Best of the Web:

Best of the Web: 3,000 more US troops headed to Middle East as coalition members suspend ops in wake of Soleimani murder

RT
Fri, 03 Jan 2020 19:53 UTC

Comment: Four more years, four more wars?

Members of the international coalition gathered to fight Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) have suspended operations in Iraq after the targeted assassination of a top Iranian general by the US.

Germany's Bundeswehr will put on pause all military missions in Iraq, it announced late on Friday night. That includes both operations aimed against IS and training of Kurdish troops. There are around 130 German soldiers deployed in Iraq at the moment, including 27 stationed at the Taji military base 30km (18 miles) north of Baghdad.

Comment: The German troops are not allowed to leave their bases.

The same security lockdown is true for the 70 soldiers from Sweden, who act as advisers to the Iraqi military. "We have to see what happens. We cannot go into details for safety reasons, but we have paused and taken it hour by hour," explained Swedish military spokesperson Kristina Swaan.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the situation serious for the 140 soldiers the country has in Iraq, but wouldn't comment on whether it was necessary to bring them home as a precaution.

NATO, which has many of the same members as the anti-IS coalition, has suspended its training operations in Iraq too, spokesman for the alliance Dylan White said. NATO has hundreds of personnel under its aegis in the country.

Comment: U.S. forces are also pausing operations, because Baghdad is forcing them to:

"After the recent events that have taken place, it was decided to limit the work of US forces in Iraq. The US side has been notified ... They can act only with Iraqi consent, but after such a stab in the back, we will, of course, limit their activities," Khalaf stated.

The spokesman also added that an investigation is currently ongoing to ascertain how the information of Soleimani's movements, such as his flight from Damascus to Baghdad and onward transport from Baghdad International Airport, was shared with the US.

"Yes, an investigation is underway. The investigation will concern everyone who could have had any information inside the [Baghdad International] airport," Khalaf remarked.

He also stated, echoing comments made by Iraqi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yehia Rasool earlier on Saturday, that Iraq had the capability to defend itself, even if NATO suspended military training in the country.

"Iraq is able to cope with this task on its own, as well as with the task of protecting its territory. Of course, coalition forces provided air support, but the Iraqi military did everything else," Khalaf remarked.

But that's not stopping the Americans from sending an additional 3,000 troops to the region.

And, somewhat ominously, Kataib Hezbollah are warning Iraqi forces to avoid U.S. bases starting tomorrow evening: "Security forces must stay clear of American bases by a distance not less and a thousand metres starting Sunday evening," al-Mayadeen quoted the militia as saying.

Meanwhile, American politicians are chiming in on the idiocy of this move, including NYC Mayor de Blasio:

Former Virginia State Senator Richard Black:

In a statement to RT on Friday, retired Virginia Senator Richard Black said the assassination "may presage a new war of aggression — this time, against the Iranian people." Black noted that the commander of the IRGC's Quds Force had led the fight against both Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) terrorists and Al-Qaeda affiliates in Syria. "We are not genuinely fighting a war on terror. I fear that in a sense, we are becoming the terror."

The former senator, who retired at the end of 2019, cautioned against further escalation in the Middle East, recalling a claim predating the 2003 invasion of Iraq that regime change in Tehran was the ultimate objective. "I pray that we draw back from the vast war that looms," Black added. "Neither our soldiers nor our people have a voice to stop it."

Presidential Candidate Tulsi Gabbard:

And Ron Paul:

Best of the Web: The US unwittingly raised up Iran's Qassem Soleimani. Then, just as ignorantly, they killed him

Scott Ritter
RT
Fri, 03 Jan 2020 19:14 UTC

The US is unprepared for the consequences of its assassination of Qassem Soleimani, if only because it knows nothing about the reality of the man it murdered, and can't gauge the impact of his death on Iran or the Middle East.

Qassem Soleimani, an Iranian military commander whose paramilitary organization, known as the Quds Force, helped position Iran as a modern regional power, was assassinated on January 3, 2020, on order of the President of the United States, Donald Trump. American political leaders of both major parties have been united in their description of Soleimani as an evil man whose death should be celebrated, even while the consequences of his demise remain unknown.

The celebration of Soleimani's death, however, is born of an ignorance regarding the events and actions that shaped the work he directed, and which defined the world in which he operated. While the US has cast Soleimani as a byproduct of Iran's malign intent in the Middle East, the reality is much starker: Soleimani is the direct result of America's irresponsibly aggressive policies. In a world defined by cause-effect relationships, the link between Soleimani and the United States is undeniable.

Best of the Web: Hundreds of thousands gather in Baghdad to mourn war heroes Soleimani and al-Muhandis

RT
Sat, 04 Jan 2020 18:02 UTC

Comment: ...and in Najaf. And in Karbala. And in many other cities across the Muslim world.

Trump just united the Shia Muslim world in a way Iranian leadership couldn't have dreamed of.

So much for 'Iraqis cheering the death of Soleimani' (Pompeo), and 'Iraqis wishing Iranian influence be gone' (also Pompeo).

The US will be sending home body bags if they don't get their troops out of Iraq ASAP.

Massive crowds have gathered in Baghdad for a funeral procession for Iran's elite Quds Force leader, Qassem Soleimani, Iraqi militia chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and others people killed in a US drone strike on Friday.

Mourners and supporters of Major General Soleimani and al-Muhandis, who was the deputy commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), are holding photos of both men along with Iraqi flags and flags of the Shia group Hezbollah. Many are dressed in black and are heard chanting "death to America."

Iraq's prime minister, Adel Abdel Mahdi, is also attending the ceremony. He stepped down in November amid mass anti-government protests, but has retained his post in a caretaker capacity.

Comment: Does it look like these Iraqis are "dancing in the streets" for freedom, "thankful that General Soleimani is no more"? That's what Pompeo would have the world think.

Either he's a liar, or such an idiot that he believes his own propaganda:

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo exaggerated the reaction of Iraqi citizens to the death of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, The New York Times reported on Saturday, citing eyewitnesses who said that celebrations occurred on a much smaller level than Pompeo implied.

The newspaper reported that while the video itself was authentic, there were a number of inconsistencies with what Pompeo portrayed, and what actually happened on the ground. The New York Times cited eyewitnesses who claimed that the group of men carrying the flag was very small and that the celebration was over in less than two minutes. The newspaper also stated that citizens were running, not dancing as Pompeo stated, in the video.

The fact that the video had been viewed almost five million times, along with Pompeo's caption, sets a dangerous precedent for factual news reporting, the newspaper stated. The State Department did not respond immediately to a request for a comment on the allegations, submitted on Friday evening, the newspaper reported.

Here was the scene in Tehran today:

And in Kashmir:

The assassination sparked protests in other countries as well, especially in those with sizable Shia Muslim populations. A handful of rallies were held in the Indian-controlled part of the disputed Kashmir region, where people flocked to the streets to voice their anger over the murder.

Hundreds of protesters also marched in the northern Indian town of Budgam, carrying portraits of Soleimani and chanting anti-American and anti-Israeli slogans.

"We will take revenge of their act so that they will bow down. And it is going to be a lesson for our future generations," said an Islamic cleric who led the protests, while another scholar insisted that the US and Israel "will be destroyed very soon."

A similar rally was held in the town of Kargil, where locals turned up in large numbers to mourn the death of the prominent Iranian commander. Footage from the scene shows residents carrying portraits of Soleimani and placards reading "Down with the USA." Large banners portraying Iranian leaders could also be seen hanging from several buildings in the town.

In case there's any doubt just how allied Iraq and Iran are, here's the Iraqi PM side-by-side with the new commander of the Iraqi PMU:

The US can send another million troops to Iraq if it wants, but it has already lost the battle for hearts and minds.

See also:

Best of the Web: Polytheism and human sacrifice in early Israelite religion

Valerie Tarico
Huff Post
Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:26 UTC

FILE PHOTO: Is that a 3,000-year-old picture of god, his penis and his wife depicted by early Jews at Kuntillet Ajrud?

The following is an interview with Thom Stark, a scholar of ancient and modern religious texts. Stark is currently an M.A.R. student at Emmanuel School of Religion in Johnson City, Tenn. His first book, released in October, is called The Human Faces of God: What Scripture Reveals When It Gets God Wrong (and Why Inerrancy Tries To Hide It). In chapters 4 and 5, Mr. Stark systematically lays out evidence that polytheism and human sacrifice were practiced widely as a part of early Yahweh worship.

I have to start with a question that may sound rude. Most people would expect that someone writing about human sacrifice and polytheism in the Bible would be an atheist or agnostic. And yet you describe yourself as a very committed Christian. Help me put the pieces together.

Well, I hail from the Stone-Campbell tradition, an anti-creedal protestant movement that is committed to discovering what the Bible says, even if what the Bible says contradicts what orthodox Christianity has historically said. That commitment to the Bible over the creeds is what underwrote my biblical studies, and ironically is what made it possible for me to come to the realization that the Bible isn't inerrant, and that what "it says" often depends on which book in the Bible you're reading.

Comment: See also:

Also check out SOTT radio's:

Best of the Web: The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act: Why Washington is both corrupt and ignorant

Philip Giraldi
Strategic Culture Foundation
Thu, 02 Jan 2020 11:08 UTC

The creatures that lurk through the corridors of power in Washington DC have refined corruption to the point where almost anything goes and almost no one is ever held accountable. Traditionally, Congressmen reward their various constituencies by inserting riders into larger pieces of legislation that grant money, exemptions or favors to certain groups or individuals. It is sometimes referred to as "pork." The recent bloated omnibus spending bills totaling $1.4 trillion, which passed through Congress and were signed off on by President Donald Trump, were for the shameless denizens of Capitol Hill a gold mine. The process was so corrupt that even some Senators like Ted Cruz joked that "Christmas came early in Washington. While you were with your family, while you were shopping for Christmas, the lobbyists were spending and spending. I present to you, the massive omnibus bill that Congress is voting on."

And no one is more corrupt in Congress than some of those at the top of the food chain, where the Speaker and the Minority leader in the House and the Majority and Minority leaders in the Senate have the final say on what gets cut and what remains. The lugubrious Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is one of the most adept at milking the system to buy his continued reelection in a state where he is actually not very popular, with an approval rating of only 37%. Within the current spending bill he has managed to include more than $1 billion worth of federal spending and tax breaks for some choice constituencies among the Kentucky voters. A tax break for the state's whisky distillers alone came to a projected $426 million for 2020 and there were also breaks for the state's thoroughbred horse industry as well as hundreds of millions of dollars more for new federal construction.

One can only wish that politicians would actually commit themselves to doing good for the American people, but the sad reality is that they spend so much time raising and distributing money that they only respond to constituents with the deepest pockets or those who make the most noise. Rarely does anyone actually read the bills that are being voted on. Part of the omnibus spending bills was the $738 billion dollar defense policy component, and, as in the case of the larger amounts intended to keep the federal government funded, the devil is frequently found in the details.

Comment: The incredible thing about the American Empire is how successful it has been despite being so wrong about so much for so long.

How is that possible?

Under normal circumstances, if a business or family were to make decisions based on information that is directly orthogonal to truth, they'd fail.

Yet when the giant behemoth known as the US govt does this, systematically, it somehow eventually wins... even when it loses on that specific issue!

The only idea we can suggest is that the US, in its advanced state of entropy (at the level of beliefs/information), is somehow 'willed' or 'directed' by a foreign entity - and not necessarily one of this world - and that this 'alignment with some higher power' somehow staves off the manifestation of its entropy at the level of material things...

Now, for many Americans, that's a no-brainer. They would say, "Of course! God/Providence is on our side!" But that can't be the case because God without Truth is not 'the one true God'...

See also: Merry Christmas in Syria: Liberated from terror by Russia, oldest Christian country celebrates birth of Jesus

Flashback Best of the Web: October 2019: Mossad chief 'predicts' assassination of Iranian counterpart Soleimani

Times of Israel
Fri, 11 Oct 2019 08:58 UTC

Comment: Considering that the only country in the world which perceives Iran as a threat to its existence is Israel, and in view of today's news of General Soleimani's murder, this piece of info is highly relevant.

In an interview published Thursday, Mossad chief Yossi Cohen said a potential Israeli assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, the head of the elite Quds Force in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was "not impossible."

In a profile piece for ultra-Orthodox newspaper Mishpacha, Cohen was asked about Soleimani's claim that Israeli aircraft targeted him and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut during the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

"With all due respect to his bluster, he hasn't necessarily committed the mistake yet that would place him on the prestigious list of Mossad's assassination targets," Cohen said.

"He knows very well that his assassination is not impossible. His actions are identified and felt everywhere... there's no doubt the infrastructure he built presents a serious challenge for Israel."

Iranian media also reported last week that Tehran stopped an "Israel-Arab" plot to eliminate Soleimani.

Many are understandably claiming that this geostrategically pivotal confrontation was precisely what Trump was installed to facilitate all along. The largest donor to any campaign in 2016 was oligarch Sheldon Adelson, who gave $25 million to the Trump campaign, and who in 2013 said that the US should drop a nuclear bomb on Iran. After Trump's election win, Adelson gave another $5 million to his inauguration, the largest single presidential inaugural donation ever made. Newt Gingrich, another of the billionaire's hired politicians, has said that Adelson's "central value" is Israel.

Best of the Web: 20 Years Of Putin: His Top Domestic & Foreign Policy Successes

Andrew Korybko
OneWorld
Tue, 31 Dec 2019 21:17 UTC

Vladimir Putin assumed office as Russia's Acting President 20 years ago on 31 December, 1999, after which he speedily proceeded to transform both his country and the rest of the world in the two decades since.

President Putin became his country's acting leader 20 years ago on 31 December, 1999, prior to being formally elected to the presidency a few months later in March 2000. He was initially praised as a Western darling because of the false presumption that he'd follow in his predecessor's footsteps by allowing foreign-allied oligarchs to continue ruling the country in parallel with accepting the diktats of Russia's former Old Cold War-era rivals. Putin certainly surprised them by breaking with their expectations and speedily proceeding to transform Russia and the rest of the world in the two decades since. As such, the most remarkable achievements of his career deserve to be highlighted on the twentieth anniversary of his leadership. Here's a brief list of his main domestic and foreign policy successes during his time in office in one capacity or another:

* Tamed The Traitorous Oligarchs:

Putin immediately caught flak from the West for bringing the law to bear upon corrupt foreign-allied oligarchs who posed a latest threat to national security and sovereignty, but after making high-profile examples out of a few, the rest soon gave up their political ambitions, followed the law, and continued operating their businesses.

Best of the Web: The West is entering an era of totalitarian media control - Cybersecurity Analyst

Sputnik
Fri, 27 Dec 2019 19:01 UTC

The US Cyber Command is working on information warfare tactics that could be used to counter allegedly possible Russian interference in the 2020 election, The Washington Post reported Wednesday, citing current and former officials.

Finnish cybersecurity analyst, Petri Krohn, believes that the purported Russian meddling in the US vote is a hoax.

Sputnik: According to a WP report, military cyber officials are developing information warfare tactics that could be deployed against senior Russian officials and oligarchs if Moscow tries to interfere in the 2020 US elections through the hacking of election systems or sowing widespread discord. In your view, how likely is it that this process will actually be carried out by military cyber officials?

Petri Krohn: The WaPo article makes it clear that the United States is in a de facto war with Russia. Americans understand that they need to keep the conflict at a low intensity, otherwise the war could quickly escalate, even to a nuclear war. The cyber operations discussed are acts of war. Another act of war is the American sanctions on the Swiss companies building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. They are illegal under peacetime international law and violate every trade agreement the US has ever signed. But if the US is at war, then naturally it is free to take whatever steps it wishes against Russia.

Best of the Web: Reuters poll: Hong Kongers 'support protester demands' but only a minority wants independence from China

James Pomfret
Reuters
Thu, 02 Jan 2020 11:34 UTC

Comment: Right there, we see a glaring contradiction: the protesters' core demand, of late, is complete independence for Hong Kong from China, so the majority that supports the protest movement supports the EARLIER protests, not the more recent violent rioting...

Anti-government protesters in Hong Kong continue their demands in 2020.

Hong Kong's protest movement is supported by 59% of city residents polled in a survey conducted for Reuters by the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, with more than a third of respondents saying they had attended an anti-government demonstration.

Supporters of the protests outnumbered opponents by a ratio of nearly two to one, with 30% percent saying they were opposed. Of those polled, 57% said they favored the resignation of Carrie Lam, the city's leader. Lam was a particular target of the anti-government demonstrations that gripped Hong Kong for most of 2019 after she attempted to push through a deeply unpopular extradition bill.

Nevertheless, only 17% expressed support for seeking independence from China, and 20% were opposed to "the current path of one country, two systems" - the arrangement under which Hong Kong is governed by Beijing.

Comment: It would appear that, while there is strong evidence for foreign meddling in Hong Kong - likely reflected by those rioters infamous for their wanton vandalism and extreme violence - these colour revolution attempts wouldn't get off the ground were they not based on the genuine grievances of the people. However, as it stands, the majority are not seeking to totally overthrow the current model, they, like the protest movements in the West, are rallying against deteriorating living conditions, the divide between rich and poor, and an increasingly detached and unaccountable establishment.

See also: Roaring Twenties: 'Global impeachment' and the end of the era of liberal globalization

Best of the Web: Creepy as hell: THIRD Kevin Spacey sex-crime accuser 'suddenly dies'

CBS News
Thu, 26 Dec 2019 13:34 UTC

Comment: And that's the third time just in 2019. This guy needs his passport revoked, at the very least...

Quite possibly the creepiest Clintonista in that circle of friends

Scandinavian writer Ari Behn — the ex-husband of Norwegian Princess Martha Louise who accused Kevin Spacey of sexual misconduct — died this week, his manager said. He was 47.

Behn died by suicide Wednesday, his manager told the Norwegian news service NTB. Authorities said he was found at his home in Norway.

The Norwegian royal family said in a written statement that Behn was "an important part of our family for many years and we carry warm and good memories of him with us."

Behn, who was Danish-born, and Martha Louise, the oldest daughter of Norway's King Harald and Queen Sonja, were married for 14 years. The couple divorced in 2017 and have three children.

Comment: Then there was another accusation which made it to trial, but was suddenly wrapped up last summer when the now 21-year-old had an unexplained change of heart:

Kevin Spacey's sexual assault case dropped by prosecutors due to accuser's 'unavailability'

For how much longer is this going to continue? By now, over 30 people have accused him. 4 down, 26 to go?

This latest 'suicide' of Behn occurred ONE DAY after Kreepy Kev posted this video on his YT account on Christmas Day...

“

Quote of the Day

"We have about 50% of the world's wealth but only 6.3% of its population. This disparity is particularly great as between ourselves and the peoples of Asia. In this situation, we cannot fail to be the object of envy and resentment. Our real task in the coming period is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity without positive detriment to our national security. To do so, we will have to dispense with all sentimentality and day-dreaming; and our attention will have to be concentrated everywhere on our immediate national objectives. We need not deceive ourselves that we can afford today the luxury of altruism and world-benefaction."

~ US State Department, 1948

- George Kennan

”

Nineteen or twenty people in the foto, and one with face obscured - what is the point?

boli

Is it any wonder, that failed leaders of the West, are concerned by demise.....There is a long list throughout the Western sphere if influence,...

Joan

Interesting in ancient time women were considered the shamans of the society. Some societies in the ancient world, was not through the male...

Joan

This interesting analysis from the Judge interview with Max Blumenthal [Link] Max Blumenthal: Hamas Still Stands.

Joan

This article and so called research demonstrates to me nothing more than a sophisticated to use of language to describe the Darwinian theory of...

Joan

Best of the Web:

Best of the Web: 3,000 more US troops headed to Middle East as coalition members suspend ops in wake of Soleimani murder

Best of the Web: The US unwittingly raised up Iran's Qassem Soleimani. Then, just as ignorantly, they killed him

Best of the Web: Hundreds of thousands gather in Baghdad to mourn war heroes Soleimani and al-Muhandis

Best of the Web: Polytheism and human sacrifice in early Israelite religion

Best of the Web: The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act: Why Washington is both corrupt and ignorant

Flashback Best of the Web: October 2019: Mossad chief 'predicts' assassination of Iranian counterpart Soleimani

Best of the Web: 20 Years Of Putin: His Top Domestic & Foreign Policy Successes

Best of the Web: The West is entering an era of totalitarian media control - Cybersecurity Analyst

Best of the Web: Reuters poll: Hong Kongers 'support protester demands' but only a minority wants independence from China

Best of the Web: Creepy as hell: THIRD Kevin Spacey sex-crime accuser 'suddenly dies'

Latest News

Picture of the Day

Quote of the Day

Recent Comments

Quantum Quirk