veteranstoday--2020-08-22--How the UK Government provides cover for Israel’s crimes

[ Editor ’ s Note : Stuart is a clear eyed observer of British domestic and geopolitics .
As editor ’ s , because there is and endless demand for our reading time to stay abreast of what is going on outside out vastly timing consuming US monitoring , it is a pleasure to have dependable material coming in from contributors that keeps us abreast of what is really going on .
The scourge of Israeli political espionage has gone on for some time now , which seems to have compromised all the counter intelligence agencies as it rolls on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case of an Israeli offensive espionage ring being busted .
We owe that to the eternal shame of our collective security organizations who have been sadly either intimidated , or worse , compromised for that sad legacy to have gone on for so long .
The damage has been incalculable and continues unabated ... Jim W. Dean ] Jim 's Editor ’ s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal Jim 's work includes research , field trips , Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more .
Thanks for helping .
Click to donate > @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to my question asking where he and the UK government stand on the threat by Israel to annex more Palestinian territory known as the West Bank .
It seems the Government has urged them not to do it .
I doubt if his letter , reproduced here , is his own work .
It is sprinkled with the humbug and deceit repeated for decades by Tory and Labour governments and was likely penned at least 20 years ago by a Foreign Office scribbler vaccinated with an Israeli embassy gramophone needle .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MPs and ministers who dare not speak their own mind or are plain clueless .
As usual , Her Majesty ’ s Government wants “ a safe and secure Israel ” but only “ a viable and sovereign Palestinian state ” .
What a deplorable statement .
Viable means workable in the most meagre sense .
And when it comes to safety and security why can ’ t Mr Jack be evenhanded ?
His words ( if they are indeed his ) express clear racial prejudice favouring the wellbeing and prosperity of one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I ’ d have thought , deserves a sharp rap on the knuckles .
He says there can be no changes to the status quo without a negotiated agreement between the parties .
Mr Jack is surely aware that the status quo is itself illegal and breaches umpteen UN resolutions .
And why does he feel the Palestinians must ‘ negotiate ’ their freedom ?
Picture the scene with the invader holding a gun to the head of the victim whose land the invader has occupied under brutal military control and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Why is Mr Jack joining his colleagues in calling for more lopsided negotiations instead of pushing for law and justice ?
‘ Nothing shall be done to prejudice the rights of non-Jewish communities….
’ Sorry , forget that .
So many experts are saying that a negotiated two-state solution is impossible .
Does anyone seriously think the Israelis will voluntarily give up their ill-gotten territorial gains which are crucial to their Greater Israel dream ?
The only peaceable way to change their mind is through the persuasive power of BDS and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under relentless Zionist attack and is fiercely opposed by the servile UK Government .
The reason why the West endlessly woffles about ‘ negotiations ’ is their cowardly failure ever since 1948 to confront Israel ’ s greedy ambition for expansion and domination .
That inconvenient bit in Britain ’ s 1917 pledge to Rothschild and the Zionist Federation about “ it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine ” is best forgotten .
It ’ s so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say and do nothing while their Zionist ‘ friends ’ surreptitiously complete their programme of creeping annexation .
And never mind the 70+ years of grief this has caused innocent Palestinians .
Mr Jack refers to Boris Johnson ’ s article in Yedioth Ahronoth which appeared on the very day Netanyahu was supposed to be carrying out his crazed threat .
“ Annexation would represent a violation of international law… .
I profoundly hope that annexation does not go ahead , ” he wrote .
“ If it does , the UK will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lines , except those agreed between both parties.
” But Israel has repeatedly violated international law and repeatedly been rewarded , so why should it care what the UK thinks about boundary changes ?
They have been changing all the time .
Israel ’ s annexation of East Jerusalem ( including the Old City ) in 1967 was a flagrant breach of international law , and what did the UK or anyone else do about it ?
“ I want to see an outcome that delivers justice for both Israelis and Palestinians , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no interest in justice otherwise he ’ d be leading the charge for implementing international law and UN resolutions which have already ruled on the issue .
As for Israel ’ s annexation misfire it looks like world hostility gave Netanyahu cold feet and he and Trump cast around in desperation for a face-saver .
They found it the United Arab Emirates ’ ‘ MBZ ’ with whom they cobbled a deal for full diplomatic relations between Israel and the UAE provided Israel suspended annexation , and this is touted as a triumph @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abandoning annexation and you can bet the piecemeal ethnic cleansing , destruction of Palestinian homes and confiscation of their lands will continue unabated .
Mr Jack then says he ’ s proud that the UK supports UNRWA and is providing £34.5 million funding this year .
If the Palestinians were allowed their universal right to freedom of movement and self-determination in their homeland there ’ d be no need to keep throwing our tax money at agencies like UNRWA .
It ’ s scandalous that money for our own schools and hospitals has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long-running programme of thieving , collective punishment , dispossession and the trashing of the Palestinian economy .
Mr Jack goes on to say : “ The UK ’ s position on Israeli settlements is clear.
” Well no , it isn ’ t .
They are illegal and even constitute a war crime yet the UK Government doesn ’ t mind if companies or individuals profiteer from using and endorsing those squats to the detriment of the Palestinians .
And he seems to agree with his government ’ s opposition to the UN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Back in March 2016 , UN Human Rights Council resolution 31/36 mandated the High Commissioner ’ s Office to produce a database of all businesses engaged in activities related to Israel ’ s settlement enterprise and having implications for the rights of the Palestinian people .
Fair enough , you might think .
But a year ago 103 local , regional and international organizations felt it necessary to call on the High Commissioner to release the Database expressing deep concern that the document and names of the companies facilitating the settlement programme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years due to political pressure .
In the meantime the Israeli government had escalated the construction of new squats and broadcast its intention to formally annex parts of the West Bank in further violation of international law .
“ The Database will bring an important degree of transparency on the activities of businesses which contravene rules and principles of international humanitarian and human rights law as a result of their operations in or with illegal Israeli settlements , ” they said .
Amnesty International commented : “ Naming the businesses which profit in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clear message from the international community that settlements must never be normalized .
These companies are profiting from and contributing to systematic violations against Palestinians.
” And Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights said : “ The UK Government abstained on the vote of this Human Rights Council resolution in March 2016… .
It was the only state to declare that the database was ‘ inappropriate ’ and that ‘ it would not co-operate in the process ’ of its implementation.
” LPHR felt that the reasons given for the Government ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amount to an adequate basis for justifiably opposing the UN Database ” .
One such reason was that the UK Government thought the Human Rights Council should focus on states rather than private companies .
LPHR says this contradicts the UK ’ s earlier agreement , along with the rest of the international community , that companies as well as states have vital responsibilities in protecting and advancing respect for human rights .

by Stuart Littlewood, Britain
– First published … August 08, 2020 –
[ Editor’s Note: Stuart is a clear-eyed observer of British domestic and geopolitics. As editor’s, because there is an endless demand for our reading time to stay abreast of what is going on outside our vast timing consuming US monitoring, it is a pleasure to have dependable material coming in from contributors that keeps us abreast of what is really going on.
The scourge of Israeli political espionage has gone on for some time now, which seems to have compromised all the counterintelligence agencies as it rolls on year after year without a single international case of an Israeli offensive espionage ring being busted.
We owe that to the eternal shame of our collective security organizations who have been sadly either intimidated or worse, compromised for that sad legacy to have gone on for so long. The damage has been incalculable and continues unabated ...Jim W. Dean ]
Jim's Editor’s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal
Jim's work includes research, field trips, Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more. Thanks for helping. Click to donate >>
MP Alister Jack has finally replied to my question asking where he and the UK government stand on the threat by Israel to annex more Palestinian territory known as the West Bank. It seems the Government has urged them not to do it.
I doubt if his letter reproduced here, is his own work. It is sprinkled with the humbug and deceit repeated for decades by Tory and Labour governments and was likely penned at least 20 years ago by a Foreign Office scribbler vaccinated with an Israeli embassy gramophone needle. It is still used as a reply template by MPs and ministers who dare not speak their own minds or are plain clueless.
As usual, Her Majesty’s Government wants “a safe and secure Israel” but only “a viable and sovereign Palestinian state”. What a deplorable statement. Viable means are workable in the most meager sense. And when it comes to safety and security why can’t Mr. Jack be evenhanded? His words (if they are indeed his) express clear racial prejudice favoring the wellbeing and prosperity of one people at the expense of another which, I’d have thought, deserves a sharp rap on the knuckles.
He says there can be no changes to the status quo without a negotiated agreement between the parties. Mr. Jack is surely aware that the status quo is itself illegal and breaches umpteen UN resolutions. And why does he feel the Palestinians must ‘negotiate’ their freedom?
Picture the scene with the invader holding a gun to the head of the victim whose land the invader has occupied under brutal military control and in defiance of international law for 70+ years. Why is Mr Jack joining his colleagues in calling for more lopsided negotiations instead of pushing for law and justice?
‘Nothing shall be done to prejudice the rights of non-Jewish communities….’ Sorry, forget that.
So many experts are saying that a negotiated two-state solution is impossible. Does anyone seriously think the Israelis will voluntarily give up their ill-gotten territorial gains which are crucial to their Greater Israel dream? The only peaceable way to change their mind is through the persuasive power of BDS and other sanctions.
For that reason, BDS is under relentless Zionist attack and is fiercely opposed by the servile UK Government. The reason why the West endlessly waffles about ‘negotiations’ is their cowardly failure ever since 1948 to confront Israel’s greedy ambition for expansion and domination.
That inconvenient bit in Britain’s 1917 pledge to Rothschild and the Zionist Federation about “it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine” is best forgotten.
It’s so much easier for the UK Government to say and do nothing while their Zionist ‘friends’ surreptitiously complete their program of creeping annexation. And never mind the 70+ years of grief this has caused innocent Palestinians.
Mr. Jack refers to Boris Johnson’s article in Yedioth Ahronoth which appeared on the very day Netanyahu was supposed to be carrying out his crazed threat.
“Annexation would represent a violation of international law…. I profoundly hope that annexation does not go ahead,” he wrote. “If it does, the UK will not recognize any changes to the 1967 lines, except those agreed between both parties.”
But Israel has repeatedly violated international law and repeatedly been rewarded, so why should it care what the UK thinks about boundary changes? They have been changing all the time. Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem (including the Old City) in 1967 was a flagrant breach of international law, and what did the UK or anyone else do about it?
“I want to see an outcome that delivers justice for both Israelis and Palestinians,” says Johnson absurdly. He has no interest in justice otherwise he’d be leading the charge for implementing international law and UN resolutions that have already ruled on the issue.
As for Israel’s annexation misfire, it looks like world hostility gave Netanyahu cold feet and he and Trump cast around in desperation for a face-saver. They found it the United Arab Emirates’ ‘MBZ’ with whom they cobbled a deal for full diplomatic relations between Israel and the UAE provided Israel suspended annexation, and this is touted as a triumph.
No-one of course insisted on actually abandoning annexation and you can bet the piecemeal ethnic cleansing, destruction of Palestinian homes, and confiscation of their lands will continue unabated.
Mr. Jack then says he’s proud that the UK supports UNRWA and is providing £34.5 million funding this year. If the Palestinians were allowed their universal right to freedom of movement and self-determination in their homeland there’d be no need to keep throwing our tax money at agencies like UNRWA.
It’s scandalous that money for our own schools and hospitals has been diverted to subsidize Israel’s long-running program of thieving, collective punishment, dispossession, and the trashing of the Palestinian economy.
Mr. Jack goes on to say: “The UK’s position on Israeli settlements is clear.” Well no, it isn’t. They are illegal and even constitute a war crime yet the UK Government doesn’t mind if companies or individuals profiteer from using and endorsing those squats to the detriment of the Palestinians.
And he seems to agree with his government’s opposition to the UN’s business and human rights database. Back in March 2016, UN Human Rights Council resolution 31/36 mandated the High Commissioner’s Office to produce a database of all businesses engaged in activities related to Israel’s settlement enterprise and having implications for the rights of the Palestinian people. Fair enough, you might think.
But a year ago 103 local, regional and international organizations felt it necessary to call on the High Commissioner to release the Database expressing deep concern that the document and names of the companies facilitating the settlement program had been withheld from circulation for 3 years due to political pressure.
In the meantime, the Israeli government had escalated the construction of new squats and broadcast its intention to formally annex parts of the West Bank in further violation of international law.
“The Database will bring an important degree of transparency on the activities of businesses that contravene rules and principles of international humanitarian and human rights law as a result of their operations in or with illegal Israeli settlements,” they said.
Amnesty International commented: “Naming the businesses which profit in the context of this illegal situation sends a clear message from the international community that settlements must never be normalized. These companies are profiting from and contributing to systematic violations against Palestinians.”
And Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights said:
“The UK Government abstained on the vote of this Human Rights Council resolution in March 2016…. It was the only state to declare that the database was ‘inappropriate’ and that ‘it would not co-operate in the process’ of its implementation.” LPHR felt that the reasons are given for the Government’s position “did not individually or cumulatively amount to an adequate basis for justifiably opposing the UN Database”.
One such reason was that the UK Government thought the Human Rights Council should focus on states rather than private companies. LPHR says this contradicts the UK’s earlier agreement, along with the rest of the international community, that companies, as well as states, have vital responsibilities in protecting and advancing respect for human rights.
I won’t trouble Mr. Jack for an explanation.
Stuart Littlewood
21 August 2020


veteranstoday--2020-08-22--US allies reject Pompeo’s pompous US unilateralism

US knocked over the head by allies , as it tries to snap back Iran sanctions [ Editor ’ s Note : The Trump team is going down swinging , under their illusion that rejection of United Nations protocols or obligations is something that others have to adhere to , but not the ‘ great ’ United States .
The Trump insanity seems to have fully taken over Pompeo , that whatever comes out of his mouth is straight from Mount Olympus and not subject for debate .
Europe is finally showing signs that standing up to this now will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it drag on .
It finally took the US playing this “ even if I left the deal , I can still be in it if I want , to trigger sanctions against Iran ” silliness for Britain , France , and Germany to say ‘ enough is enough ’ .
And you can be sure they will be interfering in the US election , in whatever way they can , so as not to have to deal with Trump and Pompeo anymore , whatever the cost , because the cost of dealing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse for our allies .
I still can ’ t get out of my head that there must be a lot of secret crack smoking going on inside Washington for this to have gone on as long as it has .
Historically , even the most corrupt officials have never considered hari kari as a solution for getting what they want politically .
But there is a bright spot with Israel , the country that has anointed itself permission to holocaust the Palestinians , to hang in there with Trump and gang .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ maybe he will emigrate to Israel , get honorary citizenship , and become a Likud so he can continue to have fun wrecking people ’ s lives .
Maybe we could make Israel ’ s taking Trump a retroactive requirement to getting its US aid ?
… Jim W. Dean ] Jim 's Editor ’ s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal Jim 's work includes research , field trips , Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more .
Thanks for helping .
Click to donate > > The United States ’ most prominent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with its push to snap back the United Nations sanctions against Iran .
On Thursday , the United Kingdom , France , and Germany said they could not support the US move , describing the action as incompatible with efforts to support the Iran nuclear deal , Reuters reported .
The trio announced their position in a statement in response to an illegal US push to invoke the mechanism in the nuclear deal that would restore all of the UN sanctions against the Islamic Republic , whose related resolutions was annulled after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was made between the Islamic Republic and the P5+1 group of states — the US , the UK , France , Russia , and China plus Germany — in Vienna in July 2015 .
The US left the accord , which is officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA ) , in May 2018 .
The move , by extension , violated UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorses the JCPOA .
In order to lend a plausible aspect to its ongoing attacks on the JCPOA , including the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has falsely been alleging that it is still “ mentioned ” as a JCPOA member in Resolution 2231 .
Reacting to the Europeans ’ put-down , US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo still hailed the US ’ s anti-Iran bid by saying , “ No country but the United States has had the courage and conviction to put forward a resolution.
” Delivering the unilateral US approach its next blow was China ’ s UN mission that reminded that Washington had itself compromised all of its contractual rights under the nuclear deal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ world body by Pompeo to trigger the snapback module qualify for the purpose it has been written for , the mission noted in a tweet .
Before Thursday ’ s snub , Washington was similarly defeated at the Security Council in an earlier attempt to prevent the expiry of an arms embargo against Iran that will expire in October under the JCPOA .
The European statement , however , urged Iran “ to reverse all measures inconsistent with its nuclear commitments and return to full compliance without delay.
” Last May , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US ’ s withdrawal from the nuclear accord and the refusal of the European partners of the deal to retain their business with Iran for fear of coming under American sanctions .
Tehran ’ s retaliation , however , has consistently fitted within the JCPOA that allows signatories to take reciprocal measures in the face of non-commitment by the other parties .
The Islamic Republic has , meanwhile , conditioned reversal of its countermeasures to the US ’ s return to the nuclear agreement , and the European trio ’ s resumption of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another defeat at UNSC : Iran envoy Attending a press conference at the world body ’ s headquarters in New York , Iran ’ s UN Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi said the country was certain that the US would face another defeat at the Security Council regarding the snapback push .
He reminded that the US push was lacking in all legal reasoning and that Washington was no longer being recognized across the international community as a party to the nuclear agreement .
Therefore , what the Americans allege in order to try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they have lost the right to have any opinion about the deal .
By proposing the sanctions snapback , Washington is mocking the entirety of the United Nations ’ membership , he said , adding that the pending failure would constitute a catastrophe for America ’ s statesmen .
Takht Ravanchi , who condemned the US for failing to treat the JCPOA in good faith , also said Washington ’ s push contradicted the UN Charter .
Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi , who was part of the Iranian team negotiating the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Takht Ravanchi ’ s remarks , and expressing certainty that the Security Council would stand up to Washington .
So far , Israel has been the sole supporter of the US in its bid against Iran , with the occupying regime ’ s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling the move “ the right decision.
” Many reports have revealed how it was Israel and others ’ pressure in the first place that proved instrumental in Washington ’ s departure from the nuclear deal .

US knocked over the head by allies, as it tries to snap back Iran sanctions
…by PressTV, Tehran
[ Editor’s Note: The Trump team is going down swinging, under their illusion that rejection of United Nations protocols or obligations is something that others have to adhere to, but not the ‘great’ United States.
The Trump insanity seems to have fully taken over Pompeo, that whatever comes out of his mouth is straight from Mount Olympus and not subject for debate. Europe is finally showing signs that standing up to this now will have a lower damage cost than letting it drag on.
It finally took the US playing this “even if I left the deal, I can still be in it if I want, to trigger sanctions against Iran” silliness for Britain, France, and Germany to say ‘enough is enough’.
And you can be sure they will be interfering in the US election, in whatever way they can, so as not to have to deal with Trump and Pompeo anymore, whatever the cost, because the cost of dealing with them for four more years is worse for our allies.
I still can’t get out of my head that there must be a lot of secret crack-smoking going on inside Washington for this to have gone on as long as it has. Historically, even the most corrupt officials have never considered hari-kari as a solution for getting what they want politically.
But there is a bright spot with Israel, the country that has anointed itself permission to the holocaust the Palestinians, to hang in there with Trump and gang. Who knows, if Trump loses, maybe he will emigrate to Israel, get honorary citizenship, and become a Likud so he can continue to have fun wrecking people’s lives.
Maybe we could make Israel’s taking Trump a retroactive requirement to getting its US aid? … Jim W. Dean ]
Jim's Editor’s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal
Jim's work includes research, field trips, Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more. Thanks for helping. Click to donate >>
– First published … August 21, 2020 –
The United States’ most prominent Western allies refuse to fall into step with its push to snap back the United Nations sanctions against Iran.
On Thursday, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany said they could not support the US move, describing the action as incompatible with efforts to support the Iran nuclear deal, Reuters reported.
The trio announced their position in a statement in response to an illegal US push to invoke the mechanism in the nuclear deal that would restore all of the UN sanctions against the Islamic Republic, whose related resolutions were annulled after the agreement was concluded.
The nuclear accord was made between the Islamic Republic and the P5+1 group of states — the US, the UK, France, Russia, and China plus Germany — in Vienna in July 2015.
The US left the accord, which is officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in May 2018. The move, by extension, violated UN Security Council Resolution 2231 that endorses the JCPOA.
In order to lend a plausible aspect to its ongoing attacks on the JCPOA, including the attempt at the sanctions snapback, Washington has falsely been alleging that it is still “mentioned” as a JCPOA member in Resolution 2231.
Reacting to the Europeans’ put-down, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo still hailed the US’s anti-Iran bid by saying, “No country but the United States has had the courage and conviction to put forward a resolution.”
Delivering the unilateral US approach its next blow was China’s UN mission that reminded that Washington had itself compromised all of its contractual rights under the nuclear deal.
Neither did a letter presented to the world body by Pompeo to trigger the snapback module qualify for the purpose it has been written for, the mission noted in a tweet.
The United States, as a nonparticipant to #JCPOA, is ineligible to demand the Security Council invoke the #snapback mechanism. US letter does not constitute the “notification” specified in #UNSCR2231 and shall not be deemed as a trigger of snapback. https://t.co/VRXKHWING7 pic.twitter.com/GfWvb5hrqn — Chinese Mission to UN (@Chinamission2un) August 20, 2020
Before Thursday’s snub, Washington was similarly defeated at the Security Council in an earlier attempt to prevent the expiry of an arms embargo against Iran that will expire in October under the JCPOA.
The European statement, however, urged Iran “to reverse all measures inconsistent with its nuclear commitments and return to full compliance without delay.”
Last May, the Islamic Republic began phased-out countermeasures against the US’s withdrawal from the nuclear accord and the refusal of the European partners of the deal to retain their business with Iran for fear of coming under American sanctions.
Tehran’s retaliation, however, has consistently fitted within the JCPOA that allows signatories to take reciprocal measures in the face of non-commitment by the other parties.
The Islamic Republic has, meanwhile, conditioned reversal of its countermeasures to the US’s return to the nuclear agreement, and the European trio’s resumption of their contractual obligations.
US to face another defeat at UNSC: Iran envoy
Attending a press conference at the world body’s headquarters in New York, Iran’s UN Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi said the country was certain that the US would face another defeat at the Security Council regarding the snapback push.
He reminded that the US push was lacking in all legal reasoning and that Washington was no longer being recognized across the international community as a party to the nuclear agreement.
Therefore, what the Americans allege in order to try and justify their bid amounts to falsification because they have lost the right to have any opinion about the deal.
By proposing the sanctions snapback, Washington is mocking the entirety of the United Nations’ membership, he said, adding that the pending failure would constitute a catastrophe for America’s statesmen.
Takht Ravanchi, who condemned the US for failing to treat the JCPOA in good faith, also said Washington’s push contradicted the UN Charter.
Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who was part of the Iranian team negotiating the JCPOA, also weighed in, echoing Takht Ravanchi’s remarks, and expressing certainty that the Security Council would stand up to Washington.
US notification is incapable of having legal effect. Its null and void. None of the remaining JCPOA participants considers the notification as effective.
We trust the SC will not permit the US to abuse Res 2231 to achieve its stated objective of destroying that very resolution. — Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) August 20, 2020
So far, Israel has been the sole supporter of the US in its bid against Iran, with the occupying regime’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling the move “the right decision.” Many reports have revealed how it was Israel and others’ pressure in the first place that proved instrumental in Washington’s departure from the nuclear deal.
Jim W. Dean is VT Editor Emeritus. He was an active editor on VT from 2010-2022. He was involved in operations, development, and writing, plus an active schedule of TV and radio interviews. He now writes and posts periodically for VT. Read Full Complete Bio >>>
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veteranstoday--2020-08-23--Was Qassem Soleimani Killed to Avenge Saudi Oil Installations Attack?

A joint American-Israeli program [ 1 ] , involving a series of short-of-war clandestine strikes , aimed at taking out the most prominent generals of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ( IRGC ) and targeting Iran ’ s power stations , industrial infrastructure , and missile and nuclear facilities has been going on since early this year when commander of IRGC ’ s Quds Force General Qassem Soleimani was assassinated in a US airstrike at Baghdad airport on January 3 .
As the US presidential race is heating up , the pace and sophistication of subversive attacks in Iran is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ mysterious explosions ” were reported at a missile and explosives storage facility at Parchin military base on June 26 , at power stations in the cities of Shiraz and Ahvaz , a “ mysterious fire ” at Bushehr port on July 15 destroying seven ships , and a massive explosion at the Natanz nuclear site on July 2 that has reportedly set back Iran ’ s nuclear program by at least two years .
Besides whipping up nationalist sentiment among America ’ s conservative electorate on the eve of US presidential election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the subversive attacks appears to be to avenge a string of audacious attacks mounted by Iran-backed forces against the US strategic interests in the Persian Gulf that brought the US and Iran to the brink of full-scale war in September last year .
In addition to planting limpet mines on oil tankers off the coast of the UAE in May last year and the subsequent downing of the US surveillance drone in the Persian Gulf by Iran , the brazen attack on the Abqaiq petroleum facility and the Khurais oil field in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14 was the third major attack in the Persian Gulf against the assets of Washington and its regional clients .
That the UAE had forewarning about imminent attacks is proved by the fact that weeks before the attacks , it recalled forces from Yemen battling the Houthi rebels and redeployed them to man the UAE ’ s territorial borders .
Nevertheless , a puerile prank like planting limpet mines on oil tankers can be overlooked but major provocations like downing a $ 200-million Global Hawk surveillance aircraft and mounting a drone and missile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crippled its oil-processing functions for weeks could have had serious repercussions .
The September 14 attack on the Abqaiq petroleum facility in eastern Saudi Arabia was an apocalypse for the global oil industry because it processes five million barrels crude oil per day , more than half of Saudi Arabia ’ s total oil production .
The subversive attack sent jitters across the global markets and the oil price surged 15 % , the biggest spike witnessed in three decades since the First Gulf War when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days after industrialized nations released their strategic oil reserves .
In order to bring home the significance of the Persian Gulf ’ s oil in the energy-starved industrialized world , here are a few stats from the OPEC data : Saudi Arabia has the world ’ s largest proven crude oil reserves of 265 billion barrels and its daily oil production is 10 million barrels ; Iran and Iraq each has 150 billion barrels reserves and has the capacity to produce 5 million barrels per day each ; while UAE and Kuwait each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 million barrels per day each ; thus , all the littoral states of the Persian Gulf , together , hold 788 billion barrels , more than half of world ’ s 1477 billion barrels proven oil reserves .
Not surprisingly , more than 35,000 American troops have currently been deployed in the military bases and aircraft carriers in the oil-rich Persian Gulf in accordance with the Carter Doctrine of 1980 , which states : “ Let our position be absolutely clear : an attempt by any outside force to gain control of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America , and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary , including military force.
” It bears mentioning that alongside deploying several thousand American troops , additional aircraft squadrons and Patriot missile batteries in Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of the Abqaiq attack , several interventionist hawks in Washington invoked the Carter Doctrine as a ground for mounting retaliatory strikes against Iran .
The last year ’ s acts of subversion in the Persian Gulf should be viewed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cold War that has begun after the Ukrainian crisis in 2014 when Russia occupied the Crimean peninsula and Washington imposed sanctions against Russia .
The Kremlin ’ s immediate response to the escalation by Washington was that it jumped into the fray in Syria in September 2015 , after a clandestine visit to Moscow by General Qassem Soleimani , the commander of the IRGC ’ s Quds Force .
When Russia deployed its forces and military hardware to Syria in September 2015 , the militant proxies of Washington and its regional clients were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between Damascus and the Alawite heartland of coastal Latakia , which could have led to the imminent downfall of the Assad government .
With the help of the Russian air power , the Syrian government has since reclaimed most of Syria ’ s territory from the insurgents , excluding Idlib in the northwest occupied by the Turkish-backed militants and Deir al-Zor and the Kurdish-held areas in the east , thus inflicting a humiliating defeat on Washington and its regional clients .
Notwithstanding , following the brazen attack on the Abqaiq petroleum facility and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Province of Saudi Arabia on September 14 , orchestrated protests erupted in Iran-allied countries Lebanon and Iraq from October to December last year .
Lebanese American journalist Rania Khalek has documented for The Gray Zone [ 2 ] the US-backed political forces spearheaded the “ color revolution ” in Lebanon , where Iran-backed resistance group Hezbollah was part of the coalition government .
Following the massive explosion at the Beirut Port on August 4 killing 180 people and wounding nearly 6,000 , the shaky , six-month-long coalition government of Hassan al-Diab resigned on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been through the US occupation from 2003 to 2011 and is known to have US sympathizers in the Kurdish-held north and the Shia-majority south of the country , where the Western oil majors operate and dispense largesse among local chieftains of myriad clans and tribes .
Using the patronage network , the US successfully ousted former Prime Minister of Iraq Haider al-Abadi and appointed American stooge Mustafa al-Kadhimi in his stead in May .
The purpose of destabilizing governments in Iran-allied countries obviously was to deter Iran from mounting subversive attacks in strategically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iraq , though , Iran itself is immune to foreign-backed political demonstrations as it does not have any imperialist collaborators on the ground , besides a fringe militant group Mujahideen-e-Khalq ( MEK ) funded by the US , France and Israel , though it did witness large-scale protests in November last year .
The proximate cause of the November 15 protests in Iran was steep rise in petrol prices by the Rouhani government , dubbed as “ sabotage ” by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei .
The worst-hit region was Khuzestan province in southwest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minority known to have grievances against Tehran and susceptible to infiltration by imperialist stooges .
Finally , a word about the venerated commander of IRGC ’ s Quds Force General Qassem Soleimani who was assassinated in a US airstrike at Baghdad airport on January 3 .
Soleimani was the trusted lieutenant of Iran ’ s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and the main liaison with Russia .
Not only did he instigate Russia to strike at Washington ’ s Achilles heel in Syria ’ s proxy war but he was also the main architect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abqaiq petroleum facility and the Khurais oil field in the oil-rich Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia .
Alongside deploying several thousand American troops and additional aircraft squadrons and Patriot missile batteries in Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of the Abqaiq attack , Washington also took out its most fearsome nemesis General Soleimani in January , and now it can freely stage subversive attacks in Iran and allied countries without the fear of reprisals .
It ’ s pertinent to note that Trump initially rejected [ 3 ] the Pentagon ’ s option to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the fear of full-scale confrontation with Iran , and authorized airstrikes on an Iran-backed militia group in Iraq instead .
But after the rocket attack at the US embassy in Baghdad by Iran-backed forces , Trump succumbed to pressure from the American deep state , led by the powerful national security bureaucracies of Pentagon and the State Department , which had a score to settle with General Soleimani for giving the global power a bloody nose in Syria ’ s proxy war .
[ 1 ] Long-Planned and Bigger Than Thought : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Nauman Sadiq is an Islamabad-based attorney , columnist and geopolitical analyst focused on the politics of Af-Pak and Middle East regions , neocolonialism and petro-imperialism .

…by Nauman Sadiq for VT Islamabad
A joint American-Israeli program [1], involving a series of short-of-war clandestine strikes, aimed at taking out the most prominent generals of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and targeting Iran’s power stations, industrial infrastructure, and missile and nuclear facilities has been going on since early this year when commander of IRGC’s Quds Force General Qassem Soleimani was assassinated in a US airstrike at Baghdad airport on January 3.
As the US presidential race is heating up, the pace and sophistication of subversive attacks in Iran is picking up simultaneously.
Since June, “mysterious explosions” were reported at a missile and explosives storage facility at Parchin military base on June 26, at power stations in the cities of Shiraz and Ahvaz, a “mysterious fire” at Bushehr port on July 15 destroying seven ships, and a massive explosion at the Natanz nuclear site on July 2 that has reportedly set back Iran’s nuclear program by at least two years.
Besides whipping up nationalist sentiment among America’s conservative electorate on the eve of US presidential election slated for November, another purpose of the subversive attacks appears to be to avenge a string of audacious attacks mounted by Iran-backed forces against the US strategic interests in the Persian Gulf that brought the US and Iran to the brink of full-scale war in September last year.
In addition to planting limpet mines on oil tankers off the coast of the UAE in May last year and the subsequent downing of the US surveillance drone in the Persian Gulf by Iran, the brazen attack on the Abqaiq petroleum facility and the Khurais oil field in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia on September 14 was the third major attack in the Persian Gulf against the assets of Washington and its regional clients.
That the UAE had forewarning about imminent attacks is proved by the fact that weeks before the attacks, it recalled forces from Yemen battling the Houthi rebels and redeployed them to man the UAE’s territorial borders.
Nevertheless, a puerile prank like planting limpet mines on oil tankers can be overlooked but major provocations like downing a $200-million Global Hawk surveillance aircraft and mounting a drone and missile attack on the Abqaiq petroleum facility that crippled its oil-processing functions for weeks could have had serious repercussions.
The September 14 attack on the Abqaiq petroleum facility in eastern Saudi Arabia was an apocalypse for the global oil industry because it processes five million barrels crude oil per day, more than half of Saudi Arabia’s total oil production.
The subversive attack sent jitters across the global markets and the oil price surged 15%, the biggest spike witnessed in three decades since the First Gulf War when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, though the oil price was eased within days after industrialized nations released their strategic oil reserves.
In order to bring home the significance of the Persian Gulf’s oil in the energy-starved industrialized world, here are a few stats from the OPEC data: Saudi Arabia has the world’s largest proven crude oil reserves of 265 billion barrels and its daily oil production is 10 million barrels; Iran and Iraq each has 150 billion barrels reserves and has the capacity to produce 5 million barrels per day each; while UAE and Kuwait each has 100 billion barrels reserves and produces 3 million barrels per day each; thus, all the littoral states of the Persian Gulf, together, hold 788 billion barrels, more than half of world’s 1477 billion barrels proven oil reserves.
Not surprisingly, more than 35,000 American troops have currently been deployed in the military bases and aircraft carriers in the oil-rich Persian Gulf in accordance with the Carter Doctrine of 1980, which states:
“Let our position be absolutely clear: an attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force.”
It bears mentioning that alongside deploying several thousand American troops, additional aircraft squadrons and Patriot missile batteries in Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of the Abqaiq attack, several interventionist hawks in Washington invoked the Carter Doctrine as a ground for mounting retaliatory strikes against Iran.
The last year’s acts of subversion in the Persian Gulf should be viewed in the broader backdrop of the New Cold War that has begun after the Ukrainian crisis in 2014 when Russia occupied the Crimean peninsula and Washington imposed sanctions against Russia.
The Kremlin’s immediate response to the escalation by Washington was that it jumped into the fray in Syria in September 2015, after a clandestine visit to Moscow by General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force. When Russia deployed its forces and military hardware to Syria in September 2015, the militant proxies of Washington and its regional clients were on the verge of drawing a wedge between Damascus and the Alawite heartland of coastal Latakia, which could have led to the imminent downfall of the Assad government.
With the help of Russian air power, the Syrian government has since reclaimed most of Syria’s territory from the insurgents, excluding Idlib in the northwest occupied by the Turkish-backed militants and Deir al-Zor and the Kurdish-held areas in the east, thus inflicting a humiliating defeat on Washington and its regional clients.
Notwithstanding, following the brazen attack on the Abqaiq petroleum facility and the Khurais oil field in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia on September 14, orchestrated protests erupted in Iran-allied countries Lebanon and Iraq from October to December last year.
Lebanese American journalist Rania Khalek has documented for The Gray Zone [2] the US-backed political forces spearheaded the “color revolution” in Lebanon, where Iran-backed resistance group Hezbollah was part of the coalition government. Following the massive explosion at the Beirut Port on August 4 killing 180 people and wounding nearly 6,000, the shaky, six-month-long coalition government of Hassan al-Diab resigned on August 10.
Similarly, Iraq has been through the US occupation from 2003 to 2011 and is known to have US sympathizers in the Kurdish-held north and the Shia-majority south of the country, where the Western oil majors operate and dispense largesse among local chieftains of myriad clans and tribes.
Using the patronage network, the US successfully ousted former Prime Minister of Iraq Haider al-Abadi and appointed American stooge Mustafa al-Kadhimi in his stead in May. The purpose of destabilizing governments in Iran-allied countries obviously was to deter Iran from mounting subversive attacks in strategically important Persian Gulf.
Unlike Lebanon and Iraq, though, Iran itself is immune to foreign-backed political demonstrations as it does not have any imperialist collaborators on the ground, besides a fringe militant group Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK) funded by the US, France and Israel, though it did witness large-scale protests in November last year.
The proximate cause of the November 15 protests in Iran was steep rise in petrol prices by the Rouhani government, dubbed as “sabotage” by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The worst-hit region was Khuzestan province in southwest Iran which is home to large Arab minority known to have grievances against Tehran and susceptible to infiltration by imperialist stooges.
Finally, a word about the venerated commander of IRGC’s Quds Force General Qassem Soleimani who was assassinated in a US airstrike at Baghdad airport on January 3. Soleimani was the trusted lieutenant of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and the main liaison with Russia.
Not only did he instigate Russia to strike at Washington’s Achilles heel in Syria’s proxy war but he was also the main architect of the audacious September 14 attacks at Abqaiq petroleum facility and the Khurais oil field in the oil-rich Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.
Alongside deploying several thousand American troops and additional aircraft squadrons and Patriot missile batteries in Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of the Abqaiq attack, Washington also took out its most fearsome nemesis General Soleimani in January, and now it can freely stage subversive attacks in Iran and allied countries without the fear of reprisals.
It’s pertinent to note that Trump initially rejected [3] the Pentagon’s option to assassinate General Soleimani on December 28 due to the fear of full-scale confrontation with Iran, and authorized airstrikes on an Iran-backed militia group in Iraq instead.
But after the rocket attack at the US embassy in Baghdad by Iran-backed forces, Trump succumbed to pressure from the American deep state, led by the powerful national security bureaucracies of the Pentagon and the State Department, which had a score to settle with General Soleimani for giving the global power a bloody nose in Syria’s proxy war.
Footnotes:
[1] Long-Planned and Bigger Than Thought: Strike on Iran’s Nuclear Program:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/10/world/middleeast/iran-nuclear-trump.html
[2] US-backed parties have infiltrated Lebanon’s protests:
https://thegrayzone.com/2019/12/11/us-parties-lebanon-protests-pushing-country-war-roadblocks/
[3] Trump initially rejected the Pentagon’s option to assassinate General Soleimani:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/04/us/politics/trump-suleimani.html
About the author:
Nauman Sadiq is an Islamabad-based attorney, columnist and geopolitical analyst focused on the politics of Af-Pak and Middle East regions, neocolonialism and petro-imperialism.


veteranstoday--2020-08-23--Who shot Megan Thee Stallion in both feet?

The “ WAP ” and “ Savage ” rapper Megan Thee Stallion , real name Megan Jovon Ruth Pete , was shot in both legs in the Hollywood Hills last month after a night partying .
She said she had undergone surgery in order to remove the bullets .
Megan Thee Stallion got pulled over by the police on July 15 ; when she was then questioned , she declared that she had stumbled upon broken glass , and that was why she was hurt in the legs .
Megan was not alone in the car .
Rapper Tory Lanez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her .
Lanez was eventually arrested on gun charges following a search on an SUV , but it seemed that Megan Thee Stallion never told the full story .
This month , Megan came out and said that she lied about the whole thing .
The real person who shot her in both feet was none other than Tory Lanez , her partner in crime .
After an erupted argument occurred inside the SUV , Megan decided to get out and walk away .
As she was minutes away from the house she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a gun from the SUV and shot her in the feet .
It was around 4:30 in the morning .
“ Yes , this ( expletive ) Tory shot me , ” said Megan .
“ You shot me and you got your publicist and your people going to these blogs lying … stop lying .
Why lie ?
I don ’ t understand .
Even though he shot me , I tried to spare him .
He ’ s not in jail because I didn ’ t tell the ( police ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I should have .
… I didn ’ t have to spare nobody , but I did .
And I ’ m done.
” [ 1 ] Megan later declared : “ I was shot in both of my feet and I had to get surgery to get… the bullets taken out .
It was super scary .
It was just the worst experience of my life.
” [ 2 ] Wait a minute .
It was the scariest moment in your life , and you had to hide this crucial fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conceal the fact that the man who shot you in the feet was the person sitting next to you in the car ?
Once again , the entire social media and the oligarchs who are pushing for social conflicts in the United States are not using examples like this because it is black on black crime .
Apparently , it is perfectly legitimate .
But if Tory Lanez happened to be a cop , then all hell would have broken loose .
Look at what ’ s going on in Portland .
Why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and chant things like , “ Wake up !
Wake up , motherfuckers , wake up !
” at night ?
[ 3 ] Why would they go to residential places in Seattle and ask people to move out of their neighborhoods ?
Is that necessary ?
More recently , “ A mob of Portland Black Lives Matter protesters forced a white man to crash his truck , then punched and kicked him unconscious , disturbing footage shows.
” [ 4 ] Aren ’ t we amusing ourselves to death ?
Shouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
If they shouldn ’ t , then can we aptly call them gangsters , looters , and insurrectionists ?
• [ 1 ] Sara M Moniuszko and Cydney Henderson , ‘ Why lie ?
’ Megan Thee Stallion claims rapper Tory Lanez is the one who shot her in both feet , ” USA Today , August 19 , 2020 .
• [ 3 ] “ ‘ Wake up , motherf**ker !
’ WATCH Portland protesters seek ‘ support ’ for BLM cause with bullhorns & flashlights in residential area , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

The “WAP” and “Savage” rapper Megan Thee Stallion, real name Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, was shot in both legs in the Hollywood Hills last month after a night partying. She said she had undergone surgery in order to remove the bullets.
Megan Thee Stallion got pulled over by the police on July 15; when she was then questioned, she declared that she had stumbled upon broken glass, and that was why she was hurt in the legs.
Megan was not alone in the car. Rapper Tory Lanez, and another woman, were with her. Lanez was eventually arrested on gun charges following a search on an SUV, but it seemed that Megan Thee Stallion never told the full story.
This month, Megan came out and said that she lied about the whole thing. The real person who shot her in both feet was none other than Tory Lanez, her partner in crime. After an erupted argument occurred inside the SUV, Megan decided to get out and walk away.
As she was minutes away from the house she was staying in, Lanez apparently grabbed a gun from the SUV and shot her in the feet. It was around 4:30 in the morning. “Yes, this (expletive) Tory shot me,” said Megan. “You shot me and you got your publicist and your people going to these blogs lying … stop lying. Why lie? I don’t understand. Even though he shot me, I tried to spare him. He’s not in jail because I didn’t tell the (police) what happened as soon as it happened and I should have. … I didn’t have to spare nobody, but I did. And I’m done.”[1]
Megan later declared: “I was shot in both of my feet and I had to get surgery to get… the bullets taken out. It was super scary. It was just the worst experience of my life.”[2]
Wait a minute. It was the scariest moment in your life, and you had to hide this crucial fact from the police? You had to conceal the fact that the man who shot you in the feet was the person sitting next to you in the car?
Once again, the entire social media and the oligarchs who are pushing for social conflicts in the United States are not using examples like this because it is black on black crime. Apparently, it is perfectly legitimate. But if Tory Lanez happened to be a cop, then all hell would have broken loose. Look at what’s going on in Portland.
Why would BLM protesters roam around residential areas and chant things like, “Wake up! Wake up, motherfuckers, wake up!” at night?[3] Why would they go to residential places in Seattle and ask people to move out of their neighborhoods? Is that necessary?
More recently, “A mob of Portland Black Lives Matter protesters forced a white man to crash his truck, then punched and kicked him unconscious, disturbing footage shows.”[4]
Aren’t we amusing ourselves to death? Shouldn’t these people be ashamed of themselves? If they shouldn’t, then can we aptly call them gangsters, looters, and insurrectionists?


veteranstoday--2020-08-24--California Wildfires Have Claimed 500,000 Acres To Date

California Wildfires Have Been Fatal for Five Health Editor ’ s Note : VT has been watching the California wildfires and they continue to burn in the extreme heat wave that is engulfing California .
270,000 acres of California burned in 2019 with 2018 being the most destructive wildfire year with over 7,500 fires annihilating 1,670,000 acres .
COVID-19 is adding complexity to admittance to evacuation centers where people must be screened for COVID-19 .
Someone who has been exposed to smoke will of course be coughing and possibly short of breath which are two main symptoms of coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
……Carol ATTENTION READERS Due to the nature of independent content , VT can not guarantee content validity .
We ask you to Read Our Content Policy so a clear comprehension of VT 's independent non-censored media is understood and given its proper place in the world of news , opinion and media .
All content is owned by author exclusively .
Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT , other authors , affiliates , advertisers , sponsors , partners or technicians .
Some content may be satirical in nature .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ author and NOT VT. About VT - Read Full Policy Notice - Comment Policy Due to the nature of independent content , VT can not guarantee content validity.We ask you toso a clear comprehension of VT 's independent non-censored media is understood and given its proper place in the world of news , opinion and media.All content is owned by author exclusively .
Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT , other authors , affiliates , advertisers , sponsors , partners or technicians .
Some content may be satirical in nature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of author and NOT VT .

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


veteranstoday--2020-08-24--CT Scans Offer Pictures Into Ancient Egyptian Animal Mummies

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


veteranstoday--2020-08-24--Trump’s sister, the blackmail begins, an Intel Drop

In fifteen hours of recordings , which could and should be an entire encyclopedia , we learn what we knew , Donald is a very poor reader and really didn ’ t go to college .
Oh , we heard that a “ Joe Shapiro ” did Donald ’ s SAT .
Oh , fifteen hours and we learn he was a bad kid .
What do we really know ?
We know much more is there , pedophilia , bisexuality , endless payoffs starting as a young teen , from minor things to bizarre assaults and abuses .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back his best which didn ’ t go into the book .
We are told a full hour covers a new history of our first lady that could quite possibly challenge how we think of her among other things .
Why did the Post withhold that ?
Do remember that Khashoggi was a Post reported when he was cut to pieces after Kushner brought up his name to that infamous trollish Saudi prince .
What has really been done here is to open a new page in the Trump blackmail scheme .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate report , in the redacted section , that Trump had been videoed .
From the Guardian : “ …the Senate report offers the most compelling account yet of what went on inside the hotel .
It alleges that a suspected Russian intelligence officer is stationed permanently in the building and presides over a “ network ” of security cameras , some of them hidden inside guest rooms .
The officer ’ s agency is redacted , but is likely to be the FSB , the spy agency Vladimir Putin headed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says : “ The committee found that the Ritz Carlton in Moscow is a high counterintelligence risk environment .
The committee assesses that the hotel likely has at least one permanent Russian intelligence officer on staff , government surveillance of guests ’ rooms , and the regular presence of a large number of prostitutes , likely with at least the tacit approval of Russian authorities .
It adds : ‘ According to two former employees of the Ritz Carlton in Moscow , in 2013 there was at least one [ redacted ] officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-uniformed officer was believed to be a [ redacted ] and had access to the hotel ’ s property management system , guest portfolios and notations , as well as the network of ‘ hundreds ’ of security cameras at the hotel .
‘ The [ redacted ] was believed to be able to monitor the camera feeds from his office . '
” We have very very good reason to believe there are hours of Trump at the Ritz , where he was videoed with his pants down and his schlong in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the hotel and in the presence of Miss Universe contestants who were paid hundreds of thousands and then later threatened by Michael Cohen .
Key to Trump ’ s fetishes is keeping those around him very very hydrated .
There is no real fallout for Trump .
He is already being blackmailed by Russia and Israel .
Now we are simply adding more to the list who either have to keep him in office to protect their investment or milk as much as possible out of Trump while there is time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ these recordings , yes , that Jeff , the world ’ s richest man .
What is needed is for the public to be assured that everything recorded will be released , every single word of it .
From what we understand and have already seen , such as in Politico ’ s crapfest reporting , that much will be withheld as long as it has value .
This , however , represents a clear and present danger to national security .
This Washington Post was right on this story : In response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about how she knew the president paid someone to take the SATs , Mary Trump revealed that she had surreptitiously taped 15 hours of face-to-face conversations with Barry in 2018 and 2019 .
She provided The Post with previously unreleased transcripts and audio excerpts , which include exchanges that are not in her book .
… “ All he wants to do is appeal to his base , ” Barry said in a conversation secretly recorded by her niece , Mary L. Trump .
“ He has no principles .
None .
None @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her niece , “ It ’ s the phoniness of it all .
It ’ s the phoniness and this cruelty .
Donald is cruel.
” …Barry told how she tried to help her brother get into college .
“ He was a brat , ” Barry said , explaining that “ I did his homework for him ” and “ I drove him around New York City to try to get him into college.
” …Then Barry dropped what Mary considered a bombshell : “ He went to Fordham for one year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he got into University of Pennsylvania because he had somebody take the exams.
” …James Nolan , told The Post that Fred Jr. asked him to interview his brother for admission , which he did .
He was granted a place at the school , which Nolan said was “ not very difficult ” because more than half of applicants at the time were accepted , compared with last year ’ s 7.4 percent rate .

The Senior Editor
In fifteen hours of recordings, which could and should be an entire encyclopedia, we learn what we knew, Donald is a very poor reader and really didn’t go to college. Oh, we heard that a “Joe Shapiro” did Donald’s SAT.
Oh, fifteen hours and we learn he was a bad kid.
What do we really know? We know much more is there, pedophilia, bisexuality, endless payoffs starting as a young teen, from minor things to bizarre assaults and abuses.
We also learned that Michael Cohen is holding back his best which didn’t go into the book.
We are told a full hour covers a new history of our first lady that could quite possibly challenge how we think of her among other things. Why did the Post withhold that? Do remember that Khashoggi was a Post reported when he was cut to pieces after Kushner brought up his name to that infamous trollish Saudi prince.
What has really been done here is to open a new page in the Trump blackmail scheme. We found only a short time ago in the Senate report, in the redacted section, that Trump had been videoed. From the Guardian:
“…the Senate report offers the most compelling account yet of what went on inside the hotel. It alleges that a suspected Russian intelligence officer is stationed permanently in the building and presides over a “network” of security cameras, some of them hidden inside guest rooms. The officer’s agency is redacted, but is likely to be the FSB, the spy agency Vladimir Putin headed, in charge of counter-intelligence.
Trump in Moscow: what happened at Miss Universe in 2013
The report says: “The committee found that the Ritz Carlton in Moscow is a high counterintelligence risk environment. The committee assesses that the hotel likely has at least one permanent Russian intelligence officer on staff, government surveillance of guests’ rooms, and the regular presence of a large number of prostitutes, likely with at least the tacit approval of Russian authorities.
It adds: ‘According to two former employees of the Ritz Carlton in Moscow, in 2013 there was at least one [redacted] officer permanently stationed at the hotel. This non-uniformed officer was believed to be a [redacted] and had access to the hotel’s property management system, guest portfolios and notations, as well as the network of ‘hundreds’ of security cameras at the hotel.
‘The [redacted] was believed to be able to monitor the camera feeds from his office.'”
We have very very good reason to believe there are hours of Trump at the Ritz, where he was videoed with his pants down and his schlong in his tiny hands in two dozen parts of the hotel and in the presence of Miss Universe contestants who were paid hundreds of thousands and then later threatened by Michael Cohen.
Key to Trump’s fetishes is keeping those around him very very hydrated.
There is no real fallout for Trump. He is already being blackmailed by Russia and Israel. Now we are simply adding more to the list who either have to keep him in office to protect their investment or milk as much as possible out of Trump while there is time.
Jeff Bezos has the full transcript of these recordings, yes, that Jeff, the world’s richest man.
What is needed is for the public to be assured that everything recorded will be released, every single word of it. From what we understand and have already seen, such as in Politico’s crapfest reporting, that much will be withheld as long as it has value.
This, however, represents a clear and present danger to national security.
This Washington Post was also right on this story:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/maryanne-trump-barry-secret-recordings/2020/08/22/30d457f4-e334-11ea-ade1-28daf1a5e919_story.html
In response to a question from The Washington Post about how she knew the president paid someone to take the SATs, Mary Trump revealed that she had surreptitiously taped 15 hours of face-to-face conversations with Barry in 2018 and 2019. She provided The Post with previously unreleased transcripts and audio excerpts, which include exchanges that are not in her book.
…Excerpts
…“All he wants to do is appeal to his base,” Barry said in a conversation secretly recorded by her niece, Mary L. Trump. “He has no principles. None. None.
…At one point Barry said to her niece, “It’s the phoniness of it all. It’s the phoniness and this cruelty. Donald is cruel.”
…Barry told how she tried to help her brother get into college. “He was a brat,” Barry said, explaining that “I did his homework for him” and “I drove him around New York City to try to get him into college.”
…Then Barry dropped what Mary considered a bombshell: “He went to Fordham for one year [actually two years] and then he got into University of Pennsylvania because he had somebody take the exams.”


veteranstoday--2020-08-23--Tribes vow to fight US-backed SDF militants in northeastern Syria

[ Editor ’ s Note : Despite the organized assassinations of the NE Syrian tribal sheikhs by outside actors , the tribes are united in not being robbed of their land and resources .
The US continues to squander any legitimacy it might have pretended to have earlier at one point in the Syrian war .
Trump is fully onboard the proxy terror war , and to the disgrace of our own military , using our own forces to support it .
What has gone on for years in the Al Tanf seized area under UN control could easily be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the unfortunate souls there have no one to make their case for them while they struggle to stay alive , as their food aid is stolen from them by the jihadis so they can sell it back to them .
To date I have seen nothing to stop this on the US side .
The veteran community looks the other way , not wanting to have the military look bad , and pretend it is all ‘ above their pay grade ’ , the go to “ cop out ” in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moral heavy lifting .
I suspect that the US feels the Russians don ’ t want to stay there forever , and when they leave , the US and Israel will do whatever they want , with no restraint .
They are pretty much at that point now , with the recent IED attack where they killed a Russian general .
The Russians tend to respond to such attacks at a time and place of their choosing .
To not respond only invites more attacks .
We will be watching .
VT hopes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ezzor Syrians have their land back under their control and US proxy occupation SDF troops are gone .
This is actually required under the UN charter… Jim W. Dean ] Jim 's Editor ’ s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal Jim 's work includes research , field trips , Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more .
Thanks for helping .
Click to donate > > A number of Arab clans , tribes and national elites have voiced their support for popular resistance forces against US troops and their allies , accusing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other militant groups of stealing the country ’ s resources .
In a statement issued on Thursday , the elders and notable members of various tribes in the northwestern Syrian city of Aleppo pledged after a meeting to take action against the “ American occupiers ” and the US-backed mercenaries and Turkish-backed militants , and to liberate Syrian territories .
The participants stressed their resolve to extend moral and material assistance to the popular resistance until the full expulsion of foreign-backed militants and liberation of the Syrian soil .
They also hailed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces in Aleppo , Idlb and other areas over the past few months “ under the courageous leadership ” of President Bashar al-Assad .
Security conditions are reportedly deteriorating in the areas controlled by the SDF in Hasakah and Dayr al-Zawr provinces amid ongoing raids and kidnapping of civilians by the US-sponsored militants .
Locals argue that the SDF ’ s constant raids and arrest campaigns have generated a state of frustration and instability , severely affecting their businesses and livelihoods .
Residents accuse the US-backed militants of stealing crude oil and failing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Local councils affiliated with the SDF have also been accused of financial corruption .
They are said to be embezzling funds provided by donors , neglecting services and not meeting the people ’ s basic needs .
In recent months , the US has dispatched fresh military convoys to Syria ’ s northeastern province of Hasakah .
The presence of US forces in northern and eastern Syria has particularly irked civilians , and local residents have on several occasions stopped American military convoys trying to enter the regions .
Syria , which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military in its territory , says Washington is “ plundering ” the country ’ s oil .
In their Thursday statement , the Syrian tribes also called for resistance against Turkish-backed militants which are wreaking havoc across some parts of northeastern Syria .
The US support for the SDF has also infuriated Washington ’ s NATO ally , Turkey , which views militants from the Kurdish People ’ s Protection Units ( YPG ) – the backbone of the SDF – as a terrorist organization tied to the homegrown Kurdistan Workers ’ Party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a destructive war inside Turkey for decades .
The presence of US-supported YPG militants in northern and northeastern parts of Syria has prompted Turkey , for its part , to conduct a cross-border incursion into the Arab country to purportedly eliminate the Kurdish militants and occupy a long narrow border area in Syria ’ s north .
In recent months , several incidents of fierce clashes have broken out among Turkish-backed Takfiri militants in Hasakah province following dispute over the distribution of stolen objects and occupation of local people ’ s houses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011 .
The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups that are wreaking havoc in the country .

…by Press TV, Tehran
[ Editor’s Note: Despite the organized assassinations of the NE Syrian tribal sheikhs by outside actors, the tribes are united in not being robbed of their land and resources.
The US continues to squander any legitimacy it might have pretended to have earlier at one point in the Syrian war. Trump is fully onboard the proxy terror war, and to the disgrace of our own military, using our own forces to support it.
What has gone on for years in the Al Tanf seized area under UN control could easily be viewed as a crime against humanity, but the unfortunate souls there have no one to make their case for them while they struggle to stay alive, as their food aid is stolen from them by the jihadis so they can sell it back to them.
To date I have seen nothing to stop this on the US side. The veteran community looks the other way, not wanting to have the military look bad, and pretend it is all ‘above their pay grade’, the go to “cop out” in the military when anyone wants to avoid any moral heavy lifting.
I suspect that the US feels the Russians don’t want to stay there forever, and when they leave, the US and Israel will do whatever they want, with no restraint. They are pretty much at that point now, with the recent IED attack where they killed a Russian general. The Russians tend to respond to such attacks at a time and place of their choosing. To not respond only invites more attacks. We will be watching. VT hopes to see the day when the Deir Ezzor Syrians have their land back under their control and US proxy occupation SDF troops are gone. This is actually required under the UN charter… Jim W. Dean ] Jim's Editor’s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal
Jim's work includes research, field trips, Heritage TV Legacy archiving & more. Thanks for helping. Click to donate >> – First published …. August 20, 2020 – A number of Arab clans, tribes and national elites have voiced their support for popular resistance forces against US troops and their allies, accusing the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and other militant groups of stealing the country’s resources. In a statement issued on Thursday, the elders and notable members of various tribes in the northwestern Syrian city of Aleppo pledged after a meeting to take action against the “American occupiers” and the US-backed mercenaries and Turkish-backed militants, and to liberate Syrian territories. The participants stressed their resolve to extend moral and material assistance to the popular resistance until the full expulsion of foreign-backed militants and liberation of the Syrian soil. They also hailed consecutive victories achieved by the Syrian government forces in Aleppo, Idlb and other areas over the past few months “under the courageous leadership” of President Bashar al-Assad. Security conditions are reportedly deteriorating in the areas controlled by the SDF in Hasakah and Dayr al-Zawr provinces amid ongoing raids and kidnapping of civilians by the US-sponsored militants. Locals argue that the SDF’s constant raids and arrest campaigns have generated a state of frustration and instability, severely affecting their businesses and livelihoods. Residents accuse the US-backed militants of stealing crude oil and failing to spend money on service sectors. Local councils affiliated with the SDF have also been accused of financial corruption. They are said to be embezzling funds provided by donors, neglecting services and not meeting the people’s basic needs. In recent months, the US has dispatched fresh military convoys to Syria’s northeastern province of Hasakah. The presence of US forces in northern and eastern Syria has particularly irked civilians, and local residents have on several occasions stopped American military convoys trying to enter the regions. Syria, which has not authorized the presence of the US military in its territory, says Washington is “plundering” the country’s oil. In their Thursday statement, the Syrian tribes also called for resistance against Turkish-backed militants which are wreaking havoc across some parts of northeastern Syria. SDF militants kidnap Syrian civilians for forced recruitment: Report The White House has long been providing the SDF with arms and militants. The US support for the SDF has also infuriated Washington’s NATO ally, Turkey, which views militants from the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) – the backbone of the SDF – as a terrorist organization tied to the homegrown Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) that has been engaged in a destructive war inside Turkey for decades. The presence of US-supported YPG militants in northern and northeastern parts of Syria has prompted Turkey, for its part, to conduct a cross-border incursion into the Arab country to purportedly eliminate the Kurdish militants and occupy a long narrow border area in Syria’s north. In recent months, several incidents of fierce clashes have broken out among Turkish-backed Takfiri militants in Hasakah province following dispute over the distribution of stolen objects and occupation of local people’s houses. The Arab country has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups that are wreaking havoc in the country.
Jim W. Dean is VT Editor Emeritus. He was an active editor on VT from 2010-2022. He was involved in operations, development, and writing, plus an active schedule of TV and radio interviews. He now writes and posts periodically for VT. Read Full Complete Bio >>>
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