Ex-CIA: "We fabricate ATROCITIES via media" | Same play with Ukraine/Russia?

Israel is still arming Ukrainian Nazis

Israeli anti-tank weapons are being used by Nazi soldiers in Ukraine.

A video published by Ukraine’s Azov Battalion on Twitter this week showed one of its fighters firing an anti-tank missile. In the tweet Azov claimed it had hit a Russian vehicle.

Israeli media on Wednesday identified the missile system in the Azov video as a Matador, a weapon developed by a consortium involving Rafael, a state-owned Israeli arms manufacturer.

The weapon seen in the video does match with established photos of the Matador.

Yahoo News reported last month that Ukraine had bought 5,100 of the missile systems from a German manufacturer – the same firm that jointly developed the Matador with Rafael.

Matador is a portmanteau of “man-portable anti-tank, anti-door” since it is also used to blow holes in walls when fighting in urban areas.

Tested in Gaza

The Matador’s “wall opening function is particularly valued” by Israeli soldiers, The Jerusalem Post reports. Israel has used the weapon in “heavily built-up environments such as the Gaza Strip,” the newspaper adds – a euphemism for how Palestinian homes have almost certainly been attacked with the weapon.

The video posted by Azov this week was also filmed in an urban environment. Azov’s headquarters has long been in the southeastern port city of Mariupol, part of the largely Russian-speaking eastern Donbass region of Ukraine.

Mariupol has been the scene of intense fighting since the Russian invasion that began on 24 February. Both Russian and Ukrainian sources this week said the city was on the verge of falling to Russian forces.

On Thursday morning Russian defense minister Sergey Shoigu said that most of the city had been captured. The last 2,000 Ukrainian fighters in the city remain holed up in the Azovstal steel plant, he said.

https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/asa-winstanley/israel-still-arming-ukrainian-nazis

Apple spent more than it ever has on lobbying as antitrust threats loom

Apple spent a record $2.5 million lobbying Congress in the first quarter of 2022, according to its disclosure made public Wednesday night.

The increased spending reflects, in part, mounting pressure on Apple in Washington and abroad as it faces the prospect of greater regulation.

While Apple’s spending reflects a more than 34% increase from the previous quarter, it still tends to be one of the lesser spenders among its Big Tech peers.

Apple spent a record $2.5 million lobbying Congress in the first quarter of 2022, more than a 34% increase from the previous quarter, according to its disclosure made public Wednesday night.

The increased spending reflects, in part, mounting pressure on Apple in Washington and abroad as it faces the prospect of greater regulation. Two bills that have passed through the Senate Judiciary Committee this year, the Open App Markets Act and the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, would potentially require Apple to open up its closed ecosystem on the iPhone for developers and prevent it from favoring its own apps over others’ in its app store. Apple has warned of privacy concerns such rules could raise for consumers, though the bills’ authors have said such claims are overblown.

Meanwhile, Europe is readying its Digital Markets App that could have similarly profound impacts on U.S. tech businesses.

The company’s disclosure outlines some key areas of focus for Apple in Washington, including on a pending slate of tech competition bills, foreign digital regulation, semiconductor funding and patent policy. Apple said it also engaged Congress on tax issues and gave general information on its diversity, environmental and coding education programs and policies.

Apple still tends to be one of the lesser spenders among its Big Tech peers. Google spent $2.96 million in the quarter, a nearly 34% increase from last quarter, though still far below its own record quarterly spend that once approached $6 million.

Microsoft, which has managed to sidestep the harshest of criticism leveled by lawmakers at the tech firms, reported a modest increase in spending from the previous quarter, reporting $2.54 million in lobbying, up 2.8% from the prior period.

First-quarter disclosures for Amazon and Meta were not immediately available in the government’s public database.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/21/apple-spent-more-than-ever-on-lobbying-as-antitrust-threats-loom.html

This professor's comments about pedophilia, statutory rape are causing national controversy

A video clip that shows University of New Hampshire professorDavid Finkelhor speaking about children initiating sexual activities with adultsis currently going viral.

The lecture titled'Sex Crimes against Juveniles Involving Elements of Voluntary Participation: Implications for Prevention and Response' was hosted by the Haruv Institute.

A video clip that shows University of New Hampshire professor David Finkelhor speaking about children initiating sexual activities with adults is currently going viral.

“If young people are initiating sexual activities with adults, or enthusiastically involved, we can't be effective in working with them if we assume that all such relationships start with a predatory or criminally inclined adult,” Finkelhor said in a March 23 talk.

The lecture titled “Sex Crimes against Juveniles Involving Elements of Voluntary Participation: Implications for Prevention and Response” was hosted by the Haruv Institute and “addresses the portion of the child sexual abuse problem in which offenders mobilize elements of voluntary participation among victims, particularly among teens” according to its description.

Finkelhor, the Director of the school’s Crimes Against Children Research Center, gave several examples of “voluntary” sexual activities between adults and children.

He described an affair between a 33-year-old divorced school teacher and her best friend’s 15-year-old son that resulted in the woman giving the boy beer and then going to a local park to have sex in her car. He additionally described an incident of a prostitute being arrested for having sex with a 14-year-old boy and gave another example of a girl who was found to be selling nude images of herself online to adults.

He further cited a study that reported that 13% of girls in the US reported their first sexual experience being with an adult male at least three years older, many of which were with men eight or more years older. Finkelhor described these experiences as “voluntary, non-coercive.”

The University of New Hampshire sociology professor explained that “voluntariness” can be a “spectrum” which can include a child being manipulated, or “it can be about actual curiosity, the child has to discover sex, or these do things that adults do,” he said.

“It can actually represent a very enthusiastic kind of participation on the part of the child who really feels very positively about the adult and sees themselves as wanting to have some kind of relationship and it can actually involve the act of initiatory seduction of an adult by a juvenile,” he continued.

This led Finkelhor to say that one cannot assume that all relationships between adults and children start with a “predatory or criminally inclined adult,” noting that “even the most voluntary of these relationships are considered sex crimes.”

Finkelhor admits that many sex offenders use this “voluntariness” to “delude themselves” and that “discussions of voluntary relationships, to some people, opens the door for ex-offenders to feel like this is something that they can do.”

He explained that the reasons for having laws on the age of consent “seem to me to be very well rooted and grounded in morality and in child development,” but also noted that it is “bad” to tell kids they can be prosecuted for sending nude pictures to adults. Instead, he proposed explaining the legal implications for the adult receiving the photographs.

When asked by a member of the audience when it is okay to intervene in a female child’s life if she is sending nude pictures to adult men, Finkelhor said “I don’t know the answer to that question.”

He continued, “It does seem to me that you have to, you know, take into account all the things that can happen, but you may need to dissociate yourself from just making moral judgments about what's going on too.”

https://campusreform.org/article?id=19396

Kentucky summer camp teaches children to masturbate and have sex on drugs

A Kentucky -based virtual sex education summer camp taught young attendees how to masturbate, obtain an abortion, and have sex while on drugs.

The "Sexy Sex Ed" camp was a virtual camp based out of Hazard, Kentucky, that took place in the summer of 2021. The organizers have been operating sex education workshops for children since 2012, according to their website.

The camp first gained attention on Twitter Tuesday after the account Libs of Tik Tok and Manhattan Institute scholar Christopher Rufo shared information about the camp, including details about the camp curriculum, which included a workshop on masturbation in which "participants … learn techniques to make the most of their masturbation experience."

According to its website, "Sexy Sex Ed is a workshop series that compels teenagers and people of all ages to openly discuss personal and political consent, sexual safety, and anatomy." The age ranges for the 2021 camp were not listed on the website, and it is not known if the camp will be held again in 2022.

"Using visual & performance art, open dialogue, and popular education methods, Sexy Sex Ed fills a vital gap in reproductive education as a creative, cultural healing solution in rural Appalachia," the website says.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/community-family/kentucky-summer-camp-teaches-children-to-masturbate-and-have-sex-on-drugs

'Al Qaeda Is on Our Side': How Obama/Biden Team Empowered Terrorist Networks in Syria

Hours after the Feb. 3 U.S. military raid in northern Syria that left the leader of ISIS and multiple family members dead, President Biden delivered a triumphant White House address.

The late-night Special Forces operation in Syria's Idlib province, Biden proclaimed, was a "testament to America’s reach and capability to take out terrorist threats no matter where they hide around the world."

Unmentioned by the president, and virtually all media accounts of the assassination, was the critical role that top members of his administration played during the Obama years in creating the Al Qaeda-controlled hideout where ISIS head Abu Ibrahim al-Qurayshi, as well as his slain predecessor, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, found their final refuge.

In waging a multi-billion dollar covert war in support of the insurgency against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, top Obama officials who now serve under Biden made it American policy to enable and arm terrorist groups that attracted jihadi fighters from across the globe. This regime change campaign, undertaken one decade after Al Qaeda attacked the U.S. on 9/11, helped a sworn U.S. enemy establish the Idlib safe haven that it still controls today.

A concise articulation came from Jake Sullivan to his then-State Department boss Hillary Clinton in a February 2012 email: "AQ [Al Qaeda] is on our side in Syria."

Sullivan, the current national security adviser, is one of many officials who oversaw the Syria proxy war under Obama to now occupy a senior post under Biden. This group includes Secretary of State Antony Blinken, climate envoy John Kerry, USAID Administrator Samantha Power, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, NSC Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk, and State Department Counselor Derek Chollet.

Their efforts to remake the Middle East via regime change, not just in Syria but earlier in Libya, led to the deaths of Americans – including Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other U.S. officials in Benghazi in 2012; the slaughter of countless civilians; the creation of millions of refugees; and ultimately, Russia's entry into the Syrian battlefield.

Contacted through their current U.S. government agencies, none of the Obama-Biden principals offered comment on their policy of supporting an Al Qaeda-dominated insurgency in Syria.

https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2022/04/20/al_qaeda_is_on_our_side_how_obamabiden_officials_helped_create_a_safe_haven_for_terrorists_in_syria_827477.html

1/2

>>16121886

General Michael Flynn, who headed the DIA at the time, later recalled that his staff "got enormous pushback" from the Obama White House. "I felt that they did not want to hear the truth," Flynn said. In 2015, one year after Flynn was forced out, dozens of Pentagon intelligence analysts signed on to a complaint alleging that top Pentagon intelligence officials were "cooking the books" to paint a rosier picture of the jihadi presence in Syria. (The Pentagon later cleared CENTCOM commanders of wrongdoing.)

The Free Syrian Army (FSA), the main CIA-backed insurgent force, also informed Obama officials of the jihadi dominance in their ranks. "From the reports we get from the doctors," FSA officials told the State Department in November 2012, "most of the injured and dead FSA are Jabhat al-Nusra, due to their courage and [the fact they are] always at the front line."

Jabhat al-Nusra (Al-Nusra Front) is Al Qaeda's franchise in Syria. It emerged as a splinter group of Al Qaeda in Iraq after a falling out between AQI leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and his then-deputy, Mohammed al-Jolani. In 2013, Baghdadi relaunched his organization under the name of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Jolani led his Syria-based Al Qaeda faction under the black flag of al-Nusra.

"[W]hile rarely acknowledged explicitly in public," Charles Lister, a Gulf state-funded analyst in close contact with Syrian insurgent groups wrote in March 2015, "the vast majority of the Syrian insurgency has coordinated closely with Al-Qaeda since mid-2012 – and to great effect on the battlefield." As one Free Syrian Army leader told the New York Times: "No FSA faction in the north can operate without al-Nusra’s approval."

According to David McCloskey, a former CIA analyst who covered Syria in the war's early years, U.S. officials knew that "al-Qaeda affiliated groups and Salafi jihadist groups were the primary engine of the insurgency." This, McCloskey says, was "a tremendously problematic aspect of the conflict."

In his memoir, senior Obama aide Ben Rhodes acknowledged that al-Nusra "was probably the strongest fighting force within the opposition." It was also clear, he wrote, that U.S.-backed insurgent groups were "fighting side by side with al-Nusra." For this reason, Rhodes recalled, he argued against the State Department's December 2012 designation of al-Nusra as a foreign terrorist organization. This move "would alienate the same people we want to help." (Asked about wanting to help an Al Qaeda-dominated insurgency, Rhodes did not respond).

In fact, designating al-Nusra as a terror organization allowed the Obama administration to publicly claim that it opposed Al Qaeda's Syria branch while continuing to covertly arm the insurgency that it dominated. Three months after adding al-Nusra to the terrorism list, the U.S. and its allies "dramatically stepped up weapons supplies to Syrian rebels" to help "rebels to try and seize Damascus," the Associated Press reported in March 2013.

Despite being privately aware of Nusra's dominance, Obama administration officials continued to publicly insist that the U.S. was only supporting Syria's "moderate opposition," as then-Deputy National Security Adviser Antony Blinken described it in September 2014.

But speaking to a Harvard audience days later, then-Vice President Biden blurted out the concealed reality. In the Syrian insurgency, "there was no moderate middle," Biden admitted. Instead, U.S. "allies" in Syria "poured hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of tons of weapons into anyone who would fight against Assad." Those weapons were supplied, Biden said, to "al-Nusra, and Al-Qaeda and the extremist elements of jihadis coming from other parts of the world."

Biden quickly apologized for his comments, which appeared to fit the classic definition of the Kinsley gaffe: a politician inadvertently telling the truth. Biden's only error was omitting his administration's critical role in helping its allies arm the jihadis.

2/2

Canadian Hospital Releases Assisted Suicide Plan for Kids, May Not Even Inform Parents

Euthanasia is legal in Canada and parts of the USA, with some authorities calling for the deaths of children without parental consent. Meanwhile in Russia, euthanasia is strictly forbidden nationwide.

A group of medics from a Toronto children’s hospital have released a shocking paper which outlines its controversial position on child euthanasia. In the paper, published at the British Medical Journal, Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children revealed that in some cases, the young person’s parents will not be notified of the intention to end their own lives until after the death is confirmed.

“Usually, the family is intimately involved in this (end-of-life) decision-making process,” the pediatric doctors, administrators and ethicists noted in a Sept. 21 paper published in the BMJ. “If, however, a capable patient explicitly indicates that they do not want their family members involved in their decision-making, although health care providers may encourage the patient to reconsider and involve their family, ultimately the wishes of capable patients with respect to confidentiality must be respected.”

https://russian-faith.com/news/canadian-hospital-releases-assisted-suicide-plan-kids-may-not-even-inform-parents-n1788

Antidepressants DON'T make people any happier, major study claims

Saudi researchers claim antidepressants do not significantly improve life quality

People taking pills did not see better outcomes than those not on medication

Independent experts say the study did not account for different starting points

Antidepressants are no better at making people feel happier than taking no medication at all, a study claimed today.

Patients on the drugs did not have a significantly better quality of life compared to depressed people who were not on the pills, the analysis found.

Researchers looked 17.5million US adults with depression over 10 years, with around half on medication and half not.

Results showed a slight improvement in mental health in both groups, regardless of whether they were on antidepressants.

The researchers from King Saud University, Saudi Arabia, called for more long-term studies on patients on antidepressants to evaluate their impact on quality of life.

NHS doctors are already moving away from prescribing the drugs, which can cause a host of side effects.

The health service now advises that patients with mild depression be offered group therapy sessions before pills.

But independent experts said strong conclusions from the study cannot be drawn because those given the drugs were typically more depressed at the start, and therefore it was not a fair comparison.

They insisted other clinical studies have shown the drugs to improve overall quality of life.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-10734869/Antidepressants-DONT-make-people-happier-major-study-claims.html

Jews Have Meltdown When U.K. School Assigns Homework About Jews’ Role In Murder Of Christ

Jewish supremacists have apparently wielded their power once again to force the director of a British educational website to apologize for posting an offline homework assignment in which Jews were blamed in the killing of Jesus:

Chris Spolton, who runs the Topmarks site, removed the assignment earlier this week following a complaint by a mother, Joanne Bell. Her 7-year-old son had been instructed by his religious studies teacher at school to complete the assignment before Bell saw it and flagged it on social media, the Daily Mail reported Thursday.

“What harm has it ever done to portray Jews as bloodthirsty and solely responsible for the death of the believed son of G-d, Jesus,” she tweeted sarcastically.

The school whose teacher gave the assignment also apologized to Bell.

The assignment included a slide titled “The Trial of Jesus” saying that “the Jewish leaders wanted Jesus to be guilty” and “paid people to lie about him” and had him taken to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, on charges of insulting God. A second slide describes Pilate as bowing to the will of the Jewish masses and their “chief priests, who wanted Jesus to die,” before agreeing to have Jesus crucified.

The Catholic Church in a 1965 document titled Nostra Aetate asserted that “the Jewish authorities and those who followed their lead pressed for the death of Christ” but that this cannot be “charged” against Jews today or all the Jews who were alive during the Crucifixion.

Spolton made the slides 20 years ago when he was “young and naive,” he wrote to Bell, and “based on books found in the local library.”

The crucifixion creates quite a quandary for today’s Jews –the vast majority of whom are Ashkenazi Jews whose ancestors can be traced back to the Khazar Empire rather than the land of ancient Israel — according to Jewish professor Shlomo Sand in his book The Invention Of The Jewish People.

That’s not to say that Sephardic Jews are any more legitimate Israelites than the Khazars are — they, too, are comprised of a itinerant, mixed multitude whose claim to Israel identity is equally spurious.

When the Khazars converted to Babylonian Judaism in around 900 AD — and took on the identity of the biblical “Jews” — they also tacitly — and perhaps unwittingly — agreed to take the heat for the murder of Christ.

Before their conversion to Judaism, the Khazars were a mixed Turkic-Mongol race of people who have no direct connection to the Israelites of Judea in the time of Christ.

The Times Of Israel published an article admitting that DNA tests prove the Khazar identity of today’s Ashkenazim.

https://christiansfortruth.com/jews-have-meltdown-when-u-k-school-assigns-homework-about-jews-role-in-murder-of-christ/

US Navy sailor dies in Hawaii

A U.S. Navy sailor died during a training evolution with U.S. Marines in Hawaii on Sunday.

The Navy first identified the deceased sailor on Wednesday as 29-year-old Lt. j.g. Aaron Fowler. Fowler was assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit One and was participating in a training evolution with the Marine Corps at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kanehoe Bay.

During a training evolution, Fowler became unresponsive and was pronounced deceased after being taken to a hospital. The exact cause of his death was unclear and the incident remains under investigation. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and local authorities are investigating Fowler’s death.

1st Lt. Phillip Parker, a spokesman for the Training and Education Command, HQ Marine Corps, told USNI News that Fowler was participating in the third phase of the Marine Corps Reconnaissance Leaders Course at the time of his death.

The Marine course takes place over an eight-week period, with participants going through training to plan and lead teams through amphibious, ground reconnaissance and patrol operations. The course’s third phase takes place in Hawaii and goes through swimming progressions and amphibious operations.

Fowler was a native of Oklahoma and joined the Navy in 2012. Fowler then commissioned as an officer after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in May of 2018. Fowler reported to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit One in January 2022.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to Aaron’s family and friends, and we join them in remembering and mourning this brave warrior,” said Rear Adm. Joseph Diguardo, Jr., commander, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command. “His decision to join this elite special operations community was a testament to the dedicated and selfless character he embodied and his legacy will endure in our ranks through those he inspired by his service.”

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit One is based out of San Diego, California. The unit supports the Navy fleet and joint force by clearing explosive hazards to allow access to denied areas. The Navy EOD unit also clears undersea explosive hazards to allow for freedom of movement at sea.

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2022/04/us-navy-sailor-dies-in-hawaii/

Unvaccinated Navy destroyer commander loses ship, gets shore duty

The commander of a Norfolk, Virginia-based U.S. Navy destroyer was recently reassigned to onshore duties after a federal appeals court stayed a lower court decision that had allowed him to stay with the ship despite refusing the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine.

The Daily Press reported Wednesday that the commander, who remains unnamed in legal filings, was reassigned after U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit stayed U.S. District Court Judge Steven Merryday’s injunction. The lower court’s injunction had previously prevented the Navy from relieving him of the ship’s command despite being unvaccinated against COVID-19.

The appeals court issued the stay against Merryday’s ruling on March 30.

The Navy destroyer was due to deploy on April 11. In a recent filing before Merryday’s court, the officer’s lawyer notified the judge that he had been informed on April 8 that he had been reassigned to shore duties for 60 days as part of a new Navy policy that prohibits unvaccinated sailors from deploying on Navy ships.

Merryday’s injunction had previously prevented the service from taking any punitive action against the commander, including removing him from his post on the warship and replacing him. During the injunction, the Navy refused to allow the ship to deploy out to sea while the unvaccinated commander remained on the ship, arguing that his vaccination status posed a risk of disease transmission on the ship.

Liberty Counsel, the non-profit group representing the Navy commander, said that even as the service argued that the unvaccinated commander could not deploy, he “was commanding his warfare surface ship far out at sea doing drills, training and testing the ship and its crew for mission readiness.”

Despite winning an injunction from Judge Merryday, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals stayed the Merryday’s ruling.

Last month, U.S. Supreme Court issued a partial stay on a similar injunction, which had barred the Navy from taking punitive actions against unvaccinated Navy SEALs. The Supreme Court’s partial stay of the injunction prevents the Navy from taking any disciplinary actions against those SEAls for now, but allows the Navy to pull them from planned deployments.

The 11th Appeals Court cited the Supreme Court’s decision in the similar case.

Despite the Supreme Court’s partial stay on an injunction against the Navy, several lawsuits against the military continue to work their way through the lower courts.

Last month, the Navy had to pause separations for more than 4,000 sailors who had remained unvaccinated for religious reasons after a federal judge granted class certification in a class-action lawsuit brought by unvaccinated service members. Judge Reed O’Connor granted class certification for sailors remaining unvaccinated due to religious exemptions and granted an injunction to block the Navy from separating sailors who were previously denied religious exemptions.

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2022/04/unvaccinated-navy-destroyer-commander-loses-ship-gets-shore-duty/

Newly Obtained Emails Raise Questions About Department Of Defense Involvement In Spygate

After spending weeks dismissing concerns about its work with Russia hoax-connected researchers, a newly discovered email from The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to a Georgia Tech researcher with the subject line “Mueller case” casts doubt on DARPA’s denials.

Last month, The Federalist first reported that an email exchange obtained from Georgia Tech pursuant to a Right-to-Know request indicated that Special Counsel John Durham’s office was investigating the Democrat National Committee hack. Manos Antonakakis, the Georgia Tech researcher branded “Researcher-1” in the special counsel’s indictment of former Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann, penned the email shortly after being questioned by one of Durham’s top prosecutors.

The special counsel’s office charged Sussmann last fall with lying to the FBI’s general counsel, James Baker, when Sussmann provided Baker with data and white papers supposedly showing the existence of a secret communications network between the Donald Trump campaign and the Russian-based Alfa Bank. The Sussmann indictment also revealed that the Georgia Tech researchers, since identified as Antonakakis and David Dagon, “were receiving and analyzing Internet data in connection with a pending federal government cybersecurity research contract.”

The then-unidentified government contract originated with DARPA, with DARPA eventually awarding Georgia Tech more than $17 million for the project dubbed “Rhamnousia,” after the mythical Greek goddess of divine retribution, Rhamnous.

As part of its investigation into Sussmann, the special counsel’s office subpoenaed both Antonakakis and Dagon and later granted Dagon immunity. While Durham did not provide Antonakakis immunity, Antonakakis nonetheless spoke with the special counsel’s office after receiving assurances that he was merely considered a witness in the investigation.

Then, after speaking with the special counsel’s team, Antonakakis told the university’s general counsel and other members of upper management that he was asked point-blank by lead prosecutor Andrew DeFilippis: “‘Do you believe that DARPA should be instructing you to investigate the origins of a hacker (Guccifer_2.0) that hacked a political entity (DNC)?’”

According to his email, Antonakakis told DeFilippis that was “a question for DARPA’s director.” As I reported at the time, this represented “a seeming confirmation that DARPA had, as the special counsel’s question presumed, directed Antonakakis to investigate who bore responsibility for the DNC hack, although it is unclear whether Antonakakis’ task concerned solely the supposed identity of ‘Guccifer,’ or more broadly the question of who hacked the DNC.”

However, within days, DARPA denied any involvement “in efforts to attribute the DNC hack.” “Dr. Antonakakis worked on DARPA’s Enhanced Attribution program, which did not involve analysis of the DNC hack,” according to Jared Adams, DARPA’s chief of communications. Adams further told the Washington Examiner that “DARPA was not involved in efforts to attribute the Guccifer 2.0 persona, nor any involvement in efforts to attribute the origin of leaked emails provided to Wikileaks.”

While acknowledging DARPA met with the special counsel’s office, DARPA noted that “the meeting between DARPA and special counsel Durham was to provide a high-level overview of the Enhanced Attribution program,” stressing that “during the course of that meeting, DARPA did not discuss matters related to the DNC hack, Guccifer 2.0, or leaked DNC emails provided to Wikileaks.” The Washington Examiner’s article added the DARPA spokesman’s claim that, “to the best our knowledge, no DARPA-funded researchers investigated” the DNC hack or assisted the FBI’s or Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of the hack.

In response to a request for clarification based on the Washington Examiner’s reporting, Adams told The Federalist that, to DARPA’s knowledge, no one affiliated with DARPA had asked Antonakakis “to research, in any way, at any time, either the DNC hack or the hacker.” An attorney for Antonakakis did not respond to requests for comment.

https://thefederalist.com/2022/04/21/newly-obtained-emails-raise-questions-about-department-of-defense-involvement-in-spygate/

Israel, Germany to expand bilateral defense and industrial cooperation

Berlin has increased its defense budget and has set up special fund to upgrade its armed forces

Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz discussed ways to expand bilateral ties with his German counterpart on Thursday.

Posting on Twitter, Gantz said that he spoke with German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht “about the international effort to support Ukraine and its citizens. We also discussed ways to expand bilateral defense and industrial cooperation and agreed to meet soon in Israel.”

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Germany increased its defense budget to 2 percent of the GDP and said it would set up a special fund of €100 billion in order to swiftly upgrade its armed forces.

As part of that, Reuters reported that the German Air Force will reportedly get 40 billion euros, 27 billion euros will be spent on upgrading command and control capabilities, the army will get 17 billion euros and the navy will receive 10 billion euros.

It is understood that Israel will play a key role in helping Germany’s force buildup.

A leader in defense, the world has for many years looked to the Jewish State for security and intelligence and Israel’s defense industry has leading international companies exporting to countries across the globe.

Military exports by Israel brought in $11.2 billion dollars last year with the largest distribution of Israeli defense exports in Europe with 41%-an increase from 30% in 2020.

At the beginning of the month, the head of the German Air Force Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz told The Jerusalem Post that Berlin got the approval from Jerusalem and Washington to purchase the Arrow 3 missile defense system.

German legislators have in the past pushed to purchase Israel’s Iron Dome system to ward off aerial threats, and Gerhartz told The Post that the Arrow 3 is the most relevant system for the threats facing the European nation.

“The Iron Dome is used for short-range threat and we have quite a capable industry back home and we will procure systems for that,” said Gerhartz who was in Israel to attend the change of command ceremony of the Israel Air Force. “And for higher interceptors, we have the Patriot weapons system that we will modernize. If it means [threats at a range of ] 15,000km and then it is exoatmospheric we dont have anything and that is why I had a close look at the Arrow 3 and we are really interested in the system.”

The purchase of the system, which has been pushed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, “starts with the approval of Israel and the United States and they gave us the approval,” Gerhartz said. “They gave us the approval that we can cooperate on it. But, we still have to talk about the details.”

Defense industries have in recent years tried to sell Israel’s high-quality combat-proven missile defense systems abroad with the government’s permission.

https://www.jpost.com/international/article-704802

In Video: Ukrainian Senior Lieutenant Confirms War Crimes Against Civilians In Mariupol

So far, almost all residential areas in the city of Mariupol have been moped up by the joint LPR and Russian forces. Thousands of civilians were evacuated from their basements in dangerous areas, thousands became victims of the hostilities. Hundreds of civilians who survived were interview in the city of Mariupol. Almost all of them claimed to have witnessed how Ukrainian militants deliberately killed civilians. According to the testimonies of the civilians, who survived without food and water, a lot of civilians were killed on the road to the wells and water sources.

After hundreds of Ukrainian servicemen surrendered in the city of Mariupol, they provided a lot of details on the actions and war crimes of the Ukrainian military, including mass killing of civilians. The interview with one of the Ukrainian senior lieutenants confirmed the testimonies of civilians who were evacuated from Mariupol. A lot of Ukrainian soldiers confirm that numerous war crimes are the result of the criminal tactics of the Ukrainian military command.

Correspondent: “What’s your name?”

Serviceman: “Vadim.”

Correspondent: “Your last name?”

Serviceman: “Bondarenko.”

Correspondent: “Vadim Bondarenko, position, rank, regiment?”

Serviceman: “Chief of Communications, platoon commander management of the self-propelled artillery division of the Independent 36th Marine Brigade. Rank – senior lieutenant.”

Correspondent: “Have you seen any actions towards civilians?”

Serviceman: “Once we were in position in the city when we were told: take up defense along the avenue. To the right of us was positioned the Independent 501st Marine battalion, which at that time was still in place, they shot at civilians who passed by their positions.”

Correspondent: “Tell me about it. Tell me how it was, just describe it.”

Serviceman: “People were walking along the avenue, with containers for water and with packages to find food, because I understand they were running out of food. When they entered the area of responsibility of the 501st battalion, those servicemen fired a warning shot upwards, if people did not pay attention further, then they fired at them.”

Correspondent: “And did they shoot from covered positions or what?”

Serviceman: “Yes, from hidden locations”

Correspondent: “And what happened to these people they shot at?”

Serviceman: “They stayed on the avenue, died.. those who died remained on the avenue.”

Correspondent: “Why did they do it?”

Serviceman: “I went to find out why they were shooting at civilians and I was told that they were shooting at men because they could either discover our positions or could be servicemen of the Russian Federation disguised as civilians”

Correspondent: “And what did you say to that?”

Serviceman: “I asked: why? You can’t know for sure.. But no one answered my question”

Correspondent: “And how many people did they kill in this way?”

Serviceman: “Eight or nine people.”

Correspondent: “For how long did this happen?”

Serviceman: “From 8 am to 2 pm.”

Correspondent: “Why did they then stop doing it?”

Serviceman: “Then came the shift that replaced me, I do not know what happened next. Whether they continued to kill people or not, I can’t say, I don’t know.”

Correspondent: “Everything looks so terrible, to be honest… it doesn’t fit in my head.. You told about 8 or 9 killed. Also testified to two murders from a neighboring battalion, two were also killed by servicemen… Why so? Here, explain. Just explain.”

Serviceman: “Hmm.. probably because the higher authorities don’t care! And junior officers won’t be able to do anything.”

Correspondent: “Well, the higher authorities don’t care, junior officers can’t do anything, the president in general … the feeling that he has served on that comedy show the “95 quarter” and so it serves (note: “95 quarter” is a team in a humorous show in which Vladimir Zelensky was an actor). His advisor Arrestovich tells fables. So what happened to the country?”

=Serviceman: “I do not know. I don’t understand anything anymore…” he lowers his head and cries.==

https://southfront.org/in-video-ukrainian-senior-lieutenant-confirms-war-crimes-against-civilians-in-mariupol/

Spain Arrests 22 Linked to the Construction of Narco Go-Fast Boats

Spanish authorities arrested Tuesday 22 alleged members of a criminal organization linked to the construction of Miami Vice-like go-fast boats specifically outfitted to traffic large quantities of illegal drugs.

National Police, Civil Guard, and Customs agents teamed up to move in on 27 locations suspected of manufacturing and selling high-speed boats to drug trafficking organizations.

Portugal’s Judicial Police also participated in the joint investigation. Portuguese officers raided two additional locations in the towns of Viana do Castelo and Valença do Miño.

Spanish police determined that the criminal organization would begin production of these go-fast boats — which are prohibited in Spain — in the province of Pontevedra, before shipping them to other secure locations to be completed.

National Police agents report that the criminal organization sought out and vetted highly trained individuals capable of constructing such vessels, which would eventually be purposed with transporting drugs along Spain’s southern coast.

Go-fast boats have been widely used by drug trafficking organizations to move their product at sea undetected. For authorities, these sleek watercraft can be difficult to locate by radar, especially in rough seas or when they are far away.

Narco groups also frequently customize their high-speed vessels in order to improve their chances of successfully running drug loads unseen.

Their upper-decks are often covered in fibreglass in order to improve their seaworthiness and ability to withstand rough conditions. The less time they need to spend in port to make repairs, the longer they can operate and turn a profit.

Painted blue and green hulls allow go-fast boats to blend in with the sea and avoid detection by the human eye at long distances.

As for raw speed, twin inboard power engines can make them all but uncacheable for authorities that are not running similarly outfitted watercraft.

Extra fuel canisters allow for prolonged voyages that eliminate the need to refuel in port and risk detection by law enforcement.

Finally, large storage spaces in the bow’s hull grant narco groups maximum carrying capacity for their illicit cargo.

For all these precise modifications, the final product is simple and so is the operation: take a power boat, load it with drugs and enough fuel, and then go like hell.

Ultimately, 22 individuals were arrested and more than 20 go-fast boats, all in various states of completion, were impounded by police as a result of the investigation. Authorities also determined that six of the vessels had recently been completed and were ready for drug trafficking duties had they not been seized in the raids.

https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/16223-spain-arrests-22-linked-to-the-construction-of-narco-go-fast-boats

Cocaine lords targeted in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands

Arrested High Value Targets were linked to recent 34-tonne cocaine seizures in Belgium and Germany

Joint actions of the Belgian Federal Police Antwerp (Federale Politie Antwerpen), the Dutch National Police (Politie) and the German Regional Police (Landeskriminalamt Niedersachsen) and Federal Police (Bundeskriminalamt / BKA), coordinated by Europol, led to the identification and indictment of major European High Value Targets importing large amounts of cocaine from South America to the EU. The operation also involved the Paraguayan National Antidrug Secretariat (SENAD - Secretaria Nacional Antidrogas).

This operation targeted the European and South American drugs and money-laundering infrastructure of a large scale trafficking network, which had already taken a massive hit in February 2022. Europol facilitated the exchange of information and produced large amounts of intelligence based on criminal analysis, enabling Europol to unveil a detailed picture of the networks’ operations across countries and continents.

The action day on 20 April 2022 led to:

Over 35 locations searched

17 arrests (5 in Belgium, 11 in Germany and 3 in The Netherlands)

Seizures in Belgium, Germany and Netherlands including electronic equipment, documents, four vehicles, luxury watches, and real estate including four apartments, as well as bank accounts and cash with a total value of EUR 5.5 million

The missing puzzle piece - European High Value Targets indicted

These operational activities are the culmination of parallel investigation of the Belgian, Dutch and German law enforcement authorities into a criminal network trafficking multi-tonne shipments of cocaine from source countries to Europe. The operation was initiated in February 2021 when law enforcement authorities in the ports of Hamburg and Antwerp seized a total of 34 tonnes of cocaine in 3 shipments linked to this criminal network. During the investigation, the cooperating authorities uncovered that this criminal group had the capacity to ship multiple multi-tonne cocaine consignments towards Europe in just a few months.

The traffickers’ command and control centre, and the European High Value Targets behind it, were based in Dubai. From there, they managed the trafficking of cocaine sourced via their own production infrastructure in Bolivia. Logistical and supply lines were also identified in Paraguay.

The leaders of the criminal network used encrypted communication to arrange their large shipments. The coordination of this multi-tonne cocaine trafficking was intercepted as a result of the 2021 takedown of the SKY ECC encrypted communications platform. This also revealed a large network of legitimate companies set up to enable the import of drugs from South America and the laundering of the related proceeds. As an example, to enter the EU, the cocaine was concealed in shipments of bananas, coffee and plaster.

https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/cocaine-lords-targeted-in-belgium-germany-and-netherlands

Illegal logging in Latin America and Caribbean inflicting irreversible damage -INTERPOL

A 12-country operation against forestry crime in the region has revealed new intelligence on global timber trafficking.

Lyon, France: An INTERPOL-coordinated operation codenamed Arcadia LAC has recovered more than 80 truckloads (more than 1,200 cubic meters) of illegal timber from forests across Latin America and the Caribbean.

The value of the seized timber is estimated at more than USD 700,000.

Concluding last week (15 April), the operation mobilized law enforcement – including police, customs and forest authorities – from 12 countries in the region to uncover and disrupt illegal timber trafficking and associated crimes.

In total, 287 incidents were reported over the operation’s month-long tactical phase in which participating law enforcement agencies carried out intelligence-led activities in priority areas, with a focus on identifying and countering organized crime groups involved in timber trafficking.

Sixty-nine individuals were arrested during the operation and several firearms were seized.

“Intelligence gathered during Operation Arcadia LAC shows that illegal logging is taking place at an alarming rate in some of the world’s most valuable biodiversity reserves,” said Ilana de Wild, INTERPOL’s Director of Organized and Emerging Crime.

“This harm to the environment means that, wherever forestry crime takes place, its devastating impact is felt globally. These crimes are inflicting damage on ecosystems that may prove impossible to restore,” Ms de Wild added.

High demand fueling crime

Environmental crime is the third largest form of transnational organized crime in the world. Globally, the illegal timber trade is estimated to be worth up to USD 152 billion per year, representing nearly half the illicit proceeds of all environmental crime.

Latin America and the Caribbean are home to 50 per cent of the planet’s biodiversity and a quarter of the world’s tropical forests, according to the United Nations (UN) Environment Programme. The region is also one of the main points of origin for the global timber trade, legal and illegal.

https://www.interpol.int/en/News-and-Events/News/2022/Illegal-logging-in-Latin-America-and-Caribbean-inflicting-irreversible-damage-INTERPOL

Area Port of Cleveland Sees Record Number of Drugs & Counterfeits 16,000 Pounds of Narcotics and $252 Million of Counterfeits Seized by CBP

CLEVELAND–The Area Port of Cleveland oversees major express consignment operations (ECO) in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Louisville. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers that work in these facilities seize illegal shipments nightly that are heading to every community in the U.S. and could harm our economy, our agricultural industry or cause death. CBP officers continue to be the first line of defense in stopping these dangerous shipments.

In these past six months officers have been stopping a record number of shipments before they reach their finals destination. One of the main reasons for these increases is the rapid growth of e-commerce. Consumers can search for and easily purchase millions of products through online vendors, but this easy access gives illicit goods more ways to enter the U.S. economy.

Since October 1, CBP officers in Indianapolis have seen an increase across the board in drug seizures, counterfeit interceptions, and agricultural inspections. Officers at this ECO saw an increase of 117% in total seizures that were made in Indianapolis, inspecting, and seizing 738 shipments that contained popular drugs like marijuana, Ketamine, and prescription drugs.

Officers also intercepted 714 parcels of counterfeit items that if real their Manufacturer’s Retail Price (MSRP) would have been over $41.6 million. Last year at this time officers seized counterfeit items with a MSRP more than $13.1, a 216% increase. CBP officers in Indianapolis also were stopping pests and disease from entering the U.S. by issuing 497 Emergency Action Notifications (EAN). EAN can alert trade entities of non-compliance with Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services regulations. This year EAN issuance is 148% higher than it was this time last year.

Indianapolis was just one ECO. The other two ECO hubs in Cincinnati and Louisville have had similar increases. In Cincinnati, officers have seized 4,059 packages, a 70% increase from this time last year. Of those seizures 506 contained narcotics. The drugs of choice were marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine. In all officers seized 5,044 pounds of narcotics. Officers in a partnership with the Food and Drug Administration also seized 1,039 packages containing FDA unapproved items, a 79% increase from last year’s total.

Cincinnati CBP intercepted 771 parcels containing Intellectual Property Rights violations with a MSRP, if they were genuine, of $60.8 million. CBP Agriculture Specialists (CBPAS) in Cincinnati inspected 13,687 shipments resulting in 5,072 EAN, a 41% increase from this timeframe last year. CBPAS notable seizures so far are 132 pounds of smuggled pork, Bird’s Nest hidden in chip canisters and a parcel containing a dried duck carcass.

Louisville CBP takes home the title of most narcotic seizures and total pounds. CBP officers in Louisville have made an astonishing 1,472 seizures of narcotics at their facility. The most popular drugs seized were marijuana, methamphetamine, and steroids. In all, officers seized a whopping 10,436 pounds of narcotics. Of that, 235 pounds was fentanyl, enough to kill 50 million people. That is enough to kill the entire population of New York (8.8 million) six times. Louisville also made a splash seizing 1,311 IPR violations that would have been worth over $149.5 million (more than Indianapolis and Cincinnati combined) and issuing 5,824 EANs.

“These numbers represent the amount of illicit material that comes through these ECO hubs,” LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, Director, Field Operations-Chicago Field Office, pointed out. “These environments that our officers work in and every day they are stopping shipments that are dangerous, harmful to our citizens.”

An ECO is a facility operating in any mode or intermodally moving cargo by special express commercial service under closely integrated administrative control. Under Title 19 of the Code of Federal Regulations, CBP officers are stationed at ECOs and other smaller hubs across the nation and work in collaboration with these carriers to stop illegal shipments. The partnership with the ECOs is critical in CBP accomplishing its mission.

“Our officers are highly skilled at identifying packages that represent a higher level of risk through visual examination, based on their knowledge and awareness of ever-changing trends employed by the individuals and organizations seeking to illegally import contraband,” said Diann Rodriguez, Area Port Director-Cleveland.

https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/area-port-cleveland-sees-record-number-drugs-counterfeits-16000-pounds

Australian (Jesuit) Labor leader Anthony Albanese tests positive for COVID-19 amid election campaign

Labor leader Anthony Albanese will be forced to isolate at home for the next week of the election campaign after testing positive for COVID-19, driving changes to his strategy as he draws on a contingency plan.

Key points:

Mr Albanese said he returned a positive result during a routine PCR test

He will isolate at home in Sydney for seven days

It comes 11 days into the election campaign

Mr Albanese said he would continue campaigning from home in Sydney for the next week while he recovers from the virus.

The Labor leader spent Thursday campaigning on the defensive in the marginal seat of Gilmore, on the NSW south coast, after taking part in a leaders' debate in Brisbane last night.

He has been taking PCR tests regularly and unlike Prime Minister Scott Morrison, has not had COVID-19 before.

It means the Opposition Leader will be forced to postpone a punishing schedule of marginal seat visits in the next week and instead do media appearances from home, while the Prime Minister continues to travel around the nation.

"Following a routine PCR test this afternoon ahead of interstate travel to Western Australia, I have returned a positive result for COVID this evening," Albanese said in a statement on Thursday night.

"While at home, I will continue my responsibilities as alternative Prime Minister and will be fighting for a better future for all Australians.

"I am grateful to know that I will have access to the world's best health care if I need it, because of Medicare.

"I am feeling fine so far — and thank everyone for their well wishes."

Mr Morrison wished Mr Albanese well.

"Everyone's experience with COVID is different and as Labor's campaign continues, I hope he does not experience any serious symptoms," Mr Morrison said on Twitter.

Several opposition MPs told the ABC that while the situation was not ideal, they did not believe it would have a detrimental impact on the Labor campaign.

They all noted it was fortunate Mr Albanese had tested positive less than two weeks into the campaign, rather than the week before the election.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-21/albanese-tests-positive-to-covid-campaign/101007004

Solomon Islands MP defends military pact with China by comparing it to secretive Pine Gap facility in NT (Pine Gap is the CIA Dumb facility)

A key Solomon Islands politician has likened his country's secretive military pact with China to the mysterious Pine Gap installation jointly operated by the United States and Australia.

Key points:

Former Solomon Islands PM Danny Philip says the pact is very close to the text of a leaked draft

He compared the scenario to the Pine Gap installation in the Northern Territory

He repeated the claim that Australian forces had refused to guard Chinese infrastructure during riots last year

Danny Philip, a former Solomon Islands prime minister and confidante of current leader Manasseh Sogavare, staunchly defended the yet-to-be-published agreement with Beijing, arguing public approval for the document was not needed.

He also confirmed that the final text of the deal signed with China was "very close" to the wide-ranging leaked draft which stoked deep alarm in both Canberra and Washington.

This week's revelation that China and Solomon Islands had finally signed the pact has caused a political storm in Australia, with Labor accusing the Prime Minister of presiding over the biggest Australian foreign policy failure in the Pacific since World War II.

"The agreement was signed and drawn up very much for the eyes of the government, an executive decision," Mr Philip declared during an online seminar hosted on Thursday.

"In matters of national security there are some things which do not need to … have the whole country's legitimacy, in terms of national security," he told the event, hosted by the University of Hawaii.

Defending his government's lack of transparency on the Chinese deal, Mr Philip compared the arrangement to the highly secretive Pine Gap American satellite surveillance base hosted just outside Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

"People in Australia know very little about Pine Gap in the middle of the desert, the military base of the United States.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-21/china-solomon-islands-agreement-australia/101005022

Google making it difficult to search the Sussman case, algo adjusted since yesterday. I used the same search term as yesterday but it didn't show up today.

What worked yesterday

courtlistenerDurham

What i had to use today

courtlistenerDurham v sussman

Stephen Colbert tests positive for COVID, says he's 'grateful to be vaxxed and boosted'

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1517218997376274434

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country needs $7 billion per month to account for 'economic losses' - AFP

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1517218288488620033