Biden Declares War on Those Who Want to Make America Great Again - Robert Spencer

 

by Robert Spencer

Killing the Republic in the name of saving “our democracy.”

 

It was the worst Nuremberg Rally ever. Old Joe Biden has taken the old adage, variously attributed to Lenin, Goebbels, Saul Alinsky, or other enemies of freedom, to heart: “Accuse your enemy of what you’re guilty of doing.” In a dark, threatening speech Thursday night, he declared that “Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.” For the first time in American history, a president has declared that his primary political opposition is outside the bounds of acceptable political discourse. To drive his messaging home, Biden delivered his divisive and un-American speech in front of an ominous black and red backdrop, with two Marines standing behind him. The message couldn’t be clearer: the Left is intent on criminalizing opposition to its policies. Dissent from Old Joe’s agenda, and you could end up with the thought police breaking down your door at 4AM.

“As I stand here tonight,” Biden in front of his ersatz Nazi background, “equality and democracy are under assault. We do ourselves no favor to pretend otherwise.” That’s right. Equality and democracy are under assault. And Biden proceeded to assault them. He said he intended to “speak as plainly as I can to the nation about the threats we face,” but he wasn’t referring to China, or Russia, or North Korea, or the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, and certainly not to the woke America-haters who infest our public schools, colleges, and universities. No, Old Joe’s big threat to the nation is Americans who dare to vote against him and reject his policies. The man has come closer to calling for war upon American citizens than any president since Jefferson Davis.

“Too much of what’s happening in our country today is not normal,” Biden complained. “Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.” He immediately drew a distinction between them and the good Republicans: “Now, I want to be very clear — very clear up front: Not every Republican, not even the majority of Republicans, are MAGA Republicans.  Not every Republican embraces their extreme ideology. I know because I’ve been able to work with these mainstream Republicans. But there is no question that the Republican Party today is dominated, driven, and intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans, and that is a threat to this country.”

Get the picture? The Republicans who play ball with the globalist, socialist Democrats and allow them to implement their agenda with just a few quibbles here and there, Mitt Romney and Liz Cheney and Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski and Adam Kinzinger and all the rest, they’re the good Republicans. A good Republican is one who acts and speaks and votes just like a Democrat, but who has an “R” behind his name. A bad Republican is one who offers an actual alternative to the America-Last, bug-eating, open borders, Third World socialism that Joe and his henchmen are forcing upon us.

After making this frankly authoritarian statement, the corrupt, senescent liar in the White House had the unspeakable audacity to add: “But I’m an American President — not the President of red America or blue America, but of all America.”

No, that’s exactly what he isn’t, not any longer if he ever was. He effectively resigned from that position on Thursday night. He is not the president of Americans who want to see a strong, independent, self-sufficient America and a president who puts America and its citizens first. He is at war with those Americans, and God knows what is coming next.

“MAGA Republicans have made their choice,” Biden declared. “They embrace anger. They thrive on chaos. They live not in the light of truth but in the shadow of lies.” This is the “accuse your enemy of what you’re doing” strategy to a T. He went on to claim that the MAGA Republicans refuse to accept the results of free elections (not a word, of course, about the increasing evidence not only of election fraud but of FBI interference in the 2020 election), and, with more of his trademark breathtaking dishonesty and audacity, proclaimed that political violence was unacceptable under any circumstances. Not a word about Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris and all the others cheering on the Left’s political violence in the summer of 2020. This wasn’t really about democracy and the rule of law at all. It was about criminalizing the legitimate political opposition, something that no president has ever dared to do.

The destroyer of the republic delivered this disgraceful speech on September 1, 2022, the 83^rd anniversary of the Nazi German invasion of Poland. As Biden’s handlers are witless miseducated Leftists, they likely didn’t know the historical resonance of this date, but it was a fitting choice, for fascism is once again on the rise, as it was in the darkest days of the 1930s. Biden’s speech embodied it.

 

Robert Spencer is the director of Jihad Watch and a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center. He is author of 25 books including many bestsellers, such as The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades), The Truth About Muhammad and The History of Jihad. His latest book is The Critical Qur’an. Follow him on Twitter here. Like him on Facebook here.

Source: https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2022/09/biden-declares-war-those-who-want-make-america-robert-spencer/

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The Biden Administration's Nuclear Deal Is the Biggest Gift to the World's 'Top State Sponsor of Terrorism' - Majid Rafizadeh

 

by Majid Rafizadeh

The Biden administration will more likely contribute to more tensions between Iran and other countries in the region, and lead to further regional insecurity, destabilization, humanitarian tragedies, and most likely a major war.

• The main beneficiaries of the increased revenues will most likely be the office of Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and more importantly the IRGC's elite branch the Quds Force, which carries out extraterritorial operations to advance the revolutionary principles of the Islamic Republic abroad.

• A considerable part of the economy and Iran's financial systems are owned and controlled by the IRGC and the Office of the Supreme Leader.... This economic haven means that state and non-state actors, such as the Houthis, Hezbollah, the Shiite militias in Iraq and Bashar Assad's Syria, will be the next major beneficiaries of Biden's sanctions relief and new nuclear deal.

• The Biden administration will more likely contribute to more tensions between Iran and other countries in the region, and lead to further regional insecurity, destabilization, humanitarian tragedies, and most likely a major war.

• Biden's new nuclear deal is the biggest gift that one could give to the world's "top state sponsor of terrorism": unlimited nuclear weapons, no inspections past present or future, the missiles to deliver them, enriched uranium to be held by Russia and returned to Iran or wherever they both decide, "$100 billion per year to spread terror around the globe" -- in short, assured expansion of the "Revolution" not only throughout the Middle East but further, straight into America's soft underbelly, Venezuela.

The main beneficiaries of increased revenues from a renewed nuclear deal will most likely be the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and more importantly the IRGC's elite branch the Quds Force, which carries out extraterritorial operations to advance the revolutionary principles of the Islamic Republic abroad. Pictured: IRGC members on parade, marking the anniversary of the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war, on September 22, 2018, in Tehran. (Photo by Stringer/AFP via Getty Images)

The Biden administration's new nuclear deal with the ruling clerics will lift economic sanctions against the Iranian regime the moment the deal enters into effect.

At that moment, the Iranian regime will receive approximately $90 billion. The Biden administration will also instantly be lifting sanctions on the Iranian regime's energy sector, which will also significantly boost the regime's oil and gas revenues.

The ruling mullahs will be able to ramp up their oil exports to pre-sanctions levels, roughly quadrupling their oil sales, thereby bringing billions of dollars in additional revenues to the theocratic establishment. For example, after the implementation the 2015 nuclear agreement (known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - JCPOA) under the Obama administration, crippling sanctions were lifted and Iran rejoined the global financial system. Iran's oil and gas industries had a fresh start, the regime increased its oil exports from 1 million barrels per day (bpd) to approximately 4 million bpd.

Oil and gas revenues, as is no secret, are crucial for the ruling mullahs: Iran reportedly has the second-largest natural gas reserves and the fourth-largest proven crude oil reserves after Saudi Arabia, Canada and Venezuela. The sale of oil accounts for nearly 60% of the regime's total revenues and more than 80% of its export revenues. Several Iranian leaders have spoken about the country's major dependence on oil exports. Former Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, for instance, acknowledged in 2019 that "Although we have some other incomes, the only revenue that can keep the country going is the oil money."

The Biden administration's removal of sanctions will, in addition, help the ruling mullahs increase their revenues by attracting foreign investments in their energy sector and other industries. After the 2015 nuclear agreement under the Obama administration, for example, Tehran succeeded in signing major agreements with some of the world's largest aviation, oil and gas corporations. The energy producer Total signed an agreement with the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) "for the development of phase 11 of South Pars, the world's largest gasfield". Another agreement was sealed with Royal Dutch Shell, which signed a provisional agreement with NIOC "to further explore areas of potential cooperation". The Iranian regime also signed a deal with Boeing -- the first business deal Tehran concluded with an American aviation corporation since the 1970s. Iran also began negotiating to purchase planes from the European company Airbus.

Not only will the Biden administration help the Islamist mullahs to become vastly wealthier, but it will also help the Iranian regime to gain global legitimacy as it rejoins the international financial system. The main beneficiaries of the increased revenues will most likely be the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and more importantly the IRGC's elite branch the Quds Force, which carries out extraterritorial operations to advance the revolutionary principles of the Islamic Republic abroad.

A considerable part of the economy and Iran's financial systems are owned and controlled by the IRGC and the Office of the Supreme Leader. The IRGC alone controls between a third and half of Iran's gross domestic product. The IRGC owns several major economic powerhouses and religious endowments, such as Astan Quds Razavi in the northeastern city of Mashhad.

This economic haven means that state and non-state actors, such as the Yemeni Houthis, Lebanese Hezbollah, the Shiite militias in Iraq and Bashar Assad's Syria, will be the next major beneficiaries of Biden's sanctions relief and new nuclear deal.

The Biden administration's nuclear deal will also help the IRGC and Quds Force to more powerfully interfere in other countries, support terror and militia groups that target Americans and their allies, and attempt to kill Americans on US soil. The Biden administration will more likely contribute to increasing tensions between Iran and other countries in the region, and lead to further regional insecurity, destabilization, humanitarian tragedies, and most likely a major war.

Biden's new nuclear deal is the biggest gift that one could give to the world's "top state sponsor of terrorism": unlimited nuclear weapons, no inspections past present or future, the missiles to deliver them, enriched uranium to be held by Russia and returned to Iran or wherever they both decide, "$100 billion per year to spread terror around the globe" -- in short, assured expansion of the "Revolution" not only throughout the Middle East but further, straight into America's soft underbelly, Venezuela.

• Follow Majid Rafizadeh on Twitter

 

Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a business strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated scholar, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He has authored several books on Islam and US Foreign Policy. He can be reached at Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Edu

Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/18852/biden-administration-iran-nuclear-deal

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Should Biden Call MAGA Supporters Semi-Fascist? - Alan M. Dershowitz

 

by Alan M. Dershowitz

Indeed, in some ways the totalitarian mindsets of many on the hard left are more dangerous than those of the hard right. The reason is that the hard left today is extremely influential on college and university campuses.

• President Joe Biden would have been correct had he accused some MAGA supporters of a totalitarian mindset that could lead to tyranny. But he was dead wrong in limiting this mind-set to the hard right. It is at least equally applicable to many on the hard left. These so-called "progressives" are as opposed to freedom of speech and due process for thee, as are the extremists on the hard right. And it is the special obligation of liberals – like Biden and me – to focus at least as much attention on the dangers emanating from the hard left as those from the hard right.

• Indeed, in some ways the totalitarian mindsets of many on the hard left are more dangerous than those of the hard right. The reason is that the hard left today is extremely influential on college and university campuses. Many hard left faculty members propagandize their students as to what to think instead of teaching them how to think for themselves.

• These current students include our future leaders. In ten years, some will be in Congress, on editorial boards of major newspapers, in investment banks, and in other areas of enormous influence. In 20 years, one of them may be U.S. president or another world leader, which is what the extremist leaders are counting on to achieve their goals.

• We must be prepared for a future that is less tolerant of dissenting views and due process and more demanding that their "noble" ends justify ignoble means — a future with less free speech, presumption of innocence, due process and respect for constitutional norms. To prevent that "brave new world," we must take action now to protect our heritage of civil liberties from those who regard them as patriarchal, white supremacist or "unwoke."

• So the next time Biden decides to condemn what he calls semi-fascists of the hard right, he should spend at least as much time calling out the intolerant mindset of many of his own voters.

The next time President Joe Biden decides to condemn what he calls semi-fascists of the hard right, he should spend at least as much time calling out the intolerant mindset of many of his own voters. Pictured: Biden delivers a speech at Independence National Historical Park, on September 1, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

President Joe Biden recently said the following about Trump MAGA supporters, according to Politico:

"'What we're seeing now is either the beginning or the death knell of extreme MAGA philosophy,' Biden told Democratic donors in the Washington suburb of Rockville. Calling out those he labeled as 'extreme' Republicans, Biden said: 'It's not just Trump, it's the entire philosophy that underpins the — I'm going to say something, it's like semi-fascism.'"

I generally disapprove of analogies between American politics and European Fascism: the latter connotes Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Thankfully we are a long way from such tyrannies. Our constitutional system of checks and balances is designed to prevent any one branch of government from assuming dictatorial powers. It has worked for a quarter of a millennium and there is every reason to believe that it will continue to prevent the rise of dictators.

A better term would be "totalitarian mindset." It is certainly true that there are some extremists on both the "right" and the "left" who reflect an intolerant approach under which opposing views are seen to be unnecessary. Those who believe that they have the ultimate Truth on their side see no reason for allowing dissent from that truth, or for requiring due process before a person who they know to be guilty is convicted. Certainty is the essence of tyranny and skepticism is the enemy of tyranny.

So, Biden would have been correct had he accused some MAGA supporters of a totalitarian mindset that could lead to tyranny. But he was dead wrong in limiting this mind-set to the hard right. It is at least equally applicable to many on the hard left. These so-called "progressives" are as opposed to freedom of speech and due process for thee, as are the extremists on the hard right. And it is the special obligation of liberals – like Biden and me – to focus at least as much attention on the dangers emanating from the hard left as those from the hard right.

Indeed, in some ways the totalitarian mindsets of many on the hard left are more dangerous than those of the hard right. The reason is that the hard left today is extremely influential on college and university campuses. Many hard left faculty members propagandize their students as to what to think instead of teaching them how to think for themselves.

These current students include our future leaders. In ten years, some will be in Congress, on editorial boards of major newspapers, in investment banks, and in other areas of enormous influence. In 20 years, one of them may be U.S. president or another world leader, which is what the extremist leaders are counting on to achieve their goals. Many college students grow up after they leave school and change the one-sided views they were exposed to on campus. But others remain influenced by the hard left totalitarian mindset in which they were indoctrinated.

We must be prepared for a future that is less tolerant of dissenting views and due process and more demanding that their "noble" ends justify ignoble means — a future with less free speech, presumption of innocence, due process and respect for constitutional norms. To prevent that "brave new world," we must take action now to protect our heritage of civil liberties from those who regard them as patriarchal, white supremacist or "unwoke." We are losing the battle, especially on university campuses. We must change the trajectory. As Martin Luther King Jr. observed: "Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." I respectfully disagree. We must take control of the arc if we are to preserve justice and the rule of law.

So the next time Biden decides to condemn what he calls semi-fascists of the hard right, he should spend at least as much time calling out the intolerant mindset of many of his own voters. His condemnation of extremism on the right is unlikely to have much impact on those who voted against him. But calling out hard left radicals who voted for him might change some minds.

• Follow Alan M. Dershowitz on Twitter and Facebook

 
Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus at Harvard Law School, and the author most recently of The Price of Principles: Why Integrity Is Worth Its Consequences. He is the Jack Roth Charitable Foundation Fellow at Gatestone Institute, and is also the host of "The Dershow," podcast.

 
Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/18851/biden-maga-semi-fascist

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Trump blasts Biden's anti-MAGA speech: 'He's the enemy of the state' - Andrew Mark Miller

 

by Andrew Mark Miller

Trump also mocked the red lighting behind Biden during his Thursday speech

 

 

Former President Donald Trump blasted President Joe Biden’s address to the nation earlier in the week calling it the most "vicious" speech ever given by an American president.

"This week, Joe Biden came to Philadelphia to give the most vicious, hateful, and divisive speech ever delivered by an American president," Trump told a raucous crowd on Saturday night in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania while campaigning for Republican candidates in the commonwealth. "Vilifying 75 million citizens, plus another probably 75 to 150 if we want to be accurate about it, as threats to democracy and enemies of the state. You’re all enemies of the state."

Trump continued, "He’s the enemy of the state if you want to know the truth."

Biden was widely criticized by conservatives for his speech in Philadelphia on Thursday in which he claimed that "equality and democracy are under assault" by "MAGA forces."

VULNERABLE DEMOCRATS AVOID BIDEN'S ANTI-MAGA SPEECH, TRUMP-BACKED CANDIDATES FIRE BACK AT DIVISIVE REMARKS

Former President Trump stressed the importance of restoring law and order in America in his first speech in Washington D.C. since leaving office. (Getty Images)

The Washington Post Editorial Board published a piece Friday arguing that the speech was too "partisan" and too harsh on well-meaning Americans.

The board claimed that Biden’s speech "fell short" of uniting the country and came off as "scolding or demeaning" to good Republicans that otherwise could be persuaded into abandoning Trump’s MAGA movement.

BIDEN SAYS TRUMP SUPPORTERS NOT A THREAT TO COUNTRY AFTER SPEECH BLASTING 'MAGA REPUBLICANS'

Former U.S. President Donald Trump leaves Trump Tower to meet with New York Attorney General Letitia James for a civil investigation on Aug. 10, 2022, in New York City.  (James Devaney/GC Images)

Conservatives also mocked Biden for the ominous "blood red" lighting that was behind Biden during the speech, a criticism that Trump echoed during his speech Saturday night.

"How’d you like that red lighting behind him like the devil?" Trump told the Wilkes-Barre crowd.

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on what he calls the "continued battle for the Soul of the Nation" in front of Independence Hall at Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, U.S., September 1, 2022. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY/File Photo)

Trump was in Pennsylvania campaigning for Republican Senate Candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz and Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Doug Mastriano.

 

Andrew Mark Miller is a writer at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-blasts-bidens-anti-maga-speech-hes-enemy-state

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Russia says it’s shutting off natural gas to Europe indefinitely, citing ‘mechanical problems’ - Just the News Staff

 

by Just the News Staff

Experts have warned of possible looming energy crisis on continent.

Citing alleged "mechanical problems" with the Nord Stream pipeline, Russian authorities on Friday said they were shutting off natural gas to Europe indefinitely, a move that further puts the continent on a possible path to an energy crisis.

State-controlled energy concern Gazprom said technical issues with the 750-mile-long pipeline necessitated the extended closure. Authorities had already scheduled the closure of the pipe for what they said were less-significant repairs to the system. 

Officials did not give a timeline for the repairs. 

The Nord Stream has become one of the global focus points of Russia’s chafing against the rest of the world as it continues its offensive measures in Ukraine. 

The Kremlin has claimed that needed repairs to the pipeline are being stymied by Western sanctions against Russian exports, though western officials have disputed those claims. 

The tighter energy market has uncomfortably squeezed an already energy-strapped Europe and have raised fears that European authorities may have to ration energy in the winter months. 

Reports have abounded, meanwhile, of German citizens stockpiling significant quantities of wood in order to avoid freezing out during the winter.

Just the News Staff

Source: https://justthenews.com/world/russia-says-its-shutting-natural-gas-europe-indefinitely-citing-mechanical-problems

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'Uncle Tom II' uses neglected cell phone video to expose violent side of BLM media ignored - Christian Toto

 

by Christian Toto

Documentary connects activist group to a Marxist ideology the filmmakers say does far more harm than good for black Americans.

Director Justin Malone wasn't sure his indie 2020 hit "Uncle Tom" merited a sequel.

Less than two years later, Malone's team had four-plus hours' worth of material for a second installment.

"Uncle Tom," produced by Salem talk show host Larry Elder, let black pundits like Candace Owens, the late Herman Cain, and Lt. Col. Allen West describe how they're marginalized for not aligning with the progressive playbook.

Malone's sequel, available now, digs deeper into the black American experience. While the first film featured profiles of black conservatives, "Uncle Tom II" excoriates the Black Lives Matter movement. The film connects the social justice group to a Marxist ideology that the filmmakers contend does far more harm than good for black Americans.

"Uncle Tom: Part II" trailer

The first film's robust reception gave Malone the encouragement to consider a sequel, the filmmaker told Just the News.

"There was so much material left on the [cutting room] floor from part one," said Malone, further encouraged by the reaction to deleted scenes his team shared following the movie's release. "I don't think we're done yet."

The early "Uncle Tom II" cut had plenty of what Malone calls "red meat," but his team decided to take a different approach. The film walks viewers through American history as well as the Marxist movement.

The new film leans into the project's Christian worldview, an approach Malone says wouldn't have been controversial in the past.

"Thirty years ago, to talk about God was normal," he said. "People's spirituality is being challenged right now."

"It's impossible to talk about Marxism without talking about Christianity," he added, recalling how Karl Marx called religion the "opiate of the masses."

Few Hollywood movies would dare criticize BLM, let alone take aim at its underpinnings as "Uncle Tom II" does. "Uncle Tom II" connects BLM to the Bolshevik revolution and repressive movements within China over the years.

"It doesn't take many generations to forget your history," Malone said.

"Uncle Tom II" brims with archival footage, showcasing how freed black slaves were able to establish professional careers despite the hatred aimed at them. The film contrasts that to modern footage of BLM supporters, both black and white, employing violence to abet their activism.

The protest footage, much of it gleaned from The Blaze reporter Elijah Schaffer, offers a side of the BLM protests that didn't make the nightly news. Activists of all colors shriek at black police officers, commit random acts of violence and worse.

Malone, who met Schaffer in 2018, leaned on the journalist's cell phone footage to flesh out "Uncle Tom II." The director needed more than a month to sift through Schaffer's protest material.

"He had the guts to capture that," Malone says of Schaffer, who landed a coproducer credit for his troubles. 

Malone could bemoan having to work outside the Hollywood mainstream. His conservative storytelling isn't welcome at Sundance or other celebrated festivals. Publications like Variety won't be putting anyone from "Uncle Tom II" on their covers.

"Uncle Tom" has only three professional reviews at RottenTomatoes.com.

He sees things differently.

"It's a great time to be a filmmaker who wants to work outside of Hollywood," he says, citing emerging platforms like SalemNOW, which is distributing his film, along with features from The Daily Wire and, most recently, Breitbart News via the Sept. 7 release of "My Son Hunter." The latter is a seriocomic look at Hunter Biden's brazen behavior.

Right-leaning artists don't have access to the resources Hollywood, Inc. provides, but that shouldn't stop intrepid filmmakers.

"If you have a good story and wanna take your time with it and make it right, it will find its way," he says.

Malone approached 2020's "Uncle Tom" as if it were the last word from him on the subject, yet he's already discussing "Uncle Tom III," which won't pull any cultural punches.

"'Uncle Tom II' reset the foundation … We had to get people ready [for the next film]," he says. Without the context from the second movie, "a lot of the material would be shocking."

Christian Toto

Source: https://justthenews.com/nation/culture/sununcle-tom-ii-uses-neglected-cell-phone-video-expose-violent-side-blm-media

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Biden Fights 9/11 Victims in Court to Protect Taliban Cash - Daniel Greenfield

 

by Daniel Greenfield

The unspeakable betrayal over Afghanistan continues.

 

White House Democrats have a history of fighting against terror victims suing Islamic terrorists. The Obama administration battled American terror victims suing the PLO. In 2015, after they won a $218 million judgement against the terror group, Blinken, then only a deputy secretary of state, intervened claiming that the lawsuit threatened “several decades of US foreign policy.”

But now Biden is fighting 9/11 victims on behalf of the Taliban. At stake are billions being held by the Afghan central bank fund in the United States.

A decade ago, 9/11 families sued the Taliban, Al Qaeda and Iran. The court found that the Islamic terrorists were responsible and a judgement of $6 billion was handed down.

The verdict was described as "symbolic" at the time. CBS News commented that "it would be near impossible to collect any damages, especially from the Taliban or al Qaeda." But that was before Biden turned over Afghanistan to the Taliban. Since Afghanistan has assets in this country, including $7 billion in bank funds, it’s now entirely possible to collect that money.

Or it would be if the guy who let the Taliban take over wasn’t also in the White House.

Biden officially announced that he was splitting the $7 billion between the families of the victims and a "trust fund" to provide "humanitarian aid" for the people of Afghanistan.

But that was just another one of his many lies and double crosses involving Afghanistan.

The $3.5 billion was placed in a separate trust that would be "separate and distinct" from the around $800 million the Biden administration has already spent on aid to Afghanistan. Officials admitted that the money could actually be used for matters other than "humanitarian aid".

The media headlined it as, "Biden frees frozen Afghan billions for relief, 9/11 victims". But a Biden official admitted that it was done to stop 9/11 families from getting access to the money.

“Absent action by us, these funds were likely to be tied up in courts for years, while the action we have taken stands the best chance of more quickly freeing up a large portion for humanitarian support,” the official argued. As a Lawfare blog post noted, “the administration’s plan would insulate nearly half of the Afghan assets at issue from these attachment efforts.”

What Biden actually did was take the money off the table for 9/11 victims. And it got worse.

Secretary of State Blinken claimed that the administration "will continue to support these victims and their families, recognizing the enduring pain they have suffered at the hands of terrorists, including those who operated from Afghanistan prior to the September 11 attacks. These victims and their families should have a full opportunity to set forth their arguments in court."

Blinken, like his boss, lied.

While the 9/11 families would have their claims "heard in court", neither Biden nor Blinken mentioned that the administration would be advocating against them.

On the same day as Biden's executive order reserving $3.5 billion for the terrorists, his Justice Department filed a statement of interest in court arguing that the judgement for the victims of terrorism was too large and that actually turning over the money to them would interfere with the Biden administration's foreign policy in Afghanistan.

Now a magistrate judge has repeated back most of the DOJ's arguments, ruling against the 9/11 families who were laying claim to the other half of the money. Judge Sarah Netburn's arguments closely mirror the contradictory positions of Biden and the DOJ. And they reveal the underlying corruption behind the ambiguous status of Afghanistan's central bank.

Netburn, like the Biden administration, contends that the Afghanistan bank enjoys "sovereign immunity" because the country itself was not sanctioned as a terrorist state, only the Taliban were. And that the Taliban once again control Afghanistan is irrelevant, according to the judge, because Biden hasn't recognized the reality that this is actually the case.

Banks don't enjoy "sovereign immunity" and neither do the Taliban. Netburn and Biden act as if there were some entity representing Afghanistan that is not the Taliban. That position might make sense if they were backing a resistance movement to the Taliban. But they're not.

Instead the Biden administration has maintained a deliberately ambiguous position for Afghanistan's central bank as being both under and not under Taliban control. This is convenient because it allows the Biden administration to use the financial institution as a vehicle and to restrict its access at the same time. The bank’s leadership, a mixture of terrorists and wonks linked to the former government, maintains that same calculated ambiguity.

The deputy governor of the bank is Noor Ahmad Agha, a Taliban leader listed as a specially designated global terrorist. Shah Mohammad Mehrabi, a member of the board of governors of the bank, lives near Washington D.C. and teaches at Montgomery College, has made his own media tour demanding that the United States release funds to the bank.

Biden is unable to do that until he thoroughly defeats the 9/11 families in court.

If Biden releases the money to the Afghanistan bank before that happens, the 9/11 families will be able to argue that the administration is contradicting its own position. Biden wants to reserve all $7 billion for the terrorists and so he has to hold off long enough to defeat the terror victims.

The level of betrayal here is worse than even the Obama administration.

The Biden administration claims that the money will be used for “humanitarian aid” and will not go to the terrorists. That’s another lie and it’s been disproved by its publicly stated policies.

The Biden administration has issued global licenses authorizing financial transactions with the Taliban and the Al Qaeda allied Haqqani Network that include, in the Treasury Department's own words, "delivery and provision of humanitarian aid or shipments", "administrative issues", "donor coordination meetings", "sharing descriptions of projects", "coordination with regard to travel", "participation in technical working groups" and "sharing of office space". Not to mention the "payments of taxes, fees, or import duties to, or the purchase or receipt of permits, licenses, or public utility services from, the Taliban, the Haqqani Network."

While Biden and his corrupt cronies insist that they don’t recognize the Taliban, that’s purely a formality. Not only do they recognize the Taliban as the government, but they’ve been extensively coordinating with the Islamic terrorists and helping to fund them.

At the end of July, Biden's representative met with "senior Taliban representatives" to discuss  "ongoing efforts to enable the $3.5 billion in licensed Afghan central bank reserves to be used for the benefit of the Afghan people".

Even while the Biden administration and its allies insist that the other $3.5 billion set aside to meet the claims of terror victims can’t be released to them because that would “implictly” mean that the Taliban are being recognized as the government, Biden’s diplomatic representatives can meet with them and conduct negotiations about giving them the other $3.5 billion.

Releasing money to 9/11 terror victims would “implictly” recognize the Taliban, but engaging in sustained diplomatic negotiations with them as the governing authority somehow does not.

The Taliban privately understand that Biden can’t release the $3.5 billion to them until he beats the 9/11 families in court. And then they’ll potentially get access to the whole $7 billion. This corrupt charade is being played out for the benefit of the equally complicit judiciary and media which is cheering the downfall of the 9/11 families and waiting for the cash to go to the Taliban.

Reuters headlined its story, “Afghans outraged as 9/11 families lay claim to frozen billions”. There’s no real ambiguity as to which side Reuters, the media and Joe Biden are on.

In October 2001, Biden proposed that, "this would be a good time to send, no strings attached, a check for $200 million to Iran,” He’s managed to send much more money than that to the Islamic terror state since, but now he’s preparing to send a $7 billion check to the Taliban.

All he had to do to get that money was lie and cheat 9/11 families.
 

Daniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Center, is an investigative journalist and writer focusing on the radical Left and Islamic terrorism.

Source: https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2022/09/biden-fights-911-victims-court-protect-taliban-daniel-greenfield/

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Intelligence report: Activity at Aleppo airport resumes, two days after air strike - Elad Benari

 

by Elad Benari

Satellite footage published by ImageSat International shows Aleppo International Airport has resumed activities, two days after air strike attributed to Israel.

 

Less than two days after the air strike attributed to Israel on Aleppo International Airport in Syria, an intelligence report published on Friday shows satellite footage indicating that the destroyed buildings have been restored and that activity at the site has returned to normal.

Israeli satellite and intelligence solutions company ImageSat International (ISI), which provided the report, said, according to Israel Hayom, that "the meaning of the pictures is that the attack in Aleppo was not intended to disable the route for a long time, but only to prevent an Iranian plane from landing, and to signal intentions."

Another satellite photo showing the aftermath of an air strike attributed to ISrael, this time on a missile manufacturing plant in Masyaf, shows many destroyed buildings. According to the intelligence company, the factory has been attacked several times in the past.

Syria on Wednesday evening accused Israel of carrying out an air strike on the Aleppo airport. No injuries were reported. Israel has not commented on the report.

On Thursday, Aurora Intel published satellite footage showing the damage at the airport.

The photo shows several vehicles on the runway at the airport, likely conducting a repair following the air strike. Additional damage can be seen to the south of the runway.

An air strike attributed to Israel in June caused serious damage to Damascus International Airport.

Satellite footage published following the June 10 air strike showed significant damage to infrastructure and runways which rendered the main runway unusable.

Elad Benari

Source: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/359189

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Iran arrests 12 Bahá'í people accused of spying for Israel - Maariv Online

 

by Maariv Online

Iranian news agency IRNA reported that the Ministry of Intelligence and National Security of the Islamic Republic arrested 12 followers of the Baha'i faith on suspicion of spying for Israel.

 

An Iranian woman holds a Hezbollah flag during a protest to express solidarity with the Palestinian people amid a flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian violence, in Tehran, Iran May 18, 2021.

(photo credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)

Iranian news agency IRNA reported this evening that the Ministry of Intelligence and National Security of the Islamic Republic had arrested 12 members of the Bahá'í faith in Mazandaran Province, in northern Iran, on suspicion of spying for Israel.

According to the report, two of the heads of the organization were trained at the World House of Justice, located in the Bahá'í Center in Haifa, and set up a spy cell with other members of the organization throughout the northern district.

The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence said that "the members of the organization communicated in secret, relying on the basis of messages sent from Haifa and the Zionist regime. These messages were used by the organization's members in the country."

The Director of General Intelligence for Mazandaran Province stated that "any activity of espionage networks linked to the Zionist regime for anti-revolutionary activity is closely monitored by the intelligence, and their agents will be dealt with decisively."

Previous arrests by Iran

An Iranian man holds a Palestinian flag during a protest to express solidarity with the Palestinian people amid a flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian violence, in Tehran, Iran May 18, 2021. (credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)

This is the second time that Iranian intelligence reports arrests made on suspicion of spying for Israel from the Bahá'í faith.

In early August, it was reported that the "key figures in the Bahá'í faith" had been arrested on espionage charges. 

The Iranian Defense Ministry said that they were "members of the central leadership of the religion" and that they were "directly connected to the World House of Justice Center, based in the city of Haifa in occupied Palestine."

Iran reported that intelligence documents indicated that the center was linked to a "Zionist espionage network." It was also reported that "the network has been tasked with various tasks, including the widespread dissemination of the Bahá'í religion and the infiltration of educational groups in Iran."

In July, Iran reported another espionage squad for Israel, they claimed. According to the report, the country's security forces detained a network of Israeli agents who, according to the Iranian information ministry, "were sent to carry out terrorist activities and were identified by undercover forces before they were able to carry out sabotage."

According to the information ministry's announcement, "the network members, who were in contact with Mossad agents through a neighboring country, entered Iran through Kurdistan using up-to-date technological means. The agents were detained with weapons and explosives intended for unprecedented sabotage purposes in sensitive areas. They also carried in their possession technical equipment and communications equipment that were discovered and confiscated."

Maariv Online

Source: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-716252

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Bipartisan letter urges Biden: No Iran Deal before consulting Congress - Omri Nahmias

 

by Omri Nahmias

Bipartisan letter to Biden: "Do not return to the JCPOA before consulting with Congress"

 

US President Joe Biden addresses the nation on the killing of Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a U.S. drone strike, in Washington, US August 1, 2022.

(photo credit: JIM WATSON/POOL VIA REUTERS)

As Iran and the superpowers move closer to reviving their 2015 nuclear agreement, a bipartisan group of 50 House Members – 34 of them Democrats – sent a letter to President Joe Biden, expressing deep concern over the deal and urging the administration to consult with Congress before signing it.

“We are writing to respectfully request that your Administration provide Congress with the full text of any proposal to rejoin the Iran nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), including any side agreements, and consult with Congress prior to reentering that agreement,”

House Members wrote to the President

Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-New Jersey) and Andrew Garbarino (R-New York) led the bipartisan letter. Among the members who signed: Elaine Luria (D-Virginia), Juan Vargas (D-California), Fred Upton (R-Michigan), Lois Frankel (D-Florida) and Ritchie Torres (D-New York).

What did they write in the letter to the President?

“We are writing to respectfully request that your Administration provide Congress with the full text of any proposal to rejoin the Iran nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), including any side agreements, and consult with Congress prior to reentering that agreement,” the House Members wrote.

European External Action Service (EEAS) Deputy Secretary General Enrique Mora, Iranian Deputy at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi and Iran's ambassador to the U.N. nuclear watchdog Kazem Gharibabadi wait for the start of a meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission in Vienna, Austria May 1, 202 (credit: EU DELEGATION IN VIENNA/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)

They wrote that they were “deeply concerned” about multiple provisions “that reportedly may be contained in the final language of any agreement with the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.”

For example, they said, the new agreement reportedly states that, “Non-US persons doing business with Iranian persons that are not on the [US sanctions list] (and) will not be exposed to sanctions merely as a result of those Iranian persons engaging in separate transactions involving Iranian persons on the [US sanctions list] (including Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), its officials, or its subsidiaries or affiliates).”

“While we commend you for refusing to remove the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) designation as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) – one of our most powerful tools used to compel state sponsors of terror to change – the aforementioned reported provision creates a troubling precedent,” they continued. “We are concerned that it could significantly dilute the effectiveness of terrorism-related sanctions on the IRGC, Iran’s paramilitary terror arm and provides the organization with a pathway for sanctions evasion.”

“If the regime in Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terror, has proven anything, it’s that it can’t be trusted,” the letter reads. “The IRGC has directly, or through its proxies, including Hezbollah, Hamas, Ansar Allah (Houthis), Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and scores of Shiite militias in Iraq, killed hundreds of Americans, and attacked our bases and our allies in the region.”

 They also argued that strengthened with an estimated one trillion dollars in sanctions relief over a decade, Iran and the IRGC would be an enormous danger to Americans at home and abroad, and to US’s allies. “Additionally, it has been reported that under this proposed deal, Russia will be the de facto judge of compliance and the keeper of Iran’s enriched uranium, without any oversight mechanisms by the United States or our European partners,” they added.

“We must address the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, stand strong against terrorists, and protect American values and our allies.”

House members in letter to the President

They “strongly” urged Biden not to permit Russia to be the recipient of Iran’s enriched uranium, nor to have the right to conduct nuclear work with the Islamic Republic, including a $10 billion contract to expand Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

“We should not let war criminal Vladimir Putin be the guarantor of the deal or the keeper of massive amounts of Iran’s enriched uranium,” they wrote. “Iran supports the illegal war in Ukraine and has been supplying Russia with drones used to kill Ukrainians.”

“Amid Iran-sponsored terror plots to assassinate former US officials and Iranian-American dissidents on American soil, this is no time to remove, suspend, or dilute US terrorism sanctions on Iran or the IRGC,” they added.

 “We urge you not to return to any deal with Iran prior to releasing the full text of the agreement and any side agreements to Congress, to provide us with an in-depth briefing on the matter, and to consult with all key stakeholders,” the letter reads. “We must address the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, stand strong against terrorists, and protect American values and our allies.”

Omri Nahmias

Source: https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-716103

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Experts blame green energy policies for Europe's full-scale energy crisis: 'A warning to the US' - Thomas Catenacci

 

by Thomas Catenacci

'There's been under-investment in fossil fuels in Europe,' an analyst from research firm Rystad Energy tells FOX Business

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Green energy policies in Europe designed to rapidly shift the continent away from fossil fuel dependence have contributed to soaring power prices in the region.

The European benchmark index measuring future electricity prices increased to a record $993 per megawatt hour (MWh) on Monday, days after prices in France and Germany surged 25%, according to European Energy Exchange data compiled by Bloomberg. By comparison, the average price of electricity in the U.S. hit $129 per MWh in June, federal data showed.

The energy crisis has forced consumers to cut back on power consumption, industrial production declines and energy rationing across the continent. The European Union Council (EU) scheduled an emergency meeting of EU energy ministers slated for next week in response to the market conditions.

"The skyrocketing electricity prices are now exposing, for different reasons, the limitations of our current electricity market design," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen remarked during a speech Monday. "It was developed under completely different circumstances and for completely different purposes. It is no longer fit for purpose."

WHY EUROPE'S ENERGY BILLS KEEP CLIMBING

The Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria gas pipeline is pictured in Komotini, Greece, on July 8. (Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis / Reuters)

Von der Leyen blamed the record price increases on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has upended global energy markets, but added that the crisis was evidence the bloc needed to transition further to green energy. Russia has throttled natural gas supplies to Europe in response to the EU's sanction packages introduced following the February invasion.

However, electricity prices in Europe hit all-time highs months before the invasion.

EUROPE'S GREEN ENERGY POLICIES STRENGTHENED PUTIN, MICHAEL SHELLENBERGER SAYS

A Reuters analysis published in December concluded that lower-than-expected wind power generation was a major factor sending prices higher and forcing suppliers to turn back to coal and natural gas. Russia was the largest provider of Europe's natural gas and coal imports at the time of the invasion.

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, speaks to reporters on May 30. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images / Getty Images)

"The word that comes to mind is nihilism," Michael Shellenberger, an energy expert and founder of the group Environmental Progress, told FOX Business in an interview. 

"You have people that are openly demanding to do more of the same things that actually made the crisis possible," he continued. "That's what you're seeing. They're saying, 'let's go do more unreliable energy.' It's a sign of a disturbed person that keeps engaging in irrational activities that are obviously self-destructive, and that we're seeing that behavior at a mass level."

Shellenberger added that Europe should be "a warning to the U.S. that we should not go down their path."

UKRAINE CRISIS: US MUST LEAD AGAIN ON ENERGY BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE

Over the last several years, EU policymakers have aggressively pushed for the retirement of traditional fossil fuel power plants and a large expansion of green energy alternatives including wind and solar. The EU announced its so-called European Green Deal last year outlining plans for the continent to massively reduce carbon emissions by investing more in renewables and limiting gas-powered vehicle purchases.

In Germany, the EU's largest economy, wind power alone accounted for the largest share of electricity production between 2019 and 2021. 

Wind turbines stand at a wind park in Marsberg, Germany, on June 15. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File / AP Newsroom)

However, due to its intermittent nature, heavy reliance on wind power has left the nation vulnerable when the wind produces less output than expected.

"There's been under-investment in fossil fuels in Europe," Fabian Rønningen, a senior power markets analyst at the Norwegian research firm Rystad Energy, told FOX Business in an interview. "There has been all these closures of coal power plants."

NETHERLANDS JOIN GERMANY, AUSTRIA, ITALY IN REVERTING TO COAL AMID RUSSIA'S INVASION OF UKRAINE

"If you have a system with a lot of solar and wind, you need some backup in the system," he continued. "Until we find a better technical solution than natural gas, you need something to back it up and that is the role of coal and gas and also nuclear in Europe at the moment."

Wind turbines produce anywhere between 25-50% of their listed capacity, according to the Energy Information Administration. Solar panels produce 10-35% of their capacity.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has upended energy markets. However, price instability existed in Europe prior to the invasion.  (AP / AP Images)

Depending on Russia's actions, the winter, when natural gas demand peaks, could be even more painful for Europeans, according to an analysis from research firm Wood Mackenzie published Thursday. High prices are expected to lower natural gas demand and, if Russia continues to halt flows via the key Nord Stream 1 pipeline, total EU gas inventories could fall to just 26% by the end of the winter.

"In addition to uncertainty over gas supply from Russia, power market tightness — due to low nuclear, hydro and wind output — and the risk of electricity disruption are putting additional stress to gas prices futures this winter," Penny Leake, a European gas analyst at Wood Mackenzie, said in a statement shared with FOX Business. 

Leake added that if normal weather conditions occur, natural gas prices are expected to fall more than 35%, close to prices recorded late last month, following the winter.

Rønningen said he does not expect large-scale power rationing or uncontrolled blackouts during the winter but said costs will remain high for consumers.

"Looking to the winter, I think one thing that is quite clear is it's going to be very expensive," he said.

Thomas Catenacci

Source: https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/experts-blame-green-energy-europes-full-scale-energy-crisis-warning-us

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Iran sends 'constructive' response to US proposals on nuclear deal - Reuters

 

by Reuters

A US official said the US government had received the Iranian response, but gave no characterization of the document.

 

European External Action Service (EEAS) Deputy Secretary General Enrique Mora and Iranian Deputy at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi wait for the start of talks on reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in Vienna, Austria June 20, 2021

(photo credit: REUTERS)

Iran has sent a "constructive" response to US proposals aimed at reviving Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani was quoted by state media as saying on Friday.

"The text that was sent (by Iran) has a constructive approach aimed at finalizing the negotiations," Kanaani, was quoted as saying by state broadcaster IRIB.

A US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the US government had received the Iranian response, but gave no characterization of the document. The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell speaks on the tensions between the neighbouring Western Balkan nations in Brussels, Belgium, August 18, 2022. (credit: REUTERS/Johanna Geron)

The IRIB report said Iran's response was sent to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who has been coordinating the negotiations. It gave no further details.

"The text that was sent (by Iran) has a constructive approach aimed at finalizing the negotiations"

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani

EU's "final offer" to revive the Iran agreement 

After 16 months of indirect talks between Tehran and Washington, Borrell said on Aug. 8 the EU had laid down a final offer to overcome an impasse for the revival of the agreement.

Iran needs stronger guarantees from Washington for the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal, its foreign minister said on Wednesday, adding that the UN atomic watchdog should drop its "politically motivated probes" of Tehran's nuclear work.

Under the 2015 pact, Iran had curbed its nuclear program in return for relief from US, EU and UN sanctions.

Then US President Donald Trump reneged on the deal in 2018, arguing that it was too generous to Tehran. He reimposed US sanctions on Iran, leading Tehran to resume previously banned nuclear activities and reviving US, European and Israeli fears that Iran may seek an atomic bomb.

Iran denies any such ambition.

Reuters

Source: https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-716151

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