Mueller Probe End Date?
“Insiders say.” No names, as usual. And, no proof it’s for real.
That is, if Mueller makes it to February with a job.
Acting AG Whitaker isn’t too thrilled with the way he’s handling things.
He’s warned that the investigation will “start to look like a political fishing expedition. This would not only be out of character for a respected figure like Mueller, but also could be damaging to the President of the United States and his family — and by extension, to the country.”
In other words, the time has come to end the Mueller probe once and for all.
The acting attorney general knows it.
American voters know it.
The White House knows it.
Finally, it seems Mueller and his team have agreed.
Seems February 15 is the rumored date.
American Involvement in The Middle East
I am posting a couple of articles about Afghanistan and Syria. I ask those interested to take the time to read the full articles at the links and to evaluate their veracity – also check out the authors.
The one country not included is Turkey. Up until 923, it was an Islamic Caliphate when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk became president and brought about major reforms, one of which was a non-secular government where Islam played no role.
However, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the current president, is moving the country away from being a firm NATO ally to what he wants as another Caliphate. Perhaps with himself as Grand Vizier or Pasha or whatever.
We not find ourselves facing off against a one-time ally, Iran, and Russia.
With all of that, what is the sense of our remaining there and spilling our precious blood for people who do not believe in and are culturally unable to accept our Western values?
Some claim that if we pull out, we will find ourselves facing Jihadis here at home.
If we truly have good border security, we should be able to have a more than fair chance of stopping them.
Here is my own personal feelings about the situation; Donald Trump campaigned about getting us out of Afghanistan and the Middle East. In spite of our generals and some forever-diplomatic nerds, he wants to keep that promise. Perhaps, if the American people know what his intelligence is telling him about the area, they would fully support his withdrawal of forces from Syria and half of our troops from Afghanistan. He has also indicated a desire of removing troops from other areas not of direct impact on our national security.
I, for one, fully support his efforts.
The Taliban are Pakistani Puppets
I don’t think I’ve ever read anything before that more clearly describes the situation in Afghanistan than this.
And it clearly describes why our foreign policy toward Pakistan is so out of comprehensibility. Who was hiding Osama Bin Laden:?
And then, it gets down to a major problem in the area, the discord between Pakistan and India.
Chaotic Kashmir
The Pakistani military effort to create enough violence on the Indian border to justify calling India a major threat to Pakistan, is having some success. India is treating the area more as a war zone. India is now ruling Kashmir directly, not via a local governor. More troops have been moved to the northwest. On the border that separates Indian and Pakistani Kashmir, cross border attacks (mainly from Pakistan) are more frequent. Pakistan has been using snipers more often, many of them equipped with night vision sights. Pakistani attacks are up more than 63 over 2017 and 2018 isn’t over yet. From 2016 to 2017 attacks were up 96 percent so one might be able to take some solace from the fact that the rate of annual increase has diminished. Since 2016 about 120 have died on the Indian side of the border with more than five times as many wounded. Most of the casualties are civilians but the increasing use of snipers targets troops. The mortar shells often land deeper inside India and harm civilians who live and work close to the border.
This is a very long article with a major emphasis on what’s wrong in the area. It clearly explains why President Trump is absolutely right about withdrawing half our troops from the area. It’s clear to me that a whole lot of so-called journalists need to read this.
Afghans To Trump: Your Troop Withdrawal Plan Could Derail Peace Process
What peace process?
As usual, our oh so bright diplomats are talking to the wrong people. In addition, Afghanistan’s central government has little or no sway over the hundreds of tribal chiefs who ignore it. They only care about their own little fiefdoms.
Afghan officials have already expressed their displeasure with Trump’s push for peace talks because Taliban representatives have refused to meet with envoys from the Kabul government, insisting they first want the U.S. to agree to pull out all foreign troops from Afghanistan.
President Ashraf Ghani’s government has insisted that any peace process be Afghan-led, and some of his aides have reportedly felt betrayed by Trump’s apparent haste to bring U.S. involvement in the war to an end.
“Our people want lasting peace, not a hurried deal that ignores our sacrifices,” Hamdullah Mohib, Ghani’s national security adviser and a former Afghan ambassador to Washington, tweeted Thursday. “Peace efforts require strategic patience, tact, and courage — not improvisation without direction.”
It’s all a farce.
Hillary Clinton Slams Trump's Withdrawal From Syria @ https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/hillary-clinton-trump-syria-troops/2018/12/21/id/895513/
Rep. Banks: No Time to Pull Troops From Afghanistan @ https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/jim-banks-afghanistan-troops-syria/2018/12/21/id/895508/
Sen. Lindsey Graham Calls for Hearings on Trump's Syria, Afghanistan Troop Moves @ https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/lindsey-graham-syria-afghanistan-trump/2018/12/21/id/895489/
U.S. State Department says special envoy McGurk resigns @ https://www.oann.com/u-s-special-envoy-mcgurk-submits-early-resignation-after-syria-pullout-decision-cbs/
Because he objects to the president’s withdrawal of troops from Syria
Clearing out the swamp?
After U.S. Troops Leave Syria, What Happens Next?
A limited U.S. military role in Syria has had an outsize impact over the past four years.
A “limited presence?” An estimated 2,000 troops is a limited presence? Gimme a break.
And how are we helping the Kurds fight the rebels when Turkey – our supposed ally – is trying to wipe out the Kurds?
Iran and Russia claim a victory: Iran has invested heavily with military and economic assistance to prop up Assad since the beginning of the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent military forces to support Syria in 2015, the year after the U.S. entered the war.
Both Iran and Russia would view it as a major success if the American military leaves and Assad continues to consolidate power. The same would be true for Hezbollah, the Lebanese group that has fought alongside Assad's forces.
Turkey launches offensive against the Kurds: While the U.S. has partnered with the YPG, the Syrian Kurdish militia, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan views them as terrorists who threaten his country. Turkey has signaled it wants to launch an offensive in northern Syria against the Kurdish group. Such a move could destabilize a mostly calm area, displacing civilians and touching off new refugee flows.
So what? Our president is doing what should have been done years ago – getting out of another place we have no business being in.
On Syria Withdrawal, Trump Reportedly Ignored Mattis For The Umpteenth Time @ https://taskandpurpose.com/trump-ignored-mattis/
Kurds Discuss Releasing 3,200 ISIS Prisoners After Trump Threatens Pullout From Syria @ https://taskandpurpose.com/sdf-prisoners-isis-release/
Syria conflict: Trump's withdrawal plan shocks allies @ https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46628811
Senators Urge Trump to Abandon Syria Pullout @ https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/lindsey-graham-senators-trump-abandon/2018/12/20/id/895306/
Syria’s Kurds reel from U.S. move, Assad seen planning next step @ https://www.oann.com/syrias-kurds-reel-from-u-s-move-assad-seen-planning-next-step/
France to stay in Syria after Trump orders US troops home @ https://www.rt.com/newsline/446927-france-stay-syria-trump/
Saudi Crown Prince MbS Sends Replacement Troops To Defend Kurds in Syria…
I wonder if maybe this wasn’t a behind-the-door deal between the prince and the president. It sure seems timely.
Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and the DC Decepticons are concerned about the Kurdish groups in Syria as the President Trump withdraws U.S. forces. The concern stems from a possibility of Turkey taking hostile action toward our Kurdish allies. However, a new report from the region highlights Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman is sending his forces to replace the U.S. troops.
Since when do the Dims truly care about our military adventurism?
Now let’s consider the brilliance of this move.
First, remember Turkish President Recep Erdogan was the antagonist in the Kashoggi matter and Erdogan orchestrated the blame toward Saudi Crown Prince MbS. There is no better motivated mid-east ally to protect the Kurds against any military action by Turkey other than MbS. No doubt MbS and UAE will send their best forces.
Secondly, what military equipment will MbS and the UAE be shipping along with their military troops? Those would be military purchases directly from the U.S.
Third, who stood up against international pressure and refused to condemn MbS over the Kashoggi matter? That would be a strategic U.S. President Trump. MbS owes a favor; see how that works?
Fourth, what leverage does U.S President Trump have toward Turkey in order to further facilitate no hostile action? That would be the economic leverage of current sanctions against Iran; and the option of controlling/punishing any economic engagement therein.
So to summarize: President Trump withdraws U.S. troops from Syria, and leverages his relationship with MbS to step up to replace them, thereby eliminating any concern that Turkey might take hostile action toward our Kurdish allies in Northern Syria.
Saudi Arabia, UAE, And Jordan Will Send Troops To Support Kurds In Syria While U.S. Forces Leave @ https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20181122-saudi-arabia-uae-send-troops-to-support-kurds-in-syria/
So the president wants out of Afghanistan: What happens next?
This entire article is a whining commentary about our pulling out written by another one of those brainy “experts” with certificate all over their walls without any actual military service.
Read the full piece @ https://warontherocks.com/2018/12/so-the-president-wants-out-of-afghanistan-what-happens-next/
Just saw something that Blackwater may return to Afghanistan as the US forces pull out. High-paying jobs for ex-military types.
President Trump Says Turkey Can Take Care of 'Whatever Remains' of the Islamic State in Syria @ http://time.com/5487559/trump-turkey-syria-troops/
Syria Deploys Reinforcements in Response to President Trump's Plan to Pull U.S. Troops @ http://time.com/5487535/trump-syria-reinforcements/
President Trump is Smarter than the Generals
A viewpoint created by those who oppose anything the president does.
Of the many controversial things Trump said during the campaign, none seemed to grate more than his suggestion that he “knows more about ISIS than the generals do, believe me.” It turns out, that’s true. Not only did he step on the gas against ISIS and abandon the parallel (and contradictory) goal of regime change in Syria, he also knows that a successful campaign must eventually be brought to a conclusion.
If ISIS does reemerge, it’s not the responsibility of the United States but those governments in the region who should be responsible for their own defense and security. The American voters have said that we can no longer be the policeman for the world.
Today Trump is behaving with the shrewdness and self-awareness of a civilian commander-in-chief who knows, with Clemenceau, that war is too important to be left to the generals. Trump recognizes too, with another French leader, Charles de Gaulle, that the cemeteries are full of indispensable men.
From another good article @ https://amgreatness.com/2018/12/21/mattis-is-wrong-this-scholar-general-was-right/
Federal Government Spent More on Food Stamps in 1 Month Than Trump Wants for 1 Year on Wall
You won’t believe this!
On Friday, CNS News Editor-in-Chief Terence P. Jeffrey pointed out a staggering statistic: Despite constant foot-dragging in Congress, the sum requested by Trump for the southern border security wall is just a drop in the bucket compared to how much the nation spends on food stamps.
“The federal government spent more money on the food stamp program in October, which was the first month of fiscal 2019, than President Donald Trump now wants the Congress to approve for the border wall for the entirety of fiscal 2019,” he wrote.
Sure enough, information from the Department of the Treasury confirmed that the federal government spent $5,892,000,000 on food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
And that was just for one month.
And food stamp participation has been drastically REDUCED since the president took office!
The President’s Border Wall
I saw a meme where a ladder and a mattress overcame the height and spikes.
Anti-Trump Activists Launch ‘Ladders to Get Over Trump’s Wall’ GoFundMe Page @ http://www.truthandaction.org/anti-trump-activists-launch-ladders-get-trumps-wall-gofundme-page/
The Government Wastes Billions of Tax Dollars on Pork Projects,
but Can’t Seem to Scrape Up $5 Billion for Border Security
This shouldn’t surprise anyone!
The $14.7 billion in FY 2018 earmarks is more than half of the record $29 billion in FY 2006. At the rate of increase over FY 2017, earmarks could exceed the FY 2006 figure in two years.
Here’s a brief:
……$10,000,000 for high energy cost grants within the Rural Utilities Service (RUS).
……$65,000,000 for Pacific coastal salmon recovery, a 333.3 percent increase from the $15 million last earmarked in FY 2015, and the largest earmark ever for this purpose.
……$57,500,000 for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, which provides grants, training, and technical assistance to local law enforcement.
……$2,674,600,000 for 20 additional F-35 JSF aircraft, including 10 for the Air Force, eight for the Navy, and two for the Marine Corps, a 434.9 percent increase in cost from the $500 million earmarked for JSFs in FY 2017, and the most ever earmarked for the JSF in one year. The money earmarked for the F-35 represents 18.2 percent of the $14.7 billion in earmarks for FY 2018
……$593,000,000 for two earmarks funding the continued upgrade of the M1 Abrams tank to the M1A2SEP variant, an astounding 1,382.5 percent increase over the $40 million earmarked in FY 2016, and the largest earmark ever for this program.
……$544,075,000 for three earmarks funding the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the largest amount ever earmarked for the vessel.
……$25,000,000 for alternative energy research, a 66.7 percent increase from the $15 million earmarked in FY 2017.
……$17,000,000 for the Asia Foundation, which is “committed to improving lives across a dynamic and developing Asia.”
There’s a ton of obscene waste, pork, and earmarks they could cut, but instead they pander to special interests and the usual bunch of outstretched hands. When military leaders tell you to stop wasting money on equipment and weapons they don’t need and don’t work, you know it’s gotten out of control.
Trump Has Discussed Firing U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Powell
Good for him!
I think creating of a “private” body to control the currency of the United States was and is a bad idea. I wish he would order a full audit of that agency and demand open accountability.
The Dow had the worst week since the 2008 financial crisis, while the Nasdaq sank into bear market territory.
Any attempt to fire Powell could be seen as undermining the central bank's independence from the administration.
Bullets Capable of Obliterating Armor
Not just armor piercing – armor destroying.
Lord above, one has to pray something like that never lands in the hands of Jihadists or just plain nut cases.
The main element of a new bullet is a special penetrator. It has a large amount of kinetic energy and will penetrate any existing or known armour. But new bullet also included of a special high-explosive incendiary module. The initial collision ignites the incendiary material in the tip, triggering the detonation of the high-explosive charge. The second incendiary charge will also ignite. This burns at a very high temperature and is not easily extinguished.
Here’s All The Sweet Gear US Troops Will Rock Downrange In 2019
They say it’s coming in 2019 but I got a gut feeling it’ll be longer than that.
An M4 replacement — for Marines, at least
New sniper systems for Marines
Lighter body armor for soldier
New night vision goggles for Marines
Boomsticks for both soldiers and Marines!
All the explanations @ https://taskandpurpose.com/army-marine-corps-weapons-gear-2019/
The 7 Biggest Problems Facing The US Navy
The article doesn’t include 40-plus year-old ships that are being held together by spit and bubble gum.
Here’s what it does state:
1. Training
2. Maintenance backlog
3. Overworked sailors
4. Unrealistic budgeting
5. Aging aircraft
6. Too few pilots
7. The F-35
It provides the full GAO report – too small to read without a magnifying glass @ https://taskandpurpose.com/7-biggest-problems-us-navy/
Prosecutors close Steven Seagal sex assault inquiry without charges
Wonder if he went there because of the charges.
Los Angeles prosecutors said on Friday they were declining to bring a criminal case against actor Steven Seagal stemming from an allegation that he sexually assaulted a minor in 2002, citing California’s statute of limitations.
The decision marked the second time this year the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office decided against charging Seagal with a crime in connection with an accusation of sexual assault from more than a decade in the past.
The above ignores the fact that the prosecutors says there was insufficient corroborating evidence.
Democrat Financier GEORGE SOROS Found Guilty in France for Insider Trading
He’s financed the caravans.
He put a lot of money into Shrillary’s campaign and against President Trump.
After a 14-year investigation, a French court today convicted the American financier George Soros of insider trading and fined him 2.2 million euros ($2.3 million), the amount prosecutors said he had profited from the trading. Mr. Soros, who was not present in the courtroom, called the verdict unfounded and said he would appeal.
Mr. Soros, chairman and president of Soros Fund Management, is one of the world’s richest fund managers, and probably its most famous. He is best known for making huge and very successful speculative bets in currency markets, and for his extensive philanthropy, most notably in countries of Eastern Europe.
Prosecutors accused Mr. Soros of buying stakes in four formerly state-owned companies in France, including one of the country’s leading banks, Société Générale, for his Quantum Endowment Fund in 1988 based on confidential information. The stakes were worth a total of about $50 million at the time.
He’s only going to be fined the equivalent of $2,3 million for his crime – a mere drop in the bucket to the billionaire.
Hungary Hits Back at Financial Times: Soros an ‘Enemy of Democracy’, Not ‘Person of the Year’ @ https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2018/12/22/hungary-ft-soros-enemy-democracy-not-person-year/
Muslims in Europe Becoming Less Secular, More Radical
“Salafism, more than the Muslim Brotherhood, is investing in the socialisation of children and women,” he noted, and added that radical Salafists were using materials to “promote a soft Salafism ” centred around the needs of the community and poor which he warned could entice and radicalise young people.
On the topic of integration, Dassetto said that it was failing despite repeated attempts by governments, saying: “studies say that even the third and fourth generation youngsters, the children of parents born here, they maintain a certain hesitation about their belonging.”
They will never, ever assimilate!
How Emergency Room Visits are Squeezing Patients
Some time back, I fell and couldn’t get up. My wife called 911 and the paramedics showed up, along with an ambulance. Ended up be taken about 7 miles to this ER. Over $1,200 just for the ambulance ride and the hospital then billed my medical insurance over $5k for a one day stay!
Total ripoff.
And this article confirms it.
A $5,571 bill to sit in a waiting room, $238 eyedrops, and a $60 ibuprofen tell the story of how emergency room visits are squeezing patients.
This comes from the author going through 1,182 ER bills. Here are the findings:
1) The prices are high — even for things you can buy in a drugstore
2) Going to an in-network hospital doesn’t mean you’ll be seen by in-network doctors
3) You can be charged just for sitting in a waiting room
4) It is really hard for patients to advocate for themselves in an emergency room setting
[I told them over and over again that I wanted to go to the military hospital at the Air Force base and finally ended checking myself out Against Medical Advice]
5) Congress wants to do something about the issue
[What a joke! Congress will never do anything regardless which party has the majority]
The full article with stunning facts @ https://www.vox.com/health-care/2018/12/18/18134825/emergency-room-bills-health-care-costs-america
High Surf and Dangerous Waves on the West Coast
I’ll bet surfers are showing up from all around the world. The biggest waves supposedly are north of San Francisco.
Another video @ https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/west-coast-battles-massive-winds-and-waves-1399052355564
Cyclonic winds, rushing down from Alaska had nothing else to batter against, so they smacked into the water across miles of open ocean. The winds pushed and ground and heaved against the waves, making them bigger, more sustained and more powerful. By the time these waves reached the U.S. shoreline, they were massive, prompting the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue high-surf alerts up and down the West Coast beginning Sunday (Dec. 16) and in many cases remaining in effect until midday today (Dec. 18).
I’m now waiting to see reports about how these “cyclonic winds” are the results of man-made Climate Change.
The Carpenters Redux
I absolutely loved her voice and was deeply saddened at her untimely death. So glad her brother has remastered some of their works. Looking forward to hearing it.
In the new collection, “Carpenters with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,” Richard Carpenter gave new string arrangements to many of the duo’s classic recordings from the late 1960s through the early 1980s, including “Close to You” and “Superstar,” and pushed his sister’s unmistakable voice even more to the fore than it already was.
“I think it’s the best album we’ve ever made,” Carpenter, 72, told The Associated Press in an interview at his Southern California home this week.
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