France Takes The Lead In Protecting Iran Oil Trade From U.S. Sanctions

The EU has been trying to create a special purpose vehicle (SPV) that would allow the bloc to continue buying Iranian oil.

France aims to lead the European Union (EU) efforts in defying U.S. sanctions on Iran, by supporting the creation of a payment mechanism to keep trade with Iran and making the euro more powerful, France’s Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said in an interview with the Financial Times.

“Europe refuses to allow the US to be the trade policeman of the world,” Le Maire told FT, adding that the EU needs to affirm its independence in the rift between the EU and the United States over the sanctions on Iran.

The EU has been trying to create a special purpose vehicle (SPV) that would allow the bloc to continue buying Iranian oil and keep trade in other products with Iran after the U.S. sanctions on Tehran return.

The idea behind the SPV is to have it act as a clearing house into which buyers of Iranian oil would pay, allowing the EU to trade oil with Iran without having to directly pay the Islamic Republic.

As the U.S. sanctions on Iran snapped back on Monday, the SPV hasn’t been operational and reports have had it that the undertaking is very complicated and politically sensitive. The bloc is also said to be struggling with the set-up, because no EU member is willing to host it for fear of angering the United States, the Financial Times reported recently, citing EU diplomats.

On Monday, the Belgium-based international financial messaging system SWIFT said that it would comply with the U.S. sanctions on Iran and would cut off sanctioned Iranian banks from its network. This was a blow to the EU’s attempts to defy the U.S. sanctions.

The decision by SWIFT highlights the need for an SPV, France’s Le Maire told FT, but he refused to name countries that could host such a special vehicle. Yet, there have been expressions of interest, he told FT.

Meanwhile, the United States has been dismissive of the idea of an SPV, and Brian Hook, U.S. Special Representative for Iran and Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of State, said in a press briefing with European reporters on Monday:

“We have not seen much, if any, demand for the Special Purpose Vehicle. I think if you take a look at the over 100 corporations that have decided to choose the United States market over the Iranian market, they’re not looking to avail themselves of any type of vehicle.”

http://theduran.com/france-takes-the-lead-in-protecting-iran-oil-trade-from-u-s-sanctions/

Michigan’s Democratic Governor-Elect Puts Blue Cross Blue Shield Executive on Transition Team — After the Company Funded Her Campaign

When former Michigan Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer faced a populist, progressive rival in the state’s Democratic gubernatorial primary earlier this year, she had a little help from her health insurance industry friends.

Whitmer was hosted at a fundraiser thrown by lobbyists for Blue Cross Blue Shield. She netted $144,000 during a single day at the event.

The company’s interest in the race came as no surprise, as Whitmer’s chief rival, former Detroit public health chief Abdul El-Sayed, was campaigning on establishing a statewide single-payer health care system. Essentially, he was running to put the company out of business.

But it appears that Blue Cross Blue Shield gained more than just the defeat of single payer. This week, Whitmer won the governor’s mansion, putting the state back in the Democratic column. She quickly announced the composition of her transition team.

One of the “honorary co-chairs” is Daniel Loepp, the president and CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

In a 2015 interview, Whitmer credited Loepp with being the first person to suggest that she enter politics, back when he worked in the state legislature.

During the campaign, Gretchen Whitmer — whose father is Richard Whitmer, formerly the head of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan — was defensive against criticisms that she was too close to the health insurance giant. “It’s extremely sexist to say that a woman is beholden to her father’s former employer,” she told CNN.

The governor-elect’s team did not respond to a request for comment. Though Whitmer ran to the right of El-Sayed, her platform was still broadly progressive and pro-labor.

Whitmer’s transition team isn’t the only one bringing corporate interests onboard post-election. In Georgia, Republican Brian Kemp has declared victory, despite an ongoing legal effort by his Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams to chase down enough provisional and absentee ballots to take the race to a run-off.

Kemp announced Thursday that his transition team would be led by David Dove, Kemp’s former legal counsel and chief of staff. More recently, Dove was added to the new lobbying arm of the litigation and regulatory law firm Robbins Ross Alloy Belinfante Littlefield LLC.

The newly minted Robbins Government Relations Group opened October 2, just over a month before the election. In an interview with a legal publication, partner Josh Belinfante explained why the firm decided to open a lobbying arm. He emphasized the potential to influence regulations.

“A lot of our clients’ problems can be resolved through the legislative branch more easily and effectively than through the judicial branch,” Belinfante said. “Or our clients may have a win in the judicial branch that may need to be protected in the legislature — particularly clients who are highly regulated, and particularly when legislation or regulations pass that govern what they do.”

According to disclosures, Dove is not currently registered to lobby. But presumably, the firm’s clients now have a chain of communication to the man responsible for staffing the next governor’s mansion. The Intercept reached out to the firm and to Dove to ask if he would be taking a leave of absence while serving on the transition team, but they have not yet responded.

https://theintercept.com/2018/11/09/gretchen-whitmer-blue-cross-blue-shield-michigan/

Imelda Marcos convicted of graft, court orders her arrest

The court disqualified Marcos from holding public office but she can remain a member of the powerful House of Representatives while appealing the decision.

A Philippine court has found former first lady Imelda Marcos guilty of graft and ordered her arrest in a rare conviction among many corruption cases that she’s likely to appeal to avoid jail and losing her seat in Congress.

The anti-graft Sandiganbayan court sentenced the 89-year-old Marcos to serve 6 to 11 years in prison for each of the seven counts for violating an anti-corruption law when she illegally funneled about $200 million to Swiss foundations in the 1970s.

Neither Marcos nor anyone representing her attended Friday’s court hearing.

The court disqualified Marcos from holding public office but she can remain a member of the powerful House of Representatives while appealing the decision.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/imelda-marcos-convicted-of-graft-court-orders-her-arrest/article25450975.ece

>>3819845

Pretty credible guy tho

Antifa expands its hit list as political violence escalates

When a mob of left-wing antifa activists descended Wednesday night on Fox News personality Tucker Carlson’s D.C. home, it signaled a new phase in the political violence and angry confrontations that now are targeting the news media.

Political violence has been rising in the U.S. since 2012, according to the Global Terrorism Database. Increasingly aggressive activists have pushed political confrontation to the limit since 2016, accosting Republican lawmakers and Trump administration officials in restaurants and in the halls of Congress. And now they’re going after conservative journalists at their homes.

“Tucker Carlson, we will fight. We know where you sleep at night!” the activists allied with antifa chanted outside Mr. Carlson’s home.

Antifa is short of anti-fascist, though the group has anarchist leanings and targets anyone perceived as not in step with a far-left agenda.

“Here’s the problem. I have four children,” Mr. Carlson, whose wife was home alone during the disturbance, told Fox News. “I never thought twice about leaving them home alone, but this is the reaction because this group doesn’t like my TV show.”

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/nov/8/antifa-targets-tucker-carlson-hit-list-expands-con/

SYRIA UPDATE

Sweida freed abductees meet their families… their liberation is yet another victory of Syrian Arab Army against terror

“I cannot express my joy being saved from the terrorists by our brave army… I couldn’t wait until the soldiers reached the car we were inside after they had engaged in fierce clashes with the terrorists.” Mrs. Suad Abu Ammar, who was freed besides her children said. She also expressed deep thanks to the leadership. “I’m so happy that I’m with my family again… I miss ordinary life where no fear and harsh treatment is there… the feeling of security is indescribable,” the freed girl Manya Abu Ammar said. “The terrorists used to constantly move us from a place to another and put us in underground hollows… I’m blessed to see my family and friends again,” Aksam Abu Ammar, a boy of the released abductees said.

https://sana.sy/en/?p=150641

Russian Troops Participated In Operation To Free 19 Hostages From ISIS In Syria: Defense Ministry

“On November 8, 2018, Syrian forces carried out a carefully planned special operation under the guidance of Russian military officers from the Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Sides in Syria, rescuing 19 civilian hostages seized by the ISIL [ISIS] more than three months ago,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on November 9.

https://southfront.org/russian-troops-participated-in-operation-to-free-19-hostages-from-isis-in-syria-defense-ministry/

Army ambushes “Kataeb al-Ezza” linked terrorists, kills five of them in Hama Countryside

SANA reporter in Hama said that terrorists of the so-called Kataeb al-Ezza positioned in al-Dahrouj farms southwest of Latmineh town in Hama northern countryside , targeted with explosive rounds a military point in the surrounding of al-Zalaqiyat village.

In response to the attack, the reporter added, an army unit ambushed a “Kataeb al-Izza” liked terrorist group near al- Zalaqiyat/Zlein direction, killing five terrorists, injuring others and destroying their weapons and munition.

https://sana.sy/en/?p=150664

Syrian General: Russia-Supplied S-300 Systems Minimized Possibility Of Israeli Attacks’ Success

“There is no concept of zero probability in military strategy. We cannot say that this probability has been reduced to zero. Because we are talking about open skies, extended borders, various technologies… Therefore, I cannot say that in the end there will not be such a probability, however, the probability of this aggression achieving its goals has been minimized,” Hasan stated commenting on the possibility of new Israeli attacks on Syria following the S-300 deliveries.

https://southfront.org/syrian-general-russia-supplied-s-300-systems-minimized-possibility-of-israeli-attacks-success/

BAKER 1/2

>>3820107

2/2

Army finds rockets left by ISIS terrorists in al-Mayadeen, Deir Ezzor countryside

SANA reporter said that while combing the area aided by the Popular Defense Groups, an army unit discovered several long-range missiles left behind by ISIS which were stacked in special containers in camouflaged areas near al-Mayadeen city. The correspondent said the army checked the missiles to ensure that they pose no harm as ISIS used to rig arms caches with explosives before it was defeated under the blows of the Syrian army.

https://sana.sy/en/?p=150672

US-held Area Of At-Tanf Once Again Appears To Be ‘ISIS-Welcome’ Zone In Syria

At least 30 hostages were captured by ISIS in an attack on the government-held area in eastern al-Suwayda on July 25. A part of them, 6 people, was freed by ISIS in September in the framework of a local deal between the terrorist group and the Damascus government. However, after

The most strange thing in this development is where the hostages were rescued. As it was noted by multiple persons following the conflict, Hamimah (Humaymah) is located far away (over 250km) from the area, where the hostages were captured or where ISIS positions in eastern al-Suwayda are located [al-Safa].

The map above allows to see that Hamimah (Humaymah) and al-Safa are separated by the so-called “security zone” imposed by the US-led coalition near its military garrison in at-Tanf.

The Russian and Syrian militaries have repeatedly warned that the al-Tanf zone are being used by terrorist groups, including ISIS, as a rear base and a foothold to carry out attacks on government-held areas. The ISIS safe haven is actively protected by US-led coalition forces, which threaten any Syrian Army troops deploying close to the al-Tanf zone. The formal justification of these actions is that Syrian government troops as well as Iranian-backed forces in Syria pose a threat to US-backed “democratic” militant groups and US troops deployed near the at-Tanf garrison.

https://southfront.org/us-held-area-of-at-tanf-once-again-appears-to-be-isis-welcome-zone-in-syria/

UN: Terrorists in al-Rukban camp use civilians as human shields

Director of UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for the Middle East and North Africa Amin Awad said that terrorists are using displaced people as human shields in al-Rukban Camp located along the Syrian-Jordanian borders at al-Tanf area where US troops are positioned.

Sputnik quoted Awad as saying that “I think the problem of Rukban today is not to continue to give aid, it’s to really liquidate the situation and send people back to their homes”

https://sana.sy/en/?p=150661

Syrian Army Responds By Force To New Violation Of Deconfliction Agreement In Southwestern Aleppo

In a new violation of the Russian-Turkish deconfliction agreement, fighters of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) destroyed a BMP-1 armored vehicle of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) in the southwestern Aleppo countryside with an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) on November 8.

Few hours later, the SAA responded to the violation by shelling several positions of HTS and its allies in the area of al-Rashidin northwest of the city of Aleppo with Grad rockets.

https://southfront.org/syrian-army-responds-to-new-violation-of-deconfliction-agreement-in-southwestern-aleppo/

https://sputniknews.com/news/201811091069673262-Five-Bodies-Discovered-California-Wildfire/

Micheal Cohen Gives Prosecutors "Evidence" Implicating Trump In Campaign Finance Law Violations

It has been quiet, too quiet, for the almost three months since President Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen flipped, pleading guilty to campaign finance violations and other charges, saying he made payments to influence the 2016 election at the direction of a candidate for federal office, potentially delivering a legal blow to the president.

As we detailed at the time, Cohen, 51, who agreed to a plea bargain with federal prosecutors earlier in the day, pleaded guilty to eight counts total, including five counts of tax evasion and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution. He also pleaded guilty to one count of making an excessive campaign contribution on Oct. 27, 2016, which is the same date Cohen finalized a payment to adult-film star Stormy Daniels as part of a nondisclosure agreement over an affair Daniels alleges she had with Trump.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-11-09/micheal-cohen-gives-prosecutors-evidence-implicating-trump-campaign-finance-law

“BRENDA SNIPES HAS GOTTA GO!” Protesters Descend on Broward County Election Office (VIDEO)

All eyes are on Broward County Florida right now as the dirty Democrats try to steal the election with the help of election supervisor and notorious election rigger Brenda Snipes.

Protesters descended on the Broward County election office Friday morning chanting, “Brenda Snipes has gotta go!”

Chants of “LOCK HER UP!” were also heard at the protest. All hands are on deck right now to #StoptheSteal.

President Trump unleashed a ferocious tweetstorm Friday morning calling out voter fraud in Broward County and said he’s sending a team of lawyers to Florida to go head-to-head with Perkins Coie swamp-dweller Marc Elias and “expose fraud!”

The President lit Twitter ablaze Friday morning in a series of tweets attacking Democrats and their plans to steal elections in Florida and Georgia.

Arizona is also under attack; something must be done to stop the Democrats from stealing elections.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2018/11/brenda-snipes-has-gotta-go-protesters-descend-on-broward-county-election-office-video/

>>3820208

Maybe so but they aren't paid, this is organic and may be the start of something much bigger

Leader of Spanish populist party aims to become ‘new Trump’

As we’ve reported earlier, something is happening in Spain, a country with a mostly socialist tradition. The VOX political movement, a populist right-wing party, is gaining momentum and has seen rapid growth in Spain.

“We stand for the same law-and-order and social conservative causes as Trump,” Santiago Abascal, the leader of the movement says in an interview.

To adopt Trump’s success and of the populist parties that are sweeping through Europe, Abascal has even consulted Trump’s former campaign strategist Steve Bannon.

By adopting Trump’s policies and consulting his former strategist, Vox could be aiming to become a Trump style party, with a Trump style leader.

Italy’s Interior Minister and leader of the largest party in the polls, Matteo Salvini, has already showed how that can work out really well.

According to the leader of Vox, Bannon’s advice was used to help setting up connections with related parties. An organisation like the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists was used for that goal.

Spain, which has seen a change of government lately, is one of Europe’s new migrant hotspots. An import factor in that is the country’s socialist government implicitly invites migrants by offering welfare and even voting rights.

Like in most countries, the rise of the right comes with governments that ignore their citizen’s wishes. We will definitely hear more of Vox as it can even gain seats in the European Union’s parliamentary elections next year.

https://voiceofeurope.com/2018/11/leader-of-spanish-populist-party-aims-to-become-new-trump/

>>3820277

>>3820409

Was wrapped in Palestinian flag at celebration party