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Nuke

Holding Humanity Hostage: Dangerous prospects for Biden's nuclear weapons policy

Biden/Nukes
© therealnews.com
US President Joe Biden and the ever-present threat
President Biden will inherit the U.S. government's decades-long nuclear policy of flirting with apocalypse. The 46th president could very well fast-track the global path to doomsday if he chooses not to rejoin nuclear treaties, address international crises, and remove the corporate profit motive from plans to "modernize" our nuclear arsenal.

As the United States accelerates toward Inauguration Day, and as President-elect Biden announces more of his cabinet appointments, we are getting a clearer picture of how the incoming Biden administration plans to manage the "scorched earth foreign policy" he will be inheriting from Donald Trump. This is a foreign policy designed to create "as many fires as possible," even when it comes to managing humanity's most dangerous asset: nuclear weapons.

Trump has always maintained a somewhat strange and concerning fixation with the use of nuclear weapons. That fixation goes all the way back to the 1980s and 1990s, when Trump was best known as a New York City-based real estate developer who, before the dawn of Twitter, would speak his mind to eagerly scribbling tabloid reporters.

From the 2016 campaign trail to now, Trump's more recent, albeit scattered (and, at times, seemingly contradictory), comments about "nuclear" have been difficult to parse. What has been evident, however, is that, as a U.S. President navigating the geopolitical terrain, Trump's nuclear sensibilities have combined a Hollywood-style apocalypticism with his patented reality-show, tough-talking approach to any and all conflicts. Recall Trump's casual hinting (via tweet) of the potential nuclear annihilation of both North Korea and Iran. Trump has even gone so far as to ask, more generally, "'Why can't we use our nuclear weapons?'"

Comment: The overview explores the depth and breadth of the nuclear dilemma, proving why we can never be rid of this threat. The interview offers an airing of various perspectives, little known information and options.


Bad Guys

US intends to use 'humanitarian aid' shipments to Syrian camp to supply militants destabilizing the region - Russia, Syria report

Syria
© Reuters / Marko Djurica
Boys play soccer among destroyed buildings in Al- Khaldieh area in Homs, Syria, September 18, 2018. Picture taken September 18, 2018.
Washington is pressuring the United Nations to deliver international assistance to an overpopulated desert refugee camp but secretly planning to use the cargo to resupply armed militias it supports, Moscow and Damascus claim.

In a joint statement issued on Monday, the coordination headquarters of Russia and Syria insisted that their military coalition is "making significant efforts to restore peaceful life in the country and provide comprehensive assistance to Syrian citizens in voluntary and safe return to their homeland."

However, they add, the US is actively working to fuel fighting in the bloody civil war, which has been raging since 2011. According to the diplomatic partners, Washington has been politicizing the plight of the Rukban refugee camp, which has seen worsening conditions in recent months amid a rise in displaced civilians.

Comment: See also:


Jet3

Russia officially announced its readiness to shoot down Israeli planes in case of new raids on Syria

Lavrentyev
© Alexander Scherbak/TASS
Russian Presidential Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev
Russia has threatened Israel with readiness to attack IDF fighters.

The special envoy of the President of Russia, Alexander Lavrentyev, made a report in which he emphasized the unwillingness of the Israeli side to fulfill the agreements reached between Israel and Russia to de-escalate the situation in Syria.

Lavrentyev noted that Moscow's patience has completely dried up, and if Israel does not give up aggressive actions against the Arab Republic in the near future, Russia will be ready to attack Israeli aircraft, obviously, not only over Syria, but also in the airspace over neighboring countries, or in international airspace. Lavrentiev warned:
"Sooner or later, the cup of patience, including the Syrian government, may be overflowing, and a retaliatory strike will follow, which will accordingly lead to a new round of tension. These attacks must be stopped, they are counterproductive. We hope that the Israeli side will hear our concerns, including concerns about the possible escalation of violence in Syria. "
Given the fact that we are talking about an official statement, it is obvious that Russia is extremely unhappy with Israel's actions, especially after strikes were struck in areas where Russian military and civilian Syrian citizens were stationed.

According to analysts, as a first step, Russia may begin to raise its combat aircraft into the sky to counter Israel, and if such a measure does not help, the next step will be to use Russian air defense systems to intercept Israeli missiles, and then, a more radical step, opening fire on Israeli aircraft posing a threat to the Russian military on the territory of the Arab republic.

Comment: Russia announces a clear and precise warning with ultimate consequences, should Israel even acknowledge it.


Arrow Down

Oklahoma House passes bill allowing state to reject Biden's executive orders

Mike Hunter/JoeBiden
© Unknown/KJN
Oklahoma AG Mike Hunter • US President Joe Biden
The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday that would allow the state to put the brakes on the power of President Joe Biden's executive orders.

HB 1236 would allow the Oklahoma state legislature to review each executive order and determine if the order should be forwarded to the Oklahoma attorney general, who would determine if it is permissible under the U.S. Constitution.

If the attorney general deemed one of Biden's edicts to be unconstitutional, the bill appears to direct the Oklahoma attorney general to sue for a court order invalidating the executive order.

On the other hand, if the attorney general decides not to take legal action, the state legislature could conduct a majority vote declaring it unconstitutional.

If the legislature invokes its option to declare an executive order unconstitutional, the statute is unclear whether the Oklahoma government would file suit or the state would simply ignore the order, leaving it to the federal government to enforce or try to take it to court.

HB 1236 states:
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the state, county, political subdivision or any other publicly funded organization shall not implement any action that restricts a person's rights or that the Office of the Attorney General or the Legislature by a majority vote determines to be unconstitutional.
Federal law always trumps state law, but any federal action that is unconstitutional is not a law at all. HB 1236 raises a series of interesting legal questions.

Nuke

If the US is really worried about a nuclear Iran, it would go back to JCPOA. But nukes are not at the core here

Biden/Netanyahu
© Reuters/KJN
US President Joe Biden • Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu
The US keeps fear mongering about the dangers of the possibility of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons. Yet, it doesn't rush to return to the JCPOA, suggesting the real fear of Iran stems from a completely different origin.

Tehran has repeatedly reaffirmed its readiness to return to respecting its obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) if the US lifts economic sanctions against Iran imposed by the Trump administration. However, US President Joe Biden's hesitancy on the matter has led to a diplomatic deadlock and resumption of hostile rhetoric.

The Obama-era JCPOA, or Iran nuclear deal, was designed, from a Western perspective, to prevent Iran reaching a nuclear weapon. We are now at a stage where the alarmist rhetoric, coming from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and top Israeli Lieutenant General Aviv Kochavi, predicts that Iran could develop the capability to produce nuclear weapons in the span of weeks to months. The question then would be, if there is truly a genuine fear of Iran quickly producing a nuclear bomb and potentially using it, then why would the US not be scrambling to re-enter the deal?

Whilst it is likely that the US government is truly fearful of an Iran equipped with nuclear weapons, it is less likely that preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon is the main reason behind the hesitancy to re-enter the JCPOA.

Comment: Israel's signs and portents are meant to provoke anger and outrage from Iran, knowing the West will pass on any reprimand or consequences:



NPC

It's always Putin! Russian president engineered coup in Armenia because Pashinyan insulted Moscow's missiles, Western media claims

Pashinyan Armenia
© Sputnik
Sasna Tsrer's group members take part in a rally demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, in central Yerevan, Armenia.
Not content with fixing US elections and making sure your favorite sports team loses, Vladimir Putin's shadowy hand is now behind a power struggle in Yerevan, after a row over rockets. At least, that's according to American media.

In an article by journalist Anna Nemtsova published on Friday, New York-based outlet The Daily Beast claimed that "Putin may have triggered an attempted coup in Armenia" because of a public spat over the effectiveness of the Russian-made Iskander missile systems. The Caucasian country's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan warned on Friday that the country's army was planning to oust him after its top generals signed a joint statement calling for his resignation.

Pressure had escalated on the embattled leader after he requested the dismissal of a top military chief, Tiran Khachatryan, when the general contradicted his criticism of the Moscow-made rockets. Pashinyan had told journalists that the Iskander missiles had failed during bloody fighting with neighboring Azerbaijan, or had "exploded only by 10 percent."

Comment: See also:


Pirates

Divide & conquer: PM Ardern tells Kiwis to rebuke lockdown rule-breakers

Ardern

A frustrated Ardern said the breaches that led to Auckland being shut down for the second time in a month were intolerable
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern urged New Zealanders to "call out" Covid-19 rule-breakers Monday, as public anger built over a series of infringements that forced the country's largest city back into lockdown.


Comment: New Zealand MPs chose to lockdown, the situation didn't force them to do so.


A frustrated Ardern -- who has won widespread praise for her pandemic response -- said the breaches that led to Auckland being shut down for the second time in a month were intolerable.

She said some people involved in the latest outbreak had ignored clear instructions to remain in isolation and failed to fully disclose their movements to contact tracers.


Comment: Because under the emergency lockdown regulations citizens no longer have freedom of movement or privacy.


Comment: While that kind of deliberately divisive language may be shocking, it isn't surprising; here's a revealing video of PM Ardern discussing how to deal with citizens in quarantine:

See also:


Dollar

US wasted billions on cars, buildings in Afghanistan - destroyed or abandoned

Kabul, Afghanistan
© AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File
The United States wasted billions of dollars in war-torn Afghanistan on buildings and vehicles that were either abandoned or destroyed, according to a report released Monday by a U.S. government watchdog.

The agency said it reviewed $7.8 billion spent since 2008 on buildings and vehicles. Only $343.2 million worth of buildings and vehicles "were maintained in good condition," said the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, which oversees American taxpayer money spent on the protracted conflict.

The report said that just $1.2 billion of the $7.8 billion went to pay for buildings and vehicles that were used as intended.

"The fact that so many capital assets wound up not used, deteriorated or abandoned should have been a major cause of concern for the agencies financing these projects," John F. Sopko, the special inspector general, said in his report.


Comment: Not their money, not their problem. Government spending has always been wasteful. That's the primary reason it exists.


The U.S. public is weary of the nearly 20-year-old war and President Joe Biden is reviewing a peace deal his predecessor, Donald Trump, signed with the Taliban a year ago. He must decide whether to withdraw all troops by May 1, as promised in the deal, or stay and possibly prolong the war. Officials say no decision has been made but on Monday, Washington's peace envoy and the American who brokered the U.S.-Taliban deal, Zalmay Khalilzad, was back in the Afghan capital for a tour of the region.

Eye 1

EU will propose creating Covid-19 vaccine passports in March

vaccine passports eu
© Jack Guez, AFP
Prototype vaccine passports proposed for Europe in March 2021
The European Commission will present a proposal in March on creating an EU-wide digital vaccination passport, an issue that has divided member states, Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday.

"We will submit a legislative proposal in March," von der Leyen told German conservative lawmakers during a video conference on Monday.

With vaccinations now well under way, governments are increasingly seeing vaccine "passports" - or other forms of Covid-19 status certificates - as a way out of the cycles of shutdowns and curfews that have ground travel to a near halt.

The certificates would enable people to present proof of vaccination and thus skip quarantine protocols when arriving in a new country.

Comment: The push for the passport is very strong. Is it likely that the measure has been on the shelf for years, just as the Patriot Act was?


Handcuffs

Ex-French president Sarkozy 'jailed' for corruption - 2 years suspended sentence, plus one year house arrest with monitor

sarkozy prison corruption
© Reuters / Gonzalo Fuentes
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, wearing a protective face mask, arrives for the verdict in his trial on charges of corruption and influence peddling, at Paris courthouse, France, March 1, 2021
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been found guilty of corruption on charges of trying to bribe a magistrate. The judge sentenced Sarkozy to three years in prison, with two years suspended.

Judge Christine Mee, who presided over the case, stated that the 66-year-old former political leader had "used his status as former French president" in a "particularly serious" act of wrongdoing, as she handed down the sentence.

Sarkozy was put on trial over accusations of trying to bribe Gilbert Azibert, a French magistrate, by offering him a well-paid job in Monaco in return for information about a criminal investigation into his political party at the time, the Union for a Popular Movement.

Comment: The French government has more trials lined up for Sarko. French media is highlighting that 'this right-winger' has been 'put away', implying that Sarkozy was something 'beyond the pale' of French establishment politics. In fact, he played by their rules.

The inescapable conclusion of this 'soft sentencing' that bars Sarkozy from re-running for public office is that President Macron now has one less challenger when he goes up for re-election next year.