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Justin Trudeau broke federal ethics rules in corruption scandal

Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
Thu, 15 Aug 2019 16:05 UTC
Justin Trudeau
In a hotly anticipated report released months after a former member of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet alleged that Trudeau and several members of his inner circle had tried to pressure her into dropping criminal charges against SNC-Lavalin, Canadian Ethics commissioner Mario Dion has ruled that, in doing so, Trudeau violated a section of the Conflict of Interest Act.

In a report published on Wednesday, the commissioner said Trudeau used his position of authority over Jody Wilson-Raybould, the aforementioned former AG and Justice Minister, to try and convince her to halt a criminal prosecution of the Montreal-based engineering giant. According to the report, Trudeau violated Canada's federal Conflict of Interest Act.
"The prime minister, directly and through his senior officials, used various means to exert influence over Ms. Wilson‑Raybould," Dion said.

"The authority of the prime minister and his office was used to circumvent, undermine and ultimately attempt to discredit the decision of the director of public prosecutions as well as the authority of Ms. Wilson‑Raybould as the Crown's chief law officer."

Comment: Trudeau responded by admitting his role but dug in his heels and refused to apologize because he was trying to "defend jobs". Apparently ethics rules are only important to Trudeau when they fit with virtue signaling actions.

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Boat

Gibraltar releases Grace 1 tanker after US move to seize it

Brian Reyes
Gibraltar Chronicle
Thu, 15 Aug 2019 16:08 UTC
royal navy patrol grace 1
© REUTERS/Jon Nazca
A Royal Navy patrol vessel guards the oil tanker Grace 1, after it was seized off Gibraltar, July 20, 2019
The US Department of Justice has applied to seize the Iranian supertanker Grace 1 in Gibraltar, just hours before the Gibraltar Government was poised to release it.

Gibraltar had been due to lift the detention on the ship this morning but the move by the US means the decision has now been adjourned until 4pm today.

The developments were revealed by Joseph Triay, the lawyer for Attorney General Michael Llamas QC, during a short hearing in the Supreme Court of Gibraltar.

Mr Triay said: "This application was to have taken a very different turn. It was to have been an application for no further order of detention."

The grounds for the US application are not clear at this stage but the court was told it was a request from the Department of Justice for mutual legal assistance.

The case has now been adjourned until 4pm this afternoon while Gibraltar's authorities consider the US application.

Speaking in court, Chief Justice Anthony Dudley made clear that were it not for the US move, "the ship would have sailed."

Comment: Well, it looks like those matters were considered ... and rejected:
Authorities in Gibraltar have released the Iranian oil tanker Grace 1, after receiving assurances that its cargo is not destined for Syria. ... Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo agreed to lift the detention on the ship, however, after Tehran gave written assurances that its cargo - 2.1 million barrels of oil - would not be unloaded in Syria. "In light of the assurances we have received, there are no longer any reasonable grounds for the continued legal detention of the Grace 1 in order to ensure compliance with the EU Sanctions Regulation," he said.


The United States requested the government of Gibraltar to transfer control of the vessel to Washington, but Iran's ambassador to the UK, Hamid Baeidinejad, said that effort had failed.

"The US, with its desperate, last-minute efforts, intended to prevent the release of the [Grace 1] oil tanker from detention, and was faced with humiliation," Baeidinejad said.


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Blue Planet

Sane court ruling: Alaskan battered women's shelter not required to admit trans-woman

Kevin Daily
The Daily Caller
Tue, 13 Aug 2019 15:23 UTC
women shelter anchorage
© Youtube/Alliance Defending Freedom
An Anchorage civil rights panel cannot enforce an anti-discrimination ordinance against a battered women's shelter that refused to admit a trans-woman, a federal court in Alaska ruled.

"Downtown Hope Center serves everyone, but women deserve a safe place to stay overnight," said lawyer Kate Anderson of the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a public interest law practice that represents Hope Center. "No woman — particularly not an abuse survivor — should be forced to sleep or disrobe next to a man. The court's order will allow the center to continue in its duty to protect the vulnerable women it serves while this lawsuit moves forward."

The shelter is a Christian ministry which operates consistent with its religious views, including the belief that sex is immutable. Hope Center serves approximately 142,000 meals per year, according to ADF lawyers.

Comment: Kudos to the Alaskan court for coming down on the side of common sense. No matter the dress, makeup, hormones or surgery, a male-bodied individual cannot make themselves into a female-bodied individual, only the facsimile of one. The differences go down to the cellular level.

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Attention

Rep. Steve King questions if there would be any population left if not for rape and incest

Clare Foran
CNN
Wed, 14 Aug 2019 21:09 UTC
steve king GOP rep.
GOP Rep. Steve King of Iowa questioned on Wednesday whether there would be any population left on Earth if not for rape and incest, a remark that has drawn condemnation from both Democrats and Republicans.

"What if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled those people out that were products of rape and incest? Would there be any population of the world left if we did that?" he said in Urbandale, Iowa, according to video posted online by the Des Moines Register, which was first to report on the remarks Wednesday.

"Considering all the wars and all the rape and pillage that has taken place ... I know I can't certify that I was not a part of a product of that," King said. "I'd like to think that every one of the lives of us are as precious as any other life," he added.

Comment: Video clip of King making the comments:

It's a bit of a stretch to call King's words "hateful" or "insulting", so much as they are just stupid. It's not a good argument, regardless of which side of the issue you sit on. Regardless of the history of rape and incest and how much they contribute to the current population, this really has no bearing on whether we, as a modern society, should allow for abortions that result from them.

See also: Rep. Steve King: I've Never Heard Of A Girl Getting Pregnant From Statutory Rape Or Incest

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Black Magic

US army to buy Israel's Iron Dome in historic first

Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
Wed, 14 Aug 2019 22:25 UTC
iron dome
A landmark deal for US procurement of Israel's Iron Dome anti-air missile defense systems was finalized this week. It became official when on Tuesday the US Defense Department announced it had formally signed a contract for two complete Iron Dome systems.

Co-developed by Raytheon and Israeli defense firm Rafael, the system has been touted by Israeli leaders as the most advanced short to mid-range interceptor in the world with a proven track record, given that even within the past year it's been engaged in dozens if not hundreds of Hamas rocket intercepts from Gaza.


Comment: A 'proven track record' against (supposedly) Palestinian rockets made from scraps? That's hardly something to boast about: Israel's 'Iron Dome' air defense is a failure, Russia's systems actually work - here's why




"Now that the contract is set in stone, the Army will be able to figure out delivery schedules and details in terms of taking receipt of the systems," a US missile systems analyst told Defense News of the future transfer.

Comment: Israel and the US becoming further enmeshed militarily is a worrying development. Although it will provide them both with even more cover to embezzle public funds under guise of 'national security': "Astonishing fraud": Pentagon stashes billions, spends it later to avoid accountability

See also: Check out the footage below for an example of the fearsome attacks Iron Dome missed - note the cat fleeing the tree after the 'bomb' struck:



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Newspaper

UK's Labour vows to bring down PM Johnson and delay Brexit

Joao Vitor Da Silva Marques
Reuters
Thu, 15 Aug 2019 11:34 UTC
bojo
Britain's opposition Labour Party has vowed to delay Brexit by calling a vote of no-confidence in Boris Johnson's government as soon as it believes it can win.

In a letter to party leaders and other senior politicians, Corbyn said a "strictly time-limited temporary government" would delay Britain's departure from the EU beyond Oct. 31 and trigger a general election.

But Corbyn, a veteran socialist, is a highly divisive figure in parliament and could struggle to win backing for his plan. His party is struggling in polls despite the country's turmoil.

Johnson has promised to take Britain out of the European Union by Oct. 31, with or without a deal, setting the scene for a showdown in parliament where lawmakers are opposed to a divorce without a transition agreement.

Comment: While Parliament may want to block a no-deal Brexit the exasperated British public appear to be wiling to take any Brexit they can get. One wonders how they'll feel if Parliament defy the public vote and sentiment and enforce yet more delays: No Deal has 17-point lead over 'no Brexit' as October deadline looms

See also:

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Bell

The truth about Seth Rich's murder haunts Washington's courts

Ray McGovern
Consortium News
Mon, 12 Aug 2019 00:00 UTC
Seth Rich
UPDATED: It is verboten to utter his name, but a lawsuit and possible declassification of NSA documents could get to the bottom of the Seth Rich controversy, says Ray McGovern.

As if it weren't enough of a downer for Russiagate true believers that no Trump-Russia collusion was found, federal judges are now demanding proof that Russia hacked into the DNC in the first place.

It is shaping up to be a significant challenge to the main premise of the shaky syllogism that ends with "Russia did it."

If you're new to this website, grab onto something, as the following may come as something of a shock. Not only has there never been any credible evidence to support the claim of Russian cyber interference, there has always been a simple alternative explanation that involves no "hacking" at all — by Russia or anyone else.

As most Consortium News habitués are aware, Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (which includes two former NSA technical directors), working with independent forensic investigators, concluded two years ago that what "everyone knows to be Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee" actually involved an insider with physical access to DNC computers copying the emails onto an external storage device — such as a thumb drive. In other words, it was a leak, not a hack.

Comment: The real story behind the murder of Seth Rich will continue to be covered up and twisted by the mainstream media and most of Washington's political class. It will take some serious effort and commitment on the part of those in a position to - to bring out the truth of why he was killed - and by whom - for the scales to fall from the general public's eyes about this story.

See also:

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Family

While other 2020 Democrats are busy pandering, Tulsi Gabbard is serving her country

Brad Polumbo
The Washington Examiner
Wed, 14 Aug 2019 22:47 UTC
tulsi gabbard military service

During her service in the military, Gabbard served first in Iraq and later in Kuwait. While in Kuwait, she became the first woman to ever receive an award of appreciation from the Kuwaiti military.
Presidential aspirant Elizabeth Warren wants you to know that she is very, very relatable. Warren, along with many other 2020 candidates, was sure to share photos of her eating corn dogs and other food with common folk at the Iowa State Fair.

Meanwhile, Kamala Harris just wished Muslims a happy holiday within hours of tweeting a video of her chomping down on a pork chop. The California Democrat was too busy pandering to notice the irony.

Add this to Cory Booker and Beto O'Rourke's cringe-worthy attempts to speak Spanish on the debate stage, and it's just another reminder that most 2020 Democrats are desperately trying to come across as relatable and in-touch — but coming up empty.

Comment: Gabbard is the first candidate in many a moon to understand what it would be to send the US to war. It forms the foundation of her politics.

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Sherlock

The conflict in Kashmir

Israel Shamir
UNZ review
Sun, 11 Aug 2019 12:00 UTC
Kashmir
Daring Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, has killed a sacred cow, called Article 370 of the Constitution, enshrining the autonomy of Kashmir. The consequences could be dire, including the fourth India-Pakistan war, but not necessarily so. It could also be a successful scheme. Apparently, Narendra Modi had been encouraged by his success in recent elections, by his decent relations with the three powerful men of our age, Trump, Putin and Netanyahu; and by the rearmament and modernisation of India's armed forces. So he decided to go for the root of the age-long Kashmir problem, instead of treating its symptoms, and terminate the special status altogether, giving the people of Kashmir the same rights as all Indian citizens have, not more, neither less.

Kashmir, a chain of pleasant green mountain valleys, was the most cherished patrimony of the Great Mughals, who embellished it with palaces and gardens. Here the Muslims and Hindus have lived together in peace and harmony. A blessed country, if there ever was one, Kashmir could flourish if this peaceful coexistence had survived. Alas, it did not. Frequent riots, separatism and imported Islamic extremism have made life difficult for everybody.

The Hindus were forced to leave Kashmir; many Muslims had left too, rather than having to serve the firebrand insurgents. Their empty, ruined or burned down houses still stick out in Srinagar and elsewhere, though many of the properties were sold for a song during the insurgency.

Comment: See also:

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Newspaper

Bojo claims parliament and EU "collaborators" undermining Brexit

William James
Reuters
Wed, 14 Aug 2019 21:54 UTC
Boris Johnson
© Daniel Leal-Olivas/Pool via REUTERS
FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks next to Britain's Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Commissioner Cressida Dick and Youth Justice Board Adviser Roy Sefa-Attakora during a roundtable on the criminal justice system at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain August 12, 2019.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday some British lawmakers hoping to block Brexit were engaged in "terrible" collaboration with the European Union by undermining London's negotiating hand and so making no deal more likely.

Hours after senior lawmakers said they would seek to prevent any attempt to ignore parliament over Brexit, Johnson used a question-and-answer session on Facebook to attack them.

"There is a terrible kind of collaboration as it were going on between those who think they can block Brexit in parliament and our European friends," Johnson, who has been hailed by the U.S. president as "Britain's Trump", said on Facebook.

"We need our European friends to compromise and the more they think that there's a chance that Brexit can be blocked in parliament, the more adamant they are in sticking to their position," Johnson said.

Comment: RT further reports:
If Boris Johnson wants to suspend Parliament to push through a no-deal Brexit, Speaker John Bercow says he will fight him every step of the way.

British lawmakers have a right to sit and debate whatever Johnson's plan is to take the nation out of the EU, the speaker said at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and he will do his utmost to keep Parliament in the loop.

In case of any attempt "to circumvent, to bypass or - God forbid - to close down Parliament, that is anathema to me," he said.

"I will fight with every breath in my body to stop that happening. We cannot have a situation in which Parliament is shut down. We are a democratic society and Parliament will be heard."

The British Parliament nipped in the bud a string of Brexit proposals from Johnson's predecessor Theresa May on how the divorce with the EU should happened.

Caught between the rock of the legislature and the hard place of Brussels, her cabinet ultimately collapsed, with Johnson stepping in last month.

Johnson has pledged to see Britain leave the EU before the October 31 deadline, whether with a deal with Brussels or without one. Asking the Queen to order a suspension of Parliament would allow him to enact his policy regardless of what MPs think about it.
See also: And check out SOTT radio's:

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