UNREAL! DOJ Prosecutors Delayed General Flynn Sentencing to Give His Former Attorneys at Covington and Burling Adequate Time to Save Face

Federal Judge Emmet Sullivan on Monday canceled General Flynn’s sentencing scheduled for February 27 “until further order of the court.”

General Flynn formally asked to withdraw his guilty plea last month and accused federal prosecutors of “egregious government misconduct.”

Federal prosecutors then backed down and offered Flynn probation after asking for up to six months prison time.

Flynn’s lawyers are still working through withdrawing Flynn’s guilty plea because the government asked for an extension to consider Flynn’s motion to withdraw his plea.

Flynn’s lawyer Sidney Powell opposed the extension and argued, “The Department of Justice should agree to the withdrawal of the plea. Accordingly we oppose any further extension of the briefing schedule.”

So Judge Sullivan indefinitely postponed Flynn’s sentencing hearing.

Now Sara Carter reports the for the delay in sentencing is because the prosecution wants to give his previous defense team from Covington and Burling time to protect its reputation.

Via Sara Carter:

Government prosecutor Joycelyn Ballantine filed an unexpected motion Sunday in the case against Michael Flynn for the express purpose of seeking to protect Flynn’s former defense team.

Yes, it’s true and in the prosecutor’s own words: Government prosecutors said in their filing they want “to make certain and clear that counsel [Covington & Burling] may take the necessary steps to vindicate their public reputation by addressing and defending against the defendant’s claims of ineffective assistance of counsel, and equally to vindicate the integrity of this Court’s previous proceedings, the government asks this court to issue the attached proposed order.”

Really? Now the US Attorney for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice are in the business of protecting and working to protect the “public reputation” of Covington & Burling—a well-known international law firm based in DC? Do the new United States Attorney Timothy Shea and Attorney General William Barr know that federal prosecutors—who had already identified a serious conflict of interest held by Covington in the Flynn case—are subjecting Flynn to more proceedings now to protect Covington?

A serious conflict of interest—indisputable because it was recognized by both the government and Covington by November 1, 2017—well before Flynn entered a guilty plea or even made a proffer to the prosecutors– is one of the main reasons Flynn’s lawyer Sidney Powell filed to withdraw his guilty plea several weeks ago. She noted in her filing then that his former lawyers failed to advise him timely, fully or properly of the firm’s ‘conflict of interest in his case’ regarding the Foreign Agents Registration Act form it filed on his behalf, and by doing so “betrayed Mr. Flynn.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/02/unreal-doj-prosecutors-delayed-general-flynn-sentencing-to-give-his-former-attorneys-at-covington-and-burling-adequate-time-to-save-face/

Trump Budget Gives Top Priority to New Generation of Nuclear Weapons

The most ominous feature of the new budget document issued Monday by the Trump administration is the prominent place given to the development of a new generation of nuclear weapons, including so-called low-yield weapons, smaller than the bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which are widely regarded as more likely to actually be used in combat.

The document calls for nearly $50 billion to be devoted to nuclear modernization, including $29 billion from the Pentagon budget, and $19.8 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a unit of the Department of Energy which operates the actual production of nuclear warheads, as well as some of the primary research.

The Trump budget would slash spending on diplomacy and foreign aid while sharply increasing funding for nuclear weapons, a clear indication of the policy direction being given from the White House in the wake of Trump’s acquittal last week in the impeachment trial before the Senate. The debacle of the Democratic effort to impeach Trump over foreign policy differences—while ignoring his real and ongoing crimes against the working class and democratic rights—has only emboldened the White House to press ahead with its program of militarism, austerity and attacks on immigrants.

The budget provides the largest amount for the Pentagon’s research and development budget in 70 years, since the period when US imperialism was engaged in the initial research on the hydrogen bomb and the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Nuclear weapons modernization funds rose by 18 percent compared to last year’s budget.

The modernization program, which was given initial approval under the Obama administration, will last 30 years and cost more than a trillion dollars, split between the three components of the US nuclear triad: ground-based missiles, submarine-launched missiles, and nuclear bombs delivered by long-distance bombers.

An important aspect of the modernization program is the improvement of the delivery systems, including a new generation of nuclear-powered submarines (the Columbia Class) and making the stealth F-35 jet fighter, the most expensive weapons system ever built, capable of carrying nuclear bombs. That configuration would be ideal for a prospective nuclear “Pearl Harbor” sneak attack on Russia or China, since the warplanes are nearly invisible to radar.

According to one defense industry publication, there had been serious infighting between the NNSA and the White House Office of Management and Budget over the huge figure for nuclear modernization, a conflict won by the NNSA after Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman James Imhofe (R-Okla) intervened on its behalf.

Senate Democrats like Jack Reed of Rhode Island lost the battle over funding priorities, as the Navy canceled one nuclear submarine—to be built in Groton, Connecticut, and Quonset Point, Rhode Island—as a “pay for” to accommodate the additional spending on nuclear warheads.

NNSA chief Lisa Gordon-Hagerty said that there were five major warhead modernization programs being funded: the B61-12 Life Extension Program, the W80-4 Life Extension Program, the W88 Alteration 370, the W87-1 Modification Program and the W93 warhead program. She cited the need to increase production of plutonium “pits,” the key component of a nuclear explosive device, to 80 per year by 2030.

https://www.globalresearch.ca/trump-budget-gives-top-priority-new-generation-nuclear-weapons/5703382

Multiple Green Berets Dead After Afghan Policeman Turns His Gun on US Soldiers

Mowed down as they were waiting for a helicopter

Yesterday, a Special Forces team was ambushed in Afghanistan by a rogue Afghan policeman. Two American commandos have been killed and six wounded. In addition, at least eight Afghan commandos have died as a result of the attack.

Sources with intimate knowledge of the incident told SOFREP that the Greens Berets of Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 73## and the company command team of # Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (#/3/7) had just finished a Key Leader Engagement (KLE) with local leaders when they were ambushed. The American element, which was accompanied by a partner force of Afghan Special Operations Forces (ANSOF) had moved to a nearby field to wait for extraction by helicopter. While they were in a Pickup Zone (PZ) posture, the rogue Afghan policeman attacked. The individual essentially mowed down the Special Forces operators and their partner force element with a heavy machinegun.

A Green Beret and a Special Operations Team-Alpha (SOT-A) soldier, who was attached to the team, were killed on the spot. The company executive officer was shot in the chest and is in critical condition; the company Sergeant Major was shot in the head. The rest of the American WIAs have gunshot wounds to the legs. All casualties have been evacuated to U.S. medical facilities.

Colonel Sonny Leggett, the spokesperson for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan (USFOR-A) said that “an individual in an Afghan uniform opened fire on the combined U.S. and Afghan force with a machine gun. The motive behind the attack is unknown at this time. The incident is under investigation.”

The Green-on-Blue (friendly forces attacking U.S. troops) incident took place in the Sherzad district of Nangarhar Province, which is located in eastern Afghanistan.

SOT-A soldiers are attached to Special Forces ODAs and provide tactical Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) and Electronic Warfare (EW) capabilities.

ODAs are comprised of 12 Green Berets and specialize in Unconventional Warfare (UW), Foreign Internal Defence (FID), Direct Action (DA), and Special Reconnaissance (SR), among other things.

Colonel John W. Sannes, the commanding officer of the 7th SFG, said in a brief press statement that “several 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Soldiers were injured or killed during combat operations in Afghanistan on February 8, 2020. The 7th Special Forces Group Headquarters is poised to support the Service Members and their families during this difficult time.” Adding that “the families of the deceased and wounded are being notified. In accordance with DoD policy, the names of the causalities are being withheld until 24 hours after their next of kin notification is complete.”

https://www.anti-empire.com/multiple-green-berets-dead-after-afghan-policeman-turns-machinegun-on-us-and-afghan-special-forces/

https://sofrep.com/news/update-how-the-special-forces-team-was-ambushed-in-afghanistan/

The Battle for Idlib is Ongoing. Turkish Forces to the Rescue of “Peaceful Al Qaeda Militants”

During the last few days, Turkey deployed approximately 1,000 units of military equipment, including self-propelled howitzers, M06T and Leopard 2A4 battle tanks, in the Syrian province of Idlib. According to local sources, the number of Turkish troops and special forces personnel in the province is now between 2,500 and 3,000.

The Turkish leadership assures the international community that this is a solely defensive move. Ankara says this was needed to combat the terrorism and protect its troops from the aggression of the Assad regime that blatantly violated the Idlib de-escalation by attacking peaceful al-Qaeda militants.

Additionally, the Turkish Army set up several positions east and southeast of Idlib city. It seems like brave Erdogan forces ready to protect the stronghold of their comrades from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham at the expense of their life. However, a few Turkish troops apparently lost in the woods and missed the Syrian Army advance in western Idlib and southwestern Aleppo.

Pro-government forces captured over a dozen of villages along the M5 highway, including the key rebel base of Al-Eis, and encircled another Turkish observation point accidentally located just at positions of al-Qaeda-linked militants. In western Aleppo, the Syrians took control of Tal Kalariyah and Kalariyah, and advanced on Rashideen 4. If the Damascus government wants to fully reopen the M5 highway, which runs from the border with Jordan to Aleppo, it needs to secure Rashideen 4, Khan Asal and several less important points in the same area.

Such news are horrible to the ears of the Turkish leadership. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other top officials act like they see every inch of territory lost by terrorists to the Syrian Army as grievous loss of their imaginary Neo-Ottoman Empire.

On February 8, Ankara hosted a Russian-Turkish meeting on the situation in Idlib. From the Turkish side, the meeting was attended by Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal and representatives of the Defense Ministry, General Staff and National Intelligence Organization. Russian delegation was chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin and special envoy on Syria Alexander Lavrentiev as well as representatives from military and intelligence. The sides reached a breakthrough agreement that more negotiations are needed. The new round of talks will take place this week.

The Syrian Air Force celebrated the Ankara negotiations with over 120 airstrikes on various positions of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other ‘moderate Al-Qaeda’ groups in the provinces of Idlib and Aleppo. Russian airstrikes were also reported.

While Turkey aggressively increasing its military presence near Idlib city and working to convince leaders of local groups to not hurry up with fleeing the area, Syria and its allies are using the window of opportunities to clear from terrorists as much area as it’s possible.

On February 10, ‘al-Qaeda freedom fighters’ launched a powerful attack on positions of pro-government forces near Saraqib. Militants publicly employed Turkish-supplied military equipment and weapons. The attack itself was also supported by Turkish artillery strikes. Turkish troops were filmed close with near the frontline. They directed the attack of their brothers in arms on the Syrian Army. At least 5 Turkish personnel were reportedly killed in the retaliatory strikes by the Syrian Army.

The battle for Idlib is ongoing.

https://www.globalresearch.ca/video-syrians-give-warm-welcome-erdogan-troops-attacking-saraqib/5703336

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CABAL BAKER