RIP the Trans-Atlantic Alliance, 1945-2018

The partnership with America had a long and fruitful life — but Europe is ready to start over.

BY JAMES TRAUB | MAY 11, 2018, 4:31 PM

he Atlantic alliance, built to contain the Soviet Union in the aftermath of World War II, began to die when the Cold War ended. What kept it alive over the last three decades has been less strategic necessity than a convergence of values — the values of the liberal postwar order. Now, the senior partner of the alliance, the United States, has lost interest in those values. The alliance was already a corpse, but Donald Trump drove the last nail into its coffin when he decided this week to withdraw from the nuclear deal with Iran.

http:// foreignpolicy.com/2018/05/11/rip-the-trans-atlantic-alliance-1945-2018/

Trump Broke Iran Policy. Let Him Fix It.

The U.S. president has blown up the Obama-era approach to Iran he has been mocking for years. Now it’s on him to clean up the mess.

don’t know if U.S. President Donald Trump is a fan of the Pottery Barn rule of “you break it, you bought it.” But it now applies to his policy toward Iran. True, he inherited the challenge of dealing with an Iran on the march in the region. But he also inherited a nuclear deal. Despite all its flaws, the nuclear deal limited Iran’s ability to “break out” and build a nuclear weapon until after the year 2030.

As someone who served in the U.S. government during the first term of the Obama administration and had responsibilities on Iran, I think it’s fair to say that the nuclear deal fell far short of what we contemplated as acceptable. At the time, I and other U.S. national security officials believed that the size and character of the Iranian nuclear infrastructure had to be dramatically downsized, with no advanced centrifuges and with fewer than 1,000 of the first-generation IR-1 centrifuges permitted. Only such a transformation, leaving a very limited nuclear program, would demonstrate that the Iranians had truly changed their intentions. READ MORE:

http:// foreignpolicy.com/2018/05/11/trump-broke-iran-policy-let-him-fix-it/

U.S. VERSUS RUSSIA: HOW DOES PUTIN'S NEW LIMO COMPARE TO TRUMP'S 'BEAST'?

ussian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump have shared an interesting relationship so far, one that often contradicts traditional U.S. foreign policy, but fascinates the world. But if there's anything that unites both the Kremlin and the White House is their affinity for high-class limos.

Putin reportedly spent $192 million on his new fleet of limousines and showed them off during his inauguration Monday. The homemade, bulletproof automobile is reportedly equipped with a 6.6-liter V12 engine and capable of hitting 860 horsepower, according to its manufacturer. The vehicle is officially called "Aurus," which combines "aurum"—the Latin word for gold—and "rus" for Russia, as Maxim reported.

The Aurus, part of Russia's Project Cortege, resembles U.K.-built luxury limousines Rolls Royce Phantom or Rolls Royce Ghost, but Russia’s Central Scientific Research Automobile and Automotive Engines Institute reached out to German car companies Porsche and Robert Bosch to assist in developing Putin's custom ride, according to The Drive

While The Drive pointed out that Putin's Aurus clearly has a variety of built-in, advanced defensive and communications technology, these tools may not exceed the older, yet powerful vehicle used by his U.S. counterpart.

Trump inherited his signature vehicle, known as "The Beast," from his predecessor, President Barack Obama, who himself received the car in 2009. The General Motors-licensed limousine was built from scratch with help from the Secret Service, and its five-inch thick windows and eight-inch thick doors quickly distinguish it from the typical GM model, as Business Insider wrote.

http:// www.newsweek.com/russia-vs-us-how-does-vladimir-putin-limo-compare-donald-trump-beast-918150

Related: Vladimir Putin's New Bulletproof Limo Fleet Cost $192 Million and Russia Wants to Sell Hundreds of Them

Pretty sure thats not gonna habben.

TRUMP IS MUELLER’S ‘LAST WITNESS’ FOR RUSSIA PROBE, GIULIANI SAYS

BY GREG PRICE ON 5/11/18 AT 3:59 PM

he special counsel’s investigation of Russia’s election interference is “pretty much finished,” and President Donald Trump should be Robert Muller’s last witness for the probe, according to Rudy Giuliani, one of the president’s personal attorneys.

Giuliani, in the latest of his many media interviews since being recruited to the president's legal team, was discussing when or if Trump would meet with the special counsel’s team for an interview, according to the Associated Press on Friday.

“As far as we know, we’re basically the last witness,” Giuliani said regarding a possible Trump-Mueller showdown.

The former New York City mayor was specifically questioned about whether Mueller asking to speak with any of Trump’s children would be a “red line” that the president would consider a step too far.

“Our understanding is that he’s pretty much finished,” Giuliani said. “Doing more interviews would be inconsistent with what he’s indicated would be the time frame of the investigation.”

None of the president’s children, including senior White House adviser Ivanka Trump, who worked on the campaign extensively, have been interviewed or even asked for an interview, according to several media reports. But legal experts said Mueller could be biding his time to call a witness as close to Trump as his daughter Ivanka so as not to further agitate a president who's called the probe a “witch hunt.”

Previously, Giuliani had stated that Trump’s attorneys would decide by May 17 whether the president would or would not meet with Mueller. But Trump’s plans to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 12 nixed the chance of a decision.

http:// www.newsweek.com/trump-mueller-last-witness-russia-922816

>>1384284

Gotta admit…watching you squirm like a worm is more amusing then I thought it would be. Waiting for your eyes to bug out next.

'Show Us How It's Done': Ex-CIA Interrogator Blasts Whoopi Goldberg for Daring Trump to 'Try' Waterboarding

A former CIA interrogator blasted "The View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg Saturday for suggesting President Trump "try" waterboarding during her criticism of interrogation techniques.

Goldberg and her co-hosts were discussing CIA director nominee Gina Haspel's Senate confirmation hearing as well as if torture does, in fact, work during interrogation.

"I would like [President Trump] to try [waterboarding] … you have never been tortured and neither has [former Vice President] Dick Cheney," she said.

Cheney told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo Thursday that he supports restarting the enhanced interrogation program.

Dr. James Mitchell helped develop the CIA's enhanced interrogation program and interrogated 9/11 architect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

"Maybe [Goldberg] could show us how it's done," he said on "Fox & Friends."

Mitchell said that Goldberg is "value signaling" and "preening" in front of an audience to show moral superiority.

http:// insider.foxnews.com/2018/05/12/whoopi-goldberg-suggests-president-trump-try-waterboarding-former-cia-interrogator-reacts

Dershowitz: Mueller 'Laundering Information to Another Prosecutorial Authority'

Alan Dershowitz joined "Hannity" to discuss what he said was a pre-arranged meeting with President Trump and White House officials.

Dershowitz said that he believes Trump will not fire anyone connected to the Mueller probe.

However, he did comment on the fact Trump attorney Michael Cohen's properties were raided by federal agents.

The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York had approved the raid, which also needed clearance from a judge.

According to ABC News, current U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman recused himself from the Cohen raid decision carried out by his office.

Dershowitz said Robert Mueller likely knows he does not have the authority to call such a raid based on the parameters of the Russia investigation.

But, he said the U.S. Attorney's Office does.

"It seems like a subterfuge by which Mueller doesn't have the authority [so he] gives it to somebody else," Dershowitz said.

http:// insider.foxnews.com/2018/04/10/alan-dershowitz-robert-mueller-laundering-information-geoffrey-berman-new-york-attorney

'Yep, I Just Said That': GA Gov. Candidate's Ad Says He'd 'Round Up' Illegal Immigrants In His Truck

The Georgia gubernatorial candidate whose latest political ad said he'd “round up criminal illegals” – in his truck if needed – touted the ad's effectiveness Saturday.

"People are really resonating to it. It's driving the left crazy," said Republican Brian Kemp, who is also Georgia's current secretary of state.

He added on "Fox & Friends" that he understands a private citizen should not take it upon his or herself to "round up" illegal immigrants.

http:// insider.foxnews.com/2018/05/12/brian-kemp-political-ad-says-he-would-round-illegal-immigrants-truck

Students Dismiss Idea of Nobel Prize for Trump, Defend Obama's But Don't Know Why

Some students at the University of California, Santa Cruz, shot down the idea of President Trump receiving the Nobel Peace Prize but defended former President Barack Obama's award in 2009.

Campus Reform Media Director Cabot Phillips spoke to the students and found that some could not give a reason why Obama won the award less than a year into his first term.

http:// insider.foxnews.com/2018/05/12/students-dismiss-trump-nobel-prize-defend-barack-obamas-award