James David Vance (born James Donald Bowman; August 2, 1984)
The Rise Of The FALSE False Flag And Curated Narratives For Social Control
In the era of fifth generation cognitive warfare we have to take even greater care over our discernment of critical information and the world around us.
A false flag operation is generally defined as ”an act committed with the intent of disguising the actual source of responsibility and pinning blame on another party”
The phrase originates in naval warfare, when ships would literally fly a flag of another nation’s navy.
Historically speaking, they are covert military operations carried out with the aim of creating a cassus belli, either initiating, justifying or perpetuating a war.
The attack is very real, only the flag is false.
But recent years have seen the rise of a new idea – the false false flag. That is to say – entirely fake “events” with only the barest relationship to objective reality. Blanks and crisis actors, fake victims and fake shooters.
This concept has been the subject of discussion recently, with the civil suit against Alex Jones for calling Sandy Hook a “hoax” and the on-going trial of journalist Richard D Hall in the UK for suggesting the Manchester Arena bombing was fake. Similar suggestions have been raised about the Boston bombing of 2013 as well. Others, including Riley Waggaman, have raised questions about the recent “terrorist attack” in Moscow too.
Now, I’m not definitively claiming any or all of those events were faked – though of course they may have been. What I’m pointing up is the shift in discussion.
But then, we don’t need to look far for the greatest provably “fake event” in recent times: “Covid”, which was purely a construction of media hype and corrupt science creating an entirely fake pandemic.
Once you’ve absorbed all the facts of the case, that’s the only interpretation that stands up to scrutiny.
In fact it was such a vast infestation of fakery it spawned mini-fakes. It wasn’t so much a fake event as a flock of fakes of varying sizes.
Covid alone proves that the powers-that-be certainly do engage in staged or faked events. And, as highlighted in the first part of this series, it’s been known for decades that news reports are regularly faked, on both the small and large scale.
Yet, still, the question that gets asked whenever the possibility of fakery is invoked is “why?”
Why would a state apparatus with the power to really do something, opt to only pretend to do it?
This is a standard argument made against the idea of state-sponsored fakery, and although it is logically flawed as being purely an argument from incredulity, it is a question we can and probably should endeavour to answer.
So – why would the state, or powerful actors within the state, choose to fake something rather than simply do it?
Clearly we can rule out moral or ethical considerations. That shouldn’t require further explanation. The state has no objection to causing suffering, that has been demonstrated over and over again. It wouldn’t shrink from sponsoring a real terror event just because real people would end up dead.
https://thefreethoughtproject.com/fake-news/the-rise-of-the-false-false-flag-and-curated-narratives-for-social-control
After graduating from Ohio State, Vance attended Yale Law School, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal. During his first year, his professor Amy Chua, author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, persuaded him to write his memoir.[20] Vance graduated from Yale in 2013 with a Juris Doctor.
Is he a bones man?
COUNTRY IN COLLAPSE: 46,000 Israeli businesses have shut down since October 7
Forty-six thousand Israeli businesses have been forced to close due to the ongoing war and its devastating impact on the economy, Hebrew-language newspaper Maariv reported on July 10, describing Israel as a "country in collapse."
"This is a very high number that encompasses many sectors. About 77 percent of the businesses that have closed since the beginning of the war, roughly 35,000, are small businesses with up to five employees, and are the most vulnerable in the economy," said Yoel Amir, CEO of CofaceBdi, an Israeli information services and credit risk management firm to Maariv.
The report highlights the most affected industries, with the construction sector and its related ecosystem, including ceramics, air conditioning, aluminum and building materials, experiencing significant damage according to CofaceBdi's risk ratings.
The trade sector, including services and industries such as fashion, furniture, housewares, entertainment, transport and tourism, has also been severely impacted. The report notes that "there is almost no foreign tourism," with business damage prevalent across the country, affecting almost every sector.
The agriculture sector has also been hit hard, with the most affected being those that operate to Israel's north and south, where active combat zones due to threats from Palestinian resistance and Lebanon's Hezbollah have affected operations. These regions' instability has further contributed to the economic downturn.
Amir estimates that by the end of 2024, 60,000 Israeli businesses could be shut down.
Hezbollah's attacks have severely disrupted local business and education in the north, forcing tens of thousands of settlers to evacuate. "Our goal of draining the enemy's economy has been achieved," Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah stated on July 10.
Additionally, the Yemeni army’s maritime operations have contributed to the economic decline, significantly reducing revenues at key ports like Eilat in the south.
https://www.cuzzblue.com/2024/07/country-in-collapse-46000-israeli.html
Scores of bodies found as Israel withdraws from Gaza City's Shujaiya
According to news agency Reuters, Shujaiya residents said the fighting could be described as the fiercest in the war so far, leaving the neighbourhood in ruins.
Around 60 bodies were found under the rubble of Gaza City's Shujaiya neighbourhood, officials in the territory said Thursday, after Israel's military declared an end to its operation there.
The upsurge in Israeli bombardment and a resulting displacement of civilians in the eastern district of Shujaiya came as talks were held in mediator Qatar towards a truce and hostage release deal.
US President Joe Biden told reporters that his administration was "making progress" towards a ceasefire agreement as he called for an end to the Gaza war.
His statement came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded that Israel retain control of key Gaza territory along the border with Egypt – a condition that conflicts with Hamas's position that Israel must withdraw from all Gaza territory after a ceasefire.
Mohammed Nairi, a Shujaiya resident, told Reuters he and others returning to the neighbourhood had seen "immense destruction that defies description. All the houses were demolished."
https://www.newarab.com/news/scores-bodies-found-israel-withdraws-gaza-city
GRID DOWN: California utility provider cuts power off to thousands amid wildfire threat
One of California's biggest utilities made good on threats to cut off power in some parts of the state on Tuesday morning in an attempt to address wildfire risks.
After warning on Monday that there could be deliberate outages in parts of Northern California and the San Francisco Bay area, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) cut power to roughly 2,000 customers across eight counties as well as one tribal community. The outages, which are known as Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) started at around 12:30 AM on Tuesday.
Although the company originally believed that around 12,000 homes and businesses could be affected by deliberate outages, they ultimately only needed to shut off power to 2,000 customers. However, thousands of outages that were not related to the intentional shutoffs were reported on Tuesday morning in some parts of the state.
Much of California is experiencing high temperatures and dry, gusty conditions that are conducive to wildfires, with temperatures hitting the triple digits in some places. For example, wind gusts exceeded 63 miles per hour in Sonoma County and registered around 49 miles per hour in Butte County, while temperatures hit 109 degrees in Sacramento and 111 degrees in Redding.
PG&E was worried that the temperatures could overheat their power infrastructure at a time when it is already under significant strain thanks to a greater demand for air conditioning and other methods of staying cool that require energy. When combined with the windy and dry weather the state is experiencing, these conditions create a significant wildfire risk. The company said that restoring power to all of the customers who are affected could take up to 12 daylight hours after weather conditions improve, leaving people without power and uncertain about when exactly it could return. They cautioned that power restoration could be delayed for customers in areas where individual power lines have sustained significant damage from wind-blown branches or debris that need to be repaired. They also reserved the right to implement additional power cuts for these and other customers depending on the weather conditions and wildfire threats.
“We continue to monitor the situation to determine if a shutoff is necessary for safety,” said PG&E spokesman Paul Moreno. “We are sending all of these customers regular updates so they can prepare accordingly.”
In the meantime, the utility has opened a few “community resource centers” in the blackout areas where people can go to cool off in air conditioning, use Wi-Fi, charge their phones and other devices, and obtain free bottled water. Ahead of the planned outages, they encouraged customers to charge their devices, freeze large containers of water, and check on loved ones to ensure their safety during the heat.
PG&E was responsible for dozens of damaging wildfires
There is already a major wildfire burning in Fresno in the Sierra Nevada foothills, and the company is taking the wildfire threat seriously after being held accountable for previous wildfires sparked by their equipment.
PG&E's equipment has been blamed for starting some of the worst fires in the history of the state, including the 2018 Camp Fire. More than 30 wildfires have been attributed to the utility since 2017, and the blazes were connected to the destruction of more than 23,000 homes and businesses as well as the deaths of more than 100 individuals. In 2019, they ended up filing for bankruptcy after they were fined and sued for their role in starting wildfires. Weather conditions and downed utility lines were also behind the horrific Maui fires seen last August that killed more than 100 people.
https://www.cuzzblue.com/2024/07/grid-down-california-utility-provider.html
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reversed a key concession made by Israel during ceasefire negotiations, CNN reported Friday, citing an Israeli source familiar with the talks.
The source said that Israel had previously agreed to allow Palestinians to have unrestricted access to north Gaza during any potential ceasefire. But last week, Netanyahu told his negotiators to add the condition that armed men aren’t allowed to enter the north.
Netanyahu included a similar condition in a list of “non-negotiable” demands he issued last Sunday. “There will be no return of thousands of armed terrorists to the northern Gaza Strip,” he said.
The CNN report said Netanyahu’s new demand could potentially upend the negotiations. The Israeli leader has made other demands aimed at sabotaging the chances of the deal.
In his list of demands last Sunday, Netanyahu said any deal must prevent “smuggling of weapons to Hamas from Egypt to the Gaza border.” Axios reported that Egypt had agreed to build an “underground wall” to prevent arms smuggling through its border with Gaza, known as the Philadelphi Corridor, and the US agreed to fund it.
But after that breakthrough, Netanyahu demanded Israel maintain control of the Philadelphi Corridor. “We will not allow the smuggling of weapons to Hamas from Egypt, first and foremost through Israeli control of the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah Crossing,” he said.
Netanyahu also continues to insist that any deal must allow him to restart the genocidal war, a condition that’s supported by Mossad chief David Barnea, who has been leading the negotiations.
“Without the clauses Prime Minister Netanyahu insists on, we will not be able to renew the war, and without that, we will not win or retrieve all the hostages. This is what is necessary for the benefit of the State of Israel,” Barnea said at an Israeli Security Cabinet meeting on Thursday.
https://news.antiwar.com/2024/07/14/netanyahu-reverses-key-israeli-concession-made-in-ceasefire-negotiations/
IDF internal mess over October 7 probes erupts into chaos - analysis
IDF's Be'eri report triggers intense infighting among military branches and leadership, highlighting failures in intelligence and command during the October 7 conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
It did not take long.
The IDF report on the Kibbutz Be’eri aspects of the October 7 disaster came out on Thursday. Within days, all of the infighting within the military – which sometimes has dissipated or been temporarily frozen – erupted into a full-fledged volcano.
All this is getting into all of the finger-pointing at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet, which are still not even entertaining even being probed.
No, this is about the IDF field commanders who were criticized in the probe, such as Shaldag commander “A,” being furious with: IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, IDF intelligence, and IDF Southern Command.
The field commanders who fought at Be’eri ask: How can you slam us for small-ball situational tactical errors – when we were in horrible, unreal positions, positions created by failures on the part of the military intelligence wing to warn of the invasion, and on Halevi and the Southern Command to have enough troops defending the border?
IDF Chief Spokesman R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari said that the probe was handled by one of the most senior, talented investigators – Maj.-Gen. Mickey Edelstein – and that because the errors were tactical, it was easier to finish it sooner. He added that issues related to Brig.-Gen. Barak Hiram’s involvement in a controversial episode in the kibbutz involving a tank fire on a home needed to be publicly resolved.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-810439
Agenda 47
1
SEAL THE BORDER AND STOP THE MIGRANT INVASION
2
CARRY OUT THE LARGEST DEPORTATION OPERATION IN AMERICAN HISTORY
3
END INFLATION, AND MAKE AMERICA AFFORDABLE AGAIN
4
MAKE AMERICA THE DOMINANT ENERGY PRODUCER IN THE WORLD, BY FAR!
5
STOP OUTSOURCING, AND TURN THE UNITED STATES INTO MANUFACTURING SUPERPOWER
6
LARGE TAX CUTS FOR WORKERS, AND NO TAX ON TIPS!
7
DEFEND OUR CONSTITUTION, OUR BILL OF RIGHTS, AND OUR FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS, INCLUDING FREEDOM OF SPEECH, FREEDOM OF RELIGION, AND THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS
8
PREVENT WORLD WAR THREE, RESTORE PEACE IN EUROPE AND IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AND BUILD A GREAT IRON DOME MISSILE DEFENSE SHIELD OVER OUR ENTIRE COUNTRY – ALL MADE IN AMERICA
9
END THE WEAPONIZATION OF GOVERNMENT AGAINST THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
10
STOP THE MIGRANT CRIME EPIDEMIC, DEMOLISH THE FOREIGN DRUG CARTELS, CRUSH GANG VIOLENCE, AND LOCK UP VIOLENT OFFENDERS
11
REBUILD OUR CITIES, INCLUDING WASHINGTON DC, MAKING THEM SAFE, CLEAN, AND BEAUTIFUL AGAIN.
12
STRENGTHEN AND MODERNIZE OUR MILITARY, MAKING IT, WITHOUT QUESTION, THE STRONGEST AND MOST POWERFUL IN THE WORLD
13
KEEP THE U.S. DOLLAR AS THE WORLD'S RESERVE CURRENCY
14
FIGHT FOR AND PROTECT SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE WITH NO CUTS, INCLUDING NO CHANGES TO THE RETIREMENT AGE
15
CANCEL THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE MANDATE AND CUT COSTLY AND BURDENSOME REGULATIONS
16
CUT FEDERAL FUNDING FOR ANY SCHOOL PUSHING CRITICAL RACE THEORY, RADICAL GENDER IDEOLOGY, AND OTHER INAPPRORIATE RACIAL, SEXUAL, OR POLITICAL CONTENT ON OUR CHILDREN
17
KEEP MEN OUT OF WOMEN'S SPORTS
18
DEPORT PRO-HAMAS RADICALS AND MAKE OUR COLLEGE CAMPUSES SAFE AND PATRIOTIC AGAIN
19
SECURE OUR ELECTIONS, INCLUDING SAME DAY VOTING, VOTER IDENTIFICATION, PAPER BALLOTS, AND PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP
20
UNITE OUR COUNTRY BY BRINGING IT TO NEW AND RECORD LEVELS OF SUCCESS
https://www.donaldjtrump.com/platform
Shocking Report: Secret Service Resources Diverted From PA Trump Rally to Jill Biden, More Troubling Info
One of the big questions that many have about the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump is how the shooter was able to get onto the roof, close enough to be able to shoot Trump and hit three other people, killing one and wounding two others. Plus, why, once he was spotted, wasn't he dealt with sooner, or why Trump wasn't rushed off the stage?
It would appear that someone dropped the ball in a severe failure.
Now Real Clear Politics' Susan Crabtree has some new information from sources within the Secret Service.
Crabtree said that Secret Service resources were diverted away from Trump's rally to Jill Biden's Pittsburgh event at the same time. She said this was done because of "agency protocol applying to Trump as a former president," according to two of her sources within the Secret Service community.
What the heck? So what they're saying is that because they were treating Trump just as a former president, not necessarily the current candidate with a lot of threats against him, Jill Biden was given priority over him.
That wasn't all. Additionally, Crabtree explained from another source in the Secret Service community there were problems because the team had a lot of replacements.
There were also many supplemental agents from different field offices who were not Trump's regular detail, providing security at the rally because Trump's regular detail has been overworked.
“Trump has a permanent detail, however it’s much smaller in the amount of bodies,” the source said. “His detail has been worked so hard with all the travel that they’re working 7 days a week with shift changes. so HQ sends in temp agents to supplement - not a good scenario. Mission Failure, IMHO.”
According to the report, there were only two counter-snipers.
https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2024/07/15/report-secret-service-resources-were-diverted-from-pa-trump-rally-to-jill-biden-visit-n2176871
YEMENI ARMY ATTACKS ISRAELI SHIP IN GULF OF ADEN, ISRAELI POSITIONS IN EILAT
The Yemeni army (backed by Ansar Allah movement aka Houthis) announced on July 14 that they had attacked an Israeli ship in the Gulf of Aden and Eilat area in southern occupied Palestine in response to the recent Israeli airstrikes in the Mawasi area in Khan Yunis.
According to a Yemeni army spokesman, the Yemeni army attacked MSC UNIFIC ships in the Gulf of Aden with several naval missiles and suicide drones.
“The naval forces, UAV, and the missile forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a joint operation targeting the Israeli ship (MSC UNIFIC) in the Gulf of Aden, with a number of ballistic missiles and drones,” Houthi military spokesman, Brigade General Yahya Saree, said in a statement.”
The spokesman also added the Yemeni army attacked Israeli positions in Um al-Rashrash (Eilat) with several suicide drones.
“The UAV Force carried out a targeting operation against number of military targets of the Israeli enemy in the Umm al-Rashrash area, south of occupied Palestine with a number of UAVs,” Yahya Sraee said. “The operation has successfully achieved its objectives, thanks to God.”
MSC UNIFIC is a container ship operating under the flag of Liberia. This ship was also attacked by several cruise missiles in the Arabian Sea last week.
On July 13, the Israeli regime targeted a designated humanitarian zone “al-Mawasi” in Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip. At least 71 Palestinians were martyred and more than 290 others were wounded.
The Israeli military aggression in the Gaza Strip has so far claimed the lives of more than 38,000 Palestinains, mostly women and children.
The AnsarAllah-backed Yemeni army emphasized that attacks on Israeli affiliated ship and Eilat were carried out in retaliation to the Al-Mawasi massacre in Khan Yunis.
It’s worth mentioning that the Houthis have attacked dozens of vessels affiliated with Israel or owned by the U.S. and the United Kingdom in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea since November in response to the Israeli war crime and siege on Gaza.
On the other side, the U.S. and the UK have carried out hundreds of strikes against Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen since January in response to these attacks. However, the military campaign failed to deter the Houthis or even to degrade their military capabilities.
https://southfront.press/yemeni-army-attacks-israeli-ship-in-gulf-of-aden-israeli-positions-in-eilat/
Blair says “a little work of persuasion” is needed to implement “essential” digital IDs in the UK
War criminal, long-time member of the socialist Fabian Society and former UK prime minister Tony Blair says that digital ID is essential to modern digital infrastructure but requires “a little work of persuasion.”
Opening the 2024 Future of Britain Conference ‘Governing in the Age of AI’ last week, Blair shared the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change’s (“TBI’s”) vision for a reimagined state. He took the opportunity to continue his years-long push for the adoption of digital IDs.
“Digital ID is an essential part of a modern digital infrastructure,” Blair told the conference. “Though we have a little work of persuasion to do here, it has to be said,” he said laughing.
Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (“TBI”)
TBI is led by Blair, who serves as the owner and executive chairman. In 2017, Blair decided to close all his commercial and philanthropic activities, including the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, the Tony Blair Sports Foundation, the Tony Blair Governance Initiative and Tony Blair Associates. In their place one organisation was created: the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.
Blair launched TBI as a “new policy platform to refill the wide-open space in the middle of politics” aimed at combating a “frightening authoritarian populism” that Blair says is undermining the West’s belief in democracy. The organisation is not a political party, but it is heavily influenced by Blair’s ideology and personal style.
According to Wikipedia, Blair gave the reserves of his former business to provide the seed funding for his new Institute. In 2018, it was reported that Blair had signed a deal worth £9 million with the Saudi government to advise and support the Saudi Crown Prince’s modernisation programme.
A few months later, TBI’s financial accounts confirmed the Saudi payment and also showed contributions from the US State Department, the Canadian government, some African governments and the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, a charity set up by a Ukrainian billionaire.
According to its latest financial accounts, for 2022, the Institute had a staff of 514 people; its income for the year was £121 million and its expenses were £95 million. The table below is taken from TBI’s 2022 accounts and shows its partners, and donors and funding partners.
You will note the involvement of some of the usual suspects such as The Rockefeller Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and UN agencies. There are also other interesting partners and donors such as the Anti-Defamation League, the Muslim World League, the University of Oxford and Starlink.
https://expose-news.com/2024/07/14/blair-says-a-little-work-of-persuasion-is-needed/
Secret Service: ‘No Changes’ To Security Plan For Upcoming RNC
The Secret Service confirmed that there will be no changes to its security plan for the upcoming Republican National Convention that begins Monday.
“There have been no changes to our current operational security plans for this event,” Audrey Gibson-Cicchino, the Secret Service agent coordinating the RNC’s security, said during a press conference on Sunday. “We are confident in these security plans that are in place for this event and we’re ready to go.”
Gibson-Cicchino said the current security plan is at the highest designated level of security and has been developed over 18 months.
“This event has been designated as a national special security event, which is the highest level of security for an event that can be designated by the government,” she said. “We had an extensive planning process to include many organizations building out the security plan for any and all aspects of security related to this event.”
Questions about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump were not answered and instead were referred to the Secret Service’s D.C. office.
The Secret Service has been under fire since it was revealed that 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks was able to climb on top of a roof a relatively short distance from the venue in order to shoot at Trump.
Firearms are not allowed into the “inner-perimeter” where the convention will take place but are allowed outside of it.
“We have to respect the Second Amendment right to carry your firearm,” Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said at the press conference. “As that is your right, please exercise your right in a responsible manner.”
“The Milwaukee Police Department will not tolerate any particular behaviors outside what is legally allowed in regards to that right,” he added.
Just prior to Crooks shooting at Trump, a local police officer retreated after he climbed up a ladder to the roof and faced the barrel of Crooks’ gun, an unnamed source told The Associated Press.
https://www.domigood.com/2024/07/secret-service-no-changes-to-security.html
Experts say three weapons fired at Trump rally
Audio forensics suggest that shots from at least three weapons were fired at ex-US President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania, CNN reports, citing experts.
According to Catalin Grigoras and Cole Whitecotton from the National Center for Media Forensics at the University of Colorado in Denver, "the first three shots were consistent with alleged weapon A, the next five were consistent with alleged weapon B, and the final 'acoustic impulse' was emitted by a possible weapon C," the media outlet notes.
Forensics expert Robert Maher, in turn, suggested that "the gunman was about 360 to 393 feet from the podium."
An attempt on Trump’s life took place at a rally in Pennsylvania on July 13. The former US president suffered a minor injury to his ear and is in stable condition. However, the shooting that targeted Trump killed one of his supporters. The attacker was eliminated by US Secret Service members charged with protecting the former president.
https://tass.com/world/1817049
BLACKROCK & WALL STREET BANKS ARE PROFITING FROM ISRAEL’S CRIMES IN GAZA, UN EXPERTS SAY
Top UN human rights experts have called on Western weapons corporations to stop sending arms to Israel, arguing they could be complicit in war crimes.
UN experts also warned that asset managers like BlackRock and Wall Street banks may be profiting from Israel’s brutal war on Gaza.
This was stated in a press release published by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
“The transfer of weapons and ammunition to Israel may constitute serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian laws and risk State complicity in international crimes, possibly including genocide, UN experts said today, reiterating their demand to stop transfers immediately”, the press release said.
https://youtu.be/ur2xRJzbyJE
BIDEN APPOINTS SOCIAL MEDIA CENSORSHIP ADVOCATE TO WHITE HOUSE DIGITAL STRATEGY TEAM
The Biden administration reinforces its ranks with what some reports see as yet more ardent censorship advocates.
This time it’s Andy Volosky, whose “claim to fame” thus far has been to wholeheartedly support the banning of President Donald Trump by former Twitter (while Trump was still president).
Unsurprisingly, his other efforts are advocating for even stricter online censorship (“content moderation”) than what social platforms have been doing for almost a decade now.
Volosky has now been given the right to serve this administration as deputy director of platforms for the White House’s Office of Digital Strategy. Serving the people, critically minded cynics might remark, would probably require a different mindset and a different set of skills.
https://www.blacklistednews.com/article/86135/biden-appoints-social-media-censorship-advocate-to-white-house-digital-strategy.html
International Oil Companies Caught in Kurdish Smuggling Web
A Reuters investigation found that over 1,000 tanker trucks are smuggling at least 200,000 barrels of Kurdish oil per day to Iran and Turkey.
The smuggling operation generates an estimated $200 million in monthly revenue, but the destination of the funds remains unclear.
The illicit trade has flourished since a pipeline to Turkey was closed in March 2023 due to a dispute over export rights.
Kurdistan hasn’t been able to export its oil via a pipeline for more than a year now, but crude continues to flow out of the semi-autonomous Iraqi region—on tank trucks to the border with Iran.
More than 1,000 such tank trucks are estimated to be transporting at least 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Kurdish oil to Iran and Turkey, a Reuters investigation has found.
Although the price of the crude being smuggled out of the northern semi-autonomous region is reportedly around $40 per barrel in these murky deals, the trade is lucrative, especially compared to the hardships the Kurdistan regional government has seen without oil revenues over the past year.
The smuggling is estimated to be bringing around $200 million per month, according to Reuters, whose reporters talked with more than 20 people, including oil engineers, oil industry sources, traders, government officials, politicians, and diplomats.
Some of these sources told Reuters that the oil smuggling was likely happening with the knowledge of the regional and federal governments. Once in Iran, the oil is loaded onto ships at the Iranian ports in the Gulf at Bandar Imam Khomeini and Bandar Abbas, or transferred by road to Afghanistan and Pakistan, industry, political, and diplomatic sources told Reuters.
Other sources said that no one really knows what happens with the $200 million monthly revenue from these operations.
The smuggling business has thrived since the closure of the pipeline route to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, which the semi-autonomous region of OPEC’s second-largest producer used to ship its oil abroad until March 2023.
These exports via pipeline to Turkey, of about 450,000 bpd, ceased last year after they were shut in in March 2023 due to a dispute over who should authorize the Kurdish exports.
The impasse followed an International Chamber of Commerce ruling in March 2023 in a dispute between Turkey and Iraq regarding Kurdistan oil. The ICC ruled in favor of Iraq, which had argued that Turkey should not allow Kurdish oil exports via the Iraq-Turkey pipeline and the Turkish port of Ceyhan without approval from the federal government of Iraq.
Now, only Iraq’s state oil marketing firm SOMO has the right to sell crude oil produced anywhere in Iraq.
And it looks like the re-opening of the pipeline to Ceyhan on the Turkish Mediterranean coast is not a priority for politicians in Baghdad.
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/International-Oil-Companies-Caught-in-Kurdish-Smuggling-Web.html
Shot twice?
https://x.com/CaptCoronado/status/1812283824748872152