(Photo: Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images)
Tom Nichols at The Atlantic writes that Tulsi Gabbard is stunningly unqualified for almost any Cabinet post, especially for ODNI. She has no qualifications as an intelligence professional—literally none. (She is a reserve lieutenant colonel who previously served in the Hawaii Army National Guard, with assignments in medical, police, and civil-affairs-support positions. She has won some local elections and also represented Hawaii in Congress.) Gabbard has no significant experience directing or managing much of anything.
To make Tulsi Gabbard the DNI, however, is not merely handing a bouquet to a political gadfly. Her appointment would be a grave threat to US national security.
Gabbard ran for president as a Democrat in 2020, attempting to position herself as something like a peace candidate. But she’s no peacemaker: She’s been an apologist for both the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
In 2017 Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu lawmaker in the US Congress, said she was unsure whether Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was a war criminal.
In early 2017, while still a member of Congress, Gabbard met with Assad, saying that peace in Syria was only possible if the international community would have a conversation with him. “Let the Syrian people themselves determine their future, not the United States, not some foreign country,” Gabbard said, after chatting with a man who had stopped the Syrian people from determining their own future by reportedly using chemical weapons on them. Two years later, she added that Assad was “not the enemy of the US, because Syria does not pose a direct threat to the US,” and that her critics were merely “warmongers.”
Gabbard’s shilling for Assad is a mystery, but she’s even more dedicated to carrying Putin’s water. Tom Rogan, a conservative writer and hardly a liberal handwringer, summed up her record succinctly in the Washington Examiner:
Gabbard has blamed NATO and the US for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has repeated Russian propaganda claims that the US has set up secret bioweapons labs in that country, and has argued that the US not Russia is wholly responsible for Putin’s nuclear brinkmanship.
When she appeared on Sean Hannity’s show in 2022, even Hannity blanched at Gabbard floating off in a haze of Kremlin talking points and cheerleading for Russia.
A person with Gabbard’s views should not be allowed anywhere near the crown jewels of American intelligence. Gabbard hasn’t been central to Trump’s campaign and he owes her very little. For someone as grubbily transactional as Trump, it’s not an appointment that makes much sense. Perhaps Trump just likes the way she handles herself on television.
But Trump could also be engaging in a ploy to bring in someone else. He may suspect that Gabbard is unconfirmable by the US Senate. Once she’s turfed, he could then slide in an even more appalling nominee and claim that he has no choice but to use a recess appointment as a backstop. (Hard to imagine who might be worse as DNI than Gabbard, but remember that Trump has promised at various times to bring retired General Mike Flynn back into government. Flynn is a decorated veteran who was fired from Trump’s White House in a scandal about lying to the FBI; he is now a conspiracist who is fully on board with Trump’s desire for revenge on his enemies.
US-government employees with clearances are trained every year to spot “insider threats,” people who might for various reasons compromise classified information. Trump’s open and continuing affection for Putin and other dictators would be a matter of concern for any security organization. Gabbard’s behavior and her admiration for dictators are no less causes for worry—especially because she would be at the apex of the entire USIC.
This nomination should be one of the handful of Trump appointments where soon-to-be Majority Leader John Thune and his Republican colleagues draw a hard line and say no—at least if they still care at all about exercising the Senate’s constitutional duty of advice and consent.
Tulsi Gabbard (L), Cult leader Chris Butler (R)
Tulsi Gabbard’s erratic views may be the result of her membership in the Hawaii-based Science of Identity Foundation, founded by Chris Butler in the 1970s. Followers must practice vegetarianism and are not allowed to gamble, engage in any sexual contact outside marriage, or consume caffeine or intoxicants. Butler’s teachings included condemnation of homosexuality, hostility towards Islam, and skepticism of science. Both Tulsi Gabbard’s parents were associated with the Science of Identity Foundation which has been described as a “secretive Hindu cult.” Placing a cult member and Putin apologist to the acme of the USIC is tantamount to self-inflicted national sabotage of epic proportion.
Our gratitude to Tom Nichols at The Atlantic.
Sources:
Tulsi Gabbard’s Nomination Is a National-Security Risk – The Atlantic
Cult Education Institute :: Group Information Archives
Science of Identity Foundation – Wikipedia
The FBI Needs Our Help Investigating Child Sex Exploitation Case
The FBI is searching for a white male known only as John Doe 49 for “critical information” in a child sexual exploitation investigation. The individual is described as 45 and 65 years old, bald, with a dark goatee.
John Doe 49 has at least at least five visual tattoos: the word “Dabby” on the right side of his chest, the numeral “197” followed by possible additional unknown text on his left bicep, and additional tattoos on his left and right forearms and right bicep.
Somebody, somewhere CONUS (or OCONUS) has seen John Doe 49 or his tattoos at work, in a supermarket, poolside, tattoo parlor, medical office, saloon, restaurant, park, train/subway, at the beach, massage parlor, or shopping mall.
Anyone with information about the man is urged to call the FBI’s toll-free tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or to contact a Crimes Against Children Investigator at their local FBI office, or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.
Members of the public can also submit anonymous tips about John Doe 49 online here.
John Doe 49
Canada Leads Large NATO Exercise Near Russia’s Border as NATO Prepares for Donald J. Trump
Cpl. Guillaume Lavoie and Cpl. Matthew Bowler from Quebec in a defensive trench position. Canadian and NATO soldiers train re-taking territory from enemy forces in the Resolute Warrior military exercise near Riga, Latvia. The Canadian-led exercise involved 13 NATO countries and over 3,500 soldiers, of which 2,200 were Canadian. (Photo: Corrinne Seminoff/CBC)
At the sprawling forested Ādaži military base, north east of Riga, Latvia, Capt. Harrison Burrows is one of more than 3,000 troops who has spent the past two weeks participating in a Canadian-led NATO military exercise designed to simulate an attack on the Baltic nation coming from beyond its nearly 300 km-long border with Russia.
This is the first exercise held in Latvia since the military forces in the country were scaled up to a multinational brigade, also led by Canada, that is made up of soldiers and equipment from more than 13 nations.
The 5 Nov election of Donald Trump could potentially create friction in the 32 member alliance, given his past warnings that the US will leave NATO nations to their own defences if they don’t spend more on defence.
In Feb 2024 on the campaign trail Trump even said he would encourage Russia to do “whatever” it wants to allies that don’t pay up.
While at the time the White House called those comments “appalling and unhinged,” NATO’s Secretary General Mark Rutte, who previously served as the prime minister of the Netherlands and frequently met with Trump during his first term as president, describes Trump as someone who tries to invigorate the debate about defence spending.
In 2023, the US spent more than $900 billion US on defense, which accounts for more than 65 per cent of NATO’s overall military spending.
While NATO allies are expected to spend two per cent of their gross domestic product [GDP] on defence, a quarter of members don’t, including Canada, which is expected to spend under 1.4 per cent this year.
While Rutte says all NATO members need to spend “considerably more” than two per cent on defence, he pointed to Canada’s leadership of the multinational brigade as evidence of its commitment to supporting the security priorities of the alliance.
Most of the Canadian soldiers deployed to Latvia are on six-month rotations, and in January, for the first time, Sweden will be sending 600 troops as part of its first deployment as a new NATO member, having joined the alliance in March 2024.
NATO and the EU have been preparing for the possibility of a Trump presidency and this military exercise is one of the publicly seen results. The intelligence apparatus of NATO countries is also ready for the Trump presidency and will carefully screen information they provide to the USIC.
Sources:
As Canada leads a beefed-up NATO force near Russia’s border, the alliance prepares for Trump | CBC News
NATO’s two per cent spending target — where it came from, what it means
NATO at 75: Is Canada losing its grip on the world’s greatest military alliance? | CBC News
Israel Continues Murdering Lebanese Medical Personnel (AKZ-L)
Lebanese first responder Hussein Fakih, who heads the Lebanese Civil Defense rescue team in the southern town of Nabatiyeh, is seen recovering from injuries sustained in an Israeli airstrike. The IDF murdered eight members of his team in just one month. (Photo: 22 Oct 2024; CBS News/Agnes Reausays)
The UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has deplored the Israeli strike on a Lebanese civil defense center where “at least 12 paramedics were killed”, saying such attacks “are becoming the new normal”. Attacking medical personnel or infrastructure is a war crime according to the Geneva Convention.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Health said that IDF attacks killed 59 people and wounded another 182 across the country over the previous 24-hour reporting period.
The UN reports:
At least 100,000 people have been forced to leave northern Gaza, with UN colleagues on the ground reporting worsening conditions and Israel’s continuous denial of aid delivery requests as displacement and the death toll rises there and in Lebanon amid constant airstrikes.
Al-Jazeera correspondents in the Gaza Strip (AKZ-G) provided the following update:
-Israeli forces are demolishing residential neighborhoods in southern Gaza’s Rafah city adjacent to the Philadelphi Corridor, an area bordering Egypt.
-Israeli ground forces have demolished many residential buildings in northern Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp.
-The air force has attacked a group of Palestinians in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya town, killing three civilians.
-Israeli artillery has bombed the as-Saftawi neighborhood in northern Gaza, causing significant damage to civil infrastructure.
-Many Palestinians are injured following a strike on a residential building in Gaza City’s Shujayea neighborhood.
-Naval warships have opened fire at the coast of central Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp.-
Displaced Palestinian children drawing artwork on their tents in Gaza. (Photo: Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu)
The Immortal Bard would say to the craven PIFWC (Person Indicted for War Crimes) PM Benjamin Netanyahu, AKA the “curse of Israel”:
“Begone, thou wayward crook-pated horn-beast!”
Sources:
Middle East crisis: Live updates for 15 November | UN News
American Warzone: Gunfire Strikes Southwest Plane on Tarmac of Dallas Airport
There were no injuries after a Southwest flight carrying passengers was struck by gunfire on the tarmac of Dallas Love Field Friday night.
Southwest Airlines Flight 2494 was preparing for departure to Indianapolis when “a bullet apparently struck the right side of the aircraft under the flight deck,” a Southwest spokesperson told CBS News in a statement.
The airline said no one was hurt. The aircraft returned to its gate after sustaining damage from a “security incident” and the passengers deplaned. The runway was also temporarily closed, but has since reopened.
Dallas police confirmed the incident, saying that officers responded to reports of gunfire at 9:48 PM local time, arriving to find that the aircraft had been struck.
No further details were provided on the circumstances of the incident or what was the potential source of the gunfire. It’s unclear how many people were aboard the jet at the time, or how much damage the aircraft sustained.
The Federal Aviation Administration said that the Boeing 737-800 “was reportedly struck by gunfire near the cockpit.”
Dallas police are leading the investigation. Luckily, no one was killed or wounded in this idiotic incident.
Earlier this week, gunfire amid ongoing gang violence struck three planes that were either landing or departing Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince. The shootings prompted the FAA to issue a 30-day ban on US airlines flying to Haiti.
In 2021, Texas reported 1,006,555 firearms licenses and 45.7% of adults say they live in homes with guns.
In an average year, 4,122 people die and 7,726 are wounded by guns in Texas.
This equates to 11 people killed and 21 wounded every day in the Lone Star State.
Source:
Gunfire strikes Southwest plane on tarmac of Dallas airport, officials say – CBS News
1. Texas – Gun map: Ownership by state – statistics and rates
Gun-Violence-in-Texas-2024-05.pdf
Chemist Identifies Mystery ‘Blobs’ Washing Up in Newfoundland
The blobs were photographed on the southern shores of Newfoundland in Sept 2024 by a local resident. (Photo: David McGrath)
A chemist in Canada has identified “with a high degree of confidence” the strange blobs that started washing up on Newfoundland’s shores months ago. Globs of the white sticky substance, which have a spongy interior and range in size from a coin to a dinner plate, have been found for miles along Placentia Bay since at least September. Canada’s environmental agency began an investigation, but it has not released any conclusions.
Dr. Chris Kozak informs:
“I’m quite confident that the sample that I handled was PVA butylene rubber,” describing a mix of synthetic rubber and polyvinyl acetate, known as PVA. That polymer is the active ingredient in white glue — the kind of white glue you have at home is a very dilute, kid-friendly version of this stuff.”
A synthetic rubber and PVA mixture would in theory be safe to handle, but as plastic pollution it should be cleaned up. If the material has been tainted by a toxic pollutant like crude oil, however, it should be handled with caution.
The greater threat may be toward marine life, especially if more of the material sank to the ocean floor as they could be perceived by marine life as food, looking like squid, octopus, or jellyfish.
The origin of the substance, and how it wound up in the ocean, remains a mystery. The bay has a long history as a center for both fishing and industry, and is home to a shipyard and oil facilities. But the substance may also have crossed vast distances before washing ashore.
Oceanography, shipping and industrial data, weather events, satellite images, and research on synthetic rubber and the environment could all help determine the origin.
Source:
Chemist Identifies Mystery ‘Blobs’ Washing Up in Newfoundland – The New York Times
Pentagon Reports Over 20 Unexplained UFO Sightings in One Year
The Pentagon’s department tasked with investigating unidentified flying objects, officially referred to as unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), revealed that over 20 reported sightings in the past year remain unexplained. According to the annual report from the Defense Department’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), these incidents warrant further investigation due to their unusual characteristics. See link below for official report.
Between 1 May 2023 and 1 Jun 2023, AARO received 757 reports of UAP sightings, 485 of which were newly reported during this period, with the remainder stemming from 2021 and 2022. Most sightings occurred in the skies, although 49 were observed in space. AARO director Jon Kosloski noted that 21 cases remain unresolved and have been identified as “true anomalies,” requiring additional analysis.
The report emphasized AARO’s collaboration with the intelligence community and scientific partners to better understand and assess these cases, particularly those exhibiting anomalous behaviors or characteristics. AARO also pledged to promptly inform Congress if any evidence of advanced foreign aerospace technologies emerges.
Despite the unusual nature of some sightings, Kosloski confirmed that AARO has not uncovered any verifiable evidence of extraterrestrial life, activities, or technology. The cases reviewed so far show no signs of breakthrough aerospace technologies, and the office resolved 118 sightings, attributing them to causes such as balloons, birds, and drones.
The report also highlighted challenges that have hindered AARO’s ability to resolve more cases, citing the lack of timely and actionable sensor data as a significant constraint. To address this, the office is working with military and technical partners to improve sensor capabilities, streamline information-sharing processes, and enhance UAP reporting systems.
The governments of Russia and China are much more opaque in disclosing unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), although sightings occasionally appear on social media.
The undated photo below was taken over Buryatia, Russia.
Massive UFO found above Buryatia, Russia, in latest sighting | Daily Star
Pentagon Reports Over 20 Unexplained UFO Sightings in a Year
Sweet-Toothed Bear Wanders into Tennessee Candy Store
Employees said the bear seemed to show a preference for Charleston Chews and Hershey’s Kisses.
Map courtesy of jeffbales.com
The Gatlinburg Police Department was summoned to the scene to help get the bruin out of the store.
No injuries to the poor bear or civilians were reported.
Coriolanus 