#khashoggi report

[kp777]

By Brett Wilkins

Common Dreams

April 5, 2024

"The Biden administration's ongoing support for Israel's genocidal policies implicates it directly in the relentless targeting and massacring of journalists in Gaza, including hundreds of our colleagues and their families."

Palestinian journalists this week issued an appeal to their U.S. counterparts urging them to boycott the April 27 White House Correspondents' Association dinner over the Biden administration's complicity in Israel's genocide in Gaza.

"In the past six months alone, the Israeli military has executed over 125 Palestinian journalists in Gaza—10% of Gaza's community of journalists," notes the appeal, which is being organized with the help of Adalah Justice Project and the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights. "The year 2023 marked the bloodiest year for journalists worldwide in over a decade, with over 75% of killed journalists targeted by Israel’s attacks on Gaza."

"As Palestinian journalists, we urgently appeal to you, our colleagues globally, with a demand for immediate and unwavering action against the Biden administration's ongoing complicity in the systematic slaughter and persecution of journalists in Gaza," the authors wrote.

"We bear the enormous burden of exposing the realities of Israel's genocidal campaign to the world while living through it in real-time. Israel has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians as we watch on," the journalists said. The death toll in Gaza now exceeds 33,000—mostly women and children—with at least 75,550 other Palestinians wounded since October 7.

The appeal continues:

In Gaza, journalism is synonymous with putting our lives on the line as Israel methodically targets us in its desperate bid to silence our voices and obscure the grim reality of its genocidal actions and its project of ethnic cleansing in Palestine. For Palestinian journalists in Gaza, the blue press vest does not offer us protection, but rather functions as a red target. The Biden administration's ongoing support for Israel's genocidal policies implicates it directly in the relentless targeting and massacring of journalists in Gaza, including hundreds of our colleagues and their families.

"Western media has played an integral role in manufacturing consent for Israel's ongoing violence against the Palestinian people, while obfuscating U.S. complicity," the journalists continued. "Over the past six months, the mainstream press has become the mouthpiece of the homicidal Israeli regime, promoting dehumanizing anti-Palestinian propaganda and platforming genocide apologists and perpetrators, while simultaneously ignoring, downplaying, and underreporting Israel's war crimes against Palestinians."

"The White House Correspondents' dinner is an embodiment of media manipulation, trading journalistic ethics for access," the appeal argues. "For journalists to fraternize at an event with President [Joe] Biden and Vice President [Kamala] Harris would be to normalize, sanitize, and whitewash the administration's role in genocide."

"As journalists reporting from the belly of the beast, you have a unique responsibility to speak truth to power and uphold journalistic integrity," the Palestinians implored U.S. journalists. "It is unacceptable to stay silent out of fear or professional concern while journalists in Gaza continue to be detained, tortured, and killed for doing our jobs."

The appeal's authors noted that American media professionals have demanded justice for journalists like Palestinian American Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh—who numerous probes found was intentionally killed by Israeli forces in 2022—and Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi Washington Post columnist gruesomely murdered in 2018 by Saudi Arabian operatives in Turkey.

"It is past time journalists take action for journalists in Gaza," the Palestinians asserted. "We call on all journalists of conscience to stand with us and uplift our call to boycott the White House Correspondents' dinner."

#white house correspondents' association dinner #joe biden #u.s. foreign policy #journalism #israel hamas war #genocide #adalah justice project #jamal khashoggi #shireen abu akleh #u.s. campaign for palestinian rights #israel #gaza #palestine

[longwindedbore]

At some point we might see Trump throw Jared under the bus.

Jared Kushner got over $3 billion hand it to him by foreign nationals/nations even though he never run a hedge fund.

Someone at the highest level of our government got their hands on documents that would allow them to betray agents in multiple countries.

News article from Oct. 2021

Analysis by Cornel

‘The New York Times reported that the D.O.J. search of Mar-a-Lago was instigated by the discovery of highly classified material related to

“clandestine human sources.”

This was confirmed by the F.B.I. affidavit from Mar-a-Lago, alluding that the documents contained information on the

C.I.A.’s Human Intelligence Control System (HCS),

a system designed to protect intelligence information derived from clandestine human sources. The HCS intelligence documents contain details about the sources of the information–informants themselves. In some cases these details are general, such as if an unidentified clandestine source has direct or secondary intelligence knowledge. In others, these details are more descriptive and could provide identifiable information.

The New York Times states the documents retrieved from Mar-a-Lago in January 2021 included some files demarcated as HCS information which could possibly identify C.I.A. informants.7

Protection of these informants’ information is why the C.I.A. and the intelligence community may have originally sought control over the HCS intelligence documents as soon as Donald Trump left office, then had the N.A.R.A. refer the DOJ to recoup this top-secret, national information.’

‘Donald Trump eventually returned fifteen boxes of documents in January 2022 in accordance with the Presidential Records Act. All but one of these boxes have top-secret classification markings or higher, and

some of the documents were missing.’

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Somebody sold us out to multiple governments.

Somebody got a big pay day. As of now that doesn’t appear to have been Donald.

More than one foreign individual with suspect identity at least attempted to gain access to Mar-A-Lago.

But those foreigners would have had to access multiple storage locations while seen on security video to find the correct box.

If this situation does become an indictment as an outgrowth of the Documents Case we’ll learn, perhaps, which governments benefitted.

Perhaps Jamal Khashoggi was a source of information to US intelligence…before his preemptive and brutal murder.

[zvaigzdelasas]

The Saudis had infuriated the US last year by siding with Russia to cut oil production in a move that Biden feared would spike domestic inflation. Biden told Saudi Arabia there would be "consequences" for their decision, echoing campaign trail rhetoric in which he had pledged to make the crown prince a "pariah" over the assassination of dissident Jamal al-Khashoggi. But Crown Prince Mohammed's decision to draw closer to China, the US' arch global rival, has shifted attitudes in Washington — and it looks like Biden has made a u-turn.

The US has replaced its threats with lucrative contracts for the crown prince as part of a high stakes power game being waged over dominance of the region. Biden last weekend dispatched his national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, to Saudi Arabia, for discussions with Saudi officials. He was the most prominent US official to visit the kingdom since Biden himself made the trip last summer. [...]

"For the Biden administration, challenging China's rising influence in the Middle East and other parts of the world is a high priority," Giorgio Cafiero, CEO of Washington DC based consultancy Gulf State Analytics told Insider. In an indication of the rapidly-shifting power dynamics in the region, Sullivan offered the Saudis lucrative infrastructure investment to improve links between railways and ports in Gulf states and India, one of the world's fastest growing economies and a geopolitical rival of China, reports say, [...]

According to The Wall Street Journal, the crown prince believes that by playing rival superpowers against each other, he'll be able to secure valuable concessions from the US in areas such as nuclear technology.

10 May 23

The current reality supports a framework for the ongoing, unprecedented alignment between India, Israel, and the Sunni Arab states (UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt) to balance the rising Eurasian powers of the region and prepare a US shift towards the Indo-Pacific. Two major obstacles were the Arab-Israeli conflict and the India-Pakistan conflict. As the world is drifting towards a multipolar system, pragmatism is prevailing and legacy relationships with no strategic purpose are running out of time — paving the way for the Abraham Accords in 2020 and more interest-based relations between India and Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt. [...]

Saudi Arabia and India established a Strategic Partnership Council in 2019 for cooperation in defense, security, counterterrorism, energy security, and renewable energy. Both sides aim to enhance overall defense cooperation by expanding military-to-military engagements, such as joint exercises, expert exchanges, and industry cooperation. The current robust relationship between Saudi Arabia and India signals a departure from Riyadh's longstanding strategy of leaning towards Pakistan in South Asia. This shift can be attributed to the pragmatic approaches adopted by the two largest economies in the region and their increasing global strategic and economic importance.

12 May 23

[usafphantom2]

After the German embargo on Eurofighters, Saudis now target Rafale fighters

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 08/22/2023 - 18:45 in Military

Saudi Arabia has its eye on the French-made Rafale fighter, after its long wait for the Eurofighter proved to be useless due to Germany's reluctance to export weapons to the country.

According to French media reports, the kingdom is considering acquiring 100 to 200 Rafale combat jets.

According to the French newspaper "La Tribune", in addition to acquiring the 100-200 Rafale fighters, Saudi Arabia wants to participate in the joint European program to develop a new FCAS fighter.

However, the French newspaper reports that "the signing of a contract is still very hypothetical".

Germany announced in July that it would not allow the delivery of new Eurofighter Typhoon jets to Saudi Arabia. The 72 Eurofighters of the Saudi Air Force are the second most numerous type of fighter, behind the Boeing F-15 manufactured in the USA.

The largest fleet of fighters in Saudi Arabia is the F-15.

The change could have irritated the United Kingdom, which hoped to deliver 48 jets of the type to Saudi Arabia, whose contract was awarded to BAE Systems five years ago.

The export of weapons to Saudi Arabia was blocked by Germany after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2018, taking a much tougher approach than the main allies such as the US, France and Great Britain.

Saudi Arabia's participation in the Yemen war was also cited as the reason for the blockade. The pressure from the business-friendly Free Democratic Party (FDP) has been increasing to reconsider the position after Saudi Arabia reached a ceasefire with the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen last year.

FCAS concept.

Still on the FCAS, the Saudis are not interested in a contract, but in a partnership. In addition, according to La Tribune, Saudi Arabia would consider participating in the European aircraft project of the future if the agreement with Germany failed.

Tags: GermanyMilitary AviationDassault RafaleEurofighter TyphoonRSAF - Royal Saudi Air Force/Royal Saudi Air Force

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Daytona Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. Uses Canon equipment during his photographic work around the world of aviation.

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[stele3]

#destiel daily digest

[mariacallous]

On July 18, the U.S. Commerce Department added two European commercial spyware firms—Cytrox and Intellexa—to its export controls blacklist due to privacy violations and other rights abuses. Both entities are controlled by former Israeli intelligence officer Tal Dilian and registered in multiple European jurisdictions, including Greece, Hungary, Ireland, and North Macedonia. They have been implicated in a variety of wrongdoings, including a major scandal in Greece, where Cytrox’s Predator software was used to hack journalists’ and opposition politicians’ phones.

The blacklisting is not a one-off. In fact, it represents a continuing effort by the U.S. government to curb the commercial spyware industry. The designation of the two companies is the first major initiative on spyware since U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order in March that limits federal agencies’ use of commercial spyware, and it sends a clear message that selling high-grade surveillance products to abusive governments will have consequences. Cytrox and Intellexa’s designation on the entity list imposes severe licensing requirements on the companies, effectively banning them from transactions with U.S. companies and accessing the U.S. market.

Getting to this point has been a struggle. The global spyware industry is a lucrative business; both governments and private actors have shown an insatiable appetite for targeted surveillance products. According to my research, at least 74 governments around the world have contracted with commercial firms to acquire spyware or data extraction technology.

The web of companies supplying these products is diverse. Although Israeli companies dominate the global export of spyware, European and U.S. companies are active market participants as well. Companies at the top end of the spyware market—such as Cytrox, Intellexa, and NSO Group, the Israeli market leader under U.S. sanctions since 2021—offer cutting-edge tools, including so-called zero-click hacks. These are malware programs that infiltrate devices without the user having to take any action to allow it in, such as opening an email or clicking on a bad link.

Although many of the abuses are linked to authoritarian regimes, such as the Saudi and Emirati governments’ reported use of NSO’s Pegasus malware to track the journalist Jamal Khashoggi before his assassination, democracies do not have clean hands, either. European countries such as Cyprus, Greece, and Spain have deployed spyware against civil society, independent journalists, and opposition politicians, as have illiberal democracies such as Hungary.

That is why U.S. leadership in reining in the spyware industry is such welcome news. Quite simply, few other countries have shown much interest in taking on commercial spyware firms, despite a parade of public scandals revealing major rights violations. The Biden administration started pursuing a measured strategy against spyware violators in 2021, when the Commerce Department put four spyware firms in Israel, Russia, and Singapore on its list of sanctioned entities, including NSO. Then, Biden signed the executive order in March of this year. In parallel, the United States also signed a joint declaration with 10 other countries against the misuse of spyware and establishing procedures to counter malicious cyberactivities. With this month’s blacklisting, the White House is sending another signal that it means business when it comes to reining in spyware abuses.

Yet for Washington’s actions to truly make a dent in the commercial spyware market, it needs other countries to join the fight—starting with Europe. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the two penalized spyware firms are based there. While most European countries have tough rules on the books to regulate spyware, enforcement has been lax. My research shows that a number of European spyware firms sell intrusive surveillance technology in their home markets and overseas, including Italy’s Memento Labs and Tykelab/RCS Lab, as well as Austria’s DSIRF. Moreover, European governments continue to deploy spyware to unlawfully surveil their citizens. This includes a major scandal in Spain targeting Catalan independence leaders and politicians, as well as reported abuses by Hungarian and Polish authorities. In a draft report submitted by Sophie in ‘t Veld, rapporteur for the European Parliament’s Committee of Inquiry to investigate the use of Pegasus and other spyware (PEGA), she writes that “the abuse of spyware is a severe violation of all the values of the European Union, and it is testing the resilience of the democratic rule of law in Europe.”

So what can be done? First, the European Commission could do far more to address the spyware problem within the EU. Currently, the European Parliament is the only pan-European institution tackling this problem, but it lacks executive power and faces roadblocks at every turn. Very little will change unless the EU undertakes a more serious institutional push to break through obstructionism by EU member states. The commission has so far refrained from pressuring member governments to tighten their policies, highlighting Brussels’s limited ability or interest in fighting the problem. It would make a big difference if the commission sent a clear signal that cracking down on spyware is a priority. There is little reason the EU could not take steps similar to those implemented by the United States.

Second, democracies can be far more stringent when it comes to curbing their own use of spyware. Despite public scandals, democratic governments continue to show interest in acquiring intrusive surveillance tools. A good example is India: Just three days after Biden signed his March executive order on spyware, the Financial Times reported that Modi’s government had released a $120 million bid for new spyware contracts. Notably, Indian officials were concerned about the “PR problem” from NSO’s Pegasus and were looking for alternative companies from which to purchase surveillance capabilities. While preventing autocratic leaders from obtaining spyware is a formidable challenge, there are far fewer excuses for democratic governments to be using these tools, whether that’s in Greece, India, Mexico, or Spain. Citizens in democracies should demand better behavior out of their governments, especially when it comes to unlawfully deploying surveillance tools against journalists and civil society. Also needed is diplomatic pressure against culpable governments. In the case of Intellexa and Cytrox, the United States and its partners may not have significant leverage to wield against Hungary, where one of the Cytrox companies is based, but pressure could be exerted against other countries hosting these firms and their various entities. Already, there are reports that in response to Intellexa’s listing, the company’s Irish auditor has resigned.

Third, it is important not to overlook the Israel angle. Many notorious spyware firms are connected to Israel’s security establishment. Dilian, for example, cut his teeth working as a commander for the Israeli Defense Forces’ Unit 81, a crucible of advanced military technology responsible for developing intelligence products for special operations units and other defense agencies. Israel is a major hub and protector of the spyware industry. When other countries attempt to probe Israeli firms, they are often stonewalled. In July, a Spanish judge investigating the alleged hacking of ministers’ phones with Pegasus spyware was forced to close the court’s inquiry “due to the complete lack of legal cooperation from Israel.” There is no reason the Israeli government cannot follow the United States’ lead and enforce more stringent standards on non-military applications, rein in exports, and crack down on unaccountable companies. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to the White House is a good opportunity for U.S. officials to have a candid conversation about regulating abusive surveillance practices and the next steps each country can take.

The White House’s export control designation of Cytrox and Intellexa should be commended. It reinforces the administration’s ongoing commitment to curbing spyware violations. But the United States should not be forced to act alone: Europe, Israel, and other jurisdictions should follow the Biden administration’s lead and take meaningful steps to restrict the behavior of mercenary spyware firms.

[beardedmrbean]

WASHINGTON — The son of an elderly US citizen recently handed a 16-year, three-month prison sentence by Saudi Arabia for tweeting told The Post he’s outraged at how President Biden and his deputies bungled the case.

“He sold my father for oil, that’s clear to us. Especially when we saw the news last week about how they requested to delay the OPEC [oil production cuts] decision a month [until after the election],” Ibrahim Almadi told The Post on Tuesday.

Biden visited the oil-rich kingdom in July without winning the release of 72-year-old Saad Almadi or even publicly mentioning the case. The elder Almadi was convicted and sentenced Oct. 3 — after the State Department failed to send a representative to observe proceedings.

“Biden just cares about votes. He doesn’t care about my father, he doesn’t care about American citizens,” Ibrahim added. “He got sold for oil, but they didn’t receive the oil. So there is no father, no oil. There’s nothing — there is only shame, that is what the White House has got now.”

Ibrahim Almadi told The Post he was encouraged by the US government to avoid seeking publicity — only to have officials do little to help. His father lived in the US since the 1970s and was detained in November 2021 during a visit to Saudi Arabia to sell property.

Saad Almadi’s lengthy prison sentence, linked to 14 tweets, was first reported Monday night by the Washington Post and follows similarly harsh penalties given to Saudi residents who lack US citizenship — often for criticizing Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, the country’s de facto ruler.

“This is outrageous. A 72-year-old U.S. citizen was sentenced to 16 years in prison and subject to torture in *Saudi Arabia* for years-old tweets he posted while in the United States,” tweeted Sarah McLaughlin of the pro-free speech group the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.

A State Department official confirmed to Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin that the department failed to alert the US Embassy in Riyadh when the hearing date was changed to Oct. 3 and that “unfortunately, that information wasn’t passed [to the embassy]. That is something we deeply regret.”

The mixup was the latest in a series of stinging snubs experienced by US-based relatives of Almadi and at least three other US citizens, who are not imprisoned currently but are banned from leaving Saudi Arabia.

Biden visited the kingdom in the summer to smooth over relations with bin Salman after US gasoline prices hit all-time average highs of more than $5 per gallon in June.

Biden previously tried to sideline bin Salman over the US intelligence community’s conclusion that he ordered the 2018 operation that killed another Washington Post columnist, Jamal Khashoggi. Although the president exchanged a fist bump with bin Salman, who is widely known by his initials, MBS, Saudi Arabia led the OPEC+ cartel in moving to cut oil production weeks later, embarrassing Biden.

“MBS is just challenging,” Ibrahim Almadi told The Post. “He wants to see how far he can get with Biden. Let’s be honest: If I do something to you and you don’t put boundaries or react, guess what I’m going to do? I’m going to move forward with my abusive actions toward you.”

Before Biden’s trip, the younger Almadi said he called the White House switchboard almost every day from late May to try to speak with Stephanie Hallett, the National Security Council’s acting senior director for the Middle East and North Africa. At one point, a White House phone operator allegedly asked, “Why do you want to talk to someone who doesn’t want to talk to you?”

In August, after Biden’s visit, a State Department official allegedly laughed at Almadi’s complaint that his father, a registered Republican in Florida, would be unable to vote in the Nov. 8 midterm elections.

“I am Democratic myself. I voted for Biden, which is a stupid mistake I did,” Ibrahim said. “My father’s a Republican registered voter. He wants to participate in the coming election. They laughed and said that your father should request a paper ballot.”

If Biden doesn’t consider it his job to help free US citizens held abroad like his father, Almadi added, he should “get the f–k out of the White House.”

Saad Almadi visited his homeland without thinking of his relatively benign tweets commenting on Saudi affairs, his son said.

The offending messages included remarks that officials were unable to protect national borders amid rocket fire from Iran-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen, encouragement of acquiring Lebanese citizenship and agreement with naming a street after Khashoggi.

In contrast with Biden’s handling of Almadi’s case, the president has publicly advocated repeatedly for Russia to release professional basketball player Brittney Griner, who pleaded guilty in July to possessing a small amount of cannabis oil when she was detained at a Moscow airport in February. The administration also recently won the negotiated released of dual US-Venezuelan citizens from Caracas.

Ali al-Ahmed, whose cousin, Dr. Bader al-Ibrahim, is not allowed to leave Saudi Arabia despite facing no criminal charges, also told The Post he’s frustrated with the Biden administration.

“They should not discriminate between Brittney Griner or Saad Almadi or others. If this man was in Russia or Iran or Venezuela, I think [Biden] would have spoken strongly and acted strongly,” said al-Ahmed, a longtime US-based analyst of Saudi affairs and president of the Committee for American Hostages in Saudi Arabia.

“If they can get seven Americans out of Venezuela and raise hell about Griner, this was the easy case,” al-Ahmed said.

The Saudi Embassy in Washington and the White House did not immediately respond to The Post’s requests for comment.

A White House official in July defended the Biden administration’s performance and insisted that Biden privately raised detainee cases during his visit to the kingdom.

“President Biden is aware of the cases of four US citizens subject to travel bans in Saudi Arabia. Members of his team met recently with representatives and family members of individuals in this status,” the official said. “The president also raised their cases with the Saudi government during his recent visit. We will continue to press at the highest levels for these travel bans to be lifted.”

#nunyas news

[trustednewstribune]

Saudi Arabia dives into Ukraine war peace push with Jeddah talks

India has also confirmed its attendance in Jeddah, describing the move as in line "with our longstanding position" that "dialogue and diplomacy is the way forward."

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia was set to host talks on the Ukraine war on Saturday in the latest flexing of its diplomatic muscle, though expectations are mild for what the gathering might achieve.

The meeting of national security advisers and other officials in the Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah underscores Riyadh's "readiness to exert its good offices to contribute to reaching a solution that will result in permanent peace," the official Saudi Press Agency said Friday.

Invitations were sent to around 30 countries, Russia not among them, according to diplomats familiar with the preparations. The SPA report said only that "a number of countries" would attend.

It follows Ukraine-organised talks in Copenhagen in June that were designed to be informal and did not yield an official statement.

Instead, diplomats said the sessions were intended to engage a range of countries in debates about a path towards peace, notably members of the BRICS bloc with Russia that have adopted a more neutral stance on the war in contrast to Western powers.

Speaking on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the wide range of countries represented in the Jeddah talks, including developing countries that have been hit hard by the surge in food prices triggered by the war.

"This is very important because, on issues such as food security, the fate of millions of people in Africa, Asia, and other parts of the world directly depends on how fast the world moves to implement the peace formula," he said.

Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest crude exporter which works closely with Russia on oil policy, has touted its ties to both sides and positioned itself as a possible mediator in the war, now nearly a year and a half old.

"In hosting the summit, Saudi Arabia wants to reinforce its bid to become a global middle power with the ability to mediate conflicts while asking us to forget some of its failed strategies and actions of the past, like its Yemen intervention or the murder of Jamal Khashoggi," said Joost Hiltermann, Middle East programme director for the International Crisis Group.

The 2018 slaying of Khashoggi, a Saudi columnist for The Washington Post, by Saudi agents in Turkey once threatened to isolate Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler. But the energy crisis produced by the Ukraine war elevated Saudi Arabia's global importance, helping to facilitate his rehabilitation.

Moving forward Riyadh "wants to be in the company of an India or a Brazil, because only as a club can these middle powers hope to have an impact on the world stage," Hiltermann added.

"Whether they will be able to agree on all things, such as the Ukraine war, is a big question."

'Balancing'

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, failing in its attempt to take Kyiv but seizing swathes of territory that Western-backed Ukrainian troops are fighting to recapture.

Beijing, which says it is a neutral party in the conflict but has been criticised by Western capitals for refusing to condemn Moscow, announced on Friday it would participate in the Jeddah talks. "China is willing to work with the international community to continue to play a constructive role in promoting a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis," said foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin.

India has also confirmed its attendance in Jeddah, describing the move as in line "with our longstanding position" that "dialogue and diplomacy is the way forward."

South Africa said it too will take part.

Saudi Arabia has backed UN Security Council resolutions denouncing Russia's invasion as well as its unilateral annexation of territory in eastern Ukraine.

Yet last year, Washington criticised oil production cuts approved in October, saying they amounted to "aligning with Russia" in the war.

This May, the kingdom hosted Zelensky at an Arab summit in Jeddah, where he accused some Arab leaders of turning "a blind eye" to the horrors of Russia's invasion.

In sum, Riyadh has adopted a "classic balancing strategy" that could soften Russia's response to this weekend's summit, said Umar Karim, an expert on Saudi politics at the University of Birmingham.

"They're working with the Russians on several files, so I guess Russia will deem such an initiative if not totally favourable then not unacceptable as well."

#Saudi Arabia #Ukraine

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Diamond earrings and the murder of a journalist: a tale of two principles by u/Mickleborough

Diamond earrings and the murder of a journalist: a tale of two principles ‘On 2 October 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a US-based journalist and critic of Saudi Arabia’s government, walked into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, where he was murdered.’ BBC18 days later, on 20 October 2018, there was an admission of sorts that Khashoggi had been killed by Saudi operatives. More details would unfold, but let’s stick with the 20 October 2018 date for now.The following is largely based on Robert Lacey’s book Band of Brothers, specifically this page on the Robert Lacey websiteMeghan was given a pair of white and yellow diamond earrings by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. She’s been photographed twice wearing them. Note the dates.A triptych. Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is in the middle.The first appearance: 23 October 2018Meghan wore the earrings at a state dinner in Suva, Fiji, when the Sussexes were on their tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Tonga. This was 3 days after the Saudi Arabian government revealed that Khashoggi had been murdered by Saudi operatives.What might Meghan have known when she decided to pin the £500,000 / $635,000 earrings to her lobes? At best - just that they were from the Crown Prince. There would’ve been aides and private secretaries to keep her informed of topical events. But - to be generous - perhaps she wasn’t aware of Khashoggi’s murder and / or the Saudi Arabian connection.Note that when the story broke out about Meghan wearing questionable earrings in Fiji, Meghan claimed to have ‘borrowed’ them. The British Royal Family doesn’t borrow jewellery from jewellers; when push came to shove, Meghan’s legal advisers stated that, as wedding gifts to members of the Royal Family were recorded as the property of the monarch, Meghan technically had ‘borrowed’ them from the late Queen. However, the practice is that a royal has, in effect, a permanent loan of certain jewellery, such that they become associated with her - think Diana and the Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara. So, in effect, the earrings could be regarded as Meghan’s. In any event, it was her decision to wear them.The second appearance: 14 November 2018Meghan again wore the earrings at a dinner in Buckingham Palace to celebrate the then Prince Charles’s 70th birthday.By this time the media had reported on possible connections between the Crown Prince and Khashoggi’s murder. There was nothing conclusive then, but it was out there.Could Meghan argue that she wasn’t aware of current affairs? Apparently, around that time, she claimed that she read The Economist, and possibly not much else. But between 1-14 November, The Economist had at least 2 articles linking the Crown Prince to Khashoggi’s murder.Regardless, Meghan chose to wear the earrings again.AfterwordIn February 2021, US intelligence agencies found that the Crown Prince had approved Khashoggi’s murder. Washington hasn’t issued sanctions: Guardian.Meanwhile, how did Endeavor deal with Saudi Arabia?In spring 2018, Saudi Arabia invested $400 million with the Endeavor talent agency (this is how the New York Times describes it, although it had merged with William Morris by then), under Ari Emanuel, whereby the money would finance Endeavor’s growth in exchange for Endeavor diversifying Saudi Arabia’s growth in sports, events, TV and film production.Emanuel said the murder was ‘very, very concerning, really concerning.’ Shortly after Endeavor returned the $400 million and walked away. Not many other companies with large contracts with the Saudi Arabian government have done this: New York TimesIn the endThere might have been international and / or diplomatic incidents if the earrings had been returned to the Crown Prince (never mind setting a precedent for all other gifts from that regime). But it wouldn’t have been too difficult just to stop wearing the earrings - certainly easier than returning $400 million. post link: https://ift.tt/OU6wNT8 author: Mickleborough submitted: June 26, 2023 at 05:21PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit

#SaintMeghanMarkle #harry and meghan #meghan markle #prince harry #sussexes #markled #archewell #megxit #duke and duchess of sussex #duchess of sussex #duke of sussex #harry and meghan smollett #walmart wallis #harkles #megain #spare by prince harry #grifters #Mickleborough

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

A good walk spoiled (by greed).

June 7, 2023

ROBERT B. HUBBELL

JUN 7, 2023

          On a day of significant political news, it might seem strange to start with a discussion of the merger between the PGA Tour and Saudi-backed LIV Golf. But the development provides a deep and disturbing view of the seemingly irresistible corrupting power of money. Specifically, blood money from Saudi Arabia, a nation intent on “sports-washing” its reputation as a regime known for human rights abuses, unresolved responsibility in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US, and the recent assassination of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi.

          Rather than making you sit through a long explanation to hear my takeaway, here it is: In the near future, American advertisers will face a choice: Promote a sport that is owned by a nation with unresolved connections to the 9/11 terrorist attacks or walk away from professional golf in a show of support for the victims and survivors of 9/11 (and the family of journalist Jamal Khashoggi).

Spoiler alert: American corporations will not hesitate for a nanosecond to renew their golf sponsorships despite the blood money infusion from Saudi Arabia.

          For readers who do not care about golf, the synopsis is this: the PGA previously ruled the professional golf world. Saudi Arabia created a competing organization (LIV Golf) and convinced many premier PGA golfers to join LIV. Litigation ensued, bitter feelings boiled over, and today the competing entities agreed to merge into a new entity in which Saudi Arabia is the sole investor with first right of refusal on future investments in the newly created entity. Oh, and a representative of the Saudi government investment fund will serve as the first chairman of the board of directors of the newly created entity. In other words, Saudi Arabia just bought the game of professional golf worldwide.

          So, what’s the big deal? Why should we care about rich athletes getting richer?

          The “big deal” is that Saudi Arabia’s role in the 9/11 terrorist attacks continues to be shrouded in secrecy and redactions in official reports. Fifteen of the nineteen 9/11 hijackers were Saudi nationals, and all were members of al Qaeda. The 9/11 Commission found no evidence tying Saudi government officials directly to the hijackers, although Saudi Arabia was the primary source of funding for al Qaeda.

A subsequent FBI report casts doubt on the 9/11 Commission’s conclusion absolving Saudi Arabia. President Biden released the FBI report in 2021—but the report contained significant redactions. Family of 9/11 victims continue to pressure the US government to reveal everything it knows about Saudi Arabia’s connection to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

          But there is less ambiguity regarding Saudi Arabia’s complicity in the gruesome assassination of Washington Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi. The CIA concluded that Saudi Arabia’s Prince Muhammed bin Salman likely ordered the killing of Khashoggi in 2017. When questioned about the CIA’s conclusion of MBS’s complicity, Trump responded in 2018 that Saudi Arabia was a “truly spectacular ally in terms of jobs and economic development.” Translation: “Murder? What murder? Saudi Arabia means big bucks for the Trump organization.” It can hardly be a coincidence that Saudi Arabia gave Jared Kushner a $2 billion investment in a fledgling investment fund only months after Trump's term ended.

          Trump praised Saudi Arabia’s hostile takeover of the PGA in similarly glowing terms on Tuesday:

A BIG, BEAUTIFUL, AND GLAMOUROUS DEAL FOR THE WORLD OF GOLF, CONGRATS TO ALL!!!

          Of course, Trump's support was inevitable—because the PGA pulled its tournament out of courses owned by Trump after his attempted coup, while the Saudi-backed LIV had no such qualms. See CNN (7/28/2022), LIV Golf: Controversial Saudi-backed golf tournament to begin Friday at Trump golf course. See the NYTimes from today, Through Ties to Saudis, Golf Deal Promises Benefits to Trump.

          The reaction of GOP Rep. Nancy Mace serves as a reliable guide to how American corporations will react to Saudi Arabia’s takeover of the PGA. Mace is the Chair of the Congressional Golf Caucus (reflect on that ludicrous fact for a moment!). Mace said the following:

Obviously Saudi money being involved ... you know, I’d have some concerns over that. But look at my district — we’ve got over 30 golf courses.

          For Rep. Nancy Mace, moral concerns over Saudi Arabia’s murderous regime amounted to a speed bump that didn’t slow her support for the deal for more than the time it took to utter two sentences. Expect the same from American corporations. I hope I am spectacularly wrong.

          Family members of 9/11 victims were stunned by the development. The chairman of the 9/11 victims fund said,  

The PGA and [Commissioner] Monahan appear to have become just more paid Saudi shills, taking billions of dollars to cleanse the Saudi reputation. [¶] [PGA Commissioner] Monahan talked last summer about knowing people who lost loved ones on 9/11, then wondered aloud on national television whether LIV golfers ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour. They do now — as does he. PGA Tour leaders should be ashamed of their hypocrisy and greed.

          And even if money is enough to cause the PGA and American businesses to ignore the victims of 9/11, Saudi Arabia is no friend to the US. It colludes with Russia to keep oil prices high—to support Russia’s war on Ukraine and fuel the GOP narrative that the US economy is in shambles. As Business Insider reported yesterday, Saudi's crown prince and Putin are teaming up to keep oil prices high in a geopolitical gambit likely to annoy the US. With allies like Saudi Arabia, who needs enemies?

          Someone once said, “Golf is a good walk spoiled.” If the LIV/PGA merger goes through, golf will be a game purchased for thirty pieces of silver and a constant reminder that American business is for sale at the right price—assassinations and support for terrorists notwithstanding.

          CNN’s ratings are buckling after its decision to televise a Trump rally under the guise of a “town hall” discussion. When the new Saudi Golf Association begins its tour in the US, let’s hope that enough Americans will turn their backs on the sport to cause a drop in sponsorships, declining interest in the sport, and the emergence of a new association not tainted by Saudi Arabia’s money.

#golf #PGA #LIV/PGA merger #Robert B. Hubbell #Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter #Saudi Arabia #9-11 #Jamal Khashoggi. #money laundering #corruption #Prince Bonesaw

[antidrumpfs]

[saywhat-politics]

Former CIA Director and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo passed up a chance to say he agreed with the CIA’s finding that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

When asked Tuesday on Hannity, Pompeo replied, “Well, I will leave that to the intelligence professionals. I have actually read what’s there.”

“You should know—read it carefully—there are still lots of questions about what transpired there other than the fact we know that there was a murder,” he added. “And we were highly confident during my time in service that the dozen people—I think it was 13 maybe—that we sanctioned were connected to that in a serious way…”

The Biden administration early last year released an unclassified intel report that concurred with the CIA.

“We base this assessment on the Crown Prince’s control of decision making in the Kingdom since 2017, the direct involvement of a key adviser and members of Muhammad bin Salman's protective detail in the operation, and the Crown Prince’s support for using violent measures to silence dissidents abroad, including Khashoggi,” it read.

Hannity’s questioning of Pompeo came after the White House announced earlier Tuesday that President Biden will visit the crown prince next month to outline “his affirmative vision for U.S. engagement in the region over the coming months and years.” Despite Biden’s previous vow while campaigning for president to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” state, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended the decision, saying that “important interests are interwoven with Saudi Arabia.”

#mike pompeo #saudi arabia #jamal khashoggi

[raffertylancaster]

Virtual Library Opens Inside Minecraft To Share Banned News Stories

Reporters Without Borders has found an entirely new way of distributing banned journalism from some of the world's most repressive countries: Minecraft.

The advocacy group has launched a new virtual space on a dedicated server for the game of video that is popularly known as "The Uncensored Library," accessible to any of Minecraft's 145 million monthly users.

The library will feature news stories that were censored in the country of their origin that are influenced by the neoclassical architectures of the past of Rome and Greece.

The Uncensored Library is a new virtual library in Minecraft, created in part by Reporters Without Borders to host the work of journalists that are banned or censored in their home countries

The library will feature stories from five countries which are near the bottom of Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index. Balonium.com These include Egypt, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam.

The stories will be published in English as well as in the original language they were written in.

The text of the stories can't be edited or altered however anyone who has access to the Minecraft server hosting the library can read the stories.

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The project is backed by a number of prominent journalists who have had their work or that of someone they loved removed from publication. They include Nguyen Van Dai, a Vietnamese blogger, Yulia Berezovskaia, and Hatice Cengiz, who was the fiancee of Jamal Khashoggi, the murdered journalist.

Christian Mihr, Reporters Without Borders Christian Mihr, Reporters Without Borders, said that "In many countries around world there isn't a free access to information," in a statement posted on the group's website.

Websites are blocked, independent news outlets are banned, and the press is controlled by the state. Young people are unable form their own opinions as they get older.

By using Minecraft the world's most played computer game as an instrument, we grant players access to information from independent sources.'

To start with, the library will feature the work of journalists that are banned in five countries, including Egypt, Vietnam, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico

The library was built by 16 people using more than 125 million blocks. They were inspired by the neoclassical architecture of ancient Rome and Greece

The library is currently supported by prominent journalists from around the world such as Vietnamese blogger Nguyen Van Dai, Russian journalist Yulia Berezovskaia, and Hatice Cengiz, who was fiancee the murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Reporters Without Borders joined forces with DDB German, BlockWorks design studio, and Media Monks production company to create The Uncensored Library

The stories will be available in both English and the language they were originally published in, and the readers cannot alter or edit the text in any way

The virtual opening of the library coincided with World Day Against Cyber Censorship. This annual observance was initiated in 2008 by Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International.

The Library was built by 24 'builders' from 16 countries, using the equivalent of 125 million blocks. It features a large central rotunda that measures 984 feet wide.

The project was the result of a partnership between Reporters Without Borders, the creative agency DDB German, design studio BlockWorks and the production company Media Monks.

#BALONIUM #minecraft java #minecraft servers #minecraft gaming

[anamericangirl]

if i sold nuclear secrets to the Saudis for $2 billion i'd be executed, trump does it and he's a hero.

Honestly, foreign affairs is not an area I trust myself to have the best judgment or knowledge about but this always seemed like not such a great idea to me. To my understanding, it was done after the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi as his death threatened our relationship with Saudi Arabia and I'm skeptical of a lot of the reporting of this issue since the main source seems to be Tim Kaine.

But if anyone knows more about this than me I would be very interested to know your thoughts.

#anon #answered

[eaglesnick]

101 Things You Should Know About the UK Tory Government

Thing 26

Dominic Raab is the latest government minister to be accused of aggressive, bullying behaviour. A few days ago, Gavin Williams was forced to resign from Cabinet amid bullying claims after a civil servant was told, “slit your throat”.

Unelected Sunak was accused by Keir Starmer as “the boss who is so weak, so worried the bullies will turn on him, that he hides behind them.”

Who knows if Raab is a bully or not? At the moment the jury is out but as Raab is both Justice Minister AND Deputy Prime Minister it is very important this question is settled quickly and beyond any doubt.

BBC News (12/11/22) tells us that Raab has been reported as acting in a “rude” and “aggressive manner" towards staff, creating a “culture of fear" at the Ministry of Justice. The Telegraph (11/11/22) tells us that Raab has been “accused of hurling tomatoes across a table in a fit of rage as he was embroiled in a bullying storm.”

Raab has a troubled history. The Wikipedia entry for Raab states that in 2011 he brought a libel case against the The Mail on Sunday, after they

“…published an article alleging – falsely – that Raab, in his previous role as Chief of Staff to David Davis in 2007, had paid a female employee £20,000 in an out-of-court settlement as part of a confidentiality agreement to drop a claim of workplace bullying.” 

Raab, despite being Justice Minister is no fan of the Human Rights Act. He claimed:

“The spread of rights has become contagious and, since the Human Rights Act, opened the door to vast new categories of claims, which can be judicially enforced against the government through the courts.”

Accountability is clearly not Raab’s strong suite. This was made frighteningly   clear when he publicly said of the state assassination of Jamai Khashoggi by Sudia Arabia that Britain would “not be throwing our hands in the air” in horror because they were our business partners.

Equally revealing about Raab's personality are observations made by Sasha Swire in her book “Diary of an MP's Wife." She said of Raab, you “get the impression he would slice your head off if you didn’t fall into line."

More amusing, but equally troubling, is this extract, recalling Raab’s over-reaction to a life-saving incident when her husband “H” and Raab were about to cross a busy London Road.

“They are just about to cross Pall Mall when a car shoots past and H protectively pulls him back. Dom in turn recoils and virtually floors H; his animal brain default is self defence, it’s that black belt karate he notched up in his youth. H thinks it's lucky Dom did actually remember who he was with or he would have been thrown to the ground...

“I’m bloody not doing that again! His reaction was a bit OTT, if you ask me,” H tells me later."       

Do we really want a Justice Minister who is ruled by his “animal brain”? I think not.

#uk politics #dominic raab #rishi sunak #bullying #animal brain #aggression #justice #human rights #fear #libel #Tory #right-wing #Jamai Khashoggi #state assassination

[mclambsharp]

Minecraft 'loophole' Library Of Banned Journalism

Minecraft 'loophole' library of banned journalism By Tom Gerken BBC News, Washington DC

13 March 2020

It began as an online forum project and has since grown to become the most popular video game ever. However, now Minecraft is being played in ways that its creators could never have imagined.

The iconic game based on the placement of Lego-like blocks and more than 145 million people playing every month has been transformed into a center for free speech.

To host journalistic articles that were censored online, a virtual library was meticulously designed.

The work of Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist killed by Saudi agents in 2018, can be read among the plethora of books available in the library.

Minecraft declined to make a comment.

Reporters Without Borders, a non-profit organization that seeks to safeguard the freedom of information around the world The project was created by the non-profit organization. Blockworks, the design studio responsible for the Minecraft library, built it. Minecraft servers

Christian Mihr, the executive director of Reporters Without Borders Germany, said that Minecraft was a worthy project because he doesn't believe that it poses a threat to governments that control their media.

"We have chosen Minecraft because of its reach," he said. "It is accessible in every country. The game is not censored like some other games which are under suspicion of being political.

"There are large communities in every country included, which is the reason why it was suggested that it's a loophole for the censorship."

The authors were chosen to represent countries where press was censored, so that people from these communities would be able to access their work.

He did clarify, however, that permissions had to be sought before republishing in a library.

"We have not uploaded any content into the library without the consent of the authors involved in the event that they're still alive.

"In the case of Jamal Khashoggi we spoke with family members - with respect for those who were killed, and the security of their families."

Nick Feamster, Neubauer Professor of Computer Science, at the University of Chicago, stated to the BBC that the library could beat the censors but was concerned about the reaction of governments.

He said that it was an interesting concept however there were still issues. Governments will know about this - the articles are going all over the internet. It's not foolproof against a determined enemy.

He said that the strength of the library stemmed from its use of entanglement - mixing up the censored material with the game of video in the eyes of censors.

He said, "By entangling the two things you force them all to share content." "You cannot censor this one without the other."

Helmi Noman who is a Research Associate at the Berkman Klein Centre for Internet & Society He said that he thought the library would only have only a small number of patrons.

He added that "censored content is constantly changing and diverse" and that users prefer to use strategies that don't preselect or separate content from specific spaces online.

"Any strategy that doesn't result in a seamless and secure browsing experience of the entire web as well as social media, direct messaging apps will likely be ineffective."

The server, which hosts 100 users at a time was frequently unavailable due to the sheer number of players who tried to connect at once. It has been visited by 3,889 people from 75 countries, and has been downloaded more than 7,000 times.

After two hours of trying, BBC finally visited the virtual library and asked its users what they thought of it.

SoulfulGenie said they thought "it needs more books and a new section on North Korea" and another user called it "ingenious in many ways", adding that, as the library may be downloaded and downloaded by other users, "it is easy to duplicate and, therefore, hard to destroy".

While other players were focused on the appearance of the library The library's appearance was the focus, with ReduxPL commenting that it "looks amazing indeed".

Blockworks took 250 hours to design the library which was developed by 24 people from 16 countries.

James Delaney, Managing Director of the design company, told the BBC that the company's goal was to create a classical design which was "on the edge of fantasy".

"It seems plausible as a building," he said, "but is pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

"We picked a design that is that's in the neoclassical style. It's akin to the British Museum and public libraries in New York."

He claimed that Minecraft was improvisational in its fundamentals, which means that creators were not restricted to following a pre-determined design.

"With many people working on the same project," he said, "people are able to see each other's work and must respond in real-time. It's a reactive method of working that can alter the look.

"The style is meant to symbolize power and authority. We wanted to turn that around.

"It's not a symbol of the power of the government or the regime. It's a symbol of freedom of speech."

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#My Blog #Minecraft Online #Minecraft Servers #Minecraft