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Trump orders 9,500 US troops to leave Germany, some will go to Poland - 25,000 remain - Updates


The Guardian
Sat, 06 Jun 2020 02:31 UTC
Merkel
© Peter Nicholls/ReutersReuters
President Trump with chancellor Angela Merkel, who recently thwarted the former's plan for a G7 meeting.
Donald Trump has ordered the US military to remove nearly 9,500 troops from Germany in a move likely to raise concerns in Europe about the US commitment to the region.

The move would reduce US troop numbers in Germany to 25,000, compared with the 34,500 currently there, a senior US official said.

The official said the move was the result of months of work by America's top military officer, General Mark Milley, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, and had nothing to do with tensions between Trump and the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, who thwarted Trump's plan to host a G7 meeting this month.

Comment: See also: Updates:

The removal of US troops from Germany has run the gambit of reactions and has been the cause of a 'wake-up call for Europeans' and a chance to loosen ties that many feel are undesirable:
While some in the German establishment fumed over the US presumably keeping Berlin uninformed about plans to withdraw thousands of troops, others envisioned it as a chance to loosen ties with their turbulent NATO ally.

Washington didn't bother to inform Berlin of its intent to redeploy thousands of troops from Germany to other locations, with the news coming out of the blue for the government, German media reported on Saturday. Previously, Reuters and the Wall Street Journal reported that some of the 9,500 service members would be sent to Poland, some to other allied nations, and the rest would eventually return home.

Keeping Germans in the dark is "quite unusual," but the rationale behind it is easy to recognize, Andreas Nick, a high-ranking member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), said. Everything here suggests "that it was not technical, but a purely politically motivated decision," he told Deutsche Welle.

Lamenting the move, Nick said US soldiers and their families are "welcome" in Germany.

Dietmar Bartsch, who leads the non-mainstream Left Party, wasn't as reserved. He fired off a somewhat incendiary tweet, saying the government should thank Washington and lay the groundwork for "a full withdrawal of US soldiers" during talks with the Trump administration.

If it happens, the departing troops "should take the American atomic bombs with them at the same time," Bartsch added.

His sentiment was somewhat echoed by Johann Wadephul, who co-heads the ruling coalition's faction in the parliament. Trump and his team are "neglecting a fundamental management task: the involvement of the allies in decision-making processes," he stated. For him, the news provides an opening to make Europe less dependent on the US.
In response to the news, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that being a US ally is valuable but complicated:
The news received a mixed reaction from Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who spoke out this Sunday. "If it comes to the withdrawal of some of the US troops, we will take note of this," Maas told Bild newspaper.

Berlin appreciates "the cooperation with the US armed forces that has grown over the decades," and that bond serves "the interest of our two countries," he said.

However, the foreign minister hinted that the relationship is not always so easy.
We are close partners in the Transatlantic alliance. But: It is complicated.
The reported decision came out of the blue for the German government, reports indicate. Local media widely quoted top lawmakers who voiced unease over how Germany was kept in the dark about the withdrawal plans.

While some senior politicians have accused the US of sidelining its allies when it comes to decision making, others say now is the time for Europe to take charge of its own future.
In the meantime, Poland would seem to be chomping at the bit for the arrival of US troops:
Although the reports are yet to be officially confirmed, Poland has already staked a claim for its share of the US troop pie.

"I deeply hope that as a result of the many talks that we had ... part of the troops based today in Germany which are being removed by the United States ... will indeed come to Poland," Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told radio station RMF 24 on Saturday.

The decision is now in the United States' hands, but Warsaw hopes that "that the [US] contingent in Poland will continue to grow," the premier stated. Expanding US troop presence is all about reinforcing "the eastern flank of NATO," Morawiecki said, stopping short of invoking the well-worn 'Russian threat'.
I think Germany understands that geopolitics is changing, that we need to strengthen the eastern part of NATO.
Meanwhile, Berlin was caught somewhat off-guard by the news, local outlet Der Spiegel suggested. Washington, their report says, did not previously inform its NATO ally Germany of its plans. Notably, both the German Defense Ministry and the Foreign Office refused to comment on the matter, as did the Pentagon itself.

Needless to say, bolstering NATO's presence in any area of Europe is not sending out a very positive signal for US-Russia relations.

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Hourglass

The Systemic Collapse of the US Society Has Begun

The Saker
The Unz Review
Thu, 04 Jun 2020 03:41 UTC
Cops in DC

Cops in DC
I have lived in the United States for a total of 24 years and I have witnessed many crises over this long period, but what is taking place today is truly unique and much more serious than any previous crisis I can recall. And to explain my point, I would like to begin by saying what I believe the riots we are seeing taking place in hundreds of US cities are not about. They are not about:
  1. Racism or "White privilege"
  2. Police violence
  3. Social alienation and despair
  4. Poverty
  5. Trump
  6. The liberals pouring fuel on social fires
  7. The infighting of the US elites/deep state
They are not about any of these because they encompass all of these issues, and more.

It is important to always keep in mind the distinction between the concepts of "cause" and "pretext". And while it is true that all the factors listed above are real (at least to some degree, and without looking at the distinction between cause and effect), none of them are the true cause of what we are witnessing. At most, the above are pretexts, triggers if you want, but the real cause of what is taking place today is the systemic collapse of the US society.
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Microscope 2

Is the Coronavirus Scare a Psychological Operation?

Kevin Ryan
OffGuardian
Sat, 06 Jun 2020 12:00 UTC
virus psyop
Governments have used psychological warfare throughout history to manipulate public opinion, gain political advantage, and generate profits. Western governments have engaged in such tactics in the war on terrorism as well as in its predecessor, the war on communism.

In both cases, state-sponsored terrorism and propaganda were used to distort the public's perception of the threats, leading to increased governmental control of society and huge financial benefits for corporations.

It appears that the same kinds of effects are being seen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many of the features and outcomes seen in the war on terrorism and the war on communism are evident in this new "war on death."

Comment: See also:

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Attention

India stands up to the CDC

James Corbett
Corbett Report
Sat, 06 Jun 2020 18:30 UTC
India and the CDC
© Corbett Report
Flying completely under the radar of the various crises that have come to define 2020, an interesting story is playing out in India. This story shines a light on the increasingly globalized nature of medical research and on the dark practice of using poor people in third world nations as guinea pigs in that research.

In early May, the US Centers for Disease Creation and Propaganda (CDC) announced a $3.6 million grant to "further strengthen and support the Indian government's efforts to increase laboratory capacity for SARS-COV-2 testing." But just days later, it was reported that the grant may be delayed because the CDC was placed on a "watch list" by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs last December.

Wait, what? The Indian government placed the CDC on a "watch list" last year? Why?

Well, according to The Hindustan Times, the Indian government specifically asked the CDC to "stop funding research in India without government approval" after they discovered that the US health agency had helped an under-qualified Indian research facility to study a potential bioweapon. The facility in question — the Manipal Centre for Virus Research — was researching the Nipah virus, a so-called "Risk Group 4" (RG4) pathogen that is "likely to cause serious or lethal human disease for which preventive or therapeutic interventions are not usually available."

Given their extremely dangerous nature, RG4 pathogens can only be handled in special "biological safety level 4" (BSL4) laboratories. BSL4 labs are completely sealed off from the outside, with dedicated supply and exhaust air systems and rigorous procedures for decontaminating all personnel and materials leaving the building. As a result, BSL4 laboratories are very rare, with only a handful of facilities in the world able to meet the stringent security protocols. Like the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

. . . Oh, wait.
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Eye 2

Damage control: Bill Gates tries to counter Covid-19 vaccine conspiracy theories he's pegged to

Tom Huddleston Jr.
NBC News
Sat, 06 Jun 2020 17:23 UTC
Bill Gates
© Alex Wong | Getty Images
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates participates in a discussion during a luncheon of the Economic Club of Washington June 24, 2019 in Washington, DC.
Billionaire Bill Gates has become a top target of conspiracy theories related to the coronavirus pandemic, which the Microsoft co-founder called "bizarre."

"It's almost hard to deny this stuff because it's so stupid or strange that even to repeat it gives it credibility," Gates said Thursday on phone call announcing The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's $1.6 billion pledge to global vaccine alliance Gavi, according to Business Insider.

Since the start of the global pandemic, Gates has been the subject of conspiracies falsely linking him to the coronavirus' origins in some way or another. In fact a Yahoo News/YouGov survey in May found that 28% of U.S. adults believed a debunked conspiracy theory suggesting Gates planned to use an eventual Covid-19 vaccine to implant monitoring microchips in billions of people.

Comment: In other words, don't believe your lying eyes, or the massive pile of documentation that shows Bill is up to exactly what he is accused of, and more.

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Yoda

Carlson on 'Cultural Revolution' in America & The Media Ignoring Those Killed in The Riots

Tucker Carlson
Fox News
Sat, 06 Jun 2020 17:05 UTC
trudeau kneeling BLM

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau kneels in support of the lie that the USA is 'systemically racist'
The following are two clips from Tucker Carlson's show on Fox News yesterday (June 5th), regarding the ideological insanity that has taken possession of many in the US - and around the world - in the wake of the police killing of petty criminal George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25th.

The Cultural Revolution has come to America

Is there a single person who believes this moment will end in racial harmony? Is that even a goal anymore?


Comment: There's more.

Here's a video aired by CBS News in which NYC liberals and SJWs state their demands from 'White people':


Many 'Whites' are indeed meeting said demands, and more:


This overall event has been compared to - and described as - many things, from civil war to insurrection to cultural revolution. What strikes us as we take in the above are its eerie similarities to the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, in which those among the 'bourgeoisie' who supported the revolution - whether out of fear or due to ideological possession - would voluntarily 'surrender their privileged positions' - including their residences and jobs - to 'members of the proletariat' for the 'glory of the revolution to usher in a new enlightened age'...

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Better Earth

Egyptian president announces Cairo's new peace initiative for Libya including ceasefire


Sputnik
Sat, 06 Jun 2020 17:19 UTC
sirte libya 2011
© AP Photo / Manu Brabo
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi announced on Saturday Cairo's peace initiative for Libya that envisages ceasefire and conditions for a political settlement of the conflict.

"The intra-Libyan initiative aims at ending hostilities, it includes the withdrawal of foreign troops and the disarmament of factions," Sisi said.

The initiative envisages an equal representation of the three regions — Tripolitania, Cyrenaica and Fezzan — in the presidential council, the unification of Libyan state institutions and the adoption of a constitutional declaration.

The new peace initiative for Libya envisages ceasefire beginning at 06:00 a.m. (04:00 GMT) on Monday, Abdel Fattah Sisi said.

"Our meeting resulted in an agreement on Cairo's support for the intra-Libyan ceasefire initiative starting at 06:00 a.m. on June 8, 2020," Sisi said.

The initiative calls for respect for all international efforts and related UN Security Council resolutions, the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country and the disarmament of groups. Sisi also warned against considering a military solution to the crisis in the country.

"It is of paramount importance that the United Nations and the international community should make it incumbent upon all foreign parties to pullout foreign mercenaries from all Libyan territories, dismantle militias and hand over their weapons," the text read.

Comment: For more on the situation in Libya, see:

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Black Cat

Ilhan Omar plays to her radical base: 'Time to disband Minneapolis Police Department'

Andrew Mark Miller
Washington Examiner
Fri, 05 Jun 2020 16:46 UTC
Ilhan Omar disband minneapolis police
© ABC News
Rep. Ilhan Omar
Rep. Ilhan Omar called for the Minneapolis Police Department to disband following the highly publicized death of George Floyd while in its custody.

"The Minneapolis Police Department has proven themselves beyond reform," the Minnesota Democrat tweeted Friday. "It's time to disband them and reimagine public safety in Minneapolis. Thank you to @MplsWard3 for your leadership on this!"

Omar introduced four bills this week aimed at addressing police accountability, governmental response to police brutality, and providing funds for communities affected by police brutality.

Comment: Tucker Carlson had some cogent words on the matter. "Without the police, there is only the rule of of the mob. But with people like this [who favor the disbanding], they don't fear the mob, because they control the mob"



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Bad Guys

Empire's regime-change tool, NED, endorses BLM protests, calls for 'racial justice' and to 'improve our democracy'


Anti-Empire
Sat, 06 Jun 2020 16:53 UTC
riot police



Comment: The below paragraphs are a statement put out by known imperial agitator and CIA outfit, the National Endowment for Democracy. Anyone paying a little attention to that organization's activities around the globe should be concerned that it is now affiliating itself and supporting the current BLM protests. When the NED enters a country, destabilization and chaos follows, all to the benefit of the US empire.


The brutal killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis has provoked an outpouring of anger and rage that the United States has not seen since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. more than fifty years ago. Our democracy is being tested as never before in the memory of most living Americans. We will not overcome this crisis and begin to heal our nation unless the four police officers responsible for the killing of George Floyd are prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and unless America commits itself fully to the principles of racial justice and equality for all citizens.

The NED's mission of supporting people around the world who are fighting for democracy is based upon the same values of freedom and human equality that inspired the movement for civil rights that ended the Jim Crow system of legalized racial segregation and discrimination in the United States. Those values are rooted in the American creed, and it was by appealing to them that the civil rights movement achieved its historic breakthrough. But much more needs to be done to carry forward the struggle to end racism. By doing so, we will be more united and stronger as a country.
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Dominoes

Biden secures Democratic presidential nomination for November showdown against Trump

Adam Edelman
NBC News
Sat, 06 Jun 2020 16:49 UTC
biden
© Paul Sancya / AP file
Joe Biden won enough delegates on Saturday to become the Democratic presidential nominee in November's election against President Donald Trump, NBC News projects.

To win the Democratic Party's presidential nomination on the first ballot at the party's convention, a candidate must receive support from a majority of pledged delegates — at least 1,991 of the total 3,979 pledged delegates available.

Heading into the weekend, Biden had already amassed a projected 1,970 pledged delegates after winning a series of Democratic primaries on June 2. He now has 2,000, according to NBC News.
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