Exclusive: The U.S. mainstream media finally has its “smoking gun” on Russia-gate — incriminating information from a junior Trump campaign adviser — but a closer look reveals serious problems with the “evidence,” writes Robert Parry.
By Robert Parry
Russia-gate special prosecutor Robert Mueller has turned up the heat on President Trump with the indictment of Trump’s former campaign manager for unrelated financial crimes and the disclosure of a guilty plea from a low-level foreign policy adviser for lying to the FBI.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier outside the Kremlin wall, Dec. 6, 2016. (Photo by Robert Parry)
While longtime Republican fixer Paul Manafort, who helped guide Trump’s campaign to the GOP nomination in summer 2016, was the big name in the news on Monday, the mainstream media focused more on court documents related to George Papadopoulos, a 30-year-old campaign aide who claims to have heard about Russia possessing Hillary Clinton’s emails before they became public on the Internet, mostly via WikiLeaks.
While that would seem to bolster the Russia-gate narrative – that Russian intelligence “hacked” Democratic emails and President Vladimir Putin ordered the emails be made public to undermine Clinton’s campaign – the evidentiary thread that runs through Papadopoulos’s account remains tenuous.
That’s in part because his credibility has already been undermined by his guilty plea for lying to the FBI and by the fact that he now has a motive to provide something the prosecutors might want in exchange for leniency. Plus, there is the hearsay and contested quality of Papadopoulos’s supposed information, some of which already has turned out to be false.
According to the court documents, Papadopoulos got to know a professor of international relations who claimed to have “substantial connections with Russian government officials,” with the professor identified in press reports as Joseph Mifsud, a little-known academic associated with the University of Stirling in Scotland.
The first contact supposedly occurred in mid-March 2016 in Italy, with a second meeting in London on March 24 when the professor purportedly introduced Papadopoulos to a Russian woman whom the young campaign aide believed to be Putin’s niece, an assertion that Mueller’s investigators determined wasn’t true.
Trump, who then was under pressure for not having a foreign policy team, included Papadopoulos as part of a list drawn up to fill that gap, and Papadopoulos participated in a campaign meeting on March 31 in Washington at which he suggested a meeting between Trump and Putin, a prospect that other senior aides reportedly slapped down.
The ‘Email’ Breakfast
But Papadopoulos continued his outreach to Russia, according to the court documents, which depict the most explosive meeting as an April 26 breakfast in London with the professor (Mifsud) supposedly saying he had been in Moscow and “learned that the Russians had obtained ‘dirt’ on then-candidate Clinton” and possessed “thousands of emails.” Mainstream press accounts concluded that Mifsud must have been referring to the later-released emails.
Former Trump foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos.
However, Mifsud told The Washington Post in an email last August that he had “absolutely no contact with the Russian government” and described his ties to Russia as strictly in academic fields.
In an interview with the U.K. Daily Telegraph after Monday’s disclosures, Mifsud acknowledged meeting with Papadopoulos but disputed the contents of the conversations as cited in the court papers. Specifically, he denied knowing anything about emails containing “dirt” on Clinton and called the claim that he introduced Papadopoulos to a “female Russian national” as a “laughingstock.”
According to the Telegraph interview, Mifsud said he tried to put Papadopoulos in touch with experts on the European Union and introduced him to the director of a Russian think tank, the Russian International Affairs Council.
It was the latter contact that the court papers presumably referred to in saying that on May 4, the Russian contact with ties to the foreign ministry wrote to Papadopoulos and Mifsud, reporting that ministry officials were “open for cooperation,” a message that Papadopoulos forwarded to a senior campaign official, asking whether the contacts were “something we want to move forward with.”
However, even an article in The New York Times, which has aggressively pushed the Russia-gate “scandal” from the beginning, noted the evidentiary holes that followed from that point.
The Times’ Scott Shane wrote: “A crucial detail is still missing: Whether and when Mr. Papadopoulos told senior Trump campaign officials about Russia’s possession of hacked emails. And it appears that the young aide’s quest for a deeper connection with Russian officials, while he aggressively pursued it, led nowhere.”
Shane added, “the court documents describe in detail how Mr. Papadopoulos continued to report to senior campaign officials on his efforts to arrange meetings with Russian officials, … the documents do not say explicitly whether, and to whom, he passed on his most explosive discovery – that the Russians had what they considered compromising emails on Mr. Trump’s opponent.
“J.D. Gordon, a former Pentagon official who worked for the Trump campaign as a national security adviser and helped arrange the March 31 foreign policy meeting, said he had known nothing about Mr. Papadopoulos’ discovery that Russia had obtained Democratic emails or of his prolonged pursuit of meetings with Russians.”
Reasons to Doubt
If prosecutor Mueller had direct evidence that Papadopoulos had informed the Trump campaign about the Clinton emails, you would assume that the proof would have been included in Monday’s disclosures. Further, since Papadopoulos was flooding the campaign with news about his Russian outreach, you might have expected that he would say something about how helpful the Russians had been in publicizing the Democratic emails.
Hillary Clinton at the Code 2017 conference on May 31, 2017.
The absence of supporting evidence that Papadopoulos conveyed his hot news on the emails to campaign officials and Mifsud’s insistence that he knew nothing about the emails would normally raise serious questions about Papadopoulos’s credibility on this most crucial point.
At least for now, those gaps represent major holes in the storyline. But Official Washington has been so desperate for “proof” about the alleged Russian “election meddling” for so long, that professional skepticism has been unwelcome in most media outlets.
There is also another side of the story that rarely gets mentioned in the U.S. mainstream media: that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has repeatedly denied that he received the two batches of purloined Democratic emails – one about the Democratic National Committee and one about Clinton’s campaign chairman John Podesta – from the Russians. While it is surely possible that the Russians might have used cutouts to pass on the emails, Assange and associates have suggested that at least the DNC emails came from a disgruntled insider.
Also, former U.S. intelligence experts have questioned whether at least one batch of disclosed emails could have come from an overseas “hack” because the rapid download speed is more typical of copying files locally onto a memory stick or thumb drive.
What I was told by an intelligence source several months ago was that Russian intelligence did engage in hacking efforts to uncover sensitive information, much as U.S. and other nations’ intelligence services do, and that Democratic targets were included in the Russian effort.
But the source said the more perplexing question was whether the Kremlin then ordered release of the data, something that Russian intelligence is usually loath to do and something that in this case would have risked retaliation from the expected winner of the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton.
But such questions and doubts are clearly not welcome in the U.S. mainstream media, most of which has embraced Mueller’s acceptance of Papadopoulos’s story as the long-awaited “smoking gun” of Russia-gate.
Investigative reporter Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories for The Associated Press and Newsweek in the 1980s. You can buy his latest book, America’s Stolen Narrative, either in print here or as an e-book (from Amazon and barnesandnoble.com).
Robert Parry wants to continue to do a serious job of reporting. Considering each and every bit and examining it for the possibility of some truth. But … when there are so many ridiculous and provable falsehoods in the whole Russia-gate garbage pile, how can any sensible person conclude anything other than it is all nonsense. Since I can’t make a career out of analyzing this nonsense, I simply concluded long ago that it is just a pack of lies. One can deduce the basic outline of what happened with some confidence now, so any new little bits, are really irrelevant.
I would also like to clarify that as a 56 year old grandmother living in the Middle of Nowhere, Flyover Country I USED to be an ardent Republican but was actually kind of secretly hoping Biden would run and was giving Sanders a hearing out in 2016 but ended up voting for Trump because I so thoroughly despised Clinton. Now I am so thoroughly disallusioned and disgusted by what I have seen and heard this past year I am praying that the earth just opens up and swallows Washington, D.C. whole. Good riddance to the entire dysfunctional mess.
I have a question. If the asinine Trump/Russia collusion hysteria that has consumed this nation for a year and the multiple investigations it has spawned was based solely on that stupid, 12 million dollar, Clinton/DNC, Russian propaganda filled Fusion GPS Dossier, would that fact torpedo this entire dog and pony show and shut it down? Because if it would, there is an article written by David Corn of Mother Jones dated October 31, 2016 titled “A Veteran Spy Has Given the FBI Information Alleging a Russian Operation to Cultivate Donald Trump
Has the bureau investigated this material?”
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/10/veteran-spy-gave-fbi-info-alleging-russian-operation-cultivate-donald-trump/
In this article Corn details his meeting with a “former Western intelligence officer” who is obviously Steele, quotes extensively from a document that is obviously that now thoroughly discredited (??) Fusion GPS Dossier (which Hillary claimed just days ago didn’t become public until Jan. 2017), and provides proof positive that Harry Reid was in contact with both Comey and top officials in the national security community in early August of 2016 discussing details of the dossier and demanding the F.B.I. begin an investigation of the Trump Campaign based on the information in the dossier. What is also clear from the article is that the ink on the dossier had barely dried and the Clinton minions were working it and when the F.B.I. saw the dossier in August of 2016, they launched their investigation of Manafort and Gates. This, of course, was giddily celebrated by the Clinton circle in 2016 as the much anticipated “October surprise” promised by Reid. In 2017, it is utterly damning.
Now, supposedly Devin Nunes and Trey Gowdy are searching high and low for evidence like this because both have made it clear they are looking for evidence that the F.B.I. and/or the DOJ used that discredited dossier as the basis for launching their investigations and if they did, those investigations are DOA. Doesn’t this article do that??
So many commenters seem like they would be at home posting to info wars.
I think a lot of people think Papadopoulos’ “proactive cooperation” means he wore a wire.
It’s all about the wrong emails
*Clinton emails.* Not DNC emails. Not campaign emails. Not Podesta emails. The controversy raging in the 7 months *before* Papadopoulos purportedly heard about thousands of Clinton emails concerned the thousands she had erased and the likelihood that her server had been hacked by Russian intelligence (and many others), who might have gotten them all. It might be forgotten or overlooked now, but it was headline news back then (especially on the Right). And Papadopoulos or his contact just fed back the widely-known headlines as bait for a meeting. There was no incriminating insight here about a secret cyber-op occurring in 2016. It’s all about 2015 and before.
Pam and Russ Martens write (on their web site “Wall Street On Parade”):
“Russia-Trump Saga: Both Murdoch Empire and NYT Have Soiled Hands”:
http://wallstreetonparade.com/2017/11/russia-trump-saga-both-murdoch-empire-and-nyt-have-soiled-hands/
Thanks, evelync. Good link.
new editorial/article: Guardian: I started Occupy Wall Street. Russia tried to co-opt me – Micah White
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/02/activist-russia-protest-occupy-black-lives-matter
I think we just have to accept the reality that things will go much as they have in the past. The world seems too dangerous to the leaders to be left to the rule of law and democracy. It seems to me the best we can do is what Parry is doing, writing a true historical journal and living on crumbs that fall from the master’s table. That’s why I support his efforts with the few crumbs I can spare.
From the beginning of Zuckerberg’s empire, I thought Facebook was an idiotic excuse to get people involved in trivia, even the name turned me off. Now, Twitter is planning extending tweets to 280 characters, as if 140 is not bad enough. Unfortunately, Twitter can work to tell lies as well as push back on lies, same for Facebook and Google.
Seriously, this society has become unglued and as Lois says, “It ain’t a pretty sight”. Bad choices are leading to the American empire’s downfall. There’s an interesting article from a week ago on Zero Hedge, “China’s Rise, America’s Fall”, about China’s launch of the petroyuan and other countries’ desire to get off of dollar dominance. Has a graph showing empire dominance from Portugal in 15th century, then Netherlands followed by Spain, then France, Great Britain, and finally the American empire, poised to be replaced by China.
John Hersey foresaw China’s rise (albeit under different circumstances) many years ago in his epic work “White Lotus”.
I would like to posit that we stop with the Googling on the internet. I have never “Googled” ever. Oh sure, Google is involved with connecting you when you might click on some links. That you seemingly can’t avoid. I also don’t Face or Twitter. If everyone could avoid doing that now, perhaps we could show our disdain with these entities acquiescing to Feinstein, et. al. I am so fed up with the Clinton crime family getting away with almost as much as the George H.W. crime family.
geeyp-
That is a very good suggestion. Don’t feed the beast. Duckduckgo is a good alternative to google. And facebook and twitter’s revenues are add based, so don’t go there either, as they have been shown to be caving to TPTB. Amazon is also one to avoid for Bezo’s links to the CIA.
fwiw, clarified elsewhere, free or unpaid-for dirt is a gift and illegal; paid for dirt isn’t
The usual modus operandi of the yankee legal system is to get the smaller fry to tell convenient lies to entrap the major targets of the system, thus the truism that you can indict a ham sandwich under the yankee system. This is what the Papadapoulos case seems to be. In other types of cases, jailhouse snitches are employed to tell the necessary lies. The legal basis of the Mueller prosecutions can be shown itself to be of doubtful legality, except that, naturally, no power structure is going to deny the “legality” of its coercive ability, since in the end, that would negate the legitimacy of such a power structure.
Interesting article by helmer on Manafort’s scam-I consider helmer to be a very thorough researcher with some amazing sources of information.
This account is remarkable because stiffing oligarchs is not usually a safe and rewarding path to riches. Manafort must have some serious “kirsha”` (high level protection) but this occurred in 2008 so the Ukrainians could be providing the needed cover.
http://johnhelmer.net/oleg-deripaska-and-paul-manafort-the-hustler-hustled/
“krisha”
be scared .. from Slate/Dahlia Litwick … apparently Manifort and Gates have been denied Attorney Client Privilege (not entirely unprecedented, but shall we say in this case dubious, scary) — this is a financial crimes case … no exigent circumstances, not “criminal” as in “violent criminality” or imminent danger to anyone … (I suspect they are “afraid” of being out-lawyered, out-maneuvered)
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2017/10/why_a_judge_ruled_paul_manafort_isn_t_entitled_to_attorney_client_privilege.html
Don’t ask me why, but I suspect this insanity is going to drag on for another 3 years. If we live that long. I wouldn’t mind if I thought it would keep the insiders from doing their worst damage to us and everyone else on the planet, but I’m sure they’ll use the distraction to get away with as much criminal behavior as they can. Collapsing Empire is not a pretty sight.
Yes, and from the very start, the Clintonites began spinning this situation into the anti-Russian Tale. Most likely, it will be years before the excessive propaganda and counter-propaganda of 2017 is sorted out.
I have to wonder about a Nuland/Kagan Ukranian foundation … as I began to wonder in the last few days … if the existing (quite likely partisan) investigations of Manafort going back years, were used to piggyback the sliming of Trump last summer… the rejoicing when Manafort resigned was rather disproportionate (given he’d only been in the job for 3 months), possibly vindictive (but wrt what?) particularly given the varied Biden and McCain and Podesta interests in that same small Ukrainian pond (Crimea, Crimea, Crimea!!!!!)
Doubt Clinton wrote all those Russian/Trump talking points by herself … and the mythos of Putin as militarily aggressive/existential threat also arises and is referred back to the Ukraine (because Syria really isn’t some credible base of power/sphere of influence, while the treat to nato countries is “golden” and “evergreen”).
Seriously impressive how the wishes of the people of Crimea (and Eastern Ukraine) are discounted, erased ..
Fwiw, my thought at the time, was that Clinton was “priming the pump” (manufacturing consent) for an extremely assertive out-of-the gate foreign policy assault on Russia/Putin … (now that pokey cowardly Obama was out of the way) …
In any event, yes, Clinton’s anti-Putin/Russia campaign and Trump/Russian money ties — iirc — began long before the alleged DNC hack … piggybacking … reweaving the “narrative”?
seriously … .honest … I have zero Russian “connection” but just discovered Lavrov, per RT, is suggesting that Mueller probe Manifort’s Ukraine connections
https://www.rt.com/news/408371-lavrov-ukrainian-trace-us-investigation/
It’s always been curious how many of Manifort’s “Russian connections” weren’t “Russian” … Ukraine, Khazikstan, other ex-USSR satellites with oligarchs of their own …
It should be noted the Manifort is a despicable human being who (very successfully and for a lot of money) does PR work for “bad people” … while the USA officially, successfully, compellingly, does the same for financial and other favors (KSA, Duerte, even Saddam Hussein, the Shah of Iran) …
Susan–I totally agree with you. I thought the same thing last Nov. and was sure the effing First Woman President would have us in a shooting war with Russia before Christmas if she were elected. I’d love to see Robert The Great do a complete analysis of Russia gate, starting with Lybia, Syria, Ukraine (and Nuland), including the Sons Podesta just to see what the web looks like objectively. Put Killery and Saudi Arabia in the middle of that web and hey presto, we could fire Mueller with no loss of the truth.
Not so funny — but — I largely accepted that Hilary Clinton would be the next president … that the failure of some upsurge of resistance to Obama suggested that “Democrats” were going to ratify Obama (as devastatingly disappointing as he was) … and kick-it-up-a-notch … being more interventionalist, more in-your-face aggressive.
Never occurred to me that Sanders was anything more than a sheepdog, keeping those adorably idealistic Obama army “kids” in their blue shirts, keeping them from defecting from the Blue Team.
The lack of polling is becoming conspicuous, imho. Slavoj Zizek has become a punchline (at least in the USA/UK universe) … because (imho) he raises uncomfortable issues wrt to reconciling long-standing ideals with realities (political and physical) … While “we” have our differences, I am appalled by the wide-spread de-platforming … that (unlike Facebook and Twitter demographics) is un-graphed and ignored…. that censorship by neglect, indifference, silent lack of regard .. erosion of even the intellectual pretence of curiosity and/or open mindedness.
The the U.S. mainstream media opposes Trump, which is very understandable, but it is hard to comprehend why they are so totally unbalanced and unquestioning. Of course, there is a minute number like Fox, but sources that rest on their laurels as center and center left (by US definition) have abandoned any objectivity. Realists are reduced to you and Intercept are all that are left. Even Truthout and RSN, Buzzfeed, and most others act as though Hillary will still be President – or maybe is. I read the Guardia daily, but it just mirrors the NYT. Also Le Monde that is more European centered, but one sees Clintonian America in much of its coverage.
I’m at a loss to understand the why & how the MSM turned to propaganda machines.
I was watching the BBC world news on cable tonight. They are completely in the bag on this rubbish that Putin’s Troll factory or somebody (the last of the Bolsheviks, perhaps) posting a piddling number of ads on facebook from allegedly Russian IP addresses (possibly CIA, if you ask me) poisoned the minds of well over a hundred million Americans–probably convincing every one of them to vote for Trump putatively against their self-interests and good judgement. Formerly respectable journalists, IT experts and academics are lending their images and reputations to this idiotic narrative. Apparently, the whole nation got schooled in Putin’s treachery before the Congress this afternoon. So, sayeth the expert witnesses. This is Group Think like I’ve never seen before in my 70 years on this planet. Very distressing that 90+% of Americans can be so mind-controlled and deluded, even those with relevant expertise and an inside track to the facts.
Anonymot –
There is no such thing as free and fair Media – Newspapers and TV – left in this country and in Western Europe as well. The Media, and the the people who work for it, are employees of the owners who do what they tell them to do. And the owners in this country and most of Media in Western Europe too is owned by Zio-NeoCons. We must get into our heads that we live in “The End of History” age now. It is good to read the ” The End of History” related articles published in 1989 and afterwards. “The Age of Reason” is over – may be forever unless we can resurrect it somehow.
This has now moved beyond questions of “the hack” and Russia-gate to the meta issues of who will be indicted next and for what … they’re moving quickly into “it’s not the alleged crime (conspiracy**), it’s the cover-up” territory which would suggest Flynn is next which would/could be a game changer.
As Clintoni was not impeached because he had sex with Lewinsky, but that he lied during a deposition …. Trump could be brought down if multiple aides are willing to testify that he “participated” in the “alleged conspiracy”
** Mentioned recently was that the word/term “collusion” is not a legal one … Collusion is not a crime, almost any communication “might” be collusions — a conspiracy to commit a crime can be/is (though usually it is the crime that is prosecuted, rather than the conspiracy — see also terrorism prosecutions based on, for example, a person’s preparations to travel to X country to fight for jihad, or various “material support” convictions for piddling “support” , waterproof socks anyone?)
Remember also that it’s been floated that the FBI’s investigation is winding down … in advance of being closed — and that the congressional investigations will likely be hampered by indictments and the legal advice that will be brought to bear.
I’m rather doubtful that Manafort (savvy businessman) would have involved / intermingled his business dealings with reckless and sleazy Donald Trump … even if he did buy a condo in Trump tower.
Manafort was brought in to handle the delegates at the convention, to prevent a revolt or other embarrassment from the Never Trump faction(s). He did that, with his long-standing top echelon GOP ties and god knows what else. I’m relatively doubtful he has any smoking gun to trade in a plea bargain … and I suspect he has elite friends and backers who will ensure that he (and family) will be taken care of if he’s convicted, and — given the nature of elite prosecutions — he may have a conviction reversed on appeal and/or be allowed — once he has solidly refused to be “turned — to pay massive fines in exchange for a guilty plea.
note also that as outlined so far, Team Trump never solicited dirt from the Russians — rather it was either volunteered or dangled … wrt the August meeting, possibly as bait in order to “win” a meeting … and the offered “gift” of dirt was never either accepted or received …
I’m unsure if there is any reality to the implication of some legal responsibility to report such an “offer” of dirt …. and yes, the “hypocrisy” of Steele solicitiing and paying for Kremlin dirt may result in another “investigation” again of “collusion”
This whole special investigation is like something out of Kafka. It starts with unsubstantiated politically-driven accusations by the opposition party, progresses to a witch hunt to desperately find any evidence against the prime target (Trump), and when that hole proves dry it slouches toward trying to trick and trap peripheral witnesses (Papadopoulos) into making contradictory statements for which they can be indicted for “lying” to federal agents. Or else political or business associates of the target (Manafort) can be pressured and indicted on unrelated offenses. That indictment can then be used as leverage to get the indicted person to turn evidence (whether any exists or not) against the primary target in return for reduced sentences or even pardons. If this useful tool lies further in trying to please his new masters, who cares? Mission accomplished. Before this is over, there will be more kangaroos at large in American courts than on the Australian continent. America is truly a beacon of freedom, democracy and, above all, JUSTICE for the entire world to admire. How utterly exceptional! A country where even its elected president can be railroaded like a common street criminal if it suits those ruling from the shadows. Behold the coup d’etat thrown together with nothing more than smoke and mirrors, vague accusations and strong-arm tactics against witnesses. Sure, Trump is a dumb arrogant jerk, but the characters after his hide are trying to steal the remnant shards we still possess of our constitutional “democracy,” republic or whatever you might have called it.
This is the way it goes. The fact that, despite the existence of the fifth amendment such a “law” has been held to be legal that makes it a crime to “lie” based solely in the end on the word of government operatives, with no oath required for liability is itself a sign that the rule of law no longer obtains. I came to that conclusion when the statute was used to convict Martha Stuart when they couldn’t convict her based on more traditional statutes.
Ahh yes Parry’s weekly comical defense of the ‘man with a plan’. Kinda disappointed tho – I mean usually his columns are headlined with COUP COUP COUP.
Let’s see now. Robert Mueller is a hack, won’t let poor Parry into his inner circle, and amazingly does not leak or publicize exactly who and what he is investigating. And everything he has learned during such. And Parry takes his weekly shots. Pretty pathetic.
“credibility has already been undermined by his guilty plea’ ??????? That is pretty comical yes?
Parry’s defense of Papa is incredibly amateurish – he should start screenwriting TV Drama’s. According to Parry Mueller should lay out every piece of evidence he has, should try his whole case in his indictment and in the public theater. And have all the evidence within 30 days of investigation or give up. Or better yet just include Parry on his Prosecutor team. But that would not work – from day one Parry has been Trump’s #1 defender. Hell, it took Trump praising the KKK in Charlottesville to even get a whimper of outrage out of Parry.
This continual drivel plays out like a desperate person who is completely out of the loop, or better yet a man with a pathological grudge – almost always against NYT and WAPO.
I have no issues with calling out any person, and media. But Parry reads like Hannity or Trump himself. It’s embarrassing and not worth the paper written on.
Zionist alert – ADL is the only truth in the comment.
Shouldn’t his handle be ZDL – “Zionist Defense League”.
Guy disagrees, and you call him a ‘Zionist’. Do you honestly think this bolsters your case against Russiagate? You simply sound like an anti-semite, and in the process give more ammunition to the Israeli government to use against those who oppose Palestinian occupation.
Maybe he’s just a guy who disagrees with Mr. Parry. Ever think of that?
See the “ADL” antics in the CN comments here:
“‘Soft Coup’ on Trump, Hiding in Plain Sight”
https://consortiumnews.com/2017/06/08/soft-coup-on-trump-hiding-in-plain-sight/
“ADL” has been peddling Russia-gate conspiracy theory and bizarre defamatory nonsense for some time.
Given the important role of the DNC within the pro-Israel Lobby in the United States, and how enthusiastically the Russia-gate conspiracy theory is promoted by leading pro-Israel Lobby figures (including both Jewish and Christian Zionists), “Zionist Defense League” does serve as an accurate appellation.
Right and left Zionist “guys” are very busy “disagreeing” with facts and reality.
That’s a fact. There nothing “anti-Semitic” about it.
Thanks, Abe. This whole “anti-semite” ruse is an over-used theme to excuse the very real crimes against humanity by the Israeli government. Most Jews have no more control over Israel and Netanyahu than I have over Trump and the US war machine, and as you rightly point out, Zionists are both Christian and Jewish. I suppose people could call me “anti-american” for believing in peace and justice, and it would make just about as much sense. You do a good job of tying together the connection of Russiagate to the Zionist goal to use the “Russian boogieman” to keep their war machine dollars rolling in, and their geo-strategic plans afloat, both in the USA and Israel.
ADL, welcome to the site.. I think once you begin reading both the article and the comments, you will begin to understand how to respond to articles. Attacking the messenger and ignoring the message is not something most commenters do. I think you can learn a great deal. as I have.
Once again, we have a troll tag team in action.
Comrade “ADL” finds it “comical” that independent investigative journalism reports the facts.
The predictable response from comrade “Bill” is to assume that “ADL”, someone like himself who “disagrees”, is automatically correct.
And there’s not a single fact to be found between “ADL” and “Bill”.
We get it.
“Russia-gate special prosecutor Robert Mueller has turned up the heat on President Trump with the indictment of Trump’s former campaign manager for unrelated financial crimes and the disclosure of a guilty plea from a low-level foreign policy adviser for lying to the FBI.”
Well, there is a conspiracy against the United States charge against Manafort which could mean almost anything like conspiracy to evade taxes which would fit with the money laundering or it could be an attempt to tie him to the dubious Papadapoulos narrative. Papadapoulas has only with charged with lying to the FBI, not with anything that could be called “collusion”. Maybe that was the plea agreement or maybe they know the case isn’t really there.
*Trump gets caught on tape discussing the hacking of the DNC with Putin himself, and laughing about how they were going to get Trump the presidency together.*
Robert Parry, probably: “While this would seem to bolster the Russiagate narrative, the media’s blowing it out of proportion, and what if it’s a fake tape? And what about Hillary!?”
You’re truly a stand up guy dude, and I appreciate your journalism, but I think you’re kinda biased on this one.
That’s not to say you’re not correct about MSM intolerance of debate and skepticism. That’s absolutely true. Still, I think it’s pretty clear what happened here, and that the DNC was indeed hacked. Might not ever get legally proven, but let’s be real. That’s exactly what this looks like.
Bill-
I would agree that the DNC was probably hacked, and maybe even hacked by Russians. Every government that is capable of it hacks. They seek information. But the core issue is did the Russian government supply Wikileaks? Did they seek to influence our election? Despite your snarky opening speculation, there is zero evidence for such a scenario, and much more logical speculation from knowledgable people like William Binney that it was a disgruntled insider at the DNC who LEAKED the emails.
Hey Skip your comment made me think of how we should commission a study to see just exactly how influential all these countries are with our U.S. politicians. I mean list each country in their order of cash bribes, and influence, and then let’s see what nation has the U.S. so tied to their deep pockets. Something tells me if we were to make this list of nations by their rank of influence that we would then see Russia is the least of America’s worries. What ya think? Joe
Yeah Joe, I think we are totally screwed up as to who our government chooses as allies, and whose influence we tolerate. Most especially Israel and Saudi Arabia. We are supposedly a democratic republic that values liberty and equal justice for all, yet we ally ourselves with head choppers and a government that refers to killing innocents as “mowing the grass”. They are our friends, but Russia is our enemy?
Skip-
By all means, give Trump the benefit of the doubt, but please don’t think you will find the truth doing that. Trump is no better than the Democrats. Look, I don’t honestly care if the Russians hacked if we’re not going to address other foreign interference, but I’m also not going to sit here and claim it’s not obvious that they did so. That’s just blindness. I mean, you have virtually everyone in any position to know saying that this happened, and the response in these circles is to assume some jerk-off who disagrees is automatically correct. William Binney comes from the same world in which dozens of other experts contradict him. He’s not in a better position to know than they are. In fact, he’s in a worse position, because he’s a ‘former’ intelligence professional, and as such doesn’t have access to classified intel like current pros do.
Just because the IC lied about Iraq doesn’t mean they therefore lied about this. Separate cases requiring separate investigation. If it were to come out that IC lied about this than I’ll call it out. Right now it seems like they’re onto something. Granted they don’t actually care about the issue. It’s being used in a political fight against Trump, but the facts remain just the same.
I just really don’t think some people get how some the skeptics’ optics look to the rest of the political world here. I mean, you have people disagreeing with Russiagate, and voicing that opposition on RT. R. T. Not because they are ‘Russian propagandists’ but because they want to voice their views. Still, how does that look? Looks like you don’t know what you’re on about and the Russians are using you to point a finger at the United States for political gain, which is exactly what’s happening.
Why does this happen? Because MSM won’t run people like Binney. But they also won’t run people like Alex Jones either. Doesn’t mean Alex Jones’ ‘super male vitality’ is suddenly a legitimate drug. All sorts of folks get denied MSM platform because they quite simply don’t know what they’re talking about, and then they go on RT and act like they have some superior truth. No, they are just misinformed/irrelevant. Everything fringe isn’t a victim of conspiracy.
Our institutions are deeply flawed, but without them, we have no means of understanding events at all as outside observers. Boycotting the institutions and everything they say and flocking to Russian media does nothing to solve any of these issues. It simply creates new ones by supporting an institution from a foreign country which by nature of being a foreign institution has Russian interests, not US interests, in mind. Makes as much sense as Russians trying to fix their country by going on Radio Liberty and complaining.
I just don’t get it.
Bill-
Your analysis is rife with flawed logic. Trump obviously has had dealings with certain Russians, but that is way different than the Russian government seeking to subvert the legitimacy of our election. We manage to do that very well ourselves with an utterly corrupt two party system, campaign financing, stupid debate formats, MSM control of the narrative, etc. Many articles on this site delve deeply into all of these issues. You equate William Binney with Alex Jones? William Binney is not irrelevant. Most intelligent analysts with any integrity have been purged from those institutions way back during W and Cheney. James Clapper lied to congress and paid no price. My point is that our flawed institutions keep us from the truth. The only way of understanding events as outside observers is to go to sites like this one that counter MSM propaganda. You say it is obvious that the Russians hacked. Do you mean the Russian government? Please provide evidence. Getting a bunch of lackeys to repeat the same lie over and over without evidence, like our MSM is doing, does not turn a lie into an “obvious” truth. There has been much detail in many articles on this site and others that fully addresses the lack of any real evidence.
You also seem to come from the point of view that automatically assumes evil intent from Russia, rather than them just wishing to be treated fairly in the international arena. I read Putin’s interviews and speeches rather than the slander spewed by our MSM, and I see no evil intent. RT allows voices to be heard that have been excluded from our MSM. I see no problem with that. Truth is truth, no matter who does the telling. It is ridiculous to think that that somehow subverts our democracy. If anything, they do us a favor. PBS subverted our democracy by editing Jill Stein’s interview to exclude all her important points.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvqdl_CGCGk
I do not write any of this to defend Trump. I don’t like the man, and I certainly didn’t vote for him. But I dislike the fact that no president since JFK was assassinated has been able to keep any substantial campaign promise. The war machine just rolls on and on, the rich get richer, and the truth gets trampled. Our intelligence agencies have become the tail wagging the dog.
Now these very same scoundrels that control our MSM are seeking to control the internet and silence the truth tellers.
The only part of your comment that has any truth is your last line- you just don’t get it.
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I don’t assume evil intent from Russia. I agree they are conducting what they think is their national interest. And that’s kind of up to them. In that light however, it’s not implausible that the Russians hacked. Acknowledging that doesn’t mean I support the new Cold War, or hate Putin, or think the Russians are evil.
Regarding all the rest that you write here, okay. I’ll dive deeper and see if I’m missing something. I don’t have blind loyalty to the US government. I criticize it all the time, including on hypocrisy. Maybe I’m not doing so enough.
Wow. What are your thoughtsite on the BBC?
Propaganda troll “Bill” poses as “just a guy who disagrees”
Comrade “Bill” insists that anyone who disagrees with his fact-free interpretations, which just so happen to be identical to the mainstream media’s fact-free groupthink interpretations, is somehow guilty of “blindness” and “intolerance of debate and skepticism”.
“Bill” constantly uses “skeptics’ optics” propaganda rhetoric.
Phrases like “it’s pretty clear”, “let’s be real”, “exactly what this looks like”, “exactly what’s happening”, and his signature, “just don’t get it” are designed to distract from the complete absence of fact-based evidence from the DNC, private “cybersecurity” firms or government “intelligence”.
Exactly like the mainstream media, comrade “Bill” can’t present a single verifiable fact.
Exactly like the MSM, “Bill” merely insists that his pet conspiracy theory is “what happened here”.
“Bill” is simply “on about” whatever groupthink “the institutions” are “on about”.
The careerism of the “respected” mass media commentators, journalists and talking heads could lead the world to nuclear war. Many of these whores know exactly what they’re doing. Many of them know there was no attempt by the Kremlin to “hack” the election or otherwise interfere in the election but they feed the public repetitive nonsense over and over and over again.
That otherwise liberal minded, intelligent people are buying into this dangerous group think is one of the more incredible things I’ve ever witnessed.
People’s critical thinking faculties have left them. Otherwise intelligent people are bereft of critical thinking skills when it comes to the big bad Trumpenstein and it’s horrifying to see this all play out.
Attack Trump for the right reasons, NOT because he desire rapprochement with Moscow and dared to suggest the Washington empire should be reined in a bit.
I believe if there really was “law and order” in America, there would be massive arrests of those in power and their allies, (Past and present) for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Unfortunately what we are seeing is: The “Posturing of Evil”
—————————————————————
September 24, 2017
The Posturing of Evil
The posturing of evil is a sight to behold
Purveyors of war crimes that need to be told
Clad in expensive suits, are these well dressed war criminals
Men and women without any morals or principles
So called “leaders” of the human race
They really are a bloody disgrace
Invaders of countries in illegal wars
They are yesterday and today’s warmongering whores
Millions are dead because of their atrocious war crimes
Millions are refugees because of their dirty pastime
Creating wars is what these war perverts do
Paid for by compulsory taxes from me and you
Financiers and supporters of terrorists as well
These treasonous villains create more hell
They are hypocrites that talk of, ‘the rule of law”
Their lying words should stick in your craw
Countries are destroyed and civil wars rage
This is how the corporate cannibals get paid
Supplying the weapons of death and disaster
Killing innocent victims very much faster
Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen and other countries too
Are hell holes of destruction caused by this unholy crew
They parade on the world stage and give unctuous talks
When really most of these criminals should be in the dock
On trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity
Instead they are free and spreading their insanity
They have caused death and destruction and massive upheaval
How much more will people take of this posturing of evil?…
[more info at link below]
http://graysinfo.blogspot.ca/2017/09/the-posturing-of-evil.html
Your poems pack a punch Stephen. They are a treat for truth lovers.
“George Papadopoulos, a 30-year-old campaign aide who claims to have heard about Russia possessing Hillary Clinton’s emails before they became public on the Internet, mostly via WikiLeaks.”
Respectfully: No one but Benghazi “gate” pushers care about Hillary Clinton’s emails.
The leaked DNC emails and the very likely leaked Podesta emails on the other hand are of grave concern, since they show the DNC conspiring against the Sanders nomination.
In short: Who cares what Papadopoulos has to say about Hillary emails, they’re not really the subject the “Russian hacking” claims.
Since “they” (Papadopoulos) never saw the e-mails (or any e-mails) it’s impossible to know which tranche of e-mails was (allegedly) offered … and there are several known collections/leaks/hacks, as well as possibly still unknown collections…. making it even more murky.
As needs to be remembered, even if an “insider” downloaded and leaked e-mails, that does not preclude a hack … and a hack does not preclude a leak … (or multiple leaks or hacks).
Caitlin Johnson does some nice unpacking of the — often faulty — assumptions about meeting dates as they relate to published e-mails … https://medium.com/@caityjohnstone/why-george-papadopoulos-is-as-insignificant-as-paul-manafort-b964ff3d3d37
She also reminds us that the first big WikiLeaks “Clinton e-mails” dump was the result of FOIA request …
the mind reels a bit (given the apparent insignificance of these dumps/leaks on public opinion) but:
It would be interesting if the phantom e-mails allegedly offered by “Russians” in February/March were the same “dirt” allegedly offered in that August meeting …
The stupidity of those still beating-a-dead-horse wrt Trump’s “joke” about the Russians maybe locating / hacking to find the 35,000 Clinton e-mails is beyond all endurance… and yet it persists.
How long is this BS going to continue! Maybe we could produce a narrative on how the United States interfere in elections globally; we do not have to dig that deep!
As usual good article
The BS will continue until we find enough ways to stop it. This site is one way. Truth is the antidote to lies.
Russia gate: another Divide and Conquer (D&C) staged propaganda bit. Here we go again! Good report.
Look @ well researched https://isgp-studies.com/ explains how massively embedded criminal networks use the awesome powers and resources of salaried government to deprive the non salaried governed 99% (basically the video entranced barnyard hosted citizens) of their quality of life and peace of mind. Suggest to study the ISGP site carefully; refer to it often as it reveals a wealth of organized criminal activities and demonstrates just how difficult it promises to be to maintain a human rights oriented integrity in government. Unless the government is audited by the governed, and state secrets of any kind for any reason are eliminated progress will never happen.
____Abe’s citation of Engdahl => “we might find ourselves in another war for oil in of all places the Golan Heights, this one a war involving Syria, Russia, Iran, Lebanon’s Hezbollah on one side and Israel and Rex Tillerson’s 68 nation ‘anti-ISIS coalition’ on the other side, another senseless war over control of oil.”” suggest Tillerson s\b taken seriously, as should the looming anticipation that the anti-Assad (Syrian belligerent invaders) still plan to use false flag poison gas ops to bring down Assad, and to destroy Syria, this time it seems to be in USA backed occupied Allepo, Syria ( see. https://friendsofsyria.wordpress.com/ ). Its all about oil and gas; take a look at the LNG oil and gas seaports’ in America. then ask yourselves ….. who, where, why and when and what happens to 100 trillion private dollar investment if the LNG business plan fails? ). Nothing will change until the video entranced barnyard humanity is allowed to see the facts outside of false narrative propaganda. Could the solution to better government and the elimination of war be as simple as being sure everyone in the world has easy, accurately translated, access to unbiased, reliable news and information? probably not, some means to get the barnyard critters to understand it would be needed.
The statement of charge does not set out meetings of the sort that need to be proved.
It does suggest that the guy has been cooperating against others, “proactive” about it too as in wearing a wire.
It tells us to expect more, of a particular sort. That is the real importance, not what it spells out.
I think there is a clear evidence that Trump’s camp reached out to Russia. Whether the Russians did anything to help Trump (e.g., DNC hack) is a different story. More than likely not.
Since when was “reaching out to Russia” a crime? This is just Orwellian word demonizing BS.
Lying to federal investigator is. Contrary to a popular belief, stupid is a crime.
Andrew, how long did you get?
Exactly mike k. Right now we need doves in Washington (if there are any left) trying their damnedest to have a dialogue with Moscow. Just very recently the imbecilic Pence was at a nuclear launch site in Minot ND pontificating to media and personnel who were present about how they should be fully prepared to launch! This is preposterous and dangerous lunacy.
Washington has been virtually taken over by a militaristic-Zionist cabal and its currently dead set on destabilizing relationships among nuclear powers. The demonization towards the Kremlin at a time when the major media are fomenting a witch hunt atmosphere is breathtaking to behold.
That liberals — in their hatred of the big bad Trumpenstein — are going along with this terrifying group think is one of the more irrational and incredible dynamics I’ve ever witnessed in my decades of following the politico-economic scene.
Hate Trump for the right reasons. Don’t fall for a Paul Singer, Bill Kristol, et. al., orchestrated propaganda campaign.
Fitzgerald said the mark of a true intellectual is to hold two opposing views in one’s mind at the simultaneously and maintain the ability to function.
Whoops garbled my last paragraph:
hold two opposing views in one’s mind simultaneously and maintain the ability to function.
The editor regrets the error.
Drew Hunkins –
I hope that you and yours are well.
Don’t forget that soon-to-be President Pence is a Rapture Head.
Happy Halloween!
In truth and for justice,
John W. Wright
Pence is as bad or worse than Trump on virtually every single issue.
Warmongering and vilifying foreign heads of state: Pence is worse than Trump.
Progressive/regressive taxation: Pence and Trump are about even.
“Free” trade: Pence is worse than Trump.
Giving away the entire store to the Chamber of Commerce: Pence is a bit worse than Trump.
Environmental and consumer protections: Trump and Pence are about even; Pence actually may be a bit worse since he’s a rapture true believer moonbat.
It’s mind blowing to see my liberal friends fall for all the Russophobic nonsense. Mueller’s indeed on a witch hunt. Try telling that to your Maddow brainwashed liberal colleagues, sheesh.
Go after Trump for the right reasons! Not for phony baloney that puts the world on nuclear brinkmanship!
Trump provided them a very good reason to impeach him when last April he ordered an attack on Syria in violation of both international law (an attack on a sovereign country that posed no threat to the US) and the US law (a use of military force without Congress authorization). But no, they all approved this illegal action!
Dmitri –
I hope that you and yours are well.
The AUMF of 2001 is the gift that keeps on giving, as Bush, Obama and now Trump consider it carte blanche to commit war crimes anywhere there might be a “terrorist”.
The Continuity of Government disabled Congress just obediently smiles, nods and says “nothing to see here, folks”.
“That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
My favorite single sentence from the Declaration of Independence has never been more apt.
It’s time, brothers and sisters…
In truth and for justice,
John W. Wright
John, mine is the last sentence of the opening paragraph; but combined they provide excellent guide nice for the people of any government to which they have been enslaved:
“But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. –” Read, that not only is it their right, but “‘it is their duty,’ to throw off such government, ……”
Add to the above as I did not make the allotted edit time: the opening paragraph also shows a good understanding of human nature when between your favorite and mine it states, “Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.” This says to me that we will suffer beyond the point where suffering is tolerable but will, eventually, take action. But the bridge between the people and it’s government will eventually stretch to the breaking point. But like the people, governme t will resist change and giving up power beyond the point of peaceful resolution, thus comes violent reveloution.
Exactly right Drew.
It appears that this whole thing is the Democrats version of the “birther” claims some Republicans hung onto for years. I suppose I could be wrong but if they had solid evidence you would see it thirty times a day like when they showed the twin towers falling thirty times a day.
The Puerto Rico disaster is good enough reason to go after Trump but I suppose the lily white Democratic elites don’t care about Puerto Ricans anymore than does Trump.
Stephen –
I hope that you and yours are well.
This, just like the Twin Towers “falling” is a massive psyop on the American people, and by the same deep state factions, now arrayed against Trump.
While Trump’s inaction on Puerto Rico is clearly unethical, inhuman and despicable, I’m not sure it provides grounds for impeachment. What do you have in mind?
In truth and for justice,
John W. Wright
Drew Hunkins – Yes. Very true.
From the World Socialist Web Site:”
31 October 2017
Three months ago, the World Socialist Web Site published its first exposé documenting Google’s blacklisting of the WSWS and other left-wing websites. It warned that Google’s actions were part of a sweeping campaign, coordinated with the US government, media and intelligence agencies, to censor the Internet.
The period since this initial exposure has seen this campaign develop with extraordinary speed, as the Democratic Party, working with major media outlets, uses unsubstantiated allegations of Russian “hacking” of the 2016 election to mount a drive to criminalize political opposition within the United States. What is involved is nothing less than the greatest attack on the First Amendment since the Second World War
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/10/31/pers-o31.html
Yes, Our freedom of speech is under serious attack by the oligarchic fascist oppressors within America. They fear truth more than anything.
A sardine is hauled in and the big fish swim away. This story seems to suggest either massive chutzpah on the part of the Clinton campaign or stupidity fueled by desperation. That they would allow Mueller’s investigation to go forward when they were sitting on a mountain of graft, collusion and other malfeasance (i.e., uranium sold to Russia for among other things half a million straight into Billl’s pocket)… all of it, really quite amazing.
We got two uniformly bad candidates in the 2016 elections, both of whom were/are ardent supporters of Israel. How did that happen? And Paul Manafort was indicted for supposedly establishing a relationship with a foreign government that was not covered by the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
Speaking of FARA, when is someone in the US government or the totally corrupted and bought-off US Congress going to demand that Israel and AIPAC be registered under FARA? And then: When will investigations begin into some of the truly treasonous acts and legislation shepherded by this foreign agent called AIPAC: — like its interference with Free Speech protections in the US Bill of Rights, and this latest: Something about residents of some town in Texas forced to sign a loyalty pledge in support of Israel in order to receive funds to rebuild their stricken landscape…??? Is Israel putting up the money for disaster relief projects in America? If so, how did this come about?
Knomore,…”A sardine is hauled in and the big fish swim away”…I think you are anticipating what’s likely to happen…if/when it does Wikileaks could well drop the other shoe, but Mueller needs to finish his investigation even if it’s headed in a bogus direction.
“Speaking of FARA, when is someone in the US government or the totally corrupted and bought-off US Congress going to demand that Israel and AIPAC be registered under FARA?”…excellent point…and Saudi Arabia should register under FARA as well, for its sinister funding of American think tanks.
“That they would allow Mueller’s investigation to go forward…” I was speaking hypothetically from the Clinton perspective given that they were up to their eyeballs in all kinds of corrupt practices.
But I’m deeply concerned about Israel and what it is doing, or trying to do, to this country. What I mentioned here is just the tip of the iceberg. I fear that if we don’t wake up and start fighting about things that truly matter, like what right does Israel or AIPAC have to decide who does or does not teach in American universities, what right do they have to interfere with the selection of our Congressional representatives, what right do they have to tell us what we as Americans can and cannot talk about…or who we may or may not boycott? The Jews boycotted German goods in the early 1930s — it was a very successful boycott that did considerable damage to the German economy. But we are allowed to know, and talk about, only the one side of the story that Israel and AIPAC want us to hear.
Knomore et al….Suggestion:..we here are often preaching to the choir . Although I find it therapeutic I have begun to give feedback to MSM protesting the news slant influenced by corporate media and lobbying such as AIPAC. Yesterday I sent an e-mail to PBS admonishing them for prevaricating myths without giving a platform to the opposing view. I believe it is important to avoid inflammatory language so as not to be immediately dismissed as “Russian trolls” but it is worth the try.
George Papadopoulos is directly connected to the pro-Israel Lobby, right wing Israeli political interests, and Israeli government efforts to control regional energy resources.
Papadopoulos’ LinkedIn page lists his association with the right wing Hudson Institute. The Washington, D.C.-based think tank part of pro-Israel Lobby web of militaristic security policy institutes that promote Israel-centric U.S. foreign policy.
The Hudson Institute confirmed that Papadopoulos was an intern who left the neoconservative think tank in 2014.
In 2014, Papadopoulos authored op-ed pieces in Israeli publications.
In an op-ed published in Arutz Sheva, media organ of the right wing Religionist Zionist movement embraced by the Israeli “settler” movement, Papadopoulos argued that the U.S. should focus on its “stalwart allies” Israel, Greece, and Cyprus to “contain the newly emergent Russian fleet”.
In another op-ed published in Ha’aretz, Papadopoulos contended that Israel should exploit its natural gas resources in partnership with Cyprus and Greece rather than Turkey.
In November 2015, Papadapalous participated in a conference in Tel Aviv, discussing the export of natural gas from Israel with a panel of current and past Israeli government officials including Ron Adam, a representative of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Eran Lerman, a former Israeli Deputy National Security Adviser.
Israel’s coming planned military assault on Lebanon and Syria has a lot to do with natural gas resources, both offshore from Gaza and on land in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights region.
Among its numerous violations of United Nations Resolution 242, Israel annexed the Syrian Golan Heights in 1981.
Geopolitical researcher F. William Engdahl has discussed the energy resources in the Golan Heights, Israel, and Trump
http://www.williamengdahl.com/englishNEO30Mar2017.php
Engdahl notes “we might find ourselves in another war for oil in of all places the Golan Heights, this one a war involving Syria, Russia, Iran, Lebanon’s Hezbollah on one side and Israel and Rex Tillerson’s 68 nation ‘anti-ISIS coalition’ on the other side, another senseless war over control of oil.”
“US policymakers have stated multiple times that before war with Iran can be pursued directly, both Syria and Hezbollah must be weakened first. A war with Lebanon thus could be a means to either directly lead into direct conflict with Tehran, or as a means of preparing for one in the near or intermediate future.
“Immediate Peace and Stability vs. Constant and Perpetual War
“What is clear is that the 2015 Russian intervention in Syria along with Iran’s growing influence in the region has rolled back attempts by the US and its partners to reassert control over the Middle East they have sought since the Cold War. With a new multipolar coalition of emerging regional and global powers, US dreams of hegemony will be increasingly more difficult to achieve […]
“Lebanon has been a battlefield in the past the US has used as a vector toward greater regional conflict. Its ability or inability to create conflict there again, directly or through Israel, and that conflict’s ability or inability to drag Iran, Syria and other players in directly, will determine the outlook for America’s wider agenda in the region.”
Lebanon Next in US War on Middle East
By Ulson Gunnar
http://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/2017/10/lebanon-next-in-us-war-on-middle-east.html
The fake “citizen investigative journalists” team at Bellingcat are busy on the case with more of their signature “creative Googling”.
This time it’s a photograph of Papadopoulos in London
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/americas/2017/10/31/new-george-papadopoulos-photograph-actually-years-old/
The “online investigations” propaganda operation at Bellingcat site very much includes the comments section of the site.
Don’t expect Bellingcat to perform any actual journalism or substantive investigation. The function of the Atlantic Council’s Bellingcat site is to serve as a propaganda channel for “fake news” and “alternative facts”.
Abe –
I hope that you and yours are well.
Thanks for the above information. This fits very neatly with my working hypothesis that Papadopoulos insinuated himself into the Trump camp to create a future scandal on behalf of the Mossad/Likud faction within the deep state.
Just another example of how poorly managed the Trump camp was and remains. Simple vetting should’ve sent up huge red flags and prevented Papadopoulos from getting even a chair at the kids table for cookies and milk.
Every day continues to show that Trump is in way, way, way over his head.
I’m sure that the Mossad/Likud faction of the deep state will be much more comfortable with the rabidly pro-Israel born-again Christian Zionist Pence in the Oval Office.
In truth and for justice,
John W. Wright
The “crucial gap” in evidence relates to alleged Russian collusion with the Trump campaign. However, the revelations about Papadopolous provide damning (if hearsay) evidence that Russia was behind the email hacking.
/The “crucial gap” in evidence relates to alleged Russian collusion with the Trump campaign. However, the revelations about Papadopolous provide damning (if hearsay) evidence that Russia was behind the email hacking./
Er, hmm, okay…
The “crucial gap” in evidence relates to allegation that the DNC hack was an inside job by a disillusioned Bernie Sanders supporter. However, the revelations about Seth Rich provide damning (if hearsay) evidence that the DNC ordered his execution.
lol
Murder of Seth Rich?
Podesta brothers popping up at each step of the investigation as the lobbyists “colluding” with both Russia and Ukraine?
Clinton Foundation and the lethal weaponry sales to Saudis?
The CIA-arranged delivery of weapons to ISIS on Clinton’s watch? http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/how-america-armed-terrorists-in-syria/ https://www.globalresearch.ca/logistics-101-where-does-isis-get-its-guns/5454726
The Uranium deal with Russia? – Including the $500.000 “speech fee” for the promiscuous Bill – remember Lolita Island, Dershowitz, and Epstein?
Please take your “damning (hearsay) evidence somewhere else. There is NO evidence whatever of Russia hacking anything that has been presented – just slurs and innuendos. This site puts a premium on real EVIDENCE.
Jonathan Marshall –
The U.S. has been openly invading and destroyng countries, involved in overthrowing elected leaders – sometimes have them murdered – engaged in destabilizing the countries for regime changes, interfering in their elections, for seven decades now. Have they forgotten what they did in 1996 Russia election and to Russia during 1990’s. And here we are discussing a thirty year old Papadopoulos meeting some obscure professor discussing Russia or whatever; and we are endlessly discussing Hillary- Podesta and DNC emails – who leaked it? How low this country has come down to? Can’t we see it?
It is a shameful spectacle we are witnessing in this Country. One feels feels sick reading and hearing about about this whole trivial nonsense. Yet the whole Political Establishment and Media are drenched in this sewage for over a year now. No words can describe the complete moral collapse of the Country; collapse of integrity of institutions of law and justice – whatever was left of it. There is no honesty, truth or dignity left – in Journalists and others in Media, Politicians, and other high government functionaries.
Dave P, I like and share this big picture view. I do value sites like this (and quality of comment like this) to show it up. The hollowness of the mainstream shell game is being seen by more and more people. The good news is that if we see that the shell game is a losing game we’re outside of it. Those “outsiders” are free, if the can grasp hold of it.
Judy Woodruff is among the worst offenders. I can’t stand to watch/listen to her anymore.
Is it true that she is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations ? I read that somewhere.
irina –
I hope that you and yours are well.
Yes, the Queen of the Propaganda Broadcasting System has been a past member of the CFR, as have so many others. The CFR has this curious habit of rotating people on and off their membership list, possibly in a lame attempt to confuse folks and provide some kind of “plausible deniability”. Maybe they just don’t want to have all their members listed at once, as that would be way too obvious to even the least discerning.
A quick check of Wikipedia shows that they list her as a present member of the CFR, so I guess she’s not too concerned about the association anymore.
She is really good at her job disseminating propaganda, one of the best in fact. I can understand why you have a hard time watching/listening to her.
The psychology of propaganda is truly insidious.
The American people are the most propagandized and brain-washed people on earth. No other country even comes close, but folks are waking up.
The best thing we can all do is just to talk to people about all of this, ask questions and get folks thinking.
In truth and for justice,
John W. Wright
Very interesting comments brother john. Propaganda Broadcasting System – right on the mark.
Last November, right after Trump’s election victory Judy Woodruff was so worried that peace with Russia is going to break out any moment after Trump’s inauguration that she almost had tears everyday during the Newshour presentation. One day, she had Chuck Hadley (head of NSC during G.W. Bush) and Madam Albright on the show. She talked to them about the awful villain Putin and the danger of President Trump making peace with Russia. The pair talked with Judy Woodruff about the video show presentation they had put together to be shown to the Congressmen and Senators to prepare them to fight against Trump’s intention to make peace with Russia. She had stream of these Experts on the show for months in the fight against making peace with Russia. After Trump was completely neutered, Judy Woodruff had her peace of mind somewhat restored.
Did you happen to see the Judy Woodruff interview of Jill Stein? Here is an unedited version of Jill’s response to Woodruff’s final question.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvqdl_CGCGk
brother john has it right- Propaganda Broadcasting System.
We are beginning to see the disgust for the people running the US government by many citizens like yourself. Can “we” salvage enough to keep “our” country whole; or, does this have to be an end but with a new beginning. Maybe a court of law prosecuting the entire bunch, Democrats and Republicans, for crimes against humanity, aka war crimes, and crimes against its citizenry, aka embezzlement, can save “us.” The other two branches have certainly failed”us.”
Robert, you have done so much excellent reporting. And you are of course right to be skeptical — and you raise good questions. But man, doubt should be a screen not a hammer. You write like a defense attorney rather than pursuer of the truth.
Might the Russia/Trump case be overstated? Yes. But it is getting harder and harder to dismiss it.
with respect,
It wasn’t hard for any truthful person to refute the shabby russiagate lies. Why at you having a problem doing that Michael?
This gets dirtier and dirtier everyday.
As an attorney, I can tell you that eyewitness testimony is the worst testimony you can have, for various reasons:
1. People often mistake what they see (Watch 12 Angry Men from 1959, this is a good example)
2. People lie for their own self interests
Without corroborating evidence, in the form of either circumstantial or direct, it is hard to believe what is being put out.
But it is important to note that all good critical thinking requires an openness to new evidence.
This being said, flipping the young aide is not enough.
Critical thinking is in short supply these days. I just dropped a class (supposedly) on Circumpolar Social Issues,
because the professor told me that ‘the class was geared to young adults’ and she did not expect them to engage
in critical thinking, what she was actually looking for was ‘condensed regurgitation of the text’. (She used those
exact words, which I had used previously to call her out on her abysmally awful exam). Yikes ! I had no idea there
was an age requirement for critical thinking ! (I found my young kids to be quite good at it, and kept them out of
school so they wouldn’t lose that capacity.)
When people end up in social media bubbles, they are engaging with a ‘mirror-feedback effect’, which disallows
the openness to new evidence required for critical thinking. What we used to call a Catch-22 of sorts . . .
Danny Weil –
Yes. We watched 12 Angry Men starring Henry Fonda just two weeks ago. Both, one and two of your comments, very true and relevant in this case.
We performed that play in high school in about 1970 (the 12 Angry Women version, as there were lots more
females than males interested in being in it). With simple staging, we were able to take it to other area high
schools for performance. Would be a good play to resurrect ! (With a name change to 12 Angry Citizens).
Excellent article.
Once again. Trump voluntarily jumps into the hot seat by trying to discredit or dismiss the importance of someone who worked for him. This tactic may appeal to his committed supporters but only sets himself up since his claims and statements about the irrelevance of Papadopolous can be disproved. What he should be after is the truth about the emails
It is amazing how often people get charged with lying by being made to believe that not doing so would get them in trouble. The thing they lie about is very often not his crime but the lying. , .
Where are Podesta brothers? http://theduran.com/category/latest/ They both are extremely relevant and, unlike the petty story on the hapless chap Papadopolous, Podesta brothers’ involvement into lobbying for Russia and Ukraine is well documented. The involvement had been substantial.
Also, why no news about Awan-Wasserman affai, the greatest breach in national cybersecurity ever?
Where is Mueller on the death of Seth Rich? The Dems have never provided any reward for finding the murderers of Seth (Assange did), but the Dems found money & legal help to protect Awan & Debbie Wasseman. As you wrote, “once again,” the deciders are on a side of murderers, perverts, and thieves (see Clinton foundation and the $6 trillion “lost” by the Pentagon).
What we see currently in DC is an attack of the Dulles’ CIA against whatever has left of a rule of law in this country.
he RussiaGate is a dangerous play (not even a game) by the spoiled and incompetent “deciders” who found Trump unpalatable.
Russia Collusion is TREASON…
Pull your head out
These Republicans are up to their XXX in it
AGALAROV FAMILY JULIAN ASSANGE RINAT AKHMETSHIN STEVE BANNON CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA SAM CLOVIS MICHAEL COHEN JAMES COMEY OLEG DERIPASKA MICHAEL FLYNN RICK GATES J.D. GORDON MERCER FAMILY SERGEY KISLYAK JARED KUSHNER COREY LEWANDOWSKI SERGEI MAGNITSKY PAUL MANAFORT DON MCGAHN DEVIN NUNES CARTER PAGE GEORGE PAPADOPOULOS BRAD PARSCALE MIKE PENCE PREVEZON HOLDINGS REINCE PRIEBUS ROD ROSENSTEIN DANA ROHRABACHER DMITRY RYBOLOVLEV SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS FELIX SATER JEFF SESSIONS CHRISTOPHER STEELE ROGER STONE DONALD TRUMP JR. RUSSIAN BANK VEB NATALIA VESELNITSKAYA
Herman If the Clinton Campaign and the DNC can claim that they have no memory of how the Fusion GPS opposition research was funded, for millions of dollars, then why isn’t it just as plausible that Trump had little or no contact or interaction with a low level staffer like Papadopoulos? Last week we heard that it does not matter who funded Fusion GPS because it is normal for campaigns to do opposition research even if it was from Russia. Yet, when Trump Jr. took a meeting to do the same, it was labeled Treason. I imagine these idiosyncrasies don’t phase the average liberal MSM consumer, but they are a problem for Trump supporters and a good reason why they voted him into the White House.
I agree with you, it’s just that I think Trump is wrong in attacking members of his staff or cabinet. Let someone else do that. Discrediting people has worked but with Trump the immediate response is focus on him and it doesn’t help by attacking your own. No, I believe the whole Ruusiagate brouhaha is a sham, and if Russia did meddle in our politics, it is hypocritical of us who are far worse. I think the article I read recently by Stephen Cohen that we have meddled in over a hundred countries and continue to do so while appearing shocked that someone would do that to us, in the event that is what happened.
Herman,…
“It is amazing how often people get charged with lying by being made to believe that not doing so would get them in trouble. The thing they lie about is very often not his crime but the lying. “,,,very true, Bill Clinton’s meaning of the word “is” comes to mind. As far as the source of “Russian hacking” is concerned it appears that it may come down to academic gossip.
Embracing criminality to minute details: http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=20340
“Despite calls for unity from DNC Chair Tom Perez, his DNC appointments heavily favored lobbyists and Clinton supporters. No Sanders supporter was appointed to the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee… In October 2016, Wikileaks released emails that revealed Donna Brazile tipped off the Clinton Campaign to debate questions and forwarded a plan she obtained from the Bernie Sanders campaign to the Clinton Campaign. CNN fired Brazile after the revelation, but the DNC has continued employing Brazile as a consultant.”
You see, DNC continues employing Brazile as a consultant in crime.
Donna Brazile tells all? Or continues the subterfuge. The DNC still refuses to let the FBI examine the allegedly hacked hard drives. Perhaps they contain an invoice from Fusion sent to John podesta.
https://www.amazon.com/Hacks-Inside-Break-ins-Breakdowns-Donald/dp/0316478512
To take your attention away from the small fish: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-10-31/pat-buchanan-exposes-other-plot-bring-down-trump
Enjoy:
“The narrative begins in October 2015.
Then it was that the Washington Free Beacon, a neocon website, engaged a firm of researchers called Fusion GPS to do deep dirt-diving into Trump’s personal and professional life — and take him out. A spinoff of Bill Kristol’s The Weekly Standard, the Beacon is run by his son-in-law. And its Daddy Warbucks is the GOP oligarch and hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer.
From October 2015 to May 2016, Fusion GPS dug up dirt for the neocons and never-Trumpers. By May, however, Trump had routed all rivals and was the certain Republican nominee. So the Beacon bailed, and Fusion GPS found two new cash cows to finance its dirt-diving — the DNC and the Clinton campaign. To keep the sordid business at arm’s length, both engaged the party’s law firm of Perkins Coie. Paid $12.4 million by the DNC and Clinton campaign, Perkins used part of this cash hoard to pay Fusion GPS.
Here is where it begins to get interesting.
In June 2016, Fusion GPS engaged a British spy, Christopher Steele, who had headed up the Russia desk at MI6, to ferret out any connections between Trump and Russia. Steele began contacting old acquaintances in the FSB, the Russian intelligence service. And the Russians began to feed him astonishing dirt on Trump that could, if substantiated, kill his candidacy. Among the allegations was that Trump had consorted with prostitutes at a Moscow hotel, that the Kremlin was blackmailing him, that there was provable collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
In memos from June to October 2016, Steele passed this on to Fusion GPS, which passed it on to major U.S. newspapers. But as the press was unable to verify it, they declined to publish it. Steele’s final product, a 35-page dossier, has been described as full of “unsubstantiated and salacious allegations.” Steele’s research, however, had also made its way to James Comey’s FBI, which was apparently so taken with it that the bureau considered paying Steele to continue his work.
About this “astonishing” development, columnist Byron York of the Washington Examiner quotes Sen. Chuck Grassley:
“The idea that the FBI and associates of the Clinton campaign would pay Mr. Steele to investigate the Republican nominee for president in the run-up to the election raises … questions about the FBI’s independence from politics, as well as the Obama administration’s use of law enforcement and intelligence agencies for political ends.” The questions begin to pile up.
What was the FBI’s relationship with the British spy who was so wired into Russian intelligence?
Did the FBI use the information Steele dug up to expand its own investigation of Russia-Trump “collusion”? Did the FBI pass what Steele unearthed to the White House and the National Security Council?
Did the Obama administration use the information from the Steele dossier to justify unmasking the names of Trump officials that had been picked up on legitimate electronic intercepts?
In testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Clinton campaign chair John Podesta and DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz claimed they did not know that Perkins Coie had enlisted Fusion GPS or the British spy to dig up dirt on Trump. Yet, when Podesta testified, the lawyer sitting beside him in the committee room was Marc Elias of Perkins Coie, who had engaged Fusion GPS and received the fruits of Steele’s undercover work.”
One more time: “Clinton campaign chair John Podesta and DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz claimed they did not know that Perkins Coie had enlisted Fusion GPS or the British spy to dig up dirt on Trump. Yet, when Podesta testified, the lawyer sitting beside him in the committee room was Marc Elias of Perkins Coie, who had engaged Fusion GPS and received the fruits of Steele’s undercover work.”
Is not this look much more compromising than an alleged involvement something the clueless Papadopolous?
Podesta brothers and H. Clinton are criminals; there are mounds of evidence — not “alleged” and “perhaps” and “with high degree of confidence” — but the hard evidence of their criminal activities.
Anna – Excellent comments. Very accurate conclusions.
Anna,…all your points are well taken,,,nice job of connecting the dots!
Anna you write it better than most reporters do, and yes it is amazing to how these allegations in the Russia-Gate affair trumps the hard evidence found in the Hillary and Bill pay for play kick back collusion with the Russians. Although, if you keep the channel dial on CNN or MSNBC you may be put under the spell that Trump is a traitor, and guilty as charged of treason in the court of public opinion which holds court on the 45th president nightly if you care to watch. On the other hand if you watch FOX you will certainly start screaming ‘lock her up’. I personally find Hillary and Bill guilty of bribery in regard to their Uranium One dealings, and I find her security breach inexcusable for what she did with her private computer servers. I also can’t get over how Crowd Strike took preference over the FBI to examine Hillary’s bleached hard drives in her illegally used computers. Then we have the Trump people looking like a celebrity autograph hound standing at the wrong stage door exit waiting to get their play program signed, only to miss their favorite celebrity, because of course they were waiting at the wrong door. In fact the more that comes out about how Trump’s people tried to get something on Hillary from the Russians, the more foolish they look for even trying.
There are no good players in any of this. I don’t even think this quarrel has anything to do with the average American. This is a fight going on inside of a declining American government. The Empire is collapsing all around these greedy fools who call themselves leaders, and when the dollar does become just another piece of worthless paper, it won’t be the fault of anyone other than the current leaders who now run the USofA.
Yes, the goods are in and you called it like it is; our government is, and has been, corrupt over many many Presidential Administrations and Congresses. The UNITED STATES is a failed experiment in democracy and we have but ourselves to blame. A citizenry who takes no interest or responsibility for Tha actions of its government deserves to die. The funeral is not far off if anyone is remaining to attend, and this time learn from history. In the meantime let’s put all these people in jail; starting with the Clinton’s.
Skip if we the people do ever get a chance to ‘lock her up’ or to ‘impeach him now’, as then we would be able to rehab our political system, then we should identify to just exactly what went wrong with our old/current system of governance we have now, and go from there.
If I were to choose but one word for what brought the mighty U.S. Government down I would probably say that word is ‘money’. Not taxpayer money for funding these god awful wars, but money as in lobbyist and bribes.
Of course there are other reason, and words that you may use to describe America’s decline. Like how about ‘gerrymandering’, or ‘nobid contract awards’, as nothing displays favoritism any better than those two descriptions of political malarkey.
Add to this post any word or phrase you like, and more than likely each new word will be as relevant as the next to the cause of America’s great decline. The sadder part about all of this, is that this all could have been way different, if back after WWII the U.S. would have picked a different path to follow. With all that America had to offer the world, why America could have been the greatest nation ever on this planet called earth without ever even firing a shot, if we had choose instead of war we had chosen soft diplomacy, and meant well while approaching the world with detente.
And Skip you are right, the double standards need to end right now, and accountability must be observed as a single duty to be observed by all. Joe
Good remarks, Skip and Joe; I agree.
are you Russian?
Also and most importantly he should be after what was in those emails which describe criminal acts, collusion, coercion and overall corruption in DNC for which many heads already rolled after they were politically guillotined.
Selective search for truth is a search for lies.
“Selective search for truth is a search for lies”.,…yes, Kalen, prevarication seems to be part of the investigation process!
If we had a trusted Media whistle blowers would not need to go to wiki leaks to get their stories out would they ? So Wiki leaks is hated by the government for leaking important information .