Puppet Masters
© AP Photo/ Mostafa Qotbi/IRNA
"If the Revolutionary Guards are placed on America's list of terrorist groups, we will put that country's military on the terror blacklist next to Daesh*", Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, the head of parliament's national security committee, said on Twitter.
Both Tehran and Washington have previously accused each other of supporting terrorism and called each other's actions "terroristic" literally or figuratively.
© Facebook / Nicolás Maduro
Despite all efforts by the US, Maduro still holds the loyalty of the military.
Despite all efforts by the US, Maduro still holds the loyalty of the military.
"It is time for the Executive Branch to take important and necessary steps to further isolate Maduro and make clear to the world his regime's illegality, criminality, and depravity," Rubio urged, in a letter addressed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.
Comment: Bluff and bluster once again. The US is not going to invade Venezuela. Convicted liar Abrams said as much:
Russian Trolls Strike Again! Regime Change Operator Elliot Abrams Blabs US Venezuela Plans in Prank Call
But the US still has the means to make life untenable in Venezuela:
- Venezuelan oil exports plunge on 'harsher' US sanctions
- Abrams: Project Venezuela 'still on track' with even more sanctions coming 'any day now'
- Zakharova: US sanctions against Venezuela destabilizing and 'imbued with cynicism'
- "Crimes against humanity": Former UN rapporteur says US sanctions on Venezuela like a "medieval siege"
- US sending 'spoiled food' and 'expired medicine' as humanitarian aid - Venezuelan ambassador
- Venezuela wants to repatriate its gold from Britain, reduce reliance on the dollar - UPDATE: Bank of England REFUSES request
- 'Lights out!' Did Trump and his neocons use a Bush-era plan to knock out Venezuela's power grid?
- Maduro announces 30-day power rationing plan to address Venezuela's blackouts
- Moscow: Venezuelan blackouts are a 'diversion' orchestrated from overseas
© Reuters/Remo Casilli/File
Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini arrives to attend a news conference regarding the return of former leftist guerrilla Cesare Battisti, in Rome, Italy, January 14, 2019.
Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini arrives to attend a news conference regarding the return of former leftist guerrilla Cesare Battisti, in Rome, Italy, January 14, 2019.
Salvini leads the ruling League party and hopes to put together a bloc of like-minded, anti-immigration parties in the European parliament to challenge the traditionally predominant and mainstream centre-left and centre-right groups.
However he has so far struggled to create a broad, sovereignist front in the 28-nation European Union, with a matrix of conflicting national interests hindering his progress.
© Mark Wilson/Getty Image
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) speaks during the "We the People" summit featuring 2020 presidential candidates at the Warner Theatre on April 1, 2019 in Washington, D.C.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) speaks during the "We the People" summit featuring 2020 presidential candidates at the Warner Theatre on April 1, 2019 in Washington, D.C.
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren introduced legislation Wednesday that would make it easier to imprison corporate executives whose companies commit crimes or "harm large numbers of Americans through civil violations."
"Corporations don't make decisions, people do, but for far too long, CEOs of giant corporations that break the law have been able to walk away, while consumers who are harmed are left picking up the pieces," the 2020 Democratic presidential contender said in a statement.
Comment: If Elizabeth Warren would confine herself to useful political activities such as this, instead of trying to play identity politics, she might get some traction with the electorate.
© Chip Somodevilla / Getty
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD)
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD)
House Committee on Oversight and Reform chair Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) wrote to former Fox News reporter Diana Falzone last month demanding that she turn over any documents relating to Trump's alleged extramarital affairs.
An article in the New Yorker last month alleged that Fox News executive Ken LaCorte spiked the story to protect Trump - a claim LaCorte has vehemently denied, saying the story lacked corroborating evidence and that the network was merely practicing responsible journalism, as were other outlets who declined the story.
© Risk
Julian Assange
Julian Assange
And, as we should all have come to expect by now, the establishment narrative management patrol has been going out of its way to inform us all that this is a good thing and no cause for alarm. Whenever you voice concerns about the persecution of Julian Assange on any public forum, you will with remarkable predictability encounter empire loyalists calling Assange a stinky Nazi rapist Putin puppet Trump supporter who deserves to be in prison forever.
Comment: As Johnstone previously commented: There is a power establishment which uses lies and secrecy to manipulate and deceive us, and it hates having the light of truth shone upon it more than anything.
More on the implications of prosecuting Assange:
- You don't have to love Assange to fear his prosecution
- The Assange case will define 'freedom of the press' in the 21st century
- What happens if Julian Assange is put on trial in the US?
- Chris Hedges: The war on Assange is a war on press freedom
© REUTERS/Esam Omran Al-Fetori
Libyan National Army, July 2017
Libyan National Army, July 2017
"As of now, the streets of the city are empty. It seems that almost all residents have chosen to leave the city. Several areas are already occupied by the LNA forces, for example, Janzur and Al-Swani, which are in the south-west of Tripoli. No clashes have taken place yet, only a few minor attacks from gangs along the way [of the Haftar army divisions] to Tripoli."Meanwhile, the mayor of Garyan in Libya told Sputnik on Friday that the LNA, led by Haftar, had assumed control of the city without fighting.
"The Libyan National Army entered Garyan and assumed full control over it without any resistance on the part of the armed militia that had withdrawn in the direction of Tripoli several hours before the LNA coming," Bahlul Sayyid said.
The mayor said that the situation in the city was calm, no sounds of clashes were heard in neighbouring settlements. Haftar's army was advancing upon Tripoli, he added.
According to Sputnik source, head of the Government of National Accord (GNA), Fayez Sarraj, remains in Tripoli despite the LNA offensive.
Comment: See also:
- Libyan National Army launches offensive to liberate Derna from Al-Qaeda linked group
- CIA operative Khalifa Haftar hires Washington lobby group to promote himself as Libyan ruler
- Leaked tapes reveal West's support for 'renegade' Libyan, General Khalifa Haftar
FRN provided a location map for situational identification:
UNSC, G7, Russia and the US have called on Haftar to halt advances toward Tripoli. RFE/RL has this:Haftar's forces have been routing the Tripoli government's forces without major problems, followed by today's call for a march to the capital.© FRN
This map is an up-to-the-minute representation of the present situation in Libya. The Red dots represent areas held by Haftar/Benghazi, the Green dots represent either Tripoli's forces or various warlords.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guteres, who arrived in Tripoli on Wednesday, called for restraint from both sides, warning the growing danger of a new major confrontation.
After an emergency meeting on April 5, the council warned that the military activity of Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) was putting the country's stability at risk. German Ambassador Christoph Heusgen, who currently holds the Security Council presidency..."called on LNA forces to halt all military movements." The council said it would hold accountable those responsible for any further violence.Reports on action in the field:
The council's statement came hours after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with Haftar in Benghazi as part of efforts to forestall an outright assault on Tripoli and avoid a bloody civil war. "I leave Libya with a heavy heart and deeply concerned. I still hope it is possible to avoid a bloody confrontation in and around Tripoli," he said on Twitter after his meeting.
Earlier, foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7)...expressed their "deepest concern" about the renewed fighting and urged an immediate end to military activity. "We urge all involved parties to immediately halt all military activity and movements toward Tripoli, which are hindering prospects for the UN-led political process, putting civilians in danger, and prolonging the suffering of the Libyan people," a statement said
Russia, which has provided Haftar with backing in the past, claimed it was not helping the commander's forces in the offensive and that it supported a negotiated political settlement that ruled out any new bloodshed. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told news agencies on April 5 that Moscow was monitoring the situation.
The U.S. State Department also sounded the alarm about the new fighting.
Reuters and other news agencies said Haftar's forces took the town of Gharyan, about 80 kilometers south of Tripoli after fighting against forces allied with Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj, who is based in Tripoli.The G7 group doubled down in warning against military action and conflict:
Tripoli-allied forces also reportedly took dozens of soldiers from Haftar's units prisoner in a town west of the capital.
Late on April 5, area residents said fighting was going on near the former international airport outside Tripoli and that the LNA had taken control of the facility. The Tripoli-based interior minister, Fathi Ali Bashagha, later said central government forces had retaken the airport.
"We firmly believe that there is no military solution to the Libyan conflict," the foreign ministers of France, Britain, Germany, United States, Italy, Japan and Canada said in a joint statement. The ministers added that "any Libyan actor or faction that precipitates further civil conflict are harming innocent people and standing in the way of the peace that Libyans deserve."UPDATES: April 6, 2019
Haftar's forces have now claimed control of Tripoli airport but have come under fire:
Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar's forces say they have taken full control over the former Tripoli International Airport, 34km from the city. It comes amid reports that the UN-backed government used airstrikes against his troops. His troops were filmed driving through the largely defunct Tripoli International Airport on Saturday.And the latest word from Russia:
Meanwhile, several reports from local officials said forces loyal to the government in Tripoli launched air raids on two separate positions of Haftar's troops.
At least 14 LNA soldiers have been killed, yet airstrikes from the Tripoli-based forces have inflicted no damage on Haftar's troops. LNA "avoids" the use of aviation against enemy forces, to minimize collateral damage.
LNA said it was declaring a no-fly zone for military aircraft in the east of Libya, Al Arabia reported. It said it would conduct strikes on airbases, from which their opponents would try to launch further sorties.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday called on all sides in the conflict to refrain from using military force, including warplanes, and seek a peaceful resolution of their differences. "We have been sending the same signal to all political forces in Libya. We never tried to favor either of them." Moscow has called for a cessation of strikes in the escalating conflict, and for its sides to sit down for talks.Local channel Al-Hadath reported: Four civilians were killed when their house was hit by an airstrike.
© Manuel alce Ceneta/Asssociated Press/CNBC.com.
Devin Nunes • James Comey
Devin Nunes • James Comey
While the hoax was fueled by a wide array of false accusations, misleading leaks of ostensibly classified information, and bad-faith investigative actions by government officials, one vital element was indispensable to the overall operation: the Steele dossier.
Funded by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democrat National Committee, which hid their payments from disclosure by funneling them through the law firm Perkins Coie, the dossier was a collection of false and often absurd accusations of collusion between Trump associates and Russian officials. These allegations, which relied heavily on Russian sources cultivated by Christopher Steele, were spoon-fed to Trump opponents in the U.S. government, including officials in law enforcement and intelligence.
Comment: The Examiner's Daniel Chaitin comments:
Alleged FISA abuse is now the subject of a revamped investigation by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who last month demanded from the Justice Department a wide array of documentation related to the surveillance of Page and other members of the 2016 Trump campaign.Conservative Treehouse adds a warning note:
"[T]he Committee is concerned that the Woods procedures and a full presentment of material and relevant facts may not have occurred with regard to the applications for FISA warrants for (and the opening of the underlying investigations on) Carter Page and other individuals associated with the presidential campaign of Donald Trump," Graham wrote in a letter. Enacted in 2001, the Woods Procedures were intended to protect U.S. citizens from improper surveillance by the government, seeking to "ensure accuracy with regard to the facts supporting probable cause."
For years there has been suspicion of intelligence agencies waging a political campaign against candidate and then President Trump. Allies of Trump often seize on a breadcrumb trail of odd activity, such as the infamous 2016 tarmac meeting between Obama-era Attorney General Loretta Lynch and former President Bill Clinton when his wife Hillary Clinton was a presidential candidate and under investigation for her unauthorized email server. Also fueling speculation are comments such as that from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who in January 2017, just before Trump's inauguration, warned the president-elect that intelligence officials "have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you."
By now everyone knows there were two parallel operations, two investigative paths, at work in the 2016 election. There was an official government investigation, Crossfire Hurricane via the FBI; and an unofficial investigation, dossier assembly via Chris Steele and Fusion GPS. Both operations originated in synergy with the vast Russian conspiracy narrative.
One operation was a function of elements outside the traditional framework of government via Fusion GPS. The second operation was specifically happening inside government spurred by CIA Director John Brennan and with the delivery of his "EC" officially creating the Crossfire Hurricane counterintelligence investigation.
Crossfire Hurricane, began on July 31st, 2016. Later in the year, the FBI investigation merged with the Fusion GPS investigation through the use of the Steele Dossier; and that led to the FISA application on Carter Page as a way to enmesh the two tracks.
Devin Nunes does an excellent job explaining the Fusion-GPS network, which includes: Glenn Simpson, Nellie Ohr, Christopher Steele and eventually DOJ official Bruce Ohr. Bruce was the bridge to import opposition research (The Dossier) from the private sector and inject it into the FBI intelligence apparatus.
This Fusion-GPS operation, as Nunes correctly describes, culminated with the Steele Dossier being transferred into the FBI. Again, I strongly urge everyone to read the Op-ed.
However, there is a stark absence within Nunes outline; there is something completely missing, "the second operation". The operation that originated from within the U.S. government in early 2016. The CIA operation started by John Brennan.
The external team, Glenn Simpson and Nellie Ohr et al, could not instruct Joseph Mifsud (Maltese Professor, FBI/CIA asset), or Alexander Downer (Australian Diplomat), or Stephan Halper (U.K. Academic and FBI/CIA asset), or Charles Tawil (Israeli CIA asset) to make contact with George Papadopoulos, Mike Flynn or Carter Page. Those contacts were covert and (un)official government missions for the weaponized U.S. intelligence apparatus.
I can understand why Devin Nunes would want to avoid attention on the second 'inside government' operation due to collateral damage that might hit our intelligence capabilities, ie. FISA. Indeed, with Mr. Nunes in charge of keeping those intelligence capabilities intact, he has somewhat of a conflicted professional interest in full exposure.
However, let me state clearly I'm very concerned the U.S. intelligence system is going to take the same approach toward defending their conflicted interests that Devin Nunes is taking inside this op-ed.
Heck, it would not be a leap to anticipate CIA Director John Brennan, ODNI James Clapper and Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe counting on exactly this inherent conflict helping their own escape from accountability.
The Steele Dossier did not originate Crossfire Hurricane. CIA Director John Brennan ran an operation from February through July 2016 to create the Crossfire Hurricane investigation run by FBI Agent Peter Strzok. The Dossier was on an entirely different track.
Devin Nunes has been a solid and trustworthy patriot throughout. Unfortunately, while many people might not notice the gaping hole inside his op-ed, those of us who do notice have a reason to be concerned....
Do not let the Deep State bad actors escape by only holding outside conspirators accountable.
According to Moubayed, the Russian tenure at the Hmeimim Airport is open-ended, with many of the neighborhoods near the installation have already been leased by Iran.
This may cause a problem for the Russians because the Iranian presence near their airport may encourage the jihadist rebels to attack the area.
Furthermore, an Iranian port on the Mediterranean may prompt Israel to step up their attacks in Syria, especially with Lebanon being so close to the Syrian coast.
Comment: Yet Saudi Arabia still isn't on the list... The U.S. terror list is a joke. The U.S.'s list of "terror sponsors" is a joke. The only nations on it are U.S. enemies, despite the fact that the U.S. and its allies have sponsored terror groups for decades.