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NATO chief admits NATO expansion was key to Russian invasion of Ukraine

Jeffrey D. Sachs
Common Dreams
Wed, 20 Sep 2023 00:00 UTC
Stoltenberg
© Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg • European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee
September 07, 2023 • Brussels, Belgium
The continuing U.S. obsession with NATO enlargement is profoundly irresponsible and hypocritical. And now Ukrainians are paying a terrible price.

During the disastrous Vietnam War, it was said that the US government treated the public like a mushroom farm: keeping it in the dark and feeding it with manure. The heroic Daniel Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers documenting the unrelenting U.S. government lying about the war in order to protect politicians who would be embarrassed by the truth. A half-century later, during the Ukraine War, the manure is piled even higher.

According to the U.S. government and the ever-obsequious New York Times, the Ukraine war was "unprovoked," the Times' favorite adjective to describe the war. Putin, allegedly mistaking himself for Peter the Great, invaded Ukraine to recreate the Russian Empire. Yet last week, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg committed a Washington gaffe, meaning that he accidently blurted out the truth.
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X

Pentagon exempts Ukraine operations from potential government shutdown

Lara Seligman
Politico
Thu, 21 Sep 2023 05:29 UTC
ZelMilleywife
© Andrew Harnik/AP Photo
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin
The Pentagon will exempt its Ukraine operations from a potential shutdown if lawmakers can't agree on a deal to fund the government by the end of the month, allowing key training and other activities in support of Kyiv's forces to move ahead uninterrupted, according to a Defense Department spokesperson.

Washington is more resigned to the looming government shutdown every day. As the Sept. 30 deadline approaches, congressional leaders showed little progress this week in moving a stopgap funding bill to avert that scenario. The House was in chaos on Thursday as a group of GOP hardliners tanked a vote that could have offered a path to fund the government.

But if lawmakers fail to reach an agreement and government appropriations lapse, DOD has decided to continue activities supporting Ukraine, DOD spokesperson Chris Sherwood told POLITICO Thursday — just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Milley and other senior leaders at the Pentagon.

"Operation Atlantic Resolve is an excepted activity under a government lapse in appropriations," Sherwood said, referring to the named operation for DOD's activities in response to the Russian invasion.

The move means that the U.S. military's activities related to the war, such as training of Ukrainian soldiers on American tactics and equipment, as well as shipments of weapons to Kyiv, will continue despite any potential shutdown. As recently as Tuesday, Sherwood had said the shutdown could halt those activities, as POLITICO first reported.

Comment: One might question how many of the internationally-trained 84,000 Ukrainians are still alive and active.

See also:

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Star of David

Israel clears nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia


RT
Thu, 21 Sep 2023 11:37 UTC
Neti
© Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu
Riyadh wants a civilian atomic program but would also consider a military path, should Iran choose to take that route, the newspaper reports...

Israel has agreed to the idea of the US building a uranium enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia as part of a deal that would see Riyadh establish diplomatic ties with West Jerusalem, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The newspaper reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed senior nuclear and security officials to cooperate with Washington on the issue. Progress came after Netanyahu met US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session on Wednesday, the WSJ said on Thursday, citing Israeli and American sources.

Israel is widely believed to be the sole nation with a nuclear capability in the Middle East, but has never confirmed its status as such. According to officials cited by the WSJ, the country would accept Riyadh hosting a US-controlled uranium enrichment plant.
MBS in chair
© audi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman AFP/Saudi Press Agency
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

Comment: What could possibly go wrong with that arrangement?
If Iran were to obtain nuclear weapons, Saudi Arabia would be forced to do the same, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said in an interview with Fox News, extracts of which were published on Wednesday.

"Any country getting a nuclear weapon - that's a bad move," the Crown Prince, widely referred to as MBS, replied when was asked how Riyadh would respond if Tehran became a nuclear power.

"Even if Iran gets a nuclear weapon... any country using a nuclear weapon, that means they're having a war with the rest of the world," he said.

Global powers will come up with a joint response because "the world can't see another Hiroshima. If the world sees 100,000 people dead - you are in a war with the rest of the world," the Crown Prince explained.

During his speech at the UN on Tuesday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi reiterated that Tehran will never give up its right "to have peaceful nuclear energy." However, he stressed that "nuclear weapons have no place in the defensive doctrine and the military doctrine" of Iran.

Raisi also said the country was eager to return to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which envisaged the lifting of sanctions in exchange for Tehran limiting its nuclear activities. The unilateral withdrawal of the US from the landmark deal under President Donald Trump was "an inappropriate response" to Iran's fulfilment of its obligations as part of JCPOA, he insisted.

Longtime rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran have recently seen a rapprochement, restoring diplomatic ties after a seven-year break in March, through Chinese mediation.


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Magnify

Hunter Biden investigation: Third IRS official says Justice Department blocked Weiss from charging

Sarah Bedford
Washington Examiner
Thu, 21 Sep 2023 01:13 UTC
3 guys
© The Local Report/KJN
A third IRS official confirmed that Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss faced roadblocks when attempting to bring charges against Hunter Biden, contradicting denials issued Wednesday by Attorney General Merrick Garland.

IRS Director of Field Operations Michael Batdorf told the House Ways and Means Committee in a closed-door interview on Sept. 12 that he felt "frustrated" by the refusal of the Justice Department to approve tax charges that IRS agents viewed as well-supported by evidence, according to a transcript of the interview obtained by the Washington Examiner.

He also said the IRS removed agent Gary Shapley, a whistleblower, from the Hunter Biden case at the direction of Weiss despite having done nothing wrong.

Batdorf's testimony was the latest piece of evidence to suggest Weiss did not enjoy the unfettered authority to pursue Hunter Biden that Garland and others claimed he had. Still, Batdorf, who was above Shapley in the IRS chain of command, stopped short of attributing the DOJ's actions to bias in favor of President Joe Biden.

In addition to the two Joe Biden-appointed U.S. attorneys who refused to allow Weiss to bring charges against Hunter Biden in their districts, Batdorf said the DOJ Tax Division opposed bringing charges.

Comment: A legal revolving door has its short-term usefulness.

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Arrow Down

West preparing to 'dump' Zelensky - Lukashenko


RT
Fri, 22 Sep 2023 14:50 UTC
Alex Luka
© Mikhail Metzel/POOL/RIA Novosti
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko
The Belarusian president hinted at a US connection to Poland's initiation of the grain dispute with Ukraine...

Washington has given the go-ahead to its partners to "dump" Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky as he has become a nuisance, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko claimed during a government meeting on Friday.

Lukashenko pointed to the ongoing grain dispute between Poland and Ukraine as an example of this new policy, noting that Warsaw had been one of Zelensky's staunchest supporters but is now sharply critical of its partner.

This shift occurred after Poland, along with Hungary and Slovakia, unilaterally banned the import of Ukrainian grain despite the EU having chosen to lift its bloc-wide embargo. In turn, Kiev filed disputes against the three countries with the World Trade Organization.

"Do you think that Poland is putting pressure on poor Ukraine today for no reason? No, they have been given the go-ahead from overseas: We need to dump this Zelensky, we're tired of him," Lukashenko said.

He noted that the US has an upcoming presidential election and suggested that no one will care about Zelensky at that point.
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Eye 2

The Receipts: How the WHO, Gates and Blackrock Want to Take Over the World

Beatrix von Storch
The Gateway Pundit
Thu, 21 Sep 2023 15:03 UTC
Beatrix von Storch AfD party German parliament

Beatrix von Storch is deputy chair of the AfD party in the German parliament
Largely unnoticed by the public, the World Health Organization (WHO) is working to significantly expand its powers and usurp far-reaching control through the back door. Alternative for Germany Deputy Chair in the Bundestag Beatrix von Storch reveals the US billionaires behind it and who bought whom.

The WHO is currently working on a comprehensive initiative for pandemic prevention, which includes a Pandemic Treaty and changes to health regulations. These are expected to be decided by no later than May of next year. It's important to understand that the pandemic treaty is only part of the problem. More dangerous are the changes to international health regulations. While the Pandemic Treaty must be ratified as new international law, the changes to international health rules automatically apply to every WHO member unless they explicitly opt out.

Rockefeller, Gates & Bloomberg Foundations Control Global Health

The powerful players in global health are not elected governments, but three private foundations: the Rockefeller Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Bloomberg Philanthropies. Among these, the Rockefeller Foundation, endowed with $5 billion, is by far the smallest, but also the oldest of the three. The Gates Foundation has an endowment of $40 billion US dollars, and Bloomberg Philanthropies has $50 billion.

These foundations are not only closely linked to the World Health Organization, but also to Big Pharma and Big Finance, as well as the research sector. They combine investment, research funding, political lobbying, policy advising, and of course, public relations.

Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg have been working together for decades. An important stage of their cooperation was the informal gathering of billionaires at Rockefeller University in 2009. The meeting, reported by NBC, was organized by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Bloomberg was already the Mayor of New York at that time.
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Chess

The return of the 'Bakhmut meat grinder': How Ukraine fell back into a familiar trap

Vladislav Ugolny
RT
Thu, 21 Sep 2023 08:32 UTC
Russian Soldier
© RT
Kiev claims to have captured several "strategically important" villages near Artyomovsk. What does this mean for the situation at the front?

While Ukraine's counteroffensive in the direction of Zaporozhye has practically stalled in the past few months, its forces have made some progress on the eastern section of the front. The battle for Artyomovsk (also known as Bakhmut), which began in August 2022, continues despite the fact that Russian troops fully liberated the city in May of this year.

After four months of fruitless attempts by Kiev to counterattack, in September the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) finally entered the ruined villages of Andreevka and Kleshcheyevka, southwest of the infamous 'Bakhmut meat grinder'. Ukraine needs to gain control over these settlements in order to launch a new offensive on Artyomovsk and rehabilitate its image after a damaging media defeat.

However, it is still too early to talk about a Russian retreat - the fighting in this area continues and Moscow's forces hold the line of defense along the Artyomovsk-Gorlovka railway line. The outcome of the battle will determine whether Ukraine can avenge its previous failure.

Comment: See Also:

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Red Pill

Erdogan: I trust Russia just as much as the West


RT
Wed, 20 Sep 2023 20:35 UTC
erdogan
© Dogukan Keskinkilic/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has argued that Russia is as trustworthy a partner for his country as the West is, pointing out - among other things - how the European Union has been giving Ankara the cold shoulder for decades over its membership aspirations.

In an interview with PBS on Monday, Erdogan was asked by the host, Amna Nawaz, whether he trusted the pledge made earlier this month by Russia to deliver one million metric tons of grain to Africa via Türkiye. The shipment is intended to help reduce prices in poorer nations after Moscow pulled out of the Black Sea Grain Deal back in July.

The Turkish head of state replied by saying he has "no reason not to trust them," adding that "to the extent the West is reliable, Russia is equally reliable."

"For the last 50 years, we have been waiting at the doorstep of the EU, and, at this moment in time, I trust Russia just as much as I trust the West," Erdogan explained.

Comment: Erdogan's actually wrong. Russia is far more trustworthy.

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Bullseye

West has 'no honest arguments' on Ukraine - Lavrov


RT
Thu, 21 Sep 2023 20:31 UTC
lavrov
© Timothy A. Clary / AFP
The West does not want to take an honest look at the origins of the Ukraine crisis, and only resorts to pinning the blame on Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the UN on Wednesday.

"Today, the rhetoric of our opponents is filled with slogans: 'invasion', 'aggression', 'annexation.' And not a single word about the root causes of the problem," Lavrov said in a speech at the UN Security Council.

He went on to accuse the West of "fostering a blatantly Nazi regime [in Ukraine], which has been openly rewriting the results of World War II and the history of its own people."

"The West is avoiding having a substantial discussion based on facts and the respect for all tenets of the [UN] Charter. Apparently, it doesn't have arguments for an honest dialogue," the minister said.
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Footprints

How it is

James Howard Kunstler
Clusterfuck Nation
Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00 UTC
sign on wall
© Unknown
How it is.
"Our government has not failed us. To fail implies there was at least a good faith effort to do the right thing."
— Eric Matheny
The new science of blobology informs us that political blobs blow up like dying stars gorging on runaway fusion. The blob expands beyond the viable limits of its internal contradictions and implodes in a spectacular vacuum of absurdity. The Washington DC blob's dire pulsations lately signal that it's about to blow its toxic endoplasm all over our nation's capital, drowning many denizens in deadly slime.

Did you catch Attorney General Merrick Garland's performance Wednesday before the House Judiciary Committee? The absurdity ran pretty rank in the chamber as the AG artfully evaded explaining how it is he doesn't know a darn thing about the consequential cases in process at his DOJ — and if he did happen to know, he wouldn't be able to say because... reasons.

For instance, the strange inability of one US attorney David Weiss to generate charges after five whole years of investigation in the sundry matters involving the president's son, Hunter Biden, until the statute of limitations on tax evasion dribbled away. And then, after concocting a booby trapped plea deal on a Mickey Mouse gun rap that blew up under a judge's scrutiny, the selfsame Mr. Weiss is appointed Special Counsel (i.e. prosecutor) over those very cases. Say, whu...? Not to mention that it's against the regulations to appoint anyone special counsel from within the DOJ.
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