The USA is not following proper channels through the UN in regard to Israel's grievance regarding the Golan Heights. There has been military activity in that area by the Syrian Army to eliminate all the remnants of Daesh. The statement by Israel that it was the Quds Force, the elite branch of the Iranian military, that carried out missile launches against Israel is very specific as to Israel's assessment. Where is the proof it was Iran?
If there are still Daesh forces in the area, which there was according to Syria's reporting within the past two weeks, it may by Daesh. There needs to be verification of all these facts and not simply reported by Israel or Iran as fact. Their hatred of each other really shows through when these wide ranging assumptions are made.
There is no doubt Israel can act to defend itself, but, it always had that right. My concern is that while Israel is pointing a finger at Iran, the facts may be the military armaments Israel destroyed may have belonged to the Syrian military fighting the remaining presence of Daesh. Why is it that Trump and Netanyahu are jumping to these decisions without facts? The attack on chemical weapons a few weeks ago resulted in assumptions being used and not facts. There were no chemical weapons according to a long standing and reputable journalist and a medical doctor.
Israel and the USA military are acting on suppositions and not facts. That was the case when the USA revealed new technology that was not obvious before in the Syrian chemical weapons attack and now Netanyahu is making statements that are not founded in fact. I don't doubt there were missiles at issue, but, why and who did they belong to. By attacking Syrian forces in the area, Israel could be acting in it's worst judgment and allowing Daesh to continue to have a footprint.
May 10, 2018
An Iranian official denied (click here) Thursday that the Islamic Republic was behind an overnight barrage of missiles on Israel, saying it does not have military forces in Syria, despite the fact that Israel blamed Iran's Revolutionary Guard for the attack.
"Iran does not have any connection to the missiles fired at Israel. If Iran did it we would have announced it immediately. When [ISIS] attacks Iranian targets in Syria we responded and made it known. Iran does not have any military presences in Syria and it was the Syrian army that fired missiles," the deputy head of Iran's national security council....
Thursday, May 10, 2018
In regard to Fake News; I believe it was the Hillary for President campaign that first brought the issue to the public.
The Democratic campaign proved to be correct with Russians that sought to subvert the USA through postings online.
When President Trump employes the idea of "Fake News" he is taking a legitimate complaint by a major US political party and plotting his own propaganda. The "Fake News" that originally was addressed by the DNC received attention through congressional hearings featuring "Facebook's CEO."
President Trump can't simply pull up the words "Fake News" without validating the fact it actually is. Congress and Facebook took this issue seriously and didn't use it as a campaign slogan.
What is even more worrisome is the insistence by President Trump press credentials are in the balance. That is being stated without any proof as to that statement and leans heavily in the progression of propaganda taking hold in the USA. If ever credentials need to be reviewed by Trump's FCC it should begin with FOX News, the propaganda arm of the RNC.
Given the strong use of media by Trump, the US Senate and House should be holding hearings on "Fake News." In the Senate it is "Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications Technology, Innovation, and the Internet i"
When threats are made by a President in regard to credentials of the free press in the USA, the legislative branch really should investigate the policies being toyed with by the FCC and take testimony from the media industry, including journalists both domestic and foreign.
Other countries sincerely struggle with a free and pluralistic press. One that is unbiased for the people to understand. The USA currently does not have that issue as much as other countries, including Russia. My sincerest worry is that by removing credentials, the news vital to the American people will become fragmented with conflicting information and views. The press will then be used to serve the politicians and plutocrats if that is not the same thing.
Congress needs to continue to hold hearings about "Fake News" and determine the migration of false facts into the American media. I realize the Pakistani example of disastrous pressure on the media seems extreme, but, the point is when the President of the USA begins to make threats to journalists, it is time to pay attention to our freedoms guaranteed under the First Amendment.
A free press can be lost if Americans don't act to protect it. Any threats are not important to the public unless it is to intimidate the free press. Any malpractice by the media can be brought to the FCC and such data is collected. Licenses and credentials can be impacted, but, it has to be through due process and not a dictatorship.
Do I believe threats being made can be turned into something else more threatening to the media as in Pakistan? We have heard about threats related to this administration once before. Anything is possible when power and not governance is exerted.
May 1, 2018
By Walid Tariq
A free and pluralist media (click here) is vital to the democratic functioning of a country. However, media actors in Pakistan continue to face challenges including physical assault, threats, illegal detention, arrest and at times murder.
At least 157 such cases were recorded across the country in last one year, according to a report by Freedom Network.
The media watchdog, in its Press Freedom Barometer 2018, documented cases against media freedom from May 1, 2017 to April 1, 2018.
The violations included killing of five journalists for their work, 11 cases of attempted kidnapping or abduction, 39 illegal detention and arrest, 58 physical assault and vandalism, and 23 occurrences of verbal and written threats....
When President Trump employes the idea of "Fake News" he is taking a legitimate complaint by a major US political party and plotting his own propaganda. The "Fake News" that originally was addressed by the DNC received attention through congressional hearings featuring "Facebook's CEO."
President Trump can't simply pull up the words "Fake News" without validating the fact it actually is. Congress and Facebook took this issue seriously and didn't use it as a campaign slogan.
What is even more worrisome is the insistence by President Trump press credentials are in the balance. That is being stated without any proof as to that statement and leans heavily in the progression of propaganda taking hold in the USA. If ever credentials need to be reviewed by Trump's FCC it should begin with FOX News, the propaganda arm of the RNC.
Given the strong use of media by Trump, the US Senate and House should be holding hearings on "Fake News." In the Senate it is "Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications Technology, Innovation, and the Internet i"
When threats are made by a President in regard to credentials of the free press in the USA, the legislative branch really should investigate the policies being toyed with by the FCC and take testimony from the media industry, including journalists both domestic and foreign.
Other countries sincerely struggle with a free and pluralistic press. One that is unbiased for the people to understand. The USA currently does not have that issue as much as other countries, including Russia. My sincerest worry is that by removing credentials, the news vital to the American people will become fragmented with conflicting information and views. The press will then be used to serve the politicians and plutocrats if that is not the same thing.
Congress needs to continue to hold hearings about "Fake News" and determine the migration of false facts into the American media. I realize the Pakistani example of disastrous pressure on the media seems extreme, but, the point is when the President of the USA begins to make threats to journalists, it is time to pay attention to our freedoms guaranteed under the First Amendment.
A free press can be lost if Americans don't act to protect it. Any threats are not important to the public unless it is to intimidate the free press. Any malpractice by the media can be brought to the FCC and such data is collected. Licenses and credentials can be impacted, but, it has to be through due process and not a dictatorship.
Do I believe threats being made can be turned into something else more threatening to the media as in Pakistan? We have heard about threats related to this administration once before. Anything is possible when power and not governance is exerted.
May 1, 2018
By Walid Tariq
A free and pluralist media (click here) is vital to the democratic functioning of a country. However, media actors in Pakistan continue to face challenges including physical assault, threats, illegal detention, arrest and at times murder.
At least 157 such cases were recorded across the country in last one year, according to a report by Freedom Network.
The media watchdog, in its Press Freedom Barometer 2018, documented cases against media freedom from May 1, 2017 to April 1, 2018.
The violations included killing of five journalists for their work, 11 cases of attempted kidnapping or abduction, 39 illegal detention and arrest, 58 physical assault and vandalism, and 23 occurrences of verbal and written threats....
Is this lottery (duty - free) an international lottery? If it is, the Pakistani treasury is in for a treat.
A Pakistani woman (click here) and an Indian man who purchased their tickets online have won $1 million prize in the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire draw at the Dubai airport, Khaleej Times reported.
Lamia Mustafa, a 34-year-old housewife from Karachi bought her second Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire ticket online with ticket number 4912, a number chosen based on her husband’s date of birth.
A regular participant to lucky draw, Mustafa could not believe her luck saying: “I never lose hope, I know that one day I will win and this is the day.”
I think it is really foolish for Cohen and the Trump Administration to attempt to drive poll numbers when real charges can be are pending.
This isn't like Guiliani's divorce proceeding giving him an election headache. This is real and the willingness to douce the public every day with revelations never heard before to attempt to put out fires is really stupid.
I have seen video clips from the past of Donald Trump claiming "Fake News." He is creating the idea the news media cannot be counted on and only he can be the one source without original sin. Enough.
The American news media is winning the public opinion polls because they are reporting real actions by real authorities. If there was no hush money and there was no Russian influence, Trump could claim the news reports are fake. But, he cannot make those claims. There are real facts before this administration and they aren't good. The Trump administration and Michael Cohen need to realize they need to protect their 5th Amendment rights and stop this hideous idea it will go away by a populous vote. This is not going away.
Mrs. Trump's campaign of kindness is overshadowed by all of her husband's antics and it isn't right. She has never appeared to be less than a kind person interested in serving as First Lady. I like Melania and she is not the person her husband is in regard to discrimination and racism. I reject the idea she has influence over her husband. I like Melania and her dedication to her son. She is good mother.
This isn't like Guiliani's divorce proceeding giving him an election headache. This is real and the willingness to douce the public every day with revelations never heard before to attempt to put out fires is really stupid.
I have seen video clips from the past of Donald Trump claiming "Fake News." He is creating the idea the news media cannot be counted on and only he can be the one source without original sin. Enough.
The American news media is winning the public opinion polls because they are reporting real actions by real authorities. If there was no hush money and there was no Russian influence, Trump could claim the news reports are fake. But, he cannot make those claims. There are real facts before this administration and they aren't good. The Trump administration and Michael Cohen need to realize they need to protect their 5th Amendment rights and stop this hideous idea it will go away by a populous vote. This is not going away.
Mrs. Trump's campaign of kindness is overshadowed by all of her husband's antics and it isn't right. She has never appeared to be less than a kind person interested in serving as First Lady. I like Melania and she is not the person her husband is in regard to discrimination and racism. I reject the idea she has influence over her husband. I like Melania and her dedication to her son. She is good mother.
Nothing changes, the reality of a corporation formed before the election received large sums of money.
Michael Cohen #1 is now admitting the information received by Mr. Avenatti is correct. The only other question is who is Michael Cohen #2? And what was he doing with deposits of smaller amounts (which isn't that small) related to the election of Donald Trump?
Stephen Ryan needs to be prepared to defend his client when he openly admits documents received by Mr. Avenatti are partially correct. That doesn't change the reality of his client and questions remain about that relationship with the campaign and Russian oligarchs.
Who are these other Michael Cohens or are they myth, too?
If this is the only defense Michael Cohen has, he needs a new lawyer.
May 9, 2018
By Tom Winter, Brandy Zadrozny and Sarah Fitzpatrick
Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, is calling into question part of a report released by Stormy Daniels' attorney about Cohen's alleged banking transactions.
In a court filing on Wednesday, Cohen's attorney said some of the transactions attributed to Cohen were actually tied to other people with the same name.
"This document is concerning for a number of reasons, including the number of blatantly incorrect statements it contains," Cohen attorney Stephen Ryan wrote in a 24-page complaint letter to a federal judge.
Cohen's camp does not dispute the report's contention that a company he created in 2016 — and used to pay hush money to Daniels, an adult film actress who claims she had sex with Trump — received large payments from companies like Novartis and AT&T, which confirm they hired him as a consultant or adviser....
Stephen Ryan needs to be prepared to defend his client when he openly admits documents received by Mr. Avenatti are partially correct. That doesn't change the reality of his client and questions remain about that relationship with the campaign and Russian oligarchs.
Who are these other Michael Cohens or are they myth, too?
If this is the only defense Michael Cohen has, he needs a new lawyer.
May 9, 2018
By Tom Winter, Brandy Zadrozny and Sarah Fitzpatrick
Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, is calling into question part of a report released by Stormy Daniels' attorney about Cohen's alleged banking transactions.
In a court filing on Wednesday, Cohen's attorney said some of the transactions attributed to Cohen were actually tied to other people with the same name.
"This document is concerning for a number of reasons, including the number of blatantly incorrect statements it contains," Cohen attorney Stephen Ryan wrote in a 24-page complaint letter to a federal judge.
Cohen's camp does not dispute the report's contention that a company he created in 2016 — and used to pay hush money to Daniels, an adult film actress who claims she had sex with Trump — received large payments from companies like Novartis and AT&T, which confirm they hired him as a consultant or adviser....
Events in the Middle East are not as optimistic as with the Korean Peninsula.
There is every indication that war in Syria is not over. It is being used as a proxy war for the hate fomented by Israel through it's extremist arm of the Likud party. This posture was not engaged by the previous Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
War is always a convenient posture for politicians. Israel has the right to defend itself and that is never an issue, but, to the extent the escalation has occurred following President Trump's tantrum over the JCPoA only proves a pre-planned posturing. If Iran had military and equipment in this area of Syria it can easily be attributed to the continued efforts regarding Daesh. There is every indication Israel creates it's own crisis, along with an extremist President from the USA.
This will be the second strike within Syria in a few weeks, the first being based on false reporting of a gas attack on civilians.
May 10, 2018Missiles over Daara, Syria
Iranian forces in Syria (click here) shelled Israeli army outposts across the Syrianfrontier overnight, Israel said, prompting one of the heaviest Israeli strikes in Syria since its civil war began in 2011.
The attack into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights marks the first time Iranian forces have hit Israel from Syria, where they have deployed along with Iran-backed Shi'ite militias to support President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war.
Syrian state media said dozens of Israeli missile strikes hit a radar station, Syrian air defense positions and an ammunition dump, underscoring the risks of a wider escalation involving Iran and its regional allies.
The Israeli military spokesman said the Iranian attack with around 20 projectiles or rockets was carried out by the Quds Force, an external arm of Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said that Israel intercepted "a few" of the rockets and there were no reports of casualties and that damage to Israeli positions was "limited."
The attack took place at around 12.10 a.m. "We have retaliated but I have no further details about this," he said....
Welcome home to three Americans detained in North Korea. This is a great moment for the USA as it always is when these events occur and families are reunited. I wish them and their families well and happiness.
A great deal of credit belongs to President Moon Jae-in of South Korea when he opened the possibility of peace on the Korean peninsula with a unified Korean Olympic Team. It has been an incredible cascade of events since that moment.
A great deal of credit belongs to President Moon Jae-in of South Korea when he opened the possibility of peace on the Korean peninsula with a unified Korean Olympic Team. It has been an incredible cascade of events since that moment.
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