21stcenturywire--2020-04-16--COVD-19: Why Big Government is the Disease, Not the Cure

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Letter to the Editor for the Daily Inter Lake March 29 , 2020 : A pastor once told me that , “ Every generation has a 100 percent mortality rate.
” The current “ pandemic ” can be used to illustrate societal problems more destructive than disease .
How Americans view the role of government in their lives and their belief that government can fix anything , including their mortality , demonstrates the madness that inflicts people when they become impressed with some delusion and run after it .
The present response to the coronavirus has led to panic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reactions .
Acting upon incomplete and probably inaccurate information , our government has embarked upon a spending spree and encroachment on the liberties of Americans of massive proportions .
Logic would dictate that from now on , every flu season , our economy must shut down and the government print , thereby inflating , more money and spend it on non-productive transfers .
The sphere of liberty shrinks as the size of government grows .
The current response to “ Chinese flu ” has led to policies unheard of in American history with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that government can cure anything ( pun intended ) , they are exhibiting symptoms of a disease far more serious than COVID-19 .
In slightly more than 200 years , Americans have moved away from self-reliance toward government dependence .
Our history has been one of people demanding and expecting the government to leave them alone .
Now , people are requiring the government to take care of them .
But at what cost ?
Being told that 1 million Montanans are under “ house arrest ” and that every “ non-essential ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ irrational response to save the lives of a few .
The logic displayed during this current “ pandemic ” would necessitate that nothing ever be allowed that would put more than 1 percent of a given population at risk .
So , driving cars must be banned , no American lives can be risked defending freedom , and high cholesterol foods taken off the shelves .
The assumption that the government can and should take care of your needs is a subtle destroyer of the American spirit .
Such a childlike attitude changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ erodes the resilience of people to deal with a crisis .
Who will rescue us from our rescuers ?
We did not vote on the “ shelter-in-place ” dictum .
We did not vote on the shut down of all “ non-essential ” businesses .
Hysteria leads to a dismissal of the factual .
And the factual analysis of this current “ Wuhan flu ” is that many of the policies enacted here in Montana are irrational and insulting .
Does anyone believe that the “ vulnerable ” ( such as this mid-70s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appropriate precautions on their own without the governor destroying the livelihoods of all our fellow Montanans ?
Does anyone really expect now that a governor has assumed the power to decide who is essential or not , that future governors will not expand on such policies ?
Increasing dependence on government and passively accepting that some “ elite ” somewhere knows best about our welfare is much more dangerous than the Wuhan virus .
The natural desire to be “ safe ” often suppresses the need to be free .
But abandoning one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own safety will result in government tyranny .
And you will still die .

A problem more destructive than disease
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Letter to the Editor for the Daily Inter Lake March 29, 2020:
A pastor once told me that, “Every generation has a 100 percent mortality rate.”
The current “pandemic” can be used to illustrate societal problems more destructive than disease. How Americans view the role of government in their lives and their belief that government can fix anything, including their mortality, demonstrates the madness that inflicts people when they become impressed with some delusion and run after it. The present response to the coronavirus has led to panic that has traded rational responses for irrational reactions.
Acting upon incomplete and probably inaccurate information, our government has embarked upon a spending spree and encroachment on the liberties of Americans of massive proportions. Logic would dictate that from now on, every flu season, our economy must shut down and the government print, thereby inflating, more money and spend it on non-productive transfers. The sphere of liberty shrinks as the size of government grows. The current response to “Chinese flu” has led to policies unheard of in American history with yet unknown consequences. When people believe that government can cure anything (pun intended), they are exhibiting symptoms of a disease far more serious than COVID-19.
In slightly more than 200 years, Americans have moved away from self-reliance toward government dependence. Our history has been one of people demanding and expecting the government to leave them alone. Now, people are requiring the government to take care of them. But at what cost?
Being told that 1 million Montanans are under “house arrest” and that every “non-essential” business must close its door is an irrational response to save the lives of a few. The logic displayed during this current “pandemic” would necessitate that nothing ever be allowed that would put more than 1 percent of a given population at risk. So, driving cars must be banned, no American lives can be risked defending freedom, and high cholesterol foods taken off the shelves.
The assumption that the government can and should take care of your needs is a subtle destroyer of the American spirit. Such a childlike attitude changes how people prepare for the future and erodes the resilience of people to deal with a crisis. Who will rescue us from our rescuers?
We did not vote on the “shelter-in-place” dictum. We did not vote on the shut down of all “non-essential” businesses. Hysteria leads to a dismissal of the factual. And the factual analysis of this current “Wuhan flu” is that many of the policies enacted here in Montana are irrational and insulting. Does anyone believe that the “vulnerable” (such as this mid-70s old man) are incapable of taking appropriate precautions on their own without the governor destroying the livelihoods of all our fellow Montanans? Does anyone really expect now that a governor has assumed the power to decide who is essential or not, that future governors will not expand on such policies? Increasing dependence on government and passively accepting that some “elite” somewhere knows best about our welfare is much more dangerous than the Wuhan virus.
The natural desire to be “safe” often suppresses the need to be free. But abandoning one’s own responsibility to provide for their own safety will result in government tyranny. And you will still die.
— Montana State Rep. John Fuller, R-Kalispell
READ MORE CORONAVIRUS NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Coronavirus Files
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21stcenturywire--2020-01-07--GRIFTERS: Steele and Cadwalladr Still Spinning Debunked RussiaGate Conspiracy Theories

However , despite the dramatic claims by Establishment outlets like The Guardian , a closer examination of the evidence indicates that this latest breaking ‘ bombshell ’ is nothing but a convenient distraction to help obscure a series of western propaganda failures of recent .
The latest episode of the RussiaGate saga has to do with a supposed “ fresh leak ” of documents from data trawling and political consulting firm , Cambridge Analytica , which features some 100,000 documents said to expose its dodgy dealings in 68 countries , and claiming to show ‘ global electoral manipulation ’ on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you thought the epic RussiaGate fantasy fiction series was nearly dead and on life-support , the British Establishment reiterate their push by recycling tried and tested media operatives .
Carole Cadwalladr , a journalist for the Observer , the Guardian ’ s sister paper , whose exposure of Cambridge Analytica ’ s misappropriation of 87 million Facebook profiles brought the company down in 2018 , is making these claims after a raft of documents from Brittany Kaiser , an ex-Cambridge Analytica employee turned whistleblower , began to appear on an anonymous Twitter account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The leaks from the now-defunct data firm are supposedly ‘ explosive.
’ They contain material on elections in Malaysia , Kenya and Brazil .
Apparently , they expose the inner workings of the data company and lay bare the global infrastructure of voter manipulation .
The documents retrieved from Kaiser ’ s email accounts and hard drives , are only the start of thousands more to come .
According to Kaiser , these reveal the true depth of the sinister data firm ’ s operation that go ‘ way beyond what people think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scandal.
’ Well , if there is one thing we definitely do know about the Cambridge Analytica scandal , it is that there has not been one piece of evidence to show how the firm used Facebook data to manipulate voters in the Trump election or during the Brexit referendum .
To this day , no one can show who was targeted .
With what ads ?
In what locations ?
There is no clear picture what Cambridge Analytica did for Trump .
Or what it did in any of the dozens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on .
As it turns out , Russiagate promoter and Integrity Initiative-linked Carole Cadwalladr is being sued for libel by prominent Brexit campaigner Aaron Banks over defamatory statements made by Cadwalladr claiming the Banks was somehow involved with the Russians in orchestrating Brexit – despite providing any actual evidence to back-up her popular mainstream conspiracy theory .
In December , a judge issued a preliminary ruling in a libel case brought by Banks against Cadwalladr .
According to the complaint , she attempted to defame Banks publicly on multiple occasions by repeatedly making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the Russian government offered money to Arron Banks , ” and , “ And I am not even going to go into the lies that Arron Banks has told about his covert relationship with the Russian government , ” and , “ I say he lied about his contact with the Russian government .
Because he did.
” Not surprisingly , the mainstream media establishment has showered Cadwalladr with journalism awards for her supposed ‘ coverage ’ of heavily amplified but still unproven Russiagate conspiracies .
If that ’ s not shocking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dusted-off than the world ’ s most discredited ‘ intelligence ’ operative , he of Dossier fame , Christopher Steele , to try to buttress Cadwalladr ’ s shaky Russia conspiracies .
Steele is , if anything , resilient .
Dr. Lewis adds here : This ‘ infrastructure of subversion ’ on an industrial scale is a chimera of innuendo , paranoia , and wild assertions with no evidence that it manipulates anyone , that is , apart from the gullible political parties who have paid millions on the very stupid idea that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But who needs facts ?
Certainly not someone like Christopher Steele , the ex-head of MI6 ’ s Russia desk and the intelligence expert behind the so-called ‘ Steele dossier ’ into Trump ’ s relationship with Russia .
You remember how well that went ?
In a rare public intervention to comment on the leaks , he admitted without any sense of self-awareness , that he had not seen the documents and thus did not know what was in them .
But he was apparently certain , as reported by Cadwalladr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get worse , not better , and with crucial 2020 elections in America and elsewhere approaching , this is a very scary prospect .
Something radical needs to be done about it , and fast.
’ In the end , most of output emanating from members and associates of the British government-funded Integrity Initiative anti-Russian propaganda ‘ clusters ’ serve to create a convenient smokescreen for real scandals which the Establishment seem ever-desperate to obscure , namely , that it is western state agencies who are actively meddling in otherS , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explains : In the weird conspiracy-sphere , facts are unimportant ; denial is proof .
The more one denies a baseless claim , the more it proves there is something to hide .
Case closed .
The truth is much simpler .
Facebook are protecting this data precisely because if the truth were to come out – that the millions of dollars political parties spend on their platform during elections do very little to affect the outcome – this would seriously impact their business model .
This is business , not politics .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear that Carole Cadwalladr isn ’ t actually doing journalism here , but rather just cobbling together a string of heavily aired logical fallacies , all glued together with xenophobic fear mongering about an alleged Russian take-over of the West .
Her original Brexit thesis appears to have been predicated on the a tenuous theory that there was a ‘ unusual swing of opinion from Remain to Leave ’ during the EU referendum in 2016 , and further claiming this was evidence that Brexit advertising worked , and that the Russians were behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a series of amateur assumptions long since debunked by astute commentators like Craig Murray and others .
It is only because these fabricated theories from Cadwalladr and Steele help to fill in the geopolitical narrative gaps for NATO member states – that they are given top billing and unearned credence is itself a sad fact which speaks to the institutional corruption of western governments and our mainstream media organisations in the 21st century .

However, despite the dramatic claims by Establishment outlets like The Guardian, a closer examination of the evidence indicates that this latest breaking ‘bombshell’ is nothing but a convenient distraction to help obscure a series of western propaganda failures of recent.
The latest episode of the RussiaGate saga has to do with a supposed “fresh leak” of documents from data trawling and political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica. Some 100,000 documents are said to expose its dodgy dealings in 68 countries, claiming to show ‘global electoral manipulation’ on an ‘industrial scale.’
Just when you thought the epic RussiaGate fantasy fiction series was nearly dead and on life-support, the British Establishment reiterate their push by recycling tried and tested media operatives.
Carole Cadwalladr, a journalist for the Observer, the Guardian’s sister paper, whose exposure of Cambridge Analytica’s misappropriation of 87 million Facebook profiles brought the company down in 2018, is making these claims after a raft of documents from Brittany Kaiser, an ex-Cambridge Analytica employee turned whistleblower, began to appear on an anonymous Twitter account on New Year’s Day. The leaks from the now-defunct data firm are supposedly ‘explosive.’ They contain material on elections in Malaysia, Kenya and Brazil. Apparently, they expose the inner workings of the data company and lay bare the global infrastructure of voter manipulation. The documents retrieved from Kaiser’s email accounts and hard drives, are only the start of thousands more to come. According to Kaiser, these reveal the true depth of the sinister data firm’s operation that go ‘way beyond what people think they know about ‘the Cambridge Analytica scandal.’ Well, if there is one thing we definitely do know about the Cambridge Analytica scandal, it is that there has not been one piece of evidence to show how the firm used Facebook data to manipulate voters in the Trump election or during the Brexit referendum. To this day, no one can show who was targeted. With what ads? In what locations? There is no clear picture what Cambridge Analytica did for Trump. Or what it did in any of the dozens of elections worldwide it claimed to have worked on.
As it turns out, Russiagate promoter and Integrity Initiative-linked Carole Cadwalladr is being sued for libel by prominent Brexit campaigner Aaron Banks over defamatory statements made by Cadwalladr claiming the Banks was somehow involved with the Russians in orchestrating Brexit – again, without providing any actual evidence to back-up her popular mainstream conspiracy theory. In December, a judge issued a preliminary ruling in a libel case brought by Banks against Cadwalladr. According to the complaint, she attempted to defame Banks publicly on multiple occasions by repeatedly making evidence-free statements like, “We know that the Russian government offered money to Arron Banks,” and, “And I am not even going to go into the lies that Arron Banks has told about his covert relationship with the Russian government,” and, “I say he lied about his contact with the Russian government. Because he did.”
Not surprisingly, the mainstream media establishment has showered Cadwalladr with journalism awards for her supposed ‘coverage’ of heavily amplified but still unproven Russiagate conspiracies.
If that’s not shocking enough, the British establishment have now dusted-off the world’s most discredited ‘intelligence’ operative, he of Dossier fame, Christopher Steele, to try to buttress Cadwalladr’s shaky Russia conspiracies. Steele is, if anything, resilient. Dr. Lewis adds here:
This ‘infrastructure of subversion’ on an industrial scale is a chimera of innuendo, paranoia, and wild assertions with no evidence that it manipulates anyone, that is, apart from the gullible political parties who have paid millions on the very stupid idea that voters could be manipulated to control outcomes. But who needs facts? Certainly not someone like Christopher Steele, the ex-head of MI6’s Russia desk and the intelligence expert behind the so-called ‘Steele dossier’ into Trump’s relationship with Russia. You remember how well that went? In a rare public intervention to comment on the leaks, he admitted without any sense of self-awareness, that he had not seen the documents and thus did not know what was in them. But he was apparently certain, as reported by Cadwalladr, that ‘these problems are likely to get worse, not better, and with crucial 2020 elections in America and elsewhere approaching, this is a very scary prospect. Something radical needs to be done about it, and fast.’
In the end, most of output emanating from members and associates of the British government-funded Integrity Initiative anti-Russian propaganda ‘clusters’ – serves to create a convenient smokescreen to help conceal any real scandals which the Establishment seem ever-desperate to deflect from, namely, that it is western state agencies who are actively meddling in others’, as well as their own elections. Lewis explains:
In the weird conspiracy-sphere, facts are unimportant; denial is proof. The more one denies a baseless claim, the more it proves there is something to hide. Case closed. The truth is much simpler. Facebook are protecting this data precisely because if the truth were to come out – that the millions of dollars political parties spend on their platform during elections do very little to affect the outcome – this would seriously impact their business model. This is business, not politics.
Not only Facebook’s business model, but also – all of the big data guru consultants’ model too.
Upon closer examination, it quickly becomes clear that Carole Cadwalladr isn’t actually doing journalism here, but rather just cobbling together a string of heavily aired logical fallacies and mainline propaganda themes, all glued together with xenophobic fear mongering about an alleged Russian take-over of the West. Like her original Brexit thesis which appears to have been predicated on the a tenuous theory that there was a ‘unusual swing of opinion from Remain to Leave’ during the latter stage of EU referendum in 2016, claiming this was evidence that ‘Brexit advertising worked’, and that the Russians were behind it. This conspiracy theory is then underpinned by a series of amateur assumptions long since debunked by astute commentators like Craig Murray and others.
It is only because these fabricated theories from Cadwalladr and Steele help to fill in the geopolitical narrative gaps for NATO member states – that they are given top billing and unearned credence. This in itself is a sad fact which speaks to the institutional corruption of western governments and our mainstream media organisations in the 21st century.
READ MORE RUSSIAGATE NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Russiagate Files
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21stcenturywire--2020-01-06--Awaiting the Mahdi: Soleimani’s Martyrdom and the End of Stupidistan

On Friday morning ( 3 January 2020 ) , Iraq ’ s capital was awakened by a big blast , an aerial attack hitting a convoy of vehicles leaving Baghdad airport and killing the deputy chief of the Ḥashd ash-Shaʿbī ( or Popular Mobilization Units , PMU ) Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and four more PMU members , in addition to a lone Iranian dignitary .
The PMU spokesman Ahmed al-Assadi subsequently released this statement : “ The American and Israeli enemy is responsible for killing the mujahideen Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Qassem Soleimani , ” identifying the lone Iranian dignitary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Force , while giving less prominence to the equally dead four anonymous fighters .
Now , the United States has assassinated the Iranian General Qassem Soleimani , in another example of President Trump doing better what Obama did well , namely utilising a precision drone strike eliminating Washington ’ s perceived opponents , this time hitting a convoy of vehicles killing two notorious military leaders and four of their fighters – President Obama ’ s most notorious precision drone strike arguably was the elimination of Anwar al-Awlaki ’ s teenage son on 14 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s predecessor also supervised a whopping “ total of 563 strikes ” during his two terms , obliterating his own predecessor ’ s record .
In 2017 , the Bureau of Investigative Journalism ’ s Jessica Purkiss and Jack Serle remarked in an off-hand manner that there “ were ten times more air strikes in the covert war on terror during President Barack Obama ’ s presidency than under his predecessor , George W. Bush.
” Whereas Trump , authorised a total of 238 drone strikes already during the first two years of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Iraq and Syria.
” Last year , the columnist S.E .
Cupp , rather poignantly , remarked that the “ Obama administration paved the way for popularizing and normalizing drone wars.
” And as a good U.S. President , Donald Trump all but continues this trendy fashion of raining death from above , while decrying Obama ’ s weakness and undoing his achievements ( most notably in this context , the Iran nuclear deal , meaning the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA ) , and practising his defiant strategy which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” back in 2017 .
In the same fashion , Trump ’ s televised announcement of Soleimani ’ s public execution was reminiscent of his predecessors ’ performance after the successful killing of Osama bin Laden in Abbotabad ( 2 May 2011 ) .
Though Trump did not know who Soleimani was back in 2015 , apparently even confusing the Quds Force with the Kurds , addressing the nation on television in 2019 , he described the now dead Iranian as “ the number-one terrorist anywhere in the world , Qasem Soleimani.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisive call to action thwarted “ imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel , ” that Soleimani had been “ caught .
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in the act.
” In fact , Trump asserted that “ [ f ] or years , the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its ruthless Quds Force — under Soleimani ’ s leadership — has targeted , injured , and murdered hundreds of American civilians and servicemen , ” even claiming that the “ recent attacks on U.S. targets in Iraq , including rocket strikes that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ servicemen very badly , as well as a violent assault on our embassy in Baghdad , were carried out at the direction of Soleimani.
” Donald Trump even alleged that his victim had actively contributed to “ terrorist plots as far away as New Delhi and London , ” in this way playing the role of a world leader , not just the Republican incumbent in the White House , but a man whose actions appear to take account of events shaping the world – even in places as far removed from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ England and India .
At the same time , Trump did not neglect to mention that Soleimani supposedly also “ targeted , injured , and murdered hundreds of American civilians and servicemen , ” as a reminder for his home audience that he is first and foremost the President of the United States , a nation that “ has the best military by far , anywhere in the world .
We have best intelligence in the world.
” Before finishing his address , Donald J. Trump did not forget to remind his audience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Forces killed the terrorist leader known as al-Baghdadi , ” even more than insinuating that he personally had “ destroyed the ISIS territorial caliphate.
” This latest public relations stunt clearly deflects the American public ’ s attention from many things , including the ongoing impeachment trial that seems to upset Donald Trump quite a bit in spite of his nonchallant attitude towards Nancy Pelosi ’ s apparently quite ineffectual and counter-productive ploy .
The Raging Twenties : Heralding the End of America Trump has now really outdone Obama , killing two terrorist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one .
And while Obama ’ s announcement that Osama bin Laden had been killed took the world by surprise , Soleimani ’ s death really came as a bolt from the blue and has equally sent ripples throughout the world – even Kashmiri Shiite Muslims have now taken to the street to protest this wanton murder , even momentarily forgetting about India ’ s PM Modi and his desire to build a Hindutva nation-state on the sub-continent ( 3 January 2020 ) .
Though the strike came totally unexpectedly , its timing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the heels of the storming of the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad ’ s Green Zone .
Interestingly , it was the Guardian ‘ s Luke Harding who weighed-in , putting it like this : “ Protesters in Iraq have dealt a symbolic blow to US prestige by storming the American embassy in Baghdad , trapping diplomats inside while chanting ‘ Death to America ’ and slogans in support of pro-Iranian militias.
” Harding actually called this a “ humiliating day for Washington ” in Baghdad .
Rather than letting this take-over escalate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1980 , the Trump administration acted swiftly : “ Many US embassy staff were evacuated or airlifted from the compound , and an additional detachment of 100 US Marines were called in as reinforcements , along with an additional 750 troops from fast battalion 82nd Airborne Division sent to Kuwait preparing to go into Iraq .
US combat helicopters circled overhead , as well as around the entire Green Zone and over civilians neighborhoods in Baghdad .
This move was not received well by the Iraqi government who forbid such US military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forces agreement for the country .
The siege lasted until News Years Eve on December 31st , before the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Mukhabarat internal security eventually arrived to disperse the angry crowds , ” as related by our very own 21st Century Wire ‘ s Patrick Henningsen .
Apparently unable to countenance this “ humiliating day for Washington , ” thin-skinned Trump then authorised the drone strike on Soleimani ( as also hinted at in the President ’ s televised statement ) , in this way taking out the ‘ 2nd most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dead general is now being universally described .
But , as officially the U.S. is not at war with either Iraq or Iran , this assassination really has all the hallmarks of a wanton act of terror .
Iran ’ s UN Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi published a written statement which calls Soleimani ’ s murder an “ obvious example of State terrorism and , as a criminal act , constitutes a gross violation of the fundamental principles of international law , including , in particular , those stipulated in the Charter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ context , the ever-colourful yet incisive and deeply insightful Pepe Escobar posted this “ Raging Twenties reminder ” on his Facebook page , namely that “ Stupidistan has declared war on Iran AND Iraq.
” And for all intents and purposes , Escobar is correct , albeit that the official narrative continues to spin alternative facts befitting the alternate reality we are now inhabiting in the Age of Trump , where the twenties that were ‘ Roaring ’ in the 20th century , have become Raging and the United States of America has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ Stupidistan.
’ In the U.S. , where much of the real world seems far away , Democratic politicians have now come out to complain about the fact that “ Congress wasn ’ t consulted.
” The soon-to-be octogenarian House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( her birthday is on March , 26 ) even called the drone strike a “ provocative and disproportionate action.
” On the other hand , the intrepid Turkish journalist Hikmet Durgun tweets that , “ 4 minutes before the killing of Qassem Soleimani , the U.S. informed Iraq ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 Jan 2020 ) .
Back in the U.S. then , Sleepy Joe aka Trump ’ s wanna-be rival former Vice President Joe Biden , has said some choice words now , hinting at the fact that his favourite opponent , the 45th U.S. President “ tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox , ” thereby bringing the U.S. to “ the brink of a major conflict across the Middle East ” and arguably the rest of the world .
Though Biden seems to have ignored the current political constellations , focusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traditional proxy-theatre for superpower conflicts , this high-tech assassination could arguably lead to a domino effect in the newly-formed network of alliances which I have termed “ New Cold War Realignments ” – pitting the U.S. and its NATO allies against Russia , China , Turkey and Iran .
In the last century , on 28 June 1914 to be precise , a terror act executed by the Serb Gavrilo Princip ( 1894-1918 ) led to the worldwide conflagration that became known as the Great War , and that we nowadays refer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Princip ’ s decidedly low tech assassination of the Habsburg Archduke Franz Ferdinand ( 1863-1914 ) instigated the mobilisation of allies and alliances that in a short while led to the German invasion of Belgium , Luxembourg , and France ( 4 August 1914 ) and the subsequent all-out war that was to draw in the United States at the last moment ( 6 April 1917 ) .
And that was eventually to lead to the current jumble of nation states populating Europe and the Middle East , in the wake of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) and the Treaty of Versailles ( 28 June 1919 ) .
At the moment , it would seem rather unlikely that Qassem Soleimani ’ s death from above would lead to such a globe-spanning conflict .
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as most commentators like to remind everybody that it is more likely that Tehran will execute a ‘ asymmetric reaction , ’ hinting at the possibility that some kind of soft target within the U.S. orbit could fall victim to righteous Iranian outrage .
This case was convincingly made by Representative Tulsi Gabbard , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president : “ It further escalates this tit for tat that ’ s going on and on and on , [ and that ] will elicit a very serious response from Iran , and [ pushes ] us deeper and deeper into this quagmire .
And it really begs the question : For what ?
” Gabbard spoke these pregnant words on Fox & Friends ( 3 January 2020 ) , apparently one of Trump ’ s favourite television programmes .
The Hawaii Representative has made a dedicated following among people critical of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American tradition of ‘ endless wars , ’ which is also a favourite trope used by then candidate Trump when he was pitching himself to the American public in 2016 .
On the other hand , as a practising Hindu , Gabbard ’ s apparent ties to India ’ s strongman Modi and his Hindutva ideology have drawn the ire of her opponents dubious character , as forcefully argued by the activist and journalist Pieter Friedrich .
Behind the Scenes : Bibi ’ s Intervention and the Return of the Mahdi President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view of the world and its affairs , has told journalists in Miami that “ [ w ] e took action [ Thursday ] night [ which corresponds to Friday morning in Iraq ] to stop a war .
We did not take action to start a war.
” Trump ’ s warped appreciation of reality makes him sound truly Orwellian in tone and voice .
In a apologistic fashion , the media company Bloomberg relates that the “ president ’ s decision to target the powerful head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , following the death of an American contractor in a Dec 27 rocket attack by an Iranian-backed militia against an US base in Iraq.
” On 31 December 2019 , however , Secretary of State Pompeo had a phone call with Israel ’ s Netanyahu ( aka Bibi ) , tweeting subsequently that “ [ w ] e discussed U.S. defensive strikes in Iraq and Syria to counter Iran ’ s threats.
” This clearly indicates that the U.S. and Israel , or rather Trump and Bibi ( and/or their proxies ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As a matter of fact , it would stand to reason that this U.S. President ’ s extreme hostility towards Iran really stems from his close ties to the currently beleaguered Israeli PM .
For Bibi has a bit of an obsession , an obsession called Iran : as long ago as 1997 , he made the following utterly amazing statement : “ Iran , unseen , unperturbed and undisturbed is building a formidable arsenal of ballistic missiles , actually ICBM ’ s ( Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles ) .
Stage One would reach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reach Britain and Stage Three , believe it or not , they actually plan to reach the eastern seaboard of the United States , Manhattan .
This sounds fantastic but Iran wants to be a world power with a world ideology of fundamentalist domination , seeing the West as its great enemy .
It seeks to have weapons to back up that ideology and that is even more dangerous than Saddam because there is a fanaticism , an ideological fanaticism attached to the acquisition of these weapons.
” And ever since that time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to invade Iran – neither Bill Clinton , George W. Bush nor Barack Obama paid him any heed , but now his old friend Trump seems to have felt obliged .
As apparently confirmed by one of Pepe Escobar ’ s top sources : “ Israel set up the killing of General Qassem Soleimani to draw the United States into a war with Iran as with Iraq .
That is what this is all about.
” While on Twitter , the political scientist Professor Max Abrahms declared that the “ # SoleimaniAssassination wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Of course , the White House can ’ t just come out and say that.
” And it seems , the Iranian authorities really do regard Soleimani ’ s murder as a crime deserving serious punishment , a punishment that might even conjure up truly eschatological dimensions involving war and violence on a grand scale , a scale that might portend the end of the world and the return of the ‘ Hidden Iman ’ ( Muhammad Ibn al-Hasan ) as the ‘ Mahdi , ’ which means ‘ The Guided One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Islam preceding the end of the world – an expectation that has a “ major ecclesiastical importance in Shia Islam.
” On Saturday , 4 January 2020 , the “ Red Flag of Hussein [ was raised ] over the Holy Dome of Jamkaran Mosque , in [ the Holy City of ] Qom , ” and as explained by Joaquin Flores , the Editor-in-Chief of Fort Russ News , the “ raising of the red flag gives a precise signal – it indicates that a major war is to come or is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is redolent with the full Shia imagery of martyrdom and reminiscent of the sacrifice of Imam Hussain , whose martyrdom at Karbala is annually remembered with festive and violent processions .
General Qassem Soleimani had been so revered that he was called the “ Living Martyr ” and now , Bibi via the good offices of his buddy Trump , has promoted the General to the lofty status of a dead martyr or Shahid – the souls of martyrs go straight to heaven where they sit down next to the Prophet Muhammad facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Quran states : “ And those who are killed in the cause of Allah – never will He waste their deeds .
He will guide them and amend their condition And admit them to Paradise , which He has made known to them ” ( 47:4-6 ) .
But the unfurling of the Red Flag also has a direct and tactical aim , for it “ speaks of events yet to unfold in [ a ] short time , ” as explained by Flores .
On the day before the unfurling of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told a crowd of fervent Evangelicals in Miami the following : “ I do really believe we have God on our side.
” In other words , we now seem to have arrived at a situation where both opponents appear to act in accordance with their deeply held beliefs rather than their appreciation of reality on the ground .
In case of Trump , the sincerity of his convictions might seem dubious , but his Vice President and a large section his base seem utterly convinced .
According to some of his Christian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well be on Trump ’ s side , but an escalation would only usher in a domino effect involving allies and alliances in the current New Cold War Realignments possibly leading to a globe-spanning conflict and a ‘ veritable ’ return of the Mahdi .
Over the weekend ( 4-5 January 2020 ) , Qassem Soleimani ’ s mortal remains were dutifully transported , while numerous believers paid their respects , the funeral procession “ began at [ Baghdad ] ’ s Al Muthana Airport , then moved to the gate of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though the streets , some mourners carried portraits of Soleimani while others held portraits of Iran ’ s Supreme Leader , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei .
Later , the procession left for the Shia Muslim holy cities of Karbala and Najaf , ” reports the BBC .
The remains of the martyred Soleimani thus paid its respects to Shi ’ a Islam ’ s foundational martyrs , Imam Hussein and his father Imam Ali , respectively buried in either location .
From there , the dead Soleimani was transported to Iran , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ahvaz on Sunday ( 5 January 2020 ) , where “ [ t ] ens of thousands of black-clad mourners have filled the streets.
” From there , Iran ’ s leadership will have the remains take to the holy city of Mashhad as well as Tehran and the holy city of Qom on Monday [ 6 January 2010 ] for public mourning processions , then to his hometown of Kerman for burial on Tuesday [ 7 January 2020 ] .
” Alas , the Supreme Leader ’ s people did not anticipate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s turnout : massive crowds flooded the streets necessitating the cancellation of the Tehran ceremonies , in view of the “ glorious , intense and million-man presence of the revolutionary people of Mashhad , ” an official Iranian statement read .
Meanwhile on the ground in Iraq and in cyberspace , as reported by The Telegraph ’ s Josie Ensor , a “ volley of missiles appeared to target the US ’ s embassy and one of its bases in Iraq on Saturday night , ” adding that a “ Katusya rocket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American mission in Baghdad , followed minutes later by a two rockets 40 miles away on al-Balad airbase , which houses US Air Force trainers.
” In fact , many more attacks occurred throughout the whole of Iraq in the wake of Soleiman ’ s violent and untimely death .
.
.
Meanwhile , Trump has again taken to Twitter to issue threats in the face of an imminent Iranian reaction : “ Iran is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets as revenge for our ridding the world of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American , & badly wounded many others , not to mention all of the people he had killed over his lifetime , including recently .
.
.
.
hundreds of Iranian protesters .
He was already attacking our Embassy , and preparing for additional hits in other locations .
Iran has been nothing but problems for many years .
Let this serve as a WARNING that if Iran strikes any Americans , or American assets , we have .
.
.
targeted 52 Iranian sites ( representing the 52 American hostages taken by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture , and those targets , and Iran itself , WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD .
The USA wants no more threats !
” ( 11:52 pm .
4 Jan 2020 ) .
Through it seems unlikely the President personally composed and tweeted this digital threat , Iran was not averse to reacting in kind , with Khamenei ’ s military adviser Hossein Dehghan telling CNN that the U.S. President ’ s tweets are “ ridiculous and absurd.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Islamic Republic ’ s Information and Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi simply stated that “ Trump is a ‘ terrorist in a suit ’ .
.
.
[ saying that the U.S. President is ] Like ISIS , like Hitler , Like Genghis !
” even adding that “ [ t ] hey all hate cultures ” ( 9:47 am .
5 Jan 202 ) .
Though Trump may now think that his reckless murder of the Quds Force leader shows him to be a better or stronger president that either Bush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Iraq his apparent quiescence to Bibi ’ s incessant sounding of war drums has led Baghdad ’ s “ Parliament [ to ] pass a resolution to end the presence of all foreign troops in the country , ” as reported by TRT World .
Is this perhaps the beginning Stupidistan ’ s retreat from the scene or will the current New Cold War Realignments lead to a dark and bloody future .
.
.
The time to find out is now , or , rather sooner than later .
*** 21WIRE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independent historian and geo-political analyst who used to live in Istanbul .
At present , he is in self-imposed exile from Turkey .
He has a wide interest in the politics , history and culture of the Balkans , the greater Middle East , and the world beyond .
He attended the VUB in Brussels and did his graduate work at the universities of Essex and Oxford .
In Oxford , Erimtan was a member of Lady Margaret Hall and he obtained his doctorate in Modern History in 2002 .
His publications include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” as well as numerous scholarly articles .
In Istanbul , Erimtan started publishing in Today ’ s Zaman and in Hürriyet Daily News .
In the next instance , he became the Turkey Editor of the İstanbul Gazette .
Subsequently , he commenced writing for RT Op-Edge , NEO , and finally , the 21st Century Wire .
You can find him on Twitter at @ theerimtanangle .
Read Can ’ s archive here .

By
Dr Can Erimtan
21st Century Wire
On Friday morning (3 January 2020), Iraq’s capital was awakened by a big blast, an aerial attack hitting a convoy of vehicles leaving Baghdad airport and killing the deputy chief of the Ḥashd ash-Shaʿbī (or Popular Mobilization Units, PMU) Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and four more PMU members, in addition to a lone Iranian dignitary. The PMU spokesman Ahmed al-Assadi subsequently released this statement: “The American and Israeli enemy is responsible for killing the mujahideen Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Qassem Soleimani,” identifying the lone Iranian dignitary as the the head of the Quds Force, while giving less prominence to the equally dead four anonymous fighters.
Now, the United States has assassinated the Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, in another example of President Trump doing better what Obama did well, namely utilising a precision drone strike eliminating Washington’s perceived opponents, this time hitting a convoy of vehicles killing two notorious military leaders and four of their fighters – President Obama’s most notorious precision drone strike arguably was the elimination of Anwar al-Awlaki’s teenage son on 14 October 2011. Furthermore, Trump’s predecessor also supervised a whopping “total of 563 strikes” during his two terms, obliterating his own predecessor’s record. In 2017, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism’s Jessica Purkiss and Jack Serle remarked in an off-hand manner that there “were ten times more air strikes in the covert war on terror during President Barack Obama’s presidency than under his predecessor, George W. Bush.” Whereas Trump, authorised a total of 238 drone strikes already during the first two years of his administration, particularly targeting “Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.” Last year, the columnist S.E. Cupp, rather poignantly, remarked that the “Obama administration paved the way for popularizing and normalizing drone wars.” And as a good U.S. President, Donald Trump all but continues this trendy fashion of raining death from above, while decrying Obama’s weakness and undoing his achievements (most notably in this context, the Iran nuclear deal, meaning the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA), and practising his defiant strategy which I termed “Continuity as Change,” back in 2017.
In the same fashion, Trump’s televised announcement of Soleimani’s public execution was reminiscent of his predecessors’ performance after the successful killing of Osama bin Laden in Abbotabad (2 May 2011). Though Trump did not know who Soleimani was back in 2015, apparently even confusing the Quds Force with the Kurds, addressing the nation on television in 2019, he described the now dead Iranian as “the number-one terrorist anywhere in the world, Qasem Soleimani.” The President elaborated that his swift and decisive call to action thwarted “imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel,” that Soleimani had been “caught . . . in the act.” In fact, Trump asserted that “[f]or years, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its ruthless Quds Force — under Soleimani’s leadership — has targeted, injured, and murdered hundreds of American civilians and servicemen,” even claiming that the “recent attacks on U.S. targets in Iraq, including rocket strikes that killed an American and injured four American servicemen very badly, as well as a violent assault on our embassy in Baghdad, were carried out at the direction of Soleimani.” Donald Trump even alleged that his victim had actively contributed to “terrorist plots as far away as New Delhi and London,” in this way playing the role of a world leader, not just the Republican incumbent in the White House, but a man whose actions appear to take account of events shaping the world – even in places as far removed from the hustle and bustle of American politics as England and India. At the same time, Trump did not neglect to mention that Soleimani supposedly also “targeted, injured, and murdered hundreds of American civilians and servicemen,” as a reminder for his home audience that he is first and foremost the President of the United States, a nation that “has the best military by far, anywhere in the world. We have best intelligence in the world.” Before finishing his address, Donald J. Trump did not forget to remind his audience that “recently, American Special Operations Forces killed the terrorist leader known as al-Baghdadi,” even more than insinuating that he personally had “destroyed the ISIS territorial caliphate.” This latest public relations stunt clearly deflects the American public’s attention from many things, including the ongoing impeachment trial that seems to upset Donald Trump quite a bit in spite of his nonchallant attitude towards Nancy Pelosi’s apparently quite ineffectual and counter-productive ploy.
The Raging Twenties: Heralding the End of America
Trump has now really outdone Obama, killing two terrorist “monsters,” instead of just one. And while Obama’s announcement that Osama bin Laden had been killed took the world by surprise, Soleimani’s death really came as a bolt from the blue and has equally sent ripples throughout the world – even Kashmiri Shiite Muslims have now taken to the street to protest this wanton murder, even momentarily forgetting about India’s PM Modi and his desire to build a Hindutva nation-state on the sub-continent (3 January 2020).
Though the strike came totally unexpectedly, its timing seems really rather reactive, coming on the heels of the storming of the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad’s Green Zone. Interestingly, it was the Guardian‘s Luke Harding who weighed-in, putting it like this: “Protesters in Iraq have dealt a symbolic blow to US prestige by storming the American embassy in Baghdad, trapping diplomats inside while chanting ‘Death to America’ and slogans in support of pro-Iranian militias.” Harding actually called this a “humiliating day for Washington” in Baghdad. Rather than letting this take-over escalate into a hostage crisis similar to Tehran in 1980, the Trump administration acted swiftly: “Many US embassy staff were evacuated or airlifted from the compound, and an additional detachment of 100 US Marines were called in as reinforcements, along with an additional 750 troops from fast battalion 82nd Airborne Division sent to Kuwait preparing to go into Iraq. US combat helicopters circled overhead, as well as around the entire Green Zone and over civilians neighborhoods in Baghdad. This move was not received well by the Iraqi government who forbid such US military patrols as part of their status of forces agreement for the country. The siege lasted until News Years Eve on December 31st, before the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Mukhabarat internal security eventually arrived to disperse the angry crowds,” as related by our very own 21st Century Wire‘s Patrick Henningsen.
Apparently unable to countenance this “humiliating day for Washington,” thin-skinned Trump then authorised the drone strike on Soleimani (as also hinted at in the President’s televised statement), in this way taking out the ‘2nd most powerful man in Iran,’ as the dead general is now being universally described. But, as officially the U.S. is not at war with either Iraq or Iran, this assassination really has all the hallmarks of a wanton act of terror. Iran’s UN Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi published a written statement which calls Soleimani’s murder an “obvious example of State terrorism and, as a criminal act, constitutes a gross violation of the fundamental principles of international law, including, in particular, those stipulated in the Charter of the United Nations.” In this context, the ever-colourful yet incisive and deeply insightful Pepe Escobar posted this “Raging Twenties reminder” on his Facebook page, namely that “Stupidistan has declared war on Iran AND Iraq.” And for all intents and purposes, Escobar is correct, albeit that the official narrative continues to spin alternative facts befitting the alternate reality we are now inhabiting in the Age of Trump, where the twenties that were ‘Roaring’ in the 20th century, have become Raging and the United States of America has been downgraded to being nothing but a ‘Stupidistan.’
In the U.S., where much of the real world seems far away, Democratic politicians have now come out to complain about the fact that “Congress wasn’t consulted.” The soon-to-be octogenarian House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (her birthday is on March, 26) even called the drone strike a “provocative and disproportionate action.” On the other hand, the intrepid Turkish journalist Hikmet Durgun tweets that, “4 minutes before the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the U.S. informed Iraq’s authorities” (6:36 pm. 5 Jan 2020).
Back in the U.S. then, Sleepy Joe aka Trump’s wanna-be rival former Vice President Joe Biden, has said some choice words now, hinting at the fact that his favourite opponent, the 45th U.S. President “tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox,” thereby bringing the U.S. to “the brink of a major conflict across the Middle East” and arguably the rest of the world. Though Biden seems to have ignored the current political constellations, focusing solely on the Middle East as the traditional proxy-theatre for superpower conflicts, this high-tech assassination could arguably lead to a domino effect in the newly-formed network of alliances which I have termed “New Cold War Realignments” – pitting the U.S. and its NATO allies against Russia, China, Turkey and Iran. In the last century, on 28 June 1914 to be precise, a terror act executed by the Serb Gavrilo Princip (1894-1918) led to the worldwide conflagration that became known as the Great War, and that we nowadays refer to as World War I (1914-18). Princip’s decidedly low tech assassination of the Habsburg Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1863-1914) instigated the mobilisation of allies and alliances that in a short while led to the German invasion of Belgium, Luxembourg, and France (4 August 1914) and the subsequent all-out war that was to draw in the United States at the last moment (6 April 1917). And that was eventually to lead to the current jumble of nation states populating Europe and the Middle East, in the wake of the Sykes-Picot agreement (23 November 1917) and the Treaty of Versailles (28 June 1919). At the moment, it would seem rather unlikely that Qassem Soleimani’s death from above would lead to such a globe-spanning conflict . . . as most commentators like to remind everybody that it is more likely that Tehran will execute a ‘asymmetric reaction,’ hinting at the possibility that some kind of soft target within the U.S. orbit could fall victim to righteous Iranian outrage. This case was convincingly made by Representative Tulsi Gabbard, the Hawaii Democrat who is running for president: “It further escalates this tit for tat that’s going on and on and on, [and that] will elicit a very serious response from Iran, and [pushes] us deeper and deeper into this quagmire. And it really begs the question: For what?” Gabbard spoke these pregnant words on Fox & Friends (3 January 2020), apparently one of Trump’s favourite television programmes. The Hawaii Representative has made a dedicated following among people critical of U.S. foreign policy and the good old American tradition of ‘endless wars,’ which is also a favourite trope used by then candidate Trump when he was pitching himself to the American public in 2016. On the other hand, as a practising Hindu, Gabbard’s apparent ties to India’s strongman Modi and his Hindutva ideology have drawn the ire of her opponents dubious character, as forcefully argued by the activist and journalist Pieter Friedrich.
Behind the Scenes: Bibi’s Intervention and the Return of the Mahdi
President Trump, staying true to his own idiosyncratic view of the world and its affairs, has told journalists in Miami that “[w]e took action [Thursday] night [which corresponds to Friday morning in Iraq] to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war.” Trump’s warped appreciation of reality makes him sound truly Orwellian in tone and voice.
In a apologistic fashion, the media company Bloomberg relates that the “president’s decision to target the powerful head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force came together swiftly, following the death of an American contractor in a Dec 27 rocket attack by an Iranian-backed militia against an US base in Iraq.” On 31 December 2019, however, Secretary of State Pompeo had a phone call with Israel’s Netanyahu (aka Bibi), tweeting subsequently that “[w]e discussed U.S. defensive strikes in Iraq and Syria to counter Iran’s threats.” This clearly indicates that the U.S. and Israel, or rather Trump and Bibi (and/or their proxies), appear to work hand in glove. As a matter of fact, it would stand to reason that this U.S. President’s extreme hostility towards Iran really stems from his close ties to the currently beleaguered Israeli PM. For Bibi has a bit of an obsession, an obsession called Iran: as long ago as 1997, he made the following utterly amazing statement: “Iran, unseen, unperturbed and undisturbed is building a formidable arsenal of ballistic missiles, actually ICBM’s (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles). Stage One would reach our area, Stage Two it would reach Britain and Stage Three, believe it or not, they actually plan to reach the eastern seaboard of the United States, Manhattan. This sounds fantastic but Iran wants to be a world power with a world ideology of fundamentalist domination, seeing the West as its great enemy. It seeks to have weapons to back up that ideology and that is even more dangerous than Saddam because there is a fanaticism, an ideological fanaticism attached to the acquisition of these weapons.” And ever since that time Bibi has been urging the United States to invade Iran – neither Bill Clinton, George W. Bush nor Barack Obama paid him any heed, but now his old friend Trump seems to have felt obliged. As apparently confirmed by one of Pepe Escobar’s top sources: “Israel set up the killing of General Qassem Soleimani to draw the United States into a war with Iran as with Iraq. That is what this is all about.” While on Twitter, the political scientist Professor Max Abrahms declared that the “#SoleimaniAssassination wasn’t intel-driven. It was ideology-driven. Of course, the White House can’t just come out and say that.”
BREAKING: What has to be the biggest ever funeral seen in the history of the world is currently underway. pic.twitter.com/XOvWslBVU3 — Ismail Abramjee (@IsmailAbramjee) January 5, 2020
And it seems, the Iranian authorities really do regard Soleimani’s murder as a crime deserving serious punishment, a punishment that might even conjure up truly eschatological dimensions involving war and violence on a grand scale, a scale that might portend the end of the world and the return of the ‘Hidden Iman’ (Muhammad Ibn al-Hasan) as the ‘Mahdi,’ which means ‘The Guided One’ who ushers in the union of Islam preceding the end of the world – an expectation that has a “major ecclesiastical importance in Shia Islam.” On Saturday, 4 January 2020, the “Red Flag of Hussein [was raised] over the Holy Dome of Jamkaran Mosque, in [the Holy City of] Qom,” and as explained by Joaquin Flores, the Editor-in-Chief of Fort Russ News, the “raising of the red flag gives a precise signal – it indicates that a major war is to come or is even now underway.” The Red Flag is redolent with the full Shia imagery of martyrdom and reminiscent of the sacrifice of Imam Hussain, whose martyrdom at Karbala is annually remembered with festive and violent processions. General Qassem Soleimani had been so revered that he was called the “Living Martyr” and now, Bibi via the good offices of his buddy Trump, has promoted the General to the lofty status of a dead martyr or Shahid – the souls of martyrs go straight to heaven where they sit down next to the Prophet Muhammad facing the countenance of Allah – for the Quran states: “And those who are killed in the cause of Allah – never will He waste their deeds. He will guide them and amend their condition And admit them to Paradise, which He has made known to them” (47:4-6). But the unfurling of the Red Flag also has a direct and tactical aim, for it “speaks of events yet to unfold in [a] short time,” as explained by Flores. On the day before the unfurling of the Red Flag in Qom, President Trump told a crowd of fervent Evangelicals in Miami the following: “I do really believe we have God on our side.” In other words, we now seem to have arrived at a situation where both opponents appear to act in accordance with their deeply held beliefs rather than their appreciation of reality on the ground. In case of Trump, the sincerity of his convictions might seem dubious, but his Vice President and a large section his base seem utterly convinced. According to some of his Christian base, the Evangelical God may very well be on Trump’s side, but an escalation would only usher in a domino effect involving allies and alliances in the current New Cold War Realignments possibly leading to a globe-spanning conflict and a ‘veritable’ return of the Mahdi.
Over the weekend (4-5 January 2020), Qassem Soleimani’s mortal remains were dutifully transported, while numerous believers paid their respects, the funeral procession “began at [Baghdad]’s Al Muthana Airport, then moved to the gate of the Green Zone. As the procession snaked though the streets, some mourners carried portraits of Soleimani while others held portraits of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Later, the procession left for the Shia Muslim holy cities of Karbala and Najaf,” reports the BBC. The remains of the martyred Soleimani thus paid its respects to Shi’a Islam’s foundational martyrs, Imam Hussein and his father Imam Ali, respectively buried in either location. From there, the dead Soleimani was transported to Iran, with the procession starting off in the city of Ahvaz on Sunday (5 January 2020), where “[t]ens of thousands of black-clad mourners have filled the streets.” From there, Iran’s leadership will have the remains take to the holy city of Mashhad as well as Tehran and the holy city of Qom on Monday [6 January 2010] for public mourning processions, then to his hometown of Kerman for burial on Tuesday [7 January 2020].” Alas, the Supreme Leader’s people did not anticipate the population of the second city Mashhad’s turnout: massive crowds flooded the streets necessitating the cancellation of the Tehran ceremonies, in view of the “glorious, intense and million-man presence of the revolutionary people of Mashhad,” an official Iranian statement read. Meanwhile on the ground in Iraq and in cyberspace, as reported by The Telegraph’s Josie Ensor, a “volley of missiles appeared to target the US’s embassy and one of its bases in Iraq on Saturday night,” adding that a “Katusya rocket struck inside the Green Zone close to the American mission in Baghdad, followed minutes later by a two rockets 40 miles away on al-Balad airbase, which houses US Air Force trainers.” In fact, many more attacks occurred throughout the whole of Iraq in the wake of Soleiman’s violent and untimely death . . .
Meanwhile, Trump has again taken to Twitter to issue threats in the face of an imminent Iranian reaction: “Iran is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets as revenge for our ridding the world of their terrorist leader who had just killed an American, & badly wounded many others, not to mention all of the people he had killed over his lifetime, including recently . . . . hundreds of Iranian protesters. He was already attacking our Embassy, and preparing for additional hits in other locations. Iran has been nothing but problems for many years. Let this serve as a WARNING that if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets, we have . . . targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats!” (11:52 pm. 4 Jan 2020).
….targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. The USA wants no more threats! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2020
Through it seems unlikely the President personally composed and tweeted this digital threat, Iran was not averse to reacting in kind, with Khamenei’s military adviser Hossein Dehghan telling CNN that the U.S. President’s tweets are “ridiculous and absurd.” While, on Twitter itself, the Islamic Republic’s Information and Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi simply stated that “Trump is a ‘terrorist in a suit’ . . . [saying that the U.S. President is] Like ISIS, like Hitler, Like Genghis!” even adding that “[t]hey all hate cultures” (9:47 am. 5 Jan 202).
Though Trump may now think that his reckless murder of the Quds Force leader shows him to be a better or stronger president that either Bush Jr. or Obama, on the ground in Iraq his apparent quiescence to Bibi’s incessant sounding of war drums has led Baghdad’s “Parliament [to] pass a resolution to end the presence of all foreign troops in the country,” as reported by TRT World.
Is this perhaps the beginning Stupidistan’s retreat from the scene or will the current New Cold War Realignments lead to a dark and bloody future . . . The time to find out is now, or, rather sooner than later.
***
21WIRE special contributor Dr. Can Erimtan is an independent historian and geo-political analyst who used to live in Istanbul. At present, he is in self-imposed exile from Turkey. He has a wide interest in the politics, history and culture of the Balkans. the greater Middle East, and the world beyond.. He attended the VUB in Brussels and did his graduate work at the universities of Essex and Oxford. In Oxford, Erimtan was a member of Lady Margaret Hall and he obtained his doctorate in Modern History in 2002. His publications include the revisionist monograph “Ottomans Looking West?” as well as numerous scholarly articles. In Istanbul, Erimtan started publishing in the English language Turkish press, culminating in him becoming the Turkey Editor of the İstanbul Gazette. Subsequently, he commenced writing for RT Op-Edge, NEO, and finally, the 21st Century Wire. You can find him on Twitter at @TheErimtanAngle. Read Can’s archive here.
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21stcenturywire--2020-01-05--US Narrative on Iran is Quickly Falling Apart

As Washington continues to escalate and bait Iran into a wider war , President Donald Trump shocked many international observers by issuing a series of bizarre and wild threats , threatening to attack 52 targets inside Iran , including the country ’ s historic and cultural sites – supposedly in revenge for the 52 Americans held during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis .
Experts are left wondering if anyone , including Congress , will be able to restrain the White House and Israel – both of whom seem bent on starting this war with Iran .
“ A world-renowned panel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special on the act of war that was the US ’ s assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani .
University of Tehran Professor Mohammed Marandi gives us the latest from Iran , while Congressman Ron Paul discusses the military-industrial complex .
Former UN Weapons inspector John Ritter , Grayzone editor Max Blumenthal , former US diplomat Jim Jatras , NRS Special Correspondent Michele Greenstein , and Boom Bust host Christy Ai discuss why this attack occurred and what will happen next.
” Watch Rick Sanchez from RT America moderating an international panel on @ @ @ @

By
As Washington continues to escalate and bait Iran into a wider war, President Donald Trump shocked many international observers by issuing a series of bizarre and wild threats, threatening to attack 52 targets inside Iran, including the country’s historic and cultural sites – supposedly in revenge for the 52 Americans held during the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. Experts are left wondering if anyone, including Congress, will be able to restrain the White House and Israel – both of whom seem bent on starting this war with Iran.
“A world-renowned panel of experts joins Rick Sanchez for this special on the act of war that was the US’s assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. University of Tehran Professor Mohammed Marandi gives us the latest from Iran, while Congressman Ron Paul discusses the military-industrial complex. Former UN Weapons inspector John Ritter, Grayzone editor Max Blumenthal, former US diplomat Jim Jatras, NRS Special Correspondent Michele Greenstein, and Boom Bust host Christy Ai discuss why this attack occurred and what will happen next.”
Watch Rick Sanchez from RT America moderating an international panel on this latest crisis:
.
READ MORE IRAN NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Iran Files
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21stcenturywire--2020-01-05--Episode #309 – ‘Trump Invites WWIII’ guests Patrick Henningsen, Daniel Spaulding and more

Episode # 309 of SUNDAY WIRE SHOW resumes on Dec 29 , 2019 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 guest host Hesher from ACR , covering the top stories in the US , Europe and Internationally .
This week has seen a startling turn over world events , as the US has attacked an Iraqi military base , and followed that up by assassinated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizaions .
Meanwhile , President Trump is unhinged , going wild on Twitter threatening to bomb Iran , its oil industry and cultural sites next if they dare respond to America ’ s unprovoked attack against them .
We ’ ll connected with Patrick Henningsen in London who has been reporting on this story this week , as well as political commentator Daniel Spaulding , and more .
In the second hour we ’ ll also speak with the SUNDAY WIRE ’ s Roving Correspondent for Culture & Sport , Basil Valentine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the show… AND ALSO BECOME A TEAM MEMBER @ 21WIRE.TV *NOTE : THIS EPISODE MAY CONTAIN STRONG LANGUAGE AND MATURE THEMES*

By
Episode #309 of SUNDAY WIRE SHOW resumes on Jan 5, 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 guest host Hesher from ACR, covering the top stories in the US, Europe and Internationally. This week has seen a startling turn over world events, as the US has attacked an Iraqi military base, and followed that up by assassinated leaders in both Iranian and Iraqi military organizaions. Meanwhile, President Trump is unhinged, going wild on Twitter threatening to bomb Iran, its oil industry and cultural sites next if they dare respond to America’s unprovoked attack against them. We’ll connected with Patrick Henningsen in London who has been reporting on this story this week, as well as political commentator Daniel Spaulding, and more. In the second hour we’ll also speak with the SUNDAY WIRE’s Roving Correspondent for Culture & Sport, Basil Valentine. All this and much more. Enjoy the show…
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*NOTE: THIS EPISODE MAY CONTAIN STRONG LANGUAGE AND MATURE THEMES*
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21stcenturywire--2020-01-04--Democrats Pushing Back on Trump’s Drone Strike ‘Gutted’ Antiwar Provisions Weeks Ago

Top U.S. Democrats are starting to voice their opposition to President Trump ’ s recent act of war – the ordering of a drone strike earlier this week in Iraq that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani , also killing Iraqi PMU leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement on Thursday calling the deadly airstrike “ provocative and disproportional ” and risks further escalation of violence in the region .
But just weeks ago , the Pelosi-led democratic majority voted overwhelmingly ( 188-41 ) in favor of the House ’ s final version of the 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – effectively stripping it of important antiwar measures that would have required congressional authorization for any future attacks on Iran .
In July of 2019 , a bipartisan amendment to the NDAA was introduced by Reps. Ro Khanna ( D-CA ) and Matt Gaetz ( R-FL ) to prevent unauthorized use of military force against Iran .
At the time , Pelosi applauded the co-sponsors for the antiwar provisions during a House floor speech in support of the bill : 2020 Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders followed Pelosi and other top Democrats this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has joined Rep. Khanna in an attempt to reintroduce legislation that would block funding for a war with Iran .
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( D-NY ) , who voted against the House ’ s final version of the NDAA in December , used her Twitter pulpit on Friday urging members to reintroduce the previously “ gutted ” antiwar provisions but some critics have called it grandstanding : There ’ s a very real prospect of a multinational conflagration in the Middle East , including a direct confrontation with Iran .
Speaker Pelosi and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for in the aftermath of Trump ’ s act of war .

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Top U.S. Democrats are starting to voice their opposition to President Trump’s recent act of war – the ordering of a drone strike earlier this week in Iraq that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, also killing Iraqi PMU leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement on Thursday calling the deadly airstrike “provocative and disproportional” and risks further escalation of violence in the region.
But just weeks ago, the Pelosi-led democratic majority voted overwhelmingly (188-41) in favor of the House’s final version of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) – effectively stripping it of important antiwar measures that would have required congressional authorization for any future attacks on Iran.
In July of 2019, a bipartisan amendment to the NDAA was introduced by Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to prevent unauthorized use of military force against Iran. At the time, Pelosi applauded the co-sponsors for the antiwar provisions during a House floor speech in support of the bill:
“We applaud Representative Ro Khanna and the many bipartisan co-sponsors of their amendment to prohibit federal funds from being used for any military force against Iran without congressional authorization. As I rise to support the bill, I also rise to support Mr. Khanna’s amendment.”
2020 Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders followed Pelosi and other top Democrats this week condemning Trump’s actions and has joined Rep. Khanna in an attempt to reintroduce legislation that would block funding for a war with Iran.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who voted against the House’s final version of the NDAA in December, used her Twitter pulpit on Friday urging members to reintroduce the previously “gutted” antiwar provisions but some critics have called it grandstanding:
We already have the no more presidential wars act. I appreciate ur voice in trying to simmer this situation, but how about we use the laws we ALREADY HAVE rather than introducing another bill to grandstand? Stop playing politics and use the tools already at ur disposal. — Niko House 🌺 (@nikoCSFB) January 3, 2020
There’s a very real prospect of a multinational conflagration in the Middle East, including a direct confrontation with Iran.
Speaker Pelosi and her majority now have more to answer for in the aftermath of Trump’s act of war.
READ MORE ANTIWAR NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Antiwar Files
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21stcenturywire--2020-01-04--Trump’s Act of War Opens New Chapter of Turbulence for America Abroad

General Qasem Soleimani was commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ( IRGC ) ( Photo : Sayyed Shahab-o-din Vajedi .
Source : Wikicommons ) Donald Trump personally ordered the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani , with an Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis as collateral damage .
Trump then followed the assassination by tweeting the American flag .
The killing took place at Baghdad Airport , in the sovereign nation of Iraq , a killing that was not sanctioned by the government of Iraq or authorized by the U.S. Congress .
Trump justified the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a terrorist and was “ directly and indirectly responsible for the death of millions of people.
” The Pentagon released yet another justification statement , saying that “ General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region… General Soleimani also approved the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that took place this week.
” After the assassination , Trump went on to taunt Iran : “ Iran never won a war , but never lost a negotiation !
” and piled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While Iran will never be able to properly admit it , Soleimani was both hated and feared within the country .
They are not nearly as saddened as the leaders will let the outside world believe .
He should have been taken out many years ago !
” Trump ’ s ordered assassination and rhetoric full of lies resolves nothing and makes the world more insecure and lawless , endangering all humanity .
Before examining Iran ’ s and America ’ s record on recent foreign interventions , terrorism , and extraterritorial deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be pointed out .
Iran has been around far longer than has the United States .
It may surprise Trump that Iran had one of the most extensive empires known to man , and yes , along the way , it has won a war or two .
In Trump ’ s world , the CIA and the myriad of U.S. intelligence agencies act as boy scouts while Iran ’ s intelligence services are terrorists .
Trump applauds America ’ s covert operations , including war criminals such as Chief Petty Officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlawful killings .
He should study America ’ s history of covert operations before he opens his mouth , including the 1953 overthrow of the Prime Minister of Iran .
The United States has bases around the world , interfered in dozens of countries that are thousands of miles away , and yet tells Iran not to worry about its security in its neighborhood .
Such nonsensical pleadings fall on deaf ears .
If Trump can label anyone that he wishes as a terrorist and fair game , so can anyone else around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump accuses Iran of the direct and indirect responsibility for millions of deaths and yet does not see America in the mirror as he speaks – the Vietnam War , the invasion of Iraq , the invasion of Afghanistan , and support for Saudi intervention in the genocide in Yemen to name but a few , most directly inflicting death and pain on Iran through America ’ s tacit support for Saddam Hussein ’ s invasion of Iran and the transfer of outlawed chemical weapons to Iraq .
Yes , the deaths in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blood on America ’ s hands as opposed to Soleimani ’ s imaginary “ millions.
” Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal with Iran , a UN agreement .
And to add insult to injury , he tightened economic sanctions on the country .
These sanctions do not affect the well-being of the regime in Tehran but impaired the lives of ordinary Iranians , denying them even desperately needed medicines .
After all this , Trump goes on to say that General Soleimani was both hated and feared in Iran .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure , some even say the most popular person in Iran , with 8 in 10 Iranians having a favorable view of him , according to a public opinion study published by the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland in October 2019 .
He was an icon in Iran and among Shia Muslims the world over… Continue reading this story at The Globe Post *** Author Hossein Askari is an Emeritus Iran Professor of International Business and International Affairs at the George Washington University .
In 1991 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran and Saudi Arabia to mediate and restore their diplomatic relations and by the government of Kuwait to improve relations with Iran .

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General Qasem Soleimani was commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) (Photo: Sayyed Shahab-o-din Vajedi. Source: Wikicommons)
Hossein Askari
The Globe Post
Donald Trump personally ordered the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, with an Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis as collateral damage. Trump then followed the assassination by tweeting the American flag.
The killing took place at Baghdad Airport, in the sovereign nation of Iraq, a killing that was not sanctioned by the government of Iraq or authorized by the U.S. Congress. Trump justified the assassination by falsely claiming that General Soleimani was a terrorist and was “directly and indirectly responsible for the death of millions of people.”
General Qassem Soleimani has killed or badly wounded thousands of Americans over an extended period of time, and was plotting to kill many more…but got caught! He was directly and indirectly responsible for the death of millions of people, including the recent large number…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2020
The Pentagon released yet another justification statement, saying that “General Soleimani was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region… General Soleimani also approved the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that took place this week.”
After the assassination, Trump went on to taunt Iran: “Iran never won a war, but never lost a negotiation!” and piled onto General Soleimani’s legacy “While Iran will never be able to properly admit it, Soleimani was both hated and feared within the country. They are not nearly as saddened as the leaders will let the outside world believe. He should have been taken out many years ago!” Trump’s ordered assassination and rhetoric full of lies resolves nothing and makes the world more insecure and lawless, endangering all humanity.
Trump and History
Before examining Iran’s and America’s record on recent foreign interventions, terrorism, and extraterritorial deaths, Trump’s ignorance about history should be pointed out. Iran has been around far longer than has the United States. It may surprise Trump that Iran had one of the most extensive empires known to man, and yes, along the way, it has won a war or two.
In Trump’s world, the CIA and the myriad of U.S. intelligence agencies act as boy scouts while Iran’s intelligence services are terrorists. Trump applauds America’s covert operations, including war criminals such as Chief Petty Officer Eddie Gallagher, and accuses Iranians of unlawful killings.
He should study America’s history of covert operations before he opens his mouth, including the 1953 overthrow of the Prime Minister of Iran. The United States has bases around the world, interfered in dozens of countries that are thousands of miles away, and yet tells Iran not to worry about its security in its neighborhood. Such nonsensical pleadings fall on deaf ears. If Trump can label anyone that he wishes as a terrorist and fair game, so can anyone else around the world coin Trump a terrorist.
Blood on America’s Hands
Trump accuses Iran of the direct and indirect responsibility for millions of deaths and yet does not see America in the mirror as he speaks – the Vietnam War, the invasion of Iraq, the invasion of Afghanistan, and support for Saudi intervention in the genocide in Yemen to name but a few, most directly inflicting death and pain on Iran through America’s tacit support for Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Iran and the transfer of outlawed chemical weapons to Iraq. Yes, the deaths in this war well exceeded a million with blood on America’s hands as opposed to Soleimani’s imaginary “millions.”
PM @AdilAbdAlMahdi: Carrying out operations to assassinate Iraqi figures and figures from another country on Iraqi soil is a flagrant violation of Iraqi sovereignty and a dangerous escalation. — Government of Iraq – الحكومة العراقية (@IraqiGovt) January 3, 2020
Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal with Iran, a UN agreement. And to add insult to injury, he tightened economic sanctions on the country. These sanctions do not affect the well-being of the regime in Tehran but impaired the lives of ordinary Iranians, denying them even desperately needed medicines.
After all this, Trump goes on to say that General Soleimani was both hated and feared in Iran. But Soleimani was an extraordinarily popular Iranian public figure, some even say the most popular person in Iran, with 8 in 10 Iranians having a favorable view of him, according to a public opinion study published by the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland in October 2019. He was an icon in Iran and among Shia Muslims the world over…
Continue reading this story at The Globe Post
***
Author Hossein Askari is an Emeritus Iran Professor of International Business and International Affairs at the George Washington University. In 1991, he was asked by the governments of Iran and Saudi Arabia to mediate and restore their diplomatic relations and by the government of Kuwait to improve relations with Iran.
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21stcenturywire--2020-01-03--UN Rapporteur: US Using Coercion By Torture Against Manning

On New Year ’ s eve , the UN ’ s Special Rapporteur on Torture , Nils Melzer , released @ @ @ @ @ justice system of submitting whistleblower Chelsea Manning to coercive treatment which equates to torture .
@ @ @ @ @ with RT International this week about the case and how it indicates a collapse in @ @ @ @ @ : HELP SUPPORT THIS INDEPENDENT MEDIA PLATFORM – BECOME A [ email protected ] 21WIRE.TV

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On New Year’s eve, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, released a letter accusing the US justice system of submitting whistleblower Chelsea Manning to coercive treatment which equates to torture.
21WIRE editor Patrick Henningsen spoke with RT International this week about the case and how it indicates a collapse in western justice standards. Watch:
.
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