GOP operative pardoned by Trump convicted of funneling Russian money to Trump campaign
— Read on news.yahoo.com/gop-operative-pardoned-trump-convicted-044820477.html
-
-
www.nytimes.com/2023/08/06/world/europe/ukraine-war-expands-beyond-battlefields.html
excerpts
Ukraine has grown bolder, striking Russian ships and firing drones at Moscow, while Russia has turned to regular attacks on the Black Sea, a crucial economic hub.
-
www.nytimes.com/2023/08/06/world/europe/putins-forever-war.html
I asked him about Mr. Putin. “He was sent to Russia by God,” he said.
Excerpts
putin…has always used war — in Chechnya, in Georgia and in Ukraine — to unite Russians in the simplistic myths of nationalism and to usher them to the simplistic conclusion that his increasingly repressive rule is so essential that it must be eternal.
That Prigozhin rebelled was symptomatic of many social problems, but the way he advanced toward Moscow unhindered also demonstrated nervousness about whether all army units would fight,” said Alexander Baunov, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. “Putin clearly did not want to give an order to fire he was unsure would be implemented.”
Making a martyr of Mr. Prigozhin was too risky in the short term for other reasons, too. Wagner’s role in avoiding recourse to an unpopular draft, by recruiting many thousands of criminals to bear the brunt of much heavy fighting in Ukraine, has been crucial. If Mr. Putin, 70, did not blink, he certainly flinched.
the war must be invisible, banished to places like Ulan-Ude, near Lake Baikal, not far from the Mongolian border. That is done, in part, by paying recruits about $2,500 a month, a huge sum in a region where a monthly salary of $500 is more typical.
It is evident in the bodyguards bursting into upscale Moscow restaurants to make room for some capo or oligarch of a system where great wealth comes only at the price of unwavering loyalty to the president.Putinism is a postmodern compilation of contradictions. It combines mawkish Soviet nostalgia with Mafia capitalism, devotion to the Orthodox Church with the spread of broken families, ferocious attacks on a “unipolar” American world with revived Russian imperialist aggression — all held together by the ruthless suppression of dissident voices and recourse to violence when necessary.
-
In spite of Russia’s aggression against Georgia, the US did not impose any sanctions on Russia, and US President Barack Obama started his reset as if nothing had happened
— Read on www.kyivpost.com/opinion/20182Excerpts.
So Putin understood that he could go ahead and attack Ukraine in 2014. Since the Obama administration in 2014 imposed only limited sanctions and – incredibly – refused to deliver lethal weapons to Ukraine so that it could defend itself, Putin expressed his appreciation and launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Burns was not responsible for these mistakes. He served his rulers eminently. The main responsibility rests ultimately with then US Presidents George W. Bush and Obama, who did not fathom Putin’s intentions. Bush tried to accommodate Putin with too much friendliness and with too many meetings, while Obama sensibly ignored Putin, but did not stand up to him. France and Germany were far worse on all accounts, but that is another story.
The Biden administration clearly understands far more and has done a great deal. Without its understanding and efforts, Ukraine might have fallen, but the final steps that need to be taken are to declare that Ukraine must win this war and the West, primarily the US, needs to deliver all the arms it takes for Ukraine to defeat Russia.
-
Up to 6,000 of Russian citizens in Latvia are expected to receive official notices next month asking them to leave the c…
— Read on www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2050380/latvia-to-ask-thousands-of-russian-citizens-to-leave-the-country -
I want to return to this revelatory interview with co-conspirator John Eastman, the last portion of which was published Thursday by Tom Klingenstein…
— Read on talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/john-eastman-comes-clean-hell-yes-we-were-trying-to-overthrow-the-government -
Taxi: Directed by Jafar Panahi. With Jafar Panahi, Nasrin Sotoudeh. Banned from making movies by the Iranian government, Jafar Panahi poses as a taxi driver and makes a movie about social challenges in Iran.
— Read on www.imdb.com/title/tt4359416/ -
Sunday 5 August 2023
News Summaries
FRANCE 24 TV: Link TV
AFRICA:
- The North African Defence Chiefs are planning to intervene to restore the democratically elected government in Niger if coup leaders do not respond.
- (Note: I know nothing about the background here, but it is refreshing to see somebody stand up for democracy without wringing their hands.)
- ECOWAS leaders were not even able to meet with the coup leader.
- The coup leaders announced that they were scrapping any military agreements with France.
- Niger has had a key role with the West in combatting jihadists in the region. (Note: So where was the CIA when this coup was being planned. I keep thinking about the Saturday Night Live skit where the secretary in the CIA’s Tehran office had to tell the agents that the people in Iran didn’t like the shah.)
- Between the US and France there are approximately 2,000 troops in the country. (Note: What are they doing? Playing on their cell phones?)
- (Note: Sorry)
- The President has written a letter, published in the Washington Post, saying he was a “hostage.”
- He warned about the influence of Russia in the area via Wagner Mercenaries.
- France 24 (excellent news program on LINK TV) has had their broadcasts suspended in Niger.
- France supports ECOWAS intervention in Niger, foreign minister says.
UKRAINE:
- There has been another strike by Ukraine on a Russian ship.
- A Russian port has been successfully targeted.
- Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is being investigated for mines. The plant has been shut down for months.
- FRANCE 24 TV is reporting that a Russin chemical tanker was hit by Ukrainian drones.
- The tanker hit was under US sanctions for supplying jet fuel to Russian forces in Syria.
- Talks are starting in Saudi Arabia to try to find a “peaceful” settlement after the invasion Russia launched against Ukraine.
- There will be representatives of some 40 countries but not Russia.
- Attending countries include: China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Gulf nations (NYT)
- Ukrainians staged a demonstration in Lisbon to pray with Pope Francis. One said, he has to do something, not just talk. (NYT)
- The Pope, while supportive of Ukraine, has refused to name Russia as the aggressor? What? (NYT)
-
One error in the trial over his handling of classified documents potentially violated the defendant’s constitutional rights and could have invalidated the proceedings, according to legal experts and a court transcript.
— Read on www.reuters.com/legal/trump-documents-case-judge-made-multiple-errors-earlier-trial-2023-08-04/
