21stcenturywire--2020-02-11--Exclusive: The Philippines Are Choosing New Allies – Asia is Watching

Contemporary artist Macky Bongabong poses with his artwork featuring President Rodrigo Duterte at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City ( Credit : Office of the President ) Now what ?
President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines is outraged .
He wants an end to the U.S. military presence in his country .
He wants to curb all cooperation with the U.S. armed forces .
He hits hard , talks big .
And his people seem to be behind him , no matter what – his popularity rating is high and rising , now around 87 % , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asia , or in the world .
Under a colorful headline on February 7 , 2020 , ‘ End that son of a b*tch ’ : Duterte confirms US-Philippines military collaboration agreement is toast ’ , RT International reported : “ Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is “ terminating ” the Visiting Forces Agreement , which provides legal immunity to US military drills , in retaliation for the US canceling the visa of a political ally and fellow drug-warrior .
“ The president said he is terminating the VFA , ” Defense Secretary Delfin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I asked for clarification and he said he is not changing his decision.
” The agreement provides legal immunity for US soldiers conducting military exercises in the Philippines .
Enraged by the US decision to cancel the visa of former police chief and Senator Roland dela Rosa last month , Duterte had given Washington a month to fix its ‘ mistake , ’ refusing to back down even as other members of his government urged him to reconsider .
“ I ’ m warning you… if you won ’ t do the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the… Visiting Forces Agreement , ” Duterte said last month , daring the US to call his bluff.
” Some say , all this is nothing new .
The United States , the European Union , and even the United Nations keep attacking President Duterte .
He hits back , insults his geopolitical counterparts , regularly threatening to kick out the U.S. and its military forces .
He personally insults the leaders of Western countries , international organizations and even the Catholic Church which , in the Philippines , used to be untouchable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls China “ the kindest nation on earth ” , and he admires Russia and its President Vladimir Putin .
In Manila , the Russian leader is now a masculine idol .
President Duterte is a self-proclaimed socialist .
Critics say that many of his economic policies are still capitalist , even if his social policies are left-wing .
But he has done precisely what most of his fellow citizens wanted him to do : he introduced free medical care and free education all the way to university level ; something unthinkable in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How they used to live in Manila slums ( Image credit : Andre Vltchek © ) Poverty is still a major challenge , although Duterte ’ s social reforms have helped millions in recent years ( Image credit : Andre Vltchek © ) But his critics are not content .
“ Not enough has been done to improve the state of the nation , ” says the academia , as well as the NGOs .
But the poor love him , and so do the middle class .
For them , what he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than enough .
Nobody did more for them in the past .
Indeed , 87 % is an unprecedented level of support .
The majority of Filipinos do not just support him – they love him , unconditionally .
Western mainstream media trashes Duterte left and right .
Pro-Western NGOs are calling him a mass murderer , because of the war on drugs , which allegedly has taken thousands of lives .
“ But before Duterte was sworn in , millions were rotting alive in desperate slums and enormous crime-infested cemeteries .
Drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no Western NGOs were protesting.
” I listen to both sides of the story .
For three years , I have been all ears .
The criticism and attacks from the West , all this seems to matter not for Duterte – he simply moves forward like a tank .
And his long-suffering country is improving , year after year .
It is moving up , even according to the Human Development Index ( HDI , compiled by the UNDP ) .
“ I will kill you , you son of a bitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , blasting them all over , as if they were some sort of proof that the President of the Philippines is a mafia-style murderous maniac .
But I am told by many in his restive home base in the south in Davao City : “ No way .
This is how we speak on Mindanao Island .
President is Visaya – he says what comes to his mind .
Tagalog people are polite , but their actions are often brutal .
Talking dirty means nothing bad where Duterte comes from ” .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most important topic is how President Duterte is handling foreign policy .
All over Asia Pacific , the United States , desperate to keep its global hegemony , is antagonizing Beijing on all fronts .
It is pushing China from all directions .
The South China Sea is constantly in the spotlight , through the international courts ( often controlled by the Western countries and interests ) as well as through the Western mass media .
The dispute over the Spratly Islands has been poisoning the relationship between Beijing and Manila for decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , things changed , dramatically .
The rhetoric significantly softened , and both China and the Philippines clearly stated that they are willing to talk , negotiate and compromise .
To the great dismay of the West , any military conflict between two countries is now out of question .
This approach is having an enormous ( although grossly under-reported ) influence on the entire region ’ s policy towards China .
The country that is watching particularly closely is China ’ s historic rival , and a fellow Communist state – Vietnam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University of Philippines in Quezon City ( Image credit : Andre Vltchek © 2020 ) For quite some time , President Duterte expressed a desire to diversify his foreign policy , extending a hand towards both Moscow and Beijing .
In January 2020 , in an exclusive interview for the RT , he stated , rebelliously : “ I want to open new fronts with Russia and China as US lived off the fat of our land… America is not the Philippines and the Philippines is not America .
It ain ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to dovetail under American foreign policy… ” But then again , his statements and actions do not seem to be adequate for everybody .
Like in the West , many Marxist Filipino intellectuals are “ purists ” ; they demand utopian Western-style Marxist , or even Anarcho-syndicalist methods of ‘ governance ’ .
President Duterte is neither of the above .
He is a spontaneous , emotional leader .
He is pragmatic .
He often acts on the spur of the moment ; he makes good moves and he also makes blunders .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he corrects them ; he steps back , and tries again .
He is not a simple man ; he is tormented individual .
Sexually molested by a priest when he was a child , he holds a grudge against Christianity .
He grew up in a complex family .
His mother and father came from different political spectrums : a socialist and an official , a civil servant .
To the horror of some , he has a soft spot for the former dictator Marcos .
So do several members of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roland Simbulan ( image , above ) , a professor at the University of the Philippines ( UP ) and a good friend of mine , is even increasingly skeptical about the direction of the Duterte ’ s foreign policy .
He wrote for this essay : “ On several occasions , Pres .
Duterte has threatened to terminate either the Mutual Defense Treaty ( 1951 ) or the Visiting Forces Agreement ( 1999 ) with the United States .
It seems and this view is measured by his actions , that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to equip his repressive army and police forces to repress the Filipino people ’ s resistance .
Duterte is trying to soften U.S. government criticism of his violations of fundamental human rights of Filipinos , which is now the subject of investigation by the International Criminal Court , and the United Nations Council on Human Rights .
He is also courting Chinese and Russian military assistance to likewise get additional military assistance from them .
His coterie of more than 65 pro-U.S. ex- generals and military and police officers whom he has appointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do not indicate a shift in policy .
If he were really serious about having a “ balanced and independent foreign policy ” , he should have abrogated the Mutual Defense Treaty , the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement the moment he became president in 2016 , as he had promised during his presidential campaign .
He is now on the 4th year of his 6-year term , and he has not touched these agreements .
These agreements with the United States , have in fact , been strengthened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we know better that the rhetoric is really to get more U.S. military assistance.
” Not everyone agrees .
A daughter of one of the leaders of the Communist Party ( New People ’ s Army ) , Joan Andrea Toledo , an accomplished social media reporter , is a staunch supporter of the President .
We covered the battle of Marawi together , and this time we met again in the Cubao neighborhood of Manila , to discuss the current political situation in the Philippines : “ Duterte is surrounded by hawks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with China and the Communists .
Whenever he wants to solve the conflict , the military makes a noise .
Many in his government are from the previous administration .
I was a member of the peace panel in Norway .
The generals did not want peace with the Communists to succeed.
” It is the same when it comes to China .
In the Philippines , antagonizing China is a tremendously lucrative business .
As it is actually a great business all around Southeast Asia .
People from all walks of life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly from Western sources .
A former MP , Luzviminda Ilagan ( image , above ) , now Under-Secretary for Policy and Plans Legislative Liaison Affairs Department of Social Welfare and Development , used to serve in Duterte ’ s administration in Davao City : “ Two biggest enemies of Duterte are the members of the Democratic Party in the United States , as well as the Christian Democrats in Europe ” .
At home , many members of the elite , be they from the business sphere ( oligarchs ) , from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ siding with the foreign critics of the President .
Prof Batongbacal explaining the complicated maritime border issue between his country and neighboring China ( Image credit : Andre Vltchek © 2020 ) Professor Jay L. Batongbacal , Associate Dean for Research and Development Director , Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea , UP College of Law , appears to be vehemently against China ’ s maritime claims regarding the disputed islands , as well as against President Duterte , and any compromise that could be reached by Manila and Beijing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington that has been trying to dictate the foreign policy of the Philippines towards China .
He spoke to me on his campus about the situation : “ In the disputed area , the Philippines are interested in oil .
The U.S. is not ; at least not in this part of the world .
For China , it is not about natural resources , it is about defense.
” ‘ But what precisely is it for the United States ?
’ , he did not specify .
He added though , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration , are turning the Philippines into “ collateral ” for both the U.S. and China .
Professor Amparo Pamela “ Mimi ” Fabe ( Countering the Financing of Terrorism Specialist & Senior Economist ) offered a diametrically different view about Duterte ’ s approach towards the United States .
She does believe that the U.S. is meddling in the state affairs of her country : “ The recent threat of President Duterte to terminate joint military exercises is a permanent move away from the West .
It constitutes a move towards China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essential that China and Russia reciprocate this presidential move through stronger bilateral defense relations.
” Then she threw her punch : “ The academia is a noisy minority .
They are like that because most of them received their PhD scholarships from the US and the UK .
It is hard to reason with them because they already have closed minds .
President Duterte has an 87 percent public support rating so his stand on independent foreign policy is well appreciated by the majority.
” A HISTORY OF DEFIANCE : It wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the streets to protest U.S. military bases on their land .
Reminders of US military presence on these islands are everywhere ( Image credit : Andre Vltchek © 2020 ) When I speak to them , the Filipino people hardly see themselves as “ collateral ” though .
Lately , most of them are optimistic , happy that their lives are improving .
They are endlessly grateful to their Presidente .
Recently , I have visited Manila on several occasions , but I also worked in the conflict-torn Marawi , in Davao @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Zamboanga and many other corners of the country .
Everywhere I went , Mr. Duterte was enjoying unprecedented popularity .
And even his controversial war on drugs is , even according to Reuters , generating the support of almost 8 out of 10 citizens .
Moving closer to China and Russia does not evoke much resistance inside the country , with the exception of various academics and US-backed and trained high-ranking military staff .
Oligarchs and the elites are also generally loyal to the West .
One of many hundreds of disputed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Image credit : Andre Vltchek © 2020 ) In February 2020 I flew to Puerto Princesa , which is the nearest city to the disputed Spratly Islands .
Puerto Princesa International Airport shares a runway with the air force base , but I detected no military aircraft during my visit .
All was quiet .
No tension whatsoever .
I spoke to several local citizens , and not one of them expressed any concern about the proximity of China , or about China ’ s foreign policy towards the Philippines .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never have any real problems with it .
I don ’ t know much about the Spratly issue , but here we don ’ t worry about it at all.
” Norman , who works at the SM mall : “ I have no issue with China .
Russians do not come here , so I wouldn ’ t know .
America has joint military exercises with us for a long time .
There have been a lot of them here at Puerto Princesa , for some period of time.
” No urgency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nothing that you would imagine , reading Western newspapers .
Marawi City was ground zero in Philippines fight against jiadhism ( Image credit : Andre Vltchek © 2017 ) More than two years ago , while covering the Muslim extremist insurgency in the city of Marawi ( Mindanao Island ) , I was arrested by the military and literally disappeared inside the barracks .
I was able to explain the situation , over the mobile phone , to my friends in Manila , who alerted the highest command there .
Orders came from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But there was a mutiny .
Local officers disobeyed , and I had to stay inside the compound until late-night hours .
At some point , a jeep and an armored vehicle were dispatched , in order to drive me more than 100 kilometers to my hotel in Cagayan de Oro .
Later on , it was explained to me what really happened : while the pro-Duterte generals were happy to have me on the ground in the war zone , several pro-U.S. commanders were trying to make sure that non-Western and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of the place .
For many reasons .
One of them : Marawi was full of ‘ Western allies ’ – extremist groups from other Southeast Asian countries , and other jihadi cadres , including , some said to me there , Uyghurs .
Military patrol in Zamboanga : on which side are they ?
( Image credit : Andre Vltchek © 2017 ) The author with General Rey and his team in Marawi ( Image credit : Andre Vltchek © 2017 ) The next day , the pro-Duterte men asked me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to the front .
I was one of the few foreigners allowed to the frontline .
A small incident ?
Perhaps .
But it clearly illustrates how complex , how divided the situation is , even within the country ’ s armed forces .
Indeed , the division extends even beyond places like Marawi , Zamboanga , Sulu and the other restive areas of the South .
The most divisive issue is that of China , and whether Rodrigo Duterte , the most popular President in the history of the Philippines , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ odds , fully change the foreign policy of his country .
He wants to .
I am convinced that he does .
I know enough people around him to make this statement .
But the inertia is tremendous .
The forces that are trying to prevent him from going with China and Russia are powerful .
These forces have been controlling this country for decades , even centuries .
But the President is not scared .
Physically he is not well .
Sometimes he is not even sure he can survive until the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He wants to change his country , while he is still alive .
He has already called Barrack Obama a son-of-a-bitch .
He even described the Christian God as “ stupid ” and a “ son of a bitch ” .
And now , he ’ s rejecting the military pact with the United States .
Today , Duterte ’ s government sent a formal notice to the US embassy in Manila , terminating its Visiting Forces Agreement ( VFA ) with Washington .
The world is watching .
Asia is watching .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And almost nobody from abroad dares to support him publicly .
The Western Empire is brutal and vindictive .
It kills .
Duterte does not care .
When he charges , he does it “ in the name of his people ” .
He has the overwhelming approval of the nation , with over 100 million inhabitants covering his back .
That ’ s a lot .
And no matter what the foreign analysts say , that ’ s actually damn truly a lot !
*** Andre Vltchek is a philosopher , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He has covered wars and conflicts in dozens of countries .
Five of his latest books are “ China Belt and Road Initiative : Connecting Countries , Saving Millions of Lives ” , “ China and Ecological Cavillation ” with John B. Cobb , Jr. , Revolutionary Optimism , Western Nihilism the revolutionary novel “ Aurora ” and the bestselling work of political non-fiction : “ Exposing Lies Of The Empire ” .
View his other books here .
Watch Rwanda Gambit , his groundbreaking documentary about Rwanda and DRCongo and his film/dialogue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
Vltchek presently resides in East Asia and the Middle East , and continues to work around the world .
He can be reached through his website and his Twitter .
His Patreon .

By
Contemporary artist Macky Bongabong poses with his artwork featuring President Rodrigo Duterte at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City (Credit: Office of the President)
Andre Vltchek
21st Century Wire
Now what? President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines is outraged. He wants an end to the U.S. military presence in his country. He wants to curb all cooperation with the U.S. armed forces. He hits hard, talks big. And his people seem to be behind him, no matter what – his popularity rating is high and rising, now around 87%, which is something unimaginable anywhere else in Southeast Asia, or in the world.
Under a colorful headline on February 7, 2020, ‘End that son of a b*tch’: Duterte confirms US-Philippines military collaboration agreement is toast’, RT International reported:
“Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is “terminating” the Visiting Forces Agreement, which provides legal immunity to US military drills, in retaliation for the US canceling the visa of a political ally and fellow drug-warrior.
“The president said he is terminating the VFA,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told ABS-CBN News on Friday. “I asked for clarification and he said he is not changing his decision.” The agreement provides legal immunity for US soldiers conducting military exercises in the Philippines.
Enraged by the US decision to cancel the visa of former police chief and Senator Roland dela Rosa last month, Duterte had given Washington a month to fix its ‘mistake,’ refusing to back down even as other members of his government urged him to reconsider.
“I’m warning you… if you won’t do the correction on this, I will terminate the… Visiting Forces Agreement,” Duterte said last month, daring the US to call his bluff.”
Some say, all this is nothing new. The United States, the European Union, and even the United Nations keep attacking President Duterte. He hits back, insults his geopolitical counterparts, regularly threatening to kick out the U.S. and its military forces. He personally insults the leaders of Western countries, international organizations and even the Catholic Church which, in the Philippines, used to be untouchable.
Making Western leaders desperate, he calls China “the kindest nation on earth”, and he admires Russia and its President Vladimir Putin. In Manila, the Russian leader is now a masculine idol.
President Duterte is a self-proclaimed socialist. Critics say that many of his economic policies are still capitalist, even if his social policies are left-wing. But he has done precisely what most of his fellow citizens wanted him to do: he introduced free medical care and free education all the way to university level; something unthinkable in most of the Southeast Asian countries.
How they used to live in Manila slums (Image credit: Andre Vltchek ©)
Poverty is still a major challenge, although Duterte’s social reforms have helped millions in recent years (Image credit: Andre Vltchek ©)
But his critics are not content. “Not enough has been done to improve the state of the nation,” says the academia, as well as the NGOs. But the poor love him, and so do the middle class. For them, what he has done is enough – much more than enough. Nobody did more for them in the past. Indeed, 87% is an unprecedented level of support. The majority of Filipinos do not just support him – they love him, unconditionally.
Western mainstream media trashes Duterte left and right. Pro-Western NGOs are calling him a mass murderer, because of the war on drugs, which allegedly has taken thousands of lives.
His supporters reply:
“But before Duterte was sworn in, millions were rotting alive in desperate slums and enormous crime-infested cemeteries. Drug lords were murdering innocent people, and no Western NGOs were protesting.”
I listen to both sides of the story. For three years, I have been all ears.
The criticism and attacks from the West, all this seems to matter not for Duterte – he simply moves forward like a tank. And his long-suffering country is improving, year after year. It is moving up, even according to the Human Development Index (HDI, compiled by the UNDP).
“I will kill you, you son of a bitch!”
Western media loves such statements, blasting them all over, as if they were some sort of proof that the President of the Philippines is a mafia-style murderous maniac.
But I am told by many in his restive home base in the south in Davao City:
“No way. This is how we speak on Mindanao Island. President is Visaya – he says what comes to his mind. Tagalog people are polite, but their actions are often brutal. Talking dirty means nothing bad where Duterte comes from”.
But for the Southeast Asian region, the most important topic is how President Duterte is handling foreign policy.
All over Asia Pacific, the United States, desperate to keep its global hegemony, is antagonizing Beijing on all fronts. It is pushing China from all directions. The South China Sea is constantly in the spotlight, through the international courts (often controlled by the Western countries and interests) as well as through the Western mass media. The dispute over the Spratly Islands has been poisoning the relationship between Beijing and Manila for decades.
However, after Duterte became president, things changed, dramatically. The rhetoric significantly softened, and both China and the Philippines clearly stated that they are willing to talk, negotiate and compromise. To the great dismay of the West, any military conflict between two countries is now out of question.
This approach is having an enormous (although grossly under-reported) influence on the entire region’s policy towards China. The country that is watching particularly closely is China’s historic rival, and a fellow Communist state – Vietnam.
Concert for communist bard concert at University of Philippines in Quezon City (Image credit: Andre Vltchek © 2020)
For quite some time, President Duterte expressed a desire to diversify his foreign policy, extending a hand towards both Moscow and Beijing.
In January 2020, in an exclusive interview for the RT, he stated, rebelliously:
“I want to open new fronts with Russia and China as US lived off the fat of our land… America is not the Philippines and the Philippines is not America. It ain’t that way anymore, and I refuse to dovetail under American foreign policy…”
But then again, his statements and actions do not seem to be adequate for everybody. Like in the West, many Marxist Filipino intellectuals are “purists”; they demand utopian Western-style Marxist, or even Anarcho-syndicalist methods of ‘governance’.
President Duterte is neither of the above. He is a spontaneous, emotional leader. He is pragmatic. He often acts on the spur of the moment; he makes good moves and he also makes blunders. Sometimes, after he makes mistakes, he corrects them; he steps back, and tries again.
He is not a simple man; he is tormented individual. Sexually molested by a priest when he was a child, he holds a grudge against Christianity. He grew up in a complex family. His mother and father came from different political spectrums: a socialist and an official, a civil servant.
To the horror of some, he has a soft spot for the former dictator Marcos. So do several members of his family.
(Image credit: Andre Vltchek © 2020)
The legendary left-wing academic, Roland Simbulan (image, above), a professor at the University of the Philippines (UP) and a good friend of mine, is even increasingly skeptical about the direction of the Duterte’s foreign policy. He wrote for this essay:
“On several occasions, Pres. Duterte has threatened to terminate either the Mutual Defense Treaty (1951) or the Visiting Forces Agreement (1999) with the United States. It seems and this view is measured by his actions, that he is just after more U.S. military assistance to equip his repressive army and police forces to repress the Filipino people’s resistance. Duterte is trying to soften U.S. government criticism of his violations of fundamental human rights of Filipinos, which is now the subject of investigation by the International Criminal Court, and the United Nations Council on Human Rights. He is also courting Chinese and Russian military assistance to likewise get additional military assistance from them. His coterie of more than 65 pro-U.S. ex- generals and military and police officers whom he has appointed to key positions in the civil government do not indicate a shift in policy. If he were really serious about having a “balanced and independent foreign policy”, he should have abrogated the Mutual Defense Treaty, the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement the moment he became president in 2016, as he had promised during his presidential campaign. He is now on the 4th year of his 6-year term, and he has not touched these agreements. These agreements with the United States, have in fact, been strengthened, despite all the rhetoric. Now we know better that the rhetoric is really to get more U.S. military assistance.”
Not everyone agrees. A daughter of one of the leaders of the Communist Party (New People’s Army), Joan Andrea Toledo, an accomplished social media reporter, is a staunch supporter of the President. We covered the battle of Marawi together, and this time we met again in the Cubao neighborhood of Manila, to discuss the current political situation in the Philippines:
“Duterte is surrounded by hawks, who want to have a conflict with China and the Communists. Whenever he wants to solve the conflict, the military makes a noise. Many in his government are from the previous administration. I was a member of the peace panel in Norway. The generals did not want peace with the Communists to succeed.”
It is the same when it comes to China.
In the Philippines, antagonizing China is a tremendously lucrative business. As it is actually a great business all around Southeast Asia. People from all walks of life are paid royally for attacking Beijing, particularly from Western sources.
(Image credit: Andre Vltchek © 2020)
A former MP, Luzviminda Ilagan (image, above), now Under-Secretary for Policy and Plans Legislative Liaison Affairs Department of Social Welfare and Development, used to serve in Duterte’s administration in Davao City:
“Two biggest enemies of Duterte are the members of the Democratic Party in the United States, as well as the Christian Democrats in Europe”.
At home, many members of the elite, be they from the business sphere (oligarchs), from the military or academia, are now siding with the foreign critics of the President.
Prof Batongbacal explaining the complicated maritime border issue between his country and neighboring China (Image credit: Andre Vltchek © 2020)
Professor Jay L. Batongbacal, Associate Dean for Research and Development Director, Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, UP College of Law, appears to be vehemently against China’s maritime claims regarding the disputed islands, as well as against President Duterte, and any compromise that could be reached by Manila and Beijing. He rejects accusations that it is Washington that has been trying to dictate the foreign policy of the Philippines towards China. He spoke to me on his campus about the situation:
“In the disputed area, the Philippines are interested in oil. The U.S. is not; at least not in this part of the world. For China, it is not about natural resources, it is about defense.”
‘But what precisely is it for the United States?’, he did not specify.
He added though, that the compromises with China made by this administration, are turning the Philippines into “collateral” for both the U.S. and China.
Joan Andrea Toledo and Prof. Amparo Pamela “Mimi” Fabe (Image credit: Andre Vltchek © 2020)
Professor Amparo Pamela “Mimi” Fabe (Countering the Financing of Terrorism Specialist & Senior Economist) offered a diametrically different view about Duterte’s approach towards the United States. She does believe that the U.S. is meddling in the state affairs of her country:
“The recent threat of President Duterte to terminate joint military exercises is a permanent move away from the West. It constitutes a move towards China and Russia. Hence, it is essential that China and Russia reciprocate this presidential move through stronger bilateral defense relations.”
Then she threw her punch:
“The academia is a noisy minority. They are like that because most of them received their PhD scholarships from the US and the UK. It is hard to reason with them because they already have closed minds.
President Duterte has an 87 percent public support rating so his stand on independent foreign policy is well appreciated by the majority.”
A HISTORY OF DEFIANCE: It wasn’t that long ago that Filipinos took to the streets to protest U.S. military bases on their land.
Reminders of US military presence on these islands are everywhere (Image credit: Andre Vltchek © 2020)
When I speak to them, the Filipino people hardly see themselves as “collateral” though. Lately, most of them are optimistic, happy that their lives are improving. They are endlessly grateful to their Presidente.
Recently, I have visited Manila on several occasions, but I also worked in the conflict-torn Marawi, in Davao City, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Zamboanga and many other corners of the country. Everywhere I went, Mr. Duterte was enjoying unprecedented popularity. And even his controversial war on drugs is, even according to Reuters, generating the support of almost 8 out of 10 citizens.
Moving closer to China and Russia does not evoke much resistance inside the country, with the exception of various academics and US-backed and trained high-ranking military staff. Oligarchs and the elites are also generally loyal to the West.
One of many hundreds of disputed islands located in the South China Sea (Image credit: Andre Vltchek © 2020)
In February 2020 I flew to Puerto Princesa, which is the nearest city to the disputed Spratly Islands. Puerto Princesa International Airport shares a runway with the air force base, but I detected no military aircraft during my visit. All was quiet. No tension whatsoever.
I spoke to several local citizens, and not one of them expressed any concern about the proximity of China, or about China’s foreign policy towards the Philippines.
Allison, a local student, explained:
“China is a good country. We never have any real problems with it. I don’t know much about the Spratly issue, but here we don’t worry about it at all.”
Norman, who works at the SM mall:
“I have no issue with China. Russians do not come here, so I wouldn’t know. America has joint military exercises with us for a long time. There have been a lot of them here at Puerto Princesa, for some period of time.”
No urgency, obviously. No chest-beating patriotism. Nothing that you would imagine, reading Western newspapers.
Marawi City was ground zero in Philippines fight against jiadhism (Image credit: Andre Vltchek © 2017)
The Battle for Marawi
More than two years ago, while covering the Muslim extremist insurgency in the city of Marawi (Mindanao Island), I was arrested by the military and literally disappeared inside the barracks.
I was able to explain the situation, over the mobile phone, to my friends in Manila, who alerted the highest command there. Orders came from top generals: to release me immediately. But there was a mutiny. Local officers disobeyed, and I had to stay inside the compound until late-night hours. At some point, a jeep and an armored vehicle were dispatched, in order to drive me more than 100 kilometers to my hotel in Cagayan de Oro.
Later on, it was explained to me what really happened: while the pro-Duterte generals were happy to have me on the ground in the war zone, several pro-U.S. commanders were trying to make sure that non-Western and especially Russian reporters were to be kept out of the place. For many reasons. One of them: Marawi was full of ‘Western allies’ – extremist groups from other Southeast Asian countries, and other jihadi cadres, including, some said to me there, Uyghurs.
Military patrol in Zamboanga: on which side are they? (Image credit: Andre Vltchek © 2017)
The author with General Rey and his team in Marawi (Image credit: Andre Vltchek © 2017)
The next day, the pro-Duterte men asked me to return, and personally drove me back to the front. I was one of the few foreigners allowed to the frontline.
A small incident? Perhaps. But it clearly illustrates how complex, how divided the situation is, even within the country’s armed forces.
Indeed, the division extends even beyond places like Marawi, Zamboanga, Sulu and the other restive areas of the South.
Breaking Free of the Past
The most divisive issue is that of China, and whether Rodrigo Duterte, the most popular President in the history of the Philippines, will be able to, against all odds, fully change the foreign policy of his country.
He wants to. I am convinced that he does. I know enough people around him to make this statement.
But the inertia is tremendous. The forces that are trying to prevent him from going with China and Russia are powerful. These forces have been controlling this country for decades, even centuries.
But the President is not scared. Physically he is not well. Sometimes he is not even sure he can survive until the end of his term in power. He wants to change his country, while he is still alive.
He has already called Barrack Obama a son-of-a-bitch. He even described the Christian God as “stupid” and a “son of a bitch”. And now, he’s rejecting the military pact with the United States.
Today, Duterte’s government sent a formal notice to the US embassy in Manila, terminating its Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with Washington.
The world is watching. Asia is watching. Secretly, people want him to succeed. And almost nobody from abroad dares to support him publicly.
The Western Empire is brutal and vindictive. It kills. Duterte does not care. When he charges, he does it “in the name of his people”. He has the overwhelming approval of the nation, with over 100 million inhabitants covering his back. That’s a lot. And no matter what the foreign analysts say, that’s actually damn truly a lot!
***
Andre Vltchek is a philosopher, novelist, filmmaker and investigative journalist. He has covered wars and conflicts in dozens of countries. Five of his latest books are “China Belt and Road Initiative: Connecting Countries, Saving Millions of Lives”, “China and Ecological Cavillation” with John B. Cobb, Jr., Revolutionary Optimism, Western Nihilism , the revolutionary novel “Aurora” and the bestselling work of political non-fiction: “Exposing Lies Of The Empire”. View his other books here. Watch Rwanda Gambit, his groundbreaking documentary about Rwanda and DRCongo and his film/dialogue with Noam Chomsky “On Western Terrorism”. Vltchek presently resides in East Asia and the Middle East, and continues to work around the world. He can be reached through his website and his Twitter. His Patreon.
READ MORE PHILIPPINES NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Phlippines Files
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21stcenturywire--2020-02-11--Pentagon Admit: Now 109 US Troops Suffered ‘Brain Injuries’ in Iran Missile Strike

Media outlets visit one of the many impact sites created by the recent missile attacks at Al Asad Air Base , Iraq , Jan. 13 , 2020 .
( U.S. Army/Spc .
Derek Mustard/Source : Military.com ) According to new reports , it is said that over 100 U.S. service persons have been diagnosed with “ traumatic brain injuries ” following the January 8 Iranian missile strike on the U.S. al-Assad military base in Anbar province Iraq .
On Monday the Pentagon released a statement confirming that 109 U.S. military personnel have been diagnosed with head injuries – a sharp @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that some 64 service members had been suffered injuries .
Officials says that nearly 70 % of the injured have already returned to duty .
However , analysts remain confused by the inconsistency of U.S. claims surrounding its recent series of exchanges with Iran in this important historical chain of events .
Why it matters : The development , first reported by Reuters , is a significant jump from the 50 cases the Pentagon disclosed in late January — and more than triple the number disclosed in the immediate aftermath of the strike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always detected immediately , per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
• Pentagon spokesperson Thomas Campbell indicated in January that the numbers could increase .
• Of the 109 troops diagnosed , 76 service members have returned to duty .
Yes , but : President Trump said that the injuries suffered by soldiers in the attack , which was a response to a U.S. strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani , weren ’ t very serious — and brushed them off as “ headaches.
” • That comment prompted the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s largest veterans group , to ask Trump to apologize for minimizing the injuries .
It ’ s also important to note that initial Iranian media reports stated that the Iranian strike had killed over 80 U.S. troops in the attack .
“ An informed source at the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said over 80 American troops were killed and some 200 wounded in the IRGC ’ s missile strikes on the US airbase of Ain al-Assad in Anbar province in western Iraq , ” said Mehr News at the time – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was at least partially true .
At the time , the Trump administration had responded that ‘ all was well ’ and that there were “ no U.S. casualties ” – a claim which we now know to be patently false .
Considering the inconsistency in statements coming from Washington and this latest admission of 109 U.S. casualties , it should really call into question any and all U.S. claims about these incidents .
Other False Claims by U.S .
This latest news also comes on the heels of the recent revelation that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ militia ” Katieb Hezbollah ( in reality , this would ’ ve been an Iraqi military PMU unit ) that had fired a rocket into the “ K1 ” joint-base near Kirkuk on Dec. 27 , 2019 , allegedly on the orders of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani , was also false .
U.S. had claimed that this alleged “ Iranian attack ” had claimed the life of a then unnamed US defense contractor .
Much later , he was revealed as Narwas Hamid , an Iraqi-born Muslim translator and recently naturalized US citizen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rocket in question ?
More likely , according to Iraqi military officials , this rogue rocket attack was the work of an ISIS cell which was widely reported to have been operating in the area .
This is an important detail , not least of all because this initial claim by Washington provided the pretext for the U.S. aggression which followed , bringing the US , Iran and the region dangerously close to a wider war .
Before this , it was also admitted by U.S. officials that there was no specific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organized Iraqi protests against the US Embassy in Baghdad ’ s Green Zone on January 31 , 2019 , or that he was plotting “ imminent attacks ” on U.S. facilities in the region .
This alleged ‘ intelligence ’ was the supposed justification for the Trump Administration ’ s double assassination of Soleimani and Iraqi military leader Abu Mahdi al Mouhendis on January 3 , 2020 , an act of aggression which prompted the Iraqi Parliament to demand U.S troops leave their country but which the U.S. has so far failed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not been able to back-up any of their claims .
FactCheck.org summarizes Washington ’ s failures on this issue : Initially , Trump administration officials said Soleimani was planning an “ imminent attack ” against U.S. service members and diplomats without providing any evidence or offering any details .
“ We don ’ t know precisely when and we don ’ t know precisely where — but it was real , ” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a Jan. 9 interview .
Over the course of two days , Jan. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ escalated the imminent threats posed by Soleimani with new details — but no evidence — that even members of Congress were not given in their classified briefings .
On Jan. 9 , Trump told reporters Soleimani was threatening to “ blow up ” the U.S. embassy in Baghdad , and later told his supporters at a political rally that Soleimani “ was looking very seriously at our embassies and not just the embassy in Baghdad.
” A day later , Trump told Fox News , “ I can reveal that I believe it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in the Fox News interview , Trump hedged his revelations with the words “ I believe ” and “ I think.
” He went on in that interview to say , “ I think it would have been four embassy , could have been military bases , could have been a lot of other things too.
” Two days later , Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he “ didn ’ t see ” any intelligence that indicated the Iranians would attack four embassies .
He also said the president was merely expressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been attacks against additional embassies.
” Trump responded on Twitter by saying it “ doesn ’ t really matter ” if a “ future attack by terrorist Soleimani was ‘ imminent ’ or not ” because of Soleimani ’ s “ horrible past , ” which the U.S. has said includes “ the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members ” during the Iraq war .
Again , Trump administration officials have been unable confirm any of President or Cabinet officials ’ assertions or claims regarding Soleimani and Iran , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interpretation of the threat ’ was somehow consistent with their “ strong intelligence assessment ” , thus justifying U.S. aggression against both Iran and Iraq .
No doubt , this story will continue to unravel .

Media outlets visit one of the many impact sites created by the recent missile attacks at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Jan. 13, 2020. (U.S. Army/Spc. Derek Mustard/Source: Military.com)
According to new reports, it is said that over 100 U.S. service persons have been diagnosed with “traumatic brain injuries” following the January 8 Iranian missile strike on the U.S. al-Assad military base in Anbar province Iraq.
On Monday the Pentagon released a statement confirming that 109 U.S. military personnel have been diagnosed with head injuries – a sharp increase from the previous admission which said that some 64 service members had been suffered injuries.
Officials says that nearly 70% of the injured have already returned to duty.
However, analysts remain confused by the inconsistency of U.S. claims surrounding its recent series of exchanges with Iran in this important historical chain of events.
Axios reports…
Why it matters: The development, first reported by Reuters, is a significant jump from the 50 cases the Pentagon disclosed in late January — and more than triple the number disclosed in the immediate aftermath of the strike.
Traumatic brain injuries are not always detected immediately, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Pentagon spokesperson Thomas Campbell indicated in January that the numbers could increase.
Of the 109 troops diagnosed, 76 service members have returned to duty.
Yes, but: President Trump said that the injuries suffered by soldiers in the attack, which was a response to a U.S. strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, weren’t very serious — and brushed them off as “headaches.”
That comment prompted the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the nation’s largest veterans group, to ask Trump to apologize for minimizing the injuries.
What they’re saying:
“The Defense Department is steadfast in its efforts to deliver programs and services intended to lead to the best possible outcomes for our service members. We are grateful to the efforts of our medical professionals who have worked diligently to ensure the appropriate level of care for our service members, which has enabled nearly 70 percent of those diagnosed to return to duty. We must continue to address physical and mental health together.” — Pentagon press secretary Alyssa Farah
***
It’s also important to note that initial Iranian media reports stated that the Iranian strike had killed over 80 U.S. troops in the attack.
“An informed source at the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said over 80 American troops were killed and some 200 wounded in the IRGC’s missile strikes on the US airbase of Ain al-Assad in Anbar province in western Iraq,” said Mehr News at the time – a claim which we can now see was at least partially true.
At the time, the Trump administration had responded that ‘all was well’ and that there were “no U.S. casualties” – a claim which we now know to be patently false.
Considering the inconsistency in statements coming from Washington and this latest admission of 109 U.S. casualties, it should really call into question any and all U.S. claims about these incidents.
Other False Claims by U.S.
This latest news also comes on the heels of the recent revelation that U.S. claims of a supposed “Iranian militia” Katieb Hezbollah (in reality, this would’ve been an Iraqi military PMU unit) that had fired a rocket into the “K1” joint-base near Kirkuk on Dec. 27, 2019, allegedly on the orders of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, was also false. U.S. had claimed that this alleged “Iranian attack” had claimed the life of a then unnamed US defense contractor. Much later, he was revealed as Narwas Hamid, an Iraqi-born Muslim translator and recently naturalized US citizen. So did a PMU faction fire the rocket in question? More likely, according to Iraqi military officials, this rogue rocket attack was the work of an ISIS cell which was widely reported to have been operating in the area. This is an important detail, not least of all because this initial claim by Washington provided the pretext for the U.S. aggression which followed, bringing the US, Iran and the region dangerously close to a wider war.
Before this, it was also admitted by U.S. officials that there was no specific intelligence that Iranian General Qasem Soleimani had organized Iraqi protests against the US Embassy in Baghdad’s Green Zone on January 31, 2019, or that he was plotting “imminent attacks” on U.S. facilities in the region. This alleged ‘intelligence’ was the supposed justification for the Trump Administration’s double assassination of Soleimani and Iraqi military leader Abu Mahdi al Mouhendis on January 3, 2020, an act of aggression which prompted the Iraqi Parliament to demand U.S troops leave their country but which the U.S. has so far failed to comply.
Thus far, the U.S. has not been able to back-up any of their claims. FactCheck.org summarizes Washington’s failures on this issue:
Initially, Trump administration officials said Soleimani was planning an “imminent attack” against U.S. service members and diplomats without providing any evidence or offering any details. “We don’t know precisely when and we don’t know precisely where — but it was real,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a Jan. 9 interview. Over the course of two days, Jan. 9 and Jan. 10, the president escalated the imminent threats posed by Soleimani with new details — but no evidence — that even members of Congress were not given in their classified briefings. On Jan. 9, Trump told reporters Soleimani was threatening to “blow up” the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, and later told his supporters at a political rally that Soleimani “was looking very seriously at our embassies and not just the embassy in Baghdad.” A day later, Trump told Fox News, “I can reveal that I believe it would have been four embassies.” But, in the Fox News interview, Trump hedged his revelations with the words “I believe” and “I think.” He went on in that interview to say, “I think it would have been four embassy, could have been military bases, could have been a lot of other things too.” Two days later, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he “didn’t see” any intelligence that indicated the Iranians would attack four embassies. He also said the president was merely expressing his belief that there “could have been attacks against additional embassies.” Trump responded on Twitter by saying it “doesn’t really matter” if a “future attack by terrorist Soleimani was ‘imminent’ or not” because of Soleimani’s “horrible past,” which the U.S. has said includes “the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members” during the Iraq war.
Again, Trump administration officials have been unable confirm any of President or Cabinet officials’ assertions or claims regarding Soleimani and Iran, while simultaneous claiming that Trump’s ‘interpretation of the threat’ was somehow consistent with their “strong intelligence assessment”, thus justifying U.S. aggression against both Iran and Iraq.
No doubt, this story will continue to unravel.
READ MORE IRAN NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Iran Files
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21stcenturywire--2020-02-11--Giuliani Presents Evidence of the Bidens’ Bribery and Corruption in Ukraine

Following the US Senate ’ s acquittal of impeachment charges against President Trump , the path is now open to @ @ @ @ @ between the Obama administration and Ukraine – a scandal which reaches all the way to @ @ @ @ @ Vice President .
According to White House attorney Rudy Giuliani , “ Biden should ’ @ @ @ @ @ bribery.
” This week , Giuliani unveiled damning evidence on national television demonstrating how large @ @ @ @ @ hands , and often to the benefit of the Biden family .
The sheer scale @ @ @ @ @ maybe the Democratic Party mounted their Presidential impeachment proceedings partly to deflect investigators and the @ @ @ @ @ READ MORE AT : Hunting for Hunter : Evidence Reveals Biden , Burisma Ukraine Bond @ @ @ @ @ Firm Here Rudy Giuliani joins Sunday Morning Futures to discuss the Bidens ’ corrupt activities @ @ @ @ @

By
Following the US Senate’s acquittal of impeachment charges against President Trump, the path is now open to explore very real underlying corruption between the Obama administration and Ukraine – a scandal which reaches all the way to the office of United States Vice President.
According to White House attorney Rudy Giuliani, “Biden should’ve been prosecuted already for bribery.”
This week, Giuliani unveiled damning evidence on national television demonstrating how large sums of illicit money changed hands, and often to the benefit of the Biden family.
The sheer scale of corruption revealed suggests that maybe the Democratic Party mounted their Presidential impeachment proceedings partly to deflect investigators and the press away from the Bidens
READ MORE AT: Hunting for Hunter: Evidence Reveals Biden, Burisma Ukraine Bond Scandal, Tied to U.S. Firm
Here Rudy Giuliani joins Sunday Morning Futures to discuss the Bidens’ corrupt activities in Ukraine. Watch:
.
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21stcenturywire--2020-02-12--Sanders takes New Hampshire – Biden, Warren campaigns on life support

With nearly all of the result in , Bernie Sanders has won the Democratic Party ’ s New Hampshire primary contest .
Finishing second was Pete Buttigieg , and a surprise third place result from Amy Klobuchar .
The primary also saw three candidates bail out of the race ; popular millennial figure Andrew Yang , and the near invisible Michael Bennet , as well as former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick who ran the most bizarre , nondescript campaign thus far – but was still given top billing by mainstream media networks despite getting only a handful of votes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the results so far are as follows : Tuesday ’ s biggest losers had to be former DNC elite favorites , Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren , who both ran disastrous campaigns and are not likely to win any delegates .
With all of the free mainstream media coverage ( CNN , MSNBC ) and presumptive status heaped upon these two establishment figures , they simply couldn ’ t convince Americans to actually vote for them .
Consider their campaigns on life support from here on out .
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victory , but has encountered an unexpected challenge from the middle of the pack by 38 year-old South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg , who has come under heavy fire from the party ’ s working class base because of the extraordinary amount of billionaires and corporations that have poured money into his campaign .
Sanders has done relatively well so far , but not nearly enough to achieve ‘ escape velocity ’ from the rest of this crowded pack .
As the Atlantic Magazine points out , thus far Sanders has only garnered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 : The roughly 26 percent share of the total vote that Sanders captured represents much less than half of his winning 60 percent just four years ago .
And similar to former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg ’ s performance in Iowa , Sanders won the smallest share of voters ever garnered by a Democratic winner of the New Hampshire primary .
( The previous low was nearly 29 percent , for Jimmy Carter in 1976 . )
Arguably , 2016 was a much thinner field with only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has still left some pundits asking , ‘ Where did all of those votes go ?
’ ( did they go to Trump ? )
.
Based on this math , this means the potential for a tight three-way , or even four-way race , is still a possibility going forward .
From these first two state primaries we can now see the real schism emerge within the Democratic Party – a schism which very much mirrors the 2016 Democratic race which went down to the wire – between billionaire donor and media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ populist Bernie Sanders .
The rest of the field represents a collection of factions of support which is generally tied to either a specific issue or a personality .
Thus far , neither of the front runners has been able to harness that broad-based popular support required to claim an outright lead .
This may happen later , as less popular and weaker candidates exit from the the field .
Former New York Mayor and multi billionaire , Michael Bloomberg , has bought his way into the race but has foregone the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He is now banking on Super Tuesday , which will be on will be on March 3rd and will include the following states : Alabama , Arkansas , California , Colorado , Democrats Abroad , Maine , Massachusetts , Minnesota , North Carolina , Oklahoma , Tennessee , Texas , Utah , Vermont , and Virginia .
Next up will be the Nevada Caucuses , with Sanders and Biden leading in polling , but those polls will likely shift now after New Hampshire result sinks in .
After Super Tuesday , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have emerged having solidified their base – as they head into the all-important large states like Texas , New York and California , along with the crucial rust belt states .
All eyes are now on March 3rd .

By
(Image Credit: Bernie 2020)
With nearly all of the results in, Bernie Sanders has won the Democratic Party’s New Hampshire primary contest. Finishing second was Pete Buttigieg, and a surprise third place result from Amy Klobuchar.
The primary also saw three candidates bail out of the race; popular millennial figure Andrew Yang, and the near invisible Michael Bennet, as well as former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick who ran the most bizarre, nondescript campaign thus far – but was still given top billing by mainstream media networks despite getting only a handful of votes.
With 90% of the returns in, the results so far are as follows:
Source: The Associated Press
Tuesday’s biggest losers had to be former DNC elite favorites, Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren, who both ran disastrous campaigns and are not likely to win any delegates. With all of the free mainstream media coverage (CNN, MSNBC) and presumptive status heaped upon these two establishment figures, they simply couldn’t convince Americans to actually vote for them.
Consider their campaigns on life support from here on out.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has claimed his second consecutive popular vote victory, but has encountered an unexpected challenge from the middle of the pack by 38 year-old South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who has come under heavy fire from the party’s working class base because of the extraordinary amount of billionaires and corporations that have poured money into his campaign.
Sanders has done relatively well so far, but not nearly enough to achieve ‘escape velocity’ from the rest of this crowded pack. As the Atlantic Magazine points out, thus far Sanders has only garnered a fraction of the votes he received in 2016:
The roughly 26 percent share of the total vote that Sanders captured represents much less than half of his winning 60 percent just four years ago. And similar to former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s performance in Iowa, Sanders won the smallest share of voters ever garnered by a Democratic winner of the New Hampshire primary. (The previous low was nearly 29 percent, for Jimmy Carter in 1976.)
Arguably, 2016 was a much thinner field with only Bernie and Hillary, but this statistic has still left some pundits asking, ‘Where did all of those votes go?’ (did they go to Trump?). Based on this math, this means the potential for a tight three-way, or even four-way race, is still a possibility going forward.
From these first two state primaries we can now see the real schism emerge within the Democratic Party – a schism which very much mirrors the 2016 Democratic race which went down to the wire – between billionaire donor and media favorite Hillary Clinton, and grassroots left-wing populist Bernie Sanders. The rest of the field represents a collection of factions of support which is generally tied to either a specific issue or a personality. Thus far, neither of the front runners has been able to harness that broad-based popular support required to claim an outright lead. This may happen later, as less popular and weaker candidates exit from the the field.
Former New York Mayor and multi billionaire, Michael Bloomberg, has bought his way into the race but has foregone the first four primary states because of late registration. He is now banking on Super Tuesday, which will be on will be on March 3rd and will include the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Democrats Abroad, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia.
Next up will be the Nevada Caucuses, with Sanders and Biden leading in polling, but those polls will likely shift now after New Hampshire result sinks in.
After Super Tuesday, it is likely that the top three candidates will have emerged having solidified their base – as they head into the all-important large states like Texas, New York and California, along with the crucial rust belt states.
All eyes are now on March 3rd.
READ MORE 2020 ELECTION NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire 2020 Files
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21stcenturywire--2020-02-13--US Shoot and Kill 14 year old Syrian Boy in Al-Hasakah

( MOSCOW ) TASS – A 14-year-old boy was killed in the Syrian region of Al-Hasakah in a clash of US troops with local civilians , while another civilian was wounded , Major General Yuri Borenkov , the chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Parties in Syria , said on Wednesday .
According to the general , “ a conflict broke out [ between the US service members and locals ] triggering the US troops to open fire on the civilians with the intent to kill.
” Borenkov pointed out that “ one local civilian was wounded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Khalid Muhammad – was killed.
” The Russian Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Parties in Syria explained that the conflict broke out after the US military convoy deviated from its route and was stopped by Syrian government units outside Harbat Hamo in Al-Hasakah Province at 10.30 a.m. local time on Wednesday .
.
“ Only thanks to efforts of the Russian soldiers who had arrived at the scene was it possible to avoid any further escalation of the conflict with local residents , ” Borenkov said .
According to the general , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensure the exit of the US Forces ’ convoy towards their base at the inhabited locality of Himo in Al-Hasakah Province.
” The Russian reconciliation center continues to fulfill assigned tasks after the completion of the military campaign in Syria .
The center ’ s officers regularly travel around the country ’ s liberated areas to assess the humanitarian situation .
The main efforts of the Russian military are now focused on assistance to the refugees returning to their homes and evacuation of civilians from de-escalation zones .
EDITOR ’ S NOTE : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian Military Police vehicle moved into the area in order to quell the hostilities .
Watch : .
Incredibly , US officials described the villagers of Khirbet Ammu , east of Qamishli city , Syria , as being “ pro-government militiamen ” who blocked the American convoy as it tried to pass through a checkpoint “ occupied by pro-Syrian government forces , ” only these were just residents of the village .
US offer no remorse whatsoever for the killing .
No doubt , this event will carry major symbolic value across Syria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintaining its illegal occupation of Syria ’ s oil fields in the northeastern region .

(MOSCOW) TASS – A 14-year-old boy was killed in the Syrian region of Al-Hasakah in a clash of US troops with local civilians, while another civilian was wounded, Major General Yuri Borenkov, the chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Parties in Syria, said on Wednesday.
According to the general, “a conflict broke out [between the US service members and locals] triggering the US troops to open fire on the civilians with the intent to kill.”
Borenkov pointed out that “one local civilian was wounded. Another – the 14-year-old boy Feisal Khalid Muhammad – was killed.”
The Russian Center for Reconciliation of Opposing Parties in Syria explained that the conflict broke out after the US military convoy deviated from its route and was stopped by Syrian government units outside Harbat Hamo in Al-Hasakah Province at 10.30 a.m. local time on Wednesday.
.
“Only thanks to efforts of the Russian soldiers who had arrived at the scene was it possible to avoid any further escalation of the conflict with local residents,” Borenkov said.
According to the general, the Russian service members also helped to “ensure the exit of the US Forces’ convoy towards their base at the inhabited locality of Himo in Al-Hasakah Province.”
The Russian reconciliation center continues to fulfill assigned tasks after the completion of the military campaign in Syria. The center’s officers regularly travel around the country’s liberated areas to assess the humanitarian situation. The main efforts of the Russian military are now focused on assistance to the refugees returning to their homes and evacuation of civilians from de-escalation zones.
EDITOR’S NOTE: After the American military incident, a Russian Military Police vehicle moved into the area in order to quell the hostilities. Watch:
.
Incredibly, US officials described the villagers of Khirbet Ammu, east of Qamishli city, Syria, as being “pro-government militiamen” who blocked the American convoy as it tried to pass through a checkpoint “occupied by pro-Syrian government forces,” only these were just residents of the village.
#Qamishli city today.
Funeral of martyr Faisal Khaled Al-Hamad who was shot yesterday by US occupation forces in #Hassakeh province #Syria#HandsOffSyria#YankeesGoHome pic.twitter.com/LGNEVa5lxx — Marwa Osman || مروة عثمان (@Marwa__Osman) February 13, 2020
US offer no remorse whatsoever for the killing. No doubt, this event will carry major symbolic value across Syria and will not help the US in maintaining its illegal occupation of Syria’s oil fields in the northeastern region.
READ MORE SYRIA NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Syria Files


21stcenturywire--2020-02-13--OPCW Scandal: Scott Ritter on How History Repeated Itself with Syria

Leaked documents from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons ( OPCW ) suggest that high-level officials have indeed @ @ @ @ @ findings of its ground investigation team in Douma , Syria .
Did the OPCW fail @ @ @ @ @ of custody when collecting evidence in Douma , and at other sites ?
Are the @ @ @ @ @ a reliable and neutral source for such important evidence gathering ?
Former UN weapons inspector @ @ @ @ @ , shares his professional insights on this issue with RT America host Rick Sanchez .
@ @

By
Leaked documents from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) suggest that high-level officials have indeed manipulated or ignored the empirical findings of its ground investigation team in Douma, Syria. Did the OPCW fail to maintain an adequate chain of custody when collecting evidence in Douma, and at other sites? Are the Western-funded and militant-aligned White Helmets a reliable and neutral source for such important evidence gathering?
Former UN weapons inspector for Iraq, Scott Ritter, shares his professional insights on this issue with RT America host Rick Sanchez. Watch:
.
READ MORE OPCW NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire OPCW Files
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21stcenturywire--2020-02-13--London Attack: Another Sacrificial ‘Known Wolf’ in War on Terror

This latest incident in London was so entirely preventable that it is difficult to describe it as anything less than deliberate .
Tony Cartalucci 21st Century Wire In yet another headline-grabbing terror attack – an armed man in south London left several injured – some seriously – with the suspect himself killed at the scene by police .
Entirely predictable was the fact that the suspect named as Sudesh Amman ( pictured above ) was a known ‘ terrorist ’ – having been previously arrested , tried , and imprisoned by UK criminal justice system for terror-related offenses , only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ London Telegraph in its article , “ Streatham attack knifeman named as Sudesh Amman who had a previous terror conviction , ” would report regarding his earlier conviction that : Also predictable was the fact that this known ‘ terrorist ’ would once again menace the public – being only the most recent example in a string of headline-grabbing terror attacks carried out by similar suspects similarly known to police and intelligence organizations , but otherwise inexplicably allowed to menace the public .
Major terror attacks in France and Belgium were likewise carried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police and regional intelligence organizations .
Not only are these suspects known to Western authorities , but they are also affiliated with Western-sponsored terrorist organizations most notably Al Qaeda , its various franchises , and the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria ( ISIS ) which have for nearly a decade served as proxies in Western-engineered regime change wars aimed at Libya , Syria , Iraq , Yemen , Iran , and beyond .
The latest incident in London was so entirely preventable that it is difficult to describe it as anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a matter of time before politicians begin spinning and exploiting the incident – using it to shape policy both foreign and domestic – allowing analysts to better understand why such an entirely preventable act of violence was allowed to unfold nonetheless .
From London to Paris : The West ’ s Self-Perpetuated Terror As seen in nearly every terror attack in recent years both in Europe and North America including high-profile incidents like the “ Charlie Hebdo shooting ” and the Garland , Texas attack , the alleged suspects all have one common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the watch of security agencies for years , some even imprisoned one or more times for terror-related and/or other violent offenses , some even having traveled overseas to fight alongside Western-backed terrorists in Libya , Syria , Iraq , Yemen , and beyond .
The Guardian in an article titled , “ France passes new surveillance law in wake of Charlie Hebdo attack , ” admitted then that the French government alone had over 1,400 people under watch , including hundreds of terrorists who have recently returned from fighting alongside Western-backed terrorists in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Among these monitored potential risks were in fact the suspects behind the “ Charlie Hebdo shooting.
” Slate Magazine would report in their article , “ The Details of Paris Suspect Cherif Kouachi ’ s 2008 Terrorism Conviction , ” that : Kouachi and his brother would be reported to have traveled to the Middle East to receive training from Al Qaeda , then to have fought in Syria in a war backed in part by France , before returning home and carrying out their grisly terror attack , all while being tracked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be arrested for “ association with wrongdoers with the intention of committing a terrorist act , ” why wasn ’ t he arrested immediately upon his return to France for having subsequently received and employed military training by a terrorist organization ?
CNN would report in an article titled , “ France tells U.S. Paris suspect trained with al Qaeda in Yemen , ” that : Western intelligence officials are scrambling to learn more about possible travel of the two Paris terror attack suspects , brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently spent time in Yemen associating with al Qaeda in that country , U.S. officials briefed on the matter told CNN .
Additional information from a French source close to the French security services puts one of the brothers in Syria .
The problem that led up to the “ Charlie Hebdo shooting ” – or any high-profile attack since – was clearly not a lack of intelligence or surveillance .
French security agencies then more than adequately identified the “ Charlie Hebdo shooting ” perpetrators as potential threats and tracked them for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities were more than well aware of the danger Sudesh Amman posed to society .
The problem is instead what appears to be a deliberate effort to keep these terrorists roaming freely among society .
Free to join Western-backed mercenary forces abroad to fight in the West ’ s various proxy wars , and free to commit heinous acts of terror at home , both serving the singular agenda of expanding Western hegemony abroad while preserving the primacy of select special interests at home through divide and conquer politics and the use of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side of the political divide the general public finds themselves on regarding terrorism at home and the West ’ s endless wars abroad there should be common ground everyone can meet on regarding what is either unforgivable negligence and incompetence or equally unforgivable , deliberate efforts to perpetuate a deadly terrorist threat .
In either case , attacks like those in France and Belgium or this more recent event in the UK are exploited – used to paralyze the public with fear and coerce them to accept growing constraints on their freedom at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treasure for wars abroad .
Terrorists are indeed a threat to the peace and stability of society .
So are those interests that perpetuate them either by actively supporting them , or passively allowing them to carry out violence .
For the British government – it is guilty of both – and in the case of this recent attack in London – it really doesn ’ t matter whether it was police negligence or a deliberate act of violence facilitated covertly by the state – it could have and should have been prevented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was not .
*** Author Tony Cartalucci , Bangkok-based geopolitical researcher , writer and special contributor to 21st Century Wire .
See more of his work at Tony ’ s archive .
Over the last decade , his work has been published on a number of popular news and analysis websites , and also on the online magazine “ New Eastern Outlook ” .
Also , you can follow him on VK here .
READ MORE WAR ON TERROR NEWS AT : 21st Century Wire War on Terror Files

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This latest incident in London was so entirely preventable that it is difficult to describe it as anything less than deliberate.
Tony Cartalucci
21st Century Wire
In yet another headline-grabbing terror attack – an armed man in south London left several injured – some seriously – with the suspect himself killed at the scene by police.
Entirely predictable was the fact that the suspect named as Sudesh Amman (pictured above) was a known ‘terrorist’ – having been previously arrested, tried, and imprisoned by UK criminal justice system for terror-related offenses, only to be inexplicably released early.
The London Telegraph in its article, “Streatham attack knifeman named as Sudesh Amman who had a previous terror conviction,” would report regarding his earlier conviction that:
Alexis Boon, then head of the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command, said at the time of his conviction that Amman had a “fierce interest in violence and martyrdom”.
He explained: “His fascination with dying in the name of terrorism was clear in a notepad we recovered from his home. Amman had scrawled his ‘life goals’ in the notepad and top of the list, above family activities, was dying a martyr and going to ‘Jannah’ – the afterlife.
Also predictable was the fact that this known ‘terrorist’ would once again menace the public – being only the most recent example in a string of headline-grabbing terror attacks carried out by similar suspects similarly known to police and intelligence organizations, but otherwise inexplicably allowed to menace the public.
Major terror attacks in France and Belgium were likewise carried out by suspects entirely known to local police and regional intelligence organizations.
Not only are these suspects known to Western authorities, but they are also affiliated with Western-sponsored terrorist organizations most notably Al Qaeda, its various franchises, and the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) which have for nearly a decade served as proxies in Western-engineered regime change wars aimed at Libya, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Iran, and beyond.
The latest incident in London was so entirely preventable that it is difficult to describe it as anything less than deliberate.
It is only a matter of time before politicians begin spinning and exploiting the incident – using it to shape policy both foreign and domestic – allowing analysts to better understand why such an entirely preventable act of violence was allowed to unfold nonetheless.
From London to Paris: The West’s Self-Perpetuated Terror
As seen in nearly every terror attack in recent years both in Europe and North America including high-profile incidents like the “Charlie Hebdo shooting” and the Garland, Texas attack, the alleged suspects all have one common thread – they were all already under the watch of security agencies for years, some even imprisoned one or more times for terror-related and/or other violent offenses, some even having traveled overseas to fight alongside Western-backed terrorists in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and beyond.
The Guardian in an article titled, “France passes new surveillance law in wake of Charlie Hebdo attack,” admitted then that the French government alone had over 1,400 people under watch, including hundreds of terrorists who have recently returned from fighting alongside Western-backed terrorists in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.
Among these monitored potential risks were in fact the suspects behind the “Charlie Hebdo shooting.”
Slate Magazine would report in their article, “The Details of Paris Suspect Cherif Kouachi’s 2008 Terrorism Conviction,” that:
Kouachi was arrested in January 2005, accused of planning to join jihadists in Iraq. He was said to have fallen under the sway of Farid Benyettou, a young “self-taught preacher” who advocated violence, but had not actually yet traveled to Iraq or committed any acts of terror. Lawyers at the time said he had not received weapons training and “had begun having second thoughts,” going so far as to express “relief” that he’d been apprehended.
Kouachi and his brother would be reported to have traveled to the Middle East to receive training from Al Qaeda, then to have fought in Syria in a war backed in part by France, before returning home and carrying out their grisly terror attack, all while being tracked by French intelligence.
If Kouachi previously could be arrested for “association with wrongdoers with the intention of committing a terrorist act,” why wasn’t he arrested immediately upon his return to France for having subsequently received and employed military training by a terrorist organization? CNN would report in an article titled, “France tells U.S. Paris suspect trained with al Qaeda in Yemen,” that: Western intelligence officials are scrambling to learn more about possible travel of the two Paris terror attack suspects, brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi, with new information suggesting one of the brothers recently spent time in Yemen associating with al Qaeda in that country, U.S. officials briefed on the matter told CNN. Additional information from a French source close to the French security services puts one of the brothers in Syria. The problem that led up to the “Charlie Hebdo shooting” – or any high-profile attack since – was clearly not a lack of intelligence or surveillance. French security agencies then more than adequately identified the “Charlie Hebdo shooting” perpetrators as potential threats and tracked them for years beforehand. More recently, British authorities were more than well aware of the danger Sudesh Amman posed to society. The problem is instead what appears to be a deliberate effort to keep these terrorists roaming freely among society. Free to join Western-backed mercenary forces abroad to fight in the West’s various proxy wars, and free to commit heinous acts of terror at home, both serving the singular agenda of expanding Western hegemony abroad while preserving the primacy of select special interests at home through divide and conquer politics and the use of fear as a political weapon. Whichever side of the political divide the general public finds themselves on regarding terrorism at home and the West’s endless wars abroad there should be common ground everyone can meet on regarding what is either unforgivable negligence and incompetence or equally unforgivable, deliberate efforts to perpetuate a deadly terrorist threat. In either case, attacks like those in France and Belgium or this more recent event in the UK are exploited – used to paralyze the public with fear and coerce them to accept growing constraints on their freedom at home and growing expenditures in blood and treasure for wars abroad. Terrorists are indeed a threat to the peace and stability of society. So are those interests that perpetuate them either by actively supporting them, or passively allowing them to carry out violence. For the British government – it is guilty of both – and in the case of this recent attack in London – it really doesn’t matter whether it was police negligence or a deliberate act of violence facilitated covertly by the state – it could have and should have been prevented. Now the public must ask why it was not. ***
Author Tony Cartalucci, Bangkok-based geopolitical researcher, writer and special contributor to 21st Century Wire. See more of his work at Tony’s archive. Over the last decade, his work has been published on a number of popular news and analysis websites, and also on the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”. Also, you can follow him on VK here. READ MORE WAR ON TERROR NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire War on Terror Files SUPPORT OUR INDEPENDENT MEDIA PLATFORM – BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV


21stcenturywire--2020-02-13--VIDEO: Why Turkey’s Position in Syria is Increasingly Problematic

Once again , Turkey has upped the war rhetoric – this time threatening the Syrian military directly , and Russia @ @ @ @ @ continues its advances toward liberating terrorist-occupied Idlib province , Turkey ’ s President Erdogan ’ @ @ @ @ @ in Syria will become increasingly problematic , not only for Turkey , but for the @ @ @ @ @ editor Patrick Henningsen spoke to RT News International about the increasingly risky situation that is @ @ @ @ @ .
Watch :

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Once again, Turkey has upped the war rhetoric – this time threatening the Syrian military directly, and Russia by extension. As Damascus continues its advances toward liberating terrorist-occupied Idlib province, Turkey’s President Erdogan’s game of geopolitical backgammon in Syria will become increasingly problematic, not only for Turkey, but for the US as well.
21WIRE editor Patrick Henningsen spoke to RT News International about the increasingly risky situation that is presently unfolding in northern Syria. Watch:
.
READ MORE SYRIA NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Syria Files
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21stcenturywire--2020-02-14--Erdogan’s ‘Turkish Twist’ Risks Wider War in Syria and Middle East

This week , Turkey ’ s president , Recep Tayyip Erdoğan , threatened Syria ’ s government led by President @ @ @ @ @ military action if any Turkish troops are killed or injured by the fighting which is @ @ @ @ @ remaining terrorist stronghold in the Idlib province .
Because of Erdogan ’ s threats and @ @ @ @ @ meet its obligations from the Sochi and Astana Peace Agreements – it seems Turkey and @ @ @ @ @ all-out war , although there are some good reasons why this might not be in @ @ @ @ @ .
But Turkey has an agenda which it is trying to realize – one which @ @ @ @ @ US and NATO on one side , and Russia on the other .
UKC News @ @ @ @ @ Robinson analyze some of the key factors in play .
Watch :

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This week, Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, threatened Syria’s government led by President Bashar al-Assad, promising direct military action if any Turkish troops are killed or injured by the fighting which is escalating in the last major remaining terrorist stronghold in the Idlib province.
Because of Erdogan’s threats and Turkey’s inability to meet its obligations from the Sochi and Astana Peace Agreements – it seems Turkey and Syria are moving closer to all-out war, although there are some good reasons why this might not be in Turkey’s best interests. But Turkey has an agenda which it is trying to realize – one which depends on balancing between the US and NATO on one side, and Russia on the other.
UKC News hosts Patrick Henningsen and Mike Robinson analyze some of the key factors in play. Watch:
.
READ MORE SYRIA NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Syria Files
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21stcenturywire--2020-02-16--SUNDAY SCREENING: ‘Back to Fukushima’ (2019)

Our weekly documentary film curated by he editorial team at 21WIRE .
“ In March 2011 , an earthquake hit @ @ @ @ @ tsunami that caused an accident at the Daiichi nuclear power station in Fukushima prefecture .
@ @ @ @ @ surrounding area , and the authorities decided to evacuate the population living within a 20km @ @ @ @ @ .
Eight years later , inhabitants of the town closest to the nuclear disaster , @ @ @ @ @ move back to some of its territory .
RTD takes a bittersweet tour of the @ @ @ @ @ residents considering whether to return to their hometown , and meets those who have already @ @ @ @ @ in a less-contaminated part of town .
Torn between loyalty to their roots and the @ @ @ @ @ for themselves , the people of Fukushima now have an agonising choice to make.
” @ @ @ @ @ SCREENINGS HERE

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Our weekly documentary film curated by he editorial team at 21WIRE.
“In March 2011, an earthquake hit Japan, setting off a tsunami that caused an accident at the Daiichi nuclear power station in Fukushima prefecture. Radioactive contamination settled on the surrounding area, and the authorities decided to evacuate the population living within a 20km radius around the power station. Eight years later, inhabitants of the town closest to the nuclear disaster, Okuma, were allowed to move back to some of its territory. RTD takes a bittersweet tour of the nuclear ghost town with former residents considering whether to return to their hometown, and meets those who have already moved into new homes built in a less-contaminated part of town. Torn between loyalty to their roots and the desire to build a future for themselves, the people of Fukushima now have an agonising choice to make.” Watch:
.
Run time: 27 min
Production: RT Documentaries (2019)
SEE MORE SUNDAY SCREENINGS HERE
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21stcenturywire--2020-02-16--Episode #315 – ‘Trump, Duterte and China’ with guests Andre Vltchek and Basil Valentine

Episode # 315 of SUNDAY WIRE SHOW resumes on February 16 , 2020 with host Patrick Henningsen , broadcasting LIVE on the Alternate Current Radio Network ( ACR ) … 5pm-8pm UK Time | 12pm-3pm ET ( US ) | 9am-12pm PT ( US ) This week the SUNDAY WIRE broadcasts LIVE on ACR with host Patrick Henningsen covering the top stories in the US , Europe and internationally .
We ’ ll discuss some pretty shocking take-aways from the Munich Security Conference , especially regarding Huawei and China .
Also , Boris cancels visit to see Trump at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s hit-and-run extradition controversy – which could influence the extradition case of Julian Assange .
Later in the first hour , we ’ ll go on the ground in Southeast Asia with 21WIRE intrepid international political correspondent and best-selling author , Andre Vltchek , to talk about the historic announcement in Philippines by President Duterte , kicking out US military , and the country ’ s fluctuating relations with neighboring China .
In the final segment of overdrive , we ’ ll talk with SUNDAY WIRE Roving Correspondent for Culture & Sport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weaponized identity politics is ruining public discourse in America and Europe ; as Basil says , “ Politics is no longer a forum for debate , it ’ s where special interest groups issue ultimatums – which invariably opens the door for more oppression , with undemocratic forces entering the vacuum created by censorship.
” All this and much , much more .
Enjoy the show… AND ALSO BECOME A TEAM MEMBER @ 21WIRE.TV *NOTE : THIS EPISODE MAY CONTAIN STRONG LANGUAGE AND MATURE THEMES*

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Episode #315 of SUNDAY WIRE SHOW resumes on February 16, 2020 with host Patrick Henningsen, broadcasting LIVE on the Alternate Current Radio Network (ACR)…
LISTEN LIVE ON THIS PAGE – START TIMES:
5pm-8pm UK Time | 12pm-3pm ET (US) | 9am-12pm PT (US)
This week the SUNDAY WIRE broadcasts LIVE on ACR with host Patrick Henningsen covering the top stories in the US, Europe and internationally. We’ll discuss some pretty shocking take-aways from the Munich Security Conference, especially regarding Huawei and China. Also, Boris cancels visit to see Trump at the White House, apparently over CIA wife’s hit-and-run extradition controversy – which could influence the extradition case of Julian Assange. Later in the first hour, we’ll go on the ground in Southeast Asia with 21WIRE intrepid international political correspondent and best-selling author, Andre Vltchek, to talk about the historic announcement in Philippines by President Duterte, kicking out US military, and the country’s fluctuating relations with neighboring China. In the final segment of overdrive, we’ll talk with SUNDAY WIRE Roving Correspondent for Culture & Sport, Basil Valentine, to discuss how weaponized identity politics is ruining public discourse in America and Europe; as Basil says, “Politics is no longer a forum for debate, it’s where special interest groups issue ultimatums – which invariably opens the door for more oppression, with undemocratic forces entering the vacuum created by censorship.” All this and much, much more. Enjoy the show…
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AND ALSO BECOME A TEAM MEMBER@21WIRE.TV
*NOTE: THIS EPISODE MAY CONTAIN STRONG LANGUAGE AND MATURE THEMES*
Download Episode #315
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