[ICE] Bridgeport, CT ‐ Two Pakistani national pleaded guilty Monday to federal money laundering charges following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Haven, Connecticut, and other federal law enforcement agencies.
Muhammad Ismail, 67, of Meriden, Connecticut and Kamran Khan, 38, of Hamden, Connecticut, Pakistan nationals with lawful permanent U.S. residence status, pleaded guilty Monday in Bridgeport, Connecticut federal court to money laundering in connection with funds they received for the unlawful export of goods to Pakistan; a third defendant, Imran Khan, 43, of North Haven.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least 2012 to December 2016, Ismail, and his two sons, Kamran and Imran Khan, were engaged in a scheme to purchase goods that were controlled under the Export Administration Regulations ("EAR") and to export those goods without a license to Pakistan, in violation of the EAR. Through companies conducting business as Brush Locker Tools, Kauser Enterprises-USA and Kauser Enterprises-Pakistan, the three defendants received orders from a Pakistani company that procured materials and equipment for the Pakistani military, requesting them to procure specific products that were subject to the EAR. When U.S. manufacturers asked about the end-user for a product, the defendants either informed the manufacturer that the product would remain in the U.S. or completed an end-user certification indicating that the product would not be exported.
After the products were purchased, they were shipped by the manufacturer to the defendants in Connecticut. The products were then shipped to Pakistan on behalf of either the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission ("PAEC"), the Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission ("SUPARCO"), or the National Institute of Lasers & Optronics ("NILOP"), all of which were listed on the U.S. Department of Commerce Entity List. The defendants never obtained a license to export any item to the designated entities even though they knew that a license was required prior to export. The defendants received the proceeds for the sale of export controlled items through wire transactions from Value Additions’ Pakistan-based bank account to a U.S. bank account that the defendants controlled.
Ismail and Kamran Khan each pleaded guilty to one count of international money laundering, for causing funds to be transferred from Pakistan to the U.S. in connection with the export control violations. In pleading guilty, Ismail and Kamran Khan specifically admitted that, between January and July 2013, they procured, received and exported to SUPARCO, without a license to do so, certain bagging film that is used for advanced composite fabrication and other high temperature applications where dimensional stability, adherence to sealant tapes and uniform film gage are essential. The proceeds for the sale of the bagging film were wired from Pakistan to the defendants in the U.S.
When they are sentenced, Ismail and Kamran Khan face a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Since the time of their arrests in December 2016, Ismail has been released on a $50,000 bond, and Kamran Khan has been released on a $100,000 bond.
On June 1, 2017, Imran Khan pleaded guilty to one count of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In pleading guilty, Khan specifically admitted that, between August 2012 and January 2013, he procured, received and exported to PAEC an Alpha Duo Spectrometer without a license to do so. He is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by HSI, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the FBI , U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacabed Rodriguez-Coss and Stephen B. Reynolds, in coordination with Trial Attorney Scott McCulloch of the Justice Department’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section (CES).
[ARABNEWS] Danish self-taught engineer Peter Madsen, charged with murdering and mutilating Swedish journalist Kim Wall last year aboard his homemade submarine, goes on trial Thursday over a macabre case that rocked the usually placid Nordic nation.
The Copenhagen Court House is to call 37 witnesses during the 12-day trial which could help clarify seemingly contradictory statements by the 47-year old accused, who has admitted to cutting up Wall’s body but denies murdering her aboard the vessel where she was last seen on Aug. 10.
His lawyer, Betina Hald Engmark, has not revealed what he intends to say at his trial.
Continued on Page 49
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03/07/2018 00:00 ||
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[WashingtonPost] The end of February and early March featured insane weather across the United Kingdom, with huge amounts of snowfall, gale-force winds and record cold temperatures. Also in the mix was some freezing rain, thunder snow and at least one waterspout.
Some villages across the British Isles were cut off by 25-foot drifts, days after the snow ended. The army was enlisted to dig people out and get medical personnel to hospitals wonderful images at the link
Posted by: lord garth ||
03/07/2018 00:00 ||
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#1
It's good that snow is a thing of the past in the UK or they would have been really boned.
[AlAhram] Egypt and Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... have signed an agreement allotting 1,000 square kilometres of land in South Sinai for a megacity project as part of the kingdom’s mammoth NEOM project, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman said on Monday evening during a meeting with several Egyptian media figures in Cairo.
Prominent Egyptian TV presenter Lamis El-Hadeedi said on the privately owned CBC satellite channel that Bin Salman spoke about "everything," answering questions on democracy and reforms in the kingdom, NEOM, Jerusalem, Israel and Qatar
Continued on Page 49
#2
Egypt, you need to forgive Sisi for allowing Saudi Arabia this plot. All of this Land in Title and Deed Belongs to Israel. But they prefer to not be stewards of it anymore. Rather to remind you that you have been trusted to now be Stewards of your own to ensure a greater Peace.
A True peace or then we will revert to you cannot have nice things anymore real fast.
[ATimes] Reports of higher radiation levels in northern Europe preceded Putin’s recent claim regarding new weapon in speech.
Atmospheric traces of radioactive iodine discovered at several locations in northern Europe earlier this year are lending credence to US reports that a Russian nuclear-powered cruise missile crashed in the Arctic during testing.
ABC and Fox News quoted an unnamed US official on Friday as saying the missile, still in R&D, had crashed during a test in the Arctic at an unspecified date and site, although some experts question if the test really failed. In an annual state-of-the-union address in Moscow, on March 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin said a nuclear-powered cruise missile had been successfully tested in late 2017.
[ATimes] It has always been epic in scale. At the heart of the Belt and Road Initiative are the ‘New Silk Road’ superhighways, connecting China with 68 countries and 4.4 billion people across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe in a labyrinth of multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure projects.
Launched in a fanfare of rhetoric by President Xi Jinping in 2013, this grandiose program has become an extension of Beijing’s global ambitions and the centerpiece of its economic foreign policy.
Yet because of its monumental scope, there are “sovereign debt risks” lurking in the background of the planned “US$8 trillion network of transportation, energy and telecommunications infrastructure” joint ventures, the Center for Global Development has highlighted.
In a report entitled Examining the Debt Implications of the Belt and Road Initiative from a Policy Perspective, the Washington-based think tank underlined the problems ahead when it pointed out that 23 countries could be prone to “debt distress.”
Of the group, Pakistan, Djibouti, the Maldives, Laos, Mongolia, Montenegro, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan were rated in the “high risk” category.
To illustrate those concerns, Sri Lanka announced in December that it would hand over control of the Hambantota port, which was financed by loans, to China Merchants Port Holdings, a state-owned enterprise.
The country is in the “Group of 23” singled out in the report, while the 99-year lease deal with China enraged Sri Lankan government critics for threatening the nation’s sovereignty.
“The price being paid for reducing the China debt could prove more costly than the debt burden Sri Lanka seeks to reduce,” N. Sathiya Moorthy, a senior fellow specializing in Sri Lanka at the Observer Research Foundation in New Dehli, told the New York Times.
While the Center for Global Development study acknowledged that the Belt and Road Initiative was “unlikely to cause a systemic debt problem” throughout the ‘New Silk Road’, it still “significantly increased the risk of a sovereign debt default” in a number of countries.
Pakistan, the report claimed, was “by far the largest [nation] at high risk,” estimating that China is financing around $50 billion in infrastructure and energy projects.
These will include the Gwadar Port, which is one of several major developments in the region that make up the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
“Adding to Pakistan’s risk are the relatively high-interest rates being charged by China,” the nonprofit Center for Global Development stated.
#1
It's a technique that's been used by lenders for decades: Lend a risky loan that's collateralled by a property that they want. If they get the money back, good. If they get to seize the property, better.
Where the problem will come in is when somebody doesn't want to surrender the property that backs a hinky loan after they've been paying on it for years. We're talking about people with armies here.
Posted by: ed in texas ||
03/07/2018 10:28 Comments ||
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#2
so far the "belt and road" initiative is all initiative and no reality
no formal procedures have been established for designating infrastructure and industrial improvements
no board of directors or any other governing body exists to carry out what procedures will eventually be established
Posted by: lord garth ||
03/07/2018 14:31 Comments ||
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#3
Given that Uncle Sam (and probably all of the debtors' neighbors) stands in the way of Chinese gunboat diplomacy, the debtor countries can just repudiate their debts, and there's nothing the Chinese can do about it. So this risk is BS, for the same reason that sovereign debtors have been able to dodge mountains of debt to Western creditors.
[Breitbart] Australian airline Qantas has reportedly advised employees not to "manterrupt" women or use gender-specific pronouns.
According to the Evening Standard, "Qantas airline staff are said to have received an information pack as part of its ’Spirit of Inclusion’ month detailing a list of potentially offensive terms."
"Offensive terms" allegedly included gender-specific words such as "mum," "dad," "husband," and "wife," as well as words such as "love, honey, and darling," while employees were instructed to "minimise manterruptions," which was defined as when men "interrupt or speak over women."
"Language can make groups of people invisible. For example, the use of the term chairman can reinforce the idea that leaders are always men," the information pack reportedly stated.
In another section, the arrival of the British in Australia was reportedly described as an "invasion."
"Describing the arrival of the Europeans as a ’settlement’ is a view of Australian history from the perspective of England rather than Australia," the information pack declared.
The news was both mocked and criticized by users on Twitter, with one user asking, "Hey will #Qantas now have to rename the cockpit?"
Others blamed the Diversity Council of Australia, who was reportedly behind the change, while some announced their intentions to boycott the airline.
#2
The implication here is that women never interrupt when men are speaking or, if they do it's OK. I always thought it was rude for anybody to interrupt when someone else is speaking otherwise you end up with an incoherent shouting match. Maybe, as P2k says, it's about power rather than equality. I think it should be about common courtesy and common sense.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
03/07/2018 13:32 Comments ||
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#3
We should always endeavor to have a civil, well reasoned discourse regardless of gender.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
03/07/2018 13:34 Comments ||
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#4
The new greeting is "ho". Exs: "Hi ho", "Yo ho".
[DAWN] The French government is proposing a law that would say anyone under 15 cannot consent to sex, after widespread shock at two cases involving 11-year-old girls.
It would be the first such law in La Belle France, which currently does not have a rule saying a child under a certain age is considered incapable of consenting to sex.
The government's women's affairs office said on Tuesday that it has decided to set the threshold at 15 in a bill to be presented to parliament later this month.
Earlier, officials had discussed setting it at 13. President Emmanuel Macron, among others, argued for it to be older.
In two recent legal cases, adult men were accused of having sex with 11-year-old girls who were considered consenting under French law.
In other words, until now France did not have the concept of statutory rape. If this law is passed, they will.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/07/2018 00:00 ||
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#1
One imagines Tommy Vietor saying "Dude, that's like middle aged, man..."
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
03/07/2018 8:58 Comments ||
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[Hudson.org] A mainstream media that reshapes reality to fit a preordained political agenda isn’t something that started only recently. A half century ago America’s major news organization deliberately buried the true story of one of the crucial battles of the Vietnam War, and one of the Marine Corps’ greatest achievements: the 31-day battle for the South Vietnamese city of Hue that ended on March 2, 1968.
The fight for Hue set a standard for Marine courage and endurance that stands beside the World War II Battle of Iwo Jima and the Korean War Battle of Inchon.
But 50 years later, few Americans even know what our Marines accomplished at Hue because the battle didn’t fit a biased media’s narrative then and now ‐ the claim that in 1968 we were losing the War in Vietnam. The time has come to set the record straight. snip
On Feb. 28, Marines moved to cut off the remaining NVA forces fleeing the city. On March 2 Operation Hue City officially ended, after 216 Americans had been killed in action and 1,584 were wounded. Communist losses were more than 5,000 killed and wounded.
For many Marines, the American flag flying over the provincial administration building on Hue’s Le Loi Street was a sight as inspiring as the flag that flew over Mount Suribachi during the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima.
But Americans at home learned almost nothing about this. The media was so set on painting the Tet Offensive as a U.S. defeat, and convincing Americans that the U.S. was (in Walter Cronkite’s words) "mired in a stalemate" in Vietnam, that they largely ignored how the Marines at Hue had achieved a stupendous victory.
The media also ignored the discovery of bodies of 2,800 civilians and captured South Vietnamese soldiers who had been ruthlessly murdered by Viet Cong death squads, including teachers, doctors, nurses and students.
Fifty years later, we need to honor what the U.S. Marine Corps accomplished during the siege of Hue.
We also need to remember that our liberal media has a long history of twisting the truth beyond recognition in pursuit of a political agenda ‐ and in the case of Vietnam, of cheating American servicemen and women of the recognition they deserve for their valor and sacrifice.
Posted by: Herb McCoy7309 ||
03/07/2018 00:00 ||
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#1
What they wanted to remember was the photograph taken of the summary execution of Nguyen Van Lem. That was what the MSM wanted to remember...
#3
Remember when we were surprised by an enemy attack in the winter, an enemy on its back heel and all but defeated, that overran our troops, destroyed and entire division? It's called the Battle of Bulge. Using the 1968 metric, we lost. Even though, as with Tet, large portions of the enemy's forces were destroyed and his gains where gone within two months. Oh, and those enemy caught out of uniform were shot as well, just with a little more play of rituals.
Yes, we consider the Legacy Infotainment Enterprises (LIEs) to be part of the enemy, why do you have to ask?
#4
Tet Offensive saw the complete destruction fo the Viet Cong as a fighting force because they foolishly came out in the open to strike a blow knowing the world media would side with them. Even our enemies understood the nature of the media.
#5
Yes, Tet of 1968 was a great victory for the US in the Viet Nam war. Had the media not snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and turned public opinion against the conflict, I personally think we would have won that sucker.
I have the opinion that the media's animus toward the Tet was directed by their handlers. It is not a coincidence that everyone one of our major victories was downplayed and missteps and losses were front page news.
My company was on a search and destroy mission and we happened to come across a large NVA unit moving through a large clearing. We had the high ground and my tracks had hull defilade. We blasted them, they ran around in the clearing unsure of where the fire was coming from. We hit them with mortars, 50 cals, and the platoon of tanks attached to my unit fired on them. At the end, we killed over 1200 and sent them fleeing back north in tatters.
I called in the regimental HQ for intel to come take a look. The press came along as our PR guy thought it would be good news. Each and everyone of those bastards called me a liar because when they asked about US casualties, I said "none" they refused to believe we could kill that many NVA without a single casualty. They went through my unit to a man asking about wounded or killed and got the same story. They left in a huff. I had to be physically restrained from clocking one of them who called me every name under the sun because I "lied" about my dead..."Don't you care about your men?"
To this day, I am convinced our media is completely controlled by the Soviets...err...Russians. And all of this stuff with the dossier comes as no surprise.
Joe McCarthy was right and that is why the knives came out for him. He was too close to the truth.
#6
#4) ^Were they 'foolish' or zealots doing a "Death Or Glory Charge" that they were certain would succeed? History is full of such antics and their belief that the "Proletariat would rise en masse and usher in the Great Revolution™ is easy to see.
Also, on a more cynical note, the bloodbath of Southern communist leaders cleared the field for the Northern nomenklatura to appoint their own relatives to power -- quite the Win-Win for the North!
#7
The execution was memorable, and a victory. Just not from the communist media consortium's point of view...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
03/07/2018 13:18 Comments ||
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magpie, I believe the Northern leaders had the end of the Viet Cong as a fighting/political force in mind when they ordered the Viet Cong on the suicidal Tet Offensive. Commies always eat their own eventually.
#11
Re: #2 Skid,
When my six-year-old son who was playing at his friend's house was brought home by the local constabulary for throwing snowballs at a passing car, my comment to him was, "I am not going to tell you that I never put a foot wrong growing up. But I will tell that I never got caught. Wise up".
#12
Remember Tet 1969! What, no one remembers? That’s because we killed them all the year before. After that, it was mostly disease-ridden, decimated NVA. I hate all so-called journalists to this day.
[LATimes] The Trump administration, seeking to force a defiant California to cooperate with its agenda of stepped-up immigrant deportations, went to federal court Tuesday to invalidate three state laws ‐ the administration's most direct challenge yet to the state's policies.
Administration officials say the three laws in question, all passed by the Legislature last year, blatantly obstruct federal immigration law and thus violate the Constitution's supremacy clause, which gives federal law precedence over state enactments.
"The Department of Justice and the Trump administration are going to fight these unjust, unfair, and unconstitutional policies that are imposed on you," Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions plans to tell a meeting of the California Peace Officers Assn. in Sacramento on Wednesday, according to excerpts of his remarks released by the Justice Department.
"We are fighting to make your jobs safer and to help you reduce crime in America. And I believe that we are going to win."
The laws make it a crime for business owners to voluntarily help federal agents find and detain undocumented workers, prohibit local law enforcement from alerting immigration agents when detainees are released from custody, and create a state inspection program for federal immigration detention centers.
Administration officials, who briefed reporters before the suit was filed, said other states that are pursuing laws similar to California's are also likely to be targeted in court.
The suit, which administration lawyers filed late Tuesday in federal court in Sacramento, considerably raises the tension between the administration and the most populous state in the country. California officials consistently have sought to stymie Trump's efforts to impose policies incompatible with the more permissive vision of the state's leaders and the liberal leanings of its electorate.
In a statement, Gov. Jerry Brown called the federal suit a "stunt."
"At a time of unprecedented political turmoil, Jeff Sessions has come to California to further divide and polarize America," he said. "Jeff, these political stunts may be the norm in Washington, but they don't work here. SAD!!!" More at link. Also... Trump DOJ sues California over 'interference' with immigration enforcement
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
03/07/2018 09:45 ||
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#5
Hey, Jerry Clown- declare your own socialists country and be noble and go it alone with open borders and a workers/welfare paradise.
Posted by: Jack Salami ||
03/07/2018 21:13 Comments ||
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#6
Renegotiate the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo to return the Coasties back to Mexico, keep the I-10 San Diego corridor. Only requires ratification by 2/3rds of the Senate. A lot less paperwork involved.
[Daily Caller] Gary Cohn will resign from his position as head of the National Economic Council.
The New York Times reported Tuesday that Cohn is leaving his position, a move that comes after Trump announced new tariffs on steel and aluminum.
A statement from President Trump to The New York Times reads in part, "Gary has been my chief economic adviser and did a superb job in driving our agenda, helping to deliver historic tax cuts and reforms and unleashing the American economy once again."
"He is a rare talent, and I thank him for his dedicated service to the American people."
Trump announced plans to impose tariffs on aluminum and steel last week.
"What’s been allowed to go on for decades is disgraceful," Trump said at a meeting with industry leaders at the White House. "And when it comes to a time when our country can’t make aluminum and steel, and somebody said it before and I will tell you, you almost don’t have much of a country. Because without steel and aluminum, your country is not the same. We need it."
#1
European Conservative, a spot to continue this discussion from yesterday.
#25 European Conservative you ignorant slut.
The “you ignorant slut” is a reference to a running Saturday Night Live gag from the early years of the show. The proper response is, “rammer, you pompous ass.” ;-)
First of all, if you disagree with a policy of your president, you quit. That's the honorable thing to do.
To clarify: Trade sanctions are not necessarily evil or stupid, but they have to be applied in a smart way.
The Trump proposal didn't. "They are all ripping us off" isn't a very satisfying reason.
How does the Canadian steel industry rip the U.S. off? China certainly uses dumping methods, but Chinese steel already bears high import tariffs, so it's rather irrelevant. Aluminium is a different matter.
But then, why don't you just apply smart and targeted tariffs to Chinese products sold with dumping methods.
Dumping distorts the market. But aim at the right target, with sophisticated methods and minimal damage to yourself.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
03/07/2018 0:25 Comments ||
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#5
I also find the lack of information in the White House disturbing: From the WaPo
"One of Trump’s top advisers, Peter Navarro, also holds the view that German automakers have stolen market share in the United States by importing cars but limiting the amount of U.S. cars sold into their country"
Sorry, that's simply not true. The amount of U.S. cars sold into Germany is not limited at all.
And how can German cars "steal market share" in the U.S? Mercedes and BMWs cost more than Cadillacs or other U.S. brands.
Yes there is the EU tax of 10%, but it applies to every car imported into the EU: U.S., Japan, South Korea.
And the U.S. has a whopping 25% tariff on imported trucks and vans (EU 10%).
So things are a bit more complicated, don't you think.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
03/07/2018 0:51 Comments ||
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#6
country can’t make aluminum and steel, and somebody said it before and I will tell you, you almost don’t have much of a country
#9
European Conservative - you know just like how my farmer friends in the 1970s used to sell live cattle to Greece. Then they were slaughtered in Greece as EU Greek cattle - the tariff and limits avoided.
#11
3dc
The numbers don't add up to support your argument
Canadian steel imports
9% from China
59% from the U.S.
Canada exports nearly 90 percent of its steel to the U.S.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
03/07/2018 1:43 Comments ||
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#12
The US Controls 70% of that Steel Market. High end steel is here. these may be some not so ISO- ish type standards they kill their people with when their buildings collapse. And China does not care about those kind of standards any more than they do Bey Bey Female Infants.
#13
My take is that we do have to worry a lot about China and its (trade) policies, but steel doesn't seem to be a major concern.
I find Trump's threats against the German automobile industry unwarranted and disappointing.
We were on track to eliminate all trade barriers with TTIP. Of course, TTIP was not perfect and a lot remained to be done, but the idea of a European-American free trade zone is the way to go. This is the best way to face Chinese expansion.
I agree that we must spend more on defense and NATO. A trade war with the U.S. isn't really helpful in that regard.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
03/07/2018 4:05 Comments ||
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#14
F Europe. They're not our friends. Friends don't treat each other like this. Ruthlessly exploiting brutally unbalanced trade agreements. And now that we finally have someone on our side who's going to fight for us, it's all "oh it's that evil baby killing fascist USA again, how dare they not think of our interests first. Now, to watch a TV programme that mocks the living shit out of Americans for being stupid racist rednecks. Oh, we do love looking down the people who won the Cold War on our behalf and gave us peace for 75 years!"
#17
This is about reducing the federal debt that was doubled under Obama. Imports are paid for with US dollars that goes to other countries, that meet payroll of foreign employees who pay federal taxes of those countries.
Jobs created here via tarriffs that reduce imports meet domestic payroll that a percentage goes to our federal tax coffers that reduce our federal deficit that means more money for our military, schools, etc..
Its about cash flow management. Nationalism vs globalism.
#18
My observation; PD Trump is setting the stage with outrageous-ish bombast and will offer a renegotiation of NAFTA and new trade deals with China. My crystal ball grows cloudy now, can't see further.
Cake or death.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
03/07/2018 8:08 Comments ||
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#19
Also, Europe's biggest import is Islam. There will be disruptions of their industrial base due to ideological conflicts that could hurt the US if we do not restore our industrial infrastucture by any means neccessary.
I look at it differently. Do I pay a higher price in consumer goods made domestically and less in government welfare bureaucracy or do I pay less for consumer goods and much more to sustain a bureaucratic welfare state to support the unemployed? It's a trade off. Looking at our inner cities, the old phrase 'idle hands are the devil's plaything' comes to mind with the high levels of unemployment. I don't look at it as import/export in goods, but the import/export of jobs. I think the man has mentioned 'jobs' a good number of times.
#22
We recently had to buy titanium pipe from China and Italy. Not a foot to be found in the U.S.A.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
03/07/2018 9:47 Comments ||
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#23
What world do I live in? The world in which we had to pay Europe $151,000,000 for the privilege of trading with them in 2017. Money which Europe pocketed.
And then maybe Europe wants to spend some of this on their own defense? Nope! That's our job! As designated suckers. Germany outright refused. What good would it be to build an army, they asked? Useless. They would rather profit from trade and invest in education for their own people. Why spend money on something as useless as a military, when they have a dumbass that will spend money on their behalf?
I have to say, I can't disagree with them. If I had an idiot that was willing to pay for my country's security, I wouldn't spend my own money. However unlike Europe, I'd likely show some respect or gratitude towards this benefactor. Not call them warmongering baby killing fascists like Europe does today. But that's just me.
#24
European Conservative, Y'all are looking at Trump with the wrong eye glasses. He's something you don't have or see. Something uniquely American. Think PT-Barnum, a Carney operator, a Madison Garden presenter, a Hollywood show man and shrewd businessman in one package. Those awkward photos I posted a link to, his fight promotions, his Miss Universe contests, his (a word that Fred will not let be posted here but think a Las Vegas business for a few shows and separating one from their money) owner define a unique individual with a much different outlook on the world than a bureaucrat or politician has ever had! Even Don King (of the fight promotions) is a fan!
#26
I wonder how tariffs will be worked out on the BMWs and Mercedes-Benzs made in the U.S.? Some BMWs are made in Spartansburg, SC. Some Mercedes-Benzs are made in Tuscaloosa, Al. VW has a plant in Chattanooga, TN. Toyota has a plant near Lexington, KY. Nissans are produced near Murfreesboro, TN. Nippondenso has operations in Maryville, TN where parts for many cars are produced. Some parts of autos are made outside the U.S. and imported into the U.S. to be assembled into a vehicle here. Foreign car manufacturers in the U.S. employ a great many Americans. It is more complex than just saying its going to happen--tariffs need to be well thought-out before implementing a tariff policy.
#27
It is indeed far more complicated and full of unintended consequences.
Even if the EU didn't react at all, the U.S. will probably lose more jobs than it gains with those tariffs. Steel is the wrong target, because there are far more companies that use aluminum and steel than there are companies who make it, which means this will hurt more people than it helps.
And then Europe must react in order to be taken seriously. And retaliation will be far more targeted, inflicting as much political and economic damage as possible. Expect US farming to be hit hardest.
And then this could quickly escalate into a full-blown trade war. You know, the one we have worked hard to avoid with creating the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which ultimately evolved into the World Trade Organization. The idea was to create a system of rules so that trade wars would not happen.
This system could blow up and the consequences would be dire.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
03/07/2018 19:47 Comments ||
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#28
Lol. America has much to gain and little to lose. We get murdered in these trade agreements. It's about time someone shook them up. If Europe was our friend, they wouldn't take advantage of us like this.
Sorry, this is nonsense. I know how Americans negotiate.
My company has always come to agreements that were mutually beneficial.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
03/07/2018 21:26 Comments ||
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#30
And America has little to gain and much to lose from this. You can't ignore the laws and rules of the global economy. You will just isolate yourself while the rest of the world moves on.
Or please show me a trade war that has been "easily" won.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
03/07/2018 21:30 Comments ||
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#31
You will just isolate yourself while the rest of the world moves on.
Heh. Without the Americans the glue holding Western Civ comes undone.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
03/07/2018 22:09 Comments ||
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#33
Germany just signed 31 military trade contracts with Turkey's Islamic Mad Man Erdogan while he is butchering Kurds and threatening the Greeks.
Europe is sliding right back down the same murderous sh*t h*le mentality it has had for centuries. The same mentality the pilgrims established the US to get away from. Didn't take long for the US, based on far more noble standards to have to come back in twice to rescue the European *sses.
Learn to stand on your own feet and stop b*tching because we don't give dam about doing business with your suicidal mindsets.
#34
European Conservative you have a well considered and argumented position. I accept that every fact you have offered is true. And number #11 is new to me and valuable information that I will carry forward in my arguments.
However, my point that a trade war on steel and aluminum is still valid. I have two arguments.
First the Chinese have massively over invested in steel and aluminum manufacture, and then gamed the NAFTA rules to the detriment of US domestic producers. Look here for an example. We should expect Americans to be unhappy about this and take some actions to make it stop.
Second, and I am not saying this to be provocative, but to explain why Trump will succeed at persuading the American people that he is correct. Most European countries are not to be taken seriously. We Americans appreciate their friendship and alliance, but know they are more of a burden than a benefit.
Germany has no military. Their navy is incompetent; army is unable to deploy, and air force is less available than Sweden's. France is not much better. If the Russians made it through the Poles, we would be shipping our troops to Lisbon to set up defensive positions in the Pyrenees.
Everything in Europe other than England, Norway, Spain, and Italy is basically undefended. Having an annual $65B trade deficit with Germany is like giving the Russians an incentive to invade and pillage.
And to add insult to incompetence, the EU leadership is arrogant, obnoxious, and outspokenly foolish. Even the British and Italians are rejecting the EU.
Americans know that the world is a dangerous place, and we have to suffer a little every day to not suffer a lot in a future day. But don't ever think we like suffering and don't be surprised when we share some of our suffering with Europeans.
I point everyone to Trump's inaugural speech, and cut out a small portion for emphasis.
The oath of office, I take today, is an oath of allegiance to all Americans. For many decades, we've enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry, subsidized the armies of other countries, while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military. We've defended other nation's borders while refusing to defend our own. And spent trillions and trillions of dollars overseas, while America's infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay. We've made other countries rich while the wealth, strength and confidence of our country has dissipated over the horizon. One by one, the factories shuddered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions and millions of American workers that were left behind. The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed all across the world.
The Chinese aluminium industry is a colossus on clay feet. China has overstretched the capacity of its aluminium industry. China is facing the same problem as Japan 30 years ago. Both are countries which, in terms of costs, are not at all suitable for operating such capacities. Chinese electricity, including hydroelectric power, is too expensive to produce raw aluminium. China also has to import the clay from Australia. It is nonsense to produce raw aluminium in Japan, the USA and, of course, China. The true costs are considerably lower in Canada, Iceland, Norway, New Zealand and Brazil. Chinese aluminium cannot import its costs and is wasted on the world market.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
03/07/2018 23:31 Comments ||
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#36
And yes it's a well-known fact that the Chinese are building strategic positions in fine industrial metals. These are mainly aluminium, copper, tin, zinc, zinc, brass, titanium, tantalum, alloy metals and rare earths.
So let's address this issue, let's target China.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
03/07/2018 23:34 Comments ||
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#37
I am glad we agree. And I would extend your argument to the industry of Chinese steel manufacture and rare earth extraction. Both of which have costs that are far beyond their ability to import their costs.
#38
Maybe we get a chance to continue because there's more to say and I appreciate all opinions
Posted by: European Conservative ||
03/07/2018 23:45 Comments ||
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#39
I am not so sure we can "target China" from one country no matter how hard we try. They move their inventory from place to place and externalize their costs. This is an effort that has to be multi-national. The WTO was designed to do this, but no one has gone there with the facts and intention to make a change.
[DAWN] NAWABSHAH: Two more children, who were administered anti-measles vaccine a couple of days before, were brought to Peoples University Hospital (PUH) at death's door on Sunday evening.
The children Abdul Samad Siyal, 18 months, and Mansab Siyal, two years, were admitted to the hospital’s paediatrics unit.
Though their condition was stable now they were still being observed closely, said Prof Dr Ali Akbar Siyal, head of the paediatrics unit.
Three children had died and as many had been hospitalised at death's door a day ago reportedly after being administered expired anti-measles vaccines on Saturday.
Asked about failure to get the autopsy of the children done, Dr Mujtaba Memon, district health officer of Shaheed Benazirabad, said that the heirs did not agree to the post-mortem. They were relying on reports of Aga Khan University Hospital where the other three children were shifted at death's door on Sunday, he said.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/07/2018 00:00 ||
Comments ||
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[ARABNEWS] BlackBerry Ltd. on Tuesday filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Facebook Inc. and its WhatsApp and Instagram apps, arguing that they copied technology and features from BlackBerry Messenger.
"Defendants created mobile messaging applications that co-opt BlackBerry’s innovations, using a number of the innovative security, user interface, and functionality enhancing features," Canada-based BlackBerry said in a filing with a Los Angeles federal court.
"We have a strong claim that Facebook has infringed on our intellectual property, and after several years of dialogue, we also have an obligation to our shareholders to pursue appropriate legal remedies," BlackBerry spokeswoman Sarah McKinney said.
Litigation over patent infringement is part of BlackBerry Chief Executive John Chen’s strategy for making money for the company, which has lost market share in the smartphone market it once dominated.
BlackBerry has since shifted its focus to cybersecurity software and has also invested in operating systems for self driving cars.
Last year, BlackBerry filed lawsuits against Nokia , Avaya and most notably Qualcomm, for which it was awarded nearly $1 billion.
"Blackberry’s suit sadly reflects the current state of its messaging business. Having abandoned its efforts to innovate, Blackberry is now looking to tax the innovation of others. We intend to fight," said Facebook Deputy General Counsel Paul Grewal.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/07/2018 00:00 ||
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#1
That reminds me...the Skylab crash & Esperance shire council having a dig at NASA for scatter space junk over the town, sending them a $400 fine for littering, which they never paid.
#2
"Likely to Hit Northern U.S. States" is a bit exaggerated. Northern U.S. States lie in a zone that is a bit more likely to experience a possible impact.
Funny enough, this zone also includes North Korea
Posted by: European Conservative ||
03/07/2018 6:28 Comments ||
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#3
Actually, since we funded it, it should fall to earth here. At least we'll be getting something back for our money.
[WAPO] MOSCOW ‐ A Russian military cargo plane crashed as it was descending to land at an air base in Syria on Tuesday, killing all 39 people onboard, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The Russian military said an An-26, with 33 passengers and six crew members onboard, crashed just 500 meters (1,600 feet) from the runway. The military blamed the crash on a technical error and insisted that the plane was not shot down.
All of the people on board were Russian servicemen, the ministry said.
Russia, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, leases the Hemeimeem military base in Syria, near the Mediterranean coast.
The base is far from the front lines of the conflict, but came under shelling in December. The Russian military insisted the cargo plane did not come under fire, while saying it would conduct a full investigation.
President Vladimir Putin offered his condolences to the families of those killed in the crash after receiving a briefing by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, the Kremlin said. If you discover your travel plans include an An-26, you may want to re-think your plans.
Twenty-five people were arrested Monday during protests in response to white nationalist Richard Spencer's appearance at Michigan State University, police announced Tuesday.
Thirteen of the arrests were for felony charges, including resisting and obstructing police officers and carrying a concealed weapon.
Hannah Baker, a 27-year old Chicago resident, was arraigned Tuesday in East Lansing and is facing four counts of carrying a concealed weapon - a knife, brass knuckles, a baton and a plastic stabbing device - and one count of resisting and obstructing police.
#1
Hannah Baker is a fictional character created by American author Jay Asher. She is the subject of his 2007 young adult fiction mystery novel Thirteen Reasons Why, which was adapted by the media company Netflix as 13 Reasons Why. Hannah is introduced as a sophomore at the fictional Liberty High School; she struggles to adjust to living in an unsympathetic school environment. In the television series, Baker is played by Katherine Langford, who is signed on to appear in the show's second season set to air in 2018.[1]
13 Reasons Why was a breakout success; it became one of Netflix's highest rated shows and the most-tweeted series shortly after its release. Although critics were divided on the treatment of Hannah's character—her death in particular—they were unanimous in their praise for Langford, who received a Golden Globe Award nomination for her performance. She was catapulted to worldwide attention and was variously called "a revelation", "believable and raw", and "magnetic". Daniel Montgomery of the Gold Derby said she was an early frontrunner for an Emmy Award nomination.
#5
And every one of them will get a slap on the wrist. These judges (here, Berkeley, my own Quincy, MA) are actively encouraging this shit by never punishing it.
#6
Make each of them write a 2,500 word essay on what's wrong with their point of view and manner of expressing it. Have it graded by professors who don't know the point of the exercise. Flog the admissions officers who were involved in the acceptance of any whose essays get below a C.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
03/07/2018 11:50 Comments ||
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#7
A little more crowd control or a different venue should have been used to keep the groups separated.
Both groups are made up of angry, attention-seeking morons. Neither have any respect for our Constitution or laws.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[WashingtonPost] The end of February and early March featured insane weather across the United Kingdom, with huge amounts of snowfall, gale-force winds and record cold temperatures. Also in the mix was some freezing rain, thunder snow and at least one waterspout.
[AlAhram] Egypt and 
[ATimes] Reports of higher radiation levels in northern Europe preceded Putin’s recent claim regarding new weapon in speech.
[Breitbart] Australian airline Qantas has reportedly advised employees not to "manterrupt" women or use gender-specific pronouns.
[WAPO] MOSCOW ‐ A Russian military cargo plane crashed as it was descending to land at an air base in Syria on Tuesday, killing all 39 people onboard, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
