Last week's posts at Moon of Alabama:
There are other government funded organization in Britain which, like the Integrity Initiative, write and tweet against the leader of the opposition: Home Office-backed counter-extremism group waging Twitter campaign against Corbyn – Middle East Eye
I am amazed how the Impeachment Circus and the mainstream media continue to ignore the facts of this story:
Joe Biden has been a favorite target for Trump-allied lawmakers. Many have adopted Trump’s unsubstantiated assertion that Biden pushed for the ouster of a Ukrainian prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, because he was investigating Burisma.
Other people get it:
Why the Only Thing Democrats Will Succeed in Impeaching Is Their Own Integrity Daniel Lazzare, Strategic Culture
Why Is Christopher Steele Still a Thing? – Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone
The “Deep State” Is a Political Party – Jefferson Morley, New Republic
The CIA is emerging as a domestic political party.
…
Brennan put a friendly finger on my chest. “The CIA is not involved in domestic politics,” he said. “Period. That’s on the record.”This he asserted confidently, at an event where he had just spoken about about influence campaigns on swing voters and implied that Hillary Clinton might be right in calling U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard a Russian asset. Even seasoned analysts, it seems, have their blind spots.
Motivation to impeach Trump is about control of Democratic Party – Rick Salutin, The Star
What shifted [House Speaker Nancy Pelosi] now? I’d say the answer is: this impeachment isn’t directed at Trump at all, it’s about undermining the rising left-wing opposition in the Democratic party. They are plausibly on the verge of seizing the party agenda away from the neo-liberal consensus of the Clinton-Obama decades — with issues like universal public health-care and equitable taxes. They’ve even found ways to fund campaigns without bowing to the corporate gods.
- November 6 – Turkey's Continued Care For ISIS Will End Badly
Related:
Pentagon Claims US Authority to Shoot Any Syrian Govt Official Who Tries to Take Control of Syrian Oil – Common Dreams
A day after we wrote the above Iran shot down a low flying drone that had penetrated its air space. CentCom made a statement that practically said "It was the CIA's drone, not ours."
This will only intensify U.S. 'regime change' efforts: Iran announces discovery of massive oil field
Iran has discovered a massive new oil field, President Hassan Rouhani said Sunday, a find that would boost its proven reserves by about a third in a rare piece of "good news" for an economy battered by US sanctions.
The police are quite brutally clearing the major protest sites. On Monday Prime Minister Abdul Mahdi will announce some additional reforms.
Iraq factions reach deal to save government, 'end protests'; PM urges return to normal life – Strait Times
Iraq’s feel-good ‘revolution’ – Asia Times
Other issues:
Potential new conflict areas:
Jordan to retake lands leased by Israel in 1994 peace accord
Jordan’s king announced Sunday that two pieces of land leased by Israel would be returned to the “full sovereignty” of Jordan as the two countries marked a chilly 25th anniversary of their landmark peace agreement.
Israel has controlled the agricultural lands for over 70 years and had been permitted to lease the areas under the 1994 peace agreement, with the assumption that the arrangement would be extended once again.
Benin President Orders Economic Decolonization From France
France still controls the foreign currency reserves of its former colonies in Africa. But the Françafrique and the Franc zone are coming to an end. The French will not like this and may well intervene, as they did in Libya.
When people in South America rage against rightwing governments the media ignores them or lies about it.
Chilean Protests: A Revolt against Neoliberalism the Media Refuses to Acknowledge – Alan Macleod, Mintpress
When the U.S. collaborates with rightwing extremists to launch coups against elected presidents U.S. media applaud.
US Plotting New Coup d’etat to Oust Bolivian President Evo Morales –21 Century Wire
No Evidence That Bolivian Election Results Were Affected by Irregularities or Fraud, Statistical Analysis Shows – CEPR
Evo Morales just announced new elections which he is likely to win.
737 MAX:
After Lion Air crash, Boeing doubled down on faulty 737 MAX assumptions – Dominic Gates, Seattle Times
The piece includes a link to a Boeing presentation from March 1, MCAS Development and Certification Overview, which has a few new details and includes several whoppers.
Use as open thread …