45th President of the United States, Donald Trump (Vol. 7)
Discussion
WTF!
SYRIA
The U.S. military has begun a hasty exit from Syria's northern city of Manbij, and is set to help Russia establish itself there amid a Turkish attempt to defeat Kurdish-led, Pentagon-backed fighters at the strategic location, Newsweek has learned.
The U.S. was scheduled as of Monday to officially withdraw from Manbij within 24-hours, leaving the mostly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces behind as two rival factions—the Syrian government, backed by Russia and Iran, and the Turkey-backed Syrian insurgents opposed to it—sought to seize control of the strategic location. A senior Pentagon official told Newsweek that U.S. personnel, "having been in the area for longer, has been assisting the Russian forces to navigate through previously unsafe areas quickly."
"It is essentially a handover," the official said. "However, it's a quick out, not something that will include walk-throughs, etc., everything is about making out with as much as possible of our things while destroying any sensitive equipment that cannot be moved."
https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-washington-cede...
SYRIA
The U.S. military has begun a hasty exit from Syria's northern city of Manbij, and is set to help Russia establish itself there amid a Turkish attempt to defeat Kurdish-led, Pentagon-backed fighters at the strategic location, Newsweek has learned.
The U.S. was scheduled as of Monday to officially withdraw from Manbij within 24-hours, leaving the mostly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces behind as two rival factions—the Syrian government, backed by Russia and Iran, and the Turkey-backed Syrian insurgents opposed to it—sought to seize control of the strategic location. A senior Pentagon official told Newsweek that U.S. personnel, "having been in the area for longer, has been assisting the Russian forces to navigate through previously unsafe areas quickly."
"It is essentially a handover," the official said. "However, it's a quick out, not something that will include walk-throughs, etc., everything is about making out with as much as possible of our things while destroying any sensitive equipment that cannot be moved."
https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-washington-cede...
Byker28i said:
#DeleteFacebook made a comeback as a Twitter trend after it was revealed that Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg had held informal meetings and off-the-record dinners with conservative journalists, commenters and at least one Republican congressman in a Politico article, including Tucker Carlson and Lindsay Graham
https://www.newsweek.com/deletefacebook-trends-aft...
Ironic, isn't it, given that many on the right keep having a go at Zuckerberg/Facebook for being too chummy with the left/liberals/greens etc https://www.newsweek.com/deletefacebook-trends-aft...
Trump lawyers tried to stop George Kent from testifying today, but he responded to the subpoena and testified
Politico are reporting it as "Donald Trump's impeachment blockade has collapsed."
https://www.politico.com/amp/news/2019/10/15/donal...
When asked on CNN if the Intelligence Committee has heard evidence to support articles of impeachment, Rep. Eric Swalwell says, "Yes ... We have. But the president's going to get a fair process. It will be a swift process, but we'll continue to do our work."
Politico are reporting it as "Donald Trump's impeachment blockade has collapsed."
https://www.politico.com/amp/news/2019/10/15/donal...
When asked on CNN if the Intelligence Committee has heard evidence to support articles of impeachment, Rep. Eric Swalwell says, "Yes ... We have. But the president's going to get a fair process. It will be a swift process, but we'll continue to do our work."
It's reported that testified that George Kent raised concerns to colleagues as far back as March about the pressure being directed at Ukraine by Trump and Rudy Giuliani to pursue investigations into Trump's political rivals.
The procession of high-ranking witnesses to the House’s impeachment inquiry continued apace on Tuesday, as George P. Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state in charge of Ukraine policy, arrived on Capitol Hill to face questions from investigators about his knowledge of the widening Ukraine scandal.
Mr. Kent, who appeared behind closed doors despite the State Department directing him not to do so, raised concerns to colleagues early this year about the pressure being directed at Ukraine by Mr. Trump and his private lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, to pursue investigations into Mr. Trump’s political rivals, according to people familiar with Mr. Kent’s warnings.
As far back as March, they said, Mr. Kent was pointing to Mr. Giuliani’s role in what he called a “disinformation” campaign intended to use a Ukrainian prosecutor to smear targets of the president. Those included former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., Marie L. Yovanovitch, then the United States ambassador to Ukraine, and Ukrainians who disseminated damaging information during the 2016 campaign about Mr. Trump’s campaign chairman, Paul Manafort.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/15/us/politics/imp...
Do we think it's going to be a rush now to get your side of the story in first?
The procession of high-ranking witnesses to the House’s impeachment inquiry continued apace on Tuesday, as George P. Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of state in charge of Ukraine policy, arrived on Capitol Hill to face questions from investigators about his knowledge of the widening Ukraine scandal.
Mr. Kent, who appeared behind closed doors despite the State Department directing him not to do so, raised concerns to colleagues early this year about the pressure being directed at Ukraine by Mr. Trump and his private lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, to pursue investigations into Mr. Trump’s political rivals, according to people familiar with Mr. Kent’s warnings.
As far back as March, they said, Mr. Kent was pointing to Mr. Giuliani’s role in what he called a “disinformation” campaign intended to use a Ukrainian prosecutor to smear targets of the president. Those included former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., Marie L. Yovanovitch, then the United States ambassador to Ukraine, and Ukrainians who disseminated damaging information during the 2016 campaign about Mr. Trump’s campaign chairman, Paul Manafort.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/15/us/politics/imp...
Do we think it's going to be a rush now to get your side of the story in first?
Brett McGurk served under trump, Obama and Bush. Until he resigned last year he was Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS at the U.S. Department of State. In this assignment, McGurk led a global coalition of 79 members and helped coordinate all aspects of U.S. policy related to the ultimate destruction of ISIS.
His CV is quite impressive
https://www.state.gov/biographies/brett-mcgurk/
So he should know what he's talking about, which is why he's quite vocal about team trump Trump administration claiming trump never gave the green light to this disastrous gift to ISIS, Russia, and Iran, trying to rewrite the history, deny everything...
As he points out: It either shows Erdogan defying a clear warning from the President of the United States (doubtful), or it shows a President who was totally unprepared and impervious to the real-world consequence of making national security decisions without considered thought or consultation.
As well as detailing everything, he calls on trump to release the call with Erdogan.
https://twitter.com/brett_mcgurk/status/1184148641...
His CV is quite impressive
https://www.state.gov/biographies/brett-mcgurk/
So he should know what he's talking about, which is why he's quite vocal about team trump Trump administration claiming trump never gave the green light to this disastrous gift to ISIS, Russia, and Iran, trying to rewrite the history, deny everything...
As he points out: It either shows Erdogan defying a clear warning from the President of the United States (doubtful), or it shows a President who was totally unprepared and impervious to the real-world consequence of making national security decisions without considered thought or consultation.
As well as detailing everything, he calls on trump to release the call with Erdogan.
https://twitter.com/brett_mcgurk/status/1184148641...
trumps got nothing other to deny knowing the witnesses
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
Democrats are allowing no transparency at the Witch Hunt hearings. If Republicans ever did this they would be excoriated by the Fake News. Let the facts come out from the charade of people, most of whom I do not know, they are interviewing for 9 hours each, not selective leaks.
6:40 AM - 15 Oct 2019
The people who have testified thus far that trump says he doesn't know are:
U.S. Envoy Kurt Volker, who was appointed by Trump
Former U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, who was nominated by Trump and then later illegally fired by Trump
Former National Security Council official Fiona Hill, who worked directly for Trump for two and a half years.
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
Democrats are allowing no transparency at the Witch Hunt hearings. If Republicans ever did this they would be excoriated by the Fake News. Let the facts come out from the charade of people, most of whom I do not know, they are interviewing for 9 hours each, not selective leaks.
6:40 AM - 15 Oct 2019
The people who have testified thus far that trump says he doesn't know are:
U.S. Envoy Kurt Volker, who was appointed by Trump
Former U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, who was nominated by Trump and then later illegally fired by Trump
Former National Security Council official Fiona Hill, who worked directly for Trump for two and a half years.
Sonderland is dumping trump because his business is suffering. Not for the right thing but because it's hurting his pocket...
Sondland, 62, declined through an attorney to comment. But his wife, Katherine Durant, criticized coverage of her husband, saying in an interview that only those motivated by self-interest were speaking. Durant has mostly remained in Portland during Sondland’s posting abroad, she said, helping to run the hotel business he founded. She said she fears an economic backlash against the hotel company. Already a prominent local company has cut ties with Provenance Hotels, and a Democratic congressman, Earl Blumenauer, has called for a boycott until Sondland cooperates fully in the impeachment inquiry.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/disr...
Well we know they'll be no pardon, so he'd better talk and hope for the best but he appears to have been actively and willingly involved. It's reported that Yovanovitch and Hill provided the House impeachment inquiry with testimony and evidence against Sondland. So if he lies that's perjury.
It's no wonder Gaetz tried to sit in so he could report back to trump.
Sondland, 62, declined through an attorney to comment. But his wife, Katherine Durant, criticized coverage of her husband, saying in an interview that only those motivated by self-interest were speaking. Durant has mostly remained in Portland during Sondland’s posting abroad, she said, helping to run the hotel business he founded. She said she fears an economic backlash against the hotel company. Already a prominent local company has cut ties with Provenance Hotels, and a Democratic congressman, Earl Blumenauer, has called for a boycott until Sondland cooperates fully in the impeachment inquiry.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/disr...
Well we know they'll be no pardon, so he'd better talk and hope for the best but he appears to have been actively and willingly involved. It's reported that Yovanovitch and Hill provided the House impeachment inquiry with testimony and evidence against Sondland. So if he lies that's perjury.
It's no wonder Gaetz tried to sit in so he could report back to trump.
Edited by Byker28i on Tuesday 15th October 19:26
Derek Smith said:
Seventy said:
Quite the most astonishing lack of self awareness I’ve ever encountered.
I honestly think he’d be working in Starbucks if he wasn’t a Trump.
It's astounding.I honestly think he’d be working in Starbucks if he wasn’t a Trump.
I just can't accept that this is the president of the US.
It is continuous.
Byker28i said:
Today is the deadline for Rudy Giuliani to turn over Ukraine-related documents to the House impeachment investigating committees.
US President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani today said he would not comply with a subpoena issued by US House of Representatives Democrats as part of their impeachment inquiry into the president.A letter from a lawyer representing Mr Giuliani sent to a lawyer for House leaders said that the inquiry was illegitimate, and that information they have sought relating to his work in Ukraine is protected by attorney-client privilege and other privileges.
"In addition, the subpoena is overbroad, unduly burdensome, and seeks documents beyond the scope of legitimate inquiry," the lawyer for Mr Giuliani, Jon Sale, said.
The House Intelligence Committee had asked Mr Giuliani to handover, by today, documents related to Mr Trump's effort to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Joe Biden, a top contender for the Democratic nomination to run against Mr Trump in the 2020 election.
On 30 September, the Democratic-led House Intelligence Committee issued the subpoena in consultation with two other House panels.
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