The Israeli enemy continued on Friday its aggression on Gaza ongoing for the 189th consecutive days, committing 8 more massacres against the innocent civilians facing death in the strip.
The occupation army announced carrying out a military operation against Nusseirat camp in Central Gaza, blowing up a large number of the citizens’ houses, according to our correspondent.
Media reports indicated that Jabalia police chief, Colonel Rudwan Rudwan, embraced martyrdom in am Israeli air raid on his house, knowing that he was the head of the aid committee in the area.
Meanwhile, the Israeli war jets and artillery continued striking the various cities and towns of Gaza, committing more massacres.
Gaza health ministry announced that the Israeli enemy committed 8 massacres during the 24 past hours, leaving 89 martyrs and 120 injuries.
The Palestinian resistance continued confronting the Zionist aggression, inflicting more losses upon the enemy troops.
The following video shows how Al-Quds Brigades fighters attacking the enemy troops in Khan Younis with the mortar shells.
For his part, Head of Hamas Politburo Esmail Haniyeh stressed, while receiving mourners congratulating and condoling him on the martyrdom of his sons and grandsons, commitment to the resistance demands in the ceasefire talks despite all the enemy crimes.
The Rehabilitation Division of the Zionist Ministry of Security estimated that by the end of the year there would be about 20,000 new injuries in the occupation army.
The Zionist ministry indicated that 20% of the soldiers who participated in the war on Gaza are suffering from either psychological or physical disorders.
These members of Congress signed a lettercondemning the International Court of Justice decision that Israel is likely committing acts of genocide in Gaza. Shame on you for not uphold the rule of international law and for not protecting the lives of innocent civilians.
Genocide Deniers . . .
Christopher H. Smith (R)
Young Kim (R)
Rudy Yakym III (R)
Adrian Smith (R)
Jerry L. Carl (R)
Frank J. Mrvan (D)
Barry Loudermilk (R)
Kathy Manning (D)
Andy Barr (R)
Julia Letlow (R)
Elissa Slotkin (D)
Jenniffer González-Colón
Robert J. Menendez (D)
Vern Buchanan (R)
Doug Lamborn (R)
Ronny L. Jackson (R)
Ted W. Lieu (D)
Dan Goldman (D)
Tom McClintock (R)
Jimmy Panetta (D)
Kathy Castor (D)
Brad Sherman (D)
Michael Waltz (R)
August Pfluger (R)
Grace Meng (D)
Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R) (Oregon)
Mariannette Miller-Meeks
David Rouzer (R)
Michael T. McCaul (R)
Tim Burchett (R)
Jared Moskowitz (D)
Josh Gottheimer (D)
J. Luis Correa (D)
Robert Garcia (D)
Darin LaHood (R)
Bradley Scott Schneider
Nathaniel Moran (R)
Anthony D’Esposito (R)
John Rose (R)
Andrew Ogles (R)
Garret Graves (R)
Erin Houchin (R)
Elise M. Stefanik (R)
Keith Self (R)
Brad Finstad (R)
Carlos A. Gimenez (R)
Trent Kelly (R)
W. Gregory Steube (R)
Gregory F. Murphy (R)
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R) (Washington)
Michael V. Lawler (R)
Jack Bergman (R)
Jake LaTurner (R)
Debbie Lesko (R)
John R. Curtis (R)
Darren Soto (D)
Kay Granger (R)
Bill Huizenga (R)
Lisa C. McClain (R)
Diana Harshbarger (R)
Doug LaMalfa (R)
Burgess Owens (R)
Chuck Edwards (R)
Mike Rogers (R)
Susan Wild (D)
Dina Titus (D)
Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D) (Washington)
Gary J. Palmer (R)
David G. Valadao (R)
Robert E. Latta (R)
Michael R. Turner (R)
Kevin Hern (R)
Nick LaLota (R)
Lucy McBath (D)
Dean Phillips (D)
Mike Garcia (R)
Tony Gonzales (R)
Jodey C. Arrington (R)
David J. Trone (D)
Michael K. Simpson (R)
H. Morgan Griffith (R)
Robert B. Aderholt (R)
Scott H. Peters (D)
Ron Estes (R)
Patrick T. McHenry (R)
David Kustoff (R)
Carol D. Miller (R)
Neal P. Dunn (R)
Mark E. Amodei (R)
John R. Carter (R)
Dan Newhouse (R) (Washington)
Mike Bost (R)
Guy Reschenthaler (R)
Charles Fleischmann (R)
Wiley Nickel (D)
Frank Pallone (D)
Aaron Bean (R)
Andrew S. Clyde (R)
Bruce Westerman (R)
Donald Norcross (D)
Jared Golden (D)
Juan Vargas (D)
Chris Pappas (D)
James A. Himes (D)
Brittany Pettersen (D)
Virginia Foxx (R)
Max L. Miller (R)
Kevin Kiley (R)
Dan Meuser (R)
Haley M. Stevens (D)
Randy Feenstra (R)
John R. Moolenaar (R)
Glenn “GT” Thompson (R)
Michelle Steel (R)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D)
Michael Guest (R)
Lois Frankel (D)
Donald G. Davis (R)
Rick W. Allen (R)
Sam Graves (R)
Nicole Malliotakis (R)
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormi
Ken Calvert (R)
Salud Carbajal (D)
Harriet M. Hageman (R)
Brandon Williams (R)
Bryan Steil (R)
William R. Keating (D)
Joseph D. Morelle (D)
C. A. Dutch Ruppersberg
Marcus J. Molinaro (R)
Derrick Van Orden (R)
Dusty Johnson (R)
Tom Emmer (R)
Kat Cammack (R)
Michael Cloud (R)
Juan Ciscomani (R)
Derek Kilmer (D) (Washington)
John H. Rutherford (R)
Mike Gallagher (R)
Ryan K. Zinke (R)
Steve Cohen (D)
Pat Fallon (R)
Don Bacon (R)
Ami Bera (D)
Vicente Gonzalez (D)
Jay Obernolte (R)
Joe Wilson (R)
Andrew R. Garbarino (R)
Jake Auchincloss (D)
Jim Costa (D)
Tim Walberg (R)
Greg Landsman (D)
Mikie Sherrill (D)
Claudia Tenney (R)
Henry Cuellar (D)
Zach Nunn (R)
Richard Hudson (R)
Randy K. Weber (R)
Mike Carey (R)
Raja Krishnamoorthi (D)
María Elvira Salazar (R)
Jim Banks (R)
Patrick K. Ryan (R)
Morgan Luttrell (R)
Mike Levin (D)
Dan Crenshaw (R)
C. Scott Franklin (R)
French Hill (R)
Steve Womack (R)
Andy Harris (R)
Ashley Hinson (R)
Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R)
Wesley Hunt (R)
Russ Fulcher (R)
Darrell Issa (R)
Susie Lee (D)
Monica De La Cruz (R)
Angie Craig (D)
David P. Joyce (R)
Lloyd Smucker (R)
Greg Stanton (D)
Ann Wagner (R)
Brian Fitzpatrick (R)
Robert J. Wittman (R)
Frank D. Lucas (R)
Yadira Caraveo (D)
Cliff Bentz (R) (Oregon)
Bill Posey (R)
Brian J. Mast (R)
Gus M. Bilirakis (R)
Julia Brownley (D)
Ritchie Torres (D)
Mike Ezell (R)
Shri Thanedar (D)
Adam B. Schiff (D)
John James (R)
Glenn Grothman (R)
Jefferson Van Drew (R)
Brian Babin (R)
Blaine Luetkemeyer (R)
Ruben Gallego (D)
Elijah Crane (R)
Thomas H. Kean (R)
Nicholas A. Langworthy (I)
Matt Cartwright (D)
Mike Quigley (D)
Josh Harder (D)
Mike Flood (R)
Andy Biggs (R)
Special Mention:
John Fetterman (D) The Guardian reports that As people have watched with increasing horror as Israel has bombarded Gaza, Fetterman told Semafor in January that “Israel is really a beacon of the kind of values, the American values and progressive ideals, that you want to see”.
Israel’s plan to expand into an Eretz or “Greater” state incorporating large chunks of its neighbors’ land starts with eliminating the pre-1948 inhabitants of a place once known as Palestine. That nearly all of those who think of themselves as Palestinians must be killed or otherwise removed is perhaps reduced to an aphorism, like “Israel has a right to defend itself,” to absolve the Israeli state and its rampaging army of any guilt in the process. Indeed, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ability to avoid any serious consequences for his behavior is remarkable, and it generates further atrocities that might have been unimaginable when the fighting in Gaza started back in October. Al Jazeerahas reported how Netanyahu is now pushing ahead to formalize what has been referred to as the “colonial project,” whereby “the appropriation of all Palestinian Lands will follow on… the outright exclusion of the Palestinian people from their homeland.” Bibi said in a speech to supporters that “These are the basic lines of the national government headed by me: The Jewish people have an exclusive and unquestionable right to all areas of the Land of Israel. The government will promote and develop settlement in all parts of the Land of Israel — in the Galilee, the Negev, the Golan, Judea and Samaria.”
Journalist Patrick Lawrence, writing at Consortium News, recently described how “Israel’s savagery in its determination to exterminate the Palestinians of Gaza — and we had better brace for what is next on the West Bank of the Jordan — marks a turn for all of humanity. In its descent into depravity the Zionist state drags the West altogether down with it.” Indeed, and the United States of America is the foremost great power to be reduced to the status of a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Jewish state, unable to advance its own interests when confronted by the juggernaut of the so-called Israel Lobby and associated Jewish and Zionist-Christian organizations that have corrupted and controlled American foreign as well as select domestic policies.
Witness what has occurred in the last several weeks when the international community has rallied to end the slaughter and deliberate starvation of largely defenseless Gazan civilians. First came a United Nations Security Council move by the United States, which introduced a resolution calling for, but not demanding, an immediate though possibly temporary cease fire in Gaza. When the resolution came up for a vote it was vetoed by Russia and China. There were several problems with the text as it inevitably sought to give Israel considerable flexibility in managing the situation. It included an admonition that the effort to secure a ceasefire must be “in connection with the release of all remaining hostages,” which is an Israeli demand with the willingness of Israel to participate at all very much dependent on the hostage issue. The resolution allowed the fighting to continue and it put control of the entry and distribution of urgently needed relief supplies under the ”security” management of the Israeli army. Then came a Russian and Chinese resolution, approved by all members of the council but the US which “abstained.” The US immediately declared the resolution to be “non-binding” and while the document was meant to permit a ceasefire through the end of Ramadan, it has yet to be enacted by Israel which continues to block food and medicine relief shipments and has focused its latest attacks on the few remaining hospitals, killing hundreds more Gazans. Even though the resolution demanded action on the ceasefire and access to relief supplies Israel has ignored it and so has Washington. As only the United States can compel Israel to change course the fact that it continues to fund Israel and provide it with secret shipments of planeloads weapons, without which Netanyahu would be unable to continue his war, speaks for itself in terms of who is controlling whom.
And don’t be fooled by President Joe Biden’s alleged pressure on Netanyahu to “protect civilians” even as Bibi draws up plans with his war cabinet to invade Gaza’s southernmost Rafah Region, where 1.5 million Palestinians have sought refuge and are now confronted by imminent death with no way out. Biden is responding to opinion polls in the US that indicate that more than half of Americans are opposed to what Israel is doing in Gaza and the percentage is steadily growing, so he is pretending to have humanitarian impulses and a conscience, neither of which is true, in a cynical effort to support his possible reelection.
To be sure both the White House and Congress, supported by the Jewish dominated media, are totally in Netanyahu’s pocket, something which he has admitted to publicly more than once, saying that the United States is “easily moved” by someone like him. But if one really needed proof positive about who is in charge in the US-Israel relationship, one need only look at the recent omnibus federal government budget bill of $1.2 trillion. Activist Pascal Lottaz has taken the time to go through the complete 1,012 page document detailing where the money goes and discusses his findings in a 9 minute podcast on YouTube. Lottaz has confirmed both the immediate cash payment of $3.8 billion in “tribute money” to Israel plus the already reported blocking of any federal government funding of United Nation Relief and Works Agency for Gaza (UNRWA) for at least a year. As UNRWA is the key humanitarian aid agency, the latter is a prohibition completely inconsistent with Biden’s expressed desire to confront the “surging” humanitarian aid crisis for the Gazans who are facing starvation in the context of an active genocide. The prohibition is in spite of the continuing lack of evidence to substantiate Israel’s claims of “terrorism support” leveled against the UN agency and despite the famine conditions already present in Gaza. In his review of the document, Lottaz has also discovered those and other specific benefits that involve Israel in 10 sections of the bill.
The bill also seeks to protect Israel from accountability under existing or new international law and to limit Palestinian efforts to resist or defend themselves. It requires any organization receiving US funding to show that it is actively taking steps “to combat anti-Israel bias” and it prohibits any funding to support Palestinian statehood unless it is shown that a list of specified conditions are met including satisfactory “cooperation with Israeli security organizations.” It prohibits any funding to the Palestinian Authority if Palestine is granted statehood status by the UN or any UN agency without Israel’s consent. It oddly prohibits any security support to the West Bank or Gaza unless it is shown that satisfactory steps are being taken by the Palestinian Authority to “end torture and other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of detainees.” It should be noted that the Palestinians, not Israel, are required to end abuse of detainees even though it is Israel that routinely engages in those practices. The detailed sections of the bill expanding on what is blocked or prohibited are as follows:
The bill forbids any US funding of the UN International Commission of Inquiry investigation into Israel’s unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory: Sec. 7848(C)(2) None of the funds appropriated by this Act may be made available for the United Nations International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.
The bill defunds the UN Human Rights Council unless the organization drops all inquiry into human rights violations by Israel: Sec. 7048(b)(2)(c) UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL. (1) None of the funds appropriated by this Act may be made available in support of the United Nations Human Rights Council unless the Secretary of State determines and reports to the appropriate congressional committees that participation in the Council is important to the national interest of the United States and that such Council is taking significant steps to remove Israel as a permanent agenda item and ensure integrity in the election of members to such Council.
The bill requires any international organization, department, or agency receiving US funding to show that it is taking “credible steps to combat anti-Israel bias”: SEC. 7048. (a) TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall report to the Committees on Appropriations whether each organization, department, or agency receiving a contribution from funds appropriated by this Act under the headings ‘‘Contributions to International Organizations’’ and ‘‘International Organizations and Programs’’:
The bill prohibits funding of any support to Palestinian Statehood except under US State Department confirmation that its government meets specified conditions including that is is “cooperating with appropriate Israeli and other appropriate security organizations.”
The bill prohibits any support to the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation: SEC. 7038. None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to provide equipment, technical support, consulting services, or any other form of assistance to the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation.
The bill prohibits any funding to security assistance to the West Bank or Gaza unless the State Department reports on “the steps being taken by the Palestinian Authority to “end torture and other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of detainees”: 7039(C)(2) SECURITY ASSISTANCE AND REPORTING REQUIREMENT. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, none of the funds made available by this or prior appropriations Acts, including funds made available by transfer, may be made available for obligation for security assistance for the West Bank and Gaza until the Secretary of State reports to the Committees on Appropriations on the steps being taken by the Palestinian Authority to end torture and other cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of detainees, including by bringing to justice members of Palestinian security forces who commit such crimes.
The bill prohibits any funding of the Palestinian Authority if Palestine achieves recognition of statehood by the UN or any UN agency without Israel’s agreement or if the Palestinians initiate an investigation of Israel in the International Criminal Court: Sec.7401(k)(2)(A)(i) None of the funds appropriated under the heading ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’ in this Act may be made available for assistance for the Palestinian Authority, if after the date of enactment of this Act the Palestinians obtain the same standing as member states or full membership as a state in the United Nations or any specialized agency thereof outside an agreement negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians or the Palestinians initiate an International Criminal Court (ICC) judicially authorized investigation, or actively support such an investigation, that subjects Israeli nationals to an investigation for alleged crimes against Palestinians.
The bill extends existing loan guarantees to Israel under the Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act through September 30, 2029: SEC. 7034(k)(6).
The bill grants $3.3 billion in “Foreign Military Financing” to Israel, to be disbursed within 30 days: 7401(d) ISRAEL.—Of the funds appropriated by this Act under the heading ‘‘Foreign Military Financing Program’’, not less than $3,300,000,000 shall be available for grants only for Israel which shall be disbursed within 30 days of enactment of this Act: Provided, That to the extent that the Government of Israel requests that funds be used for such purposes, grants made available for Israel under this heading shall, as agreed by the United States and Israel, be available for advanced weapons systems, of which not less than $725,300,000 shall be available for the procurement in Israel of defense articles and defense services, including research and development.
The bill authorizes half a billion dollars in military aid to Israel for “Iron Dome” and other missile defense systems: SEC. 8072. Of the amounts appropriated in this Act under the headings ‘‘Procurement, Defense-Wide’’ and ‘‘Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense-Wide, $500,000,000 shall be for the Israeli Cooperative Programs.
The bill has passed through Congress, is written into law, and is on its way for Joe Biden’s signature. In other words, the US is willingly complicit in thousands of deaths already plus the impending deaths of some tens of thousands more innocent people. It is funding Israel’s war of extermination against the Palestinians and is opposed to any attempts by the Palestinians to either defend themselves or their interests as a people. It is shameful and our government is behaving monstrously, controlled by a foreign power that has thoroughly corrupted it. And the rot is spreading throughout our political system to include the death of our own right to freedom of speech. Only last week Governor Greg Abbott of Texas boasted of new legislation to stamp out alleged antisemitism and as criticism of Israel or the behavior of Jews is defined as being antisemitic it is likely that students demonstrating against the Jewish state and in support of Gaza will be expelled from universities and even prosecuted. And it is also reported that the Israel Lobby in the US is busy assembling a war chest of $100 million to fund the removal of politicians and other public figures who are critical of Israel. This is serious stuff that will affect all of us. Time to wake up America!
From Rachel Corrie to Aaron Bushnell: sacrificing for Palestine
The United States’ defeaning silence on its own citizens who were affected by its own policies speaks volumes.
“I think it is a good idea for us all to drop everything and devote our lives to making this stop. I don’t think it’s an extremist thing to do anymore.”
– Rachel Corrie, 2003
“Compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, [this] is not extreme at all.”
– Aaron Bushnell, 2024
There is almost a two-decade time difference between these two sentences. However, both sentences originate from American witnesses of Israeli crimes in occupied Palestine.
Rachel Corrie and Aaron Bushnell bravely sacrificed their lives in support of the Palestinian cause, denouncing their country’s role in the 75-year Israeli occupation.
Yet, the striking question remains: How many more activists must tragically die before the United States truly listens to its citizens?
21 years earlier: The story of Rachel Corrie
On March 16, 2003, Rachel Corrie, an American peace activist, was tragically crushed to death and killed by an Israeli armored bulldozer while peacefully protesting the demolition of Palestinian homes in Gaza.
Corrie’s death shook the world, surprising mainstream media, which seldom covered the Palestinian deaths and Israeli massacres. Her death was especially jarring as it involved a young American killed by the US’ staunch ally, “Israel”.
In March 2003, US Representative Brian Baird presented a resolution in Congress urging the government to conduct a thorough and prompt investigation into Corrie’s death. However, the House of Representatives did not proceed with the resolution.
While the United States expressed condolences to Corrie’s family, which is the bare minimum, Washington faced criticism for not taking a stronger stance, or pressing “Israel” more forcefully for accountability. Some critics argue that the US could have done more to advocate for justice on behalf of Corrie and to address human rights violations in occupied Palestine.
The United States, often touted as a champion of human rights and democracy, has consistently failed to hold “Israel” accountable for its crimes. Despite mounting evidence of war crimes and human rights abuses committed by Israeli forces, the US continues to provide unwavering political and military support to the Israeli genocide. This is particularly evident today in light of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, where nearly 30,000 Palestinians have been murdered by the Israeli regime.
As always, “Israel” persisted in manipulating events according to its own agenda and interests, and continues to do so to this very day.
Protests, tributes, and social media posts are flooding in to commemorate Aaron Bushnell, a 25-year-old active-duty member of the United States Air Force, who set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., to protest the Israeli genocide in Gaza bankrolled by the US.
However, President Joe Biden remained silent. The President seemed vocal to talk about how “Brave Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are dying,” yet not a word was mentioned for Bushnell.
This silence sparked criticism of the Biden administration’s double standards, especially after Hamas, who the US designated as a “terrorist organization”, blamed Biden’s policies for Bushnell’s death for its support and aid for the Israeli crimes in Gaza.
Brave Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are dying. And Russia made its first notable gains in Ukraine in nearly a year.
But here in America, the Speaker gave the House a two-week vacation.
They need to come back and pass our bipartisan national security bill.
Shouldn’t a President, the leader of a nation, acknowledge events where one of its own citizens protests against the President’s policies? We are not expecting a change of heart here, but how can the US preserve its “democratic” facade after all?
It should be noted that the scene of a one-man revolt scenario isn’t new in the United States. Nearly 60 years ago, American anti-war activist Norman Morrison ignited a firestorm by dousing himself in kerosene and setting himself ablaze outside the office of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, at the Pentagon, opposing the US involvement in the Vietnam War.
Yet, throughout its history, the US government has often ignored the plight of its citizens who are affected by its policies, turning a blind eye to internal dissent.
So who is going to mourn the heroes?
As the so-called international community watches silently while Gaza endures a live-streamed genocide, global protests, and disruptions continue to amplify the Palestinian cause, dissent with the policies of Western governments is growing, interrupting speeches and shouting “Free Palestine” in defiance of oppression.
Those who are resisting in all forms are the ones who are mourning our heroes. Meanwhile, those who turned a blind eye to the war crimes, will be haunted by every rock, bullet, and shout for freedom.
Those martyred for Palestine are honored and remembered by those who share their pain, and who have witnessed the true horrors of genocide, occupation, and apartheid.
To those who have sacrificed and are still sacrificing for the sake of the Palestinian cause, may your legacy long live, resonating through generations as a testament to your righteous moral stance in history.
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It was a short stint, involving a six-member delegation of Australian parliamentarians lobbying members of the US Congress and various relevant officials on one issue: the release of Julian Assange. If extradited to the US from the United Kingdom to face 18 charges, 17 framed with reference to the oppressive, extinguishing Espionage Act of 1917, the Australian founder of WikiLeaks risks a 175-year prison term.
Nationals MPBarnaby Joyce, Labor MP Tony Zappia, Greens Senators David Shoebridge and Peter Whish-Wilson, Liberal Senator Alex Antic and the independent member for Kooyong, Dr. Monique Ryan, are to be viewed with respect, their pluckiness admired. They came cresting on the wave of a letter published on page 9 of the Washington Post, expressing the views of over 60 Australian parliamentarians.
“As Australian Parliamentarians, we are resolutely of the view that the prosecution and incarceration of the Australian citizen Julian Assange must end.”
This is a good if presumptuous start. Australia remains the prized forward base of US ambitions in the Indo-Pacific, the spear pointed against China and any other rival who dares challenge its stubborn hegemony. The AUKUS pact, featuring the futile, decorative nuclear submarines that will be rich scrapping for the Royal Australian Navy whenever they arrive, also makes that point all too clear. For the US strategist, Australia is fiefdom, property, real estate, terrain, its citizenry best treated as docile subjects represented by even more docile governments. Assange, and his publishing agenda, act as savage critiques of such assumptions.
The following views in Washington DC have been expressed by the delegates in what might be described as a mission to educate. From Senator Shoebridge, the continued detention of Assange proved to be “an ongoing irritant in the bilateral relationship” between Canberra and Washington. “If this matter is not resolved and Julian is not brought home, it will be damaging to the bilateral relationship”.
Senator Whish-Wilson focused on the activities of Assange himself. “The extradition of Julian Assange as a foreign journalist conducting activities on foreign soil is unprecedented.” To create such a “dangerous precedent” laid “a very slippery slope for any democracy to go down.”
Liberal Senator Alex Antic emphasised the spike in concern in the Australian population about wishing for Assange’s return to Australia (some nine out of 10 wishing for such an outcome). “We’ve seen 67 members of the Australian parliament share that message in a joint letter, which we’ve delivered across the spectrum”. An impressed Antic remarked that this had “never happened before. I think we’re seeing an incredible groundswell, and we want to see Julian at home as soon as possible.”
On September 20, in front of the Department of Justice, Zappia told reporters that, “we’ve had several meetings and we’re not going to go into details of those meetings. But I can say that they’ve all been useful meetings.” Not much to go on, though the Labor MP went on to state that the delegation, as representatives of the Australian people had “put our case very clearly about the fact that Julian Assange pursuit and detention and charges should be dropped and should come to an end.”
A point where the delegates feel that a rich quarry can be mined and trundled away for political consumption is the value of the US-Australian alliance. As Ryan reasoned, “This side of the AUKUS partnership feels really strongly about this and so what we expect the prime minister [Anthony Albanese] to do is that he will carry the same message to President Biden when he comes to Washington.”
The publisher’s brother, Gabriel Shipton, also suggests that the indictment is “a wedge in the Australia-US relationship, which is a very important relationship at the moment, particularly with everything that’s going on with the US and China and the sort of strategic pivot that is happening.” Assange, for his part, is bound to find this excruciatingly ironic, given his lengthy battles against the US imperium and the numbing servility of its client states.
Various members of Congress have granted an audience to the six parliamentarians. Enthusiasm was in abundance from two Kentucky Congressmen: Republican Senator Rand Paul and Republican House Representative Thomas Massie. After meeting the Australian delegation, Massie declared that it was his “strong belief [Assange] should be free to return home.”
Georgian Republican House member Marjorie Taylor Greeneexpressed her sense of honour at having met the delegates “to discuss the inhumane detention” of Assange “for the crime of committing journalism,” insisting that the charges be dropped and a pardon granted. “America should be a beacon of free speech and shouldn’t be following in an authoritarian regime’s footsteps.” Greene has shown herself to be a conspiracy devotee of the most pungent type, but there was little to fault her regarding these sentiments.
Minnesota Democrat Congresswoman Ilhan Omar also met the parliamentarians, discussing, according to a press release from her office, “the Assange prosecution and its significance as an issue in the bilateral relationship between the United States and Australia, as well as the implications for freedom of the press both at home and abroad.” She also reiterated her view, one expressed in an April 2023 letter to the Department of Justice co-signed with six other members of Congress, that the charges against Assange be dropped.
These opinions, consistent and venerably solid, have rarely swayed the mad hatters at the Justice Department who continue to operate within the same church consensus regarding Assange as an aberration and threat to US security. And they can rely, ultimately, on the calculus of attrition that assumes allies of Washington will eventually belt up, even if they grumble. There will always be those who pretend to question, such as the passive, meek Australian Foreign Minister, Penny Wong. “We have raised this many times,” Wong responded to a query while in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly. “Secretary [of State Antony] Blinken and I both spoke about the fact that we had a discussion about the views that the United States has and the views that Australia has.”
Not that this mattered a jot. In July, Blinken stomped on Wong’s views in a disingenuous, libellous assessment about Assange, reminding his counterpart that the publisher had been “charged with very serious criminal conduct in the United States in connection with his alleged role in one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of our country.” The libel duly followed, with the claim that Assange “risked very serious harm to our national security, to the benefit of our adversaries, and put named sources at grave risk – grave risk – of physical harm, and grave risk of detention”. That gross falsification of history went unaddressed by Wong.
Thus far, Blinken has waived away the concerns of the Albanese government on Assange’s fate as passing irritants at a spring garden party. However small their purchase, six Australian parliamentarians have chosen to press the issue further. At the very least, they have gone to the centre of the imperium to add a bit of ballast to the effort.
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Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He currently lectures at RMIT University. He is a regular contributor to Global Research and Asia-Pacific Research. Email: bkampmark@gmail.com
Featured image is from Silent Crow News
The original source of this article is Global Research
US President Joe Biden accidentally flashed a cheat sheet prepared by his staff at the White House (Thursday, June 23, 2022).
In a recent interview with a news broadcaster, Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene stated that a majority of House members support investigating President Joe Biden in order to move forward with impeachment proceedings. The lawmaker also predicted that a vote to launch an impeachment inquiry could take place as early as September.
According to Greene, the inquiry could help gain access to information from the National Archives and Records Administration and the Internal Revenue Service, which have reportedly been dragging their feet on providing requested bank records of the Biden family. The Congresswoman also suggested that Biden’s alleged use of a pseudonym to communicate with his son about foreign business dealings may have prompted representatives to move forward with the investigation.
US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has expressed support for a vote to launch an impeachment inquiry into Biden, saying that information gathered by the Republican Party allows the question of Biden’s impeachment to be raised. McCarthy has previously stated that the Biden family is involved in a “culture of corruption” and that an investigation into their alleged involvement in corrupt activities necessitates the impeachment process.
If a vote is held and the inquiry is launched, it could expand the ability of the US legislature to gather necessary information for the investigation into the presidency. As the possibility of impeachment looms, the country waits to see how the House will respond.
This article was first published by Global Research in October 2008
“Some people think that the Federal Reserve Banks are United States Government institutions. They are private monopolies which prey upon the people of these United States for the benefit of themselves and their foreign customers; foreign and domestic speculators and swindlers; and rich and predatory money lenders.” – The Honorable Louis McFadden, Chairman of the House Banking and Currency Committee in the 1930s
The Federal Reserve (or Fed) has assumed sweeping new powers in the last year. In an unprecedented move in March 2008, the New York Fed advanced the funds for JPMorgan Chase Bank to buy investment bank Bear Stearns for pennies on the dollar. The deal was particularly controversial because Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan, sits on the board of the New York Fed and participated in the secret weekend negotiations.1 In September 2008, the Federal Reserve did something even more unprecedented, when it bought the world’s largest insurance company. The Fed announced on September 16 that it was giving an $85 billion loan to American International Group (AIG) for a nearly 80% stake in the mega-insurer. The Associated Press called it a “government takeover,” but this was no ordinary nationalization. Unlike the U.S. Treasury, which took over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac the week before, the Fed is not a government-owned agency. Also unprecedented was the way the deal was funded. The Associated Press reported:
“The Treasury Department, for the first time in its history, said it would begin selling bonds for the Federal Reserve in an effort to help the central bank deal with its unprecedented borrowing needs.”2
This is extraordinary. Why is the Treasury issuing U.S. government bonds (or debt) to fund the Fed, which is itself supposedly “the lender of last resort” created to fund the banks and the federal government? Yahoo Finance reported on September 17:
“The Treasury is setting up a temporary financing program at the Fed’s request. The program will auction Treasury bills to raise cash for the Fed’s use. The initiative aims to help the Fed manage its balance sheet following its efforts to enhance its liquidity facilities over the previous few quarters.”
Normally, the Fed swaps green pieces of paper called Federal Reserve Notes for pink pieces of paper called U.S. bonds (the federal government’s I.O.U.s), in order to provide Congress with the dollars it cannot raise through taxes. Now, it seems, the government is issuing bonds, not for its own use, but for the use of the Fed! Perhaps the plan is to swap them with the banks’ dodgy derivatives collateral directly, without actually putting them up for sale to outside buyers. According to Wikipedia (which translates Fedspeak into somewhat clearer terms than the Fed’s own website):
“The Term Securities Lending Facility is a 28-day facility that will offer Treasury general collateral to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s primary dealers in exchange for other program-eligible collateral. It is intended to promote liquidity in the financing markets for Treasury and other collateral and thus to foster the functioning of financial markets more generally. . . . The resource allows dealers to switch debt that is less liquid for U.S. government securities that are easily tradable.”
“To switch debt that is less liquid for U.S. government securities that are easily tradable” means that the government gets the banks’ toxic derivative debt, and the banks get the government’s triple-A securities. Unlike the risky derivative debt, federal securities are considered “risk-free” for purposes of determining capital requirements, allowing the banks to improve their capital position so they can make new loans. (See E. Brown, “Bailout Bedlam,” webofdebt.com/articles, October 2, 2008.)
In its latest power play, on October 3, 2008, the Fed acquired the ability to pay interest to its member banks on the reserves the banks maintain at the Fed. Reuters reported on October 3:
“The U.S. Federal Reserve gained a key tactical tool from the $700 billion financial rescue package signed into law on Friday that will help it channel funds into parched credit markets. Tucked into the 451-page bill is a provision that lets the Fed pay interest on the reserves banks are required to hold at the central bank.”3
If the Fed’s money comes ultimately from the taxpayers, that means we the taxpayers are paying interest to the banks on the banks’ own reserves – reserves maintained for their own private profit. These increasingly controversial encroachments on the public purse warrant a closer look at the central banking scheme itself. Who owns the Federal Reserve, who actually controls it, where does it get its money, and whose interests is it serving?
Not Private and Not for Profit?
The Fed’s website insists that it is not a private corporation, is not operated for profit, and is not funded by Congress. But is that true? The Federal Reserve was set up in 1913 as a “lender of last resort” to backstop bank runs, following a particularly bad bank panic in 1907. The Fed’s mandate was then and continues to be to keep the private banking system intact; and that means keeping intact the system’s most valuable asset, a monopoly on creating the national money supply. Except for coins, every dollar in circulation is now created privately as a debt to the Federal Reserve or the banking system it heads.4 The Fed’s website attempts to gloss over its role as chief defender and protector of this private banking club, but let’s take a closer look. The website states:
* “The twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks, which were established by Congress as the operating arms of the nation’s central banking system, are organized much like private corporations – possibly leading to some confusion about “ownership.” For example, the Reserve Banks issue shares of stock to member banks. However, owning Reserve Bank stock is quite different from owning stock in a private company. The Reserve Banks are not operated for profit, and ownership of a certain amount of stock is, by law, a condition of membership in the System. The stock may not be sold, traded, or pledged as security for a loan; dividends are, by law, 6 percent per year.”
* “[The Federal Reserve] is considered an independent central bank because its decisions do not have to be ratified by the President or anyone else in the executive or legislative branch of government, it does not receive funding appropriated by Congress, and the terms of the members of the Board of Governors span multiple presidential and congressional terms.”
* “The Federal Reserve’s income is derived primarily from the interest on U.S. government securities that it has acquired through open market operations. . . . After paying its expenses, the Federal Reserve turns the rest of its earnings over to the U.S. Treasury.”5
So let’s review:
1. The Fed is privately owned.
Its shareholders are private banks. In fact, 100% of its shareholders are private banks. None of its stock is owned by the government.
2. The fact that the Fed does not get “appropriations” from Congress basically means that it gets its money from Congress without congressional approval, by engaging in “open market operations.”
Here is how it works: When the government is short of funds, the Treasury issues bonds and delivers them to bond dealers, which auction them off. When the Fed wants to “expand the money supply” (create money), it steps in and buys bonds from these dealers with newly-issued dollars acquired by the Fed for the cost of writing them into an account on a computer screen. These maneuvers are called “open market operations” because the Fed buys the bonds on the “open market” from the bond dealers. The bonds then become the “reserves” that the banking establishment uses to back its loans. In another bit of sleight of hand known as “fractional reserve” lending, the same reserves are lent many times over, further expanding the money supply, generating interest for the banks with each loan. It was this money-creating process that prompted Wright Patman, Chairman of the House Banking and Currency Committee in the 1960s, to call the Federal Reserve “a total money-making machine.” He wrote:
“When the Federal Reserve writes a check for a government bond it does exactly what any bank does, it creates money, it created money purely and simply by writing a check.”
3. The Fed generates profits for its shareholders.
The interest on bonds acquired with its newly-issued Federal Reserve Notes pays the Fed’s operating expenses plus a guaranteed 6% return to its banker shareholders. A mere 6% a year may not be considered a profit in the world of Wall Street high finance, but most businesses that manage to cover all their expenses and give their shareholders a guaranteed 6% return are considered “for profit” corporations.
In addition to this guaranteed 6%, the banks will now be getting interest from the taxpayers on their “reserves.” The basic reserve requirement set by the Federal Reserve is 10%. The website of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York explains that as money is redeposited and relent throughout the banking system, this 10% held in “reserve” can be fanned into ten times that sum in loans; that is, $10,000 in reserves becomes $100,000 in loans. Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.8 puts the total “loans and leases in bank credit” as of September 24, 2008 at $7,049 billion. Ten percent of that is $700 billion. That means we the taxpayers will be paying interest to the banks on at least $700 billion annually – this so that the banks can retain the reserves to accumulate interest on ten times that sum in loans.
The banks earn these returns from the taxpayers for the privilege of having the banks’ interests protected by an all-powerful independent private central bank, even when those interests may be opposed to the taxpayers’ — for example, when the banks use their special status as private money creators to fund speculative derivative schemes that threaten to collapse the U.S. economy. Among other special benefits, banks and other financial institutions (but not other corporations) can borrow at the low Fed funds rate of about 2%. They can then turn around and put this money into 30-year Treasury bonds at 4.5%, earning an immediate 2.5% from the taxpayers, just by virtue of their position as favored banks. A long list of banks (but not other corporations) is also now protected from the short selling that can crash the price of other stocks.
Time to Change the Statute?
According to the Fed’s website, the control Congress has over the Federal Reserve is limited to this:
“[T]he Federal Reserve is subject to oversight by Congress, which periodically reviews its activities and can alter its responsibilities by statute.”
As we know from watching the business news, “oversight” basically means that Congress gets to see the results when it’s over. The Fed periodically reports to Congress, but the Fed doesn’t ask; it tells. The only real leverage Congress has over the Fed is that it “can alter its responsibilities by statute.” It is time for Congress to exercise that leverage and make the Federal Reserve a truly federal agency, acting by and for the people through their elected representatives. If the Fed can demand AIG’s stock in return for an $85 billion loan to the mega-insurer, we can demand the Fed’s stock in return for the trillion-or-so dollars we’ll be advancing to bail out the private banking system from its follies.
If the Fed were actually a federal agency, the government could issue U.S. legal tender directly, avoiding an unnecessary interest-bearing debt to private middlemen who create the money out of thin air themselves. Among other benefits to the taxpayers. a truly “federal” Federal Reserve could lend the full faith and credit of the United States to state and local governments interest-free, cutting the cost of infrastructure in half, restoring the thriving local economies of earlier decades.
Ellen Brown, J.D., developed her research skills as an attorney practicing civil litigation in Los Angeles. In Web of Debt, her latest book, she turns those skills to an analysis of the Federal Reserve and “the money trust.” She shows how this private cartel has usurped the power to create money from the people themselves, and how we the people can get it back. Her eleven books include the bestselling Nature’s Pharmacy, co-authored with Dr. Lynne Walker, and Forbidden Medicine. Her websites are www.webofdebt.com and www.ellenbrown.com .
The original source of this article is Web of Debt and Global Research
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***
Selected text from Transcript
Minor Edits by GR. Important text.
We do not concur with all the statements. It is not an issue of party politics.
***
Where were you on March 9, 2022…
…when President Biden signed the death warrant on American freedom?
On that day, in a hushed ceremony at the White House… without the approval of Congress, the states, or the American people… Biden signed into law Executive Order 14067.
Buried in his Order are a few paragraphs, titled Section 4… The language in Section 4 makes Order 14067… the most treacherous act by a sitting President in the history of our republic.
Because Section 4 sets the stage for…
Legal government surveillance of all US citizens…
Total control over your bank accounts and purchases…
And the ability to silence all dissenting voices for good.
They’re coming for your money.
And it’s already started.
My name is Jim Rickards.
I’m a former advisor to the Pentagon, the White House, Congress, the CIA, and the Department of Defense. I’m also an attorney, investment banker… and author of 7 books on currencies and international economics.
When places like Fox, CNBC or Bloomberg want to know what’s about to shakeup the global economy, they call me.
Most of all, like you, I’m a proud American patriot.
The disturbing predictions you’re about to see are based on my independent research and my contacts in the intelligence community.
I’ve never made this kind of public announcement before… But it’s my duty to pull the alarm.
This is what I believe Section 4 of Biden’s Order means for all Americans…it is laying the groundwork for…
The US dollar being made obsolete.
Soon, your cash will be confiscated – or will simply be worthless paper.
The cash currency we have now will be replaced with a new, programmable digital tokens.
But the truth is, few outside the deep state recognize Biden’s move for what it really is.
If my predictions are correct, this so much more sinister than simply replacing the cash dollar with a new digitized version…
Friend, this new currency will allow for total control of all American citizens.
Because every “digital dollar” will be programmed by the government… that means they will be able to “turn on or off” your money at will.
Not only that, but they’ll be able to TRACK and RECORD every purchase you make.
This is very different when compared to “online banking”… And it has nothing to do with crypto.
I’ll explain everything in a moment, but what you need to know now is…
AOC has already publicly declared her support for a government controlled “spyware” currency…
The digital dollar means Dems [Deep state] would be able to punish any contribution, purchase, or even social media comment they don’t like.
And this isn’t something years away… It’s starting now.
Biden’s secret army has been hard at work, and… US trials are already well underway.
In fact, our government is racing to catch up…
China and Russia have already launched pilot programs for their own digital currencies.
More than half the countries in the world and almost 90% of central banks are testing or exploring a digital currency right now.
In my opinion, it’s not a question of “Will the US implement a digital dollar?”
It’s just a question of “When”…
And the answer to that is… It’s already happening.
Under Project Lithium and Project Hamilton, the new “spyware” currency has been quietly tested for several years.
There’s no stopping it.
I predict we’ll see a digital dollar hit circulation next year – or 2024 at the latest.
But I do have some good news for you.
It’s almost too late, but you can still protect your assets and your freedom…
…if you know exactly what to do.
In the next 84 seconds, I’m going to show you everything. [See video]
You’ll see the ugly proof of their plan. You’ll see what this could mean for you and your life savings.
I’m also going to show you the ONLY way I trust to protect your money and your freedom from Biden’s new surveillance machine.
I call it “Asset Emancipation” – and it’s easy to do and understand.
If you choose to take advantage of it…
Asset Emancipation is a way to legally secure – and even GROW – your wealth…
While hiding it safely away from surveillance and control.
It’s a loophole designed to outsmart a new spyware currency…
While potentially increasing your personal wealth.
But you must know exactly how to do it.
And that’s what I’m going to show you today.
I must warn you – some of this will be difficult to watch.
But if you care about your money and your freedom, please do not turn away.
Thanks to what you’ll witness here…
You’re about to be much more prepared for the coming storm than your neighbors…
…and that’s a very powerful position to be in.
Imagine if you were German in 1923 and able to somehow avoid the 29,500% hyperinflation that made their money worthless…
Or if you could have “opted out” of Roosevelt’s confiscation of all private gold in 1934…
That’s the power of Asset Emancipation.
And I’ll show you everything right now.
Thanks to Section 4 of Biden’s Order 14067 ordering urgent research into developing the digital dollar…I believe the US dollar, the standard of the world since 1792…
…will be REPLACED by a new currency, the digital dollar.
These new electronic currencies are called CBDCs – or “central bank digital currencies”.
(I call the digital dollar “Biden Bucks” because I want him to take full credit for what I consider to be crimes.)
This is not like the money in your online bank account… No, this is new and different.
Every digital dollar will be a programmable token, like bitcoin or other crypto currencies.
But there’s a big difference…
Cryptocurrencies are decentralized digital currencies. Instead, if it plays out the way I see it…
Biden Bucks will have the full backing of the U.S. Federal Reserve.
They will REPLACE the cash (“fiat”) dollar we have now…
And will soon be the sole, MANDATORY currency of the United States.
When Biden Bucks are rolled out, many experts – myself included… …believe they will begin an era of total government control and surveillance.
This is not hyperbole.
This would dramatically expand the power and influence of the federal government… essentially acting as a new type of “spyware”.
With Biden Bucks, the government will be able to force you to comply with its agenda.
Because if you don’t, they could turn off your money.
This won’t be like freezing a bank account, it will be so much easier.
Because Biden Bucks will be “digital tokens”programmed at the source…
…they could be “turned on or off” at will, with just a keystroke.
And they could be reprogrammed at any time.
With Biden’s secret surveillance army running the show, the anti-freedom implications are almost limitless…
For example, Biden Bucks could be programmed to allow only certain kinds of purchases…
Imagine what this new world could look like…
You want to keep your internal combustion engine car?
Your digital dollars suddenly won’t pay for gas.
Instead, you can be forced to buy an electric vehicle…
That’s just the tip of the fascist iceberg…
They can force you to get vaccinated…
They can force you into solar…
They can force you to use less water or heat…
They can force you to eat fake, plant-based meat…
They can control where you are allowed to travel…
They can stop you purchasing certain items – like guns, ammo, or survival supplies.
They can control to which candidates you are allowed to donate.
And they’ll know every single place you ever spend money. Forever.
America would become a surveillance state.
Every single aspect of your life could be controlled…
Because they’ll control your money.
In fact, I fully expect them to implement a “social credit rating” like in China.
Say the “wrong” thing on social media…
Buy the “wrong” thing…
Subscribe to the “wrong” news channel…
Give money to the “wrong” candidate…
And your rating drops…
Suddenly, your Biden Bucks are frozen or disappearing from your account…
There, a low social score gets you officially labeled “untrustworthy”.
They can take away your ability to travel…
…restrict your internet access…
…deny your family the best schools or jobs…
They may even take away your pets.
I’m not kidding.
All of this is going on today.
Could this really happen in a democracy?
Just ask the truckers in Canada.
Because that’s exactly what happened to them.
Their Prime Minister Trudeau was granted “special emergency powers” during the peaceful trucker protests over his forced vaccination law…
He then ordered all banks to freeze the accounts of the protestors…
AND anyone who aided them in any way.
And it wasn’t just a threat… That fascist froze the bank accounts of non-violent protestors.
He locked up over $6 million in private accounts for protesting a forced vaccination law the truckers believed violated their sovereign human rights.
Think about that… They protested his policies…
So he took away their money.
Think our current government would love to do that?
Me too.
Under Biden Bucks, we’ll lose many of our God-given American rights.
They’ll be replaced by total government surveillance and control.
For almost all Americans, this will be the death of freedom.
Forever. Almost all Americans…
Not you.
You won’t be a victim.
You can beat Biden’s surveillance army at its own game.
The key is what I call “Asset Emancipation”.
Asset Emancipation was created to help you maintain and even grow your personal wealth…
…regardless of what happens to the cash dollar.
Even better…
It’s designed to legally hide your assets away from government surveillance…
And allow you to potentially profit from the turmoil.
For the record…
Asset Emancipation has nothing to do with giving up your passport or fleeing the country…
It also has nothing to do with offshore banks or foreign currency trading…
And you won’t hear about it from your financial advisor, because it’s almost certain…
…he has no clue about this loophole for legally “opting out” of the Biden Bucks surveillance program.
I’ll reveal everything in a moment, but I want to expose how deep this new conspiracy runs…
Programmable currencies will soon replace ALL the cash currencies on earth.
More than HALF of countries and almost 90% of central banks are exploring or testing a digital currency right now.
This includes Japan, Germany, India, France, the UK, Russia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, and China.
In fact, China’s new digital currency – the e-yuan – was used for millions of dollars’ worth of transactions at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
The Economist has announced the rise of government-backed digital currencies, warning they will “shift power from individuals to the state”.
Even an institution as conservative as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) admits these new currencies are “The future of money”.
Make no mistake…
No matter the outcome of any future elections…
This is happening.
The storm is closing in.
If my research and predictions are correct…
Soon, there will be no more cash.
The dollar we know will be dead and buried.
Replaced by programmable Biden Bucks.
The secret surveillance army has been working on this for years…
The U.S. Federal Reserve has been quietly partnering with scientists at MIT to develop a digital currency to replace the dollar.
They call this initiative Project Hamilton.
Then, this year, the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation, the clearinghouse for US stocks, bonds, and other security trades…
…quietly launched Project Lithium.
Project Lithium is testing how a digital dollar will work in the financial markets once the current dollar is dead.
Project Lithium is partnering with the Digital Dollar Project…
…a joint effort started in 2020 between Accenture, US regulators, and tech leaders to create the digital dollar…
Then, on March 29, 2022, just days after Biden’s Order 14067 was signed…
Representative Stephen F. Lynch introduced H.R. 7231, the Electronic Currency and Secure Hardware Act.
This act, co-sponsored by 4 other Democrats…
…ORDERS the Secretary of the Treasury to develop a digital dollar.
I believe we’ll see the first rollout of the new digital dollar – Biden Bucks – in 2023 or 2024.
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History and the present show that an imperial republic like the United States needs vassals, not partners, especially in current times in which the empire is going through its irreversible decline.
Between March 28 and 30, the Second Summit on Democracy will take place in Washington DC. Wednesday, March 29, will be the day of the plenary meeting. The event is convened by the United States government through the State Department but, as usual, it will have some “associated governments” that will also summon the meeting and whose mission is to disguise that the Summit is entirely a Washington project. The goal is crystal clear: to recover ground in the dwindling international prestige of American democracy, heavily damaged by the increasing levels of popular dissatisfaction with the functioning of democracy (over fifty percent of the surveyed population), as revealed by a host of public opinion polls; and by the unprecedented incidents surrounding the storming of the Capitol, the seat of the U.S. Congress, in Washington on January 6, 2021.
As announced, the Summit for Democracy has ”five co-hosts: the United States, Costa Rica, Netherlands, Republic of Korea, and Zambia and representatives of their governments will officially kick off the Summit, with each co-host leader hosting a live, fully virtual, thematic.” The day before, the Department of State will host a panel session, chaired by Secretary Antony Blinken, about the need for a “Just and Lasting Peace in Ukraine” featuring President Volodymyr Zelensky as its main speaker. Supposedly, Zelensky and Secretary Blinken will discuss, alongside Foreign Ministers from a regionally diverse group of countries, the steps to be taken to reach a ceasefire and a “lasting peace” in Ukraine, although all the policies promoted by the Biden Administration run exactly in the opposite direction. Apparently, gone are the days when the European, and partly American, press characterized Ukraine as the most corrupt country in Europe and Zelensky himself as a despotic and equally corrupt leader. In 2015, the British newspaper The Guardian described it as such. Almost a year after the start of the war in Ukraine other press reports said that “the war with Russia hasn’t changed that.”
Unfortunately, at the time of writing these lines, the complete list of the countries invited to the Summit was unknown. However, an indication may be offered by the fact that the day after the plenary session, dedicated to digital technologies for the advancement of democracies and the dangers of digital authoritarianism, the keynote speaker will be no other than the Minister of Digital Affairs of Taiwan, Audrey Tang. This is a frontal attack on China because the guests at the Summit are supposed to be representatives of independent countries, and Taiwan certainly is not. It is not even recognized as such by the US government itself, but the intention is clear: to promote Taiwanese separatism, harass China, and provoke it into having a military response that would then justify US aggression.
We Latin Americans know very well that if there is a government in the world that cannot give lessons on democracy, it is precisely the government of the United States. Since the beginning of the American imperial expansion the U.S., has been renowned for its permanent attacks against the establishment of any democratic government in the region. When Cuba and Puerto Rico were leading a liberation struggle against Spanish oppression, during the so-called “Spanish-American” war, the United States captured Cuba in 1898 after the Treaty of Paris and spoiled the Cuban victory. If we make a list of coups sponsored or directly carried out by the United States in our countries, we would run the risk of turning this note into a voluminous essay. We are just going to mention a few cases.
In Argentina, the bloody military coups of 1966 and 1976 were sponsored and protected by Washington. In Chile, the brutal coup and subsequent assassination of Salvador Allende, perpetrated on September 11, 1973, was directly orchestrated from Washington by President Richard Nixon himself and his National Security adviser, and later Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger. The coup d’état that took place in Brazil in 1964, and which lasted until 1985, had the enthusiastic support of Washington, as did the 1973 military coup in Uruguay, which also lasted until 1985 when Washington realized that its undisguised support for the ferocious Latin American dictatorships was damaging its international image and that the time had come to bet on democracy, but taking due precautions. We should not forget that Washington prepared an armed confrontation that lasted ten years (1979-1989) against the Sandinista government and used all the means at its disposal to destabilize the government of the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front in El Salvador, in recent years
The worn-out democratic rhetoric of the United States is not enough to disguise the wicked intentions of its new strategy based on the possibilities opened by the use of “soft power” and the new devices to put pressure on progressive or left-wing governments: from the World Bank and IMF “conditionalities” to the oligopolistic control of the media and the indoctrination of judges and prosecutors to put into practice “lawfare” ploys to eliminate undesirable leaders for the empire from the field of the electoral politics, such as Lula in Brazil, Correa in Ecuador, Cristina in Argentina, Lugo in Paraguay, Zelaya in Honduras, Evo in Bolivia and just a few months ago Pedro Castillo in Peru.
History and the present show that an imperial republic like the United States needs vassals, not partners, especially in current times in which the empire is going through its irreversible decline. At times like these, democracies, as an expression of popular sovereignty and self-determination of nations, could not be more dysfunctional for the empire. That is why the Summit for Democracy will be one more farce, a propaganda montage whose real objective is to consolidate a “new cold war” divide between the friends and allies of the United States, who will be considered as democratic, and the adversaries of Washington, demonized as perverse autocracies that will be necessary to fight against by all available means.
The opinions mentioned in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Al mayadeen, but rather express the opinion of its writer exclusively.
It has now been one week since Seymour Hersh published an in-depth report claiming that the Biden administration deliberately blew up the Nord Stream II gas pipeline without Germany’s consent or even knowledge – an operation that began planning long before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Based on interviews with national security insiders, Hersh – the journalist who broke the stories of the My Lai Massacre, the CIA spying program and the Abu Ghraib torture scandal – claims that in June, U.S. Navy divers traveled to the Baltic Sea and attached C4 explosive charges to the pipeline. By September, President Biden himself ordered its destruction. But, according to Hersh, all understood the stakes and the gravity of what they were doing, acknowledging that, if caught, it would be seen as a flagrant “act of war” against their allies.
Despite this, corporate media have overwhelmingly ignored the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter’s bombshell. A MintPress News study analyzed the 20 most influential publications in the United States, according to analytics company Similar Web, and found only four mentions of the report between them.
The entirety of the corporate media’s attention given to the story consisted of the following:
One five-minute segment on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Fox News);
One 600-word round-up in The New York Post;
A shrill Business Insider attack article, whose headline labels Hersh a “discredited journalist” that has given a “gift to Putin.”
The 20 outlets studied are, in alphabetical order:
ABC News; Bloomberg News; Business Insider; BuzzFeed; CBS News; CNBC; CNN; Forbes; Fox News; The Huffington Post; MSNBC; NBC News; The New York Post; The New York Times; NPR; People Magazine; Politico; USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.
Searches for “Seymour Hersh” and “Nord Stream” were carried out on the websites of each outlet and were then checked against precise Google searches and results from the Dow Jones Factiva news database.
This lack of interest cannot be explained due to the report’s irrelevance. If the Biden administration really did work closely with the Norwegian government to blow up Nord Stream II, causing billions of dollars worth of immediate damage and plunging an entire region of the world into a freezing winter without sufficient energy, it ranks as one of the worst terrorist attacks in history; a flagrant act of aggression against a supposed ally.
Therefore, if Biden did indeed order this attack, it is barely possible to think of a more consequential piece of news. Indeed, according to Hersh, all those involved – from Biden, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland, Secretary of State Antony Blinken to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan – understood that what they were doing was “an act of war.”
The Nord Stream attack was also one of the world’s worst ecological disasters, constituting the largest single leak of methane in history – a gas 80 times worse for the planet than carbon dioxide at accelerating climate change.
“The media system has, predictably, tried to marginalize the report,” Bryce Greene, a writer and media critic who has closely followed the press’ lack of interest in scrutinizing the Nord Stream story, told MintPress, adding,
They don’t want to deal with the repercussions. It also reflects poorly on the profession…Even Jeffery Sachs in his Bloomberg interview said that journalists he knew personally understood that evidence, but also understood that the media system they worked in wouldn’t respond kindly to any suggestion of US complicity, so they kept quiet.”
Greene explained that bothersome facts about the war have consistently been swept under the rug, noting that,
This is indicative of the entire Ukraine War coverage. From hiding the history of NATO expansion, to calling Ukrainian Nazis Russian propaganda, to CBS even retracting a story about Ukrainian corruption. The fact that US media figures want to be seen as ‘on the good team’ or ‘on the right side of history’ means that they’re unwilling to confront reality as it exists.”
RADIO SILENCE
This complete radio silence from most of the country’s most influential news organizations is all the more remarkable, considering Hersh’s revelations have been all over newswire services. Reuters, for example, has published 14 separate reports on the topic since Thursday. Every large media outlet in America (and many medium-sized and even small ones) subscribes to Reuters, republishing content from their newswires.
One of the main tasks of a newsroom editor is to follow the newswire and follow up on Reuters’ content. This means that editors around the country have been bombarded with this story every day since it broke, and virtually every single one of them has passed on it – 14 consecutive times. Thus, even when repeatedly presented with free content to monetize, almost every newsroom in the U.S. decided against it. Independent, reader-supported media, however, have covered the story much more closely.
This is not to say that Reuters has been supportive of Hersh’s assertions. Its first article on the subject, for example, was entitled “White House says blog post on Nord Stream explosion ‘is utterly false,’” thereby allowing the Biden administration to set the agenda and downplay Hersh’s investigation as a mere blog post – something those in alternative media were quick to highlight. Hersh self-published his report on the online platform Substack – a fact that either undermines his findings or the credibility of the corporate media apparatus, depending on one’s perspective.
“The most incredible thing about the backlash against Hersh’s article on the U.S. blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines is the fact that it’s clear no establishment media outlet has any intention of carrying out the basic journalism needed to confirm or refute what he’s reported,” wrote journalist and MintPress contributor Jonathan Cook.
Other journalists, particularly those connected to the Western intelligence services, were scathing of the report. “The only people Hersh impresses any more [sic] are the sort of people who carry water for Putin and Assad, or the terminally dumb,” quipped Bellingcat’s Eliot Higgins. Christo Grozev, another Bellingcat writer, labeled Hersh “senile,” “corrupt,” and an “obsessive liar” whose “irresponsible single-anonymous-source reporting by a name with legacy authority is among the worst damage to journalism anyone ever caused.”
Fact-checking website Snopes also sprung into action, calling Hersh’s claim a “conspiracy” that rested on a single “omnipotent anonymous source.”
In an interview with the Radio War Nerd podcast, Hersh fired back, claiming:
The New York Times and the Washington Post have just ignored me. What they think I should do is use [the source’s] name, get him put in jail, stuff like that, which would end my career. I’ve been doing this for 50 years. My Lai started in 1969, and I will tell you something…I will protect people.”
He also noted that he actually cultivated multiple corroborative sources for the story.
Thank God we got Snopes on the case.
Notice that they had absolutely nothing to say when random people were saying Russia blew their own pipeline.
Now when there's a credible accusation of US complicity, they have to intervene to protect the discourse from "conspiracy" pic.twitter.com/3urDxdspnj
According to Hersh’s source, last June, under the cover of an international NATO exercise happening in the area, U.S. Navy divers based in Panama City, Florida, planted remotely-triggered C4 explosives on a section of the pipeline. Then, three months later, the order was given to blow it up. Navy divers were assisted by the Norwegian military, who found the perfect location; calm and shallow water just off the coast of Bornholm Island, Denmark.
An earlier Nord Stream pipeline was already supplying Germany and Western Europe with Russian gas, providing a cheap and readily available source of fuel to heat and power the continent. With the introduction of the second pipeline, Europe would have become effectively energy-independent of the United States, raising the possibility that the continent might move in a neutral or independent political direction too, creating a powerful regional bloc of its own rather than the current Atlanticist (i.e., U.S.-dominated) model that prevails. The 760-mile pipeline travels along the Baltic Sea floor, from western Russia to northeastern Germany, transporting liquified natural gas into homes and businesses throughout Europe. As such, it represents a vastly more cost-efficient form of energy than purchasing American liquified national gas or fracked oil – something Washington had been leaning hard on Europe to switch to.
Successive White House administrations had long made their opposition to the new, multi-billion dollar project publicly known. But Hersh alleges that the Biden administration began planning the sabotage in 2021, many months before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Tubes are stored in Sassnitz, Germany, during construction of the natural gas pipeline Nord Stream 2, Dec. 6, 2016. Jens Buettner | DPA via AP
The choice to use Navy divers rather than members of America’s Special Operations Command was reportedly down to secrecy. Unlike Special Ops, by law, Congress, the Senate and House leadership do not need to be briefed about Navy operations. “The Biden Administration was doing everything possible to avoid leaks,” Hersh wrote.
Nevertheless, many in the know had cold feet. “Some working guys in the CIA and the State Department were saying, ‘Don’t do this. It’s stupid and will be a political nightmare if it comes out,’” Hersh’s source said.
In the end, Biden himself gave the mission the green light, and three months after it was completed, Washington pressed the button, destroying the pipeline.
In the immediate aftermath of the destruction, Western corporate media were coy about the culprit, even suggesting that Vladimir Putin himself was by far the number one suspect in the case. They also actively suppressed any other opinions on the matter, sometimes to a near-comical degree. Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs, for example, was abruptly taken off the air by Bloomberg as he ran through circumstantial evidence suggesting Western forces could be behind the attack.
CAN WE BELIEVE THIS?
Hersh’s account adds weight to Sachs’ assertions. But is it credible? On the one hand, Hersh is a veteran investigative journalist who has built a stellar reputation over decades, working closely with government sources to break important news stories. On the other, his bombshell relies almost entirely on unnamed sources. It is standard journalistic practice to name and check sources. The Society of Professional Journalists’ code of ethics states that “reporters should use every possible avenue to confirm and attribute information before relying on unnamed sources” and that they must “always question sources’ motives before promising anonymity” because too many “provide information only when it benefits them.”
Without a name to go with a claim, there are no consequences for sources (or journalists, for that matter) simply lying to further their agenda. Hersh, therefore, is implicitly asking readers to trust his credibility and his judgment. Moreover, Hersh’s sources are government and intelligence insiders. Part of their role is placing false or inaccurate information into the public domain to further the state’s agenda. Journalistically speaking, then, anonymous government or intelligence officials are about the least credible sources imaginable.
Nevertheless, it seems clear that, given Washington’s war on whistleblowers, no source would ever publicly disclose this sort of information unless they were ready to risk decades in prison. Therefore, they could reasonably qualify for anonymity.
Greene took a nuanced position on the story’s credibility, stating,
Is everything Hersh alleged correct? While it would surprise me if there were evidence of any other power being behind the pipeline explosion – which would mean Hersh’s report is a complete fabrication – it would not be surprising if a few of Hersh’s details don’t line up, but that is common in journalism, and not always the result of bad faith or incompetence.
“The thing to remember is Hersh’s sources are in the world of military and intelligence. They will lie, exaggerate, obfuscate – and of course get things wrong by mistake,” Greene added, “But The compartmentalized nature of any bureaucracy – and the intelligence world especially – means that the full picture is sometimes murky, even to those considered to be ‘in the know.’ The fact that Hersh’s source knows so much detail is remarkable but certainly not implausible given the history of high-level leakers.”
Establishment journalists in US and UK hate and traduce Seymour Hersh for same reason they hated and traduced Robert Fisk: their work exposes our “free press” as glorified state propagandists who follow the party line 99% of time. Truth hurts.
If the United States did indeed sabotage Nord Stream II, it was one of the least well-hidden and most signposted attacks in history. The U.S. and NATO had, for years, publicly made clear that they were exploring options to stop the project.
A few weeks before the Russian invasion last February, Biden summoned German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to the White House, where the president made him participate in a bizarre press conference in which Biden stated, “If Russia invades — that means tanks or troops crossing the border of Ukraine — then there will be no longer a Nord Stream II. We will bring an end to it.”
The event had the air of an adult chastising a misbehaving child, yet Biden was, in effect, telling Scholz to his face that his country’s infrastructure might face a U.S. attack.
To be fair to the president, he was merely repeating what many in his administration had been publicly saying for months. Both Victoria Nuland and State Department Spokesperson Ned Price had independently stated that “one way or another, Nord Stream II will not move forward.”
Likewise, after the attack, the U.S. barely tried to hide its satisfaction. “This is a tremendous opportunity,” Antony Blinken beamed. The Secretary of State continued,
It’s a tremendous opportunity to once and for all remove the dependence on Russian energy, and thus to take away from Vladimir Putin the weaponization of energy as a means of advancing his imperial designs. That’s very significant and that offers tremendous strategic opportunity.”
Police accompany a protest against sanctions on Russia while a banner with the inscription “Open Nordstream 2 immediately” is held, Sept 05, 2022. Sebastian Willnow | DPA via AP
Other prominent officials thought U.S. culpability for the blast was so obvious that they assumed that they would take credit for it rather than claim Russia carried out a false flag attack. Member of the European Parliament and former Foreign Minister of Poland, Radek Sikorski, for example, tweeted out a picture of the blast with the words “Thank you, USA.” Sikorski, married to U.S. national security state insider Anne Applebaum, later deleted his post.
For Greene, the United States is near the top of the list of potential culprits. As he explained,
The charge of U.S. complicity is supported by a good deal of circumstantial evidence: The clearest answer to the ‘cui bono’ [who benefits?] question is obviously the U.S. Even before Hersh’s reporting, German officials reportedly said they were open to the idea of Western complicity. So in that sense, Hersh’s reporting is in line with what we already know (and what the mainstream media refuses to seriously discuss).”
Certainly, Washington has significantly benefited from the explosion. Its major competitor (Russia) has been seriously economically weakened, and European purchases of expensive American liquified natural gas have more than doubled since last year. Norway, too, has gained from the blast and is now Germany’s principal supplier of gas, allowing it to make billions in profits.
In light of the Seymour Hersh bombshell on the U.S. and Norway blowing up the Nord Stream pipeline, let's recall how U.S. officials openly incited against it for months, then blamed… Russia.https://t.co/qp1d7Jx9rypic.twitter.com/V0Cy2JPSXI
Born in 1937 into a working-class Jewish immigrant family, Hersh cut his teeth as a crime reporter in early 1960s Chicago. He first came to national attention in 1969, however, when he exposed the massacre of hundreds of Vietnamese civilians by U.S. troops at My Lai – a scoop that won him the Pulitzer Prize. His revelations were far from welcome in establishment media, though, and he had to fight to get even a small startup newswire to take a chance on his story.
In 1974, Hersh again caused a national scandal after exposing a massive Nixon-era CIA spying operation targeting hundreds of thousands of left-wing activists, anti-war dissidents and other anti-establishment figures. Again, far from being heralded, the majority of the corporate press attempted to defend the national security state and discredit him and his reporting.
Thirty years later, he dropped yet another bombshell on the American public, exposing the U.S.’ widespread torture of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison.
Whether it was reporting on the U.S.’ role in the 1973 coup in Chile or undermining the Obama administration’s claims on chemical weapons attacks in Syria, Hersh has courted controversy and attracted flak throughout his career. Yet his fearlessness has won him respect the world over. As journalist Glenn Greenwald stated,
Seymour Hersh is beyond any reasonable dispute one of the two or three most accomplished, important and courageous journalists of his generation. Very few journalists on the planet – and virtually none who still work inside the nation’s largest media corporations – can even get close to him when it comes to having broken more major, history-changing stories.”
It is for this reason that Hersh’s reporting is so important – and why corporate media’s steadfast refusal to cover it is so noteworthy. If Hersh is correct, the United States and Norway essentially attacked their supposed NATO allies, something that could have gigantic geopolitical implications. Article 5 of NATO’s treaty states that if a NATO member is attacked, then all other NATO members must defend said country. Several NATO members, including the United Kingdom and France, possess nuclear weapons.
Of course, NATO will not declare war on the United States, precisely because it is, since its very inception, an unequal alliance. As Lord Ismay, the organization’s first secretary general, explained, “NATO’s role is to keep the Russians out, the Germans down and the Americans in”. In other words, it is a U.S.-dominated confederation meant to stifle the pan-European project that sought to reorient the continent away from serving the U.S. and towards becoming an independent regional bloc.
While the culprit of the attacks still remains in doubt, many of the consequences are not.
Germans – like much of Europe – have had to endure freezing winters amid enormous fuel price spikes. The dearth of energy has helped spark double-digit inflation in Germany that has eroded the savings of tens of millions of people. Energy costs are causing vast numbers of businesses to permanently close and presents a crisis of competitiveness for European industry, which is struggling to compete with American and Asian manufacturers enjoying cheap fuel.
Moreover, huge numbers of European businesses are closing or reducing their domestic workforce in favor of moving production to the U.S., where, alongside cheaper energy costs, the Biden administration is offering them financial incentives to do so. The European Union has accused Washington of breaching World Trade Organization rules.
Thus, it could be said that the invasion of Ukraine has marked a turning point in geopolitical history, whereby the United States is not only carrying out a proxy war against Russia, but engaged in an economic war against the entirety of Europe. If Hersh’s Nord Stream story is true, it could send a shockwave throughout Europe and should cause long held beliefs about the nature of Europe’s relationship with the United States to be challenged. Therefore, given the massive negative consequences of all this for Washington, perhaps it is no surprise that the revelation will not be televised.
قبيل ساعات من تتويج المباحثات الإيرانية – السعودية بـ«مصالحة بكين»، كان الكونغرس الأميركي يشهد نقاشاً بين نواب وخبراء معنيين بالشرق الأوسط حول «توسيع اتفاقيات أبراهام»، والتزام «الشركاء المفترضين»، وفي مقدمهم السعودية، بتنفيذ الأجندة الأميركية في ما يتعلق بالصين وروسيا وإيران وأسعار النفط. ويتبيّن، بالصوت والصورة، أن مرادف «التأثير الإيجابي» بالنسبة للإدارة الأميركية هو «حماية مصالح إسرائيل أكثر، فقط»، مع تركيز واضح على تسويق الولايات المتحدة كصديقة للشعوب تتطلع إلى ازدهارها ورفاهيتها، تمهيداً لإدخال الدول في مسارات التطبيع… مع اعتراف ضمني بأن عدم وجود رؤية مشتركة بين الولايات المتحدة وشركائها لمواجهة «النفوذ الإيراني الخبيث» يهدد كل الطموحات الأميركية في المنطقة
عُقد الاجتماع الدوريّ للجنة الفرعية للشؤون الخارجية في مجلس النواب الأميركي حول الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا، الخميس الماضي، عشية إعلان «مصالحة بكين»، تحت عنوان «توسيع اتفاقيات أبراهام» (فيديو الجلسة). حضر الاجتماع، إلى جانب أعضاء اللجنة، كل من رئيس معهد اتفاقات أبراهام للسلام روبرت غرينواي والجنرال الأميركي المتخصص في شؤون الشرق الأوسط جوزف فوتيل والسفير الأميركي السابق في إسرائيل دانيل شابيرو مدير «مبادرة N7» (الحرف الأول من n أي تطبيع، و7 للدلالة على إسرائيل والدول العربية الست التي طبعت معها: البحرين، مصر، الأردن، المغرب، السودان، الإمارات).
وفي مداخلته، أشار شابيرو إلى تقدم مسارات التطبيع عبر مجموعات عمل تشمل أكثر من 150 مشاركاً من الدول السبع في أبو ظبي في كانون الثاني الماضي، إضافة إلى اتفاقية التعاون في مجال الأمن السيبراني بين البحرين والمغرب والإمارات وإسرائيل والولايات المتحدة. أما الطموحات الكثيرة لتكريس التطبيع فأبرزها برامج تلفزيونية «تثقيفية وترفيهية»، ليخلص المجتمعون بسرعة إلى ضرورة أن يتجاوز الدعم الأميركي في المنطقة التعاون العسكري، إلى المجالات التجارية و«المناهج التربوية والتعليمية» والتعاون الصحي و… «مكافحة الأوبئة»، مع تركيز خاص على لبنان. فبعد إشارة النائب الديموقراطي براد شيرمان إلى نجاح إدارة الرئيس جو بايدن في إنجاز الاتفاق بين لبنان وإسرائيل حول الحدود البحرية، قال رئيس اللجنة الفرعية الجمهوري جو ويلسون إن هذا الترسيم مهم للاقتصاد اللبناني، ويسمح لإسرائيل بمواصل إنتاج النفط وإرساله إلى مصر لتكريره وتصديره إلى إيطاليا للتخفيف من اعتماد أوروبا على روسيا، في سلسلة تبيّن الترابط الاستثنائي بين الملفات: لبنان يفوز، إسرائيل تفوز، مصر تفوز، إيطاليا تفوز ومجرم الحرب بوتين يخسر. وقال ويلسون «هناك أهمية كبيرة لدعم لبنان الذي يجب أن يكون عظيماً لكنه ليس كذلك». هناـ تدخلت النائبة الديموقراطية كاثي مالينغ لافتة إلى أن «لبنان على وشك أن يصبح دولة فاشلة»، فيما «سوريا مصدر مشكلات لا حصر لها في المنطقة»؛ ما يدفع إلى السؤال ما إذا كانت لدول «اتفاقيات أبراهام» القدرة على «التأثير الإيجابي» في هذين البلدين؟ ليجيب فوتيل، كما تفهم الإدارة الأميركية «التأثير الإيجابي»، بالقول إن «التعاون الأمني والدفاعي بين إسرائيل ودول أخرى في المنطقة يعزز فرص اتخاذ تدابير تحدّ من قدرة إيران على إيصال مواردها الفتاكة أكثر فأكثر قرب حدود إسرائيل». وأكد أن القيادة المركزية الأميركية «تحاول» وضع شبكات استشعار وطائرات من دون طيار لمراقبة حركة «نقل المساعدات الفتاكة»، بحراً اليوم وجواً غداً، ومع مزيد من الاستثمار يمكن معالجة «بعض من النفوذ الإيراني الخبيث» الذي ينتشر في سوريا ويؤثر على إسرائيل. ورداً على سؤال مالينغ عن كيفية توسيع «اتفاقيات أبراهام»، قال شابيرو إن هناك المفاوضات التي ترعاها الولايات المتحدة وهناك «التعاون الأمني الذي تقوده وزارة الدفاع والجيش مع جيوش المنطقة، وهناك مجالات صحية وثقافية وتجارية يمكن تحقيق اختراقات مهمة بواسطتها». أما غرينواي فركز على «توفير القدرات لشركائنا بما يمكّنهم من الدفاع عن أنفسهم بشكل أفضل، ويخفف في المقابل العبء الملقى على عاتق الولايات المتحدة للدفاع عنهم». ورأى أن الممر الإلزامي لتكريس التطبيع هو التبادل التجاري بين هذه الدول وحاجتها الاقتصادية إلى بعضها البعض. بدوره، شدد فوتيل على أن «المشاركة الدفاعية المنسّقة للتعاون المعلوماتي» هي الأساس، عبر ربط المعلومات الأمنية بين مختلف «شركاء الولايات المتحدة»، فيما قال غرينواي إن عدم وجود اتفاق مشترك بين الولايات المتحدة وهؤلاء الشركاء على كيفية التعامل مع التهديد الإيراني يحول دون إحراز تقدم، حتى على مستوى التعاون الأمني. وأكد أن الصراع الإسرائيلي – الفلسطيني يهم دول المنطقة، لكن ليس بقدر «التهديد المباشر لبقائهم من طهران اليوم»، و«الحاجة ماسة لقيادة أميركية مباشرة رداً على هذا التهديد الإيراني»، مشيراً إلى أهمية دعم الولايات المتحدة لإسرائيل في هذه المرحلة، حيث تراقب بقية دول المنطقة هذا الدعم عن كثب «بشكل لا يصدق».
يمكن تحقيق اختراقات مهمة عبر التعاون الأمني مع جيوش المنطقة وفي المجالات الصحية والثقافية والتجارية
ولا يمكن لدول المنطقة أن تكون أكثر تأييداً لإسرائيل من الولايات المتحدة. مع العلم أن «بناء الدعم يضيف نفوذاً وشركاء للولايات المتحدة»، مطالباً الإدارة الأميركية في ختام مداخلته بتأمين الموارد أو إعادة النظر في الموارد الحالية لاستخدامها بشكل أكثر فعالية لدعم «اتفاقيات أبراهام» والمبادرات التطبيعية الأخرى. وهنا، أشار شابيرو إلى أن الرواية المتداولة في الشرق الأوسط عن «انسحاب أميركي أو غياب أميركي أو تحول أميركي نحو مناطق أخرى» مبالغ فيها ومضر جداً. ولا بد من القول بوضوح «إننا ما زلنا هناك»، و«لا تزال القيادة المركزية الأميركية الجامع الرئيسي والشريك الرئيسي لجميع هذه البلدان، تتقدمها إسرائيل». «قد تكون لدينا وجهات نظر مختلفة حول طرق التعامل مع مشكلة ما، لكن الولايات المتحدة ملتزمة بشراكاتها، وملتزمة بالتأكد من قدرة شركائها على الدفاع عن أنفسهم، وملتزمة بالتواجد هناك كسند نهائيّ. ونحن نتوقع أن يتصرف شركاؤنا الإقليميون بما يتماشى مع المصالح الأميركية الأساسية عندما يتعلق الأمر بالصين وروسيا وأسواق النفط، حيث لا بد أن تتوقع أن تتدفق الشراكة بالاتجاهين، حين تكون شريكاً جيداً ومخلصاً. ولفت في ختام مداخلته إلى أن التدهور الأمني بين الإسرائيليين والفلسطينيين سيؤدي حكماً إلى زعزعة استقرار الأردن، ويصعّب الأمور على مصر، ويوتّر علاقة إسرائيل وشركائها العرب الجدد، ويؤخّر التقدم بين إسرائيل وشركاء لم ينضموا إلى «أبراهام» بعد، مركزاً على أهمية إظهار الولايات المتحدة دائماً بمظهر «المستثمر المهتم بمحاولة تحسين أوضاع الشعوب الاقتصادية والاجتماعية، قبل وقت طويل من إمكانية التفاوض فعلياً للوصول إلى حلول تطبيعية إضافية».
Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna confesses that “Syria is a prime example of America’s flawed foreign policy status quo, kept alive by warmongers on both the Right and Left.”
Syrian schoolchildren walk as US troops patrol near the Turkish border in Al-Hasakah, November 4, 2018. (Reuters)
In an opinion piece for Newsweek, Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna — who serves as the Representative for Florida’s Thirteenth Congressional District. Rep. — lashed out at the foundations of US foreign policy, calling for redirecting “US’s foreign policy away from a failed internationalist foreign policy consensus.”
This comes shortly after The Intercept highlighted in a new report that the Obama administration’s senate representative, a strong advocate in support of aggressively challenging Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, is now backing a push by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. to force the US to leave the country within 180 days.
The Republican’s introduction of the resolution, most notably with such a short timetable that would doom it to a lopsided defeat, sparked a flurry of lobbying to turn it into a bipartisan coalition, including progressive groups like Just Foreign Policy and Demand Progress, as well as conservative groups like FreedomWorks, Concerned Veterans for America, and Citizens for Renewing America.
Opposition to US meddling in Syria has been bipartisan since the beginning of the war. In 2013, Daily Kos and HuffPost produced whip counts before an Obama-called vote to authorize the use of force, urging progressives to vote no. Before Obama pulled the legislation from the floor, HuffPost counted 243 members of Congress who planned to vote no or lean toward no.
The Congresswoman openly backs Gaetz’s proposal, arguing that the policy of “keeping Americans overseas is necessary for stopping terrorist attacks is absurd.”
“Frankly I’m tired of hearing, if we don’t fight them there, they’ll come here,” she said.
Luna acknowledged that “Syria is a prime example of America’s flawed foreign policy status quo, kept alive by warmongers on both the Right and Left.”
She blamed former US President Barack Obama for what she described as a “naive campaign for regime change in the Middle East which fundamentally misunderstood the region at large and was a futile experiment.”
“Obama’s half-hearted slogan, “Assad must go,” raised false hopes among a certain section of Syrians that only extended the civil war. Worse, it resulted in a civil war which directly resulted in the rise of ISIS.”
The Congresswoman also asserted that distant countries pose no existential threat to the United States and can be adequately managed through long-distance capabilities and cautious alliance policies.
She also criticized the US Congress urging its members to genuinely worry about “terrorists in America.”
“We need to focus on the two problems our foreign policy pundits have consistently ignored, misread, and downplayed: our nonexistent southern border and the influx of terrorists coming into our own country, and the rise of a peer rival in China”.
In her opinion piece, she also raised the following questions: “Why aren’t the billions of dollars spent in the Middle East being invested in guarding our own border? Why are American forces patrolling distant nations yet not our own, which is under threat? Why was the equipment left behind during our botched withdrawal from Afghanistan not sold or shipped to Taiwan?”
Luna further confessed that the US’ “nation-building” in the Middle East was not “a prudent policy.”
The Congresswoman explained that the US grabbed billions of dollars from taxpayers and diverted them to NGOs, the military, failed governance projects, and foreign assistance waste while leaving many places in shambles.
“All that has resulted from this failed mission is the Middle East emerging as a region of permanent protectorates, with zero upsides and no measurable benefit to the United States. In fact, it has only increased local hostility.”
She also warned that China has been benefiting while the US has been meddling in the affairs of countries in the Middle East, most notably Syria.
The Congresswoman stressed that “the era of utopian foreign policy ideas based on faulty theories is over,” although Gaetz’s resolution to withdraw soldiers from Syria did not pass. Luna further hailed that one in every four of our Congress members backed the proposal from both the Republicans and Democrats.
“Members of Congress don’t swear an oath to the people of Syria, Ukraine, or anywhere else. They swear an oath to the people of the United States,” she concluded.
Why does the US continue to station troops in Syria?
Since ISIS has been defeated in Syria and Iraq, many analysts argued that the reasons for the US to remain stationed in Syrian territory have been left unclear.
The US frequently loots oil from Syrian gas fields and transports them to other occupation bases in Iraq via illegal crossings. Syrian news agency SANA reported last Saturday that US occupation troops have looted a new batch of oil from Syria’s Al-Jazeera fields. The convoy was on its way to US military bases in Iraq via the illegal Al-Mahmudiya crossing in Al-Yarubiya region.
According to civilian sources, the convoy comprises 23 vehicles and includes covered trucks and tanks filled with stolen oil. The sources further added that an additional convoy made up of 34 trucks exited the illegal Al-Walid crossing in Al-Yarubiya.
The last time US troops plundered Syrian oil was on February 27. The oil was looted from the same Al-Jazeera fields and was transported to Iraq via illegal crossings. US troops claim to be occupying the area in order to rid the region of terrorists, yet the US has strategically implanted itself there for the purposes of stealing Syria’s oil, as well as destabilizing President Bashar Al-Assad’s government.
In December of 2022, Syria’s Foreign Ministry said the US occupation forces and their affiliated military groups’ systematic lootings of Syrian oil, wheat, and other national resources have amounted to direct losses valued at $25.9 billion and indirect losses valued at over $86 billion.
It further estimated the total value of the Syrian oil sector losses to amount to $111.9 billion.
Eight years after the United States of America waged an international terrorist war on Syria with all the tragic atrocities suffered by the Syrian people across the entire Arab country, the US President Donald Trump signed in December “Caesar Act” allegedly aimed at protecting the Syrians.
Paradoxically, the Act, which came into force on June 17, 2020, was not passed by the US Congress to protect the innocent Syrian civilians from the terrorist groups backed by Washington and allies. However, the target was the democratically-elected Syrian President Bashar Assad and the government, which means besieging Syrian and cutting off its official supply line.
In addition to the socioeconomic woes suffered by the Syrian people due to Caesar Act, the neighboring countries, including mainly Lebanon, were deprived from all the geographical and economic privileges that could be gained out of the relations with Syria.
Due to Casar Act Jordan and Egypt were not allowed to provide Lebanon with electric power and gas as the US administration rejected to grant them any waiver.
On February 6, 2023, a devastating earthquake hit Syria and Turkey, killing and injuring dozens of thousands of residents and destroying huge numbers of buildings.International aids rushed into Turkey, but Caesar Act prevented most of the world countries, except Iran, Iraq, China, Russia, Lebanon and Algeria, from sending aids to Syria.
Briefly, Syria is suffering a big calamity. The following video shows rescue teams dragging the corpse of a father with his alive son out of the debris.
Back to the text of Casar Act, in case of humanitarian crises, the US President may waive, for renewable periods not to exceed 2 years. However, the Act stipulates that the waiver must address a humanitarian need and, simultaneously, be consistent with the national security interests of the United States.
Caesar Act Item
In other words, the political considerations of the United States comprise the essence of the humanitarian waiver, which exposes the crises-hit civilians to more agonies.
The US national security has been always linked to the considerations of Syria’s enemy-‘Israel’. Thus, the waiver will never be approved in accordance with the interests of the Syrian people.
Caesar Act itself is an unjust move of aggression against the state and people in Syria, and the waivers, included in the Act, require more inhumane conditions, even in the items related to the humanitarian cases.
US President Joe Biden’s lawyers discovered a second batch of classified documents from his vice presidency at a new location.
President Joe Biden visits Mexico City on January 9. (Getty Images)
Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called for a Congressional investigation of Biden after classified documents were found at his home in Wilmington, Delaware.
“Congress has to investigate this,” McCarthy said, pointing to the Justice Department’s investigation of former president Donald Trump for keeping more than 100 classified documents at his home in Palm Beach, Florida.
Moreover, Republican lawmakers in Congress will look into President Joe Biden’s mishandling of classified government records while serving as vice president because it is a serious felony, Republican Congressman Paul Gosar said on Thursday.
A day after the president was briefed about the first set of records discovered in his private office in Washington, Biden’s lawyers discovered a second batch of classified documents from his vice presidency at a new location.
“Joe Biden stole classified documents and secretly hid them in his office while he was Vice President yet suddenly democrats could care less. Negligently retaining classified documents is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Republicans in congress will investigate and see to it that Biden answers for his crimes,” Gosar said in a statement.
In the same context, the White House announced Thursday that “a small number” of classified documents dating from the Obama-Biden administration had been discovered at Joe Biden’s private residence in Wilmington, Delaware.
Other documents were discovered at a Washington think tank where Biden used to work, embarrassing the White House as authorities investigate an even larger scandal involving ex-President Donald Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents.
Biden says ‘cooperating fully’ with classified documents review
In the meantime, Biden stated on Thursday that he is “fully cooperating” with a Justice Department investigation after classified documents were discovered at his private residence in Wilmington, Delaware.
Lawyers “discovered a small number of documents with classified markings in storage areas and file cabinets in my home and my personal library,” Biden said, adding, “I take classified documents and classified material seriously.”
Yesterday, Biden said that he was “surprised” to learn that classified documents were taken to his personal office after he left the vice presidency and that he has no idea what is in the records. Meanwhile, Democratic and Republican leaders on Capitol Hill demanded more information about the discovery that prompted a Justice Department investigation.
“I was briefed about this discovery and surprised to learn that there are any government records that were taken there to that office,” Biden said during a news conference in Mexico City on Tuesday evening.
“But I don’t know what’s in the documents. My lawyers have not suggested I ask what documents they were. I’ve turned over the boxes — they’ve turned over the boxes to the Archives. And we’re cooperating fully — cooperating fully with the review, which I hope will be finished soon, and there will be more detail at that time,” he added.
Richard Sauber, special counsel to Biden, indicated that “a small number of documents with classified markings” were discovered when the President’s personal attorneys were emptying the offices of the Penn Biden Center, where Biden kept an office after he left the vice presidency in 2017 until shortly before he launched his presidential campaign in 2019.
There’s a mad dog pulling at his chain A hint of danger in his eye Alarm bells raging ’round his brain Roger Waters
So “Ze” aka “Zelia” came to DC and was given a massive welcome by the US Congress. The last time a foreign leader was treated as if he was the US President was was Bibi Netanyahu spoke to Congress. The fact that war criminals and crooks Zelia and Bibi got such a treatment tells you everything you need to know about who really runs the US Congress.
It makes me wonder if the imbeciles in Congress understands what fulfilling this prophecy will mean for the USA as a jurisdiction to keep your assets in?
Then there is this: the Hyena of Europe is preparing for a mobilization which further indicates that it is about to try to bite off some piece of the Ukraine under the guise of some kind of (pseudo) “peacekeeping” or even “protection” mission which would not officially be a NATO operation, but which will be run out of Mons just like the entire Ukrainian military has been for a long while now.
Just as I was writing this, Gonzalo Lira just posted a (very good) video about this, check it out:
Now for a small piece of (possibly) good news, Biden has declared that US “partners” are “are not looking for a Third World War”. I would not make too much of this, since Biden is mostly unaware of the reality around him, and he is probably not privy to the decision-making of the real powers, the “collective Biden” which run the USA. Next, Biden, like all US Presidents, is a professional liar, so again, let’s not celebrate quite yet. Finally, this might be a feint (but if so, it won’t impress anybody in Russia).
So what is “the plan”?
Frankly, I don’t believe that there is one.
Since Dubya and Obama the White House has been occupied by weak and frankly clueless leaders, hence the various interests groups which control DC run “their own foreign policy”. So, like vectors, the various goals and means of the key actors add up to create a “sum vector” which can *look* like “a policy” or “a plan”, but it is no such thing. What is true of the US is even MORE true for NATO. Hence the Poles pulling at their chain like rabid dogs to the horror of the comparatively sane(er) Europeans.
I fully agree with Andrei Martyanov – the folks in charge in the West are totally clueless and they have absolutely no idea how to walk away from the mess they created. The Neocons probably would prefer a worldwide nuclear war to a Russian victory, but non-Neocon actors might not want to die for a sick, narcissistic, gang of ignorant yet self-worshiping thugs.
Who will prevail?
I have absolutely no idea. I am not sure anybody else knows either.
What I do know is that Russia has been preparing non-stop for a full-scale continental war since at least 2014 (see here for details). Defense Minister Shoigu has declared that next year Russia will add five new artillery divisions, eight bomber aviation regiments, one fighter regiment, three motor-rifle divisions, two air-assault divisions, and six army aviation brigades to the Russian armed forces! And, by the way, these “artillery divisions” will be what is called “high power” brigade/division in Russia, that is to say that they get the very heavy weapons, like 203mm and 240mm self-propelled mortars. Something which the newly recreated First Guards Tank Army (a “Shock Army” in Russian military terminology) would need to further increase its huge firepower power.
And did I mention that Russia has fully modernized her nuclear triad and that key weapons factories in Russia are now working for 6 days weeks with 3 shifts working non-stop?
And those of you who follow Andrei Martyano’v blog also know how ubiquitous (true) hypersonic weapons are becoming the Russian armed forces.
Let’s just say that such firepower is total overkill for the Ukraine, so we can safely conclude that the Russian force planners did not have Banderastan but NATO in mind when they decided what type of forces Russia should develop next…
So far NATO has done a lot of tough talking, but it is pretty clear that (besides the rabid Poles) few Europeans have the stomach for a full-scale continental war in Europe which will leave their country in ruins. Yet, they are terrified of the US Neocons and therefore only can try to silently drag their feet while they are being dragged by the Neocons to the precipice.
***
And now, for some week-end music, I want to share with you the beautiful song “Wide River to Cross” (composed by Buddy & Julie Mille) in two versions:
Diana Krall with Jerry Douglas on the dobro:
and a very moving version by Roger Waters and US veterans (to whom, Roger, in his typical kindness, shows compassion and love, as he – correctly – identifies them as victims of the evil US imperialism he so often denounces. Enjoy!
Lyrics:
There’s a sorrow in the wind Blowing down the road I’ve been I can hear it cry while shadows steal the sun
But I cannot look back now I’ve come too far to turn around And there’s still a race ahead that I must run
I’m only halfway home, I’ve gotta journey on To where I’ll find, find the things I have lost I’ve come a long long road but still I’ve got some miles to go I’ve got a wide, a wide river to cross
I have stumbled, I have strayed You can trace the tracks I made All across the memories my heart recalls But I’m still a refugee, won’t you say a prayer for me? ‘Cause sometimes even the strongest soldier falls
I’m only halfway home, I’ve gotta journey on To where I’ll find, I’ll find the things I have lost I’ve come a long long road but still I’ve got some miles to go I’ve got a wide, a wide river to cross
I’m only halfway home, I’ve gotta journey on To where I’ll find, I’ll find the things that I have lost I’ve come a long long road but still I’ve got some miles to go I’ve got a wide, a wide river to cross I’ve got a wide, a wide river to cross
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine is on his first overseas visit since the crisis began in February 2022. He is already in Washington and met with President Joe Biden at the White House. The visit amounts to a daring show of solidarity and backing with Ukraine’s most powerful ally and its largest foreign supplier of weapons, or the masterminds of the whole crisis.
Sitting next to Biden in the Oval Office, Zelensky spoke in English and expressed “all my appreciations, from my heart, from the heart of Ukrainians — all Ukrainians” for the U.S. designs. It seems he is committed to Washington’s plans. Biden told Zelensky that the Ukrainian people “inspire the world.” But at what cost? Is it worth it to keep happy the masters at such a huge cost???
Zelensky will deliver an address to a joint session of Congress later in the day in which he will again convince that Ukraine still needs more powerful weapons, according to Ukrainian politicians. As a matter of fact, he was not satisfied with the limited assistance and control over weapons. His desires are much higher and unlimited.
The U.S. announced a new aid package of $1.8 billion that includes a Patriot missile battery, the most advanced U.S. ground-based air defense system. The Patriot could help Ukraine defend against Russian missile and drone attacks that have targeted its energy infrastructure. In military circles, the Patriot is viewed as a security blanket, protection from incoming fire. But Russia has developed its own weapons much more advanced and Patriot cannot intercept them.
Zelensky’s trip came after U.S. lawmakers proposed $44 billion more in emergency aid to Ukraine, which would bring the total U.S. wartime assistance to more than $100 billion. But many Republican lawmakers are hostile to authorizing more money to Ukraine just as they are poised to take control of the House of Representatives in January. The US expenditures above Trillion Dollars in Afghanistan and a long war over two decades could not make them win the war. This meager amount is far behind making Ukraine win over Russia.
In a speech to defense officials yesterday, President Vladimir Putin agreed to an increase in the size of Russia’s armed forces. He said there would be “no limits in terms of financing” Russia’s campaign in Ukraine. Russia has spent 150 billion in its operation in Ukraine but gained economic benefits worth around 500 to 600 billion.
As a matter of fact, Russia has not planned for a full-scale war in Ukraine, its limited special military operation was on the same line as in 2014 in Crimea. Once the Russians achieved their limited targets and goals, might have returned back. It was the US plan to engage Russia for a longer period of time and bleed for a prolonged time. Despite Russian early warmings and declaring Ukraine as its Red Line, the US kept on instigating Russia to intervene in Ukraine providing the American an excuse to engage Russia for a prolonged time.
The US is not sincere with Ukraine nor in love. If the Americans love Ukraine, they might have provided unlimited weapons and advanced weapons to make Ukraine win. But, this is not their intention, not their goals. Actually, they are in hate with Russia and wanted to counter the revival of Russia through Ukraine and may keep them engaged for a prolonged time to make Russia suffer economically. The US put sanctions on Russia to harm it economically.
Sanctions proved counterproductive and the Russian economy has not suffered at all. Its trade has remained the same, but, the trading partners have changed, China, India, Pakistan, and many other countries are becoming bigger trading Partners with Russia. Pushing out from the SWIFT banking system has no impact on its financial transactions as China has compensated and provided them with alternates. It Oil and Gas export has not reduced, and India and China have been importing much more. Furthermore, the increase in Oil and Gas prices in the international market has become supported the Russian economy.
On the other hand, Europe has been victimized by the Ukraine war. The Fuel and Food prices have jumped much high. Few European countries are providing subsidies to their citizens but not all of the European countries are rich enough to extend subsidies to their citizens. As a result, many Europeans are suffering.
The public in Europe is turning against the Ukraine war and demanding the end of this war immediately. There are protests and agitations in some European capitals and slogans are heard against NATO and withdrawal from NATO. The current leaders in Europe are bound under the agreement to support NATO and Ukraine’s war. But, it is predicted that in the upcoming some of the political parties may come up with the idea to promise the public to end the war, end NATO support or exiting from NATO, etc., may win the general elections. It is pretty sure that public sentiments will dominate in the next elections and visionary politicians will make bold decisions.
There is an awareness in the public that blindly following the US is not the ultimate goal, but, must think about national interests. War in Europe is not desired, no one wants it and the public may reflect their anger at the time of voting. The next elections will be decisive and may change the fate of not only Europe but the whole world. Geopolitics might be changed completely. It is a matter of time only, public sentiments must be respected at all costs.
Europe has learned after so many wars in the past and reached the conclusion that war is not a solution nor is beneficial to anyone. Even the winner of the wars was also proved losers. Europe is committed to no wars and Ukraine’s war needs to end soon, the sooner the better. It is the American war against the Russians hate, and Europe has to pay a heavy cost.
Humankind deserves peace and peace must prevail globally.
Author: Prof. Engr. Zamir Ahmed Awan, Founding Chair GSRRA, Sinologist (ex-Diplomat), Editor, Analyst, and Non-Resident Fellow of CCG (Center for China and Globalization). (E-mail: awanzamir@yahoo.com).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives in Washington, DC, as he expects the United States to send more arms and other equipment to his country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with US President Joe Biden at the White House, Washington, DC, United States, December 21, 2022
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the White House on Wednesday for a meeting with US President Joe Biden in light of the ongoing war in his country.
Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greeted Zelensky upon his arrival for bilateral talks regarding the war, as well as views on a potential peace and further sanctions on Moscow.
Zelensky landed in the US earlier in the day as part of a trip to Washington, which was only announced on the eve of his visit.
The Ukrainian President will be addressing a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday evening as lawmakers mull ratifying legislation that will include billions of dollars to be sent to Ukraine as “aid”.
The United States involved itself excessively in security arrangements to bring Zelensky to the US, according to the White House.
According to media reports, US military aircraft escorted Zelensky to Washington.
Retired US Marine Corps Intelligence Officer Scott Ritter revealed Tuesday that the West is laying the groundwork to overthrow Zelensky and replace him with Valery Zaluzhny, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces.
In an interview for the Judging Freedom YouTube channel, Ritter claimed that “the West pushed Zelensky into the background, focusing on Zaluzhny as the future leader of Ukraine.”
According to Ritter, there is a tendency in the Western media to promote the figure of Zaluzhny, pointing out that the days of the reign of Zelensky are coming to an end, as he no longer has the previous power and could not influence the subsequent outcome of events.
“People like General Zaluzhny will determine the future of Kiev. When the conflict reaches its final stage, it will be he who will sit at the negotiating table from Ukraine’s side,” the retired intelligence officer indicated.
Former CIA officer Philip Giraldi had also indicated that Zelensky is trying to involve NATO in a direct conflict with Russia, explaining that the Ukrainian President and his advisors are determined to escalate the situation.
Winter as a weapon
Biden said the US would continue sending aid to Kiev while increasing military support for the country, including in terms of air defense systems.
“We are going to continue to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, particularly air defense. That’s why we’re gonna be providing Ukraine with a Patriot missile battery and training Ukrainian forces to use it,” Biden said.
During remarks alongside Zelensky, Biden claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to use winter as a weapon in Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.
“He’s trying to use winter as a weapon,” Biden said during remarks in the Oval office.
Biden has already started fulfilling his promises.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier in the day that the United States will provide an additional $1.85 billion in military assistance for Ukraine, with the assistance consisting of a Patriot air defense system.
“$1.85 Billion in Additional US Military Assistance, including the First Transfer of Patriot Air Defense System,” Blinken said in a press release.
The Pentagon announced on Wednesday that one Patriot air defense system, additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), and High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARMs), among other military hardware, are included in the recently announced $1.85 billion US security assistance package for Ukraine.
According to the press release, the package also includes small guns, explosives, armored vehicles, mortar systems, and 500 precisely guided 155mm artillery rounds.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington for several hours
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses a joint session at the US Congress to reaffirm that if Russia wins the war in Ukraine, the world order established by the US post WWII will inevitably crumble.
Ukrainian President brings Ukrainian flag to US Congress in joint session only to have it raised by US House Speaker (AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the White House on Wednesday for a meeting with US President Joe Biden in light of the ongoing war in his country and addressed the US Congress in a joint session as lawmakers mull ratifying legislation that will include billions of dollars to be sent to Ukraine as “aid.”
“We have artillery, yes – thank you,” Zelensky acknowledged in his address, and then questioned whether that is enough and went on to answer himself “Honestly, not really.”
The Ukrainian President then called for increased unilateral sanctions against Russia, arguing that Congress had the capacity to impose stronger sanctions.
Early in his address Zelensky claimed that Kiev has already “defeated Russia in the battle for minds of the world” and the rest of the West had achieved a “victory” over the Russian Federation which he insisted “will never influence us again.”
Zelensky also used the occasion to attack not only the Russian Federation, but also Iran as he stated that “Russia found an ally” in what he called “its homicidal strategy – Iran.”
Furthermore, Zelensky added that “one terrorist has found the other,” and warned that the Russia-Iran partnership threatened not just Ukraine, but all Western nations, as he stated that “It is just a matter of time before they strike your other allies if we do not stop them now.”
Also in his speech, the Ukrainian President hinted that only regime change will “liberate” Russia and noted that “the Russians will stand a chance to be free only when they defeat the Kremlin in their minds.”
Zelensky agrees with Putin, fights until the last Ukrainian
There were a few significant statements in Zelensky’s speech where he reaffirmed that the war in Ukraine is about changing the world order. Zelensky stated “This struggle will define in what world our children and grandchildren will live, and then their children and grandchildren.”
While he pointed out that this war is one for generations to come, he added that he, and those whom he represented in Ukraine and the world, stand with the American version of the world order. He recalled US President Franklin Roosevelt, who defined modern liberalism in the US and dominated US politics throughout the two World Wars; an era that set the current global world order.
Zelensky stated, “the American people, in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory,” referring to victory in the war in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian President also stated, whilst in the US Congress, that a potential victory against Russia “will prove to any potential aggressor that no one can succeed in breaking national borders, no one committing atrocities and reigning over people against their will.”
It is of note that the US is currently illegally occupying Syrian soil and looting Syrian oil, and is currently in violation of numerous international resolutions and the UN charter in a number of countries.
I thank @POTUS for the warm welcome and I deeply appreciate all the support of the U.S. and the American people. I am confident that together we will be able to secure a better, prosperous and free future for both of our nations. Ukraine’s victory will also be America’s victory. pic.twitter.com/OhclRtwIJy
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 22, 2022
Moreover, Zelensky brought with him a flag from Bakhmut to the US and described it as “a symbol of our victory,” wherein the US and Ukraine are fighting one and the same war against world order change. and then noted that “we will win because we are united — Ukraine, America, and the entire free world.”
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, agreed with the Ukrainian President and tweeted that “the fight for Ukraine is the fight for democracy itself.”
Join live as @ZelenskyyUa delivers an inspiring message of unity, resilience and determination tonight in an Address to a Joint Meeting of Congress.
Zelensky, in conclusion, thanked the US and added “may God protect our brave troops and citizens, may God forever bless the United States of America. “
GOP Representatives Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, Dianne Harshbarger, and Jim Jordan remained seated at times when the rest of the US Congress gave Zelensky a standing ovation. These GOP reps were criticized by others however, their positions were not new.
Gaetz, on his Twitter page, hinted at US Congress’ double standards as he noted that when
Jen Psaki, former White House Press Secretary, called Zelensky’s trip a “sales pitch” via her Twitter profile, noting decreasing support for Ukraine in the US.
Expect many well deserved standing ovations when #Zelensky speaks tonight to Congress. He would not be making this trip if support in US wasn’t decreasing while Russians take out energy sources and bombard cities. This is a sales pitch to congress and public. Stick w/ Ukraine
Republicans vow audit to track Biden’s $20 bln Ukraine aid
It is worth noting that earlier in November, the Biden administration is currently scurrying to track down the approximately $20 billion in military aid it sent to Ukraine, amid a warning by Republicans of impending audits after they take over the House in January.
Incoming House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has previously stated that Ukraine will not receive a “blank check”. The purpose of the audit is meant to track how the funds are being delivered and exactly where – as prior suspicions point to many shipped arms ending up on the black market.
Controversial Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, who announced the audit decision, promised to “hold our government accountable”, as other colleagues such as Rep. Jason Crow echoed to the Washington Post: “The taxpayers deserve to know that investment is going where it’s intended to go,” adding: “In any war, there can be missteps and misallocation of supplies.”
The lawmakers called out current monitoring efforts as inadequate since the Biden administration inspected just 10% of the 22,000 weapons transported to Ukraine between February and November 1, according to the Post.
However, US allies in Europe believe such an audit won’t fully cut off funding, such as UK Parliament member Tobias Ellwood who said in October: “You’d be playing into Putin’s hands… If America pulls back, Putin could snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.”
US Congress discusses a new bill to increase grip over Central American countries that are shifting away from Washington’s influence.
US Congress
The US Congress is discussing a new bill to support Washington’s political influence in Central America, as the United States’s grasp over the region frails.
With leftist governments taking over in Nicaragua and Honduras, and an independent government in El Salvador, all critical of the United States, the US Congress is discussing a new bill titled “Central American network for Democracy Act.”
It was proposed to allocate an amount of USD 10 million to support this bill for the fiscal year 2023.
The new American legislative proposal stipulates that the US State Department shall establish a “fellowship program” to be known as the “Central American Network for Democracy.”
The program aims to “support a regional corps of civil society activists, lawyers (including members of the judiciary and prosecutors’ offices), journalists, and investigators for regional democracy and rule of law activities in Central America,” according to the bill.
The US empire has lost its chokehold on Central America. Nicaragua & Honduras have leftist governments; El Salvador has an independent government that is critical of the US and close to China
So the US Congress introduced a new "democracy act" to fund fifth columns in the region pic.twitter.com/7BPK4djq2v
The draft also includes in its clauses a focus on assisting “members of the regional corps in leveraging lessons learned in order to contribute to regional democracy and rule of law activities in Central America, including electoral and transition support, institutional reform, anti-corruption investigations, and local engagement.”
The new bill calls for the secretary of state to take steps that may be necessary to obtain support for the fellowship program associated with “international foundations, regional and United States governmental and non-governmental organizations, and regional and United States universities; and to ensure the fellowship program is well coordinated with and complementary of existing mechanisms, such as the Lifeline Embattled CSO Assistance Fund.”
It also calls for coordination of efforts between the “Department of State, the United States Agency for International Development, the Department of Justice, the Department of the Treasury, the Organization of American States, the Inter-American Court for Human Rights, and the United Nations.”
The most direct-interventionist approach set by the bill comes in the form of potentially strengthening “protection for the physical safety of individuals who must leave their home country to participate in the program, including assistance for temporary relocation, English language learning, and mental health support.”
Rashida Tlaib, (R), Ruwa Rumman and Abdel Nasser Rashid secured their seats at the US Congress. (Photo: via Social media)
Three Palestinian Americans have won seats in the US Congress following the country’s midterm elections on Tuesday, The New Arab reported.
Palestinian-Americans Rashida Tlaib, Ruwa Rumman, and Abdel Nasser Rashid secured their positions as congressional representatives for the Democratic Party.
Tlaib – who has previously served as Congresswoman and confronted President Biden over his support for Israel – won her seat as the representative for the state of Michigan’s 12th congressional district.
Ruwa Romman won her place to represent Georgia’s 97th state house district and has been labeled a “trailblazer” by supporters for being the first Muslim woman to serve in the state’s General Assembly.
Rashid won a seat as the state representative for Illinois’s 21st district, also making history as the first Palestinian Muslim to do so, according to Jetpac Resource Centre, which trains American Muslims and allies to run for public office.
Votes are still being counted in several states, as the Democrats enjoy a stronger-than-expected showing in the elections.
UPROOTED PALESTINIANS: SALAM ALQUDS ALAYKUM 