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Trump’s Plan Finally Becomes Clear
Eric Zuesse
The first stage of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to restore America’s former dominance as a manufacturing country will be announced this coming weekend in Riyadh Saudi Arabia and Washington DC, but its outlines are now already more than clear. The biggest-ever foreign sale of U.S.-made weaponry will be announced at that time, and, according to a little-noticed report by Reuters on May 12th, an unidentified U.S. government official informed Reuters that "We are in the final stages of a series of deals,” whose size will be of truly extraordinary historic proportions.
Trump will announce during this, his first trip abroad as the U.S. President, starting on Friday May 19th, deals for the fundamentalist-Sunni government of Saudi Arabia to purchase more than $100 billion, and perhaps more even than $300 billion, in U.S.-made weaponry. The announced intention of Saudi princes is to defeat what they declare to be the ‘existential threat' they face from Iran and from Shia Islam, and so these weapons will presumably be used for ‘defense’ against the fundamentalist-Shiite government of Iran, and against any nation whose leader is Shiite (even if not fundamentalist, and including non-sectarian and even secular Shiite, such as Syria’s leader Bashar al-Assad, and such as the Houthis in Yemen). The U.S. (especially the major investors in corporations such as Lockheed Martin) will therefore be in a position to profit from intensification of the wars in Syria and in Yemen, as well as from other national battlefields between Sunni and Shia. That’s the plan, and, on this basis, as soon as Trump won the 2016 election, he appointed to all of his national-security posts people who have solid records as being rabidly hostile, above all, towards Iran, and secondarily, toward Iran’s allies, such as Russia and Syria. (Trump’s opponent, Hillary Clinton, was hostile, above all, toward Russia; her aim was to conquer it, which would entail unlimited spending on nuclear weapons. Trump’s plan is focused instead on unlimited spending on conventional weapons, and the deal that he has reached with the Sauds is designed specifically to supply them with that — not with nuclear.)
US Pursues Everything but the Right Things
Stephen Lendman
Churchill was wrong once saying “(y)ou can always count on Americans to do the right thing - after they’ve tried everything else.”
In modern times especially, it’s consistently and recklessly on the wrong side of vital issues - notably on war and peace and responsible diplomatic relations with all countries. Its rage for unchallenged dominance is humanity’s greatest threat. Eventual nuclear war seems virtually certain if its recklessness isn’t halted - no simple task given neocon-infested Washington, trigger-happy for new conquests, permanently at war, peace and stability considered sissy and unpatriotic.
Hostility toward Russia shows no signs of ebbing, just the opposite. Phony accusations of US election meddling and witch-hunt investigations going nowhere persist.
Opposing Russia/US Aims in Syria
Stephen Lendman
Russia seeks conflict resolution, Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity protected, and the right of its people to decide who’ll lead them, free from foreign interference. Washington seeks regime change, why Obama launched aggression in 2011.
Generals delegated warmaking authority under Trump seek the same objective, wanting the Syrian Arab Republic destroyed, its leadership ousted, pro-Western puppet rule replacing it.
Russia’s de-escalation zone plan hopes to restore peace and stability to these areas - if successful, followed by instituting the plan nationwide.
According to Sergey Lavrov on Sunday, “several days ago, at the meeting in Astana, Russia, Turkey, Iran, the Syrian government and the armed opposition coordinated the memorandum, which sets such zones in four Syrian districts, meaning that this practice will be then extended to the rest part of the Syrian territory” - if things go as planned.
Huge US Arms Deal for the Saudi Dictatorship
Stephen Lendman
According to Reuters, the White House “is close to completing a series of arms deals for Saudi Arabia totaling more than $100 billion, a senior White House official said on Friday, a week ahead of President Donald Trump's planned visit to Riyadh.”
The Saudi dictatorship is one of the world’s most ruthless, repressing its own people, terror-bombing Yemen, blockading its coastline to prevent vital humanitarian aid from reaching starving, ill and injured civilians.
According to an unnamed White House source, the arms deal could exceed an astonishing $300 billion over the next decade.
US and Turkey: The Balkanization of the Middle East
James Petras
Introduction
For the past 20 years Washington has aggressively pursued the age-old imperial strategy of ‘divide and conquer’ throughout the Middle East, Southwest Asia and East Africa. Frustrated at its inability to control national policy of various independent nation-states, Washington used direct and indirect military force to destroy the central governments in the targeted nations and create patchworks of tribal-ethno-mini-states amenable to imperial rule. Tens of millions of people have been uprooted and millions have died because of this imperial policy.
Washington’s strategy of fragmentation and secession follows closely the “Greater Israel Plan” set forth by Israeli politico-military writer Oded Yinon in February 1982 and published by the World Zionist Organization. Yinon maintained that the key to Israel’s domination of the Middle East rested on fostering ethno-religious and regional divisions. Following the Yinon Plan, in the first instance, Tel Aviv signed accords with Jordan and Egypt to break-up Arab regional support for the Palestinians. It then proceeded to fragment what remained of Arab-Palestine into small warring enclaves between the West Bank and Gaza. Israel then sub-divided and settled wide swatches of the West Bank with the collaboration of the corrupt ‘Palestinian Authority’ under Mahmoud Abbas.
The Charade of Russian US Election Hacking
Stephen Lendman
In US judicial proceedings, beyond a reasonable doubt is the highest standard of proof required.
In civil litigation, it’s either proof by a preponderance of evidence or by what’s clear and convincing - establishing a high probability of truth.
In criminal cases, the high proof standard of reasonable doubt is especially important because a defendant’s freedom or possible execution is at stake.
The same high standard is most important when one nation accuses another of criminal actions. War could follow false accusations accepted as factual.
Last March, neocon Dick Cheney called alleged foreign interference in America’s election an “act of war” - despite none occurring, baseless accusations alone.
In judicial proceedings, if prosecutors can’t prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, jurors or judges are obligated to exonerate defendants.
Cholera Hits Yemen
Stephen Lendman
During conflict-free times, Yemenis are the region’s poorest people, struggling daily to get by.
Since Bush/Cheney launched drone war on the country, continued by Obama and Trump, hugely exacerbated by US/Saudi terror war and blockade, a humanitarian catastrophe unequaled anywhere else exists, potentially millions of Yemenis at risk of perishing if things aren’t resolved.
And now cholera, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It’s an infection of the small intestine, caused by contaminated food or water.
Symptoms include uncontrolled watery diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, rapid heart rate, and abdominal cramps, among others. Untreated severe cases can cause death.
In recent weeks according to the WHO, at least dozens of Yemenis perished from the disease. Over 2,700 suspected cases occurred - perhaps many more cholera-related deaths and illnesses than known or officially reported.
Macron: Neoliberal Reactionary, Dangerous Psychopath
Stephen Lendman
Viva la dirty business as usual with him as president. A former Rothschild banker, economy minister, French communists say he embodies bourgeoisie reactionary values, supports imperial rampaging, rising to the presidency from “formidable mobiliz(ed) propaganda and communication (employed by) monopoly capital.”
Open, free and fair elections are anathema in America and other Western countries - often rigged so wrong candidates don’t win.
According to YourNewsWire, France’s “election was rigged…Le Pen voters lost their ballots…by the millions (last) Sunday.”
“Up to one third of all ballots sent out to voters, an estimated 60% of Le Pen ballots, were destroyed at the time of mailing.”
Only her ballots showed up damaged or destroyed, none for Macron. They were tampered with before mailing so they wouldn’t be counted when received back - the handiwork of France’s establishment to assure their candidate triumphed.
Revving Up War on Trump
Stephen Lendman
Instead of criticizing him for the right reasons, media scoundrels bash him for the wrong ones.
Dark forces in Washington want him weakened, delegitimized, ousted, and replaced by neocon Pence, an easily controlled establishment figure, their sinister agenda in good hands with him as president.
Acting as press agents for power, media scoundrels support what demands condemnation. At war with Trump throughout the campaign, their hostility continues with him as head of state. Firing James Comey is a pretext for revving up war on him, a convenient issue with legs, not going away any time soon, even after a new FBI director is named.
A nasty confirmation fight could follow announcing someone America’s deep state opposes. Meanwhile, Comey’s sacking has been the dominant media story since his May 9 dismissal.
Macron Sworn in as French President
Stephen Lendman
Far from a popular choice, his election was dubious, possibly rigged, discussed in a previous article - assuring continuity, not badly needed constructive change.
Falsely called fascist and other pejoratives, Western media savaged Le Pen. Her agenda explains why, wanting French sovereignty restored, ending control by Brussels, Berlin and Washington, including over its monetary and fiscal policy by exiting the euro straightjacket, the franc replacing it the way things used to be.
She opposes involvement in US-dominated NATO, supports improved relations with Russia - anathema notions to France’s establishment and other Western governments.
She supports worker rights and women’s rights. She opposes deplorable Hollande regime policies, ones Macron intends continuing, serving monied interests, opposing beneficial social change.
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