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Who wants to guess what's up for Balochistan?

Dunces, Dukes and Princes talk to Trump

what a great photo by Saudi Press Agency

Dunce hats on a few of the Persian Gulf autocrats.

Dunces. Dunces who managed to get U.S.dunces to kill a lot of Iraqis, Syrians and Yemenis, among others, on their behalf. Petrodollars buys killing to save their dunce necks.

photo copied from John Duke Anthony & Fahad Nazer piece:

http://ncusar.org/aa/2016/12/gcc-us-relations-under-trump-administration/

National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations - home of a lot of paid flacks including Anthony himself, disgraced-leaker-of-secrets Petraeus, three Saudi princes including neocon Sunni-terrorist fanboy Turki, professional apologist Nawaf Obaid, and at least one Al-Jubair not Adel, Jubeir spelled both ways, plus Michael Hudson, Raghida Dergham and others.

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I found the piece to be distasteful and shameful, let alone one-sided P.R. meant to sway the dunces without flags over their heads, namely, the uninformed. Well, it's paid. Those pundits get paid to do the shameful deeds, participate in repression of truth for money, spread false stories and propaganda for money. When the money sits in the same room with the pen, money talks. Money has the room as well as the floor.

1) Anthony wrote about anticipation that President-elect Trump will take seriously the GCC’s deep concerns about Iran’s policies in the Arab world. 

My question is logical and different and deserves to be asked. Will Trump take seriously Iran's deep concerns about GCC member's disturbing, sectarian war-mongering, terrorist-supporting policies in the Middle East, indeed, in the world?

 With Generals Flynn and Mattis each speaking into one of Trump's ears, he hears some anti-Iran this, anti-Iran that talk. He hears it's good for business. Yeah, yeah, the defense industry can continue to sell arms to Gulfies, billions and billions worth.

    But the Saudis can try to cut off the head of their own snake. Obama's Pentagon has assisted the Saudis and their lousy coalition in the disastrous Yemen war, and maybe Trump will continue to support bombing and starving people for Mo Salman to prove his manhood, for occasional swipes at Al Qaeda or ISIS, for military bases and pipelines from deserts to seas. It'll take guts to end the U.S. part in that dreadful war. Trump has a big mouth but I don't know if he's got any guts.

 Fortunately for Iran, Trump will also hear Rex Tillerson, with both ears, whether he gets the Sec. State post or not. He's already got a pipeline to Trump's ear and that's not going away. I have a strong feeling that Tillerson feels strongly about, say, the facilities at Ras Tanura and Jubail and thinks about where Iranian rockets could land That's the kind of money that I think will talk to Trump.      

2) Pity no dunce hat for JD Anthony who calls Iraqi PMUs non-state actors. They're under control of the Iraqi Prime Minister. Period. U.S. wasn't in favor of Iraqi parliament approval of placing the PMUs in with the regular armed forces for campaigns, but it's happened. PMUs are not going to be allowed to enter with some other Iraqi and Kurdish forces in some places specifically to avoid sectarianism and the appearance thereof. 

So far the reports even from U.S. general in major news media have been positive to the PMUs' effectiveness and speed. They've gone where they were ordered to go and not further. 

There's plenty more in the piece which runs counter to facts and would make lousy policy. Think-tankery public relations is going to be getting more publicity about its funders and the extreme views they propagate. The Saudis multi-million dollar handouts to those chaps aren't going to be enough to cover up their evil deeds. They deserve dunce hats. 

Saudi Yabbutts Out in Force

World-leading headchopper Saudi Arabia's multi-million dollar P.R. machine is out in full force trying to justify its murder of Ayatollah Nimr Al Nimr.

In the custom and practice of the industry, the "Yeah, but" is Option No. 1. Now all we hear is, "Yeah, we killed the Ayatollah, but Iran, Iran, Iran, Iran ..." ad infinitum.

Today the Al Saud dumped bombs on Iran's embassy in Yemen, on purpose, following many prior bomb-dropping in the immediate vicinity. "Yeah, we bombed it, but, you know, Iran has unjustly imprisoned an American reporter."

Time for Regime Change ... in Bahrain

It's my belief that the U.S. may finally lead, may demonstrate zero tolerance of the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf's continued funding or contributions in kind, or blind tolerance of the flow of money, weapons, Captagon, and the bread out of the mouths of babies to the terrorists all over the Middle East and Africa and the sub-continent. The U.S. has laws against the use of banks in financing terrorism. Many banks have been fined and or banned from doing business in the U.S. or Europe because they violated such laws. Currently some big, important countries are forming their own banking systems to get around sanctions and their attendant hypocrisy.

Anybody who pays a bit of attention to international affairs knows these things. We also know that the various terrorist groups rely on other means of support. No point to waste time on these knowns.

An example needs to be made of a player in the Gulf, for the rest of them to take serious notice. I don't know how much Ajman or Um Al Qaiwain are contributing funds or banking access to their citizens to send money to their Sunni brethren fighting in the sovereign states of Iraq and Syria. Since the U.A.E. is a federation, it may be federal money, but in the case of Abu Dhabi, we know there is material support of terrorists. Ditto Dubai, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and ...

Bahrain. Banks. Remember when Bahrain was well on her way to being the banking center of the Gulf but didn't get there? Still, there are a good number of banks established in the Island, connected to the banks in the other Gulf states and the world. I betcha there is plenty of dark money flows through that entrepot to the head-choppers de jour by whatever name, through "charities" of course, and for "humanitarian" purposes.

Time to make an example. Time to shut them down. Time for a radical change in the island, a change that will ensure the rest of the Gulfies shut down their terrorist funding, tell the Saudis and Qatar to tell their clerics to fatwa the end of jihad for which they fatwa'd the beginning, and to fatwa the end of the sectarianism and hate campaigns, and to fatwa the end of blaming Iran for the shamal that blows sand in their eyes.

Time for the U.S. military in Bahrain to send the Saudis and Emiratis -- and whatever other military of the Peninsula Shield forces crossed the bridge or flew into the Shaikh Isa Air Base or arrived in ships to put down the anti-government demonstrations in Bahrain -- time to send them home. We have intelligence that some members of those foreign forces have been plotting to carry out unfriendly actions against the U.S.N. In the current tense atmosphere, we need all of them to leave. Immediately. It's a matter of force protection. Chop chop.

Also, any of the Al-Khalifas and their lackeys who believe they may be held accountable for state crimes against civilian population may want to take their cars and retinue across the bridge as well. He who fears an uninvited helicopter landing in the courtyard of the palace he may be in one night with Wife Number Two, may want to consider such advice. Perhaps he may want to consider such advice the next night when he is in the palace of Wife Number Three, or the next in the palace of Wife Number Four. (Pretty sure Wife Number One no longer receives such visits, but that's just gossip.)

Time to close all the banks in Bahrain that have sent one dinar or any other currency to support the terrorists assaults on sovereign countries. It is well known which banks have been involved. They're done. Swift. Let the other states know they've got a limited time to clean up their acts.

Then time to invite the "other" foreign forces in Bahrain to go home, the mercenaries imported to act with an iron fist against protesters and change the demographic balance of the island. Bahrain can afford their return tickets and severance pay, and the houses and villas they leave behind will find people who've been waiting a long time to live in one and the jobs to support their upkeep.

Then reinstate the political parties and have a fair election for a new house of parliament to take the place of the one which Hamad appointed. Two houses, equal. An elected prime minister, no matter that the confession of the winner will not win the approval on the other side of the bridge.

Matter of fact, that is the point. Representative government is going to come to Bahrain. The U.S. and a coalition of willing friends should immediately implement steps to bring it about. It should be a rousing success. It should be without bloodshed if the dictator and his supporters know what's good for them. They have the option to leave, to cross the bridge, to keep their passports or give them up, or they can stay and face the music. It's a one-time, time-limited offer. Do they trust an independent judiciary to give them the fairness they've denied those who oppose them? Perhaps Najd might be an attractive destination to consider?

While the Al Khalifas are considering relocation, rather quickly it is suggested, it might be worthwhile to inform them of another personal financial matter. Funds derived from the natural wealth of the island and funds derived from corrupt deals made over, say, the past 40 years, which have made their way to foreign banks, will be frozen. Mansions scattered all over Europe, all over the globe, paid for with state money pilfered by the royals, will be seized because the funds to buy them traveled through the banks.

The government of Saudi Arabia does not want its favorite terrorists designated as terrorists in the upcoming Hashemite designation of who is a terrorist. Ditto Qatar. Changing the names of their terrorist groups may have fooled some, particularly those who can't read the Arabic script on those black flags, but they're terrorists and they have no sovereign state. There is a simple solution. All those "fighters" and "rebels" supported by the Saudis should have the option:  die or move to Riyadh. Ditto, Qatar. Ditto, U.A.E. Ditto, Kuwait. That should keep the paymasters busy while there are big changes in a small country, changes which Turki Faisal, Bandar Sultan and Adel Al Jubair and their addled king can huff and puff and threaten to blow down, and Bahrain, with coalition support, of course, can flip them something else to blow.

For instance, the new and elected government of the peaceful and protected islands of Bahrain could, with continued coalition support, of course, announce its intention to rectify a historical wrong, to unify the islands with the historical Bahrain on what is presently considered to be the K.S.A. mainland. It was rumoured the prior threat of such pursuit by unspecified means was sufficient for Bahrain to secure from K.S.A. proceeds from the Abu Safa oil field over the years. Historical Bahrain would include the oil-laden area with a large Shia population, the oil of which belongs to the state. Have some bravura, take Ras Tanura.

The fun could begin soon. Perhaps we need to order some more of those Freedom Donuts. Remember the anxiety they caused the first time we provided hot donuts to a few protesters? Hospitality donuts, truly. That's all it was, but Khawalid spun what many considered a laughable conspiracy theory set forth to distract the gullible, inter alia. More Krispy Kremes than last time, please. We need them for the upcoming holidays and happier times. Freedom Donuts after regime change.

Matthews, Maddow Spread Rubbish About Russians in Syria Today

MSNBC big league star Rachel Maddow has become a major disappointment in her coverage of news relating to the Middle East, doling out propaganda as if it's reporting. 

Today I heard Chris Matthews say about the first Russian bombing raids in Syria, "They're bombing the good guys." I listened to his program for a couple years in the afternoons when there wasn't anything interesting to me on C-Span, until I couldn't bear to hear his ignorance on "my" issues. Now he declares the Nusra Front, an Al-Qaida offshoot, allegiance sworn, and Ahrar-as-Shams are "good guys." How is that not support for terrorism?

I didn't expect the same from Ph.D. Rachel, but she's hopped on the bullshit bandwagon without a fare-thee-well in regards to Syria and Iran, for some time now. She sometimes issues corrections, but never about the obvious mistakes and preconceived narratives for Middle East matters. 

The Pentagon whispers in her ear and she puts it on the air. Often, as today, a diligent amount of research would have turned up some large holes in her so-called reporting.

Examples from tonight's program: the faux contempt that the U.S. military has been bombing terrorists in Syria for a year and the Russians are late to the party. Perhaps she was unaware that we and the others were not invited in but the Russians were. Minimally, she or her staff could have looked at the headlines in Google News. Perhaps if they'd clicked on a few articles, that simple fact would have become clear.

Perhaps it didn't occur to her that the U.S. doesn't get to choose targets for the Russians. 

Perhaps it didn't occur to her that the U.S. drones can see the convoys of terrorists moving towards Damascus, and saw them moving towards the ancient Palmyra, but somehow forget to send target data to our bombs.

 Does she really believe our lack of success is because the lousy Syrian dictator won't give up power? 

I watch her show, have done since the beginning and whilst she subbed for Keith Olbermann. I will continue to watch her show because she covers D.C. politics from a progressive POV and I'm interested in that, but I'm not just going to growl at the tube all the time when I hear rubbish.