The end of the sited paragraph from page 9 had "Harm to Ongoing Matter" at the end. I think it is obvious what the ongoing matter is. It is the Russians indictments. It isn't appropriate, when reading this document, to stop thinking because the words "Harm to Ongoing Matter" appears in the document. It is easy to know what the topic is being discussed at that point. What we don't know is the content of that section. The methods used by the Special Council in including those words provide for containment of the knowledge of the public. But, the public doesn't have to go brain dead because of those words.
Second, while the investigation identified numerous links between individuals with ties to
the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump Campaign, the evidence was
not sufficient to support criminal charges. Among other things, the evidence was not sufficient to
charge any Campaign official as an unregistered agent of the Russian government or other Russian
principal. And our evidence about the June 9, 2016 meeting and WikiLeaks' s releases of hacked
materials was not sufficient to charge a criminal campaign-finance violation. Further, the evidence
was not sufficient to charge that any member of the Trump Campaign conspired with
representatives of the Russian government to interfere in the 2016 election.
"...was not sufficient..." is the dominating understanding of that paragraph. Many of the members of the Trump Campaign have been charged with other crimes. Just because these particular crimes weren't charged doesn't mean there were no crimes. There were plenty of crimes.
"...was not sufficient..." IS NOT AN INNOCENT FINDING.
I might add, in not charging those crimes, there is still plenty of room down the road to charge people with crimes should there be more evidence or a repeat of the crimes. By not charging crimes at this time PRESERVES the evidence the Special Council found in case it could be helpful in the future.
Third, the investigation established that several individuals affiliated with the Trump
Campaign lied to the Office, and to Congress, about their interactions with Russian-affiliated
individuals and related matters. Those lies materially impaired the investigation of Russian
election interference. The Office charged some of those lies as violations of the federal false statements statute. Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying about
his interactions with Russian Ambassador Kislyak during the transition period. George
Papadopoulos, a foreign policy advisor during the campaign period, pleaded guilty to lying to
investigators about, inter alia (among other things), the nature and timing of his interactions with Joseph Mifsud, the
professor who told Papadopoulos that the Russians had dirt on candidate Clinton .in the form of
thousands of emails. Former Trump Organization attorney Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to
making false statements to Congress about the Trump Moscow project.
Harm to Ongoing Matter
And in Febraury 2019, the US District Court of Columbus found that Manafort lied to the Office and the grand jury concerning his interactions and communications
with Konstantin Kilimnik about Trump Campaign polling data and a peace plan for Ukraine.
Be clear, Konstantin Kilimnik was discussing plans for the future of Ukraine and in that understanding, polling data was provided to Kilimnik. Kilimnik wasn't anybody. He brought no special skills to the election. He wasn't a paid staffer. He was a Russian tied to Putin. Isn't everyone in Russia tied to Putin? There was no particular reason for Kilimnik to have these discussions to win over confidence with Manafort about Ukraine. Ukraine had a peace plan which Vladimir Putin ended with Russia's invasion and annexation of Crimea.
Got that?
Crimea was a sovereign state and an important part of Ukraine and Russia stole it. The elections in Crimea were bogus. The people of Crimea never had a valid vote on Russia's annexation. Russia stole an entire state of Ukraine illegally. Simply took it because it could, not because it should. Even with all those facts staring Manafort in the face, Kilimnik became a trusted person to share campaign data with to effect the elections.
Got that?
The information passed on to Kilimnik effected the outcome of the USA elections of 2019. There was no other reason for Kilimnik to have that information and it had absolutely nothing to do with Ukraine. Supposedly, the reason for the corruption into the election of 2016 was that ONLY Donald Trump could bring peace to Ukraine. That hasn't happened and it won't happen. There have been peace treaties brokered by other COUNTRIES to end the violence/civil war in Ukraine. Every treaty was violated by Putin in never ending the civil war at Russia's border with Ukraine. PUTIN NEVER ENDED the conflict in the face to a signed peace treaty. Instead, he continued to fuel the civil war with munition supplies to the insurgents in Eastern Ukraine. There is every indication, Putin had no intention to actually honor the peace treaties.
***
The Office investigated several other events that have been publicly reported to involve
potential Russia-related contacts. For example, the investigation established that interactions
between Russian Ambassador Kislyak and Trump Campaign officials both at the candidate's April
2016 foreign policy speech in Washington, D.C., and during the week of the Republican National
Convention were brief, public, and non-substantive. And the investigation did not establish that
one Campaign official's efforts to dilute a portion of the Republican Party platform on providing
assistance to Ukraine were undertaken at the behest of candidate Trump or Russia. The
investigation also did not establish that a meeting between Kislyak and Sessions in September
2016 at Sessions's Senate office included any more than a passing mention of the presidential
campaign.
There was non-substantive use of information about anything Russia in the face of meetings with the Russian Ambassador. Trump gave two speeches which would include the way he saw foreign policy under a Trump administration. In those two speeches, there was nothing monumental, significant or respectful. In other words, in the face of meetings with the Russian Ambassador, there was nothing in the speeches that followed indicating the conversations with that ambassador were helpful, new or earth shaking to bring about a good opinion of Trump. There was nothing that would reveal a new peace plan for Ukraine. There was nothing in the speeches that would bring an understanding Trump was able to be a stateman over and above what anyone in the public would know.
THEREFORE, what were the meetings about? It sure wasn't about the state of the world or proposals Trump could expect to be accepted by Putin. That was never going to happen. Trump has no influence with Putin. So, why the meetings? Nothing comes out of his meetings with Putin even today.
The investigation did not always yield admissible information or testimony, or a complete
picture of the activities undertaken by subjects of the investigation. Some individuals invoked
their Fifth Amendment right against compelled self-incrimination and were not, in the Office's
judgment, appropriate candidates for grants of immunity. The Office limited its pursuit of other
witnesses and information-such as information known to attorneys or individuals claiming to be
members of the media-in light of internal Department of Justice policies. See, e.g. , JusticeManual§§ 9-13.400, 13.410. (click here) Some of the information obtained via court process, moreover, was
presumptively covered by legal privilege and was screened from investigators by a filter ( or
"taint") team. Even when individuals testified or agreed to be interviewed, they sometimes
provided information that was false or incomplete, leading to some of the false-statements charges
described above. And the Office faced practical limits on its ability to access relevant evidence as
well-numerous witnesses and subjects lived abroad, and documents were held outside the United
States.
That is really cute. The evidence sought by the Special Counsel was held out of reach in other countries. These people are not innocent. Their actions are very nefarious. They were simply out of the reach of USA law because the evidence was withheld in countries the USA could not access.
Further, the Office learned that some of the individuals we interviewed or whose conduct
we investigated-including some associated with the Trump Campaign---deleted relevant
communications or communicated during the relevant period using applications that feature
encryption or that do not provide for long-term retention of data or communications records. In
such cases, the Office was not able to corroborate witness statements through comparison to
contemporaneous communications or fully question witnesses about statements that appeared
inconsistent with other known facts.
These people are not innocent, they are slick. They knew what they were doing in destroying evidence.
Accordingly, while this report embodies factual and legal determinations that the Office
believes to be accurate and complete to the greatest extent possible, given these identified gaps,
the Office cannot rule out the possibility that the unavailable information would shed additional
light on (or cast in a new light) the events described in the report.
The Special Counsel was hobbled in being able to complete a thorough investigation that would no doubt bring about more indictments and convictions.
This ends the Executive Summary of Volume I. When these documents were contested in their handling by Bill Barr, Robert Mueller himself stated at least provide the Introduction and Executive Summaries to the American public.
I will conclude here and will continue at another time in reading the Introduction and Executive Summary of Volume II, BEFORE, I continue reading the rest of the redacted Special Counsel report to the American people.
Thank you for your interest. This is our country. We need to understand it and in that how to best protect it from deceptive people that place themselves above the law because they are wealthy and/or powerful.
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Given the high level of corruption brought to the Special Counsel investigation by the DOJ, I didn't get very far on page 8.
I do mean corruption. There were revised decision making rules introduced into the Special Counsel Investigation and then there is the memo that has no place in decison making rules. It has never been included in any process at the DOJ before Trump's administration. The manual and memo are highly corrupted. It was grossly inappropriate for the DOJ to enter a new decision making manual to the Special Counsel investigation
Every one of these issues, be it the new decision making manual or the memo are all ethics violations.
This continues from Page 8 to Page 9 of the report. It is page 17 of the PDF.
Section V of the report provides detailed explanations of the Office's charging decisions, which contain three main components.
First, the Office determined that Russia's two principal interference operations in the 2016 U.S. presidential election-the social media campaign and the hacking-and-dumping operations violated U.S. criminal law. Many of the individuals and entities involved in the social media campaign have been charged with participating in a conspiracy to defraud the United States by undermining through deceptive acts the work of federal agencies charged with regulating foreign influence in U.S. elections, as well as related counts of identity theft. See United States v. Internet Research Agency, et al., No. 18-cr-32 (D.D.C.). Separately, Russian intelligence officers who carried out the hacking into Democratic Party computers and the personal email accounts of individuals affiliated with the Clinton Campaign conspired to violate, among other federal laws, the federal computer-intrusion statute, and the have been so char ed. See United States v.Ne ksho, et al., No. 18-cr-215 D.D.C .. (click here)
Harm to Ongoing Matter
This is not included to the public release of the redacted Special Counsel report. There is a site that claims to have some of the supporting documents to the Special Council report (click here). This website accumulated these documents from the trials that have come out of the Mueller investigation so far. This is NOT complete. The links to these documents are not on this webpage. I try to keep links and use of cyberspace on "Blogger" to a minimum. For accuracy please to the website to view these documents. Thank you.
Litigation Documents
Every one of these issues, be it the new decision making manual or the memo are all ethics violations.
This continues from Page 8 to Page 9 of the report. It is page 17 of the PDF.
Section V of the report provides detailed explanations of the Office's charging decisions, which contain three main components.
First, the Office determined that Russia's two principal interference operations in the 2016 U.S. presidential election-the social media campaign and the hacking-and-dumping operations violated U.S. criminal law. Many of the individuals and entities involved in the social media campaign have been charged with participating in a conspiracy to defraud the United States by undermining through deceptive acts the work of federal agencies charged with regulating foreign influence in U.S. elections, as well as related counts of identity theft. See United States v. Internet Research Agency, et al., No. 18-cr-32 (D.D.C.). Separately, Russian intelligence officers who carried out the hacking into Democratic Party computers and the personal email accounts of individuals affiliated with the Clinton Campaign conspired to violate, among other federal laws, the federal computer-intrusion statute, and the have been so char ed. See United States v.Ne ksho, et al., No. 18-cr-215 D.D.C .. (click here)
Harm to Ongoing Matter
This is not included to the public release of the redacted Special Counsel report. There is a site that claims to have some of the supporting documents to the Special Council report (click here). This website accumulated these documents from the trials that have come out of the Mueller investigation so far. This is NOT complete. The links to these documents are not on this webpage. I try to keep links and use of cyberspace on "Blogger" to a minimum. For accuracy please to the website to view these documents. Thank you.
Litigation Documents
- U.S. v. Michael D. Cohen
- U.S. v. Michael T. Flynn
- U.S. v. Richard W. Gates III (District of Columbia)
- U.S. v. Richard W. Gates III (Eastern District of Virginia)
- U.S. v. Internet Research Agency LLC, et al
- U.S. v. Konstantin Kilimnik
- U.S. v. Paul J Manafort, Jr (District of Columbia)
- U.S. v. Paul J. Manafort, Jr (Eastern District of Virginia)
- Paul J. Manafort, Jr v. U.S. Department of Justice
- Andrew Miller v. U.S.
- U.S. v. Viktor Borisovich Netyksho
- U.S. v. George Papadopoulos
- U.S. v. Richard Pinedo, et al
- Sealed v. Sealed (In re Grand Jury Subpoena)
- U.S. v. Roger J. Stone, Jr.
- U.S. v. Alexander van der Zwaan
Considering the findings regarding the election with Bill Nelson, the Special Counsel investigation should be expanded.
All Republican.
To the left sitting is the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. He is a high ranking communist.
Sen Steve Daines (R-MT) (Elected in 2014, re-election 2020)
Rep Kay Granger (R-TX, 12th Dist) (Elected in 1996 - re-election every 2 yrs) Sen John Hoeven (R-ND) (Elected 2016 - re-elected 2022) Sen Ron Johnson (R-WI) (Elected 2016 - re-elected 2022) Sen John Kennedy (R-LA) (Elected 2016 - re-elected 2022) Sen Jerry Moran (R-KS) (Elected 2016 - re-elected 2022) Sen Richard Shelby (R-AL) (Elected 2016 - re-elected 2022) Sen John Thune (R-SD) (Elected 2016 - re-elected 2022)
Two Florida voting results were compromise by Russia.
A year and a half after the 2016 presidential election more and more information regarding the extent Russia threw the election to Trump is still coming to the surface.
THIS IS MORE THAN MEDDLING.
The Russian RIA and government agents weren't looking for Clinton emails in Florida. The government agents from Russia is known as the GRU. The GRU agents are former Soviet military intelligence agents.
Kilimnik passed on the Trump campaign data to Putin and ultimately the IRA and GRU. The Russian government carried out cyber warfare against the USA during the 2016 elections.
THERE WAS A CONSPIRACY BETWEEN THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT.
I do not believe for one minute the election results were not effected.
Florida was won by Trump. Find two counties not expected to go to Trump by the narrowest of margins and those are most likely the ones hacked. Why did Manafort EVEN HAVE THE ELECTION INFORMATION FROM TRUMP? Manafort freely handed election data to a Russian operative with ties to Putin. End of discussion.
"Florida Governor Says Russian Hackers Breached 2 Counties in 2016" (cick here)
Jefferson County went to Trump by with less than 500 votes. (click here) Duval County, Monroe County, Pinellas County, Seminole County and St. Lucia County were won by Trump by small percentages. For the most part where Clinton won there were large margins.
The Former Clinton Campaign has a right to the information regarding Russian espionage and the impact on the Florida vote.
January 10, 2019
By Sue Halpern
On Tuesday, (click here) when news broke that Donald Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort had shared internal polling data with Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian business associate with ties to Russian intelligence, the through line between the campaign and the Kremlin began to look incontrovertible. The revelation came in an inadvertently unredacted court document, which was filed by Manafort’s lawyers in response to charges made by the special counsel, Robert Mueller, that Manafort had lied to investigators. According to the Times, some—but not all—of the data was already in the public domain. The rest came from the campaign’s own polling operation.
Trump, who famously eschewed polling in the early days of his campaign and told the “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd that pollsters were a waste of his money, eventually had five polling firms working to get him elected. All were hired after Manafort joined the campaign, in March, 2016, without pay. Five months later, he was forced to resign when it was revealed that he had failed to disclose his work as a foreign agent on behalf of pro-Russia political forces in Ukraine. Since then, of course, Manafort has been convicted of multiple counts of financial fraud....
THIS IS MORE THAN MEDDLING.
The Russian RIA and government agents weren't looking for Clinton emails in Florida. The government agents from Russia is known as the GRU. The GRU agents are former Soviet military intelligence agents.
Kilimnik passed on the Trump campaign data to Putin and ultimately the IRA and GRU. The Russian government carried out cyber warfare against the USA during the 2016 elections.
THERE WAS A CONSPIRACY BETWEEN THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT.
I do not believe for one minute the election results were not effected.
Florida was won by Trump. Find two counties not expected to go to Trump by the narrowest of margins and those are most likely the ones hacked. Why did Manafort EVEN HAVE THE ELECTION INFORMATION FROM TRUMP? Manafort freely handed election data to a Russian operative with ties to Putin. End of discussion.
"Florida Governor Says Russian Hackers Breached 2 Counties in 2016" (cick here)
Jefferson County went to Trump by with less than 500 votes. (click here) Duval County, Monroe County, Pinellas County, Seminole County and St. Lucia County were won by Trump by small percentages. For the most part where Clinton won there were large margins.
The Former Clinton Campaign has a right to the information regarding Russian espionage and the impact on the Florida vote.
January 10, 2019By Sue Halpern
On Tuesday, (click here) when news broke that Donald Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort had shared internal polling data with Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian business associate with ties to Russian intelligence, the through line between the campaign and the Kremlin began to look incontrovertible. The revelation came in an inadvertently unredacted court document, which was filed by Manafort’s lawyers in response to charges made by the special counsel, Robert Mueller, that Manafort had lied to investigators. According to the Times, some—but not all—of the data was already in the public domain. The rest came from the campaign’s own polling operation.
Trump, who famously eschewed polling in the early days of his campaign and told the “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd that pollsters were a waste of his money, eventually had five polling firms working to get him elected. All were hired after Manafort joined the campaign, in March, 2016, without pay. Five months later, he was forced to resign when it was revealed that he had failed to disclose his work as a foreign agent on behalf of pro-Russia political forces in Ukraine. Since then, of course, Manafort has been convicted of multiple counts of financial fraud....
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Only 4 months after taking office, Ilhan Omar has found her voice.
She is magnificent. She is speaking out on behalf of both Muslims and Isreal because of their common enemy. An enemy that attacks their civil rights and the very lives the USA values the most over any difference that brings these two peoples together in her advocacy.
She makes me proud of my country. From a 2-year-old refugee to the US House of Representative manifesting in insight that brings two Abrahamic religions to a common ground to end hate. She is amazing.
On the "All In with Chris Hayes," her smile is bigger, her eyes gentle and happy and her voice with her message amazingly calm and diplomatic. I am grateful for our USA programs of compassion and elevation of those least able to protect their very lives. Her life is a verification that the USA has incredible compassion for the least in the world. She is a small miracle of the USA democracy.
She makes me proud of my country. From a 2-year-old refugee to the US House of Representative manifesting in insight that brings two Abrahamic religions to a common ground to end hate. She is amazing.
On the "All In with Chris Hayes," her smile is bigger, her eyes gentle and happy and her voice with her message amazingly calm and diplomatic. I am grateful for our USA programs of compassion and elevation of those least able to protect their very lives. Her life is a verification that the USA has incredible compassion for the least in the world. She is a small miracle of the USA democracy.
Page 8 of the report. Also page 16 of the 448 pdf of the report.
THE SPECIAL COUNSEL'S CHARGING DECISIONS
In reaching the charging decisions described in Volume 1 of the report, the Office determined whether the conduct it found amounted to a violation of federal criminal law chargeable under the Principles of Federal Prosecution. See Justice Manual § 9-27.000 et seq. (2018). The standard set forth in the Justice Manual is whether the conduct constitutes a crime; if so, whether admissible evidence would probably be sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction;
Justice Manual § 9-27.000 et seq. (2018) (click here)
That manual was recently revised. It is a huge conflict of interest for this administration to bring about a new decision making manual when it was facing an inquiry into Russian influence in the 2016 election. The manual should have been applied by the following administration once it was reviewed. It is like raises for Congress and the president. They are voted by one administration and begun with the signature of the next.
This is even more reason for the US House to have the complete document of the Special Counsel Report and supporting documents. I would like to know what the Former Directors' Comey and Mueller think of the new manual. I would expect Congress to open up inquiries to that effect as well; ie: did US Attorneys drop investigations and prosecutions because of the new manual?
"The Revised Manual for Federal Prosecutors" (click here)
A Pragmatic Approach to Being Tough on Crime – Including White Collar Crime
Barry M. Hartman, Michael D. McKay, Megan N. Moore, David I. Kelch
In reaching the charging decisions described in Volume 1 of the report, the Office determined whether the conduct it found amounted to a violation of federal criminal law chargeable under the Principles of Federal Prosecution. See Justice Manual § 9-27.000 et seq. (2018). The standard set forth in the Justice Manual is whether the conduct constitutes a crime; if so, whether admissible evidence would probably be sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction;
Justice Manual § 9-27.000 et seq. (2018) (click here)
That manual was recently revised. It is a huge conflict of interest for this administration to bring about a new decision making manual when it was facing an inquiry into Russian influence in the 2016 election. The manual should have been applied by the following administration once it was reviewed. It is like raises for Congress and the president. They are voted by one administration and begun with the signature of the next.
This is even more reason for the US House to have the complete document of the Special Counsel Report and supporting documents. I would like to know what the Former Directors' Comey and Mueller think of the new manual. I would expect Congress to open up inquiries to that effect as well; ie: did US Attorneys drop investigations and prosecutions because of the new manual?
"The Revised Manual for Federal Prosecutors" (click here)
A Pragmatic Approach to Being Tough on Crime – Including White Collar Crime
Barry M. Hartman, Michael D. McKay, Megan N. Moore, David I. Kelch
18 December 2018
The U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) recently released a comprehensive update and review of the United States Attorneys’ Manual, now called the Justice Manual (the “Manual”). [1] The last substantial overhaul of the Manual was in 1997. [2] The Manual is a Department-wide document applicable to the entire DOJ, not just the U.S. Attorneys. It compiles DOJ policy, procedure, and guidance in one publicly accessible location. The Manual, while not binding, [3] is regularly consulted by DOJ officials when making charging decisions, determining enforcement priorities, and conducting other day-to-day functions. Because the DOJ—with its 93 offices and main office—does not operate as a monolith, the Manual is designed to strike the appropriate balance between global consistency and respecting prosecutorial discretion. In the updated Manual, the DOJ incorporated significant internal policy memoranda not previously included in the United States Attorneys’ Manual, eliminated redundancies, clarified some policies, and updated policies to reflect current law and practice. For instance, the Manual incorporates former Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s 2017 memorandum urging prosecutors to “charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense.” [4].
This is called corruption. There should be no Executive Branch aspirations for the DOJ. The DOJ is supposed to operate independently from the Oval Office. The idea Trump imposed political directives on the DOJ is outrageous.
Here again, Trump has overreached and deregulated from the Oval Office. These are legislative decisions. Questions need to be asked of the US Attorneys to find out if this new manual exonerated or relieved any Trump properties of regulation. I know they cause a lot of problems in Chicago with water quality.
The update also reflects two Trump Administration priorities for the DOJ: (1) reducing the extent to which prosecutorial decisions are perceived to be over-regulation and over- criminalization of traditional regulatory offenses and (2) deterring crime through the implementation of “tough on crime” policies. The DOJ’s fiscal year 2019 budget request reflects these two goals, emphasizing measures to reduce violent drug crime and the Trump Administration’s commitment “to establishing a smaller, leaner federal government that reduces, both, bureaucracy and costs to the American taxpayer.” [5] This Alert analyzes notable updates to the Manual and considers how these may impact the DOJ’s enforcement priorities. [6]
The Manual Recommends More Business-Friendly Enforcement Policies
The Trump Administration has made deregulation and the reduction of federal bureaucracy a top priority, [7] which is reflected in two important changes to the Manual. First, the Manual incorporates many of the principles found in the so-called Granston Memorandum. [8] Additionally, the Manual now explicitly discourages “piling on” of fines, penalties, and forfeitures and encourages a consideration of the interests of other enforcement entities when making prosecutorial decisions. In November 2018, the DOJ also incorporated important limitations to the Yates Memorandum. [9] Together, these changes—which are analyzed further below—demonstrate a distinct preference for business-friendly prosecutorial policies that could reduce some of the burden on businesses related to federal enforcement. [10]
I would think any entity negatively effected by this new manual, since it is non-binding, should pursue relief in court taking into consideration the new decision tree. I am confident there are problems occurring in expectations, including that of US Attorneys.
The entire idea this is now a political document rather than a legal one is reason to throw it in the nearest dumpster.
Incorporation of the Granston Memorandum....
The inclusion of this memorandum is new. It is more addition of corruption.
May 2018
By Gerald L. Aben, Dykema, Ann Arbor, MI and Lea Courington, Dykema, Dallas, Texas
A recent memorandum (Memo) (click here) issued by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to attorneys in the Commercial Litigation Branch, Civil Fraud Section suggests that the DOJ may be adopting a more assertive attitude with regards to dismissal of False Claims Act (FCA) qui tam cases.1 The Memo, authored by Michael Granston, Director of the Civil Fraud Section and issued on January 10, 2018, addresses the DOJ’s authority to dismiss a FCA qui tam case under 31 U.S.C. § 3730(c)(2)(A) and outlines a number of factors that DOJ attorneys should use to determine whether the DOJ should seek dismissal when it has otherwise declined to intervene....
This memo alone creates a lot of problems for the rights of Americans. First, it creates a judge and jury out of a prosecutor. Now, prosecutors have to take viable claims of lawlessness on the merits. This memo allows prosecutors to dismiss an entire lawsuit if it appears to be something they don't want to prosecute or litigate. It is more of a political paradigm written in fancy language to cause it to sound as though it has brevity to average Americans. Lawyers in practice need to critic this entire mess that Sessions installed into the DOJ.
I think this politicizing of the DOJ decision manual should be brought up regularly in litigation to invoke an inert status to it's priorities.
There is a law that has been in existence for a long time that addresses these issues and manifested from legislation, not a Trump wish list.
The False Claims Act: A Primer (click here)
The False Claims Act (FCA), 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729 - 3733 was enacted in 1863 by a Congress concerned that suppliers of goods to the Union Army during the Civil War were defrauding the Army. The FCA provided that any person who knowingly submitted false claims to the government was liable for double the government’s damages plus a penalty of $2,000 for each false claim. Since then, the FCA has been amended several times. In 1986, there were significant changes to the FCA, including increasing damages from double damages to treble damages and raising the penalties from $2,000 to a range of $5,000 to $10,000. The FCA has been amended three times since 1986. Over the life of the statute it has been interpreted on hundreds of occasions by federal courts (which sometimes issue conflicting interpretations of the statute). The purpose of this primer is not to explain how the FCA evolved over the decades or to discuss judicial interpretations of its provisions. Rather, in this primer we simply explain the most significant elements of the FCA to give one new to the statute an introductory understanding of the FCA and how it works. The complete text of the False Claims Act is provided at the end of this primer....
Bill Barr is chasing down the myth of a federal investigation that never should have been conducted because it will negate all the work AND CONVICTIONS of the investigation. In that is the reality that Manafort will walk without Trump signing a pardon.
continued in next entry
The U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) recently released a comprehensive update and review of the United States Attorneys’ Manual, now called the Justice Manual (the “Manual”). [1] The last substantial overhaul of the Manual was in 1997. [2] The Manual is a Department-wide document applicable to the entire DOJ, not just the U.S. Attorneys. It compiles DOJ policy, procedure, and guidance in one publicly accessible location. The Manual, while not binding, [3] is regularly consulted by DOJ officials when making charging decisions, determining enforcement priorities, and conducting other day-to-day functions. Because the DOJ—with its 93 offices and main office—does not operate as a monolith, the Manual is designed to strike the appropriate balance between global consistency and respecting prosecutorial discretion. In the updated Manual, the DOJ incorporated significant internal policy memoranda not previously included in the United States Attorneys’ Manual, eliminated redundancies, clarified some policies, and updated policies to reflect current law and practice. For instance, the Manual incorporates former Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s 2017 memorandum urging prosecutors to “charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense.” [4].
This is called corruption. There should be no Executive Branch aspirations for the DOJ. The DOJ is supposed to operate independently from the Oval Office. The idea Trump imposed political directives on the DOJ is outrageous.
Here again, Trump has overreached and deregulated from the Oval Office. These are legislative decisions. Questions need to be asked of the US Attorneys to find out if this new manual exonerated or relieved any Trump properties of regulation. I know they cause a lot of problems in Chicago with water quality.
The update also reflects two Trump Administration priorities for the DOJ: (1) reducing the extent to which prosecutorial decisions are perceived to be over-regulation and over- criminalization of traditional regulatory offenses and (2) deterring crime through the implementation of “tough on crime” policies. The DOJ’s fiscal year 2019 budget request reflects these two goals, emphasizing measures to reduce violent drug crime and the Trump Administration’s commitment “to establishing a smaller, leaner federal government that reduces, both, bureaucracy and costs to the American taxpayer.” [5] This Alert analyzes notable updates to the Manual and considers how these may impact the DOJ’s enforcement priorities. [6]
The Manual Recommends More Business-Friendly Enforcement Policies
The Trump Administration has made deregulation and the reduction of federal bureaucracy a top priority, [7] which is reflected in two important changes to the Manual. First, the Manual incorporates many of the principles found in the so-called Granston Memorandum. [8] Additionally, the Manual now explicitly discourages “piling on” of fines, penalties, and forfeitures and encourages a consideration of the interests of other enforcement entities when making prosecutorial decisions. In November 2018, the DOJ also incorporated important limitations to the Yates Memorandum. [9] Together, these changes—which are analyzed further below—demonstrate a distinct preference for business-friendly prosecutorial policies that could reduce some of the burden on businesses related to federal enforcement. [10]
I would think any entity negatively effected by this new manual, since it is non-binding, should pursue relief in court taking into consideration the new decision tree. I am confident there are problems occurring in expectations, including that of US Attorneys.
The entire idea this is now a political document rather than a legal one is reason to throw it in the nearest dumpster.
Incorporation of the Granston Memorandum....
The inclusion of this memorandum is new. It is more addition of corruption.
May 2018
By Gerald L. Aben, Dykema, Ann Arbor, MI and Lea Courington, Dykema, Dallas, Texas
A recent memorandum (Memo) (click here) issued by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to attorneys in the Commercial Litigation Branch, Civil Fraud Section suggests that the DOJ may be adopting a more assertive attitude with regards to dismissal of False Claims Act (FCA) qui tam cases.1 The Memo, authored by Michael Granston, Director of the Civil Fraud Section and issued on January 10, 2018, addresses the DOJ’s authority to dismiss a FCA qui tam case under 31 U.S.C. § 3730(c)(2)(A) and outlines a number of factors that DOJ attorneys should use to determine whether the DOJ should seek dismissal when it has otherwise declined to intervene....
This memo alone creates a lot of problems for the rights of Americans. First, it creates a judge and jury out of a prosecutor. Now, prosecutors have to take viable claims of lawlessness on the merits. This memo allows prosecutors to dismiss an entire lawsuit if it appears to be something they don't want to prosecute or litigate. It is more of a political paradigm written in fancy language to cause it to sound as though it has brevity to average Americans. Lawyers in practice need to critic this entire mess that Sessions installed into the DOJ.
I think this politicizing of the DOJ decision manual should be brought up regularly in litigation to invoke an inert status to it's priorities.
There is a law that has been in existence for a long time that addresses these issues and manifested from legislation, not a Trump wish list.
The False Claims Act: A Primer (click here)
The False Claims Act (FCA), 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729 - 3733 was enacted in 1863 by a Congress concerned that suppliers of goods to the Union Army during the Civil War were defrauding the Army. The FCA provided that any person who knowingly submitted false claims to the government was liable for double the government’s damages plus a penalty of $2,000 for each false claim. Since then, the FCA has been amended several times. In 1986, there were significant changes to the FCA, including increasing damages from double damages to treble damages and raising the penalties from $2,000 to a range of $5,000 to $10,000. The FCA has been amended three times since 1986. Over the life of the statute it has been interpreted on hundreds of occasions by federal courts (which sometimes issue conflicting interpretations of the statute). The purpose of this primer is not to explain how the FCA evolved over the decades or to discuss judicial interpretations of its provisions. Rather, in this primer we simply explain the most significant elements of the FCA to give one new to the statute an introductory understanding of the FCA and how it works. The complete text of the False Claims Act is provided at the end of this primer....
Bill Barr is chasing down the myth of a federal investigation that never should have been conducted because it will negate all the work AND CONVICTIONS of the investigation. In that is the reality that Manafort will walk without Trump signing a pardon.
continued in next entry
How many NRA Lifetime Memberships does it take to cloth a NRA president?
It could have been money from Maria Butina, too. What does it take to impress a young Russian spy? Probably less than LePierre thought.
May 13, 2019
By Lily Puckett
Leaked documents appear to reveal the lavish spending (click here) of the National Rifle Association's chief executive Wayne LaPierre, who received luxury clothing and travel expenses paid for by the lobby group's longtime advertising firm Ackerman McQueen.
A memo from the firm claims it spent $542,000 (£415,000) of the NRA's money, which largely comes from contributions and membership fees, on expenses for Mr LaPierre over a 13-year period.
The documents also show that the pro-gun organisation amassed more than $24m in legal fees to an outside counsel, Bill Brewer, over the last year alone, in what former president Oliver North described as an "existential threat to the financial stability of the NRA"....
By Lily Puckett
Leaked documents appear to reveal the lavish spending (click here) of the National Rifle Association's chief executive Wayne LaPierre, who received luxury clothing and travel expenses paid for by the lobby group's longtime advertising firm Ackerman McQueen.
A memo from the firm claims it spent $542,000 (£415,000) of the NRA's money, which largely comes from contributions and membership fees, on expenses for Mr LaPierre over a 13-year period.
The documents also show that the pro-gun organisation amassed more than $24m in legal fees to an outside counsel, Bill Brewer, over the last year alone, in what former president Oliver North described as an "existential threat to the financial stability of the NRA"....
How many people in the down ballot were elected by Russians?
Russian hacking was a known fact in 2016. That how dense the Russian influence was in 2016. No one could hear it and when they did, it was used against the candidate.
May 6, 2019
By Steven Lemongello
When U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (click here) was castigated by his Republican challenger, Gov. Rick Scott, last year for saying Russian hackers had broken into Florida voting systems, Nelson’s colleague, Marco Rubio, was aware of the breach.
But Rubio couldn’t defend Nelson because a spokesman for the senator said he wasn’t allowed to divulge classified information.
Rubio, R-Miami, declined to be interviewed for this story.
Nelson, D-Orlando, warned last year about successful hacking attempts in 2016 but said he could not identify which county or counties had been penetrated, saying the information was classified.
No other senator backed him up, and Scott and fellow Republicans attacked Nelson for what GOP campaign emails called his “alarming claims” and “extremely reckless behavior.”...
May 6, 2019
By Steven Lemongello
When U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (click here) was castigated by his Republican challenger, Gov. Rick Scott, last year for saying Russian hackers had broken into Florida voting systems, Nelson’s colleague, Marco Rubio, was aware of the breach.
But Rubio couldn’t defend Nelson because a spokesman for the senator said he wasn’t allowed to divulge classified information.
Rubio, R-Miami, declined to be interviewed for this story.
Nelson, D-Orlando, warned last year about successful hacking attempts in 2016 but said he could not identify which county or counties had been penetrated, saying the information was classified.
No other senator backed him up, and Scott and fellow Republicans attacked Nelson for what GOP campaign emails called his “alarming claims” and “extremely reckless behavior.”...
An 11 year old child is permanently scarred by the State of Ohio.
Besides the obvious abuse of an 11-year-old, the State of Ohio is compounding her trauma. Someone needs to get the governor on the record regarding such abuse of women and girls.
We have been through this before. We know children should not be giving birth to children. No fetus is viable because there is a heartbeat circulating blood, nutrients and poop. Well, waste, the poop stays in the fetus gut until birth, called meconium. The fetus carries it's cellular waste to the umbilical cord for the mother to accept it into her circulating blood to eliminate it.
May 13, 2019
By Kate Smith
An 11-year-old girl in Ohio (click here) was allegedly raped by a 26-year-old multiple times, leaving her pregnant, according to police reports. A state law passed in April, but not yet in effect, says that victims like her won't have a choice to have an abortion — they would have to carry and deliver their rapist's child.
The law prohibits women from obtaining an abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, about five or six weeks into a pregnancy, before most women even know that they're pregnant
The law provides no exceptions for rape or incest....
Republicans do not care about children. They care about the way their parents will vote. Prime example.
A Republican Texas state lawmaker (click here) responded to a top vaccine scientist's tweets about vaccination exemptions by accusing him of "sorcery" on Tuesday.
Peter Hotez, professor and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, tweeted a link to a report showing that Texas recorded a 14 percent rise in parents opting out of the state's vaccination requirements for children.
State Rep. Jonathan Stickland (R) fired back, accusing Hotez of being bought off.
“You are bought and paid for by the biggest special interest in politics,” the Fort Worth lawmaker wrote. “Do our state a favor and mind your own business. Parental rights mean more to us than your self enriching ‘science.’...
The less Republicans read or have the ability to read, the more Republican lawmakers love it. If adults in a household can't read, WILL THEY HAVE BOOKS IN THAT HOUSE FOR THEIR CHILDREN TO READ?
July 2018
By Holly Haber
Twenty percent of adults in North Texas (click here) can't read this sentence, according to Literacy Instruction for Texas, better known as LIFT.
Without some serious intervention, the problem will get worse. The agency estimates that in 12 years, 30 percent of Dallas County's projected population of 3.5 million could be illiterate.
That's more than 1 million people who can't help their kids with homework or even figure out a bus map.
LIFT aims to thwart this dystopian future by educating adults in reading, English and high school equivalency....
Parents are the biggest influence on early childhood development, that includes reading. Research also shows that children should have read 1000 books before they enter school. Considering most children's books in that age group is no more than 30 pages long, that is not an overestimate of any American child's ability.
"Hello" by Highlights (click here) This is an incredible subscription for children 9 to 2 years old. A wonderful book that is very durable and well illustrated comes every month. It provides the youngest reader an idea of how to handle books. There are rave reviews about this subscription. It also brings parents and children together for "us" time.
Research shows (click here) that children learn about reading before they enter school. In fact, they learn in the best manner-through observation. Young children, for example, see people around them reading newspapers, books, maps, and signs.
We have been through this before. We know children should not be giving birth to children. No fetus is viable because there is a heartbeat circulating blood, nutrients and poop. Well, waste, the poop stays in the fetus gut until birth, called meconium. The fetus carries it's cellular waste to the umbilical cord for the mother to accept it into her circulating blood to eliminate it.
May 13, 2019
By Kate Smith
An 11-year-old girl in Ohio (click here) was allegedly raped by a 26-year-old multiple times, leaving her pregnant, according to police reports. A state law passed in April, but not yet in effect, says that victims like her won't have a choice to have an abortion — they would have to carry and deliver their rapist's child.
The law prohibits women from obtaining an abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, about five or six weeks into a pregnancy, before most women even know that they're pregnant
The law provides no exceptions for rape or incest....
Republicans do not care about children. They care about the way their parents will vote. Prime example.
A Republican Texas state lawmaker (click here) responded to a top vaccine scientist's tweets about vaccination exemptions by accusing him of "sorcery" on Tuesday.
Peter Hotez, professor and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, tweeted a link to a report showing that Texas recorded a 14 percent rise in parents opting out of the state's vaccination requirements for children.
State Rep. Jonathan Stickland (R) fired back, accusing Hotez of being bought off.
“You are bought and paid for by the biggest special interest in politics,” the Fort Worth lawmaker wrote. “Do our state a favor and mind your own business. Parental rights mean more to us than your self enriching ‘science.’...
The less Republicans read or have the ability to read, the more Republican lawmakers love it. If adults in a household can't read, WILL THEY HAVE BOOKS IN THAT HOUSE FOR THEIR CHILDREN TO READ?
July 2018
By Holly Haber
Twenty percent of adults in North Texas (click here) can't read this sentence, according to Literacy Instruction for Texas, better known as LIFT.
Without some serious intervention, the problem will get worse. The agency estimates that in 12 years, 30 percent of Dallas County's projected population of 3.5 million could be illiterate.
That's more than 1 million people who can't help their kids with homework or even figure out a bus map.
LIFT aims to thwart this dystopian future by educating adults in reading, English and high school equivalency....
Parents are the biggest influence on early childhood development, that includes reading. Research also shows that children should have read 1000 books before they enter school. Considering most children's books in that age group is no more than 30 pages long, that is not an overestimate of any American child's ability.
Research shows (click here) that children learn about reading before they enter school. In fact, they learn in the best manner-through observation. Young children, for example, see people around them reading newspapers, books, maps, and signs.
Parents can do a lot to foster an understanding of print by talking with their preschoolers about signs in their environment and by letting their children know they enjoy reading themselves.
When reading to your preschooler, you should run your index finger under the line of print. This procedure is simple and helps children begin to notice words and that words have meaning. They also gain an awareness of the conventions of reading (e.g., one reads from left to right and from the top of the page to the bottom; sentences are made up of words; and some sentences extend beyond a single line of print)....
They are all communists, including Trump. Get over the idea Trump is an American capitalist. Got it wrong from that perspective. Banks in US don't embrace Trump.
Trump is always hungry for money. Hello? Trump is the best decoy Putin has ever had. By every measure Orban should be rejecting Moscow, but, he doesn't. His idea of fun is for Hungary to have relationships with Europe and Russia. Hungary has turned away from democracy and freedom and embraces strong man tactics as mentored by communist regimes. Does anyone believe Orban will ever have an economy that reflects the values of Europe?
...Viktor Orbán (click here) expected that his favorite candidate, Donald Trump, would conduct a pro-Russian foreign policy and would keep his nose out of the affairs of other countries. Also, he would no longer demand adherence to democratic norms. Consequently, Orbán renewed his attack on non-governmental organizations operating in Hungary, especially those that receive money from George Soros’s Open Society Foundation. After all, Orbán figured, Trump dislikes the billionaire financier because he generously supported Hillary Clinton. As for diplomatic matters, Orbán was certain that he would receive Trump’s support for an even closer relationship with Putin’s Russia.
So, how did Orbán prepare for this new era of international relations? He decided to have a trial run ahead of the scheduled visit of Vladimir Putin, sending Péter Szijjártó to Moscow with a message that indicated a more openly supportive Hungarian policy toward Russia.
The many reports that appeared in both Hungarian and foreign papers on the meeting in Budapest between Vladimir Putin and Viktor Orbán all agree that the much touted “summit” ended with a fairly meaningless press conference dealing mostly with trade relations and including a few announcements about the Russian gas supply and the financing of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant’s extension. To learn more about what most likely transpired between Putin and Orbán behind closed doors, we should focus on the Moscow trip of the much more talkative Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on January 23 and 24. He was equally chatty after his negotiations with members of the Russian delegation in Budapest....
Orban is anti-NATO. He should not be in the White House. Why not bring back Lavrov and his gang for lunch. It is the same thing. They might consider the fast food King's idea of lunch a real treat.
“If the EU and Russia cannot agree on the conditions of a pragmatic and close cooperation, then the Union will seriously lag behind in the international economic and political competition.”
The many reports that appeared in both Hungarian and foreign papers on the meeting in Budapest between Vladimir Putin and Viktor Orbán all agree that the much touted “summit” ended with a fairly meaningless press conference dealing mostly with trade relations and including a few announcements about the Russian gas supply and the financing of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant’s extension. To learn more about what most likely transpired between Putin and Orbán behind closed doors, we should focus on the Moscow trip of the much more talkative Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on January 23 and 24. He was equally chatty after his negotiations with members of the Russian delegation in Budapest....
Orban is anti-NATO. He should not be in the White House. Why not bring back Lavrov and his gang for lunch. It is the same thing. They might consider the fast food King's idea of lunch a real treat.
“If the EU and Russia cannot agree on the conditions of a pragmatic and close cooperation, then the Union will seriously lag behind in the international economic and political competition.”
Trump is absolutely disgusting for his embrace of human rights violators.
The Hungarian government fails (click here) to respect the rule of law and human rights. Government representatives are increasingly hostile to journalists and critics and engage in anti-migrant, anti-Muslim and xenophobic rhetoric including through publicly funded campaigns. Authorities have introduced legislation targeting civil society organizations and universities receiving funding from abroad. Asylum seekers are detained indefinitely in substandard border camps without a possibility to challenge their detention. They face violence during operations to force them back to the border, and limitations on meaningful access to asylum.
May 14, 2019
By Richard Gonzalez
President Trump hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (click here) at the White House on Monday, a gesture the past two U.S. presidents avoided granting to the hard-right European leader.
Try substituting FEAR for respect and the image of Trump clears up quite nicely. Trump's form of respect, isn't respect at all. It defines any civilized definition of the word.
"People have a lot of respect for this Prime Minister," Trump said in a photo-op in the Oval Office before their meeting. Trump went on to warmly praise the Hungarian leader: "He's a respected man. And I know he's a tough man, but he's a respected man. And he's done the right thing, according to many people, on immigration."
Orban is on record calling Syrian refugees "Muslim invaders," and many human rights activists are concerned about the signals Trump is sending with this meeting, as NPR's Michele Kelemen reports:
The abuse of women in Hungary only reflects the same disregard Trump has for women in the USA. They are nothing but sex objects that need to know their place. Hungarian men get respect
...Survivors of domestic violence, (click here) women’s rights organizations, lawyers, shelter staff, and police officers interviewed for this report described brutal violence inflicted on women in Hungary, with often severe and long-lasting impacts on physical and psychological health. They described women stabbed and chopped at with knives, axes, and swords; kicked and punched in the abdomen while pregnant; raped; beaten with sticks, prams, iron rods, and thick cables to the point of broken bones and skull fractures; locked in sheds without clothes in winter; thrown off balconies; dumped in remote areas in the middle of the night; and subjected to severe psychological violence....
May 14, 2019
By Richard Gonzalez
President Trump hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (click here) at the White House on Monday, a gesture the past two U.S. presidents avoided granting to the hard-right European leader.
Try substituting FEAR for respect and the image of Trump clears up quite nicely. Trump's form of respect, isn't respect at all. It defines any civilized definition of the word.
"People have a lot of respect for this Prime Minister," Trump said in a photo-op in the Oval Office before their meeting. Trump went on to warmly praise the Hungarian leader: "He's a respected man. And I know he's a tough man, but he's a respected man. And he's done the right thing, according to many people, on immigration."
Orban is on record calling Syrian refugees "Muslim invaders," and many human rights activists are concerned about the signals Trump is sending with this meeting, as NPR's Michele Kelemen reports:
The abuse of women in Hungary only reflects the same disregard Trump has for women in the USA. They are nothing but sex objects that need to know their place. Hungarian men get respect
...Survivors of domestic violence, (click here) women’s rights organizations, lawyers, shelter staff, and police officers interviewed for this report described brutal violence inflicted on women in Hungary, with often severe and long-lasting impacts on physical and psychological health. They described women stabbed and chopped at with knives, axes, and swords; kicked and punched in the abdomen while pregnant; raped; beaten with sticks, prams, iron rods, and thick cables to the point of broken bones and skull fractures; locked in sheds without clothes in winter; thrown off balconies; dumped in remote areas in the middle of the night; and subjected to severe psychological violence....
Straits of Hormuz has always needed regular USA patrols.
"US Interests" needs to be defined and to the extent, US Assets are deployed. The oil tankers appear to have received mischief that has caused a variety of damage. None of the ships are sunk. Actually, it reminds me of the attack on the USS Cole only less so. These are not attacks by any country. There are issues, but, not with Iran. I believe they are more or less terrorist attacks.
I remind the USA is EXPORTING petroleum products. THEREFORE, the "USA Interest" can be reassessed to realize the exports can be used best at home.
The fact the UAE doesn't see any involvement by a country is correct. There are some entities at work and that is not yet known. This is not an attack by Iran. I would expect something along the lines of Houthis or their sympathizers. The possibility Daesh has an interest in such mischief has to be considered as well.
The attacks on Saudi tankers may be somewhat new, but, Saudi Arabia needs to examine why those attacks are taking place. This does not require B52 bombers. Trump is not using the USA military prudently.
The UAE is stating they don't know who is carrying out attacks on Saudi tankers. The USA has no reason to openly blame Iran if there is evidence otherwise. The two countries of Iran and Saudi Arabia do need a peace table. They are locked in conflict with opposing world powers supporting them and it is a proxy war more than anything that settles an argument between the two countries of faith.
May 13, 2019
By Anthony Dipaola and Abbas Al Lawati
Saudi Arabia (click here) said two of its oil tankers were attacked while sailing toward the Persian Gulf, adding to regional tensions as the U.S. increases pressure on Iran.
The Saudi tankers were damaged in “a sabotage attack” off the United Arab Emirates coast on Sunday, state-run Saudi Press Agency reported. The vessels were approaching the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important chokepoint for oil shipments. The U.A.E. foreign ministry on Sunday reported an attack on four commercial ships near its territorial waters. No one has claimed responsibility....
This is a war that has no purpose. The Trump Middle East peace plan doesn't seem to be accomplishing anything, except, higher tensions and escalation in violence.
This is from Aljazeera. Armed drones are not terrorist groups. It might be Hezbollah with it's new drug finances, but, those drones are not produced by Hezbollah. They would have to be purchased from a major power. There were some drones Israel shot down a while ago that were operated by Hamas. But, then again, they weren't produced by Hamas. They might be USA drones that were shot down and rehabbed. But, these drone attacks are more or less proxy wars between major powers.
Iran and Saudi Arabia need to sit down at peace talks and end this mess.
I believe the UN has a small arms convention that needs to come into force with a peace talk initiative.
May 14, 2019
Saudi Arabia has said armed drones (click here) struck two oil pumping stations that belong to the country's state-run oil giant Aramco while other assaults targeted energy infrastructure elsewhere in the kingdom.
The attack on the pumping stations took place early on Tuesday, causing minor damage to one of the stations supplying a pipeline running from its oil-rich Eastern Province to the Yanbu Port on the Red Sea, Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said in a statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The fire that broke out was later brought under control but Aramco stopped pumping oil through the pipeline....
I remind the USA is EXPORTING petroleum products. THEREFORE, the "USA Interest" can be reassessed to realize the exports can be used best at home.
The fact the UAE doesn't see any involvement by a country is correct. There are some entities at work and that is not yet known. This is not an attack by Iran. I would expect something along the lines of Houthis or their sympathizers. The possibility Daesh has an interest in such mischief has to be considered as well.
The attacks on Saudi tankers may be somewhat new, but, Saudi Arabia needs to examine why those attacks are taking place. This does not require B52 bombers. Trump is not using the USA military prudently.
The UAE is stating they don't know who is carrying out attacks on Saudi tankers. The USA has no reason to openly blame Iran if there is evidence otherwise. The two countries of Iran and Saudi Arabia do need a peace table. They are locked in conflict with opposing world powers supporting them and it is a proxy war more than anything that settles an argument between the two countries of faith.
May 13, 2019
By Anthony Dipaola and Abbas Al Lawati
Saudi Arabia (click here) said two of its oil tankers were attacked while sailing toward the Persian Gulf, adding to regional tensions as the U.S. increases pressure on Iran.
The Saudi tankers were damaged in “a sabotage attack” off the United Arab Emirates coast on Sunday, state-run Saudi Press Agency reported. The vessels were approaching the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important chokepoint for oil shipments. The U.A.E. foreign ministry on Sunday reported an attack on four commercial ships near its territorial waters. No one has claimed responsibility....
This is a war that has no purpose. The Trump Middle East peace plan doesn't seem to be accomplishing anything, except, higher tensions and escalation in violence.
This is from Aljazeera. Armed drones are not terrorist groups. It might be Hezbollah with it's new drug finances, but, those drones are not produced by Hezbollah. They would have to be purchased from a major power. There were some drones Israel shot down a while ago that were operated by Hamas. But, then again, they weren't produced by Hamas. They might be USA drones that were shot down and rehabbed. But, these drone attacks are more or less proxy wars between major powers.
Iran and Saudi Arabia need to sit down at peace talks and end this mess.
I believe the UN has a small arms convention that needs to come into force with a peace talk initiative.
May 14, 2019
Saudi Arabia has said armed drones (click here) struck two oil pumping stations that belong to the country's state-run oil giant Aramco while other assaults targeted energy infrastructure elsewhere in the kingdom.
The attack on the pumping stations took place early on Tuesday, causing minor damage to one of the stations supplying a pipeline running from its oil-rich Eastern Province to the Yanbu Port on the Red Sea, Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said in a statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The fire that broke out was later brought under control but Aramco stopped pumping oil through the pipeline....
War has become a profit margin to Russia.
Realize also in Russia, the people are having their pensions cut to accommodate an expansionism Putin. The idea Russia is an emerging country within the structure of the G20 is not viable. Russia should be growing it's domestic economy and not sacrificing it for the case of a war mongering strategy.
Russia's war strategy at the price of human rights globally is irresponsible and provides not real viable path forward for these countries.
October 12, 2018
By Samuel Ramani
In September 7, Russian Ambassador to Yemen Vladimir Dedushkin(click here) told reporters that southern Yemen was an important region of the country that must be adequately represented in an eventual peace settlement. Dedushkin’s comments were positively received by members of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist movement that had been excluded from the UN-led Yemen negotiations. The degree of attention that Russia affords southern Yemen reflects Moscow’s geopolitical objectives, historical interest in the region, and aspirations of expanding its influence in the Middle East. Russia views stability in southern Yemen as an essential precondition for its goal of developing a sphere of influence in the Red Sea....
...Russia’s mediation offer was a direct response to a military assault from pro-Hadi forces against the STC’s occupation of Aden, the capital of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
Since September 2017, the Russian government has also maintained a contract with the Hadi government to print and safely transfer bank notes from Moscow to Aden....
Russia's war strategy at the price of human rights globally is irresponsible and provides not real viable path forward for these countries.
October 12, 2018
By Samuel Ramani
In September 7, Russian Ambassador to Yemen Vladimir Dedushkin(click here) told reporters that southern Yemen was an important region of the country that must be adequately represented in an eventual peace settlement. Dedushkin’s comments were positively received by members of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist movement that had been excluded from the UN-led Yemen negotiations. The degree of attention that Russia affords southern Yemen reflects Moscow’s geopolitical objectives, historical interest in the region, and aspirations of expanding its influence in the Middle East. Russia views stability in southern Yemen as an essential precondition for its goal of developing a sphere of influence in the Red Sea....
...Russia’s mediation offer was a direct response to a military assault from pro-Hadi forces against the STC’s occupation of Aden, the capital of Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
Since September 2017, the Russian government has also maintained a contract with the Hadi government to print and safely transfer bank notes from Moscow to Aden....
Leave the Shi'ites alone.
American policy over the past half-century has brought Iran to where it is today. It is time to step back and realize Iran has to become a post-petroleum economy no differently than Saudi Arabia.
It is nearly impossible for countries that are third world and oil based to move into a future that will bring their people out of poverty. It American foreign policy continues to be confrontational the monies these countries are spending on their military is robbing their people of developing a better quality of life.
May 7, 2019
Four B-52 bombers (click here) are being deployed to the Middle East in response to what administration officials said earlier this week are threats of a possible attack by Iran or allied fighters on American troops in the region. Two of the bombers are expected to leave Tuesday from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, arriving at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Wednesday, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports....
This is absolutely ridiculous. There aren't enough long runways in the Middle East to even accommodate four B-52 bombers without interfering in international borders. This is stupid.
bomber task force and the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to the U.S. Central Command region
Give me a break. Now, if Bolton wants to remove Russian influence from the region, this threat makes sense, but, Iran? This is silly for providing a threat to Iran. Iran has its hands full to maintain order within its religious population when it comes to ending real threats like Daesh.
But, Russia is a different issue. I still don't see four B-52s sitting anywhere on a tarmac in the Middle East. Those facilities can't handle them. They are high altitude and long distance bombers. Four of those bombers in the Middle East is a threat to Afghanistan IF the facilities can provide enough runway and air space.
In an attack where the B-52s actually can make an impact, the runways first have to be able to accommodate jet fights to protect the B-52s. This entire idea is unworkable. The B-52s will interfere with their own bomb deployments. I am really surprised the Department of Defense is actually willing to carry out these idiotic orders.
All one has to do is look at the Middle East, the number of countries and the idea of deploying the capacity of a B-52. This is not rocket science.
The only reason to do this is to intimidate an out of control Russia and the hardship Russia is causing in the Middle East. Look at Venezuela. Every place Russia appears with any kind of military deployment, there is a disaster. People are dying in large numbers when realizing all the areas where Russia is instigating war.
Syria
Venezuela
Ukraine
These are all areas of the world dominated by Russian hostilities and there are incredible human tragedy, deaths and rights abuses.
There is Russian influence in the Philippines. The people are killing each other at will in pointing fingers that they are drug dealers.
Everywhere there is a strong man dictator, there is Russia and horrible conditions.
Putin is a problem. A very big problem for it's sprawl across the world under Trump.
Trump will end USA influence, just to save money. That is all Trump is, money. Where the USA is pulling back from programs and support to other countries it is because of money. Trump doesn't want to pay for it as a million-billionaire. His statements at a much younger age about Iran isn't about global security, it is about oil. Forget about Trump being a humanitarian in any way, he wants his money before considering the influence of the USA to maintain any type of global order.
The best thing that happened with Iran was the Iran Nuclear Deal. Even Israel believed the Iran Nuclear Deal was a huge accomplishment. Iran needs an economy that is worth keeping.
An improved economy and global acceptance of their people as visitors for education and tourism will transform Iran.
President Obama promised every person in the USA military they would understand why they were deployed and would understand their mission. Parking USA assets in the Middle East to this extent makes no sense. Europe has Northern Africa in their sites all the time. So, the Mediterranean is going to be crowded with USA assets that make no sense. NATO needs to chime in on this.
Realizing how Trump allows USA vulnerability in the age of Russian expansionism, the US Congress needs to invoke the War Powers Act in ending thisese bizarre actions by Trump.
Look at that picture of the Revolutionary Guard. They have never been so numerous or focused. Why? Why would the men of Iran find deep reasons to grow a competent and focused military? Deash. Iran today has a military that it has never had before. The idea of distributing these men into a war with the USA is complete moronity. They have plenty to do and they need to be respected for what they did in Iraq and Iran for defeating Daesh. Such terrorism is never going to be a problem again.
6 May 2019
By Simon Tisdall
Members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The IRGC The IRGC supports Shia militia forces loyal to the Assad regime in Syria.
John Bolton’s sudden, (click here) unexplained threat to use “unrelenting force” against Tehran has raised US-Iran tensions to a new high. But its impact is not confined to these two countries. Like a lethal poison, their mutual enmity is seeping through the veins of an already unstable region that has experienced dangerously high levels of volatility in recent days.
No clear reason was given by Donald Trump’s national security adviser for his decision to advertise the pre-arranged deployment of military reinforcements to the Middle East. But Bolton singled out Iran, and specifically Iran’s non-state allies and proxy forces, as causes for concern. These groups are deeply involved in several conflict zones including Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Gaza, where fighting with Israeli forces re-erupted last week....
It is nearly impossible for countries that are third world and oil based to move into a future that will bring their people out of poverty. It American foreign policy continues to be confrontational the monies these countries are spending on their military is robbing their people of developing a better quality of life.
May 7, 2019
Four B-52 bombers (click here) are being deployed to the Middle East in response to what administration officials said earlier this week are threats of a possible attack by Iran or allied fighters on American troops in the region. Two of the bombers are expected to leave Tuesday from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, arriving at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Wednesday, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports....
This is absolutely ridiculous. There aren't enough long runways in the Middle East to even accommodate four B-52 bombers without interfering in international borders. This is stupid.
bomber task force and the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to the U.S. Central Command region
Give me a break. Now, if Bolton wants to remove Russian influence from the region, this threat makes sense, but, Iran? This is silly for providing a threat to Iran. Iran has its hands full to maintain order within its religious population when it comes to ending real threats like Daesh.
But, Russia is a different issue. I still don't see four B-52s sitting anywhere on a tarmac in the Middle East. Those facilities can't handle them. They are high altitude and long distance bombers. Four of those bombers in the Middle East is a threat to Afghanistan IF the facilities can provide enough runway and air space.
In an attack where the B-52s actually can make an impact, the runways first have to be able to accommodate jet fights to protect the B-52s. This entire idea is unworkable. The B-52s will interfere with their own bomb deployments. I am really surprised the Department of Defense is actually willing to carry out these idiotic orders.
All one has to do is look at the Middle East, the number of countries and the idea of deploying the capacity of a B-52. This is not rocket science.
The only reason to do this is to intimidate an out of control Russia and the hardship Russia is causing in the Middle East. Look at Venezuela. Every place Russia appears with any kind of military deployment, there is a disaster. People are dying in large numbers when realizing all the areas where Russia is instigating war.
Syria
Venezuela
Ukraine
These are all areas of the world dominated by Russian hostilities and there are incredible human tragedy, deaths and rights abuses.
There is Russian influence in the Philippines. The people are killing each other at will in pointing fingers that they are drug dealers.
Everywhere there is a strong man dictator, there is Russia and horrible conditions.
Putin is a problem. A very big problem for it's sprawl across the world under Trump.
Trump will end USA influence, just to save money. That is all Trump is, money. Where the USA is pulling back from programs and support to other countries it is because of money. Trump doesn't want to pay for it as a million-billionaire. His statements at a much younger age about Iran isn't about global security, it is about oil. Forget about Trump being a humanitarian in any way, he wants his money before considering the influence of the USA to maintain any type of global order.
The best thing that happened with Iran was the Iran Nuclear Deal. Even Israel believed the Iran Nuclear Deal was a huge accomplishment. Iran needs an economy that is worth keeping.
An improved economy and global acceptance of their people as visitors for education and tourism will transform Iran.
President Obama promised every person in the USA military they would understand why they were deployed and would understand their mission. Parking USA assets in the Middle East to this extent makes no sense. Europe has Northern Africa in their sites all the time. So, the Mediterranean is going to be crowded with USA assets that make no sense. NATO needs to chime in on this.
Realizing how Trump allows USA vulnerability in the age of Russian expansionism, the US Congress needs to invoke the War Powers Act in ending thisese bizarre actions by Trump.
Look at that picture of the Revolutionary Guard. They have never been so numerous or focused. Why? Why would the men of Iran find deep reasons to grow a competent and focused military? Deash. Iran today has a military that it has never had before. The idea of distributing these men into a war with the USA is complete moronity. They have plenty to do and they need to be respected for what they did in Iraq and Iran for defeating Daesh. Such terrorism is never going to be a problem again.
By Simon Tisdall
Members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The IRGC The IRGC supports Shia militia forces loyal to the Assad regime in Syria.
John Bolton’s sudden, (click here) unexplained threat to use “unrelenting force” against Tehran has raised US-Iran tensions to a new high. But its impact is not confined to these two countries. Like a lethal poison, their mutual enmity is seeping through the veins of an already unstable region that has experienced dangerously high levels of volatility in recent days.
No clear reason was given by Donald Trump’s national security adviser for his decision to advertise the pre-arranged deployment of military reinforcements to the Middle East. But Bolton singled out Iran, and specifically Iran’s non-state allies and proxy forces, as causes for concern. These groups are deeply involved in several conflict zones including Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Gaza, where fighting with Israeli forces re-erupted last week....
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