Not that Starmer cares about the cost, its the taxpayer and future taxpayers in Britain that will be left to pick up the bill – whilst he lives the high life from his fat pensions and bungs.
“The British government will end up paying ten times more than publicly acknowledged to transfer the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius, The Telegraph has reported.
The Chagos archipelago, comprising more than 60 islands, was separated from Mauritius by Britain in 1965, three years before the East African country gained independence. In 1966, the largest island, Diego Garcia, was leased to the US for military use, and around 2,000 inhabitants were displaced. Mauritius has since sought to reclaim the territory, and in 2019 the International Court of Justice advised that the UK should end its administration “as rapidly as possible.”
In May, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed an agreement transferring sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius. The deal allows Washington and London to retain control of the joint military base on Diego Garcia for an initial period of 99 years, with a total value of $3.9 billion, according to an earlier Reuters report.
Citing documents from the Government Actuary’s Department, The Telegraph said on Monday the deal will involve payments totaling nearly £35 billion ($47.1 billion) over the 99-year leaseback duration, compared with the official figure of £3.4 billion ($4.6 billion).
Starmer has reportedly told the House of Commons that higher estimates of £9 billion ($12.1 billion) and £18 billion ($24.2 billion) were “absolutely wide of the mark.””

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Aug 13 2025 16:02 utc | 3

As Trump turns Washington DC into his own fortress – he has plans for those who protest against his authoritarianism.
“The Department of Defense is planning to create a rapid response force of National Guard troops to quickly deploy to American cities where protests or unrest are occurring.
On Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that it obtained documents showing the Pentagon is creating a “Domestic Civil Disturbance Quick Reaction Force.”
“The plan calls for 600 troops to be on standby at all times so they can deploy in as little as one hour,” the outlet explained. “They would be split into two groups of 300 and stationed at military bases in Alabama and Arizona, with purview of regions east and west of the Mississippi River, respectively.”
One hundred troops at each base would be on standby to deploy within an hour, while the entire quick force would begin operations within 12 hours. The National Guard will be equipped with weapons and riot gear, and the deployments will be limited to 90 days to prevent burnout among the troops.
On Monday, Trump announced a major crackdown on crime in Washington, DC, by federalizing the Metropolitan DC police and deploying 800 National Guard troops to the capital city. “This is Liberation Day in DC, and we’re going to take our capital back,” Trump said during a press conference at the White House. “I’m officially invoking the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. And placing the DC Metropolitan Police under direct federal control.””
The below is also part and parcel of the plan of control and exploit.
“Police, once tasked with serving the people, now act as an occupying force—conducting no-knock raids in the dead of night, using military-grade weapons against civilians, and treating constitutional rights as optional.
ICE agents, incentivized by massive $50,000 bonuses and shielded from accountability, behave more like mercenaries than law enforcement—disappearing immigrants, terrorizing families, and operating far outside the bounds of due process.
Fourth Amendment protections, under constant assault, have become optional. Armed police raids—often executed without warrants or on faulty intelligence—are increasing in frequency and aggression. Constitution-free zones now extend well beyond the border, with entire communities living under constant threat of militarized home invasions and door-to-door sweeps.
Elected representatives enrich themselves through insider trading, while the crises they help manufacture devastate the populace.
Federal courts are being threatened or ignored outright when they attempt to check executive overreach. Judges who speak out are branded enemies of the state.
Whistleblowers, journalists, and truth-tellers are prosecuted, surveilled, or silenced—treated as threats to national security. Journalism, once protected as a check on power, is under siege.
Statisticians, public health experts, and government researchers are being purged or silenced when their data doesn’t support the administration’s narrative. We are living in the shadow of George Orwell’s Ministry of Truth, where facts are negotiable, history can be rewritten, and reality is whatever the Deep State says it is.
Disaster relief, foreign policy, and executive authority have been weaponized to punish dissent.
The Department of Justice has become a tool of loyalty enforcement—targeting dissenters while shielding cronies.
Meanwhile, the Epstein files remain sealed. Despite public outcry and compelling evidence of elite involvement in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking network, the Trump administration has refused to release the full client list or investigative records. In doing so, it continues the bipartisan pattern of shielding the powerful from scrutiny while everyday Americans face ever-expanding surveillance, suspicion, and punishment.
Public lands are being auctioned off to corporate allies without oversight or accountability.
Citizenship is no longer a birthright but a privilege granted or revoked by political fiat.
Digital platforms, pressured by federal agencies, now censor views deemed “inconvenient” to the state.
Education is being reshaped to discourage critical thought and enforce ideological conformity.
Government services, once created to serve the public good, are now political weapons—used to reward loyalty, punish dissent, and control the masses through selective aid and ideological enforcement.
Executive orders have become tools of rule-by-decree, bypassing Congress and obliterating checks and balances.
Economic chaos is being weaponized strategically. By manufacturing crises, withholding aid, and destabilizing budgets, the Deep State has found a new way to consolidate power, transfer wealth upwards, and condition compliance.
Corruption is not punished. It’s rewarded—so long as it serves the power elite.”

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Aug 13 2025 16:56 utc | 5

Any KJ Noh fans? Here he is going after empire with both barrels blazing, even more erudite and concise than usual if possible. Well worth the 20 minutes:
from ~9:30min to ~26:00min
Anti-Imperialism in the Indo-Pacific

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Aug 13 2025 17:09 utc | 7

@ Republicofscotland | Aug 13 2025 16:56 utc | 5
Preparation for Hank TARP Paulson’s “tanks in the streets”, after an adversary takes down nato financial systems? I betcha the Norks fingerprints will be all over this. I hear they’re even renting a yacht!
Say, wasn’t the District of Criminals a hardened security zone in those Hunger Games movies?

Posted by: I forgot | Aug 13 2025 19:01 utc | 9

Washington Post Publishes Government Plans For Deployment Of Troops To Cities Across the US
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/08/13/oujg-a13.html
“…In his White House rant on Monday, Trump, flanked by the heads of the Pentagon, the FBI and the Department of Justice, threatened to mobilize active-duty regular troops and expand the domestic use of the military to cities such as Chicago and New York.
With no serious opposition from the Democratic Party, the courts or the trade unions, Trump has effectively rendered the Posse Comitatus Act a dead letter. That act, dating from 1878, bans the use of the military in domestic law enforcement.”

Posted by: JohnGilberts | Aug 13 2025 19:15 utc | 11

I forgot (9).
Hunger Games Districts explained – for me any state, such as Texas or California, wishing to cede from the union, will need to have what District 13 had.
“District 13 was thought to have been destroyed by the Capitol during the First Rebellion, but it evidently made a deal to act as an independent nation. Before it seceded, District 13 was known for mining graphite, but its hidden industry was nuclear technology. This helps to explain why The Capitol conceded and agreed to let District 13 exist as an independent nation, since it’s confirmed they had access to nuclear weapons.”
I can only foresee a greater crackdown on those who demonstrate against corruption and injustice – the corruption, from US politicians and their corporate buddies, the injustice the shutting of those who are brave enough to stand up and tell the truth.

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Aug 13 2025 19:28 utc | 13

note from a friend in response to alex krainers substack today –
Preempting a coup? Trump tightens grip on Washington DC
Key Markets report for Wednesday, 13 August 2025
Alex Krainer
Aug 13, 2025

now my friends op-ed.. he lives in the usa..
“I wasn’t seriously considering the possibility of a coup—until now. But as the pattern comes into sharper focus, it’s hard to dismiss. What we’re watching from the TACO-in-Chief is not just erratic politics or clumsy strongman cosplay. It’s a sustained effort to normalize the use of military and federal force in civilian life, laying the groundwork for something far more dangerous: a slide toward an authoritarian state.
The signs are there for anyone willing to connect them. Last June’s so-called “immigration protest” crackdowns in Los Angeles were more than just overreactions; they were dress rehearsals—testing public tolerance for sudden, heavy-handed deployments. On the southern border, National Guard units and other military personnel have been stationed in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas under “National Defense Areas,” ostensibly to support immigration enforcement. The idea of the U.S. military policing civilians, even indirectly, should set off alarm bells for anyone who remembers our constitutional limits.
The official justification? “Out-of-control crime” and “gangs killing people.” The reality? Crime rates in many of these cities have been falling. Washington, D.C., has seen declines for two years straight. Los Angeles, before the deployments, was also trending downward. When the facts don’t fit the narrative, the narrative wins—because the truth isn’t the point.
Trump has always flourished in chaos. It’s his natural habitat. By manufacturing crises and staging “law and order” spectacles, he diverts attention from his own misconduct—whether that’s self-dealing, corruption, or the mounting failures of his economic and foreign policies. Distraction is not a side effect of this strategy; it is the strategy.
Legal experts warn that deploying federal troops absent a genuine emergency is not only unusual, it may violate the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts military involvement in domestic law enforcement. His administration is already being sued over these actions, and the constitutional stakes are enormous.
We should be clear-eyed: authoritarianism doesn’t arrive with a single dramatic moment. It creeps in under the cover of “emergency measures” and “temporary responses.” If we normalize military force in civilian affairs now, we may wake up one day to find that the coup we thought could never happen has already occurred—quietly, and with our own reluctant consent.”

Posted by: james | Aug 13 2025 19:29 utc | 15

The pompous tone from Bessent tone is just incredible discussing cleaning out us allies
Arnaud Bertrand on X: “This is, without exaggerating, one of the most extraordinary things a US Treasury Secretary ever said. It should be mandatory viewing for all citizens of US “allies”, Europeans first and foremost. What Bessent is saying is that the US will now treat US allies’ wealth as an https://t.co/IdNFMW33P7“ / X https://share.google/HplmkO1ZvewHGTRpe

Posted by: jpc | Aug 13 2025 21:22 utc | 17

james 15 the gross total of crimes committed in these cities tells a far different story, while crime rates are falling on the margin, the number of crimes in these cities is still enormous.
In DC tourists are warned not to venture out after dark, and same is true in parts of Manhattan too.
No bail laws, and weak youth crime laws have enabled violent alien and youth criminal gangs to run a reign of terror in these cities.
The feds are absolutely justified and just like in LA, the criminal element can not be allowed to take over a city. In LA the criminal coup attempt was put down. Put the MP’s into the streets.

Posted by: tobias cole | Aug 13 2025 22:20 utc | 19

Millions of illegal aliens were crossing the US southern and northern borders per YEAR. Many of these were gotaways – in other words of unknown identity to any federal government officials, and were most likely drug dealers, cartel soldiers, drug mules, rapists, armed robbers and ODC’s attemtping to by all border controls.
That alien invasion basically stopped on Jan 21, 2025.
Last month zero aliens gotaways made it in to the US.
A country not in control of its borders has no destiny…….Biden approved the horrendous concept…..Trump effectively stopped that….completely.
He deserves great credit for ending the Biden communist open border alien chaos.

Posted by: tobias cole | Aug 13 2025 22:29 utc | 21

Posted by: Menz | Aug 13 2025 22:27 utc | 19
Thanks Menz, this is a disgraceful act on behalf of the lying Albanese government running to serve US interests not our own. A sad day for Australia and Australian sovereignty. Like most Western politicians and political parties they are fakes that never listen to what the people say. After the Sydney Harbour bridge protest they could pay attention and change position, Australians definitely can’t stand Trump, but no, Uncle Sam and the Zionists still taking precedent. The Liberals are even worse.
MAGA = Marles (et al’s) American Grovelling Again.

Posted by: George | Aug 13 2025 23:16 utc | 23

Today is Arbaeen.
If you don’t know Imam Hussain, you don’t know Shia.
Every day is Ashura; every land is Karbala.
A shia call to jihad (vigilance) remembering the ultimate sacrifice of Imam Hussain, in Karbala, Iraq.
The Arbaeen (40 in Arabic) pilgrimage marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for Imam Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed alongside his companions in the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD. The commemoration is among the largest religious gatherings in the world, drawing millions of Shiite worshipers each year. Many undertake the journey on foot – some crawl on their bellies – from across Iraq and many countries to reach Karbala, where Imam Hussein’s shrine is located. Favorite of many is to arrive in Najaf, and walk to Karbala, 80 Kilometers away.
It is estimated that 25 million will make the pilgrimage this year. Food and water is provided to all for free – it is considered a privilege to feed the pilgrims. Late comers can get no closer than 9K (6 miles) from the shrine.

Posted by: Sakineh Bagoom | Aug 14 2025 0:24 utc | 25

@ tobias cole | Aug 13 2025 22:10 utc | 17
Thank you for that perspective – which I agree with completely.
Two things should be noted. One is that the administration is completely within the law, and there is precedent, as you state. Two is that this was obviously planned and coordinated across many agencies, and yet not one word leaked in advance. The media is sidelined, aware that it didn’t see this coming, and aware that it doesn’t know what comes next – hence, can’t spin or prepare the narrative – therefore, it will just freak out and blame Trump for everything, bring up Epstein, do whatever, except offer any useful information.
The US (blue) cities are a disgrace, and a danger. The notorious murder rate of the USA falls to the very peaceful end of the global list of countries if you take away the statistics of five, Democrat-controlled cities.
There are many in the country who support law and order, and this move, as you point out, is exactly such a thing. People unfamiliar with the domestic sentiment of the country may not realize that the people are hungry for a reckoning for the abuses of recent years (Covid being the final straw) – people I talk to are ready for public hangings.
The point is, this is what the voters wanted and hoped for. It’s not the beginning of federal tyranny, as hysterics are suggesting – the power of the states prevents that. And people here know that. It’s to redress a bad imbalance and to restore order and lawfulness. Not much to ask from an organized society.
~~
Krainer’s point is interesting. Jeff Childers has made similar points, that this is massive force injected into DC. And why? I never thought of preventing a coup – good thought from Krainer. Childers speculates that high-profile arrests may be coming, and the NGOs and Soros affiliates will of course organize rent-a-riot protests, figuring this is the hill to die on. But this will preempt that.
Lots of dots can be connected lately, and they all fall on a timeline. Trump couldn’t go to Russia until after Tulsi Gabbard had punctured the residual Russiagate smear – because of what he probably has to give up there. The Alaska meeting was obviously long planned. And the DC task force started entering within 12 hours of the announcement, so obviously this was long planned too. So much planning, and total operational security – not a word leaking from lots of people in lots of agencies. And maybe something big is coming.
All the timelines fit a body of planning and gaming that speaks of far more intelligence behind current events than the overblown fears and outrage of commenters on all things “Trump” are equal to – and that’s sad to say. If people would drop their hysteria and knee-jerk attitude, and begin to parse events as if the administration is sane (I understand that’s hard to imagine), we might get some better thinking on the current situation.

Posted by: Grieved | Aug 14 2025 1:32 utc | 27

…All the timelines fit a body of planning and gaming that speaks of far more intelligence behind current events than the overblown fears and outrage of commenters on all things “Trump” are equal to …
Posted by: Grieved | Aug 14 2025 1:32 utc | 26
Thanks for this, Grieved. I looked for Alex Krainer but didn’t find him — I will look further!

Posted by: juliania | Aug 14 2025 2:01 utc | 29

Posted by: james | Aug 13 2025 19:29 utc | 15
“We should be clear-eyed: authoritarianism doesn’t arrive with a single dramatic moment. It creeps in under the cover of “emergency measures” and “temporary responses.” If we normalize military force in civilian affairs now, we may wake up one day to find that the coup we thought could never happen has already occurred—quietly, and with our own reluctant consent.”
This reminds me of a quote by Jello Biafra, in his spoken-word CD “I Blow Minds For a Living” (1991).
Paraphrased, as I no longer have the CD to hand: “…as they usher in a global fascist police-state so slowly and gently that no-one even notices that it’s happening.”
Although, I do think it has sped up somewhat since the album’s release in 1991.

Posted by: Jon_in_AU | Aug 14 2025 2:44 utc | 31

Posted by: LightYearsFromHome | Aug 13 2025 17:09 utc | 7
######
I am a big KJ Noh fan. He’s erudite and wise.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Aug 14 2025 2:53 utc | 33

@ juliania | Aug 14 2025 2:01 utc | 28
the alex krainer link is what i provided @15… grieved isn’t talking or acknowledging me directly for obvious reasons, lol.. no one is supposed to say anything nasty about trump!!

Posted by: james | Aug 14 2025 3:43 utc | 35

I’m looking for recommendations of good, reliable books on the CIA and related matters. I’m currently halfway through David Talbot’s The Devil’s Chessboard.
To give an idea of the intended range of topicd, here is my list so far:
The Mighty Wurlitzer
The Jakarta Method
NATO’s Secret Armies: Operation Gladio and Terrorism in Western Europe
To Kill a Nation
I don’t have access to a library, and strongly prefer to read print copies that I can buy online. But if there’s anything the Barflies would consider essential reading, I would want to know about it even if getting my hands on a copy would be difficult.
[Note: since I’m coming to this open thread a day late, I may repost it in a later open thread. I hope that wouldn’t annoy—I read B’s posts regularly, but rarely the comments threads… so not familiar with community norms.]

Posted by: GuardYourHumanity | Aug 14 2025 6:04 utc | 37

Posted by: Jon_in_AU | Aug 14 2025 2:53 utc | 34
Cole, like all Trump cultists and bots, is a total moron not even worth a response.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Aug 14 2025 8:45 utc | 39

Stop the illegal war on Venezuela and Latin America. Trump’s war.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Aug 14 2025 8:48 utc | 39
DoS just doubled the bounty on Maduro’s head like last week ($50M now).
Exxon is really really pissed of about being rebutted numerous times. Regime change failed what ? 5 or 6 time now , mercenary killer teams send there were “treated” by “local militias” and send home in bodybags and tapping Venezuela’s offshore oil via horizontal drilling in (ex-bri’ish) Guyana just don’t them enough heavy to make their optimal blend.
I wonder how much did it already cost them … $50M is pocket change.
I just wait for CNPC or Rosneft to add-in less covertly in the shaker just to see how the US will react. Sending the boys in the Jungle again ? Doing a NAM sequel with more toxic snakes, more booby traps and jungle cartels ? Rambo XII; it wasn’t his war also :).

Posted by: Savonarole | Aug 14 2025 9:52 utc | 41

Posted by: GuardYourHumanity | Aug 14 2025 6:04 utc | 37
Try Fletcher Prouty: “The secret team.”
Definitely worth digging up.

Posted by: zendeviant | Aug 14 2025 10:23 utc | 43

zendeviant, Guardyourhumanity
Small independent magazine “Lobster” has an article from their last edition on Fletcher Prouty’s book, which has just turned up in a new edition
https://www.lobster-magazine.co.uk/article/issue/90/the-secret-team/
The article writer, Robin Ramsey describes the book being published and it’s subsequent suppression. Ramsey provides essential background placing Prouty and his work in context, both temporally and politically.
Prouty was a senior officer at the centre of US military policy, briefing US leaders in the sixties. He points out “the Pentagon Papers” was written by the Pentagon and Ellsberg, compromised and complicit was the classic limited hangout
Prouty said the following in the book as regards “the Secret Team”
“the Secret Team is not a clandestine super-planning board or super-general staff. But even more damaging to the coherent conduct of foreign and military affairs, it is a bewildering collection of semi-permanent or temporarily assembled action committees and networks that respond pretty much ad hoc to specific troubles and to flash-intelligence data inputs from various parts of the world,”

Posted by: will moon | Aug 14 2025 12:18 utc | 45

Intéressant quand même de constater la position de faiblesse de Vladimir Poutine.
Il va rencontrer Trump avec comme objectif absolu de le convaincre. Si Poutine était l’homme qu’il prétend être, il ne se soucierait pas autant de l’opinion de Trump.
La Russie est malgré tout profondément blessée par le conflit qu’elle a déclenché en Ukraine et les États-Unis ont la possibilité d’y mettre fin que ce soit en appuyant d’un côté ou de l’autre.
Le fait que Poutine soit ainsi d’une position à devoir convaincre le dirigeant des États-Unis est un marqueur important de la puissance de Washington dans ce dossier et aussi de la faiblesse de la Russie d’une certaine manière.
Si Trump décide de sabrer la Russie dans les négociations, combien de temps le Kremlin pourra-t-il tenir avant de céder à la pression ?

Posted by: Louis Duclos | Aug 14 2025 13:25 utc | 47

Jon_in_AU 34 – Again the gross total of violent crime is DC is far more than Mexico City! The homicide rate is four times more! WTF
And Mexico City is at least partially controlled by various cartel groups!
DC is a mess due to the gross incompetence of its Mayor Muriel DEI Bowser and its completely incompetent Police Chief Pam Smith, who was unbelievably the former DEI DCMP Chief.
Remember this is a Mayor who allowed and encouraged roving gangs of BLM and Antifa soldiers to attack citizens and members of Congress not two blocks from the WH, and objected in May 2020 when federal officers and DCNG troops had to protect public monuments from communist destruction. Bowser was OK with the Antifa coup attempt, but bitched like heck on Jan 6th, how is that for delusion.
And yes DC is a crime ridden mess and needs a hard dose of martial law to clean up this cluster. Its a beautiful city and deserves much better than chaos from Bowser and Smith.

Posted by: tobias cole | Aug 14 2025 14:12 utc | 49

i would like to say one thing in favour of trump – maybe there is more, but this one in itself is quite significant..
aside from all the posturing, the fact is the usa is talking ( not sure about listening ) with russia at this point.. all the other political leaders have not been able to do even this much… trump does deserve some acknowledgement and appreciation for this..

Posted by: james | Aug 14 2025 14:41 utc | 51

Trump can waive away sanctions at the flick of wrist when it suits him.
“The US Treasury Department has issued a temporary waiver for certain sanctions on Russia, allowing transactions related to the upcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ahead of the summit between Trump and Putin scheduled for Friday in Anchorage, Alaska.
The sanctions waiver covers transactions that are “normally incidental to and necessary for the attendance at or support of meetings in the state of Alaska,” although it does not authorize the “unblocking or release of any property blocked or effectively immobilized.””

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Aug 14 2025 14:56 utc | 53

Posted by: tobias cole | Aug 14 2025 14:12 utc | 48
“Again the gross total of violent crime is DC is far more than Mexico City! The homicide rate is four times more! WTF”
There was a post-Covid peak in viilent crime 2022-2023, but it has been decreasing again since.
The DOJ was the first source I looked at that was quoting that: “Total violent crime for 2024 in the District of Columbia is down 35% from 2023 and is the lowest it has been in over 30 years, according to data collected by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and announced by United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves.”
I’ll admit that it is just one source, but it is from the official data.
By stating that it is four times that of Mexico City could mean anything. Your comment doesn’t rule out there being just one violent crime recorded in M.C and four in D.C.
I’m not all that inclined to waste valuable time trying to prove the difference between the two cities (which is largrly irrelevant) with precise crime stats from each jurisdiction, as to do a good job of it would take many hours of reading and corralling data. Your comparison also seems to carry a thinly-veiled assumption of US cultural superiority over your southern neighbours.
I think the USA has problems far more systemic, and which far more related to the culture of violence and false dichotomies of goodies & badies. Generations being raised by television and movies is far more of a causative problem than BLM, Antifa, “commies”, or any other grouping of disaffected people out there.
A comparison that might be worth contemplating is USA to Switzerland. Both nations have similar levels of gun ownership, but only one of the two has a massive problem with gun violence, and the highest rate of incarceration per capita of any so-called “developed” nation.
The US needs a new system, not more fascist cops, jails, and guns.

Posted by: Jon_in_AU | Aug 14 2025 15:01 utc | 55

The Zio-Monster who are committing genocide in Gaza, won’t like this one little bit, and neither will their most prominent backers, such as the USA, Germany and Britain.
“South Africa and Iran have pledged to strengthen bilateral military cooperation following a high-level meeting between defense officials in Tehran.
The commander of the South African National Defense Force, General Rudzani Maphwanya, met with Iranian Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi for talks on Tuesday. Mousavi emphasized the capabilities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, describing it as the “world’s largest anti-terrorism force.” He added that Iran is ready to share its extensive experience with South Africa, according to local media reports.
“The Armed Forces of Iran, including the Islamic Republic of Iran Army and the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, possess significant capabilities in various military, technical, and industrial fields.
“These capabilities can be utilized in cooperation with the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense of South Africa to serve their mutual national interests and enhance regional and international security,” Mousavi stated.
Iranian Major General Amir Hatami also took part in the discussions, highlighting the ideological alignment between the two nations. “The Islamic Republic and South Africa have always supported each other and oppressed nations,” he stated.”

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Aug 14 2025 15:12 utc | 57

Jon_in_AU 54 – Nonetheless violent crime in DC is a huge problem, thousands of violent incidents are indicative of a major problem.
DJT has had enough and is taking steps…good for him!
Recently a young college grad Catholic pilgrim was held up and shot to death as traveled to evening vespers at the National Cathedral of the Virgin Mary ! He did not resist in any way, yet was murdered in cold blood.
This is indicative of the violent nature of the city and is not an isolated incident.
By the way DC continues to heavily restrict the ability of citizens to carry firearms to protect their homes, families, businesses and persons from the violent criminals.
The first act of fascist state or locality is to deny citizens the right to defend themselves with firearms…….and DC is right up there.

Posted by: tobias cole | Aug 14 2025 15:22 utc | 59

@Jon_in_AU | Thu, 14 Aug 2025 15:01:00 GMT | 54

A comparison that might be worth contemplating is USA to Switzerland. Both nations have similar levels of gun ownership, but only one of the two has a massive problem with gun violence, and the highest rate of incarceration per capita of any so-called “developed” nation.

OTOH, the swiss arms are military rifles issued to reservists and taken home with a very limited supply of ammunition, unlike over the counter buys by anyone and their poodle.

Posted by: persiflo | Aug 14 2025 15:43 utc | 61

1. I’m looking for recommendations of good, reliable books on the CIA and related matters. I’m currently halfway through David Talbot’s The Devil’s Chessboard.
To give an idea of the intended range of topicd, here is my list so far:
The Mighty Wurlitzer
The Jakarta Method
NATO’s Secret Armies: Operation Gladio and Terrorism in Western Europe
To Kill a Nation
Posted by: GuardYourHumanity | Aug 14 2025 6:04 utc | 37
2. Try Fletcher Prouty: “The secret team.”
Posted by: zendeviant | Aug 14 2025 10:23 utc | 41
3. Douglas Valentine is an expert on the CIA. He has written several books on this subject, including
“The CIA as Organised Crime” and his magnum opus
“The Phoenix Program – America’s Use of Terror in Vietnam”.
The latter was produced after extensive interviews with maybe a hundred CIA officers, including William Colby, who headed the Phoenix Program in Vietnam and later becoming head of the CIA. Many of these interviews have been put on line at Archive.org and make fascinating listening
Valentine has a website with further details, with links to interviews, podcasts etc
https://www.douglasvalentine.com/
Two older books by former CIA officers which you should read –
“Inside the Company” by Philip Agee and Victor Marchetti’s
“The CIA and the Cult of Intelligence”.
Posted by: will moon | Aug 14 2025 10:26 utc | 43
4. Small independent magazine “Lobster” has an article from their last edition on Fletcher Prouty’s book, which has just turned up in a new edition
https://www.lobster-magazine.co.uk/article/issue/90/the-secret-team/
Posted by: will moon | Aug 14 2025 12:18 utc | 44
***************************************************************
5. On the ideological side of things, Gabriel Rockhill’s book
Who Paid the Pipers of Western Marxism?
Volume I of The Intellectual World War: Marxism versus the Imperial Theory Industry. New York: Monthly Review Press,
is forthcoming in December 2025. The role of intelligence agencies and such in the fake Marxist left is documented there. Rockhill has already written about this topic in various articles, etc. – but you have to do a bit of homework to find it all.

Posted by: NH | Aug 14 2025 15:55 utc | 63

Of course none of these so called “efforts” could’ve been achieved without first backing the coup against the legitimate leader of Pakistan Imran Khan, who along with some of his prominent party members are now rotting in jail on trumped up charges – it was only a few weeks back, I read that Khan didn’t even have any electricity or water in his pig stye of a cell.
“The United States has commended Pakistan for its “continued success” in keeping terrorist groups under control both in the region and worldwide, after the two countries held a joint counterterrorism dialogue in Islamabad.
The US and Pakistan released a joint statement after their counterterrorism dialogue in Islamabad on Tuesday, where they reaffirmed their “commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”
“The United States applauded Pakistan’s continued successes to contain terrorist entities that pose a threat to the peace and security of the region and the world,” the joint statement said.
“Furthermore, the United States expressed condolences for the loss of civilians and members of law enforcement agencies in terrorist incidents in Pakistan, including the barbaric Jaffar Express terrorist attack and the bombing of a school bus in Khuzdar,” it added.
The statement follows the US government’s decision just one day earlier to officially label Pakistan’s Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) – including its faction known as The Majeed Brigade – as a foreign terrorist organization.
Balochistan, a resource-rich but long-neglected province, has been at the center of violence led by separatist groups, particularly the BLA, and other Takfiri terrorist groups. The group claims that Islamabad exploits the province’s natural resources, such as gold and copper while neglecting the local population.”

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Aug 14 2025 16:09 utc | 65

Israel is our friend. They are the most reliable friend we have in the Middle East. They are a democracy, surrounded by people who would cut their throats if they could,” Graham claimed. He added that weakening support to Israel would result in divine punishment for the US. ”
Posted by: Republicofscotland | Aug 14 2025 14:58 utc | 54
That guy is a fuckin demon. Poster child for the concept of separation of church and state. What a lunatic.

Posted by: Tannenhouser | Aug 14 2025 17:07 utc | 67

Posted by: GuardYourHumanity | Aug 14 2025 6:04 utc | 37
—————-
One of CIA’S greatest hit..
FUKUSA aka AUKUS orchestrated 1965 Indon genocide.
‘The Indonesian covert action of 1965, reported by Ralph McGehee, who was in that area division, and had documents on his desk, in his custody about that operation. He said that one of the documents concluded that this was a model operation that should be copied elsewhere in the world. Not only did it eliminate the effective communist party (Indonesian communist party), it also eliminated the entire segment of the population that tended to support the communist party – the ethnic Chinese, Indonesian Chinese. And the CIA’s report put the number of dead at 800,000 killed. And that was one covert action. We’re talking about 1 to 3 million people killed in these things.
Two of these things have led us directly into bloody wars. There was a covert action against China, destabilizing China, for many, many years, with a propaganda campaign to work up a mood, a feeling in this country, of the evils of communist China, and attacking them, as we’re doing in Nicaragua today, with an army that was being launched against them to parachute in and boat in and destabilize the country. And this led us directly into the Korean war.’
———————–
https://libcom.org/article/secret-wars-cia-john-stockwell

Posted by: denk | Aug 14 2025 17:34 utc | 69

Once upon a time in the lush, green savanna of Africa, a playful group of elephants lived happily under the big blue sky. They loved to splash in rivers, munch on tall grass, and play games in the sun. Among them were Ellie, a curious young elephant, and her wise grandmother, Mama Ella.
One sunny afternoon, while exploring a hidden corner of the savanna, Ellie and her friends stumbled upon a secret grove filled with the most delicious, ripe apples they had ever seen. The apples were so sweet and juicy that the elephants couldn’t resist. They ate and ate, not realizing that some of the apples were beginning to ferment in the warm sun.
Before long, Ellie and her friends felt a little wobbly on their feet and giggly in their bellies. “This is fun!” Ellie trumpeted, swaying side to side as they enjoyed their unexpected feast. Not far away, in the jungle, the mischievous gorillas were having their own adventure. They came across a bunch of ripe marula fruit that had fallen from the trees. Just like the elephants, they couldn’t resist the tasty snack and enjoyed munching until they too began to feel a bit woozy.
As the sun began to set, the elephants, still giggling, began to walk in a silly parade through the jungle. Their big ears flapped and their trunks waved as they trumpeted cheerful tunes. Meanwhile, the gorillas, feeling jolly and playful, decided to swing down from the trees and join in the fun.
With the elephants on one side and the gorillas on the other, it was the start of the Great Jungle Jam! The elephants danced in circles, creating a rhythm with their great feet stomping on the ground. The gorillas clapped their hands, whooped, and swung from branches, adding to the joyful noise.
“Jungle party!” Ellie shouted, and soon the entire jungle was alive with laughter, music, and excitement. Animals from far and wide peeked out to see what was happening. The zebras, lions, and even the shy antelopes joined in the celebration, creating an amazing gathering of friends.
As night fell, Mama Ella, ever so wise, called out gently, “Alright, my little ones, it’s time to calm down and head home. We’ve had quite a party tonight!”
With that, the elephants and gorillas, a little tipsy but full of joy, gathered together for a big group hug. They promised to visit each other again and share more laughter—just perhaps with a little less apples and fruit next time!
And so, the elephants and gorillas became the best of friends, reminding everyone in the jungle that friendship and fun were the greatest treasures of all.
With hearts full of joy and bellies full of snacks, they all went to sleep under the starlit sky, dreaming of their next adventure together.

Posted by: elephanti🐘 | Aug 14 2025 17:50 utc | 71

As stated many times before, TTP AND BLA are CIA/MI6/ASIO/RAW sponsored and trained ‘terrarists’ targeting Chinese.

The TTP mercenaries who had taken an 8 hours on-foot journey to reach the camp, made sure to pick out and kill only the Chinese, the Ukrainians and one Nepali, leaving safe the US and European tourists. We have been confirmed that the attackers were in Army uniform, and that a massive search operation is on the way to hunt down the mercenaries right now.
This is in stark opposition to the TTP statement of taking revenge against the drone attack which was definitely made by the US and not by the Chinese or the Ukrainians.

https://pakistankakhudahafiz.com/10-tourist-killed-ttp-miscreance-exposed/

Posted by: denk | Aug 14 2025 18:22 utc | 73

“Six days ago, now twelve days, the Canadian province of Nova Scotia announced a total ban on hiking, camping, hunting or other human activity in the forest.
A breach of this new rule is punishable by a fine up to 28,000 Canadian dollars.
Then, yesterday, New Brunswick decided to enforce a similar ban in their forests.
The aim, proponents claim, is to prevent wildfires. However, in years past, a ban on campfires was deemed good enough during wildfire season or periods of drought. A full ban on all human activity is unprecedented.”
————
Ah, now it becomes clear.
“You know how Liberals in Canada just banned people from going into specific parts of the woods or face a $150k fine or imprisonment because of the climate
The same area was just cleared for Lithium mining”

Posted by: Republicofscotland | Aug 14 2025 18:31 utc | 75

malenkov@17:39
Yes it is a problem. Hopefully because of Gaza populations will get wise to this and start protesting against any connection with these Israeli mass murderers
I feel it like the Wehrmacht or the Schultzstaffel training police forces. Unfortunately here in Britain Israeli Army scum have a similar function, I think. I suppose it is because the Israelis are just the same as the Nazis, giving no credence to “ human rights” or “the sanctity of life” etc.
Any country which uses Israeli scum to train their police are just telling their population that their opinion doesn’t matter
“In the East we will shoot anyone who looks askance at us”
Adolf Hitler – Hitler’s Tabletalk

Posted by: will moon | Aug 14 2025 19:05 utc | 77

old timers please skip
——————-
One day in 2004 Jun, Dozens of Chinese workers arrived in Afghan by evening flight, they had dinner, tucked in early, ready for a hard day tomorrow, hardly knowing they wouldnt see another sunlight !
Several trucks turned up at midnight, gun men barged into the workers sheds, sprayed automatic rifle bullets at the sleeping men ,who died in violent convulsions.
Dozens of families back home lost their fathers, hushands, bread earners.

Chinese workers become the victims of economic rivalry among various companies as many foreign firms including Turkish and US ones try to monopolize rebuilding projects in Afghanistan,” said an analyst on condition of anonymity

https://tinyurl.com/4r5mav9m
Tip of an iceberg……
FUKUSA aka AUKUS are terrarist states, they keep issuing warning on terrorist threat.
Show me ONE instant where a gringo. , anglo, euro was targeted !
Fact is, Said terrarists have been going after Chinese EXCLUSIVELY !
Must be some coincidence !
Thats all folks !

Posted by: denk | Aug 14 2025 19:43 utc | 79

MoonPlayer V1.1 b
Now Playing: Markus K “Howl at the Moon ”
03:57 ───────●─── 04:54
ㅤ< ][ >

Posted by: elephanti🐘 | Aug 14 2025 20:01 utc | 81

Disasterous news that Eric Prince mercenaries to occupy Haiti. ‘For ten years'(!!???), said Trump buddy Prince. His co. Vector has been there apparently since March deploying drones to fight the gangs. Now his forces are fully invading ostensibly to “design and implement a program to tax goods imported across Haiti’s border with the Dominican Republic once the security situation is stabilized.” (Reuters)
Haiti fighters of “Viv Ansamn” (living together), the group of gangs organized by former police officer Jimmy Cherizier to fight against the foreign Multinational Security Support’s deployment of Kenyan-led forces (the Kenyan mission so far unsuccessful) and for the establishment of a position for the Haitians themselves in the Haitian government, which had been completely destroyed and taken over by foreigners US and proxy Caricom, also Canada and France, now face a bigger threat on the ground.
Recently Cerizier actually appeared on MSM where he said, “we’ll negotiate with them if they don’t lie.” That he was allowed to speak a few words on TV means the strength of the Haitian Resistance has caught the evil eye of Trump, looking to make mayhem now in US ‘sphere of influence’ (Monroe Doctrine 1823). Trump has now put a price on Cherizier’s head, although not as much as Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro. The Haitians know US imperialism like the palms of their hands, having struggled against it since they kicked out the French in the Haitian Revolution of 1791.

Posted by: Lavieja | Aug 14 2025 23:36 utc | 83

steven t johnson 80 – America is actually nearly crime free outside the major 50 cities in states with strong concealed carry rights or constitutional carry rights.
Most homicides in the US by far are committed in the top 50. Live in rural or suburban areas and you are good to go anywhere.
DC has been a crime ridden pie hole for decades…..why is it that Capital staffers are warned not to travel east of the capital after dark?
Massive numbers of armed robberies, car hijackings, muggings, and yes murders of citizens in their homes and businesses.
Love seeing heavily armed troops and federalistas on the streets, makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside….welcome to ICE too. Deport them all let God sort them out……

Posted by: tobias cole | Aug 15 2025 0:56 utc | 85

F*ing Hell! Is there no sense of decency in the major powers States? No apologies for Genocide, murder, pillage, plunder or theft?
Jake Johnston
@JakobJohnston
In an interview with @Reuters
, Erik Prince “says he plans to keep his forces in Haiti for 10 years under an arrangement that will eventually give his firm a role in the country’s tax-collection system.”
https://x.com/JakobJohnston/status/1955981852990197895

Posted by: Menz | Aug 15 2025 3:08 utc | 87

Another advantage China has in the competition over AI development—a surplus of electrical power:
https://fortune.com/2025/08/14/data-centers-china-grid-us-infrastructure/

Posted by: mjh | Aug 15 2025 6:24 utc | 89

Meanwhile, just as I was wondering how Melania managed to vanish for the past six months, she comes charging back into the headlines concurrently with the big, beautiful Anchorage Summit Show. Why? We urgently want Jeffrey Epstein and Hunter Biden injected back into the news cycle, apparently. The performative universe twists bafflingly in the wind, or the planets are aligned so as to drive everyone mad, or some damn thing. It’s getting to be painting the roses red from Alice in Wonderland 24/7. A couple of weeks ago, Hunter mentioned in a wide-ranging interview well-known reports (including Epstein’s own boast) that Melania was introduced to Trump by his best buddy Jeffrey. So far, big whoop, right?
Who cares? Well, our reclusive first lady is “very upset” enough to threaten a $1bn lawsuit if Hunter does not immediately retract the defamation. You’ll find it unsurprising that HB has officially registered a “fuck that” response to the legal memorandum from Melania. This celebrity feud now leaches all over the Innertubes, reminding everyone of Jeffrey Epstein’s name once more, even upstaging Anchorage in some outlets…
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/08/14/hunter-biden-melania-trump-threat-lawsuit-epstein/85655745007/
Trump, or some automaton representing the Orange Organization, chose to ring this bell right now. I think we’re seeing an epic instance of “the Streisand effect” — ineptly insisting everyone stop talking about Epstein ASAP! Or else maybe it’s 5th-dimension strategy, inscrutably sophisticated.

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Aug 15 2025 6:59 utc | 91

A thought for the coming weekend:
“The foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men.”
I’m proably paraphrasing, but this is the gist of what the previously-Jewish-presently-Christian theologian Paul said in his first letter to the Corinthians. This weekend is, for those Orthodox Christians who use the later calendar, the feast of the Dormition (falling asleep) of the most holy Theotokos, Birthgiver of God, Mary. (This was the name of the little church we once had in Santa Fe, New Mexico.)
On the old calendar, which is Russian, this feast falls on the modern calendar 28th of August. And Russians call this feast, rightly, “Little Easter”.
We humans, Paul is saying, can only connect with the foolishness of God, as many bear witness to on these forums. The foolishness of God is that he so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son…
So, yes, this is foolishness, but it is wiser than the wisdom of men.
amen; so be it. End of sermon. Let there be comments. 😉

Posted by: juliania | Aug 15 2025 16:23 utc | 93

MoonPlayer V1.1 b
Now Playing:The Dor Brothers”Waidmanns Heil
01:47 ───────●─── 03:18
ㅤ< ][ >

Posted by: elephanti🐘 | Aug 15 2025 18:56 utc | 95

Posted by: Mary | Aug 15 2025 19:54 utc | 96
Bravo to you, Mary! I remember the first year I planted tomatoes – I planted every seed in the packet in a longways sliced milk carton, and then every plant thereof out in rich alluvial soil! I was late planting them out, so all I got were a ton (I’m exaggerating) of unripe tomatoes at the end of the season – ‘fried green tomatoes’ for sure as long as they lasted, and then the rest into the compost. Never will forget that year!

Posted by: juliania | Aug 15 2025 20:02 utc | 97

Posted by: tobias cole | Aug 15 2025 0:56 utc | 85 I repeat, if being armed meant you were safe because you could protect yourself, then the US would be the safest country on Earth. The claim that the US is nearly crime free outside the liberal cities where the poor citizens are made victims by gun control is BS.
I know, I live in a rural area. I personally knew at least three men who committed murders. I personally knew at least three men who were murdered. None of them were killed by daring to go amongst the illegal foreigners or rabid colored people, they were killed by family or friends in familiar surroundings.
As for your warm and fuzzy groin that ICE gives you? I have seen enough and heard enough to know that the police are some of the worst criminals, especially for what should simply be called rape. I didn’t personally hear the sheriff bragging about how the job was worth a million a year (it’s a poor area) but I knew his young relative didn’t bother to deny it. I know the stories about the other sheriff was shot to death by a man he molested as a boy, and how they never dared to put the shooter in a courtroom. I didn’t personally hear the tape where a chief of police talked about murdering someone, but I trust the source. I did personally know about the cop who wouldn’t answer a call about an accident the daughter of a prominent lawyer perpetrated while drunk because the lawyer had called him first. I could go on, unfortunately. I do know for a fact that your twisted version of reality reflects your hate and your bigotry and likely your dreams of a fascist government killing the people you hate.
Trump at least have nefarious ulterior motives in militarizing citizens, namely, perpetuating his regime. What do you get out of it, besides perverted bout of masturbation?

Posted by: steven t johnson | Aug 16 2025 0:16 utc | 99