Sic Semper Tyrannis

Mental Hygiene - TTG

I’ve often sung the praises of the act of reading the local newspaper. Since I’ve retired, I’ve engaged in the morning ritual of putting the kettle on the boil, walking out to the mailbox to fetch the morning paper and then leisurely reading that paper with a mug of tea. No TV. No radio. No internet. It’s a form of meditation or prayer, perhaps in the Ignatian tradition. 

The following story was on the front page of my morning paper. The editors thought it was of such significance that we, the readers in the Fredericksburg area, should pay it some attention. I’m glad they made that call. Everything about this story was nourishing to my soul. I hope some of my fellow correspondents in this committee also find it as pleasing.

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Horse in a hayloft freed by Culpeper County rescue team

By Allison Brophy   Champion Culpeper Star-Exponent   Nov 29, 2018

Enticed by piles of fresh food, a horse on a farm near Luray this week pushed her way into a barn and trotted up the stairs to the hayloft for a prolonged breakfast. Getting “Holly”—a 12-year-old Welsh Percheron cross—down would prove much more challenging, requiring heavy equipment and the assistance of Culpeper County’s own Little Fork Volunteer Fire & Rescue Large Animal Rescue Team—the only volunteer team of its type in all of Virginia.

The four-hour rescue ended successfully, but only after careful planning and maneuvering. “It’s a challenge to rescue an animal that could possibly harm or kill you. It’s just totally different from anything else that we do,” said Little Fork Fire Chief Doug Monaco, one of four from the local company who responded to Monday’s call, about an hour away. “For us to come up on an animal that’s trapped or trapped and injured, they’re under duress, they’re not going to act like they do when they’re just standing there.” 

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Read the rest of this gripping tale at the online edition of the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. This is the kind of story that should be made into a richly illustrated children’s book. Holly of Page County could easily be as famous as Misty of Chincoteague. There are more photos and the rescue team’s own account of the day’s events on the Facebook page of the Little Fork Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company. If for nothing else, there are several photos of a fine looking little barn. I spent a lot of time in barns in my youth. That's my family barn below.

TTG

https://www.fredericksburg.com/news/local/culpeper/horse-in-a-hayloft-freed-by-culpeper-county-rescue-team/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/littlefork/ 

Felix Sater--The Rosetta Stone for the FBI/CIA Conspiracy Against Trump? by Larry Johnson

Felix Sater may be the Rosetta Stone to unlocking the conspiracy between the FBI and the CIA to destroy the candidacy and, later, the Presidency of Donald Trump. I write this after reading the latest indictment of Michael Cohen, who entered a plea agreement and confessed to lying about a real estate deal in Russia. It turns out that Felix Sater figured prominently in this deal.

Sater is not named in the charging statement filed by the Special Prosecutor but Felix Sater matches the description of “Individual 2.” The charging statement clearly shows that Sater played a key role in trying to promote contacts with the Russians, including Vladimir Putin:

COHEN and Individual 2 discussed efforts to obtain Russian governmental approval for the Moscow Project. (page 5)

COHEN and Individual 2 discussed on multiple occasions traveling to Russia to pursue the Moscow Project. (page 5)

On or about May 4, 2016, Individual 2 wrote to COHEN,“I had a chat with Moscow. ASSUMING the trip does happen the question is before or after the convention . . . Obviously the pre-meeting trip (you only) can happen anytime you want but the 2 big guys where [sic] the question. I said I would confirm and revert.” (page 6)

On or about May 5, 2016, Individual 2 followed up with COHEN and wrote, “[Russian Official 1] would like to invite you as his guest to the St. Petersburg Forum which is Russia’s Davos it’s June 16-19. He wants to meet there with you and possibly introduce you to either [the President of Russia] or [the Prime Minister of Russia], as they are not sure if 1 or both will be there. . . . He said anything you want to discuss including dates and subjects are on the table to discuss.”

On or about May 6, 2016, Individual 2 asked COHEN to confirm those dates would work for him to travel. COHEN wrote back, “Works for me.”

From on or about June 9 to June 14, 2016, Individual 2 sent numerous messages to COHEN about the travel, including forms for COHEN to complete. However, on or about June 14, 2016, COHEN met Individual 2 in the lobby of the Company’s headquarters to inform Individual 2 he would not be traveling at that time.

The day after COHEN’s call with Assistant 1, Individual 2 contacted him, asking for a call. Individual 2 wrote to COHEN, “It’s about [the President of Russia] they called today.”

Trump's foreign policy is run by neocons. (Editorial)

Melania was right when she told an interviewer in Africa that her husband is surrounded by enemies within his administration.  These are people who either opposed him during the 2016 campaign season or who signed up early in the campaign with an expectation that they could get jobs in a Trump Administration and in both cases understood that a president not accustomed to thinking seriously about other than business hustle could be manipulated or deceived in pursuit of their own agenda rather than his or that of the "deplorables." 

These people are the neocon incubi and succubi who seek an even more dominant hegemonic role in the world for the US.  They are out and out imperialists of a kind not seen since the time of McKinley and the US-Filipino War.

The Democratic campaign for president in 2016 was filled with such people from the start but then, Hillary herself is an arch-neocon and still pursues that agenda.

Bolton, Pompeo, his new helpmate Mary Kissel, dozens and dozens of Obama globalist holdovers, and people who find Trump's boorish ways repulsive, they all are undermining the administration from within and Trump does nothing about it.  He is in fact detestably boorish but is that a reason to betray the oath you took to serve in his government?  I think not.

Is Trump competent in such matters as tax policy, regulatory reform and trade negotiations ?  I think he is, but he is allowing the neocons to destroy the possibility of rational political relations in Europe and the Middle East.

To quote a great president, "I grieve for my country when I think that God is just." TJ Jefferson

pl

Michael Cohen pleads guilty again, this time to the Mueller group

By Robert Willmann

As has by now been plastered all over the mass media, Michael Cohen, a former attorney for president Donald Trump, today went into federal court in Manhattan, New York City, to plead guilty as part of a deal in a second case, filed this time by the "special counsel" Robert Mueller group.  Also as before, the deal was telegraphed by a "John Doe" paper filed yesterday in a U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York--

https://turcopolier.typepad.com/files/michaelcohen_johndoe_notice.pdf

The charging document is once again an "information", since it was agreed to and not the result of a grand jury indictment.  It alleges that Cohen made false statements to the U.S. Congress directed to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence about a "branded property in Moscow, Russia", obviously referring to a Trump property, and is based on Title 18, U.S. Code, section 1001(a) and (c), the proverbial false statement statute [1]--

https://turcopolier.typepad.com/files/michaelcohen_charging_doc_2nd_case.pdf

Since he was pleading guilty through the agreed charging paper filed today, he signed a waiver giving up his right to be charged by an indictment for a felony--

https://turcopolier.typepad.com/files/michaelcohen_waiver_of_indictment.pdf

Here is the plea bargain agreement, which at this time has not been filed in the court clerk's file--

https://turcopolier.typepad.com/files/michaelcohen_plea_agreement_2nd_case.pdf

Page 8 of the plea agreement indicates that Cohen talked to the Mueller group at least on 7 August 2018, 12 and 18 September, 8 and 17 October, and 12 and 20 November.

His lawyer filed a letter requesting that this new case be consolidated with his other criminal case in the Southern District of New York, and be transferred to Judge William Pauley III, in whose court the earlier case is pending--

https://turcopolier.typepad.com/files/michaelcohen_transfer_request.pdf

Cohen is presently scheduled to be sentenced on 12 December 2018.  The request to transfer the case was granted, as noted on the court clerk's docket sheet--

 

His "gut," and not his brain is how he runs everything?

Yes.  Trump says that is how he "rolls."  The indicators that this is true are everywhere.  He does not believe what the "swampies" tell him.  He listens to the State Department, the CIA, DoD, etc. and then acts on ill informed instinct and information provided by; lobbies, political donors, foreign embassies, and his personal impressions of people who have every reason to want to deceive him.

As I wrote earlier he sees the world through an entrepreneurial hustler's lens.  He crudely assigns absolute dollar values to policy outcomes and actions which rarely have much to do with the actual world even if they might have related to the arena of contract negotiations.  He evidently learned about balance sheets at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and wishes to apply the principle of the bottom line to everything.

I will guess that he resisted taking elective courses in the Humanities as much as he could believing them to be useless.  That is unfortunate since such courses tend to provide context for present day decisions.  I have known several very rich businessmen of similar type who sent their children to business school with exactly that instruction with regard to literature, history, philosophy, etc.

From an espionage case officer's perspective he is an easy mark.  If you are in regular contact with him, all that is needed to recruit him is to convince him that you believe in the "genius" manifested in his mighty ego and swaggering bluster and then slowly feed him what you want him to "know."  That does not mean that he has been recruited by someone or something but the vulnerability is evident.

IMO the mistake he has made in surrounding himself with neocons and other special pleaders, people like Pompeo and Bolton is evidence that he is very controllable by the clever and subtle.  pl

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/11/27/president-trumps-full-washington-post-interview-transcript-annotated/?utm_term=.5172b1459bbf

https://southfront.org/trump-good-us-saudi-relations-are-important-for-israel/

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/us-troops-to-remain-in-middle-east-for-israel-trump/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balance_sheet

The Insight Lander

IMO everyone should consider this lander and the landing itself to be a roaring success.  Perhaps you think the whole space exploration thing to be a waste of time, money and talent.  I do not.  I consider the funds to be well spent as seed money for future benefits as many spinoffs of the space programs have proven to be so far.

I watched the landing coverage.  It was thrilling and inspirational.  It was perfection disguised as a flawed human enterprise.  The lander itself is a Martian geology platform loaded with seismic measurement instruments and the like.  I have no idea what all the little gadgets are around the main lander.  If anyone can tell us, please do so.  pl

Aid for Central America - been there, done that. - Re-posted 26 November 2018

 

I just listened to Geraldo Rivera slobber with emotion on "The Five" over the unwillingness of the US Government to allow one and all Latinos to immigrate to the US.  One and all!  I remember Rivera as the man who said tearily that he cared about 9/11  because he was from New York City.  And early in the Afghan War he once broadcast from the field while cowering behind a tank claiming that battle noise that was audible was an action nearby.  In fact the fight he referred to was 400 miles away.  He later admitted that.  Among his blubber points tonight  about tear gassed babies he mentioned that the US should try to help the Central American countries.  In fact the US has been in the business of promoting development in CA since the Kennedy Administration. I know I was there then, been there did that.  Hardly any of this ever works in CA because the latifundistas and other gente decente won't have it.   They like their grip on power and the abject dependency of the peones and campesinos.  A Jordanian general officer whom I once escorted to Ft. Bliss, Texas visited Ciudad Juarez and then told me that we Americans had a duty to conquer the s-----le  countries south of us and rule them justly.  I laughed and told him that we had tried similar things several times.  pl

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"The Alliance for Progress"

" The program was signed at an inter-American conference at Punta del Este, Uruguay, in August 1961. The charter called for:

• an annual increase of 2.5% in per capita income,
• the establishment of democratic governments,
• the elimination of adult illiteracy by 1970
• price stability, to avoid inflation or deflation
• more equitable income distribution, land reform, and
• economic and social planning.^[3][4]

First, the plan called for Latin American countries to pledge a capital investment of $80 billion over 10 years. The United States agreed to supply or guarantee $20 billion within one decade.^[4]

Second, Latin American delegates required the participating countries to draw up comprehensive plans for national development. These plans were then to be submitted for approval by an inter-American board of experts.

Third, tax codes had to be changed to demand "more from those who have most" and land reform was to be implemented.^[3]

 

Incident in the Kerch Strait - TTG

Earlier today Russian Navy, Coast Guard and Aerospace Forces intercepted and captured three Ukrainian vessels as they attempted to pass through the Kerch Strait en route to Mariupol. Russian authorities claim the Ukrainians failed to coordinate the passage and illegally entered Russian territorial waters. Ukraine claims their ships were illegally seized during a routine transit of the Strait. A detailed account of the incident, including a video of the deftly executed collision with the tugboat, can be read on the SouthFront site and many other sites by now.

These types of incidents occur from time to time. Remember the Navy patrol boats seized by the Iranians? They’re eventually resolved after much huffing and puffing and diplomatic activity. What strikes me about this incident is the lengths the Russians went to in stopping one Ukrainian tugboat and two small gunboats. The passage under the Kerch bridge was blocked by a large cargo ship. Two each Su-25 aircraft and Ka-52 attack helicopters flew overhead. The surface fleet consisted of several Sobol and Mangust class fast patrol craft, and a Svetlak class corvette. That tugboat was not going to pass through the Strait or get close to that new Crimean Bridge. Was there more to this than a mere provocation or coordination SNAFU? The following anonymous comment is from a SouthFront article. It may be just a conspiracy theory from a tinfoil hat wearing crazy. The commenter definitely has a flair for the dramatic. It may be disinformation. But what if there’s some truth in it? If so, holy crap!

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Very important Info appeared briefly on Russian media (before being scrubbed) that a NATO SADM, possibly a Diver deployable device, was being transported by Ukrainian and British Special Forces to the Kerch Straight to be used on the Crimean bridge. The device was being tracked by the Russians and they knew it had been loaded on to a Ukrainian Tug (escorted by 5 warships!! - 3 in the Black Sea, including one NATO vessel, and 2 waiting in the Sea of Azov).

This is why the Russians acted!

They never react with force and have never blockaded the Sea of Azov. Ground attack jets and Helicopter gunships, plus a warship armed with ASM and Torpedos were waiting.

This level of force would not be used just for a tug and a few old Ukrainian ships. But a tug carrying a tactical nuclear device about to bring down one of the worlds most strategic bridges, a bridge hated by NATO - as per the recent Op Ed in the 'Washington Examiner' (Ukraine should bomb the Crimean Bridge).

Ukraine regularly provokes Russia to little effect, but today the Russians acted to stop a terrible event.

Ukraine is now in panic mode and there may be direct NATO intervention if the to cover this, if the Russians make this public.

The device may have come from the UK. 

The UK have been psychologically preparing their people for a war with Russia.

The SADM explosion would have brought down the bridge and melted the foundations, but looked like a conventional IED blast from above due to the underwater detonation and relatively low yield of less than 1KT.

This was a WW3 level provocation STOPPED by the Russian FSB and SF's!

All traces of these reports are being scrubbed as I write!

Get this out before the story is completely scrubbed.

I will not contact you again.  (SouthFront comments)

TTG

https://southfront.org/russia-ukraine-black-sea-military-crisis-on-the-brink-of-war/

https://southfront.org/poroshenko-regime-is-provoking-conflict-with-russia-in-waters-off-crimea/

The Saudis will not accept punishment.

I have been asked to give my view as to whether or not the Saudi theocracy would accept punitive measures in response to their confessed murder by government personnel of Kashoggi. 

In my opinion they will not.  They believe that they, not the Jews, are the chosen people of God and that it is their destiny to establish the dominance of the 'Umma  (God's community) over the Peoples of the Book (Ahl al-kitab) and the other assorted populations of the earth.  To accept punishment for killing the apostate Kashoggi would be to deny the Ummah' its place in God's plan for mankind.

John Abizaid is nominated to be ambassador to Saudi Arabia.  His "legend" holds that he is a miracle worker with the Arabs, but that is all BS.  He is a descendant of Christian Lebanese.  Such people are servants of the Wahhabis in Saudi Arabia.  He learned his Arabic in the US Army.  I would love to test his actual proficiency.  The Saudi establishment welcomes his appointment.  They think that enough money, offered in various paths will deal with him.

What do I think we should do about MBS?  IMO we should use every possibility to turn the royal family against him.  He has alienated many.  Gina Haspel should get busy using wusta (intermediaries) across the world to tell the Saudi nomenklatura that their financial interests will suffer mightily if he is allowed to continue as effective head of government.  pl

The US Armed Forces are not a line in Trump's balance sheet

If I read the Tweet right, Trump today wrote that the US is entitled to "fair payment for the excellent protection we provide" to foreign countries.  Someone should tell him that all the world is not a marketplace where government services are sold abroad to the highest bidder.

NATO is an alliance in which the US is a partner, but not a business partner.  the NATO countries agreed some time ago to make their own defense expenditures be a minimum of 2% of their GDP.  This is not a payment to the US, but it would seem that Trump actually wants to be paid as if the US Armed Forces were a security company the services of which could be made into a profit center for the business that he seems to imagine the US Government to be.

The German mercenary soldiers the king brought to America have long been despised in the US.  Does the present Commander in Chief think we are no better than they?  pl

Open Thread 24 November 2018

pl

"THE CHIMERA OF DONALD TRUMP, RUSSIAN MONEY LAUNDERER"

Larry has written from his refuge to ask to have this posted.  PL

*********** 

Is Donald Trump guilty of money laundering? If you ask most Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans, they fervently believe that he has been moving money for Russian mobsters for more than twenty years and that an investigation of this will bring Trump’s Presidency to an end. Don’t count on it. Although there is clear evidence of Trump’s past relationship with Russian/American mobsters, knowing someone or collaborating on a business deal is not proof of money laundering. I have spent three decades investigating money laundering cases (I helped develop the civil money laundering case against Philip Morris—click here) and it is clear to me that those who are earnestly accusing Trump of such a crime do not understand what constitutes money laundering.

Apart from not understanding how to make a money laundering case, the anti-Trumpers have failed to grasp another key element to the narrative that Trump was a puppet to the Russians—one of his longtime Russian business associates, Felix Sater, was an FBI informant during the entire time that Robert Mueller was FBI Director. Since Sater was a fully signed up FBI informant or asset, he was in a unique and powerful position to implicate Trump. But none of the “evidence” uncovered or planted by Sater ever produced an indictment of Donald Trump. With the benefit of hindsight it appears that the FBI, relying on Sater, used Trump and his organization as bait to go after Russian mobsters.

The Democrat case for Trump’s money laundering is laid out in a complaint the Democratic National Committee filed in April 2018 against the Russians, Julian Assange and Trump:

"Beginning in 2003, Trump engaged in multiple real estate deals with the Bayrock Group, a firm founded and run by Soviet emigres, who reportedly had close ties to the Russian government and Russian organized crime. In 2004, Trump negotiated with the Deputy Mayor of Moscow over a potential real estate development. In the mid-2000s, Trump partnered with wealthy Russian-Canadian businessmen to develop real estate in Toronto. And in 2006, Trump contracted with the Russian Standard Corporation, a Moscow-based entity that owns and operates the Miss Russia beauty pageant, to allow the winner of the pageant to compete in Trump's Miss Universe pageant, an action that had not been taken since at least 2002. In 2008, Trump sold a Palm Beach, Florida mansion to a Russian oligarch for a $54 million profit. In 2013, Trump established a business relationship with Russian oligarch Aras Agalarov, a close ally of Putin, to bring the Miss Universe pageant to Russia and work on plans to develop a Trump-branded project in Moscow. . . ."

As Trump, Jr. explained, the Trump Organization "s[aw] a lot of money pouring in from Russia," and "Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of our assets." And Trump's son Eric Trump has reportedly stated that substantial funding for Trump's golf courses comes from Russian investors.

I do not know who was advising the DNC on this complaint, but it is clear that the drafter or drafters do not have a clue about money laundering. Money laundering is very easy to define:

The act of disguising the source or true nature of money obtained through illegal means.

The key element is the phrase, “illegal means.” If you are going to be charged as a participant or accesory in a money laundering case, you must be handling or receiving money that came from a criminal activity, such as trafficking in drugs, arms or people. So here’s the critical question with respect to Donald Trump and money laundering—what was the predicate crime?

Larry has written from his refuge to ask to have this posted.  PL

*********** 

Is Donald Trump guilty of money laundering? If you ask most Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans, they fervently believe that he has been moving money for Russian mobsters for more than twenty years and that an investigation of this will bring Trump’s Presidency to an end. Don’t count on it. Although there is clear evidence of Trump’s past relationship with Russian/American mobsters, knowing someone or collaborating on a business deal is not proof of money laundering. I have spent three decades investigating money laundering cases (I helped develop the civil money laundering case against Philip Morris—click here) and it is clear to me that those who are earnestly accusing Trump of such a crime do not understand what constitutes money laundering.

Apart from not understanding how to make a money laundering case, the anti-Trumpers have failed to grasp another key element to the narrative that Trump was a puppet to the Russians—one of his longtime Russian business associates, Felix Sater, was an FBI informant during the entire time that Robert Mueller was FBI Director. Since Sater was a fully signed up FBI informant or asset, he was in a unique and powerful position to implicate Trump. But none of the “evidence” uncovered or planted by Sater ever produced an indictment of Donald Trump. With the benefit of hindsight it appears that the FBI, relying on Sater, used Trump and his organization as bait to go after Russian mobsters.

The Democrat case for Trump’s money laundering is laid out in a complaint the Democratic National Committee filed in April 2018 against the Russians, Julian Assange and Trump:

"Beginning in 2003, Trump engaged in multiple real estate deals with the Bayrock Group, a firm founded and run by Soviet emigres, who reportedly had close ties to the Russian government and Russian organized crime. In 2004, Trump negotiated with the Deputy Mayor of Moscow over a potential real estate development. In the mid-2000s, Trump partnered with wealthy Russian-Canadian businessmen to develop real estate in Toronto. And in 2006, Trump contracted with the Russian Standard Corporation, a Moscow-based entity that owns and operates the Miss Russia beauty pageant, to allow the winner of the pageant to compete in Trump's Miss Universe pageant, an action that had not been taken since at least 2002. In 2008, Trump sold a Palm Beach, Florida mansion to a Russian oligarch for a $54 million profit. In 2013, Trump established a business relationship with Russian oligarch Aras Agalarov, a close ally of Putin, to bring the Miss Universe pageant to Russia and work on plans to develop a Trump-branded project in Moscow. . . ."

As Trump, Jr. explained, the Trump Organization "s[aw] a lot of money pouring in from Russia," and "Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of our assets." And Trump's son Eric Trump has reportedly stated that substantial funding for Trump's golf courses comes from Russian investors.

I do not know who was advising the DNC on this complaint, but it is clear that the drafter or drafters do not have a clue about money laundering. Money laundering is very easy to define:

The act of disguising the source or true nature of money obtained through illegal means.

The key element is the phrase, “illegal means.” If you are going to be charged as a participant or accesory in a money laundering case, you must be handling or receiving money that came from a criminal activity, such as trafficking in drugs, arms or people. So here’s the critical question with respect to Donald Trump and money laundering—what was the predicate crime?

Blood on the Border?

 "Trump has the legal authority to determine that its deployment is necessary. For a start, there should be very little legal controversy in the military's employment to defend the border against an unlawful incursion by foreign nationals. The defense of territory and persons, after all, is the primary responsibility of the Department of Defense. But while there are noted precedent exclusions to Posse Comitatus that allow the military to support civilian authorities in matters relating to national disasters and counterterrorism etc., there are other authorities also relevant here — specifically, the provisions under federal law as vested under Title 10, Chapter 13 of the U.S. code. "  Washington Examiner

-----------

As I have previously written, the Posse Comitatus Act does not apply to use of troops, Regular Army, USMC or National Guard in  situations involving defense of the borders of the United States.

The Posse Comitatus Act was the product of the end of military occupation of the former Confederate States of America.  When Southern congressmen regained their seats in Washington they insisted on the passage of a law that would prevent future use of federal troops as an occupation army.  Their anger over the occupation was such that they also prevented the appropriation of funds for the purpose of paying the commissioned officers of the US Army for two consecutive years in the 1870s. 

Defense of the frontier is not enforcement of civil law.

This could easily become a human catastrophe in the event of an attempt on the part of migrants to force their way across the border.  In such an event the migrants may push the women and children out in front to screen the men. If they then attack CBP and Border Patrol police the troops supporting the police will probably fire on them.   pl 

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/yes-trump-really-has-authority-to-use-military-force-at-the-border

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posse_Comitatus_Act

RUSSIAN FEDERATION SITREP 22 NOVEMBER 2018 (by Patrick Armstrong)

VICTORY! I've been waiting a decade for Washington to explain that the Ossetia war was actually a triumph for it. And here it is at last. American efforts resulted in "the Russians withdrawing to their start positions." Well, they never intended to occupy Georgia. The same official then creatively blames Assad for "producing" ISIS. A complete echo chamber of delusion.

SANCTIONS. Bloomberg calculates that the Russian economy is about 10% smaller than it forecasted it would be in 2013. It reckons that about six percentage points of the decrease are due to Western sanctions and the rest to other factors. In short, sanctions have hurt but not as much as all that. I have long believed that this is transitory pain which will pay off later. For example, the increase in Russian food production has been remarkable. It would be interesting to see Bloomberg do an estimate for the cost to the EU: plenty of estimates out there, some as high as €100 billion. The point is that Russia wasn't such a big market for the EU, but it was one of the few that was growing.

CORRUPTION. We are told that 300 police officers have been fired this year after complaints from citizens. There were 45,000 complaints. VTsIOM reports that trust in the police has dropped ten points since last year's all-time high of 67%. Better than the old days when trust was under 50%; so, more work to be done, but work is being done. Corruption is a tricky subject, often treated too simply, I believe.

DIPLOMACY. Russia is trying to fix Libya and Afghanistan. I think it's time to start contemplating the thought that Moscow might have some soft power.

WAR. A recent report comes as close as we will ever see to an admission that the USA would lose a war with either Russian or China on their home turf. This comes on the heels of a report showing that a large number of key defence components manufacturers are not secure and an earlier one that said many US weapons systems are vulnerable to hacking. These are consequences of endless wars in MENA, twenty years of poking Russia and China and unilateralism. Surely the rational conclusion would be that Washington should start rethinking things from the bottom up. Nope, more of the same is the answer: "The report also called for an expansion of the current $716 billion defense budget."

THE LATEST. "GPS glitches during NATO’s largest war games in decades blamed on (DRUM ROLL) Russia". Maybe. Russia is preparing for a war and, without GPS, NATO ground and air forces would be pretty helpless. So maybe a teeny tiny test to see if jammers worked. On the other hand, excuses are cheap and the exercise was not a very happy experience for Norway.

WESTERN VALUES™. Over the years I have grown drearily accustomed to human rights organisations being co-opted – weaponised is the fashionable word – by the Western war party (MSF, Pussy Riot and the rest) and have pretty well given up on them. But, a ray of light appears. Amnesty International is active in reporting the destruction of Raqqa by the US coalition. It is starting a project to record the destruction: what they have collected so far on "the most destroyed city in modern times" is at strike-tracker. So the next time the White Helmets or Bellingcat tells you of some Russian atrocity, remember that it would be impossible to be more indiscriminately destructive than US/NATO "targeted actions".

US ELECTIONS. Did Putin fix them? If so how? Why did he want Trump's party to lose the House? If he didn't, why didn't he? I look forward to the NYT explaining how this fits into Operation Infektion.

NUGGETS FROM THE STUPIDITY MINE. Masha and the Bear. "Putin’s tanks are hidden in Masha’s backpack". DM readers treat this with the scorn it deserves. A friend suggested setting up a mock conference to make deadpan over-the-top claims to ridicule Russophobia. I don't think you can ridicule people who believe in Masha's armoured backpack and Medvedev's pillow carrier.

EUROPEANS ARE REVOLTING. Some more straws in the wind. Madrid has allowed 3 Russian warships to resupply at Cueta, the first time in 3 years. A minister says Paris will lead EU efforts to create a payment mechanism to keep trade with Iran. And TurkStream marks another milestone.

UKRAINE. Remember when Ukrainian nazis were just Putin propaganda? US News, Daily Beast, AIM, Fox, and plenty more assured us (BBC here) that reports of nazis in Ukraine were only troll factory output. Now, for some reason, the Western media is noticing: New Republic, CBS, AP, Max Blumenthal. Even the US propaganda outlet RFE/RL tells us: "Azov, Ukraine's Most Prominent Ultranationalist Group, Sets Its Sights On U.S., Europe." And chickens are arriving home as this Criminal Complaint shows. Why they notice today what was perfectly obvious then, I cannot tell you.

© Patrick Armstrong Analysis, Canada Russia Observer

Scared to Death: the Dominion of Fear in Politics by Richard Sale

 

 

When fear seizes us and has us in its grip, it dethrones our reason, abolishes our conscience, erases our scruples and reduces us to a batch of blind, panic-stricken reflexes.

After fear retreats, we are puzzled as to why it wielded its power over us the way it did. What happened? What force could wipe our minds clean of everything but abject terror? During the Chicago Convention of 1968, I was working as a cub reporter for LIFE Magazine, I watched police beating people, young and old, in a wild frenzy; I watched people falling after being tear-gassed, I saw others choking on their own mucus on their knees. I saw ordinary people running in panic trampling over others to escape bodily harm. An image that never leaves me is the sight of two cops dragging an unconscious man by his legs, the man’s bloodied head bumping along the ground.

At one point, near midnight, the cops stopped an old woman who had just emerged from the subway. I was traveling with the police unit. Suddenly three cops ran over to her and formed a circle around her and began to scream obscenities into that grizzled face that looked like buckled tin. I tried to intervene, but they charged me, and I backpedaled, demanding they leave the woman alone, and a while later, they turned on me, yanking me by my hair, clubbing me in my ribs, my collarbone, until I fled in terror. I could barely run because I had very badly infected tonsils and a sinus infection, and when tear gassed, I had to breathe through my mouth, my lungs taking the gas in directly. Two months later, I developed asthma that plagued me for fifty years. I never did discover the old woman’s fate.

                                     ***

So when we view such events and the clashes between groups, we often fail to take into account the workings of fear in every confrontation. Instead, we turn it into a melodrama – good versus evil, instead of examining the influence of fear on both parties. I was a victim of police brutality, yes, but afterwards I did ask myself were the cops brutal because they liked to inflict harm or did the demonstrators scare them half to death, and, in terror, they began to blindly lash out, afraid for their own lives.

The mukhtar DJT, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Israel - reposted 21 November 2018

On the occasion of trump's remarkably frank admission of Saudi Arabia's power over the US it seems appropriate to re-post this.  In Trumpworld Israel's fantasy of the overarching Iranian menace creates a need for an alliance of steel to combat this threat to the world and that alliance must include Saudi Arabia.  Why that is so is not clear to me.  Saudi Arabia has no armed forces that possess real combat power to do anything but bomb civilians and oppress the Shia of the Eastern Province.  Possession of military equipment does not equal combat power.  A more convincing feature of theTrumpish view is the economic bit.  DJT wants the Saudis'money for the US economy.  Like any businessman/trader at that elevated level he is loathe to surrender market share to his competitors who in this case are Russia and China.  He is also quite grateful that SA has pumped enough oil and gas to depress prices.  All in all, I would say that he was quite considerate in his forthright explanation to us all that he really IS the Saudi mukhtar of the United States.  pl

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Old Post
 

"I call upon Salman, the King of Saudi, to invite the prime minister of Israel Netanyahu to visit Saudi Arabia,” Katz said on Thursday speaking at the Herzliya conference. “We saw what a wonderful host you can be… when President Trump was there. You can also send your heir, the new one, Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He’s a dynamic person. He is an initiator. And he wants to break through.”"  SF

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OK, Yisrael Katz, the intelligence minister of Israel has asked the present king of Saudi Arabia to invite Benjamin Natanyahu to a state visit in Riyadh.  What a great idea! (irony)  IMO there is nothing that would be more likely to trigger a revolt within and without the SA royal family against King Salman and his son, the new crown prince.  People just don't understand that the Saudi population and the royal family (thousands of people in various factions) continue to regard Israel as the ultimate enemy.  For all these carefully indoctrinated Wahhabis, Israel is an abomination that occupies a portion of the territory of the 'umma, God's territory on earth.  To invite Israel's prime minister to Riyadh for a state visit or, indeed any kind of visit, would be to recognize Israel as a state legitimately and perpetually occupying Palestine.  The behind the scenes  machinations of various acculturated princes like Muhammad bin Salman mean nothing to the people of the Saudi kingdom.  What we are talking about in such a demand is an invitation to blasphemy and apostasy.  It is typical of the vast majority of Israelis that in their contempt for non-Jews and especially their neighbors, they remain ignorant of such realities.  A truce would be possible but not permanent recognition.  pl 

https://southfront.org/israeli-intelligence-calls-saudi-king-invite-netanyahu-riyadh/

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" ... it is unlikely in the extreme that Saudi Arabia would have undertaken something so drastic without coordination with the US, particularly since this action comes literally on the heels of President Trump’s high-profile visit to Saudi Arabia.  While initially silent, President Trump ultimately took to Twitter to back Saudi Arabia against Qatar, even as the US still maintains major military presence in that country."

... the nature of the accusations leveled at Qatar is nothing short of extreme. Both US and Saudi leaders accused Qatar of about the worst offense currently available, namely supporting violent Islamic extremism. Trump went so far as to say that Qatar’s change of policies would be a major step toward resolving the problem of terrorism." SF

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 Saudi Arabia is a larger sponsor of Sunni jihadi movements than Qatar.  That has always been true.  The "kingdom" is a state built on Sunni fanaticism.  There are no churches, no synagogues, no legally resident ministers of other faiths than Islam in the country.  Mukhtar (appointed head man and tax farmer) Donald Trump swore allegiance to his Saudi pals in Riyadh.  He did that before an army of witnesses from across the Islamic world.  The Saudis have always sought to impose their sphere of influence upon all Muslims within their reach.  They understandably think that mukhtar Trump gave them an extended reach as their henchman.  The air base at al-odeid  in Qatar is a Qatari base in which the US has been allowed to position the forward element of US CENTCOM's headquarter, the US air operations center for the whole region and ten thousand bird men. (and women).  Arabs do not do things like that from altruistic love.  The Qataris expected protection from Iran and Saudi Arabia and have not gotten much of anything in return.   Now Turkey , pursuing its Turanian destiny (on hold since the Ottoman collapse) is building a military position as an ally of the al-thani  family rulers of Qatar.  SA and its pipsqueak Gulfie allies are now threatening Turkey with - what? Unhappiness if it does not abandon Qatar.? Did mukhtar Trump understand any of this before he swore fealty to King Salman?  I doubt it.  pl

it is unlikely in the extreme that Saudi Arabia would have undertaken something so drastic without coordination with the US, particularly since this action comes literally on the heels of President Trump’s high-profile visit to Saudi Arabia.  While initially silent, President Trump ultimately took to Twitter to back Saudi Arabia against Qatar, even as the US still maintains major military presence in that country.

The nature of the accusations leveled at Qatar is nothing short of extreme. Both US and Saudi leaders accused Qatar of about the worst offense currently available, namely supporting violent Islamic extremism. Trump went so far as to say that Qatar’s change of policies would be a major step toward resolving the problem of terrorism.

The nature of the crisis suggests it represents tensions that long bubbled under the surface but now have finally burst into the open.  The Qatari-Saudi falling out, and the make-up of the pro-Saudi faction, suggests that several factors at work here.

it is unlikely in the extreme that Saudi Arabia would have undertaken something so drastic without coordination with the US, particularly since this action comes literally on the heels of President Trump’s high-profile visit to Saudi Arabia.  While initially silent, President Trump ultimately took to Twitter to back Saudi Arabia against Qatar, even as the US still maintains major military presence in that country.

The nature of the accusations leveled at Qatar is nothing short of extreme. Both US and Saudi leaders accused Qatar of about the worst offense currently available, namely supporting violent Islamic extremism. Trump went so far as to say that Qatar’s change of policies would be a major step toward resolving the problem of terrorism.

The nature of the crisis suggests it represents tensions that long bubbled under the surface but now have finally burst into the open.  The Qatari-Saudi falling out, and the make-up of the pro-Saudi faction, suggests that several factors at work here.

it is unlikely in the extreme that Saudi Arabia would have undertaken something so drastic without coordination with the US, particularly since this action comes literally on the heels of President Trump’s high-profile visit to Saudi Arabia.  While initially silent, President Trump ultimately took to Twitter to back Saudi Arabia against Qatar, even as the US still maintains major military presence in that country.

The nature of the accusations leveled at Qatar is nothing short of extreme. Both US and Saudi leaders accused Qatar of about the worst offense currently available, namely supporting violent Islamic extremism. Trump went so far as to say that Qatar’s change of policies would be a major step toward resolving the problem of terrorism.

The nature of the crisis suggests it represents tensions that long bubbled under the surface but now have finally burst into the open.  The Qatari-Saudi falling out, and the make-up of the pro-Saudi faction, suggests that several factors at work here.

 https://southfront.org/qatar-crisis-consequences/

HARPER: TWO BOLTON NEOCON AIDES ARE OUSTED FROM THE NSC

When John Bolton was named National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump last spring, he immediately brought in two rabid neocons as his two top aides.  He named Fred Fleitz as his chief of staff and Mira Ricardel was soon after named as Deputy National Security Advisor.  

Fleitz was Bolton's chief of staff during the G.W. Bush Administration, first at Arms Control at the State Department and later when he was recess appointed as United Nations Ambassador.  Fleitz bounced around the CIA and Pentagon for several decades and earned a reputation as a real neocon war monger.  When he was last out of government, he became vice president of Frank Gaffney's Center for Security Policy.  As of November 1, Fleitz quietly left the Trump Administration and resumed his work at CSP.  No explanation for his departure, just sayonara.

Mira Ricardel's departure from the NSC was anything but quiet.  She earned the wrath of First Lady Melania Trump for trying to sabotage Mrs. Trump's recent Africa trip.  After demanding Ricardel's firing through quiet, behind-the-scenes efforts, the First Lady finally issued a public release, demanding her ouster and noting she does not deserve the honor of serving in the White House.

Ricardel will be given some other posting in the Administration--as far away from the White House as possible.

Ricardel, a Croatian-American, headed the defense department transition effort and immediately went to war with Defense Secretary-nominee James Mattis.  She was responsible for blocking a number of Mattis appointees to Pentagon posts, and became notorious, during her brief tour at the NSC for her abusive behavior.

So two of the most well-positioned hardcore neocons are gone.  It should serve as a reminder that this Administration is far more complex, divided and ideologically split than surface appearances would suggest or Democrats would argue.  While the George W. Bush Administration was a haven for neocons and the Obama Administration was a safe haven for humanitarian interventionists, the Trump Administration is team of rivals all contending for the favor of the one and only decision-maker:  The Donald. 

A Murder in Bamako - TTG

Nov. 15 (UPI) -- The US Navy charged two Virginia Beach-based Navy SEALs and two Marines in the 2017 strangulation death of U.S. Army Green Beret Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar. The Navy accused the suspects of strangling Melgar in a chokehold after breaking into his room while he was sleeping and restraining him with duct tape they acquired from Marine quarters.

The four service members, whose names were not released, were charged Tuesday with felony murder in Melgar's death at age 34, and were also charged with involuntary manslaughter, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, hazing and burglary. If the charges result in conviction, they could face the death penalty or life in prison without parole.

Melgar, who was assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group in Mali, West Africa, to counter terrorism, and served two tours in Afghanistan, was found dead on June 4, 2017, in embassy housing, in the Malian capital, as first reported by The New York Times. In May, his name was inscribed on the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Memorial Wall at Fort Bragg, NC.

Admiral Charles Rock, commander of Norfolk-based Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, decided to move forward with charges after he obtained a Naval Criminal Investigative Service report into Melgar's death.A preliminary hearing on the charges is set for Dec. 10 at Naval Station Norfolk.

A US Special Operations Command spokesperson said the charges should not tarnish the reputation of U.S. Special Operators worldwide. "We will not allow allegations or substantiated incidents of misconduct erode decades of honorable accomplishments by the members of U.S. Special Operations Command," Captain Jason Salata said. "If these allegations of misconduct are substantiated, they represent a violation of the trust and standards required of all service members."  (UPI)

******************

Colonel Lang asked me to write something about this. Naturally I have strong feelings concerning this incident, but finding the right words was difficult. I am enraged by the murder of one of my Special Forces brethren. I am viscerally disgusted by the behavior of the SEALs and Marine Raiders. Although not convicted, they have continued to lie through their teeth as each preceding lie is exposed. They marked themselves as men void of all truth. That alone should be cause for stripping them of all rank, honors and privileges. They should each receive a BCD after a stint in the brig. If convicted of murder, they should hang… literally.

Why were these men in Bamako in the first place? This was an intelligence collection mission in support of US, French and Malian operations targeting AQIM terrorists in Mali. They were probably conducting military source operations (MSO), formerly called low level source operations (LLSO). This has long been an inherent capability of Special Forces. Advanced HUMINT training for Green Berets has increased dramatically as our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq ramped up. Seems the SEALs of DEVGRU (formerly ST6) and Marine Raiders of MARSOC didn’t want to be left out. I see no logic in this. These commandos are not suited for HUMINT controlled collection operations. They should stick to kicking in doors and killing bad guys. This abomination in Bamako proves that. 

Since the initial reporting of this murder back in June 2017, stories circulated about the reason for the assault. The SEALs were skimming intelligence contingency funds, money meant to pay sources. That’s a mark of death among case officers. It’s a crime of unlimited opportunities. The only defense is the integrity and discipline of the practitioners. SSG Melgar reportedly called the SEALs on their transgressions and was prepared to report their crimes. That the SEALs may have committed a murder to cover up their crimes of theft and breach of trust is especially enraging.

At least one report I read said SSG Melgar also confronted the SEALs about their poor fieldcraft or tradecraft. The special operations ethos doesn’t lend itself to running agents. That requires the finesse, patience and humility more common to my Special Forces brethren. 

My experiences with the SEALs of DEVGRU did not leave me overly impressed. I and a couple of former Det Berlin Green Berets noted that their fieldcraft was shit when they weren’t assaulting an objective or swimming in the surf. I don’t know if this was a trait of the DEVGRU SEALs or all SEALs. I had a former Viet Nam era SEAL as one of my RECONDO instructors in Hawaii. He was indistinguishable from my former MACV-SOG instructors. Quiet professionals, the lot of them. Maybe it’s generational. I thank God I had the humility and patience to learn from that generation. DOL

TTG

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2018/11/15/Navy-charges-4-in-2017-Green-Beret-death/1941542307484/

https://www.thedailybeast.com/seals-marines-charged-with-green-beret-logan-melgars-murder

Iraq doesn't care about US sanctions on Iran

 

"On November 16^th, Iran and Iraq agreed on the establishment of a free trade zone, according to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

“We have agreed to create a free trade zone between the two countries, which will enable us to launch joint ventures,” Rouhani said at a press conference held after the meeting, as broadcast by Press TV.

According to Rouhani, currently Iran-Iraq trade amounts to approximately $12 billion, but with some effort could grow to $20 billion.

Rouhani also said that the two leaders also talked about electricity and gas swap, as well as cooperation on petroleum products and oil exploration.

During the joint press conference Salih declared that the relationship between the two neighboring countries is a “fixed principle” that is “rooted in shared history, faith and geography.”

“We care about our relationship with Iran,” Salih declared. However, he did not give full details about the free-trade zone.

All of this follows a meeting between Rouhani and Iraqi President Barham Salih in Tehran, during which they discussed bilateral cooperation and regional development."  SF

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Did the Borg and the neocons really think the US controlled Iraq enough to prevent this?  An inability to deal with Middle Eastern realities has marked neocon induced policies for a long time.  IMO this blindness is caused by the universally understood truth that to challenge Israel's fantasies about the malleability of Middle Eastern attitudes is suicide in the Borg (foreign policy establishment) and the neocons are just an arm of Israeli foreign policy.

As further proof of the fragility of the US position in Iraq we had the spectacle of the US supported and maintained SDF/YPG walking away from the fight on the east bank of the Euphrates to move north to bolster their Kurdish compatriots.  CENTCOM cannot have been pleased with that.  They are trying to keep the land routes to Iran from Syria closed.  To do this control of the Deir al-zor - Baghdad leg of one of the two roads (the other runs through al-tanf) requires SDF control of the border crossing alongside the river as well as dependable Iraqi blockage of the road on the other side of the border.

In light of the evident CENTCOM/US lack of grip on the actions of the SDF/YPG and the foreign policy of Iraq, it would seem that there is not much of a future for a strong US presence in Iraq.  pl 

https://southfront.org/iraq-boosts-economic-cooperation-with-iran-despite-us-sanctions-war-on-islamic-republic/

The Speaker is elected by an absolute majority of members. Fudge for Speaker!

 

"The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The office was established in 1789 by Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution. The Speaker is the political and parliamentary leader of the House of Representatives, and is simultaneously the House's presiding officer, de facto leader of the body's majority party, and the institution's administrative head. Speakers also perform various other administrative and procedural functions. Given these several roles and responsibilities, the Speaker usually does not personally preside over debates. That duty is instead delegated to members of the House from the majority party. Neither does the Speaker regularly participate in floor debates.

The Constitution Savedoes not require the Speaker to be an elected member of the House of Representatives, although every Speaker thus far has been.^[3] The Speaker is second in the United States presidential line of succession, after the Vice President and ahead of the President pro tempore of the Senate."  wiki

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Well pilgrims, if I were king of the GOP I would want a different Speaker than Pelosi elected, one whom a lot of the Democrats in the House would not want.  IOW the GOP should want to elect a divisive Speaker as a present to an already fractured Democratic Party.  One might argue that this would call for the election of Pelosi, but she is a potent organizing and fund raising force and defeat this time might remove her as a factor in national politics.

Fudge is a long serving Democrat political pro from a solidly Democrat and majority Black Ohio urban district. She does not seem to have ever had a non-government job.  She clearly is a product of identity politics in the Cleveland-Akron area.  She has had six terms in the House and has served on many committees although it is not clear to me that she has chaired any.  She is what the Brits would call a back-bencher and is unlikely to become a serious national political figure.

The Democrats are committed to identity politics.  Pelosi herself yesterday declamed that Al "Tawana" Sharpton has "saved" America.  Does she not think that the time has come for a Woman of Color to be speaker?

The Speaker must be elected by an absolute majority of the members of the House (218).  The only quorum possible is the whole House including members not present.  218 is the magic number.  The Speaker need not be a member of the House although that has never happened.

It is usually true that opposition members of the minority party do not vote in this election for members of the majority party but it need not be so.  In this case the possibility for the GOP to disrupt Democrat unity should be enticing.  pl 

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaker_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcia_Fudge

The Entry of the Commoner Scapegoats in Wahhabeeland

"Adel should be very, very, careful.  Commoners are a dinar a dozen in Wahhabeeland and MG al-asiri may not be a big enough sacrificial camel to mollify the kuffar   Asiri looks to me to be a typical shirt-tail boy from the boondocks who joined the Royal Saudi Forces long ago looking for a steady job that did not involve sheep or goats.  The Asir Province in the SW of The Kingdom is the very definition of The Boondocks in Saudi Arabia and al-asiri is a commoner like al-jubeir."  SST 21 October2018

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"Saudi prosecutors said Thursday they would seek the death penalty for five people allegedly involved in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The Saudi Public Prosecutor's office added that former Saudi deputy intelligence chief, Ahmed al-Assiri, ordered a mission to force Khashoggi to go back to Saudi Arabia and formed a team of 15 people.

 

They were divided into three groups, it said: a negotiation team, an intelligence team and a logistical team.

 

Read More  It was the head of the negotiating team who ordered the killing of Khashoggi, the prosecution said.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has called the Saudi Public Prosecutor's statement "unsatisfactory," reiterating a call for the culprits to be prosecuted under Turkish laws.

"They say (Khashoggi) resisted going back to their country and was killed. However, this murder was premeditated as we had announced before," Cavusoglu told reporters.

"The dismembering of the body is not an instant decision. They brought the necessary people and tools to kill him and dismember the body in advance," he added."  CNN

 

----------

 

This is all nonsense of course. 

 

The only question really is whether or not Assiri will get the chop himself or if they can let him off by saying that the leading choppee will be some less useful creature.

 

Almost any fool can understand that in the absolute monarchy of Saudi Arabia the servants of the king would not dare to undertake such an operation without the royal assent and in this case that means the crown prince, the king being presently reduced to the kind of person who finds his lost car keys in the refrigerator.  Or, that would be true if he had ever had any car keys. 

 

So, what will the Donald do?  My WAG would be that Trump will avert his eyes from the obvious falsehood and accept the head choppings as sufficient explanation.  There is just too much at risk in financial "pork" available in SA for American industry for him to do anything else.  pl 

https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/15/middleeast/jamal-khashoggi-saudi-prosecutor-death-penalty-intl/index.html

Excellent US WW2 Documentaries.

 

Worth watching.  pl

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_at_Sea

 

https://www.yidio.com/show/crusade-in-europe?utm_source=Bing&utm_medium=search&t_source=64&utm_campaign=778&msclkid=44e945b5787e108ada141e59ed24b1a3

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_of_San_Pietro 

Freedom of the press in the US

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."  1st Amendment

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This underlined phrase gives the press the right to publish or bloviate on broadcast TV about anything that is not treasonous in time of war.  It DOES NOT give the press the right to question the president personally or his administration about anything and it certainly does not give them the right to access to public buildings.  pl 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Text

A Serb's comment on French policy in history - Jovan Pjescic

Sometimes it’s hard to understand the big powers - case of France

During the recent commemoration of the end of WWI in Paris, in the Notre-Dam Cathedral, among other flags, there was the flag of Kosovo*¹. When you take a look at the pictures of the world leaders taking part in the commemoration, you can see the president of the so-called Kosovo* Hashim Tachi², sitting in the second row, right behind Putin (who is next to the first lady of France).

First, a few presumptions can be made:

• the French call all the states they want to the ceremony, regardless of their role in WWI. This is a call for peace, or as often stated ‘’so that it never happens again’’, and a reflection of the EU strength, essentially based on the german-french reconciliation, understanding and cooperation;
• the French have recognized Kosovo as a sovereign nation, and they treat it like that, regardless of what the Russians, Chinese, Spaniards or at last and the least Serbs, think of it;
• the host sovereignly decides on the protocol - who of the leaders sits where, whose flag is to be displayed where, etc.

Nationalism and Patriotism

 

Elie Kedourie wrote in "Nationalism," perhaps his greatest work, that "Patriotism is the love of one's country or group, while Nationalism is the love of one's country or group at the expense of everyone else."

George Orwell wrote in "Notes on Nationalism," that "By 'patriotism' I mean devotion to a particular place and a particular way of life, which one believes to be the best in the world but has no wish to force upon other people. Patriotism is of its nature defensive, both militarily and culturally. Nationalism, on the other hand, is inseparable from the desire for power. The abiding purpose of every nationalist is to secure more power and more prestige, not for himself but for the nation or other unit in which he has chosen to sink his own individuality."  

I have tried to act as I imagine a patriot should and in a way that Kedourie and Orwell might approve.  I long ago decided that Nationalism as these two great minds defined it was a bad thing and that I hoped the United States would not descend to such a depth of false pride as to become nationalistic in this sense.  I have lived to be disappointed in this.

In general I support Macron's expressed view on this subject but it should be said that much of his vehemence on this subject is caused by his own search for approval in France and reluctance to see Europe deprived of the post WW2 economic benefits and subsidized defense against the USSR long provided by the United States.  From my point of view Macron appears a self serving politician in this matter.

We should all be careful not to confuse Patriotism and Nationalism.  pl 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriotism

Clapper and Brennan are felons? Probably yes.

 

"The CIA is required by law to inform congressional oversight committees whenever one of its officers, agents, or administrators breaks the law, when an operation requires congressional approval because it is a “covert action” program, or whenever something happens at the CIA that’s potentially controversial and the agency wants to save itself the embarrassment of explaining itself to Congress later.

“I could see no reason to withhold declassification of these documents.” Grassley said. “They contained no information that could be construed as [betraying] sources and methods.”

Brennan was the leading force behind the prosecutions of eight national security whistleblowers during the Obama administration, almost three times the number of whistleblowers charged under the Espionage Act by all previous presidents combined.

Indeed, I was one of the “Obama Eight.” I was charged with five felonies, including three counts of espionage, after I blew the whistle on the CIA’s torture program. Of course, I hadn’t committed espionage and those charges were eventually dropped, but not until I had agreed to take a plea to a lesser charge. I served 23 months in a federal prison.

Brennan and Clapper think the law doesn’t apply to them. But it does. Without the rule of law, we have chaos. The law has to apply equally to all Americans. Brennan and Clapper need to learn that lesson the hard way. They broke the law. They ought to be prosecuted for it."  Kiriakou in consortium News

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I worked for Clapper once and detest the man.  I consider him to be an unprincipled careerist devoid of loyalty to anything or anyone but himself.  He was IMO by far the worst Director the Defense Intelligence Agency has ever had and a man who did great damage to that agency in the process of seeking favor from his superiors.  He is also a confessed perjurer.

I first knew John Brennan when he was a junior analyst attached to the CIA station in Saudi Arabia and I was the Defense Attaché in the same embassy.  I had a great deal of opportunity to observe  him on the job and found him to be lacking in integrity, courtesy and intellect.  It should be remembered that he was a supporter of the Communist Party of the United States before the CIA for some obscure reason hired him.  pl 

https://consortiumnews.com/2018/11/11/john-brennan-and-james-clapper-should-be-prosecuted-for-breaking-the-law/

Lest We Forget. A Suggestion to President Trump on his visit to Paris. by Fred

The gateway is gilded in gold just like your Manhattan Apartment. The symbolism is fitting to your rhetoric.

Memorial

 

There's an American flag.

And a great view of the city.

 Remember to plant a flag, or bring some flowers.

There are 1,500 more.

Suresnes American Cemetery

It's an easy ride on the L from the Grande Arche de la Defense. Walk up Rue du Calvaire, turn Right on Boulevard Washington. Have lunch across the street at Au Pere Lapin. No Michelin stars but its about time a few presidents ate at someplace middle class for a change. Take a stoll along the river later in the evening and remember, 100 years ago the red sky at night had a different meaning.

 

Lest we forget. 

Fred 

 

Turkey has given the Khashoggi tapes to the US, UK, France, Germany and Saudi Arabia

 "Turkey has given recordings on the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi embassy in Istanbul to Saudi Arabia, the US, Germany, France and the UK, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on November 10.

Speaking before his departure for France to attend commemorations to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One, Erdogan stated that the killer of Jamal Khashoggi is among a group of 15 Saudi citizens who arrived in Turkey one day ahead of the October 2 murder.

Previously, Ankara claimed to have had audio of the murder ever since the journalist went missing on October 2, after going inside the Saudi consulate, never to be seen again.

Initially, Saudi Arabia denied that Khashoggi was killed inside the building, insisting that he left it. Later, Riyadh changed its story to say the journalist was accidentally killed in a fist fight with consultate workers. Latr, the Saudi story was changed again. Now, Riyadh insists that the killing was carried out in a rogue operation unbeknownst to the leadership.

In turn, Erdogan has stated that that Khashoggi had been killed on order from the “highest levels” of the Saudi government."  SF

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It is clear that Turkey is intent on discrediting Saudi Arabia in the Muslim World and also with the rest of us.  One might argue that they were already in low repute, but every little bit helps.

Trump, Macron and the other boys and girls can add this to their agenda for the present meeting about the end of WW1.  pl 

https://southfront.org/erdogan-turkey-gave-khashoggi-death-recordings-to-saudi-arabia-us-uk-france-germany/

Good for the EU!

 

 "The EU is to allow farmers to receive full compensation for any damages caused by attacks from protected animals like lynxes, wolves and bears.

Other expenses including installing electric fences or acquiring guard dogs to prevent damage will also be fully reimbursed.

The EU says the move will help protect large predators in areas where they have come into conflict with humans.

Campaigners hope it will limit the need for culls.

After many decades of decline, the numbers of large carnivores like wolves and bears are stable or increasing in many parts of Europe, often due to concentrated conservation efforts."  BBC

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 I am really for this.  As a half a---d naturalist and recovering hunter I love the creatures of the field.  These measures to compensate farmers for livestock losses to predators and for better fencing are great things.  Anything that results in more dogs must be good. 

When I was a young man I had many forest encounters with black bears (Maine), wolves (Alaska), tigers (SE Asia), and jaguar (Panama).  I never felt particularly threatened but then, I don't think I look afraid and vulnerable and I don't go into the woods without a pistol that will knock down whatever might come along in a hostile mood.  Thankfully, I never had to do that.

We have cougar in Virginia.  I have had them around my erstwhile cabin on the North Fork  of the Shenandoah at night.  Beautiful creatures, they were attracted by the large population of White Tailed deer who used the front steps of my little house to descend the slope to the river below and behind the house.  It was a great experience when sleeping on the screened front porch to hear and smell one nearby.  A flashlight through the screen several times revealed one peering in at me in puzzlement.  "Where did you come from?" the mountain lion seemed to ask.  When I turned the light off they would disappear around the corner of the house headed for the river.

These were probably western puma migrated in.  The eastern mountain lion is thought to be long extinct.  I mentioned them once at the local hardware store in Strasburg and after a glance among the Valley People present was told that "we do not tell outsiders about them.  If we do some idiot will shoot them."

I knew I had arrived.  pl 

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46153727

Publius Tacitus on Dr. Ford - posted by PL

With the benefit of hindsight, I suspect most Democrat leaders now realize that their attempt to take out Judge Brent Kavanaugh with false charges that he sexually assaulted someone in High School was a disaster. Their heavy handed, bolshevik tactics backfired and galvanized a broad spectrum of Americans who were sickened by the spectacle of a verbal lynch mob being led by the decrepit Diane Feinstein.

The truth about the sex-fraud, Dr. Chrissie Ford, is now exposed by the voluminous report issued by Senator Grassley's Judiciary Committee staff. Read it here. (https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2018-11-02%20Kavanaugh%20Report.pdf).

Here are the highlights:

• The Committee was informed that Dr. Ford had a fear of flying caused by Justice Kavanaugh’s alleged sexual assault on her more than 35 years before. That was a lie and the committee staffers discovered subsequently that Dr. Ford had racked up a ton of frequent flyer miles.  When asked about her fear of flying and about whether she had ever helped anyone prepare for a polygraph examination,  Dr. Ford acknowledged that she flew to the hearing and traveled by plane for work and leisure. Indeed, Dr. Ford listed on her CV that one of her hobbies includes international surf travel.
• The Judiciary staffers interviewed 17 people who had information about Dr. Ford's allegations. No one could corroborate her claims about Judge Kavanaugh. In fact, two men testified that they had a contact with Dr. Ford as teen-agers that was in line with the account provided by Dr. Ford except that it was consensual.
• A long time boyfriend of Chrissie testified:

that he dated Dr. Ford for six years. He said that she never mentioned being the victim of sexual assault or misconduct. He also stated that Dr. Ford did not mention any fear of close quarters or flying, and that the two traveled together, including on a small propeller plane. also said that he witnessed Dr. Ford, drawing from her background in psychology, help prepare her roommate, Ms. Monica McLean, for a potential polygraph examination when Ms. McLean wasinterviewing for jobs with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He stated that Dr. Ford helped Ms. McLean become familiar and less nervous about the exam.

 The Judiciary Committee report also details the allegations and findings from others who alleged sexual misconduct by the Judge. It was all a pack of lies. A contrived hit job intended to destroy the man's reputation and try to cow him into backing away from the nomination.

That bullying tactic failed spectacularly. It ended up rallying a broad swath of the American public, especially women, who understand fairness and justice. The injustice on display by the Democrats ended up helping the Republicans nail down a bigger majority in the Senate. Look for fewer Democrat seats on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION SITREP 8 NOVEMBER 2018 (by Patrick Armstrong)

US ELECTION. The chance of war has gone up a bit: the House investigation into the conspiracy will stop (unless Nunes can do anything in the next two months) and go into reverse. Any move Trump makes towards improving relations with Russia will be met by the House shrieking he's a Putin puppet: the new people in charge there are too heavily invested in the Russia story to stop now. The US political system will be seized up – lots and lots of investigations. Threats and counter threats. Not such a bad thing for the rest of us if the US system turns into a cannibal banquet but further ratcheting up the anti-Russia hysteria is not so good (top priority says Schiff). (A Chinese view of increased danger).

COINCIDENCE? 25 October 2018, China: "concentrate preparations for fighting a war". 26 October 2018, Russia: "Yes, Russia is preparing for war". They hear what's said; they see what's happening in their neighbourhoods. They draw conclusions and take steps.

TODAY'S THOUGHT. "In light of this very low level of military competence, maybe wars are not our best choice of hobby."

THE MOTHERLAND CALLS. A Russian diplomat says Russian exiles are returning. I can believe it: they moved West for security or better money; as Russophobia intensifies (see below) it's not safer and maybe the money's not so good after all. I expect to see a steady trickle of returnees.

NUGGETS FROM THE STUPIDITY MINE. "Half of the Russians in London are spies, claims new report". (But why not all of them? They're Russians, after all, and should shut up and go away.) That's 75 thousand Russian spies. Wow! And the report says there are only 200 case officers to handle them. But that's nothing for Putin's superhuman minions: they threw the US election with 80K FB posts buried among 33 trillion posts (that's about half a billion others to every "Russian" post). They control time: they arrived in Gatwick at 1500 on a flight scheduled to arrive at 1545 that actually arrived at 1558. (Gotta be pretty stupid or inattentive to swallow this nonsense.)

SWIFT. Is a network linking banks around the world enabling transactions to move around easily and securely. US-dominated, it was used because it worked. But once Washington turned it into a weapon against Iran in 2012 (and again just now), it stopped being so convenient. It's not fantastically complicated to replicate, SWIFT was used because it was expedient. But, if you're on Washington's hitlist, or fear you may be, it's not so attractive. So Moscow, which is on the hitlist, has developed its own system and is linking other countries to it. It's the same thing with the "petrodollar": useful until Washington weaponised it; then time to find an alternative. And, when you must, you will: Delhi will pay for its S400s in rubles; Iran has turned off transponders on its tankers; Hungary upped its gold reserves (and so did Russia – now 17% of FOREX). The SWIFT story is an interesting demonstration of the fact that, sometimes, using it can mean losing it.

EUROPEANS ARE REVOLTING. Macron calls for real European armed forces and Europe continues to be rebellious about Washington's stance on Iran (new sanctions imposed – but with waivers to its oil customers. But not for the EU). Ah well, talk is cheap – especially in the EU – and there are formidable problems creating a European army – a new report shows the stunning incapacity of the German forces. They would have to completely rethink the Russia relationship then find the mountains of money to build up their forces, support elements and supply chains. Today Europe relies on the US to provide all these things. The US military, in its turn, as a new report shows, depends on foreign suppliers or a single struggling domestic manufacturer for several hundred key inputs... (NATO should meditate on being a little less demanding, don't you think?) But the Istanbul meeting did show a refreshing independence from Paris and Berlin. It's rather like the SWIFT story: they went along with the USA because it was easy and it worked well enough. But it's no longer easy and it doesn't work so well.

SYRIA. While the Russia-Turkey-France-Germany meeting on Syria in Istanbul did not settle all issues, or maybe even any issue, it was momentous because of no USA and the end of the "Assad must go" magical spell. Moscow continues to give us lessons on how to blend military power with diplomatic skill. Meanwhile, in Syria, demonstrating the opposite, we see US-backed forces fighting Turkey. As I wrote three years ago, it's not hard to see why Moscow runs rings around Washington here and elsewhere. The midterms will probably put Washington back to недоговороспособность: no agreement possible either because it can’t make one or won’t keep it.

© Patrick Armstrong Analysis, Canada Russia Observer

We don't need daily press briefings at the WH.

There was an unseemly verbal brawl yesterday in the East Room of the White House in which members of the press who are avowed enemies of President Trump (Acosta, Peter Alexander and April Ryan among others) attempted to debate the president over the wisdom and probity of his actions as chief executive of the federal government.  They were not IMO seeking information from him.  No, they were accusing him of not running the executive branch to their satisfaction.  It was evident that they considered themselves to be tribunes of the people engaged in limiting the power of the elected president.  How this function had accrued to them by signing employment contracts with CNN and other news businesses is unclear to me.

Acosta was allowed by Trump to ask a question and when answered was unsatisfied with the response.  He then refused to yield the floor insisting that he would have answers satisfactory to him in an apparently extensive series of questions.  Acosta and a number of other members of the press clearly think of Trump as an enemy.  Their demeanor speaks volumes when they address him.

In this instance Trump was evidently looking for a confrontation with these people.  He set up a press conference for the day after the election when he was fatigued from his electioneering blitz and less in control of himself than he should have been.  He held the presser in the East Room of the White House, a larger space than the usual press room cave, thus allowing a larger attendance by newsies who are known to be mainly his adversaries.  He was looking for a fight.

OTOH the level of disrespect and hostility on the part of these reporters exceeded their usual execrable performance.  When Trump told Acosta that he is a "very rude and terrible man" who daily treats Sarah Sanders with abominable discourtesy and insult, he was exactly correct.  When Trump told Acosta that CNN should be ashamed to employ him, he was, IMO, also correct.  Acosta's WH pass has been suspended.  Good!  No one has a right to a WH access pass.  A few more should be suspended or revoked to teach the fact that there are costs attached to actions.

It is a good idea to have a WH press office from which the staff can promulgate the president's policy positions to the media in camera, but it is NOT necessary to expose the press secretary to the daily hostility of the press corps in the Roman Amphitheater atmosphere that prevails.

I suggest that such meetings should end.  Let the reporter types go out and earn their money by doing actual research rather than grandstanding for the cameras.  pl 

YPG has withdrawn from the Euphrates fight with IS

 

"The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which consist mainly of members of various Kurdish armed groups, declared on October 31 that they had halted their operation against ISIS in the Euphrates Valley because of Turkish attacks on their positions in northern Syria.

The SDF blamed Turkey for its own inability to eliminate the ISIS-held area of Hajin in the Euphrates Valley and called on the so-called international community to pressure Ankara to stop its strikes on SDF targets. The SDF also vowed to retaliate to attacks.

On October 30, October 31 and November 1, clashes between the Turkish military and units of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) were reported near the towns of Ayn Arab, also known as Kobani, and Tel Abyad. According to pro-Turkish sources, at least 4 members of the YPG and the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) were killed and 6 others were injured there. The YPG claimed that its members had destroyed a Turkish military truck with an anti-tank guided missile.

As to the situation in the Hajin area, over the past few days ISIS units have achieved a notable progress in clashes with the SDF recapturing multiple positions from the US-backed group. The halt of the SDF operation there will likely contribute further to ISIS expansion in the direction of the Iraqi border."  SF

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 James Jeffrey, the neocon US representative in the Syria/Iraq situation is busy placating both Turkey and Israel at the expense of the SAG and the poor bloody Kurds and Arabs of the SDF/YPG.  Jeffrey has said that he hopes the Russians will allow Israel to keep bombing supposed Iranian facilities at will and his efforts on behalf of Erdogan's ambitions in northern Syria and Iraq seem to know no bounds.  Trump said today at his disgraceful presser (his fault and that of the media) that Jeffrey "fits in with the Pompeo team."  Evidently that is so.

Meanwhile out in the Euphrates Valley, the high command of the SDF/YPG have withdrawn their forces (probably against US wishes) from the too long delayed offensive against the IS held Hajin Pocket near the rod crossing into Iraq.

The reason?  The Turks are busily attacking YPG forces up north near the Turkish border.  Surprise!  The Kurds think they need to go fight the Turks rather than serve the US desire to keep one of the two land routes from Syria to Iran closed.

I have been busy with things electoral this week but this development deserves attention.  pl  

 https://southfront.org/syrian-war-report-november-1-2018-sdf-halts-operation-against-isis-in-euphrates-valley-because-of-turkish-attacks/ 

Plain People By Richard Sale - republished at RS' request

 

To no one: I will tell you why I single out “Trump’s transgressions’ as you put it. Why his attitude gets under my skin. 

The character of Donald Trump can only be seen clearly by means of an historical lens, not a political one.  People on the site who shuffle the names of the opposing candidates like so many playing cards, don't seem to penetrate the strategy of Trumps tactics.

What interests me most are Trump’s assertions about Immigration. Trump is an extension of an old historic phenomenon – at bottom, he resembles the old rural populist like William Jennings Bryan. His remarks on based on his resentment of foreigners, the conflict between nativist Americans and their hallowed values versus the aliens who Trump sees as attempting to take over the world. 

Trump’s trademark branch of thought is not new. It recapitulates American social and economic conflicts of long standing: the rural versus the city, American native pride versus the corrupt foreigners (which used to include dislike of Jews,) dislike of Catholics versus Protestants, the pure uniqueness of American civilization  versus the corruption of Europe. Many of these views dueled in face to face competition for many, many years. It is my opinion that Trump is the “poster child” for this version of what has been called, “native American pride.”  

Voter ID card laws miss the point. The fraud risk is in electronic voting machines.

By Robert Willmann

 Persons not a part of the government have power to decide in only two functions in our local, state, and federal governments -- as jurors in court trials and as voters in elections. Actually, today the outsider as decider has the final say in only one particular instance of the two:  jurors who unanimously find a criminal defendant "not guilty".

Otherwise, a jury, if it is permitted to decide issues in the first place, is subject to further review and displacement in civil cases and after a finding of guilt in a criminal case. Votes, though made by secret ballot unconnected to the identity of the voter, are subject to review when the validity of the election is challenged in a civil court action. In deciphering an unclear ballot -- perhaps the result of the voter writing an amusing and profane comment by a candidate’s name instead of properly marking the selection -- the "intent of the voter" will be decided in court.

This review of voting by the judicial process is no longer relevant, as one stark fact must be made clear. No election can be assumed valid if electronic voting machines or any related devices are used. Every system has limitations, and the public got a look at some of them in the 2000 presidential election when in Florida the punch card system choked on its own design.

Predictably, the U.S. Congress, always inclined to jump aboard any noisy bandwagon, proclaimed that it just had to do something about the 2000 election mess, and passed a devious and dangerous piece of legislation called the Help America Vote Act of 2002, or HAVA. Introduced in the House on November 14, 2001, signed by the president on October 29, 2002, and known as Public Law 107-252, it seeks, by hook and crook, to shoehorn electronic voting machines into all 50 states [1].

While HAVA remained out of the public eye, a shiny and noisy object became the stimulus for attention:  you have to bring a photo ID to the voting location before being allowed to vote, in order to "prevent vote fraud".  States passed voter ID laws.  Lawsuits were filed.  Indiana led the way with a voter ID law that was challenged as being unconstitutional on its face in violation of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  The case ended up at the supreme court.  In split opinions, none of which had a majority of five votes, the court announced a judgment saying that the Indiana law was constitutional.  However, without part or all of the opinion getting five votes, its value as precedent is limited [2].  The opinion "announcing" the judgment, from Judges Stevens, Roberts, and Kennedy, decided that "the evidence in the record is not sufficient to support a facial attack on the validity of the entire statute, and thus [we] affirm [the opinion of the court of appeals]".   The concurring opinion of Judges Scalia, Thomas, and Alito tried to shut the door to challenges, saying that "petitioners' premise is irrelevant and that the burden at issue is minimal and justified". 

Barbed wire obstacles I have known.

I am somewhat bemused by today;'s TV images of newly arrived soldiers stringing triple concertina wire at the border.  This is not much of an obstacle.  It is the kind of thing you put up in a newly occupied defensive  position.  The coils of wire are connected to each other and should be staked down but this is still not much of an obstacle.  It would normally be covered by fire from small arms, mortars and nasty things like Claymore Mines.  It is better than nothing to have out in front of you, but not much better.  Since this obstacle on the border WOULD NOT be covered by fire the barrier would be easy to defeat.  A few foot wide planks thrown forward onto the wire can be run across.  Alternatively, a few caravaners thrown forward onto the wire could serve the same purpose as the rest run across on their backs (joke).  Actually not much of a joke, they teach the troops to do that in the army if they unexpectedly run into such a flimsy obstacle when moving forward.

The little picture above shows what a serious barbed wire obstacle looks like  Two double apron barbed wire fences with the intervening space filled up with two or three concertina coils.  All of this staked down and covered with fire and filled with mines.  Now, that would make your eyes water if you had to get through it.  We used to wire our permanent positions in with obstacles like this plus berms in VN.  pl

Rasmussen says the Dems are chicken counting early

  
 

"The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 60% of Likely Democratic Voters say they are more likely to let others know how they intend to vote this year compared to previous congressional elections. This compares to 49% of Republicans and 40% of voters not affiliated with either major political party. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

In August 2016, 52% of Democrats were more likely to let others know how they intended to vote in the upcoming presidential election, compared to 46% of Republicans and 34% of unaffiliated voters. Some analysts before and after Donald Trump's upset victory suggested that most pollsters missed his hidden support among voters fearful of criticism who were unwilling to say where they stood.

Similarly when asked now about family, friends and co-workers, 60% of Democrats say they are also more likely to tell others how they intend to vote, but only 46% of Republicans and 45% of unaffiliated voters agree."  Rasmussen

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 The Left does not like "Rasmussen Reports" as a polling company, claiming that it is a Republican shill.  The cited Wiki article on the company indicates that it has had quite a good record on predictive analysis based on its polling.

This article highlights the differential response between conservatives and the Democrats when asked questions as to how they will vote.  The poll indicates that "red" Americans are less willing to tell pollsters what they will do.

I think that is true and that there may be a surprise waiting for the Democrats (including Nancy Pelosi) on Tuesday evening.   pl 

https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/october_2018/is_another_silent_red_wave_coming

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasmussen_Reports

She will make a fine laundry trainee.

• Senate Judiciary Committee investigators said that a woman who claimed to be the author of an anonymous sexual-assault allegation against Justice Brett Kavanaugh had "fabricated" the claim.
• Republican Sen. Grassley of Iowa said his committee had investigated the allegations made by Judy Munro-Leighton, a Kentucky woman who claimed she was the author of an anonymous letter that detailed graphic sexual-assault allegations.
• The "Jane Doe" in the letter claimed that Kavanaugh and his friend "sexually assaulted and raped me in his car," but provided no timeframe of the incident, and no return address.
• Investigators were able to find Munro-Leighton due to her "relatively unique name," and determined she was an "activist ... decades older than Judge Kavanaugh."
• Munro-Leighton, who had never met Kavanaugh in person, "admitted, contrary to her prior claims, that she had not been sexually assaulted by Judge Kavanaugh and was not the author of the original 'Jane Doe' letter,'" Grassley's office said.
• Grassley urged the FBI and attorney general to give "utmost consideration" to the case, but added that Munro-Leighton's fabricated allegations should not discount sexual assault claims that were made in "good faith."  Business Insider (BI)
  

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This the second criminal referral for perjury made against a Kavanaugh accuser.  There will probably be others.  pl 

https://www.businessinsider.com/brett-kavanaugh-sexual-assault-accuser-judy-munro-leighton-2018-11

Open Thread 1 November 2018

pl