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Wed, 27 Oct 2021
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Gloves off: Rosenstein and McCabe square off and accuse each other of lying in Russia hoax

McCabe • Rosenstein
© Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/KJN
Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe • Former Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein
Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe squared off with former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on Wednesday, during Rosenstein's anticipated testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee blaming one another for lying about what they were aware of during the bureau's debunked investigation into the Trump campaign and Russia.

During Rosenstein's testimony, McCabe issued a statement saying the former DAG was giving "false" testimony about his recollection regarding former FBI Director James Comey's memos about his interactions with President Donald Trump.

Interestingly, both men accuse each other of lying, pointing the finger at one another, in one of the biggest hoaxes in modern political history. They lied to each other, all the while creating a hoax to fool the American people and the world. McCabe and Rosenstein, along with their colleagues in the bureau, DOJ and the intelligence community know that eventually they will get caught up in the lies and explanations. This is when the finger-pointing will start.

Comment: If Rosenstein and McCabe are typical stand-ups of authority and responsibility in Washington, imagine the duplication of their actions, demeanor and ethics magnified on the grand scale throughout Congress, the bureaus and agencies we are ruled by and upon which we depend.


Arrow Down

Zarif, on US JCPOA withdrawal: Trump advisors made a 'dumb bet'

Zarif
© Bria Webb/Reuters
Iranian FM Javad Zarif
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif dismissed US President Donald Trump's call for a "big deal" with Iran, saying Trump's advisers made a "dumb bet" by urging him to leave the JCPOA and it is now up to him to make up for the mistake by returning to the deal.

"We achieved humanitarian swap *despite* your subordinates' efforts, @realDonaldTrump," Zarif said in a tweet on Friday, after two Iranian scientists were released from US jails this week and Iran released American citizen Michael White, who had been sentenced to prison in the country for security crimes.

"And we had a deal when you entered office. Iran & other JCPOA participants never left the table. Your advisors — most fired by now — made a dumb bet. Up to you to decide *when* you want to fix it." The Iranian Foreign Minister added, referring to the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

His comments came in response to Trump who hailed the release of White and urged Tehran to make a "big deal" with Washington.

Comment:



Stop

Legislation introduced by US senators aims to halt completion of Russian gas pipeline

Russian pipelayer boat
© Vyacheslav Filippov/Tass
Russia's Akademic Chersky pipe-laying vessel in Germany's Mukran Port on May 30.
A group of bipartisan senators has submitted legislation to stop Russia from completing a controversial undersea natural-gas pipeline to Germany.

The five senators, led by Ted Cruz (Republican-Texas) and Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat-New Hampshire), introduced the legislation on June 4 to expand existing sanctions against Nord Stream 2, which would double Russian gas exports to Germany if completed.

The United States in December 2019 passed the Protecting Europe's Energy Security Act, which placed sanctions on vessels laying the Nord Stream 2 pipeline along the floor of the Baltic Sea, halting the $11 billion project shortly before its completion.

The new legislation widens the sanctions in the existing law to include any entity that provides insurance, port facilities or tethering services for the project as well as any company that certifies Nord Stream 2 for operation.

"There is bipartisan and bicameral consensus that Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline poses a critical threat to America's national security and must not be completed. Nevertheless, Putin continues to try to circumvent those sanctions," Cruz said in a statement.

Comment: Pipe dreams...to come true or go up in smoke?


Star of David

Air defense systems repelling 'Israeli agression' in Hama province - Syrian state media

maps
© RT
Anti-aircraft defense systems have been activated in Syria's province of Hama, responding to "Israeli agression," SANA news agency reported. "Loud blasts" have been heard in the outskirts of the city of Masyaf.

The air defense systems were activated late on Thursday, engaging incoming targets on the outskirts of the city. The attack has been attributed by Syrian state media to Israel, which has repeatedly launched air strikes on the country's soil over the past few years.

Footage circulating online shows several flying objects, presumably missiles, in the skies above the city. RT has not yet been able to verify the authenticity of the video.

Bulb

Trump says US 'largely through horrible pandemic'

Donald Trump
© AP Photo/Evan Vucci
US President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House, June 5, 2020, in Washington
US president praises jobs boost as unemployment rate drops to 13.3%

US President Donald Trump asserted Friday that the United States has made it through the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, after new jobs numbers showed a surprising increase in employment.

"We had the greatest economy in the history of the world. And that strength let us get through this horrible pandemic, largely through, I think we're doing really well," Trump said at a news briefing.

Bad Guys

Greek defence minister warns Athens prepared for conflict with 'aggressive' Turkey

Nikos Panagiotopoulos

Nikos Panagiotopoulos
Relations between the two NATO members have been poor for centuries following several major wars, as well as tensions over Cyprus, repeated military confrontations in the Aegean Sea, and concerns by Athens that Ankara is deliberately "threatening Europe" with an influx of Middle Eastern refugees.

Greece is ready to defend itself against Turkey by any means necessary, Greek Defence Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos has announced, accusing Ankara of "aggressive" behaviour.

"Of course Turkey's stance has recently been rather aggressive. I believe that the only way Greece can deal with it is, on one hand, to exhaust all its diplomatic weapons, and on the other, to cater for the increase of the deterrence power of the Armed Forces," Panagiotopoulos said, speaking Greece's Star TV on Thursday, referring to the ongoing diplomatic dispute over drilling rights in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Asked whether Greek efforts include preparations for a military conflict, the defence minister recalled that the national security advisor to the prime minister has recently indicated that Greece is "preparing for all eventualities," including "military engagement."

"We do not want this to happen. However, we are making it clear toward all directions that we will do what it takes to defend our sovereign rights to the greatest extent, if you catch my drift," Panagiotopoulos warned.

Comment: John Helmer on Turkey's allying with the illegitimate Libyan 'government' (composed of terrorists and other lowlifes):


Arrow Up

Iraq-US talks will fail if they do not include withdrawal of troops - Iraqi politician

baghdad
© AP Photo / Qassim Abdul-Zahra
Relations between Iraq and the United States have been strained throughout the beginning of this year following the assassination of top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani near Baghdad. The extrajudicial killing led to the Iraqi parliament voting in a bill which will see a total withdrawal of US troops from the country.

An Iraqi politician has stated that Baghdad will reject any attempt by the Trump administration to prolong the US military presence in the country during negotiations, pushing that talks between the two countries can only lead to a total withdrawal of American troops.

"The negotiations between Washington and Baghdad, which are to start in the middle of this month, would fail to produce any tangible results if they do not discuss the withdrawal of US forces from the country", said Karim al-Muhammadawi, a member of the Iraqi parliament's committee on security and defense, in an exclusive interview with the al-Maalomah news agency.

Comment: See also: Iraq: The US, Iran, ISIS, plus a divided cabinet


Bad Guys

Canada's appalling record on Israel should disqualify it from a Security Council seat

justin trudeau netanyahu
© Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shakes hands with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
The Trudeau government has been campaigning aggressively for a seat on the Security Council, but its bid to win a place on the United Nations' most powerful decision-making body later this month will be hampered by Canada's decidedly anti-Palestinian voting record.

Despite claiming to support the "international rules based order," the Trudeau government has voted against more than 50 resolutions upholding Palestinian rights. The extent to which the Liberals have mimicked the Stephen Harper Conservative's position regarding General Assembly resolutions, which are little more than symbolic acts of solidarity with the long-beleaguered Palestinians, highlights the power of the Israeli lobby in Canada.

Comment:


Bad Guys

Juan who? France denies harbouring Venezuelan opposition leader Guaido in Caracas embassy

guaido
© REUTERS/Manaure Quintero
Juan Guaido
The French foreign ministry on Friday denied reports that Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido was at the French Embassy in Caracas, as claimed by the South American country's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza on Thursday.

The allegations came three days after President Nicolas Maduro hinted that his rival was "in hiding" at a diplomatic location.

"We cannot enter the premises of any country's embassy whatsoever, in this case Spain or France," Arreaza said, adding that that meant an arrest by force "is not possible."

He made the comments when asked about the presence of Leopoldo Lopez, another leading opposition figure, at the Spanish ambassador's residence, and about Guaido at the French Embassy.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Handcuffs

Ukrainian court rules force can be used to bring ex-president in for questioning

Petro Poroshenko
© Sergei Plachkov/TASS
Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is currently serving as a member of parliament.
A court in Kyiv has ruled that former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko can be brought by force to the offices of the State Bureau of Investigations (DBR) after he twice ignored a summons last month.

Announcing its decision on June 4, the Pechera District Court said that investigators want to question Poroshenko on June 10 about the alleged illegal transfer of valuable paintings across the border.

Poroshenko failed to show up at the DBR on May 26 and May 29, as investigators wanted to question him as a witness about "the circumstances of moving across the Ukrainian border, without presenting to customs services, a collection of cultural objects, consisting of 43 paintings by world-famous artists."

On May 29, DBR investigators also wanted to question Poroshenko in an investigation into an audio recording of individuals who are thought to possibly be Poroshenko and former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.

Comment: Doesn't look good to dodge the summons twice, though it would be nice to see Poroshenko brought to court in cuffs as a result. See also: