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So who spied on Julian Assange? Many possible suspects

Philip Giraldi
The Unz Review
Tue, 10 Dec 2019 00:00 UTC
Assange
© MediumJulian Assange
The Julian Assange drama drags on. Though he continues to sit in a top security British prison awaiting developments in his expected extradition to the United States, the Spanish High Court has been given permission to interview him. Assange is claiming that the Spanish company contracted with by the Ecuadorean government to do embassy security in London spied on him using both audio and video devices. The recordings apparently included conversations with Assange's lawyers outlining his defense strategies, which is an illegal activity under Spanish law. The prosecution has also indicted the company director, former military officer David Morales, on associated criminal charges of bribing a government official and money laundering. Morales has said that he is innocent.

Aware that he might be monitored by the British government as well as by other interested parties, Assange would often meet his legal team using a white noise machine or in women's bathrooms with the water running, but the firm, UC Global, anticipated that and planted devices capable of defeating the countermeasures. It planted microphones in the embassy fire extinguishing system as well as in numerous other places in the building. The recordings were reportedly streamed, undoubtedly encrypted, to another nearby location, referred to in the trade as a listening post. The streamed material was also reportedly transcribed and copied at the UC Global offices in Andalusia, but hard copies of the material were made as well on CDs and DVDs to be turned over directly to the client.
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Telephone

Mike Bloomberg exploited prison labor to make campaign phone calls from prison

John Washington
The Intercept
Tue, 24 Dec 2019 11:33 UTC
MBloomberg
© Mark Makela/Getty ImagesDemocratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg
Former New York City mayor and multibillionaire Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg used prison labor to make campaign calls. Through a third-party vendor, the Mike Bloomberg 2020 campaign contracted New Jersey-based call center company ProCom, which runs calls centers in New Jersey and Oklahoma. Two of the call centers in Oklahoma are operated out of state prisons. In at least one of the two prisons, incarcerated people were contracted to make calls on behalf of the Bloomberg campaign.

According to a source, who asked for anonymity for fear of retribution, people incarcerated at the Dr. Eddie Warrior Correctional Center, a minimum-security women's prison with a capacity of more than 900, were making calls to California on behalf of Bloomberg. The people were required to end their calls by disclosing that the calls were paid for by the Bloomberg campaign. They did not disclose, however, that they were calling from behind bars.

The Bloomberg campaign confirmed the arrangement in an emailed statement to The Intercept. "We didn't know about this and we never would have allowed it if we had," said Bloomberg spokesperson Julie Wood. "We don't believe in this practice and we've now ended our relationship with the subcontractor in question."
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Pills

Dems busted for sneaking amnesty 'poison pill' into 2020 Pentagon bill

Chris Donaldson
Trending Politics
Mon, 23 Dec 2019 00:00 UTC
Schumerpelosi
© UnknownSenate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer • Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
Democrats have struck again by sneaking a provision into the recently passed defense bill designed to empower a future president to grant sweeping amnesty to illegals.

Buried deeply inside of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act was a stealthily disguised passage to provide "parole in place" in order to reinforce "family unity" which is a green light to roll out the welcome mat.

The passage has nothing to do with defense or the military and is yet another sign of how Democrats and their armies of activist lawyers are determined to impose their ideology on America by hook or by crook.

Comment: By any means, the Democrats are intent on regaining political dominance. In this light, their hue and cry over sanctuary for aliens was never about humanitarian immigration nor the welfare of Americans. It is their return ticket to power.

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Pirates

LNA accuses Turkey of smuggling Daesh and Nusra terrorists to Libya through Tunisia


Sputnik
Thu, 26 Dec 2019 00:19 UTC
Libyan National Army
© AP/Esam Omran Al-Fetori.jpgLibyan National Army
Turkey smuggles Syria-based militants from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly known as Al-Nusra Front), and Daesh to Libya via Tunisia, the Libyan National Army (LNA) spokesman told Egypt's El-Watan newspaper on Wednesday.

In this week's interview, Aref Ali Nayed, an envoy for the eastern Libyan government, said that he possessed "credible" information that militants from the aforementioned terrorist groups were being shipped to Libya via the port city of Misrata to fight the LNA.
"Certainly, militants of Daesh and Al-Nusra Front were smuggled from Syria with the mediation of Turkish intelligence. A large number of militants. This is a very serious issue because one of Tunisian airports is used - the airport [on the island of] Djerba, where the landing of terrorist groups in Tunisia takes place. They are shipped to Libya via Jabal al Gharbi [the mountainous districts in northwestern Libya]."
According to the LNA spokesman, the Libyan airports of Misrata, Zuwara, and Mitiga have received a large number of Daesh and Al-Nusra Front terrorists.

Comment: See also:

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Bullseye

Houthis accuse France of supplying weapons used in Saudis' deadly market attack in Yemen


Sputnik
Thu, 26 Dec 2019 02:53 UTC
Houthis
© AP/Hani MohammedHouthis rally in Sanaa, Yemen
Yemen's Shiite Houthi movement said that France had been involved in the recent deadly attack on a market in northwestern Yemen. Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, member of the Supreme Political Council of the Houthi movement, wrote on his Twitter page on late Wednesday:
"The French actions left people dead and injured as a result of the artillery bombardment of the Al-Raqu market in the border administrative region of Munabih in the province of Saada. The use of French weapons and experience in the aggression is a crime, which is ignored by the French justice system in return for arms deals."
On Tuesday, the Houthi-controlled media reported that at least 17 people had been killed as a result of the Saudi army's shelling of a market in the Yemeni northwestern province of Saada.

Comment: See also:

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Arrow Down

Beijing slams US defense act as interference in China's affairs


CGTN
Thu, 26 Dec 2019 18:09 UTC
Chinese Defense spokes
© Indo-Pacific TimesChina Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian
China strongly opposes the United States including clauses that interfere with China's domestic affairs in its 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which was signed into law on December 20, China's Ministry of National Defense said Thursday.

The 738-billion-U.S.-dollar defense act includes items that support the protests in Hong Kong, improve Taiwan's defense capabilities through extensive military exchanges and arms sales, and require the compilation of regular in-depth reports about the conditions of Muslims in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The act seriously violated the one-China principle as well as the three joint communiques between China and the U.S., and severely damaged China-U.S. relations, said spokesperson Wu Qian.

The United States openly intervened in Hong Kong and Xinjiang affairs, undermined Hong Kong's prosperity and stability, discredited China's efforts to combat terrorism, which seriously violated international law and basic principles of international relations, said Wu.
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Arrow Down

CBC cuts out Donald Trump's 'Home Alone 2' cameo out of broadcast

Matt Margolis
PJ Media
Wed, 25 Dec 2019 19:55 UTC
Trump Home Alone
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is full of violence that, in my opinion, exceeds the physical comedy of the original film and is borderline barbarism. The main antagonists were subjected to bricks thrown at them from atop a building, being shot with a staple gun, having their heads lit afire, and being electrocuted. It is actually hard to watch.

But, for CBC TV in Canada, the following scene was too much, and had to be removed from their broadcast of the film:

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Star of David

IDF say they struck Hamas targets in response to rocket fired from Gaza


Sputnik
Thu, 26 Dec 2019 19:40 UTC
iron dome missile israel
© AP Photo / Ariel SchalitIsraeli Iron Dome air defense system launches to intercept rocket from Gaza Strip, near Israel and Gaza border, Sunday, May 5, 2019.
Earlier in the day, the Israeli military intercepted a missile launched from the Gaza Strip in southern Israel as Jews celebrate Hanukkah from 22 to 30 December.

Israeli Defence Forces have targeted several positions of the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip in response to the recent missile launched from across the border, the IDF tweeted on Thursday.

Comment: Netanyahu elaborated on his threats to Gaza for spoiling his campaign event:
The IDF press service said the Hamas group shoulder the responsibility for "everything that happens in the Gaza Strip" warning that it will be "held accountable for its actions against Israel's citizens."

Israel confirmed that the country's Iron Dome missile defence system intercepted a rocket fired from the Strip, while Netanyahu was taking the floor in the port city of Ashkelon. The prime minister was rushed off the stage with his wife Sara to a nearby shelter and later returned to complete the address.

Speaking at the Ashkelon event, the head of state, who will be entering a race for leadership of his Likud party starting Thursday, brought up the Israeli military's killing of senior Islamic Jihad commander Baha Abu al-Ata in the Strip in November, with the development in the conflict prompting a tense exchange of fire between Israel and Hamas.

Netanyahu issued a separate, clear-cut warning to those behind the recent rocket launch:

"He who fired [rockets] last time isn't with us anymore," Netanyahu said. "And he who fired now, better start packing his belongings," the prime minister went on with his emotional speech.

He stressed that this "isn't an attack on Ashkelon or me, it's not that."

"These are recurring attacks on our communities, and they think that we won't hurt them or that we'll break down," he added.

It is not the first time that Netanyahu has been evacuated due to a round of fire. Right before Israel's national vote this year in September, two rockets were launched at the southern city of Ashdod, where the prime minister was attending a campaign event, prompting his being rushed off the stage.

In the wake of the alarming incident, the prime minister held emergency talks with the Israeli security command in Tel Aviv, as he planned rare military action in Gaza. He backtracked on his plans after Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit told him that such a decision has to be approved by the security cabinet first - something that hasn't yet been done.


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People 2

Bridge-building: Russia and Africa taking the first steps towards the initial phase of economic cooperation

Dmitry Bokarev
New Eastern Outlook
Thu, 26 Dec 2019 19:25 UTC
putin Russia Africa Sisi
President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi at the Russia-Africa Summit and Economic Forum
The Russia-Africa Summit and Economic Forum, held in Sochi (in the Russian Federation) from 23 to 24 October 2019, became an important milestone on the path of the development of the Russia-Africa relationship. All the leaders of African nations (that are recognized by the United Nations) as well as representatives of Africa's international organizations received invitations to this event. It was co-chaired by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el‑Sisi. Agreements on cooperation in foreign policy, security and various economic spheres were reached at the summit.

Russia is determined to return to Africa in full measure and re-establish ties with the region that had existed since the Soviet Union era. However, too much time has passed since those days, and the Russian Federation has a long journey ahead of it if it wishes to restore its cooperation with Africa to Soviet levels and become one of the continent's main partners. The memory of friendly ties that existed between the USSR and Africa, and of the help extended by the Soviet Union to all African nations (who wished to become independent) in their battle against colonialism and nation building efforts is still alive today and will enable the Russian Federation to find a common language with its African partners. However, all the practical aspects of cooperation will need to be worked on from scratch.

Comment:

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Boat

China, Russia, Iran to hold joint naval drills


AFP
Thu, 26 Dec 2019 18:49 UTC
China missile destroyer
© AFP Photo/Mark SchiefelbeinOne of China's Type 052D guided missile destroyers is taking part in the naval drills with Russia and Iran
China, Russia and Iran will hold joint naval drills starting Friday in the Gulf of Oman, Beijing and Tehran said, at a time of heightened tensions since the US withdrew from a landmark nuclear deal with Tehran.

Set to take place from December 27 to 30, the military exercises aim to "deepen exchange and cooperation between the navies of the three countries", Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian told reporters Thursday.

Wu said the Chinese navy would deploy its Xining guided missile destroyer -- nicknamed the "carrier killer" for its array of anti-ship and land attack cruise missiles -- in the drills.
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