#Iran and Saudi Arabia are now in an alliance which is ALL BAD for the U.S and weakening more and more

[emolatinaa]

Spiralingggg today

[dandelionh3art]

There is a growing awareness among many that the narratives we are exposed to, particularly in Western media, often reflect geopolitical agendas rather than objective truth. This isn’t to say everything is propaganda, but the way information is framed, prioritized, or omitted can shape perceptions significantly. Here's a closer look:

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1. Media Framing and Bias

Selective Focus:

Media outlets often highlight issues in countries that are seen as adversaries to Western powers (e.g., Syria, Iran, Russia) while downplaying or ignoring abuses by Western allies (e.g., Saudi Arabia, Israel).

Simplified Narratives:

Complex conflicts are reduced to good versus evil stories, ignoring historical, cultural, and regional dynamics. For example, labeling all opposition groups as "freedom fighters" or all government forces as "oppressors" simplifies nuanced realities.

Corporate and Government Interests:

Many Western media outlets are influenced by corporate or political stakeholders who align with specific foreign policy goals, shaping how stories are reported.

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2. Historical Examples of Misleading Narratives

Iraq War (2003):

The invasion was justified with claims of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and links to terrorism, both of which were later proven false. This led to massive destruction and loss of life but remains a cautionary tale about the power of media narratives.

Libya (2011):

The intervention was framed as a humanitarian mission to stop Muammar Gaddafi’s regime. However, Libya’s descent into chaos and ongoing civil war is rarely discussed in Western media.

Palestine:

Coverage often lacks balance, with a focus on Israel's security while minimizing the lived realities of Palestinians under occupation.

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3. "Bad Guys" and Geopolitical Interests

Many so-called "bad guys" are leaders or nations resisting Western influence or pursuing independent paths:

Syria: Assad is demonized, but his alliances with Russia and Iran challenge U.S. hegemony in the Middle East.

Russia: Frequently framed as a global aggressor, but its actions are often responses to NATO’s eastward expansion.

China: Criticized for authoritarian practices, but its rise as a global power threatens Western economic dominance.

This isn’t to excuse genuine human rights violations or aggression but to recognize the double standards at play.

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4. Why Narratives Are Constructed

Control and Influence:

Shaping public opinion justifies interventions or sanctions. For instance, by painting a country as a threat, governments can rally support for military or economic actions.

Economic Interests:

Wars and sanctions often benefit industries like defense and energy while protecting Western corporate interests.

Cultural Superiority:

Western media sometimes perpetuates the notion that Western democracies are morally superior, downplaying their own historical and ongoing injustices.

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5. A Balanced Perspective

Seek Multiple Sources:

Exploring non-Western media (e.g., Al Jazeera, RT, CGTN) or independent journalism can provide alternative viewpoints.

Question Motivations:

Ask who benefits from certain narratives. For example, does demonizing a country pave the way for resource control, regime change, or military intervention?

Empathize with the People:

Governments are often not the same as the people. Understanding the perspectives of those living in these countries adds depth to the narrative.

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6. Growing Awareness

Many are now questioning long-held narratives, fueled by access to diverse information sources online. This awareness doesn’t mean rejecting all Western media outright but approaching it critically and with an understanding of its limitations.

[newstfionline]

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

Covidization (Worldcrunch) COVID-19 is killing people even without the virus. Spain’s Lung Cancer Group, a research body, believes lung cancer will have killed 1,300 people more in the country in 2020 than predictive models had anticipated before the pandemic struck. Between January and April this year, lockdowns and diverted healthcare resources meant 30% fewer initial oncology consultations than during those months in 2019. This is just one of the many pathologies with significantly worse data for what many are calling a “covidization” of healthcare. Covidization is a term coined by Madhukar Pai, a tuberculosis researcher at Montreal’s McGill University to describe the pandemic’s distorting effect on resource allocation, prioritization and media attention in fighting other pathologies. Data appear to have confirmed his opinion. Since April this year, the European Commission has devoted 137 million euros to research on the coronavirus, or twice all the monies spent in 2018 on tuberculosis, malaria and AIDS.

Travel in the COVID-era (Foreign Policy) In a signal of what travel in a pandemic world will look like, a group of U.S. airlines have called on the United States to drop travel restrictions banning citizens from Europe and elsewhere in favor of a pre-flight negative coronavirus test requirement. The airlines have backed a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) proposal to create a global program for testing travelers prior to entering U.S. borders. Vice President Mike Pence, the head of the White House coronavirus task force, is due to discuss the proposal during a meeting today.

Golf is not essential travel (AP) The speculation began with curious activity by U.S. military aircraft reported circling President Trump's Turnberry golf resort in western Scotland in November. Then the Sunday Post in Scotland reported that Glasgow Prestwick Airport “has been told to expect the arrival of a US military Boeing 757 aircraft, that is occasionally used by Trump, on January 19.” Could the American president, on his last full day in office, wing his way to his ancestral Scotland to hit the links at his shuttered resort, possibly missing the inauguration? On Tuesday, the leader of Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, was asked if Trump was headed her way, and what might be her message to him? At her daily news briefing, Sturgeon said, “I have no idea what Donald Trump’s travel plans are, you’ll be glad to know. … But “We are not allowing people to come into Scotland now without an essential purpose, which would apply to him, just as it applies to everybody else. Coming to play golf is not what I would consider an essential purpose.” The White House said that the reports of a Trump trip to Turnberry were “not accurate. President Trump has no plans to travel to Scotland.”

Divided U.S., Not Covid, Is the Biggest Risk to World in 2021, Survey Finds (Bloomberg) With the global economy still in the teeth of the Covid-19 crisis, the Eurasia group sees a divided U.S. as a key risk this year for a world lacking leadership. “In decades past, the world would look to the U.S. to restore predictability in times of crisis. But the world’s preeminent superpower faces big challenges of its own,” said Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer and Chairman Cliff Kupchan in a report on the top risks for 2021. Starting with the difficulties facing the Biden Administration in a divided U.S, the report flags 10 geopolitical, climate and individual country risks that could derail the global economic recovery. An extended Covid-19 impact and K-shaped recoveries in both developed and emerging economies is the second biggest risk factor cited in the report. Biden will have difficulty gaining new confidence in U.S. global leadership as he struggles to manage domestic crises, the report said. With a large segment of the U.S. casting doubt over his legitimacy, the political effectiveness and longevity of his “asterisk presidency,” the future of the Republican Party, and the very legitimacy of the U.S. political model are all in question, it added. “A superpower torn down the middle cannot return to business as usual. And when the most powerful country is so divided, everybody has a problem,” said Bremmer and Kupchan.

Venezuela’s socialists take control of once-defiant congress (AP) Nicolás Maduro was set to extend his grip on power Tuesday as the ruling socialist party prepared to assume the leadership of Venezuela’s congress, the last institution in the country it didn’t already control. Maduro’s allies swept legislative elections last month boycotted by the opposition and denounced as a sham by the U.S., the European Union and several other foreign governments. While the vote was marred by anemically low turnout, it nonetheless seemed to relegate into irrelevancy the U.S.-backed opposition led by 37-year-old lawmaker Juan Guaidó. The opposition’s political fortunes have tanked as Venezuelans own hopes for change have collapsed. Recent opinion polls show support for Guaidó having fallen by more than half since he first rose to challenge Maduro two years ago. Meanwhile, Maduro has managed to retain a solid grip on power and the military, the traditional arbiter of political disputes.

Few reforms would benefit Japan as much as digitising government (Economist) It is a ritual almost as frequent and as fleeting as observing the cherry blossoms each year. A new Japanese government pledges to move more public services online. Almost as soon as the promise is made, it falls to the ground like a sad pink petal. In 2001 the government announced it would digitise all its procedures by 2003—yet almost 20 years later, just 7.5% of all administrative procedures can be completed online. Only 7.3% of Japanese applied for any sort of government service online, well behind not only South Korea and Iceland, but also Mexico and Slovakia. Japan is an e-government failure. That is a great pity, and not just for hapless Japanese citizens wandering from window to window in bewildering government offices. Japan’s population is shrinking and ageing. With its workforce atrophying, Japan relies even more than other economies on gains in productivity to maintain prosperity. The Daiwa Institute of Research, a think-tank in Tokyo, reckons that putting government online could permanently boost gdp per person by 1%. The lapse is all the more remarkable given Japan’s wealth and technological sophistication. Indeed, that seems to be part of the problem. Over the years big local technology firms have vied for plum contracts to develop it systems for different, fiercely autonomous, government departments. Most ended up designing custom software for each job. The result is a profusion of incompatible systems.

An ‘orchard of bad apples’ weighs on new Afghan peace talks (AP) Afghan negotiators are to resume talks with the Taliban on Tuesday aimed at finding an end to decades of relentless conflict even as hopes wane and frustration and fear grow over a spike in violence across Afghanistan that has combatants on both sides blaming the other. Torek Farhadi, a former Afghan government advisor, said the government and the Taliban are “two warring minorities,” with the Afghan people caught in between—“one says they represent the republic, the other says we want to end foreign occupation and corruption. But the war is (only) about power.” The stop-and-go talks come amid growing doubt over a U.S.-Taliban peace deal brokered by outgoing President Donald Trump. An accelerated withdrawal of U.S. troops ordered by Trump means just 2,500 American soldiers will still be in Afghanistan when President-elect Joe Biden takes office this month. The Taliban have grown in strength since their ouster in 2001 and today control or hold sway over half the country. But a consensus has emerged that a military victory is impossible for either side.

Iraq, Struggling to Pay Debts and Salaries, Plunges Into Economic Crisis (NYT) Economists say Iraq is facing its biggest financial threat since Saddam Hussein’s time. Iraq is running out of money to pay its bills. That has created a financial crisis with the potential to destabilize the government—which was ousted a year ago after mass protests over corruption and unemployment—touch off fighting among armed groups, and empower Iraq’s neighbor and longtime rival, Iran. With its economy hammered by the pandemic and plunging oil and gas prices, which account for 90 percent of government revenue, Iraq was unable to pay government workers for months at a time last year. Last month, Iraq devalued its currency, the dinar, for the first time in decades, immediately raising prices on almost everything in a country that relies heavily on imports. And last week, Iran cut Iraq’s supply of electricity and natural gas, citing nonpayment, leaving large parts of the country in the dark for hours a day. “I think it’s dire,” said Ahmed Tabaqchali, an investment banker and senior fellow at the Iraq-based Institute of Regional and International Studies. “Expenditures are way above Iraq’s income.” Many Iraqis fear that despite Iraqi government denials there will be more devaluations to come.

Qatar ruler lands in Saudi Arabia for summit to end blockade (AP) Qatar’s ruling emir arrived in Saudi Arabia and was greeted with an embrace by the kingdom’s crown prince on Tuesday, following an announcement that the kingdom would end its yearslong embargo on the tiny Gulf Arab state. The decision to open borders was the first major step toward ending the diplomatic crisis that has deeply divided U.S. defense partners, frayed societal ties and torn apart a traditionally clubby alliance of Arab states. The diplomatic breakthrough comes after a final push by the outgoing Trump administration and fellow Gulf state Kuwait to mediate an end to the crisis. The timing was auspicious: Saudi Arabia may be seeking to both grant the Trump administration a final diplomatic win and remove stumbling blocs to building warm ties with the Biden administration, which is expected to take a firmer stance toward the kingdom. Qatar’s only land border has been mostly closed since June mid-2017, when Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain launched a boycott of the small but influential Persian Gulf country. The Saudi border, which Qatar relied on for the import of dairy products, construction materials and other goods, opened briefly during the past three years to allow Qataris into Saudi Arabia to perform the Islamic hajj pilgrimage. It was unclear what concessions Qatar had made regarding a shift in its policies. While the Saudi decision to end the embargo marks a milestone toward resolving the spat, the path toward full reconciliation is far from guaranteed.

[longwindedbore]

Before we rush into another war because a POTUS *says* they have a double secret intelligence report more accurate than everyone else- like the one in 2004 on Saddam’s WMDs. Or like...

Part 2 of “More Generals Died at Baghdad Airport Last Week than at the Pentagon on 9/11/01”

Once we “Remember 9/11” like we “Remember the Maine” or “Remember the Alamo”, we as a a National Culture are conditioned to rally ‘round the flag and Ask-No-Questions. Questions like..

Why did the terrorist pilot of Plane #3 deliberately chose the least damaging way to strike the Pentagon? The method guaranteed to kill the least number of victims? Unless he had been instructed to do so?

It’s difficult to conceive that any terrorist or mastermind with more than five minutes explosive experience would have chosen to hit an outside wall of the Pentagon.

As would be predictable, plane #3 exploded dissipating most of its energy * away * from the building. As evidenced by the engine and other parts strewn on the lawn outside the building. As graphically depicted below.

Had the pilot instead flown over the roof hitting any inside wall of the Courtyard the resulting explosion away from the point of impact would have reverberated against all the walls. At the least sending window glass flying through offices. Bigwigs have window offices. Spewing fuel and starting fires.

Further, why not choose a side of the building that is a target rich environment when such digrams are readily available?

Beyond Plane #3 having had the statistically ridiculous bad *luck* of targeting exactly the one section of the Pentagon that was devoid of military personnel.

Plus *inadvertently* targeting and wiping out the one group the terrorists should have preferred to have been helping - those pesky civilian accountants investigating $2.7 Trillion in fraud by Major Weapons Suppliers. Some of those Weapons Manufacturers might have been closed down; the Predatory CEOs imprisoned. Too bad the evidence was all incinerated.

Plus plus the incredible almost unbelievable bad luck that those accountants had only just been moved into the largely empty outer ring section that took a basically imbecilic hit.

Sort of the same amazing coincidences as at the Twin Towers. Beginning with “Why the Twin Towers?”

Most of us in 2001, indeed most of the World, had never heard of ‘the World Trade Center’. Certainly would not equate it with important USA cultural institutions. The towers were considered eyesores by New Yorkers.

Much like striking the outside wall of the Pentagon, hitting the Twin Towers had * zero* affect on the US to do business or wage war. Dropping a plane on the Federal Reserve or the Stock Exchange would have been economically crippling.

To accomplish a hit on the Fed or WallStreet the plane would only have to come in low and slower like Plane #3 had to do to hit low on the outside wall.

Instead plane #1 hits just under Cantor Fitzgerald stock brokerage trapping all its employees. Hitting unnecessarily low as it turns out because plane #2 hits higher up. Coincidentally plane #2 wiping out the commercial banking floors.

The double secret intelligence (alleged but never produced) report that Bush (?) or Cheney (?) * depended * on indicated Bin Laden, Al Qaeda, Afghanistan were responsible.

Because of that never produced report we invaded Afghanistan. Despite in 2001 neither Bin Laden, Al Qaeda, the Taliban acknowledging they were responsible.

Odd since Bin Laden and Al Qaeda acknowledged immediately the bombings of the US embassies in Africa in 1998 and on the US Cole. But is silent on 9/11?

Since no entity had come forward to claim responsibility, had Bush not declared Afghanistan the culprit, the Bush Administration would have been * forced * to investigate suspicious stock trading before 9/11/01. Since none of those trading had any connection to Bin Laden, Al Qaeda or Afghanistan, the investigation was cut short.

Amazing, simply amazing, * coincidence * of the sudden massive shorting of stock options for the airlines and firms with offices in the Twin Towers. The destruction of the financial records in both Towers while killing potential witnesses.

Or the coincidence of massive surge in stocks for weapons manufacturers just before 9/11. Even more curious after Bush had earlier in 2001declared that the US was cutting armed forces particularly overseas.

Sort of like the Bush/Cheney Administration taking the * curious * step of deputizing as “special agents” anyone and everyone in US Financial institutions who might have any knowledge of these pre-9/11 trades. Alas, as “special agents” whether they wanted to be or not, they can never divulge one word of what they might know. To speak would result in Federal Prosecution like they were Chelsea Manning or Julian Assange.

Sort of like the Bush (?) Cheney (?) decision to redact the FBI’s 28 pages of the 9/11 Commission report that indicted Saudi Arabiaasthe recruiter and helper of the terrorists.

Saudi Arabia. Homeland of most of the Terrorists. Close Friends to the Bush family, to Cheney. Enemies of Bin Laden. Now friends with the Trump family. N

We the People have been led into almost every war by false flag incidents, exaggerations, to deal with puppet that cut its strings, or a re-election. Always for land, natural resources, war profiteering, oil.

Just maybe it’s time to stop?

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1755 - land, false flag attack

1801 - war profiteering, exaggeration Slogan: “ Millions for War, not one penny for tribute” (while the US budget was 25% for tribute)

1812 - war profiteering and land

1836 - protect property (slaves) Slogan: “remember the Alamo”

1848 - land, false flag attack

1852 - access to markets & oil (whale), exaggeration (settles without loss of life;

1861 - protect property (slaves), false flag attack (fire on fort whose guns can only be aimed out to sea) Slogan: “Remember Fort Sumter”.

1898 - property, either false flag attack or exaggeration Slogan: “Remember the Maine”

1917 - war profiteering, exaggeration (Zimmerman Telegram). Slogan “Remember the Lusitania” (forget that it blew up 2 years earlier)

1919 - war profiteering (aborted)

Sept. 1941 - false flag (failed)

Dec. 1941 - war profiteering, oil & land grab - USA reinforces Pacific Fleet by moving home fleet to Pearl Harbor mid-pacific refueling station. Threatens to cut off oil to Japan if the Japanese doesn’t stop trying to seize China and instead joins the Axis to attack anti-capitalist Russia. Continue to sell military supplies to Japan for Russian invasion. While EVERY other country is at war, USA intended to use its reinforced Pacific fleet based in the Philippines to at least economically dominate if not seize rubber rich IndoChina and oil rich Indonesia. (like we also took the Virgin Islands Greenland and Iceland before the war) . However, Japan elects to not go to war with USSR. Decides to sink US Pacific Fleet and home Fleets. Elects to seize the IndoChina rubber and Indonesian oil fields. Japan wins battle of Java sea against alliance including US ships. US Ships which had left the Phillipines immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Leaving US forces at Bataan stranded without an escape by sea.

1963- (1919 part 2). US places nuclear ballistic missles in Turkey able to launch surprise knockout into USSR stategic resources.m. After which USSR places nuclear ballistic missles in Cuba able to hit surprise knockout into Miami and future Disneyworld swamp land. Two nuclear powers plot global “warming”. Slogan “90 miles from our coast!” (A thousand from any target)

1964- war profiteering, false flag attack, seize IndoChina part 2 (or 3). Slogan: “Domino principal”

1984 - re-election Slogan: “Grenada?”

1989 - puppet cut its strings Slogan: “Noriega is collecting Hitler memorabilia!”

1990 - puppet cuts its strings. Oil. Slogan: “Saddam is collecting Hitler memorabilia!”

2001 - war profiteering, (as yet unproven) false flag attack. Slogan: “Remember 9/11”.

2004 - war profiteering, oil, exaggeration. Slogan “Remember 9/11!”

2019 - oil. false flag attacks on oil tankers in gulf by the Kaiser, no...SPECTRE...no wait...Iran.

2020 - re-election, oil. Is it a false flag if we provoke violent retaliation for the assasination of master terrorist general no one in US ever heard of but was responsible for killing US troops in massacres we did not know happened?

[berniesrevolution]

IN THESE TIMES

The threat of a U.S. attack on Iran is all too real. Led by John Bolton, the Trump administration is spinning tales of Iranian misdeeds. It is easy to concoct pretexts for aggression. History provides many examples.

The assault against Iran is one element of the international program of flaunting overwhelming U.S. power to put an end to “successful defiance” of the master of the globe: the primary reason for the U.S. torture of Cuba for 60 years.

The reasoning would easily be understood by any Mafia Don. Successful defiance can inspire others to pursue the same course. The “virus” can “spread contagion,” as Kissinger put it when laboring to overthrow Salvador Allende in Chile. The need to destroy such viruses and inoculate victims against contagion—commonly by imposing harsh dictatorships—is a leading principle of world affairs.

Iran has been guilty of the crime of successful defiance since the 1979 uprising that deposed the tyrant the U.S. had installed in the 1953 coup that, with help from the British, destroyed the parliamentary system and restored ­obedience. The achievement was welcomed by liberal opinion. As the New York Times explained in 1954, thanks to the subsequent agreement between Iran and foreign oil companies, “Underdeveloped countries with rich resources now have an object lesson in the heavy cost that must be paid by one of their number which goes berserk with fanatical nationalism.” The article goes on to state, “It is perhaps too much to hope that Iran’s experience will prevent the rise of Mossadeghs in other countries, but that experience may at least strengthen the hands of more reasonable and more far-seeing leaders.”

Little has changed since. To take another more recent example, Hugo Chávez changed from tolerated bad boy to dangerous criminal when he encouraged OPEC to raise oil prices for the benefit of the global south, the wrong people. Soon after, his government was overthrown by a military coup, welcomed by the leading voice of liberal journalism. The Times editors exulted that “Venezuelan democracy is no longer threatened by a would-be dictator,” the “ruinous demagogue” Hugo Chávez, “after the military intervened and handed power to a respected business leader, Pedro Carmona”—who quickly dissolved the National Assembly, suspended the constitution and disbanded the Supreme Court, but, unfortunately, was overthrown within days by a popular uprising, compelling Washington to resort to other means to kill the virus.

The quest for dominance

Once Iranian “successful defiance” was terminated, and the “clear-eyed” Shah was safely installed in power, Iran became a pillar of U.S. control of the Middle East, along with Saudi Arabia and post-1967 Israel, which was closely allied with the Shah’s Iran, though not formally. Israel also had shared interests with Saudi Arabia, a relationship now becoming more overt as the Trump administration oversees an alliance of reactionary Middle East states as a base for U.S. power in the region.

Control of the strategically significant Middle East, with its huge and easily accessible oil reserves, has been a centerpiece of policy since the U.S. gained the position of global hegemon after World War II. The reasons are not obscure. The State Department recognized that Saudi Arabia is “a stupendous source of strategic power” and “one of the greatest material prizes in world history.” Eisenhower described it as the most “strategically important part of the world.” That control of Middle East oil yields “substantial control of the world” and “critical leverage” over industrial rivals has been understood by influential statesmen from Roosevelt adviser A. A. Berle to Zbigniew Brzezinski.

These principles hold quite independently of U.S. access to the region’s resources, which, in fact, has not been of primary concern. Through much of this period the U.S. was a major producer of fossil fuels, as it is again today. But the principles remain the same, and are reinforced by other factors, among them the insatiable demand of the oil dictatorships for military equipment and the Saudi agreement to support the dollar as global currency, affording the U.S. major advantages.

Middle East correspondent Tom Stevenson does not exaggerate when he writes that, “The U.S.’s inherited mastery of the Gulf has given it a degree of leverage over both rivals and allies probably unparalleled in the history of empire… It is difficult to overstate the role of the Gulf in the way the world is currently run.”

It is, then, understandable why successful defiance in the region cannot be tolerated.

After the overthrow of its Iranian client, the U.S. turned to direct support for Saddam’s invasion of Iran, tacitly condoning his use of chemical weapons and finally intervening directly by protecting Iraqi shipping in the Gulf from Iranian interdiction to ensure Iran’s submission. The extent of Reagan’s commitment to his friend Saddam was illustrated graphically when Iraqi missiles struck the USS Stark, killing 37 crew, eliciting a tap on the wrist in response. Only Israel has been able to get away with something like that (USS Liberty, 1967).

When the war ended, under President George H.W. Bush, the Pentagon and Department of Energy invited Iraqi engineers to the U.S. for advanced training in weapons production, an existential threat to Iran. Since then, harsh sanctions and cyber attacks—an act of aggression according to Pentagon doctrine—have been employed to punish the miscreants.

(Continue Reading)

[mariacallous]

A revised nuclear deal with Iran was nearly agreed upon in March and then again in August, but now hardly anyone seems to believe it can be saved at all. Experts describe the status of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as in a coma at best, and perhaps already dead. Despite several rounds of negotiations in Vienna since 2021 and multiple near-breakthroughs, the United States and Iran have failed to revive the pact that was long described by its supporters as critical to maintaining regional security and deterring Iran from making a nuclear bomb. 

“While in a deep coma, the JCPOA isn’t dead—at least none of the parties wants to declare it dead, which would be an admission of foreign-policy failure,” said Mark Fitzpatrick, an associate fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. But others were more pessimistic. “It is hard to imagine that the deal could be restored,” said Ali Vaez, Iran director and senior advisor at the International Crisis Group. It is more hollowed-out than ever before, with “little room to be optimistic” about its revival, added Ellie Geranmayeh, a senior policy fellow and deputy head of the Middle East and North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Farzan Nadimi, an associate fellow with the Washington Institute, said that the deal was basically dead. 

If the JCPOA is indeed dead, what comes next? Iran might already be a nuclear threshold state and could soon produce a nuclear weapon. The region might plunge into an arms race, with a ramping-up of dangerous spy games between Iran and Israel. There might even be a military confrontation, with the United States involved. 

Tehran has previously been accused of deploying its proxies to attack U.S. assets in the region and target U.S. allies. In the absence of continued nuclear negotiations, Tehran could increase the ferocity and frequency of these attacks, say experts on Iranian politics. 

The United States and the European Union, in turn, could impose more sanctions, make more room for Israel’s covert sabotage of Iran’s nuclear plants, and encourage the nascent defense alliance of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel that opposes Iran. The West could even consider direct military intervention. The Biden administration came to power deeply hostile to former President Donald Trump’s policy of “maximum pressure” against Iran, but a similarly adversarial “Plan B” is now being discussed. This Plan B envisages penalties on Chinese entities importing Iranian crude oil, as well as accelerating the delivery to Israel of key defense systems “such as refueling tankers for long-range air strikes” to enable it to potentially hit Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. 

A European diplomat who spoke to Foreign Policy on the condition of anonymity said that he expected Iran to build a nuclear weapon, or at least be ready to quickly build one if efforts to revive the deal come to naught. “In the end, I see (a U.S. military) intervention” to stop Iran from going nuclear, he said from his office in Brussels. Vaez added that if Iran went in that direction, it would leave the United States with two unpalatable choices: “learning to live with an Iranian bomb or bombing Iran.”

It is not widely believed in the U.S. intelligence community that Iran has already decided to build a bomb, says Geranmayeh of the European Council on Foreign Relations. Yet many experts we spoke to said that the possibility rises sharply if the JCPOA officially falls apart. Western capitals were already rattled by the way Iran responded to the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the deal by bringing its uranium enrichment closer to the threshold needed to build a bomb. Few doubt that Iran would reduce its breakout time—the time needed to build a bomb—to mere weeks by increasing enrichment to 90 percent if the deal were not restored. 

“Iran will continue to produce more highly enriched uranium, to operate more advanced centrifuges, and to limit IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) monitoring while keeping to the letter of the safeguards agreement that predates the JCPOA,” Fitzpatrick said. “Its purpose is to both put pressure on the U.S. to force them to lift sanctions and to move Iran closer to being able to produce nuclear weapons.” 

U.S. President Joe Biden has said that the United States is prepared to use force against Iran as a “last resort.” But instead of pursuing another round of maximum pressure or a full-fledged war, some analysts believe he would prefer a more creative diplomatic approach: a policy of containment, in which the West dictates limits to Iran’s actions in the region backed by the threat of limited military force, paired with single-measure negotiations with Tehran. For instance, the International Crisis Group has proposed that in exchange for Iran diluting its existing uranium stockpile enriched at 60 percent, the United States could partially unfreeze Iran’s assets abroad.

But the deep mistrust that has crippled the talks in Vienna will likely cast a similar pall over any future agreements. Experts say the compromises that diplomats have painstakingly pursued to save the JCPOA by satisfying both sides’ concerns have still failed to bring the two sides together. One dispute was over an investigation by the IAEA into Iran’s nuclear activities at three undeclared sites. Iran has called for an end to the investigation and recently offered the IAEA access to the sites, but the agency is also asking for the details of what happened to the uranium found there. “If the uranium in question found its way into stockpiles that are under IAEA safeguards, and this can be verified along with the status of associated equipment, then the issue can be settled, even if the IAEA is never able to get to the bottom of why the undeclared uranium was there in the first place,” Fitzpatrick said.

But neither the experts nor the diplomats FP spoke to believed Iran would ever provide that information as it could incriminate itself. Iran believes the investigation to be an endless hunt based on intelligence passed on to the IAEA by its archenemy, Israel, which has objected to the passage of the deal from its inception. 

The delisting of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp as a foreign terrorist organization was inserted as a demand by Iran earlier this year, even though that is out of the purview of the JCPOA. Media reports in August suggested that Iran had dropped this demand, but the European diplomatic source said Iran was still insistent. 

More recently, any appetite to restart talks with Iran has diminished in Washington and Brussels after drones supplied by Iran to Russia were deployed to devastating effect against civilian targets in Ukraine and after protests inside Iran were met with deadly force by gangs of riot police and plainclothes security forces. The negotiating impasse is also fueled by the way that Iran and the United States have each reassessed their respective leverage in the talks. Iran believes its negotiating power has increased ever since the Ukraine war led to a spike in oil prices, with a desperate West presumably more likely to make concessions to bring Iranian oil back into the world market. The United States, meanwhile, wants to wait to see the effect on the stability of the Iranian regime of the protests triggered by the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for not wearing her hijab properly.

Some analysts argue these massive protests might never have flared up had the JCPOA been revived and benefited Iran’s economy. Even so, Iran’s hard-liner president, Ebrahim Raisi, has indicated that he is in no hurry to get the deal done. “We have managed to neutralize the [U.S.] sanctions in many cases,” he said at the United Nations General Assembly in September. “The maximum pressure policy suffered an embarrassing defeat. We found our path, independent of any agreement, and will continue steadfastly.” Seyed Mohammad Marandi, an advisor to the Iranian negotiating team, tweeted that Iran would be patient. “Winter is approaching and the EU is facing a crippling energy crisis,” he said. 

The United States and its partners, however, insist they have placed their best offer on the table. “The space for negotiations has been exhausted, and the final text, which takes into account all sides, is on the table. The text will not be renegotiated,” Peter Stano, spokesperson for the external affairs of the European Union, told FP. Meanwhile, Iran continues to enrich uranium and avoid IAEA oversight. “Time is not on our side,” he said, “and now is the time to make a political decision.”

[jacobsvoice]

Donald Trump’s Gifts to Israel

The New York Times Jerusalem bureau chief David M. Halbfinger seems startled by the “extraordinary four-year stretch” in the relationship between the United States and Israel. “Political Presents” from U.S. President Donald Trump to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the November 27  headline  reads, “Kept Coming.” Prompted by the president’s decision to allow American spy Jonathan Pollard to complete his parole, leaving him free to relocate to the Jewish state, Halbfinger cites Trump’s “lavish” treatment of Netanyahu in his summary of the president’s generosity.

Among the “noteworthy gifts” that Trump has bestowed on Netanyahu—indeed, on Israel—are recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and Jerusalem as Israel’s capital with the relocation of the U.S. embassy there. The recent decision by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, changing passport rules to permit Americans born in Jerusalem to identify Israel, rather than Jerusalem, as their birthplace, as they had previously been required to do, affirms the reality that Jerusalem is, as it was millennia ago, the capital of Israel.

Were that not enough of all the bad things (implied by Halbfinger) that Trump has done for Netanyahu, his administration eliminated funding to UNRWA, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency that has provided generous subsidies to 5 million Palestinian “refugees” displaced from their homes in 1948 when Arab nations invaded the fledgling Jewish state intending destroying it. Unmentioned by Halbfinger is the fact that among those 5 million UNRWA beneficiaries, only some 30,000 are genuine refugees whose number must inevitably decline. The others are descendants of refugees whose number is guaranteed to increase over time. UNRWA is, in a word, a scam—and Halbfinger seems oblivious to it.

There is more to Halbfinger’s documentation of imagined Trump administration malfeasance. As an example of “Israel’s designs on land that the Palestinians want for a future state,” he cites U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman’s endorsement of Israeli annexation of “West Bank territory.” (Halbfinger needs a reminder of former Prime Minister Menachem Begin’s memorable statement: “You cannot annex your own country.”) Friedman even urged the substitution of “Judea and Samaria” for the “West Bank” (the bygone name for Jordan’s land claim until the Six-Day War).

Halbfinger cites Pompeo’s use of “Judea and Samaria,” implicitly rescinding a 40-year-old U.S. State Department memo claiming that settlements were inconsistent with international law. Last month, Halbfinger notes, Friedman and Netanyahu gave permission for American government grants to Israeli research institutions in “occupied territory.” The only such institution is Ariel University, which Halbfinger pointedly notes is funded by Sheldon Adelson, “the casino billionaire who is a backer of both Mr. Trump and Mr. Netanyahu,” as if that undermines the integrity of the gift.

Halbfinger also notes that Pompeo, who recently visited a settlement near Ramallah, became the first secretary of state to do so. New U.S. guidelines require that products made in areas controlled by Israel be labeled “Made in Israel,” the better to reach American “consumers.” Pompeo has also urged a policy of “maximum pressure” towards Iran, asserting demands “that could have been drafted by Mr. Netanyahu,” as if that would undermine their legitimacy. “With the Trump administration’s encouragement,” Halbfinger writes, Israel is even “making common cause with Saudi Arabia, the Emiratis and other Gulf states against Iran.” Shouldn’t that be celebrated, even by The New York Times?

 Halbfinger’s litany of criticism for anything of benefit to Israel seems endless. It includes Trump’s order to kill Gen. Qassem Suleimani, commander of the Iranian Quds Force and “one of Israel’s most feared adversaries.” That signified “a joint American-Israeli strategy” for “short-of-war secret strikes against Iran.” Halbfinger notes that “the Trump administration has repeatedly stood by Israel in its diplomatic fights.” Would he prefer that the Trump administration support Israel’s enemies?

Concluding his indictment, Halbfinger notes that “the Trump administration has increasingly equated anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism,” as if there was no obvious and odious connection between them. Their linkage prompted Pompeo to announce that the BDS movement that targets Israel “would be deemed anti-Semitic.” That seems problematic for the Times, although it is the newspaper’s bias against Israel and its alliance with the United States that seems to be the problem.

It is not without significance that the Times’ Jerusalem bureau chiefs who have been most critical of Israel, dating from Thomas L. Friedman’s posting in 1984, have been Jews, among them Deborah Sontag, Clyde Haberman, Jodi Rudoren, and now, Halbfinger. They have, unknowingly, followed in the footsteps of Joseph M. Levy, hired by the Times in 1928 as its Palestine correspondent, who became the conduit for anti-Zionist critics to voice their opinions in the Times opinion columns.

The Times cannot acknowledge that the American president who has provided the most support and protection for Israel since Harry Truman recognized the Jewish state moments after its birth, is Donald Trump. Its conversion of blessings into curses is hardly a model of responsible journalism.

JNS (November 27, 2020)

Jerold S. Auerbach is the author of “Print to Fit: The New York Times, Zionism and Israel 1896-2016,” which was recently selected for Mosaic by Ruth Wisse and Martin Kramer as a “Best Book” for 2019.

[jeremyhodge2]

After Five Bloody Years in Syria, Russia Is Turning Against Iran—and Assad

The Daily Beast: 09 May 2020

By Jeremy Hodge

GAZIANTEP, Turkey—After five years fighting to preserve Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, Russia now appears inclined to dispose of its infamous client. Assad’s persistent brutality and corruption, and his inability to establish even the semblance of a functioning state, has grown to be a burden Moscow would prefer not to bear.

And then there’s the problem of Iran. Assad, members of his family, and his Alawite clansmen enjoy close, perhaps unbreakable, bonds to the regime in Tehran and to Iranian-backed militias in Syria. All of which undermines Moscow’s primary mission there: to rehabilitate the Assad regime as a symbol of stability capable of attracting hundreds of billions of dollars of foreign investment for reconstruction, which Russian firms would then be poised to receive.

As long as Assad’s relatives continue to function as a mafia and give free rein to Iranian troops using Syria as base of operations to threaten Israel and plan attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq, those countries likely to foot the bill for Syrian reconstruction—the nations of Europe and the Gulf—are unlikely to come up with the cash.

This has not gone unnoticed by the United States.

“Assad has done nothing to help the Russians sell this regime,”James Jeffrey, the U.S. special envoy for the Coalition to Defeat ISIS, told reporters in a State Department briefing on Thursday. “You find Assad has nothing but thugs around him, and they don't sell well either in the Arab world or in Europe. We have heard repeatedly from Russians we take as credible that they understand how bad Assad is.”

The Syrian president’s “refusal to make any compromises” in order to secure diplomatic recognition and acceptance for his regime has jeopardized “hundreds of billions of dollars in reconstruction assistance” for Syria, according to Jeffrey.

Yet the Trump administration is unlikely to exploit this growing rift. “Getting Russia out of Syria,” Jeffrey said, “has never been our goal. Russia has been there for 30 years. It has a long-term relationship with Syria. We don’t think it has been healthy for the region. We don’t think it really is even healthy for Russia. But that’s not our policy.”

MEDIA FRENZY

Jeffrey’s statements come just one week after Russian state media unleashed a slew of reports and editorials targeting Assad, portraying the beleaguered president as hopelessly corrupt and unfit to govern, and suggesting the time had come to replace him with a new leader.

The first batch of articles was published by the Russia’s Federal News Agency (FNA), an outlet owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian oligarch and chairman of several companies implicated in the 2016 U.S. elections scandal. Appearing over the course of a mere three hours on April 17, they would shake Syria to its core.

The first of the three articles in question highlighted a corruption scheme carried out by the regime in summer 2019 in which the Syrian prime minister purportedly lied to citizens about oil and gas scarcities in order to justify the occurrence of long power outages while selling Syrian electricity to businessmen in Lebanon. The second piece cited an opinion poll claiming only 32 percent of Syrians would vote for Assad in the country’s upcoming 2021 presidential election.

The third and final article, entitled, “Corruption is Worse than Terrorism,” chastized President Assad for personally failing to combat corruption, prevalent at all levels of the state.  

That these were published by Prigozhin’s news agency was the kind of signal it would be hard for Assad to miss. Prigozhin, who first built his fortune as a caterer, is sometimes known as “Putin’s chef.” But of particular relevance to Syria is his role as chairman of the Wagner Group, whose mercenaries have fought alongside Assad regime forces since October 2015 and helped the latter take back control of key revenue generating infrastructure such as the al-Sha’ir gas field in Homs province.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Christopher Robin told the same State Department briefing Thursday, “Wagner is often misleadingly referred to as a Russian private military company, but in fact it’s an instrument of the Russian government which the Kremlin uses as a low-cost and low-risk instrument to advance its goals.”

The article on corruption would also point out, suggestively, that the Assads are not the only powerful family in Syria, “there are also the Makhloufs.”

Rami Makhlouf, who is in fact Bashar al-Assad’s first cousin, is Syria’s wealthiest man, and also, it would seem, Russia’s man. Certainly he has strong ties to the Kremlin and for years has been one of the most vocal critics of Iran’s presence in Syria. In July 2018, the al-Watan newspaper, one Syria’s most prominent pro-regime mouthpieces and owned by Rami Makhlouf since 2006, published a then unprecedented public rebuke to Iran, accusing it of sponsoring Islamist fanaticism throughout the Middle East alongside Turkey and Qatar, the main backers of Syria’s opposition. (Rami Makhlouf’s father Muhammad and brother Hafiz meanwhile are alleged by some to be living in Russia.)

The April 17 articles published by Prigozhin’s FNA preceded the release of a wave of other articles and items in the media over the next 12 days that would further drive home the point that Moscow was considering options other than Assad to rule Syria.

TASS, Russia’s largest state-run news agency, wrote in one editorial that, “Russia suspects that Assad is not only unable to lead the country anymore, but also that the head of the Syrian regime is dragging Moscow towards the Afghani scenario.” This is like evoking the Vietnam War for an American audience, a reference to the Kremlin’s botched campaign through the 1980s that helped bankrupt the Soviet Union and finally break it apart.

Amid this coverage, TASS would also take swipes at Iran, claiming that the Islamic Republic has “no interest in achieving stability in the region, because it considers it a battlefield with Washington”.

On April 30, the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), a think tank established by Moscow’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, released a scathing report saying Russia was in talks with other parties to the Syrian conflict to draw up plans for a political resolution that did not include Bashar al-Assad as president. The report highlighted purported Russian efforts to compel the Syrian regime to commit to ceasefires with both American-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) opposition, while beginning steps to form a new unity government that would include representatives from both.

That day, Rami Makhlouf, whose assets were frozen five months earlier as part of a tax dispute, uploaded a video onto his personal Facebook page accusing the Assad regime of corruption. In a state known for carrying out the full-scale slaughter of those who test its authority, Makhlouf’s videos, coming on the heels of the unprecedented Russian attacks in the media, sent shockwaves throughout the country.

THE ROYAL FAMILY

While the Makhlouf clan clearly has thrown its lot in with Russia, key members of Bashar al-Assad’s immediate family and others with ties to Qardaha in Syria’s largely Alawite Latakia province, are among the most prominent Iranian-backed militia leaders in Syria. It’s an alliance that traces back to his father Hafez al-Assad, who was born in Qardaha, and who forged ties with the Iranian revolution almost from its beginning more than 40 years ago. The Iranians responded by offering religious legitimacy to the Alawite sect, which is regarded as heretical by Sunnis and indeed by many Shi’a.

These Qardaha militia leaders have regularly engaged in armed clashes against Russian backed units. They are among the most egregious violators and abusers of power, overseeing wide networks of corruption similar to those lamented in the Russian media. And foremost among them is Bashar’s younger brother, Maher al-Assad.

Since April 2018, Maher al-Assad has commanded the Syrian Army’s 4th Armored Division, one of country’s oldest, best equipped and overwhelmingly Alawite brigades. After the 2011 outbreak of the Syrian revolution, when the loyalty of much of the army was in doubt, it became a refuge for numerous Alawite-Shi’a dominated pro-regime militias.

Currently, the 4th Armored Division’s members control many smuggling operations throughout the country, in cities from Albu Kamel on Syria’s eastern border with Iraq to Latakia on the Syrian coast, where the port was leased to Iran on October 1 last year. It has since become one of the biggest export hubs for drugs headed to markets in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

Examples abound:

On July 5, 2019, Greek coast guard and drug enforcement officials announced the biggest drug bust in history, seizing 5.25 tons (33 million pills) of Captagon amphetamines worth $660m hidden in shipping containers loaded at the Latakia port in Syria. That followed a long string of such seizures made by Greek authorities. More recently, in late April, customs officials in both Saudi Arabia and Egypt also announced the seizure of similar quantities of drugs in containers traced back to Latakia. Local reports have accused a range of actors including Maher al-Assad’s 4th Division, Hizbollah, Rami Makhlouf, and others of profiting from the massive drug exports emanating from the port.

In January 2019 the 4th Armored Division launched attacks on the Russian-backed Tiger Forces unit in an attempt to wrest control of smuggling routes between regime- and opposition-held territory in Idlib province. The clashes led to the death of 70 fighters. These and other skirmishes prompted Russia to back a major campaign to arrest 4th Division and other Iranian-backed units throughout the country beginning in April 2019, which succeeded in rounding up numerous mid-ranking Iranian-backed officers.

Among those targeted in the campaign was Bashar Talal al-Assad, a cousin to the president (similar name, different people) who was wanted on drug and weapons trafficking charges. Unlike others who were detained in the roundup, Bashar Talal al-Assad and his ‘Areen Brigade managed to fight off Russian-backed forces that sought to arrest him in Qardaha. He then pledged to attack Russia’s Hmeimim military base, located 17 miles east of Latakia city, in the event the regime sought to arrest him again.

For Russia, the threat of such attacks on its military infrastructure is a real concern. The Hmeimim base—from which Moscow has directed its entire military campaign in Syria—had already been subject to a series of attacks from January to October 2018 by other Iranian-backed militias in the area.

The threat posed by both Iran’s acquisition of the Latakia port and its support for local Assad family proxies in Syria’s coastal region is exacerbated by the fact that Tehran has also begun making progress toward completing construction of its Shalamcha railroad, which, via stops in Basra, Baghdad, Albu Kamel and Damascus, will give Tehran direct access to the Syrian and Lebanese coasts.

If Iran succeeds in integrating the Latakia port with the Shalamcha rail line, this will cut off Hmeimim from Russian forces in central and southern Syria and enable Tehran to quickly deliver weapons to proxy forces in Latakia that are already engaged in clashes against Russian-backed groups.

WORLDWIDE CONSENSUS

Moscow’s inability to control Iranian backed Syrian militiamen engaged in widespread crime, corruption, and assaults on Russian forces has infuriated the Kremlin. But Russia is not the only major player on the ground with scores to settle against Iran, and the Russian military leadership in Syria has ignored if not largely encouraged Israeli strikes on Iranian troops throughout the country.

It may not be coincidental that the Israeli attacks have increased in pace and scope since April, following the flurry of Russian media articles attacking Assad and his regime. “We have moved from blocking Iran’s entrenchment in Syria to forcing it out of there, and we will not stop,” Israel’s new defense minister, Naftali Bennett, declared on April 28.

Without Russia, Iran has found itself the odd man out in Syria, the single party still seeking to push for war at a time when most other international players have been struck with fatigue and simply seek to put Syria’s pieces back together. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey, the last patron of Syria’s battered FSA opposition, has himself made peace with Moscow, effectively agreeing last March to cede control of wide swaths of rebel held territory after a particularly bloody Russian led campaign against the last FSA holdout in Idlib province that ended in victory for regime forces.

Ironically, Erdoğan’s long-held desire to overthrow Syria’s president may still come to fruition, albeit not as he expected, as Assad’s ouster may come at the hands of Russia itself, and not the revolution.

[aspiringjournalistworld]

The Fall of Democracy:Are Western Democracies becoming autocracies? ‘Focusing on The United States’

“History used to be told as the story of great men. Julius Caesar, George Washington, Napoléon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler-individual leaders, both famous and infamous, were thought to drive events. But then it became fashionable to tell the same stories in terms of broader structural forces, raw calculations of national power, economic interdependence, or ideological waves. Leaders came to be seen as just vehicles for other more important factors, their personalities and predilections essentially irrelevant. What mattered were not great men or women but great forces.”

The World is becoming less democratic

In its 2018 annual report, Freedom House noted that since 2006, 113 countries saw a net decline in freedom, and for 12 consecutive years, global freedom declined.

Source: Freedom House

Western governments across Europe and North America are experiencing a recession in their democratic liberalism norms. On the one hand, Political extremes could be regarded as the cause of this trend. Both the far left and the far right are, according to this view, willing to ride over democratic institutions to achieve radical change. Moderates, by contrast, are assumed to defend liberal democracy, its principles and institutions. On the other hand, ineffective governance, economic inequality, socio-cultural upheaval, and identity-based struggles that have resulted in the rise of populist movements both on the left and right of the ideological spectrum, (some of which have authoritarian tendencies), could be another cause of this backsliding.

According to the previous notion, we find out that all Centrists seem to prefer strong and efficient government over messy democratic politics. This important finding stresses the fact that authoritarianism can have a strong and inevitable effect on all parties in guiding their ideology.

Source: World Values Survey/ European Values Survey/ The New York Times

The rising danger to democracy as a global phenomenon takes center stage in Larry Diamond’s book. “In every region of the world,” he writes, “autocrats are seizing the initiative, democrats are on the defensive, and the space for competitive politics and free expression is shrinking.” It is now obvious that mature democracies are becoming increasingly polarized, intolerant, and dysfunctional. Emerging democratic states are sliding into corruption, struggling for legitimacy, and fighting against growing external threats. Authoritarian leaders are simultaneously becoming more repressive at home, more aggressive abroad, and more convinced that they are sailing with the wind at their back.

The United States 

While the U.S. had the fifth-highest democracy score in 2012, its score had fallen to 31st place five years later. Indexes from both V-Dem and Freedom House have downgraded U.S. democracy scores sharply since 2016, due to the possible foreign election interference, a reduction of government transparency, weakening legislative constraints on the executive, a decline in the range of media perspectives and other decreases in election fairness.

Source: Freedom House

For the United States, it’s hard to know what kind of foreign policy Americans want today. What we are witnessing today from Donald Trump is a kind of a vacant diplomacy. In addition, the United States is going to do whatever it takes to enforce the notion of “America First”. Even if that means backing authoritarian allies, no matter how repressive and corrupt they are. In fact, the U.S. President has celebrated his “great relationship” with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who designed a deadly anti-crime campaign that has attracted criticism at home and abroad. For Trump, it is important to be an ally with him as The Philippines host U.S. military bases that help combat terrorism and contain China. The same happens with Egypt, who is a key player in maintaining peace in the region and helps the U.S. in countering terrorism. And obviously with Saudi Arabia, who provides the U.S. with millions of dollars in exchange with arms used against the Iranian threat. As a liberal democratic country, its duty is to promote and raise human rights concerns, support advocates for freedom and accountability, and encourage gradual political reform. It is important to point out to the fact that when Washington blindly backs these kinds of regimes, it often ends badly both for their people and for the Americans, like what happened with Anastasio Somoza and Shah of Iran.

The United States and Saudi Arabia

America has a history of allying with bad actors to effect change in other countries, for instance, the historical relationships with authoritarian regimes in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Cuba, Iran and Pakistan. It is claimed that such cooperation is to serve the national interest. And now with the Trump administration, we are witnessing how the US President embraces the MBS as a close ally. Early, the Trump administration made Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman the centerpiece of their anti-Iran campaign. His decision was not affected by the MBS’s repressive actions; whether when he ordered the killing of the Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi, or the fact that he is behind the humanitarian crisis of the Saudi-led coalition and blockades in Yemen. Instead, he is frank about what he sees in him. He said that the Saudis have been a great ally, they spent $400 billion in his country over the last number of years. When talking about the American arms sales to the Saudis, Trump told reporters, "It's America First for me. It's all about America First. We're not going to give up hundreds of billions of dollars in orders, and let Russia, China, and everybody else have them ... military equipment and other things from Russia and China. ... I'm not going to destroy the economy for our country by being foolish with Saudi Arabia."

To sum up, Democracy is under threat, it is slipping away in the countries that are supposed to promote and protect its values from the autocratic nations, who are imposing their ill-fitted norms on the international system. Candidates from Europe and North America are becoming more authoritarian, party systems are more volatile, and citizens are more hostile to the norms and institutions of liberal democracy.The struggle today is not the same as it was during the Cold War, but it is clear that ideology is playing a major role between democratic and authoritarian systems now compared to to the past three decades.The United States, which is known as the leader of the free world, is questioned nowadays in its polices and ideological directions. It is irrational to have an American President, who is expected to protect the democratic values, to be himself praising dictators from all over the world. Consequently, that raises the following questions “To what extent an executive leader can go in order to achieve the national interest?” Is it more important for a politician to hold onto diplomatic ties that goes against the values of his/her country or to get rid of them for the sake of such values?

References 

Byman, Daniel and Pollack, Kenneth. “Beyond Great Forces: How Individuals Still Shape History”. Foreign Affairs, November/December, 2019. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2019-10-15/beyond-great-forces?fbclid=IwAR1QVI78_yb23LMVE7xxlEZApFoOPL8IMPBaYvhazgKllvg6x7DG0Mfv1Ms.

Edel, Charles. “Democracy Is Fighting For Its Life”. Foreign Policy, September 10, 2019. https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/09/10/democracy-is-fighting-for-its-life/?fbclid=IwAR1_-H4yrkg8N3Sbfs6raL-ZdH_GFx1JTfC7te6gnKWNS162jgRgOa8IUZk. ➢ Adler, David. “ Centrists Are the Most Hostile to Democracy, Not Extremists". The New York Times, May 23, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/05/23/opinion/international-world/centrists-democracy.html

Leatherby, Lauren and Rojanasakul, Mira. ‘’Elected Leaders Are Making The World Less Democratic’’. Bloomberg, July 23, 2018. https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-democracy-decline/?fbclid=IwAR1QPrqt-tCENtZEr-4O7Y4Q0R4WcBxlmvxGUBd0FDip-c8H9hZq9SOp8mg. 

Marshall, Will. ‘‘How Democrats Can Replace Trump’s Failing Foreign Policy’’. The Daily Beast, February 11, 2019. https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-democrats-can-replace-trumps-failing-foreign-policy?ref=scroll. 

Diamond, Larry. “America’s Silence Helps Autocrats”. Foreign Policy, September 6, 2019. https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/09/06/americas-silence-helps-autocrats-triumph-democratic-rollback-recession-larry-diamond-ill-winds/ 

Lavine, Howard and Ron, James. “To Protect Human Rights Abroad, Preach to Trump Voters”. Foreign Policy, August 21, 2019. https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/08/21/to-protect-human-rights-abroad-preach-to-trump-voters-dictators-authoritarianism-ethnocentrism

Free Thoughts Podcast, ‘‘America’s Authoritarian Alliances,’’ Oct 23, 2015, https://www.libertarianism.org/media/free-thoughts/americas-authoritarian-alliances.

Collinson, Stephen. ‘‘The World Is Learning The Price Of Friendship With Donald Trump’’. CNN, October 2, 2019. https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/02/world/meanwhile-oct-2-intl/index.html.

Bergen, Peter. ‘‘A year later, what Khashoggi's murder says about Trump's close ally’’. CNN, September 30, 2019.https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/30/opinions/khashoggi-murder-a-year-later-mbs-bergen/index.html.

[andreagillmer]

In Era of Geopolitical Chaos, Investors Should Look at This REE Company

Source: Rick Mills for Streetwise Reports   05/07/2019

Rick Mills of Ahead of the Herd explains why he believes investors should take a look at one company whose rare earth elements project could provide a secure supply of desperately needed metals and could have a “potential gross in-situ metal value of CA$7.6 billion.”

Because of the heightened global climate of aggression, chaos and fear the need for the protection of strong militaries is heightened.

Put simply, the world is a dangerous place:

Russian troops taking over Crimea and a Russian troop build up on the Russian-Ukrainian border

Russians in South America and Russian Arctic military build up

Terrorism

North Korea returning to the bad not-so-old days of flinging its nuclear capable missiles everywhere

Clashes between the U.S. and Chinese navies

Chinese aggression towards Taiwan

India and Pakistan long-simmering tensions

The possibility of another financial crisis (Brexit, unsustainable global debt)

Trade wars, cold wars and water wars

Nuclear capable Iran and Saudi Arabia

The current U.S. administration’s non-traditional way of doing things is upsetting ‘normal’ world order

There is evidence of ever-increasing aggression and militarization among the three largest military powers in the world right now: the U.S., China and Russia.

All of this means the United States needs Security of Supply: the U.S. needs sources of critical metals that can decrease its dependence on hostile foreign powers like China and Russia, basket-case economies like Venezuela and Zimbabwe, and failing mining states like South Africa.

Here is a list of 23 minerals the U.S. Geological Survey identified in 2017 as being critical to U.S. national security and the economy. Rare earths are central to the whole spectrum of defense technologies that are vital to every military.

The U.S. is almost 100% dependent on China for supply of its rare earth oxides, metals, powders and alloys—without rare earths mined and processed in China, America would be unable to manufacture military hardware.

We’ve written about this before.

The $392-billion F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program was close to being canceled about seven years ago but for intervention by the Pentagon to prevent further delays. Reuters reported in 2014 that the chief U.S. arms buyer allowed two F-35 suppliers, Northrop Grumman Corp and Honeywell, to use Chinese magnets for the plane’s radar system, landing gears and other hardware.

“The first assay results of the bulk sample program at DEFN’s Wicheeda Project have been released…they’re spectacular.” – Rick Mills, Ahead of the Herd

Through a program called the United Launch Alliance, U.S. rockets are powered by Russian engines. Our Cold War enemy for 30-odd years, which ironically started the space race with the 1957 launch of Sputnik, all use RD-180 engines made by NPO Energomash, a Russian state-owned company.

Fortunately, regaining control over the high technology sector and national defense is becoming “mission critical” for the U.S.

At Ahead of the Herd we’ve identified a project in central British Columbia, Canada, that has all the elements in place for a successful rare earth element (REE) mine.

Defense Metals Corp. (DEFN:TSX.V; DFMTF:OTCQB; 35D:FSE) Wicheeda Project

The first assay results of the bulk sample program at DEFN’s Wicheeda Project have been released…they’re spectacular. A 30-tonne random sample taken from the deposit revealed the presence of four defense and clean energy (magnet/lithium-ion battery) rare earth elements: cerium (Ce), lanthanum (La), neodymium (Nd) and praseodymium (Pr).

These results are impressive for three reasons:

The presence of neodymium and praseodymium is critical, because these two REEs are used in the manufacture of Nd-Pr-Iron-Boron permanent magnets that go into a number of high-tech applications.

All four rare earth elements are used in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries found in electric vehicles.

The results indicate a potential light rare earth deposit of significant value.

At Ahead of the Herd we did some calculations to determine what the gross in-situ value (i.e., before processing or other costs) of the metal in the ground at Wicheeda would be, extrapolated from the 30-tonne bulk sample.

We know that the Wicheeda deposit has an inferred (historical, not NI 43-101 compliant) resource of 11.2 million tonnes. If the material in the 30-tonne bulk sample is spread evenly throughout the mineralized area we are looking at a potential gross in-situ metal value of 7.679 billion Canadian dollars! (CAD$685.69/t x 11,200,000 tonnes = CAD$7,679,728,000)

To put this into terms most resource investors can understand, that is equivalent to a 6 million oz gold deposit grading about 12.7 grams of gold per tonne (or 555,000,000 oz of silver)—which any precious metal exploration company would be extremely lucky to have.

Permanent magnets (the market for this type of magnet is estimated at $11.3 billion) and lithium-ion batteries (the global lithium-ion battery market size is estimated to be valued over US$100 billion by 2025) made from REES are central to:

The electrification of our transportation system

Clean green wind and solar energy

The whole spectrum of defense technologies that are vital to every military

Defense Metals will be targeting magnet manufacturers, lithium-ion battery manufacturers, green energy companies and defense contractors to buy their rare earth concentrate and oxides.

Rare earths are great multipliers, they are used in making everything from computer monitors and permanent magnets to lasers, guidance control systems and jet engines. In most cases there are no substitutes.

Shareholders of Defense Metals (TSX-V:DEFN, OTCQB:DFMTF, FSE:35D) can expect significant news flow starting soon. Metallurgical testing of the 30 tonne bulk sample continues and the company is planning on a massive drill program for 2019 leading to an NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate this fall.

While nearly all rare earth mining and processing currently takes place in China, the United States is making moves to end the monopoly.

This is great news for exploration/development companies like Defense Metals that can step in to replace foreign rare earths with domestic supply.

Defense Metals

TSX-V:DEFN CA$0.15 May 3

OTCQB:DFMTF, FSE:35D

Shares Outstanding 23.7 million

Market cap CA$3.55 million

Defense Metals website.

Richard (Rick) Mills

aheadoftheherd.com

Ahead of the Herd Twitter

Ahead of the Herd FaceBook

Richard (Rick) Mills, AheadoftheHerd.com, lives on a 160-acre farm in northern British Columbia. Richard’s articles have been published on over 400 websites, including: WallStreetJournal, USAToday, NationalPost, Lewrockwell, MontrealGazette, VancouverSun, CBSnews, HuffingtonPost, Beforeitsnews, Londonthenews, Wealthwire, CalgaryHerald, Forbes, Dallasnews, SGTreport, Vantagewire, Indiatimes, Ninemsn, Ibtimes, Businessweek, HongKongHerald, Moneytalks, SeekingAlpha, BusinessInsider, Investing.com, MSN.com and the Association of Mining Analysts.

Read what other experts are saying about:

Defense Metals Corp.

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Disclosures: 1) Rick Mills: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: Defense Metals. I personally am, or members of my immediate household or family are, paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. My company currently has a financial relationship with the following companies mentioned in this article: Defense Metals is an advertiser on Ahead of the Herd. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector. Additional disclosures/disclaimer below. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are sponsors of Streetwise Reports: Defense Metals. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. An affiliate of Streetwise Reports is conducting a digital media marketing campaign for this article on behalf of Defense Metals. Please click here for more information. 3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy. 4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports’ terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. 5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this interview, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Defense Metals, a company mentioned in this article.

Legal Notice / Disclaimer

This document is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for any investment. Richard Mills has based this document on information obtained from sources he believes to be reliable but which has not been independently verified. Richard Mills makes no guarantee, representation or warranty and accepts no responsibility or liability as to its accuracy or completeness. Expressions of opinion are those of Richard Mills only and are subject to change without notice. Richard Mills assumes no warranty, liability or guarantee for the current relevance, correctness or completeness of any information provided within this Report and will not be held liable for the consequence of reliance upon any opinion or statement contained herein or any omission. Furthermore, I, Richard Mills, assume no liability for any direct or indirect loss or damage or, in particular, for lost profit, which you may incur as a result of the use and existence of the information provided within this Report.

Defense Metals (TSX.V:DEFN), is an advertiser on Richard’s site aheadoftheherd.com. Richard owns shares of DEFN.

( Companies Mentioned: DEFN:TSX.V; DFMTF:OTC; 35D:FSEQB, )

from The Gold Report – Streetwise Exclusive Articles Full Text http://bit.ly/2DWIFCK

from WordPress http://bit.ly/2Ww94ij

[goldcoins0]

In Era of Geopolitical Chaos, Investors Should Look at This REE Company

Source: Rick Mills for Streetwise Reports   05/07/2019

Rick Mills of Ahead of the Herd explains why he believes investors should take a look at one company whose rare earth elements project could provide a secure supply of desperately needed metals and could have a "potential gross in-situ metal value of CA$7.6 billion."

Because of the heightened global climate of aggression, chaos and fear the need for the protection of strong militaries is heightened.

Put simply, the world is a dangerous place:

Russian troops taking over Crimea and a Russian troop build up on the Russian-Ukrainian border

Russians in South America and Russian Arctic military build up

Terrorism

North Korea returning to the bad not-so-old days of flinging its nuclear capable missiles everywhere

Clashes between the U.S. and Chinese navies

Chinese aggression towards Taiwan

India and Pakistan long-simmering tensions

The possibility of another financial crisis (Brexit, unsustainable global debt)

Trade wars, cold wars and water wars

Nuclear capable Iran and Saudi Arabia

The current U.S. administration's non-traditional way of doing things is upsetting 'normal' world order

There is evidence of ever-increasing aggression and militarization among the three largest military powers in the world right now: the U.S., China and Russia.

All of this means the United States needs Security of Supply: the U.S. needs sources of critical metals that can decrease its dependence on hostile foreign powers like China and Russia, basket-case economies like Venezuela and Zimbabwe, and failing mining states like South Africa.

Here is a list of 23 minerals the U.S. Geological Survey identified in 2017 as being critical to U.S. national security and the economy. Rare earths are central to the whole spectrum of defense technologies that are vital to every military.

The U.S. is almost 100% dependent on China for supply of its rare earth oxides, metals, powders and alloys—without rare earths mined and processed in China, America would be unable to manufacture military hardware.

We've written about this before.

The $392-billion F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program was close to being canceled about seven years ago but for intervention by the Pentagon to prevent further delays. Reuters reported in 2014 that the chief U.S. arms buyer allowed two F-35 suppliers, Northrop Grumman Corp and Honeywell, to use Chinese magnets for the plane's radar system, landing gears and other hardware.

"The first assay results of the bulk sample program at DEFN's Wicheeda Project have been released…they're spectacular." - Rick Mills, Ahead of the Herd

Through a program called the United Launch Alliance, U.S. rockets are powered by Russian engines. Our Cold War enemy for 30-odd years, which ironically started the space race with the 1957 launch of Sputnik, all use RD-180 engines made by NPO Energomash, a Russian state-owned company.

Fortunately, regaining control over the high technology sector and national defense is becoming "mission critical" for the U.S.

At Ahead of the Herd we've identified a project in central British Columbia, Canada, that has all the elements in place for a successful rare earth element (REE) mine.

Defense Metals Corp. (DEFN:TSX.V; DFMTF:OTCQB; 35D:FSE) Wicheeda Project

The first assay results of the bulk sample program at DEFN's Wicheeda Project have been released…they're spectacular. A 30-tonne random sample taken from the deposit revealed the presence of four defense and clean energy (magnet/lithium-ion battery) rare earth elements: cerium (Ce), lanthanum (La), neodymium (Nd) and praseodymium (Pr).

These results are impressive for three reasons:

The presence of neodymium and praseodymium is critical, because these two REEs are used in the manufacture of Nd-Pr-Iron-Boron permanent magnets that go into a number of high-tech applications.

All four rare earth elements are used in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries found in electric vehicles.

The results indicate a potential light rare earth deposit of significant value.

At Ahead of the Herd we did some calculations to determine what the gross in-situ value (i.e., before processing or other costs) of the metal in the ground at Wicheeda would be, extrapolated from the 30-tonne bulk sample.

We know that the Wicheeda deposit has an inferred (historical, not NI 43-101 compliant) resource of 11.2 million tonnes. If the material in the 30-tonne bulk sample is spread evenly throughout the mineralized area we are looking at a potential gross in-situ metal value of 7.679 billion Canadian dollars! (CAD$685.69/t x 11,200,000 tonnes = CAD$7,679,728,000)

To put this into terms most resource investors can understand, that is equivalent to a 6 million oz gold deposit grading about 12.7 grams of gold per tonne (or 555,000,000 oz of silver)—which any precious metal exploration company would be extremely lucky to have.

Permanent magnets (the market for this type of magnet is estimated at $11.3 billion) and lithium-ion batteries (the global lithium-ion battery market size is estimated to be valued over US$100 billion by 2025) made from REES are central to:

The electrification of our transportation system

Clean green wind and solar energy

The whole spectrum of defense technologies that are vital to every military

Defense Metals will be targeting magnet manufacturers, lithium-ion battery manufacturers, green energy companies and defense contractors to buy their rare earth concentrate and oxides.

Rare earths are great multipliers, they are used in making everything from computer monitors and permanent magnets to lasers, guidance control systems and jet engines. In most cases there are no substitutes.

Shareholders of Defense Metals (TSX-V:DEFN, OTCQB:DFMTF, FSE:35D) can expect significant news flow starting soon. Metallurgical testing of the 30 tonne bulk sample continues and the company is planning on a massive drill program for 2019 leading to an NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate this fall.

While nearly all rare earth mining and processing currently takes place in China, the United States is making moves to end the monopoly.

This is great news for exploration/development companies like Defense Metals that can step in to replace foreign rare earths with domestic supply.

Defense Metals TSX-V:DEFN CA$0.15 May 3 OTCQB:DFMTF, FSE:35D Shares Outstanding 23.7 million Market cap CA$3.55 million Defense Metals website.

Richard (Rick) Mills aheadoftheherd.com Ahead of the Herd Twitter Ahead of the Herd FaceBook

Richard (Rick) Mills, AheadoftheHerd.com, lives on a 160-acre farm in northern British Columbia. Richard's articles have been published on over 400 websites, including: WallStreetJournal, USAToday, NationalPost, Lewrockwell, MontrealGazette, VancouverSun, CBSnews, HuffingtonPost, Beforeitsnews, Londonthenews, Wealthwire, CalgaryHerald, Forbes, Dallasnews, SGTreport, Vantagewire, Indiatimes, Ninemsn, Ibtimes, Businessweek, HongKongHerald, Moneytalks, SeekingAlpha, BusinessInsider, Investing.com, MSN.com and the Association of Mining Analysts.

Read what other experts are saying about:

Defense Metals Corp.

Sign up for our FREE newsletter at: www.streetwisereports.com/get-news

Disclosures: 1) Rick Mills: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: Defense Metals. I personally am, or members of my immediate household or family are, paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. My company currently has a financial relationship with the following companies mentioned in this article: Defense Metals is an advertiser on Ahead of the Herd. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector. Additional disclosures/disclaimer below. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are sponsors of Streetwise Reports: Defense Metals. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. An affiliate of Streetwise Reports is conducting a digital media marketing campaign for this article on behalf of Defense Metals. Please click here for more information. 3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy. 4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. 5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this interview, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Defense Metals, a company mentioned in this article.

Legal Notice / Disclaimer

This document is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for any investment. Richard Mills has based this document on information obtained from sources he believes to be reliable but which has not been independently verified. Richard Mills makes no guarantee, representation or warranty and accepts no responsibility or liability as to its accuracy or completeness. Expressions of opinion are those of Richard Mills only and are subject to change without notice. Richard Mills assumes no warranty, liability or guarantee for the current relevance, correctness or completeness of any information provided within this Report and will not be held liable for the consequence of reliance upon any opinion or statement contained herein or any omission. Furthermore, I, Richard Mills, assume no liability for any direct or indirect loss or damage or, in particular, for lost profit, which you may incur as a result of the use and existence of the information provided within this Report.

Defense Metals (TSX.V:DEFN), is an advertiser on Richard's site aheadoftheherd.com. Richard owns shares of DEFN.

( Companies Mentioned: DEFN:TSX.V; DFMTF:OTC; 35D:FSEQB, )

from https://www.streetwisereports.com/article/2019/05/07/in-era-of-geopolitical-chaos-investors-should-look-at-this-ree-company.html

[libertariantaoist]

Has there been a more disgusting spectacle during the four months of this presidency  than the sight of Donald Trump slobbering all over the barbarous Saudi monarch  and his murderous family of petty princelings? It’s enough to make any normal  American retch, especially when one remembers what Trump said  about them during the election:

“Saudi Arabia and many of the countries that gave vast amounts of money  to the Clinton Foundation want women as slaves and to kill gays. Hillary must  return all money from such countries!”

And then there was this tweet:

“Tell Saudi Arabia and others that we want (demand!) free oil for the next  ten years or we will not protect their private Boeing 747s. Pay up!”

Now Trump’s son in law, Jared Kushner, is calling  up Lockheed-Martin to get a discount for the Saudis, personally brokering  the biggest arms deal in US history. What a difference a presidency makes!

The old Trump told us that the Saudis were “mouth pieces,  bullies, cowards,” who were “paying ISIS,”  but now they’re our partners in the “war on terrorism.” Why it seems like only  yesterday that he was calling out  Saudi princes like Alwaleed bin Talal for thinking they can “control our  US politicians” – today he’s kowtowing to them.

Most tellingly, it was Trump who made a campaign issue out of the missing 28  pages redacted from the Joint congressional report on the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  In calling for their release, he painted  a scenario in which the Saudi royals assisted the hijackers and said:

“You know, it’s sort of nice to know who your friends are, and perhaps who  your enemies are.”

Does Trump know who are our  friends and who are our enemies?

While the US government,  under both Trump and Obama, has routinely maintained that Iran is the biggest  exporter of terrorism, that is utter nonsense: the Saudis easily  outdo the mullahs of Tehran. Riyadh funds radical madrassas throughout the  world that preach pure hatred of the West: they are incubators of terrorism,  and have been wreaking havoc from one end of the globe to the other for decades.  The terrorist groups that have destroyed Syria are the  progeny of the Saudis, and their allies among the Gulf states.

Most shameful of all, the  Saudis have invaded nearby Yemen, slaughtering children and women with impunity,  bombing funeral processions, and causing a famine that will kill hundreds of  thousands of noncombatants: the very young, the sick, and the old. And they’re  doing it with US assistance, a pact signed in blood under the Obama administration,  now continued and beefed up under Trump.

In all fairness, this is  nothing new as far as the US is concerned: our relationship with the Saudi monarchy  goes all the way back to Franklin Roosevelt, who cemented the alliance in  1943 by declaring that the defense of their medieval dictatorship was “vital”  to our national security: US taxpayer dollars flowed into the Saudi treasury  via the Lend-Lease giveaway. The flow hasn’t stopped since that time: indeed,  it has only increased.

And the flow will turn into  a torrent if Trump’s wacky idea of an Arab  NATO ever comes to fruition. We’ll be paying their “defense” bills unto  eternity, while they send their army of head-chopping assassins out to murder  infidels on a global scale – and US arms dealers rake in cash hand over fist.

Yes, the US-Saudi relationship  is one of the central pillars of our globalist foreign policy – but wasn’t Trump  supposed to be different? Wasn’t he supposed to be putting America first? Of  all the betrayals we’ve had to endure since he took the White House, his pilgrimage  to the epicenter of world terrorism has got to be the absolute worst. As he  kneels before the Saudi king, he humiliates all of us.

Trump’s next stop is Israel, and that’s no accident: the Jewish state is Saudi  Arabia’s main  ally in the region, although the relationship is supposed to be covert.  They don’t  even bother to keep it under wraps anymore. While the Saudis fund the head-chopping  barbarians who have destroyed Syria, the  Israelis succor them in their hospitals and then set them free to kill and  maim again. Israeli officials openly state their preference  for ISIS over Bashar al-Assad. If and when Trump’s loopy “Arab NATO” ever  comes to pass, Israel will be a silent partner.

The third leg of Trump’s  trip will be the Vatican, and there an ambush awaits him. This Pope is no friend  of the White House, and he is likely to issue a public rebuke on the immigration  issue, at the very least. The whole thing is a public relations disaster waiting  to happen, and a testament to the very bad advice Trump is getting from his  clueless advisors.

The mawkish idea of visiting  the sites of the world’s three major religions is more appropriate for a television  special than for a President on his first major trip abroad. Quite aside from  the fact that it leaves out the Hindus, the Greek Orthodox, and the Buddhists,  the whole concept is typical of the way this administration thinks in terms  of mindless clichés, catchphrases without context or real meaning.

Speaking of which, the less  said about Trump’s speech  in Riyadh the better: it was a farrago of falsehood, kowtowing, and brazen hypocrisy.  To top it off, he announced that a new “Global Center for Combating Extremist  Ideology” is to be opened in the Kingdom – which is, itself, the world capital  of extremist ideology, having done more to spread religious hatred than any  country on earth.

Of all Trump’s many betrayals  – and they’re piling up at such a rate that he’s creating a veritable Mountain  of Mendacity – this Saudi trip has got to be the one that will demoralize and  alienate even his hardcore supporters. After rising to power on the strength  of portraying Islam as inherently  violent and dangerous, he’s now joining hands with the leaders of what he  once described as “the hateful ideology of radical Islam.” It’s as if Mother  Theresa had embraced the Church of Satan.

It’s been a very long four  months  –  that seems more like four years. In voting for Trump, many of his  supporters – some of whom are now among Antiwar.com’s regular readers and supporters   –  were hoping for a return  to normalcy. What they got instead was a descent into Bizarro World.

[andreagillmer]

In Era of Geopolitical Chaos, Investors Should Look at This REE Company

Source: Rick Mills for Streetwise Reports   05/07/2019

Rick Mills of Ahead of the Herd explains why he believes investors should take a look at one company whose rare earth elements project could provide a secure supply of desperately needed metals and could have a "potential gross in-situ metal value of CA$7.6 billion."

Because of the heightened global climate of aggression, chaos and fear the need for the protection of strong militaries is heightened.

Put simply, the world is a dangerous place:

Russian troops taking over Crimea and a Russian troop build up on the Russian-Ukrainian border

Russians in South America and Russian Arctic military build up

Terrorism

North Korea returning to the bad not-so-old days of flinging its nuclear capable missiles everywhere

Clashes between the U.S. and Chinese navies

Chinese aggression towards Taiwan

India and Pakistan long-simmering tensions

The possibility of another financial crisis (Brexit, unsustainable global debt)

Trade wars, cold wars and water wars

Nuclear capable Iran and Saudi Arabia

The current U.S. administration's non-traditional way of doing things is upsetting 'normal' world order

There is evidence of ever-increasing aggression and militarization among the three largest military powers in the world right now: the U.S., China and Russia.

All of this means the United States needs Security of Supply: the U.S. needs sources of critical metals that can decrease its dependence on hostile foreign powers like China and Russia, basket-case economies like Venezuela and Zimbabwe, and failing mining states like South Africa.

Here is a list of 23 minerals the U.S. Geological Survey identified in 2017 as being critical to U.S. national security and the economy. Rare earths are central to the whole spectrum of defense technologies that are vital to every military.

The U.S. is almost 100% dependent on China for supply of its rare earth oxides, metals, powders and alloys—without rare earths mined and processed in China, America would be unable to manufacture military hardware.

We've written about this before.

The $392-billion F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program was close to being canceled about seven years ago but for intervention by the Pentagon to prevent further delays. Reuters reported in 2014 that the chief U.S. arms buyer allowed two F-35 suppliers, Northrop Grumman Corp and Honeywell, to use Chinese magnets for the plane's radar system, landing gears and other hardware.

"The first assay results of the bulk sample program at DEFN's Wicheeda Project have been released…they're spectacular." - Rick Mills, Ahead of the Herd

Through a program called the United Launch Alliance, U.S. rockets are powered by Russian engines. Our Cold War enemy for 30-odd years, which ironically started the space race with the 1957 launch of Sputnik, all use RD-180 engines made by NPO Energomash, a Russian state-owned company.

Fortunately, regaining control over the high technology sector and national defense is becoming "mission critical" for the U.S.

At Ahead of the Herd we've identified a project in central British Columbia, Canada, that has all the elements in place for a successful rare earth element (REE) mine.

Defense Metals Corp. (DEFN:TSX.V; DFMTF:OTCQB; 35D:FSE) Wicheeda Project

The first assay results of the bulk sample program at DEFN's Wicheeda Project have been released…they're spectacular. A 30-tonne random sample taken from the deposit revealed the presence of four defense and clean energy (magnet/lithium-ion battery) rare earth elements: cerium (Ce), lanthanum (La), neodymium (Nd) and praseodymium (Pr).

These results are impressive for three reasons:

The presence of neodymium and praseodymium is critical, because these two REEs are used in the manufacture of Nd-Pr-Iron-Boron permanent magnets that go into a number of high-tech applications.

All four rare earth elements are used in the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries found in electric vehicles.

The results indicate a potential light rare earth deposit of significant value.

At Ahead of the Herd we did some calculations to determine what the gross in-situ value (i.e., before processing or other costs) of the metal in the ground at Wicheeda would be, extrapolated from the 30-tonne bulk sample.

We know that the Wicheeda deposit has an inferred (historical, not NI 43-101 compliant) resource of 11.2 million tonnes. If the material in the 30-tonne bulk sample is spread evenly throughout the mineralized area we are looking at a potential gross in-situ metal value of 7.679 billion Canadian dollars! (CAD$685.69/t x 11,200,000 tonnes = CAD$7,679,728,000)

To put this into terms most resource investors can understand, that is equivalent to a 6 million oz gold deposit grading about 12.7 grams of gold per tonne (or 555,000,000 oz of silver)—which any precious metal exploration company would be extremely lucky to have.

Permanent magnets (the market for this type of magnet is estimated at $11.3 billion) and lithium-ion batteries (the global lithium-ion battery market size is estimated to be valued over US$100 billion by 2025) made from REES are central to:

The electrification of our transportation system

Clean green wind and solar energy

The whole spectrum of defense technologies that are vital to every military

Defense Metals will be targeting magnet manufacturers, lithium-ion battery manufacturers, green energy companies and defense contractors to buy their rare earth concentrate and oxides.

Rare earths are great multipliers, they are used in making everything from computer monitors and permanent magnets to lasers, guidance control systems and jet engines. In most cases there are no substitutes.

Shareholders of Defense Metals (TSX-V:DEFN, OTCQB:DFMTF, FSE:35D) can expect significant news flow starting soon. Metallurgical testing of the 30 tonne bulk sample continues and the company is planning on a massive drill program for 2019 leading to an NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate this fall.

While nearly all rare earth mining and processing currently takes place in China, the United States is making moves to end the monopoly.

This is great news for exploration/development companies like Defense Metals that can step in to replace foreign rare earths with domestic supply.

Defense Metals TSX-V:DEFN CA$0.15 May 3 OTCQB:DFMTF, FSE:35D Shares Outstanding 23.7 million Market cap CA$3.55 million Defense Metals website.

Richard (Rick) Mills aheadoftheherd.com Ahead of the Herd Twitter Ahead of the Herd FaceBook

Richard (Rick) Mills, AheadoftheHerd.com, lives on a 160-acre farm in northern British Columbia. Richard's articles have been published on over 400 websites, including: WallStreetJournal, USAToday, NationalPost, Lewrockwell, MontrealGazette, VancouverSun, CBSnews, HuffingtonPost, Beforeitsnews, Londonthenews, Wealthwire, CalgaryHerald, Forbes, Dallasnews, SGTreport, Vantagewire, Indiatimes, Ninemsn, Ibtimes, Businessweek, HongKongHerald, Moneytalks, SeekingAlpha, BusinessInsider, Investing.com, MSN.com and the Association of Mining Analysts.

Read what other experts are saying about:

Defense Metals Corp.

Sign up for our FREE newsletter at: www.streetwisereports.com/get-news

Disclosures: 1) Rick Mills: I, or members of my immediate household or family, own shares of the following companies mentioned in this article: Defense Metals. I personally am, or members of my immediate household or family are, paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. My company currently has a financial relationship with the following companies mentioned in this article: Defense Metals is an advertiser on Ahead of the Herd. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector. Additional disclosures/disclaimer below. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are sponsors of Streetwise Reports: Defense Metals. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. An affiliate of Streetwise Reports is conducting a digital media marketing campaign for this article on behalf of Defense Metals. Please click here for more information. 3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy. 4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. 5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this interview, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Defense Metals, a company mentioned in this article.

Legal Notice / Disclaimer

This document is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for any investment. Richard Mills has based this document on information obtained from sources he believes to be reliable but which has not been independently verified. Richard Mills makes no guarantee, representation or warranty and accepts no responsibility or liability as to its accuracy or completeness. Expressions of opinion are those of Richard Mills only and are subject to change without notice. Richard Mills assumes no warranty, liability or guarantee for the current relevance, correctness or completeness of any information provided within this Report and will not be held liable for the consequence of reliance upon any opinion or statement contained herein or any omission. Furthermore, I, Richard Mills, assume no liability for any direct or indirect loss or damage or, in particular, for lost profit, which you may incur as a result of the use and existence of the information provided within this Report.

Defense Metals (TSX.V:DEFN), is an advertiser on Richard's site aheadoftheherd.com. Richard owns shares of DEFN.

( Companies Mentioned: DEFN:TSX.V; DFMTF:OTC; 35D:FSEQB, )

from The Gold Report - Streetwise Exclusive Articles Full Text http://bit.ly/2DWIFCK

[technicalsolutions88]

Twitter’s ongoing, and possibly Sisyphean, effort of policing and removing nefarious content disseminated on its platform is taking another step forward today. The company’s safety team has disclosed the removal of another 10,112 accounts across six countries that were found to be actively spreading misinformation and encouraging unrest in politically sensitive climates.

The accounts noted today follow the same fault lines of unrest that you will find in the news at the moment: they include more than 4,000 each in United Arab Emirates and China, over 1,000 in Equador, and 259 in Spain. The full trove is being posted for researchers and others to parse and you can find it, and the wider archive — now numbering in the millions of Tweets and with one terabyte of media — here.

Today’s removals mark nearly one year of Twitter’s efforts to identify and remove accounts that are spreading political misinformation for the purposes of changing public sentiment — something that has wide-ranging impact beyond simply being annoyed on social media, including not least democratic processes like voting in elections or referendums. Today’s list is on par with some of the other notable disclosures Twitter has made every few months in the last year, such as its first removals process last October covering some 4,500 accounts out of Russia; but they are a far cry from its biggest removal effort to date, identifying and suspending some 200,000 accounts in China aimed at sowing discord in Hong Kong this past August.

Given that, if anything, Twitter is trying to make it easier, not harder, to open accounts and start using the service,  one could argue that trying to police the bad guys is a never-ending, and possibly impossible effort, since like the universe itself, Twitter just keeps expanding.

But on the other hand, it’s a necessary process, one that can help us learn about how social media is being misused (Twitter says that ‘thousands’ of researchers have accessed the data to date).

Those who are able can try to figure out ways to fix it, and we the public become smarter about spotting and passing over the bad stuff. Plus, in a climate where social networks are now getting increasingly scrutinised by governments for their role in aiding and abetting the bad actors, it also helps Twitter (and others that also identify and remove accounts, like Facebook) demonstrate that it is self-policing, making an effort and producing results, before states step in and do the policing for them. (Related sidenote: Just yesterday, Colin Crowell, Twitter’s VP of public policy for the last eight years, who had a big role in interfacing with the powers that be by overseeing lobbying efforts, announced yesterday that he would be stepping down.)

More details on the list announced today:

United Arab Emirates & Egypt: Twitter said it removed 267 accounts originating in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt. “These accounts were interconnected in their goals and tactics: a multi-faceted information operation primarily targeting Qatar, and other countries such as Iran. It also amplified messaging supportive of the Saudi government,” Twitter notes. Additionally, it identified that all these accounts came from one tech company called DotDev, which has also been permanently suspended (along with other accounts associated with it).

A separate group of 4,258 accounts operating from the UAE, mainly directed at Qatar and Yemen, were also removed. “These accounts were often employing false personae and tweeting about regional issues, such as the Yemeni Civil War and the Houthi Movement.”

Saudi Arabia: Just six accounts linked to Saudi Arabia’s state-run media apparatus were found to be “engaged in coordinated efforts to amplify messaging that was beneficial to the Saudi government.” The accounts presented themselves as journalists and media outlets.

Twitter also singled out the account of Saud al-Qahtani, a former media advisor to the King, for violations of its platform manipulation policies. (The account is not included in the archives disclosed today.)

Spain: Partido Popular — the Spanish political party founded by a former Franco minister that has been tied up in corruption scandals — was identified as operating some 259 accounts that were falsely boosting public sentiment online in Spain. The accounts were active for only a short time, Twitter notes.

Ecuador: There were 1,019 accounts removed this summer affiliated with the PAIS Alliance political party. The network of primarily fake accounts “was primarily engaged in spreading content about President Moreno’s administration, focusing on issues concerning Ecuadorian laws on freedom of speech, government censorship, and technology.”

China (PRC)/Hong Kong: It’s not 200,000 accounts as in August but still, another 4,302 accounts have been identified in helping to “sow discord about the protest movement in Hong Kong.”

As with previous datasets that Twitter has disclosed, the company notes that this is an ongoing effort that will see further announcements in the months ahead as more accounts are identified. But the question you have to ask is whether the company has been trying to figure out if there is a way of preventing these accounts from coming on to the platform in the first place.

from Social – TechCrunch https://ift.tt/30esDl6 Original Content From: https://techcrunch.com

[sheminecrafts]

Twitter discloses another 10,000 accounts suspended for fomenting political discord globally

Twitter’s ongoing, and possibly Sisyphean, effort of policing and removing nefarious content disseminated on its platform is taking another step forward today. The company’s safety team has disclosed the removal of another 10,112 accounts across six countries that were found to be actively spreading misinformation and encouraging unrest in politically sensitive climates.

The accounts noted today follow the same fault lines of unrest that you will find in the news at the moment: they include more than 4,000 each in United Arab Emirates and China, over 1,000 in Equador, and 259 in Spain. The full trove is being posted for researchers and others to parse and you can find it, and the wider archive — now numbering in the millions of Tweets and with one terabyte of media — here.

Today’s removals mark nearly one year of Twitter’s efforts to identify and remove accounts that are spreading political misinformation for the purposes of changing public sentiment — something that has wide-ranging impact beyond simply being annoyed on social media, including not least democratic processes like voting in elections or referendums. Today’s list is on par with some of the other notable disclosures Twitter has made every few months in the last year, such as its first removals process last October covering some 4,500 accounts out of Russia; but they are a far cry from its biggest removal effort to date, identifying and suspending some 200,000 accounts in China aimed at sowing discord in Hong Kong this past August.

Given that, if anything, Twitter is trying to make it easier, not harder, to open accounts and start using the service,  one could argue that trying to police the bad guys is a never-ending, and possibly impossible effort, since like the universe itself, Twitter just keeps expanding.

But on the other hand, it’s a necessary process, one that can help us learn about how social media is being misused (Twitter says that ‘thousands’ of researchers have accessed the data to date).

Those who are able can try to figure out ways to fix it, and we the public become smarter about spotting and passing over the bad stuff. Plus, in a climate where social networks are now getting increasingly scrutinised by governments for their role in aiding and abetting the bad actors, it also helps Twitter (and others that also identify and remove accounts, like Facebook) demonstrate that it is self-policing, making an effort and producing results, before states step in and do the policing for them. (Related sidenote: Just yesterday, Colin Crowell, Twitter’s VP of public policy for the last eight years, who had a big role in interfacing with the powers that be by overseeing lobbying efforts, announced yesterday that he would be stepping down.)

More details on the list announced today:

United Arab Emirates & Egypt: Twitter said it removed 267 accounts originating in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt. “These accounts were interconnected in their goals and tactics: a multi-faceted information operation primarily targeting Qatar, and other countries such as Iran. It also amplified messaging supportive of the Saudi government,” Twitter notes. Additionally, it identified that all these accounts came from one tech company called DotDev, which has also been permanently suspended (along with other accounts associated with it).

A separate group of 4,258 accounts operating from the UAE, mainly directed at Qatar and Yemen, were also removed. “These accounts were often employing false personae and tweeting about regional issues, such as the Yemeni Civil War and the Houthi Movement.”

Saudi Arabia: Just six accounts linked to Saudi Arabia’s state-run media apparatus were found to be “engaged in coordinated efforts to amplify messaging that was beneficial to the Saudi government.” The accounts presented themselves as journalists and media outlets.

Twitter also singled out the account of Saud al-Qahtani, a former media advisor to the King, for violations of its platform manipulation policies. (The account is not included in the archives disclosed today.)

Spain: Partido Popular — the Spanish political party founded by a former Franco minister that has been tied up in corruption scandals — was identified as operating some 259 accounts that were falsely boosting public sentiment online in Spain. The accounts were active for only a short time, Twitter notes.

Ecuador: There were 1,019 accounts removed this summer affiliated with the PAIS Alliance political party. The network of primarily fake accounts “was primarily engaged in spreading content about President Moreno’s administration, focusing on issues concerning Ecuadorian laws on freedom of speech, government censorship, and technology.”

China (PRC)/Hong Kong: It’s not 200,000 accounts as in August but still, another 4,302 accounts have been identified in helping to “sow discord about the protest movement in Hong Kong.”

As with previous datasets that Twitter has disclosed, the company notes that this is an ongoing effort that will see further announcements in the months ahead as more accounts are identified. But the question you have to ask is whether the company has been trying to figure out if there is a way of preventing these accounts from coming on to the platform in the first place.

from iraidajzsmmwtv https://ift.tt/30esDl6 via IFTTT

[bountyofbeads]

Excellent analysis on the crisis between Iran and Saudi Arabia, as well as, Trump.

The world ignored the warning signs – and now the Middle East is on the brink | Simon Tisdall

By Simon Tisdell | Published September 16, 2019 11:50 AM ET | The Guardian | Posted September 16, 2019 6:25 PM ET

Like a furious maelstrom, roiled by opposing currents, the crisis in the Gulf gains in intensity and destructive power almost by the day. On Sunday, Donald Trump said the US was “locked and loaded”, ready to respond to attacks on an oil facility in Saudi Arabia, in which it believes Iran was involved. But warning bells, akin to those used to alert fog-bound mariners steering towards rocks, have been ringing out for months. They have mostly been ignored. The daunting bill for multiple acts of political insouciance, measured in lives and petrodollars, is now coming due.

Trump is even trying to sell the Saudis nuclear technology. What would you think, were you in Iran’s shoes?

It’s easy and convenient to solely blame Iran, as American and British officials routinely do without conclusive evidence. Rather, it is serial western and regional miscalculations that have drawn us ineluctably into this dread vortex.

How can disaster be averted? Who can stop a slide into a wider war that could swiftly engulf regional states from Israel to Saudi Arabia, and drag in US, British and maybe even Russian forces? Clues can be found in the mistakes that led to this point. Answers, if they exist, will only come through informed statesmanship of the sort signally lacking so far.

Mention of which brings us, first, to Trump and Iran. Tehran’s regime has been viewed as a threat by the US since the 1979 revolution. But it was Trump, with his unrivalled ability to make bad situations worse, who ripped up the Iran nuclear deal on 8 May last year, imposed punitive economic sanctions, and sparked the immediate crisis. His enmity has hurt Iran’s citizens – but not the regime.

In erring so idiotically, Trump preferred the advice of his discredited former national security adviser, John Bolton, over the personal pleadings of Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron. He also gave short shrift to his chum Boris Johnson, then foreign secretary, who made a last-minute dash to Washington. A damaging rift with Europe over Iran began that day.

Iran’s fractious, fractured leadership rallied, improbably unified by Trump. Military and clerical hardliners are now taking the fight – a fight, as they see it, against regime change by the US – to their enemies, principally the Saudis and Israelis.

Old geopolitical faultlines were recklessly aggravated and inflamed. Any sensible policy would seek to balance the regional claims of Shia Muslim Iran and the Sunni house of Saud. But the west – turning a blind eye for decades to pitiless autocracy, legalised misogyny and religious bigotry – has continued to court Riyadh and its corrupting riches.

Here again Trump jumped in, making shockwaves. Not content to cement the Saudi alliance during his first overseas visit as president, Trump made crown prince Mohammed bin Salman his new best friend. When the dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi agents, Trump turned defence attorney. He is even trying to sell Salman nuclear technology. What would you think, were you in Iran’s shoes?

The failure of US and British leaders, among others, to halt Salman’s disastrous war of choice in Yemen marked another stage in this downward spiral. Ignoring war crimes and what the UN calls a worst-in-the-world humanitarian catastrophe, they continue to peddle arms, advice and diplomatic cover for Riyadh.

When the Yemen civil war began in 2015, there was scant evidence of active Iranian military support for the Houthi rebels. Yet now, reacting opportunistically to US attrition, Tehran’s Revolutionary Guards are apparently supplying – directly or indirectly – the drones, missiles and limpet mines used to attack Saudi oil fields, airfields and tankers.

What a result. Let’s presume to question the US’s chief diplomat, Mike Pompeo, about this extraordinary own goal. Hey, Mike, how do you turn a disagreement into a war? His answer: punch your opponent into a corner from which he cannot escape. What did Trump, Bolton and CIA director Gina Haspel think would happen when the US shredded the enrichment deal? What’s happening is that Iran is resuming the very activities that so alarm them.

Or here’s a question for another well-known international statesman: Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Is Iran already seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, as you claim – or are your pressure tactics more or less guaranteeing that it will? If it does, then that, surely, will be in large part thanks to your endless sabre-rattling. How does this make Israel safer?

Related: Trump is seriously, frighteningly unstable - the world is in danger | Robert Reich

This threat of general conflagration, whipped up by design or sheer incompetence, now overshadows the region as a whole. In the name of repulsing Iran, Israel is almost daily engaged in covert military operations against Tehran’s allies and proxy forces in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria – where, shamefully, civil war still rages.

It gets worse. Reports from Kuwait say the drones that hit the Saudi oil installations at the weekend overflew the country, suggesting they came from Shia militia bases in Iraq. In this  developing regional war, Israel and the Saudis are, in effect, on the same side. Iraq’s government wants no part of it. But, thanks to the vacuum left by the US after the 2003-11 occupation, Tehran wields considerable influence in Baghdad.

The very last thing Iraqis want is the Americans coming back, using their territory as a forward base in a wider Iranian siege. Yet Trump suggested exactly that last year. Can this scenario be ruled out? Not entirely. And so reason takes flight and the maelstrom builds. Urgently needed now are competent leaders who know how to calm a storm before all are sucked under.

• Simon Tisdall is a foreign affairs commentator