Iran Releases American Grad Student Held Since 2016 In Prisoner Swap

Despite the US sanctions and propaganda war against Iran continually heating up since the hot summer of 'tanker wars' and September's Saudi Aramco attacks blamed on Tehran, it appears there's still some behind the scenes diplomacy happening, or at least indirectly via European mediation.

The White House on Saturday celebrated the release of Xiyue Wang, a Chinese-American graduate student detained in Iran since 2016, in a statement. "After more than three years of being held prisoner in Iran, Xiyue Wang is returning to the United States," Trump said just after Wang was handed over to US authorities in Switzerland.

The release was secured through a prisoner swap with Tehran, with the negotiation of the Swiss as a 'middle man'. In return the US released Iranian scientist Masoud Soleimani.

The Iranian scientist had been arrested by US authorities a year ago on charges of violating trade sanctions against Iran, but was reportedly expected to be released soon.

As for the American graduate student, he was a Princeton University scholar who while researching Iran’s Qajar dynasty for his Ph.D. inside the Islamic Republic was arrested August 2016.

After being sentenced to ten years in prison on charges of "spying" he was held at Tehran's notorious Evin prison, where the country holds high profile political prisoners.

The indictment and trial records had been kept secret, given Princeton had issued a public statement saying it was prevented from obtaining any information on the case.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/iran-releases-amerian-grad-student-held-2016-prisoner-swap

Sound familiar? Reddit says US-UK trade deal leaks may be tied to Russia, citing speculation from… of course, Atlantic Council

A trove of secret papers cited by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in attacking the Tories may have links to Moscow, Reddit has announced. The proof? The US-UK-NATO-funded Atlantic Council says it isn't sure but it might be true.

The leaked documents, which were shared on the discussion site several weeks ago, point to evidence that the United States would demand a market share in the UK’s National Health Service in any trade talks after Brexit. In a statement, Reddit said that it believed that the accounts that had shared the documents were “part of a campaign that has been reported as originating from Russia.”

The vague wording is further muddled by the source that Reddit cites: The Atlantic Council. Ben Nimmo, a senior fellow at the think tank, said that the leaks “closely resemble techniques” allegedly employed by Russia. He noted, however, that “we do not have all the data that allows us to make a final determination in this case.”

While media outlets rushed to hype the “findings” as definitive proof of Russia’s involvement, some journalists noted obvious holes in the story.

Aside from the Atlantic Council’s clear conflict of interest in the story (it’s a US and UK-funded think tank, allegedly investigating leaks that damage both governments), Nimmo’s prominence in this saga of alleged Russian meddling is also cause for concern. The self-professed disinformation fighter has links to the now-exposed Integrity Initiative, a shadowy group funded by the British Foreign Office that masquerades as an independent disinformation-busting ‘charity.’ In fact, Integrity Initiative even used its platform to spread talking points aimed at linking Corbyn to the Kremlin.

https://www.rt.com/news/475264-reddit-leaks-atlantic-council-russia/

VIDEO: President Trump tells large crowd that Jesus Christ is the true meaning of Christmas

A 'powerful reminder of the meaning of Christmas'

On Thursday night, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump told a large crowd gathered in Washington, D.C., for the lighting of the National Christmas Tree that the biblical story of the birth of Jesus Christ is the true meaning of the holiday season.

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"In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge lit the first National Christmas tree," Trump said, according to a transcript of his remarks shared by LifeSiteNews. "Later that night, African-American community centers held an outdoor worship service on these grounds, and during that service the Washington Monument was illuminated with a beautiful cross, a powerful reminder of the meaning of Christmas."

As the president noted, the tradition of lighting a national Christmas tree began in 1923 when President Calvin Coolidge lit a 48-foot fir tree as a quartet from the U.S. Marine Band performed, according to the official ceremony's website. This year's 30-foot evergreen tree is located in the northeast quadrant of The Ellipse near the White House and decorated 450 white star ornaments and over 50,000 lights. The tradition

Trump tells nativity story

Trump also drew a connection between the occasion and the story of the nativity of Jesus as told in the gospels of Matthew and Luke that has been enshrined in the Christmas tradition

"More than two thousand years ago, a brilliant star shown in the east," he said. "Wise men traveled far and they came and they stood under the star where they found the Holy Family, in Bethlehem," Trump added, referring to the St. Matthew's account of Jesus' birth.

"As the Bible tells us, when the wise men had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him," the president continued. "Christians give thanks that the Son of God came into the world to save humanity," he said. "Jesus Christ inspires us to love one another with hearts full of generosity and grace."

Trump also thanked the Salvation Army

In his remarks, Trump also recognized the efforts of volunteers and military service members who serve American families during the Christmas season and highlighted the work of the Salvation Army. "Each year through their Angel Tree program, the Salvation Army brings new gifts to more than 600,000 children," he noted before concluding the ceremony.

Trump added: "At Christmas we remember this eternal truth: Every person is a beloved child of God. As one grateful nation we praise the joy of family, the blessings of freedom, and the miracle of Christmas."

"On behalf of Melania and our entire family, Merry Christmas, and God bless you all," Trump concluded.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/trump_christmas_tree_jesus_christ

4 Major Ties between Impeachment Con and Russia Hoax

There are common threads, associations and even funding sources that link the narrative involving allegations at the center of the current impeachment drive to discredited claims of collusion between Russia and President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign. Many of those ties involve characters who played central roles in disseminating the infamous dossier.

Below, in no particular order, are four major ties between the impeachment narrative and the Russia hoax.

1 – Impeachment star witness Bill Taylor, the acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, worked closely with David J. Kramer, a long-time adviser to late Senator John McCain. Kramer played a central role in disseminating the anti-Trump dossier to the news media and Obama administration.

Taylor for the last nine years served as a senior adviser to the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC), which has co-hosted events with the Atlantic Council think tank and has participated in events co-hosted jointly by the Atlantic Council and Burisma, the natural gas company at the center of allegations regarding Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. USUBC events have been financially sponsored by Burisma.

Another senior adviser to the USUBC is David J. Kramer, the long-time McCain aid who played a key role distributing the dossier.

Taylor participated in events and initiatives organized by Kramer.

Kramer also held a November 2011 event at the Atlantic Council’s D.C. offices for a group that he heads called Freedom House. Taylor was one of six featured speakers at Kramer’s event. The Atlantic Council is sponsored by Burisma.

The Atlantic Council published what it deemed a 24-point plan for ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. In conjunction with the plan, Kramer, in his role as director of Freedom House, organized a letter by American and European experts and former officials urging Russia to end its conflict with Ukraine.

Signatories of the letter, published on the Burisma-funded Atlantic Council’s website, include Taylor, Kramer and the Atlantic Council’s Herbst.

As late as this past March, Taylor was listed as one of nine members of the Friends of Ukraine Network Economic Security Task Force. Another member is Kramer.

When he deployed to Ukraine as Trump’s ambassador in June, the USUBC authored a piece in the Kyiv Post welcoming him.

In the USUBC piece welcoming Taylor to Ukraine, Kramer himself commented about Taylor’s ambassador position. “He’s a great choice for now,” Kramer gushed.

The USUBC’s piece noted that the “USUBC has worked closely with Ambassador Taylor for many years,” touting his role as the business group’s senior adviser.

As Breitbart News reported, itinerary for a trip to Ukraine in August organized by the Atlantic Council think tank reveals that a staffer on Rep. Adam Schiff’s House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence held a meeting during the trip with Taylor. The trip took place 12 days after the so-called whistleblower’s complaint was filed after first reportedly interacting with a Schiff staffer,

Geysha Gonzalez is the sponsoring Atlantic Council officer listed on the Congressional disclosure form for the Schiff staffer’s trip to Ukraine in August. She is deputy director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center.

More

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/12/07/4-major-ties-between-impeachment-narrative-and-russia-hoax/