|
Ridwan Diusulkan Sebagai Wakil Ketua II DPRK Aceh Selatan Definitif |
4 |
|
Dollar Weakens Against Yen Following Another North Korean Missile Test |
4 |
|
So far 41 US troops have been ID’d from remains returned by North Korea DPAA says |
4 |
|
Diduga Oknum Anggota DPRK Aceh Timur Miliki Sabu Ini Tanggapan Polres |
3 |
|
FAKSI Resmi Polisikan Anggota DPRK Aceh Timur |
3 |
|
Doubting US Seriousness North Korea Abruptly Ends Talks |
3 |
|
Ketua PN Blangpidie Lantik Dua Pimpinan Definitif DPRK Abdya |
3 |
|
Syarifuddin Ditangguhkan Nurdianto dan Hendra Fadli Resmi Jabat Pimpinan DPRK Abdya |
3 |
|
How The World’s First Floating Hotel Ended Up As A Doomed Wreck In North Korea |
2 |
|
Ask a North Korean: What do people like to eat in North Korea |
2 |
|
North Korea plans long-range rocket launch in defiance of warnings |
2 |
|
China to face DPRK in MWG women’s football final |
2 |
|
DPRK asks ROK to discuss removal of ‘capitalist’ Mt Kumgang facilities |
2 |
|
North Korea wants talks with South over Mount Kumgang facilities removal: MOU |
2 |
|
DPRK Minta Polisi Syariah Lebih Tingkatkan Pengawasan |
2 |
|
DPRK Aceh Barat Sidak RSU-CND Banyak Temuan Alat Medis Canggih Tak Difungsikan |
2 |
|
FAKSI Polisikan Oknum Anggota DPRK Aceh Timur |
2 |
|
Oknum Anggota DPRK Aceh Timur yang Ditangkap Polisi Kader PKS |
2 |
|
Rapat Paripurna DPRK Aceh Tamiang Hasilkan 4 Fraksi Dengan Beberapa Komposisi |
2 |
|
Aliansi Mahasiswa Dan Pemuda Bireuen Menggelar Aksi Damai Usai Pelantikan DPRK Bireuen |
2 |
|
Ketua Dan Wakil Ketua DPRK Gayo Lues Masa Jabatan 2019-2024 Resmi… |
2 |
|
Biography and Life Story of Kim Jong-un the supreme Leader of North Korea |
2 |
|
Ketua LAN Aceh Timur Sesalkan Oknum DPRK Aceh Timur Terlibat Narkoba |
2 |
|
Anggota DPRK Aceh Selatan Bantah Dituduh Terciduk Bersama PSK di Sebuah Hotel |
2 |
|
Ridwan Diusulkan sebagai Wakil Ketua II DPRK Aceh Selatan |
2 |
|
All ‘Jews’ today are the Khazars converts and Edomites some call them the Khazarian Mafia KM hellbent on a World Government as was the ruling Jewish class in the times of Jesus Herod was an Edomite after Esau Malachi 1: 3 Romans 9:13 not Jacob Israel These Jew Fraudsters believe themelves to be Israelites Hebrews or from the royal tribe of Judah claim the Bible Consignor gives themselves mandate to rule the whole world Psalm 2: 6-9 Psalm 2: 10-11 Deuteronomy 20: 10-14 Deuteronomy 20 : 12-17 Isaiah 60: 5 60: 10-11 60:12 60: 14-16 Psalm 2: 8 and a Judahite or descendent of the Tribe of Judah most of the apostles were Israelites only one of them was Jewish Judas The first time Jews are Mentioned in the Bible is in II Kings 16: 6105: 44 111: 6 Jesus was a Galilean or resident of Galilee Matthew 26:69 John 7:41 and then only in translations revised in the eighteenth century where we find Israel was at war with the Jews and drave the Jews from elathane The ‘Jews’ in ‘Jesus’ time were Edomites/Turkic Edom or Edomite had BEEN translated by Greek and Latin into Ioudaios and Iudaeus meaning a Judean or person living in Judea The original King James version of the Bible 1611 translated IDUMAEANS-Judean into Iewes The first Jews were Russia says it sent hundreds of additional troops to Syria October 26th 2019 Jesus Christ ✝ MOSCOW AP — Russia has sent hundreds of additional troops to Syria to help patrol the country’s Turkey-Syria border after a deal between Moscow and Ankara the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday The ministry said about 300 military police have arrived in Syria to patrol the northeastern areas along the border with Turkey and oversee the pullout of Syrian Kurdish fighters from there Military cargo planes also airlifted 20 armored vehicles for the mission it added After Turkey invaded northeastern Syria this month an offensive enabled by President Donald Trump’s abrupt pullout of US troops Moscow and Ankara struck a deal splitting control of northeastern Syria Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up The new Russian troops sent in — as American soldiers pull out — further underscore how the situation on the ground in Syria has dramatically changed with Turkey’s invasion and subsequent developments Turkey has now been allowed to keep control over a significant chunk of northeastern Syria a belt of land on its border in the northeast that it invaded on Oct 9 along with a larger piece of the border in the northwest that Turkey already holds captured in previous incursions Russia said Friday the additional battalion of military police dispatched to Syria comes from Chechnya a Russian region that saw two devastating separatist wars in the late 1990s and the early 2000s before Moscow regained control Troops from Chechnya known for their fierce warrior spirit have regularly been sent to Syria on rotation bases in recent years The Russian military does not release the total number of its contingent in Syria and it did not say on Friday how many troops will be involved in the patrol mission on the Turkish border Under the Moscow-Ankara deal Turkey is to keep sole control of a large section in the center of the border area most of which was captured in its invasion this month aimed at driving the US-allied Kurdish forces out of a “safe zone” along the border Syrian government and Russian military police are to control the rest of the 440-kilometer 273-mile Syria-Turkey border They are to ensure that Syrian Kurdish fighters who were US allies in the fight against the Islamic State group and who freed most of the region of IS pull 30 kilometers 19 miles away from the frontier After that Russia and Turkey are to begin joint patrols along a narrower strip directly on the Turkish-Syrian border Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian military has been in close contact with the Syrian Kurdish fighters doing a “delicate job” of coordinating their pullout from the border areas He noted that the Kurds have pledged to abide by the deal adding that the failure to do so would put them in trouble “If the Kurdish units with their weapons aren’t pulled back from that zone they will regrettably be left face to face with the Turkish military because Syrian border guards and Russian military police wouldn’t stand between them” Peskov said in a conference call with reporters A large wedge of eastern Syria remains in the hands of the Kurdish-led fighters That includes the bulk of Syria’s oil fields which deprives Damascus of control over a crucial resource and gives the Syrian Kurds a major bargaining chip Trump has said some US troops will remain there to help Kurds “secure” the oil fields The Kurdish fighters captured the main fields from the Islamic State group and since then have helped finance their self-rule by selling the crude mainly to the Syrian government Moscow has argued that the US troops presence in Syria is illegitimate as they lack Damascus’ permission to stay Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Moscow is “concerned by frequently changing signals from Washington about its plans and intentions toward Syria” Ryabkov charged that the US may use its troops presence near oil fields to continue to exert pressure on Damascus All sides have vowed to abide by a cease-fire under the Russian-Turkish deal but Syria’s state-run SANA reported an attack by Turkish troops and allied Syrian rebels on Syrian army positions on Thursday outside the town of Tal Tamr Separately the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said Thursday that three of its fighters were killed in fighting with Turkish-backed forces Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed a threat Thursday to resume the military offensive if his country continued to be “harassed” by the Kurdish militia He also said Turkey would “crush” any Syrian Kurdish fighter its military comes across while trying to secure areas under its control The commander of the Syrian Kurdish-led force Mazloum Abdi said Trump had assured him in a phone call that American forces will “stay here for a long time and their partnership with Syrian Democratic Forces will continue for a long time” Erdogan meanwhile told Turkey’s state television TRT that the US should hand Abdi over to Turkey calling him a “terrorist” wanted in Turkey Ankara considers Syrian Kurdish fighters terrorists aligned with a Kurdish insurgency within Turkey and wants them out of the border zone It has justified its invasion by saying it needs to safeguard Turkey’s territory and hopes to resettle Syrian refugees now hosted by Turkey in the border area The Turkish offensive has triggered new flows of refugees The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said that so far more than 10100 Syrian refugees mostly women and children have crossed into Iraq seeking safety It also estimated that some 180000 people have been internally displaced across Syria’s north-east Source Article from Related Posts US Troops Leaving Syria Do Not Have Permission To Stay In Iraq Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said last week that all US troops leaving Syria would Video: US Troops Remain in Syria to Protect Oil Fields from ‘Terrorists’ The US is planning to keep control of oil fields on the eastern bank of Transit only: US troops pulled out of Syria amp moved to Iraq are now asked OUT of the country Hundreds of military vehicles carrying American troops crossed into the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq All US Troops Leaving Syria Will Head to Iraq By Jason Ditz According to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper the current plan is that all ‘Come and take it’: Here’s what US troops left behind at abandoned base in Syria PHOTOS Photos from the abandoned US military base in Manbij shed light on what American soldiers Hits: 8 Baton-wielding Hezbollah backers clash with anti-government protesters in Beirut October 26th 2019 Jesus Christ ✝ BEIRUT — Hundreds of Lebanese protesters set up tents blocking traffic in main thoroughfares and sleeping in public squares on Friday to enforce a civil disobedience campaign and keep up the pressure on the government to step down By early afternoon clashes broke out in the epicenter of the protests in central Beirut when supporters of the powerful Lebanese terror group Hezbollah entered the area in response to chants calling on their leader Hassan Nasrallah along with other politicians to step down “Nasrallah is more honorable than all of them” the pro-Hezbollah supporters chanted They attacked the protesters who were previously in the square until riot police tried to break up the fight The incident came shortly before Nasrallah was due to speak Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up Anger has been building among Hezbollah supporters because the protesters named Nasrallah along with other corrupt politicians At least two protesters were injured in the scuffles The riot police encircled the pro-Hezbollah protesters who carried batons separating them from the other protesters But tension returned when the protesters moved down the main road lobbing stones and at one point attacking a TV crew from a station aligned with a Hezbollah rival Some protesters chanted for calm These pro Hezbollah guys are vicious as hell They knocked out a middle-aged man I was also attacked All in the video لبنانينتفص Not enough security forces here to push them back pictwittercom/PwDAtlvac7 — Timour Azhari timourazhari October 25 2019 Banks universities and schools remained closed Friday the ninth day of nationwide protests which initially were triggered by new proposed taxes that followed public spending cuts Earlier Friday protesters briefly closed the highway linking the southern city of Sidon to Beirut burning tires and blocking traffic The army later removed the tires and reopened the road On the highway linking eastern and western Beirut protesters set up tents some sleeping on the road to block traffic They allowed only ambulances and army vehicles through Protesters waved banners that read: “You have put up with the state bear with us for a couple of days” to motorists who arrived at a blocked road linking eastern Beirut to its southern suburbs In its first official warning the Lebanese military urged the protesters to respect the right of the people to move calling on them to stop blocking roads “The army leadership warns against continued use of these means obstructing personal and public freedom” the military said in a statement on its official Twitter account Amnesty International said the Lebanese protesters are making their voices heard in a peaceful manner including the blocking of roads calling on authorities to Despite government promises of reforms the leaderless protesters have dug in saying the country’s incumbent officials are corrupt and must go “We will accept nothing less than the resignation of the government the president dissolving the parliament and holding early parliamentarian elections” said Mohammad Mazloum an engineer who has been protesting since the protests began on October 17 Mazloum said he spent the night in the tent set up on one of the highways The unprecedented mass protests come amid a deepening economic crisis in Lebanon They have united Lebanese against the country’s sectarian-based leaders who have ruled since the end of Lebanon’s 1975-90 civil war Lebanon is one of the world’s most indebted nations with public debt over 150 percent of the gross domestic product The protesters accuse the politicians of amassing wealth even as the country gets poorer He said he and fellow protesters from various cities and sects have been putting their heads together to come up with new alternative names to the incumbent politicians The country’s top politicians have addressed the protesters telling them they have heard their complaints Prime Minister Saad Hariri presented a reform program which was only passed in the Cabinet after street pressure President Michel Aoun asked the protesters to send representatives for talks with him Nasrallah whose Iran-backed Hezbollah has dominated the national unity government has said the resignation of the Cabinet would plunge Lebanon into political feuding Source Article from Related Posts Instruments of democracy: Hong Kong police raid protesters seize body armor petrol bomb materials PHOTOS According to the police on Monday and Tuesday they targeted 48 locations throughout the city Pentagon Rolls Out Blade-Wielding ‘Ninja Bombs’ The Pentagon has developed a secret missile specifically designed to kill terrorist leaders and minimize Police officer stabbed by a knife-wielding man reportedly shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ in Brussels Police officer stabbed by a knife-wielding man reportedly shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ in BrusselsRT November 20 Gun-wielding Kerch attacker caught on CCTV PHOTO The photo was first posted on the Telegram breaking news channel Mash It said that VIDEO: AK-47-Wielding Felon Opens Fire On Dozens Of Officers Near Airport Cell phone footage captured the moment that Alexander Carballido opened Hits: 6 US Justice Department review of Russia probe now a criminal inquiry October 26th 2019 Jesus Christ ✝ WASHINGTON AP — The Justice Department has shifted its review of the Russia probe to a criminal investigation a person familiar with the matter says It’s a move that is likely to raise concerns that US President Donald Trump and his allies may be using the powers of the government to go after their opponents The revelation comes as Trump is already facing scrutiny about a potential abuse of power including a House impeachment inquiry examining whether he withheld military aid to pressure the president of Ukraine to launch an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter The person who confirmed the criminal investigation Thursday was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up It is unclear what potential crimes are being investigated but the designation as a formal criminal investigation gives prosecutors the ability to issue subpoenas potentially empanel a grand jury and compel witnesses to give testimony and bring federal criminal charges The Justice Department had previously considered it to be an administrative review and Attorney General William Barr appointed John Durham the US attorney in Connecticut to lead the inquiry into the origins of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election It’s unclear when Durham’s inquiry shifted to a criminal investigation Durham is examining what led the US to open a counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign and the roles that various countries played in the US probe He is also investigating whether the surveillance methods and intelligence gathering methods used during the investigation were legal and appropriate Mueller’s investigation shadowed Trump’s presidency for nearly two years and outraged the Republican president who cast it as a politically motivated “witch hunt” Mueller determined that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 election but his investigation didn’t find sufficient evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy between Trump’s campaign and Russia Mueller also examined 10 possible instances of obstruction of justice and has pointedly said he could not exonerate the president The New York Times first reported that Durham’s inquiry had become a criminal investigation The chairmen of the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees which are leading the impeachment inquiry said in a statement late Thursday that the reports “raise profound new concerns” that Barr’s DOJ “has lost its independence and become a vehicle for President Trump’s political revenge “If the Department of Justice may be used as a tool of political retribution or to help the President with a political narrative for the next election the rule of law will suffer new and irreparable damage” Democratic Reps Jerrold Nadler and Adam Schiff said The Justice Department has said Trump recently made several calls at Barr’s request to foreign leaders including Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to help the attorney general with the Durham investigation Barr also traveled with Durham to Italy in August and September and the two met with Italian intelligence officials to seek information about the activities of FBI agents assigned there Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte said Wednesday The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday Source Article from Related Posts Best CPU Cooler for i7 8700k Review Best CPU Cooler for i7 8700k – Anyone using a powerful processor like Intel’s i7 Iran Russia review situation in Persian Gulf Syria Iran – The ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian president’s envoy Best Spinning Reel Under 100 USD – Review amp Buyer’s Guide Best Spinning Reel Under 100 USD – For those who love to do bass fishing having Best Espresso Machine Under 300 Dollars – Review amp Buyer’s Guide Best Espresso Machine Under 300 USD – Coffee cappuccinos espresso and latte! Everybody loves them Best Studio Headphones Under 100 Dollars – Review amp Buyer’s Guide Best Studio Headphones Under 100 Dollars – With a great pair of studio headphones you Hits: 7 Netanyahu must be questioned in submarine graft case ex-prosecutor says October 26th 2019 Jesus Christ ✝ Recent television reports claim that state prosecutors have begun drafting a legal opinion recommending Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stand trial for bribery fraud and breach of trust in the so-called Case 4000 the gravest of the three criminal probes against him This comes after a draft charge sheet was published in February and following this month’s attempts by Netanyahu’s attorneys at a pre-indictment hearing to persuade the prosecution to close Case 4000 and the two other cases in which is embroiled In an in-depth conversation with Zman Yisrael the Hebrew sister site of The Times of Israel former deputy state prosecutor Yehuda Sheffer said bribery may appear as a more serious charge under the law but in reality breach of trust often emerges as a far graver offense The prime minister faces three separate corruption investigations known as Case 1000 Case 2000 and Case 4000 Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up Case 1000 alleges Netanyahu received tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of gifts from wealthy benefactors most notably Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan in exchange for assistance on various issues Case 2000 accuses him of agreeing with Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper publisher Arnon Mozes to weaken a rival daily in return for more favorable coverage from Yedioth The agreement was never implemented In Case 4000 Netanyahu is alleged to have secured improved coverage from the Walla website in a quid pro quo arrangement in which he approved business arrangements of immense financial benefit to then-Walla’s owner Shaul Elovitch the then-majority shareholder in Israel’s Bezeq telecommunications giant According to television reports on Sunday Mandeblit will begin a final stage of consultations with state prosecutors to make a decision on whether to indict — a decision expected by year’s end Sheffer believes the differences between the charges of bribery and breach of trust depend mainly on the circumstances “If you take a bribe to issue a license that you should have issued anyway it’s less serious to me than a situation where you issue some license sans a bribe and regardless of a conflict of interest to a person who didn’t deserve it” he explained “As a legal tactic I understand the defense’s attempt to try to have the allegations reduced to only breach of trust because it can help Netanyahu in the Knesset as well as with respect to public opinion and also because under the law the punishment for bribery is far more severe than it is for breach of trust But again it’s the circumstances that count” said Sheffer Israeli law states that accepting a bribe is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in jail while offering a bribe is an offense punishable by up to seven years imprisonment In comparison the maximum sentence for fraud and breach of trust stands at three years Furthermore Sheffer believes that the media leaks from the pre-indictment hearings held for the prime minister before Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit — a routine procedure for public officials facing potential criminal charges — cannot give a clear indication of whether Mandelblit will decide to pursue the cases against Netanyahu Still a decision will be made sooner rather than later he said “There is every reason to believe that a decision will be made within a few weeks First both the attorney general and his advisers are familiar with the material — they have been supervising these cases since the beginning due to their inherent sensitivities Second I believe that while the considerations are strictly matter-of-fact the timing is important” Sheffer said “Politics can make a difference so it’s unlikely that it will take Mandelblit months to reach a decision I think that knowingly or unknowingly the political significance of the decision affects the pace of the decision-making process” he said ‘Investigations not tainted by political motives’ Sheffer 57 who headed the Israel Money Laundering and Terror Financing Prohibition Authority from 2002 to 2009 retired from the State Attorney’s Office last April and currently serves as a private consultant on combating money laundering for various countries including China Panama and Latvia In Israel he advises financial technology companies on how to conduct themselves with banks While critical of how the State Attorney’s Office is handling some of the cases pertaining to Netanyahu Sheffer is confident that Mandelblit and his team have made sure the integrity of the investigations against the prime minister remains beyond reproach “Knowing those involved I am convinced that the decision on this issue will be based solely on merit There are no political or foreign considerations at play here You can perhaps criticize the fact that the process is not handled expeditiously and you may even criticize the decisions themselves — no one is immune to criticism — but I am sure the considerations are pertinent to the issue” he said Following the September 17 election Netanyahu is currently tasked with forming the next government but he recently returned the mandate and Blue and White head Benjamin Gantz is now taking up the challenge Regardless of whether Gantz is able to form a coalition or whether Israel will find itself facing its third general election in the span of one year there is a political consensus that if Netanyahu is indicted on top of the allegations against him he will also have to contend with various High Court of Justice petitions demanding his resignation While Israeli law does not demand a sitting prime minister resign if indicted but rather only if convicted it is uncertain whether a premier facing criminal charges can vie for another term in office “The fact that politicians cite Basic Law: The Government which states that a prime minister can stay in office until a case concerning a criminal offense that carries moral turpitude is adjudicated is true” noted Sheffer Sheffer explained that there is already a High Court ruling in place stating that indicted ministers must resign even before a verdict in their case is rendered But he said the court has yet to rule on the issue of an indicted prime minister — simply because it never had to do so before “The last thing the High Court wants to do is interfere with the political process especially when it is already accused of doing so — but it may have to weigh in on the matter” Sheffer said referring to the disapproval expressed by many right-wing politicians over what they see as the judiciary’s meddling in Knesset legislation and their repeated demands to curb the High Court’s powers “I doubt the court will relish the chance but if the legal question is presented it may not have a choice” Sheffer said “This is no simple matter if only for the fact that this isn’t just a legal question — it’s also a public one In other countries a person facing criminal charges can’t run for office let alone for the position of prime minister” As criminal proceedings mandate the defendant be present in court “it is inconceivable that a prime minister certainly in Israel will be running the state’s affairs while facing trial The court can issue exemptions here and there but the entire situation is inconceivable” Sheffer said Another issue that must be considered with respect to a sitting prime minister standing trial is that of perceived improprieties “An incumbent prime minister influences top nominations in the public service” Sheffer explained “Even if he personally has nothing to do with naming senior prosecutors police officials and judges he can still influence it the nomination process How will it look if a judge who is up for a promotion presides over the trial of a prime minister who can indirectly influence the Judicial Appointments Committee” “The mere perception of impropriety undermines the public’s faith in its systems of government Every person is entitled to the presumption of innocence but it doesn’t entitle him to hold such high office” Sheffer said ‘Authorities must take a firmer stand’ According to Sheffer the three corruption cases in which Netanyahu is embroiled are so convoluted that they have sidelined other cases in which he has been implicated to various degrees — namely the false capital statements he filed with the State Comptroller’s Office and the shady SeaDrift stocks affair But most of all they have dwarfed what has become known as the submarine scandal Already infamous as the largest alleged graft scandal in the country’s history Case 3000 as it is known centers on a possible conflict of interest surrounding the multi-billion-shekel procurement of naval vessels and submarines from German conglomerate ThyssenKrupp in 2016 The high-profile investigation has ensnared several close associates of Netanyahu but not the premier himself The prime suspects include among others Netanyahu’s attorney and cousin David Shimron former National Security Council Deputy Director Avriel Bar Yosef Israeli businessman Miki Ganor who was the German company’s representative in Israel former Israeli Navy Commander Vice Adm ret Eliezer Marom Shay Brosh former commander of the navy’s elite Shayetet 13 commando unit and David Sharan who served as the prime minister’s bureau chief between late 2014 and mid-2016 Law enforcement should take a much firmer stand on these cases Sheffer stated “In my personal opinion the prime minister has to be questioned in the submarine case The fact that the police and the Attorney General’s Office stated right from the start that he was not a person of interest in the case is very problematic” he said “When you hear the prime minister say the deal was driven by some state secret only he and the national security adviser were privy to — something neither the defense minister nor the IDF chief of staff were aware of — you have to wonder This mandates an investigation and one will be launched eventually Things like this have a way of rising to the surface” Sheffer further expressed confidence that other pivotal questions that have turned up since Case 3000 came to light will be investigated as well For one example Netanyahu approved a Germany-Egypt submarine deal to attain a multi-million dollar discount for Israel’s own naval purchases “These questions can’t be swept under the rug” he said Sheffer hypothesized that Mandelblit rushed to declare that Netanyahu was not a suspect in Case 3000 because based on their years of working together he finds it hard to believe that the prime minister would compromise state security “I assume the question of whether a probe will compromise relations with Germany including future transactions was also taken into consideration” Sheffer said “This is my personal assessment” he stressed “I have no information about the investigation but I believe that every suspicion has to be explored even if it may jeopardize other deals — and I don’t think it would That sounds highly unlikely” While in the past there have been times when the Attorney General’s Office put the kibosh on probes and legal proceedings for security reasons Sheffer said those were “extreme-case scenarios relating to bribery suspicions overseas” He emphasized that “things have changed completely Since we signed the OECD’s treaty fighting bribery among foreign public servants Israel has been careful to investigate such suspicions in full” The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Anti-Bribery Convention aims to reduce political corruption and corporate crime in developing countries by encouraging sanctions against bribery in international business transactions The attorney general said Sheffer has the authority to halt or close an investigation if it serves the public’s interest “but this is not the case If there is a suspicion of corruption of venality of profiteering or of a tainted decision-making process it should certainly be investigated” Mutual trust issues Sheffer said he understands the public’s mistrust in the way Mandelblit — a former cabinet secretary who is considered a Netanyahu loyalist — is handling the investigations against the prime minister He insisted that “as someone who knows the man and the system I do trust him I can see how the decision not to question Netanyahu in this issue Case 3000 is puzzling for some but I’m sure the motives here are pure” “Still it doesn’t mean this was the right decision I think it was wrong” Sheffer said Trying to predict how Case 3000 which could have significant ramifications for senior officials in the Defense Ministry the navy and the Prime Minister’s Office will end is useless he said “I don’t know how this will unfold Either a commission of inquiry will be formed as some politicians have demanded or a probe will be conducted in some other way But at the end of the day a case of such gravity has to be scrutinized I believe the truth will come out in the end” Sheffer said Netanyahu’s critics have often castigated him for sparing no effort to remain in office so as to avoid facing corruption charges But could it be that his decision not to pursue a plea bargain in the current cases also seeks to ensure he can thwart the formation of a state commission of inquiry into the submarine scandal According to Sheffer this could be the case “It doesn’t sound implausible to me” Sheffer said “The bigger concern for Netanyahu may very well be a state commission of inquiry for two reasons: First the criminal suspicions in this case may be more serious and second it may uncover things that may not be criminal on the part of the prime minister but may prove questionable” “If you as the prime minister can be easily fooled by your closest associates well that’s highly problematic” he said A state commission of inquiry Sheffer explained “investigates more than just criminal issues and I don’t know what’s worse — a prime minister who knows his associates are taking bribes and looks the other way or one who has no idea what’s going on and greenlights deals that could prove dangerous to the state” “We don’t have all the facts yet but given that Netanyahu signed off on the sale of quality submarines to Egypt something that has security implications without consulting defense officials navy officials the chief of staff — that certainly requires an investigation” he said Legal twilight zone As a former prosecutor Sheffer agrees that leaving the type of suspicions arising against the prime minister from the false capital statements or the SeaDrift affair unexplored is problematic “That’s something that should be investigated in and of itself” he said Moreover said Sheffer issues pertaining to potential tax offenses were uncovered when Netanyahu petitioned the State Comptroller’s Permits Committee for a special dispensation to raise some NIS 5 million 14 million to cover his legal fees a request which was denied “These things mandate a far more vigorous investigation if only for the sake of public perception” he said A sluggish decision-making process in these two cases could be linked to authorities’ desire not to delay the current proceedings Sheffer said “Can you imagine if the police would launch an investigation that would delay the rulings on the current cases for six months or a year The public wouldn’t stand for it” said Sheffer “You have to balance efficiency and absolute truth and justice is somewhere in the middle Getting to the absolute truth is not necessarily the most effective course of action” “On the other hand we have to investigate these things” he said “To me if the prime minister failed to declare his assets and his interests in full and he sells and buys shares behind our backs — and this is a prime minister who has previously admitted he had an account in Jersey Island — these things are very disturbing The prime minister may be a righteous man but right now he has to prove it” Jersey is the largest and southernmost of the Channel Islands off the coast of Great Britain While it is a Crown dependency as a self-governing territory it retains complete financial and political autonomy and its relaxed tax laws have birthed one of the most popular offshore tax havens in the world The fact that Netanyahu held shares in a foreign steel company filed false capital statements with the state comptroller and admitted having an account in an island known as a tax shelter led investigators to believe that the prime minister’s personal fortune most likely exceeds the NIS 50 million 1425 million he reported A source privy to the material in these cases told Zman Yisrael that police officials said they wouldn’t be surprised if eventually Netanyahu’s fortune would emerge as closer to NIS 1 billion 285 million An expert on asset-concealing techniques and money laundering Sheffer said that even if that is an exaggeration the fact that such figures even come to mind indicates that there is much more here than meets the eye “I think the legal procedure we have by which ministers must submit a capital statement to the state comptroller and MKs must file one with the Knesset speaker is insufficient” Sheffer said “I think we should follow other countries and have elected officials produce a detailed capital statement including a map of business interests and a list of all the rich and powerful people in their social circle And this should be available online for all to see” Public officials should exercise full transparency Sheffer said “That’s how they do it in Britain and other places around the world Everything is online In Israel everything is shrouded in secrecy” “This reality is highly problematic because not only do you lose confidence in the integrity of your elected officials you also lose track of the interest they represent There could be conflicts of interests the public doesn’t know about” he said Netanyahu he continued “may very well be a man whose good graces are sought after by many billionaires and millionaires residing overseas NIS 50 million you say What Mr Sheldon Adelson has been giving Netanyahu for years is worth hundreds of millions That’s a monetary benefit given in broad daylight” The Adelson family owns Israel Hayom a tabloid widely regarded as being strongly pro-Netanyahu in its orientation While Sheffer agrees that mandating public officials to post their capital statements online does not guarantee their accuracy he believes that “mandating such transparency by law means that any infringement on it will be a felony” “Right now the state comptroller has no way of cross-referencing capital statements with the Tax Authority and the Money Laundering Prohibition Authority If it’s not transparent state agencies can’t share the information Take the SeaDrift affair — did Netanyahu declare that before the Tax Authority in real-time How I’m not sure anyone ever really looked into that” Sheffer said According to Sheffer if investigators are able to prove Netanyahu knowingly filed an inaccurate capital statement with the state comptroller it would constitute a criminal offense “If he filed a capital statement or and annual income tax report without declaring profits derived from the shares’ sale that’s a deliberate omission Forget the other cases — it’s alleged tax evasion which is punishable by seven years’ imprisonment That’s all it takes like with Al Capone” he said invoking the name of the notorious 1930s Chicago crime boss who was famously jailed for tax evasion The suspicion of tax evasion he explained “Stems from the fact that there are discrepancies between Netanyahu’s capital and tax statements The authorities don’t launch a criminal investigation for nothing” “We’re dealing with contradicting statements regarding stocks and money from a man who is already under investigation That’s why this is more than just a mere suspicion of tax evasion And I’m not sure these things are really being investigated They may have been but the public doesn’t know about it” said Sheffer Zman Yisrael approached the State Attorney’s Office and the Tax Authority for comments but none were issued The Tax Authority argued that privacy laws prevent it from disclosing whether a review of Netanyahu’s tax reports was made following the SeaDrift stocks affair let alone releasing its results These claims it should be noted are inaccurate because said privilege applies only to the information itself not to the general question of whether a review was ever held The Justice Ministry declined to say whether the State Attorney’s Office had initiated a review of Netanyahu’s tax statements repeatedly avoiding addressing the issue of what action if any was taken by the latter on this issue and insisting that this matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Tax Authority A version of this article first appeared in Hebrew on The Times of Israel’s sister site Zman Yisrael With contributions from Times of Israel staff and wires Source Article from Related Posts US Navy test fires 4 submarine-launched ballistic missiles amid Russia tensions The United States military has test fired four submarine-launched ballistic missiles SLBMs amid an Flash Mob At Trident Nuclear Submarine Base Marks 74th Anniversary Of Bombings Flash Mob At Trident Nuclear Submarine Base Marks 74th Anniversary Of Bombings 60 people were WWII Submarine USS Grunion SS-216 Discovered off of Aleutian Islands submarinememorialorg Fourth WWII US Submarine Discovery Continues Lost 52 Projects Mission of Honoring Sailors by French submarine that disappeared with 52 sailors on board in 1968 found The Minerve disappeared without a trace with 52 sailors on board amid speculation that a Wild Ride: Viral Video Shows US Commando Leaping Onto Narco-Submarine In Pacific The US Coast Guard has published stunning video of what’s being described as a high stakes Hits: 7 A strike on Israel by an emboldened Iran looms but may not be imminent October 26th 2019 Jesus Christ ✝ Iran is feeling emboldened and this has the Israeli military which regularly bombs Iranian assets in the region concerned that Tehran will one day respond to these strikes with a cruise missile or drone attack In light of these concerns the Israel Defense Forces appears to have scaled down its operations against Iranian and Iranian-allied forces in the region in recent weeks Israel acknowledges conducting strikes against Iranian targets in the region in general but as a rule does not take responsibility for specific attacks This hiatus appears to have been a bid to cool tensions following a one-day battle between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group on September 1 and an effort by the IDF to ensure that the sensitive period of the Jewish High Holidays — from September 30 to October 21 — passed without conflict Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Free Sign Up Indeed there have been no reported airstrikes against pro-Iranian militias in Syria or Iraq since September 28 The situation is tense and precarious and poised to deteriorate into a conflict With the end of the Jewish festivals the military may soon return to its campaign against Iranian entrenchment in the Middle East and with it the threat of Iranian attack Such a retaliatory strike by Iran does not appear to be imminent but does appear to be firmly on the horizon according to an Israeli Military Intelligence assessment based on the ongoing operations of Iranian forces and Iranian proxies in Syria and elsewhere in the region and a general understanding of the modus operandi of Iran and its powerful Quds Force the branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps led by Qassem Soleimani that operates abroad An Iran with self-esteem Since this summer Iran has successfully attacked an American drone international oil tankers and a major Saudi petroleum facility — and faced no serious consequences for these actions In addition the United States has begun actively withdrawing from Syria — both in terms of troops and interest — and from the Middle East in general a move that would also bolster Iran’s belief that it can act with impunity in the region as its primary enemy is effectively abandoning the main arena of the fight This heightened Iranian self-esteem and the threat that it poses to the Jewish state does not bode well for the Israel Defense Forces which routinely carries out airstrikes against Iranian and Iranian-allied forces throughout the Levant These concerns prompted an unusual warning from IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi on Thursday that war may be in the offing as well as a security cabinet meeting suddenly scheduled for next week “In the northern and southern arenas the situation is tense and precarious and poised to deteriorate into a conflict despite the fact that our enemies are not interested in war In light of this the IDF has been in an accelerated process of preparation” Kohavi told reporters in a briefing The military does not believe that Iran or one of the proxies under the control of Quds Force commander Soleimani will necessarily retaliate to any and every Israeli airstrike but will likely respond to them eventually as its tolerance for sustaining losses of men and munitions runs out This is forcing the IDF to weigh even more seriously the potential cost of an airstrike against an Iranian target compared to the benefit to Israeli national security gained from destroying it In the beginning of last year Israel also faced an emboldened and enraged Iran in Syria In February 2018 the Islamic Republic launched an armed drone toward northern Israel which an Israeli Air Force helicopter shot down In response the IDF struck dozens of Iranian targets in Syria including the control center from which the drone was piloted In the months that followed the Iranian regime vowed revenge and the IDF launched a campaign known as Operation Chess to counter the Islamic Republic’s efforts to retaliate with preemptive airstrikes against Iranian assets in Syria This culminated on May 10 2018 when Iran came through on its threats with a rocket attack against Israeli military posts along the Golan Heights The rockets failed to hit their targets according to the IDF The military retaliated with another round of extensive airstrikes against Iranian targets in Syria The IDF believes that its campaign of strikes on Iranian targets in Syria foiled the Islamic Republic’s plans to establish a major base of operations in the country but nevertheless left Tehran determined to use Syria as part of its war against Israel Source Article from Related Posts Strike by airline employees grounds flights in Germany Chicago Teachers Demand Affordable Housing As Strike Begins Chicago Teachers Demand Affordable Housing As Strike Begins Above Photo: Thousands of Chicago Teachers Union and What’s At Stake In Chicago Teachers’ Strike: Whether Unions Can Bargain For The Entire Working Class What’s At Stake In Chicago Teachers’ Strike: Whether Unions Can Bargain For The Entire Working Chicago Teachers Prepare To Strike The Chicago Teachers Union has been working without a contract since June and 94 percent Iran reveals pictures of oil tanker ‘damaged by rocket strike’ Sky News – New pictures have emerged showing damage to an Iranian tanker allegedly struck Hits: 6 Taoiseach envisions united Ireland with majority consent October 26th 2019 Jesus Christ ✝ Related Posts TURKISH-FUNDED SYRIAN NATIONAL ARMY AND MYTH OF UNITED SYRIAN OPPOSITION South Front Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring once again drew wide attention not only to the Civil Unrest Is Erupting All Over The World But Just Wait Until The United States Joins The Party… By Michael Snyder All over the globe the mood is turning sour Anger and frustration United States Air Force At Incirlik Our National “Black Eye” United States Air Force At Incirlik Our National “Black Eye” Current events concerning Turkey and Are We Witnessing the End of the United Kingdom as an Independent Nation State First published on May 9 2019 Ever since ‘the wrong result’ occurred at the referendum launched Democratic Unionist Party: Brexit deal to open path to united Ireland Hits: 3 US reverses decision to withdraw from Syria October 26th 2019 Jesus Christ ✝ Related Posts US forces withdraw from key base in northern Syria TAL TAMR Syria — US forces withdrew from their largest base in northern Syria on Erdogan Vows To ‘Crush Heads’ Of Kurds If They Don’t Withdraw We noted previously that chances are high that by the time Trump and Erdogan meet for Trump’s decision to withdraw US troops from Syria took Pentagon by surprise: Analyst As American troops withdraw in Syria Trump says Kurds are on their own As American troops began pulling out of northeast Syria ahead of a Turkish invasion on Leader allows govt to withdraw 300 mn for railway project in SE Iran MNA – The Iranian First Vice President Es’hagh Jahangiri has said that the Leader of Hits: 7 UN expert calls for boycott of Israeli settlements products October 26th 2019 Jesus Christ ✝ Related Posts US ambassador says evacuating West Bank settlements ‘would be a recipe for disaster’ Off topic but well worth reading: Exploiting The Ignorant: A Recent Example—An Analysis 18 October Netanyahu says he will annex Jewish settlements in Hebron if re-elected “I intend to extend sovereignty on all the settlements and the settlement blocs” including “sites Abbas blasts Netanyahu’s pledge to extend sovereignty over settlements Nabil Abu Rudeineh Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s spokesman on Sunday censured a statement by Netanyahu repeats pledge to annex West Bank settlements Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeated a provocative pledge to annex all the Abbas aide fumes as Netanyahu eyes Israeli sovereignty over settlements Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s spokesman on Monday said any move that undermines “Palestinian rights” Hits: 7 EU reins in after UK PM gives ultimatum on Brexit October 26th 2019 Jesus Christ ✝ Related Posts MPs criticize EU’s rejection of Iran’s ultimatum MNA – Two members of National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iranian Parliament Mohammad Theresa May Faces Tory Ultimatum: Pick Your Resignation Date Or We Will Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk The Tory leadership has finally had enough of Theresa EU giving Venezuela ultimatum not trying to mediate the crisis – Russian FM “The EU believes it has the right to dictate conditions for international mediation efforts” Lavrov Best possible spin of US ultimatum on INF would be replay of North Korea scenario – Jim Jatras The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has given Moscow an ultimatum over its alleged ‘One Lonely Little Guy’–How an Ultimatum From George HW Bush Transformed US-Israel Relations Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts Hits: 7 Iraq’s top Shia cleric calls on police protesters to keep demonstrations peaceful October 26th 2019 Jesus Christ ✝ Related Posts Baton-wielding Hezbollah backers clash with anti-government protesters in Beirut BEIRUT — Hundreds of Lebanese protesters set up tents blocking traffic in main thoroughfares and Lebanon’s Hezbollah under rare pressure as street protesters dig in BEIRUT Lebanon — When mass anti-government protests engulfed Lebanon a taboo was broken as strongholds Whoops sorry! Hong Kong protesters leave apologetic graffiti after vandalizing ‘wrong’ bank PHOTOS Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Hong Kong on Sunday throwing Protesters hurl petrol bombs at police station as Hong Kong descends into chaos VIDEOS Footage released by Ruptly shows several protesters hurling petrol bombs over the fence around the Sayyed Nasrallah Expresses Solidarity with Protesters Says Opposes Gov’t Resignation Political Part after 18:35 Source: Al-Manar English Website Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah expressed solidarity Hits: 6 The settlers who beat me didn’t care that I am an observant Jew October 26th 2019 Jesus Christ ✝ The settlers of Yitzhar beat me with crowbars and threw a stone at my head that split open the skin Then they set fire to the olive groves By Isaac Johnston The author seen harvesting olives in the Palestinian village of Burin before he was attacked by settlers from the nearby settlement of Yitzhar Isaac Johnston On October 16 a group of approximately 15 masked Jewish settlers armed with metal crowbars and rocks attacked volunteers from Rabbis for Human Rights as they helped the Palestinian residents of Burin harvest their olives I was one of those volunteers The attackers hit me on my back and shin with crowbars and threw a stone at my head that split open the skin causing a wound that required four stitches Even as we yelled that we were leaving and pleaded with them not to harm us they continued to attack Then they set fire to the olive grove I always wondered what the reaction of my own community would be if something like this happened to me As an American Jew who is critical of Israeli government policies I have experienced verbal attacks In high school because I supported J Street some of my fellow Jews accosted me and spat out verbal epithets they called me a kapo or a self-hating Jew comparing me to Hitler or Mussolini But I never imagined my fellow Jews attacking me physically — let alone during the holy days of Sukkot Before the incident in Burin I imagined my criticism of Israeli policies might lead to my being held back for extra questioning at Ben Gurion Airport or to some other type of verbal harassment I wondered whether the Jewish institutions in which I had been raised and which influenced my views and life path would issue a statement if that happened If the Jewish day schools I attended would comment publicly or if Hillel to which I dedicated the last four years of my life would condemn anything Israel did I wondered if the Chicago Jewish community would speak up Last week’s incident was one of 150 documented violent attacks committed in 2019 by residents of Yitzhar which is only one of several radical settlements in the West Bank This attack was meant to terrorize the volunteers and local Palestinians The perpetrators did not target our heads to kill but rather our kneecaps and legs to injure They did this to indicate that they are the lords of the land — even if that title is exacted at the price of beating an 80 year-old rabbi Spokespersons from Yitzhar acknowledged the incident had occurred although they blamed it on left-wing provocation Nevertheless trolls and conspiracy theorists accused me and the other volunteers with Rabbis for Human Rights of having invented the incident they used terms like “Pallywood” to indicate their skepticism As one friend wrote on Facebook ” …the presumption of innocence belongs to every person living in Yitzhar but this young man referring to me who I know as a decent and honest young man is an unreliable source because he is an ‘activist’” As an observant Jew I am struck by the thought that I could walk into Yitzhar tomorrow put on my tefillin and pray with my attackers or study a page of Talmud with them We share many of the same religious beliefs but differ drastically in the way we implement them in our daily lives We both believe that our actions bring God’s presence into the world but their committing violence to do so is completely antithetical to my own beliefs and practices In fact their views are the opposite of what I believe is the essence of Judaism Illustrative photo of a masked Jewish settler with a slingshot in the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar May 19 2013 Mendy Hechtman/Flash90 Some people have suggested that I meet with the people who attacked me and the other volunteers They seem not to understand that their suggestion is predicated on the knowledge that those youth from Yitzhar will suffer no legal repercussions for having violently attacked peaceful unarmed people in the presence of many eyewitnesses I might agree to meet them under one condition — if they were behind bars for assault and battery with a deadly weapon Recently Elizabeth Warren suggested withholding US aid to Israel pending an Israeli commitment to freeze expansion of West Bank settlements On Tuesday Meretz MK Tamar Zandberg called for the evacuation of Yitzhar which she described as “one of the most fertile hotbeds for Jewish terror price tag operations and daily delinquency” Meanwhile transportation minister Bezalel Smotrich of the far-right Tkuma party had the gall to describe violent attacks committed by residents of Yitzhar against Israeli soldiers as “civil disobedience” The American Jewish establishment must wake up and prod the Israeli government to confront the Jewish terrorism that flourishes within the settlement enterprise I hope the Jewish institutions that educated me and the people who raised me with the values and convictions that brought me to Burin will condemn the violent extremists of Yitzhar As soon as I recover I will return to the olive harvest There is work to be done Isaac Johnston graduated from the University of Chicago in June and currently studies at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem He was raised in the Chicago Jewish community and was involved with J Street U and Hillel while in college He plans on making Aliyah after his year in yeshiva Source Article from Related Posts Settlers attack olive harvesters Israeli volunteers in West Bank village Masked settlers uproot olive trees set groves ablaze and beat several Israeli volunteers 300 Israeli settlers violate Aqsa Mosque Israeli forces amp settlers commit 204 human rights violations in past week According to local sources police officers rounded up 16-year-old Mohamed Abul-Hems as he was walking Australian Aboriginals shackled by Jewish Settlers Australian Aboriginals shackled by Jewish Settlers Shackled by the NECK chained together and guarded by To avoid settlers the Israeli army escorts these Palestinian schoolchildren For the past 15 years soldiers have escorted the children of A-Tuba in Hits: 2 The judge who designed the legal foundations of Israel’s occupation October 26th 2019 Jesus Christ ✝ No one personifies the Zionist dissonance more than Meir Shamgar the former president of the Supreme Court who died last week He created the legal provisions for the protection of personal rights while enshrining Israel’s rule over the occupied territories By Michael Sfard Former Supreme Court President Meir Shamgar May 19 2011 Nati Shohat/Flash90 Meir Shamgar the former president of the Supreme Court of Israel died on Oct 18 at the age of 94 having left an indelible signature on the Israeli legal system which he shaped and defined After an illustrious career as military advocate general and attorney general he was appointed to the Supreme Court — first as a judge in 1975 and then in 1983 as its president It was in that position that he presided over the most critical transition in the court’s history since the founding of the state Shamgar is largely responsible for the Israeli judiciary’s reputation as a professional and independent body which is committed to protecting individual freedoms within the Green Line Together with his then-deputy Aharon Barak who succeeded him as president of the Supreme Court Shamgar shaped an activist judiciary that imposed the rule of law on the executive branch establishing the judiciary’s power to invalidate Knesset legislation in cases where it violates the State of Israel’s Basic Law He led a constitutional revolution which political actors are today attempting to crush Over the past week his many colleagues and close friends have described him as a great man of towering intellect and deeply held ethical values who shaped the foundations of a liberal democratic advanced legal system and as the most significant and powerful gatekeeper of the Israeli governmental system This description is correct but incomplete As we know a witness must tell not only the truth but the whole truth And the whole truth is that Shamgar headed two judicial systems — not just one In tandem with the protections he implemented for the important rights and freedoms dear to the Ashkenazi middle class of the time freedom of expression freedom from religious coercion the battle against government corruption Shamgar turned the Supreme Court into an ally of the security establishment ready to assist in strengthening and deepening the other legal system Israel has created – the one that governs the occupied Palestinian territories and the settlement enterprise In that section of Shamgar’s court attorneys and judges utilized and continue to utilize their valuable knowledge and skills to uphold a system that commits brutal and unforgivable violations of human rights Shamgar was himself exiled from Mandatory Palestine by the British who in 1944 sent him to a detention camp in Eritrea for his involvement in the Irgun a pre-state Zionist paramilitary organization And yet as president of the Supreme Court of Israel he legalized the deportation of Palestinian political activists — including those charged only with distributing fliers or of being involved in grassroots community activism He allowed the use of deportation as a tool to break down Palestinian resistance to the occupation As the military advocate general a position to which he was appointed in 1961 Shamgar designed the legal infrastructure by which the Israeli military was to govern territories it occupied a set of military proclamations orders and ordinance which eventually were issued in 1967 and are still today the basis for the legal structure governing the occupation As attorney general he torpedoed legal arguments that would have obligated Israel to apply the Geneva Convention in the occupied territories As a judge he handed down rulings that legalized almost every draconian measure taken by the defense establishment to crush Palestinian political and military organizations and to establish Israeli control over the occupied people and their land for generations Demolition of suspects’ houses rendering their families homeless wholesale use of administrative detentions against Palestinian activists expropriation of lands and the establishment of settlements undemocratic appointments of mayors and the imposition of curfews and taxes — Shamgar sanctioned them all Meir Shamgar personified the Zionist dissonance at its most extreme — the paradox of a movement that is based on the moral ideal that every nation has the right to political freedom even as it denies another nation from that same freedom From his youth and throughout his life Shamgar struggled for the freedom and self-determination of his own people often at great personal sacrifice And yet in his professional capacity as attorney general Supreme Court judge and president of the Supreme Court he vigorously denied those same freedoms to millions of people who belong to another nation Michael Sfard is an attorney who specializes in human rights law and international humanitarian law and the author of ‘The Wall and The Gate: Israel Palestine and the Legal Battle for Human Rights’ This article also appears in Hebrew on Local Call Read it here Source Article from Related Posts In one-off alternative to Birthright J Street lets students focus on occupation WASHINGTON — Over the last two decades Birthright trips to Israel have become a rite A clean energy scheme to entrench a dirty occupation Maureen Clare Murphy Rights and Accountability 12 September 2019 An Israeli company plans to build Open your eyes in Hebron and see the whole of the occupation The settlements checkpoints and walls that have been the reality for Hebron’s Palestinian Washington Sends Arms and Logistic Equipment to Its Occupation Forces in Syria youtube twitter facebook rss Source Article from Netanyahu’s exit could make it harder to fight occupation from the outside Without a cartoon villain to rail against the energy required to end the Hits: 2 Does Boris Johnson really want a general election or does he have something else in mind October 26th 2019 Jesus Christ ✝ It took me a moment to figure out what on earth Boris Johnson was playing at attempting to call a general election just after Parliament had passed the Queen’s Speech The government had set out a plan for what it intends to do with this Parliamentary term got Parliament to rubber-stamp the overall direction and then immediately decided it would prefer not to introduce any of the legislation and have a general election instead READ MORE: UK PM Johnson says he wants early election on December 12 It’s all a bit Grand Old Duke Of York Having marched his MPs through the lobbies to support a domestic agenda Boris Johnson then wants to march them straight back out for a general election Despite having some kind of Parliamentary majority – potentially – for his Brexit deal he wants to risk it all on an election The whole thing didn’t make much sense There would be two alternative ways for Johnson to force a General Election if he really wanted one but he’s declined to do either – choosing instead an option that can easily be blocked by the opposition The whole thing seems somewhat Kafkaesque until the penny drops Also on rtcom Sajid Javid decries UK’s ‘zombie parliament’ insists Tories will get their general election eventually I was playing a chess match last week Finding that I was a move short of being able to carry out my best plan I started looking around for alternatives I found one: a move which I could insert which forced my opponent to deal with a different threat and gave me the necessary ‘time’ to be able to complete the plan Labour clearly doesn’t want a general election that it’s almost certain to lose Of course Johnson knows perfectly well that Labour backbenchers are revolting at the prospect The election isn’t itself the issue Johnson’s strategy is different: it’s nothing to do with Corbyn or Parliament or general elections It’s all about the European Council which was gearing up to insist that the UK must accept the Benn Act extension to January 31 A three-month Brexit extension only made sense from the EU’s perspective in one scenario: if the UK were to hold a general election in that time Three months would be insufficient in law for a second referendum to be forced upon the British people even if there were the political will to do it By manoeuvring Labour into opposing a general election Boris Johnson hopes to focus the EU Council’s attention on that fact It’s a neat trick designed to increase the chances that the UK is only offered a short ‘technical’ extension to Brexit Also on rtcom EU agree in principle on Brexit extension but no date set yet – Commission Johnson saw that the EU Council ‘board’ wasn’t in his favour but by inserting an attempt to call a general election first he increased his chances of keeping any extension as short as possible It may not work but it’s a surprisingly clever plan In chess it’s always a good idea to play moves which give your opponent opportunities to make mistakes The same is true of politics but there’s no guarantee of success The European Council might well insist upon January 31 anyway but if it does what has Boris Johnson actually lost If anything he’s still achieved a minor tactical victory: the Labour Party which has been calling for an election since Johnson became prime minister will now have blocked an election three times For Boris Johnson the early signs are promising A meeting of EU ambassadors this morning broke up without agreement on extension It’s reported that French President Macron sees no point in a three-month extension if it won’t enable a general election Also on rtcom Will Britain leaving the EU break up the UK by George Galloway Even if his ruse fails to sway the European Council in the end Johnson has still caused the Labour Party a minor embarrassment Brexit remains as unpredictable as ever In recent times everything has become about political strategy Whilst Theresa May was blissfully unaware of the nature of such wranglings Boris Johnson is a shrewd operator His deal has significant problems keeping the UK more tied to the EU than many would want but he is determined to deliver By Jonathan Arnott a former independent Member of the European Parliament Think your friends would be interested Share this story! Source Article from Related Posts China releases new photo of mystery ‘Moon glass’ and it’s… something PHOTOS To the untrained eye it appears like just another photo of dirt but with each Kamala Harris gets something right: It’s time to send Big Pharma executives to prison Natural News For the first time that we’re aware Democratic presidential contender Something Snaps: Repo Freezes Again As Overnight Fed Operation Oversubscribed Repo Rate Jumps First it was supposed to be just a mid-month tax payment issue coupled with an Media Yells “Cut!” When Trump Forgets His Lines and Says Something Anti-War Donald J Trump is not an anti-war president as should hardly be necessary to note KFCgate: Something like this can only happen with the full support of the CIA Hits: 2 GQ magazine’s ‘new masculinity’ is men in make-up and dresses VIDEO October 26th 2019 Jesus Christ ✝ GQ stands for ‘Gentlemen’s Quarterly’ but ‘gentlemen’ are a toxic brand in the post-Weinstein world and just don’t sell as many overpriced clothes watches and aftershave as they used to Hence why GQ appears to be trying to distance itself from the gender that’s been buying it for decades GQ is only adding to the confusion because this ‘new masculinity’ looks a lot like old ‘femininity’ And frankly speaking if anyone at GQ thinks men in make-up is new then they should go and watch some heavy metal from the 1980s GQ editor Will Welch has this message for all those men out there who didn’t even know that they needed redefining He says ‘new masculinity’ is “very simple It’s I know who I am and I respect who you are” Has that cleared everything up for you Also on rtcom I am a trans woman – but I think this woke world has gone too far Welch also says “traditional notions of masculinity are being challenged” This is the classic view of a man who shares a bubble with the 5 over the 95 I have absolutely no doubt there are some men who will be grateful that a magazine has given them permission to show off their feminine side the majority are just trying to watch the football in their pants Don’t get angry that’s just a metaphor I’m sure some men prefer baseball or rugby My prediction is the silent majority couldn’t care less who wants to wear mascara and frilly pants one way or the other Of course the inference from Welch and throughout this issue is that until very recently men have been toxic destructive animals and should be ashamed of themselves and ask forgiveness He’s essentially defined a new man as being someone who is nice and tolerant which must mean that the old man your dad for example was none of those things And does that mean that women who know who they are and respect others are behaving like men The front cover of GQ has rapper Pharell in a dress that looks like a sleeping bag Inside the magazine in keeping with the men should be ashamed of themselves theme Pharell more or less pleads for forgiveness for the song which pushed him into the big time It was called ‘Blurred Lines’ and the tone of the lyrics and video were distinctly rapey Some of his earlier lesser known videos were arguably even worse But times have changed and Pharell can see the tide turning so here he is in GQ on the public altar admitting he was wrong in his lucrative past but is now a changed man In a dress Woke won’t hurt your back balance either Also on rtcom So why exactly can’t we call a boat a ‘she’ anymore So does this edition of GQ offer any genuinely useful advice Well there is always this gem from comedian Hannah Gadsby who is also a lesbian: “Hello the men My advice on modern masculinity would be to look at all those traits you believe are feminine and interrogate why you are so obsessed with being the opposite Because this idea that to be a man you have to be the furthest away from being a woman that you possibly can is really weird” Get that men Stop just sitting around being obsessed about being men To answer my previous question no this edition of GQ offers absolutely nothing useful and for god’s sake don’t let your grandad see it Think your friends would be interested Share this story! Source Article from Related Posts The 4 Interlocking California Crime Families Video Source Article from Video: US Troops Remain in Syria to Protect Oil Fields from ‘Terrorists’ The US is planning to keep control of oil fields on the eastern bank of Video: Syrian Army Takes Control of Abandoned US Bases The northeastern Syria ceasefire agreed by Washington and Ankara immediately collapsed Under the terms of The I 30 Japan’s World War II Mission to France video Jonas Alexis – Ian Greenhalgh Kevin Barrett – Bob Nichols Preston James – Michael Shrimpton Carol Duff – Johnny Punish Gabbard Tears Apart Clinton False Narrative Video “Toe The Line Or Be Destroyed”: Tulsi Gabbard Dismantles Establishment ‘Hit-Job’ In Viral Hits: 2 Trump’s Syria ‘oil gambit’ is a crime and what may be worse – a mistake October 26th 2019 Jesus Christ ✝ Earlier this month Trump appeared to have used the impending Turkish invasion to deftly cut the Gordian knot of US presence in Syria citing it as a pretext for pulling out troops that weren’t supposed to be there to begin with – and had long since completed their mission in any case He stood by that decision even as the Washington establishment shrieked about “betrayal” of allied Kurdish militias and was vindicated when a deal worked out by Moscow and Ankara created a solution that benefited everyone – except those in the US still committed to regime change in Damascus that is Also on rtcom Ditch the Kurds grab the oil Trump says US ‘never committed’ to Syrian allies but SecDef says Washington still committed to oil While Trump has not officially renounced the “Assad must go” policy of his predecessor the pullout was supposed to be the end of it in practice The sudden talk about Syrian oil fields however suggests that someone from the “swamp” managed to persuade the president to keep one foot in the endless foreign wars he has pledged to end “We want to keep the oil” Trump said this week to the confusion of everybody Attempting to explain on Thursday he said the oil fields were “held by Islamic State until the United States took them over with the help of the Kurds We will NEVER let a reconstituted ISIS have those fields!” Except there is no sign of IS getting reconstituted or rising from the ashes – and the Syrians rightly regard any US attempt to seize the oil fields as theft and piracy Much has been made of Trump’s own comments from 2011 about the US seizing Iraqi oil as “reimbursement” for the 2003 invasion but that does not appear to be the case here Ironically Trump has boasted recently about his administration making the US into a net exporter of oil and gas so it does not need the Syrian oil The oil fields in question were traditionally used to meet domestic demands and are too small to be interesting to Washington in terms of profit journalist and orientalist Andrey Ontikov told RT One clue might be in the words of US Defense Secretary Mark Esper who said the purpose of keeping the troops in Syria is to “deny access to IS and any other groups that may want to seek that revenue to enable their own malign activities” emphasis added This phrasing is a dead giveaway that the oil gambit is not about IS but about blocking the government in Damascus from using its own natural resources to rebuild Already under a blockade by the US and its EU allies Syria desperately needs the oil to help its people survive the winter “Malign activities” is a phrase Washington often uses in reference to Iran a strategic partner and ally of the Syrian government If that sounds to you like a policy designed by someone from the Washington establishment which has dreamed of regime change in Damascus for the past eight years and greeted Trump’s decision with wailing and gnashing of teeth you are not alone NBC News has even named a possible culprit – retired General Jack Keane a Fox News military analyst who they say gave Trump a briefing about the oil fields Yet Keane has been against any US withdrawal from Syria or the Middle East in general and Trump has ignored his advice in the past in favor of other Fox personalities – such as Tucker Carlson and his frequent guest retired US Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor who both approved of the Syria pullout Also on rtcom ‘Taking legal action’: Iraq pleads with UN to kick unauthorized US forces out of country Critics of the purported plan point out that its illegal So was the US presence in Syria mind you – and their transit through Iraq as well according to Baghdad or the 2003 invasion or… well a number of other things too long to get into here Illegality has never stopped Washington convinced as it is of American exceptionalism Yes the oil gambit would be a crime – but worse than that it would be a mistake By leaving troops in Syria to “keep the oil” whether for or from someone Trump would be snatching defeat from the jaws of victory – and for what Appeasing the very same Washington Swamp he literally just denounced as “human scum” Things have had a way of working out in Trump’s favor and he has described himself as a “stable genius” Yet there is nothing clever or genial about this frankly stupid plan As he himself would say let’s see what happens Nebojsa Malic senior writer at RT Source Article from Related Posts Worse than Facial Recognition – the Next Big Privacy Outrage Privacy campaigners have warned of an “epidemic of facial recognition” use around the UK This Strip Searches and Worse: Heba al-Labadi Among Palestinians Tortured in Israeli Prisons On August 20 Heba Ahmed al-Labadi fell into the dark hole of the Israeli legal IMPEACHMENTgate: The Scandal Is Much Worse amp Plot Much Thicker Than Anyone Knows Iranian scientist’s health condition eyesight getting worse in US prison: Brother The brother of a top Iranian stem cell scientist who has been behind bars in Hollywood’s continued demonization of Russians is worse than during the Cold War To most of you the portrayal of Soviets or Russians – who cares! as Hits: 2 ‘Lucky’ Trump basks in glory of Russia’s landmark security achievement in Syria October 26th 2019 Jesus Christ ✝ Although you wouldn’t think that listening to Trump’s trumpeting about the latest ceasefire worked out by Russia and Turkey The American leader arrogated all praise for the peace accord as being “an outcome created by us the United States… No other nation did this” ‘I saved you!’ Trump tells the same Kurds he left at Turkish forces’ mercy a fortnight ago In Trump’s vainglory he reckons his dubious policy shift earlier this month which many saw as a shameful betrayal of the Kurds was the precursor for the Sochi memorandum creating a new peace corridor in northeast Syria to be overseen by Russia Turkey and Syrian state forces It’s like someone who throws down a basket of eggs Then when someone else comes along and somehow turns the mess into an omelette the original wrecker slaps himself on the back for being a gourmet chef Just before Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the Sochi memorandum this week Ankara was threatening to renew its offensive against Kurdish militants in northeast Syria whom it regards as “terrorists” The offensive which began on October 9 was partially halted last week for a five-day period at the behest of the United States to give its former Kurdish allies time to vacate from a “safe zone” inside Syria which had been demanded by Turkey It was a shaky arrangement with both Turkish and Kurdish sides blaming the other for violations That US-brokered truce was about to collapse this week only for Moscow to produce an innovative and more stable formula for maintaining peace Russia and Turkey are endeavoring now to form joint security patrols along the border while Syrian state forces are given control over other sections which they had previously been deprived of doing by the presence of the US-backed Kurdish militia Syria’s President Assad signed off on the Sochi deal after being briefed by Putin The Russian-brokered ceasefire gives the Kurdish militia one more week to complete their relocation south beyond the 30-km buffer zone requested by Ankara Also on rtcom Trump lifts Turkey sanctions as he claims ALL credit for Syria border de-escalation So Turkey gets its security guarantees without further incursion into Syria The Syrian government regains control of much of its sovereign territory without having to go to war with Turkey The Kurds are assured of not being slaughtered by a Turkish invasion although they will have to cede their ambitions of a state separate from Syria Henceforth the Syrian Kurds will have to engage in negotiations with the central government in Damascus in order to create a mutually acceptable devolved administration for the Kurdish region The Sochi memorandum signed by Russia and Ankara underscores the need to get on with the political process of a new constitutional settlement in Syria which no doubt will involve mapping out a future for the Kurds within the sovereign and intact state of Syria WATCH Russian military police arrive in Manbij amp Kobani after deal on Syrian-Turkey border VIDEOS As for President Trump he has been spared a debacle which threatened to shred his and America’s reputation internationally Trump had effectively given Turkey a green light on October 6 to invade northeast Syria the American president made the surprise announcement that US forces in Syria would no longer protect Kurdish militants whom they had been aligned with for nearly five years There was a hue and cry within the US and internationally over what was deemed to be Trump’s blithe betrayal of the Kurds Trump appeared to acquiesce to Erdogan with his typical transactional calculus of saving costs from paring American troop numbers in Syria as well as using the move as an electioneering opportunity whereby the president could claim he was “bringing our troops home” However Trump’s calculation backfired spectacularly He was condemned by Republicans and Democrats for bringing shame on America by abandoning the Kurds Former US military chiefs were also lambasting the erratic commander-in-chief with one admiral in an op-ed for the New York Times calling for Trump’s ejection from the White House It was tantamount to inciting a coup A security calamity in Syria was looming from Trump’s overrated art of the deal Tens of thousands of civilians were forced to flee their homes to avoid the Turkish onslaught which also involved Turkish-backed militants belonging to disparate groups under the umbrella name of Syrian National Army formerly Free Syrian Army There were fears of ethnic cleansing against the Kurds by these Turkish proxies Also on rtcom ‘Thanks Russia!’: Kurdish military chief welcomes Russian peacekeeping patrols The ceasefire negotiated last week with Erdogan by Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo – who both hurriedly flew to Ankara on a damage-limitation mission – was like a sticking plaster for a potential hemorrhage An all-out war was also on the cards between Turkey and Syria after Damascus denounced Ankara’s “aggression” Only the day before the Sochi agreement was signed the Trump administration’s special envoy to Syria James Jeffrey testified to the House of Representatives that the country was hurtling towards chaos and sharper conflict Jeffrey told a congressional panel about alleged war crimes committed by Turkish forces He also said the turmoil allowed hundreds of Islamic State IS formerly ISIS prisoners and other al Qaeda-type jihadists to go free Trump’s feckless policymaking was threatening to tarnish his presidency with complicity in a genocide and possibly a new war in the Middle East between Syria and Turkey Kurdish military commander Mazloum Abdi decried that his people were being thrown to the mercy of genocide by the US Yet Trump this week declared he saved the Kurds adding that General Mazloum thanked him profusely The US president claimed“countless lives are being saved… because we have done something very very special” In his White House address to the nation taking full credit for the Russia-brokered ceasefire Trump ranted about the proposed safe zone It is worth studying his ignorance of history and lack of understanding about American forces illegally present in Syria “Thousands and thousands of people have been killed in that zone over the years But it’s been sought for many many decades… Turkey Syria and all forms of the Kurds have been fighting for centuries We have done them a great service and we’ve done a great job for all of them And now we’re getting out Long time We were supposed to be there for 30 days That was almost 10 years ago… Let someone else fight over this blood-stained sand” Also on rtcom Turks appeased Kurds saved US gets breathing space: ‘Russia takes on job that US failed at’ in Syria The vacuousness of Trump’s words is astounding The way he tells it Washington has benevolently done its best to keep warring tribes apart and now must leave because the chivalrous American knight is weary of internecine barbarity How about just acknowledging the US’s criminal regime-change wars have created bloody mess after mess in the Middle East Trump was near falling face-first into a mess of his own making He was spared because of Russia’s responsible diplomacy But in his delusional ignorance Trump basks in the glory of another’s achievement Like this story Share it with a friend! Source Article from Related Posts Trump’s Syria ‘oil gambit’ is a crime and what may be worse – a mistake Earlier this month Trump appeared to have used the impending Turkish invasion to deftly cut No Excuses: Trump Fights Impeachment — Fire Lit! This is a critical update from one of the best financial commentators I know a Trump Campaign BEGS Twice Failed Candidate Hillary To Enter 2020 Race: ‘We Would Love It’ As rumors swirl that twice failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is considering a 2020 rematch Beto O’Rourke Claims Trump’s ‘Smirk’ Gave ‘Green Light’ To El Paso Shooter Democrat presidential nominee Beto O’Rourke has blamed President Donald Trump’s “sht eating smirk” for “giving Cornel West Urges ‘Black Folk’ To Protest Trump By ‘Hitting The Streets And Going To Jail’ Harvard professor Cornel West has urged “black folk” to protest President Donald Trump by hitting Hits: 2 Bolton’s Revenge: Former National Security Adviser In Contact With Impeachment Panels October 26th 2019 Jesus Christ ✝ Attorneys John Bolton President Trump’s former National Security Adviser are in discussions with House committees about the possibility of giving a deposition in their impeachment investigations according to CNN !!! John Bolton’s lawyers have consulted with the impeachment inquiry committees about a possible deposition kylieatwood — Shimon Prokupecz ShimonPro October 25 2019 Bolton who some speculated was the original “first-hand” source of the whistleblower complaint which launched the impeachment inquiries was fired after President Trump says he “disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions” …I asked John for his resignation which was given to me this morning I thank John very much for his service I will be naming a new National Security Advisor next week — Donald J Trump realDonaldTrump September 10 2019 According to sources while Trump had been growing displeased with Bolton’s belligerent recommendations and overall demeanor recall “Bolton ‘Deep in His Heart’ Believes Trump Is a ‘Moron’ Former Aide Claims“ the tipping point happened when Bolton expressed his displeasure with Trump’s impromptu invitation of the Taliban to Camp David on the week of the Sept 11 anniversary a peace overture which as we reported over the weekend collapsed in the last moment The New York Times suggested on Thursday that ” Among the star witnesses who could deliver explosive public testimony in front of live television cameras could be John R Bolton the president’s former national security adviser who has been described in testimony as alarmed by what appeared to be pressure on the Ukrainians by Mr Trump and his allies” Source Article from Related Posts ‘Lucky’ Trump basks in glory of Russia’s landmark security achievement in Syria Although you wouldn’t think that listening to Trump’s trumpeting about the latest ceasefire worked out Pentagon to Test 5G at 4 US Bases Despite Warnings From Security Experts The US Navy NASA Doctors Engineers Environmentalists Meteorologists and More October 24 2019 By BN Frank A growing list of credible experts continues to warn FM Zarif Afghan official discuss security issues MNA – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met and held talks with Afghanistan National ‘Leave this soil’: Seoul police ramp up security after protesters break into US ambassador’s residence The Seoul Metropolitan Police agency said Saturday that the number of officers guarding the estate Nuremberg train station shut down for counter-terrorism drill amid security concerns over right-wing extremists VIDEO Hundreds more in support staff were involved in the drills described by Middle Franconia Head Hits: 3 UMich Sentiment Disappoints As Democrats Outlook Hits Lows October 26th 2019 Jesus Christ ✝ After the flash October sentiment survey extended September’s rebound from August’s slump expectations were for the small positive to hold or improve further but the final print was slightly disappointing – dropping from 960 to 955 still up from 932 in September Expectations index rose to 842 vs 834 last month Current economic conditions index rose to 1132 vs 1085 last month Source: Bloomberg As UMich notes the focus of consumers has been on income and job growth while largely ignoring other news The most spontaneous references were to the negative impact of tariffs which fell to 27 in October from last month’s 36 the impeachment inquiry totaled just 2 in October less than the 5 who mentioned a negative impact from the GM strike To be sure the multiple sources of uncertainty will keep consumers focused on potential threats to their prevailing optimism with the most critical being threats that could significantly diminish their job and income prospects Buying conditions for vehicles and large appliances bounced notably not so much that of housing… Source: Bloomberg The middle- and lowest-income cohorts saw sentiment improve the most… Source: Bloomberg And finally the divide between Democrats and Republicans remains wide with those on the left the most unhappy since Trump was elected… Source: Bloomberg Source Article from Related Posts UMich Confidence Rebounds But Democrats Get More Depressed The preliminary UMich data showed a modest rebound in September after August’s collapse and final UMich Survey Shows Depressed Democrats Weighing Down Sentiment After August’s collapse UMich Sentiment survey was expected to bounce a little most notably in UMich Inflation Expectations Spike To 3-Year Highs Following June’s dip in ‘hope’ UMich Sentiment was expected to improve in preliminary July data UMich Confidence Hovers Near Record Highs As Business Sentiment Collapses UMich consumer sentiment continues to hover near its highest levels since 2004 A modest drop UMich: Inflation Expectations Plunge To Record Lows But Buying Conditions Soar University of Michigan’s Sentiment Survey showed that expectations fell in June preliminary data from 16 Hits: 2 Are We Going Deeper Into The Middle-East… Or Coming Out October 26th 2019 Jesus Christ ✝ Authored by Patrick Buchanan via Buchananorg Imperial Capital But America-First Nation “Let someone else fight over this long blood-stained sand” said President Donald Trump in an impassioned defense of his decision to cut ties to the Syrian Kurds withdraw and end these “endless wars” Are our troops in Syria then on their way home Well not exactly Those leaving northern Syria went into Iraq Other US soldiers will stay in Syria to guard oil wells that we and the Kurds captured in the war with ISIS Another 150 US troops will remain in al-Tanf to guard Syria’s border with Iraq at the request of Jordan and Israel And 2000 more US troops are being sent to Saudi Arabia to help defend the kingdom from Iran which raises a question: Are we coming or going In his conflicting statements and actions Trump seemingly seeks to mollify both sides of our national quarrel: Is America still the world’s last superpower with global policing obligations Or should we shuck off this imperial role and make America again in Jeane Kirkpatrick’s phrase “a normal country in a normal time” In Middle America anti-interventionism has carried the day As Trump says no declaration at his rallies is more wildly welcomed than his pledge to end our Middle East wars and bring the troops home But in this imperial capital the voice of the interventionist yet prevails The media the foreign policy elite the think tanks the ethnic lobbies the Pentagon the State Department Capitol Hill are almost all interventionist opposed to Trump’s abandonment of the Kurds Rand Paul may echo Middle America but Lindsey Graham speaks for the Republican establishment Yet the evidence seems compelling that anti-interventionism is where the country is at and the Congress knows it For though the denunciations of Trump’s pullout from Syria have not ceased one detects no campaign on Capitol Hill to authorize sending US troops back to Syria in whatever numbers are needed to enable the Kurds to keep control of their occupied quadrant of that country Love of the Kurds so audible on the Hill does not go that far While surely loud the neocons and liberal interventionists who drown out dissent in DC appear to lack the courage of their New World Order convictions In 1940-41 the anti-interventionists of “America First” succeeded in keeping us out of the world war after Hitler and Stalin invaded Poland in September of 1939 and Britain and France went to war Pearl Harbor united the nation but not until Dec 7 1941 two years later — when America First folded its tents and enlisted Today because both sides of our foreign policy quarrel have powerful constituencies we have paralysis anew reflected in policy We have enough troops in Afghanistan to prevent the Taliban from overrunning Kabul and the big cities but not enough to win the war In Iraq which we invaded in 2003 to oust Saddam Hussein and install a democracy we brought to power the Shia and their Iranian sponsors Now we battle Iran for political influence in Baghdad Across the Middle East we have enough troops planes and ships to prevent our expulsion but not enough to win the wars from Syria to Yemen to Afghanistan Bahrain in the Persian Gulf is the home base of the US Fifth Fleet We have 13000 troops and a major air base at Al Udeid in Qatar US Army Central Command and 13000 US troops are in Kuwait Trump has sent more troops to Saudi Arabia but it was the “infidel” troops’ presence on sacred Saudi soil that was among the reasons Osama bin Laden launched 9/11 To the question “Are we going deeper into the Middle East or coming out” the answer is almost surely the latter Among the candidates who could be president in 2021 — Trump Joe Biden Elizabeth Warren Bernie Sanders — none is an interventionist of the Lindsey Graham school Three are anti-interventionist and anti-war which may help explain why Democrats are taking a second look at Hillary Clinton According to polls Iran is first among the nations that Americans regard as an enemy Still there is no stomach for war with Iran When Trump declined to order a strike on Iran — after an air and cruise missile attack shut down half of Saudi oil production — Americans by their silent acquiescence seemed to support our staying out Yet if there is no stomach in Middle America for war with Iran and a manifest desire to pull the troops out and come home there is ferocious establishment resistance to any withdrawal of US forces This has bedeviled Trump through the three years of his presidency Again it seems a stalemate is in the cards — until there is some new explosion in the Mideast after which the final withdrawal for America will begin as it did for the exhausted British and French empires after World War II That we are leaving the Middle East seems certain Only the departure date is as yet undetermined Source Article from Related Posts Is The US Playing A 4-D Chess Game In The Middle East That No One Understands The decision to withdraw US troops from Syria has been somewhat of a nightmare Greater Middle East Project of Chaos: The Management of Savagery Analysis — Destination Afghanistan was known as the big easy back in the halcyon days How ‘Israel Hayom’ became Trump’s mouthpiece in the Middle East Sheldon and Miriam Adelson are major donors to the Republican party and to Understanding Trump’s ‘Withdrawal’ From Syria And Advocating For Peace In The Middle East Understanding Trump’s ‘Withdrawal’ From Syria And Advocating For Peace In The Middle East President Trump US Out Of Syria And The Middle East US Out Of Syria And The Middle East Above: US Out of the Middle Easr Los Hits: 2 Third-Party Run Tulsi Gabbard Says She Won’t Seek Re-election To Congress October 26th 2019 Jesus Christ ✝ Clearly frustrated by her treatment at the hands of the Democratic Party presidential candidate and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard announced Friday morning that she will “not be seeking re-election to Congress in 2020” the latest sign that Gabbard who hails from Hawaii might be planning a third-party run during the 2020 presidential election In recent days a flurry of stories highlighting Wall Street’s fears of an Elizabeth Warren presidency hinted that Democratic power brokers in the industry are looking for a viable third-party candidate to ensure that Warren who has threatened to hike taxes and break up the biggest banks never becomes president In a 6-minute video Gabbard recounts how she first entered politics participating in Hawaii’s state legislature before becoming a political protege of Hawaiian Sen Daniel Akaka who left office in 2013 After spending some time in Washington working as a top aide to Akaka Gabbard deployed to Iraq with the Hawaii national guard saying she couldn’t stay home and watch as her neighbors went off to fight she eventually served two deployments BREAKING: Rep Tulsi Gabbard D-HI announces that she “will not be seeking reelection to Congress in 2020” pictwittercom/SlH6eSAv5N — Ryan Saavedra RealSaavedra October 25 2019 Gabbard appeared on Sean Hannity’s show the other night to “fight for peace” and accused “warmongering” Hillary Clinton of smearing her as a “traitor” It is just the latest response from the congresswoman to accusations from Clinton who has accused Gabbard of being a Russian agent Gabbard first hit back at Clinton after the 2016 Democratic candidate suggested in a podcast that the congresswoman was “a favorite of the Russians” and was being “groomed” for a third-party candidate Source Article from Related Posts The Untold History of Hillary Clinton’s Vitriol for Tulsi Gabbard In January of 2013 Tulsi Gabbard then just 31 years of age was being promoted A call for a coup in Washington and a week like no other for Tulsi Gabbard There was what might be described as an extraordinary amount of nonsense being promoted by HILLARY CLINTON CANCELS APPEARANCE AT EVENT WHERE TULSI GABBARD IS SPEAKING Hillary Clinton cancelled her appearance at an upcoming event where Democratic Tulsi Gabbard Blasts Hillary Clinton As The ‘Queen Of Warmongers’ Democratic 2020 presidential candidate Rep Tulsi Gabbard slammed Hillary Clinton on Friday as Stand with Tulsi against Clinton’s new McCarthyism and warmongering Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by Hits: 2 « Older Entries |
1 |
|
Jirwani dan Muhammad Wali Ucap Sumpah Sebagai Anggota DPRK Aceh Utara |
1 |
|
North Korea ends nuclear talks with US in Sweden |
1 |
|
ROK: DPRK sent notice over Mt Kumgang facilities’ removal |
1 |
|
Downplaying North Korea’s missile tests risks diplomacy East Asia Forum |
1 |
|
Chinese vice premier stresses friendly communication pragmatic cooperation with DPRK Global Times |
1 |
|
China welcomes DPRK US South Korea leaders’ meeting at DMZ Global Times |
1 |
|
North Korea Tests Anti-Ship Missiles without a Care for America or South Korea |
1 |
|
Eating with the Enemy: How I Waged Peace with North Korea from My BBQ Shack in HackensackEgan Robert |
1 |
|
Trump and Kim can’t fix the US-North Korea problem on their own Brookings |
1 |
|
Bantah Terlibat Mesum Oknum Anggota DPRK Siap Tempuh Jalur Hukum |
1 |
|
North Korea Mailing Database Pack |
1 |
|
Diduga Cemarkan Nama Baik Oknum Anggota DPRK Aceh Timur Dipolisikan |
1 |
|
Over 1000 North Korean refugees have reached freedom through our rescue routes |
1 |
|
North Korea: Why it is Unlikely to Denuclearise RSIS |
1 |
|
Donald Trump might have found the art of a deal with North Korea Brookings |
1 |
|
Help North Koreans reach freedom |
1 |
|
North Korea Email Database |
1 |
|
US may still get another chance of a denuclearisation deal with North Korea this year South China Morning Post |
1 |
|
World looks with hope at Xi’s North Korea visit Global Times |
1 |
|
DPRK Ambassador Meets Director-General for Asia Australia and Oceania of Bulgarian Foreign Ministry |
1 |
|
DPRK-China Friendship Parliamentary Group Delegation Back Home |
1 |
|
Susunan AKD DPRK Simeulue Terbentuk |
1 |
|
Anggota DPRK Aceh Besar Periode 2019-2024 Dilantik |
1 |
|
North Korea proposes talks on destroying South Korean facilities |
1 |
|
Site: Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Costa Rica Cote d’Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Democratic Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equitorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Federal States of Micronesia Fiji Finland France Gabon Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea Norway Of the Congo Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papa New Guinea Paraguay Peru Phillipines Poland Portugal Qatar Republic of Ireland Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand The Bahamas The Gambia The Grenadines Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe |
1 |
|
DPRK’s state media says breakthrough achieved in Kim-Trump meeting Global Times |
1 |
|
Anggota DPRK Aceh Timur Tertangkap Kasus Sabu Abang Kandung Ungkap Dugaan Skenario Unsur Politik |
1 |
|
Rancangan Tatib DPRK Pidie akan Disahkan Setelah Dievaluasi Gubernur |
1 |
|
IELTS Listening: Short Answers: North Korea and One Word |
1 |
|
The Cost of Sanctions on North Korea BESA Center |
1 |
|
Diduga Terkait Narkoba Anggota DPRK Aceh Timur Diamankan Polisi |
1 |
|
Denuclearising North Korea: what must happen next East Asia Forum |
1 |
|
Ini Kata DPRK Aceh Utara Usai Pertemuan Dengan Pertamina Soal Kelangkaan Simon Peringatkan Akun yang Melarangnya Memeluk Islam |
1 |
|
US China will work in spirit of engagement” on DPRK denuclearization: Pence |
1 |
|
North Korea accuses US of spreading Ebola and choosing Africa as |
1 |
|
Japan and South Korea agree on need to cooperate on North Korea – Al Jazeera English |
1 |
|
News Report: ‘Tame’ Trump – 47 Million North Koreans Reportedly Ready to Volunteer for War |
1 |
|
A North Korean Opportunity for America and China |
1 |
|
Shashi Tharoor argues why British Rule destroyed India North Korea amp Liberalism |
1 |
|
North Korea planning new international tourism zone at Mt Kumgang South says |
1 |
|
Donald Trump becomes first sitting US President to go into North Korea |
1 |
|
How the World’s First Floating Hotel ended up as a Doomed Wreck in North Korea |
1 |
|
Dua Pimpinan DPRK Abdya Dilantik Satu Ditunda Karena Persoalan Internal Partai |
1 |
|
Ketua DPRK Hadiri Seminar Nasional Raker APDI |
1 |
|
North Korea in Pictures |
1 |
|
DPRK-China Cooperative Farm |
1 |
|
Pimpinan DPRK Aceh Utara Dilantik Arafat Pimpin Paripurna |
1 |
|
Alat Kelengkapan Sudah Dibentuk DPRK Simeulue Sudah Bisa Bahas Anggaran |
1 |
|
Planned US-S Korean military drill to threaten working-level negotiations DPRK warns Global Times |
1 |
|
North Korea: purges food shortages and the importance of facts The Interpreter |
1 |
|
Liberty in North Korea |
1 |
|
Mahfuddin Ismail Dikukuhkan Sebagai Ketua DPRK Pidie |
1 |
|
41 American troops identified so far from remains returned by North Korea |
1 |
|
North Korea tells South to raze its buildings at flagship resort |
1 |
|
Terkait Rancangan UU KUHP Mahasiswa Gelar Aksi Di Gedung DPRK Gayo Lues |
1 |
|
AllSource Analysis Wins NGA Contract to Identify and Monitor North Korean Military Facilities |
1 |
|
Aktivis Pijay dipastikan Akan Menduduki Kursi DPRK |
1 |
|
Stories from inside North Korea |
1 |
|
How to Deal With North Korea |
1 |
|
24 Okt 2019 17:29:15 WIBDPRK Aceh Jaya Singgung Masalah Muara Panga |
1 |
|
North Korea on a budget |
1 |
|
President Trump’s Made For TV Moment With North Korea’s Kim |
1 |
|
27Jun17 IWWF Visits North Korea to Promote Peace amp Sport Through Waterskiing amp Wakeboarding |
1 |
|
DPRK Mass Games |
1 |
|
The Bizarre Award Given to the Machineries and Equipment in North Korea |
1 |
|
Never before seen real life footage inside of North Korea Documentary |
1 |
|
Chinese president Xi to visit to Pyongyang DPRK IRNA |
1 |
|
North Korea Fires Rockets at Yeonpyeong Island |
1 |
|
North Korea reportedly ‘laundered’ coal through Russia in an apparent breach of sanctions |
1 |
|
Here’s Kim Jong Un posing for photographs at a North Korean spa |
1 |
|
US awarded control over North Korean cargo ship that skirted |
1 |
|
DPRK North Korea |
1 |
|
Kabar Beredar Anggota DPRK Aceh Timur Ditangkap Terkait Kasus Narkoba |
1 |
|
North Korea Fine Tunes its Sea-Based Ballistic Missile Capabilities CSIS |
1 |
|
North Korean foreign ministry official praises special Kim-Trump relationship |
1 |
|
OVERNIGHT TRAIN TO NORTH KOREA weird border town |
1 |
|
North Korea tells South Korea it wants ‘shabby’ Mt Kumgang resort rebuilt |
1 |
|
KIP Aceh Tetapkan Anggota DPRK Aceh Besar Terpilih |
1 |
|
Bridge to Nowhere – how NOT to get to North Korea |
1 |
|
How a Democratic win in 2020 could change US policy on North Korea |
1 |
|
How to keep the ball rolling on North Korean negotiations East Asia Forum |
1 |
|
China welcomes DPRK and US resuming dialogue: spokesperson Global Times |
1 |
|
’People Over Politics’: Shifting the narrative on North Korea |
1 |
|
North Korea a year after the Singapore summit East Asia Forum |
1 |
|
Anggota DPRK Aceh Selatan Jadi Saksi Dugan Kasus P |
1 |
|
Project Sandstone Report 4: North Korea’s Coal Smuggling Networks Using UK Companies |
1 |
|
South Korean president warns North Korea missile launches may hamper dialogue — Yonhap TASS |
1 |
|
Dugaan Pencemaran Nama Baik FAKSI Resmi Polisikan Oknum Anggota DPRK Aceh |
1 |
|
Pimpinan Definitif DPRK Langsa Dilantik Pekan Depan Unsur dari Partai Aceh Belum Punya SK |
1 |
|
North Korean Military Parades |
1 |
|
Ketua DPRK Aceh Barat tolak pengadaan mobil |
1 |
|
North Korea Accused of Continuing Nuclear Program |
1 |
|
Right now there are more North Korean refugees ready to make the dangerous journey to freedom That’s not possible without your help |
1 |
|
‘It was like war’: North Korea v South Korea ends in goalless draw |
1 |
|
North Korean Defector Exposes The Shocking Truth About Kim Jong Un – Even Trump Is Horrified |
1 |
|
Ketua Dan Wakil Ketua DPRK Gayo Lues Masa Jabatan 2019-2024 Resmi |
1 |
|
Dua Pimpinan DPRK Abdya Disumpah Satu dari PNA Ditunda |
1 |
|
S Korea expresses worry about DPRK’s projectile launches |
1 |
|
Dugaan Pencemaran Nama Baik FAKSI Resmi Polisikan Oknum Anggota DPRK Aceh Timur |
1 |
|
USA vs North Korea Who will win |
1 |
|
North Korea’s implicit sanctions bargain East Asia Forum |
1 |
|
DPRK-China cooperative farm witnesses bumper autumn harvest |
1 |
|
Kim Jong Un tours new North Korean ‘socialist’ spa resort |
1 |
|
Rapat Paripurna Istimewa DPRK Bireuen |
1 |
|
Perspective: North Korea’s threatNorth Korea Missile Tests “Very Standard” to Trump Show Signs of Advancing Arsenal |
1 |
|
Hasil Kualifikasi MotoGP Aragon 2019 Marc Marquez Rebut Pole Ditangguhkan Nurdianto dan Hendra Fadli Resmi Jabat Pimpinan DPRK Abdya |
1 |
|
Anggota DPRK Aceh Selatan Periode 2019-2024 Resmi Dilantik |
1 |
|
DPRK sends notice to discuss removal of facilities in Mount Kumgang: S Korea |
1 |
|
US awarded control over North Korean cargo ship that skirted economic TMX pipeline could fund 500 million a year in clean energy projects |
1 |
|
North Korea US Should Lower Threshold Talks South |
1 |
|
North Korea Travel Guide |
1 |
|
25 Anggota DPRK Abdya Terpilih Jalani Tes Urine Ini Hasilnya |
1 |
|
Arafat dan Hendra Yuliansyah Resmi jadi Ketua-Wakil Ketua DPRK Aceh Utara |
1 |
|
Priyom reverse-engineers North Korean DPRK-ARQ diplomatic modem |
1 |
|
DPRK Budget |
1 |
|
Diduga Bawa Sabu Oknum DPRK Aceh Timur Ditangkap |
1 |
|
North Korean Official Reportedly Purged Seen Back In Public Alongside Kim Jong Un |
1 |
|
1 Bedrooms for Rent in North Korea |
1 |
|
North Korea at a Nuclear Crossroads BESA Center |
1 |
|
Latest Articles from North Korea |
1 |
|
Will North Korea attack the US |
1 |
|
Time to internationalise diplomacy with North Korea East Asia Forum |
1 |
|
North Korean street eats – 2 days chasing street food! |
1 |
|
Anggota DPRK dan Wakil Walikota Buka Feraria |
1 |
|
Kim Jong Un visits ‘peculiar and absolutely perfect’ North Korean spa town – CNN |
1 |
|
North Korea has been holding a Russian ship and its crew for one week |
1 |
|
Trump’s North Korean Appeasement Project-Syndicate |
1 |
|
5 Interesting Facts About North Korea’s Economy |
1 |
|
Arafat Ali Pimpinan Difinitif DPRK Aceh… |
1 |
|
US may accuse North Korea in Bangladesh cyber heist: WSJ |
1 |
|
Just why is the North Korean status quo so persistent The Interpreter |
1 |
|
Ketua Dan Wakil Ketua DPRK Gayo Lues Masa Jabatan 2019-2024 Resmi Dilantik |
1 |
|
US sanctions Chinese firm tied to North Korea’s nuclear program |
1 |
|
Muzakarah Ulama Aceh Selatan Lahirkan 7 Ditangguhkan Nurdianto dan Hendra Fadli Resmi Jabat Pimpinan DPRK Abdya |
1 |
|
North Korea to close down atomic test site in May bring together time zone |
1 |
|
Mengapa Wakil Ketua DPRK Aceh Utara dari PNA Belum Dikukuhkan |
1 |
|
DPRK Specialist Tours |
1 |
|
Keluhkan Kepedulian Perusahaan Forum Keuchik dan Pemuda Lingkungan Eks PT Arun Audiensi ke DPRK Lhokseumawe |
1 |
|
Netizen Opinion and China’s Foreign Policy Interpreting Narratives about North Korea on Chinese Social Media |
1 |
|
News Story: Can North Korea shoot down a US military aircraft |
1 |
|
DPRK Pyongyang Marathon |
1 |
|
The pitfalls of North Korea’s summitry spectacle The Interpreter |
1 |
|
North Korea’s increasing interest in cry |
1 |
|
Xi’s visit to North Korea comes at a crucial juncture Global Times |
1 |
|
Kim Jong-un supervised North Korean army’s military exercises on May 9 |
1 |
|
Parlementaria Dua Pimpinan DPRK Abdya Dilantik Satu Ditunda Karena Persoalan Internal Partai |
1 |
|
Diduga Cemarkan Nama Baik FAKSI Polisikan Seorang Oknum Anggota DPRK Aceh |
1 |
|
These photos are not edited — this is North Korea |
1 |
|
North Korean Song ‘We Will Glorify Our Conviction Of Victory!’ |
1 |
|
North Korea fires ‘new short-range missile’ into sea |
1 |
|
DPRK-USA Summit |
1 |
|
HD United States – North Korea Singapore Summit Video – A Story of Op |
1 |