Puppet MastersS


Question

Kiriakou: What was this CIA officer thinking?

John Kiriakou
Consortium News
Mon, 30 Sep 2019 00:00 UTC
Ukraine CIA
© globalresearch.ca
Given Langley's intolerance for whistleblowing, the current case now in the headlines has a couple of curious features.

The news is dominated by "the whistleblower," the CIA officer who reported to the CIA Inspector General (IG) that President Donald Trump may have committed a crime during a conversation with the president of Ukraine. I've been fascinated by the story for a couple of reasons.

First, as a whistleblower and a former CIA officer, I know what must have been going through the guy's mind as he was coming to the decision to make a report on the president of the United States. That is, if he is a real whistleblower.

If he's a whistleblower, and not a CIA plant whose task it is to take down the president, then his career is probably over. Intelligence agencies only pay lip service to whistleblowing. A potential whistleblower is supposed to go through the chain of command as the current whistleblower did. If an employee has evidence of waste, fraud, abuse, illegality, or threats to the public health or public safety, he is supposed to go to the Inspector General. The IG, then is supposed to go to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). And when the DNI investigates and finds the complaint credible, he then takes it to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. That sounds straightforward, but it's not.
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Snakes in Suits

Impeachment probe: Schiff refuses equal participation by Republicans in Kurt Volker testimony


saraacarter.com
Thu, 03 Oct 2019 00:00 UTC
VolkerSchiffEngelMcCaul
© AP/Efrem Lukatsky/Reuters/Joseph Maguire/Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call/congress.gov/KJNEx-Special Envoy Ukraine Kurt Volker • HPSCI Chair Adam Schiff • HFA Chair Eliot Engel • Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX)
After learning today that the Democrat-led House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) will not allow Foreign Affairs Committee Republicans to have equal representation or the opportunity to question Kurt Volker at tomorrow's scheduled interview, Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX), Lead Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, demanded HPSCI Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) allow Republicans and Democrats to participate on an equal playing field in their impeachment probe.

Furthermore, Lead Republican McCaul expressed concern to Chairman Eliot Engel (D-NY) that the Foreign Affairs Committee's oversight role over the State Department and the conduct of U.S. foreign policy has been usurped by another committee without jurisdiction. McCaul reinforced that "impeaching the President of the United States is a grave and serious matter for the American people," and he expects the Democrats to lead their investigation in a fair, impartial manner.

Democrat staff on HPSCI informed the Foreign Affairs Committee that only one Republican staff member would be allowed to attend the transcribed interview of Kurt Volker, the former State Department Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations, and would not be allowed to participate in questioning. However, under House Rule X, "Relations of the United States with foreign nations" is the jurisdiction of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Comment: See also:

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Star of David

Netanyahu-Lieberman coalition talks collapse; new Knesset sworn in

Oleg Burunov
Sputnik
Thu, 03 Oct 2019 18:40 UTC
Knesset
© Reuters/Ronen ZvulunIsraeli President Reuven Rivlin addresses the opening session of the 22nd Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem October 3, 2019.
In an address to Israeli MPs earlier this day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointed to the necessity of forming a "broad national unity government" as soon as possible, saying that no other country is challenged "as much as we are."

Speaking to lawmakers during the swearing-in ceremony of the 22nd Knesset on Thursday, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin specifically underscored that there are moments in which he is obliged to meddle so as to put the country's political system back on track.

He specifically referred to the results of last month's election in Israel, confirming his drive to see a unity government lead the country. Rivlin emphasised:
"The results of this election are a badge of honor for Israeli society. It is a red card that the citizens of Israel showed to their elected officials. It is a red card to populism, to a political style that feeds off the schisms [in our society] and sees in all of our fears a resource to mine."
He recalled that his call for a broad government caused criticism "from both the right and the left" and that he is "attuned to this legitimate criticism" which Rivlin said is "in many ways justified."

Comment: See also:

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Satellite

Moscow is helping create Beijing's missile-attack warning system that only Russia and US have


RT
Thu, 03 Oct 2019 17:46 UTC
Don-2-N radar facility
© Sputnik/Kirill KallinikovThe stationary Don-2-N multirole early-warning radar in the town of Sofrino in the Moscow Region helps protect Moscow from ballistic missile strikes.
A missile-attack warning system that Moscow is helping Beijing put together will drastically increase China's defense capabilities, President Vladimir Putin said, noting that only Russia and the US currently have such technology.

"I don't think I'll open a huge secret here. It'll become clear anyway. We're now helping our Chinese partners to create a missile-attack warning system," Putin told the high-profile guests of the 16th meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club at the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Thursday.

The President reminded attendees that Russia and the US are the only two countries in the world currently armed with such systems. "It's a very serious thing that will drastically increase the defensive capabilities of China."

The missile attack warning system combines ground-based radars and satellite arrays in Earth's orbit, which detect the launch of ballistic missiles and calculate their trajectory. The data is then transmitted to a command center where a decision on how to repel the attack and respond to it can be made.
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Arrow Down

EU Parliament rips apart Brexit proposals as 'Not a basis for agreement'; BoJo scrambles to secure deal


RT
Thu, 03 Oct 2019 16:10 UTC
VerhofstadtTuskJohnson
© Virginia Mayo/AP Pool/ AFP/FP/Paul EllisEU's Guy Verhofstadt and Donald Tusk • British PM Boris Johnson
Britain's plans for leaving the EU cannot even serve as a rough outline for a final agreement, a group of MEPs have stated. Boris Johnson has been rushing to strike a deal ahead of the October 31 deadline for leaving the bloc.

The European Parliament's Brexit Steering Group (BSG) met with the European Commission's Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, to discuss the latest offers being floated by London.

The committee was apparently less than impressed, writing in a draft statement that the proposals "do not represent a basis for an agreement to which the Parliament could give consent by the end of the month."

Comment: See also:

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Rocket

'New phase' North Korea lauds successful test of submarine-launched missile


RT
Wed, 02 Oct 2019 22:22 UTC
submarine ballistic missile
© KCNA via ReutersSubmarine-launched ballistic missile
North Korean state media have confirmed the widely reported mysterious missile test as involving a submarine-based ballistic missile, greatly expanding Pyongyang's capabilities ahead of disarmament talks with the US.

"The successful new-type SLBM test-firing comes to be of great significance as it ushered in a new phase in containing the outside forces' threat to the DPRK and further bolstering its military muscle for self-defense," the Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) announced on Thursday.

The missile, launched early on Wednesday local time, was identified by military experts as the Pukgukseong-3 SLBM.

It was the first missile launch since the test of two unidentified projectiles on September 10, and the 11th missile launch since May, when North Korea resumed testing after the failure of talks with the US in Vietnam.
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Star of David

'Shoot and cry': New book says Israelis were 'saddened' to have to kill Gaza protesters, to avert 'bloodbath'

Philip Weiss
Mondoweiss
Fri, 04 Oct 2019 17:35 UTC
Gaza march return protest
© Mohammed AsadGazans protesting at the fence
Have you watched reports on the Chinese government's attacks on protesters in Hong Kong? American media are outraged, and the shooting of a young man two days ago was national news here. The fact that the protesters hurl bricks is treated in the reports I've watched as just another form of protest.

Contrast those stories to the often-sympathetic coverage that Israel has gotten while killing nearly 200 protesters at the Gaza fence over the last year and a half, and maiming hundreds of others. The New York Times has run four columnists justifying the killings.

Comment: Gordis is the latest in a long line of apologists for the slaughter Israel is perpetrating in Palestine:

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Bullseye

Former NSC Chief Fleitz: Schiff 'broke' rules, 'should recuse himself from impeachment inquiry'

David Krayden
The Daily Caller
Thu, 03 Oct 2019 17:04 UTC
adam schiff
Adam Schiff, McCarthy wanna-be
Former CIA officer and National Security Council Chief of Staff Fred Fleitz tweeted Tuesday that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff "broke committee rules" and "should recuse himself" from any impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump.

"The NYT confirmed what I said last week: Schiff knew about the CIA whistleblower in advance ... At a minimum, Schiff should recuse himself from this impeachment inquiry," Fleitz tweeted.

Comment: More from ZeroHedge:
While President Trump is now accusing Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) of 'helping to write' a CIA whistleblower's complaint at the heart of an impeachment inquiry, the New York Times is out with a Wednesday article designed to put distance between the House Intelligence Committee Chairman and the accusation - suggesting Schiff had no more than a vague sneak peek.


As The Times reports, "The Democratic head of the House Intelligence Committee, Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, learned about the outlines of a C.I.A. officer's concerns that President Trump had abused his power days before the officer filed a whistle-blower complaint," adding "the original accusation was vague," and "The aide did not share the whistle-blower's identity with Mr. Schiff or anyone else."

So - according to the Times, Schiff kinda sorta knew what the whistleblower said, and a House Intel Committee aide told him (or her) to get an attorney - Andrew Bakaj - who "interned for Schumer in the spring of 2001 and for Clinton in the fall of the same year," per The Federalist.

The Times goes to great lengths to explain that nothing was untoward.

"Like other whistle-blowers have done before and since under Republican and Democratic-controlled committees, the whistle-blower contacted the committee for guidance on how to report possible wrongdoing within the jurisdiction of the intelligence community," said Schiff spokesman Patrick Boland.


Trump, meanwhile, is gunning for Schiff.
On Wednesday, Mr. Trump said Mr. Schiff should be forced to resign for reading a parody of the Ukraine call at a hearing, an act Mr. Trump has called treasonous and criminal.

"We don't call him shifty Schiff for nothing," said Mr. Trump. "He's a shifty dishonest guy."

Mr. Schiff's aides followed procedures involving the C.I.A. officer's accusations, Mr. Boland said. They referred the C.I.A. officer to the inspector general for the intelligence community, Michael Atkinson, and advised him to seek legal counsel.

Mr. Schiff never saw the full complaint or knew precisely what the whistle-blower would deliver to Mr. Atkinson, Mr. Boland said. - NYT
GOP spokeswoman Elizabeth Harrington, meanwhile, responded to the Times' article - calling the whistleblower saga 'COLLUSION' and a 'CON JOB' in a Wednesday afternoon tweet.


Finally, if this process seems vaguely familiar, it's because it should be: as the Federalist's Sean Davis writes, this is a carbon copy of what happened with Christine Blasey Ford's accusations aimed at sabotaging Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation.


The circus contiues . . . . .

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Snakes in Suits

Heaven forbid! According to the FEC, Hillary Clinton's Presidential campaign is still raising money - is she going to try for the White House again?

Michael Snyder
End of the American Dream
Wed, 02 Oct 2019 00:00 UTC
Hillary Clinton
Could it be possible that Hillary Clinton is preparing to jump into the presidential race? According to the FEC, Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign is still active, and it actually raised $165,902.73 during the first six months of 2019. During that same period of time, the campaign spent $131,112.68, and that left her with a war chest of $650,264.43. That isn't enough to win the Democratic nomination, but it would certainly be enough to get another run for the White House off the ground rather quickly. "Hillary For America" is the name of her official campaign committee, and during 2015 and 2016 it raised a total of $585,669,598.83, but that still wasn't enough to beat Donald Trump. However, with impeachment mania reaching a fever pitch in Washington and with the Biden campaign fading, Hillary may sense an opening. She had a full slate of media appearances scheduled for this week, and so far she has done nothing to dispel the rumors that she may be getting into the race.

The fundraising numbers that we currently have are for the first six months of this year, and so we don't know what happened in July, August and September yet. But those numbers will be reported later this month, and if her fundraising efforts have ramped up that will tell us a lot.
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Dollar

Best of the Web: Why are the central bankers pushing so hard for a global Green New Deal?

Matthew Ehret
Strategic Culture Foundation
Wed, 02 Oct 2019 00:00 UTC
bank of england
I was told many depressing things as a child.

Watching World Vision infomercials educating the west to the want and misery suffered by millions of children in the third world, I wasn't alone in asking adults "why"? When I enjoyed all the comforts of food security, electricity and running water, why were these other children living in poverty? I know that I was not the only bewildered child to receive the shallow response that I did from family and teachers when I was told that this "simply is the way it is". At best, we privileged few in the 1st world could hope that $1/day would alleviate their pain, but really there was no great solution.

Later in life, as my closest friends found themselves enmeshed in university political science and economic programs, the innocent curiosity that recognized injustice for what it was not only died under the weight of materialist theories of human nature which their parents paid good money to feed them, but upon leaving school, those same friends actually became witting accomplices in that very system which their youthful hearts recognized as wrong so many years earlier. Since humanity was intrinsically selfish and our economic system so immutable, the best we could hope for was success in life and enjoy being on the receiving end of destiny.

Again, I know that I'm not alone in this experience, as tens of millions of citizens took to the streets all around the world on September 27 to march for the earth, repulsed by corrupt consumerism and celebrating the advent of a Green New Deal.

Comment: See also: Climate rip off: Follow the money trail as well as The Misanthropic Bankers Behind The Green New Deal

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