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Our Sixty Days of Nuclear Chicken Have Begun – by Matt Taibbi –
https://www.racket.news/p/our-sixty-days-of-nuclear-chicken – “In an irony so miserable it must be true, widespread belief that peace talks are coming after Donald Trump’s inauguration is pushing Russia and the U.S. into a game of nuclear chicken, leaving us with “60 days to decide on World War,” as one Russian newspaper put it this week… While the story may not be getting Cuban Missile Crisis treatment here, Joe Biden’s decision to green-light launches of U.S.-made ATACMS missiles into Russia has that country’s media in freakout mode. Rhetoric was hotter than ever today, the 1000th day of the war, after at least six ATACMS were fired into Russian territory… “Russia and the West have reached the point of no return,” declared Moskovsky Komsomolets… “Halfway to Armageddon,” read a RuNews24 headline… “The most dangerous moment of escalation in the history of this war, and maybe the most dangerous moment in European history since 1945,” historian Alexander Friedman told EuroRadio… “World War III, closer still?” asked Irina Romaliskaya, at the top of Evening newscast… “The last ‘red line,'” grumbled Andrei Krasov, First Secretary of the Duma’s Defense Committee… A U.S. official told Reuters Russians intercepted two out of eight ATACMS, with the remainder landing near Karachev, a town in the Bryansk region about 110 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The Russian defense ministry says it shot down five of six missiles. Either way, the move triggered another change of nuclear doctrine by Vladimir Putin, allowing for nuclear response to any attack on the “territorial wholeness” of Russia. The previous standard required a threat to the “very existence” of the Russian state… Most Americans likely view the ATACMS strike as just another self-defense response by a Ukrainian army that’s been forced to rely on Western resources and weapons since Russia’s invasion two years ago, and not substantively different from the 34 drones sent to strike Moscow just over a week ago. The Russian government disagrees, but do they disagree enough to nuke someone? – A parade of other Russian officials, from Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov to foreign minister Sergei Lavrov to former president and Deputy Security Council Chair Dmitri Medvedev, have warned the ATACMS launches mean a “new phase” and possible widening of the war. Medvedev tweeted that the new doctrine “means NATO missiles fired against our country could be deemed an attack by the bloc on Russia” and, “Russia could retaliate with WMD against Kiev and key NATO facilities… That means World War III.” – The United States is giving a big eyeroll to all this bluster. Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said, “We are not at war with Russia,” and “the party here that continues to escalate this war is Russia,” by “bringing in another foreign country into the battlefield.” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Russia’s only aim is to “intimidate both Ukraine and other countries around the world through irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and behavior.” EU Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell said, “It is not the first time that Putin plays the nuclear gamble.” – But the U.S. and Europe also seem interested in gambling. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer countered the ATACMS news by announcing the U.K. will be sending long-range Storm Shadow missiles for use against targets in Russia. “We need to double down,” Starmer insisted. “We need to make sure Ukraine has what is necessary for as long as necessary, because we cannot allow Putin to win this war.” A blinking, expressionless Starmer at the G20 in Rio de Janeiro sounded like an inpatient with a button-pushing fetish. Ask yourself if this inspires confidence: Of course, neither side has realistic belief in “winning” anything, after American politics altered the schedule. Russians and Ukrainians alike seem to expect cease-fire negotiations to begin shortly after Trump is elected. The war “will end faster” once Trump takes office, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “This is their approach, their promise to their society, and it is also very important to them.” – As a result, combatants are all scrambling to grab what they can before any cease-fire. Yevgeny Kiselov, who was Russia’s most famous anchorman in the nineties but left for Ukraine in 2008 because “there is no open political debate” in Russia, told Ukrainian newsreader Yulia Litvinenko that Putin is “trying to seize as much Ukrainian territory as possible” in advance of Trump’s inauguration, so as to have “some kind of exchange to present at the negotiating table.” The Russians have made recent territorial gains in eastern and southeastern Ukraine. According to Zelensky, they came at heavy cost (2,000 dead per day, he claims) but Russian media has nonetheless been trumpeting its advances… Meanwhile, unnamed U.S. officials told Reuters that greenlighting the ATACMS launches was similarly designed to help Ukraine make “gains” and “put Kyiv in a better negotiating position” before Trump shows up and upsets the military apple cart with peace talks. The United States is gambling that Putin will hesitate to expand hostilities or strike against Europe knowing he could be able to formalize gains in Ukraine in just a few months. It may be a good bet, but earth is a hell of a thing to gamble. As Dmitry Popov in Moskovsky Komsomolets wrote yesterday: Will the collective West resort to really serious blows to Russia so that Ukraine’s position will strengthen not in words, but in reality? Will Putin restrain himself in this case (according to the doctrine, the decision to use nuclear weapons is made by the president)? These are the two main questions for the next 60 days… With Russian media howling about NATO, the Russian-speaking Internet full of scary videos (see below) about which cities are in ATACMS range, and Kremlin and Duma officials rattling sabers at the West, the political pressure on Putin to strike back will grow with every American or British missile that lands on Russian soil. The smart money says he won’t, but if Putin were predictable, the war wouldn’t have started in the first place. Unless Biden and Starmer are trying to start a war, this “double down” seems like insanity: everything to lose, nothing but two months of flex to gain… If everyone believes peace talks are just months away, why not just start them now? Because it makes too much sense, probably. God save us from armchair generals, and some of the real ones, too.”
FEMA Supervisors View Trump Supporters as ‘Domestic Terrorists,’ Claims New Whistleblower – by Jamie White – https://www.infowars.com/posts/fema-supervisors-view-trump-supporters-as-domestic-terrorists-claims-new-whistleblower– “My staff made contact with a new whistleblower who provided a credible account that a FEMA contractor visited the home of an elderly disabled veteran’s family around October 10 following Hurricane Helene,” says Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.)… “The FEMA contractor recommended that the family remove Trump campaign materials and signs from both their house and yard. He warned the family that his FEMA supervisors do not take kindly to Trump supporters and that they seem like domestic terrorists.” – A “credible” whistleblower within the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) claimed agency supervisors regard Trump supporters as “domestic terrorists,” Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) revealed on Tuesday… According to Comer, who’s the Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, a whistleblower reached out to his office to explain how a FEMA contractor visited an elderly veteran’s home in Georgia in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and ordered the family to take down Trump signs to avoid the wrath of FEMA supervisors… “During the recess for votes, my staff made contact with a new whistleblower who provided a credible account that a FEMA contractor visited the home of an elderly disabled veteran’s family around October 10 following Hurricane Helene,” Comer said during a hearing where FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell faced questions over the agency’s hurricane response… “While there, the FEMA contractor recommended that the family remove Trump campaign materials and signs from both their house and yard. He warned the family that his FEMA supervisors do not take kindly to Trump supporters and that they seem like domestic terrorists.” – A “credible” whistleblower within the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) claimed agency supervisors regard Trump supporters as “domestic terrorists,” Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) revealed on Tuesday… According to Comer, who’s the Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, a whistleblower reached out to his office to explain how a FEMA contractor visited an elderly veteran’s home in Georgia in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and ordered the family to take down Trump signs to avoid the wrath of FEMA supervisors… “During the recess for votes, my staff made contact with a new whistleblower who provided a credible account that a FEMA contractor visited the home of an elderly disabled veteran’s family around October 10 following Hurricane Helene,” Comer said during a hearing where FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell faced questions over the agency’s hurricane response… “While there, the FEMA contractor recommended that the family remove Trump campaign materials and signs from both their house and yard. He warned the family that his FEMA supervisors do not take kindly to Trump supporters and that they seem like domestic terrorists.” – This comes after the FEMA employee who was fired for directing staff to avoid homes with Trump signs in Florida revealed that was part of an agency-wide discriminatory practice against Trump supporters that came from the top. – “This is a colossal event of avoidance, not just in the state of Florida, but you will find avoidance in the Carolinas…senior leadership will lie to you and tell you that they do not know,” Marn’i Washington said earlier this month… Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) corroborated her claims, revealing her politically motivated directive wasn’t an isolated decision, but rather part of a systemic practice by FEMA. – “And that’s what we, in Congress, need to get to the bottom of. The FEMA administration wants to say this was an isolated incident, but there is alleged text messages from Washington, DC to the supervisor advising them and directing them to do this,” Steube told Fox News… “So somebody higher up within FEMA was advising the people on the ground to do this,” he continued. “So if it was happening in Lake Placid, I can guarantee you it was happening in other places all across the great state of Florida and the country.” – During the hearing, Criswell claimed the discrimination against Trump supporters was “an isolated incident that has not gone beyond” the one employee… This is the kind of bureaucratic abuse within the administrative state that the incoming Trump administration is seeking to investigate and remove, much to the chagrin of the Deep State and intelligence community… Criswell also faced questions from the House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee earlier in the day: https://youtu.be/wcKryU5Hg2g“ICC Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu vs. Putin: A Case Study in US Hypocrisy – by Prem Thakker – https://zeteo.com/p/hypocrisy-us-reactions-icc-arrest-warrants-netanyahu-putin – “The US on Thursday quickly rejected the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant – a response that stands in stark contrast to its embrace of such warrants against Russian President Vladimir Putin last year… From the White House to Congress, US politicians are striking a largely different chord as international law now catches up to its ally and largest benefactor of military aid. Here are some examples: The Biden White House – The White House immediately issued a statement on Thursday, making its stance clear on the ICC warrants against Israeli leadership… “The United States fundamentally rejects the Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials. We remain deeply concerned by the Prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision,” a White House National Security Council spokesperson said. “The United States has been clear that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over this matter. In coordination with partners, including Israel, we are discussing next steps.” – Last year, President Joe Biden welcomed the ICC’s decision to go after Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, saying it was “justified,” and that “it makes a very strong point.” – It’s worth noting that while the US condemned the “rush” for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders, they come 13 months into Israel’s war on Palestine; the ICC’s warrants against Putin came 13 months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine… The State Department – After canceling Thursday’s press briefing, a State Department spokesperson echoed the White House statement to Zeteo… Last year, Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged all members of the ICC to comply with the warrants against Putin… “I think anyone who’s a party to the court and has obligations should fulfill their obligations,” Blinken said at the time… GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham – On Thursday, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said he’d introduce legislation to put “other countries on notice” that if they support the ICC after their warrants, they “can expect consequences” from the US… “If we do not act forcefully against the ICC after their outrageous decision to issue arrest warrants for the duly elected Israeli Prime Minister and former Minister of Defense, we are making a huge mistake, and I fear the United States is next,” he warned. “We cannot let the world believe for a moment that this is a legitimate exercise of jurisdiction by the Court against Israel because to do so means we could be next.” – When it came to Putin, however, Graham welcomed the ICC warrant, calling it “a giant step in the right direction for the international community,” that was “more than justified by the evidence.” – “To forgive and forget Putin’s war crimes – that are occurring on an industrial scale – would irrevocably damage the Rule of Law-based world order established at the end [of] World War II,” he said at the time. “I hope the international community will continue to support the ICC in their endeavors to hold Putin accountable for the brutal invasion of Ukraine.” – It wasn’t just congressional Republicans condemning the Netanyahu and Gallant arrest warrants. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman – a staunch Israel supporter – was curt on Twitter: “No Standing, relevance, or path. Fuck that.” – ‘Weird Fantasy Land’ – Matt Duss, of the Center for International Policy underscored the “undeniable hypocrisy” of the moment. “The discussion about Israel and Palestine exists in this weird fantasy land where Israel can simply do no wrong,” he told Zeteo… “It’s just, to anyone outside the United States, it is absolutely bizarre,” Duss said. “And it’s just devastating to America’s credibility, to say the very least, but especially because of the stark, you know, undeniable hypocrisy of welcoming warrants against Putin – which are deserved – and, you know, an attack in the ICC when they’re issued against America’s friends.” – As the US isolates itself further and further for an ally that it pumps billions of US tax dollars towards, all for more war, nations across the world – from France and Ireland and the European Union itself to Turkey and Jordan and Canada – announced their respect for the warrants… The 124 countries that are signatories of the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, are obligated to now arrest Netanyahu, Gallant, and Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif – whom the court also issued a warrant for. Notably, the US and Israel have not signed onto the ICC… Hague Invasion? – Some US broadsides against the ICC harken back to 2002, when President George Bush signed the American Service-Members’ Protection Act. Also known as “The Hague Invasion Act,” the bipartisan bill authorized the US to use “all means necessary and appropriate to bring about the release of any U.S. or allied personnel being detained or imprisoned by, on behalf of, or at the request of the International Criminal Court.” – Such “allied personnel” included those from several allied nations, including Israel… Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was among the Democrats who supported the bill. While he has yet to comment on the official issuance of the warrants, he called the idea “reprehensible” in May. On the other hand, one month after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Schumer celebrated the Senate passing legislation to support ICC investigations by the International Criminal Court into Russian war crimes… Some are already appealing to the decades-old bill. “The ICC is a kangaroo court and Karim Khan is a deranged fanatic. Woe to him and anyone who tries to enforce these outlaw warrants,” Republican Sen. Tom Cotton tweeted Thursday. “Let me give them all a friendly reminder: the American law on the ICC is known as The Hague Invasion Act for a reason. Think about it.” – With such bubbling and bipartisan hysterics against the ICC, one may wonder whether the US is primed to activate the Hague Invasion Act on behalf of men who have helped kill tens of thousands of Palestinians and numerous Americans… For the incoming Trump administration’s part, Donald Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, said the ICC “has no credibility and these allegations have been refuted by the U.S. government.” – “You can expect a strong response to the antisemitic bias of the ICC & UN come January.” – Watch Mehdi break down why the ICC warrants are not antisemitic:: https://youtu.be/h5ITAyMtL2s“Sentenced to Death – It’s easy to be an idiot online, spouting lies when there are no consequences. These brave Iranian women face torture and death for speaking the truth.- by Karen Hunt aka KH Mezek – https://khmezek.substack.com/p/sentenced-to-death – I have been writing as much as I can about the courageous Iranian women who stand up and speak out against oppression and are tortured and killed because of it. It infuriates me as well as breaks my heart that keffiyeh-wearing women in the West prefer to support the abusers rather than the abused. It is beyond my comprehension. I cannot even imagine the pain and discouragement it must cause to these brave activists who continue to fight, no matter what obstacles come their way… With that in mind, here is an update on some of these women… According to Iran Insight, Iranian authorities have accused four women of “armed rebellion”, a sentence carrying the death penalty, as the country’s execution spree continues… The four women have been identified as Pakhshan Azizi, Sharifeh Mohammadi, Varisheh Moradi, and Nasim Gholami Simiyari… Rights groups, activists, and Evin Prison inmates have condemned the authorities’ actions, sparking widespread protests on social media and from human rights organizations against the Islamic Republic’s harsh treatment of female activists… Here is a closer look at these remarkable women.” – Nasim Gholami Simiyari: Continued Uncertainty in Evin Prison After 400 Days
Nasim Gholami Simiyari is currently detained at Tehran’s Evin prison. She was arrested on May 18, 2023, by IRGC intelligence agents in Tehran. Initially held in solitary confinement in Ward 1A, she was interrogated before being moved to the notorious Ward 2A and finally to the women’s ward of Evin Prison on September 26, 2023… US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) citing Gholami Simiyari’s friend, reported that she endured psychological and physical torture, resulting in forced confessions recorded on camera under duress… Iran HRM reports Simiyari has been sentenced to six years in prison, 74 lashes, and 20 years of internal exile in Angouran, Zanjan Province. The court emphasized that her exile should be carried out in isolation from any form of social interaction. – Kurdish Woman Activist Sentenced to Death: Pakhshan Azizi
In July 2024, Azizi was sentenced to death solely in relation to her peaceful humanitarian and human rights activities, including assisting displaced women and children in north-east Syria. Azizi’s reports of torture and mistreatment in detention have not been investigated. Azizi belongs to Iran’s oppressed Kurdish ethnic minority, making her case even more urgent. – Iran Sentences Labor Activist Sharifeh Mohammadi To Death Amid Rights Groups’ Outcry
Labor activist Sharifeh Mohammadi has been sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court in the northern city of Rasht, rights groups told RFE/RL’s Radio Farda on July 4, a move her supporters have labeled “medieval and criminal.” – The court said she had been convicted on charges of “armed rebellion against the state” and included as evidence her membership in an independent labor organization… The Campaign for the Defense of Sharifeh Mohammadi described the labor organization — the Coordination Committee for Helping to Establish Labor Organizations — as legal but said that, in any case, she had not been a member for 10 years… The Hengaw rights watchdog said Mohammadi “endured mental and physical torture at the hands of Iranian Intelligence interrogators…who sought to extract a forced confession from her.” – Iran Sentences Kurdish Women’s Rights Activist Varisheh Moradi to Death
A Revolutionary Court in Iran has sentenced Varisheh Moradi, a Kurdish women’s rights activist, to death on charges of “armed rebellion.”
The court cited Moradi’s alleged affiliation with the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK) as grounds for the sentence… Throughout the proceedings, Moradi’s legal team faced extensive restrictions. Her lawyers were denied access to her case file during the final hearing on October 6 and in previous sessions. Moradi herself was not allowed to present a defense in court… In protest of the death sentence, Moradi initiated a 20-day hunger strike beginning October 10, coinciding with the World Day Against the Death Penalty… According to the Hengaw human rights organization, Moradi endured severe torture at the Sanandaj Intelligence Department’s detention center, including an incident where she reportedly vomited blood and lost consciousness. – Please don’t forget Ahoo Dariyaei who removed her clothes to protest against treatment of her by morality police in Iran.
The photo to the left is of Ahoo, sent by her family to Iranian activist Masih Alinejad… I wrote about her in Cardi B vs Ahou Daryaei. She is a 30-year-old Iranian doctoral student in French literature at Tehran’s Islamic Azad University… She has been branded mentally ill and transferred to a psychiatric hospital where, according to Amir Kabir, she “attempted to escape from the quarantine ward at least once but was blocked by security forces.”Her family continues to face immense pressure. This injustice is not only a violation of human rights but also a clear example of the brutality of a regime that thrives on suppression and fear… When I posted a reminder about Ahoo on Substack Notes, this fellow replied: So you’re saying you’re against multiculturalism… every country must conform to western cultural norms whether or not they want to. Have I got that right? – You’re funny. Your piece is flat-out western imperialism. I point that out and it’s not worthy of a response. But you pretend to multiculturalism. Until what? Until it hits close to home? – This is an example of the complete disconnect between Western social media warriors who sit safely in their homes and spew out ignorance, refusing to listen to the people from the actual countries they claim to know so much about… Here is part of my response: I am not sure how you call repeating what Iranians are saying for themselves “flat-out western imperialism”. This has nothing to do with me and my beliefs. It is about giving a voice to those who would have no voice otherwise… In case you still don’t get it, it is the Iranian family of Ahoo Dariyaei in Iran that asked Iranian American human rights activist Masih Alinejad to please spread the word in the West. Should she not have done that? Should I, in turn, have not done what they asked? Is that what you call capitulating to western imperialism… Perhaps you should listen to what these Iranians are saying instead of treating them with such disdain. I wonder, if Dariyaei’s family was standing in front of you and looked in your eyes, would you be able to meet their gaze or would you look down in shame? What would you suggest they do? I would genuinely like to know… It is because of attention in the West that Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi’s death sentence was overturned. Should people have remained silent? He would be dead now… German parliamentarian Ye-One Rhie, acting as Salehi’s “political guardian” in Europe, denounced the death sentence as “absurd and inhumane,” expressing disbelief about how the verdict could have been rendered. Rhie criticized the Iranian legal system’s chaotic and arbitrary nature, questioning the presence of juridical logic in it… Will you now give Ye-One Rhie the lecture you gave me? You will look like the fool you are… I suppose in your mind, any protest against such a regime is capitulation to “western imperialism” and therefore the Iranian regime is fully justified in brutally stopping protests by any means necessary… If you don’t know who Masih Alinejad is, “the woman whose hair frightens Iran”, let me tell you!
According to her bio:Masih Alinjead is an Iranian-American journalist, women’s rights activist and author of best-selling memoir, The Wind in My Hair. She has been one of the leading figures critical of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The New York Times has described Masih Alinejad, as “The woman whose hair frightens Iran.” In July 2022, the law enforcement agents arrested a member of an East European criminal gang armed with an AK47 outside her house. That arrest came a year after the FBI foiled a plot by Iranian intelligence agents to kidnap Alinejad from Brooklyn and take her to Venezuela and onward to Iran… Born and raised in northern Iran, Alinejad started her professional career as a parliamentary journalist in Tehran, where she often got into trouble for her articles on corruption and malfeasance among the lawmakers. In 2009, she was forced to leave Iran after the crackdown on the protests against the disputed presidential elections… In 2014, Alinejad founded the My Stealthy Freedom/White Wednesday campaign against compulsory hijab, which is the largest civil disobedience campaign in the history of Islamic Republic… Alinejad’s life is in constant danger, and she cannot go anywhere without bodyguards. Another plot to assassinate her was just uncovered. The hitman, Farjad Shakeri, was also under orders to kill Donald Trump, the president-elect… Alinejad is one of many brave Iranian women who choose to speak for those back in their home country living under harsh Sharia law who cannot speak for themselves… I do wish all the foolish Western protestors would have to stand face to face with these women. I wonder if they would dare to tell them that they are “western imperialists”. I would hope their eyes would be cast down in shame. It’s easy to be an idiot online, spouting lies when there are no consequences. These women face torture and death for speaking the truth… We should be humbled by these women and forever thankful for the freedoms that we still have. We should be inspired to do all we can to fight for our freedoms and never let them go. We should pray to have their courage if the day comes when we face torture and death for standing up for the truth… God bless you all my dear readers and keep us strong and free!
