Facebook faces seven data probes as watchdog here to use tougher EU rules - 3:27 AM 2/2/2019
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"cambridge analytica" - Google News: Facebook faces seven data probes as watchdog here to use tougher EU rules - Independent.ie |
Facebook faces seven data probes as watchdog here to use tougher EU rules Independent.ieFacebook faces seven separate data protection probes here as the Data Protection Commissioner looks to take advantage of new rules that allow the watchdog ... "cambridge analytica" - Google News |
Politics: Gov. Ralph Northam ‘deeply sorry’ after photo emerges from his 1984 yearbook showing blackface, KKK hood |
Northam, a Democrat, apologized as Republicans and some Democrats demanded his resignation. Politics |
Palmer Report: Roger Stone just got the worst news possible |
One week ago today, Roger Stone was arrested and charged with several felony counts, and his homes in Florida and New York were raided. That means the bar is set pretty high when it comes to what would qualify as Stone having an even worse day. But the events of today may end up being even worse for Stone, because it hits him in a way that he truly cares about. Remember when Paul Manafort was facing two different federal judges? The one in the Eastern District of Virginia, T.S. Ellis, was a cranky guy who kept meddling in the case and frustrated everyone involved. The judge in Washington DC, Amy Berman Jackson, showed herself to be tough but fair, and not remotely interested in nonsense. As it turns out, Roger Stone had the bad luck to draw Berman Jackson for his case, and it’s already going poorly for him. Roger Stone really, really, really wants to litigate his criminal case in the court of public opinion. It’s not that he necessarily expects to change any minds. It’s that he’s hoping to continue to rile up his fans and Donald Trump’s fans, so they’ll keep buying his political books, and donate to his legal defense fund. The more Stone paints himself as a victim, the more he’ll profit from the criminal charges against him. But the judge has no interest in letting him do this. The post Roger Stone just got the worst news possible appeared first on Palmer Report. Palmer Report |
Belarusian model caught up in election controversy gave info on Trump to Russian tycoon - AOL |
Belarusian model caught up in election controversy gave info on Trump to Russian tycoon AOLA Belarusian model who claims to have information on ties between Russia and President Trump's election campaign gave that material to a Russian oligarch. |
"Rudy Giuliani" - Google News: White House: Trump to get annual medical checkup on Friday - WKRC TV Cincinnati |
White House: Trump to get annual medical checkup on Friday WKRC TV CincinnatiPresident Donald Trump has an appointment with the doctor. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders says Trump will receive his annual medical checkup ... "Rudy Giuliani" - Google News |
"Trump FBI file" - Google News: New Judicial Watch Lawsuit for FBI Documents on Anti-Trump Collusion - Artvoice |
New Judicial Watch Lawsuit for FBI Documents on Anti-Trump Collusion ArtvoiceBy Tom Fitton. Attorney James Baker had what DC considers a long and distinguished career at the Justice Department – his last position was general counsel ... "Trump FBI file" - Google News |
"trump authoritarianism" - Google News: Why has the West pressed the mute button on Africa? - BBC News |
Why has the West pressed the mute button on Africa? BBC NewsRecent crackdowns in several African countries have been met with a muted response from the international community. Should the West should be doing more ... "trump authoritarianism" - Google News |
"Russian Intelligence services" - Google News: Trump suspends arms treaty, citing Chinese, Russian threats - SF Gate |
Trump suspends arms treaty, citing Chinese, Russian threats SF GateWASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is pulling the plug on a decades-old nuclear arms treaty with Russia, lifting what it sees as unreasonable ... "Russian Intelligence services" - Google News |
Palmer Report: Donald Trump appears to be going for a senility defense |
As it becomes more clear for all to see that Donald Trump will end up being criminally charged and face a prison sentence when this is all said and done, the question has been whether he realizes it. He has a famously tenuous While it’s far from his most serious criminal offense, one of the easiest crimes to convict Donald Trump for will be his recent witness intimidation tactics against Michael Cohen, which he committed in plain view. Even Trump’s jarringly inept criminal defense attorneys have likely explained this point to him. So it’s notable that even as he was recklessly running his mouth throughout his interview this week with the New York Times, the mere mention of the incident conveniently turned him into a, well, dotard. Donald Trump has repeatedly tried to scare Michael Cohen out of testifying against him by publicly calling for Cohen’s father-in-law to be criminally investigated. This is cut-and-dry felony witness tampering. When the NY Times asked him about it, Trump initially insisted it wasn’t: “It’s not witness tampering. It’s not witness tampering at all. It’s not witness tampering.” When that didn’t work, he suddenly decided that his memory had failed him about the entire incident: “What did I say? I don’t know. What did I say?” The post Donald Trump appears to be going for a senility defense appeared first on Palmer Report. Palmer Report |
"Russian Intelligence services" - Google News: Nastya Rybka surrenders proof of Trump collusion to Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska - NEWS.com.au |
Nastya Rybka surrenders proof of Trump collusion to Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska NEWS.com.auA Belarusian model — who claims she has proof of Russian involvement in Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign — claims that she has turned the ... "Russian Intelligence services" - Google News |
"donald trump russia" - Google News: Donald Trump: POTUS gives rare New York Times interview - NEWS.com.au |
Donald Trump: POTUS gives rare New York Times interview NEWS.com.auDonald Trump has sat down for a rare interview with The New York Times, discussing everything from the media's treatment of him to allegations he had ... "donald trump russia" - Google News |
Lawfare - Hard National Security Choices: Today's Headlines and Commentary |
The U.S. is officially suspending the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia on Friday following long-standing U.S. allegations that Russia is fielding systems which violate treaty terms, the New York Times reports. The Special Counsel’s Office requested a delay in Roger Stone’s trial to examine years of phone and email records obtained from Stone’s residences, NBC News details. Lawfare shared the motion seeking an exception to the Speedy Trial Act. The U.S District Court for the District of Columbia held that the Syrian government is liable for over $300 million in damages to the family of journalist Marie Colvin who was deliberately targeted and killed by the Syrian government in 2012, according to the Times. A group of Marines accused in 2007 of committing war crimes in Afghanistan had their records wiped clean by the Board for Correction of Naval Records years after the group was exonerated for the allegations, which were found to be fabricated by the Taliban, the Washington Post reports. In a wide-ranging interview with the Times, President Donald Trump claimed that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein assured him he was not the target of ongoing investigations, and also denied that he directed Roger Stone to contact WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign, according to the Times.
ICYMI: Yesterday on Lawfare
Benjamin Wittes examined a Watergate document regarding the transmission of evidence from the special prosecutor to the House Judiciary Committee, discussing its parallels to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation today. And continuing our new Shorts edition of the Lawfare Podcast, Mikhaila Fogel shared a reading of the article by Benjamin Wittes.Amanda Sloat continued her series on Brexit, exploring novel attempts by the British Parliament to increase pressure on Prime Minister Theresa May. Evelyn Douek analyzed Facebook’s newly-published draft charter for an independent content moderation board. Matthew Kahn shared a motion filed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller in the Roger Stone case requesting an exception to the Speedy Trial Act to give prosecutors more time to sift through years of Stone’s communication records. Robert Chesney and Steve Vladeck shared a new episode of The National Security Law Podcast featuring discussions on Venezuela, the implications of withdrawal from Afghanistan on Guantanamo litigation and more. David Priess explored the possible reasons why U.S. intelligence leaders didn’t resign following Trump’s harsh criticism of their assessments.
Email the Roundup Team noteworthy law and security-related articles to include, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for additional commentary on these issues. Sign up to receive Lawfare in your inbox. Visit our Events Calendar to learn about upcoming national security events, and check out relevant job openings on our Job Board
Lawfare - Hard National Security Choices |
Mueller Could Have More Than Russia on His Mind |
Mueller Could Have More Than Russia on His Mind
Ciara Torres-Spelliscy
February 1, 2019
There were foreign nationals from many countries surrounding the Trump campaign, argues Brennan Center fellow Ciara Torres-Spelliscy.
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"cambridge analytica" - Google News: Facebook bosses admit they're competing with Amazon for online ads - Daily Mail |
Facebook bosses admit they're competing with Amazon for online ads Daily MailThe social media site name-checked Jeff Bezos' company in a list of media giants during its annual 10K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on ... "cambridge analytica" - Google News |
Democratic lawmakers accuse Trump of 'playing into President Putin's hand' - Washington Examiner |
Democratic lawmakers accuse Trump of 'playing into President Putin's hand' Washington ExaminerA group of House Democrats Friday accused President Trump of being “too soft on Russia” and playing into Russian President Vladimir Putin's hands following ... |
"trump and russia" - Google News: Elizabeth Warren apologizes to Cherokee nation for DNA test – live - The Guardian |
Elizabeth Warren apologizes to Cherokee nation for DNA test – live The GuardianSenator called principal chief of the Cherokee nation to apologize for 'the harm that has resulted', a spokeswoman for the tribe said. "trump and russia" - Google News |
"Putin and American political process" - Google News: Worldwide Threat Assessment on Russia: 2019 vs 2018 - Russia Matters |
Worldwide Threat Assessment on Russia: 2019 vs 2018 Russia MattersThe latest Worldwide Threat Assessment, released this week by the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence, describes Russia as a major threat to U.S. ... "Putin and American political process" - Google News |
The public deserves to hear from Michael Cohen - The Advocate |
The public deserves to hear from Michael Cohen The AdvocateFor a short amount of time, President Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen was set to appear before the House Oversight Committee to give public ... |
Roger Stone Raid Shows FBI Out of Control - Newsmax |
Roger Stone Raid Shows FBI Out of Control NewsmaxCongress must begin doing a serious job of overseeing this over-pampered bureaucracy which thinks it is above the law and common decency. |
"US elections and russia" - Google News: How Facebook plans to stop a disinformation campaign from spreading during Canada's upcoming federal election - National Post |
How Facebook plans to stop a disinformation campaign from spreading during Canada's upcoming federal election National PostFacebook says it has learned from mistakes made during the 2016 U.S. election and it's committed to preventing a similar disinformation campaign from ... "US elections and russia" - Google News |
Analysis | The Cybersecurity 202: U.S. should counter Russia and China hacking with its own influence operations, think tank says - The Washington Post |
Analysis | The Cybersecurity 202: U.S. should counter Russia and China hacking with its own influence operations, think tank says The Washington PostThe Foundation for Defense of Democracies says nothing else is working. |
Why Mueller’s final move could be a grand conspiracy case - VICE |
Why Mueller’s final move could be a grand conspiracy case VICEThe Watergate and Iran-Contra scandals provide clues to the Russia endgame. |
Mueller's Approval Rating Beats Trump's Despite Continued Attacks Against Investigation - Hill Reporter |
Mueller's Approval Rating Beats Trump's Despite Continued Attacks Against Investigation Hill ReporterSpecial Counsel Robert Mueller's approval rating easily beats President Donald Trump's despite the president's continued attacks against the Russia ... |
Donald Trump's campaign cash machine: big, brawny and burning money All Saved Stories - 25 Democrats... |
Donald Trump's campaign cash machine: big, brawny and burning money
All Saved Stories - 25 Democrats Call On Mulvaney To Revoke Jared Kushner's Security Clearance - HuffPost Democrats Call On Mulvaney To Revoke Jared Kushner's Security Clearance HuffPost Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) and Donald Beyer (D-Va.) have written a lett... |
"trump authoritarianism" - Google News: Trump's INF Treaty Withdrawal Means Serious Danger Of A Renewed Global Arms Race - HuffPost UK |
Trump's INF Treaty Withdrawal Means Serious Danger Of A Renewed Global Arms Race HuffPost UKThe Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty was signed in 1987 by the United States and the Soviet Union. It outlawed and eliminated all short and ... "trump authoritarianism" - Google News |
Selected Posts and Searches
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The Operation Trump and The New Abwehr: A Study In Psychohistory by Michael Novakhov – Google Search
Ernst Urhlau
Photo: Ernst Urhlau, former chief of BND and later the "consultant on geopolitical risks" for the Deutsche Bank, and the political ally of Gerhard Schroeder. Uhrlau was the chief of the Hamburg police when the core group of 9/11 hijackers, the so called Hamburg Cell, lived and received training there. He was uncooperative and hostile towards 9/11 Investigation inquiries.
The Operation Trump and The New Abwehr: A Study In Psychohistory by Michael Novakhov – Google Search
German Intelligence Chief Wilhelm Franz Canaris – The Operation Trump and The New Abwehr: A Study In Psychohistory by Michael Novakhov – Google Search | ||||||
>> Mike Nova’s Shared NewsLinks Review In Brief
» German Intelligence Chief Wilhelm Franz Canaris
24/01/19 06:17 from Mike Nova’s Shared Newslinks Michael_Novakhov shared this story from Warfare History Network. Adolf Hitler’s spymaster, Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, was actually a dedicated anti-Nazi who did everything he could to frustrate the Führer’s plans. by David…
» Canaris and Heydrich – Axis History Forum
24/01/19 06:16 from Mike Nova’s Shared Newslinks Michael_Novakhov shared this story . Canaris and Heydrich #1 Post by Ezboard » 29 Sep 2002, 21:37 GFM2001 Member Posts: 55 (8/20/01 12:32:55 pm) Reply Canaris and Heydrich ————————————————————…
» Canaris – Heydrich Gay Love Affair – Google Search
24/01/19 05:53 from Mike Nova’s Shared Newslinks Michael_Novakhov shared this story .
» Canaris – Heydrich Gay Love Affair – Google Search
24/01/19 05:52 from Mike Nova’s Shared Newslinks Michael_Novakhov shared this story .
» Canaris – Heydrich Gay Love Affair – Google Search
24/01/19 05:50 from Mike Nova’s Shared Newslinks Michael_Novakhov shared this story .
» Canaris – Heydrich Gay Love Affair – Google Search
24/01/19 05:48 from Mike Nova’s Shared Newslinks Michael_Novakhov shared this story .
» Canaris – Heydrich Gay Love Affair – Google Search
24/01/19 05:47 from Mike Nova’s Shared Newslinks Michael_Novakhov shared this story .
» Canaris – Heydrich Gay Love Affair – Google Search
24/01/19 05:46 from Mike Nova’s Shared Newslinks Michael_Novakhov shared this story .
» Canaris – Heydrich Gay Love Affair – Google Search
24/01/19 05:45 from Mike Nova’s Shared Newslinks Michael_Novakhov shared this story .
» Canaris – Heydrich Gay Love Affair – Google Search
24/01/19 05:45 from Mike Nova’s Shared Newslinks Michael_Novakhov shared this story .
» Service record of Reinhard Heydrich
24/01/19 05:43 from Mike Nova’s Shared Newslinks Michael_Novakhov shared this story . SS- service record cover of Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei Reinhard Heydrich The service record of Reinhard Heydrich was a collection of official SS documents maintained at the SS Pers…
» RUSSIA and THE WEST – РОССИЯ и ЗАПАД: – Командир, ручка от жопы отваливается! | – Ништяк, а мы её стразами укрепим! – 6:10 AM 1/7/2019
24/01/19 05:26 from Mike Nova’s Shared Newslinks Michael_Novakhov shared this story from RUSSIA and THE WEST – РОССИЯ и ЗАПАД. Monday, January 7, 2019 – Командир, ручка от жоп…
» 1:55 PM 9/5/2018 – Canaris’ love affair with Reinhard Heydrich, both of whom were at least in part Jewish and Gay… | The Global Security News
24/01/19 05:12 from Mike Nova’s Shared Newslinks Michael_Novakhov shared this story from The Global Security News. Upon the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Germany, gay men and, to a lesser extent, lesbians, were two of the numerous groups targeted by the Nazis and were ulti…
» Amazon.com: Hitler’s Spy Chief: The Wilhelm Canaris Mystery eBook: Richard Bassett: Kindle Store
24/01/19 04:54 from Mike Nova’s Shared Newslinks Michael_Novakhov shared this story .
» Heydrich’s homosexuality? – Axis History Forum
24/01/19 04:52 from Mike Nova’s Shared Newslinks Michael_Novakhov shared this story . Heydrich’s homosexuality? #1 Post by Ezboard » 29 Sep 2002, 19:03 HannahR New Member Posts: 1 (5/26/01 5:43:01 pm) Reply Heydrich’s homosexuality? ————————————————…
» Canaris – Heydrich Gay Love Affair as the source and the engine of German Fascism of 1930-1940-s – Psychohistorical Hypothesis by Michael Novakhov
24/01/19 04:15 from Mike Nova’s Shared Newslinks Michael_Novakhov shared this story from Trump Investigations. Canaris – Heydrich Gay Love Affair as the source and the engine of the German Fascism of 1930-1940-s Psychohistorical Hypothesis by Michael Novakhov 9:19 AM 9/21/20…
» 9:19 AM 9/21/2018 – (Abwehr? Drag?) Queens (Are?) Flushing (With Rage? Shame? Anger? Angst? All of the above? None of the above?) | The Global Security News
24/01/19 03:56 from Mike Nova’s Shared Newslinks Michael_Novakhov shared this story from The Global Security News. Mike Nova’s Shared NewsLinks Drag Bang Drag, Gala de Eleccion Drag Queen 2015 LPGC – YouTube mikenova shared this story . Drag Bang Drag, Ga… |
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Michael Novakhov - SharedNewsLinks℠ |
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Facebook faces seven data probes as watchdog here to use tougher EU rules |
US lawmakers question Russia sanctions relief |
Moving NATO in right direction |
Director Coats and President Trump |
Politics: It remains unclear if Trump fully understands how the federal debt works |
Worldwide Threat Assessment on Russia: 2019 vs 2018 | Russia Matters |
Roger Stone Raid Shows FBI Out of Control |
Mueller Could Have More Than Russia on His Mind: There were a lot of foreign cooks in what looks what was a very crowded kitchen in 2016. | But all of those cooks were under one Chef: The New Abwehr. - 4:01 PM 2/1/2019 |
Mueller Could Have More Than Russia on His Mind |
Was Used By The Mob Like The Little Blond Stupid Pretentious Laundry Girl Seduced By Fat Tips, and according to the New Abwehr designs |
Michael Novakhov on operation Trump and new abwehr - Google Search |
Michael Novakhov on operation Trump and new abwehr - Google Search |
Michael Novakhov on operation Trump and new abwehr - Google Search |
Michael Novakhov on operation Trump and new abwehr - Google Search |
Michael Novakhov on operation Trump and new abwehr - Google Search |
Michael Novakhov on operation Trump and new abwehr - Google Search |
Michael Novakhov on operation Trump and new abwehr - Google Search |
Michael Novakhov on operation Trump and new abwehr - Google Search |
Michael Novakhov on operation Trump and new abwehr - Google Search |
Michael Novakhov on operation Trump and new abwehr - Google Search |
Saved Stories: February 2019 Highlights on Broadway and Beyond - New York Theatre Guide |
Robert Mueller's Russia probe filing suggests broader case against Trump ally Roger Stone - The Japan Times |
Trump says he is not the 'target' of the Mueller investigation - Fox News |
A New Cold War: Personal Reflections Regarding Russia’s Missed Opportunities with NATO, Ukraine and Its Western Neighbors |
Trump says he is not the 'target' of the Mueller investigation - Fox News |
Michael Novakhov - SharedNewsLinks℠ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Facebook faces seven data probes as watchdog here to use tougher EU rules | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stephanie Bodoni
Facebook faces seven separate data protection probes here as the Data Protection Commissioner looks to take advantage of new rules that allow the watchdog to impose hefty fines.
The investigations are among 16 cases targeting big technology companies including Twitter, Apple, LinkedIn, and also Facebook's WhatsApp and Instagram.
Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon told Bloomberg that many of the probes opened by the Irish and other EU regulators "are centered on the activities of very big internet companies with tens and hundreds of millions of users". That could ultimately be "a very large factor when looking at the scale of a fine". Regulators across Europe are looking to increase the level of fines they issue under the EU's new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which allows penalties as large as 4pc of a company's annual revenue. A record €50m French fine against Google last month showed that watchdogs took the new guidelines seriously. "Undoubtedly, the Google fine is not the last of them," said Ms Dixon, who has been in the post since 2014. Ms Dixon is the Eurozone's key regulator, because of the fact that so many American tech companies have their European headquarters here, including Facebook, Twitter, Google and Apple. Google has appealed its French fine. Facebook didn't immediately respond to a request for comment and Twitter declined to comment. In December, Ms Dixon's office announced a second probe into several other breach notifications by Facebook. That probe also looks at a breach caused by a software bug that gave outside developers broader access to the photos of millions of users. Ms Dixon says she is aware that many of the decisions her office will make will act as a precedent. "They're not trivial, the cases we're deciding," she said, indicating that first decisions in open cases may come as soon as this summer.
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"We're at various concrete stages in all of them, but they're all substantially advanced," she said. "The soonest I am going to see an investigation report on my desk, which is when my role kicks in" to make a final decision on sanctions in case of an infringement "is likely to be June or July in the bigger cases".Scrutiny of Facebook has intensified with the revelations last year that the data of millions of users, mostly in the US and UK, could have ended up in the hands of Cambridge Analytica, a consulting firm that was linked to Donald Trump's US presidential campaign. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
US lawmakers question Russia sanctions relief | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Three influential US Democratic lawmakers asked Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to justify lifting sanctions against Russian aluminum giant Rusal and two related companies, a move they said leaves "many" unanswered questions.
Eliot Engel, the chair of the House foreign relations committee, asked in a tweet on Friday if lifting the sanctions was related to President Donald Trump's "business dealings in Russia" or his "cozy relationship" with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
The tweet was accompanied by a copy of a letter dated January 29 asking the Treasury Department to "provide each of our committees with copies of all documents pertaining to the decision-making process."
The letter was signed by Mr Engel as well as Maxine Waters, the chair of the House financial services committee and Adam Schiff, who heads the House intelligence committee.
It requested that Mr Mnuchin comply with the request by February 5.
The Treasury Department lifted sanctions against Rusal and the related companies on Sunday after blacklisted billionaire Oleg Deripaska took action to sharply cut his stake in them.
The tycoon is known to have friendly relations with President Putin and had business ties with Mr Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was convicted in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
The lawmakers wrote in the letter that Mr Manafort at one point "owed Deripaska close to $20 million and may have leveraged his position as campaign chairman to negotiate that debt in exchange for providing briefings to Deripaska related to the campaign".
The terms of removing the sanctions "are unusual and many questions remain unanswered," the lawmakers wrote, saying that they believe the oligarch and his family's ties with the companies allow him to keep de facto control.
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Moving NATO in right direction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Given the importance of America’s global alliances, it is always unnerving when President Trump crashes into the diplomatic arena like the proverbial bull in the china shop. Last July, for example, he tore into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization at a press conference with its secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg.
Mr. Trump blasted the “delinquent spending” of most of NATO’s 29 other partners, in that they had failed to meet the agreed-upon 2 percent threshold of their economic output for defense. He also criticized Germany’s $11 billion pipeline with Russia, the Nord Stream 2, noting that “we’re supposed to be guarding against Russia and Germany goes out and pays billions and billions of dollars a year to Russia.” On these issues, though, he was not far out of line with past presidents. For a long time, the United States has been pressuring NATO nations to bear a greater share of the burden of their own defense. These are not the poor, war-ravaged nations of Europe that existed in the wake of World War II. They have dynamic modern economies, and plow resources into social services for their citizens while depending heavily on U.S. taxpayers for their protection. George W. Bush pursued this issue at the 2008 NATO summit in Bucharest. Barack Obama did so at the 2014 summit in Brussels. Finally, it seems, the message is being heard. By the end of next year, NATO will reportedly be contributing an additional $100 billion toward its defense, instead of breaking into America’s piggy bank. Our NATO partners, including Germany, France and the United Kingdom, are wealthy nations. They can easily afford the 2 percent threshold, and it’s about time they met their financial obligations. Mr. Stoltenberg recently observed, “we see some real money and some real results. And we see that the clear message from President Donald Trump is having an impact.” Characteristically, Mr. Trump has already boasted about this on Twitter, and he may deserve to take a bow. But it remains troubling that he periodically questions the continued usefulness of NATO. Though the organization was created to counterbalance a superpower that no longer exists, the Soviet Union, America benefits from such alliances, in projecting greater influence in the world. Meanwhile, the German-Russian economic relationship is becoming troubling. Germany has made a deal with Russia for the energy it desperately needs, through a pipeline that will permit Russia to cut off supplies to Eastern Europe without cutting off Western Europe. The last thing our NATO allies should be doing is making Russia stronger and expanding its strategic ability to threaten and undermine neighboring free nations. Richard Grenell, the U.S. ambassador to Germany, recently sent out a stern letter to some German companies involved in the construction of the pipeline. He warned that these companies could eventually face sanctions through the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act if they continued building Nord Stream 2. That is the most strongly worded reaction to this controversial project to date. If NATO is going to succeed, its partners must not only pay their fair share, but also check Germany’s inclination to become more dependent on Russia. A stronger and more belligerent Russia is hardly in NATO’s interest. We hope America succeeds in pressuring Germany to rethink this relationship. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Director Coats and President Trump | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brian Howey, Columnist Published 11:01 p.m. CT Feb. 1, 2019
INDIANAPOLIS - The last time I was with Dan Coats, we had breakfast at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. He looked and sounded like a man ready to retire and enjoy his grandkids. He had been a public servant since 1980, his career coursing through the U.S. House, Senate and as ambassador to Germany, taking that post just hours before the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.
Coats was a late supporter of Donald Trump. He and his wife, former Republican National Committeewoman Marsha Coats, had concerns about candidate Trump. Marsha wrote Trump a letter, hand-delivered by her husband, and at a subsequent appearance in Fort Wayne, Trump "sought her out,” the senator said. “He said, ‘Marsha, I will not let you down.” This Donald Trump listened and asked questions.
Brian Howey (Photo: Provided)
But Coats understood the political attraction of Trump, in awe that he could draw 20,000 people to an arena. As for Trump's style, Coats told him, “If you change your speech, you might draw 250 people. I think you really need to be Donald Trump, but what I see now is a Donald Trump who listens and asks questions.”Coats didn't retire at the end of 2016. By appeal from Vice President-elect Mike Pence, Coats became director of National Intelligence. He is guardian of the American empire, boss to spies and spooks, assessor of the plethora of threats we face and our ardent defender. He has had a tormented relationship with President Trump, most conspicuously coming to a head in Helsinki last July, when Trump met with Russian President Putin alone for two hours. Asked if he believed U.S. intelligence services or Putin over whether the Kremlin assaulted the 2016 U.S. election. Trump responded, “My people came to me, Dan Coats and others, they said they think it’s Russia. I have Putin, he just said it’s not Russia. I will say this, I don’t see any reason why it would be. I have great confidence in my intelligence people. But I will tell you President Putin was extremely strong in his denial.” Appearing before a congressional hearing Tuesday with FBI Director Christopher Wray and CIA Director Gina Haspel to assess threats facing the United States, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden asked Coats if knew what Trump and Putin talked about. “This is a sensitive issue and an issue we ought to talk about this afternoon and discuss in a closed session,” Coats responded. When Coats testified about the threats facing America, he, Wray and Haspel contradicted Trump on an array of fronts. The president has said that North Korea is no longer a nuclear threat, ISIS has been defeated, and Iran is defying its nuclear agreement. What were Coats' assessments? "We assess that foreign actors will view the 2020 US elections as an opportunity to advance their interests,” Coats said of Russia. “We expect Russia will continue to wage its information war against democracies and to use social media to attempt to divide our societies. The Kremlin has aligned Russia with repressive regimes in Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Venezuela, and Moscow’s relationship with Beijing is closer than it has been in many decades." Has ISIS been defeated? "Remaining pockets of ISIS and opposition fighters will continue to stoke violence," Coats said. "The conflicts in Iraq and Syria have generated a large pool of skilled and battle-hardened fighters who remain dispersed throughout the region." Is North Korea no longer a nuclear threat? "We currently assess that North Korea will seek to retain its WMD capabilities and is unlikely to completely give up its nuclear weapons and production capabilities, because its leaders ultimately view nuclear weapons as critical to regime survival," Coats said. Is Iran in violation of the denuclearization accords? Coats explained, "We do not believe Iran is currently undertaking the key activities we judge necessary to produce a nuclear device.” For those of you who wonder what the big deal is with the weird and troubling Trump/Putin relationship, hours after Coats testified, the Financial Times reported the two met alone (with just a Russian translator) at the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires with video emerging of the two hand signaling each other at dinner. Coats offered this kicker: "We assess North Korea, Russia, Syria, and ISIS have all used chemical weapons over the past two years, which threatens international norms and may portend future use." And about that “emergency” of the “caravan” in Mexico, Coats did not describe a dire threat as Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have. “High crime rates and weak job markets will continue to spur U.S.-bound migrants from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras,” is how Coats put it. Following his testimony, Trump tweeted, "The Intelligence people seem to be extremely passive and naive when it comes to the dangers of Iran. They are wrong! Perhaps Intelligence should go back to school!"" My final thought? Dan Coats is anything but passive and naive. He is learned, connected and has a firm grip on the dangerous world that surrounds us and, potentially, within us. I’ll repeat what I said in a column last July: We should all be thankful Dan Coats is where he's at and pray that he stays there for the next two years. The columnist is publisher of Howey Politics Indiana at <a href="http://www.howeypolitics.com" rel="nofollow">www.howeypolitics.com</a>. Find him on Facebook and Twitter @hwypol. Read or Share this story: <a href="https://www.courierpress.com/story/opinion/2019/02/01/brian-howey-director-coats-and-president-trump/2751936002/" rel="nofollow">https://www.courierpress.com/story/opinion/2019/02/01/brian-howey-director-coats-and-president-trump/2751936002/</a> | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Worldwide Threat Assessment on Russia: 2019 vs 2018 | Russia Matters | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Worldwide Threat Assessment on Russia: 2019 vs 2018
February 01, 2019
Daniel Shapiro and Natasha Yefimova-Trilling
The latest Worldwide Threat Assessment, released this week by the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence, describes Russia as a major threat to U.S. interests not just in its own right but particularly in tandem with China—a pairing mentioned about twice as often as in last year’s assessment. The first half of the foreword focuses solely on these two countries and the 2019 document even has a new section called “China and Russia”—listed in first place among eight “Regional Threats.” The authors anticipate that Beijing and Moscow “will collaborate to counter US objectives” across the globe, striving for “technological and military superiority” and posing “economic, political, counterintelligence, military, and diplomatic challenges,” including attempts to use “rising doubts” about liberal democracy to their advantage. The assessment likewise points to the “disturbing” trend of “hostile states … intensifying online efforts to influence and interfere with elections here and abroad.”
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