Bully, Bribe, Bomb

Today's title is courtesy of Chas Freeman's description of US diplomacy and foreign policy. I think the big news this week is the sneak attack in Syria, but there are many pieces being moved around the global chessboard. There was the episode in S. Korea when the president attempted martial law...and was foiled. There was a vote of no confidence in the Macron government in France. There was Hunter's broad sweeping pardon by Biden. Tucker went to Moscow this week and interviewed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Russia continues to advance in Ukraine, and the genocide in Gaza grows with food and aid blocked. The INTEL Roundtable w/ Johnson & McGovern : Weekly Wrap touches on many of these stories and has a good rant by Larry.

(30 min)

So let's begin with the US, UK, Turkey hired mercenary jihadist terrorists sneak attack on Syria. They are NATO trained and armed. You know the terrorists we used to fight, but now employ to overtake Syria (as we've done since 2011). Pepe did a good job explaining how serious the situation really is.

(50 min) The article he mentions in the interview is below...
The Syria riddle: How it may turn into the First BRICS War
The timeline tells the story.
November 18: Ronen Bar, Israel’s Shin Bet chief, meets with heads of MIT, Turkey’s intel.
November 25: NATO Chief Mark Rutte meets with Turkey’s Sultan Erdogan.
November 26: Salafi-jihadis assembled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly Nusa Front, supported by Turkish intel, plus a hefty Rent-a-Jihadi coalition, launch a lightning-fast attack against Aleppo.
The Rent-a-Jihadi offensive originated in Greater Idlibistan. That’s where tens of thousands of jihadis were holed up, according to the – now proven failed – 2020 Damascus-Moscow strategy, which Turkey had to grudgingly accept. The Rent-a-Jihadi mob comprises scores of mercenaries who crossed over from – where else – Turkey: Uighurs, Uzbeks, Tajiks, Ukrainians, even ISIS-K imports.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, earlier their week, confirmed the Salafi-jihadi offensive was coordinated by US/Israel.
Baghaei did not mention Turkey, even as he stressed the terror attack happened immediately after Israel accepted a ceasefire with Hezbollah – already broken by Tel Aviv dozens of times – and after Netanyahu publicly accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of “playing with fire” by allowing the transit of modern Iranian missiles and military equipment via Syria to Hezbollah.
Right before the ceasefire, Tel Aviv smashed virtually all communication routes between Syria and Lebanon. Netanyahu subsequently stressed that the focus now is on “the Iranian threat”, essential to smash the Axis of Resistance.

The Syria Tragedy and the New Omni-War (Pepe Escobar)
Until recently, a serious geopolitical working hypothesis was that West Asia and Ukraine were two vectors of the standard Hegemon modus operandi, which is to incite and unleash Forever Wars. Now both wars are united in an Omni-War.
A coalition of Straussian neo-cons in the US, hardcore revisionist Zionists in Tel Aviv and Ukrainian neo-nazi shades of grey is now betting on a Final Confrontation – with several overtones ranging from expanding lebensraum to provoking the Apocalypse.

Larry Johnson says he thinks much of the doom and gloom is propaganda.
Larry C. Johnson: Hama Falls, Syria in Chaos, Turkey Backing HTS against Iran & Russia (55 min)
In his conversation with Yves Smith, he describes how he used to create propaganda for the CIA.

Larry suggest to understand the situation in Syria the trick is to follow the money. Pepe (in the clip above) says it is about pipelines... which most on C99 saw in the first Syrian incursion by the US. Jeffery Sachs also agrees.

The Duran also weigh in Erdogan's gamble in Syria. (20 min) Their analysis is the most optimistic.

George Galloway and Kevork Almassian in the 1st 30 min.

George lays it out in his intro as only he can.

Well, this morning it looks like Pepe was most correct...
The Syrian Army command announced on Sunday that President Bashar Assad’s 24-year rule has come to an end, according to a Syrian officer who spoke to Reuters. The announcement follows a rapid offensive by jihadist forces in the capital. The jihadists claim that Damascus is “now free of Assad” and are expected to make their first public statement via state TV, Reuters reports, citing two anti-government sources. In response to the political uncertainty, Prime Minister Mohammad al-Jalali stated that he is “ready to cooperate with any leadership chosen by the people,” as quoted by Al Jazeera. He added that he remains at home and is inclined to support the continuity of government.
Ahmed Al-Sharaa, a prominent commander for the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has issued orders prohibiting all militant forces in Damascus from approaching public institutions or firing weapons into the air. He went on to say that government institutions will remain under the supervision of the “former prime minister” until they are officially transferred to the new authorities. Over the weekend, HTS fighters and other anti-government militias entered Damascus, effectively taking control of the capital. Flight tracking websites indicate that Assad’s plane has left the city.

Who are these jihadist?

The MSM are spinning it that the jihadist are moderate rebels (sounds familiar doesn't it?)

They are apparently woke too...seeking diversity.

Alex suggested yesterday Ahmed Al-Sharaa may be the 'elensky of Syria...
I find it interesting he served 5 years in US prison. Think he might have been groomed during that time?

Here's perhaps a better comparison...

That was a rapid regime change.

“Donald Trump has assembled the most pro-Israel cabinet in the history of the United States, I’ve investigated his funders and it all makes sense”
Lowkey explains as he follows the money (15 min) Lowkey has all the facts on hand.

Trump’s Pro-Israel Dream Team

Patel has consistently advocated for a hardline approach to China and is an unabashed supporter of Israeli interests, often prioritizing them over U.S. considerations. On October 7, marking the first anniversary of the Hamas attack, Patel delivered a fiery interview on Fox News. During the segment, he vowed that the incoming Trump administration would intensify its crackdown on anti-Israeli elements.
"We should be side by side [with Israel]…When we are back in power with President Trump…we will shut off the machinery that feeds money into Iran…We need America to wake up and prioritize Israel, and that is not what Kamala Harris is about, we need to bring home Americans and end this war, bring home Israelis, and stand by our number one ally in Israel, and people need to wake up on November 5.”

Jimmy says not so fast, Patel has his good points...
FBI Nominee Targeting Trump’s Prosecutors, Russiagaters & THE MEDIA!! (23 min)
“Feds Were Behind January 6th!” Says Trump FBI Nominee Kash Patel (7 min)

NATOstan - Russia Proxy War in Ukraine...

Russia’s Demands in Peace Negotiations - Dmitri Polyanskiy, Alexander Mercouris & Glenn Diesen

(37 min) Excellent interview and discussion of how we get peaceful resolution

Another excellent interview on working toward peace.

Russia’s longtime foreign minister describes the war with the United States and how to end it.
(0:00) Is the US at War With Russia?
(12:56) Russia’s Message to the West Through Hypersonic Weapons
(17:47) Is There Conversation Happening Between Russia and the US?
(23:18) How Many Have Died in the Ukraine/Russia War?
(28:21) What Would It Take To End the War?
(36:11) What Happened to Alexei Navalny?
(39:45) Boris Johnson Wants the War to Continue
(45:43) Sanctions on Russia
(56:31) The Chinese/Russian Alliance
(1:02:18) Who Is Making Foreign Policy Decisions in the US?
(1:05:05) Biden Pushes the US Toward Nuclear War Before Trump Takes Office
(1:08:52) What’s Happening in Syria?
(1:13:08) Lavrov’s Thoughts on Trump

Here's the first question...
Tucker Carlson: Minister Lavrov, thank you for doing this. Do you believe the United States and Russia are at war with each other right now?
Sergey Lavrov: I wouldn't say so. And in any case, this is not what we want. We would like to have normal relations with all our neighbors, of course, but generally with all countries especially with the great country like the United States. And President Vladimir Putin repeatedly expressed his respect for the American people, for the American history, for the American achievements in the world, and we don't see any reason why Russia and the United States cannot cooperate for the sake of the universe.
Tucker Carlson: But the United States is funding a conflict that you're involved in, of course, and now is allowing attacks on Russia itself. So that doesn't constitute war?
Sergey Lavrov: Well, we officially are not at war. But what is going on in Ukraine is that some people call it hybrid war. I would call it hybrid war as well, but it is obvious that the Ukrainians would not be able to do what they're doing with long-range modern weapons without direct participation of the American servicemen. And this is dangerous, no doubt about this.
We don't want to aggravate the situation, but since ATACMS and other long-range weapons are being used against mainland Russia as it were, we are sending signals. We hope that the last one, a couple of weeks ago, the signal with the new weapon system called Oreshnik was taken seriously.

Clipped highlights here.

And another clip focused on working toward peace with Chas Freeman
Amb. Chas Freeman: From Ukraine to Syria, Are we heading Towards Huge Escalations?
(40 min)

Donald Trump’s advisers have presented him with three plans for resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Reuters has reported, citing several sources close to the US president-elect. Despite certain differences, all of the proposals include Kiev ceding territory to Moscow and giving up on its aspiration to join NATO, the agency said in an article on Wednesday. Trump’s former national security official, who was involved in the ongoing government transition in the US, told Reuters that one of the plans came from the President-elect’s incoming Russia-Ukraine envoy, retired Army Lieutenant-General Keith Kellogg. The other two were authored by Vice President-elect JD Vance and Trump’s former acting intelligence chief, Richard Grenell, respectively, according to the official.

The West will not return any of the Russian sovereign assets frozen as part of sanctions over the Ukraine conflict, the CEO of major Russian lender VTB, Andrey Kostin, has predicted, as cited by Reuters. The US and its allies have immobilized around $300 billion of assets belonging to the Russian central bank since 2022 as part of Ukraine-related sanctions. The funds deposited in Brussels-based clearing house Euroclear have generated billions in interest, which the EU has decided to use to finance Kiev.

UK NATO soldier gives his perspective...

What's going on with the Georgia protests?
Up to a third of those identified at recent protests in Tbilisi have turned out to be foreign nationals, according to the executive secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Mamuka Mdinaradze. The anti-government protests broke out in the Georgian capital last week after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that he would be freezing accession talks with the EU due to Brussels’ “constant blackmail and manipulation” of the former Soviet republic’s domestic politics. Pro-EU protesters have since taken to the streets and repeatedly clashed with law enforcement, setting off fireworks and throwing Molotov cocktails at riot police, as well as setting fire to the parliament building. Law enforcement officials have in turn deployed tear gas and water cannons in an attempt to disperse the protesters, over 200 of whom have reportedly been arrested.

EU's Georgia regime change operation enters final month (20 min)
The video discusses ongoing protests in Georgia, with the EU and US pressuring the government. It analyzes the situation as a potential color revolution attempt, comparing it to Ukraine in 2014.

Georgia PM: “Some people, including the EU ambassador, have told us that they will recognize Georgia only if murderers, executioners, kidnappers of TV stations, business racketeers and people who started the war in 2008, return to power.”

President Putin faces the possibility of a second Ukraine, a second war front that could result from Washington’s success in staging a coup d’etat in Georgia with a color revolution. Riots ongoing since the “Russian party” defeated the “Western party” by 54% to 34% have convinced the Prime Minister of Georgia that the West is in the process of launching a color revolution to overthrow, as was done in Ukraine, the democratically elected government.

It isn't just Georgia, the globalists managed to cancel Romania's election scheduled for today because a nationalist was about to be elected. As Alex explains below, western democracy isn't much of a democracy...

(20 min on the situation in Romania, but the entire 34 min clip is worthwhile)

Romanian Presidential Frontrunner Claims He’s Victim Of Coup D’état (RT)

What happened in S. Korea last week?

South Korea martial law and Ukraine weapons (26 min)

The Judge spoke with someone in S. Korea...
Ryan Dawson : LIVE from South Korea (20 min)

Bringing it Home

Back in the US we had the sweeping pardon of Hunter with more to follow as Biden tries to Trump proof the government and spread as much chaos as possible to impede the new administration.

Neil Oliver says TPTB are sticking to us and pardoning themselves.

(14 min) …Biden is making it plain that its one set of rules for them & another set for us!!!

“We are sitting on the biggest cover-up of who knows what crimes, and Biden knows exactly when it started. He’s leaving office in disgrace—a liar. There’s no spinning this. It has nothing to do with Trump and everything to do with the character of Joe Biden.”
“You guys can spend all day long trying to spin this, that this is Donald Trump’s fault... These people are liars. ‘Inflation is transitory. Afghanistan, it’s a success. The border is secure. Robert Hur is a liar. The videos are cheap fakes. Biden has a cold. He’ll never drop out. Oh, I’ll never pardon Hunter.’ It’s all a lie. It is all a grift. Every American except the most partisan, brain-rotted people are going to be outraged by this.”

The Pocket Pardon and the Final Corruption of the Biden Administration (Turley)
The most shocking aspect of President Biden pardoning his own son, Hunter, may be that it was not in the least shocking, given the history of the Biden family. This abuse of the pardon power was widely anticipated even by his allies as the president repeatedly denied that he would ever do such a thing as he ran for reelection. Indeed, it may be the single most premeditated unethical act in political history. However, it may not achieve what President Biden most hopes for: a clean slate for his son and himself in this massive corruption scandal. Roughly two years ago, I wrote about how Biden might suddenly withdraw from the presidential race in 2024 and pardon his son as a lame-duck president. “The pardon-and-apology approach might appeal to Biden not only as an effort to convert vice into virtue but to justify his withdrawal from the election as a selfless act,” I wrote.
I further noted: “Everyone in Washington would win — except, of course, the public: The Bidens would keep alleged millions in influence-peddling profits; Hunter would not even have to pay his full taxes; members of Congress and the media could avoid taking responsibility for burying the reports of corruption.” I wrote about the pardon option repeatedly because none of Hunter’s bizarre (and ultimately unsuccessful) criminal defenses made sense unless he felt confident that his father would pardon him in the end. Hunter’s taunting Congress with open contempt of a subpoena and his ridiculous defenses in court were not the actions of someone who feared consequences from these investigations. They were the actions of someone with a pocket pardon.

Turley was also on the Duran this week cheering on Trump.

It's the Economy, Stupid!
Martin Armstrong explains the effect of Tariffs, Taxes, and Trade on the economy.

(1 hour) He focuses on the role of the dollar in the global economy. At about the 40 min mark he discusses Trump's cabinet picks.

This economist thinks there's a black swan in the offing that will effect the global economy...

(35 min) “I think we are at peak dollar... But it’s not something that’s going to happen overnight; it will take decades to unfold,” says Clive Thompson, retired managing director of Union Bancaire Privée in Switzerland. In an interview with Daniela Cambone, Thompson delves into the dangers of the insurmountable debt burden facing the U.S. economy. “The real debt will be more than double what it is today. And the interest being paid on that debt is probably going to be four or five times what it is today,” he warns, painting a sobering picture of the future. Thompson also sheds light on the growing crises in Europe, highlighting the fragile state of the eurozone. “If the euro collapses, every country will start pulling in its own direction. It will be chaos.”

“Economic Crash Is DEFINITELY Coming!”– Says Ex-Blackrock Fund Manager Ed Dowd (16 min) Ed makes a good case...

Elon Musk Targeting Social Security Is HUGE Mistake! (30 min)
Since Franklin Delano Roosevelt passed it into being in 1933, America’s Social Security system has been overwhelmingly popular. While faith in other government programs and agencies has notably waned over the decades, Americans’ opinions about New Deal-era programs has remained shockingly resilient. The reason for this seems pretty simple: People like retiring, and they know that they can’t do it without the federal program’s help.
Now Elon Musk, keying off a tweet thread from anti-Social Security Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), has indicated he may be targeting Social Security as part of his new Department of Government Efficiency efforts.
Jimmy and Americans’ Comedian Kurt Metzger discuss George Carlin’s prediction about Social Security’s demise possibly coming true and whether red lights and sirens should be going off as a result of Elon’s tweet.

Chris Martinson delves into DOGE and how likely they will be able to be successful.
There's No Turning Back: The Era of Consequences Has Begun - Peak Prosperity (48 min)
Let's hope that D.O.G.E. has tremendous success in trimming government fat and reducing the deficit. However, the basic underlying trend of debt growing at ~2x the rate of the economy. Seeking to man age this math problem, the Fed will choose inflation as that hurts little people while deflation makes their main banking clients very unhappy.

Let's close today with a couple of health related items
First an interview with the NIH director nominee

(29 min) Congrats Jay Bhattacharya, new Head of NIH - Here He Explains The Madness!

The word is getting out despite the power of big pharma

The evidence grows.

Brett and Heather dissect the Atlantic article disputing RFK and his advice on healthy fats...
Tallow & RFK Jr. vs. The Atlantic (15 min)
From the latest DarkHorse Evolutionary Lens with biologists, Dr. Bret Weinstein and Dr. Heather Heying on the subject of tallow. Is the use of tallow over seed oils a "complete reversal of of conventional health beliefs?" It's RFK Jr. and the MAHA movement versus The Atlantic.
As read by Heather, The Atlantic subtitle states
"America stopped cooking with tallow for a reason. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s view on fats is is about bucking convention, not promoting health." Heather replies, "...I've seen this critique before. It's oh, he's just a contrarian. And we've been called just contrarians. And it's one of actually the most insipid and wrong and ridiculous contentions that actual scientists can be can be slapped with.” - Heather Heying.
As they point out science isn't a democracy...it is evidence based.
This clip is what The Atlantic is responding too.

Another busy week in the news cycle with lots of related moving parts. I hope you are having a good weekend, and are doing well in these turbulent times. This thread is open to any and all ideas, stories, and comments.