russia-insider--2020-05-20--Will Trump Chicken Out Again, or Finish the Job and Send the Russiahoax Coup Plotters to Jail?

The possibility that Trump will not chicken out this time , and rather will challenge the Security State looms large since he felt personally under attack .
Seldom mentioned among the motives behind the persistent drumming on alleged Russian interference was an over-arching need to help the Security State hide their tracks .
The need for a scapegoat to blame for Hillary Clinton ’ s snatching defeat out of the jaws victory also played a role ; as did the need for the Military-Industrial-Congressional-Intelligence-Media-Academia-Think-Tank complex ( MICIMATT ) to keep front and center in the minds of Americans the alleged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Russia .
( Recall that John McCain called the , now disproven , “ Russian hacking ” of the DNC emails an “ act of war.
” ) But that was then .
This is now .
Though the corporate media is trying to bury it , the Russiagate narrative has in the past few weeks finally collapsed with the revelation that CrowdStrike had no evidence Russia took anything from the DNC servers and that the FBI set a perjury trap for Gen. Michael Flynn .
There was already the previous government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump and Russia and the indictment of a Russian troll farm that supposedly was destroying American democracy with $ 100,000 in Facebook ads was dropped after the St. Petersburg defendants sought discovery .
All that ’ s left is to discover how this all happened .
Attorney General William Barr , and U.S. Attorney John Durham , whom Barr commissioned to investigate this whole sordid mess seem intent on getting to the bottom of it .
The possibility that Trump will not chicken out this time , and rather will challenge the Security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under attack .
Given the diffident attitude the Security State plotters adopted regarding hiding their tracks , Durham ’ s challenge , with subpoena power , is not as formidable as were he , for example , investigating a Mafia family .
Plus , former NSA Director Adm. Michael S. Rogers reportedly is cooperating .
The handwriting is on the wall .
It remains to be seen what kind of role in the scandal Barack Obama may have played .
But former directors James Comey , James Clapper , and John Brennan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , can take little solace from Barr ’ s remarks Monday to a reporter who asked about Trump ’ s recent claims that top officials of the Obama administration , including the former president had committed crimes .
Barr replied : In a more ominous vein , Barr gratuitously added that law enforcement and intelligence officials were involved in “ a false and utterly baseless Russian collusion narrative against the president .
It was a grave injustice , and it was unprecedented in American history.
” Meanwhile , the corporate media have all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump had the audacity a week ago to coin yet another “ -gate ” — this time “ Obamagate.
” Leading the apoplectic reaction in corporate media , Saturday ’ s Washington Post offered a pot-calling-the-kettle-black pronouncement by its editorial board entitled “ The absurd cynicism of ‘ Obamagate ” ?
The outrage voiced by the Post called to mind disgraced FBI agent Peter Strzok ’ s indignant response to criticism of the FBI by candidate Trump , in a Oct. 20 , 2016 text exchange with FBI attorney Lisa Page : Less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widely respected author and lawyer Glenn Greenwald on May 14 , four days after Trump coined “ Obamagate ” : ( See “ System Update with Glenn Greenwald – The Sham Prosecution of Michael Flynn ” ) .
For a shorter , equally instructive video of Greenwald on the broader issue of Russia-gate , see this clip from a March 2019 Democracy Now !
-sponsored debate he had with David Cay Johnston titled , “ As Mueller Finds No Collusion , Did Press Overhype Russiagate ?
Glenn Greenwald vs. David Cay Johnston ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listening to ) .
I found one of the comments below the Democracy Now !
video as big as a bummer as the commentator did : In any case , Johnston , undaunted by his embarrassment at the hands of Greenwald , is still at it , and so is the avuncular Frank Rich — both of them some 20 years older than Greenwald and set in their evidence-impoverished , media-indoctrinated ways .
There is no defense for most Trump policies or his personality , but a greater wrong is the politicization of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him and potentially future elected leaders .
Sadly , as is apparently the case with Covid:19 , older people seem particularly susceptible to what has been called Trump Derangement Syndrome—the notion that Trump is uniquely evil , while , for instance , George W. Bush , who illegally invaded Iraq—what Nuremberg termed the worst war crime , the crime of aggression—was not .
Johnston now has his own website : DCReport.org .
A piece dated May 8 , bears the title “ How Barr Is Advancing Trump ’ s Quest to Become President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this purported effort by Barr , Johnston indicates that he does not like what Barr ’ s Justice Department did in moving to drop the charges against Gen. Michael Flynn .
He does not like it , not one bit !
Here are some additional gems from Johnston ’ s latest : “ Trump denies the Russians helped him become president .
But America ’ s intelligence agencies , the bi-partisan chairs of the Senate Intelligence Committee , the 418-page Mueller report and emails from none other than Donald Trump Jr. all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary Clinton .
The only issue on which the facts are not complete was whether Trump was a passive beneficiary or he knowingly worked with the Kremlin , whether obliquely or hand-in-glove .
Just weeks after assuming office Trump held an unannounced meeting in the Oval Office with Russia ’ s foreign minister and Russian ambassador and a “ photographer ” for the Kremlin-owned Tass news agency .
The Russians revealed the meeting .
They also disclosed that Trump gave them “ sources and methods ” intelligence , which is closely guarded to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latest abuse of power to protect a criminal crony who was on Vladimir Putin ’ s payroll and a secret foreign agent is more than an impeachable offense .
Trump , Barr and Shea also sent a clear message : Team Trump harbors no regard for the rule of law , the foundation of our liberties and democratic freedoms.
” David Cay Johnston enjoys the company of other erstwhile respected pundits , notably Frank Rich .
In younger days , both wrote for The New York Times , where , sadly , writers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the syndrome .
In a New York magazine article by Frank Rich entitled , “ ‘ Obamagate ’ Means Trump Is Desperate , ’ he attempts to analyze Trump ’ s recent coinage of “ Obamagate.
” Read it and lament over what has become of yet another formerly respectable journalist .
He uncritically quotes a New York contributor , Alex Carp : “ ‘ Obamagate ’ , in Trump ’ s brilliant coinage , is a conspiracy so vast , a crime so dastardly , that it should guarantee his reelection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tell voters exactly what it is .
As best as I can glean from his spokespeople on the Rupert Murdoch payroll — at Fox News , the New York Post , and the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal — it was a coup that involved both installing Trump in the White House so that he could preside over the most corrupt and incompetent administration in American history and propelling a beloved national hero , the Kremlin sycophant and former Obama official Michael Flynn , to prison .
For a moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second goal might be thwarted by Bill Barr ’ s effort to hand Flynn a Get Out of Jail Free card .
But thanks to the deep-state intervention of a U.S. district judge in Washington this week , Flynn may end up behind bars after all .
Obamagate Accomplished !
” Has Rich lost it ?
Is this dismissive gibberish meant to be facetious , sarcastic ?
Is it a pedantic attempt at reductio ad absurdum ?
— like Saturday ’ s Washington Post editorial board pronouncement of “ The absurd cynicism of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep up with the news , or is he now filing from Joe Biden ’ s basement ?
Is Consortium News included in his diet of reading ?
Quick .
Someone tell Rich that “ Russia-Trump collusion ” and the far-fetched charges that the Russian Internet Research Agency helped Trump become president — as well as the tall tale that Russia “ hacked ” the DNC emails — have all collapsed .
My father , for many years a professor at Fordham Law School , used to speak jocularly of another all-too-familiar syndrome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it “ the age of statutory senility.
” As Chancellor of the Board of Regents , he resigned well before he reached that age , offering his own example to superannuated Board colleagues ( to no avail ) .
These days , I think he would probably consider 70 the age of “ statutory senility ” , especially were he able to read the blather of once respected journalists — like Frank Rich , whose work he used to enjoy .
Let ’ s make sure someone is working on a vaccine for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Tell the Word , a publishing arm of the ecumenical Church of the Saviour in inner-city Washington .
During his 27-year career as a CIA analyst , he led the Soviet Foreign Policy Branch and prepared and briefed , in person , The President ’ Daily Brief .
Full disclosure : Ray is 80 .

The possibility that Trump will not chicken out this time, and rather will challenge the Security State looms large since he felt personally under attack.
Seldom mentioned among the motives behind the persistent drumming on alleged Russian interference was an over-arching need to help the Security State hide their tracks.
The need for a scapegoat to blame for Hillary Clinton’s snatching defeat out of the jaws victory also played a role; as did the need for the Military-Industrial-Congressional-Intelligence-Media-Academia-Think-Tank complex (MICIMATT) to keep front and center in the minds of Americans the alleged multifaceted threat coming from an “aggressive” Russia. (Recall that John McCain called the, now disproven, “Russian hacking” of the DNC emails an “act of war.”)
But that was then. This is now.
Though the corporate media is trying to bury it, the Russiagate narrative has in the past few weeks finally collapsed with the revelation that CrowdStrike had no evidence Russia took anything from the DNC servers and that the FBI set a perjury trap for Gen. Michael Flynn. There was already the previous government finding that there was no collusion between Trump and Russia and the indictment of a Russian troll farm that supposedly was destroying American democracy with $100,000 in Facebook ads was dropped after the St. Petersburg defendants sought discovery.
All that’s left is to discover how this all happened.
Attorney General William Barr, and U.S. Attorney John Durham, whom Barr commissioned to investigate this whole sordid mess seem intent on getting to the bottom of it. The possibility that Trump will not chicken out this time, and rather will challenge the Security State looms large since he felt personally under attack.
President Donald Trump and Attorney General William Barr, 2019. (Wikimedia Commons)
Writing on the Wall
Given the diffident attitude the Security State plotters adopted regarding hiding their tracks, Durham’s challenge, with subpoena power, is not as formidable as were he, for example, investigating a Mafia family.
Plus, former NSA Director Adm. Michael S. Rogers reportedly is cooperating. The handwriting is on the wall. It remains to be seen what kind of role in the scandal Barack Obama may have played.
But former directors James Comey, James Clapper, and John Brennan, captains of Obama’s Security State, can take little solace from Barr’s remarks Monday to a reporter who asked about Trump’s recent claims that top officials of the Obama administration, including the former president had committed crimes. Barr replied:
“As to President Obama and Vice President Biden, whatever their level of involvement, based on the information I have today, I don’t expect Mr. Durham’s work will lead to a criminal investigation of either man. Our concerns over potential criminality is focused on others.”
In a more ominous vein, Barr gratuitously added that law enforcement and intelligence officials were involved in “a false and utterly baseless Russian collusion narrative against the president. It was a grave injustice, and it was unprecedented in American history.”
FBI lawyer Lisa Page.
Meanwhile, the corporate media have all been singing from the same sheet since Trump had the audacity a week ago to coin yet another “-gate” — this time “Obamagate.” Leading the apoplectic reaction in corporate media, Saturday’s Washington Post offered a pot-calling-the-kettle-black pronouncement by its editorial board entitled “The absurd cynicism of ‘Obamagate”?
The outrage voiced by the Post called to mind disgraced FBI agent Peter Strzok’s indignant response to criticism of the FBI by candidate Trump, in a Oct. 20, 2016 text exchange with FBI attorney Lisa Page:
Strzok: I am riled up. Trump is a f***ing idiot, is unable to provide a coherent answer. Strzok – I CAN’T PULL AWAY, WHAT THE F**K HAPPENED TO OUR COUNTRY … Page– I don’t know. But we’ll get it back. We’re America. We rock. Strzok– Donald just said “bad hombres” Strzok– Trump just said what the FBI did is disgraceful.
Less vitriolic, but incisive commentary came from widely respected author and lawyer Glenn Greenwald on May 14, four days after Trump coined “Obamagate”: ( See “System Update with Glenn Greenwald – The Sham Prosecution of Michael Flynn”).
For a shorter, equally instructive video of Greenwald on the broader issue of Russia-gate, see this clip from a March 2019 Democracy Now!-sponsored debate he had with David Cay Johnston titled, “As Mueller Finds No Collusion, Did Press Overhype Russiagate? Glenn Greenwald vs. David Cay Johnston”:
(The entire debate is worth listening to). I found one of the comments below the Democracy Now! video as big as a bummer as the commentator did:
“I think this is one of the most depressing parts about the whole situation. In their dogmatic pushing for this false narrative, the Russiagaters might have guaranteed Trump a second term. They have done more damage to our democracy than Russia ever has done and will do.” (From “Clamity2007”)
In any case, Johnston, undaunted by his embarrassment at the hands of Greenwald, is still at it, and so is the avuncular Frank Rich — both of them some 20 years older than Greenwald and set in their evidence-impoverished, media-indoctrinated ways.
Deranged by Trump
There is no defense for most Trump policies or his personality, but a greater wrong is the politicization of intelligence agencies meddling in domestic politics against him and potentially future elected leaders.
Sadly, as is apparently the case with Covid:19, older people seem particularly susceptible to what has been called Trump Derangement Syndrome—the notion that Trump is uniquely evil, while, for instance, George W. Bush, who illegally invaded Iraq—what Nuremberg termed the worst war crime, the crime of aggression—was not.
Johnston now has his own website: DCReport.org. A piece dated May 8, bears the title “How Barr Is Advancing Trump’s Quest to Become President For Life.”
Adducing “evidence” of this purported effort by Barr, Johnston indicates that he does not like what Barr’s Justice Department did in moving to drop the charges against Gen. Michael Flynn. He does not like it, not one bit! Here are some additional gems from Johnston’s latest:
“— Flynn and his company were on Putin’s payroll — Flynn made himself susceptible to blackmail by taking Russian money and lying about it.”
Johnston drivels on:
“Trump denies the Russians helped him become president. But America’s intelligence agencies, the bi-partisan chairs of the Senate Intelligence Committee, the 418-page Mueller report and emails from none other than Donald Trump Jr. all make clear the Kremlin helped Trump defeat Hillary Clinton. The only issue on which the facts are not complete was whether Trump was a passive beneficiary or he knowingly worked with the Kremlin, whether obliquely or hand-in-glove. Just weeks after assuming office Trump held an unannounced meeting in the Oval Office with Russia’s foreign minister and Russian ambassador and a “photographer” for the Kremlin-owned Tass news agency. The Russians revealed the meeting. They also disclosed that Trump gave them “sources and methods” intelligence, which is closely guarded to protect human and technological assets. This latest abuse of power to protect a criminal crony who was on Vladimir Putin’s payroll and a secret foreign agent is more than an impeachable offense. Trump, Barr and Shea also sent a clear message: Team Trump harbors no regard for the rule of law, the foundation of our liberties and democratic freedoms.”
Frank Rich Not Immune
Rich. (Wikipedia)
David Cay Johnston enjoys the company of other erstwhile respected pundits, notably Frank Rich. In younger days, both wrote for The New York Times, where, sadly, writers of all ages are showing acute susceptibility to the syndrome.
In a New York magazine article by Frank Rich entitled, “‘Obamagate’ Means Trump Is Desperate,’ he attempts to analyze Trump’s recent coinage of “Obamagate.” Read it and lament over what has become of yet another formerly respectable journalist. He uncritically quotes a New York contributor, Alex Carp:
“‘Obamagate’, in Trump’s brilliant coinage, is a conspiracy so vast, a crime so dastardly, that it should guarantee his reelection as soon as he figures out how to tell voters exactly what it is. As best as I can glean from his spokespeople on the Rupert Murdoch payroll — at Fox News, the New York Post, and the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal — it was a coup that involved both installing Trump in the White House so that he could preside over the most corrupt and incompetent administration in American history and propelling a beloved national hero, the Kremlin sycophant and former Obama official Michael Flynn, to prison. For a moment, it seemed that at least that second goal might be thwarted by Bill Barr’s effort to hand Flynn a Get Out of Jail Free card. But thanks to the deep-state intervention of a U.S. district judge in Washington this week, Flynn may end up behind bars after all. Obamagate Accomplished!”
Has Rich lost it? Is this dismissive gibberish meant to be facetious, sarcastic? Is it a pedantic attempt at reductio ad absurdum? — like Saturday’s Washington Post editorial board pronouncement of “ The absurd cynicism of ‘Obamagate’”.
Does Rich keep up with the news, or is he now filing from Joe Biden’s basement? Is Consortium News included in his diet of reading? Quick. Someone tell Rich that “Russia-Trump collusion” and the far-fetched charges that the Russian Internet Research Agency helped Trump become president — as well as the tall tale that Russia “hacked” the DNC emails — have all collapsed.
‘Statutory Senility’
My father, for many years a professor at Fordham Law School, used to speak jocularly of another all-too-familiar syndrome he nonetheless took seriously: he called it “the age of statutory senility.” As Chancellor of the Board of Regents, he resigned well before he reached that age, offering his own example to superannuated Board colleagues (to no avail).
These days, I think he would probably consider 70 the age of “statutory senility”, especially were he able to read the blather of once respected journalists — like Frank Rich, whose work he used to enjoy. Let’s make sure someone is working on a vaccine for the Trump Syndrome.
Ray McGovern works with Tell the Word, a publishing arm of the ecumenical Church of the Saviour in inner-city Washington. During his 27-year career as a CIA analyst, he led the Soviet Foreign Policy Branch and prepared and briefed, in person, The President’ Daily Brief. Full disclosure: Ray is 80.


russia-insider--2020-05-21--News Stories Avoid Naming Israel

News Stories Avoid Naming Israel

There are two stories that seem to have been under-reported in the past couple of weeks .
The first involves Michael Flynn ’ s dealings with the Russian United Nations Ambassador Sergey Kislyak .
And the second describes yet another bit of espionage conducted by a foreign country directed against the United States .
Both stories involve the State of Israel .
The bigger story is , of course , the dismissal by Attorney General William Barr of the criminal charges against former National Security Advisor General Michael Flynn based on malfeasance by the FBI investigators .
The curious aspect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related by the mainstream media is that it repeatedly refers to Flynn as having unauthorized contacts with the Russian Ambassador and then having lied about it .
The implication is that there was something decidedly shady about Flynn talking to the Russians and that the Russians were up to something .
In reality , the part left out of the story is that the phone call to Kislyak on December 22 , 2016 , was made by Flynn at the direction of Jared Kushner , who in turn had been approached by Israeli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learned that the Obama Administrating was going to abstain on a United Nations vote condemning the Israeli settlements policy , meaning that for the first time in years a U.N. resolution critical of Israel would pass without drawing a U.S. veto .
Kushner , acting for Netanyahu , asked Flynn to contact each delegate from the various countries on the Security Council to delay or kill the resolution .
Flynn agreed to do so , which included a call to the Russians .
Kislyak took the call but did not agree to veto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unanimously on December 23rd .
In taking the phone calls from a soon-to-be senior American official who would within weeks be part of a new administration in Washington , the Russians did nothing wrong , but the media is acting like there was some kind of Kremlin conspiracy seeking to undermine U.S. democracy .
It would not be inappropriate to have some conversations with an incoming government team and Kislyak also did nothing that might be regarded as particularly responsive to Team Trump overtures since he voted contrary to Flynn ’ s request @ @ @ @ @ @ @ request of Israel was neither benign nor ethical as the Barack Administration was still in power and managing the nation ’ s foreign policy .
At the time , son-in-law Jared Kushner was Trump ’ s point man on the Middle East .
He and his family have extensive ties both to Israel and to Netanyahu personally , to include Netanyahu ’ s staying at the Kushner family home in New York .
The Kushner Family Foundation has funded some of Israel ’ s illegal settlements and also a number of conservative political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served as a director of that foundation and it is reported that he failed to disclose the relationship when he filled out his background investigation sheet for a security clearance .
All of which suggests that if you are looking for possible foreign government collusion with the incoming Trumpsters , look no further .
And it should be observed that the Israelis were not exactly shy about their disapproval of Obama and their willingness to express their views to the incoming Trump .
Kushner went far beyond merely disagreeing over an aspect of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to clandestinely subvert and reverse a decision made by his own legally constituted government .
His closeness to Netanyahu made him , in intelligence terms , a quite likely Israeli government agent of influence , even if he didn ’ t quite see himself that way .
Kushner ’ s actions , as well as those of Flynn , would most certainly have been covered by the Logan Act of 1799 , which bars private citizens from negotiating with foreign governments on behalf of the United States and also could be construed as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” But in spite of all that the investigation went after Flynn instead of Kushner .
As Kushner is Jewish and certainly could be accused of dual loyalty in extremis , that part of the story obviously makes many in the U.S .
Establishment and media uncomfortable , so it was and continues to be both ignored and expunged from the record as quickly as possible .
The second story , which has basically been made to disappear , relates to spying by Israel against critics in the United States .
The revelation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skills to spy on foreigners came from an Oakland California federal court lawsuit initiated by Facebook ( FB ) against the Israeli surveillance technology company NSO Group .
FB claimed that NSO has been using servers located in the United States to infect with spyware hundreds of smartphones being used by attorneys , journalists , human rights activists , critics of Israel and even of government officials .
NSO allegedly used WhatsApp , a messaging app owned by FB , to hack into the phones and install malware that would enable the company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the devices .
It did so by employing networks of remote servers located in California to enter the accounts .
NSO has inevitably claimed that they do indeed provide spyware , but that it is sold to clients who themselves operate it with the “ advice and technical support to assist customers in setting up ” but it also promotes its products as being “ used to stop terrorism , curb violent crime , and save lives.
” It also asserts that its software can not be used against U.S. phone numbers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ research into NSO activity , alleges that NSO rented a Los Angeles-based server from a U.S. company called QuadraNet that it then used to launch 720 hacks on smartphones and other devices .
It further claims in the court filing that the company reverse-engineering WhatsApp , using an program that it developed to access WhatsApp ’ s servers and deploy “ its spyware against approximately 1,400 targets ” before “ …covertly transmit [ ting ] malicious code through WhatsApp servers and inject [ ing ] ” spyware into telephones without the knowledge of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to assert that the “ Defendants had no authority to access WhatsApp ’ s servers with an imposter program , manipulate network settings , and commandeer the servers to attack WhatsApp users .
That invasion of WhatsApp ’ s servers and users ’ devices constitutes unlawful computer hacking.
” NSO , which is largely staffed by former ( sic ) Israeli intelligence officers , had previously been in the news for its proprietary spyware known as Pegasus , which “ can gather information about a mobile phone ’ s location , access its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and covertly record emails , phone calls and text messages.
” Pegasus was reportedly used in the killing of Saudi dissident journalist Adnan Kashoggi in Istanbul last year and it has more recently been suggested as a resource for tracking coronavirus distance violators .
Outside experts have accused the company of selling its technology and expertise to countries that have used it to spy on dissidents , journalists and other critics .
Israel routinely exploits the access provided by its telecommunications industry to spy on the host countries where those companies operate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Mossad contacts and the technology they provide routinely has a “ backdoor ” for secretly accessing the information accessible through the software .
In fact , Israel conducts espionage and influence operations both directly and through proxies against the United States more aggressively than any other “ friendly ” country , which once upon a time included being able to tap into the “ secure ” White House phones used by Bill Clinton to speak with Monica Lewinsky .
Last September , it was revealed that the placement of technical surveillance devices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intended to target cellphone communications to and from the Trump White House .
As the president frequently chats with top aides and friends on non-secure phones , the operation sought to pick up conversations involving Trump with the expectation that the security-averse president would say things off the record that might be considered top secret .
A Politico report detailed how “ miniature surveillance devices ” referred to as “ Stingrays ” were used to imitate regular cell phone towers to fool phones being used nearby into providing information on their locations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the devices are referred to by technicians as “ international mobile subscriber identity-catchers or IMSI-catchers , they also can capture the contents of calls and data use.
” Over one year ago , government security agencies discovered the electronic footprints that indicated the presence of the surveillance devices near the White House .
Forensic analysis involved dismantling the devices to let them “ tell you a little about their history , where the parts and pieces come from , how old are they , who had access to them , and that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are.
” One source observed afterwards that “ It was pretty clear that the Israelis were responsible.
” So two significant stories currently making the rounds have been bowdlerized and disappeared to make the Israeli role in manipulating and spying against the United States go away .
They are only two of many stories framed by a Zionist dominated media to control the narrative in a way favorable to the Jewish state .
One would think that having a president of the United States who is the most pro-Israel ever , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself , would be enough , but unfortunately when dealing with folks like Benjamin Netanyahu there can never be any restraint when dealing with the “ useful idiots ” in Washington .
Philip M. Giraldi , Ph.D. , is Executive Director of the Council for the National Interest , a 501 ( c ) 3 tax deductible educational foundation ( Federal ID Number # 52-1739023 ) that seeks a more interests-based U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East .
Website is https : //councilforthenationalinterest.org , address is P.O .
Box 2157 , Purcellville @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email protected ] .

There are two stories that seem to have been under-reported in the past couple of weeks. The first involves Michael Flynn’s dealings with the Russian United Nations Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. And the second describes yet another bit of espionage conducted by a foreign country directed against the United States. Both stories involve the State of Israel.
The bigger story is, of course, the dismissal by Attorney General William Barr of the criminal charges against former National Security Advisor General Michael Flynn based on malfeasance by the FBI investigators. The curious aspect of the story as it is being related by the mainstream media is that it repeatedly refers to Flynn as having unauthorized contacts with the Russian Ambassador and then having lied about it. The implication is that there was something decidedly shady about Flynn talking to the Russians and that the Russians were up to something.
In reality, the part left out of the story is that the phone call to Kislyak on December 22, 2016, was made by Flynn at the direction of Jared Kushner, who in turn had been approached by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu had learned that the Obama Administrating was going to abstain on a United Nations vote condemning the Israeli settlements policy, meaning that for the first time in years a U.N. resolution critical of Israel would pass without drawing a U.S. veto. Kushner, acting for Netanyahu, asked Flynn to contact each delegate from the various countries on the Security Council to delay or kill the resolution. Flynn agreed to do so, which included a call to the Russians. Kislyak took the call but did not agree to veto Security Council Resolution 2334, which passed unanimously on December 23rd.
In taking the phone calls from a soon-to-be senior American official who would within weeks be part of a new administration in Washington, the Russians did nothing wrong, but the media is acting like there was some kind of Kremlin conspiracy seeking to undermine U.S. democracy. It would not be inappropriate to have some conversations with an incoming government team and Kislyak also did nothing that might be regarded as particularly responsive to Team Trump overtures since he voted contrary to Flynn’s request.
The phone call made at the request of Israel was neither benign nor ethical as the Barack Administration was still in power and managing the nation’s foreign policy. At the time, son-in-law Jared Kushner was Trump’s point man on the Middle East. He and his family have extensive ties both to Israel and to Netanyahu personally, to include Netanyahu’s staying at the Kushner family home in New York. The Kushner Family Foundation has funded some of Israel’s illegal settlements and also a number of conservative political groups in that country. Jared has served as a director of that foundation and it is reported that he failed to disclose the relationship when he filled out his background investigation sheet for a security clearance. All of which suggests that if you are looking for possible foreign government collusion with the incoming Trumpsters, look no further.
And it should be observed that the Israelis were not exactly shy about their disapproval of Obama and their willingness to express their views to the incoming Trump. Kushner went far beyond merely disagreeing over an aspect of foreign policy as he was actively trying to clandestinely subvert and reverse a decision made by his own legally constituted government. His closeness to Netanyahu made him, in intelligence terms, a quite likely Israeli government agent of influence, even if he didn’t quite see himself that way.
Kushner’s actions, as well as those of Flynn, would most certainly have been covered by the Logan Act of 1799, which bars private citizens from negotiating with foreign governments on behalf of the United States and also could be construed as a “conspiracy against the United States.” But in spite of all that the investigation went after Flynn instead of Kushner. As Kushner is Jewish and certainly could be accused of dual loyalty in extremis, that part of the story obviously makes many in the U.S. Establishment and media uncomfortable, so it was and continues to be both ignored and expunged from the record as quickly as possible.
The second story, which has basically been made to disappear, relates to spying by Israel against critics in the United States. The revelation that Israel was again using its telecommunications skills to spy on foreigners came from an Oakland California federal court lawsuit initiated by Facebook (FB) against the Israeli surveillance technology company NSO Group. FB claimed that NSO has been using servers located in the United States to infect with spyware hundreds of smartphones being used by attorneys, journalists, human rights activists, critics of Israel and even of government officials. NSO allegedly used WhatsApp, a messaging app owned by FB, to hack into the phones and install malware that would enable the company to monitor what was going on with the devices. It did so by employing networks of remote servers located in California to enter the accounts.
NSO has inevitably claimed that they do indeed provide spyware, but that it is sold to clients who themselves operate it with the “advice and technical support to assist customers in setting up” but it also promotes its products as being “used to stop terrorism, curb violent crime, and save lives.” It also asserts that its software cannot be used against U.S. phone numbers.
Facebook, which did its own extensive research into NSO activity, alleges that NSO rented a Los Angeles-based server from a U.S. company called QuadraNet that it then used to launch 720 hacks on smartphones and other devices. It further claims in the court filing that the company reverse-engineering WhatsApp, using an program that it developed to access WhatsApp’s servers and deploy “its spyware against approximately 1,400 targets” before “…covertly transmit[ting] malicious code through WhatsApp servers and inject[ing]” spyware into telephones without the knowledge of the owners.”
The filing goes on to assert that the “Defendants had no authority to access WhatsApp’s servers with an imposter program, manipulate network settings, and commandeer the servers to attack WhatsApp users. That invasion of WhatsApp’s servers and users’ devices constitutes unlawful computer hacking.”
NSO, which is largely staffed by former (sic) Israeli intelligence officers, had previously been in the news for its proprietary spyware known as Pegasus, which “can gather information about a mobile phone’s location, access its camera, microphone and internal hard drive, and covertly record emails, phone calls and text messages.” Pegasus was reportedly used in the killing of Saudi dissident journalist Adnan Kashoggi in Istanbul last year and it has more recently been suggested as a resource for tracking coronavirus distance violators. Outside experts have accused the company of selling its technology and expertise to countries that have used it to spy on dissidents, journalists and other critics.
Israel routinely exploits the access provided by its telecommunications industry to spy on the host countries where those companies operate. The companies themselves report regularly back to Mossad contacts and the technology they provide routinely has a “backdoor” for secretly accessing the information accessible through the software. In fact, Israel conducts espionage and influence operations both directly and through proxies against the United States more aggressively than any other “friendly” country, which once upon a time included being able to tap into the “secure” White House phones used by Bill Clinton to speak with Monica Lewinsky.
Last September, it was revealed that the placement of technical surveillance devices by Israel in Washington D.C. was clearly intended to target cellphone communications to and from the Trump White House. As the president frequently chats with top aides and friends on non-secure phones, the operation sought to pick up conversations involving Trump with the expectation that the security-averse president would say things off the record that might be considered top secret.
A Politico report detailed how “miniature surveillance devices” referred to as “Stingrays” were used to imitate regular cell phone towers to fool phones being used nearby into providing information on their locations and identities. According to the article, the devices are referred to by technicians as “international mobile subscriber identity-catchers or IMSI-catchers, they also can capture the contents of calls and data use.”
Over one year ago, government security agencies discovered the electronic footprints that indicated the presence of the surveillance devices near the White House. Forensic analysis involved dismantling the devices to let them “tell you a little about their history, where the parts and pieces come from, how old are they, who had access to them, and that will help get you to what the origins are.” One source observed afterwards that “It was pretty clear that the Israelis were responsible.”
So two significant stories currently making the rounds have been bowdlerized and disappeared to make the Israeli role in manipulating and spying against the United States go away. They are only two of many stories framed by a Zionist dominated media to control the narrative in a way favorable to the Jewish state. One would think that having a president of the United States who is the most pro-Israel ever, which is saying a great deal in and of itself, would be enough, but unfortunately when dealing with folks like Benjamin Netanyahu there can never be any restraint when dealing with the “useful idiots” in Washington.
Philip M. Giraldi, Ph.D., is Executive Director of the Council for the National Interest, a 501(c)3 tax deductible educational foundation (Federal ID Number #52-1739023) that seeks a more interests-based U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Website is https://councilforthenationalinterest.org, address is P.O. Box 2157, Purcellville VA 20134 and its email is inform@cnionline.org.


russia-insider--2020-05-21--Iran Is Not a Victim - It's One of the Most Influential, Strong-Willed Nations on Earth

When facing mortal danger , its people unite , harden themselves and get ready to face invaders , no matter how threatening they might be .
Iran is home to one of the oldest and deepest cultures in the world , and it ’ s precisely this culture that helps Iranian people to survive the most frightening moments .
And one such moment is sadly , right now .
US battleships are sailing right next to the Iranian territorial waters .
One mistake , one false move , and war could erupt , engulfing the entire region in flames .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it takes its independence extremely seriously .
Right now , the country is facing one of the most unjust embargos in human history .
It is being punished for nothing ; or more precisely , for sticking to all the points of the agreement called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA ) also known as The Iran Nuclear Deal , which it signed in 2015 with China , France , Russia , United Kingdom , United States—plus Germany , and which the United States abandoned , without providing any logical explanation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. withdrawal ; Germany , France and U.K. are doing all they can not to anger their senior partner , and its leaders in Washington .
Add COVID-19 , and inability of the country , due to sanctions , to buy medical equipment , at least in the West , and you have the perfect scenario for a national calamity and even for imminent collapse .
Or more precisely , anywhere else this would be the case , but not in Iran !
After receiving terrible blows from the West , one after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its knees .
It has never abandoned its internationalist and socialist course ( socialist , with Iranian characteristics ) , and it has preserved its dignity .
What it has managed to achieve is amazing , nothing short of heroic , given the circumstances .
If you look at the latest , 2019 HDI ( Human Development Index , compiled and published by the UNDP ) , Iran is in the High Human Development bracket , and only 3 steps from the Highest Human Development group of countries .
Which is thoroughly amazing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and constant military intimidations .
Whenever I visit Iran , I am astonished by its public spaces , cultural institutions , public transportation , fountains , comfortable trains… The country is functioning well , showing incredible grace under pressure .
Its television channel – PressTV – is one of the most important anti-imperialist news outlets in the world .
I don ’ t see extreme misery , or homelessness , there .
Iranians are polite , well-educated and proud .
They have to deal with complex exchange rates , which I do not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ café or taxi , I simply extend my hand full of local currency , and I never get cheated .
Things are solid and reassuring there ; I feel it and really appreciate it .
Iran is an internationalist country .
Not unlike Cuba or Venezuela , who are its long-term allies .
Even when injured , itself , it helps others , those who need solidarity even more .
This can never be forgotten , particularly in places like Latin America , or Syria .
Hezbollah , Iran ’ s close ally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most dangerous terrorist groups in Syria ; those groups that have been injected there by the West , but also by Washington ’ s allies , such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey .
But Hezbollah is also essentially the only social net for the poor in Syria ’ s neighbor – Lebanon .
And not only for the Shi ’ a Muslims , but also for the disadvantaged Sunni citizens , for the Christians , and non-believers .
Whoever is destitute in Lebanon , comes to Hezbollah , for assistance .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I know what I am talking about .
All this , while the Lebanese elites are burning money in Paris , in Nice , in the nightclubs of Beirut , driving their lavish cars through the slums .
And the more Iran and Hezbollah help the region , the more frustrated , outraged and aggressive the West gets .
Look at Palestine .
When it comes to the liberation of the Palestinian people from the long and brutal Israeli occupation , the Gulf countries just talk and talk .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the West and Israel .
The closest , the most determined allies of the long-suffering Palestinian people in the region , are , without doubt , Iran and Syria .
That , everybody in the Middle East , knows , and it is only “ a secret ” to Westerners .
In Afghanistan , particularly in Herat , I witnessed long lines of Afghan people in front of the Iranian consulate .
Devastated by the NATO occupation , Afghanistan is in despair , rated as a country with the shortest life expectancy in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Index ( HDI ) on the Asian continent .
Tens of thousands of Afghan people have been traveling to Iran in search of jobs .
Without Iran , Herat would most likely starve to death .
And now , Iran is searching for ways , ( together with China and Russia ) , how to help Afghanistan to find a political solution , and send the NATO forces packing .
For years , all the Socialist countries of Latin America , could always rely on Iran .
Be it Bolivia , before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or Cuba and especially Venezuela .
Iran has been building social housing , it was helping with oil technology , and with many other social essentials .
Iraq and Iran , two great nations , in the past brutally pitched against each other by Washington , are once again cooperating , working together .
The Western occupation has already thoroughly ruined Iraq ( as it has ruined Afghanistan ) , historically one of the richest countries in the region .
However , more positively Iran gets involved in neighboring Iraq , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now habitually crosses all the lines of acceptable behavior .
In January 2020 , a U.S. drone strike murdered Iran ’ s national hero , General Quasem Soleimani , while he was traveling right near the Baghdad International Airport .
For years now , Iran has been standing shoulder to shoulder with Russia , China , Syria , Venezuela and Cuba ; the nations which are openly and bravely deterring the aggression and brutality of Western imperialism .
It seems that no matter what the West tries to do , Iran can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanctions , it demonstrates that it is capable of producing and shooting satellites into space , or of producing its own medical equipment to combat the COVID-19 pandemic .
While the nation creates its great scientific and technological achievements , Iranian filmmakers keep producing their cinematic masterpieces .
What a nation !
Unfortunately , all this is hidden from the eyes and ears of the public , both in the West , and in the client states .
There , Iran is portrayed as a “ threat ” .
Look at this irony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reuters released a report about the German move to ban Hezbollah : When the West says “ Terrorist activities , especially in Syria ” , what it really means is “ fighting the terrorism injected by the West and its allies , into Syria ” .
Everything is twisted , perverted and turned upside-down by the propaganda outlets operating out of the United States , Europe , Israel and the Gulf .
“ Terrorist activities ” outside Syria , also means supporting the Palestinian struggle for independence , as well as at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempts to regain the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights , an occupation which has never been recognized , even by the United Nations .
It also means helping Iraq and Afghanistan , as well as Latin American countries , which are brutalized ( or should we say ‘ terrorized ’ ) , relentlessly , by Washington and its allies .
This is precisely the logic and lexicon which was used by German propagandists during WWII , to describe resistance forces in its colonies .
Freedom fighters and partisans were labeled as terrorists , in France @ @ @ @ @ @ @ otherwise mainstream newspaper – The Independent – published on May 1 , 2020 a report critical of the bizarre US scheming against Iran : This weird political somersault has been , according to The Independent , criticized even by one of Washington ’ s allies , the French President Emmanuel Macron : France , the UK , Germany and other EU countries are not necessarily happy with Washington ’ s foreign policy towards Iran , but their outrage is far from being moral indignation .
Iran is big and it is far from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billions of euros in trade , because of the sanctions .
For instance , in the recent past , two Iranian airlines were ready to purchase large numbers of brand-new Airbus aircraft , in order to compete with Qatar Airways and the Emirates .
Such plans collapsed , because of the US withdrawal from the JCPOA , and the almost immediate imposition of new , senseless but brutal sanctions against Teheran .
Now even Mahan Air , a civilian airline , is facing sanctions , allegedly because of its flights to Venezuela , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , many are perhaps wondering , what triggered , in the West , such hate towards Iran ?
There is a well-hidden ( again , in the West ) secret regarding Iran : “ It is a Socialist country .
Socialist with Iranian characteristics.
” In his latest and by all means ground-breaking book about Iran ( “ Socialism ’ s Ignored Success : Iranian Islamic Socialism ” ) , which our publishing house Badak Merah will be publishing later in May 2020 , an Iranian author and the PressTV Paris chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Iranian socialist concept : Like Russia and China in Euro Asia and in Asia , like Venezuela , Cuba and before the coup , Bolivia , Iran is spreading hope and revolutionary optimism in its entire part of the world .
And it is an extremely wounded part of the world , where hope is absent , but desperately needed .
Spreading hope – that is never forgiven by the Western empire , which , like some gigantic and sadistic prison warden , constantly demands submission , while spreading depression and fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Iran has never invaded , never attacked anyone .
Iran is a peaceful nation .
But at the same time , it is a powerful , brave and proud country .
The United States and its turbo-capitalist regime understand brutal force , only .
They do not comprehend , do not appreciate cultural nuances , let alone depth .
Pity !
There is so much to learn from Iran and its culture .
Iran will not attack anyone , that is clear as is proven by history .
But if physically confronted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its people .
It will fight , well and bravely .
The West should know : if it triggers a war with Iran , the entire Middle East will be consumed by terrible fire .
[ First published by NEO – New Eastern Outlook – a journal of the Russian Academy of Sciences ] 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ China and Ecological Cavillation ” with John B. Cobb , Jr. , Revolutionary Optimism , Western Nihilism , a revolutionary novel “ Aurora ” and a 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His Patreon .

When facing mortal danger, its people unite, harden themselves and get ready to face invaders, no matter how threatening they might be.
Iran is home to one of the oldest and deepest cultures in the world, and it’s precisely this culture that helps Iranian people to survive the most frightening moments.
And one such moment is sadly, right now.
***
US battleships are sailing right next to the Iranian territorial waters. One mistake, one false move, and war could erupt, engulfing the entire region in flames. Iran is a proud nation, and it takes its independence extremely seriously.
Right now, the country is facing one of the most unjust embargos in human history. It is being punished for nothing; or more precisely, for sticking to all the points of the agreement called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) also known as The Iran Nuclear Deal, which it signed in 2015 with China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States—plus Germany, and which the United States abandoned, without providing any logical explanation. While not particularly happy about the U.S. withdrawal; Germany, France and U.K. are doing all they can not to anger their senior partner, and its leaders in Washington.
Add COVID-19, and inability of the country, due to sanctions, to buy medical equipment, at least in the West, and you have the perfect scenario for a national calamity and even for imminent collapse.
Or more precisely, anywhere else this would be the case, but not in Iran!
After receiving terrible blows from the West, one after another, Iran has never fallen to its knees. It has never abandoned its internationalist and socialist course (socialist, with Iranian characteristics), and it has preserved its dignity.
What it has managed to achieve is amazing, nothing short of heroic, given the circumstances.
***
If you look at the latest, 2019 HDI (Human Development Index, compiled and published by the UNDP), Iran is in the High Human Development bracket, and only 3 steps from the Highest Human Development group of countries. Which is thoroughly amazing, given the above-mentioned sanctions, embargos and constant military intimidations.
Whenever I visit Iran, I am astonished by its public spaces, cultural institutions, public transportation, fountains, comfortable trains… The country is functioning well, showing incredible grace under pressure. Its television channel – PressTV – is one of the most important anti-imperialist news outlets in the world. I don’t see extreme misery, or homelessness, there. Iranians are polite, well-educated and proud. They have to deal with complex exchange rates, which I do not understand. Whenever I pay in a café or taxi, I simply extend my hand full of local currency, and I never get cheated. Things are solid and reassuring there; I feel it and really appreciate it.
Iran is an internationalist country. Not unlike Cuba or Venezuela, who are its long-term allies. Even when injured, itself, it helps others, those who need solidarity even more. This can never be forgotten, particularly in places like Latin America, or Syria.
Hezbollah, Iran’s close ally in the Middle East, is fighting the most dangerous terrorist groups in Syria; those groups that have been injected there by the West, but also by Washington’s allies, such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey. But Hezbollah is also essentially the only social net for the poor in Syria’s neighbor – Lebanon. And not only for the Shi’a Muslims, but also for the disadvantaged Sunni citizens, for the Christians, and non-believers. Whoever is destitute in Lebanon, comes to Hezbollah, for assistance. I was based in Beirut for five years, and I know what I am talking about. All this, while the Lebanese elites are burning money in Paris, in Nice, in the nightclubs of Beirut, driving their lavish cars through the slums. And the more Iran and Hezbollah help the region, the more frustrated, outraged and aggressive the West gets.
Look at Palestine. When it comes to the liberation of the Palestinian people from the long and brutal Israeli occupation, the Gulf countries just talk and talk. In the end, some of them side with the West and Israel. The closest, the most determined allies of the long-suffering Palestinian people in the region, are, without doubt, Iran and Syria. That, everybody in the Middle East, knows, and it is only “a secret” to Westerners.
In Afghanistan, particularly in Herat, I witnessed long lines of Afghan people in front of the Iranian consulate. Devastated by the NATO occupation, Afghanistan is in despair, rated as a country with the shortest life expectancy in Asia, and the lowest Human Development Index (HDI) on the Asian continent. Tens of thousands of Afghan people have been traveling to Iran in search of jobs. Without Iran, Herat would most likely starve to death. And now, Iran is searching for ways, (together with China and Russia), how to help Afghanistan to find a political solution, and send the NATO forces packing.
For years, all the Socialist countries of Latin America, could always rely on Iran. Be it Bolivia, before the legitimate government of Evo Morales was overthrown, or Cuba and especially Venezuela. Iran has been building social housing, it was helping with oil technology, and with many other social essentials.
Iraq and Iran, two great nations, in the past brutally pitched against each other by Washington, are once again cooperating, working together. The Western occupation has already thoroughly ruined Iraq (as it has ruined Afghanistan), historically one of the richest countries in the region. However, more positively Iran gets involved in neighboring Iraq, the more aggressively the West behaves. It now habitually crosses all the lines of acceptable behavior. In January 2020, a U.S. drone strike murdered Iran’s national hero, General Quasem Soleimani, while he was traveling right near the Baghdad International Airport.
For years now, Iran has been standing shoulder to shoulder with Russia, China, Syria, Venezuela and Cuba; the nations which are openly and bravely deterring the aggression and brutality of Western imperialism.
It seems that no matter what the West tries to do, Iran cannot be broken. Despite the embargos and sanctions, it demonstrates that it is capable of producing and shooting satellites into space, or of producing its own medical equipment to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. While the nation creates its great scientific and technological achievements, Iranian filmmakers keep producing their cinematic masterpieces. What a nation!
Unfortunately, all this is hidden from the eyes and ears of the public, both in the West, and in the client states. There, Iran is portrayed as a “threat”.
***
Look at this irony. On April 30, 2020, Reuters released a report about the German move to ban Hezbollah:
“Last December, Germany’s parliament approved a motion urging Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government to ban all activities by Hezbollah on German soil, citing its “terrorist activities” especially in Syria. On a trip to Berlin last year, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hoped Germany would follow Britain in banning Hezbollah. Britain introduced legislation in February of last year that classified Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.”
When the West says “Terrorist activities, especially in Syria”, what it really means is “fighting the terrorism injected by the West and its allies, into Syria”. Everything is twisted, perverted and turned upside-down by the propaganda outlets operating out of the United States, Europe, Israel and the Gulf.
“Terrorist activities” outside Syria, also means supporting the Palestinian struggle for independence, as well as at least moral support for Syria, in its attempts to regain the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, an occupation which has never been recognized, even by the United Nations. It also means helping Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as Latin American countries, which are brutalized (or should we say ‘terrorized’), relentlessly, by Washington and its allies.
This is precisely the logic and lexicon which was used by German propagandists during WWII, to describe resistance forces in its colonies. Freedom fighters and partisans were labeled as terrorists, in France, Yugoslavia, Ukraine.
***
Even the otherwise mainstream newspaper – The Independent – published on May 1, 2020 a report critical of the bizarre US scheming against Iran:
“The United States is pushing ahead with a scheme to extend a United Nations arms embargo on Iran that is due to be lifted in October as part of the nuclear deal that Washington abandoned two years ago. To force the extension, Washington will attempt to lobby the Security Council to continue the arms embargo, which bars weapons sales to or from Iran. But it also is making what legal experts and diplomats describe as a convoluted argument that it is still part of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action it left, and hence able to use one of its provisions to “snapback” the embargo.”
This weird political somersault has been, according to The Independent, criticized even by one of Washington’s allies, the French President Emmanuel Macron:
“China and Russia have already vowed to use any means to block the US plan. France’s Emmanuel Macron has been working behind the scenes to sabotage the Trump scheme because of what it sees as an attempt by the White House to destroy international legal norms, said a well-placed European diplomat.”
France, the UK, Germany and other EU countries are not necessarily happy with Washington’s foreign policy towards Iran, but their outrage is far from being moral indignation. Iran is big and it is far from being poor. European companies are losing billions of euros in trade, because of the sanctions. For instance, in the recent past, two Iranian airlines were ready to purchase large numbers of brand-new Airbus aircraft, in order to compete with Qatar Airways and the Emirates. Such plans collapsed, because of the US withdrawal from the JCPOA, and the almost immediate imposition of new, senseless but brutal sanctions against Teheran. Now even Mahan Air, a civilian airline, is facing sanctions, allegedly because of its flights to Venezuela, and to several Middle Eastern destinations.
***
Now, many are perhaps wondering, what triggered, in the West, such hate towards Iran?
There is a well-hidden (again, in the West) secret regarding Iran: “It is a Socialist country. Socialist with Iranian characteristics.”
In his latest and by all means ground-breaking book about Iran (“Socialism’s Ignored Success: Iranian Islamic Socialism”), which our publishing house Badak Merah will be publishing later in May 2020, an Iranian author and the PressTV Paris chief correspondent, Ramin Mazaheri, passionately defends the Iranian socialist concept:
“I think that if open-minded leftists would simply become aware of the facts and… modern socialist interpretations of Iran’s policies – many of which I’m sure are being presented in English for the first time – I’m sure that they would not be waiting breathlessly for the collapse of the Middle East’s greatest bulwark against imperialism and capitalism. It is urgent that Western leftists understand that the reversal of Iran’s popular, democratic revolution would have incredibly negative ramifications for the anti-imperialist movement in the Middle East, and thus the global anti-imperialist movement, and it certainly would be the cruelest loss for Islamic Socialism, which is taken quite seriously in the Muslim world even if atheistic Trotskyism cannot even discuss the concept without resorting to insults. And, of course, a counter-revolution in Iran would be a major blow for global democracy, as there is no doubt that the Iranian People support their revolution, constitution and unique system in a democratic majority.”
Like Russia and China in Euro Asia and in Asia, like Venezuela, Cuba and before the coup, Bolivia, Iran is spreading hope and revolutionary optimism in its entire part of the world. And it is an extremely wounded part of the world, where hope is absent, but desperately needed.
Spreading hope – that is never forgiven by the Western empire, which, like some gigantic and sadistic prison warden, constantly demands submission, while spreading depression and fear.
In the entirety of modern history, Iran has never invaded, never attacked anyone. Iran is a peaceful nation. But at the same time, it is a powerful, brave and proud country.
The United States and its turbo-capitalist regime understand brutal force, only. They do not comprehend, do not appreciate cultural nuances, let alone depth. Pity! There is so much to learn from Iran and its culture.
Iran will not attack anyone, that is clear as is proven by history. But if physically confronted, it will defend itself, and its people. It will fight, well and bravely.
The West should know: if it triggers a war with Iran, the entire Middle East will be consumed by terrible fire.
[First published by NEO – New Eastern Outlook – a journal of the Russian Academy of Sciences]
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, a revolutionary novel “Aurora” and a 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.


russia-insider--2020-05-21--Sweden Has COVID Beat, Leaving Everyone Who Locked Down With Egg on Their Face

The culture of social distancing does strange things to us .
A few weeks ago I got an invitation to an offline work dinner , and I can ’ t remember the last time I had such a sudden rush of joy .
Even if life in Sweden over the past two months have been surprisingly normal , the truth is that we all have hunkered down a bit .
Many of us have worked from home .
The first two weeks , I admit , felt as life in remission – like a sudden gift of time .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of having our life on hold .
It felt pointless to plan for the future .
A reunion with the colleagues became a distant wish .
Meeting a work contact for lunch ?
Surely that ’ s only something for the privileged few .
So getting that invite to a work dinner felt like I had secretly been given the password to attend a Roman bacchanal .
The Swedish economy has finally started to un-Zoom itself .
Bicycling lanes in Stockholm now feature the morning pelotons of commuters again .
Carmakers like Volvo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers are gradually returning to their offices .
Most workplaces have developed their own routines and protocols for Covid-19 safety – and , frankly , most of it is common sense : make it easy for staff to keep good hygiene and avoid having many people showing up at the same place at the same time .
So there ’ s no hot desking .
Those who can not bike to work are allowed to come in or leave early so they can avoid crowded buses and tubes .
Lunch boxes are delivered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rooms and common spaces are closed or furnitured around protective acrylic glass .
Colleagues that have had coronavirus get additional responsibilities .
At the Stockholm accountancy I use , one of the bosses who got infected in early March now manages the afternoon cake trolley .
They call him ‘ Mr .
Antibody ’ because he doesn ’ t relish the corporate fitness programme as much as the cakes he serve .
It ’ s common sense attitudes like these that have made foreign observers to take a second look at the ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no longer just the bad boy of corona – the jumped-up little country that refused to accept lockdown .
Yes , we have observed social distancing , but inpiduals and firms have been allowed to figure out on their own how to practically organize things without having to shut everything down .
So the real Swedish experiment has been about ‘ behavioural change ’ : getting inpiduals to voluntary change their behaviour to avoid getting infected or spreading the virus to others .
And it has worked .
All this means quite a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks of training themselves in how to live together with the virus .
‘ Sweden represents a future model if we want to return to a society that we do not have to close ’ , says the WHO ’ s Mike Ryan .
Most people in Sweden aren ’ t generally afraid of meeting other people or being in environments where the virus could spread : they manage the risks by keeping a social distance .
Polls show that more than 50 per cent think they have had coronavirus or that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cent think it ’ s improbable .
Perhaps it is this attitude that have prompted so many around the world to think of us as reckless and foolish : we have , in our normalcy , become an ethnographic study object .
But all the training we ’ ve had in sharing the society with coronavirus has taught us that it isn ’ t dangerous to leave your home or send your kids to school .
People don ’ t have to fearful of living their life in a pretty normal way .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ think the future actually looks bright .
Trusting people that they ’ ll take advice and change their behaviour have also had the desired result .
Mobility declined , but not to a level that crushed the economy .
The epidemic modelling did not factor in that people would react to a request .
Swedish Covid-19 trends are pointing in the right direction .
Fewer ICU beds are now occupied , especially in Stockholm where the number of patients in intensive care has dropped by almost 40 per cent since the peak .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients is now in the low double digits .
The daily death toll flatlined in the second half of April and , mercifully , has since been on a declining trend .
And then we have the reproduction rate of the virus – the famous R number that now seems to command much of the British exit strategy .
We ’ ve been warned by Neil Ferguson and others that Sweden ’ s R number is still in the region of 1.3-1.4 – meaning that the virus still spreads exponentially .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very different estimate : the R has been below 1 since mid-April or so , and now stands at about 0.85 .
Excess mortality is still the bugbear for foreign observers who want to learn from Sweden .
It ’ s also an issue for Swedes .
Even if the time for comparing and making judgements about coronavirus mortality is a few years into the future , it is obvious that Sweden has a big scandal on its hands : it has failed to protect nursing homes against the virus .
More than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Stockholm have had infected residents .
For the country as a whole , almost 75 per cent of all Covid-19 deaths were residents at nursing homes or elderly with home care .
Something has gone badly wrong .
What ’ s going on here ?
Obviously , the Public Health Agency – along with other agencies – failed to understand the risk that staff could spread the virus in care homes .
For a long time , nursing home and home care staff had no access to personal protective equipment ( PPE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipment , few had been trained in how to use them .
Swedish nursing homes also have many residents , and they come there at a very late point in life – so when a virus gets into the nursing home , it can infect many ‘ elderly-elderly ’ who are frail and have a poor immune system .
Add to that failures of centralized medical procurement , for instance , or government complacency in building up capacity to test care workers .
It ’ s no consolation that we share all these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us weeks and weeks to fix all these problems , and some of them still haven ’ t been adequately resolved .
Boris Johnson doesn ’ t need a warning from Sweden about the risks of care-home deaths : Britain ’ s experience is actually worse .
But he can learn from the Swedish example that people will respond to advice about social distance and change their behaviour .
Boosting testing capacity is necessary , as is keeping track of the reproduction rate .
But at some point Britain needs to take the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their lives .
It ’ s understandable that many Brits don ’ t want to end the lockdown and expose themselves to greater risks of getting infected .
There is so much that we don ’ t know about the virus .
But confinement is not a good way to manage uncertainty .
Just as people with opposing ideas can become political creeps when safe-space culture protects us from them , the world out there gets scary when we shelter in our homes for months .

“Polls show that more than 50 per cent think they have had coronavirus or that they will get it”
The culture of social distancing does strange things to us. A few weeks ago I got an invitation to an offline work dinner, and I can’t remember the last time I had such a sudden rush of joy. Even if life in Sweden over the past two months have been surprisingly normal, the truth is that we all have hunkered down a bit. Many of us have worked from home. The first two weeks, I admit, felt as life in remission – like a sudden gift of time. But then we all sunk into the apathy of having our life on hold. It felt pointless to plan for the future. A reunion with the colleagues became a distant wish. Meeting a work contact for lunch? Surely that’s only something for the privileged few. So getting that invite to a work dinner felt like I had secretly been given the password to attend a Roman bacchanal.
The Swedish economy has finally started to un-Zoom itself. Bicycling lanes in Stockholm now feature the morning pelotons of commuters again. Carmakers like Volvo have opened up their factories and white-collar workers are gradually returning to their offices. Most workplaces have developed their own routines and protocols for Covid-19 safety – and, frankly, most of it is common sense: make it easy for staff to keep good hygiene and avoid having many people showing up at the same place at the same time.
So there’s no hot desking. Those who cannot bike to work are allowed to come in or leave early so they can avoid crowded buses and tubes. Lunch boxes are delivered by restaurants to the workplace. Meeting rooms and common spaces are closed or furnitured around protective acrylic glass. Colleagues that have had coronavirus get additional responsibilities. At the Stockholm accountancy I use, one of the bosses who got infected in early March now manages the afternoon cake trolley. They call him ‘Mr. Antibody’ because he doesn’t relish the corporate fitness programme as much as the cakes he serve.
It’s common sense attitudes like these that have made foreign observers to take a second look at the ‘Swedish experiment’. We’re no longer just the bad boy of corona – the jumped-up little country that refused to accept lockdown. Yes, we have observed social distancing, but inpiduals and firms have been allowed to figure out on their own how to practically organize things without having to shut everything down. So the real Swedish experiment has been about ‘behavioural change’: getting inpiduals to voluntary change their behaviour to avoid getting infected or spreading the virus to others. And it has worked.
All this means quite a lot now. Swedes have had ten weeks of training themselves in how to live together with the virus. ‘Sweden represents a future model if we want to return to a society that we do not have to close’, says the WHO’s Mike Ryan. Most people in Sweden aren’t generally afraid of meeting other people or being in environments where the virus could spread: they manage the risks by keeping a social distance. Polls show that more than 50 per cent think they have had coronavirus or that they will get it; only 15 per cent think it’s improbable. Perhaps it is this attitude that have prompted so many around the world to think of us as reckless and foolish: we have, in our normalcy, become an ethnographic study object. But all the training we’ve had in sharing the society with coronavirus has taught us that it isn’t dangerous to leave your home or send your kids to school. People don’t have to fearful of living their life in a pretty normal way. Remarkably, seven out of ten Swedes think the future actually looks bright.
Trusting people that they’ll take advice and change their behaviour have also had the desired result. Mobility declined, but not to a level that crushed the economy. The epidemic modelling did not factor in that people would react to a request.
Swedish Covid-19 trends are pointing in the right direction. Fewer ICU beds are now occupied, especially in Stockholm where the number of patients in intensive care has dropped by almost 40 per cent since the peak. The daily intake of new intensive care patients is now in the low double digits. The daily death toll flatlined in the second half of April and, mercifully, has since been on a declining trend. And then we have the reproduction rate of the virus – the famous R number that now seems to command much of the British exit strategy. We’ve been warned by Neil Ferguson and others that Sweden’s R number is still in the region of 1.3-1.4 – meaning that the virus still spreads exponentially. However, the Swedish Public Health Agency gives a very different estimate: the R has been below 1 since mid-April or so, and now stands at about 0.85.
Excess mortality is still the bugbear for foreign observers who want to learn from Sweden. It’s also an issue for Swedes. Even if the time for comparing and making judgements about coronavirus mortality is a few years into the future, it is obvious that Sweden has a big scandal on its hands: it has failed to protect nursing homes against the virus. More than 50 per cent of all nursing homes in Stockholm have had infected residents. For the country as a whole, almost 75 per cent of all Covid-19 deaths were residents at nursing homes or elderly with home care. Something has gone badly wrong.
What’s going on here? Obviously, the Public Health Agency – along with other agencies – failed to understand the risk that staff could spread the virus in care homes. For a long time, nursing home and home care staff had no access to personal protective equipment (PPE), and once they got advanced equipment, few had been trained in how to use them. Swedish nursing homes also have many residents, and they come there at a very late point in life – so when a virus gets into the nursing home, it can infect many ‘elderly-elderly’ who are frail and have a poor immune system. Add to that failures of centralized medical procurement, for instance, or government complacency in building up capacity to test care workers. It’s no consolation that we share all these problems with other countries. It took us weeks and weeks to fix all these problems, and some of them still haven’t been adequately resolved.
Boris Johnson doesn’t need a warning from Sweden about the risks of care-home deaths: Britain’s experience is actually worse. But he can learn from the Swedish example that people will respond to advice about social distance and change their behaviour. Boosting testing capacity is necessary, as is keeping track of the reproduction rate. But at some point Britain needs to take the plunge and encourage people to go about their lives. It’s understandable that many Brits don’t want to end the lockdown and expose themselves to greater risks of getting infected. There is so much that we don’t know about the virus. But confinement is not a good way to manage uncertainty. Just as people with opposing ideas can become political creeps when safe-space culture protects us from them, the world out there gets scary when we shelter in our homes for months.


russia-insider--2020-05-21--Big Tech Censorship Ultimately Fails, Gives Legitimacy to Content It Tries to Hide

If you 're tired of censorship subscribe to Reclaim The Net .
Although it seems quick and easy to do and get away with , especially when you watch giant tech corporations do it these days – censorship might actually be hard to pull off when all ’ s said and done .
The crucial reason , that entrepreneur and YouTube personality Patrick Bet-David explores is this – does censorship even work ?
Even before the “ viral ” capability to spread information on the web came about , regimes struggled to make censored information go away , provoking instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But now , with the network effect , YouTube deleting a video to silence an issue or a person will likely lead to more eyes on it that would have been the case otherwise , he argues .
Ultimately , censorship doesn ’ t work , Bet-David concludes , because visibility of censored content grows exponentially on social networks , by that very fact increasing the likelihood of the ideas that are suppressed gaining more , not less credibility .
Human nature plays into this as most people are intrinsically and instinctively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his audience of 2.3 million subscribers .
Bet-David brings up two issues that have come up lately as he is putting together and publishing his content : his failed idea to host both Judy Mikovits and her critic , YouTuber know as Dr Mike ; and , complaints from Republicans ( that apparently surface in comments left on his videos ) that their politics and ideology are being denied a voice on social and other media .
And while censorship is impossible in the US at government-level , he says – powerful corporations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ describes Democrats as “ strategic ” – having invested in controlling the narrative to the point of now being capable of controlling the audience and “ dictating the next 50 years ” – as opposed to Republicans ’ focus on “ the money – without an audience.
” Implying that Democrats do in fact own – figuratively and/or literally – social media platforms and corporate media outlets , Bet-David ’ s advice to people is to use that money they have to create , or buy , their own platforms .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s going to happen !
– why don ’ t you go to your party and ask them how come they ’ re not creating more media platforms , ” he says .
If you 're tired of censorship subscribe to Reclaim The Net .

If you're tired of censorship subscribe to Reclaim The Net.
Although it seems quick and easy to do and get away with, especially when you watch giant tech corporations do it these days – censorship might actually be hard to pull off when all’s said and done.
The crucial reason, that entrepreneur and YouTube personality Patrick Bet-David explores is this – does censorship even work?
Even before the “viral” capability to spread information on the web came about, regimes struggled to make censored information go away, provoking instead more interest in what’s forbidden.
But now, with the network effect, YouTube deleting a video to silence an issue or a person will likely lead to more eyes on it that would have been the case otherwise, he argues.
Ultimately, censorship doesn’t work, Bet-David concludes, because visibility of censored content grows exponentially on social networks, by that very fact increasing the likelihood of the ideas that are suppressed gaining more, not less credibility.
Human nature plays into this as most people are intrinsically and instinctively “rebellious,” this YouTuber tells his audience of 2.3 million subscribers.
Bet-David brings up two issues that have come up lately as he is putting together and publishing his content: his failed idea to host both Judy Mikovits and her critic, YouTuber know as Dr Mike; and, complaints from Republicans (that apparently surface in comments left on his videos) that their politics and ideology are being denied a voice on social and other media.
(A clip from Mikovits’ upcoming documentary “Plandemic” has recently been deleted by YouTube and Facebook as conspiracy; she agreed to a Bet-David hosted YouTube discussion, but Dr Mike canceled after confirming.)
And while censorship is impossible in the US at government-level, he says – powerful corporations can and will use it. He describes Democrats as “strategic” – having invested in controlling the narrative to the point of now being capable of controlling the audience and “dictating the next 50 years” – as opposed to Republicans’ focus on “the money – without an audience.”
Implying that Democrats do in fact own – figuratively and/or literally – social media platforms and corporate media outlets, Bet-David’s advice to people is to use that money they have to create, or buy, their own platforms.
“The next time a media platform censors – it’s going to happen! – why don’t you go to your party and ask them how come they’re not creating more media platforms,” he says.
If you're tired of censorship subscribe to Reclaim The Net.