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How low! Using COVID-19 patient tracking, Netanyahu is staging a coup


Sputnik
Fri, 20 Mar 2020 16:12 UTC
Netanyahu
© AFP
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu
This week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rolled out new legislation calling for the tracking of those confirmed to be infected with the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. As the leader faces several corruption-related charges, one expert tells Sputnik this new law is just the start of Netanyahu's attempt to strongarm the Israeli government.

The prime minister announced via news release on Tuesday that the Israeli government would begin tracking those confirmed to be infected with the novel coronavirus. Netanyahu's March 17 release read:
"We will dramatically increase the ability to locate and quarantine those who have been infected. Today, we started using digital technology to locate people who have been in contact with those stricken by the Corona."
Mitchell Plitnick, political analyst and former vice president at the Foundation for Middle East Peace, joined Radio Sputnik's Political Misfits to discuss the Israeli's government tracking of COVID-19-infected citizens and provide his commentary regarding how the pandemic is protecting the embattled prime minister amid his corruption cases.

"Not only is this surveillance through the cell phones just happening, it's happening with no supervision," Plitnick explained to hosts Bob Schlehuber and Jamarl Thomas "The courts are not there, the parliament is not there to supervise this - so it's just going on with no real recourse."

Comment:



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Star of David

Netanyahu: 'All humanity is in the same boat' to fight coronavirus - except Palestinians

Jonathan Ofir
Mondoweiss
Sat, 14 Mar 2020 00:00 UTC
Dr. Ahmad Tibi
© Twitter
Dr. Ahmad Tibi, a Palestinian member of the Israeli Knesset, March 13, 2020.
The global Coronavirus epidemic is bringing about radical measures from various countries. Israel has 157 infection cases counted at the time of writing. The epidemic, which is unprecedented in the history of the state, also caught Israel at a time of a protracted political impasse.

The failure to form a government has so far resulted in three elections within less than a year. Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing bloc is just short of the 61-seat majority with 58 seats. The center-left bloc in principle has a 62-seat majority, but that would include the 15 seats of the Joint List (representing mostly Palestinian Israelis) as an external support. So the center-left would create a "minority government" where the Joint List wasn't actually part. Although it seemed close, hopes were recently dashed by internal dissent - not only from the right-flank of the opposition party, Blue and White, but also from the left Labor-Gesher-Meretz alliance.

But if internal mechanisms can't bring about a government, essentially because of Jewish-Zionist racism, then maybe the Coronavirus could help. After all, extreme times call for extreme measures, right? The only question is how extreme it can get.

Comment: Netanyahu is counting on a fear and isolation strategy consistently proven to be a winner, one that he has honed to perfection. Gantz has the opportunity to make a different choice. Will he consider the option, and with that, open Israel to redefinition?

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Arrow Down

Afghan peace - is it crumbling already?

Salman Rafi Sheikh
New Eastern Outlook
Thu, 19 Mar 2020 00:00 UTC
Ghani
© Unknown
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani
Whereas the US-Taliban 'truce deal' is historic in many ways, the fact that real peace in Afghanistan remains hostage to a lot more complex power dynamics than the US war, has become sharply evident ever since the announcement of the deal. The Ghani administration has already rejected the part of the deal about the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners; the Taliban have already started attacking the Afghan security forces, signaling their intent to continue the fight. The so-called 'deal' is not only not taking the war-torn country to 'peace', but has proved, as was expected, extremely fragile, threatening Afghanistan's abrupt return to a full-fledged war.


Comment: Ghani has broken 'the deal' into steps: Ghani's decree promised the release of 100 prisoners a day beginning on March 14 until 1,500 prisoners are released. The government would then free the remaining 3,500 after intra-Afghan talks begin and the militants reduced violence.


What, amid the prevalent complications, is quite evident is that the "intra-Afghan" negotiations, as stipulated in the deal, were not destined to start on March 10. This is going to be a major dealbreaker, as the start of these negotiations was linked with the release of Taliban prisoners. Whereas the 'deal' stipulates this release, the Ghani administration does not appear to have been taken on board; hence, Ghani's refusal to start the release process, and thereby refusing to start "intra-Afghan" negotiations as well.

Comment: US troops have begun leaving Afghanistan as part of Trump's mandate to reduce and ultimately eliminate American presence. The culmination of this action, however, will be drawn out over many months. Without a stronger, more viable Afghan leadership, any promises by either faction has doubtful chances of creating the kind of environment necessary for progress towards a functional and peaceful nation. See also:

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Pirates

What we know about Amir al-Salbi, Daesh's new leader


Sputnik
Thu, 19 Mar 2020 18:59 UTC
Daesh
© VOA
This week, the United States placed Daesh (ISIS)* leader Amir Mohammed Abdul Rahman al-Mawli al-Salbi on its 'Rewards for Justice' programme terror watch list, offering up to $5 million for information leading to his capture or elimination. But just who is he? And why has he been so quiet since taking command of the terror group?
  • Amir Mohammed Abdul Rahman al-Mawli al-Salbi, aka Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, aka al-Haj Abdullah Qardash, is thought to have assumed the role as the second 'caliph' of Daesh's 'caliphate' on October 31, 2019, four days after the US assassination of the terror group's longtime leader and founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Western intelligence officials confirmed that al-Salbi had taken up the leadership role only three months after the fact, in January 2020, owing to some confusion regarding his various aliases and given the terrorist group's shattered state.
  • Al-Salbi joined Daesh in 2014, switching loyalties from al-Qaeda, a rival terror organization, and taking part in the Daesh offensive to occupy Mosul in June 2014.
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Arrow Down

Krone collapse: Norway loses a fifth of its oil wealth


Sputnik
Fri, 20 Mar 2020 05:03 UTC
Statoil
© Reuters/Nerijus Adomaitis/File Photo
Statoil gas processing and CO2 removal platform, Norway
According to experts' calculations, Norway's Oil Fund has decreased in value by 23 percent since New Year, suffering the "biggest drop" in its decades-long history. Norway's Oil Fund has taken a serious dent amid plummeting oil prices and an ongoing fall of the krone, broadcaster NRK reported.

Despite the Oil Fund currently being listed as worth NOK 300 billion more than at the turn of the year, this is merely an illusion, as none of its assets are in kroner, experts estimated. "Rarely have developments been more misleading than now. In reality, we have lost more than one fifth of our oil wealth", Nordea investment director Robert Næss told NRK.

According to Næss's calculations, while the Fund's value in Norwegian kroner has risen by 3 percent since New Year, the reality measured in US dollars or euros is quite the opposite.

At the end of last year, the Oil Fund was worth about $1,149 billion. Now, it is worth around $882 billion, a decrease of 23 percent. The fall is so drastic that it equals the value of the entire 2020 state budget not once, but twice. "We have never seen such a large fall in global stock markets within a quarter. The equity ratio is also sky high, which makes it likely to be the weakest quarter for the Oil Fund ever", Næss commented.

Comment: See also: Is Norway's oil & gas selloff a mistake?

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Eye 1

For your 'protection': The US wants your smartphone location data to 'fight coronavirus'

Dylan Byers
NBC News
Fri, 20 Mar 2020 17:15 UTC
Oculus World Trade Center
© Mark Lennihan / Associated PRess
The Oculus at the World Trade Center's transportation hub in New York on March 16, 2020.
Privacy advocates are worried.

The White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are asking Facebook, Google and other tech giants to give them greater access to Americans' smartphone location data in order to help them combat the spread of the coronavirus, according to four people at companies involved in the discussions who are not authorized to speak about them publicly.

Federal health officials say they could use anonymous, aggregated user data collected by the tech companies to map the spread of the virus — a practice known as "syndromic surveillance" — and prevent further infections. They could also use the data to see whether people were practicing "social distancing."

Comment: The article is likely just window-dressing for what has already been going on for a long time. Now one's movements can be used to punish those who literally 'step out of line'.

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Hammer

Russia set the example: US anti-Iranian sanctions 'made Tehran self-sufficient in all areas' - Khamenei


Sputnik
Fri, 20 Mar 2020 15:59 UTC
Ali Khamenei Iran
© Reuters / Official Khamanei website
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Washington reinstated its strict economic sanctions against Tehran in May 2018, when President Trump announced America's unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

In a speech to mark the Persian new year on Friday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, in particular, that the Islamic Republic had managed to capitalise on the US anti-Iranian sanctions.

"Iran benefited from America's sanctions. It made us self-sufficient in all areas", Khamenei emphasised.

He described 2019 as a "tumultuous year for the Iranian nation", which he said "began with floods and ended with the coronavirus [...]". Khamenei also expressed hope that Tehran "will overcome all hardships with unity".

Comment: Iran may have planted the seeds of self-sufficiency, but currently they are still struggling, particularly with medical supplies.

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Star of David

Israel largest political party, Netanyahu's Lukid, proposes bill to execute Palestinian prisoners


Palestine Post 24
Thu, 19 Mar 2020 17:04 UTC
israel palestinian child arrested IDF
The right-wing Israeli Likud party headed by current Crimes Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed on Wednesday bill calling for executing Palestinian political prisoners.

Reporting Miki Zohar, the head of the Likud faction in the Knesset, the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom said that the party also proposed another bill to annex the Jordan Valley, the Northern Dead Sea and the desert of Al Khalil (Hebron) in the occupied West Bank to Israel.

Comment: The groundwork has already been laid:

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Bullseye

'Seasonal madness provoked by coronavirus' - Kremlin on reports US may sanction Russia over oil prices

Jonny Tickle
RT
Fri, 20 Mar 2020 17:09 UTC
oil drill
© Sputnik / Ilya Pitale
A Wall Street Journal report stating that the US government is considering additional sanctions on Russia over its role in the collapse of oil prices has been ridiculed by Vladimir Putin's spokesman.

Dmitry Peskov joked on Friday that perhaps the powers that be in the White House had fallen ill with a case of Covid-19.

"This nonsense about possible sanctions belongs in the category of seasonal madness provoked by coronavirus [making people] suffer from Russophobia," he said.
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Eye 1

Never let a crisis go to waste: US lawmakers bask in coronavirus panic while quietly building the police state of their dreams

Helen Buyniski
RT
Fri, 20 Mar 2020 17:01 UTC
Coronavirus checkpoint
© Reuters / Andrew Kelly
Coronavirus checkpoint
As the coronavirus epidemic monopolizes the attention of the American people, government is taking the opportunity to sneak through all manner of restrictive legislation, including a law that could end the internet as we know it.

Killing the internet... to save the children?

The ominously-named EARN IT Act (short for "Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies Act") that quietly debuted in the Senate earlier this month is a carefully crafted weapon for crushing encryption without explicitly banning, industry professionals have warned. While this particular bill purports to be all about ending child sexual exploitation, the industry is concerned it will make their business model unsustainable - while doing nothing to protect children. So are independent media producers, who fear their speech would be declared anathema. It would in practice strip section 230 legal immunity - protection from liability for third party content - from any website that failed to comply with a set of "best practices" imposed on a supposedly voluntary basis by a 19-member "commission" run by Attorney General William Barr.
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