thewashingtonstandard--2020-01-18--How a Hidden Parliamentary Session Revealed Trump’s True Motives in Iraq

The U.S. is adamant that its assassination of Qassem Soleimani and refusal to leave Iraq is about protecting Americans , but a little known Iraqi parliamentary session reveals how China ’ s increasingly strong ties to Baghdad may be shaping America ’ s new Mideast strategy .
Since the U.S. killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis earlier this month , the official narrative has held that their deaths were necessary to prevent a vague , yet allegedly imminent , threat of violence towards Americans , though President Trump has since claimed whether or not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imminent threat “ doesn ’ t really matter.
” While the situation between Iran , Iraq and the U.S. appears to have de-escalated substantially , at least for now , it is worth revisiting the lead-up to the recent U.S.-Iraq/Iran tensions up to the Trump-mandated killing of Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in order to understand one of the most overlooked yet relevant drivers behind Trump ’ s current policy with respect to Iraq : preventing China from expanding its foothold in the Middle East .
Indeed , it has been alleged that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assassination was directly related to his diplomatic role in Iraq and his push to help Iraq secure its oil independence , beginning with the implementation of a new massive oil deal with China .
While recent rhetoric in the media has dwelled on the extent of Iran ’ s influence in Iraq , China ’ s recent dealings with Iraq — particularly in its oil sector — are to blame for much of what has transpired in Iraq in recent months , at least according to Iraq ’ s Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caretaker role .
Much of the U.S. pressure exerted on Iraq ’ s government with respect to China has reportedly taken place covertly and behind closed doors , keeping the Trump administration ’ s concerns over China ’ s growing ties to Iraq largely out of public view , perhaps over concerns that a public scuffle could exacerbate the U.S.-China “ trade war ” and endanger efforts to resolve it .
Yet , whatever the reasons may be , evidence strongly suggests that the U.S. is equally concerned about China ’ s presence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s .
This is because China has the means and the ability to dramatically undermine not only the U.S. ’ control over Iraq ’ s oil sector but the entire petrodollar system on which the U.S. ’ status as both a financial and military superpower directly depends .
Behind the curtain , a different narrative for Iraq-US Tensions Iraq ’ s caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi gave a series of remarks on January 5 , during a parliamentary session that received surprisingly little media attention .
During the session , which also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removal of all foreign ( including American ) troops from the country , Abdul-Mahdi made a series of claims about the lead-up to the recent situation that placed Iraq at the heart of spiking U.S.-Iran tensions .
During that session , only part of Abdul-Mahdi ’ s statements were broadcast on television , after the Iraqi Speaker of the House — Mohammed Al-Halbousi , who has a close relationship with Washington — requested the video feed be cut .
Al-Halbousi oddly attended the parliamentary session even though it was boycotted by his allied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feed was cut , MPs who were present wrote down Abdul-Mahdi ’ s remarks , which were then given to the Arabic news outlet Ida ’ at .
Per that transcript , Abdul-Mahdi stated that : Abdul-Mahdi continued his remarks , noting that pressure from the Trump administration over his negotiations and subsequent dealings with China grew substantially over time , even resulting in death threats to himself and his defense minister : Very few English language outlets reported on Abdul-Mahdi ’ s comments .
Tom Luongo , a Florida-based Independent Analyst and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guns Newsletter , told MintPress that the likely reasons for the “ surprising ” media silence over Abdul-Mahdi ’ s claims were because “ It never really made it out into official channels… ” due to the cutting of the video feed during Iraq ’ s Parliamentary session and due to the fact that “ it ’ s very inconvenient and the media — since Trump is doing what they want him to do , be belligerent with Iran , protected Israel ’ s interests there.
” “ They aren ’ t going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s playing ball , ” Luongo added , before continuing that the media would nonetheless “ hold onto it for future reference….If this comes out for real , they ’ ll use it against him later if he tries to leave Iraq.
” “ Everything in Washington is used as leverage , ” he added .
Given the lack of media coverage and the cutting of the video feed of Abdul-Mahdi ’ s full remarks , it is worth pointing out that the narrative he laid out in his censored speech not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events he discusses but also the tactics known to have been employed behind closed doors by the Trump administration , particularly after Mike Pompeo left the CIA to become Secretary of State .
For instance , Abdul-Mahdi ’ s delegation to China ended on September 24 , with the protests against his government that Trump reportedly threatened to start on October 1 .
Reports of a “ third side ” firing on Iraqi protesters were picked up by major media outlets at the time , such as in this BBC report which stated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as in Ukraine in 2014 , also saw evidence of a “ third side ” shooting both protesters and security forces alike .
After six weeks of intense protests , Abdul-Mahdi submitted his resignation on November 29 , just a few days after Iraq ’ s Foreign Minister praised the new deals , including the “ oil for reconstruction ” deal , that had been signed with China .
Abdul-Mahdi has since stayed on as Prime Minister in a caretaker role until Parliament decides on his replacement .
Abdul-Mahdi ’ s claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration are buttressed by the use of similar tactics against Ecuador , where , in July 2018 , a U.S. delegation at the United Nations threatened the nation with punitive trade measures and the withdrawal of military aid if Ecuador moved forward with the introduction of a UN resolution to “ protect , promote and support breastfeeding.
” The New York Times reported at the time that the U.S. delegation was seeking to promote the interests of infant formula manufacturers .
If the U.S. delegation is willing to use such pressure on nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it goes without saying that such behind-closed-doors pressure would be significantly more intense if a much more lucrative resource , e.g .
oil , were involved .
Regarding Abdul-Mahdi ’ s claims , Luongo told MintPress that it is also worth considering that it could have been anyone in the Trump administration making threats to Abdul-Mahdi , not necessarily Trump himself .
“ What I won ’ t say directly is that I don ’ t know it was Trump at the other end of the phone calls .
Mahdi , it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything on Trump .
It could have been Mike Pompeo or Gina Haspel talking to Abdul-Mahdi… It could have been anyone , it most likely would be someone with plausible deniability….This [ Mahdi ’ s claims ] sounds credible… I firmly believe Trump is capable of making these threats but I don ’ t think Trump would make those threats directly like that , but it would absolutely be consistent with U.S. policy.
” Luongo also argued that the current tensions between U.S. and Iraqi leadership preceded the oil deal between Iraq and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this starts with Prime Minister Mahdi starting the process of opening up the Iraq-Syria border crossing and that was announced in August .
Then , the Israeli air attacks happened in September to try and stop that from happening , attacks on PMU forces on the border crossing along with the ammo dump attacks near Baghdad… This drew the Iraqis ’ ire… Mahdi then tried to close the air space over Iraq , but how much of that he can enforce is a big question.
” As to why it would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , Luongo stated that Mahdi “ can make edicts all day long , but , in reality , how much can he actually restrain the U.S. or the Israelis from doing anything ?
Except for shame , diplomatic shame… To me , it [ Mahdi ’ s claims ] seems perfectly credible because , during all of this , Trump is probably or someone else is shaking him [ Mahdi ] down for the reconstruction of the oil fields [ in Iraq ] …Trump has explicitly stated “ we want the oil.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s interest in the U.S. obtaining a significant share of Iraqi oil revenue is hardly a secret .
Just last March , Trump asked Abdul-Mahdi “ How about the oil ?
” at the end of a meeting at the White House , prompting Abdul-Mahdi to ask “ What do you mean ?
” To which Trump responded “ Well , we did a lot , we did a lot over there , we spent trillions over there , and a lot of people have been talking about the oil , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for part of Iraq ’ s oil revenue in exchange for the steep costs of the U.S. ’ continuing its now unwelcome military presence in Iraq .
With Abdul-Mahdi having rejected Trump ’ s “ oil for reconstruction ” proposal in favor of China ’ s , it seems likely that the Trump administration would default to so-called “ gangster diplomacy ” tactics to pressure Iraq ’ s government into accepting Trump ’ s deal , especially given the fact that China ’ s deal was a much better offer .
While Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revenue in exchange for completing reconstruction projects ( according to Abdul-Mahdi ) , the deal that was signed between Iraq and China would see around 20 percent of Iraq ’ s oil revenue go to China in exchange for reconstruction .
Aside from the potential loss in Iraq ’ s oil revenue , there are many reasons for the Trump administration to feel threatened by China ’ s recent dealings in Iraq .
The Iraq-China oil deal – a prelude to something more ?
When Abdul-Mahdi ’ s delegation traveled to Beijing last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” deal was only one of eight total agreements that were established .
These agreements cover a range of areas , including financial , commercial , security , reconstruction , communication , culture , education and foreign affairs in addition to oil .
Yet , the oil deal is by far the most significant .
Per the agreement , Chinese firms will work on various reconstruction projects in exchange for roughly 20 percent of Iraq ’ s oil exports , approximately 100,00 barrels per day , for a period of 20 years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ following to say about the deal : “ We agreed [ with Beijing ] to set up a joint investment fund , which the oil money will finance , ” adding that the agreement prohibits China from monopolizing projects inside Iraq , forcing Bejing to work in cooperation with international firms .
The agreement is similar to one negotiated between Iraq and China in 2015 when Abdul-Mahdi was serving as Iraq ’ s oil minister .
That year , Iraq joined China ’ s Belt and Road Initiative in a deal that also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and construction projects and saw China awarded several projects as a result .
In a notable similarity to recent events , that deal was put on hold due to “ political and security tensions ” caused by unrest and the surge of ISIS in Iraq , that is until Abdul-Mahdi saw Iraq rejoin the initiative again late last year through the agreements his government signed with China last September .
Notably , after recent tensions between the U.S. and Iraq over the assassination of Soleimani and the U.S. ’ subsequent refusal to remove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s demands , Iraq quietly announced that it would dramatically increase its oil exports to China to triple the amount established in the deal signed in September .
Given Abdul-Mahdi ’ s recent claims about the true forces behind Iraq ’ s recent protests and Trump ’ s threats against him being directly related to his dealings with China , the move appears to be a not-so-veiled signal from Abdul-Mahdi to Washington that he plans to deepen Iraq ’ s partnership with China , at least for as long as he remains in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to dramatically increase its oil exports to China came just one day after the U.S. government threatened to cut off Iraq ’ s access to its central bank account , currently held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York , an account that currently holds $ 35 billion in Iraqi oil revenue .
The account was set up after the U.S. invaded and began occupying Iraq in 2003 and Iraq currently removes between $ 1-2 billion per month to cover essential government expenses .
Losing access to its oil revenue stored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ collapse ” of Iraq ’ s government , according to Iraqi government officials who spoke to AFP .
Though Trump publicly promised to rebuke Iraq for the expulsion of U.S. troops via sanctions , the threat to cut off Iraq ’ s access to its account at the NY Federal Reserve Bank was delivered privately and directly to the Prime Minister , adding further credibility to Abdul-Mahdi ’ s claims that Trump ’ s most aggressive attempts at pressuring Iraq ’ s government are made in private and directed towards the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s push this time was about preventing the expulsion of U.S. troops from Iraq , his reasons for doing so may also be related to concerns about China ’ s growing foothold in the region .
Indeed , while Trump has now lost his desired share of Iraqi oil revenue ( 50 percent ) to China ’ s counteroffer of 20 percent , the removal of U.S. troops from Iraq may see American troops replaced with their Chinese counterparts as well , according to Tom Luongo .
“ All of this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it needs to stay in Iraq…So , China moving in there is the moment where they get their toe hold for the Belt and Road [ Initiative ] , ” Luongo argued .
“ That helps to strengthen the economic relationship between Iraq , Iran and China and obviating the need for the Americans to stay there .
At some point , China will have assets on the ground that they are going to want to defend militarily in the event of any major crisis .
This brings us to the next thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese ambassador discussed that very thing in the wake of the Soleimani killing.
” Indeed , according to news reports , Zhang Yao — China ’ s ambassador to Iraq — “ conveyed Beijing ’ s readiness to provide military assistance ” should Iraq ’ s government request it soon after Soleimani ’ s assassination .
Yao made the offer a day after Iraq ’ s parliament voted to expel American troops from the country .
Though it is currently unknown how Abdul-Mahdi responded to the offer , the timing likely caused no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about its rapidly waning influence in Iraq .
“ You can see what ’ s coming here , ” Luongo told MintPress of the recent Chinese offer to Iraq , “ China , Russia and Iran are trying to cleave Iraq away from the United States and the U.S. is feeling very threatened by this.
” Russia is also playing a role in the current scenario as Iraq initiated talks with Moscow regarding the possible purchase of one of its air defense systems last September , the same month that Iraq signed eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China .
Then , in the wake of Soleimani ’ s death , Russia again offered the air defense systems to Iraq to allow them to better defend their air space .
In the past , the U.S. has threatened allied countries with sanctions and other measures if they purchase Russian air defense systems as opposed to those manufactured by U.S. companies .
The U.S. ’ efforts to curb China ’ s growing influence and presence in Iraq amid these new strategic partnerships and agreements are limited , however , as the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its Iran policy , specifically in its goal of reducing Iranian oil export to zero .
China remains Iran ’ s main crude oil and condensate importer , even after it reduced its imports of Iranian oil significantly following U.S. pressure last year .
Yet , the U.S. is now attempting to pressure China to stop buying Iranian oil completely or face sanctions while also attempting to privately sabotage the China-Iraq oil deal .
It is highly unlikely China will concede to the U.S. on both , if any , of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced to choose which policy front ( Iran “ containment ” vs. Iraq ’ s oil dealings with China ) it values more in the coming weeks and months .
Furthermore , the recent signing of the “ phase one ” trade deal with China revealed another potential facet of the U.S. ’ increasingly complicated relationship with Iraq ’ s oil sector given that the trade deal involves selling U.S. oil and gas to China at very low cost , suggesting that the Trump administration may also see the Iraq-China oil deal result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the U.S. in selling cheap oil to China , the world ’ s top oil importer .
The Petrodollar and the Phantom of the Petroyuan In his televised statements last week following Iran ’ s military response to the U.S. assassination of General Soleimani , Trump insisted that the U.S. ’ Middle East policy is no longer being directed by America ’ s vast oil requirements .
He stated specifically that : Yet , given the centrality of the recent Iraq-China oil deal in guiding some of the Trump administration ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appears not to be the case .
The distinction may lie in the fact that , while the U.S. may now be less dependent on oil imports from the Middle East , it still very much needs to continue to dominate how oil is traded and sold on international markets in order to maintain its status as both a global military and financial superpower .
Indeed , even if the U.S. is importing less Middle Eastern oil , the petrodollar system — first forged in the 1970s — requires that the U.S. maintains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so that the world ’ s largest oil exporters , Iraq among them , continue to sell their oil in dollars .
Were Iraq to sell oil in another currency , or trade oil for services , as it plans to do with China per the recently inked deal , a significant portion of Iraqi oil would cease to generate a demand for dollars , violating the key tenet of the petrodollar system .
As Kei Pritsker and Cale Holmes noted in an article last year for MintPress : Thus , the use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whereby U.S. control of oil sales of the largest oil exporters is necessary , not just to buttress the dollar , but also to support its global military presence .
Therefore , it is unsurprising that the issue of the U.S. troop presence in Iraq and the issue of Iraq ’ s push for oil independence against U.S. wishes have become intertwined .
Notably , one of the architects of the petrodollar system and the man who infamously described U.S. soldiers as “ dumb , stupid animals to be used as pawns in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State Henry Kissinger , has been advising Trump and informing his China policy since 2016 .
This take was also expressed by economist Michael Hudson , who recently noted that U.S. access to oil , dollarization and U.S. military strategy are intricately interwoven and that Trump ’ s recent Iraq policy is intended “ to escalate America ’ s presence in Iraq to keep control of the region ’ s oil reserves , ” and , as Hudson says , “ to back Saudi Arabia ’ s Wahabi troops ( ISIS , Al @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other divisions of what are actually America ’ s foreign legion ) to support U.S. control of Near Eastern oil as a buttress of the U.S. dollar.
” Hudson further asserts that it was Qassem Soleimani ’ s efforts to promote Iraq ’ s oil independence at the expense of U.S. imperial ambitions that served one of the key motives behind his assassination .
Hudson adds that “ …U.S .
neocons feared Suleimani ’ s plan to help Iraq assert control of its oil and withstand the terrorist attacks supported by U.S. and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is what made his assassination an immediate drive.
” While other factors — such as pressure from U.S. allies such as Israel — also played a factor in the decision to kill Soleimani , the decision to assassinate him on Iraqi soil just hours before he was set to meet with Abdul-Mahdi in a diplomatic role suggests that the underlying tensions caused by Iraq ’ s push for oil independence and its oil deal with China did play a factor in the timing of his assassination .
It also served as a threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. threatened to kill both him and his defense minister just weeks prior over tensions directly related to the push for independence of Iraq ’ s oil sector from the U.S .
It appears that the ever-present role of the petrodollar in guiding U.S. policy in the Middle East remains unchanged .
The petrodollar has long been a driving factor behind the U.S. ’ policy towards Iraq specifically , as one of the key triggers for the 2003 invasion of Iraq was Saddam Hussein ’ s decision to sell Iraqi oil in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year 2000 .
Just weeks before the invasion began , Hussein boasted that Iraq ’ s Euro-based oil revenue account was earning a higher interest rate than it would have been if it had continued to sell its oil in dollars , an apparent signal to other oil exporters that the petrodollar system was only really benefiting the United States at their own expense .
Beyond current efforts to stave off Iraq ’ s oil independence and keep its oil trade aligned with the U.S. , the fact that the U.S. is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role in Iraq ’ s oil sector is also directly related to China ’ s publicly known efforts to create its own direct competitor to the petrodollar , the petroyuan .
Since 2017 , China has made its plans for the petroyuan — a direct competitor to the petrodollar — no secret , particularly after China eclipsed the U.S. as the world ’ s largest importer of oil .
As CNBC noted at the time : If the U.S. continues on its current path and pushes Iraq further into the arms of China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goes without saying that Iraq — now a part of China ’ s Belt and Road Initiative — may soon favor a petroyuan system over a petrodollar system , particularly as the current U.S. administration threatens to hold Iraq ’ s central bank account hostage for pursuing policies Washington finds unfavorable .
It could also explain why President Trump is so concerned about China ’ s growing foothold in Iraq , since it risks causing not only the end of the U.S. military hegemony in the country but could also lead to major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. ’ position as a global financial power .
Trump ’ s policy aimed at stopping China and Iraq ’ s growing ties is clearly having the opposite effect , showing that this administration ’ s “ gangster diplomacy ” only serves to make the alternatives offered by countries like China and Russia all the more attractive .

The U.S. is adamant that its assassination of Qassem Soleimani and refusal to leave Iraq is about protecting Americans, but a little known Iraqi parliamentary session reveals how China’s increasingly strong ties to Baghdad may be shaping America’s new Mideast strategy.
Since the U.S. killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis earlier this month, the official narrative has held that their deaths were necessary to prevent a vague, yet allegedly imminent, threat of violence towards Americans, though President Trump has since claimed whether or not Soleimani or his Iraqi allies posed an imminent threat “doesn’t really matter.”
While the situation between Iran, Iraq and the U.S. appears to have de-escalated substantially, at least for now, it is worth revisiting the lead-up to the recent U.S.-Iraq/Iran tensions up to the Trump-mandated killing of Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in order to understand one of the most overlooked yet relevant drivers behind Trump’s current policy with respect to Iraq: preventing China from expanding its foothold in the Middle East. Indeed, it has been alleged that even the timing of Soleimani’s assassination was directly related to his diplomatic role in Iraq and his push to help Iraq secure its oil independence, beginning with the implementation of a new massive oil deal with China.
While recent rhetoric in the media has dwelled on the extent of Iran’s influence in Iraq, China’s recent dealings with Iraq — particularly in its oil sector — are to blame for much of what has transpired in Iraq in recent months, at least according to Iraq’s Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, who is currently serving in a caretaker role.
Much of the U.S. pressure exerted on Iraq’s government with respect to China has reportedly taken place covertly and behind closed doors, keeping the Trump administration’s concerns over China’s growing ties to Iraq largely out of public view, perhaps over concerns that a public scuffle could exacerbate the U.S.-China “trade war” and endanger efforts to resolve it. Yet, whatever the reasons may be, evidence strongly suggests that the U.S. is equally concerned about China’s presence in Iraq as it is with Iran’s. This is because China has the means and the ability to dramatically undermine not only the U.S.’ control over Iraq’s oil sector but the entire petrodollar system on which the U.S.’ status as both a financial and military superpower directly depends.
Behind the curtain, a different narrative for Iraq-US Tensions
Iraq’s caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi gave a series of remarks on January 5, during a parliamentary session that received surprisingly little media attention. During the session, which also saw Iraq’s Parliament approve the removal of all foreign (including American) troops from the country, Abdul-Mahdi made a series of claims about the lead-up to the recent situation that placed Iraq at the heart of spiking U.S.-Iran tensions.
During that session, only part of Abdul-Mahdi’s statements were broadcast on television, after the Iraqi Speaker of the House — Mohammed Al-Halbousi, who has a close relationship with Washington — requested the video feed be cut. Al-Halbousi oddly attended the parliamentary session even though it was boycotted by his allied Sunni and Kurdish representatives.
After the feed was cut, MPs who were present wrote down Abdul-Mahdi’s remarks, which were then given to the Arabic news outlet Ida’at. Per that transcript, Abdul-Mahdi stated that:
The Americans are the ones who destroyed the country and wreaked havoc on it. They have refused to finish building the electrical system and infrastructure projects. They have bargained for the reconstruction of Iraq in exchange for Iraq giving up 50% of oil imports. So, I refused and decided to go to China and concluded an important and strategic agreement with it. Today, Trump is trying to cancel this important agreement.”
Abdul-Mahdi continued his remarks, noting that pressure from the Trump administration over his negotiations and subsequent dealings with China grew substantially over time, even resulting in death threats to himself and his defense minister:
After my return from China, Trump called me and asked me to cancel the agreement, so I also refused, and he threatened [that there would be] massive demonstrations to topple me. Indeed, the demonstrations started and then Trump called, threatening to escalate in the event of non-cooperation and responding to his wishes, whereby a third party [presumed to be mercenaries or U.S. soldiers] would target both the demonstrators and security forces and kill them from atop the highest buildings and the US embassy in an attempt to pressure me and submit to his wishes and cancel the China agreement.” “I did not respond and submitted my resignation and the Americans still insist to this day on canceling the China agreement. When the defense minister said that those killing the demonstrators was a third party, Trump called me immediately and physically threatened myself and the defense minister in the event that there was more talk about this third party.”
Very few English language outlets reported on Abdul-Mahdi’s comments. Tom Luongo, a Florida-based Independent Analyst and publisher of The Gold Goats ‘n Guns Newsletter, told MintPress that the likely reasons for the “surprising” media silence over Abdul-Mahdi’s claims were because “It never really made it out into official channels…” due to the cutting of the video feed during Iraq’s Parliamentary session and due to the fact that “it’s very inconvenient and the media — since Trump is doing what they want him to do, be belligerent with Iran, protected Israel’s interests there.”
“They aren’t going to contradict him on that if he’s playing ball,” Luongo added, before continuing that the media would nonetheless “hold onto it for future reference….If this comes out for real, they’ll use it against him later if he tries to leave Iraq.” “Everything in Washington is used as leverage,” he added.
Given the lack of media coverage and the cutting of the video feed of Abdul-Mahdi’s full remarks, it is worth pointing out that the narrative he laid out in his censored speech not only fits with the timeline of recent events he discusses but also the tactics known to have been employed behind closed doors by the Trump administration, particularly after Mike Pompeo left the CIA to become Secretary of State.
For instance, Abdul-Mahdi’s delegation to China ended on September 24, with the protests against his government that Trump reportedly threatened to start on October 1. Reports of a “third side” firing on Iraqi protesters were picked up by major media outlets at the time, such as in this BBC report which stated:
Reports say the security forces opened fire, but another account says unknown gunmen were responsible….a source in Karbala told the BBC that one of the dead was a guard at a nearby Shia shrine who happened to be passing by. The source also said the origin of the gunfire was unknown and it had targeted both the protesters and security forces. (emphasis added)”
U.S.-backed protests in other countries, such as in Ukraine in 2014, also saw evidence of a “third side” shooting both protesters and security forces alike.
After six weeks of intense protests, Abdul-Mahdi submitted his resignation on November 29, just a few days after Iraq’s Foreign Minister praised the new deals, including the “oil for reconstruction” deal, that had been signed with China. Abdul-Mahdi has since stayed on as Prime Minister in a caretaker role until Parliament decides on his replacement.
Abdul-Mahdi’s claims of the covert pressure by the Trump administration are buttressed by the use of similar tactics against Ecuador, where, in July 2018, a U.S. delegation at the United Nations threatened the nation with punitive trade measures and the withdrawal of military aid if Ecuador moved forward with the introduction of a UN resolution to “protect, promote and support breastfeeding.”
The New York Times reported at the time that the U.S. delegation was seeking to promote the interests of infant formula manufacturers. If the U.S. delegation is willing to use such pressure on nations for promoting breastfeeding over infant formula, it goes without saying that such behind-closed-doors pressure would be significantly more intense if a much more lucrative resource, e.g. oil, were involved.
Regarding Abdul-Mahdi’s claims, Luongo told MintPress that it is also worth considering that it could have been anyone in the Trump administration making threats to Abdul-Mahdi, not necessarily Trump himself. “What I won’t say directly is that I don’t know it was Trump at the other end of the phone calls. Mahdi, it is to his best advantage politically to blame everything on Trump. It could have been Mike Pompeo or Gina Haspel talking to Abdul-Mahdi… It could have been anyone, it most likely would be someone with plausible deniability….This [Mahdi’s claims] sounds credible… I firmly believe Trump is capable of making these threats but I don’t think Trump would make those threats directly like that, but it would absolutely be consistent with U.S. policy.”
Luongo also argued that the current tensions between U.S. and Iraqi leadership preceded the oil deal between Iraq and China by several weeks, “All of this starts with Prime Minister Mahdi starting the process of opening up the Iraq-Syria border crossing and that was announced in August. Then, the Israeli air attacks happened in September to try and stop that from happening, attacks on PMU forces on the border crossing along with the ammo dump attacks near Baghdad… This drew the Iraqis’ ire… Mahdi then tried to close the air space over Iraq, but how much of that he can enforce is a big question.”
As to why it would be to Mahdi’s advantage to blame Trump, Luongo stated that Mahdi “can make edicts all day long, but, in reality, how much can he actually restrain the U.S. or the Israelis from doing anything? Except for shame, diplomatic shame… To me, it [Mahdi’s claims] seems perfectly credible because, during all of this, Trump is probably or someone else is shaking him [Mahdi] down for the reconstruction of the oil fields [in Iraq]…Trump has explicitly stated “we want the oil.”’
As Luongo noted, Trump’s interest in the U.S. obtaining a significant share of Iraqi oil revenue is hardly a secret. Just last March, Trump asked Abdul-Mahdi “How about the oil?” at the end of a meeting at the White House, prompting Abdul-Mahdi to ask “What do you mean?” To which Trump responded “Well, we did a lot, we did a lot over there, we spent trillions over there, and a lot of people have been talking about the oil,” which was widely interpreted as Trump asking for part of Iraq’s oil revenue in exchange for the steep costs of the U.S.’ continuing its now unwelcome military presence in Iraq.
With Abdul-Mahdi having rejected Trump’s “oil for reconstruction” proposal in favor of China’s, it seems likely that the Trump administration would default to so-called “gangster diplomacy” tactics to pressure Iraq’s government into accepting Trump’s deal, especially given the fact that China’s deal was a much better offer. While Trump demanded half of Iraq’s oil revenue in exchange for completing reconstruction projects (according to Abdul-Mahdi), the deal that was signed between Iraq and China would see around 20 percent of Iraq’s oil revenue go to China in exchange for reconstruction. Aside from the potential loss in Iraq’s oil revenue, there are many reasons for the Trump administration to feel threatened by China’s recent dealings in Iraq.
The Iraq-China oil deal – a prelude to something more?
When Abdul-Mahdi’s delegation traveled to Beijing last September, the “oil for reconstruction” deal was only one of eight total agreements that were established. These agreements cover a range of areas, including financial, commercial, security, reconstruction, communication, culture, education and foreign affairs in addition to oil. Yet, the oil deal is by far the most significant.
Per the agreement, Chinese firms will work on various reconstruction projects in exchange for roughly 20 percent of Iraq’s oil exports, approximately 100,00 barrels per day, for a period of 20 years. According to Al-Monitor, Abdul-Mahdi had the following to say about the deal: “We agreed [with Beijing] to set up a joint investment fund, which the oil money will finance,” adding that the agreement prohibits China from monopolizing projects inside Iraq, forcing Bejing to work in cooperation with international firms.
The agreement is similar to one negotiated between Iraq and China in 2015 when Abdul-Mahdi was serving as Iraq’s oil minister. That year, Iraq joined China’s Belt and Road Initiative in a deal that also involved exchanging oil for investment, development and construction projects and saw China awarded several projects as a result. In a notable similarity to recent events, that deal was put on hold due to “political and security tensions” caused by unrest and the surge of ISIS in Iraq, that is until Abdul-Mahdi saw Iraq rejoin the initiative again late last year through the agreements his government signed with China last September.
Notably, after recent tensions between the U.S. and Iraq over the assassination of Soleimani and the U.S.’ subsequent refusal to remove its troops from Iraq despite parliament’s demands, Iraq quietly announced that it would dramatically increase its oil exports to China to triple the amount established in the deal signed in September. Given Abdul-Mahdi’s recent claims about the true forces behind Iraq’s recent protests and Trump’s threats against him being directly related to his dealings with China, the move appears to be a not-so-veiled signal from Abdul-Mahdi to Washington that he plans to deepen Iraq’s partnership with China, at least for as long as he remains in his caretaker role.
Iraq’s decision to dramatically increase its oil exports to China came just one day after the U.S. government threatened to cut off Iraq’s access to its central bank account, currently held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, an account that currently holds $35 billion in Iraqi oil revenue. The account was set up after the U.S. invaded and began occupying Iraq in 2003 and Iraq currently removes between $1-2 billion per month to cover essential government expenses. Losing access to its oil revenue stored in that account would lead to the “collapse” of Iraq’s government, according to Iraqi government officials who spoke to AFP.
Though Trump publicly promised to rebuke Iraq for the expulsion of U.S. troops via sanctions, the threat to cut off Iraq’s access to its account at the NY Federal Reserve Bank was delivered privately and directly to the Prime Minister, adding further credibility to Abdul-Mahdi’s claims that Trump’s most aggressive attempts at pressuring Iraq’s government are made in private and directed towards the country’s Prime Minister.
Though Trump’s push this time was about preventing the expulsion of U.S. troops from Iraq, his reasons for doing so may also be related to concerns about China’s growing foothold in the region. Indeed, while Trump has now lost his desired share of Iraqi oil revenue (50 percent) to China’s counteroffer of 20 percent, the removal of U.S. troops from Iraq may see American troops replaced with their Chinese counterparts as well, according to Tom Luongo.
“All of this is about the U.S. maintaining the fiction that it needs to stay in Iraq…So, China moving in there is the moment where they get their toe hold for the Belt and Road [Initiative],” Luongo argued. “That helps to strengthen the economic relationship between Iraq, Iran and China and obviating the need for the Americans to stay there. At some point, China will have assets on the ground that they are going to want to defend militarily in the event of any major crisis. This brings us to the next thing we know, that Mahdi and the Chinese ambassador discussed that very thing in the wake of the Soleimani killing.”
Indeed, according to news reports, Zhang Yao — China’s ambassador to Iraq — “conveyed Beijing’s readiness to provide military assistance” should Iraq’s government request it soon after Soleimani’s assassination. Yao made the offer a day after Iraq’s parliament voted to expel American troops from the country. Though it is currently unknown how Abdul-Mahdi responded to the offer, the timing likely caused no shortage of concern among the Trump administration about its rapidly waning influence in Iraq. “You can see what’s coming here,” Luongo told MintPress of the recent Chinese offer to Iraq, “China, Russia and Iran are trying to cleave Iraq away from the United States and the U.S. is feeling very threatened by this.”
Russia is also playing a role in the current scenario as Iraq initiated talks with Moscow regarding the possible purchase of one of its air defense systems last September, the same month that Iraq signed eight deals, including the oil deal with China. Then, in the wake of Soleimani’s death, Russia again offered the air defense systems to Iraq to allow them to better defend their air space. In the past, the U.S. has threatened allied countries with sanctions and other measures if they purchase Russian air defense systems as opposed to those manufactured by U.S. companies.
The U.S.’ efforts to curb China’s growing influence and presence in Iraq amid these new strategic partnerships and agreements are limited, however, as the U.S. is increasingly relying on China as part of its Iran policy, specifically in its goal of reducing Iranian oil export to zero. China remains Iran’s main crude oil and condensate importer, even after it reduced its imports of Iranian oil significantly following U.S. pressure last year. Yet, the U.S. is now attempting to pressure China to stop buying Iranian oil completely or face sanctions while also attempting to privately sabotage the China-Iraq oil deal. It is highly unlikely China will concede to the U.S. on both, if any, of those fronts, meaning the U.S. may be forced to choose which policy front (Iran “containment” vs. Iraq’s oil dealings with China) it values more in the coming weeks and months.
Furthermore, the recent signing of the “phase one” trade deal with China revealed another potential facet of the U.S.’ increasingly complicated relationship with Iraq’s oil sector given that the trade deal involves selling U.S. oil and gas to China at very low cost, suggesting that the Trump administration may also see the Iraq-China oil deal result in Iraq emerging as a potential competitor for the U.S. in selling cheap oil to China, the world’s top oil importer.
The Petrodollar and the Phantom of the Petroyuan
In his televised statements last week following Iran’s military response to the U.S. assassination of General Soleimani, Trump insisted that the U.S.’ Middle East policy is no longer being directed by America’s vast oil requirements. He stated specifically that:
Over the last three years, under my leadership, our economy is stronger than ever before and America has achieved energy independence. These historic accomplishments changed our strategic priorities. These are accomplishments that nobody thought were possible. And options in the Middle East became available. We are now the number-one producer of oil and natural gas anywhere in the world. We are independent, and we do not need Middle East oil. (emphasis added)”
Yet, given the centrality of the recent Iraq-China oil deal in guiding some of the Trump administration’s recent Middle East policy moves, this appears not to be the case. The distinction may lie in the fact that, while the U.S. may now be less dependent on oil imports from the Middle East, it still very much needs to continue to dominate how oil is traded and sold on international markets in order to maintain its status as both a global military and financial superpower.
Indeed, even if the U.S. is importing less Middle Eastern oil, the petrodollar system — first forged in the 1970s — requires that the U.S. maintains enough control over the global oil trade so that the world’s largest oil exporters, Iraq among them, continue to sell their oil in dollars. Were Iraq to sell oil in another currency, or trade oil for services, as it plans to do with China per the recently inked deal, a significant portion of Iraqi oil would cease to generate a demand for dollars, violating the key tenet of the petrodollar system.
As Kei Pritsker and Cale Holmes noted in an article last year for MintPress:
The takeaway from the petrodollar phenomenon is that as long as countries need oil, they will need the dollar. As long as countries demand dollars, the U.S. can continue to go into massive amounts of debt to fund its network of global military bases, Wall Street bailouts, nuclear missiles, and tax cuts for the rich.”
Thus, the use of the petrodollar has created a system whereby U.S. control of oil sales of the largest oil exporters is necessary, not just to buttress the dollar, but also to support its global military presence. Therefore, it is unsurprising that the issue of the U.S. troop presence in Iraq and the issue of Iraq’s push for oil independence against U.S. wishes have become intertwined. Notably, one of the architects of the petrodollar system and the man who infamously described U.S. soldiers as “dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy”, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, has been advising Trump and informing his China policy since 2016.
This take was also expressed by economist Michael Hudson, who recently noted that U.S. access to oil, dollarization and U.S. military strategy are intricately interwoven and that Trump’s recent Iraq policy is intended “to escalate America’s presence in Iraq to keep control of the region’s oil reserves,” and, as Hudson says, “to back Saudi Arabia’s Wahabi troops (ISIS, Al Qaeda in Iraq, Al Nusra and other divisions of what are actually America’s foreign legion) to support U.S. control of Near Eastern oil as a buttress of the U.S. dollar.”
Hudson further asserts that it was Qassem Soleimani’s efforts to promote Iraq’s oil independence at the expense of U.S. imperial ambitions that served one of the key motives behind his assassination.
America opposed General Suleimani above all because he was fighting against ISIS and other U.S.-backed terrorists in their attempt to break up Syria and replace Assad’s regime with a set of U.S.-compliant local leaders – the old British “divide and conquer” ploy. On occasion, Suleimani had cooperated with U.S. troops in fighting ISIS groups that got “out of line” meaning the U.S. party line. But every indication is that he was in Iraq to work with that government seeking to regain control of the oil fields that President Trump has bragged so loudly about grabbing. (emphasis added)”
Hudson adds that “…U.S. neocons feared Suleimani’s plan to help Iraq assert control of its oil and withstand the terrorist attacks supported by U.S. and Saudi’s on Iraq. That is what made his assassination an immediate drive.”
While other factors — such as pressure from U.S. allies such as Israel — also played a factor in the decision to kill Soleimani, the decision to assassinate him on Iraqi soil just hours before he was set to meet with Abdul-Mahdi in a diplomatic role suggests that the underlying tensions caused by Iraq’s push for oil independence and its oil deal with China did play a factor in the timing of his assassination. It also served as a threat to Abdul-Mahdi, who has claimed that the U.S. threatened to kill both him and his defense minister just weeks prior over tensions directly related to the push for independence of Iraq’s oil sector from the U.S.
It appears that the ever-present role of the petrodollar in guiding U.S. policy in the Middle East remains unchanged. The petrodollar has long been a driving factor behind the U.S.’ policy towards Iraq specifically, as one of the key triggers for the 2003 invasion of Iraq was Saddam Hussein’s decision to sell Iraqi oil in Euros opposed to dollars beginning in the year 2000. Just weeks before the invasion began, Hussein boasted that Iraq’s Euro-based oil revenue account was earning a higher interest rate than it would have been if it had continued to sell its oil in dollars, an apparent signal to other oil exporters that the petrodollar system was only really benefiting the United States at their own expense.
Beyond current efforts to stave off Iraq’s oil independence and keep its oil trade aligned with the U.S., the fact that the U.S. is now seeking to limit China’s ever-growing role in Iraq’s oil sector is also directly related to China’s publicly known efforts to create its own direct competitor to the petrodollar, the petroyuan.
Since 2017, China has made its plans for the petroyuan — a direct competitor to the petrodollar — no secret, particularly after China eclipsed the U.S. as the world’s largest importer of oil. As CNBC noted at the time:
The new strategy is to enlist the energy markets’ help: Beijing may introduce a new way to price oil in coming months — but unlike the contracts based on the U.S. dollar that currently dominate global markets, this benchmark would use China’s own currency. If there’s widespread adoption, as the Chinese hope, then that will mark a step toward challenging the greenback’s status as the world’s most powerful currency….The plan is to price oil in yuan using a gold-backed futures contract in Shanghai, but the road will be long and arduous.”
If the U.S. continues on its current path and pushes Iraq further into the arms of China and other U.S. rival states, it goes without saying that Iraq — now a part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative — may soon favor a petroyuan system over a petrodollar system, particularly as the current U.S. administration threatens to hold Iraq’s central bank account hostage for pursuing policies Washington finds unfavorable.
It could also explain why President Trump is so concerned about China’s growing foothold in Iraq, since it risks causing not only the end of the U.S. military hegemony in the country but could also lead to major trouble for the petrodollar system and the U.S.’ position as a global financial power. Trump’s policy aimed at stopping China and Iraq’s growing ties is clearly having the opposite effect, showing that this administration’s “gangster diplomacy” only serves to make the alternatives offered by countries like China and Russia all the more attractive.
Feature photo | Graphic by Claudio Cabrera for MintPress News
Article posted with permission from MintPress News


thewashingtonstandard--2020-01-18--Biden Calls For Abolishing Section 230 Of Communications Decency Act

1 .
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is a zombie piece of legislation that was misused to provide a shield for dot com platforms for violating copyright .
It ’ s become a central tool for Republicans and then Democrats looking to pressure big tech over two issues .
Republicans want to pressure big tech over censorship of Republicans .
Democrats want to pressure big tech into censoring Republicans .
Both sides obviously can ’ t win .
But , backed by the media , Democrats have largely been winning in pushing big tech to censor Republicans .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ holdout , relative to Twitter and Google .
And Democrats have blamed it for their Russian conspiracy theory .
2 .
Biden ’ s Section 230 statement means that all three of the top Dem 2020 candidates are , at least in theory , in favor of applying major pressure on big tech for various reasons .
Biden is making it clear that his reason is about censoring Republicans .
But does Biden even know what he ’ s saying ?
Charlie Warzel : Sure .
Mr. Vice President , in October , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regarding an ad that falsely claimed that you blackmailed Ukrainian officials to not investigate your son .
I ’ m curious , did that experience , dealing with Facebook and their power , did that change the way that you see the power of tech platforms right now ?
No , I ’ ve never been a fan of Facebook , as you probably know .
I ’ ve never been a big Zuckerberg fan .
I think he ’ s a real problem .
I think —— No , I can .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , from my perspective , I ’ ve been in the view that not only should we be worrying about the concentration of power , we should be worried about the lack of privacy and them being exempt , which you ’ re not exempt .
[ The Times ] can ’ t write something you know to be false and be exempt from being sued .
But he can .
The idea that it ’ s a tech company is that Section 230 should be revoked , immediately should be revoked , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ platforms .
That ’ s right .
Exactly right .
And it should be revoked .
It should be revoked because it is not merely an internet company .
It is propagating falsehoods they know to be false , and we should be setting standards not unlike the Europeans are doing relative to privacy .
You guys still have editors .
I ’ m sitting with them .
Not a joke .
There is no editorial impact at all on Facebook .
None .
None whatsoever .
It ’ s irresponsible .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If there ’ s proven harm that Facebook has done , should someone like Mark Zuckerberg be submitted to criminal penalties , perhaps ?
He should be submitted to civil liability and his company to civil liability , just like you would be here at The New York Times .
Whether he engaged in something and amounted to collusion that in fact caused harm that would in fact be equal to a criminal offense , that ’ s a different issue .
That ’ s possible .
That ’ s possible it could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ads that Russia was running .
All those bots about me .
They ’ re no longer being run .
He was getting paid a lot of money to put them up .
I learned three things .
Number one , Putin doesn ’ t want me to be president .
Number two , Kim Jong-un thinks I should be beaten to death like a rabid dog and three , this president of the United States is spending millions of dollars to try to keep me from being the nominee .
I wonder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ranting .
And it ’ s all about him .
Unlike Warren or Sanders , Biden doesn ’ t even pretend that he cares about any issue larger than him .
As far as he ’ s been briefed , Section 230 lets Facebook run ads that make him look bad .
And he can , presumably , be bribed out of his position , if say , Facebook were to put Hunter Biden or Frank Biden or Zeppo Biden on its board .
Or , more likely , bring a Biden linked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Still it ’ s a significant turn that opposition to big tech is a bipartisan issue .

1. Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is a zombie piece of legislation that was misused to provide a shield for dot com platforms for violating copyright. It’s become a central tool for Republicans and then Democrats looking to pressure big tech over two issues.
Republicans want to pressure big tech over censorship of Republicans. Democrats want to pressure big tech into censoring Republicans.
Both sides obviously can’t win. But, backed by the media, Democrats have largely been winning in pushing big tech to censor Republicans. Facebook has become the lone big tech holdout, relative to Twitter and Google. And Democrats have blamed it for their Russian conspiracy theory.
2. Biden’s Section 230 statement means that all three of the top Dem 2020 candidates are, at least in theory, in favor of applying major pressure on big tech for various reasons. Biden is making it clear that his reason is about censoring Republicans.
But does Biden even know what he’s saying?
Charlie Warzel: Sure. Mr. Vice President, in October, your campaign sent a letter to Facebook regarding an ad that falsely claimed that you blackmailed Ukrainian officials to not investigate your son. I’m curious, did that experience, dealing with Facebook and their power, did that change the way that you see the power of tech platforms right now? No, I’ve never been a fan of Facebook, as you probably know. I’ve never been a big Zuckerberg fan. I think he’s a real problem. I think —— CW: Can you elaborate? No, I can. He knows better. And you know, from my perspective, I’ve been in the view that not only should we be worrying about the concentration of power, we should be worried about the lack of privacy and them being exempt, which you’re not exempt. [The Times] can’t write something you know to be false and be exempt from being sued. But he can. The idea that it’s a tech company is that Section 230 should be revoked, immediately should be revoked, number one. For Zuckerberg and other platforms. CW: That’s a pretty foundational laws of the modern internet. That’s right. Exactly right. And it should be revoked. It should be revoked because it is not merely an internet company. It is propagating falsehoods they know to be false, and we should be setting standards not unlike the Europeans are doing relative to privacy. You guys still have editors. I’m sitting with them. Not a joke. There is no editorial impact at all on Facebook. None. None whatsoever. It’s irresponsible. It’s totally irresponsible. CW: If there’s proven harm that Facebook has done, should someone like Mark Zuckerberg be submitted to criminal penalties, perhaps? He should be submitted to civil liability and his company to civil liability, just like you would be here at The New York Times. Whether he engaged in something and amounted to collusion that in fact caused harm that would in fact be equal to a criminal offense, that’s a different issue. That’s possible. That’s possible it could happen. Zuckerberg finally took down those ads that Russia was running. All those bots about me. They’re no longer being run. He was getting paid a lot of money to put them up. I learned three things. Number one, Putin doesn’t want me to be president. Number two, Kim Jong-un thinks I should be beaten to death like a rabid dog and three, this president of the United States is spending millions of dollars to try to keep me from being the nominee. I wonder why.
This is typically Bidensque incoherent ranting. And it’s all about him.
Unlike Warren or Sanders, Biden doesn’t even pretend that he cares about any issue larger than him. As far as he’s been briefed, Section 230 lets Facebook run ads that make him look bad. And he can, presumably, be bribed out of his position, if say, Facebook were to put Hunter Biden or Frank Biden or Zeppo Biden on its board. Or, more likely, bring a Biden linked firm in to consult on something.
Still it’s a significant turn that opposition to big tech is a bipartisan issue.
Article posted with permission from Daniel Greenfield


thewashingtonstandard--2020-01-18--California:  Teen Uses Snapchat to Save Herself After Being Kidnapped & Raped By 3 Latinos

California : Teen Uses Snapchat to Save Herself After Being Kidnapped & Raped By 3 Latinos No word on whether these men were actually legal or not , as usual , but if nothing else it is another reason to build the wall .
Those that come from South of our border come from a violent culture and they are bringing that culture with them .
We have enough bad guys already in America .
We don ’ t need more .
Incredibly this teenage girl had the presence of mind to save herself from these monsters .
A 14-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sexually assaulted used Snapchat to tell her friends that she was being held against her will and her high-tech actions led to her safe release , San Jose police said .
The girl “ Snapchatted ” her friends on Tuesday morning to say she had been taken by three men and did not know where she was , according to Sgt .
Enrique Garcia .
Her friends then used Snapchat ’ s location service to figure out that she was that she was at the E-Z 8 Motel at 1550 N. First @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Police arrived about 11 a.m. and saw Thomas Vasquez exit a motel room and found the teen inside .
Vasquez was arrested on kidnapping , false imprisonment and rape by intoxication charges .
Detectives said they later learned that Vasquez met the girl in Capitola earlier that day , and gave her drugs .
She was knocked out .
Vasquez called two others — Antonio Quirino Salvador and Hediberto Gonzalez Avarenga — for help .
The three put the girl in their car , police said .
Vasquez sexually assaulted her in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them drove to the motel where Vasquez sexually assaulted her again , police said .
Police took Salvador and Avarenga into custody on Wednesday on kidnapping and conspiracy charges .
Anyone with information about this case or similar incidents involving these suspects is asked to contact Detective Anthony Barajas of the San Jose Police Department ’ s Sexual Assault Investigations Unit at 408-277-4102 .
I get tired of the term “ sexually assaulted ” don ’ t you ?
Again , California continues to be victimized by lax border policies while Golden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with illegals .
• Gov .
Gavin Newsom commits financial suicide for California by expanding taxpayer-funded health care coverage to illegal immigrants • 2 Illegal Alien Killers In California In 1 Month Protected By Sanctuary State • Millions of Your Tax $ $ $ Being Spent to Provide Special Care For Delinquent , Gangbanger & Pregnant Illegal Alien Minors California is not alone in its push to roll out the red carpet for illegals , but it certainly is at the forefront .
Thank God this young woman was able to keep semi-calm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never heard from again and written off as runaways or unsolved crimes .
Stop the liberal open-border BS and let ’ s get tough on criminals .
We don ’ t need to keep adding to the pool of bad guys .
Things are spiraling out of control and it ’ s not just California — it ’ s everywhere !

California: Teen Uses Snapchat to Save Herself After Being Kidnapped & Raped By 3 Latinos
No word on whether these men were actually legal or not, as usual, but if nothing else it is another reason to build the wall.
Those that come from South of our border come from a violent culture and they are bringing that culture with them.
We have enough bad guys already in America.
We don’t need more.
Incredibly this teenage girl had the presence of mind to save herself from these monsters.
KTVU reports:
A 14-year-old girl who had been drugged, kidnapped and sexually assaulted used Snapchat to tell her friends that she was being held against her will and her high-tech actions led to her safe release, San Jose police said.
The girl “Snapchatted” her friends on Tuesday morning to say she had been taken by three men and did not know where she was, according to Sgt. Enrique Garcia.
Her friends then used Snapchat’s location service to figure out that she was that she was at the E-Z 8 Motel at 1550 N. First St. in San Jose and called 911.
Police arrived about 11 a.m. and saw Thomas Vasquez exit a motel room and found the teen inside. Vasquez was arrested on kidnapping, false imprisonment and rape by intoxication charges.
Detectives said they later learned that Vasquez met the girl in Capitola earlier that day, and gave her drugs. She was knocked out. Vasquez called two others — Antonio Quirino Salvador and Hediberto Gonzalez Avarenga — for help.
The three put the girl in their car, police said. Vasquez sexually assaulted her in the car, and then the three of them drove to the motel where Vasquez sexually assaulted her again, police said.
Police took Salvador and Avarenga into custody on Wednesday on kidnapping and conspiracy charges.
Anyone with information about this case or similar incidents involving these suspects is asked to contact Detective Anthony Barajas of the San Jose Police Department’s Sexual Assault Investigations Unit at 408-277-4102.
#####
I get tired of the term “sexually assaulted” don’t you?
The girl was raped.
Again, California continues to be victimized by lax border policies while Golden State politicians attempt to keep filling America with illegals.
California is not alone in its push to roll out the red carpet for illegals, but it certainly is at the forefront.
Thank God this young woman was able to keep semi-calm and save herself.
Many victims are never heard from again and written off as runaways or unsolved crimes.
Stop the liberal open-border BS and let’s get tough on criminals.
We don’t need to keep adding to the pool of bad guys.
Things are spiraling out of control and it’s not just California — it’s everywhere!
Article posted with permission from Dean Garrison


thewashingtonstandard--2020-01-18--Wisconsin:  Child Grooming Gang Composed Of Illegals Busted

Here ’ s just another friendly reminder to build the wall .
This is the latest example of bad guys with bad intentions entering America .
Authorities have arrested 6 men in Wisconsin in connection with child grooming activities .
MANCHESTER , WI ( Channel 3000 ) – The Green Lake County Sheriff ’ s Office has arrested six people in connection with a sex trafficking case , according to a news release .
Law enforcement officials said they received a 911 call Nov. 28 from a juvenile on the run .
According to police , she had escaped from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trafficked .
Police said she was able to provide information that allowed police to start an investigation .
Police executed a search warrant on Nov. 29 at W2964 County Line Road in Manchester , Wisconsin , where they seized multiple items of evidence believed to be connected to the assault of the juvenile .
The warrant also led to the arrest of six people who all lived in the home .
Thirty-three-year-old Esler Hugo Rivera , 28-year-old Rolando Corado Gonzalez , 40-year-old Avelino Sarceno-Sarceno , 37-year-old Ember Rivera , 28-year-old Noe Bautista-Martinez and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on suspicion of second-degree sexual assault .
Amabilio Garcia-Rivera is suspected of trafficking the juvenile , the release said .
Police believe all of the suspects are undocumented immigrants from Guatemala .
According to the release , the suspects have made court appearances and are being held at the Green Lake County Correctional Facility on cash bonds varying from $ 20,000 to $ 50,000 .
The incident is currently under investigation by the Green Lake County Sheriff ’ s Office and the Wisconsin Department of Justice ’ s Division of Criminal Investigations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pick up an important story because it doesn ’ t fit the anti-Trump narrative .
( Some of the blogs , right-wing sites and independents did pick up the story . )
Sex trafficking is real and it is here in America .
• Illegal aliens from Guatemala caught in child sex trafficking operation in Wisconsin • It Took a Billionaire Pedophile to Die in Jail for Media to Finally Report On Elite Child Sex Trafficking • Arkancide ?
Murder of Arkansas Senator Linda Collins-Smith linked to Epstein pedophilia and sex trafficking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in America already .
Is it too much to ask that we build the wall and slow the immigration crisis so that we can vet those who enter ?
Some bad guys will make it through either way , but we would certainly catch more of them with a stricter process that was backed by a better border barrier .

Here’s just another friendly reminder to build the wall.
This is the latest example of bad guys with bad intentions entering America.
Authorities have arrested 6 men in Wisconsin in connection with child grooming activities.
From Albion Times:
MANCHESTER, WI (Channel 3000) – The Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office has arrested six people in connection with a sex trafficking case, according to a news release.
Law enforcement officials said they received a 911 call Nov. 28 from a juvenile on the run. According to police, she had escaped from a residence where she was being sex trafficked. Police said she was able to provide information that allowed police to start an investigation.
Police executed a search warrant on Nov. 29 at W2964 County Line Road in Manchester, Wisconsin, where they seized multiple items of evidence believed to be connected to the assault of the juvenile. The warrant also led to the arrest of six people who all lived in the home.
Thirty-three-year-old Esler Hugo Rivera, 28-year-old Rolando Corado Gonzalez, 40-year-old Avelino Sarceno-Sarceno, 37-year-old Ember Rivera, 28-year-old Noe Bautista-Martinez and 31-year-old Evis Amabilio Garcia-Rivera were all arrested on suspicion of second-degree sexual assault.
Amabilio Garcia-Rivera is suspected of trafficking the juvenile, the release said. Police believe all of the suspects are undocumented immigrants from Guatemala. According to the release, the suspects have made court appearances and are being held at the Green Lake County Correctional Facility on cash bonds varying from $20,000 to $50,000.
The incident is currently under investigation by the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigations.
#####
The Albion Times is a UK website.
Once again our national networks have failed to pick up an important story because it doesn’t fit the anti-Trump narrative. (Some of the blogs, right-wing sites and independents did pick up the story.)
Sex trafficking is real and it is here in America.
Again, we have enough bad people in America already.
Is it too much to ask that we build the wall and slow the immigration crisis so that we can vet those who enter?
Some bad guys will make it through either way, but we would certainly catch more of them with a stricter process that was backed by a better border barrier.
Build the wall!
Article posted with permission from Dean Garrison


thewashingtonstandard--2020-01-18--Trump Ends Failed Michelle Obama School Lunch Program On “Her” Birthday

Thinking back a few years , do you remember what students were saying about Michelle Obama ’ s lunch program ?
Here are a few reminders… • Michelle Obama ’ s school lunches look and taste like ‘ decomposed rotten prison food ’ • Let Them Eat Cake : The First Lady ’ s “ Improved ” Public School Lunches vs .
The Obama Girls ’ School Lunch Menu • Michelle Obama ’ s School Lunches In Pictures : “ Is That Photo Taken From Death Row ?
” Well , President Trump decided to put the final nail in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s coffin on her birthday .
President Trump continues his onslaught on all unnecessary government regulations .
His focus first was on business – he needed to get rid of the red tape and get this country moving forward again .
Which he did and none would argue otherwise .
So now Trump is moving on to other areas of government blight and he just ended Michelle Obama ’ s favorite program .
Obama ’ s signature issue was her school lunch program and while the left is screaming Trump did it on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he did it on her birthday , but moreover he waited three years to do it , so if there was any bad intent he would have done it day one .
Trump has systematically combed through the bureaucracy and is draining the swamp , it was inevitable he would eventually get to this restrictive regulation too .
The Trump administration on Friday announced plans to roll back school lunch standards on vegetables and fruits originally promoted by Michelle Obama , unveiling the proposal on the former first lady ’ s birthday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more flexibility “ because they know their children best , ” the Agriculture Department said in a press release .
“ Schools and school districts continue to tell us that there is still too much food waste and that more common-sense flexibility is needed to provide students nutritious and appetizing meals .
We listened and now we ’ re getting to work , ” Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a statement .
While Trump may have driven the final nail on Michelle Obama ’ s birthday , it is important to note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this back in 2017 , shortly after election .
If he wanted to finalize things on Mooch ’ s birthday , that ’ s OK .
But how do we even know for sure that Trump knows when Michelle Obama ’ s birthday is ?
Was he invited to the party in the new mansion ?
• There Goes the Neighborhood : Barry & Mooch Officially Close Deal on $ 11.75 Million Martha ’ s Vineyard Mansion Maybe he was mad because he wasn ’ t invited .
LOL

Thinking back a few years, do you remember what students were saying about Michelle Obama’s lunch program?
Here are a few reminders…
Well, President Trump decided to put the final nail in Mooch’s school lunch program’s coffin on her birthday.
#BREAKING: Trump administration announces plans to roll back Michelle Obama's school lunch rules on her birthday https://t.co/a5jAcJYx3a pic.twitter.com/oPgj0nySZz — The Hill (@thehill) January 17, 2020
Newsthud reports:
President Trump continues his onslaught on all unnecessary government regulations. His focus first was on business – he needed to get rid of the red tape and get this country moving forward again.
Which he did and none would argue otherwise. So now Trump is moving on to other areas of government blight and he just ended Michelle Obama’s favorite program.
Obama’s signature issue was her school lunch program and while the left is screaming Trump did it on her birthday – first off so what if he did it on her birthday, but moreover he waited three years to do it, so if there was any bad intent he would have done it day one.
Trump has systematically combed through the bureaucracy and is draining the swamp, it was inevitable he would eventually get to this restrictive regulation too.
From The Hill:
The Trump administration on Friday announced plans to roll back school lunch standards on vegetables and fruits originally promoted by Michelle Obama, unveiling the proposal on the former first lady’s birthday.
The new standards will allow schools more flexibility “because they know their children best,” the Agriculture Department said in a press release.
“Schools and school districts continue to tell us that there is still too much food waste and that more common-sense flexibility is needed to provide students nutritious and appetizing meals. We listened and now we’re getting to work,” Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a statement.
More…
#####
While Trump may have driven the final nail on Michelle Obama’s birthday, it is important to note that he prioritized and began working on this back in 2017, shortly after election.
If he wanted to finalize things on Mooch’s birthday, that’s OK.
But how do we even know for sure that Trump knows when Michelle Obama’s birthday is?
Was he invited to the party in the new mansion?
Maybe he was mad because he wasn’t invited. LOL
Take that Mooch!
Article posted with permission from Dean Garrison


thewashingtonstandard--2020-01-18--Mysterious “SARS-Like Virus” Killing People In China Has Spread To Japan

On top of everything else that has happened so far in 2020 , a very mysterious “ SARS-like virus ” that doctors have never seen before is causing grave concern among global health officials .
It has been identified as “ a coronavirus ” , but that category covers a very broad range of illnesses .
If you have a common cold right now , it was caused by a coronavirus .
But SARS and MERS also came from the same virus family , and those two outbreaks made headlines all over the world .
In 2002 and 2003 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and more than 700 of them ended up dying .
Global health officials are hoping that what we are now facing won ’ t be any worse than that , but at this point , they just don ’ t know enough about this mysterious new virus to make any firm projections .
What we do know is that this outbreak just started , and China has just announced that this virus has claimed a second life .
The following comes from the BBC… And we also know that there have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transported the virus outside of China via airplane .
The first case happened earlier this week when a woman flew from China to Thailand… The new virus , known for now as 2019-nCoV , was first identified on Jan. 7 , about a week after officials first reported a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan , WHO said .
Recently , officials reported the first “ exported ” case of the virus in Thailand .
In that case , a resident of Wuhan got on a direct flight to Thailand along with several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group , according to WHO .
When the 61-year-old woman arrived at the airport , she was found to have a fever , and she was taken to the hospital where she tested positive for 2019-nCoV .
Subsequently , on Thursday we learned that a man that flew from China to Japan had also contracted the virus .
The following comes from Time Magazine… At first , global health officials were greatly downplaying the possibility of human-to-human transmission .
But now even the World Health Organization has been forced to admit that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In other words , the evidence has forced them to change their tune , but they are still trying to not alarm the general public too much .
Unfortunately , the truth is that this outbreak is still very new , they have never seen this virus before , and they are still trying to figure out exactly how dangerous it is .
Hopefully , this is not going to develop into a major pandemic .
Without a doubt , it is certainly possible that this whole thing could fizzle out even faster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But let us not forget that a horrific pandemic about 100 years ago killed between 50 million and 100 million people .
The following comes from Wikipedia… Bill Gates has identified pandemics as one of the three greatest threats that humanity is facing , and he says that we are woefully unprepared if one were to break out today .
In fact , he says that we should be preparing for one right now as if we were preparing for war… Sadly , authorities will probably never make preparation a true priority until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The symptoms of this new mystery virus include congestion , headache , cough and fever .
Of course , those exact same symptoms are associated with the common cold .
If you have shortness of breath , chills or body aches in addition to the other symptoms , that could be an indication that you should get checked out .
But there have been no reports of this virus reaching the United States yet , and hopefully , we won ’ t see that happen at all .
For the Chinese , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because their Lunar New Year celebration is on January 25th .
Hundreds of millions of people will be traveling around China , and that could potentially accelerate the spread of the virus .
It may have been prudent for Chinese officials to completely cancel all of the festivities , but at this point , there are absolutely no plans to do that .
So we will watch and see what happens .
If this particular virus doesn ’ t become a pandemic , scientists assure us that it is only a matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And considering the hour in which we live , we are certainly very vulnerable to a potential pandemic right now .
Once again , I want to stress that there is no need for people in the U.S. to start freaking out about this virus just yet .
Only two people have died , and there have been no reported cases in the U.S. so far .
But as we have seen in the past , global air travel can spread a virus around the world very quickly , and authorities are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this new mystery disease really is .

On top of everything else that has happened so far in 2020, a very mysterious “SARS-like virus” that doctors have never seen before is causing grave concern among global health officials. It has been identified as “a coronavirus”, but that category covers a very broad range of illnesses. If you have a common cold right now, it was caused by a coronavirus. But SARS and MERS also came from the same virus family, and those two outbreaks made headlines all over the world. In 2002 and 2003, SARS infected more than 8,000 people worldwide, and more than 700 of them ended up dying. Global health officials are hoping that what we are now facing won’t be any worse than that, but at this point, they just don’t know enough about this mysterious new virus to make any firm projections.
What we do know is that this outbreak just started, and China has just announced that this virus has claimed a second life. The following comes from the BBC…
A second person has died in China from a new, pneumonia-like virus, local officials have announced. They say the death was recorded in the eastern city of Wuhan, where the outbreak began in December.
And we also know that there have been at least two cases where people have transported the virus outside of China via airplane.
The first case happened earlier this week when a woman flew from China to Thailand…
The new virus, known for now as 2019-nCoV, was first identified on Jan. 7, about a week after officials first reported a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, WHO said. Recently, officials reported the first “exported” case of the virus in Thailand. In that case, a resident of Wuhan got on a direct flight to Thailand along with several members of her family and a tour group, according to WHO . When the 61-year-old woman arrived at the airport, she was found to have a fever, and she was taken to the hospital where she tested positive for 2019-nCoV.
Subsequently, on Thursday we learned that a man that flew from China to Japan had also contracted the virus. The following comes from Time Magazine…
Japan’s government said Thursday a man treated for pneumonia after returning from China has tested positive for the new coronavirus identified as a possible cause of an outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The man developed a fever and coughs on Jan. 3 while in Wuhan, returned to Japan on Jan. 6, and was hospitalized four days later due to persistent coughs and fever, with his X-ray image showing signs of pneumonia, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said.
At first, global health officials were greatly downplaying the possibility of human-to-human transmission.
But now even the World Health Organization has been forced to admit that “limited human-to-human transmission” may be happening…
There may have been limited human-to-human transmission of a new coronavirus in China within families, and it is possible there could be a wider outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
In other words, the evidence has forced them to change their tune, but they are still trying to not alarm the general public too much.
Unfortunately, the truth is that this outbreak is still very new, they have never seen this virus before, and they are still trying to figure out exactly how dangerous it is.
Hopefully, this is not going to develop into a major pandemic. Without a doubt, it is certainly possible that this whole thing could fizzle out even faster than the bird flu scare did.
But let us not forget that a horrific pandemic about 100 years ago killed between 50 million and 100 million people. The following comes from Wikipedia…
The 1918 influenza pandemic (January 1918 – December 1920; colloquially known as Spanish flu) was an unusually deadly influenza pandemic, the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus.[1] It infected 500 million people around the world, including people on remote Pacific islands and in the Arctic. Probably 50 million, and possibly as high as 100 million (three to five percent of Earth’s population at the time) died, making it one of the deadliest epidemics in human history.
Bill Gates has identified pandemics as one of the three greatest threats that humanity is facing, and he says that we are woefully unprepared if one were to break out today.
In fact, he says that we should be preparing for one right now as if we were preparing for war…
“In the case of biological threats, that sense of urgency is lacking,” Gates said in a 2018 presentation hosted by the New England Journal of Medicine. “The world needs to prepare for pandemics in the same serious way it prepares for war.”
Sadly, authorities will probably never make preparation a true priority until a major pandemic has already begun.
The symptoms of this new mystery virus include congestion, headache, cough and fever.
Of course, those exact same symptoms are associated with the common cold.
If you have shortness of breath, chills or body aches in addition to the other symptoms, that could be an indication that you should get checked out.
But there have been no reports of this virus reaching the United States yet, and hopefully, we won’t see that happen at all.
For the Chinese, this outbreak comes at a particularly bad time, because their Lunar New Year celebration is on January 25th. Hundreds of millions of people will be traveling around China, and that could potentially accelerate the spread of the virus.
It may have been prudent for Chinese officials to completely cancel all of the festivities, but at this point, there are absolutely no plans to do that.
So we will watch and see what happens. If this particular virus doesn’t become a pandemic, scientists assure us that it is only a matter of time before some other virus does. And considering the hour in which we live, we are certainly very vulnerable to a potential pandemic right now.
Once again, I want to stress that there is no need for people in the U.S. to start freaking out about this virus just yet. Only two people have died, and there have been no reported cases in the U.S. so far.
But as we have seen in the past, global air travel can spread a virus around the world very quickly, and authorities are still trying to figure out how dangerous this new mystery disease really is.
Article posted with permission from Michael Snyder


thewashingtonstandard--2020-01-18--David Wurmser & Trump’s Zionist Occupied Brain

It ’ s antisemitism time .
If you criticize Israel and the cadre of chickenhawk neocons steering Donald Trump ’ s foreign policy , you will be pilloried and exiled to the political wilderness , forever condemned as a white supremacist .
Scratch a little bit beneath the surface and you will discover at the core of this anti-free speech campaign a rabid Zionist , the same Zionist agitators responsible for advocating and organizing the murder of over a million Iraqis .
It ’ s no longer permissible to criticize Jewish neocons .
The very word “ neocon ” is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these chickenhawk war criminals are Jewish .
It is never mentioned in the NYT or WaPo that the second Iraq mass murder campaign was strictly a Zionist ( another word that will get you labeled an antisemite ) affair designed to benefit Israel at the expense of the United States .
Jon Schwarz , writing for The Intercept , tells us something many of us already knew—the forever war neocons are embedded deep within the Trump administration , led by David Wurmser .
“ An influential neoconservative in President George W. Bush ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force behind the push for war with Iraq in 2003 , Wurmser has recently been serving as an informal adviser to the Trump administration , according to new reporting from Bloomberg News .
In that capacity , Wurmser helped make the case for the recent drone strike that assassinated Iranian Gen. Qassim Suleimani , ” Schwarz writes .
During the reign of the second dynastic Bush , Wurmser advised Dick Cheney on how best to destroy Iraq and immiserate millions of people and kill what turned out to be a million and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civilians .
Wurmer ’ s inside man in the Trump WH was John Bolton , Trump ’ s former national security adviser and one of the most vociferous and hateful non-Jewish individuals within the creative destruction klatch .
Bolton ’ s over the top calls for endless violence , cruelty , and his apparent inability to kowtow to the narcissist Trump resulted in his departure from the administration .
Bolton may be gone but the Zionist blueprint for undermining Israel ’ s neighbors and gobbling up as much land and expelling ( in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many native inhabitants as possible .
This is being driven from afar and in secret by David Wurmser and his equally repugnant wife , Meyrav , from the heights of the vile Zionists outfit , the Foundation for Defense of Democracies .
Meyrav helped found the organization .
As well , she is the director of the Center for Middle East Policy at the neocon-infested Hudson Institute .
Her husband played a key role in the pro-Zionist formulations at the American Enterprise Institute , the Washington Institute for Near East Policy , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Studies .
The Wurmsers are rock-ribbed Zionist provocateurs .
David Wurmser might be considered a guardian of the neocon mission .
In 2018 , he sent a letter to Newt Gingrich demanding then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson purge all staffers at the State Department not sufficiently loyal to Trump—that is to say , not sufficiently loyal to the neocon cause , which is Israel ’ s cause .
He is responsible in large part ( along with his wife , Paul Wolfowitz , and Richard Perle ) for A Clean Break : A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a document prepared for incoming Likud PM Bibi Netanyahu .
The document recommends working closely with “ Turkey and Jordan to contain , destabilize , and roll back ” regional threats ( for instance , advocating on behalf of the Palestinians ) and using “ Israeli proxy forces ” based in Lebanon for “ striking Syrian military targets in Lebanon.
” If that should “ prove insufficient , [ Israel should strike ] at select targets in Syria proper.
” It argues “ Israel can shape its strategic environment , in cooperation with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ containing , even rolling back Syria.
” This would create a “ natural axis ” between Israel , Jordan , a Hashemite Iraq , and Turkey that “ would squeeze and detach Syria from the Saudi Peninsula , ” which “ could be the prelude to a redrawing of the map of the Middle East , which could threaten Syria ’ s territorial integrity.
” The staying power of the neocons—analogous to the grip of a pit bull—is one of the more remarkable political stories of our time .
The exit of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ W. Bush was viewed by many as a purge from the government of a group of fanatical ideologues doing the work of a foreign government .
The neocons , of course , didn ’ t disappear—they slunk back to their think tanks and foundations and conspired with more politically palatable ( and more skilled at telling lies ) “ humanitarian interventionists ” in the Obama administration .
The result was 30,000 dead in Libya , the engineered influx of crazed Wahhabi mercenaries in Syria ( over 600,000 Syrians killed thus far ) under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary Clinton , then-Secretary of State .
Obama also continued and expanded Bush ’ s illegal drone murder program and intensified the war against whistleblowers such as Julian Assange and Edward Snowden .
Obama redoubled the war on investigative journalism .
Despite all this , Democrats consider Obama a saint .
It has been obvious for many months that Donald Trump is nothing if not an automaton for the Israelis .
He routinely fawns over Israeli war criminals and medieval Saudi head-choppers .
He has given Israel whatever it wants—billions of dollars a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contested Jerusalem , a thumbs-up for Israel ’ s theft of around 700 square miles of land in Syria , encouragement to finally annex the West Bank and squeeze out the Palestinians , considered drugged cockroaches in a bottle by the Zionist settler-racists , and a program aimed at the heart of the Bill of Rights in America to stifle any criticism of this brutal little racist state and its war on Palestinian women and children ( along with shooting , killing , and maiming activists , medics , and journalists ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ dupe for fanatical Zionists determined to expel all Arabs and non-Jewish goyim from its half-pint country established on mass graves and the bloody remains of terror attacks ( the King David Hotel , Deir Yassin , Lydda , al-Dawayima , Qibya , and many others ) .
Trump ’ s brain is not his own .
It is owned by his orthodox Jewish son-in-law and his converted wife .
The president ’ s obsessively self-referential brain is influenced by Sheldon Adelson ( he gave Trump over $ 100 million during the campaign ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ Book of Trump ” inserted in the Old Testament ) , in addition to other Jewish mega-donors , and a groundswell of enthusiastic support among orthodox Jewish voters .
Thus it is hardly a surprise the neocon ’ s neocon , David Wurmser , is a puppet master driving USG foreign policy in the Middle East .
He has the chops , the experience , the appetite for dispossessing and arranging the murder of Palestinians , Iranians , Syrians , and Lebanese .

It’s antisemitism time. If you criticize Israel and the cadre of chickenhawk neocons steering Donald Trump’s foreign policy, you will be pilloried and exiled to the political wilderness, forever condemned as a white supremacist.
Scratch a little bit beneath the surface and you will discover at the core of this anti-free speech campaign a rabid Zionist, the same Zionist agitators responsible for advocating and organizing the murder of over a million Iraqis.
It’s no longer permissible to criticize Jewish neocons. The very word “neocon” is considered an antisemitic slur because most of these chickenhawk war criminals are Jewish. It is never mentioned in the NYT or WaPo that the second Iraq mass murder campaign was strictly a Zionist (another word that will get you labeled an antisemite) affair designed to benefit Israel at the expense of the United States.
Jon Schwarz, writing for The Intercept, tells us something many of us already knew—the forever war neocons are embedded deep within the Trump administration, led by David Wurmser.
“An influential neoconservative in President George W. Bush’s White House who became a significant force behind the push for war with Iraq in 2003, Wurmser has recently been serving as an informal adviser to the Trump administration, according to new reporting from Bloomberg News. In that capacity, Wurmser helped make the case for the recent drone strike that assassinated Iranian Gen. Qassim Suleimani,” Schwarz writes.
During the reign of the second dynastic Bush, Wurmser advised Dick Cheney on how best to destroy Iraq and immiserate millions of people and kill what turned out to be a million and a half Iraqis, the vast majority innocent civilians.
Wurmer’s inside man in the Trump WH was John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser and one of the most vociferous and hateful non-Jewish individuals within the creative destruction klatch. Bolton’s over the top calls for endless violence, cruelty, and his apparent inability to kowtow to the narcissist Trump resulted in his departure from the administration.
Bolton may be gone but the Zionist blueprint for undermining Israel’s neighbors and gobbling up as much land and expelling (in addition to torturing and murdering) as many native inhabitants as possible. This is being driven from afar and in secret by David Wurmser and his equally repugnant wife, Meyrav, from the heights of the vile Zionists outfit, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Meyrav helped found the organization. As well, she is the director of the Center for Middle East Policy at the neocon-infested Hudson Institute.
Her husband played a key role in the pro-Zionist formulations at the American Enterprise Institute, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and the Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies. The Wurmsers are rock-ribbed Zionist provocateurs.
David Wurmser might be considered a guardian of the neocon mission. In 2018, he sent a letter to Newt Gingrich demanding then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson purge all staffers at the State Department not sufficiently loyal to Trump—that is to say, not sufficiently loyal to the neocon cause, which is Israel’s cause.
He is responsible in large part (along with his wife, Paul Wolfowitz, and Richard Perle) for A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm, a document prepared for incoming Likud PM Bibi Netanyahu. The document recommends working closely with “Turkey and Jordan to contain, destabilize, and roll back” regional threats (for instance, advocating on behalf of the Palestinians) and using “Israeli proxy forces” based in Lebanon for “striking Syrian military targets in Lebanon.”
If that should “prove insufficient, [Israel should strike] at select targets in Syria proper.” It argues “Israel can shape its strategic environment, in cooperation with Turkey and Jordan, by weakening, containing, even rolling back Syria.” This would create a “natural axis” between Israel, Jordan, a Hashemite Iraq, and Turkey that “would squeeze and detach Syria from the Saudi Peninsula,” which “could be the prelude to a redrawing of the map of the Middle East, which could threaten Syria’s territorial integrity.”
The staying power of the neocons—analogous to the grip of a pit bull—is one of the more remarkable political stories of our time. The exit of the neocons during the second term of George W. Bush was viewed by many as a purge from the government of a group of fanatical ideologues doing the work of a foreign government.
The neocons, of course, didn’t disappear—they slunk back to their think tanks and foundations and conspired with more politically palatable (and more skilled at telling lies) “humanitarian interventionists” in the Obama administration.
The result was 30,000 dead in Libya, the engineered influx of crazed Wahhabi mercenaries in Syria (over 600,000 Syrians killed thus far) under the direction of the cackling war criminal Hillary Clinton, then-Secretary of State.
Obama also continued and expanded Bush’s illegal drone murder program and intensified the war against whistleblowers such as Julian Assange and Edward Snowden. Obama redoubled the war on investigative journalism. Despite all this, Democrats consider Obama a saint.
It has been obvious for many months that Donald Trump is nothing if not an automaton for the Israelis. He routinely fawns over Israeli war criminals and medieval Saudi head-choppers. He has given Israel whatever it wants—billions of dollars a year, recognition through an embassy in contested Jerusalem, a thumbs-up for Israel’s theft of around 700 square miles of land in Syria, encouragement to finally annex the West Bank and squeeze out the Palestinians, considered drugged cockroaches in a bottle by the Zionist settler-racists, and a program aimed at the heart of the Bill of Rights in America to stifle any criticism of this brutal little racist state and its war on Palestinian women and children (along with shooting, killing, and maiming activists, medics, and journalists).
Of course, Donald Trump is a dupe for fanatical Zionists determined to expel all Arabs and non-Jewish goyim from its half-pint country established on mass graves and the bloody remains of terror attacks (the King David Hotel, Deir Yassin, Lydda, al-Dawayima, Qibya, and many others).
Trump’s brain is not his own. It is owned by his orthodox Jewish son-in-law and his converted wife. The president’s obsessively self-referential brain is influenced by Sheldon Adelson (he gave Trump over $100 million during the campaign) and his wife Miriam (who wants a “Book of Trump” inserted in the Old Testament), in addition to other Jewish mega-donors, and a groundswell of enthusiastic support among orthodox Jewish voters.
Thus it is hardly a surprise the neocon’s neocon, David Wurmser, is a puppet master driving USG foreign policy in the Middle East. He has the chops, the experience, the appetite for dispossessing and arranging the murder of Palestinians, Iranians, Syrians, and Lebanese.
Article posted with permission from Kurt Nimmo