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sackface93 · 5 years

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NHS GPs to prescribe 800 calorie 'liquid diet' of shakes and soups to tackle type 2 diabetes - The Independent

Thousands of NHS patients are set to be prescribed a “liquid diet” of soups and shakes which limit them to just 800 calories a day in a bid to address soaring rates of type 2 diabetes.

Very low-calorie diets will be available with a GP referral for the first time as NHS bosses say they are “ramping up” action to prevent hundreds of thousands of obesity linked diseases.

NHS England’s pilot will see 5,000 patients offered the diet, which substitutes all meals with nutritionally balanced drinks for three months before gradually returning to a regular diet with support to adopt healthier eating habits.

Experts told The Independent that around one in eight patients offered the diet could “reverse their diabetes” and reduce the risk of amputations and other complications.

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However, it is not an option that is attractive to everyone – and while it appears to be more effective than other diet trends, patients’ ability to keep weight off longer term is still being reviewed.

“This is not for Mr Joe Bloggs who is a bit overweight and doesn’t have diabetes,” Professor Naveed Sattar, an expert in metabolic medicine from Glasgow University, told The Independent.

“This is for people with diabetes who have a strong incentive to lose that weight.”

Mr Sattar was part of the initial trial that showed the scheme can induce diabetes remission and said that while it isn’t cheap – the drinks cost around £40-50 a month and there needs to be significant support from staff – it was “definitely cost-effective for the NHS”.

“If this works it might end up reversing diabetes in one in eight, that’s a best-case scenario, but it does work in people who are motivated and want to take it up.”

The escalation of the NHS fight against type 2 diabetes comes as a group of doctors and researchers, including Mr Sattar, said the government is not doing enough to counter the obesity epidemic.

In the same mould as the sugar tax, they called for more legislation to force food manufacturers to reduce fat and label calories in takeaway meals, and challenged “conspiracy thinking” which is causing a boom in high fat diets.

One consequence of rising obesity is that diabetes rates have doubled since 1998. The condition now affects 3.7 million people in the UK and nine in 10 of these patients have type 2 diabetes, which is closely linked to weight and diet.

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1/50 29 November 2018

Waves hit the British coast as Storm Diana approaches, in Portreath, Cornwall

StuCornell/Twitter/Reuters

2/50 28 November 2018

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stand with Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha (left), the son of Leicester City's chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, and his mother Aimon watched by Leicester City players (right) as they pause after laying flowers during their visit to the King Power Stadium in Leicester, to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the October 27 helicopter crash at the stadium. The chairman was among five people killed when his helicopter crashed in the side's stadium car park moments after taking off from the pitch

AFP/Getty

3/50 27 November 2018

A demonstrator wearing a mask of Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg poses outside Portcullis house to question the refusal of Zuckerberg to give evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee investigation into disinformation and fake news at the Houses of Parliament in London. Facebook boss Richard Allan is expected to be among a number of officials giving evidence to an "international grand committee" on disinformation and fake news

AFP/Getty

4/50 26 November 2018

Artist Joseph Hillier and his sculpture - Messenger, depicting "a young powerful woman", which will be unveiled next year for Theatre Royal Plymouth. The sculpture, spanning seven metres high and nine metres wide, is too large to be put together at Castle Fine Arts foundry, near Oswestry, so it's being made in sections with 30 master craftsmen to weld them together

5/50 25 November 2018

Prime Minister Theresa May gives a press conference at the end of the European Council meeting in Brussels. The leaders of the 27 remaining EU member countries (EU27) have endorsed the draft Brexit withdrawal agreement and approved the draft political declaration on future EU-UK relations in a special meeting of the European Council on Britain leaving the EU under Article 50

EPA

6/50 24 November 2018

Environmental activists gather around a mock 'coffin', with "our future" written on it, on the green in Parliament Square during a demonstration organised by the movement Extinction Rebellion, calling on the British government to take action on climate and ecological issues. After a week of protest action disrupting the traffic on bridges in central London over the Thames, the social movement Extinction Rebellion, planned a 'funeral march' to highlight what they describe as a climate and ecological emergency. Extinction Rebellion demands that the UK government reduces to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 and creates a citizens assembly to oversee changes in environmental policies

AFP/Getty

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England batsman Jonny Bairstow celebrates after reaching his century during Day One of the Third Test match against Sri Lanka at Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo

Getty

8/50 22 November 2018

Prime Minister Theresa May joins a parent and baby group during a visit to the Kentish Town Health Centre in London

Reuters

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Prime Minister Theresa May speaking at the CBI annual conference at InterContinental Hotel. Ms May, speaking at the CBI conference, said it was “important” that the UK had escaped EU rules by the 2022 election, but did not give a guarantee

12/50 18 November 2018

England's Harry Kane celebrates with team mate Jesse Lingard after he scored the winning goal against Croatia, after coming from 0-1 down during their Nations League match at Wembley Stadium. The win means that England process to the semi-finals of the new competition and relegate Croatia

AFP/Getty

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Demonstrators on Westminster Bridge in London for a protest called by Extinction Rebellion to raise awareness of the dangers posed by climate change

14/50 16 November 2018

Environment Secretary Michael Gove speaking outside the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs offices. He confirmed he will remain in post and thinks it is important to continue working with Cabinet colleagues to ensure the best Brexit outcome for the country

15/50 15 November 2018

Theresa May chuckles at a press conference in Downing Street after a tough day in which multiple cabinet members have resigned and a number of MPs have tabled votes of no confidence in her leadership

Reuters

16/50 14 November 2018

Pro-European Union, anti-Brexit demonstrators hold placards and wave Union and EU flags as they protest outside of the Houses of Parliament. British and European Union negotiators have reached a draft agreement on Brexit

AFP/Getty

17/50 13 November 2018

Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab leaves Downing Street. Prime Minister Theresa May today faced her divided ministers as negotiators scrambled to secure a divorce agreement with the European Union and anxiety mounted over the risk of a no-deal Brexit

18/50 12 November 2018

Berlin Mayor Michael Mueller (centre) welcomes Madrid Mayor Manuela Carmena (left) and London Mayor Sadiq Khan at City Hall in Berlin. The three city leaders are meeting to discuss common challenges, including the consequences of Brexit, immigration and the growth of right-wing populism

Getty

19/50 11 November 2018

Prince Charles, and President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier face the Cenotaph during the Remembrance Sunday ceremony on Whitehall in London. On the 100th anniversary of the World War I armistice, the day's events mark the final First World War Centenary commemoration events hosted by the UK Government

AFP/Getty

20/50 10 November 2018

Fans, players and staff pay tribute inside of the King Power stadium as a silence is observed in memory of Leicester City chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha prior to their Premier League match against Burnley. The first time a match has been played in the stadium since the owners helicopter crash

Getty

21/50 9 November 2018

Transport Minister Jo Johnson has resigned in protest of the Government's Brexit plan and called for a Final Say referendum

EPA

22/50 8 November 2018

Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt delivers a speech at the British embassy in Paris. Britain's foreign secretary says Brexit negotiations are in "the final phase" and that he is confident that an agreement will be reached with the European Union.

23/50 7 November 2018

Captain James Pugh places a figure among artist Rob Heard's installation Shrouds of the Somme, which honours the dead of the First World War, at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. 72,396 small shrouded figures, representing soldiers who died and were never recovered from the Somme battlefields, have been laid out by volunteers and members of 1 Royal Anglian Regiment

24/50 6 November 2018

Adrian Lester, Sir Lenny Henry, Ade Adepitan, Nadine Marsh-Edwards, Marcus Ryder and Meera Syal, as they deliver a letter, signed by a string of stars, to 10 Downing Street, calling for tax breaks to effect change and boost diversity behind the camera

25/50 5 November 2018

EU nationals, living in the UK take part in a demonstration along Whitehall. Three campaign groups, 'the3million', 'British in Europe', and UNISON came together to form a human chain from Downing Street to Parliament Square and lobby MPs

Getty

26/50 4 November 2018

The Leicester City team with Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha (centre in white uniform) son of Leicester City's Thai owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha while they pay their respects during the second day of the funeral ceremony at Wat Thepsirin Buddhist temple in Bangkok. Players and staff from the club arrived in Bangkok to attend a mourning rite for the club's chairman, whose death last week in a helicopter crash stunned the Premier League club

King Power/AFP/Getty

27/50 3 November 2018

The Edenbridge Bonfire Society celebrity guy, Boris Johnson, is set on fire in Kent

28/50 2 November 2018

Wreaths reading 'THE BOSS', for Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, left by Leicester City players outside the King Power stadium. Chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, was among those to have tragically lost their lives on Saturday evening when a helicopter carrying him and four other people crashed outside the stadium

29/50 1 November 2018

Google staff stage a walkout at the company's UK headquarters in London as part of a global campaign over the US tech giant's handling of sexual harassment. Hundreds of employees also walked out of their European headquarters in Dublin, as well as, other offices in different parts of the world

AFP/Getty

30/50 31 October 2018

Protesters block Parliament Square in London as the environmental group Extinction Rebellion launches a mass civil disobedience campaign demanding action on climate change

31/50 30 October 2018

British Prime Minister Theresa May, right, listens to Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, center, flanked by Lithuania's Health Minister, Aurelijus Veryga at the Oslo Cancer Cluster for a summit to discuss the role of health technology. Speaking from Oslo, May says this week's austerity-easing British budget does not signal an impending election

NTB scanpix via AP

32/50 29 October 2018

Chancellor Philip Hammond holds his red ministerial box outside 11 Downing Street flanked by Treasury colleagues (left to right) Robert Jenrick, Liz Truss, Mel Stride and John Glen, before heading to the House of Commons to deliver his Budget

33/50 28 October 2018

Supporters pause to look at floral tributes outside Leicester City Football Club's King Power Stadium after a helicopter belonging to the club's chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha crashed outside the stadium the night before. It was confirmed late on Sunday evening that the charismatic Thai chairman died alongside four other people in the crash

AFP/Getty

34/50 27 October 2018

Glenn Hoddle is taken to hospital after falling ill at the BT Sport studio

Getty

35/50 26 October 2018

A man has been arrested for the attempted theft of a copy of Magna Carta from Salisbury Cathedral, one of the four remaining originals of the historic document of English liberty

Reuters

36/50 25 October 2018

Retail business man Sir Philip Green has been named in Parliament for sexual harassment of staff

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37/50 24 October 2018

The Daily Telegraph today reports that they were subject to a gagging order to prohibit them publishing the details of a leading businessman who is facing allegations of sexual assault and racial abuse

38/50 23 October 2018

Thousands of female workers have today taken to the streets of Glasgow over an equal pay dispute with the City Council

39/50 22 October 2018

Former Metropolitan Police commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe who has called for an "urgent review" of the evidence around legislation of cannabis. Hogan-Howe, who has always supported tough laws on cannabis, investigated the issue for Channel 4's Dispatches programme.

40/50 21 October 2018

The Red Funnel car ferry, Red Falcon, which earlier collided with several small boats due to bad weather, passes the mast of a submerged yacht as she leaves East Cowes on the Isle of Wight bound for Southampton

41/50 20 October 2018

Anti-Brexit campaigners lowering a banner off Westminster Bridge in London before taking part in the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum

42/50 19 October 2018

Members of a grooming gang who abused vulnerable girls in Huddersfield have been jailed for a total of more than 220 years. Three trials at Leeds Crown Court this year heard how at least 15 victims were groomed and raped in the West Yorkshire town between 2004 and 2011. They were aged between 11 and 17 when they were "deliberately targeted" by older men and trafficked across the region

West Yorkshire Police

43/50 18 October 2018

Theresa May leaves after a news conference at the European Union leaders summit in Brussels

Reuters

44/50 17 October 2018

Police officers with a bomb disposal robot on Victoria Embankment opposite Scotland Yard police headquarters in central London after emergency services were alerted to reports of a suspicious package

AFP/Getty

45/50 16 October 2018

Scottish Power will become the first major UK energy company to generate the entirety of its power from wind after selling its remaining gas and hydro stations to Drax in a £702 million deal

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46/50 15 October 2018

Prime Minister Theresa May peers into a hot water urn during a meeting at a social group in Vauxhall from a charity working to combat loneliness at the launch of the first loneliness strategy. Launching the strategy, May confirmed English GPs will be able to refer lonely people to community and voluntary activities by 2023, as she paid tribute to murdered Labour MP Jo Cox, who had campaigned to end loneliness before her death

47/50 14 October 2018

Jeremy Hunt hosting eastern European Foreign Ministers at the Foreign Secretary's official country residence ahead of tomorrow's meetings at the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg where chemical weapons sanctions will be formally adopted

48/50 13 October 2018

Police stop a breakaway from the main Football Lads alliance march, as they attempt to get close to a rival anti-facist demonstration in London

49/50 12 October 2018

Waves hit Cawsand, Cornwall as Storm Callum arrives to the UK

50/50 11 October 2018

Former Prime Minister John Major has spoken out against the launch of Universal Credit (the Government's new benefit model). Claiming that it will hurt families of "already meagre living standards", he suggested that the policy could be similarly damaging to Theresa May as Poll Tax was to Margaret Thatcher

1/50 29 November 2018

Waves hit the British coast as Storm Diana approaches, in Portreath, Cornwall

StuCornell/Twitter/Reuters

2/50 28 November 2018

AFP/Getty

3/50 27 November 2018

AFP/Getty

4/50 26 November 2018

5/50 25 November 2018

EPA

6/50 24 November 2018

AFP/Getty

7/50 23 November 2018

England batsman Jonny Bairstow celebrates after reaching his century during Day One of the Third Test match against Sri Lanka at Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo

Getty

8/50 22 November 2018

Prime Minister Theresa May joins a parent and baby group during a visit to the Kentish Town Health Centre in London

Reuters

9/50 21 November 2018

A crashed car, with an object protruding through the windscreen, sits abandoned on the A628 in the Peak District, as a blast of snow hit the north of England

10/50 20 November 2018

Waves crash over Seaham lighthouse near Durham as the cold and wet weather continues

11/50 19 November 2018

12/50 18 November 2018

AFP/Getty

13/50 17 November 2018

Demonstrators on Westminster Bridge in London for a protest called by Extinction Rebellion to raise awareness of the dangers posed by climate change

14/50 16 November 2018

15/50 15 November 2018

Theresa May chuckles at a press conference in Downing Street after a tough day in which multiple cabinet members have resigned and a number of MPs have tabled votes of no confidence in her leadership

Reuters

16/50 14 November 2018

AFP/Getty

17/50 13 November 2018

18/50 12 November 2018

Getty

19/50 11 November 2018

AFP/Getty

20/50 10 November 2018

Getty

21/50 9 November 2018

Transport Minister Jo Johnson has resigned in protest of the Government's Brexit plan and called for a Final Say referendum

EPA

22/50 8 November 2018

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25/50 5 November 2018

Getty

26/50 4 November 2018

King Power/AFP/Getty

27/50 3 November 2018

The Edenbridge Bonfire Society celebrity guy, Boris Johnson, is set on fire in Kent

28/50 2 November 2018

29/50 1 November 2018

AFP/Getty

30/50 31 October 2018

Protesters block Parliament Square in London as the environmental group Extinction Rebellion launches a mass civil disobedience campaign demanding action on climate change

31/50 30 October 2018

NTB scanpix via AP

32/50 29 October 2018

33/50 28 October 2018

AFP/Getty

34/50 27 October 2018

Glenn Hoddle is taken to hospital after falling ill at the BT Sport studio

Getty

35/50 26 October 2018

A man has been arrested for the attempted theft of a copy of Magna Carta from Salisbury Cathedral, one of the four remaining originals of the historic document of English liberty

Reuters

36/50 25 October 2018

Retail business man Sir Philip Green has been named in Parliament for sexual harassment of staff

Getty

37/50 24 October 2018

38/50 23 October 2018

Thousands of female workers have today taken to the streets of Glasgow over an equal pay dispute with the City Council

39/50 22 October 2018

40/50 21 October 2018

41/50 20 October 2018

42/50 19 October 2018

West Yorkshire Police

43/50 18 October 2018

Theresa May leaves after a news conference at the European Union leaders summit in Brussels

Reuters

44/50 17 October 2018

Police officers with a bomb disposal robot on Victoria Embankment opposite Scotland Yard police headquarters in central London after emergency services were alerted to reports of a suspicious package

AFP/Getty

45/50 16 October 2018

Scottish Power will become the first major UK energy company to generate the entirety of its power from wind after selling its remaining gas and hydro stations to Drax in a £702 million deal

Getty

46/50 15 October 2018

47/50 14 October 2018

48/50 13 October 2018

Police stop a breakaway from the main Football Lads alliance march, as they attempt to get close to a rival anti-facist demonstration in London

49/50 12 October 2018

Waves hit Cawsand, Cornwall as Storm Callum arrives to the UK

50/50 11 October 2018

Treatment and complications of diabetes account for 10 per cent of the NHS budget, and the health service predicts the disease will contribute to 39,000 heart attacks, 50,000 strokes and a host of cancers by 2035.

To curb this NHS England is doubling the size of its diabetes prevention programme, which the 800 calorie diet is part of, and will offer 200,000 people who are obese and at risk of diabetes weight loss support.

Diabetes UK was one of the funders of the DiRECT trial, which helped established the benefits of the very low-calorie diet, and said it was “delighted that NHS England have been inspired by this work to pilot a type 2 remission programme through the NHS”.

The trial showed that around a quarter of patients were willing to try the diet, and half of those achieved remission of their diabetes – while a quarter lost 15kg or more over the year.

NHS England will evaluate its own pilot findings after a year before deciding on whether to expand the scheme.

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“The NHS is now going to be ramping up practical action to support hundreds of thousands people avoid obesity induced heart attacks, strokes, cancers and type 2 diabetes,” NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said.

“What’s good for our waistlines is also good for our wallets, given the huge costs to all of us as taxpayers from these largely preventable illnesses.

“However, this isn’t a battle that the NHS can win on its own. The NHS pound will go further if the food industry also takes action to cut junk calories and added sugar and salt from processed food, TV suppers and fast food takeaways.”

This echoes the words of Professor Christine Williams, a specialist in human nutrition at Reading University, who told a briefing in London that on average the public under-report the calories they consume by 34 per cent.

“It’s quite extraordinary. We’re fooling ourselves – if you want to be polite,” she said.

“Calorie labelling on food eaten outside the home is a really important measure, and they [ministers] need to get on with it.”

She said people were increasingly being given the impression that fats were healthy, despite containing pure calories and there being good evidence that saturated fats, in dairy and meat, are linked to heart disease.

“People almost want to hear the opposite of what they’ve been doing is true,” she said. “It’s like a conspiracy theory.”

Mr Sattar told the same meeting there “needs to be legislation to change food formulations”, and called for a taskforce to be set up to address this.

“The food and drink companies want to make a profit, they’re making huge profits, they’re not going to take advice to change formulations,” he added.

Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/diabletes-liquid-diet-calories-weight-loss-remission-nhs-gp-prescription-a8660051.html

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marlaluster · 5 years

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Emptying the cliptray on the new phone. ....

1. https://www.google.com/amp/s/finance.yahoo.com/amphtml/news/china-softens-tone-about-trade-officials-say-they-want-what-us-wants-153729697.html 2. China softens tone about trade, officials say they want what U.S. wants Yahoo Finance Yahoo Finance March 26, 2019, 3:37 PM GMT As Washington and Beijing continue the year-long tug-of-war on trade, top Chinese officials are sending out some positive signals by emphasizing the common ground on both sides. Chinese regulators promised to further open up the world’s second-largest economy at the China Development Forum, a state-hosted conference in Beijing. They also directly addressed central issues the U.S. negotiators have been pushing, shifting away from its tough stance when trade talks first started one year ago. “The key asks the U.S. has put in the negotiation with China fit into our own needs of reforms,” said Lou Jiwei, the chairman of China's National Social Security Fund and the former Finance Minister, on Sunday. Lou went on to explain that what the U.S. wants, including the protection of intellectual property, open access to the market, and removal of industry protectionism policies are “consistent with our current reform direction. We’ve been trying towards this direction for years and the progress we’ve made is obvious to all,” Lou said. China has been setting up IP courts across the country since 2014. In March, it passed the new foreign investment law, which aims to create a level playing field for domestic and foreign firms. The new law bans forced technology transfers, a sticky issue during the year-long trade dispute. Although China said it’s not under any outside pressure to accelerate the domestic 3. TOP STORIES How China is planting its flag in Europe - and why it's bad news for Italy and France The Telegraph - 7 hours ago US, China Face Off Over 5G in Cambodia VOA News - 5 hours ago Vox China’s crackdown on Muslims is being felt beyond its borders 9 hours ago CNBC Critics of China's Belt and Road initiative are 'prejudiced', the country's top diplomat says 18 hours ago The Verge Google should publicly address position on China, GOP lawmaker says 3 hours ago The Hindu China denies it is shielding Masood Azhar 1 day ago Times Of India India's satellite-destroying missile sends message to China, Pakistan 3 hours ago South China Morning Post Trade and Xinjiang on the agenda for New Zealand leader Ardern in China 7 hours ago Deutsche Welle Germany's Manfred Weber warns of China 'shopping spree' 12 hours ago Reuters Argentine lawmakers seek greater oversight of Chinese space facility in Patagonia 1 day ago CBC Canola producers want fast resolution to feud with China — but are ready to look elsewhere 13 hours ago The New York Times Company Italy’s Deal With China Signals a Shift as U.S. Influence Recedes 14 hours ago PEOPLE ALSO SEARCH FOR US and China trade talks 4. 15 NEWS INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL China denies it is shielding Masood Azhar Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang speaks during a daily briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Beijing. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang speaks during a daily briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Beijing. | Photo Credit: AP Atul Aneja BEIJING 29 MARCH 2019 23:54 IST UPDATED: 29 MARCH 2019 23:54 IST U.S. had slammed China’s policy towards JeM chief China on Friday dismissed allegations that it was sheltering terrorists by placing a “technical hold” on listing Masood Azhar, head of the banned Pakistan based-group Jaish-e-Mohammed, as a global terrorist. Without naming any specific country, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said: “If certain country accuses China of sheltering by putting such technical hold, does that mean that all countries that put hold are sheltering terrorists? If this makes sense, shall we say that the country that puts the most holds is the biggest protector of terrorism?” China has on four occasions placed a ‘technical hold’ on designating Azhar as a global terrorist. On March 13, it stood out as the only country in the 1267 Committee of the UN Security Council to effectively block a resolution on banning Azhar, piloted by the U.S., France and Britain, following last month’s Pulwama terror attack. On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had slammed China’s policy towards Azhar as well as the “de 5. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thehindu.com/news/international/china-denies-it-is-shielding-masood-azhar/article26681202.ece/amp/ 6. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.rt.com/op-ed/455053-souch-china-sea-invade-us/amp/ 7. The US just ‘invaded’ an island in the East China Sea & no one noticed Darius Shahtahmasebi Darius Shahtahmasebi is a New Zealand-based legal and political analyst, currently specializing in immigration, refugee and humanitarian law. Published time: 29 Mar, 2019 11:32 FILE PHOTO An MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft flies over U.S. Marines on their way to checkpoint during a vertical assault on Ie Shima Island, Japan, March 24, 2017 FILE PHOTO An MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft flies over U.S. Marines on their way to checkpoint during a vertical assault on Ie Shima Island, Japan, March 24, 2017 ZUMAPRESS.com/Charles Plouffe/U.S. Marines / Global Look Press Just recently, the US military launched a full-on invasion of an island in the East China Sea to send a strong message to China, and yet barely any mainstream media outlet has covered the story or its massive implications. Last week, US marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit invaded a tiny island in Japan’s Okinawa archipelago, known as Ie Shima. Ie Shima is approximately 23 sq km, holds an airstrip, a fishing port and a local population of about 4,500 inhabitants. Colonel Robert Brodie announced the planned operations in a Marine Corps statement last week. According to Colonel Brodie, because the Indo-Pacific region is “incredibly dynamic” the US Marines are preparing and training daily for “real world crises” coming about as a result. The crises he is referring to is the loss of the Indo-Pacific region to an adversarial state, being China. Island-snatching will be “critical for us to be able to project power in the context of China,” Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also said at the beginning of March to a Senate Armed Services Committee. “In the South China Sea and elsewhere in the region, we also fly bomber missions, demonstrating a resilient global strike capability that checks Chinese ambition and assures our regional Allies and partners. Throughout the Pacific, our troops exercise and engage with partners to signal our commitment and counterbalance China's challenges to the rules-based order,” he added. ALSO ON RT.COM China war drills: US commandos capture Japanese island to show Beijing they’re ‘not kidding around’ World War II nostalgia 8. Media blackout No one will come right out and say it, but it certainly seems as though the US military is actively preparing for a third world war. If this media blackout on the implications of these recent developments wasn’t bad enough; even more bizarre is the complete silence from the media on the enormous geopolitical activity itself. A brief search of Google News reveals that only a handful of media outlets even covered the event, many of which are not typically regarded as internationally mainstream sources. A ProQuest search for media coverage of the story in fact returned zero results. The most prominent western outlet that covered the story is Business Insider, as well as a number of military sites. I cannot find any mention of this story on any of the major news sites, whether it’s CNN, MSNBC, the Guardian, BBC, the New York Times – take your pick. Remember that the adversarial, independent and free media who is entrusted with informing you 9. VIDEOSView All Video result for south china sea PREVIEW 9:59 south china sea : The US just 'invaded' an island in the East China Sea & no one noticed YouTube · Hot News 20 hours ago Video result for south china sea PREVIEW 10:24 Tension are Rising: The US Deploys Marines in the South China Sea - Show Strength to China YouTube · US Military System 1 day ago Video result for south china sea7:38 south china sea : Duterte's critics target China relations ahead of midterm elections YouTube · Hot News 30 mins ago Video result for south china sea PREVIEW 5:00 Duterte's 'soft stance' vs China amounts to impeachable offense: opposition bets ABS-CBN News 13 hours ago Web results South China Sea - Wikipedia Wikipedia › wiki › South_China_Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Karimata and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of ... America Changes The Tone In South China Sea Disputes Forbes south china sea from www.forbes.com 6 hours ago · America is hardening its tone in the South 10. America Changes The Tone In South China Sea Disputes Panos MourdoukoutasContributor Markets (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, File) ASSOCIATED PRESS America has assured the Philippines that it would come to that nation’s defense if it comes under attack in the South China Sea. That’s according to reports in early March, when Washington reaffirmed a defense code that Manila has sought to revise. And it’s something that could deter China’s aggression in the South China Sea, and help ease the geopolitical risks that hang over the financial markets of the region. China, Vietnam, and Philippines Shares KOYFIN America’s assurance is a policy shift experts have been advocating for quite some-time. Ely Ratner of the Center for American Security is one of them. He has been calling for America to abandon its neutrality in the region by supplementing diplomacy with military assurances. In ‘The Stealth Superpower: How China Hid Its Global Ambitions,’ published in the January/February issue of Foreign Affairs. he says this: “It should supplement diplomacy with deterrence by warning China that if it continues, the United States 11. Hi, I wish to get help to be a refugee to China. Or to use a more down to earth term than "refugee", I wish to get help to come to China because I can be seemingly matched by the environment there. My views and wishes are not supported by the broader environment here in the United States. (Really eventually this way of things that is not wished by me and is really Antichrist here would further discontinue also without my being in country of the United States as actually experiencing this reality as true that is not okay and is not true and is not meant to exist). But really people are not possible to exist here because the reality and way of things etc is supposed to be not true here but treated as true here. In other words the reality and way here is Antichrist, ie Anti-truth. China is supposed to be better because it is able to surface in this reality as being able to disagree with the United States and I am having trouble as disagreeing with the United States in the United States presently. I disagree with things here. I disagree poverty/inequality should exist at all and I disagree with medicine as true, I disagree people are mentally ill. Secretly the devil tries to hide people to disagree with it (the devil) in this reality which is a false reality. It tries to repress that this exists: disagreement with this way of things presently of the world that is most explimplified/embodied by the United States. Really the United States is Antichrist and this whole reality is false and manipulated by the devil to seem to favor the devil. But since people are something to exist (unlike the devil is pretending by suppressing disagreement, and by fighting people to have their own rule/say so etc) they would be able to stop this reality. Please help me with trying to come to China to stay there. There is less support of medicine there and there is a plan to end poverty and a differing treatment of people to disagree with things such as issues with so called mental illness because disagreement can be having news surface on it, I saw. But I further dont think it is bad there in my view in this area, meaning having much development and investment in this as whats happening with someone. Maybe "refugee" help/aid can help me. I need help with being able to stay there as not having been a "citizen" there in China and I need help with securing a place to live. I don't wish I would be forced to work, but I, of course, as people do, wish to contribute to the broader reality etc. My experience is that people are not present in their form. I am present in my form, ie I am here in this physical plane. This state is bad in the United States because it is to be superior here to be not here (but be pretended to be here/present) because this rule is Antichrist here. I hear in my mind it is different in China. Please help. It is very needed. Things are very bad for me here, I am attacked very bad by the devil here as it seeks to oppress onto me that I am inferior and ugly etc. And I am not supposed to have a say so here or any contribution here such as to change things here because I clash with the things here such as heavy investing in medicine as the only truth and it is supposed to be a false reality as okay here to continue on etc. But an actual person would not wish this order etc to continue of course. Please help. I will be hoping you can reply to this here. I can keep trying to message this contact or find another. This contact seems it should be able to help in some way at least, I hear something of this in my mind. Sincerely, Marla Rose Luster PS: Another mode of contacting me is by phone. (804 12. One important thing to note: It seems this entire reality (which is a false reality presently that is ruled by the devil) could depend on me being *trapped* here in the United States where I am supposed to be inferior here because I am present in my form as an actual person. The reality of this world presently seems against an actual person or against an individual, and favors the crowd. People are not really adept for example with things being impersonal such as how people interact in this reality and such as with math and science and technology, the favored fields in this reality. 13. Hi, I wish to get help to be a refugee to China. Or to use a more down to earth term than "refugee", I wish to get help to come to China because I can be seemingly matched by the environment there. My views and wishes are not supported by the broader environment here in the United States. (Really eventually this way of things that is not wished by me and is really Antichrist here would further discontinue also without my being in the country of the United States as actually experiencing this reality as true that is not okay, and is not true, and is not meant to exist). But really people are not possible to exist here because the reality and way of things etc is supposed to be/intended to be not true here but treated as true here. In other words the reality and way here is Antichrist, ie Anti-truth (and not acknowledged or outspoken as this, which is very very bad). China is supposed to be better because it is able to surface in this reality as being able to disagree with the United States and I am having trouble as disagreeing with the United States in the United States presently. I disagree with things here. I disagree poverty/inequality should exist at all, and I disagree with medicine as true, I disagree people are mentally ill. Secretly the devil tries to hide people to disagree with it (ie the devil) in this reality which is a false reality. It tries to repress that this exists: disagreement with this way of things presently of the world that is most explimplified/embodied by the United States. Really the United States is Antichrist and this whole reality is false and manipulated by the devil to seem to favor the devil. But since people are something to exist (unlike the devil is pretending by suppressing disagreement, and by fighting people to have their own rule/say so etc), they would be able to stop this reality. One important thing to note: It seems this entire reality (which is a false reality presently that is ruled by the devil) could depend on me being *trapped* here in the United States where I am supposed to be inferior here because I am present in my form as an actual person. I am present in my form and so I have to experience a untrue order as unfolding in time as if it is something to exist when it is not. The reality of this world presently seems against an actual person or against an individual, and favors the crowd/masses which are not present in their form and largely go along with the world without disagreeing with anything. Individuals are dragged along. Really in this false reality the crowd is many people but not really anyone as how a person would really be. An actual person would disagree with the rule of the devil. Additionally, people are not really adept for example with things being impersonal as the crowd can be suited to being impersonal as nameless and faceless masses. Impersonal is how people are to interact in this reality and impersonality is the nature of math and science and technology, the favored fields in this reality. Please help me with trying to come to China to stay there. There is less support of medicine there, and there is a plan to end poverty, and there occurs to be a differing treatment of people to disagree with things such as issues with so called mental illness because disagreement can be having mainstream news surface on it, I saw. But I further dont think it is bad there in my view in this area, meaning having much development and investment in this (ie mental illness) as whats happening with someone. Also I think the concept of mental illness is even further to be not supported than news suggests. Maybe "refugee" help/aid can help me. I need help with being able to stay there as not having been a "citizen" there in China and I need help with securing a place to live. I don't wish I would be forced to work, but I, of course, as people do, wish to contribute to the broader reality etc. My experience is that people are not present in their form. I am present in my form, ie I am here in this physical plane. This state is bad in the United States because it is to be superior in the U.S. for people to be not present in their form but still be pretended to be present because this rule is Anti-truth/Antichrist here. (Presently it is still somewhat hidden it is Antichrist/Anti-truth in the U.S., not outwardly acknowledged). I hear in my mind it is different in China regarding people to be not in their forms. They cannot pretend people are really here, I heard, something like this. Please help. It is very needed. Things are very bad for me here, I am attacked very bad by the devil here as it seeks to oppress onto me that I am inferior and ugly etc. And I am not supposed to have a say so here or any contribution here such as to change things here because I clash with the practices and values such as heavy investing in medicine as the only truth and it is supposed to be a false reality as okay here to continue on etc. But an actual person would not wish this order etc to continue of course. But I have had things go very wrong and very bad here for saying mental illness is not real and that this reality is false and is ruled by the devil. After I said this in March/April 2014 I began to be attacked by the order here and the devil very bad. The devil became unrestrained because really something happened to say the occurrences of people were not able to be actual people anymore because this reality became apparent as not possible to exist because it was not wished and was not something to be supported by an actual person. This reality/order apparently or perhaps -- I'm not sure -- became more apparent to some measure of something somehow additionally as Antichrist, ie too favoring of the devil, I'm not sure. Please help. I will be hoping you can reply to this here. I can keep trying to message this contact or find another. This contact seems it should be able to help in some way at least, I hear something of this in my mind. This will be such a out of the ordinary thing (magical seeming) but I hope somehow the realities can meet up for me to reach you (or I guess someone). It is an outrageous/unbelievable situation for me presently but not in the preferred way for anyone. Sincerely, Marla Rose Luster PS: Another mode of contacting me is by phone. (804)729-1901. 14. Re: RE:Im not doing okay in the United States as someone disagreeing thatthis present reality is true and disagreeing that people considered mentallyill are mentally ill.... M marla Sat 3/30/2019 7:24 PM Sent Items To: Chinese Embassy in US ([email protected]); Hi, I wish to get help to be a refugee to China. Or to use a more down to earth term than "refugee", I wish to get help to come to China because I can be seemingly matched by the environment there. My views and wishes are not supported by the broader environment here in the United States. (Really eventually this way of things that is not wished by me, and that is really Antichrist here, would further discontinue also without my being in the country of the United States as actually experiencing this reality as true that is not okay, and is not true, and is not meant to exist). But really people are not possible to exist here because the reality and way of things etc is supposed to be/intended to be not true here but treated as true here. In other words the reality and way here is Antichrist, ie Anti-truth (and not acknowledged or outspoken as this, which is very very bad). China is supposed to be better because it is able to surface in this reality as being able to disagree with the United States and I am having trouble as disagreeing with the United States in the United States presently. I disagree with things here. I disagree poverty/inequality should exist at all, and I disagree with medicine as true, I disagree people are mentally ill. Secretly the devil tries to hide people to disagree with it (ie the devil) in this reality which is a false reality. It tries to repress that this exists: disagreement with this way of things presently of the world that is most explimplified/embodied by the United States. Really the United States is Antichrist and this whole reality is false and manipulated by the devil to seem to favor the devil. But since people are something to exist (unlike the devil is pretending by suppressing disagreement, and by fighting people to have their own rule/say so etc), they would be able to stop this reality. One important thing to note: It seems this entire reality (which is a false reality presently that is ruled by the devil) could depend on me being *trapped* here in the United States where I am supposed to be inferior here because I am present in my form as an actual person. I am present in my form and so I have to experience a untrue order as unfolding in time as if it is something to exist when it is not. The reality of this world presently seems against an actual person or against an individual, and favors the crowd/masses which are not present in their form and largely go along with the world without disagreeing with anything. Individuals are dragged along. Really in this false reality the crowd is many people but not really anyone as how a person would really be. An actual person would disagree with the rule of the devil. Additionally, people are not really adept for example with things being impersonal as the crowd can be suited to being impersonal as nameless and faceless masses. Impersonal is how people are to interact in this reality and impersonality is the nature of math and science and technology, the favored fields in this reality. Please help me with trying to come to China to stay there. There is less support of medicine there, and there is a plan to end poverty, and there occurs to be a differing treatment of people to disagree with things such as issues with so called mental illness because disagreement can be having mainstream news surface on it, I saw. But I further dont think it is bad there in my view in this area, meaning having much development and investment in this (ie mental illness) as whats happening with someone. Also I think the concept of mental illness is even further to be not supported than news suggests. Maybe "refugee" help/aid can help me. I need help with being able to stay there as not having been a "citizen" there in China and I need help with securing a place to live. I don't wish I would be forced to work, but I, of course, as people do, wish to contribute to the broader reality etc. My experience is that people are not present in their form. I am present in my form, ie I am here in this physical plane. This state is bad in the United States because it is to be superior in the U.S. for people to be not present in their form but still be pretended to be present because this rule is Anti-truth/Antichrist here. (Presently it is still somewhat hidden it is Antichrist/Anti-truth in the U.S., not outwardly acknowledged). I hear in my mind it is different in China regarding people to be not in their forms. They cannot pretend people are really here, I heard, something like this. Please help. It is very needed. Things are very bad for me here, I am attacked very bad by the devil here as it seeks to oppress onto me that I am inferior and ugly etc. And I am not supposed to have a say so here or any contribution here such as to change things here because I clash with the practices and values such as heavy investing in medicine as the only truth and it is supposed to be a false reality as okay here to continue on etc. But an actual person would not wish this order etc to continue of course. But I have had things go very wrong and very bad here for saying mental illness is not real and that this reality is false and is ruled by the devil. After I said this in March/April 2014 I began to be attacked by the order here and the devil very bad. The devil became unrestrained because really something happened to say the occurrences of people were not able to be actual people anymore because this reality became apparent as not possible to exist because it was not wished and was not something to be supported by an actual person. This reality/order apparently or perhaps -- I'm not sure -- became more apparent to some measure of something somehow additionally as Antichrist, ie too favoring of the devil, I'm not sure. Please help. I will be hoping you can reply to this here. I can keep trying to message this contact or find another. This contact seems it should be able to help in some way at least, I hear something of this in my mind. This will be such a out of the ordinary thing (magical seeming) but I hope somehow the realities can meet up for me to reach you (or I guess someone from China). It is an outrageous/unbelievable situation for me presently but not in the preferred way for anyone. Sincerely, Marla Rose Luster PS: Another mode of contacting me is by phone. (804)72 15. https://www.instagram.com/p/BvkwDV6nQaN/?hl=en 16. 126,333 likes behatiprinsloo It’s been rough 🌴🥑💃🏼😝 yaicarti hahaha nice esmemucho 🤣🤣🤣couldn’t feel my hands that day.....🥴 jozaod But you're still here 🕺🏾 ayman_kleeveer You are very beautiful ootd_n_ootn Follow me for getting different outfit ideas daily 😁😁 esperanzza.v muy sexi 😂💖 mehmetkupeli0111 Che stile dolce😇 mamma zhnllssir27 Love youu😂 nicolegabco heavy mood brinawil ❤️❤️ sallmanx3 Really? dzavicakova_ Chill time? 😂👑❤️ ale_fcuan Always showing off! Be a real mom jiselrodme PACIFICO ❤️... BUENISIMA!!! karyn7585 Lol. I’m like that with Thailand!!!🙏🏻. My happy place💫❤️🧜🏻‍♀️ womenmanagementny 🖤🖤🖤 eduardafjm when you come to brazil queen? darlenebuon 💕 mataha___ 😍😍😍😍 rosanehermano Haha 😎🍸🍹🍷 xu_alterna om 😻😻 jt_plus_levines_girl HeHe u rE sUcH a qT🤓💋 thespicybitch Such a brave woman. emilyyalexander @oliviasaunders this is a mood eileen8957 my heart breaks for you...lol sreiher1 Yeah 😂😂 sympathies 😂🤣😂🤣❤️❤️ gur_345 True flow7102 Mood. dallidos Baby dee62_ Where are you lizglezhdez Pacífico. Excelente cerveza. __lexiheiden @marlee.morrow nemobastos 👏👏👏👏👏😍 d.a.v.i.d.h.i.r.a.m Why you have a hidden beer? caritadoms Hé ❤️ djkennybrian 💪💪💪 jamiemeylan ❤️ jadeclub Peachy lllxxii97 ❤️😍😍😍😂 alexapholt @kasemichelle everyone next weekend thechattyraconteur Love this! Lol😜 samiri4 I spy @jpgummy and @lindymick lisa_sarussi Whats rough? You being a supermodel and you husband being a rock star? Not having to worry about money? lili__o_ ❤️ sandra.ei305 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 s.w.a.l.k._v Lederhosen kind of day! Take me back!!! kawluka 💥💥💥 djkennybrian 🙌🙌 k_u_b_o_a_ya_ka あいらぶゆー🔥🔥🔥 michaelamarzlove 👏 fullmaan Relax bae🤗🤗😍 fullmaan ❤️❤️ fullmaan 🔥🔥 yanbabe726 💓💓💓 ruthururph Mommmm love youuuu!!! pedrosanchcub bella iloveadrianquihuisfanpage Pretty cool :) m_o_r_i_y_a_h_ 😎 mahdiyaremaman @atefeh___ahmadi ❤️❤️❤️ cristiana_mello78 Essa imagem me representa muito ! atefeh___ahmadi 💖💖💖💖 lakme_13 🙏🙏 aaronbosco619 👐👐👐 morteza_3109 Instant Family eva.koulrt Where is the top from? gareth5377 crazy! world_record_f_chain Spam F on my post we can get the world record! jansje21 😂😂😂 hqpixel.studio Cool! behatisaurus Hot mama 🔥 lindymick @samiri4 haha you def spy @jpgummy..sadly I was already on a plane heading home 😭 alicinhatop good vibes 2 DAYS AGO 17. behatiprinsloo It’s been rough 🌴🥑💃🏼😝 krista.elsie 🤙🏼 marija.jonlija 😍😍😍😍 alexlevine570 Bee❤❤❤ @behatiprinsloo styleofcandice You are so beautiful my bee 😍 denisynluveen But you are the Queen so it's okay 😍❤ alexlevine570 Bee upload a photo with Adam ☹ I miss him so much @adamlevine patingkuting Chillest women_paris ☀️☀️☀️ behadam__dailypics HOT MAMA IS IN PARADISE🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 teruatii Nuam om veee iisabellarr @chiaramunari mood of the day vikivisnowwhite 👌👌 carlos.prietofernandez.33 Ya veo o duro q ha sido q estas todo tranqui tomando una birra yaar.raveh 💗💗💗 yaar.raveh Queen 👑 yaar.raveh Love u😍❤️❤️❤️ wanglaoye1997 dashing __jackiechan__ You are really really beautiful syrine.c_pro ❤️ boxofmaniacs @crystalmsparks Let’s become rich, famous supermodels so we can live this life. life_is_better_with_tequila Enjoy, wish I could relax like that....instead I am taking care of my husband who suffers from MS, take care of the kids and I'm a social worker!!! So please enjoy hakunomatatoxo How i like ! nchichan Good vibe 🍾 atelier.boem 💛 bubbellllgum That body is blessing girl misha_spiller Cool iskandr_a My children broke both my glasses. How rough is rough? atelier_saucier ✨ shmym143 7 anton_sapron cowboys no angels thehappiestkid issa mood bestcherylever is that adam at the back😍😍@behatiprinsloo lara_laloca 💙💙💙 darylgalia MOOD vincemood 🤙 oliworia 💥💥💥 paraskeuasmeliones 💗💗💗💗💗 hairysmole Can you believe it? torynovakova Mood marnewickisabel 🤣🤣🤣🤣 shame you look life is really hard cosimasantomauro Relax👽 jennifer_maitra You look like Luffy😂💞 @behatiprinsloo msmart211 Let me rub your feet for you karine______o C'est cool la vie 😉😂💕 inakali_chishi Mood😍 thatfrenchylife Relax 😘😘 dariahoppe Best 👌 adoreprinsloo Mamaaaaaa🔥 yaicarti hahaha nice esmemucho 🤣🤣🤣couldn’t feel my hands that day.....🥴 jozaod But you're still here 🕺🏾 ayman_kleeveer You are very beautiful ootd_n_ootn Follow me for getting different outfit ideas daily 😁😁 18. https://www.instagram.com/p/BuTd_KsnJ_5/?hl=en 19. https://www.instagram.com/p/BsLvTp0A5on/?hl=en 20. https://www.instagram.com/p/BpQ33i3FWvB/?hl=en

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avanneman · 6 years

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Ilhan Omar: The strange case of the little girl in the headscarf who noticed that the emperor has no clothes

Oh, Ilhan Omar, what have you done? Yes, speaking the truth in the halls of Congress has always been hazardous to your health, but when little Ilhan, newly elected representative for the fifth district of Minnesota (basically Minneapolis and environs), remarked that “I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is okay for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country” (meaning, of course, Israel), the walls of hypocrisy in DC really began to shake and sway.

From my perspective, it’s perfectly okay to “to push for allegiance to a foreign country,” as long as you’re willing to admit that that’s what you’re doing.1 But U.S. Likudists like Bill Kristol and Jennifer Rubin—both of whom I vehemently agree with on some issues—insist that, when it comes to Israel, simply making the charge of “dual loyalty”, as it’s usually framed, is in itself anti-Semitism in its purest and most vicious form. Old-fashioned liberal Jonathan Chait, whom I very often praise, writes furiously that “Ilhan Omar’s smearing of pro-Israel activism as a form of dual loyalty” is evidence that anti-Semitism may rip the Democratic Party apart as it has done to the Labour Party in Great Britain.

But nothing is more obvious that many champions of Israel, both Jewish and non-Jewish (e.g., evangelical Christians), insist that the U.S. has a moral duty to support Israel’s interests as defined by Israel, regardless of this policy’s effects on U.S. interests. On the death of Charles Krauthammer, I wrote a piece remarking on his endless efforts to sabotage and wreck the Democratic Party, for the single sin of less than absolute fealty to Israel—for Charlie, like so many Jewish neocons, was quite “liberal” on most social issues and “really” belonged in the Democratic Party.

Chait’s attempt to make the mere charge of dual loyalty a thoughtcrime, and to argue that any criticism of “pro-Israel activism” equates to a charge of dual loyalty, thus making any criticism of U.S. policy towards Israel a thoughtcrime. reflects the larger agenda of the Israeli lobby to take any rational consideration of the relationship between U.S. and Israeli interests off the table. President Eisenhower’s first secretary of state, John Foster Dulles, that great Presbyterian, intoned that “Israel is a millstone around our necks,” a piece of realpolitik that no politician would dare utter today, but much closer to the truth than the usual proclamations regarding the indissoluble ties that bind our two nations together. We kowtow to the Saudis, who are certainly more obnoxious than the Israelis, but who still hold the power to set the world price for oil. Israel, on the other hand, can do us no such favors, “defending” us against countries who hate us solely because we are allied with Israel. Every recent secretary of state, upon retiring, writes a memoir in which she complains about what a pain in the ass the Israelis were, how they never give and always take. But such statements are never made in office—not, at least, since Secretary of State James Baker, serving under George H. W. Bush, uttered the immortal line “Fuck the Jews. They never vote for us anyway.”

The furor over Omar’s comments, nicely dissected/discussed by the Washington Post’s Paul Waldman, “The dishonest smearing of Ilhan Omar” and New York’s Eric Levitz, “Ilhan Omar Has a Less Bigoted Position on Israel Than Almost All of Her Colleagues”, coincides with another Israeli-related furor, the “Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions” movement, directed against Israel, and the anti-B.D.S. movement, pursued by pro-Israeli groups through state and federal legislation, as well as pressure on universities and colleges. I understand that Omar supports B.D.S., which is not an encouraging sign.

I don’t see the point of singling out Israel for punishment when the U.S. (for example) is surely just as wicked, if not more so. The B.D.S. movement, though not entirely anti-Semitic (it seems), is largely so, and appeals to (some) academic types, particularly in the, uh, “liberal” arts,2 who are discovering that, well, nobody gives a damn about what they have to say any more, so they want to start making a racket about something. What (I suspect) mostly worries pro-Israeli groups is that B.D.S. appeals to frustrated academics desperate to prove that they “care”, particularly if they can do so in a way that offends conventional opinion, but, more importantly, in the arguments that will be/are ensuing over B.D.S., publicity will be given to the many less than savory activities that Israel engages in. Under Benjamin Netanyahu and his merry band of Likudists, Israel has slid steadily towards a deeply conservative, anti-secular culture that is bound to offend any woke folk and could significantly tarnish the Israel brand. And so we see a collision between two groups who both want to significantly stifle free speech. Charming!

Afterwords For decades, Israel’s most fervent supporters—The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), in particular—took it for granted that no one in Washington would dare defy them. Now they are attempting to claw back by force what they lost through vanity. The Washington Post’s David Von Drehle gives a rundown on the many constitutional issues raised by anti-B.D.S. legislation. The New York Times Catie Edmondson explains Republican strategy in crafting pro anti-B.D.S. legislation in Congress as a device to damage Democrats. The American Conservative’s Kelley Beaucar Vlahos provides more background. I have, on numerous occasions, accused right-wing supporters of Israel (basically, the entire Republican Party3) of trying to promote international tensions around the globe in order to convince the American people that we are in a permanent state of international crisis and need every ally we can get (i.e., Israel), while striving to suppress awareness of this fact.

UPDATE The New York Times' Thomas Friedman, in his column today, confirms Omar's unfortunate (unfortunate and amusingly nuanced) embrace of "B.D.S." and offers copious detail on AIPAC's sins. I very largely agree with what Friedman has to say, except for his notion (Friedman is, of course, Jewish) that Israel's existence is justified on the basis of “the right of the Jewish people to build a nation-state in their ancient homeland,” a “right” that I suspect Mr. Friedman does not extend to anyone else—the Algonquins, for example.

Israel is the solution to a Western problem (anti-Semitism) imposed on a non-Western people, a very clumsy one, excusable only on the grounds that no other feasible solution was available. It would have been much better if the U.S. had just accepted all the remaining European Jews into the U.S. after World War II, but unfortunately that was politically impossible. The Zionist movement created by Theodore Herzl that led to the creation of Israel was premised on the need for safety, not a return to the “ancient homeland”—Herzl, a thoroughly secular Jew, did not propose a return to Israel and the "reclaiming" of Jerusalem. European Jews, after all, had thousands of years to go back to their “ancient homeland” and never made the trip. It was only the rampant anti-Semitism of 20th century Europe, British control of the Middle East following World War I, Jewish political influence in Great Britain (and, ultimately, the U.S.), and, finally, the early triumphs of the Zionists in creating Israel in the years following World War II that led to the creation of the myth to which Mr. Friedman now subscribes.

For many years, the Irish Republican Army, a blatantly terrorist group, was openly financed and covertly equipped with arms by supporters in the U.S. in order to murder the soldiers and citizens of Great Britain, our most important ally. This was dual loyalty with a vengeance. Disgracefully, Democrats and Republicans alike looked the other way while a brutal terrorist group operated openly in the U.S. This shameful episode in our history has never given the attention it deserves. We seem to do this a lot. ↩︎

Yes, I am generalizing wildly. So sue me! ↩︎

In a recent piece loudly not lamenting the demise of Bill Kristol’s mouthpiece the Weekly Standard, I said the following: This is not to say that the neocons' pièce de résistance, the invasion of Iraq, was a “Jewish plot” as is absurdly alleged in some places. During the Clinton Administration, the entire Republican Party had become obsessed with taking out Saddam, aka “The Great Satan”, largely because they had nothing better to do. “We need a war,” said Lynne Cheyney famously. The Bush Administration had Saddam in their sights from the get-go, and the unholy trio who made it all happen were the seriously un-Jewish George Bush, Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld. Bill Kristol was only the cheerleader—though he did wave his pom-poms with a passion. ↩︎

#Ilhan Omar #Israel #AIPAC #Jonathan Chait #BDS

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twobeemag · 7 years

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Defence IQ: UK Government 'Excluding Conservative Groups' From Counter Extremism Work

LONDON, March 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Defence IQ recently interviewed Hanif Qadir, co-founder of Active Change Foundation, he condemned the governments Prevent campaign and its attitude towards religion-centred P/CVE groups. Hanif Qadir, who has been engaged with the Home Office and Counter-extremist campaigns for over a decade, has decried an apparent reversal in strategy from the UK and other…

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#Foreign Policy & International Affairs #Trade Show News

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hudsonespie · 4 years

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Crew Transfers: Panama Assists Carnival; New Zealand's New Rules

The Republic of Panama provided unique support to Carnival Cruise Line as part of its ongoing efforts to provide humanitarian support to the shipping industry during the global pandemic. Panama is supporting the shipping industry both by maintaining smooth operations at the Panama Canal and assisting with crew transfers.

A growing list of nations around the world, like Panama, are responding to the ongoing calls to aid the shipping industry and provide relief for crew members that became trapped at sea. New Zealand is the latest country to announce that it would include provisions to ease the restrictions on crew changes in its revised border restrictions.

Carnival crew disembarking on the Pacific coast - courtesy AMP

Panama

As part of its ongoing support for seafarers, Panama recently assisted Carnival Cruise Line with the first transshipment of crew across the Isthmus. The Carnival Miracle cruise ship, which was anchored in the Pacific sector, tendered approximately 91 crew members to shore representing 25 different nationalities, including citizens of the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nicaragua, and Haiti, according to the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP).

The crew members were landed at the Flamenco Marina in Amador and then transferred by bus to the Colón 2000 terminal, on the Atlantic side of the Isthmus. The crew then boarded the Carnival Glory to continue their voyage to Curacao. Minister of Maritime Affairs, Arch. Noriel Araúz, inspected the operation, noting how proud Panama was to provide this assistance to help the crew to be repatriated to their home countries.

The Minister highlighted that Panama was providing “a humanitarian and effective response to seafarers.” He noted that while all the crew members were healthy when they entered Panamanian waters, they had been monitored daily by doctors while also under the supervision of Ministerio de Salud de la República de Panama (MINSA), in coordination with the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) and the National Migration Service (SNM).

Since March 2020, Panama has been supporting crew changes including ship-to-ship, groups and Isthmus transfers, as well as disembarkation of crew members for repatriations through charter flights. Highlighting that it recognizes that seafarers are essential workers who have been invaluable during this global health crisis by not stopping the supply chain, Panama has sought to assist the shipping industry. To date, AMP reports that it has assisted more than 4,000 people with its humanitarian efforts.

The Panama Maritime Authority assisted both domestic and foreign crews from various ships, including the Monarch from Pullmantur, the Rhapsody of the Seas from Royal Caribbean International, and the Carnival Imagination, the Carnival Inspiration, and the Carnival Miracle, all from the Carnival Cruise Line. Panama also provided passages for the Coral Princess of Princess Cruises as well as the Rotterdam and the Zaandam of Holland America Line so that passengers could return to the United States. Panama received praise from Silversea Cruises for the assistance provided to their cruise ships the Silver Muse and the Silver Explorer.

Carnival crew's luggage being disinfected before reboarding on the Atlantic coast - courtesy of AMP

New Zealand

Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford said while announcing revisions to the country’s immigration policies that, “A new maritime exception will allow entry to those arriving at the maritime border, where there is a compelling need for the vessel to travel to New Zealand.”

Addressing the global calls for actions regarding crew changes, he continued, explaining that, “Border restrictions will also not apply to replacement cargo ship crew arriving in New Zealand by air and transferring straight to a cargo ship to leave New Zealand.” Inbound crews he said in most cases will have already completed a 14-day quarantine during the ocean voyage to reach New Zealand.

from Storage Containers https://maritime-executive.com/article/crew-transfers-panama-assists-carnival-new-zealand-s-new-rules via http://www.rssmix.com/

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shivani111blog · 3 years

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E-passport and E-visa Market Research Report â€“ Forecast to 2023

Market Scenario

E-passport also known as “biometric passport” is a technologically advanced form of paper-based passport that has an electronic chip embedded in it. An electronic visa or e-visa is an online platform that enables an applicant to facilitate online application to obtain a visa. E-passports and E-visas are used to verify identity of a traveler through digitally by using a unique identification number and a digital signature. These advanced methodologies are used to enhance the security structure and reduce frauds. The e-passport and e-visa are more secure than their traditional counterpart as it prevents data alteration and duplication. The data associated with e-Visa is stored in a computer and is linked to the passport number. There is no requirement of label, sticker or stamp to be placed in the passport for traveling. The process of identification via chip is done over the internet.

E-passports and e-visas market operate on the contactless smart chip technology and are integrated with computer chip along with an embedded antenna. E-passports and e-visa are being used by the passengers traveling for both business and leisure purpose.

The major factor responsible for the growth of the global e-passport and e-visa market is the introduction of e-passport and e-visa application and services to facilitate the reduction of identity issues arising during the processing and verification of documents at airports. This minimizes the processing time at immigration desks to get clearance and also allows the security personnel to focus on the surveillance of suspicious and high-risk travelers.

Travel data such as visas and travel stamps are physically entered into the document pages and visa and travel records must be manually checked. Recognizing this limitation, International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) New Technologies Working Group (NTWG) has assigned a sub-group to explore the policy and technical framework for the next generation of machine-readable passports.

REQUEST FREE SAMPLE REPORT@ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/6110

Key players:

The prominent players in the market of e passport and e visa are Cardlogic limited (Ireland), 4G identity solutions private limited (U.A.E), Iris Corporation (Malaysia), Safran identity and security (France), Muehlbauer group (Malaysia) , Eastcompeace (China), Oberthur Technologies (France), Datacard group (U.S), HID Global Corporation(U.S), Giesecke&Devrient limited (Germany), Gemalto NV (the Netherlands) among others.

Other players in the market include Infineon Technologies (Germany), Morpho B.V- Idemia (France) Cardlogix Corporation (U.S) among others.

Segmentation

By type, the market is sub-segmented into Biometrics and RFID. The Biometrics is further segmented into facial recognition, fingerprint recognition, and iris recognition.

By application, the market is sub-segmented into Travelling (Leisure Travel, Business travel, foreign affairs), identification/proof and immigration/border control

By hardware components, the market is sub-segmented into antenna, processor/chip, others.

Regional Analysis

The global market for e-Passport & e-Visa market is estimated to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period from 2018 to 2023. The geographical analysis of data as a service market is studied for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the rest of the world.

Europe is expected to dominate the e-Passport & e-Visa market during the forecast period. European nations, including Germany, the UK, and France, were the early adopters of biometric technology for various purposes like border control, airport security, identity security, and law enforcement. The e-passport and e-visa market in Asia Pacific region are expected to grow during the forecast period. The governments of Bangladesh and India are planning to introduce e-passport and e-visa services to reduce the hassles associated with document processing at airports. The implementation of border control technology will also aid the country’s national security measures at departure terminals.

GET COMPLETE REPORT@ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/e-passport-e-visa-market-6110

About Market Research Future:

At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR),Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R),Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.

Contact:

Market Research Future

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Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar

Pune – 411028

Maharashtra, India

+1 646 845 9312

Email: [email protected]

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indoreinstitute · 4 years

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Pharma & Allied Industries Likely to Spike in the Coming Times

The coronavirus pandemic has hit the world hard in every way. The economy is falling, and unemployment is emerging as yet another issue. However, despite the economic slowdown and unemployment triggered by the pandemic, there is one sector that continues to buck the trend, and that is the pharma sector. The growth of the pharma industry in the coming yearsremainon the back of the rising demand for healthcare from the domestic as well as international market. No wonder, pharma and allied industries are being predicted to spikeeven in the post Covid-19 world.

If you see, the Indian pharma industry has been already witnessing a steady growth in recent years.And the prevailing crisis has brought a favorable line of events for India to extend its potential in global healthcare and emerge as a leading contributor of drugs. As the state-of-affairs continues to intensify,there are more opportunities for the Indian pharma industry to play a larger role in the global market. With the right set of policies, infrastructure, and upskilling, theIndian pharma industry can takethe impetus from the worldwide crisis and leapfrogintothe futurity.

A Look at the Stats

As a leading producer of cost-effective, quality-controlled generic drugs, the Indian pharma industry contributes to over 20 percent of the global pharmaceuticals supply. As of now, India ranks 10thin terms of value and 3rdin terms of volume inthe global market. TheIndian drug products contribute to over 40 percent (by volume) of US drugs. The export market of Indian pharma accounts to about $18 billion while the entire industry is worth about $37 billion. With such a strong position, the Indian healthcare and pharmaceuticals sector has the potential to continue its fast-paced growth to a whopping 754 percent between 2020 and 2060.

As far as the Indian pharma sector is concerned, the generic drugs remain its stronghold and contribute to over 70 percent to the overall market revenue. The country’s grip on generic drugs market and biosimilars would continue to expand in the future,giving the domestic companies a new boost. Moreover, the new formulation development capabilities and early investments in the sector by the local players have ensured low manufacturing costs and provided a competitive advantage to Indian pharma in the global market. Adding to that, major foreign investments and M&A deals have strengthened the pharma and its allied sectors, paving the way for its future growth.

The Way Forward for the Indian Pharma Industry

The Indian pharma sector is likely to see a spike of growth, from its all phases of drug development and discovery through clinical trials to launch. After the outbreak of the pandemic, big and small pharma companies and the allied industries in India have joined strengths to amp-up the manufacturing and distribution of drugs like hydroxychloroquine to the global market. In times of Covid-19, the country has expanded its potential further ahead to become the pharmacy hub of the world. With the race for the Covid-19 vaccine going underway and the way Indian pharma industry has been tackling the current crisis, it will surely elevate the country’s position globally as a potential pharmaceutical nucleus in the coming years.

It is no secret that the Indian pharma industry is the world’s largest exporter of quality generic drugs. Growth in the Indian pharma industry in the coming years will be mostly export-driven, owing to its cost-effectiveness and quality. While generic drugs continue to stay on the focus, the bio-pharmaceuticals like bio-similar and vaccines will be the future. Read More:https://indoreinstitute.com/blog-post/pharma-allied-industries-likely-to-spike-in-the-coming-times/ New Article:The Evolving Role of Management in Organizational Success

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political-fluffle · 5 years

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Richard Grenell did not disclose payments for advocacy work on behalf of a Moldovan politician whom the U.S. later accused of corruption. His own office’s policy says that could leave him vulnerable to blackmail.

President Donald Trump’s new acting intelligence director, Richard Grenell, used to do consulting work on behalf of an Eastern European oligarch who is now a fugitive and was recently barred from entering the U.S. under anti-corruption sanctions imposed last month by the State Department.

In 2016, Grenell wrote several articles defending the oligarch, a Moldovan politician named Vladimir Plahotniuc, but did not disclose that he was being paid, according to records and interviews. Grenell also did not register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which generally requires people to disclose work in the U.S. on behalf of foreign politicians.

FARA is the same law that Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort and former deputy campaign manager Rick Gates were convicted of violating. (Manafort went to trial. Gates pleaded guilty.)

It’s not clear whether the articles were directly part of Grenell’s paid consulting work for Plahotniuc. Unpaid work could still require disclosures under FARA if it was directed by or primarily benefited a foreign politician, according to Matthew Sanderson, a lawyer at Caplin & Drysdale who advises people on complying with FARA. FARA contains several exemptions, such as for lawyers and businesses, Sanderson said, but none appear to apply to Grenell’s op-eds about Plahotniuc.

“There is real reason to believe that Mr. Grenell should have registered here,” Sanderson said after ProPublica described the circumstances to him. “This is exactly the type of circumstances I’d expect the Department of Justice to investigate further.” (…)

“That’s really easy, he should not have a clearance,” said Kel McClanahan, a Washington-area lawyer specializing in security clearances. “If he were one of my clients and just a normal [federal employee], he would almost assuredly not have a clearance.” (…)

Grenell does not have prior experience in intelligence. He was the U.S. spokesman at the United Nations during the George W. Bush administration.

In between his turns in government, Grenell had a public affairs consulting firm called Capitol Media Partners. One of the firm’s clients, according to the financial disclosure that Grenell filed when he became an ambassador, was Arthur J. Finkelstein, the late Republican political consultant whose international clients included Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary. Grenell’s financial disclosure indicates that he received more than $5,000 from Finkelstein’s firm but does not specify how much. (…)

Finkelstein worked for Putin to install his puppets all over the world...

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bountyofbeads · 5 years

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NEW: @NatashaBertrand confirms the KASH PATEL news by @NYTimes (Original story below Politico's reporting) -- Trump once thought he was in charge of Ukraine policy even though he wasn't:

NEW/BREAKING: "A protege of Devin Nunes, Kash Patel, was among those passing negative information about Ukraine to Trump, fueling the president’s belief that Ukraine was brimming with corruption and interfered in the 2016 election on behalf of Democrats."

"Patel, a longtime Nunes staffer who joined the White House in February, was so involved in the issue that at one point Trump thought he was in charge of Ukraine policy for the NSC. according to congressional testimony by Fiona Hill."

"Patel joined the National Security Council’s International Organizations and Alliances directorate in February and was promoted to a senior counterterrorism role around the same time as Trump’s call with Zelensky."

Nunes Protégé Fed Ukraine Info to Trump

By Natasha Bertrand | Published October 23, 2019 2:05 PM ET | Politico | Posted October 23, 2019 |

Kashyap Patel, a senior National Security Council staffer with no official role on Ukraine policy, had a direct pipeline to the president.

A protégé of Republican Rep. Devin Nunes was among those passing negative information about Ukraine to President Donald Trump earlier this year, fueling the president’s belief that Ukraine was brimming with corruption and interfered in the 2016 election on behalf of Democrats.

Kashyap Patel, a longtime Nunes staffer who joined the White House in February, was so involved in the issue that at one point Trump thought he was in charge of Ukraine policy for the National Security Council, according to congressional testimony by Fiona Hill, the former senior director for European and Russian Affairs whose portfolio included Ukraine.

Hill’s testimony was described to POLITICO by a person with direct knowledge of her recent deposition, and who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the closed-door hearing. Hill declined to comment.

Several White House officials raised alarms internally about Trump undermining the U.S.’ official policy of support for Ukraine in exchange for political favors, with former national security adviser John Bolton instructing Hill to inform White House lawyers about backchannel efforts he compared to a “drug deal.”

The official who replaced Hill in early September, Tim Morrison, formally held the Ukraine portfolio at the NSC. Testimony before House lawmakers has depicted Morrison, a Bolton acolyte, as similarly unnerved by Trump’s desire to withhold all assistance from Ukraine. Morrison also kept the acting U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, William Taylor, abreast of developments inside the White House.

But Patel’s involvement demonstrates that the president had at least some support for the scheme from within the NSC, and has given House impeachment investigators yet another name to add to their witness list—a name they are already familiar with, given Patel’s previous work in Congress to discredit the Russia investigation.

Patel joined the National Security Council’s International Organizations and Alliances directorate in February and was promoted to a senior counterterrorism role around the same time as Trump’s fateful call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which he urged the newly elected leader to investigate Biden and “get to the bottom of” Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election.

The type of Ukraine work Patel was doing that Hill described would not be within his purview as a senior counterterrorism adviser, said Joshua Geltzer, who held Patel’s position early on in the Trump administration.

“If true, this sort of activity seems wildly outside the scope of anything a counterterrorism senior director at NSC should be spending their time on,” Geltzer said. “What’s more, it politicizes a piece of the NSC staff that administrations of both parties have worked for decades to keep as apolitical as possible.”

Patel’s name has been brought up in several recent depositions, according to another person with direct knowledge of the interviews, in connection with the shadow foreign policy campaign Trump allegedly directed in an effort to extract political favors from the newly elected Zelensky.

On Tuesday, Taylor — who remains the acting ambassador in Kiev — gave lawmakers one of the most detailed timelines to date of how Trump and his allies sought to leverage American military and diplomatic might to coerce Zelensky into a coordinated campaign to damage Joe Biden, Trump’s chief political rival. Taylor testified that he was told that Trump wanted to withhold security assistance to Ukraine unless Zelensky agreed to announce an investigation into Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company on whose board Biden’s son Hunter served.

Democrats have been especially interested in Patel’s role in the Ukraine scandal given his intensive work as Nunes’ top staffer on the House Intelligence Committee to discredit the FBI and DOJ officials investigating Russia’s election interference.

As the chairman of that committee, Nunes stepped aside from the panel’s Russia investigation in April 2017 and launched a separate inquiry into the origins of the FBI’s counterintelligence probe, which had zeroed in on four Trump campaign aides’ interactions with Russians during the election.

The findings of that parallel investigation were outlined in a 3.5-page memo that Patel, who also served as the panel’s senior counsel, helped write, despite warnings by the Justice Department that its release would be “extraordinarily reckless” because it included classified information and could harm ongoing investigations.

The memo alleges that the FBI used intelligence passed to them by the former British spy Christopher Steele to bolster the bureau’s application for a surveillance warrant targeting an early Trump campaign adviser, Carter Page. It accused the FBI of omitting “the role of the” Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign in paying Steele for his research on the Trump campaign, and led Trump to accuse DOJ and FBI leaders of politicizing “the sacred investigative process in favor of Democrats and against Republicans.”

Democrats, meanwhile, accused Nunes and the Republicans of politicizing law enforcement and the Russia investigation in an effort to shield the president.

Prior to that, Patel circulated an internal memo urging Nunes to hold top DOJ and FBI officials in contempt for failing to turn over documents related to the warrant process undertaken during the transition period.

He also traveled to London in 2017—without the knowledge of the U.S. embassy, the British government, or Adam Schiff, then the committee’s ranking member—in search of Steele, whose lawyer denied Patel access to his client.

Patel’s ascension to the NSC staff earlier this year—and particularly his promotion to a senior counterterrorism role that was created for him within the directorate, according to a former official familiar with the matter—raised eyebrows among some in the NSC who didn’t believe he was experienced enough for the role, despite a two-year stint from 2014-2016 as a counterterrorism prosecutor at the Justice Department.

His “unique access” to the West Wing, and the ease with which he has been able to interact directly with the president without NSC leadership’s involvement, has also struck some as unusual, the former official said.

Nahal Toosi contributed reporting.

*********

White House Aides Feared That Trump Had Another Ukraine Back Channel

Senior national security officials grew concerned about Kash Patel, a colleague who had been involved in Republicans’ efforts to undermine the Russia investigation.

By Julian E. Barnes, Adam Goldman and Nicholas Fandos | Published October 23, 2019 Updated 4:33 PM ET | New York Times | Posted October 23, 2019 |

WASHINGTON — When Kashyap Patel was an aide to the House Intelligence Committee in the first years of the Trump administration, he played a key role in helping Republicans try to undermine the Russia investigation, writing a memo that accused law enforcement officials of abusing their power.

The memo, which consumed Washington for weeks, was widely dismissed as a biased argument of cherry-picked facts. But it galvanized President Trump’s allies and made Mr. Patel a hero among them. After Republicans ceded control of Congress this year, he landed on Mr. Trump’s National Security Council staff.

Colleagues there initially questioned the role of Mr. Patel, who took few notes in meetings and had little expertise for his initial portfolio, which covered the United Nations. Within months, senior White House officials began to suspect he had won Mr. Trump’s ear and had effectively created a back channel to the president that could warp American policy, according to congressional testimony and interviews.

Colleagues grew alarmed after hearing that Mr. Trump had referred to Mr. Patel as one of his top Ukraine policy specialists and that the president wanted to discuss related documents with him, according to people briefed on the matter. Mr. Patel, who is known as Kash, is now assigned to work on counterterrorism issues, not Ukraine.

Any involvement by Mr. Patel in Ukraine issues would mark another attempt by Mr. Trump’s political loyalists to go around American policymakers to shape policy toward Kiev. It was separate, two of the people said, from the irregular, informal channel led by the president’s lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani and Gordon D. Sondland, the American ambassador to the European Union, that is the subject of House Democrats’ impeachment investigation.

Friends of Mr. Patel dismissed the concerns among senior national security officials as conspiracy theories by Mr. Trump’s critics. The White House declined to comment.

House impeachment investigators are scrutinizing Mr. Patel’s actions as well, the people said. The investigators have asked witnesses about Mr. Patel and are trying to determine any role he played in the shadow foreign policy Mr. Trump was conducting as he pushed the Ukrainian government to incriminate his political rivals by announcing investigations into them.

The contents of the documents were not clear, nor was it clear how Mr. Trump got them. Typically, aides prepare policy briefings for presidents that several agencies sign off on in a highly controlled process. But Mr. Trump has adopted a much more freewheeling approach, taking in unverified information from sources both inside and outside the White House and seeking out and promoting assertions that fit his narrative.

Fiona Hill, the National Security Council’s former senior director for Eurasian and Russian affairs, testified to House investigators last week that she believed Mr. Patel was improperly getting involved in Ukraine policy and was sending information to Mr. Trump, some of the people said.

Ms. Hill grew alarmed earlier this year when an aide from the White House executive secretary’s office told her that Mr. Trump wanted to talk to Mr. Patel and identified him as the National Security Council’s “Ukraine director,” a position held by one of Ms. Hill’s deputies. The aide said Mr. Trump wanted to meet with Mr. Patel about documents he had received on Ukraine.

Ms. Hill responded by asking who Mr. Patel was. While the aide from the executive secretary’s office did not state explicitly that Mr. Patel sent the Ukraine documents to Mr. Trump, Ms. Hill understood that to be the implication, according to a person familiar with her testimony.

Mr. Patel’s apparent communications with the president prompted Ms. Hill to raise concerns with her superiors, including John R. Bolton, then the national security adviser, that Mr. Patel was meddling outside of his portfolio. As early as May, Ms. Hill had begun discussing with colleagues her concerns about whether Mr. Patel was running a shadow effort on Ukraine at the White House, according to four people briefed on the discussions.

Two other witnesses in the impeachment investigation, Mr. Sondland and George P. Kent, another State Department official, testified that they had not encountered him in their work, according to people familiar with the inquiry.

Mr. Patel joined the National Security Council in February and began getting involved in Ukraine matters in April, as Mr. Giuliani pushed the Ukrainian government to discredit evidence against Paul Manafort, Mr. Trump’s former campaign chairman. It was not clear who hired him.

Mr. Patel was previously best known as a lead author of the politically charged memo released early last year accusing the F.B.I. and Justice Department leaders of abusing their power in the early stages of the Russia investigation.

Mr. Patel worked at the time as an investigator for the House Intelligence Committee under Representative Devin Nunes of California, who ran the panel when Republicans had control of the chamber. Mr. Patel’s efforts to discredit the Russia investigation made him a minor celebrity in conservative circles but a divisive figure on Capitol Hill.

As an intelligence committee aide, Mr. Patel helped investigate the theory that Ukrainians were responsible for spreading information about Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election. Mr. Trump has returned to the accusation of Ukrainian meddling repeatedly in public and private conversations.

On the National Security Council, Mr. Patel first worked with officials in a directorate called International Organizations and Alliances that was devoted to advancing American interests at the United Nations and on human rights and other international issues.

Some National Security Council aides questioned whether Mr. Patel’s experience as Mr. Nunes’ investigator was relevant to overseeing American policy toward the United Nations, a person familiar with his hiring said.

Under Mr. Bolton’s watch, Mr. Patel was later given a more senior role in the counterterrorism directorate. That fit more directly with his background as a onetime federal counterterrorism prosecutor, but some officials said Mr. Patel was promoted to a senior director position unusually quickly.

Mr. Patel is closely aligned on the National Security Council staff with another alumna of Mr. Nunes’ committee, Michael Ellis, now a top White House lawyer. Mr. Ellis worked for Mr. Nunes for years as a lawyer on the House Intelligence Committee and helped champion Mr. Patel’s work on the staff, a person familiar with their roles said.

Mr. Ellis was involved in another bizarre episode early in the Trump administration in which he and another White House lawyer printed highly classified reports to show Mr. Nunes, who used them to accuse Obama administration officials of spying on Mr. Trump and his associates. The claims quickly unraveled, and Mr. Nunes eventually recused himself from his committee’s own Russia investigation as a result.

Mr. Patel’s role as an investigator for Mr. Nunes is highlighted in a book by Lee Smith, a conservative journalist, set to be published next week. The book asserts without evidence that the so-called deep state of career government bureaucrats and members of the media embarked on a grand scheme to thwart Mr. Trump from being president.

Mr. Nunes hired Mr. Patel because he “knew the nature of the enemy,” Mr. Smith wrote.

“I hired him to bust down doors,” Mr. Nunes said in the book.

The memo that Mr. Patel wrote as a House Intelligence Committee aide focused on the F.B.I.’s use of a dossier of explosive, unverified claims about Mr. Trump that Christopher Steele, a former British spy, compiled in 2016 for a Democratic-funded research mission. House Republicans long ago seized on the dossier as evidence that the Russia investigation was tainted, to little avail.

As part of their inquiry, House Republicans looked into whether Mr. Steele relied on sources from Ukraine for his research and whether the former American ambassador to Ukraine, Marie L. Yovanovitch, had ties to the research firm that hired Mr. Steele.

Ms. Yovanovitch was a casualty of Mr. Giuliani’s efforts in Ukraine as well; she was recalled from her post in the spring as Mr. Trump became convinced she had disparaged him, a charge she denies. Mr. Nunes, Mr. Patel’s former boss, has long accused her of speaking out against the president.

But Ms. Yovanovitch said that one of her bosses told her she was being ousted even though she had done “nothing wrong,” according to her testimony.

Danny Hakim contributed reporting.

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fullspectrum-cbd-oil · 5 years

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Exclusive: Walmart told U.S. Government India E-Commerce Rules Regressive, Warned of Trade Impact

Walmart told the U.S. government privately in January that India’s new investment rules for e-commerce were regressive and had the potential to hurt trade ties, a company document seen by Reuters showed.

The lobbying effort yielded no result at the time – India implemented the new rules from Feb. 1 – but the document underlines the level of concern at Walmart about the rules. Differences over e-commerce regulations have become one of the biggest issues in frayed trade ties between New Delhi and Washington.

“It came as a total surprise … this is a major change and a regressive policy shift,” Walmart’s Senior Director for Global Government Affairs Sarah Thorn told the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in an e-mail on Jan. 7.

Just months earlier, Walmart had invested $16 billion in Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart, its biggest ever acquisition globally.

In a statement to Reuters on Thursday, Walmart said it regularly offers input to the U.S. and Indian governments on policy issues and this was a “past issue and Walmart and Flipkart are looking ahead”.

“Walmart has had good consultations with the government of India,” a company spokeswoman added.

The USTR did not respond to a request for comment.

In the January letter to the USTR, Walmart said it wanted a six-month delay in the implementation of the rules, but that did not happen. Washington did raise concerns about the policy with New Delhi, but India gave a non-committal response, an Indian trade ministry official told Reuters at the time.

Walmart’s problems in India highlight the regulatory complications it faces as it restructures its international business to boost growth and online sales. Mexico’s competition regulator recently blocked its acquisition of delivery app Cornershop, while in Britain it was stopped from merging its British arm Asda with rival Sainsbury’s.

These issues, however, have failed to unnerve Walmart investors. Walmart shares have risen 21 percent, compared with a 19 percent increase for the S&P 500 since the start of the year.

NEW INDIA RULES

A USTR delegation led by Christopher Wilson, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for South and Central Asia, was to meet Indian officials in New Delhi on Friday to resume discussions on trade ties and the e-commerce issue was likely to be high on the agenda.

In its January representation, Walmart told the USTR that India’s new policy wasn’t good for global businesses, highlighting that its foreign direct investment would help Flipkart grow and result in “significant” tax revenues for New Delhi.

“Changing rules to hinder international business following major investments … will have important implications for India FDI goals and add unnecessary pressure to trade discussions,” Walmart said in its note.

The new rules barred companies from selling products via firms in which they have an equity interest and also from making deals with sellers to sell exclusively on their platforms.

Amazon.com Inc removed thousands of products from its India website briefly in February as it initially struggled to comply with the new policy. Flipkart was forced to rework some of its vendor relationships, sources told Reuters at the time.

The policy, implemented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi months before his re-election in May, was seen aimed at winning the support of small Indian traders, who had long complained they were losing business due to the steep discounts offered by foreign e-commerce giants.

“The action appears in every respect … intended to placate Indian companies and local traders,” Walmart told the USTR.

SMALL TRADERS VS BIG RETAILERS

Reuters obtained the two-page representation Walmart sent to the USTR through a Freedom of Information Act request first filed in January. The USTR in February provided a heavily-redacted version of the document, citing confidentiality reasons. In consultation with Walmart, it withdrew most of those redactions this week following an appeal from Reuters.

Although Reuters asked for both Amazon and Walmart’s communications, the USTR responded saying it found only one e-mail with Walmart’s representation between Dec. 22 and Jan. 28, the period for which the records were searched.

Since the policy has been announced, Indian oil-to-telecoms conglomerate Reliance Industries has repeatedly talked about its plans to diversify into e-commerce.

Walmart’s document released to Reuters did not name Reliance, but the Bentonville, Arkansas-based company argued the policy discriminated against foreign firms, and not just in favor of small domestic players.

“The purported rationale of such regulations is to protect small retail players who are seen to be threatened,” Walmart said, but added: “This argument does not account for why there should be differentiated treatment between large foreign eCommerce companies, and large domestic companies.”

In the past six months, several Walmart executives have also weighed in publicly on India’s new e-commerce policy, including Chief Executive Doug McMillon, who said in February the company was disappointed by the Indian government’s decision.

“We hope for a collaborative regulatory process going forward, which results in a level playing field,” he said.

DEFENDING E-COMMERCE

India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has said the government was committed to protecting small traders, but open to ironing out policy-related issues. Goyal said on Twitter on Wednesday he had met Walmart International’s CEO, Judith McKenna, and discussed ways of boosting sales of Indian-made products.

In a closed-door meeting last month, however, Goyal warned both Flipkart and Amazon to comply with the new rules in letter and spirit, and questioned them on their discounting policies, Reuters has reported.

The Walmart spokeswoman on Thursday said that, in line with the company’s commitment to India, it looked forward to contributing to the country’s retail ecosystem.

Amazon was not aware of Walmart’s January representation to the USTR, according to a person with direct knowledge. The company in a statement said it continued to engage with New Delhi to enhance infrastructure and create jobs.

Walmart told the USTR in January that its unit Flipkart, as well as Amazon, had opened many new distribution centers over the past three years in India, creating thousands of jobs and greatly benefiting to consumers.

It warned of “serious consequences” if the new policy was implemented hastily. “The lack of policy stability makes it very difficult for companies to continue planned investments, both in the eCommerce sector and beyond,” Walmart wrote.

(Reporting by Aditya Kalra in New Delhi; Additional reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Martin Howell, Alex Richardson and Raju Gopalakrishnan)

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