The Dotard-in-Chief (Photo: Reuters)
After US Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) approved the appalling Trumpf junta federal budget to further enrich the oligarchs and secure the flow of uninterrupted military aid to Israel earlier this month, Benjamin Netanyahu re-started his genocidal campaign against the Palestinians in Gaza. Simultaneously that very weekend, Trumpf ordered the bombing of Shia Houthis in Yemen as a favor to both Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman. Both of them loathe the Shias and Iranians, as you read about here on Coriolanus.
Remarkably, USSECDEF Pete Hegseth, a known alcoholic, during that same weekend erroneously texted the classified US attack plans on the starving Houthis to a journalist working for the Atlantic magazine.
Pete Hegseth vociferously complained about Hillary Clinton’s emails. (Photo: Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images)
The tremendously under-qualified Pete Hegseth, a former Fox TV host who threw an axe at a musician during one of his shows, used a commercial cell phone application called Signal to relay Top Secret information to several Trump junta leaders, but also included the journalist who was not cleared to receive this information. The text message included the name of an undercover CIA intelligence officer, amongst other things. War plans and names of intelligence officers are never meant to be disclosed outside secure facilities or communication networks or to uncleared civilians. This means that Russian, Chinese, and Israeli intelligence potentially intercepted Hegseth’s message and all the little details in it.
The NSA issued an operational security special bulletin to the USIC in Feb 2025 warning of the vulnerabilities in using the encrypted messaging application Signal.
From professional experience, your author can testify that careers in the USIC have been destroyed over much less violations. And in any other country, this egregious conduct would lead to an immediate court-martial. Only under the Trumpf junta can a dipsomaniac, misogynist, racist USSECDEF with access to nuclear weapons be allowed to thrive. Congress acted immediately by summoning the ODNI and D/CIA, two satraps appointed to the crown jewels of the USIC because of their cultish loyalty to Trumpf, and not their competence or experience. Listen to how much the D/CIA knows below:
Using Signal is also extraordinary given that a constant refrain of President Trumpf’s 2015 presidential election campaign was the need to “lock up” Hillary Clinton for using a private server for her emails.
DOGE Cuts Could Send Former USIC Personnel to Adversarial Powers
FTA:
“For Russia, China and other adversaries, the upheaval in Washington as Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency guts government agencies presents an unprecedented opportunity to recruit informants, national security and intelligence experts say.
Every former federal worker with knowledge of or access to sensitive information or systems could be a target. When thousands of them leave their jobs at the same time, that creates a lot of targets, as well as a counterespionage challenge for the US.
“This information is highly valuable, and it shouldn’t be surprising that Russia and China and other organizations — criminal syndicates for instance — would be aggressively recruiting government employees,” said Theresa Payton, a former White House chief information officer under President George W. Bush, who now runs her own cybersecurity firm.”
Every year 100,000 federal employees retire or leave government work. This year will be higher because of DOGE. Only a tiny fraction of the many millions of Americans who have worked for the federal government have ever been accused of espionage. It takes only one or two misguided or disgruntled workers to cause a national security crisis. Former FBI agent Robert Hanssen and former CIA officer Aldrich Ames, who both spied for Russia, show just how damaging a single informant can be.”
This is a numbers game. By probability and statistics, US counterintelligence agencies can expect to see more cases of espionage or former USIC personnel working for foreign companies that may be shells for Beijing, Jerusalem, or Moscow.
Europe is beginning to establish asylum programs for US scientists dismissed from NASA, NOAA, NIH, CDC, USDA, DOE, and the NWS. Coriolanus wouldn’t be surprised if the EU and the Commonwealth countries began special asylum programs for fired US intelligence personnel as well. What country wouldn’t want an influx of experts from the FBI, NASA, or CIA? This would be the reverse of the WWII US Operation Paperclip, when the US Counterintelligence Corps (CIC) grabbed Nazi rocket scientists before the Soviets could. This is how Werner von Braun came to lead the US space program and got America to the moon before the Soviet Union.
Trumpf Junta Continues Useless Threats Against Greenland
Republican JD Vance and Democrat Usha Vance at their wedding.
The Trumpf junta is sending Second Lady Usha Vance to Greenland later this week. She will be joined by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and national security adviser Mike Waltz. Vance, who is taking one of her two sons, will visit historical sites, learn about Greenlandic heritage and attend a national dogsled race. The officials will embark on the trip as Trumpf sharpens his proposal to take over Greenland, a mineral-rich island that houses a US military base.
Sending dark-skinned Usha Vance is a shameful and cynical attempt to soften the image of white supremacist America to native Inuits in Greenland. Does anybody think they’ll be fooled up there?
Trumpf Junta to Eliminate FEMA
US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told a Cabinet meeting that the department would move to “eliminate” the government’s disaster relief agency, days after Trumpf signed an executive order directing state and local governments to “play a more active and significant role” in responding to catastrophes.
From 2015 to Aug 2024, red states Florida, Louisiana, and Texas have benefited the most from the Individuals and Households Program (IHP). Florida residents have received $2.5 billion, Louisiana residents have gotten $2.4 billion, and Texas residents have received $2.3 billion. Republicans who voted for Trumpf shot themselves in the foot.
Besides helping Republicans recover from flooding, hurricanes, and tornados, which there will be more of because of global climate change, FEMA has a national civil defense (CD) role in the event of a debilitating attack on the US by terrorists or adversarial powers.
Trumpf Junta Sloppily Releases De-Classified JFK Assassination Files
Joseph diGenova was victimized by the release.
“It’s absolutely outrageous. It’s sloppy, unprofessional,” said former Trumpf campaign lawyer Joseph diGenova (80) whose private information was included in the massive release. Trumpf staffers recklessly released the documents online without redacting personal information. “It not only means identity theft, but I’ve had threats against me,” said diGenova, a fixture in Republican and Washington legal circles who has fiercely defended Trump and has pounced on his critics on cable news. “In the past, I’ve had to report real threats against me to the FBI. There are dangerous nuts out there.”
Released JFK files: www.archives.gov
The irony is rich when a Trumpf acolyte is screwed over by Trumpf acolytes. This is the type of idiotic sloppiness that Americans and the world must get accustomed to. The guardians and custodians of US secrets are unprofessional, incompetent clowns and US national security is in utter disarray. No wonder the new Canadian PM Mark Carney immediately flew to London and Paris for security talks, by-passing the Rogue State led by buffoons, criminals, goniffs, and a premier Russian asset despoiling his southern border.
Citations:
The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans
Hegseth’s Own Words Come Back to Haunt Him After Texting War Plans | The New Republic
Trump officials leak plans for US airstrikes in Signal SNAFU • The Register
Espionage concerns rise as Trump and Musk cut thousands of federal jobs | AP News
Residents of These 3 Red States Receive Most FEMA Funds as Trump Mulls Cuts – Newsweek
civil-defense-from-the-cold-war-to-contemporary-threats.pdf
More than 400 Social Security numbers, other private information revealed in JFK files
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nsa-signal-app-vulnerabilities-before-houthi-strike-chat/
Anonymous Warns Donald Trumpf and Felon Musk
Anonymous is a global collective of unpaid volunteers operating secretly in cyberspace using their formidable IT and computer skills to disrupt unjust or nefarious actors throughout the world. The private communications and computer systems used by Felon Musk or Donald Trumpf are vulnerable to their penetrations. Anonymous has warned them to temper their fascistic and greedy goals or face the consequences. But Followers of the Watch need not be concerned by the activities of Anonymous as they only target those that deserve to be targeted.
Turkish President Arrests Opposition Leader
Followers of the Watch: The UK FCO issued a travel advisory to avoid travelling to Turkiye until the unrest ends.
The popular Ekrem İmamoğlu won Istanbul’s mayoralty three times.
The arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, the leading political rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on corruption charges — after being accused of both corruption and terrorism — marks yet another sign that Turkiye is becoming the next Iran: A state where elections are tightly controlled, rigged in advance and reduced to a democratic façade without free and fair campaign conditions. Tens of thousands of people across Turkiye have been protesting the arrest. Demonstrators have been fired upon with tear gas and rubber bullets in what has become the worst unrest in the country for more than a decade.
A protester waves Turkey’s national flag in front of riot police at a demonstration in support of mayor Ekrem Imamoglu outside Istanbul’s city hall on Saturday. (Photo: Kemal Aslan / AFP / Getty Images)
For over a decade Erdogan has systematically weaponized the criminal justice system, installing loyalist judges and prosecutors while co-opting opposition figures through bribery, blackmail, and intimidation. His goal is to ensure that any candidate who makes it onto the ballot is already set up for failure. Erdogan overuses the broad-brush term of “teror” for his political enemies, whether they are Gulenists or ethnic Kurds in the opposition parties.
Although Imamoglu was removed from office by the Interior Ministry, legal experts suggest that the ongoing terrorism case could be used as further justification for appointing a trustee to govern Istanbul and to neutralize a key rival ahead of the 2028 presidential election. The legal proceedings are part of a broader government strategy to undermine opposition-controlled municipalities and weaken political dissent.
University students protest after Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested. The poster reads in Turkish: “We bow neither to power nor to lawlessness”. (Photo: AP Photo)
In terms of military power, Turkiye is ranked 9 out of 145 countries by the Global Firepower Index (GFI). They maintain the second largest army in NATO and the US maintains 50 B-61 Cold War-era nuclear gravity bombs in Incirlik AFB. Ankara signaled Turkiye’s readiness to provide peacekeepers to Ukraine.
During Coriolanus’ military career, he had the distinct honor of working closely with the Turkish Special Forces in the Middle East and he befriended a few of the Generals. Their professionalism, competence, and experience were first-rate.
Turkiye’s first female air force pilot was the adopted daughter of Kemal Pasha Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkiye.
Mustapha Pasha Kemal Ataturk founded the CHP Party and would disapprove of a candidate from his party being so shabbily mistreated and manhandled.
Citations:
https://www.globalfirepower.com/country-military-strength-detail.php?country_id=turkey
https://www.cnn.com/2016/07/19/politics/us-nuclear-weapons-turkey-attempted-coup/index.html
Turkey protests: Why thousands are protesting Imamoglu’s arrest
China to Execute Former Defense Engineer for Selling J-35A Stealth Fighter Secrets
In a case that has sent shockwaves through China’s national security circles, a former assistant defense engineer, identified as Liu, has been sentenced to death for leaking classified intelligence on China’s J-35A fifth-generation stealth fighter to foreign intelligence agencies.
The Ministry of State Security (MSS) confirmed the espionage case in a rare and forceful statement, exposing the extent of China’s internal security vulnerabilities and the potential damage to its military advancements.
Liu was a former assistant engineer at a leading defense research institute specializing in military aviation technology. MSS sources revealed that Liu became disgruntled after being passed over for promotion, prompting him to illegally copy, store, and ultimately sell classified defense-related documents. Following his resignation, Liu briefly worked for an investment firm, but mounting financial losses from risky stock speculation and unauthorized credit withdrawals drove him to seek alternative means of income—ultimately leading him to trade state secrets for money.
Over a six-month period, Liu traveled to multiple countries, allegedly leaking highly sensitive Chinese defense intelligence to foreign operatives using sophisticated tradecraft. However, his handlers—foreign intelligence agents— reportedly cut ties with him after acquiring crucial data at a low cost, a move that left Liu vulnerable and exposed.
Rather than abandoning his operations, Liu refined his espionage methods and attempted to re-establish contact with foreign intelligence agencies. His actions raised red flags within China’s national security apparatus, triggering intensive surveillance that led to his eventual arrest in a covert counterintelligence operation.
Chinese security services use facial recognition devices built into their sunglasses.
According to MSS, Liu was convicted of espionage and the illegal transfer of state secrets. The court handed down the ultimate penalty—execution, along with lifelong deprivation of political rights, underscoring the gravity of the offense.
Beijing has made it clear that national security remains an uncompromising priority, warning that espionage and unauthorized intelligence leaks will face the harshest possible legal repercussions. Liu’s espionage case serves as a stark reminder of the high-stakes nature of military intelligence leaks. His swift trial and execution highlight China’s zero-tolerance approach to national security threats, particularly as Beijing works to protect its most sensitive military projects from foreign intelligence infiltration.
The irony is rich, since China stole the technology for their stealth fighter from the US and now a foreign adversary stole that technology. The MSS did not disclose who the foreign power is and the suspects in this case could be anybody, including the US, the UK, France, Germany, Taiwan, Australia, Japan, Israel, Russia, North Korea, or South Korea.
China is assessed to execute more prisoners each year than the rest of the world combined.
Pictured: Archive image shows Chinese police presenting a group of convicts for sentencing, many of whom went on to be executed. (Photo: AFP / Getty Images)
Chinese police lead a condemned man into a mobile execution van. (File image from AFP)
China’s Penal Code of 1997 has 46 crimes punishable by death, including 24 violent crimes and 22 non-violent crimes. Beijing does not recognize dual citizenship and recently executed four Canadians, prompting Ottawa to issue a travel advisory to her citizens.
Executing spies may serve as an example to terrorize one’s population, but is poor tradecraft. Beijing is better off not to execute the convicted spy as “Liu” may have more secrets to reveal in exchange for better living conditions in his prison. If the MSS think someone is a foreign spy, “Liu” might be able to confirm or deny their suspicion. Lastly, should a Chinese operative be caught by the same foreign adversary which handled “Liu,” Beijing could swap their prisoners, like Russia, Ukraine, and the Western powers have practiced for years. Once a spy has been killed, he is of no value to any intelligence service.
Citation:
China Executes Former Defense Engineer for Leaking J-35A Stealth Fighter Secrets
Sweden: Convicted Spy Must Taxes from His Russian Salary
Iranian-born Peyman Kia (Photo: Government of Sweden)
Peyman Kia -currently serving life in prison for espionage – must now cough up tax on the hefty sum he received from Russia’s notorious military intelligence service, the GRU. In 2014 and 2015, Peyman Kia (44), worked for Sweden’s domestic intelligence agency, as well as for the country’s armed forces. Swedish prosecutors allege that he sold the Russians sensitive information from the Swedish security and intelligence service, known by its acronym Säpo. Peyman Kia was arrested in Sep 2021 and his younger brother Payam in Nov 2021. Payam was convicted as well and received a ten-year sentence for lesser role in the espionage.
After the conviction, the Swedish Tax Authority went after Peyman Kia’s Russian salary. After a back-and-forth legal battle, the Swedish Administrative Court of Appeal recently overturned a previous ruling and decided that the 1.2 million kronor (paid in US dollars) Kia pocketed from the Russians isn’t just ‘dirty money’ – it’s taxable dirty money. In other words, when it comes to the Swedish Tax Authority, there’s simply no messing around. They want their cut.
The tragedy here lies in the fact that the two Iranian-born siblings became naturalized citizens in Sweden, a nation that ranks fifth on the Global Happiness Index; Iran is ranked a dismal 98. Stockholm has a bargaining chip with the Kremlin should a Swedish spy be detained in Russia. Moreover, Peyman Kia is available for further de-briefings from the Säpo.
Citations:
Sweden forces Russian spy to pay tax on salary « Euro Weekly News
Swedish brothers handed lengthy sentences in Russia spying case
https://www.theglobaleconomy.com/rankings/happiness/
Kenya: Death Rises from Mosquito-Borne Kal-Azar Disease
Two young girls and a boy with scars on their faces, caused by Leishmaniasis (Photo: M. Saeedi / WHO)
The death toll from the Kala-azar disease that has ravaged Wajir since Sep 2024 has hit 20, with demands for its declaration as a pandemic.
The main Level IV hospital in Wajir is overrun with Leishmaniasis every day, forcing patients to be treated outside, under the shade of trees. Most of the regions affected by Kal-Azar are in Eldas and Wajir West where the local government began a fumigation campaign targeting over 10,000 households.
According to CIA, Kenya has a population of 58,246,378 and GDP per capita is $5,700.
The local health authorities are stretched thin and test kits for Leishmaniasis must be outsourced from the Netherlands. Most of the deaths are recorded in children under five who have low immunity.
Female phlebotomine sandfy.
The WHO informs:
There are three main forms of leishmaniases: visceral (the most serious form because it is almost always fatal without treatment), cutaneous (the most common, usually causing skin ulcers), and mucocutaneous (affecting mouth, nose and throat).
Leishmaniasis is caused by protozoan parasites which are transmitted by the bite of infected female phlebotomine sandflies.
The disease affects some of the world’s poorest people and is associated with malnutrition, population displacement, poor housing, a weak immune system and lack of financial resources.
An estimated 700,000 to one million new cases occur annually.
Only a small fraction of those infected by parasites causing leishmaniasis will eventually develop the disease.
Donald Trumpf and Felon Musk’s brutal dismantling of USAID has harmed Kenyans. USAID’s abrupt departure has plunged hundreds of thousands of Kenyans into a state of uncertainty and fear. For many, USAID’s projects were lifelines, offering essential support in healthcare, education and economic development. Programs that were instrumental in maintaining the well-being of countless Kenyans—ranging from maternal health to HIV/AIDS treatment— are now gone, leaving a significant void in the healthcare landscape. While this outbreak began before the Trumpf junta took power, USAID is not in Kenya or other parts of Africa to mitigate disasters.
2023 CODEL to Kenya. (Photo: Social media)
Members of the US Congress frequent Kenya and other exotic locations on what are called fact-finding “CODELs,” flying around the world on their DC Air National Guard passenger plane. Coriolanus flew on one these comfortable airplanes years ago and the food was delicious. These delegations enjoy American tax-payer funded safaris as they “monitor” US projects in Kenya or other parts of the world. Coincidentally, many CODELs to the southern hemisphere occur during America’s winter months. The Karma would be priceless should a Republican congressman be stricken with an exotic disease in Africa while enjoying his arduous fact-finding trip to the Serengeti.
Citations:
Death toll from the Kal-azar disease in Wajir hits 20 » Capital News
https://adamsmith.house.gov/news/floor-speech/rep-smith-leads-delegation-africa
https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2025-02-06-usaid-exit-spells-doom-for-kenyan-jobs-and-funding
Great Dane Tries to Win Over Tiny Kitten
Coriolanus 