FOREIGN POLICY, WORLD NEWS Comments turned off

Trump gives Iran and Congress a warning about America’s future plans By Andrea Widburg

Posted By on January 6th, 2020

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/01/trump_gives_iran_and_congress_a_warning_about_americas_future_plans.html

Predictably, following the targeted strike on General Qasem Soleimani when he stepped onto Iraq soil, Iran responded with its usual bombastic, existential (and, of course, anti-Israel) threats. What must have surprised the mullahs was that Trump, rather than countering with vague diplomatic language, gave as good as he got. That was Saturday. On Sunday, Trump upped the ante.

As you may recall, on Saturday, the mullahs promised to bomb American targets, destroy shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, and attack Israel:

[Gen. Gholamali] Abuhamzeh, commander of the Revolutionary Guards in the southern province of Kerman, foreshadowed a possible attack on “vital American targets” located in the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation of Soleimani’s death.

“The Strait of Hormuz is a vital point for the West and a large number of American destroyers and warships cross there,” Abuhamzeh said according to a Reuters report, citing Tasnim news agency.

“Vital American targets in the region have been identified by Iran since long time ago … some 35 U.S. targets in the region, as well as Tel Aviv, are within our reach.”

Each of those threats is unlikely. The mullahs know that if they touch the American homeland, none will survive the next few hours. They also know that the American military is feeling unconstrained under Trump and will respond ferociously to any attacks on military targets. Israel, with Trump in the White House, will also go full speed ahead should Iran target it. Lastly, with America now a major oil exporter and Israel a major natural gas producer, the threat to the Strait of Hormuz matters significantly less.

MOVIES AND TELEVISION Comments turned off

Eastwood’s Jewel By G. Murphy Donovan

Posted By on January 6th, 2020

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/01/eastwoods_jewel.html

Not many things get better with age. Clint Eastwood might be the exception.

At age 89, Eastwood still manages to redeem a film industry that usually panders to liberal tropes or adolescent morons. His latest offering is a biopic about Richard Jewell and the Centennial Park bombing at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Albeit 25 years in the making, Richard Jewell, in 2020, is a pitch perfect and timely film treatment of dirty cops and fake news in America. Jewell, once a security guard at the ’96 Olympics, discovered a pipe bomb, alerted authorities, and was subsequently falsely implicated with incendiary headlines and televised slander by the FBI and the press for a crime he did not commit.A dirty cop, probably an FBI agent, leaked Jewell’s name as “a person of interest” to an Atlanta Journal Constitution reporter, Kathy Scruggs.

That leak, and the media blitz that followed, tortured Jewell and his mother for nearly a decade. The real bomber, Eric Rudolph, was eventually caught, but only after two more bombings.

Rudolph was convicted and jailed eight years hence with little press fanfare by the FBI or media.

The Eastwood film, coming as it does midst the fake news campaign against Donald Trump, serves to remind us that corruption at the FBI and in the media are still with us.

WORLD NEWS Comments turned off

Soleymani Aftermath When it comes to Iran, all Rhodes lead back to Obama. Lloyd Billingsley

Posted By on January 6th, 2020

https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/01/soleymani-aftermath-lloyd-billingsley/

Iranian general Qassem Soleymani was a master terrorist who orchestrated atrocities around the world that claimed thousands of lives, including hundreds if not thousands of Americans. That was the default position after President Trump took out Soleymani last week. The Democrats’ furious reaction overlooked realities about the Iranian regime in general and Soleymani in particular.

Israel had also targeted the Quds Force commander, but according to the Kuwaiti Al-Jarida, the Obama administration tipped off the Tehran regime. Soleymani emerged unscathed and continued to spearhead the Islamic regime’s military and terrorist operations. Those were funded by criminal activity, and on that front the previous administration also lent a helping hand.

“In its determination to secure a nuclear deal with Iran, the Obama administration derailed an ambitious law enforcement campaign targeting drug trafficking by the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah, even as it was funneling cocaine into the United States.” That was the finding of a Politico investigation by Josh Meyer. In 2010, Meyer recalled, John Brennan, then a presidential adviser on homeland security and counterterrorism, announced plans to build up “moderate” elements within Hezbollah, which he described as “an interesting organization.”

In 2008, the United States launched “Project Cassandra” against Hezbollah, but as U.S. agents targeted the terrorist hierarchy, “Obama administration officials threw an increasingly insurmountable series of roadblocks in its way.” As Meyer found, officials in the Justice and Treasury Departments rejected requests for investigations, prosecutions, arrests and financial sanctions.

NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

In Defense of Charlie Kirk Alt-Right Never Trumpers target a heroic conservative leader. This is the moment to stand behind him. Daniel Greenfield

Posted By on January 6th, 2020

Conservative students and speakers have had a tough time at UCLA. And when Donald Trump Jr. came out to speak about his new book, Triggered, at a Turning Point USA event, everyone knew there would be trouble. President Trump’s son had appeared at multiple campuses with TPUSA with no problems.

But UCLA had a bad reputation to live up to. And it lived up to it.

Except instead of the expected alt-left Never Trumpers, alt-right Never Trumpers shut down the event.

While alt-lefties waved orange signs reading “Trump/Pence Out”, their Trump-hating counterparts had infiltrated the Triggered event. And what the Commies outside couldn’t do, the Nazis on the inside did.

Loud boos met the president’s son. As Donald Trump Jr. tried to speak, a small group of haters repeatedly interrupted his remarks. Planting hecklers at conservative events who use rolling disruptions to shut down a speaker was a familiar lefty tactic. But it was coming from an unexpected direction.

“You have people spreading nonsense, you have people spreading hate to try to take over that room,” a frustrated Donald Trump Jr. said.

The hate was being spread by the ‘Groypers’, one of a number of feuding alt-right splinter groups, who had realized that they could make headlines and gain influence by disrupting conservative student events. And when the Triggered event was shut down early, the Groypers celebrated their big win.

NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

The Senate Knows Enough to Acquit Trump This trial doesn’t require witnesses. The articles of impeachment should fall on legal grounds alone.This trial doesn’t require witnesses. The articles of impeachment should fall on legal grounds alone. By David B. Rivkin Jr. and Elizabeth Price Foley

Posted By on January 6th, 2020

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-senate-knows-enough-to-acquit-trump-11578262402?mod=opinion_lead_pos7

Give Nancy Pelosi this: She has chutzpah. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell responded Friday on the Senate floor to the House’s refusal to appoint managers and transmit its articles of impeachment against President Trump to the upper chamber. “For now,” Mr. McConnell said, “we are content to continue the ordinary business of the Senate while House Democrats continue to flounder. For now.”

Mrs. Pelosi’s response: “The GOP Senate must immediately proceed in a manner worthy of the Constitution.” Never mind that the hold-up is at her end.

Yet now that Mr. Trump has been impeached, the Senate is constitutionally obliged to address the matter. Neither Mrs. Pelosi’s intransigence nor Senate rules, dating from 1868, that peg the commencement of an impeachment trial to the House’s appointment of impeachment “managers” justify an indefinite delay.

NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

At Massive Solidarity March, New York Governor Pledges Millions to Secure Jewish Sites, Fight Antisemitism By Benjamin Kerstein

Posted By on January 6th, 2020

https://www.algemeiner.com/2020/01/05/at-massive-solidarity-march-new-york-governor-pledges-millions-to-secure-jewish-sites-fight-antisemitism/

The “No Hate, No Fear” march against antisemitism in New York City, January 5, 2020. Photo: screenshot.

Thousands of demonstrators crossed the Brooklyn Bridge from lower Manhattan on Sunday to express solidarity with the Jewish community in the wake of a wave of antisemitic violence.

The march, titled “No Hate, No Fear,” attracted members of all faith communities and some of the state’s most prominent officials and politicians.

Governor Andrew Cuomo told the crowd, “Discrimination, racism, antisemitism, is repugnant to every value that New Yorkers hold dear, and repugnant to every value that this country represents,” the Associated Press reported.

He pledged $45 million in state funding for security around Jewish sites and institutions.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted in solidarity, saying, “We stand with the many thousands of our brothers, sisters and friends in NYC marching against the rising Antisemitism. We will not waver in our battle against Antisemitism and hate.”

Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, said in a statement, “While antisemitism continues to rear its head in the United States and throughout the world, we must move from defense to offense. We will not be silenced when Jews are murdered in synagogues and will not be ignored when those who wear kippahs are being killed in the street. We must join hands and stand as a wall against the wave of hatred.”

ANTI-SEMITISM Comments turned off

DPS NOTE ON YESTERDAY’S RALLY

Posted By on January 6th, 2020

DPS Note:

This was a terrific rally and enormously encouraging to see so many people get off their sofas on a Sunday and walk across the Brooklyn Bridge in cold weather to make their point.

But ……Some of it annoyed me – a lot.For example, as reported, Gov. Cuomo denounced “discrimination, racism and antisemitism” ….. 

But he didn’t denounce the new State Law which he proudly signed which puts violent anti-Semites back on the street the same day as they’re arrested, with no bail and no regard for their being a continuing danger to the community. 

He’s at a rally which is the result of an appalling number of attacks on Jews by Jew haters. The whole point of the outpouring of anger and emotion was to demonstrate against anti-Semitism. But the good Governor couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t just say that anti-Semitism is bad. He had to throw in discrimination and racism to cover all the required politically correct bases so no one can accuse him of favoring the Jews. READ IT ALL

MEDIA Comments turned off

Softball CNN Interview With Iranian Ambassador Borders On Propaganda January 4, 2020 By David Marcus

Posted By on January 5th, 2020

https://thefederalist.com/2020/01/04/softball-cnn-interview-with-iranian-ambassador-borders-on-propaganda/

For three years now, CNN has dedicated itself almost exclusively to attacking Donald Trump. It’s own laughable claim of being straight, objective news is clearly abject nonsense to anyone who has watched it for more than 5 minutes. And that’s all fine. All news outlets have their biases, and while it would be nice if CNN owned theirs, it doesn’t really matter if they refuse to. But last night something happened that didn’t just look like anti-Trump sentiment, but rather straight up Iranian propaganda.

Anchor Erin Burnett interviewed Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Mavid Ravanchi, and what viewers were treated to was not so much an interview as a joint press release. From the first question, whether the US had committed an act of war by killing Qasem Solemiani, to the final one, whether this act of war “changes the game,” everything was framed as poor Iran being bullied by a President Trump who at best overreacted and who at worst is lying to the American people.

Not only was there no push back whatsoever in regard to any of the claims made by Ravanchi, several vital questions went completely unasked. How on earth can one interview the Iranian ambassador without asking about Iranian support for a violent attack on an American embassy last week? Or how about an attack on a base that left an American contractor dead? Or the shooting down of an American drone over international waters?

Time and again in the interview Ravanchi claimed that by killing Solemiani the US had moved from an economic war (pulling out of the Iran Deal) to a military war. But Iran has engaged in military actions against America and American interest for months now. The network that fatuously insists they are all about the facts allowed the ambassador to flat out lie to the their viewers without the least bit of resistance.

ANTI-SEMITISM Comments turned off

‘MOP’ Up the Mullahs Chuck de Caro

Posted By on January 5th, 2020

We have ordnance that can kill enemies 200 feet underground. But the important part is to limit civilian casualties while causing the Iranian economy and regime to implode.

While the mullahs in Iran continue to threaten the United States with worldwide terrorist attacks against American individuals and groups, it might be time for them to reconsider their position.

The mullahs are attempting to run a formerly evolving modern state, utilizing the ideas of 12th-century Shia Islam; they remain in power through the repression of the well-paid Revolutionary Guard. Their most urgent strategic priority is a regeneration of Persian ascendancy not seen since Darius the Great. Their methodology for this new Persian Empire is to complete a nuclear bomb production industry now nascent among some 40 dispersed and hardened sites.

The mullahs are willing to force the Iranian people to absorb the effects of crushing economic sanctions imposed by the United States, the United Nations, and cooperating countries in order to build their bomb.

As a result, the mullahs in 2019 precipitously raised fuel prices 50 to 200 percent and immediately were inundated by waves of violent protests in most of Iran’s larger cities. An estimated 1,500 Iranian protesters died.

The Iranian economy remains dependent on oil production and export. Its most vulnerable points are the six oil production centers at Abadan, Esfahan, Bandar-e Abbas, Tehran, Arak, and Tabriz. If any one of those is reduced in capability, even for a short time, the economy will further weaken, and domestic instability will increase.

NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

An Antidote to the Iran Hysterics Roger Kimball

Posted By on January 5th, 2020

https://amgreatness.com/2020/01/04/an-antidote-to-the-iran-hysterics/

Trump has always shown that he prefers diplomacy to military action. At the same time, he understands, as did Ronald Reagan, that diplomacy only works when it is backed up by military strength and a willingness to exercise it.

In the great contest now underway to determine the most fatuous responses to the elimination of the Iranian terrorist, Major General Qasem Soleimani, on January 3, Matthew 22:14 has the last word: “Many are called, but few are chosen.”

We lack instruments of sufficient vigor and precision to cut through the ambient static that this stupendous event has occasioned; we cannot at this early juncture award the palm to any one emetic effusion. Nevertheless, we can with confidence say that, as usual, both the Washington Post and the New York Times are in the running for that unwholesome distinction. 

The Post, running with one of its traditional favorites, captured the judges’ attention with a headline. Remember the splash the paper made when President Trump eliminated the murderous ISIS thug Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi last October? The Post was on it with a headline (probably the most ridiculed of 2019) announcing that “Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, austere religious scholar at helm of Islamic State, dies at 48.” 

“Austere religious scholar” really does deserve some sort of award.