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Warning from Brussels: We will use sanctions to punish Britain post-Brexit


RT
Wed, 07 Feb 2018 08:04 UTC
Michel Barnier
© Francois Lenoir / Reuters
European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier
The EU could use sanctions like grounding Europe-bound flights, suspend single market access, and impose trade tariffs to punish the UK if it breaches Brexit transition terms, Brussels has warned.

Under proposals drafted by the European Commission, the EU would have unprecedented legal powers - without the oversight of European courts - to punish Britain unilaterally if it breached the terms of the transition. The five-page legal text seen by The Times calls for the EU to be able to "suspend certain benefits" as a "nuclear option" if the UK breached a "sincere cooperation" principle which would be in the final Brexit treaty.

The proposal could see the UK punished if it struck trade deals with non-EU states, gave tax breaks to domestic industries and subsidized other domestic sectors, which could be seen as "prejudicial to the union's interests."

Punishments could also mean the City of London blocked from European financial markets and aircraft being stopped from flying over the EU's "single sky" airspace.

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Snakes in Suits

Dossier authors needed McCain to get anti-Trump dossier to Comey, because Steele had been fired by FBI

Dick Morris
The Western Journal
Mon, 05 Feb 2018 15:23 UTC
John McCain
© Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call
It was always hard to understand why dossier author Christopher Steele needed someone else to transmit his phony dossier to FBI Director James Comey.

After all, shortly before the election, Steele told David Corn of Mother Jones that "he regularly consulted with th U.S. government agencies on Russian matters." He informed Corn that he had given the FBI the first memo in the dossier and characterized the FBI's reaction as "shock and horror."

According to Steele, the FBI then asked for his sources and materials, so it would seem like he wouldn't need an intermediary to hand the full dossier to Comey.

But now we know that all was not well with the relationship between Steele and the FBI.

In fact, the FBI had fired him for discussing his role with them and for reporting confidential material to the media.

So, apparently, Comey wouldn't be taking his calls.
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Question

Why wasn't the court told where the 'dodgy dossier' came from?

Daniel Greenfield
Front Page Magazine
Tue, 06 Feb 2018 15:20 UTC
Hillary Clinton
The media tried to prevent the release of the memo by falsely claiming that it was classified. Once the memo was released, it's been scrambling for a way to undermine it.

Here's the thin reed that the lynch mob is clinging to.
Republicans concede key FBI 'footnote' in Carter Page warrant - Politico

Republican leaders are acknowledging that the FBI disclosed the political origins of a private dossier the bureau cited in an application to surveil former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page
Except they didn't.

Disclosing the political origins would have meant revealing that it came from the Clinton campaign and the DNC. The FISA application never did that. The media's big get (the one that was also picked up by Never Trumpers) is that it was disclosed that the origin was political. But that was generic enough to be meaningless.
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Yoda

Gowdy on Rosenstein: He's the mastermind behind Mueller's broad jurisdiction in Russia witch hunt (VIDEO)

Cristina Laila
The Gateway Pundit
Wed, 07 Feb 2018 20:25 UTC
Trey Gowdy and Rod Rosenstein

Trey Gowder (L) Rod Rosenstein (R)
On Tuesday, Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) sat down with Fox News' Martha MacCallum for his first interview since he announced his retirement from public service.

When asked why Special Counsel Mueller was given such a broad jurisdiction to basically investigate whatever he wants under the guise of the 'Russia investigation', Gowdy confirmed it was Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein who was the mastermind behind the language giving Mueller broad jurisdiction to go on a fishing excursion.

"We've seen Special Counsel's in the past leave their purview and the investigation has gone on for a long time and next thing you know you are investigating a Monica Lewinsky case when the president didn't even know her when the special counsel began his work. So you don't have any fear of that here?" Martha MacCallum asked Gowdy referencing the Special Counsel who investigated former president Bill Clinton.

Comment: Gowdy is not afraid to call out bad actors, regardless of their position in the political hierarchy. Perhaps now that he is stepping away from politics, he will feel freer to make his opinions known



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Hourglass

When will there be some accountability for US wars and aggression?

Rick Sterling
Investig'Action
Sat, 03 Feb 2018 15:17 UTC
Syria WMDs
It's WMD all over again.

Anonymous "US officials" are once again accusing a targeted "regime" of using "chemical weapons" and threatening that the U.S. military may have to "hold it accountable". Once again, western media is broadcasting these accusations and threats without skepticism or investigation.

The Washington Post story is titled "Trump administration: Syria probably continuing to make, use chemical weapons". Jane's Defence Weekly quotes a U.S. offical saying "They clearly think they can get away with this ...."

Jerusalem Online says "A US official says Syrian President Assad's forces may be developing new types of chemical weapons, which which could reach as far as the US.."
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Bad Guys

France hypocritically condemns Turkish operations in Syria


RT
Wed, 07 Feb 2018 16:02 UTC
Turkish tanks
© Ozan Kose / AFP
A picture taken at kirikhan, in Hatay province on January 26, 2018 shows Turkish tanks stationed near the Syrian border, as part of the operation "Olive Branch"
In the latest episode in the Turkish-French war of words over the ongoing operation against Kurds in northwest Syria, France's foreign minister said Ankara is violating international law through its actions.

In an interview with French BFM TV, the foreign minister called for the withdrawal of all forces that "ought not to be in Syria, including Iranian militia, including Hezbollah." He added that international law "is being violated by Turkey, by the Damascus regime, by Iran and those who are attacking eastern Ghouta and Idlib."

Comment: The French foreign minister must have forgotten that their own strikes in Syria, which reportedly hit a stadium, a museum, medical clinics and a political building where also illegal under international law. It also boggles the mind how he concludes Damascus is violating international law by fighting the terrorists that upended the country into chaos. If he wanted to maintain any legitimate credibility he'd be condemning the actions of his own government, as well as the actions of the United States, Israel, and Saudi Arabia in Syria.

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USA

'Protecting America': Trump directive establishes new immigration vetting center

Ayanna Alexander
Politico
Wed, 07 Feb 2018 21:05 UTC
President Donald Trump
© Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
“Border and immigration security are essential to ensuring the safety, security and prosperity of the United States,” President Donald Trump said in the memorandum
President Donald Trump signed a national security memorandum on Tuesday establishing a vetting center aimed at improving the screening process of those who want to enter the U.S.

"Border and immigration security are essential to ensuring the safety, security and prosperity of the United States," the president said in the memorandum. "I am, therefore, directing the establishment of a National Vetting Center (Center) subject to the oversight and guidance of a National Vetting Governance Board (Board), to coordinate the management and governance of the national vetting enterprise."

The directive doesn't establish new authorities or call for new funding, according to a CNN report released Monday. The center is to be finalized within six months.

Comment: See also:

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Stock Down

Senator wants to keep 'dreamers' in US because American citizens are too uneducated, unskilled, lazy, and can't pass drug tests for jobs

Neil Munro
Breitbart
Mon, 05 Feb 2018 16:20 UTC
Sen Tom Carter
© Screenshot, MSNBC
Democratic Sen. Tom Carper says 'dreamer' illegal immigrants should be hired to replace millions of Americans who supposedly are too unskilled, uneducated, unethical or drugged up to work for companies.

"I think the business community is saying that to the administration [and] they are certainly saying that to those of us in the Congress, and we should focus on that," Carper told MSNBC.
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Chess

Pawns in the geopolitical strife: A brief history of America and the Kurds

Ted Snider
Consortiumnews.com
Wed, 07 Feb 2018 20:20 UTC
Map of greater Kurdistan

Map of greater Kurdistan
The Kurds find themselves caught in the middle of a power struggle between the U.S., Russia, Turkey, Iran and Syria - a familiar situation that follows decades of geopolitical strife in their region, explains Ted Snider.

The only thing that has ever been faithful to the Kurds is history: it has faithfully, without fail, betrayed them. The Kurds have been cast in the role of the pawn in powerful countries' games of chess. They do much of the hard work only to be sacrificed when checkmate is in sight.

Most recently, the U.S. rediscovered the Kurds as useful pawns in the war on the Islamic State. But, despite being one of the most effective forces fighting the Islamic State, now that the end is in sight, the Kurds are, once again, in danger of being abandoned.

The United States, unlike Russia and Iran, was never invited into Syria. The U.S. insisted, though, that it was only there to save Syria from the Islamic State. Recently, however, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson tipped the American hand. America has no intention of leaving Syria once the Islamic State is checkmated, he said. The U.S. will stay after the war is over, and the uninvited stay has to do with more than just keeping the Islamic State down - it has to do with keeping Iran out.

Comment: 'Kurds have no friends!' - All they have are empty promises.

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TV

Carter Page gives first interview to Fox after FISA memo revelations

Alex Christoforou
The Duran
Tue, 06 Feb 2018 19:15 UTC
Carter Page
© Wall Street Journal
Carter Page
Former Trump adviser Carter Page, the man in the middle of the FISA Memo, speaks out for the first time on Fox News' 'The Ingraham Angle.'

Here is part one of the interview...


In part two of the interview, Carter Page discussing his connections to Russia and the government surveillance based on his work in Russia.

Comment: It's beginning to look like the FBI totally railroaded Page. After working with the FBI throughout 2013-2016 in order to catch some Russian spies, the FBI turned around and accused him of being a spy - just in order to get the FISA surveillance order. In other words, they used his patriotism against him in order to accuse him of treason. Really makes one want to go ahead and cooperate with the FBI, now, doesn't it?

See: Carter Page worked for the FBI catching Russian spies, until FBI/DOJ told FISA Page was the spy in order to get surveillance on Trump team

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