4:18 AM 10/24/2020 – Did the U.S. Try to Assassinate Lenin in 1918? | The FBI, Militias, Truth and Comey’s Legacy – 50 Saved Stories
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| https://thenewsandtimes.blogspot.com/2020/10/418-am-10242020-did-us-try-to.html |
| Saved Stories – None: The FBI, Militias, Truth and Comey’s Legacy |
Mon, 19 Oct 2020 08:59:15 -0400
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Как обеспечить Крым водой: правительство представило план на 50 миллиардов - Россия 24Saved Stories - None: ЛГБТ сообщество и католическая церковь: гордость против предубежденийSaved Stories - None: Trump Sycophant Lou Dobbs Attacks Lindsey Graham | The 11th Hour | MSNBCSaved Stories - None: Russians Who Pose Election Threat Have Hacked Nuclear Plants and Power Grid - The New York TimesSaved Stories - None: Facebook's Zuckerberg, Twitter's Dorsey to testify to Senate Judiciary Nov. 17Saved Stories - None: Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey to testify before the Senate Judiciary CommitteeSaved Stories - None: Facebook's Zuckerberg, Twitter's Dorsey to voluntarily testify before Senate on alleged censorshipSaved Stories - None: Facebook fights NYU political ad research project, argues it violates the site's data collection policies | TheHill - The HillSaved Stories - None: Rex Lee: Surveillance Capitalism Is Bigger Than Social Media CensorshipSaved Stories - None: "trump as danger to National Security" - Google News: Jones: What top military brass say about Trump - Idaho Press-TribuneSaved Stories - None: "trump authoritarianism" - Google News: US elections: A duel of contrasting masculinities between Trump and Biden - Business StandardSaved Stories - None: "FBI politicization" - Google News: As Donald Trump casts doubt on election, new agency contradicts him - The New Indian ExpressSaved Stories - None: Joe Biden Trolls Donald Trump With Spoof COVID-19 Plan WebsiteSaved Stories - None: msnbcleanforward's YouTube Videos: Trump Signs Order To Ease Packing Government Positions With Loyalists | Rachel Maddow | MSNBCSaved Stories - None: msnbcleanforward's YouTube Videos: Trump Immigration Policy Employs Cruelty To Send Message Of Deterrence | Rachel Maddow | MSNBCSaved Stories - None: Washington Post Editorial Board Hits Undecided Voters With A Stark ChoiceSaved Stories - None: As election day nears, what final dirty tricks could Trump turn to? - The GuardianSaved Stories - None: Суд в Петербурге арестовал следователя полиции по делу о взятке в 6 млн рублейSaved Stories - None: 'Russian Troll Farm:' Imagine 'The Office,' But With Election InterferenceSaved Stories - None: Зима близко: глава ВОЗ заявил, что мир ждут невероятно сложные месяцыSaved Stories - None: Trump is playing up China's threat to the 2020 election. But the evidence shows, Russia is the real ...Saved Stories - None: Did the U.S. Try to Assassinate Lenin in 1918?Saved Stories - None: Prosecutors Charge Russian Intelligence Officers in CyberattacksSaved Stories - None: Russia planned cyber-attack on Tokyo Olympics, says UKSaved Stories - None: Russian cyber-attack spree shows what unrestrained internet warfare looks likeSaved Stories - None: Russia and Iran obtained US voter data in bid to sow unrest before election, FBI warns
Saved Stories – In 50 Brief Posts | Saved Stories – In 50 Posts on RSS Dog
| Saved Stories – None: Did the U.S. Try to Assassinate Lenin in 1918? | ||
| Sat, 24 Oct 2020 03:04:21 -0400 In The Lenin Plot Barnes Carr tells the mostly unknown story of Americas intervention in the earliest days of the Soviet Union. Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: Prosecutors Charge Russian Intelligence Officers in Cyberattacks | ||
| Sat, 24 Oct 2020 03:03:46 -0400 The Justice Department announced on Monday indictments of six Russian military intelligence officers in connection with worldwide cyberattacks, including hacked elections in France and the 2018 Winter Olympics. Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: Russia planned cyber-attack on Tokyo Olympics, says UK | ||
| Sat, 24 Oct 2020 03:03:18 -0400 Foreign secretary condemns cynical and reckless bid to disrupt Games, before they were postponed Russian military intelligence services were planning a cyber-attack on the Japanese-hosted Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo this summer in an attempt to disrupt the worlds premier sporting event, the UK National Cyber Security Centre has revealed, disclosing a joint operation with the US intelligence agencies. The Russian cyber-reconnaissance work covered the Games organisers, logistics services and sponsors and was under way before the Olympics was postponed due to coronavirus. Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: Russian cyber-attack spree shows what unrestrained internet warfare looks like | ||
| Sat, 24 Oct 2020 03:03:01 -0400 US indictment of operatives, accused of launching several attacks, gives a detailed account of how they went about their business The Sandworm team of Russian military intelligence, alleged to have unleashed computer chaos against the Kremlins enemies around the world, is said to operate out of a blue-tinted glass skyscraper known simply as the tower. From that address, 22 Kirova Street in the Moscow suburb of Khimki, the Sandworm hackers, also known more prosaically as the unit 74455 and the main centre for special technologies, launched attacks on the Ukrainian power system, Emmanuel Macrons presidential bid in France in 2017, the South Korean Olympics in 2018 and the UK investigation into the 2018 Russian nerve agent attack in Salisbury. Related: Russia planned cyber-attack on Tokyo Olympics, says UK Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: Russia and Iran obtained US voter data in bid to sow unrest before election, FBI warns | ||
| Sat, 24 Oct 2020 03:02:47 -0400 In rare news conference, the director of national security says Iran has sent spoofed emails to intimidate voters Russia and Iran have obtained some US voting registration information and are attempting to sow unrest in the upcoming election, the governments national intelligence director said in a rare news conference Wednesday night. We have already seen Iran sending spoofed emails, designed to intimidate voters, incite social unrest and damage President Trump, said John Ratcliffe, the director of national intelligence. Related: Florida accused of sowing confusion with last-minute voting changes Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: Edward Snowden granted permanent residency in Russia | ||
| Sat, 24 Oct 2020 03:02:16 -0400 Former national security contractor fled US in 2013 after leaking documents on American government surveillance operations The former US security contractor Edward Snowden has been granted permanent residency in Russia, his lawyer said on Thursday. Snowden, a former contractor with the National Security Agency, has been living in Russia since 2013 to escape prosecution in the US after leaking classified documents detailing government surveillance programs. Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: Advocate.com: How Big a Deal Is the Popes Civil Unions Comment? | ||
| Sat, 24 Oct 2020 02:55:24 -0400 His words in a new documentary are apparently recycled from another interview and don’t signal a change in church doctrine. Advocate.com The post Advocate.com: How Big a Deal Is the Pope’s Civil Unions Comment? first appeared on GayLand – gayland.org. Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: FBI announces attempts to hack election data; what are Minnesota election officials doing to protect your vote? – KARE11.com | ||
| Sat, 24 Oct 2020 02:55:10 -0400 FBI announces attempts to hack election data; what are Minnesota election officials doing to protect your vote? KARE11.com Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: Statement by Assistant Director Jill Sanborn on Sentencing of Enrique Marquez in Connection with 2015 San Bernardino Shooting FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation | ||
| Sat, 24 Oct 2020 02:54:56 -0400 Statement by Assistant Director Jill Sanborn on Sentencing of Enrique Marquez in Connection with 2015 San Bernardino Shooting FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: As Trump casts doubt on election, new agency contradicts him – KSAT San Antonio | ||
| Sat, 24 Oct 2020 02:53:50 -0400 As Trump casts doubt on election, new agency contradicts him KSAT San Antonio Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: From the Mueller report to being impeached, key moments that defined the Trump presidency – Major moments of Trump Presidency – Economic Times | ||
| Sat, 24 Oct 2020 02:53:22 -0400 From the Mueller report to being impeached, key moments that defined the Trump presidency – Major moments of Trump Presidency Economic Times Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: The US just reported its highest number of Covid-19 infections in one day since the pandemic’s start – CNN | ||
Sat, 24 Oct 2020 02:52:47 -0400
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| Saved Stories – None: Illinois police officer who fatally shot 19-year-old black man fired – New York Post | ||
Sat, 24 Oct 2020 02:52:16 -0400
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| Saved Stories – None: Donald Trump no fan of Sacha Baron Cohen, says to me he was a creep – Hindustan Times | ||
Sat, 24 Oct 2020 02:51:48 -0400
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| Saved Stories – None: Путина в 2022 году его не будет в политике ? | ||
| Sat, 24 Oct 2020 02:51:00 -0400 ЧТО ТАМ В РОССИИ ? В передаче радио Свобода – Валерий Соловей, Юлия Галямина и Игорь Эйдман.В России – Кремль обнуляет остатки свобод: уголовные дела, […] Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: По крайней мере, 3 человека погибли после ночи огнестрельного насилия в Нью-Йорке; Полиция Нью-Йорка сообщает о 94% росте количества перестрелок | ||
| Sat, 24 Oct 2020 02:50:45 -0400 НЬЮ-ЙОРК – Это была ночь смертоносного огнестрельного насилия в Нью-Йорке. В шести инцидентах ранения получили около десятка человек, трое из них погибли. Одна перестрелка со […] Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: Средняя арендная плата на Манхэттене упала ниже 3000 долларов впервые с 2011 года | ||
| Sat, 24 Oct 2020 02:50:11 -0400 НЬЮ – ЙОРК – пандемия коронавируса продолжает влиять на Манхэттенский рынок недвижимости. По данным StreetEasy, средняя арендная плата упала ниже 3000 долларов. Это самая низкая […] Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (197 sites): Donald Trump | The Guardian: Wicked Game review: a fascinating but flawed memoir by Trump’s jailed associate | ||
| Sat, 24 Oct 2020 02:40:36 -0400 Rick Gates, the campaign deputy who pleaded guilty to lying and conspiracy, excels on Trump and the GOP but protests too much on Russia Under a title which calls to mind Chris Isaaks hit song from 1989, the former Trump campaign deputy Rick Gates offers an interesting mixture of vignettes and dish, an effort to rewrite the history of 2016 before the 2020 election is over. Wicked Game is surprisingly readable and will leave process junkies with plenty to chew on. Related: Donald Trump wanted daughter Ivanka to be running mate in 2016, book says Related: Where Law Ends review: why Mueller failed to hold Trump to account Donald Trump | The Guardian 1. Trump from Michael_Novakhov (197 sites) Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: “Russia investigations” – Google News: EDITORIAL: Russia under the gun to clear air on Olympic sabotage claims : The Asahi Shimbun – Asahi Shimbun | ||
| Sat, 24 Oct 2020 02:40:19 -0400 EDITORIAL: Russia under the gun to clear air on Olympic sabotage claims : The Asahi Shimbun Asahi Shimbun “Russia investigations” – Google News Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: GOP prays Trump stopped the bleeding – POLITICO | ||
Sat, 24 Oct 2020 02:39:23 -0400
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| Saved Stories – None: A Wall Street Journal columnist said Joe Biden was part of Hunters business deal. Hours later, its news reporters said the opposite. – The Washington Post | ||
Sat, 24 Oct 2020 02:38:49 -0400
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| Saved Stories – None: Путин заявил о необходимости отказа от чрезмерного потребления ради экологии | ||
| Thu, 22 Oct 2020 12:13:36 -0400 Экологические проблемы и изменения климата требуют отказа от чрезмерного потребления, заявил президент России Владимир Путин. Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: News – 2.14 PM | ||
| Wed, 21 Oct 2020 04:40:56 -0400 News – 2.14 PM by Michael Novakhov Download audio: https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/910553698-mike-nova-3-news-214-pm.mp3 Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: 10.15.20 – 6 Pm | ||
| Wed, 21 Oct 2020 04:40:21 -0400 10.15.20 – 6 Pm by Michael Novakhov Download audio: https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/911322265-mike-nova-3-101520-6-pm.mp3 Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: 1. Russia from Michael_Novakhov (115 sites): russia ukraine Google News: Reuters: Russia to open defence ministry office in Serbia | KyivPost Ukraines Global Voice Kyiv Post | ||
| Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:40:44 -0400 Reuters: Russia to open defence ministry office in Serbia | KyivPost – Ukraine’s Global Voice Kyiv Post “russia ukraine” – Google News 1. Russia from Michael_Novakhov (115 sites) The post 1. Russia from Michael_Novakhov (115 sites): “russia ukraine” – Google News: Reuters: Russia to open defence ministry office in Serbia | KyivPost – Ukraine’s Global Voice – Kyiv Post first appeared on Global Security News – globalsecuritynews.org. Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: How Does the 2020 U.S. Election Compare To Other Tumultuous Votes? | ||
| Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:40:14 -0400 Ronald W. Pruessen Politics, Americas This troubled election is again serving as a symptom and a symbol of a troubled society.Sharp-eyed 20/20 vision has been hard to maintain in the maelstrom of 2020, with daily fears and passions often clouding analysis. Here’s one helpful tool on one high-profile event: As the American presidential campaign concludes, a measure of depth and context can be applied to the chaos by comparing the Donald Trump-Joe Biden battle to tumultuous U.S. elections of the past. Americans have been whiplashed by crises in 2020. The COVID-19 cyclone alone has been traumatic: There have been well over 200,000 deaths (and counting), staggering economic damage, including layoffs and business failures, and mental health challenges (for example, a record number of deadly opioid overdoses), to name just a handful of the pandemic-fuelled tribulations. Add in compounding stresses like flareups in racial tensions and urban protests against systemic racism. Wrap everything up in an election year that never promised calm waters thanks to Trump’s voracious appetite for provocation on immigration, taxes, health care and a host of other issues. The hypnotic grasp of the daily news cycle has been further intensified by the president’s behaviour since his positive COVID-19 diagnosis. The coronavirus has invaded the White House and its occupants have had no qualms about sharing it. Given Trump’s simultaneous refusal to pledge he’ll accept the results of the election, it’s tempting to see a Game of Thrones-like scenario unfolding. For those familiar with the television version of the George R.R. Martin saga, the Sept. 26 Rose Garden celebration of Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination became something of a Red Wedding moment when a horde of participants were felled, at least temporarily, by COVID-19. Fast forward to a Nov. 3 Battle of Winterfell, with the president, his “stand by” Proud Boys, and loyal Republican “white walkers” gearing up for combat. Americans have been here before And yet for all the current chaos, the United States has experienced moments like this before — and an awareness of this history could help put 2020 into perspective. The 1824 election is an early example of problematic volatility in American political history. There were four major candidates, all self-identified as members of a crumbling Democratic-Republican Party. One nominee was disabled by a stroke, but remained in the race — and the election was thrown into the House of Representatives when no candidate received a majority in the Electoral College. Matters then went from bad to worse. Andrew Jackson, leading strongly in the popular vote, was denied victory when Henry Clay (who had placed fourth in the popular vote) threw his support to John Quincy Adams. Jackson supporters saw a “corrupt bargain” as Adams then named “Judas” Clay as his secretary of state. Vitriolic campaigning never let up on the road to the 1828 election. Jackson was castigated as a drunk adulterer married to a bigamist; Adams was denounced as an effete “academician” wearing silk underwear. Adams’ wife was also accused of being born out of wedlock. 1860’s election spurred a war Adams’ presidency was often hamstrung by 1824’s fallout. In 1860, the U.S. election had exponentially more disastrous results. Bad went not just to worse, but to hell. The presidential contest was troubled enough: Four major candidates (again) as a disbanded Democratic convention in Charleston, S.C., gave way to an imploding second try in Baltimore. Abraham Lincoln and the Republicans won, but the U.S. Civil War was the result as southern states moved to secede. The devastation of the four-year struggle was unparalleled in American experience — and remains so. “Immense the butcher’s bill has been,” wrote young Lieut. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., his thoughts echoed by many others as the death toll climbed to 750,000. Lincoln’s election, of course, was not the root cause of the Civil War — though he was denounced as “that damned long-armed ape” in some quarters. The 1860 vote, on the contrary, provides an example of the way a troubled election, then and now, can be a symptom of deeper volatility; in this case, a symbol of the profound tensions emanating from issues like slavery and sectional struggles over government policies for economic development. 1968: Richard Nixon re-emerges So does the election of 1968 — another event that unfolded as volcanic tremors shook American society. Protests spurred by the Vietnam War drove Lyndon Johnson into retirement; there were riots in more than 100 cities amid the civil rights movement; the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. stoked outrage, grief and anxiety. At the Democratic convention in Chicago, violent street clashes shocked television viewers. A “police riot” was widely condemned, with Mayor Richard Daley’s Windy City strong-arm approach contrasting half-absurdly, half-horrifyingly with nominee Hubert Humphrey’s call for a “politics of joy.” Richard Nixon and the Republicans forged a winning campaign strategy that paired “law and order” (the very words back in play in 2020) with a “secret plan” to end the Vietnam ordeal. That was accompanied by a “southern strategy” designed to bring white voters into the GOP (an approach that remains a party mainstay). There have been other volatile elections: 1800, 1912, 1952, 2000 and 2016, for example. Their disruptive tensions have taken their toll. Tooth-and-nail presidential battles have sometimes been followed by terrible consequences — including the horrors of the Civil War (and Iraq) and the resistance to social and economic reforms that regularly tarnished the country’s post-Depression and post-Great Society history. The heavy weight of the past Of equal importance, especially as the challenges of 2020 are contemplated, is the sheer burdensome weight of the past. Weaknesses in political processes are as old as the U.S. Constitution itself (including the periodic failure of “checks and balances” or the monkey wrenches lurking in the Electoral College). The racism that poisoned the atmosphere in 1860 has remained tragically potent ever since — just as it was before the Civil War, of course. It’s impossible to pinpoint the origins of other inequities still plaguing American society, straining the safety and limiting the opportunities of women, people of colour, the poor, LGBTQ+ citizens and the disabled. Whatever the woeful permutations of 2020 to date, this troubled election is again serving as a symptom and a symbol of a troubled society. Barack Obama was elected in 2008 on a wave of “hope and change,” and yet amid the tumult 2020, that optimism seems a distant memory. Whatever this year’s immediate outcomes, history suggests anything but a quick resolution to deeply rooted problems. Ronald W. Pruessen, Professor of History, University of Toronto This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Image: Reuters Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: Joe Biden has a better option than court-packing: Legislating – The Washington Post | ||
| Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:39:59 -0400 Joe Biden has a better option than court-packing: LegislatingThe Washington Post Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: China Makes Operations Incredibly Hard for Foreign Businesses. Why Do They Stay? | ||
| Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:39:29 -0400 Amitrajeet A. Batabyal China, Asia The money is just too good.Doing business in China can be a difficult and contentious proposition for companies in many countries. Yet even with charges of intellectual property theft, forced partnerships and tight restrictions on doing business, China continues to attract foreign capital. Why do businesses want to invest in China when there are so many other “business-friendly” countries and financial markets that support foreign investment? The United States has accused China of stealing the intellectual property of American firms, theft that is estimated at US$600 billion annually. As a precondition for doing business in China, American and other firms may be subjected to the forced transfer of their technology. In addition, regulations can require foreign investors to partner and set up a joint venture with a Chinese firm before they can do business in China. In 2001, after becoming a member of the World Trade Organization, China promised to open up its banking, telecommunications and electronic payment processing sectors. But action in these areas has been nonexistent or, at best, half-hearted. The Chinese telecommunications industry, for example, remains under government control, and the government has barred Facebook and Google from offering their services in China. What’s in it for investors Doing Business 2020, a publication of the World Bank, ranks China – in terms of the availability of credit and the ease and magnitude of tax payments – 80th and 105th, respectively, out of 190 nations in the world. Using 10 other indicators, such as protection offered to minority investors, registering property and enforcing contracts, China ranks 31st out of 190 nations in the world for the overall ease of doing business. By contrast, the U.S. ranks 6th out of 190, according to the same report. In addition, doing business in China can be politically risky. Negotiations with the Communist-led government can be difficult; it has a political system with a reputation for a lack of transparency and intolerance for dissent. The nation has significant rules about the inflows and outflows of capital that can change without public notice. Corruption is pervasive in China, which hurts foreign investors like the United States. Despite these negative business conditions, according to the 2020 World Investment Report, in 2018 and 2019 China attracted a staggering $138 billion and $141 billion in foreign investment, respectively. Focusing on just 2019, this massive foreign investment into China exceeds the GDPs of entire nations such as Kuwait – $137 billion; Kenya – $98 billion; and Venezuela – $70 billion. In 2019, China was the world’s second largest recipient of foreign investment, second only to the United States. Countries that play by the rules Despite being relatively business-unfriendly, if the world’s 31st ranked nation can attract such large amounts of foreign investment, surely the world’s first ranked nation must be doing as well as China, if not better. But New Zealand, ranked first in the world for its business-friendly climate, doesn’t come close to China in terms of foreign investment. On the two metrics – credit availability, which measures how easy it is to obtain credit; and tax payments, which measure the straightforwardness and the magnitude of tax payments made to the country where business is being done – New Zealand ranks 1st and 9th in the world. And for overall ease of doing business, by contrast to China’s 31st rank, New Zealand ranks first in the world. Despite that honor, in 2018 and 2019 New Zealand attracted only $1.95 billion and $5.43 billion, respectively, in foreign investment. In other words, in 2018 and 2019, China attracted 71 times and 26 times more foreign investment than New Zealand, even though New Zealand is considered a stable democracy with a lower political risk than other forms of government and the least corrupt nation in the world. What explains this vast disparity in foreign investment? The simple math of making a profit The size of a national market – or scale – matters greatly for business. The more consumers that a market comprises, the more products have the potential to be sold. In 2019, China’s population was about 1.4 billion, as compared to New Zealand’s population of about 4.8 million. In addition, when measured by gross domestic product, the Chinese economy is the second largest in the world, as compared to New Zealand’s economy, which ranks 51st. Whether the issue is viewed in terms of the sheer number of consumers or the total size of the “economic pie” that is GDP, the Chinese economy overshadows the New Zealand economy. This enormous disparity in size or scale matters. Even though China is a significantly less friendly place in which to do business relative to New Zealand, it still makes sense for American and other multinational firms to invest in China. From the standpoint of financial gain, consider the profits of a firm that invests in China. The markup is the difference between the price a firm charges for a product and the cost of producing an additional unit of the product. Profit, then, is simply the markup multiplied by the number of products that can be sold. The larger the market, the more product can be sold. More sales translate into more profit. This explains why firms throughout the world are prepared to tolerate questionable Chinese business practices and still invest in China. One example of doing business in China, despite the many constraints, comes from Hollywood. Disney produced “Mulan,” a $200 million live-action film that took more than five years to make. Disney shot a large portion of the film in New Zealand with the intention of releasing it in China, primarily to gain access to that vast market and to maximize profits. Disney bowed to many Chinese demands to ensure that “Mulan” could be released in China without objections from Chinese officials. Disney’s relationship and concessions to China are an example of why so many foreign investors continue to pursue business in China – profit. Despite the institutional restrictions on investment, with access to more than 1.3 billion people, many of them potential consumers, and a flourishing GDP, China represents a global market opportunity that multinational companies around the world continue to exploit. [You’re smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversation’s authors and editors. You can read us daily by subscribing to our newsletter.] Amitrajeet A. Batabyal, Arthur J. Gosnell Professor of Economics, Rochester Institute of Technology This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Image: Reuters Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: Nagorno-Karabakh fighting continues despite truce efforts | ||
| Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:39:14 -0400 YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) – Armenia and Azerbaijan reported more fighting on Tuesday over the separatist territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, where clashes have continued for over three weeks despite two attempts at establishing a cease-fire. Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry said the hostilities carried on overnight and accused Armenian forces of shelling the … Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: Russia offers mutual freeze of nuclear arsenal for one-year extension of last arms treaty with U.S. | ||
| Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:38:59 -0400 The U.S. and Russia appear to be on the verge of a deal to extend the last remaining arms treaty between the two nuclear powers after weeks of contentious negotiations. Russia on Tuesday announced that it is ready to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which was … Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: NATO to set up new space center amid China, Russia concerns | ||
| Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:38:44 -0400 KESTER, Belgium (AP) — To a few of the locals, the top-secret, fenced-off installation on the hill is known as “the radar station.” Some folks claim to have seen mysterious Russians in the area. Over the years, rumors have swirled that it might be a base for U.S. nuclear warheads.
It’s easy to see how the rumors start. The site is visually striking. Four huge white Kevlar balls sit like giant spherical spacecraft in a compound in the middle of open farm country 25 kilometers (16 miles) west of Belgium’s capital, Brussels. But the Kester Satellite Ground Station is both safer and more sophisticated than local lore might suggest. It’s central to space communications at NATO — the biggest and most modern of four such stations the military alliance runs. Around 2,000 satellites orbit the earth, over half operated by NATO countries, ensuring everything from mobile phone and banking services to weather forecasts. NATO commanders in places like Afghanistan or Kosovo rely on some of them to navigate, communicate, share intelligence and detect missile launches. This week, the site at Kester is set to fall under a new orbit, when NATO announces that it is creating a space center to help manage satellite communications and key parts of its military operations around the world. In December, NATO leaders declared space to be the alliance’s “fifth domain” of operations, after land, sea, air and cyberspace. Over two days of talks starting Thursday, NATO defense ministers will greenlight a new space center at the alliance’s Air Command in Ramstein, Germany. “This will be a focal point for ensuring space support to NATO operations, sharing information and coordinating our activities,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said before the meeting. It’s part of the alliance’s efforts to keep ahead in a fast moving and hi-tech sector, particularly amid concern about what member countries say is increasingly aggressive behavior in space by China and Russia. Around 80 countries have satellites and private companies are moving in, too. In the 1980s, just a fraction of NATO’s communications was via satellite. Today, it’s at least 40%. During the Cold War, NATO had more than 20 stations, but new technologies mean the world’s biggest security organization can double its coverage with a fifth of that number. At Kester, behind a double security fence, massive steel gates and bulletproof glass in a facility that can withstand a terror attack or any attempt to jam communications, four satellite dishes ensconced in Kevlar domes connect NATO’s civilian and military headquarters in Belgium to their operations around the world. From their elevated position, the dishes — two of them 16 meters (52 feet) in diameter — beam information and imagery down across Europe and over Africa into space above the equator where satellites owned by allies like the United States, Britain, France and Italy orbit. NATO itself doesn’t own any satellites. Around the globe, commanders in ships, aircraft and mobile or static headquarters decrypt the data to gather orders, pictures and intelligence, prepare missions, or move troops and military equipment. From Kester, new lines of communication can be set up for NATO within a half-hour. Much of the facility is encased in thick steel plates, including the ducts where cables run, to withstand any attack by electromagnetic pulses — high bursts of energy that can knock out electrical power grids or destroy electronic circuit boards and components. But NATO allies are increasingly concerned about other kinds of attacks using anti-satellite weapons miles above the earth which could wreak havoc below and leave dangerous debris adrift in space. “Some nations – including Russia and China – are developing anti-satellite systems which could blind, disable or shoot down satellites and create dangerous debris in orbit. We must increase our understanding of the challenges in space and our ability to address them,” Stoltenberg said. For the moment, the military alliance insists that its “approach will remain defensive and fully in line with international law.” And despite the strides being made in the “fifth domain,” Stoltenberg has repeatedly said over the last year that “NATO has no intention to put weapons in space.”
This article was written by LORNE COOK from The Associated Press and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com. Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: Trump says Sudan to be removed from terrorism list | ||
| Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:38:29 -0400 CAIRO (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday said Sudan will be removed from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism if it follows through on its pledge to pay $335 million to American terror victims and their families, but some hurt in the attacks weren’t happy with the deal.
The move would open the door for the African country to get international loans and aid needed to revive its battered economy and rescue the country’s transition to democracy. The announcement, just two weeks ahead of the U.S. presidential election, also comes as the Trump administration works to get other Arab countries, such as Sudan, to join the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain’s recent recognition of Israel. Delisting Sudan from the state sponsors blacklist is a key incentive for the Sudanese government to normalize relations with Israel. Trump’s announcement came after Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin traveled to Bahrain to cement the Gulf state’s recognition of the Jewish state. Trump tweeted: “GREAT news! New government of Sudan, which is making great progress, agreed to pay $335 MILLION to U.S. terror victims and families. Once deposited, I will lift Sudan from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list. At long last, JUSTICE for the American people and BIG step for Sudan!” Sudan has agreed to pay compensation for victims of the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, attacks conducted by Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida network while bin Laden was living in Sudan. Gen. Abdel-Farrah Burhan, head of Sudan’s ruling sovereign council, welcomed Trump’s announcement as a “constructive step.” He said in a tweet the removal would come “in recognition of the historic change that has taken place in Sudan.” Sudan is on a fragile path to democracy after a popular uprising last year led the military to overthrow autocratic leader Omar al-Bashir in April 2019. A military-civilian government now rules the country, with elections possible in late 2022. In an address to the nation, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said getting off the list would help his government benefit from debt relief and access foreign loans and investments, which are seen as the country’s gateway to economic recovery. The country has more than $60 billion in foreign debt, he said. “It’s a long way,” he said. “It needs serious planning and hard work to achieve the maximum benefit of this opportunity.” Once the compensation money has been deposited, Trump is to sign an order removing Sudan from the terrorism list, on which it has languished under heavy American sanctions for 27 years. Congress is then expected to act to restore Sudan’s sovereign immunity, which would effectively stop future compensation claims from being filed against it in U.S. courts. Meanwhile, Sudan is to begin the process of normalizing relations with Israel, possibly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joining a congratulatory phone call between Trump and Hamdok. The designation of Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism dates back to the 1990s, when Sudan briefly hosted bin Laden and other wanted militants. Sudan was also believed to have served as a pipeline for Iran to supply weapons to Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. The “state sponsors of terrorism” designation is one of the U.S. government’s most effective sanctions tools and bars virtually all non-humanitarian U.S. transactions with countries on it. It was created in 1979 to punish nations that fund or otherwise support terrorist acts. With Sudan’s removal, only Iran, North Korea and Syria will remain on the list. Some victims denounced he settlement; others urged Congress to pass legislation needed to implement the agreement. More than 500 of the 700 victims of the 1998 bombings at the U.S. embassies signed a letter rejecting Sudan’s settlement offer, partly because it would award more money to Americans than Africans who worked there. The letter said the plan offers compensation dependent on a victim’s nation of birth, rather than the severity of injuries. “This scheme would pay nothing at all to nearly a third of the embassy victims and categorizes naturalized U.S. citizens as non-Americans,” the letter said. “It sets the value of the life of a U.S. embassy employee born in Africa at only 8% of an employee born in America.” Jack Quinn, counsel for the 9/11 families that sued Sudan, also expressed displeasure at the announcement. “The 9/11 families are counting on Congress to reject Sudan’s plea that our pending lawsuits be wiped out, and they insist it do nothing that would undermine them,” Quinn said. However, Edith Bartley, spokesperson for the families of the Americans killed in the embassy bombing in Nairobi, Kenya, thanked the State Department and the new government in Sudan for securing compensation for the victims. She said that once released, the compensation will fulfill a longstanding commitment to the victims first made by President George W. Bush, honored by President Barack Obama and now affirmed by Trump. “We urge Congress to immediately pass the legislation that is needed to implement the agreement, and begin the payment process,” she said. “Congress cannot let this agreement fall victim to legislative gridlock and bickering. The victims, and our regional allies who wish to have Sudan emerge as a economically viable supporter of regional peace, are depending on Congress to act swiftly in support of this effort.” Jonathan Schanzer at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies said removing Sudan from the terrorism list is an important achievement because Khartoum has helped fight Sunni extremists for nearly two decades and has worked to remove Iranian influence from Sudan since 2012. “In this way, the country has addressed the reasons for its original listing as a state sponsor of terrorism,” he said. Schanzer, a former terrorism finance analyst at the Treasury Department, said now that the delisting is to occur, it will important for the Trump administration to prioritize a normalization agreement. “The stars are aligned for such a deal,” he said. “It just needs a push.” ___ Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Deb Riechmann in Washington contributed to this report.
This article was written by SAMY MAGDY from The Associated Press and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com. Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: 6 Russian officers charged in destructive hacking campaign | ||
| Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:38:14 -0400 WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department announced charges against Russian intelligence officers in cyberattacks that targeted a French presidential election, the Winter Olympics in South Korea and American businesses. The case implicates the Kremlin unit that interfered in the 2016 U.S. election but is not related to the November vote.
The indictment accuses the six defendants, all said to be current and former officers in the Russian military intelligence agency known as the GRU, of hacks prosecutors say were aimed at furthering the Kremlin’s geopolitical interests and destabilizing or punishing perceived enemies. All told, the attacks caused billions of dollars in losses and disrupted a broad cross-section of life, including health care in Pennsylvania, a power grid serving hundreds of thousands of customers in Ukraine and a French election that saw the late-stage disclosure of hacked emails. The indictment is the most recent in a series of Justice Department prosecutions of Russian hackers, often working on behalf of the government. Past cases have focused on attacks against targets like internet giant Yahoo and the 2016 presidential contest, when Russian hackers from the GRU stole Democratic emails that were released online in the weeks before Republican Donald Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton. The attacks in this case are “some of the most destructive, most costly, most egregious cyber attacks ever known,” said Scott Brady, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, where the 50-page indictment was filed. “Time and again, Russia has made it clear: They will not abide by accepted norms, and instead, they intend to continue their destructive, destabilizing cyber behavior,” said FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday rejected the accusations and said Russia and Russian special services “have never undertaken any hacking attacks, especially against the Olympics.” “This resembles regularly occurring relapses of rampant Russophobia, which of course has nothing to do with the reality,” Peskov said. The indictment doesn’t charge the defendants in connection with interference in American elections, though the officers are part of the intelligence unit prosecutors say interfered in the 2016 U.S. election. One of the six charged in the case announced Monday was among the Russian military intelligence officers charged with hacking in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference. The hacking targets described in Monday’s case are diverse, with the indictment fleshing out details about attacks that in some instances had already received significant attention because of the havoc they caused. The indictment accuses the officers, for instance, of hacking into the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea after Russia was punished by the International Olympic Committee for a vast doping conspiracy. It also says the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were targeted. Those Olympics have been postponed until next year. The Japanese government’s chief Cabinet secretary Katsunobu Kato declined to comment on specifics. “We cannot overlook malicious cyberattacks that could shake the foundation of democracy,” he said. Tokyo 2020 said in a statement “no significant impact has been observed in our operations.” It said it has been taking “countermeasures” but didn’t disclose them. Prosecutors say the hackers unleashed a devastating malicious software attack during the opening ceremony in February 2018 that deleted data from thousands of computers related to the event and left them inoperable. Another attack was aimed at disrupting the 2017 presidential election in France through hacks that targeted local government entities, campaigns and political parties, including the party of current President Emmanuel Macron. The controversy, known as the “Macron Leaks,” involved the leak of 20,000 emails linked to Macron’s campaign in the days before his victory. The involvement of bots raised questions about the possible involvement of Vladimir Putin and the Russian government. The leaks, which gained huge media attention in France, were shared by WikiLeaks and several alt-right activists on Twitter, Facebook and others. Other attacks targeted international investigators looking into the suspected nerve agent poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the United Kingdom, as well as the country of Georgia, where 15,000 websites were defaced. “In many cases,” the indictment says, “the Conspirators replaced website home pages with an image of a former Georgian president, who was known for his efforts to counter Russian influence in Georgia, along with the caption, ‘I’ll be back.’” Beyond that, though, the hacks had harmful impacts on quality-of-life for everyday citizens. The attacks in Ukraine disrupted the power supply in the middle of winter for hundreds of thousands of customers, officials say. And the global malware attack known as NotPetya that infected computers across the world harmed the operations of the Heritage Valley Heath System, which prosecutors say serves tens of thousands of people in western Pennsylvania. Work stations were locked, hard drives encrypted, laboratory records and other files were inaccessible, and Heritage Valley temporarily lost access to critical computer systems related to medical care. Robert Lee, a security researcher who helped uncover the malware used in one of the Ukraine hacks, said U.S. and European political leaders should’ve done more at the time to call out Russia and make clear that attacks on power grids are unacceptable. But Lee, CEO of security firm Dragos, welcomed the indictment as an important message before the U.S. presidential election about American officials’ resolve to fight back against attacks on elections and civic infrastructure. “This is a broad signal from U.S. intelligence to say, ‘We’re watching you, and we’re willing to burn our resources to burn your resources,’” Lee said. The six defendants face charges including conspiracy to conduct computer fraud and abuse, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. None is in custody, but the Justice Department in recent years has eagerly charged foreign hackers in absentia in countries including Russia, China and Iran with the goal of creating a message of deterrence. “No country has weaponized its cyber capabilities as maliciously and irresponsibly as Russia, wantonly causing unprecedented collateral damage to pursue small tactical advantages as fits of spite,” said Assistant Attorney General John Demers, the Justice Department’s top national security official. ____ Associated Press writers Daria Litvinova in Moscow, Thomas Adamson in Paris, Matt O’Brien in Providence, Rhode Island, and Graham Dunbar in Geneva, Switzerland, contributed.
This article was written by ERIC TUCKER from The Associated Press and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com. Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: ‘FBI: Most Wanted’ Season 2 to Dig Deep Into the Characters’ Lives – Cadillac News | ||
| Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:37:46 -0400 ‘FBI: Most Wanted’ Season 2 to Dig Deep Into the Characters’ Lives Cadillac News Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: Jeffrey Epstein Update: Court Says Ghislaine Maxwell’s Deposition Can’t Remain Secret – NPR | ||
Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:37:32 -0400
Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: For the third time this year, a Navy destroyer enters the Barents Sea | ||
| Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:37:04 -0400 The U.S. has once again sent a warship into the Barents Sea in what is becoming the new normal this year as Navy surface vessels navigate waters not visited since the height of the Cold War. Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: Justice Department files landmark antitrust case against Google | ||
| Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:36:48 -0400 The Justice Department on Tuesday sued Google for antitrust violations, alleging that it abused its dominance in online search and advertising to stifle competition and harm consumers. Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: Understanding U.S.-China Strategic Competition | ||
| Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:36:33 -0400 Paul Heer Security, Americas The current political, social, economic, and public health crisis has hampered America’s ability to confront external challenges. But it has also fueled a tendency to inordinately blame China for many problems that Americans have largely inflicted upon themselves.Determining the right prescription for how the United States should respond to strategic competition with China depends on having the right diagnosis of the problem. Unfortunately, much of the prevailing analysis and commentary on the subject has gotten the diagnosis wrong by misunderstanding or misrepresenting the nature of the challenge that China poses. Let us examine what it is, and what it isn’t. The U.S. contest with China is a full scale, full-spectrum strategic great-power competition for wealth and power and influence, both within East Asia and globally. It features competing models for political governance and economic development, as well as competing views on the structure and rules of the international order. This competition is being driven primarily by historic changes and structural shifts in the wake of the U.S.-Soviet Cold War and—more recently and perhaps more importantly—the Global Financial Crisis of 2008–9. These events and their consequences have altered the global balance of power and especially the relative strategic trajectories of the United States and China. This new status quo has inevitably fueled tensions, suspicions, and competition between the world’s two biggest powers. Each side is determined to maximize its position and its freedom action relative to the other. This competition, however, is not automatically or necessarily an adversarial relationship, or a zero-sum or winner-take-all contest. It is not, or at least should not be, exclusive of bilateral cooperation—which in fact will be necessary and vital to both countries and for the sake of the rest of the world. And contrary to many prevailing views, it is not a product of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s personality or personal ambitions. The historical and structural drivers of the competition largely predated his rise to power in 2012. Perhaps most importantly, this is not an existential ideological struggle, like that between the United States and the Soviet Union. The ideologies and strategic objectives of the two sides are not mutually exclusive, or at least need not be. China is not seeking to destroy the U.S. system or to supplant the United States as the global hegemon. Indeed, Beijing has almost certainly calculated that global hegemony is unachievable, unnecessary to secure China’s interests, and not something to be particularly wished for. Chinese leaders probably recognize that pursuing global hegemony would be counterproductive, and destabilizing in ways that would not be conducive to China’s interests or its security. They probably also calculate—based in part on having observed the U.S. example—that possessing it would be both burdensome and unsustainable. Given this cost-benefit analysis, Beijing is prepared to settle for something less than global predominance, which is why Chinese leaders talk a lot about global “multipolarity.” It is within this framework of pursuing and promoting multipolarity that China is seeking to legitimize its model of governance and development, not impose it upon other countries. This is part of what Beijing is referring to when it routinely invokes a “community of common destiny for mankind.” Rather than being the expansionist and aggressive Sino-centric vision that some scholars have attributed to the phrase, this is actually a relatively benign slogan that hearkens back to the “five principles of peaceful coexistence.” Its core emphasis is on mutual respect for—or at least tolerance of—alternative governing systems, and mutual pursuit of solutions to shared global challenges and imperatives. Similarly, when Chinese leaders talk about the “reform of global governance,” they are clearly talking about reform—not replacement of the international system with one of China’s making or wholly in China’s image. Indeed, Beijing sees the existing international system trending in its favor. But it wants to adjust and update the system to make it even more reflective and representative of the twenty-first-century balance of power in the world. And obviously the Chinese would like to maximize the extent to which the system serves China’s agenda and endorses its preferred ways of doing business. Much commentary has deemed the U.S.-China strategic competition to be a new Cold War. But is only a “cold war” to those commentators who choose to define the term in a way that serves that purpose. But that comparison is inappropriate because, again, the U.S.-China contest is not an existential ideological struggle. The world today is not characterized by two opposing ideological camps aligned with Beijing and Washington; and the United States is integrated and interdependent with China in ways that it never was with the Soviet Union. Indeed, the competition with China is unprecedented because Washington has never faced a strategic or ideological rival that had its act together while being competitive in various realms. In sum, the challenge from China was accurately and succinctly captured by Chinese scholar Wu Xinbo who has noted that “China does not pose an existential threat to the United States, yet it does threaten to dilute US hegemony, share its global leadership role, and demonstrate an alternative to its development and governance model.” That is the nature and scope of the competition that the United States is now confronting. Given this diagnosis, what is the best prescription for Washington? First, the United States needs to fully recognize and acknowledge that the balance of power in the world has changed as a consequence of recent historical developments and the impact of globalization and interdependence. This has altered the relative clout and capabilities of China and the United States. Additionally, it has altered the leverage they have in dealing with each other. This, in turn, will require Washington to reassess the relationship between its means and its ends and to recognize the growing need for trade-offs and reciprocity in its approach to Beijing. It will also require the United States to understand that policies of containment or regime change in China are probably not realistic, and instead are likely to be counterproductive. Finally, Washington needs to recognize that U.S. “primacy”—either within East Asia or globally—almost certainly is no longer viable or sustainable; and that this is one of the reasons U.S. allies and partners abroad are disinclined to join the United States in a zero-sum contest with China or one that is focused on containment or regime change. So what should the key elements be of a recalibrated U.S. approach to China, based on these new strategic realities? Given that the challenge from China—although it has a traditional military component—is primarily in nonmilitary realms, the United States needs to focus first and foremost on reviving and mobilizing its economic and technological competitiveness. Rather than merely complain about—and often mischaracterize—Beijing’s economic diplomacy and especially its expansive “Belt and Road Initiative,” Washington needs to compete against it by offering alternatives to the countries China is targeting for resources, markets, access, and influence. The United States also needs to revive and mobilize American diplomacy, which has apparently fallen by the wayside and is underfunded. We will make little progress in de-escalating tensions with Beijing unless we are willing to engage routinely and extensively with Chinese counterparts, and there are myriad bilateral and multilateral issues that need urgent attention and cooperation. None of this is meant to imply inattention to the traditional security realm. Knowing what we do about the breadth and scope of Chinese capabilities and activities, the United States can and should continue to maximize its own capabilities, vigilance, and deterrence in the military, space, intelligence, and cyber spheres and—increasingly—in the domain of influence operations. At the same time, Washington must avoid overly militarizing issues that are not primarily military problems or that do not lend themselves readily to military solutions; issues surrounding Taiwan, the South China Sea and the Korean Peninsula all fit within this category. The United States also can and should reinvigorate its network of Allies and partners to deal collectively with the China challenge, but do so on the basis of shared and realistic objectives—recognizing our foreign partners’ different strategic priorities, threat perceptions of China, and comfort levels with a confrontational approach. Finally—as most commentators have observed—all of this will require the United States to get its house in order. The current political, social, economic, and public health crisis has hampered America’s ability to confront external challenges. But it has also fueled a tendency to inordinately blame China for many problems that Americans have largely inflicted upon themselves. This must be resisted and corrected if Washington is to deal with Beijing on a reasonable basis and to focus on the real, core elements of the strategic competition with China. The United States, in short, needs to make its version of democracy and capitalism internationally competitive again. And Americans need not fear this contest with China unless they have lost faith and confidence in their country’s model. Paul Heer is a Distinguished Fellow at the Center for the National Interest and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Image: Reuters Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: Today’s D Brief: Russians charged in cyber attacks; New START extension?; ICBM price tag jumps; Iran sanctions grate on US allies; And a bit more. | ||
| Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:35:49 -0400 Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: Russia-based CIA officer who fell ill fuels suspicion country is carrying out sonic attacks – Daily Mail | ||
| Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:35:33 -0400 Russia-based CIA officer who fell ill fuels suspicion country is carrying out sonic attacks Daily Mail Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: The Nuclear Arsenal Problem You Never Saw Coming | ||
| Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:35:20 -0400 Zack Brown Security, Americas There is neither a strategic need for—nor any real safeguard against—presidential sole authority over the nuclear arsenal. This reality should push the public towards common-sense reform.Former Defense Secretary William J. Perry lambasted the policy of presidential sole authority over the nation’s nuclear weapons, saying it was “in complete contrast with the Constitution, which reserved for Congress the right to declare war.” The issue of nuclear control was back in the news after President Donald Trump’s bout with the coronavirus in early October, during which time he was taken to Walter Reed Medical Center and given a variety of treatments, including an experimental drug cocktail and a steroid with mood-altering side effects. Despite this, Trump did not relinquish control over the nation’s nuclear arsenal throughout the episode. This raised eyebrows in the national security community, where many thought the president should temporarily delegate nuclear authority to the vice president, as other chief executives have done in the past. “To state the obvious, we should not entrust nuclear launch authority to someone who is not fully lucid,” Ploughshares Fund’s Tom Collina wrote in an op-ed published by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. “A nuclear crisis can happen at any time, including at the worst possible time. If such a crisis takes place when a president’s thinking is compromised for any reason, the results could be catastrophic.” Collina and Perry argued that the reason we still tolerate sole authority anyway has to do with two sweeping myths about the nuclear weapons system. “The first myth is the reason we have sole authority and can’t possibly get away from it is because we need the president to make a decision about nuclear launch within minutes,” Collina explained on a recent episode of Press the Button. This line of thinking argues that the speed and accuracy of adversary intercontinental ballistic missiles require that U.S. missiles immediately get airborne, otherwise they risk being destroyed in the ground. But according to Collina, this logic falls apart when you play it out. “Let’s say that there is an alert that hundreds of nuclear weapons are coming in,” he said. “There are two options, that’s it’s a false alarm or it’s real. If it’s a false alarm, the last thing you want to do is launch quickly, because then the United States has just started a nuclear war.” “If it’s real, our launching quickly will not stop that attack.” But neither will that attack prevent a devastating US counterstrike. In any conceivable scenario, the American fleet of nuclear submarines would still be at large, ready to launch a massive retaliatory blow hours or even days later. In other words, we simply would not need the president to make a frantic decision on the spot. The second myth surrounds a “very persistent misunderstanding that the military brass can step in and stop” a nuclear launch order from an unhinged president. This gets the danger fundamentally wrong, said Perry and Collina. “People tend to think about a president in the middle of the day, with no international crisis, just deciding to launch the nukes,” the latter explained. “That’s not a very realistic scenario.” “The scenario we’re most worried about is there is an alert that we’re under attack, so we have a time crunch scenario,” said Collina. “And in that kind of situation it’s very unlikely that, if the president were to decide to launch, the military brass would try and slow that process down.” It also intrinsically misunderstands the relationship between the military and the president, argued the former defense secretary—even in a non-crisis scenario. “The military stepping in is a highly unlikely scenario,” said Perry. The air force officers tasked with actually launching the intercontinental ballistic missiles would be “very unlikely to challenge [the president’s] order.” “They understand that the president has access to information that they do not have access to, and that’s why he has the authority instead of them,” he continued. “And so, if they think there’s something wrong with his command, the first thing they think is that ‘this is because the president knows something I don’t know.’” Taken together, said Perry and Collina, the truth behind these myths reveals that there is neither a strategic need for—nor any real safeguard against—presidential sole authority over the nuclear arsenal. This reality should push the public towards common-sense reform. “We have to ask ourselves, at what point does a president’s inability to think clearly affect his ability to have nuclear authority?” Collina asked. “And more broadly, should the president have that authority at all?” “Why did we trust, in this case, the future of the world to one person with COVID on heavy medication? Does that make sense?” Zack Brown is a policy associate at Ploughshares Fund, a global security foundation. Image: Reuters Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: Russia ready to freeze total number of warheads for one year to extend nuclear pact with US | ||
| Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:35:04 -0400 The U.S. and Russia edged toward an arms-control deal Tuesday after Moscow proposed freezing the number of nuclear warheads on each side and extending the arms control treaty known as New START for one year. Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: Ex-Judge, Convicted of Lying to FBI, Forfeits State Pension – Bloomberg Law | ||
| Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:34:49 -0400 Ex-Judge, Convicted of Lying to FBI, Forfeits State Pension Bloomberg Law Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: mikenov on Twitter: An N.Y.C. Enclave Where Trump Flags Fly – The New York Times nytimes.com/2020/10/20/nyr | ||
| Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:34:34 -0400 An N.Y.C. Enclave Where Trump Flags Fly – The New York Times nytimes.com/2020/10/20/nyr… Posted by Michael Novakhov (mikenov) on Tuesday, October 20th, 2020 3:01pm mikenov on Twitter Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: Has Trumpism Brought Democracy to Its Knees? – LA Progressive | ||
| Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:34:04 -0400 Has Trumpism Brought Democracy to Its Knees? LA Progressive Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: 10:08 AM 10/19/2020 – Michael Novakhov SharedNewsLinks: Chris Farrell on fbi corruption and malfeasance | FBI needs to be shut down: Chris Farrell YouTube | fbi corruption: The FBI, Militias, Truth and Comeys Legacy | ||
| Mon, 19 Oct 2020 10:11:40 -0400 10:08 AM 10/19/2020 https://fbinewsreview.blogspot.com/2020/10/michael-novakhov-sharednewslinks-chris.html
Michael Novakhov – SharedNewsLinks℠ | In Brief | Michael Novakhov – SharedNewsLinks Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: Chris Farrell on fbi corruption and malfeasance – Google Search | ||
Mon, 19 Oct 2020 09:30:53 -0400DOJ, FBI officials committed criminal misconduct: Chris Farrell …www.youtube.com › watch www.youtube.com › watch Fitton: DC Transit Officials Want To Cover Up “Dangerous, Corrupt, … Tom Fitton: President Trump Should File a Criminal Complaint w/ FBI over Illicit Targeting. User Clip: The FBI corruption RUNS DEEP | C-SPAN.orgwww.c-span.org › video › fbi-corruption-runs-deep www.c-span.org › video › fbi-corruption-runs-deep Jun 19, 2018 — User Clip: The FBI corruption RUNS DEEP. User-Created Clip … JOINING US NOW IS CHRIS FARRELL WITH JUDICIAL WATCH. … Christopher J. Farrell … THERE HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED MISCONDUCT ARGUABLY. User Clip: FBI misconduct orchestrated by Obama Whitehouse …www.c-span.org › video › user-clip-fbi-misconduct-orc… www.c-span.org › video › user-clip-fbi-misconduct-orc… Jun 19, 2018 — June 19, 2018 | Clip Of Chris Farrell on the Justice Department OIG Report on Clinton Email Probe This clip, title, and description were not … Chris Farrell: The level of FBI and DOJ Corruption is … – Artvoiceartvoice.com › 2018/04/16 › chris-farrell-level-fbi-doj-… artvoice.com › 2018/04/16 › chris-farrell-level-fbi-doj-… Apr 16, 2018 — On April 13, 2018, Judicial Watch Director of Investigations and Research Chris Farrell appeared on “Lou Dobbs Tonight” on the Fox Business … Missing: malfeasance | Must include: malfeasance FBI agent misconduct is a criminal act: Judicial Watch’s Chris …www.judicialwatch.org › videos › fbi-agent-misconduct… www.judicialwatch.org › videos › fbi-agent-misconduct… Judicial Watch director of investigations Chris Farrell says the numerous instances of professional misconduct has undermined the special counsel. FBI agent misconduct is a criminal act: Judicial Watch’s Chris …video.foxbusiness.com › … video.foxbusiness.com › … Judicial Watch director of investigations Chris Farrell says the numerous instances of professional misconduct has undermined the special counsel. Missing: corruption | Must include: corruption Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: FBI needs to be shut down: Chris Farrell – YouTube | ||
| Mon, 19 Oct 2020 09:15:08 -0400 FBI needs to be shut down: Chris Farrell Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: fbi corruption – Google Search | ||
Mon, 19 Oct 2020 09:03:17 -0400Public Corruption — FBI – FBI.govwww.fbi.gov › investigate › public-corruption www.fbi.gov › investigate › public-corruption Public corruption is the FBI’s top criminal investigative priority, that includes border corruption, election crimes, international corruption and prison corruption. People also search forRegional Corruption Hotlines — FBI – FBI.govwww.fbi.gov › investigate › public-corruption › region… www.fbi.gov › investigate › public-corruption › region… Regional Corruption Hotlines. Local FBI phone number hotlines for reporting corruption. Albuquerque, NM: (505) 889-1580; Birmingham, AL: (844) 404-TIPS … People also search forDoes the FBI investigate graft and corruption in local … – FBI.govwww.fbi.gov › about › faqs › does-the-fbi-investigate-… www.fbi.gov › about › faqs › does-the-fbi-investigate-… The FBI uses applicable federal laws, including the Hobbs Act, to investigate violations by public officials in federal, state, and local governments. People also search forPublic Corruption – FBI.govwww.fbi.gov › about-us › just-the-facts-1 › public-corr… www.fbi.gov › about-us › just-the-facts-1 › public-corr… The FBI’s public corruption program investigates violations of federal law by public officials at the federal, state, and local levels of government and oversees the … People also search forList of FBI controversies – Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org › wiki › List_of_FBI_controversies en.wikipedia.org › wiki › List_of_FBI_controversies In December 1994, after being tipped off by his former FBI handler about a pending indictment under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, … The Whitey Bulger case – Hillary Clinton email … – James Comey dismissal … People also search forFBI Corruption: How Dirty Cops Spied on Trump Campaign …www.nationalreview.com › 2019/12 › fbi-corruption-h… www.nationalreview.com › 2019/12 › fbi-corruption-h… Dec 11, 2019 — The FBI under the Obama administration falsified documents in order to get legal permission to spy on a Republican presidential campaign. Saved Stories – None | ||
| Saved Stories – None: The FBI, Militias, Truth and Comey’s Legacy | ||
Mon, 19 Oct 2020 08:59:15 -0400
In the past few days, news reports have alerted us to an FBI claim that a militia group was planning to kidnap the governor of Michigan. The Detroit Free Press wrote: “Thirteen members of an anti-government group bent on igniting a civil war are charged in a plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who the group targeted in a possible commando raid on the state capitol, according to newly unsealed court records. “Authorities said Thursday that the Wolverine Watchmen group planned on storming either the capitol or Whitmer’s vacation home as part of a broader mission to instigate a civil war.” Half of the country does not believe the FBI. Is it possible that the militia story is another contrived, anti-Trump, smear job by elements within the FBI? If the FBI headquarters can run a coup against the president, can Michigan FBI agents phony-up some charges against fringe characters with sketchy criminal information? It would not be the first time. Back on March 29, 2010, the Department of Justice announced the following: “Michigan residents, along with two residents of Ohio and a resident of Indiana, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit on charges of seditious conspiracy, attempted use of weapons of mass destruction, teaching the use of explosive materials, and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Barbara L. McQuade and FBI Special Agent in Charge Andrew Arena announced today.” The 2010 Michigan militia group called themselves the “Hutarees.” The case did not end well for the FBI. Charges were dropped. Others from the Hutarees faced lesser charges. Some of the Hutarees ended up suing the government over the investigation and prosecution. It seems the FBI went too far on too little. “Militia” is a news media certified code-word for Trump-supporter. FBI-doubters know the bureau launched a sophisticated operation against the Trump campaign, Trump transition, and finally the Trump administration. Even the New York Times admits it. It was a soft coup. The entire criminal conspiracy is being documented now in movies. The FBI’s reputation has been destroyed through blatant politicization. Here are the corrupt political police: Comey, McCabe, Strzok, Page, Clinesmith, Pientka, Brower, Baker, et al. That is a collection of various dirty cops, oath-breakers, coup-plotters, and persons “lacking candor” in FBI parlance. Those are just some of the FBI “headliners” — no Justice Department names on that list. Current FBI Director Christopher Wray hardly engenders confidence as a strong leader bent on cleaning house and reforming a corrupt agency that attempted a soft coup against the presidency. Wray is all about damage control and institutional preservation. When it comes to honesty, Wray does not have a tough act to follow. That is why he is comfortable making the demonstrably false claim that Antifa is more of an ideology than a group. Now we are dealing with reports of the “Wolverine Watchmen.” Here is the interesting part of one of the news reports where we should pay close attention. (It is also the operational part of the FBI’s activities wherein things have a tendency to legally fall apart): “Members of the group bought weapons, conducted surveillance and held training and planning meetings, but they were foiled in part because the FBI infiltrated the group with informants, according to a criminal complaint. Six were charged with federal kidnapping offenses, and at least seven others face state charges.” [Emphasis added] Also pay attention to this excerpt from the news report: “The FBI used confidential informants as part of the investigation and has paid one of them more than $14,000 and paid $8,600 to another, according to the affidavit.” While the anti-Trump media codeword “militia” is used to describe the alleged plotters — video evidence from Twitter and YouTube reveals that one of the leaders is an anarchist, certainly not a “right wing Trumpster.” Likewise, more questions are raised about the plotters, their affiliations, and motives with this news report: “One of alleged plotters, 23-year-old Daniel Harris, attended a Black Lives Matter protest in June, telling the Oakland County Times he was upset about the killing of George Floyd and police violence.” Perhaps the FBI’s case is 100% true? Perhaps the kidnapping story is legitimate? Perhaps this is not a piece of agitation propaganda? Would a governor cooperate or be complicit in the phony smear? Would the news media blow the anti-Trump dog whistle and blame the president for a kidnapping that never actually happened? Of course, the presumption of innocence is foundational to our system of justice. Comey’s living legacy, and the permanent institutional stain on the FBI more generally, is that we cannot take the Bureau’s claims as truthful. We used to give due credence to sworn Special Agents of the FBI. No more. Chris Farrell is a former counterintelligence case officer. For the past 20 years, he has served as the Director of Investigations & Research for Judicial Watch. The views expressed are the author’s alone, and not necessarily those of Judicial Watch. Saved Stories – None |
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