US Investigating Boeing Satellite Sale To China-Backed Startup

The close relationship of Boeing (whose former employee Patrick Shanahan is now the acting Pentagon chief) with a Chinese government-backed satellite start up company has been the target of an SEC and Commerce Department investigation, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Global IP, based in Los Angeles, reportedly received a letter by the SEC requesting that the company retain all of its documents related to its work with Boeing as well as other entities, including China Orient Asset Management Company, a state owned Chinese lender. The letter says that the SEC believes that the company has "documents and data that are relevant to a matter under investigation". The letter was disclosed in a court filing on January 4 by one of Global IP's founders, Umar Javed. That filing was part of litigation against a group of defendants that includes a unit of China Orient.

China Orient was said to be providing financing to Global IP for the purchase of a satellite from Boeing. This is problematic because due to recent diplomatic… tensions shall we say, American companies are "effectively barred" from selling satellites to China.

The Commerce Department is also said to be looking at Global IP's Chinese financing. The Commerce Department is in charge of issuing export licenses from CFIUS, which is tasked with reviewing foreign deals for national security concerns.

The two co-founders of Global IP are suing because they allege that a unit of China Orient secretly took control of the company after it accepted $200 million in financing from the firm. The founders stated they had been upfront in disclosing to Boeing where their funding was coming from to begin with.

In a separate article, Global IP had denied to the Wall Street Journal that it was controlled by China Orient, at odds with what this lawsuit states. Javed said he obtained the SEC’s letter because he was a minority shareholder in the company, but he claims he’s no longer involved in day-to-day operations.

Using their financing from China Orient, Global IP contracted Boeing to build a satellite that would beam internet coverage to sub-Saharan Africa. National security experts were said to be concerned that the satellite could then be repurposed for military activities. In a previous Wall Street Journal article, lawmakers and government officials said that they were surprised Boeing would work with Global IP if it knowingly understood China's involvement.

The SEC investigation is said to still be at a preliminary stage and is not a guarantee that the agency will bring a complaint. This follow-up comes after a December 4 long-form expose on the transaction between Global IP and Boeing, which you can read here.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-01-12/us-investigating-boeing-satellite-sale-china-backed-startup

Yellow vests Acte 9: Gloves on both sides are definitely off

French interior minister Castaner and the yellow vest movement are on the warpath.

The French yellow vest (‘gilet jaunes’) movement is entering its ninth edition Saturday 12 januari. And instead of cooling down things seem to be heating up and spreading.

While the gilets jaunes are calling for a massive bankrun, in an effort to damage or even collapse the French- and eventually the EU banking system, the government dispatches 80 thousand police and army personnel to try and contain the protests.

French Interior Minister Castaner today even heightened the tension by saying that protesters will be held accountable for acts committed by fellow gilets jaunes during Saturday’s protests.

Earlier this week there where some tensions between the Italian and French government. Italy’s support for the yellow vest movement was not appreciated by the French.

https://voiceofeurope.com/2019/01/yellow-vests-acte-9-gloves-on-both-sides-are-definitely-off/

Brennan on Shutdown: ‘Trump Has Been Reaching into the Authoritarian’s Toolbox’

Friday on MSNBC’s “Deadline,” former Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan said President Donald Trump lacked the “gene of empathy.”

He went on to reference the government shutdown and say that it did not bother him.

Brennan said, “I think Donald Trump has been reaching into the authoritarian’s toolbox for quite some time in terms of delegitimizing the press, undermining the institutions of government, trying to corrupt and control the institutions of law enforcement and intelligence. So his opting for this right now I think is just very typical of him. And he’s again fabricating—that leads to real crises, crisis of confidence in the government, crisis of confidence among federal workers. The fact 40 percent of the federal civil workforce is now furloughed, some of them working without pay, but many are not working at all. And how much lost productivity is there? And all of those contracts and other people.”

He added, “So this is something I think Donald Trump really does not—I think he comprehends it but doesn’t care, because he lacks that gene of empathy. He only does things that are going to benefit himself. I think that’s been his way not just since he was inaugurated, and long before that. The fact, so many Americans are going to suffer as a result of this, I don’t think it bothers him. He’s just looking at which way the political winds blow, which is what authoritarian leaders do.”

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2019/01/11/brennan-on-shutdown-trump-has-been-reaching-into-the-authoritarians-toolbox/

Montana Lawmaker to Propose Giving $8 Million to Help Build Border Wall

A Montana lawmaker says that the state should help pay for the southern border wall.

Scott Sales, a state Senator and president of the Senate, said that he’s going to sponsor a bill to appropriate $8 million in state money to help build the wall.

“I think this is such a critical issue at a critical time that it behooves us to take a look at maybe prompting Congress to do what they should do,” Sales told MTN News. “And, in a small token way, providing a little bit of financial resources to get that job done.”

President Donald Trump is seeking $5.7 billion in funding for the border wall, but Democrats have refused to give him any money for the wall, leading to the current partial government shutdown.

Sales said that the $8 million Montana would send to the federal government is an equal fraction of $5 billion, accounting for Montana’s share of the national economy.

He added that he calculated Montana’s “share” of the cost of the wall by dividing the state’s gross domestic product by the national GDP and multiplying it by $5 billion.

No other states have proposed helping fund the wall through state monies but a GoFundMe fundraiser for the wall, collecting funds from private citizens who want to help build the barrier, raised more than $20 million. That money was slated to be refunded after the fundraiser organizer said his team discovered the federal government couldn’t accept the money in a timely fashion and that he’d formed a nonprofit to use the funds.

The South Dakota Senate on Thursday passed a resolution that urges the construction of the barrier in support of Trump.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/montana-lawmaker-to-propose-giving-8-million-to-help-build-border-wall_2764531.html

Spread of Wahhabism was done at request of West during Cold War – Saudi crown prince

Published time: 28 Mar, 2018 11:58

Edited time: 18 Apr, 2018 15:56

The Saudi-funded spread of Wahhabism began as a result of Western countries asking Riyadh to help counter the Soviet Union during the Cold War, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told the Washington Post.

Speaking to the paper, bin Salman said that Saudi Arabia's Western allies urged the country to invest in mosques and madrassas overseas during the Cold War, in an effort to prevent encroachment in Muslim countries by the Soviet Union.

He added that successive Saudi governments had lost track of that effort, saying "we have to get it all back." Bin Salman also said that funding now comes mostly from Saudi-based "foundations," rather than from the government.

The crown prince’s 75-minute interview with the Washington Post took place on March 22. Another topic of discussion included a previous claim by US media that bin Salman had said that he had White House senior adviser Jared Kushner "in his pocket."

Bin Salman denied reports that when he and Kushner – who is also Donald Trump's son-in-law – met in Riyadh in October, he had sought or received a greenlight from Kushner for the massive crackdown on alleged corruption which led to widespread arrests in the kingdom shortly afterwards. According to bin Salman, the arrests were a domestic issue and had been in the works for years.

He said it would be "really insane" for him to trade classified information with Kushner, or to try to use him to advance Saudi interests within the Trump administration. He stated that their relationship was within a normal governmental context, but did acknowledge that he and Kushner "work together as friends, more than partners." He stated that he also had good relationships with Vice President Mike Pence and others within the White House.

The crown prince also spoke about the war in Yemen, where a Saudi-led coalition continues to launch a bombing campaign against Houthi rebels in an attempt to reinstate ousted Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi as president. The conflict has killed thousands, displaced many more, driven the country to the brink of famine, and led to a major cholera outbreak.

Although the coalition has been accused of a large number of civilian deaths and disregard for civilian lives - an accusation which Riyadh denies - the crown prince said his country has not passed up "any opportunity" to improve the humanitarian situation in the country. “There are not good options and bad options. The options are between bad and worse,” he said.

The interview with the crown prince was initially held off the record. However, the Saudi embassy later agreed to led the Washington Post publish specific portions of the meeting.

https://www.rt.com/news/422563-saudi-wahhabism-western-countries/

>>4726038

Interesting!

We still need to dig and find out who is funding the protests

Priest-Professor: Populism Is a ‘Serious Disease of Walls and Closure’

A priest-professor of the Jesuit-run Gregorian University in Rome blasted populism as a “perversion” in a hard-hitting interview published Saturday.

Father Rocco D’ambrosio, who holds the Archbishop Rembert G. Weakland chair in Catholic Social Teaching at the Gregorian University, said that “populism is an ancient malady” and must be forcefully resisted, in an interview with Claire Giangravè of Crux, an online Catholic news outlet.

“The populist uses the people, he makes a generic reference to ‘the people’ but in the end wants to bring forward his politics, his vision,” he said.

Father D’ambrosio spoke this week at a conference at his university titled ‘Power and Populisms’ in opposition to Italy’s populist government and especially interior minister Matteo Salvini, who has made curbing illegal immigration the cornerstone of his mandate.

Today’s populist leaders, or “new Caesars,” according to D’Ambrosio, “are immature, corrupt, with monolithic institutions at their back and are weary of measures of control.”

And while populists generally “don’t tolerate genuine and authentic power relations,” he claimed, “they are eager to self-replicate and expand their model in every direction.”

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/01/12/priest-professor-populism-is-a-serious-disease-of-walls-and-closure/

Israeli Opposition: Putin Planning to 'Steal the Election for His Friend, the Dictator Bibi'

There is no election Putin can't/won't hack

The Israeli opposition has accused Russia of planning to interfere in the upcoming Israeli election to guarantee the election of incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a report by the Jerusalem Post.

“We demand security forces make sure Putin is not stealing the election for his friend, Bibi the dictator,” declared Tamar Zandberg, leader of Meretz, a left-wing opposition party.

Putin’s spokesman was quick to respond to the unfounded allegation.

“Russia has never interfered in elections in any country and has no plans to do it in the future,” stated press secretary Dmitry Peskov.

The statement comes after the director of Israel’s Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency, Nadav Argaman, claimed that a foreign country was planning to intervene in the April elections.

“I can’t say at this point for whom or against whom but it involves cyber[attacks] and hacking,” he said. “100% [sure] that [redacted country] will intervene in the upcoming elections, and I know what I’m talking about, I just don’t know in whose favor.”

Under Netanyahu, the leader of the ruling Likud party, Israel’s relations with Russia improved substantially, particularly during Israel’s rift with the United States during the Obama administration. Although he is currently under investigation, he remains popular with the Israeli population, and is expected to win the election by a large margin, despite a strong challenge from former IDF head Benny Gantz and his centrist Israel Resilience party. Netanyahu has been falsely accused by his Soros-backed opponents of shifting Israel in the direction of an illiberal state.

Russia’s main political ally on the Israeli right is Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman, who maintained a strictly neutral position on the Russian annexation of Crimea during his tenure as Foreign Minister between 2009 and 2015. However, his party is notably weaker in the polls, and risks not receiving a high enough percentage of the vote to win any seats in the election. Russia also maintains warm ties with Israel’s left-wing Arab parties, although they are unlikely to play a role in a future Israeli coalition government.

https://russia-insider.com/en/israeli-opposition-putin-planning-steal-election-his-friend-dictator-bibi/ri25863

Police employ tear gas & water cannons as Yellow Vest protests enter 9th week

Yellow Vest demonstrators returned to the streets of Paris and other French cities on Saturday, and some were met by police with tear gas and water cannons as the authorities pledged zero tolerance to violence.

More than 32,000 people took part in the protests in Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux, Lyon, Strasbourg, and other cities, according to Interior Ministry data.

Around 8,000 demonstrators, both locals and those coming from other parts of the country, were rallying in the French capital. Some 5,000 riot police with special equipment and armored vehicles oversaw the protests.

Clashes eventually erupted at the iconic Champs Elysees and Arc de Triomphe, with police using tear gas and water cannons to calm the angry crowds. Hundreds of people were arrested during the standoff, with most of them put in custody, the law enforcers said.

"We've come to Paris to make ourselves heard, and we wanted to see for ourselves at least once what's going on here," a man, who travelled to Paris from western France to attend the protest, told AFP.

Around 1,000 demonstrators also made their way to the hippodrome and caused a delay of races in the horseracing town of Chantilly, north of Paris

The French government earlier vowed zero tolerance for violence at the protests, with 80,000 security personnel deployed across France on the weekend.

The Yellow Vest movement, which took its name from the high-visibility jackets worn by the demonstrators, kicked off in November over a government-proposed hike in fuel taxes. As the weekend protests saw more people participating and started turning violent, the government dropped the planned increase.

But the demonstrations continued as the movement morphed into wider discontent with President Emmanuel Macron’s pro-business agenda, a decline in living standards, and growing inequality.

More

https://www.rt.com/news/448662-yellow-vests-tear-gas-france/

Could this be related to the recent Q post?

Top US Navy commander heads to China amid spiraling tensions & raging trade war

The US chief of naval operations is set to meet his Chinese counterpart in Beijing to work to “avoid miscalculation” and “reduce risk” amid the ongoing trade war and heightened tensions between the world powers.

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John Richardson will travel to China on Sunday. He is due to hold a range of meetings with top military brass and his counterpart, Chinese Navy Commander Vice Adm. Shen Jinlong, a US Navy press release said. Details of Richardson’s visit remain sparse, but the CNO said “a routine exchange of views is essential, especially in times of friction, in order to reduce risk and avoid miscalculation.”

The trip comes as tensions between Beijing and Washington are not letting up. The major bones of contention include sail-throughs by the US Navy in the South China Sea. While the US maintains it does so under the Freedom of Navigation program, China slams the actions as outright provocations.

Apart from that, China was labeled as “predatory” and “a strategic competitor” by the US Defense Department’s 2018 National Defense Strategy.

Beijing has not minced words either – just over a week ago, it lambasted the White House for “gross interference” in internal affairs, due to President Donald Trump signing into law the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018. The document, among other things, pledges support and encourages “the travel of high level United States officials to Taiwan.” The latter, however, is considered an undisputed part of China by Beijing.

Earlier this month, the Chinese military said “drilling soldiers and war preparations” will be a top priority for 2019, though it did not single out any potential rival. The statement effectively echoed a call from Chinese leader Xi Jinping to hone combat skills and “prepare for war.”

That followed a dire prediction from retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, who said there is “a very strong likelihood” of the US finding itself at war with China in just 15 years.

Meanwhile, China and the US also share serious disagreements in trade and commerce, dubbed “a trade war.” After being kicked off by Trump, who raised tariffs for hundreds of categories of Chinese goods in July last year, Beijing fired back with similar measures.

https://www.rt.com/news/448667-us-navy-commander-china-tensions/

Q

You want to weigh in?

>>4726216

Yeah i agree I'm wondering who is driving it now tho

Russia Vows Response as UK Defence Chief Issues 'Warning to Putin'

Earlier, UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson boasted that Britain's new fleet of F-35s served as a message to the country's "enemies", including Russia, not to "mess with" Britain.

Moscow is perplexed by the militaristic tone taken by the UK Ministry of Defence, and will respond appropriately if Russia's security is threatened, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.

"The statements of the Minister of Defence of Great Britain in favour of the further militarisation of British politics bring forth, at the very least, bewilderment," Zakharova said, speaking at a press conference on Friday.

"Naturally, in the event of the implementation of any measures which pose a threat to the security of Russia or that of our allies, our country reserves the right to take adequate measures in response," the spokeswoman added.

Earlier, speaking at a ceremony to announce the readiness of the Royal Air Force's new F-35 Lightning II fighters in Norfolk, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said Britain's new fifth-gen planes sent a message to the UK's "enemies", including Russia. "It means don't mess with us, because we have the capability and we have the people, and we have the will to always defend ourselves," he said.

Asked directly if the new F-35s should make Russia 'scared', Williamson answered bluntly "Yes".

The UK invested 100 million pounds to secure its nine new F-35s as part of a wider 425 million pound program to upgrade the RAF's capabilities. Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, RAF Chief Sir Stephen Hillier boasted that the air force was "more lethal now than we have ever been," adding that the RAF was "now prepared to deploy this capability worldwide on operations, should the need arise."

Williamson said the UK was still committed to purchasing a total of 138 F-35s in the future. For now, he said, the UK has "the capability, with nine ready to fly, nine ready to fight. We look forward to expanding that number. We see it as both a defensive and offensive weapon."

https://sputniknews.com/world/201901111071390817-russia-puzzled-by-uk-militarism/

Japan’s foreign minister comes to Moscow for peace treaty talks

MOSCOW, January 12. /TASS/. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono has begun his five-day visit to Moscow, which is scheduled to focus on a peace treaty in talks with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, a diplomatic source told TASS on Saturday.

"The minister has arrived in Moscow," the source said.

Japan’s embassy does not disclose details of Kono’s lengthy visit to Russia, citing confidentiality considerations. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said that the two top diplomats would hold talks on Monday morning.

On November 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed at the Singapore summit to accelerate the Russian-Japanese peace treaty talks on the basis of the 1956 joint declaration. On October 19, 1956, the Soviet Union and Japan signed that declaration on ceasing the state of war and restoring diplomatic and consular relations, but no peace treaty has been signed since then.

Russia and Japan have been in talks to sign a peace treaty since the mid-20th century. The main stumbling block to achieving this is the ownership issue over the Southern Kuril Islands, called the Northern Territories in Japan. After the end of World War II, the Kuril Islands were incorporated into the Soviet Union. However, the ownership of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan Islands and the Habomai Islands has been challenged by Japan.

The Japanese government believes that after the end of WWII, the islands "have been under occupation," so Tokyo has the right to demand compensation from Moscow for their country and for former Japanese residents. Tokyo earlier claimed it was necessary to ‘get understanding’ from the Southern Kuril residents over ‘the handover of the islands to Japan."

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has stated many times that Russia’s sovereignty over the islands is beyond doubt. On January 9, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Japan’s Ambassador to Russia Toyohisa Kozuki to remind that those statements from Tokyo "grossly distort the essence of agreements between the leaders of Russia and Japan.".

http://tass.com/politics/1039617

30 Killed in Mexican Cartel Clashes in Two Days near Texas

MIGUEL ALEMAN, Tamaulipas – Two large-scale gun battles in a span of two days led to 30 deaths, including a Mexican soldier. The shootouts took place in an area known as a contested drug and human smuggling corridor.

Breitbart News reported on the first gun battle between members of the Northeast Cartel (CDN) and the Gulf Cartel. Authorities initially found 21 bodies, 17 of which were charred. Since then, law enforcement sources revealed the body count rose to 24 deaths. Cartel gunmen rode in armored SUVs and it is believed that grenades, .50 caliber rifles, and incendiary devices were used.

https://www.breitbart.com/border/2019/01/11/graphic-30-killed-in-mexican-cartel-clashes-in-two-days-near-texas/

Israeli sniper kills Gaza woman in first fatality of 2019

A woman shot during protests in the occupied Gaza Strip on Friday is the first Palestinian fatality at the hands of Israeli occupation forces in 2019. A Palestinian man was shot and seriously wounded by Israeli forces in the West Bank the same day.

Amal al-Taramsi, 44, died after she was shot in the head by live fire during Great March of Return protests east of Gaza City. She was 200 meters away from the boundary fence at the time of her injury, according to the Gaza-based human rights group Al Mezan.

Al-Taramsi is the third female to be killed during the protest series that was launched on 30 March last year. The other two female fatalities were medic Razan al-Najjar and 14-year-old Wesal al-Sheikh Khalil.

More than 180 Palestinians have been killed in the context of Great March of Return protests held along Gaza’s eastern and northern boundary.

Israeli forces also aimed tear gas canisters at the bodies of Palestinians during Friday’s protests, injuring 68 people with them, according to Al Mezan.

Paramedic, journalists targeted

Volunteer paramedic Mustafa al-Sinwar, 22, was seriously injured when he was hit in the neck with a gas canister while on duty during protests east of Khan Younis in the south of Gaza.

Husni Salah, 25, a photojournalist working for AFP news agency, was hit directly in the face with a gas canister while covering protests along the eastern boundary of central Gaza.

Another journalist, Hussein Karsou, 44, was also hit in the face with a gas canister east of Gaza City.

Nearly 150 Palestinians were injured during Friday’s protests. Graphic video shows one person said to be seriously injured after being shot in the head.

Gaza’s health ministry has said that some 14,000 persons have been hospitalized for injuries sustained during the Great March of Return demonstrations since their launch.

Protesters are calling for an end to Israel’s siege on the territory while demanding that Palestinian refugees be able to exercise their right to return to the lands from which their families were expelled around the time of Israel’s founding in 1948.

Two-thirds of Gaza’s more than two million residents are refugees, many originally hailing from lands just beyond the Israel boundary fence.

https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/maureen-clare-murphy/israeli-sniper-kills-gaza-woman-first-fatality-2019?utm_source=EI+readers&utm_campaign=2c6e0ab9ea-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e802a7602d-2c6e0ab9ea-290660781

Israel to deport Human Rights Watch director

Israel will deport the Director of Human Rights Watch (HRW)’s regional office, Omar Shakir, refusing a Supreme Court petition.

On Thursday the Israeli government submitted its response to a Supreme Court petition previously filed by Shakir in a bid to fight the deportation order against him. The response stated that: “[Shakir] promoted the boycott of Israel for many years, and since joining the human rights organization [HRW] he continued his calls to boycott Israel on his personal Twitter account.”

The Israeli government also claimed that Shakir – who is an American citizen of Iraqi origin – wanted to go to Bahrain to promote a boycott of Israel at the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) conference in 2017, and that he previously attempted to establish an organisation calling for the boycott of Israel while studying at Stanford University in the US.

Thursday’s decision comes after a several-year-long ordeal for Shakir at the hands of the Israeli government. The initial decision to deport Shakir was made by Israel’s Interior Minister, Aryeh Deri, on the recommendation of the Minister of Strategic Affairs, Gilad Erdan. Deri declared that Shakir should be deported and that his residence permit be revoked.

The deportation order was seen as a direct response to the Knesset’s ratification, in March 2017, of a bill prohibiting foreign citizens who call for a boycott of Israel from obtaining work or residency visas. In December of that year, the Israeli Ministry of Strategic Affairs and Internal Security presented a file on “Shakir’s activities of boycott over the years, which included a recommendation that: “Shakir should be deprived of his work visa and thus prevented from returning to the country.”

In May 2018, Deri issued an order to cancel Shakir’s work permit and deport him on the pretext of “his activity against Israel”, prompting Shakir to petition the Israeli Supreme Court.

The Israeli government then requested a postponement of its response to the Supreme Court petition, pending a response to another petition filed by Palestinian-American student Lara Alqasem. Alqasem was detained at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport on the grounds that she is active in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, yet in October the Supreme Court ruled that she would not be deported since the anti-BDS law did not apply to her case.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190112-israel-to-deport-human-rights-watch-director/

NSO founder denies its phone hacking software was used to track Khashoggi

In rare interview, Shalev Hulio says Pegasus only utilized to apprehend terrorists and criminals, says company has recently thwarted several large attacks in Europe

One of the founders of the Israeli cyber-intelligence firm NSO Group on Friday denied his company’s cell phone tracking technology was used to target dissident Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the lead up to his murder last year.

“There was no use on Khashoggi, including listening, monitoring, tracking, collecting info with any product or technology of NSO,” Shalev Hulio told the Yedioth Ahronoth daily in a rare interview.

Hulio said NSO’s phone-tracking software, called Pegasus, is only used against terrorists and criminals, and has lately prevented a number of terrorist plots in Europe.

“In the last half year the company’s products have been part of thwarting several large terror attacks in Europe, both with car bombs and suicide bombers,” Hulio said.

“I can say in all modesty that thousands of people in Europe owe their lives to hundreds of our company employees from Herzliya,” he said.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/nso-founder-denies-its-cellphone-hacking-software-used-to-track-khashoggi/

Interesting they admit to having Vault 7 tech

Source of pro-Israel Guerrilla Warriors on Social Media Exposed

A number of prominent Jewish-American leaders are funding covert, anonymous campaigns targeting pro-Palestinian student activists, The Forward has found. The Jewish daily newspaper, which has been publishing valuable information concerning the source of funding for these hyper-aggressive and shadowy groups – which spearhead coordinated hate campaigns against critics of the Zionist state – has uncovered the identities of those behind hidden social media accounts.

Community heads and prominent Jewish organisations with a carefully-crafted, respectable public profile have donated millions to fund secret projects targeting students and lecturers, the report has found. On a number of occasions, their blind support for Israel has seen them bankroll far-right and anti-Muslim hate groups.

The latest pro-Israeli group to be exposed by The Forward is the campaign targeting the pro-Palestinian campus network Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). SJP is said to be the most well-known advocate of the Palestinian cause on US campuses. It has been the target of a pro-Israel group known as SJP Uncovered, which anonymously attacks student activists affiliated with SJP across the country. With more than 100,000 followers on Facebook, SJP Uncovered has gone after pro-Palestinian students by maintaining a veil of anonymity that is said to be all-but impenetrable.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/50915.htm

Congress is preparing a bipartisan challenge to any Trump national emergency

Donald Trump’s threat to declare a national emergency at the US border with Mexico is being taken so seriously inside Congress that a powerful committee is preparing a bipartisan challenge to the move.

The Democrat-led House Armed Services Committee, which oversees funding and operations of the Defense Department, has been united across party lines in its opposition.

If Trump declares a national emergency, the first step is to see “how he writes it, and how he does it,” said Donald Norcross, a New Jersey Democrat on the committee chaired by Adam Smith of Washington state. “I am very confident there will be a legal challenge” to any declaration, Norcross told Quartz. “There needs to be.”

Mac Thornberry, the committee’s top Republican, said this week that he opposes using an emergency declaration to fund the border wall Trump demands: “We ought to fund border security needs on their own and not be taking it from other accounts.” A lawsuit is from the committee would challenge Trump’s right to use defense funds on projects not yet authorized by Congress, given that the proposed wall—and the border situation more generally—has no real link to the military.

The Defense Department has no role to play in any decision, a Pentagon spokesman told Quartz: “The White House is responsible for any declaration of a national emergency.”

Any declaration of emergency will “have to go to a court challenge,” said Democratic representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, co-chair of the progressive caucus and a member of the budget and judiciary committees. Emergency powers have only been invoked in the past in cases that involve US interests in war-torn regions or to combat terrorism. To put the border issue on the same plane, Jayapal said, “does a real disservice to real emergency situations.”

During his visit to McAllen, Texas yesterday (Jan. 10), Trump said that “if for any reason we don’t get this going” —referring to the $5.7 billion he says he needs for the wall — “I will declare a national emergency.”

His words were given extra clout after Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican senator, told Trump to “build the wall now.”

https://qz.com/1518627/congress-making-bipartisan-plan-for-trumps-national-emergency/

>>4726614

>>4726217

Baker this needs to be noted may be recent Q post related