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And... it worked again: Every meeting between Trump and Putin has been obstructed by sabotage


RT
Fri, 30 Nov 2018 00:35 UTC
Putru
© The Daily Beast/KJN
US President Donald Trump has canceled a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit, citing an incident with Ukraine, the latest in a series of attempts to block all talks between Moscow and Washington.

After consulting with his hawkish national security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Trump backed out of the scheduled meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina. It was the first known instance of the US president bowing to those seeking to stop him from talks with Putin - but not the first time they tried.

On the eve of the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki, Finland in July, special counsel Robert Mueller indicted twelve Russian nationals on charges of hacking the Democrats during the 2016 US presidential election. Mueller is investigating Hillary Clinton's claim that Trump "colluded" with Russia to steal an election that was rightfully hers.

The Russian Foreign Ministry reacted to the indictment by saying it seemed calculated to spoil the meeting. Moscow wasn't alone in coming to that conclusion: The top Democrat in the US Senate, Chuck Schumer, argued along the same lines, saying that "Glad-handing with Vladimir Putin on the heels of these indictments would be an insult to our democracy."

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Umbrella

Trump: Wouldn't rule out pardoning former aide targeted in Russia probe


RFE/RL
Thu, 29 Nov 2018 04:04 UTC
Manafort
© Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Paul Manafort
U.S. President Donald Trump says he will not rule out pardoning his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who this week became the renewed target of a special investigation into ties between Russia and his 2016 campaign.

Trump told the New York Post in an interview published on November 28 that he had not "discussed" pardoning Manafort, "but I wouldn't take it off the table. Why would I take it off the table?"

Manafort was convicted of bank and tax fraud this summer, and in September he pleaded guilty to money laundering and conspiracy charges leveled by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading an investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Manafort, 69, faces years -- even decades -- in jail, particularly since a cooperation agreement he signed with prosecutors fell apart this week. Manafort had been cooperating with Mueller since September in hopes of a lighter sentence. But Mueller informed a U.S. court on November 26 that Manafort had violated the cooperation deal by lying repeatedly to prosecutors.

Manafort denied lying or breaching the agreement, but he agreed to face immediate sentencing for his crimes. Without a pardon, former prosecutors say he could spend the rest of his life in jail.

Comment: It doesn't sound like Mueller is investigating as much as he is trying to bully his suspects into the shape of what he wants to see. Is that his job?

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Star of David

Saudi Arabia and Egypt urge Arab nations to create ties with Israel


Sputnik
Fri, 30 Nov 2018 12:58 UTC
Al-Sisi/MbS
© REUTERS/Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman • Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
Although Saudi Arabia is officially at a state of war with Israel, reports indicate that the two countries covertly maintain ties, especially with respect to military and intelligence issues. Egypt, in turn, signed a peace treaty with Israel 39 years ago and has since maintained official diplomatic ties with the Jewish state.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are seeking to encourage other Arab nations to establish trade ties with Israel and resolve political differences with the Jewish state, according to Al-Arabi Al-Jadid.

The newspaper reported that the two leaders discussed the issue during Bin Salman's visit to Cairo on Monday, when they also focused on US President Donald Trump's peace plan for the Middle East settlement, which is expected to be unveiled in December.

Government officials in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Israel have yet to comment on the Al-Arabi report.

Comment: With enemies for friends the ME should be one truly happy place.

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Question

An anti-war shift or Riyadh regime change? Analysts question motive for US Senate's Yemen resolution


RT
Thu, 29 Nov 2018 14:45 UTC
MbS Bahrain
© Reuters
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud in Manama, Bahrain, November 26, 2018.
A Senate resolution that would end US support for the Saudi-led invasion of Yemen may be using humanitarian concerns as a pretext to dethrone Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, analysts say.

A bipartisan proposal to block any further US military assistance to the Saudi-led coalition waging war in Yemen is one step closer to being adopted, after the Senate voted 63-37 on Wednesday to allow a floor vote on the resolution.

The legislation's early successes have been interpreted as a kick in the teeth to US President Donald Trump's unapologetic support for Riyadh, but some have questioned the timing of the proposal - and whether it will have any long-term effect on Washington's deep-rooted ties to the Kingdom.

Long overdue?

The horrific war in Yemen has been raging for three years, so why is it only now that lawmakers are sharing heartbreaking photographs of starving Yemeni children on the Senate floor?

Comment: That the US legislative bodies are lagging in responsibility for US war activities, care not about international laws and are late (by just a few years) to the horrific Yemeni humanitarian crisis, shows the sad state of awareness and lack of information-gathering taking place. The Senate's focus for the resolution is closer to home. It wants to trim Trump's wings regarding war decisions. The better question: So what didn't Israel like about MBS?
See also:
5 Republican senators, voting against the Yemen war resolution, received funding from Saudi lobbyists

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Airplane

Angela Merkel's plane to G20 forced to make unscheduled landing


The Guardian
Thu, 29 Nov 2018 18:26 UTC
Merkel disembarks
© Jorg Blank/AFP/Getty Images
Angela Merkel disembarks at Cologne's airport after an emergency landing.
The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, will likely miss the opening of the G20 summit in Argentina after her plane was forced to make an unscheduled landing after developing technical problems.

The plane, which was en route to Buenos Aires, turned back when it was over the Netherlands and landed in the German city of Cologne because it was the only base with a replacement aircraft, the German news agency DPA reported.

The Airbus A340 was met on the tarmac by fire engines, DPA said, adding that the captain told the passengers the plane had to turn back as a technical problem was disrupting several electrical systems. According to German military blog Augengeradeaus.net, the aircraft was transmitting a 7600 transponder code, indicating a radio failure.

"We will not be proceeding today," Merkel's spokeswoman told the news agency AFP.
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Dollars

5 Republican senators, voting against the Yemen war resolution, received funding from Saudi lobbyists

Cristina Maza
Newsweek
Thu, 29 Nov 2018 09:51 UTC
5 senators
© Wikipedia/magazine.wfu.edu/arktimes/cdapress/KJN
Senators: Burr • Scott • Blunt • Boozman • Crapo
On Wednesday, senators delivered a historic blow to the country's relationship with ally Saudi Arabia, a country whose leadership has committed notable human rights violations, by voting to move forward a resolution that would end all U.S. military support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen.

But at least five of the Republican Senators who voted against the bill have received funding from lobbyists working for Saudi Arabia, a fact that illustrates how the kingdom uses its vast wealth to influence U.S. foreign policy.

Republican Senators Roy Blunt of Missouri, John Boozman of Arkansas, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Mike Crapo of Idaho, and Tim Scott of South Carolina received financial contributions from lobbying firms that worked for Saudi Arabia, according to a report by the Center for International Policy released last month.


Comment: Any 'payment for a particular response' is a form of bribery. Not much different than Israel's and various Jewish lobbies' pressure and financial influence on Congress.

More from Al Jazeera:
"It's a major rebuke of the Trump administration and of Secretary Pompeo in particular, who this morning made his case about why the US support for the Saudi operations in Yemen were so critical," he told Al Jazeera.

"Clearly Senators were not convinced. What we're seeing are several issue play out. The Trump administration for the first part of the term has been able to ride roughshod over congressional oversight.

"What we're seeing now is both Democrats and Republicans saying: 'We want to look at these issues. We want to look at the direction that you're heading on whether it's on Saudi Arabia, Iran or North Korea'."

Pressure has been mounting for the US to end its support for the conflict. According to a recent YouGov poll, 89 percent of liberals Americans and 54 percent of conservatives expressed an opinion opposing continued arms sales to the Saudi-UAE alliance fighting in Yemen.

"The Saudis, lobbyists, the Secretary of Defense, none of them have been able to stop this anger which is brewing."
See also: An anti-war shift or Riyadh regime change? Analysts question motive for US Senate's Yemen resolution

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Gold Bar

No worries? Germany's finance minister unconcerned its gold reserves are stuck in the US Federal Reserve


RT
Thu, 29 Nov 2018 10:39 UTC
German gold bars
© Global Look Press/Christian Ohde
For decades, the Bundesbank, Germany's central bank and custodian of the country's gold, has been storing over 1,200 tons of the precious metal worth nearly €50 billion in the New York vaults of the US Federal Reserve.

After a public outcry in Germany in 2013, authorities started the repatriation program, aimed at returning the country's gold reserves, which have been stored outside of the country since the Cold War. Berlin intended to get at least half of the country's gold from the US and France by 2020. The government had initially planned to complete the program within a five-year period, but the US Federal Reserve renegotiated the process to a seven-year timeline.

The country reportedly managed to ship only five tons of its gold in 2013 due to logistical difficulties. The following year, Germany repatriated 120 tons of the precious metal - 35 tons from Paris and 85 tons from New York. Some 110.5 tons were brought back from Paris and 99.5 tons from New York in 2015. Two years ago, the country repatriated total of 200 tons.

So far, the Fed has denied the German financial regulator access to the vast deposits that are literally being held hostage overseas. Thus, the Bundesbank has had no opportunity to audit the reserves that belong to Germany.

Comment: No raised eyebrows? Perhaps the German finance minister would benefit from extra research by reading the articles listed below. See also:

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Eye 2

US Labor Secretary and the prosecuting attorney softened charges against billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his powerful friends


Sputnik
Thu, 29 Nov 2018 01:52 UTC
Jeffrey Epstein
© Neil Rasmus/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
Billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein attendingLaunch of RADAR MAGAZINE at Hotel QT on May 18, 2005
Ahead of a trial slated for December 4 over a lawsuit filed against billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who is accused of enslaving dozens of underage girls for sex, a new report details US Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta's role in covering up the full scale of Epstein's crimes.

Epstein's teen sex trafficking ring worked like a pyramid scheme, according to victims, who say they were paid to give massages to Epstein, paid extra for sex acts and paid even more to recruit more girls between the ages of 13 and 16 into the ring. The girls were also, at times, allegedly offered up to Epstein's powerful friends.

"We had victims who didn't know each other, never met each other and they all basically independently told the same story," Michael Reiter told the Miami Herald. Reiter was police chief in Palm Beach, Florida - where Epstein resided - during the investigation. Two police officers also said that they were pressured by then-Palm Beach State Attorney Barry Krischer to discontinue their investigation or downgrade the case to a misdemeanor.

In 2008, Epstein was convicted of soliciting an underage girl for prostitution and served 13 months in prison following a plea agreement. His conviction followed a series of dismissals of other, similar lawsuits that same year.

Comment: You can check out the full article from the Miami Herald here.

Pedophiles in positions of power have been in the headlines constantly in recent years:


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Briefcase

'Manage your expectations': Wells Fargo optimistic about potential Trump/Xi trade deal at G-20 although it 'won't be what either side wants'

Huileng Tan
CNBC
Fri, 30 Nov 2018 06:58 UTC
Trump and Xi
© Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images
President Donald Trump, left, and Xi Jinping, China’s president, shake hands during a news conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017.
Expect a deal between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the G-20 summit in Argentina, but manage your expectations, a Wells Fargo executive told CNBC on Friday.

"I am optimistic that they will strike a deal. I don't think it's going to be the deal that either side wants, but I think there will be some concessions," said Kirk Hartman, global chief investment officer at Wells Fargo Asset Management. "I think this is more about protecting U.S. technology as much as it is trade, so I think you will see some comments on that front. "

Hartman said the U.S. may delay on Chinese imports that were due to take effect in January. Washington and Beijing may also agree to meet for further negotiations.

Comment: See also:

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Cross

Creation of independent Ukrainian Church delayed as Ecumenical Patriarch fails to win support

Seraphim Hanisch
The Duran
Fri, 30 Nov 2018 00:00 UTC
Ecumenical Patriarch delay independent Ukrainian church

The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has been deliberately delaying the process of granting autocephaly to Ukraine because it has so far failed to win the support of other national Orthodox churches according to Priest Alexander Volkov, Spokesman for Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
When Patriarch Bartholomew lifted the anathemas on Filaret Denisenko and Makary and pledged his efforts to create an autocephalous (independent) Orthodox Church in Ukraine, he boldly proclaimed that everyone would go along with his decision. However, a piece in TASS published November 30 proposes that perhaps the reason this process has been delayed over and over is because the other Orthodox Churches in fact did not think this was the right move and that by extension, the Patriarch is complicit in creating a fake Ukrainian Church (edited for grammar and emphasis).
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has been deliberately delaying the process of granting autocephaly to Ukraine because it has so far failed to win the support of other national Orthodox churches, Spokesman for Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Priest Alexander Volkov, has told TASS.

On Thursday, it became known that the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople [...] failed to set the date for the unification council in Ukraine during a meeting of its Holy and Sacred Synod in Istanbul, which was held on November 27-29.

"It is becoming clear that Constantinople's actions are being delayed on purpose and have not yet produced the result that some naive people expect them to," Volkov said. "In fact, it has long become clear that Constantinople has no real possibility and no real support for its project of [Ukrainian] autocephaly," he said.

Comment: Whose money instigated religious conflict in Ukraine - and who tried to steal it?
As explained by Valeria Z. Nollan, professor emerita of Russian Studies at Rhodes College:
'The real goal of the quest for autocephaly [i.e., complete self-governing status independent of the Moscow Patriarchate] of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is a de facto coup: a political coup already took place in 2014, poisoning the relations between western Ukraine and Russia, and thus another type of coup - a religious one - similarly seeks to undermine the canonical relationship between the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Moscow.'
In furthering these twin objectives (morally, the degrading of Orthodox Christianity; politically, undermining the Russian state as Orthodoxy's powerful traditional protector) it is increasingly clear that the United States government - and specifically the Department of State - has become a hands-on fomenter of conflict.
See also:

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