DC Tom Posted June 2, 2017 Posted June 2, 2017 Reasonable. I don't want to get into too much Reagan worship.... I don't either. But I think even his detractors would be hard-pressed to say he didn't have a coherent foreign policy going in to office, if only because it's tough to make something as simple as "Evil Empire" incoherent.
Benjamin Franklin Posted June 2, 2017 Posted June 2, 2017 I don't either. But I think even his detractors would be hard-pressed to say he didn't have a coherent foreign policy going in to office, if only because it's tough to make something as simple as "Evil Empire" incoherent. Being SecState during the Cold War was so much easier.
Deranged Rhino Posted June 2, 2017 Author Posted June 2, 2017 Saying Kennedy was killed because he wished to run his own foreign policy is the opposite of tinfoil hat point of fact. He wanted to splinter CIA into a thousand pieces and scatter it to the winds - in particular their paramilitary operations which were (in Europe and at home) largely comprised of former Nazis brought into CIA through Paperclip by men like Allen Dulles, whom Kennedy fired not two months before. The MiC was attempting to goad him into open war with the Soviets, he resisted, and he was killed for it.
Benjamin Franklin Posted June 2, 2017 Posted June 2, 2017 Saying Kennedy was killed because he wished to run his own foreign policy is the opposite of tinfoil hat point of fact. He wanted to splinter CIA into a thousand pieces and scatter it to the winds - in particular their paramilitary operations which were (in Europe and at home) largely comprised of former Nazis brought into CIA through Paperclip by men like Allen Dulles, whom Kennedy fired not two months before. The MiC was attempting to goad him into open war with the Soviets, he resisted, and he was killed for it. Why did they do 9-11?
TPS Posted June 2, 2017 Posted June 2, 2017 I guess this is how Trumpists think that he's always playing 4d chess when in reality he shows little understanding of foreign policy. All Trump did was embolden Russia who is seeing their power increase in the world stage as they try to destroy Western alliances such as NATO and the EU. Trump just probably unknowingly ramped up the tensions between European countries and Russia. Why do you think McMaster and Haley assured NATO members they are fully committed to Article 5? Both W and Obama have privately pressured other NATO members to increase their GDP spending to Nato and they gradually have, but they also realized the importance of assuring our allies they are fully committed. it was a sarcastic post. I don't either. But I think even his detractors would be hard-pressed to say he didn't have a coherent foreign policy going in to office, if only because it's tough to make something as simple as "Evil Empire" incoherent. what would we do without those evil russkies to justify the defense budget? Can't justify updating the nuclear arsenal to fight a war on terrorists...
Deranged Rhino Posted June 2, 2017 Author Posted June 2, 2017 As the information war continues unabated, I post this article from 2010 as a reminder: Obama confidant’s spine-chilling proposal Cass Sunstein wants the government to "cognitively infiltrate" anti-government groups " In 2008, while at Harvard Law School, Sunstein co-wrote a truly pernicious paper proposing that the U.S. Government employ teams of covert agents and pseudo-“independent” advocates to “cognitively infiltrate” online groups and websites — as well as other activist groups — which advocate views that Sunstein deems “false conspiracy theories” about the Government. This would be designed to increase citizens’ faith in government officials and undermine the credibility of conspiracists. The paper’s abstract can be read, and the full paper downloaded, here. " http://www.salon.com/2010/01/15/sunstein_2/ Of course, in 2013 the Snowden links revealed that both NSA and GCHQ have extensive "troll" programs designed to do exactly that: New Snowden Doc Reveals How GCHQ/NSA Use The Internet To 'Manipulate, Deceive And Destroy Reputations'Among the core self-identified purposes of JTRIG are two tactics: (1) to inject all sorts of false material onto the internet in order to destroy the reputation of its targets; and (2) to use social sciences and other techniques to manipulate online discourse and activism to generate outcomes it considers desirable. To see how extremist these programs are, just consider the tactics they boast of using to achieve those ends: “false flag operations” (posting material to the internet and falsely attributing it to someone else), fake victim blog posts (pretending to be a victim of the individual whose reputation they want to destroy), and posting “negative information” on various forums. https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140224/17054826340/new-snowden-doc-reveals-how-gchqnsa-use-internet-to-manipulate-deceive-destroy-reputations.shtml Stay alert out there.
DC Tom Posted June 2, 2017 Posted June 2, 2017 New Snowden Doc Reveals How GCHQ/NSA Use The Internet To 'Manipulate, Deceive And Destroy Reputations' But...what if Snowden is secretly working for GCHQ/NSA?
Deranged Rhino Posted June 2, 2017 Author Posted June 2, 2017 But...what if Snowden is secretly working for GCHQ/NSA? I don't think there's much doubt Snowden had help... and continues to be of service. What's more fuzzy is the "who" in that equation.
Deranged Rhino Posted June 5, 2017 Author Posted June 5, 2017 MAKING A SCAPEGOAT: Fresh on the heels of damaging leaks out of the UAE, Gulf State "allies" led by Saudi Arabia and Israel have "turned" on Qatar for their support of Palestine, Iran and Hamas... and (possibly) to hide the Saudis and Israeli's own, and by extension the United States', dirty laundry in the terror funding game. What we are seeing, quite possibly, is the scapegoating of Qatar in an effort to both stoke the tensions with Iran and to obscure massive pay for play scandals involving the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan, and Egypt. This is a developing situation, what I offer below is a first blush analysis: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE and Bahrain cut ties to Qatar Saudi Arabia said it took the decision to cut diplomatic ties due to Qatar's "embrace of various terrorist and sectarian groups aimed at destabilizing the region" including the Muslim Brotherhood, al-Qaida, the Islamic State group and groups supported by Iran in the kingdom's restive Eastern Province. Egypt's Foreign Ministry accused Qatar of taking an "antagonist approach" toward Cairo and said "all attempts to stop it from supporting terrorist groups failed." http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/bahrain-cuts-diplomatic-ties-qatar-gulf-rift-deepens-47833417 More: Arab powers sever Qatar ties, citing support for militantshttp://www.reuters.com/article/us-gulf-qatar-idUSKBN18W0DQ ************************************************************************** The western media, who is deeply connected financially to the Saudis, today is in full spin mode today as they try to make sense of this. The issue is thorny and complicated (as tribalism always is), but let's speculate at what's really driving this decision by the Saudis. First, it should be noted, that the Out House of Saud accusing anyone of supporting terrorism and violence in the region breaks the irony meter. Saudi, for nearly two decades, has been the number one source of financing terror in the ME. Yes, more than Iran and Hamas. And it is Qatar's support of Iran and Hamas that has driven the Saudi/UAE/Israeli led effort to undercut Qatar in the western media since at least 2014. The first round of leaks came out Saturday and highlighted the close relationship between al-Otaiba and the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (a far right neocon think tank funded by Sheldon Aldeson, Israel, and the UAE): HACKED EMAILS SHOW TOP UAE DIPLOMAT COORDINATING WITH PRO-ISRAEL THINK TANK AGAINST IRAN THE EMAIL ACCOUNT of one of Washington’s most connected and influential foreign operatives has been hacked. A small tranche of those emails was sent this week to media outlets, including The Intercept, HuffPost and The Daily Beast, with the hacker promising to release a trove publicly. The hotmail account belongs to the UAE’s ambassador to the United States, Yousef Al-Otaiba, and The Intercept can confirm it is the one he used for most Washington business. HuffPost confirmed at least one of the emails as authentic and the UAE has confirmed that Otaiba’s account was indeed hacked. Otaiba’s influence derives largely from his pocketbook, as the ambassador is well known for throwing lavish dinner parties, galas, and hosting powerful figures on extravagant trips. Several Christmases ago, he sent out iPads as gifts to journalists and other Washington power players as gifts. There’s no telling what kind of messages might reside in that inbox. (snip) THE EMAILS PROVIDED so far to the The Intercept show a growing relationship between the United Arab Emirates and the pro-Israel, neoconservative think tank called the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). On the surface, the alliance should be surprising, as the UAE does not even recognize Israel. But the two countries have worked together in the past against their common adversary, Iran. On March 10 of this year, FDD CEO Mark Dubowitz authored an email to both the UAE’s ambassador to the United States, Yousef Al-Otaiba, and FDD Senior Counselor John Hannah — a former deputy national security adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney — with the subject line “Target list of companies investing in Iran, UAE and Saudi Arabia.” “Dear, Mr. Ambassador,” Dubowitz wrote. “The attached memorandum details companies listed by country which are doing business with Iran and also have business with the UAE and Saudi Arabia. This is a target list for putting these companies to a choice, as we have discussed.” (snip) Otaiba has also developed a close relationship with President Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner. The two first met last June at the behest of Thomas Barrack, a billionaire investor and Trump backer. A Politico article last February described Kushner as “in almost constant phone and email contact” with the ambassador. Whatever the UAE’s agenda, it isn’t promoting democracy. MORE: Leaked emails show depth of anti-Qatar campaign David Hearst, the Editor in Chief of Middle East Eye, told Al Jazeera the emails laid bare the "mechanism" behind "a very high stakes campaign that is being launched against Qatar". Al-Otaiba is a well-known figure in US national security circles - he has been called "the most charming man in Washington" - and has participated in Pentagon strategy meetings at the invitation of defence officials. The release of the leaked emails comes a week after a cyber attack on Qatar's official news agency, during which fake remarks critical of US foreign policy were posted and attributed to the HH the Emir. Saturday's email leak includes an exchange in which FDD senior counsellor John Hannah - a former deputy national security advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney - complains to al-Otaiba that Qatar is hosting a meeting of Hamas at an Emirati-owned hotel. Al-Otaiba responds that the UAE is not at fault and that the real problem lies with the US military base in Qatar. He writes: "How's this, you move the base then we'll move the hotel :-)" http://www.gulf-times.com/story/552152/Leaked-emails-show-depth-of-anti-Qatar-campaign ************************************************************************************************ We see there has been a concerted effort, originating in the UAE, Israel, the US and Saudi Arabia to force Qatar out of their orbit with Iran since at least 2014. This alone is not a surprise. Those nations do not hide their opinion of Iran or their desire to wage holy war against Shia Islam and Qatar never hid their agenda: End Israel's occupation of Palestine, Qatar tells forum Achieving Middle East peace directly linked to ending Israel's occupation of Palestine, Qatar's foreign minister says. http://www.aljazeera.com/blogs/middleeast/2016/05/israel-occupation-palestine-qatar-tells-forum-160523084628475.html Another Al Jazeera source here (note for those who aren't aware, Al Jazeera is headquartered in Qatar): *********************************************************************************************************** First, let me be clear. Qatar is almost certainly guilty of supporting terrorism, including Hamas... but also ISIS and AQ. The leaked emails show there has been a concerted effort on the part of various Gulf State Allies and Israel and the US to undermine Qatar's standing on the national stage because of their support of Iran. That part of the story being pushed by the Saudis is accurate and understandable if you subscribe to the west's opinion on Iran. What's more illuminating is the sudden desire on the part of Saudi Arabia and others not to just expose this fact to the world (as they have been doing for 3+ years), but as of today, there's a push for immediate military intervention in Qatar. From an Iranian source (with skin in the game, obviously so discernment is needed as it is with all these sources): Senior Analyst: Saudi Arabia, Allies May Take Military Action Against Qatar as Next Move "The next step may be military intervention for regime change in Qatar as this is a war that has been planned several months ago," the senior Arab analyst wrote on his Twitter page on Monday. He reiterated that cutting diplomatic ties and closing the borders precedes efforts to isolate Doha. http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960315000398 ********************************************************************************************************* So why the rush for immediate intervention in Qatar, if that is indeed true? Well, for starters, the leaks from al-Otaiba have just begun. More are promised to be released on Saturday, and allegedly these leaks will include some massive pay-for-play scandals tied directly to UAE, the Saudis, Israelis, the British and the US. People in DC right now are scurrying under rocks because of what they fear is coming down the pike. The move by Saudi, UAE and Egypt to not just isolate Qatar, but possibly stage a military intervention of some kind, could be designed to blow this story off the map before those new leaks and allegations break. They've taken the first step: painting Qatar as the only "dirty one" among the Gulf State Allies, but that narrative has so many holes it may as well be a screen door. Another possible explanation for this sudden move, which ties directly into the OP of this thread, is we could be seeing a shift in the ME and the Deep State's agenda in the region. Specifically, if the Deep State is truly on the ropes (which seems to be the case), the Gulf State Allies could have been convinced during 45's most recent visit to give up their own terrorist financing networks in exchange for essentially immunity. This speculation has far less evidence to support it, and I find it dubious at best, but it's worth considering as this situation is anything but clear at the moment. The last bit of this scenario worth tracking is the fate of Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The base has been a crucial FOB for the US's war on terror. The base houses over 10,000 Americans as well as over 100 aircraft. What happens now? In the past few months the US has already been forced to move major assets out of Turkey due to the "coup", moving out of Al Udeid could be the next move. More on this story to come, I'm sure...
TPS Posted June 6, 2017 Posted June 6, 2017 The US won't move its base from Qatar, rather, it will be a lot easier to remove Qatar's leadership and replace it with a pro-Saudi/US regime.
Deranged Rhino Posted June 7, 2017 Author Posted June 7, 2017 (edited) CNN's coverage of the Qatar incident has taken a surprising turn. /s CNN Exclusive: US suspects Russian hackers planted fake news behind Qatar crisis http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/06/politics/russian-hackers-planted-fake-news-qatar-crisis/index.html Despite the headline, there was nothing "fake" about the emails leaked. They were all authenticated. Of course, the article doesn't mention the emails at all and hangs the story on a "fake" news report from the 23rd of May. Wonder what the Saudis paid for that kind of spin. Saturday's drop, if it happens, could make this situation even more interesting. Edited June 7, 2017 by Deranged Rhino
Deranged Rhino Posted June 7, 2017 Author Posted June 7, 2017 ISIS attacks Iran for the first time... the timing on this is at the very least interesting (re: Qatar) IRAN ATTACK: ISIS claims responsibility for pair of assaults in Tehranhttp://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/06/07/shooting-at-iranian-parliament-building-reportedly-injures-security-guard.html
row_33 Posted June 7, 2017 Posted June 7, 2017 no fun in Iran for murder, they build a huge wall and then have it pushed on you to mete out justice.
Deranged Rhino Posted June 7, 2017 Author Posted June 7, 2017 "I've been around town long enough to know that you don't take everything in the (Washington) Post at face value"... Dan Coats. (Because they're a CIA mouthpiece)
DC Tom Posted June 7, 2017 Posted June 7, 2017 ISIS attacks Iran for the first time... the timing on this is at the very least interesting (re: Qatar) IRAN ATTACK: ISIS claims responsibility for pair of assaults in Tehranhttp://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/06/07/shooting-at-iranian-parliament-building-reportedly-injures-security-guard.html If you're going to go the "ISIS is just an arm of the Wahhabist House of Saud," though, then this is more like the third or fourth time.
GoBills808 Posted June 7, 2017 Posted June 7, 2017 If you're going to go the "ISIS is just an arm of the Wahhabist House of Saud," though, then this is more like the third or fourth time. Wahhabist House of Saud is redundant, no?
DC Tom Posted June 7, 2017 Posted June 7, 2017 Wahhabist House of Saud is redundant, no? Yes, but done for the sake of reinforcing the point.
snafu Posted June 7, 2017 Posted June 7, 2017 ISIS attacks Iran for the first time... the timing on this is at the very least interesting (re: Qatar) IRAN ATTACK: ISIS claims responsibility for pair of assaults in Tehranhttp://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/06/07/shooting-at-iranian-parliament-building-reportedly-injures-security-guard.html Makes you wonder what the connection between the Qatar smackdown and this are. The timing makes it seem connected, and one of the reasons for manhandling Qatar was their movement towards Iran. If (a big if) the Saudis are behind this attack then they're really sticking their elbows in some guts. Maybe they want to reinforce their dominance of the peninsula, since Iran's been pushing hard toward trying to control the whole region. Either that, or else someone is trying to capitalize on Qatar and bring the Saudis and Iranians closer to direct hostilities. I have doubts whether the Saudis even like ISIS or would use then for a job like this. And I have serious doubts about whether the Saudis want their proxy fight to be brought into their borders via an Iranian retaliation. So many moving parts and I can't see anyone gaining from the provocation.
DC Tom Posted June 7, 2017 Posted June 7, 2017 Makes you wonder what the connection between the Qatar smackdown and this are. The timing makes it seem connected, and one of the reasons for manhandling Qatar was their movement towards Iran. If (a big if) the Saudis are behind this attack then they're really sticking their elbows in some guts. Maybe they want to reinforce their dominance of the peninsula, since Iran's been pushing hard toward trying to control the whole region. Either that, or else someone is trying to capitalize on Qatar and bring the Saudis and Iranians closer to direct hostilities. I have doubts whether the Saudis even like ISIS or would use then for a job like this. And I have serious doubts about whether the Saudis want their proxy fight to be brought into their borders via an Iranian retaliation. So many moving parts and I can't see anyone gaining from the provocation. Probably not much, really. Honestly...if I had to make a guess, I'd pin this more on Russian dezinformatsiya with the ultimate intent of weakening our presence in the Gulf. It just the sort of thing they do, and fits with their longer-term geopolitical goals to become the major player in Middle Eastern politics at our expense.
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