quite the same ring .
OPSEC on the Suleimani operation was truly impressive .
In the past Suleimani would have been warned from Dachau , indeed his reliance upon the DVD may have proved his undoing .
He simply couldn ’ t conceive of you guys being able to conduct an operation against him without his getting to hear of it .
I have my doubts about the claimed legal justification , however , although this was a perfectly proper counter-terrorism operation .
Civilized states have a duty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of terrorism , but self-defense seems a bit thin , depending upon how imminent the planned attack on the US Embassy was .
The Foreign Office used the same gambit in the Falklands War , quite unnecessarily , since Argentina had launched a war of aggression against a British possession .
In my first appearance on British TV , in 1984 , on the BBC ’ s current affairs program 60 Minutes , following the US invasion of Grenada , the crusty Tory MP Julian Amery , son-in-law of the German spy Harold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in World War II , asserted that “ you can ’ t obey international law if the other feller doesn ’ t ” .
In practice this is now Western policy – we ’ ve been so sorely tried by terrorist-sponsoring states that we now only give the rules lip service when dealing with them .
That was the only time by the way that I ’ ve ever been on TV with a friend of Chiang Kai-Shek , although I ’ ve had a drink with a friend of Madame Chiang .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m not saying that I like the realpolitik approach the West is now adopting .
I just recognize reality .
In practice , President Trump ’ s approach harks back to the pre-League of Nations concept of reciprocity .
The President has expressed it much more gracefully and tactfully , of course , but essentially what he ’ s saying to the Ayatollahs is : “ you ’ re a bunch of loonies and scumbags , who have been going about murdering innocent men , women , and children for years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international law you ’ ll have to start obeying it yourself.
” Since the successful operation to terminate Suleimani with extreme prejudice the Democrats have behaved like a bunch of weenies , no offense intended .
This is not too surprising since they are a bunch of weenies .
Their weenie-in-chief , Congressman Adam ‘ von ’ Schiff , has made himself look like an idiot , or , if you prefer , an even bigger idiot , given the Iranian decision to shoot down Flight 752 .
Of course , they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
Those of you following my Twitter account this week will have seen that I was suggesting a missile strike as early as Wednesday , the same day the plane was shot down .
As may be seen from my Twitter feed I initially thought , along with the President , that the shoot-down was accidental .
I no longer think that it was .
Since both the Ukraine and Iran are German clients states I was struggling at first to find a motive , but of course , the Germans lost a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election of Volodymyr Zelensky .
What ’ s more , the Democrats are trying to impeach Donald Trump based on a bad faith allegation involving guess what , Ukraine .
If Kiev were showing signs of cooperating with the White House that would definitely give Teheran a motive .
They ’ re not exactly fans of President Trump , but even if they were they take their orders from Dachau .
Iran doesn ’ t make its money from selling oil , at least not much .
It makes its money from high-yield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Frankfurt .
The Iranian-controlled terrorist organization Hezbollah had over a billion dollars squirreled away offshore twenty years ago .
The programs are a no-go area for the MSM – very few journalists understand offshore finance and they wouldn ’ t be allowed to tell the truth even if they did .
The yields are such that it gives Germany effective control .
This is how they bankrolled World Wars I & II , after all .
Put another way the British government is still struggling to work out how Germany funded the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate of progress , it ’ ll take at least another hundred years before they do !
It ’ s not just that ministers don ’ t understand how the world works , they don ’ t listen to those who do .
Most if not all oil-producing states in the Middle East trade their oil cash offshore .
That includes Oman .
Sultan Qaboos , whose sad death was announced this week , was a good friend of Britain , but not such a good friend with the respect that he got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his money .
Flight PS752 was operated by the Ukrainian flag carrier , Ukraine International Airlines .
The aircraft , a Boeing 737-8KV , tail number UR-PSR , was not much more than three years old .
The crew was highly competent .
Captain Gaponenko had more than 11,000 hours , mostly on the 737 .
First officer Naumankin was even more experienced and was an instructor on the 73 .
There were 176 souls aboard , including nine crew .
Most of the passengers were Iranian nationals , although a large number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Teheran-Kiev-Toronto being a popular low-cost route between Iran and Canada .
The flight took off from Runway 29R at Imam Khomeini International Airport at 0612 local time ( 0242Z ) .
Less than two minutes later it was hit by an SA-15 Tor–M1 missile ( NATO reporting name Gauntlet ) fired from an IRGC SAM site , at an altitude of 7,925 ’ above Mean Sea Level , 4,620 ’ AGL .
The SA-15 uses a terminal radar-activated proximity fuze , with automatic , controlled guidance from the TLAR launch vehicle .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ two missiles were fired , although it seems the second round wasn ’ t needed .
The Tor has a smallish , 33lb fragmentation warhead , which would have detonated in close proximity to the target , shredding its unprotected fuel tanks and engines .
The target aircraft was climbing at the time of impact , with a reported groundspeed of 275 knots , implying a true airspeed of around 250 knots , the international limit below Flight Level 100 ( 10,000 ’ ) .
After detonation , the target entered an uncontrolled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iranians are saying this was deliberate , but that ’ s nonsense .
Neither engine appears to have been rotating at the time of impact and there wouldn ’ t have been time to fire up the APU .
There is no reason to believe that either pilot had control , assuming they were still alive .
At least one photo of the cockpit appears to show what looks suspiciously like hits from cannon rounds but are almost certainly shrapnel fragments , in which case the warhead probably detonated in front and slightly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shoot-down of MH17 I don ’ t think that a second aircraft was involved .
It looks like a head-on shot , well within the SA-15 ’ s capabilities .
It ’ s a sophisticated , modern SAM system and is not limited to tail chases .
Although the time to fire is short on the Tor , the targe t still has to be acquired by the F-Band Pulse-Doppler 3-D search radar .
This system ’ s capabilities are key to understanding the loss of Flight 752 .
The search radar has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , that is to say , the dish has to be pointed in the general direction of the target .
In this case , that means that it was probably pretty much pointed in the general direction of Runway 29R .
Secondly , the radar is a digital , 3-D system .
Put another way it is perfectly capable of distinguishing between a stretched 737-sized target and a cruise missile .
In my judgment , yes , for the following reasons : ( 1 ) The Iranians lied about the shoot-down from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They refused to allow access to the black boxes until after French or German technicians had time to tamper with them or fabricate replacements , for which they would need to know the degree and type of impact damage on the originals ( the MSM always fall for swapped black boxes , as in the case of AF447 ) .
( 3 ) There were no immediate arrests as you would expect if a junior officer at a SAM battery shot down a civilian airliner without authorization from the chain of command .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lying , when the Iranians finally admitted to shooting 752 down , they came up with the nonsense theory that the 73 was confused with a cruise missile .
The target was climbing , slow-moving , and executing a standard instrument departure from a nearby international airport .
It was not off course and its primary radar signature would have been far too large for a cruise missile .
Moreover , it was coming from the wrong direction , that is to say away from Teheran , at a time when no US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thought to be within range .
( 5 ) There were two missiles , not one .
Normally with an accidental shoot-down , we like to see one missile only .
( 6 ) The timeframe is inconsistent with confusion as to the target ID and consultation up the chain of command , that is to say , it looks as though the decision to engage Flight 752 was taken before it took off .
( 7 ) The Iranians had a motive , as suggested .
There may have been a different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( 8 ) The Iranians have a history of shooting down civilian airliners – this is their fourth , after TWA800 , AF447 and the Yemeni Airbus , and ( 9 ) The regime also has a history of being willing to sacrifice its own nationals in large numbers , most notably when setting up the Vincennes incident .
As I have been arguing in vain for years Western cover-ups over TWA800 and the other Iranian shoot-downs have made civil aviation much more dangerous .
I ’ m not so sure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fourth time .
I suspect that President Trump has similar doubts , although he has been reserved and statesmanlike in his public comments , as one would expect , with respect .
He would , of course , be aware of any discussions between Washington and Kiev re their intervening in the impeachment .
Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada has gone somewhat further , publicly casting doubt on Teheran ’ s claims of an accidental shoot-down and rightly so .
In point of fact , Canada has no right under international law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of dual Iranian nationals who voluntarily enter their second country of nationality and are then shot down in Iranian airspace following a decision by the Iranian government to murder them .
So far as I know each of the Canadian citizens on the flight was of Iranian extraction and held Iranian nationality .
However , it is a moot point whether the second country of nationality commits an Act of War against the first country of nationality by murdering dual nationals .
In my opinion , the murder of 63 Canadian nationals on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of War by the Islamic Republic of Iran against the Dominion of Canada .
Justin Trudeau is a weak leader however , with every respect , so don ’ t expect anything other than hand-wringing from Ottawa .
It ’ s too tough a world for liberals , sadly .
Prime Minister Johnson is ham-strung by the Cabinet Secretary , so there won ’ t be anything other than futile hand-wringing and formulaic condolences from London either over the three dual British/Iranian nationals on the flight .
It would be interesting to know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with either the Cabinet Office in London or the Privy Council Office in Ottawa .
Teheran knows that ministers tend to be mere figureheads and that real power in Britain and Canada resides with officials .
As was the case with Piper Alpha , Whitehall has been willing to go along with mass murder .
At any rate communications between Teheran , London and Ottawa might repay study .
These are getting worse , and still , there has been no offer of help from the UK , which is shameful .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is good to see .
The left is aggressively pushing global warming as the cause , which is a nonsense , not least as many of the fires appear to have been started deliberately .
High temperatures and strong winds don ’ t of themselves provide ignition points .
A further factor is the failure to burn back firebreaks , a disastrous policy encouraged by environmentalists .
Firebreaks are important .
So is dropping retardant from the air , which is where the RAF should come in .
The Duke and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take long before our Supreme Leader , sorry , Cabinet Secretary , poked his nose into this sad business , like a demented Ayatollah .
I have every sympathy with Their Royal Highnesses over media intrusion into their private lives and in particular over the silly criticism of their sensible decision to use private jets .
I ’ ve only ever chartered a jet once , but believe me it ’ s a great way to fly !
It ’ s also good for the environment , as the extra CO2 helps improve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Royal Family to see the media continually suggesting that they are in some way subsidized from the public purse when the truth is the other way round .
Two things must happen – the Queen must be allowed to use the entire income from Her estate , which would allow Her full control over the maintenance of the Royal Palaces , and somebody in authority has got to explain to HRH Prince Harry who murdered his poor mother and why .
And no , as I explain in Spyhunter , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Philip , who doesn ’ t organize murders , even of journalists .
He ’ s never been Prime Minister of Malta , for heaven ’ s sake .
It ’ s a slightly controversial suggestion I know , but if the Rt Hon .
Julie Payette could be persuaded to move on , Governor-General of Canada might be the ideal job for the Duke of Sussex .
I ’ m sure that Canadians would love it , even if Justin Trudeau might have to be persuaded .
I daresay that Canadians , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are , would quickly take to the Duchess .
Security could safely be left in the capable hands of the Mounties , who are far more professional than the Met , and better dressed .
Well done to Ben Stokes on his OBE , announced in the New Year Honours Lists .
Not content with helping to win the World Cup and the Headingley Test against Australia Ben took an England record five catches in South Africa ’ s first innings in the Second Test at Cape Town last week , smashed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s second innings then blew the last three South African wickets away in two overs of searing pace to win the Test when for all money it looked like the match was going to be drawn .
( Yes it is possible for a ball game to go five days and end in a draw ! )
Had anyone in authority thought there was anything in the absurd criminal allegations against Ben , exposed as a fraud in this column , he would not have got an OBE , trust me .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not have happened had there been any truth in an allegation was HRH the Duke of York accompanying HRH the Prince of Wales to the church at Sandringham on Christmas Day , in the full glare of the media spotlight .
It was a tacit admission that the allegations against the Duke , based as they are on a forged photo , are false .
Released to theaters in England on Friday this is a stunning war movie .
Based on what appears to be a true story , with considerable dramatic license @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lance-Corporals ( George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman ) , entrusted by a general ( Colin Firth ) with getting a vital message through to a colonel ( Benedict Cumberbatch ) , who ’ s about to fall into a trap .
Moving his lines backwards to carefully prepared positions was a typical shabby Hun trick .
The movie ’ s credible plot and accurate recreation of trenches and No Man ’ s Land gives it immediacy .
You really engage with the characters as they battle their way through .
Sadly one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( It ’ s only just been released , so I don ’ t want to spoil the plot too much ! )
It ’ s always a good idea to search your Hun for weapons before you fetch him water after you ’ ve rescued him from the wreckage of his blazing Albatross .
The special effects , especially the dead community partners , are superbly done , although it ’ s upsetting to see dead horses .
Huge efforts are made to give an accurate impression of the trenches , both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few flaws – using Salisbury Plain made all sorts of sense from a production point of view , but the chalk soil and hilly topography detract from the realism .
Digging up half a mile of trenches in Flanders probably wasn ’ t on , though .
I only spotted one anachronism – a Mark IV tank in a movie set in April 1917 , when they didn ’ t come into use until a few months later .
However , any criticisms are minor .
Germany ’ s decision to start World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shameful events of the 20th century .
1917 brings home the impact of the brutal war unleashed in August 1914 by our community partner the Kaiser .
It should clean up at the Oscars .

Happy New Year everybody! It’s going to be a good one, I think, with Brexit and a second Trump term to look forward to. We’ll need to keep on our toes, however, like a midget at a urinal, with apologies to Naked Gun.
It’s been a shorter year for Iranian terrorist Qassem Suleimani than he planned, but his death means that many innocent people will live. I’m doubtful that there’ll be another war in the Middle East, but Iran may find increasing Western resistance to her ambition to control the region.
Shooting down Ukrainian airliners isn’t going to help. The scientific case for anthropogenic global warming is going to come under increasing scrutiny and I suspect that Sir Keir Starmer will be the new leader of the Labour Party, with Rebecca Long-Bailey as runner up.
I trust all y’all had a happy Christmas. We had the usual crop of Carry On movies, giving further reminders of the late Talbot Rothwell OBE’s brilliance as a screenwriter. He started his writing career as a POW, by the way, doing the scripts for concerts in LuftStalag III at Sagan. One of my favorite lines of his is in Carry On Henry. Sid James as Henry VIII asks Kenneth Williams as Thomas Cromwell whether his intended, Queen Marie of Normandy, has been chaste: “all over Normandy” comes the reply!
The only setback in my Christmas was that my pudding didn’t light. Well it did, sort of, but the Remy Martin spluttered out quickly. I’ve since been told that I should have warmed the brandy first. I’ll know for next Christmas. There are a number of skills in my skill-set but cooking ain’t one of them.
The elimination of Qassem Suleimani
The taking out of Major-General Suleimani on January 3rd was a major blow to the Islamic Republic of Iran. He was their key strategist and the smartest member of the regime. Responsible for thousands of deaths over the years, he could hardly be heard to complain, although I daresay that he was a bit annoyed at being blown up.
Downing St whinged about not being consulted, but OPSEC (Operational Security) was paramount. The Pentagon clearly has doubts about the reliability of ‘Ritter’ Mark ‘von’ Sedwill, the Cabinet Secretary, to whom our intelligence agencies report, doubts which I respectfully share. Until we put our house in order we can hardly be expected to be consulted over operations where just one loose lip could sink the ship. ‘Von’ Sedwill is currently trying to destabilize the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing agreement by handing our 5G network over to Huawei. No offense, but he tends to see himself as our Supreme Leader.
Just as the Iranian people can’t offload Ayatollah Khamenei without outside help it may be that there’s no one in Britain powerful enough to get rid of Sir Mark, not that I’m advocating a drone strike on Whitehall. It would raise eyebrows and there would be bound to be a letter in the Times. If he’s left in post however it will be the end of Five Eyes as it currently stands. ‘Four Eyes’ doesn’t have quite the same ring.
OPSEC on the Suleimani operation was truly impressive. In the past Suleimani would have been warned from Dachau, indeed his reliance upon the DVD may have proved his undoing. He simply couldn’t conceive of you guys being able to conduct an operation against him without his getting to hear of it.
I have my doubts about the claimed legal justification, however, although this was a perfectly proper counter-terrorism operation. Civilized states have a duty to suppress and punish the international crime of terrorism, but self-defense seems a bit thin, depending upon how imminent the planned attack on the US Embassy was. The Foreign Office used the same gambit in the Falklands War, quite unnecessarily, since Argentina had launched a war of aggression against a British possession.
In my first appearance on British TV, in 1984, on the BBC’s current affairs program 60 Minutes, following the US invasion of Grenada, the crusty Tory MP Julian Amery, son-in-law of the German spy Harold Macmillan, who worked with Chiang Kai-Shek in World War II, asserted that “you can’t obey international law if the other feller doesn’t”. In practice this is now Western policy – we’ve been so sorely tried by terrorist-sponsoring states that we now only give the rules lip service when dealing with them. That was the only time by the way that I’ve ever been on TV with a friend of Chiang Kai-Shek, although I’ve had a drink with a friend of Madame Chiang.
I’m an international lawyer. I’m not saying that I like the realpolitik approach the West is now adopting. I just recognize reality. In practice, President Trump’s approach harks back to the pre-League of Nations concept of reciprocity. The President has expressed it much more gracefully and tactfully, of course, but essentially what he’s saying to the Ayatollahs is: “you’re a bunch of loonies and scumbags, who have been going about murdering innocent men, women, and children for years. If you want the protection of international law you’ll have to start obeying it yourself.”
Since the successful operation to terminate Suleimani with extreme prejudice the Democrats have behaved like a bunch of weenies, no offense intended. This is not too surprising since they are a bunch of weenies. Their weenie-in-chief, Congressman Adam ‘von’ Schiff, has made himself look like an idiot, or, if you prefer, an even bigger idiot, given the Iranian decision to shoot down Flight 752. Of course, they’re even blaming President Trump for that!
The shoot-down of Flight PS752
Those of you following my Twitter account this week will have seen that I was suggesting a missile strike as early as Wednesday, the same day the plane was shot down. As may be seen from my Twitter feed I initially thought, along with the President, that the shoot-down was accidental. I no longer think that it was.
Since both the Ukraine and Iran are German client states I was struggling at first to find a motive, but of course, the Germans lost a degree of control over Kiev with the election of Volodymyr Zelensky. What’s more, the Democrats are trying to impeach Donald Trump based on a bad faith allegation involving guess what, Ukraine.
If Kiev were showing signs of cooperating with the White House that would definitely give Teheran a motive. They’re not exactly fans of President Trump, but even if they were they take their orders from Dachau.
Iran doesn’t make its money from selling oil, at least not much. It makes its money from high-yield offshore trading programs, which are controlled by Frankfurt. The Iranian-controlled terrorist organization Hezbollah had over a billion dollars squirreled away offshore twenty years ago. The programs are a no-go area for the MSM – very few journalists understand offshore finance and they wouldn’t be allowed to tell the truth even if they did. The yields are such that it gives Germany effective control. This is how they bankrolled World Wars I & II, after all. Put another way the British government is still struggling to work out how Germany funded the First World War.
At the current rate of progress, it’ll take at least another hundred years before they do! It’s not just that ministers don’t understand how the world works, they don’t listen to those who do.
Most if not all oil-producing states in the Middle East trade their oil cash offshore. That includes Oman. Sultan Qaboos, whose sad death was announced this week, was a good friend of Britain, but not such a good friend with the respect that he got round to telling us how he made his money.
What Happened?
Flight PS752 was operated by the Ukrainian flag carrier, Ukraine International Airlines. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-8KV, tail number UR-PSR, was not much more than three years old. The crew was highly competent. Captain Gaponenko had more than 11,000 hours, mostly on the 737. First officer Naumankin was even more experienced and was an instructor on the 73.
There were 176 souls aboard, including nine crew. Most of the passengers were Iranian nationals, although a large number had second nationalities, in particular Canadian, Teheran-Kiev-Toronto being a popular low-cost route between Iran and Canada. The flight took off from Runway 29R at Imam Khomeini International Airport at 0612 local time (0242Z). Less than two minutes later it was hit by an SA-15 Tor–M1 missile (NATO reporting name Gauntlet) fired from an IRGC SAM site, at an altitude of 7,925’ above Mean Sea Level, 4,620’ AGL. The SA-15 uses a terminal radar-activated proximity fuze, with automatic, controlled guidance from the TLAR launch vehicle.
It’s now been confirmed that two missiles were fired, although it seems the second round wasn’t needed. The Tor has a smallish, 33lb fragmentation warhead, which would have detonated in close proximity to the target, shredding its unprotected fuel tanks and engines. The target aircraft was climbing at the time of impact, with a reported groundspeed of 275 knots, implying a true airspeed of around 250 knots, the international limit below Flight Level 100 (10,000’).
After detonation, the target entered an uncontrolled right-hand turn of about 24o. The Iranians are saying this was deliberate, but that’s nonsense. Neither engine appears to have been rotating at the time of impact and there wouldn’t have been time to fire up the APU. There is no reason to believe that either pilot had control, assuming they were still alive. At least one photo of the cockpit appears to show what looks suspiciously like hits from cannon rounds but are almost certainly shrapnel fragments, in which case the warhead probably detonated in front and slightly below the target.
Unlike the Ukrainian/Chinese shoot-down of MH17 I don’t think that a second aircraft was involved. It looks like a head-on shot, well within the SA-15’s capabilities. It’s a sophisticated, modern SAM system and is not limited to tail chases.
Although the time to fire is short on the Tor, the target still has to be acquired by the F-Band Pulse-Doppler 3-D search radar. This system’s capabilities are key to understanding the loss of Flight 752. The search radar has a comparatively narrow search arc (32o), that is to say, the dish has to be pointed in the general direction of the target. In this case, that means that it was probably pretty much pointed in the general direction of Runway 29R.
Secondly, the radar is a digital, 3-D system. Put another way it is perfectly capable of distinguishing between a stretched 737-sized target and a cruise missile.
Was it deliberate?
In my judgment, yes, for the following reasons:
(1) The Iranians lied about the shoot-down from the word go.
(2) They refused to allow access to the black boxes until after French or German technicians had time to tamper with them or fabricate replacements, for which they would need to know the degree and type of impact damage on the originals (the MSM always fall for swapped black boxes, as in the case of AF447).
(3) There were no immediate arrests as you would expect if a junior officer at a SAM battery shot down a civilian airliner without authorization from the chain of command.
(4) After four days of lying, when the Iranians finally admitted to shooting 752 down, they came up with the nonsense theory that the 73 was confused with a cruise missile. The target was climbing, slow-moving, and executing a standard instrument departure from a nearby international airport. It was not off course and its primary radar signature would have been far too large for a cruise missile. Moreover, it was coming from the wrong direction, that is to say away from Teheran, at a time when no US launch vehicle for a cruise missile was thought to be within range.
(5) There were two missiles, not one. Normally with an accidental shoot-down, we like to see one missile only.
(6) The timeframe is inconsistent with confusion as to the target ID and consultation up the chain of command, that is to say, it looks as though the decision to engage Flight 752 was taken before it took off.
(7) The Iranians had a motive, as suggested. There may have been a different motive, but you only need one.
(8) The Iranians have a history of shooting down civilian airliners – this is their fourth, after TWA800, AF447 and the Yemeni Airbus, and
(9) The regime also has a history of being willing to sacrifice its own nationals in large numbers, most notably when setting up the Vincennes incident.
As I have been arguing in vain for years Western cover-ups over TWA800 and the other Iranian shoot-downs have made civil aviation much more dangerous. I’m not so sure that the regime will get away with it a fourth time.
I suspect that President Trump has similar doubts, although he has been reserved and statesmanlike in his public comments, as one would expect, with respect. He would, of course, be aware of any discussions between Washington and Kiev re their intervening in the impeachment.
Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada has gone somewhat further, publicly casting doubt on Teheran’s claims of an accidental shoot-down and rightly so. In point of fact, Canada has no right under international law to render consular assistance in the case of dual Iranian nationals who voluntarily enter their second country of nationality and are then shot down in Iranian airspace following a decision by the Iranian government to murder them. So far as I know each of the Canadian citizens on the flight was of Iranian extraction and held Iranian nationality.
However, it is a moot point whether the second country of nationality commits an Act of War against the first country of nationality by murdering dual nationals. In my opinion, the murder of 63 Canadian nationals on board Flight 752 amounted to an Act of War by the Islamic Republic of Iran against the Dominion of Canada. Justin Trudeau is a weak leader however, with every respect, so don’t expect anything other than hand-wringing from Ottawa. It’s too tough a world for liberals, sadly.
Prime Minister Johnson is hamstrung by the Cabinet Secretary, so there won’t be anything other than futile hand-wringing and formulaic condolences from London either over the three dual British/Iranian nationals on the flight.
It would be interesting to know whether Teheran cleared the hit in advance with either the Cabinet Office in London or the Privy Council Office in Ottawa. Teheran knows that ministers tend to be mere figureheads and that real power in Britain and Canada resides with officials. As was the case with Piper Alpha, Whitehall has been willing to go along with mass murder. At any rate communications between Teheran, London and Ottawa might repay study.
The Aussie Bushfires
These are getting worse, and still, there has been no offer of help from the UK, which is shameful. A number of American firefighters have gone out, which is good to see. The left is aggressively pushing global warming as the cause, which is a nonsense, not least as many of the fires appear to have been started deliberately. High temperatures and strong winds don’t of themselves provide ignition points.
A further factor is the failure to burn back firebreaks, a disastrous policy encouraged by environmentalists. Firebreaks are important. So is dropping retardant from the air, which is where the RAF should come in.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex
It didn’t take long before our Supreme Leader, sorry, Cabinet Secretary, poked his nose into this sad business, like a demented Ayatollah. I have every sympathy with Their Royal Highnesses over media intrusion into their private lives and in particular over the silly criticism of their sensible decision to use private jets. I’ve only ever chartered a jet once, but believe me it’s a great way to fly! It’s also good for the environment, as the extra CO2 helps improve crop yields.
It must be aggravating for the Royal Family to see the media continually suggesting that they are in some way subsidized from the public purse when the truth is the other way round. Two things must happen – the Queen must be allowed to use the entire income from Her estate, which would allow Her full control over the maintenance of the Royal Palaces, and somebody in authority has got to explain to HRH Prince Harry who murdered his poor mother and why. And no, as I explain in Spyhunter, it was nothing to do with HRH Prince Philip, who doesn’t organize murders, even of journalists. He’s never been Prime Minister of Malta, for heaven’s sake.
It’s a slightly controversial suggestion I know, but if the Rt Hon. Julie Payette could be persuaded to move on, Governor-General of Canada might be the ideal job for the Duke of Sussex. I’m sure that Canadians would love it, even if Justin Trudeau might have to be persuaded. I daresay that Canadians, being the warm-hearted and generous people that they are, would quickly take to the Duchess. Security could safely be left in the capable hands of the Mounties, who are far more professional than the Met, and better dressed.
Ben Stokes OBE
Well done to Ben Stokes on his OBE, announced in the New Year Honours Lists. Not content with helping to win the World Cup and the Headingley Test against Australia Ben took an England record five catches in South Africa’s first innings in the Second Test at Cape Town last week, smashed 72 runs off 47 deliveries in England’s second innings then blew the last three South African wickets away in two overs of searing pace to win the Test when for all money it looked like the match was going to be drawn. (Yes it is possible for a ball game to go five days and end in a draw!)
Had anyone in authority thought there was anything in the absurd criminal allegations against Ben, exposed as a fraud in this column, he would not have got an OBE, trust me. Another thing over the break which would not have happened had there been any truth in an allegation was HRH the Duke of York accompanying HRH the Prince of Wales to the church at Sandringham on Christmas Day, in the full glare of the media spotlight. It was a tacit admission that the allegations against the Duke, based as they are on a forged photo, are false.
This week’s movie review: 1917 (2020, dir. Sir Sam Mendes)
Released to theaters in England on Friday this is a stunning war movie. Based on what appears to be a true story, with considerable dramatic license, it tells the story of two Lance-Corporals (George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman), entrusted by a general (Colin Firth) with getting a vital message through to a colonel (Benedict Cumberbatch), who’s about to fall into a trap.
Moving his lines backwards to carefully prepared positions was a typical shabby Hun trick. The movie’s credible plot and accurate recreation of trenches and No Man’s Land gives it immediacy. You really engage with the characters as they battle their way through.
Sadly one of them doesn’t make it. (It’s only just been released, so I don’t want to spoil the plot too much!) It’s always a good idea to search your Hun for weapons before you fetch him water after you’ve rescued him from the wreckage of his blazing Albatross.
The special effects, especially the dead community partners, are superbly done, although it’s upsetting to see dead horses. Huge efforts are made to give an accurate impression of the trenches, both British and German.
There are a few flaws – using Salisbury Plain made all sorts of sense from a production point of view, but the chalk soil and hilly topography detract from the realism. Digging up half a mile of trenches in Flanders probably wasn’t on, though. I only spotted one anachronism – a Mark IV tank in a movie set in April 1917, when they didn’t come into use until a few months later.
However, any criticisms are minor. Germany’s decision to start World War I was one of the most shameful events of the 20th century. 1917 brings home the impact of the brutal war unleashed in August 1914 by our community partner the Kaiser. It should clean up at the Oscars.


veteranstoday--2020-01-12--Iranian President Rouhani Warns U.S. NOT to take new action against Iran

Editor ’ s Notes : The dust is beginning to settle on what really happened during the Iran response to the Soleimani assassination .
We had thought that the US would refrain a bit from falling back on its standard “ We will tell you whatever version that you choose as to what happened.
” After a decade of on the scene videos instantly appearing on the internet , faking the reporting of a major military event had gotten harder to do .
The Trump regime was busted the first day on its fairy tale story with VT in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find material that VT did , and quickly .
The US would have preferred the public not be able to see the accuracy of the Iranian missiles which Iran put on display with this attack .
It wanted to make sure those potentially thinking of attacking Iran knew that it had a strong retaliatory capability .
Tehran also got a bonus with the what appears to be a complete failure of the US air defense system , with US Gulf allies learning that participating in an attack on Iran might be a huge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspire greater efforts toward diplomatic efforts to defuse the situation and reign in the US fake war on terror .
Iran is certainly now looking for a major war where it knows it could get hurt badly in a major exchange , and what infrastructure it has built up was done so under great difficulty and sacrifice from its people , willingly and unwillingly , as is often the case here in the US .
The most wonderful thing that came out of this , is one…Israel , Mr. Netanyahu quickly saying it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and frankly threw Donald under the bus .
Iran was quick to state that if the US did retaliate against it then Israel would be attacked .
I think that Bibi really feared that their air defense would not stop the Iranian missiles , especially after we saw no evidence of the expensive Patriot System working .
You can bet your booties that the IDF has been on the phone with the Americans as to what the hell happened .
And second , the US-allied Gulf states have all had a “ come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come to Allah moment ” as the case may be over wanting to deescalate Middle East tensions .
In the morning we have more statements from them that they are ready for talks .
So that begs the question will the US try to block these from happening , maybe threatening them with….wait for it , wait for it… ” Sanctions ” …as it has done with Iraq .
Yes the US remains a powerful military power , but its credibility is severely damaged here .
Trump , of course , has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the Pentagon and military command jumped off a bridge holding hands on this one , with their incompetence laid bare .
It is time to stick a huge enema up the Pentagon ’ s butt , and then run for high ground to not get washed downstream .
This is in no way a dispersion on the military as a whole .
Those who have carried water for our national security risk president have put themselves in the category of being a threat .
If they would like to debate VT on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the usual terms , everything videoed , each side having half the time and no editing of the original material .
This is not something that we would enjoy , but to fix what needs to be fixed .
Remaining in denial makes us a threat unto ourselves , and VT does not have a molecule of that disease… Jim W. Dean

by Jim W. Dean, …with PressTV, Tehran
Update: Oh my, someone is running scared, so much so they are openly censoring content. What the idiots goof on is that just attracts more attention to what they don’t want known or seen...JD
Editor’s Notes: The dust is beginning to settle on what really happened during the Iran response to the Soleimani assassination. We had thought that the US would refrain a bit from falling back on its standard “We will tell you whatever version that we choose as to what happened.”
After a decade of on the scene videos instantly appearing on the internet, faking the reporting of a major military event had gotten harder to do. The Trump regime was busted the first day on its fairy tale story, with VT in the lead, as mainstream media seemed unable to find material that VT did, and quickly.
The US would have preferred the public not be able to see the accuracy of the Iranian missiles which Iran put on display with this attack. Iran wanted to make sure those potentially thinking of attacking their country knew that it had a strong retaliatory capability.
Tehran also got a bonus with what appears to be a complete failure of the US air defense system, with US Gulf allies learning that participating in an attack on Iran might be a huge mistake. Hopefully, this realization might inspire greater efforts toward diplomacy to defuse the situation and reign in the US fake war on terror.
Iran is certainly not looking for a major war, where it knows it could get hurt badly in a major exchange, and what infrastructure it has built up was done so under great difficulty and sacrifice from its people, willingly and unwillingly, as is often the case here in the US.
The most wonderful thing that came out of this, is one…Israel. Mr. Netanyahu quickly announced it had nothing to do with the strike, and frankly threw Donald under the bus. Iran was quick to state that if the US did retaliate against it, then Israel would be attacked.
I think that Bibi really feared that their air defense would not stop the Iranian missiles, especially after we saw no evidence of the expensive Patriot System working. You can bet your booties that the IDF has been on the phone with the Americans as to what the hell happened.
Second, the US-allied Gulf states have all had a “come to Jesus moment”, or “come to Allah moment” as the case may be, over wanting to deescalate Middle East tensions.
We have more statements from them that they are ready for talks. That begs the question, will the US try to block these from happening, maybe threatening them with….wait for it, wait for it…”Sanctions”…as it has done with Iraq?
Yes the US remains a powerful military power, but its credibility is severely damaged here. Trump, of course, has been a wrecking ball for some time, but the Pentagon and military command jumped off a bridge holding hands on this one with their incompetence laid bare.
It is time to stick a huge enema up the Pentagon’s butt, and then run for high ground to not get washed downstream. This is in no way an aspersion on the military as a whole. But, those who have carried water for our national security risk president have put themselves in the category of being a threat.
If they would like to debate VT on that, we would be most appreciative under the usual terms, everything videoed, each side having half the time and no editing of the original material.
This is not something that we would enjoy, but to fix what needs to be fixed. Remaining in denial makes us a threat to ourselves, and VT does not have a molecule of that disease… Jim W. Dean
January 09, 2020


veteranstoday--2020-01-12--CIA Declassified Files: UFO Encounter in 1973

The area where the alleged UFO was spotted nearly five decades ago was apparently used by the USSR to test experimental missiles and laser weapon systems .
A recently declassified CIA report sheds light on an alleged UFO encounter that took place at the height of the Cold War in Kazakhstan in 1973 , back when it was part of the Soviet Union .
The document , whose redacted version was first released in 1978 and which has now been made available on The Black Vault , a website that publishes declassified government files , mentions how the witness , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” , “ stepped outside for some air ” and spotted “ an unidentified sharp ( bright ) green circular object or mass ” hovering “ above cloud level ” .
“ Within 10 to 15 seconds of observation , the green circle widened and within a brief period of time , several green concentric circles formed around the mass .
Within minutes the coloring disappeared .
There was no sound , such as an explosion , associated with the phenomenon ” , the document states citing the witness ’ observations .
According @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place in the vicinity of the Sary Shagan Weapons Testing Range that was allegedly used by the USSR back then to secretly launch “ experimental missiles ” and to test “ laser weapon systems utilizing powerful antennas ” .
During a telephone interview with Newsweek , The Black Vault ’ s founder John Greenewald compared the encounter with the so-called USS Nimitz UFO incident which took place in 2004 .
“ This is very much similar to the context we see today , with threats on military facilities , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the record saying whatever this is , it ’ s a concern .
They ’ re being encroached upon by this unidentified phenomenon .
”

By SputnikNews.com
The area where the alleged UFO was spotted nearly five decades ago was apparently used by the USSR to test experimental missiles and laser weapon systems.
A recently declassified CIA report sheds light on an alleged UFO encounter that took place at the height of the Cold War in Kazakhstan in 1973, back when it was part of the Soviet Union.
The document, whose redacted version was first released in 1978 and which has now been made available on The Black Vault, a website that publishes declassified government files, mentions how the witness, identified in the paper as “Source”, “stepped outside for some air” and spotted “an unidentified sharp (bright) green circular object or mass” hovering “above cloud level”.
“Within 10 to 15 seconds of observation, the green circle widened and within a brief period of time, several green concentric circles formed around the mass. Within minutes the coloring disappeared. There was no sound, such as an explosion, associated with the phenomenon”, the document states citing the witness’ observations. According to the website, the sighting took place in the vicinity of the Sary Shagan Weapons Testing Range that was allegedly used by the USSR back then to secretly launch “experimental missiles” and to test “laser weapon systems utilizing powerful antennas”. During a telephone interview with Newsweek, The Black Vault’s founder John Greenewald compared the encounter with the so-called USS Nimitz UFO incident which took place in 2004. “This is very much similar to the context we see today, with threats on military facilities,” he said. “The US Navy has gone on the record saying whatever this is, it’s a concern. They’re being encroached upon by this unidentified phenomenon.”
Headquartered in Moscow Russia, Sputnik is a news agency with offices around the world. Sputnik covers global political and economic news for an international audience. Launched in November 2014 by the Russian media group Rossiya Segodnya, Sputnik works in more than 30 languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Arabic, Chinese, and more. *All posts on behalf of Sputnik News are made by Gordon Duff and Jim W. Dean


veteranstoday--2020-01-12--Trump’s EPA Sets Stage For More Americans With Cancer

Health Editor ’ s Note : This is a must-read .
Trump has reached a new low with the rolling back of protections against harmful toxins in the American environment .
Blatant cronyism at the cost of American lives .
Example : In a report from IRIS ( Integrated Risk Information System ) there was evidence to change the classification of ethylene oxide ( odorless gas used to sterilize medical equipment and to make other chemicals ) from probably carcinogenic to plainly carcinogenic , based on several studies that showed higher breast cancer rates in exposed female workers , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times more lethal than previous estimations .
This information gave the EPA Office of Air and Radiation the ability to find areas where those who breathed ethylene oxide were in the path of the risk of cancer .
Despite this warning , the ACC ( American Chemistry Council ) which represents chemical manufacturers in the U.S. , “ asked ” IRIS to change its assessment of ethylene oxide .
Dow Chemical , which is the largest producer of ethylene oxide in the U.S. and second-largest in the world to Saudi Basic Industries ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s assessment .
ExxonMobil Chemical ( U.S. ) is the third-largest producer with the Netherlands , China , Italy , Iran , and the United Kingdom all making money producing this chemical .
Trump ’ s EPA has announced that it would be calling for reductions in the IRIS pollution report .
Trump seeks to weaken protections to Americans while filling the deep pockets of industries that rely on the use of ethylene oxide .
The most important protection would have been protection against cancers which often are deadly and astronomically expensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Other areas where the EPA has been reversing its decisions : Deciding to not ban chlorpyrifos ( pesticide linked to neurodevelopmental problems such as autism in children ) , stripping the Clean Power Plan , loosening restrictions on toxic air pollution from industrial facilities , deflating guidelines for emissions of methane from landfills , suspending the panel on air pollution , and the generalized reduction in the enforcement of environmental laws .
Eliminating these environmental protections places Americans at great risk for health issues , other than cancer .
Birth defects , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all linked to exposure to chemicals .
Trump and those who influence him are monsters !
Trump has not just declared war on immigrants , Iran , etc .
but most importantly he has declared his hatred of the American people .
He wants us dead !
…..Carol The War On The War On Cancer Trump ’ s Gutting of Toxics ’ Regulations Will Mean Higher Profits for Polluters and Higher Cancer rates for the American People When Angela Ramirez was 38 , she felt a slight pain in her chest .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a muscle , but when it didn ’ t go away , Ramirez went to her doctor , who diagnosed her with stage 2 breast cancer .
A mother of three and a parent educator in a local public school in Lake County , Illinois , Ramirez had to undergo a double mastectomy , chemotherapy , radiation , and five follow-up surgeries .
Eight years since the diagnosis , her family is still recovering .
Because of complications , Ramirez is awaiting several more reconstructive surgeries .
Her daughter Ada , now 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in part , Ramirez thinks , because she spent much of her childhood worrying that her mother wouldn ’ t survive .
And her husband is working 80 hours a week to cover medical expenses and lost income .
“ Cancer changes your whole life , ” she said recently .
Ramirez used to think of her ordeal as random bad luck — an inexplicable series of genetic mutations that just happened to derail her life .
But that changed in 2018 after she learned that she both lived and worked near two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called ethylene oxide .

Health Editor’s Note: This is a must-read. Trump has reached a new low with the rolling back of protections against harmful toxins in the American environment. Blatant cronyism at the cost of American lives.
Example: In a report from IRIS (Integrated Risk Information System) there was evidence to change the classification of ethylene oxide (odorless gas used to sterilize medical equipment and to make other chemicals) from probably carcinogenic to plainly carcinogenic, based on several studies that showed higher breast cancer rates in exposed female workers, and indeed a safety threshold that was 30 times more lethal than previous estimations. This information gave the EPA Office of Air and Radiation the ability to find areas where those who breathed ethylene oxide were in the path of the risk of cancer.
Despite this warning, the ACC (American Chemistry Council) which represents chemical manufacturers in the U.S., “asked” IRIS to change its assessment of ethylene oxide. Dow Chemical, which is the largest producer of ethylene oxide in the U.S. and second-largest in the world to Saudi Basic Industries (Saudi Arabia), disputed the EPA’s assessment. ExxonMobil Chemical (U.S.) is the third-largest producer with the Netherlands, China, Italy, Iran, and the United Kingdom all making money producing this chemical.
Trump’s EPA has announced that it would be calling for reductions in the IRIS pollution report. Trump seeks to weaken protections to Americans while filling the deep pockets of industries that rely on the use of ethylene oxide. The most important protection would have been protection against cancers which often are deadly and astronomically expensive to try to eliminate in cancer victims.
Other areas where the EPA has been reversing its decisions: Deciding to not ban chlorpyrifos (pesticide linked to neurodevelopmental problems such as autism in children), stripping the Clean Power Plan, loosening restrictions on toxic air pollution from industrial facilities, deflating guidelines for emissions of methane from landfills, suspending the panel on air pollution, and the generalized reduction in the enforcement of environmental laws. Eliminating these environmental protections places Americans at great risk for health issues, other than cancer. Birth defects, neurodevelopmental disorders, fertility issues, are all linked to exposure to chemicals. Trump and those who influence him are monsters! Trump has not just declared war on immigrants, Iran, etc. but most importantly he has declared his hatred of the American people. He wants us dead!…..Carol The War On The War On Cancer Trump’s Gutting of Toxics’ Regulations Will Mean Higher Profits for Polluters and Higher Cancer rates for the American People by Sharon Lerner/The Intercept When Angela Ramirez was 38, she felt a slight pain in her chest. At first, she thought she had pulled a muscle, but when it didn’t go away, Ramirez went to her doctor, who diagnosed her with stage 2 breast cancer. A mother of three and a parent educator in a local public school in Lake County, Illinois, Ramirez had to undergo a double mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, and five follow-up surgeries. Eight years since the diagnosis, her family is still recovering. Because of complications, Ramirez is awaiting several more reconstructive surgeries. Her daughter Ada, now 15, was recently diagnosed with PTSD, in part, Ramirez thinks, because she spent much of her childhood worrying that her mother wouldn’t survive. And her husband is working 80 hours a week to cover medical expenses and lost income. “Cancer changes your whole life,” she said recently. Ramirez used to think of her ordeal as random bad luck — an inexplicable series of genetic mutations that just happened to derail her life. But that changed in 2018 after she learned that she both lived and worked near two facilities that were emitting a cancer-causing chemical called ethylene oxide. Read Full Article at TheIntercept.com
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--2020-01-12--Vital: Qatar, Host of America’s Biggest Bomber Force, Sides with Iran

Trump told Iran was planning to take the US command center at Doha , including the center for CIA operations in Asia as well…on “ hour one ” of any conflict Press TV : Qatar ’ s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani says his country attaches importance to cooperation with Iran as an influential player in the region , pointing out that any security coordination among regional countries will be of no avail in the absence of the Islamic Republic .
Speaking at a meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran on Sunday , the Qatari Emir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on different regional and international developments at various levels .
Al Thani urged the Iranian and Qatari authorities to work for further cooperation in trade , tourism and joint ventures .
Doha , he added , welcomes expansion of economic partnership between tradesmen and enterprises from the two countries and would facilitate their activities .
The Qatari Emir arrived in Tehran on Sunday to hold talks with senior Iranian officials .
Qatar is close to the United States and hosts its largest military base in West Asia , but Doha also enjoys strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shares the world ’ s largest gas field .
The Iranian president said in the meeting that expansion of mutual relations served national interests of the two countries .
“ The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to take new steps in trade and economic spheres between the two countries , ” Rouhani said .
He emphasized that Qatar , as a friendly country , can turn into a base for trade , economic and maritime cooperation between Tehran and Doha .
Highlighting Iran ’ s advances in various fields of science and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such utilities as water and power supply , Iran ’ s president said Tehran was ready to transfer its experiences in these fields to the friendly and brotherly country of Qatar .
Dialog , only solution to all crises : Qatari Emir Al Thani hailed Iran ’ s stance on Qatar , particularly at a time of a Saudi-led blockade on the Arab country , saying Tehran has provided Doha with all necessary facilities at the earliest .
The Qatari Emir was alluding to escalation of tensions in the Persian Gulf region after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) severed their diplomatic relations with Doha in June 2017 , accusing it of sponsoring “ terrorism ” and destabilizing the region .
The quartet also imposed sanctions against Doha , including restrictions on Qatari aircraft using the airspace of the four countries .
To further pressure Qatar , Saudi Arabia totally closed its land border with its neighbor , through which much of Qatar ’ s food supply crossed .
Doha , however , rejects the claims , saying its sovereignty has been attacked .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ president to visit Doha in the near future , which was accepted .
The Iranian president told reporters that despite restrictions imposed by some countries against Qatar , the Islamic Republic has stood and will continue to stand by the country .
Rouhani stressed the importance of boosting regional security and said , “ Given the significance of security in the region , particularly security of waterways in the Persian Gulf , the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman , we decided to have more consultations and cooperation on [ improving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

Qatari emir in Tehran to boost ties, discuss latest developments
Qatar
Qatar is close to the United States and hosts its largest military base in West Asia, but Doha also enjoys strong ties with Tehran, with whom it shares the world’s largest gas field.
Enhanced Iran-Qatar ties serve mutual national interests: Rouhani
The Iranian president said in the meeting that expansion of mutual relations served national interests of the two countries.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to take new steps in trade and economic spheres between the two countries,” Rouhani said.
He emphasized that Qatar, as a friendly country, can turn into a base for trade, economic and maritime cooperation between Tehran and Doha.
Highlighting Iran’s advances in various fields of science and technology, knowledge-based activities as well as such utilities as water and power supply, Iran’s president said Tehran was ready to transfer its experiences in these fields to the friendly and brotherly country of Qatar.
Dialog, only solution to all crises: Qatari Emir
Speaking at a joint press conference with the Iranian president following their meeting, the Qatari Emir said his visit to Tehran “comes at a very sensitive juncture in the region” and that he agreed with President Rouhani that dialog is the only solution to the ongoing crises.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (R) and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani address a joint press conference in Tehran on January 12, 2020. (Photo by president.ir)
Al Thani hailed Iran’s stance on Qatar, particularly at a time of a Saudi-led blockade on the Arab country, saying Tehran has provided Doha with all necessary facilities at the earliest.
The Qatari Emir was alluding to escalation of tensions in the Persian Gulf region after Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) severed their diplomatic relations with Doha in June 2017, accusing it of sponsoring “terrorism” and destabilizing the region.
The quartet also imposed sanctions against Doha, including restrictions on Qatari aircraft using the airspace of the four countries. To further pressure Qatar, Saudi Arabia totally closed its land border with its neighbor, through which much of Qatar’s food supply crossed. Doha, however, rejects the claims, saying its sovereignty has been attacked.
Qatar will never forget the Islamic Republic’s positive attitude, the Emir emphasized.
He said he has invited the Iranian president to visit Doha in the near future, which was accepted.
Iran will stand by Qatar: Rouhani
The Iranian president told reporters that despite restrictions imposed by some countries against Qatar, the Islamic Republic has stood and will continue to stand by the country.
Rouhani stressed the importance of boosting regional security and said, “Given the significance of security in the region, particularly security of waterways in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman, we decided to have more consultations and cooperation on [improving] security of the entire region.”


veteranstoday--2020-01-12--Volley of Katyusha’s Hits Iraqi Base Housing US Detail

A rocket barrage has hit an Iraqi airbase hosting US forces north of the capital Baghdad , Iraq ’ s military says .
In a brief statement released on Sunday evening , the Arab country ’ s military said that eight Katyusha-type rockets landed on al-Balad airbase , some 80 kilometers north of Baghdad , wounding two Iraqi officers and two airmen .
A number of shells landed on the runway of the airbase while another shell hit the gate , said Colonel Mohammed Khalil , a local police officer .
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the rocket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most of Iraqi ’ s F-16 fighter jets , which it had purchased from the US to upgrade its air defense capabilities .
Al-Balad is also home to a small US Air Force contingent as well as American contractors .
According to what an unnamed military sources told AFP , a majority of American forces had been evacuated from the airbase after tensions escalated between the US and Iran over the past two weeks .
“ About 90 percent of the US advisers , and employees of Sallyport and Lockheed Martin who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Taji and Erbil after threats , ” one of the sources said .
“ There are no more than 15 US soldiers and a single plane at al-Balad , ” the source added .
Back on January 4 , at least two rockets , suspected to be of Katyusha type , also fell in the airbase , which is in the vicinity of the city of Samara in Salahuddin province .
The rocket attack on Sunday occurred four days after the Iranian defense units poured more than a dozen ballistic missiles on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq , in retaliation for the US assassination of Iran ’ s top military commander , Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport on January 3 .
The strike also assassinated Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis , the deputy chief of the Iraqi pro-government Popular Mobilization Units ( PMU ) .
Four other Iranians and four more Iraqis in their company were also martyred .
In recent months , the military bases in the Arab country that are home to US troops have been subject to volleys of rockets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wounded Iraqi forces , but also killed an American contractor last month .

A rocket barrage has hit an Iraqi airbase hosting US forces north of the capital Baghdad, Iraq’s military says.
In a brief statement released on Sunday evening, the Arab country’s military said that eight Katyusha-type rockets landed on al-Balad airbase, some 80 kilometers north of Baghdad, wounding two Iraqi officers and two airmen.
A number of shells landed on the runway of the airbase while another shell hit the gate, said Colonel Mohammed Khalil, a local police officer.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the rocket attack.
The airbase is home to most of Iraqi’s F-16 fighter jets, which it had purchased from the US to upgrade its air defense capabilities. Al-Balad is also home to a small US Air Force contingent as well as American contractors.
According to what an unnamed military sources told AFP, a majority of American forces had been evacuated from the airbase after tensions escalated between the US and Iran over the past two weeks.
“About 90 percent of the US advisers, and employees of Sallyport and Lockheed Martin who are specialized in aircraft maintenance, have withdrawn to Taji and Erbil after threats,” one of the sources said.
“There are no more than 15 US soldiers and a single plane at al-Balad,” the source added.
Back on January 4, at least two rockets, suspected to be of Katyusha type, also fell in the airbase, which is in the vicinity of the city of Samara in Salahuddin province.
PressTV-‘Rockets, mortar shells hit US base, near American embassy in Iraq’ Sirens immediately sounded at the Green Zone compound, which hosts both US diplomats and troops.
The rocket attack on Sunday occurred four days after the Iranian defense units poured more than a dozen ballistic missiles on two military bases housing US troops in Iraq, in retaliation for the US assassination of Iran’s top military commander, Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike near Baghdad International Airport on January 3.
The strike also assassinated Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy chief of the Iraqi pro-government Popular Mobilization Units (PMU). Four other Iranians and four more Iraqis in their company were also martyred.
In recent months, the military bases in the Arab country that are home to US troops have been subject to volleys of rockets and mortar attacks, which have mostly wounded Iraqi forces, but also killed an American contractor last month.


veteranstoday--2020-01-17--Brexit or Die: EU tap water causing thousands of cancer deaths…and it won’t stop

Peter Andrews is an Irish science journalist and writer , based in London .
He has a background in the life sciences , and graduated from the University of Glasgow with a degree in Genetics RT/Moscow : Each year , more than 6,500 cases of bladder cancer , roughly five percent of all cases in Europe , are found to be attributable to exposure to trihalomethanes ( THMs ) in drinking water – and it ’ s all perfectly legal .
For a study of countries ’ water quality , the EU28 became the EU26 , as adequate data for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nevertheless , the project covered 75 % of the total EU population , and a reading of its findings is ominous .
What the hell are THMs ?
THMs are a class of molecule that appear as a by-product of the disinfectants used to clean drinking water .
When chlorine , the main chemical used to clean drinking water , comes into contact with organic matter , it breaks down into THMs .
And despite being legal up to certain levels , long-term exposure to them has been consistently associated with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EU has set that legal limit at 100 lg=L , but anything over 50 lg=L causes a 51 percent increase in the probability of bladder cancer , in men at least .
This study was undertaken at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health , in a city which has THM levels above the present regulatory maximum limit of 100 lg=L .
Astonishingly , there is no provision for the lowering of this maximum in the latest European Council directive .
ALSO ON RT.COMNot enough proof it works : UK ’ s National Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help you sleep Bladder cancer is only the tenth most common form of cancer in the UK ; 135,000 people in the EU were diagnosed with it in 2016 .
It is usually quite treatable with a simple surgical procedure as long as it is caught before spreading to other body parts .
Some evidence suggests it affects men more than women ( although this could be down to lifestyle differences , such as higher rates of smoking ) .
The countries with the highest percentages of bladder cancer cases attributable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , Malta ( 18 percent ) and Ireland ( 17 percent ) .
In other words , 23 out of 100 Cypriot people who are diagnosed with cancer in a given year are likely to have contracted it from their drinking water .
Meanwhile , the greatest number of attributable cases actually occurred in Spain ( 1,482 attributable cases ) and the United Kingdom ( 1,356 ) although this is a function of population as well as THM contamination .
ALSO ON RT.COMQuick as a FLASH !
Scientists find way to deliver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than a second So , who is to blame ?
It is impossible to attribute any given individual ’ s condition to drinking water , as the extent to which various factors contribute to a complicated disease are , for now , unquantifiable .
But the statistical methods used by the researchers to estimate attributable cases at least puts a rough figure on the lives affected by this pollutant–and they should be enough to grab the attention of those who control public water systems .
The authors point out that if the thirteen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the current EU average , then 2,868 cases of drinking-water-induced bladder cancer per year could potentially be avoided ( a 44 percent reduction ) .
For now , this seems unlikely .
Until the precise biological pathways between THMs and bladder cancer are revealed , the European Council Drinking Water Directive will not feel under pressure to rethink .
The EU could , at the very least , lower its limits , though .
ALSO ON RT.COMCancer patient dies after being set on FIRE during operation in Romania

Chemicals in tap water are causing thousands of cancer deaths across Europe – but the EU probably won’t do anything about it
RT/Moscow: Each year, more than 6,500 cases of bladder cancer, roughly five percent of all cases in Europe, are found to be attributable to exposure to trihalomethanes (THMs) in drinking water – and it’s all perfectly legal.
For a study of countries’ water quality, the EU28 became the EU26, as adequate data for Bulgaria and Romania could not be obtained. Nevertheless, the project covered 75% of the total EU population, and a reading of its findings is ominous.
What the hell are THMs?
THMs are a class of molecules that appears as a by-product of the disinfectants used to clean drinking water. When chlorine, the main chemical used to clean drinking water, comes into contact with organic matter, it breaks down into THMs. And despite being legal up to certain levels, long-term exposure to them has been consistently associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer.
The EU has set that legal limit at 100 lg=L, but anything over 50 lg=L causes a 51 percent increase in the probability of bladder cancer, in men at least. This study was undertaken at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, in a city which has THM levels above the present regulatory maximum limit of 100 lg=L. Astonishingly, there is no provision for the lowering of this maximum in the latest European Council directive.
ALSO ON RT.COM: Not enough proof it works: UK’s National Health Service won’t pay for melatonin to help you sleep How common is bladder cancer? Bladder cancer is only the tenth most common form of cancer in the UK; 135,000 people in the EU were diagnosed with it in 2016. It is usually quite treatable with a simple surgical procedure as long as it is caught before spreading to other body parts. Some evidence suggests it affects men more than women (although this could be down to lifestyle differences, such as higher rates of smoking). The countries with the highest percentages of bladder cancer cases attributable to THM exposure were Cyprus (23 percent), Malta (18 percent) and Ireland (17 percent). In other words, 23 out of 100 Cypriot people who are diagnosed with cancer in a given year are likely to have contracted it from their drinking water. Meanwhile, the greatest number of attributable cases actually occurred in Spain (1,482 attributable cases) and the United Kingdom (1,356) although this is a function of the population as well as THM contamination. ALSO ON RT.COM: Quick as a FLASH! Scientists find a way to deliver the ENTIRE COURSE of cancer treatment in less than a second So, who is to blame? It is impossible to attribute any given individual’s condition to drinking water, as the extent to which various factors contribute to a complicated disease are, for now, unquantifiable. But the statistical methods used by the researchers to estimate attributable cases at least put a rough figure on the lives affected by this pollutant–and they should be enough to grab the attention of those who control public water systems. The authors point out that if the thirteen worst-offending countries could reduce their THM levels to the current EU average, then 2,868 cases of drinking-water-induced bladder cancer per year could potentially be avoided (a 44 percent reduction). For now, this seems unlikely. Until the precise biological pathways between THMs and bladder cancer are revealed, the European Council Drinking Water Directive will not feel under pressure to rethink. The EU could, at the very least, lower its limits, though. Peter Andrews is an Irish science journalist and writer, based in London. He has a background in the life sciences and graduated from the University of Glasgow with a degree in Genetics ALSO ON RT.COM: Cancer patient dies after being set on FIRE during operation in Romania


veteranstoday--2020-01-17--Biden: Zuckerburg a belongs behind bars, threat to national security

Joe Biden offered some strong words against Mark Zuckerberg in an interview with The New York Times published Friday .
The former vice president said he sees the Facebook founder as a “ real problem ” and said it ’ s possible that his role in “ propagating falsehoods ” against Biden and other public figures may have broken the law .
Biden was asked what he thought of Facebook after his campaign complained to the social-media giant last year about an ad that falsely claimed he blackmailed Ukrainian officials to help his son .
Biden responded : “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook , as you probably know .
I ’ ve never been a big Zuckerberg fan .
I think he ’ s a real problem.
” Biden said his issue with Facebook is that it can host false information with no consequences , whereas a newspaper would be sued .
Asked if Zuckerberg should face criminal penalties for false information on Facebook , Biden responded that he should face “ civil liability ” and added : “ Whether he engaged in something and amounted to collusion that in fact caused harm that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offense , that ’ s a different issue .
That ’ s possible .
That ’ s possible it could happen .
”

Eva Bartlett is a Canadian independent journalist and activist. She has spent years on the ground covering conflict zones in the Middle East, especially in Syria and Palestine (where she lived for nearly four years).
Twitter has been on a narrative-control rampage, removing or censoring legitimate accounts that are critical of US-led wars, propaganda, and lies. Facebook and Instagram have increased their Big Brother policing, too.
Attempts by American-based social media behemoths to silence or censor voices critical of the establishment-approved narrative is nothing new, but this trend seems to have intensified lately.
Just in the past several days, following the criminal US assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, Instagram and Facebook have been removing posts supportive of Soleimani, even profile photos honoring the general, allegedly to comply with US sanctions, a truly absurd explanation for the narrative control.
ALSO ON RT.COM: Facebook censors explainer clip recalling when western media liked Soleimani – and demonetizes popular account for sharing it
On January 7, it was reported that Twitter had suspended numerous Venezuelan accounts, including those of the central bank, the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, public media, political leaders, the Finance & Oil ministries.
At the end of last year, Italy’s Rai News conducted an interview with Syrian President Bashar Assad but then decided not to air it. Days later, as the interview was being aired instead by the Syrian Presidency, its respective Twitter account was inexplicably and suddenly restricted.
Twitter allows al-Qaeda & ISIS (& their cheerleaders) accounts but suspends the account of @Presidency_Sy, the legitimate Syrian government. pic.twitter.com/q0tDh2ksqk — Eva Bartlett (@EvaKBartlett) January 3, 2020
It returned to normal some days later but, at the start of January, the account was again no longer available. Admin used a backup account with a dramatically smaller following and, although after about a week—and many Twitter protests later —the account was again restored, it has not since tweeted and thus appears to be restricted.
In mid-2019, the account of the Russian embassy in Syria disappeared not long after tweeting about the White Helmets, terrorists, and war propaganda. This, again, begged the question of what ‘Twitter rules’ had been violated.
ALSO ON RT.COM: Twitter suspends Russian embassy in Syria after it criticized White Helmets
These aren’t some isolated incidents, they’re part of a systematic purging by the NATO-aligned social media corporations who bleat about alleged “Russian propaganda” but are themselves the (transparently poor) masters of propaganda.
Many anti-war voices have been scrubbed from Twitter and Facebook, including the prominent anti-war voice of Daniel McAdams – Executive Director of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity– who was banned from Twitter for using the word “retarded” to describe a Fox News host, something I’m sure many people would think an insufficient and mild description of such corporate media entities…
Accounts Calling For Genocide A-Okay on Twitter
While accounts like McAdams’ are taken down allegedly for reasons of political correctness, other accounts can call for genocide and destruction with no repercussions.
Take the rather no-name lobbyist Jack Burkman, who, after the US assassination of Iran’s beloved General Soleimani, tweeted about the “need to burn every major Iranian city to the ground.” His tweet actually included “Load up the [chemical weapon] napalm.” On several more occasions, Burkman tweeted about destroying Iran, including his tweet on the firebombing of Dresden and his desire to “replicate the campaign against Iran.” Some of those tweets have been removed, but his account remains active, without restrictions, as though he hadn’t violated Twitter rules on multiple occasions.
Donald J. Trump ✔@realDonaldTrump Replying to @realDonaldTrump ….hundreds of Iranian protesters. He was already attacking our Embassy, and preparing for additional hits in other locations. Iran has been nothing but problems for many years. Let this serve as a WARNING that if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets, we have….. Donald J. Trump ✔@realDonaldTrump ….targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats! 273K Twitter Ads info and privacy 127K people are talking about this
Then there is the President of the United States, who, after having General Soleimani illegally assassinated, went on to threaten to destroy 52 Iranian cultural sites. That tweet remains up on Twitter, in spite of surely violating rules on threatening violence (and not only against a person but a nation). I mean, most normal people consider threatening to destroy places somewhat violently.
On the other hand, allegations about genocide risk being censored, as happened to Mint Press News’ editor in chief, Mnar Muhawesh, whose video on the US-Saudi led war on Yemen was deemed “child nudity” by Facebook.
Muhawesh protested: “This is false. Images show skeleton, dying children wearing diapers.”
Terrorist Accounts, Exploited Children, And More Twitter Restrictions
Accounts abound on Twitter and Facebook that are openly supportive of suicide bombers, ISIS and al-Qaeda. I’ve found Western corporate journalists citing terrorist-supporting accounts as “media activists” in areas militarily surrounded by the Syrian army, as was the case when eastern Ghouta was being liberated, although the ‘activists’ allegiance to Jaysh al-Islam and al-Qaeda was easily identified.
And there are accounts representing the terrorists themselves, whose graphic content certainly ought to be deemed violations of Twitter’s rules, yet so many of these accounts remain intact.
Twitter serves as a platform for war propaganda, that’s fairly clear. But there’s a point that some people might not know about Twitter and Syria: Twitter doesn’t recognize the Syrian country code, thus you’d need a non-Syrian phone number to open an account.
Eva Bartlett ✔@EvaKBartlett When child Twitter accounts predictably abound in corporate media reports on Idlib, keep in mind that many Syrians don’t have Twitter because Twitter doesn’t recognize Syrian country code. So what did Bana al-Abed have while in terrorist-occupied, military besieged, east Aleppo? 213 Twitter Ads info and privacy 124 people are talking about this
So how do all these poster children like Bana al-Abed (one of the chief faces of war propaganda in the lead-up to the liberation of Aleppo in late 2016) and those which popped up later in eastern Ghouta and then in Idlib get accounts?
Keep that in mind when the war propaganda again resurges around Idlib and the children holding English posters and hashtagging #SaveIdlib pop into your feed. More exploitation of kids, and Twitter the perfect platform.
ALSO ON RT.COM: Exploitation of children in the propaganda war against Syria continues
In researching for this piece last week, I came across a recent article announcing a new feature Twitter would test, in its valiant efforts to quash trolls: limiting who may reply to tweets before sending a tweet.
This smacks not of cutting out trolls, but of making echo chambers more impenetrable, so war propagandists can back-slap one another without allowing intelligent voices to poke holes in their lies.
But in the end, perhaps even that doesn’t matter, because at any moment your account can be zapped. Nestled in Twitter’s terms of service is this line: “We may suspend or terminate your account…for any or no reason…” This means any protest over suspended accounts is thus a waste of time after all.
This is total narrative control, and it’s only getting worse.


veteranstoday--2020-01-17--Trump Winning in Syria, Finally..the Nation is Starving

The Syrian currency called the Syrian pound or lira , has lost value over the war and the situation has gotten much worse just over the past few months , heavily impacted by the closing of the banks in Lebanon which wealthy and entrepreneurial Syrians were using because US sanctions prohibit flow between Syrian banks and the rest of the world .
Prior to the US and allies ’ attempt to bring “ freedom and democracy ” to Syria using terrorist mercenary proxies including al Qaeda and ISIS , the lira was holding steady at 45 to 50 lira to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and people lived well .
Just yesterday it went to 1165 to 1 .
This is devastating to the people there because although prices have skyrocketed due to the money having less value – salaries remained little changed .
So to make a comparison , if a pound of potatoes before the war cost you let ’ s just say 50 cents in 2011 , it would now cost over $ 11 ( if I ’ m doing the math right ) while many people in Syria only make $ 50 to $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government subsidizes some food products , particularly bread , so that is still generally affordable for people .
Syria is bountiful and grows their own produce , wheat , also livestock which also helps – they don ’ t have to import it .
Fuel however is another issue – fuel for heating , cooking , transportation and manufacturing .
Because of Donald Trump ’ s theft of Syria ’ s richest oil fields , they must import the stuff .
This of course makes it much more expensive but it gets worse… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syria ’ s oil .
The US sanctions are the means by which America is attempting to strangle Syria into submission to our dictates and desired overthrow of their leader .
And America threatens any country with sanctions or increased sanctions should they dare export oil for fuel to Syria .
So far only Iran has been willing to risk the wrath of US empire building country killers to get oil into Syria .
Wars are catastrophic to the economy of countries which in turn is a major contributor to destabilization .
Sanctions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence , chaos , destruction – lead to black market economies , smuggling , increased corruption and desperation .
As a dear Syrian friend just shared with me , the economic suffering is often worse than the war of bullets because you can ’ t fight it .
Haven ’ t the Syrian people suffered enough ?
Haven ’ t they been killed , maimed , bombed and starved enough to satisfy the vampires of the US war mongers ?
Mr and Ms American , the people in Syria are not our enemies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country – ever – in fact President Assad wanted mutually beneficial and respectful relations with western countries .
What can I say that will get you to wake up from your stupor of sucker syndrome ?
The out of control Swamp of DC is the enemy of us all .

VT Damascus
The Syrian currency called the Syrian pound or lira has lost value over the war and the situation has gotten much worse just over the past few months, heavily impacted by the closing of the banks in Lebanon which wealthy and entrepreneurial Syrians were using because US sanctions prohibit flow between Syrian banks and the rest of the world.
Prior to the US and allies’ attempt to bring “freedom and democracy” to Syria using terrorist mercenary proxies including al Qaeda and ISIS, the lira was holding steady at 45 to 50 lira to the US dollar. Life was good and people lived well.
Just yesterday it went to 1165 to 1. This is devastating to the people there because although prices have skyrocketed due to the money having less value – salaries remained little changed.
So to make a comparison, if a pound of potatoes before the war cost you let’s just say 50 cents in 2011, it would now cost over $11 (if I’m doing the math right) while many people in Syria only make $50 to $100 per month in salary. The government subsidizes some food products, particularly bread, so that is still generally affordable for people. Syria is bountiful and grows its own produce, wheat, also livestock which also helps – they don’t have to import it.
Fuel, however, is another issue – fuel for heating, cooking, transportation, and manufacturing. Because of Donald Trump’s theft of Syria’s richest oil fields, they must import the stuff. This, of course, makes it much more expensive but it gets worse…
Because the US is not only stealing Syria’s oil. The US sanctions are the means by which America is attempting to strangle Syria into submission to our dictates and the desired overthrow of their leader. And America threatens any country with sanctions or increased sanctions should they dare export oil for fuel to Syria. So far only Iran has been willing to risk the wrath of US empire-building country killers to get oil into Syria.
Wars are catastrophic to the economy of countries which in turn is a major contributor to destabilization. Sanctions and other pressures – along with the violence, chaos, destruction – lead to black-market economies, smuggling, increased corruption and desperation.
As a dear Syrian friend just shared with me, the economic suffering is often worse than the war of bullets because you can’t fight it.
Haven’t the Syrian people suffered enough? Haven’t they been killed, maimed, bombed and starved enough to satisfy the vampires of the US warmongers? Mr. and Ms. American, the people in Syria are not our enemies nor did the government ever threaten our country – ever – in fact, President Assad wanted mutually beneficial and respectful relations with western countries.
What can I say that will get you to wake up from your stupor of sucker syndrome? The out of control Swamp of DC is the enemy of us all.