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Pentagon requests funds to reimburse Taliban expenses

Rachel Frazin
The Hill
Wed, 15 May 2019 06:42 UTC
Taliban
© Getty ImagesTaliban
Earlier this year, the Pentagon reportedly asked Congress for funding to reimburse the Taliban for transportation and other expenses the group incurs by attending peace negotiations.

A spokesman for House Appropriations subcommittee on Defense Chairman Peter J. Visclosky (D-Ind.) told Roll Call:
"The Defense Department requested fiscal 2020 funding to support certain reconciliation activities, including logistic support for members of the Taliban and, in March 2019, they sent a notification letter to the Committee on using fiscal year 2019 funds for similar activities,"
The money would pay for the terrorist organization's transportation, lodging, food and supplies, the spokesman said. He also said the Defense Department's request
"would implicate provisions of law concerning material support to terrorists, the Taliban's ongoing offensive operations against U.S. service members, and their continuing lack of acknowledgement of the government of Afghanistan or the rights of women in Afghan society."

Comment: See also:

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Attention

CONFIRMED: Chemical Weapons Assessment Contradicting Official Syria Narrative Is Authentic

Caitlin Johnstone
CaitlinJohnstone.com
Fri, 17 May 2019 13:44 UTC
OPCW
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has begun responding to queries by the press about a leaked document which contradicts official OPCW findings on an alleged chemical weapons attack last year in Douma, Syria. The prepared statement they've been using in response to these queries confirms the authenticity of the document.

To recap, a few days ago the Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media (WGSPM) published a document signed by a man named Ian Henderson, whose name is seen listed in expert leadership positions on OPCW documents from as far back as 1998 and as recently as 2018. It's unknown who leaked the document and what other media organizations they may have tried to send it to.

The report picks apart the extremely shaky physics and narratives of the official OPCW analysis on the gas cylinders allegedly dropped from Syrian government aircraft in the Douma attack, and concludes that "The dimensions, characteristics and appearance of the cylinders, and the surrounding scene of the incidents, were inconsistent with what would have been expected in the case of either cylinder being delivered from an aircraft," saying instead that manual placement of the cylinders in the locations investigators found them in is "the only plausible explanation for observations at the scene."
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Eye 1

Trump strikes out against 'fake news' on Iran, calling it 'fraudulent & dangerous'


RT
Sat, 18 May 2019 11:17 UTC
Iran White House caricature
© Reuters/Jim Young
Amid rising tensions between the US and Iran, and rumors of war, President Donald Trump has blasted what he called 'fake news media' coverage of the issue, warning that it could be "dangerous" for the country.

Trump's tweet condemned the media for their role in spreading fraudulent information about the recent crisis with Iran which kicked off after authorities noted "a number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings" coming from the Iranian side.

Comment: Also see: US Foreign Policy Has Become One Giant Relentless Program of Psy-Ops

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Pills

Cross-party Brexit talks have collapsed - so what happens now?

Peter Walker
The Guardian
Fri, 17 May 2019 17:01 UTC
house of commons
© Uk Parliamentary Recording Unit/EPAA series of indicative votes in the House of Commons last month led to no majority being achieved for any single plan.
After weeks of long discussions and little progress, cross-party talks between the government and Labour are over.

What's the next step?

Theresa May has committed to giving MPs a vote on her key piece of Brexit legislation, the withdrawal agreement bill (Wab), in the first week of June.

It is unclear whether there will be any votes before that; but one proposal presented to Labour - and rejected - was for a series of indicative votes, next week.

That could have included a free vote on the prospect of submitting any deal passed by parliament to a referendum.

Comment: The Guardian details the lame excuses MPs have for stalling Brexit, without addressing the simple fact that it hasn't gone ahead because very few in the establishment actually want it to:
May and Corbyn blame each other as Brexit talks collapse

The government and Labour have sought to blame each other after cross-party talks to find a compromise Brexit plan collapsed, leaving any remaining hopes of an imminent solution to the impasse in tatters.

While both sides insisted the discussions had taken place in good faith, Theresa May said a sticking point had been Labour splits over a second referendum.

Labour in turn said the government had been unwilling to compromise and that May's imminent departure from Downing Street meant there was no guarantee any promises would be kept by a successor such as Boris Johnson.


That's a reasonable assumption in politics.


Nick Boles, the former Conservative MP who helped spearhead efforts to prevent a no-deal Brexit in March, said he now feared such a departure was almost inevitable when the EU27's latest deadline of 31 October is reached.

"It's game over," he said. "We only won by one, and it's very unclear that we would have the same level of Tory support, and for that matter Labour support. We are absolutely convinced that parliament will not find a way to stop no-deal Brexit."

The conclusion to six weeks of intermittent talks, which had angered many Conservative and Labour MPs who feared the nature of the compromise that might result, came with the release of a letter from Jeremy Corbyn to May on Friday.

Despite praising the talks as constructive, the Labour leader wrote: "It has become clear that, while there are some areas where compromise has been possible, we have been unable to bridge important policy gaps between us.

"Even more crucially, the increasing weakness and instability of your government means there cannot be confidence in securing whatever might be agreed between us."

May's spokesman said the view was mutual: "It was clear to the government ... that the talks were not going to reach a successful conclusion."

Corbyn's letter cited examples of what he said was May's inability to carry her government on possible compromises, for example ministerial dissent over a possible customs union and the idea of allowing reduced food standards to secure a US trade deal.

Speaking in Bristol at a campaign event for next week's European elections, the prime minister said the negotiations had "made progress", but blamed Labour for the lack of an outcome.

"In particular, we haven't been able to overcome the fact that there isn't a common position in Labour about whether they want to deliver Brexit or have a second referendum and try to reverse it," she said.

[...]

Labour hit back at this narrative, with Starmer saying May was "trying to blame everyone but herself" for the collapse of the talks. He tweeted: "She knows the reality is she couldn't carry her own side or offer a realistic compromise. Any deal agreed wouldn't last a day under a new Tory leader."

The tortuous process of discussion, which saw occasional meetings between May and Corbyn and many more involving their frontbench teams and officials, had been widely predicted to come to an end, but the news was still enough to see the pound drop to its lowest level against the dollar since February.

Corbyn had come under mounting pressure from within the shadow cabinet to walk away from the talks, including from close allies who feared a stitch-up that would see Labour blamed as the facilitator of a "Tory Brexit".

Both sides stressed that some progress had been made, with the prime minister's chief Brexit negotiator, Ollie Robbins, in Brussels earlier this week to discuss a joint draft of proposed changes to the political declaration about Britain's future relationship with the EU27.


They're hardly going to admit that, together, they're wasting the public's time and money in order to avoid enacting the will of the people.


But while there were signs the two leaders were not miles apart, a number of Conservative MPs were agitated at the idea of a possible customs union, Corbyn's key demand, while many in Labour disliked the prospect of a plan not being endorsed by a second referendum.

The government intends to press ahead with holding a vote on the withdrawal agreement bill in the week beginning 3 June - but sources stressed it would include "new features that reflect some of the discussions", in the hope of winning over Labour MPs.

May also plans to resume talks with the Democratic Unionist party, with which she is in a confidence and supply partnership, about how it could be reassured that accepting the deal would not undermine the integrity of the UK.

Government sources also pointed to progress on considering "alternative arrangements" for the Northern Irish border - one of the central concerns of Brexiters who have held out against the deal.

Corbyn said Labour would "carefully consider" any new proposals, but added: "I should reiterate that, without significant changes, we will continue to oppose the government's deal as we do not believe it safeguards jobs, living standards and manufacturing industry in Britain."
See also: And check out SOTT radio's:

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Quenelle - Golden

China backs Iran, "firmly opposes" unilateral US sanctions


Zero Hedge
Fri, 17 May 2019 10:20 UTC
Zarif Yi
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi
In the latest sign of Beijing's frustration with the US, the Chinese leadership have reiterated their opposition to American sanctions against Iran. After a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, Chinese Foregin Minister Wang Yi reiterated Beijing's 'firm opposition' to unilateral US sanctions against Iran.

With the US moving more firepower into the Persian Gulf, an attempt to send Tehran an unmistakable message, Zarif asked Beijing to try and save the 2015 nuclear deal, WSJ reports.

Zarif's meeting with his Chinese counterpart is the first step on a tour of Asia, as Iran canvasses its key economic partners now that US sanctions have been reimposed.

Comment: Even if the US is unlikely to attack Iran, the world can't afford to let the US delude itself into thinking it can:

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Light Saber

AG Barr finds "government power was used to spy on American citizens"

Tyler Durden
ZeroHedge
Fri, 17 May 2019 22:41 UTC
william barr with assistant
Attorney General William Barr
In his first pair of interviews since being sworn in, Attorney General Barr told Fox News and WSJ that he was pursuing the investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe - an investigation he has tasked

John Durham, the US Attorney from Connecticut, with leading - because Americans need to know whether the government "put a thumb on the scale" to try and undermine President Trump both during the campaign and during the first two years of his term, just like "we need to ensure that foreign actors don't influence the outcome of our elections."

Separately, he told WSJ that "government power was used to spy on American citizens...I can't imagine any world where we wouldn't take a look and make sure that was done properly."
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Mr. Potato

Crack pipe, IDs, and badge found in Hunter Biden rental car

Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
Fri, 17 May 2019 18:17 UTC
hunter biden
© RadarOnline
A used crack pipe, two DC driver's licenses, multiple credit cards, a Delaware Attorney General badge and a US Secret Service business card belonging to Hunter Biden were found in a rental car returned to an Arizona Hertz location in the middle of the night, days before the 2016 presidential election, according to Breitbart, which obtained an exclusive copy of the police report.

Hunter, son of former Vice President and 2020 candidate Joe Biden, had rented the vehicle from a California location, intending to return it to the Prescott, Arizona location where it was discovered after being dropped off with the crack pipe and Hunter Biden's personal effects.
Instead of returning the car keys to the drop box where after-hours returns are supposed to go, the car was returned-according to the police report-with the keys left in the gas tank compartment of the vehicle. Also found inside the vehicle, per the police report, were two drivers' licenses both bearing Hunter Biden's legal name Robert Biden, as well as "some credit cards with the same name," "a secret service business card," and an "Attorney General's badge" all contained inside a wallet that Hertz rental employees discovered-along with a pipe that Hertz employees thought and police later confirmed was used to smoke illicit drugs, as well as "a white powdery substance in the arm rest of the vehicle." -Breitbart
Of note, Hunter was discharged from the Navy after he tested positive for cocaine.

Comment:

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Mr. Potato

Abrams says she could wait till Fall 'and still have a real chance to win' Democratic nomination

David Krayden
The Daily Caller
Fri, 17 May 2019 09:36 UTC
stacey abrams
Stacey Abrams discusses possibly running for the Democratic presidential nomination, May 16, 2019. MSNBC screenshot.
Georgia Democratic politician Stacey Abrams thinks she can wait until "the fall" and "still have a real chance to win" the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.

"I do believe I could enter the conversation as late as the fall and still have a real chance to win," Abrams told MSNBC.

Abrams continued to tell MSNBC she is not "prepared to shut the door" on her presidential aspirations, saying:
No I'm not. As I've said before, I'm watching to see what happens. I think we have a robust crop of candidates. I think they're having important conversations but my mission is to make certain that we are keeping that attention focused all the way through the campaign and so I'm going to keep watching and decide whether I want to jump in.
If she waits until autumn, Abrams will miss many candidate debates. Although she acknowledges these debates "are an important part of the process," she says they're also a "new" part of the campaign and she can afford to miss them.

Abrams has repeatedly expressed interest in the presidency, saying she is "just as capable" as anyone else to do the job, but not indicating whether she has any plans to enter the race. Despite losing the Georgia governor's race to Brian Kemp, she has accused her Republican opponents of "voter suppression."
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Arrow Up

Italian regulators launch probe into Google over abuse of market dominance

Elliot Smith
CNBC
Fri, 17 May 2019 12:32 UTC
alphabet google
Italy's antitrust authority announced Friday it has opened an investigation into Google over alleged abuse of its dominant market position.

The competition watchdog said the probe relates to Google's alleged abuse of its position in the smart device market.

In a press release, originally in Italian, the Italian Antitrust Authority said it had approved the initiation of a preliminary proceeding against Alphabet Inc., Google LLC and Google Italy S.r.l., collectively referred to as Google.

The authority confirmed that officials carried out inspections Thursday in some of the companies concerned.

The antitrust authority claims Google had refused to integrate the "Enel X Recharge" app, developed by Enel, in its Android Auto app.

Comment: This isn't the first instance where Italy has stepped up to shine a light on the corruption plaguing the West:

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USA

SOTT Focus: US Foreign Policy Has Become One Giant Relentless Program of Psy-Ops

Finian Cunningham
Sputnik
Fri, 17 May 2019 18:57 UTC
white house
© AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite
To say the US conducts "foreign policy" is patently a misnomer. US policy is nothing short of low-intensity warfare against the whole planet. Its "foreign policy" is nothing more than a continuous program of psychological operations.

An important element of this colossal corruption of politics is America's so-called news media which plays a crucial role in concealing and propagating the psy-ops.

Just look at US conduct over the past year with regard to geopolitical rivals, foes and even supposed allies. American behaviour is that of a hegemon and tyrant that brooks no dissent. Ultimatums, economic sanctions, threats of punishments, threats of annihilation, actual military intimidation. These are all forms of aggression or low-intensity warfare. In the case of Iran or Venezuela, the warfare is approaching the brink of all-out violence.

To think this is a development peculiar to the Trump presidency is a grave mistake. US foreign policy was always prone to aggression and warfare, certainly since the Second World War. Ever since the GW Bush administration in the early 2000s, the US has degenerated into a permanent state of aggression, often involving waging simultaneous wars. Now under Trump, US belligerence is manifest in every aspect of policy. It has become all-consuming.
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