hotair--2019-04-02--Macron to UK You cant hold us hostage to your political crisis

Macron to UK: You can’t hold us “hostage” to your political crisis

That doesn’t mean Theresa May can’t keep trying to do so. The UK PM announced a short while ago that she wants the EU to grant another extension to the Article 50 deadline in order to work with Jeremy Corbyn on a unity plan for Brexit. Yesterday’s failure of four indicative votes to commit Parliament to any specific Brexit strategy left Parliament with only the option of pressing May to get them more time from the EU. Don’t count on it, Emmanuel Macron responded this morning:  A long extension involving the participation of the UK in European elections and European institutions is far from evident and certainly not [to be taken] for granted. Our priority shall be the good functioning of the EU and the single market. The EU cannot sustainably be the hostage to the solution to a political crisis in the UK. We cannot spend the coming months sorting out yet again the terms of our divorce and dealing with the past. … Should the United Kingdom be unable to – three years after the referendum – propose a solution backed by a majority, they will de facto have chosen for themselves to leave without a deal. We cannot avoid failure for them.  It’s the second time in ten days that Macron used a hostage metaphor in describing the UK’s political meltdown. That description has gathered momentum in the EU, which has prepared itself for a no-deal Brexit and has steeled its resolve on the May-EU Withdrawal Agreement as the only alternative. May herself in her announcement said the WA had to be the basis of any deal cut with Corbyn, which doesn’t sound too practical since Parliament has rejected the WA on three separate votes and Labour has almost entirely opposed it.  The EU remains adamant that the WA is the final word on a Brexit deal. “If the U.K. still wants to leave the EU in an orderly manner,” Michel Barnier warned, “this agreement, this treaty is and will be the only one.” A no-deal Brexit, Barnier lamented, looks increasingly like the only possible outcome:  “No deal was never our desired or intended scenario,” Barnier told an audience at a thinktank event. “But the EU27 is now prepared. It becomes, day after day, more likely.” … The comments from the EU’s chief negotiator were echoed by the prime ministers of the Netherlands and Luxembourg. “We have to take into consideration a no-deal possibility – it’s a probability,” the Dutch prime Minister Mark Rutte told reporters. “We are no longer looking for an exit, but rather an emergency exit”, added Luxembourg’s prime minister Xavier Bettel, who was hosting Rutte for no deal talks in the duchy.  The remarks came in response to some claims over the last day or so that the EU might be softening its position on the WA and the “backstop” to prevent a hard border in Ireland. That seems to only exist as a possibility in the minds of some Brexit advocates, and the suggestion from Brexiter Damian Green mystifies this British reporter. “But the EU have also said they’re not going to reopen the withdrawal agreement,” he asks at one point:  The EU might agree to a longer extension past May 22, but that would require the UK to fully participate in EU elections on May 23rd. If May asks for more time past the secondary deadline, that’s the price of admission — plus a plan for resolving the standoff over the next year. It seems unlikely that the EU will want the uncertainty to continue very far into 2020, if even that long, but they’re not going to be anxious to refuse a longer extension if the UK acknowledges EU supremacy during an extension period.  But what purpose would a delay serve? The EU won’t retreat on the backstop in Ireland, and the UK won’t accept it. Parliament wouldn’t accept a customs union or Common Market 2.0 that leaves the EU in charge of trade. Nigel Farage, one of the hardest-line Brexiters, called all the alternative options up for a vote yesterday different types of Remain. A longer delay only delays the inevitable, unless the UK decides to shelve Brexit for good or accept the terms that the EU says they will not renegotiate, having bent as far as they could with May. If they’re willing to endure a no-deal Brexit now, they will be even more prepared for one in nine months.  The leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), says the longer delay is in the bag — because SNP will deliver a softer Brexit in return:  Blackford said intensive cross-party talks were now underway amongst MPs anxious to find a compromise deal on a far softer Brexit which would be good enough to win a Commons majority following the failure of all four alternative options on Monday night. That would then present the EU with the pretext for delaying Brexit for months. Blackford said the SNP’s primary goal was either suspending article 50 or forcing a new Brexit referendum but its decision to support the Nick Boles motion, the so-called common market 2.0 option which involves UK joining the European free trade area Efta, was proof the party was willing to compromise, since the Boles motion was also imperfect, he said. “We have to have generosity of spirit, but it has to be over things that get us to a better place than where we are,” he said. “There are an awful lot of conversations going on” focused on finding a new soft Brexit formula which might finally win a Commons majority.  It’s been tried twice and lost both times. Given the SNP’s opposition to Brexit and especially its restriction on movement within the EU (a key feature for Brexiters), they don’t seem to be in any good position to drive a compromise. The EU might be better off making a clean break now and repairing the consequences later rather than let this drag out for another year or more, damaging business on both sides only to end up in the exact same place. At least, that’s what it sounds like Macron and Barnier are saying today.  If so, Theresa May’s up for a no-deal, at least if dumping Brexit altogether is the only other option:  She needs to check in with Macron and Barnier first.


instapundit--2019-02-08--NEW YORK TIMES FINDS WAY TO BLAME GOP FOR VIRGINIA MESS Virginia Political Crisis Grows for Demo

NEW YORK TIMES FINDS WAY TO BLAME GOP FOR VIRGINIA MESS:  “Virginia Political Crisis Grows for Demo…

NEW YORK TIMES FINDS WAY TO BLAME GOP FOR VIRGINIA MESS:  “Virginia Political Crisis Grows for Democrats and Republicans.”


jerusalempost--2019-11-24--Hong Kong democrats cheer landslide in elections amid political crisis

HONG KONG - Hong Kong's democrats romped to a landslide and symbolic majority in district council elections after residents turned out in record numbers on Sunday to vote following six months of anti-government protests in the embattled city.


jerusalempost--2019-12-11--Liberman blames both Likud and Blue and White for political crisis

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mintpressnews--2019-07-31--Netanyahu May Survive This Political Crisis but Israels Left Will Not

Netanyahu May Survive This Political Crisis, but Israel’s Left Will Not

JERUSALEM, OCCUPIED PALESTINE — Like a pack of hyenas surrounding a weakened and wounded lion, Israeli politicians are ganging up on an injured, weakened Benjamin Netanyahu. With over ten years in office, Netanyahu is now the longest-reigning prime minister in the history of the State of Israel. Comparisons are being drawn between him and the man who is now second only to Netanyahu, the man considered to be the Founding Father of Israel, Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion.  Though coalitions have been created on both sides of the Israeli political divide, each wanting to strengthen its chances to be in power, one can rest assured that the one big elephant in the Knesset chamber will continue to remain ignored by lion and hyenas alike: no one will dare to touch on the fact that Israel was, is, and will continue to be an illegitimate, apartheid regime dedicated to the destruction of Palestine and its people.  When speaking of “Left” in Zionist terms, one has to remember that in the realm of Israeli politics left only goes so far. The newly united “Joint List,” for example, is considered extreme “Left.” It includes three parties that are predominantly Palestinian and one mixed Arab-Jewish party that is the successor to what used to be a Communist Party. The parties within the list include nationalists, socialists, liberal-democrats and an Islamist religious party. The common denominator is that they are made up of mostly Palestinians and discuss the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza and the erosion of the rights of what was always an oppressed community, the Palestinian citizens of Israel.  But even the Joint List, which represents a variety of constituents within the Palestinian citizenry of Israel, cannot bring into question the legitimacy of Israel as the absolute master of the land. Balad, the one party that is considered an “Arab Nationalist” party, was nearly disqualified and prohibited from running because of its call to make “Israel” a state for all of its citizens, both Jewish and Palestinian.  A closer examination of what a “state for all of its citizens” means in this context is worthwhile. Israeli Jewish citizens live throughout all of historic Palestine — between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea. Jewish citizens of Israel can live wherever they want and they are full-fledged citizens. Palestinian citizens of Israel live only within the pre-1967 boundaries of the state. In other words, Palestinians who live in towns, cities, and villages within the West Bank, East Jerusalem or the Gaza Strip do not hold Israeli citizenship.  The call for the state to be a state of “all its citizens” effectively means a state where Jews can live wherever they decide in historic Palestine but the Palestinians live only within the boundaries of the Israel that existed prior to 1967. In Israel even this is deemed to be unacceptable. This call — which seems like a fair and just idea until you look at what it actually means — is also asking for a symbolic gesture that will never be made by any Israeli government.  Israel’s other major left-leaning party is the Meretz Party, which calls itself Zionist Left. Meretz recently joined forces with Ehud Barak, a former Israeli prime minister and IDF chief who holds two distinct and dubious records: He was the most highly decorated soldier in the IDF, and he had the shortest tenure of any Israeli prime minister. The notion that Zionism and left-wing ideas can reside in one political party is absurd. Left-wing ideologies are associated with socialism, social justice and supporting struggles against injustice. Zionism, on the other hand, is the racist, settler-colonial ideology that created Israel, a state that has become an apartheid regime that is engaged in ethnic cleansing and genocide. How then can any entity claim to be both?  Some people may recall that Israel once had a powerful Labor Party. That party has been hearing its death knell, as several of its key members have left it to join the “Meretz”-led so-called “Left” coalition. It is not at all certain that Labor will be capable of passing the electoral threshold, and frankly the party has been irrelevant in Israeli politics for decades. At a recent press conference, party leader Amir Peretz said he would not rule out a coalition with what used to be Labor’s main rival, and today is Israel’s most prominent political party, the Likud. However, Peretz stated, Labor will never sit, or even negotiate, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  This is the same Israeli Labor Party that at one point represented the “Zionist Left” that was the most powerful political entity in the early decades of the State of Israel. It was responsible for the genocide and ethnic cleansing in Palestine and for the establishment of Jewish settlements all over occupied Palestine. It was also the Labor Party that instituted the apartheid regime that today rules over all of Palestine.  Like the red, white and blue that emblazon the U.S, flag, the so-called Blue and White Coalition represents Israeli patriotism, made in Israel. The coalition consists of three former IDF chiefs who joined with Yair Lapid to form a “Center-Left” party. The party has no characteristics of Left or Center. It is made up of racists and war criminals united by a hatred of Benjamin Netanyahu. They are totally secular, young, fresh, and they are “Not Netanyahu.” In the last elections, they came in neck and neck with the Likud. All of Blue and White’s main players swear that they would be happy to sit in a coalition with the Likud Party but not with Netanyahu and not with the settler-gangsters who currently reside in Netanyahu’s government.  Now Blue and White has become the “other” large political party. They are in fact a mix and match of politicians of all stripes and persuasions, who in the last elections, held in April of this year, came very close to forming a government but fell short. In fact, they announced they were perfectly willing to create a broad coalition with Likud, but without Netanyahu. Depending on what happens in the next elections scheduled for this coming September, they may not have a choice.  Netanyahu is without a doubt still the only candidate for almost anyone who leans right. He has created alliances with what can only be described as neofascist settlers. Their ideology, which is congruent with Netanyahu’s own political ideology, includes: declaring Israeli sovereignty over all of historic Palestine, including the West Bank, or Judea and Samaria as they call it; the forced mass exile of Palestinians; and the building of a Jewish temple in place of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, two iconic symbols that have crowned Jerusalem for over a thousand years.  It was only recently that the major players of these right-wing parties formed a “Right Wing Front,” a coalition that includes religious and secular figures, all of whom share a single ideology. Many of the coalition’s members either currently sit in a Netanyahu government or have been part of one in the past. They support Netanyahu for prime minister and want to show a strong presence in the coming Knesset so as to ensure Netanyahu cannot be swayed to the “left.”  Netanyahu has been around for a long time and has shown time and time again that he knows how to play the political game better than anyone. The coming elections may prove to be his final battle. If he can get Likud a few more seats in the next Knesset then he will once again be the prime minister and likely for a long time to come. If he does not, it is likely that his political career will be over.  The vicious attacks on Palestinians in and around Jerusalem are Netanyahu’s signal to the far right that he is their man and that they should vote for him by voting Likud. Not wanting to be beholden to any other party, he wants to make sure he gets enough votes to create the coalition that he wants without giving away the entire store.  The recent home demolitions in Sur Baher and Wadi Humus were not a response to illegal building or security issues. The homes received permits from the Palestinian Authority, under whose control they were built. They did not pose any security threat either. However, over 900 troops were sent and the IDF Engineer Corps was tasked with the mission of sheer cruel destruction for no other reason than to serve Benjamin Netanyahu’s election campaign. Still, whether or not Netanyahu remains in power is of little significance to Palestine and its people. All Zionist politicians share the same ideology and support the ethnic cleansing, genocide, and apartheid regime with no reservations or exceptions.  Feature photo | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem, June. 30, 2019. Oded Balilty | AP  Miko Peled is an author and human rights activist born in Jerusalem. He is the author of “The General’s Son. Journey of an Israeli in Palestine,” and “Injustice, the Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five.”


nationalreview--2019-12-05--State Dept. Iran Envoy Calls Protests ‘the Worst Political Crisis the Regime Has Faced in its 40 Yea

State Dept. Iran Envoy Calls Protests ‘the Worst Political Crisis the Regime Has Faced in its 40 Years’

State Department official and Iran envoy Brian Hook called Iran’s nationwide protests “the worst political crisis the regime has faced in its 40 years” during a press conference Thursday, and urged the international community to unite against the government in support of protesters.  “These protests have made clear what Secretary Pompeo and I have been saying for quite some time,” Hook said. “The Iranian people want the regime to focus on investing in people, not proxies. They are sick of the regime squandering its wealth on proxy warfare, which leads only to economic pressure and diplomatic isolation. Unfortunately, this is exactly what the Iranian regime continues to do, even while the Iranian people were filling the streets, calling for an end to sectarian adventurism.”  Hook also said the regime “could have murdered over a thousand Iranian citizens since the protests began” — a figure much higher than what other organizations have estimated. Hook attributed the statistic to “crowdsourcing intelligence,” saying the State Department has received over 32,000 submissions in response to a tweet from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who asked Iranian protestors to submit documentation of government abuse to help the U.S. in pursuit of sanctions.  The protests, triggered in November by rising fuel prices, have already resulted in an almost-total internet blackout across the country. On Sunday, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards massacred up to one hundred people in a single incident, Hook confirmed.  The special representative for Iran said that two Iranian prisons had already met the criteria for “gross human rights violations” set out by the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, a law signed by President Trump in 2017 which allows U.S. sanctions against persons responsible for human rights violations in Iran.  “There has been overwhelming support for the Iranian people by the American people,” Hook said. “It is clear there is a bipartisan consensus that the regime’s treatment of the Iranian people is abhorrent and unacceptable. We are unified here in the United States, and the international community likewise should be unified and support the Iranian people.”


newsbusters--2019-04-26--Voters Rate Political Corruption as Americas Biggest Crisis

Voters Rate Political Corruption as America’s Biggest Crisis

Fifty-three percent of voters believe political corruption is a crisis in the United States, while another 36% believe it is a significant problem but not a crisis.  That's consistent with other ScottRasmussen.com polling data showing that 87% of voters nationwide believe corruption is widespread in the federal government. Solid majorities believe there is also corruption in state (70%) and local (57%) government.  The belief that our nation has a political corruption crisis is shared by 53% of women, 52% of men, 51% of white voters, 55% of black and Hispanic voters, 54% of rural voters, 53% of suburban voters and 52% of urban voters. This is truly an issue that cuts across partisan and demographic lines.  In fact, given a list of 10 challenges facing the nation, political corruption was rated as a crisis by more voters than any other issue. Forty-three percent consider illegal immigration a crisis, 40% say the same about government deficits, and 39% believe global warming/climate change is a crisis.  The ScottRasmussen.com national survey also found that 33% consider poverty a crisis, 30% say the same about racism, 29% believe the student loan debt is a crisis, 27% think that describes economic inequality, 22% believe it applies to overregulation and 18% to sexism.  Recognition of political corruption as the nation's biggest crisis shouldn't be much of a surprise, considering the ongoing political debates. On one side, many voters believe that President Donald Trump was elected to clean up the swamp. On the other side, many believe the president is more corrupt than other politicians.  But the perception of political corruption as a crisis goes deeper than attitudes about the president:  Put it all together and you have a situation where voters find little hope and much cynicism in the political process.  Only 26% of voters think it is even somewhat likely that Congress will successfully address major issues facing the nation before the next election. Just 17% now trust the federal government to do the right thing most or all of the time. That hardly sounds like a system where the government enjoys the consent of the governed.  In fact, the system is so broken that 27% of voters don't think anything would be all that different if Hillary Clinton had won the presidential election in 2016.  Perhaps those running for president should focus more on fixing our broken political system and less on making the nation follow a corrupt political system.


newyorkpost--2019-02-13--Pope Francis says he cant help with Venezuelas political crisis

Pope Francis says he can’t help with Venezuela’s political crisis

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has reportedly written to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro indicating conditions aren’t ripe for the Vatican to step in and help mediate in the country’s political crisis.  Corriere della Sera quoted on Wednesday from a letter it said Francis wrote to Maduro on Feb. 7, several days after the socialist leader said he had asked the pope to help launch talks with the opposition.  The Vatican didn’t immediately reply to requests seeking comments on the letter.  On Monday, a delegation representing Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido met at the Vatican with Holy See officials.  Francis has lamented that Venezuelan bishops were frustrated in their efforts to help defuse political and social tensions in the country, where much of the population sorely needs food and medicine.


npr--2019-01-24--State Department Orders Some Diplomatic Staff Out Of Venezuela In Political Crisis

State Department Orders Some Diplomatic Staff Out Of Venezuela In Political Crisis  The State Department is ordering "non-emergency U.S. government employees to depart Venezuela," according to a security alert issued Thursday evening. The U.S. Embassy in Caracas will remain open.  The alert also advised caution if U.S. citizens are in or traveling to Venezuela.  "The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Venezuela. U.S. citizens should contact U.S. Embassy Caracas for consular assistance. U.S. citizens residing or traveling in Venezuela should strongly consider departing Venezuela. Commercial flights remain available," the statement said.  In an interview with commentator Laura Ingraham, Pompeo said the Trump administration is focused on the safety of U.S. personnel.  "We are continuously, 24/7, evaluating security conditions. There's no higher priority for the State Department than to keep all the people in our missions safe and secure. And we've made clear to the Maduro regime that it is our expectation that they will be safe and secure. And we will continue to evaluate," said Pompeo.  The Secretary's statements and the State Department alert came in the second day of rapid developments in the Latin American nation long wracked by political and economic turmoil.  Venezuelans woke up Thursday morning with two men claiming to be their nation's rightful leader: sitting President Nicolás Maduro and upstart opposition leader Juan Guaidó, head of Venezuela's National Assembly.  The day before, Guaidó took the oath of office in front of massive crowds that filled the streets of Caracas and declared himself interim president, pledging to hold general elections. The U.S. immediately declared its support for Guaidó and has called on other nations to recognize him as the country's leader.  Maduro has not ceded power. He tweeted that the country was facing "extreme imperial insolence" that "seeks to impose a puppet and servile government" and told U.S. diplomatic personnel to leave within 72 hours. "Venezuela Is Respected! #YankeeGoHome," he wrote.  On Thursday, Maduro ordered all of Venezuela's diplomats in the U.S. to go home and said the country's embassy and consulates in the U.S. will close, The Associated Press reports. The day before, Maduro declared that he was breaking diplomatic ties with Washington.  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that because the U.S. does not consider the Maduro regime legitimate, "We therefore consider all of its declarations and actions illegitimate and invalid."  Maduro said U.S. is foolish to defy his order, according to the AP.  Pompeo announced that the U.S. will give Venezuela more than $20 million in humanitarian aid. Speaking Thursday at a special meeting at the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C., Pompeo said the funds are to help Venezuelans cope with severe food and medicine shortages and other impacts of the country's political and economic crisis.  Until recently, few Venezuelans even knew who Guaidó was — but now the 35-year-old is leading a high-stakes charge to end the Maduro regime. Pompeo affirmed U.S. support for Guaidó and called on Venezuela's security forces to ensure his safety.  Maduro needs support of the army's high command if he is to remain president – and so far, it appears that he has it.  Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López appeared on state-run television Thursday, surrounded by the military's top brass, and called Maduro the "legitimate president." He accused the opposition of waging a coup, Reuters reports, and said the U.S. and the other countries were carrying out an economic war against Venezuela.  In a televised address from the presidential palace on Wednesday, Maduro also accused Guaidó and Washington of staging a coup.  National security adviser John Bolton said Wednesday that the U.S. would not rule out military options but that its focus is on cutting off revenue to the Maduro regime and building recognition of Guaidó among governments in the Americas and Europe.  Maduro has been in office since 2013, and he was sworn in to a second term two weeks ago. That election was marred by reports of vote-rigging and coercion, and afterward, the U.S., Canada and 12 other countries in the Americas rejected its legitimacy and downgraded diplomatic relations with Venezuela. The U.S. has imposed sanctions on Venezuela's gold sector, as well as on former Venezuelan government officials.  Asked Wednesday why Maduro has been the subject of sanctions while authoritarian leaders elsewhere enjoy favor with the Trump administration, Bolton replied: "The fact is Venezuela is in our hemisphere, I think we have a special responsibility here, and I think the president feels very strongly about it."  As the political crisis in Venezuela takes hold, nations around the world are choosing sides.  The South American countries of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru have all declared their support for Guaidó, the BBC reports. Canada also voiced support for the opposition leader.  Britain's foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, called Guaidó "the right person" to lead and said Maduro is not the country's "legitimate" leader, but he stopped shy of recognizing Guaidó as president.  But Russia, which counts Venezuela as its closest ally in Latin America, has rallied behind Maduro. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with Maduro, the Kremlin press service said Thursday, and "stressed that destructive outside interference grossly violated the fundamental norms of international law."  Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev suggested consideration of what Americans would do if the tables were turned. "Just imagine for a moment how the American people would react to the news the budget crisis (shutdown) has produced a situation in which, say, the speaker of the House of Representatives has declared himself a new president," Medvedev wrote on Facebook, according to Russian news service TASS. "And how would the existing U.S. president react?"  Mexico, which itself has a new president, released a statement of "non-intervention" — which essentially means support for the Maduro regime. And Cuba's foreign ministry said it was backing Maduro against a "coup d'état" to impose "a servile government under orders from the United States," according to the AP.  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was shocked at the Trump administration's move to back Guaidó and reiterated his support of Maduro, the news service reports.  At least 16 people have died in the recent protests, according to the Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict.  More than 3 million Venezuelans have fled the country to escape shortages and hyperinflation. Most have gone to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru or Brazil.  Oil prices rose on Thursday, following U.S. signals that it may sanction Venezuela, a member of OPEC.


npr--2019-05-27--Delegates For Maduro Guaido To Meet For Talks On Ending Venezuelas Political Crisis

Delegates For Maduro, Guaidó To Meet For Talks On Ending Venezuela's Political Crisis

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó is pictured under a national flag during a gathering with supporters on April 30, 2019. Delegates for both Guaidó and Nicolás Maduro are slated to hold direct talks in Norway this week aimed at ending the crisis in Venezuela. **Federico Parra /AFP/Getty Images** ****hide caption****  ****toggle caption****  Federico Parra /AFP/Getty Images  Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó is pictured under a national flag during a gathering with supporters on April 30, 2019. Delegates for both Guaidó and Nicolás Maduro are slated to hold direct talks in Norway this week aimed at ending the crisis in Venezuela.  Federico Parra /AFP/Getty Images  The push for a negotiated solution to the Veneuzelan crisis appears to be picking up steam with delegates for President Nicolás Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaidó slated for direct talks in Norway this week.  The Norwegian government, which is serving as mediator, made the announcement two weeks after an initial round of meetings involving the two sides in Oslo. The effort is designed to break months of political gridlock at a time when Venezuela is suffering from its worst economic meltdown in history, a disaster that has prompted more than 3 million people to flee the country.  "Norway commends the parties for their efforts and appreciates their disposition" to negotiate, Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide said on Saturday.  Even so, the opposition remains skeptical. It claims Maduro has used past negotiations, including meetings in the Dominican Republic two years ago, to stall for time while refusing to make concessions.  "They will never fool us again with a false dialogue like in 2017," Guaidó told supporters on Saturday. "That's why today we're in the streets."  Guaidó, who is recognized by the United States and more than 50 other countries as Venezuela's rightful head of state, has instead tried to force out Maduro, who was reelected last year in balloting marred by allegations of widespread fraud. But massive street protests and calls for the Venezuelan military to withdraw their support for Maduro have failed.  "If you can't kick him out, at some point you are going to have to realize that you must negotiate," said Caracas pollster and political analyst Luis Vicente León.  He added that the two sides have likely been speaking in secret for months in order to set up the talks in Norway, which also helped broker Colombia's historic 2016 peace treaty that ended a long guerrilla war.  Several factors could prompt Maduro to cut a deal. These include U.S. sanctions on the nation's vital oil industry, which provides more than 90% of Venezuela's export income, said Geoff Ramsey of the Washington Office on Latin America, a policy and human rights group.  "The pressure isn't letting up," he said. "Maduro and his entire inner circle have every interest to advance some kind of negotiated transition because that's the only way to get out from under pressure of U.S. sanctions."  In addition, Maduro may fear a military coup as salaries and living conditions for officers deteriorate. Ramsey thinks they "would be very happy to throw [Maduro] under the bus and replace him with someone who has much more international legitimacy."  On Saturday, a smiling Maduro appeared on national television to announce that he would send a delegation to Norway to "move forward towards good agreements."  The opposition insists that negotiations must focus on Maduro either stepping down or holding a free and fair presidential election. So does the U.S. On Saturday, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said: "We believe the only thing to negotiate with Nicolás Maduro is the conditions of his departure."  The two sides appear far apart. During initial talks earlier this month, representatives for Maduro and the opposition spoke separately with a Norwegian mediator rather than to each other.  Opposition supporters fear that Maduro is simply trying to distract attention from the country's growing havoc, which includes hyperinflation, widespread power outages and shortages of food, medicine and gasoline.  In Maracaibo, one of the hardest hit cities located near the Colombian border, vegetable salesman and Guaidó supporter Ángel Gallardo claimed that only a foreign-led invasion would dislodge Maduro from power. "Negotiations won't solve anything," he said.  But with life getting tougher by the day, high school principal Alexander Pérez said he's desperate for a breakthrough in Oslo. Thanks to hyperinflation, Pérez said that until recently, he was spending more per day on bus fare than he earned on the job. He now walks to work.  "Negotiations are the best solution," Pérez said. "That way we will avoid bloodshed and even more pain than we are already suffering."


osce--2019-01-17--OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Lajcak calls for political solution to crisis in and around Ukraine and f

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Lajčák calls for political solution to crisis in and around Ukraine and for urgent improvements in the lives of people

KYIV, 17 January 2019 – Concluding a two-day official visit to Ukraine, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Slovakia’s Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák said he was shocked by the alarming conditions of people living near the contact line in the country’s east, and called on the sides to step up their efforts for a peaceful political solution to the crisis.  Lajčák, on his first official visit as OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, witnessed the daily hardships experienced by people caught in the crisis in and around Ukraine. These included the dangerous journeys people are forced to take because of attacks on critical infrastructure, such as crossing the seriously damaged bridge at the Stanytsia Luhanska entry-exit checkpoints. “In Europe – in the 21st century – people should not be struggling to have their basic needs met,” said Lajčák.  “The crisis in and around Ukraine is a top priority of Slovakia’s OSCE Chairmanship,” he stressed. “Being on the ground, I can see the critical work the OSCE is doing and how much more needs to be done. For the people affected, this conflict dictates their daily lives. Direct or nearby shelling is an everyday reality. We need to do better and come up with new and innovative ideas to improve their living conditions.”  To raise awareness of the most vulnerable people and the need to support the protection of critical infrastructure, Lajčák also visited the Luhansk Regional Children’s Hospital in Lysychansk, and donated 24 tons of humanitarian aid from Slovakia.  Supporting concrete projects like this will be high on the agenda of the Slovak Chairmanship, he said. Slovakia also aims to work closely with other international and regional organizations such as the United Nations and the European Union, as well as other partners like the International Committee of the Red Cross.  Seeing how the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (SMM) operates, Lajčák underlined the need for continuous support and further strengthening of its important work. “The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission is doing crucial work in reducing tensions on the ground,” he noted. “The monitors are the eyes and ears of the organization and they directly contribute to the prevention of further escalation.”  He added that the work of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine offered an important long-term dimension to the organization’s activities in the country, particularly in supporting constitutional, legal and criminal justice reforms, and in addressing the concerns of conflict-affected communities.  The Chairperson-in-Office also called for strong co-operation among the Trilateral Contact Group; the OSCE Chairperson’s Special Representative Martin Sajdik; and the Normandy format, in finding a peaceful political solution to the crisis.  A critical precondition for any positive development and ultimately lasting peace is a ceasefire, he said. “We are unlikely to see political momentum when shells are still falling from the sky,, Lajčák stressed.  While in Ukraine, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office met with Ukrainian Prime Minister, Volodymyr Groysman; Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin; Defence Minister, Stepan Poltorak; and the members of the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group led by First Deputy Chair of the Verkhovna Rada, Iryna Gerashchenko. With his Ukrainian partners, he discussed the crisis in and around Ukraine, as well as how to best support the work of the SMM and mitigate the risks faced by people living close to the contact line.  The upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections were also a focus of the discussions.  “I am confident that all actors in Ukraine will work hard to ensure that the upcoming elections will be open, free and fair. And it is my hope that there will be no interference from external actors,” Lajčák said. “The elections can set the stage for a more peaceful and prosperous future for all Ukrainians. A future we all want.”


osce--2019-06-13--OSCE Chair Lajcak meets Ukrainian President Zelensky to explore steps to peaceful political solution

OSCE Chair Lajčák meets Ukrainian President Zelensky to explore steps to peaceful political solution to the crisis in and around Ukraine

KYIV, 13 June 2019 – Visiting Ukraine for the second time since taking over the OSCE Chairmanship, Slovakia’s Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other members of the Ukrainian leadership to explore steps towards a peaceful political solution to the crisis in and around Ukraine as well as to discuss ways to ease human suffering on the ground.  Chairperson Lajčák congratulated President Zelensky on his sweeping success in the recent elections, remarking that this “sent a very clear message that the Ukrainian people want to see change”. Referring to Zelensky’s pre-election promise to do all he can to bring peace to Ukraine, he said:  Representing the OSCE, I am here to see how we can work together towards this fundamental and urgent goal.”  Meeting also with Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin and the Head of Ukrainian Delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group Leonid Kuchma, Lajčák stressed that any positive development will be only possible with a guaranteed and lasting ceasefire. “We will not be able to move forward while shelling continues,” he said.  Emphasizing the Slovak Chairmanship’s commitment to focus on people, he said: “Since the beginning of our Chairmanship, we have stressed over and over again that we aim to serve people, to make their lives easier, and to give them hope when it seems lost. Therefore, improving the dire humanitarian situation and the living conditions of the people in eastern Ukraine is a top priority for us.”  The upcoming parliamentary elections were also on the agenda: “The Presidential elections were held with respect for fundamental freedoms, and I am confident that all actors in Ukraine are committed to ensuring that the upcoming parliamentary elections will be open, free and fair as well,” Lajčák said.  Commending the important work of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine in addressing the everyday needs of people for the past 20 years, including more recently the conflict-affected communities, Minister Lajčák announced that the Chairmanship will hand over demining equipment to the Ministry of Defense, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and the Ministry of Temporarily Occupied Territories.  “Mines pose a grave, hidden and silent threat to innocent people. Humanitarian demining, particularly close to critical civilian infrastructure, is therefore essential – and something we want to support,” he said.  The Chairperson also stressed the crucial role played by the Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine and the need for continuous support from OSCE participating States: “The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission is doing a tremendous job in reducing tensions on the ground,” he noted. “The monitors are the eyes and ears of the international community and they directly contribute to the prevention of further escalation. Ensuring the safety of the monitors and unhindered access is key,” he added.  Minister Lajčák reiterated the Chairmanship’s full support to the work of the Trilateral Contact Group, the OSCE Chairperson’s Special Representative, Ambassador Martin Sajdik and the Normandy format, and expressed his hope for renewed positive momentum in finding a peaceful political solution to the crisis, in line with OSCE principles and commitments.  In Kyiv, Lajčák also met with representatives of Ukraine´s civil society. Encouraging them to remain actively engaged, the OSCE Chairperson noted: “For years, Ukraine’s civil society has helped to chart the course of this country’s future.  Your crucial work continues today, even if it is not always in the spotlight. But now more than ever this country needs people like you.”


pbs--2019-02-17--How Venezuelas political crisis began and whats next

How Venezuela's political crisis began and what's next

**Hari Sreenivasan:**  Tomorrow President Trump plans to give a speech in Florida largely focused on Venezuela and the U.S. backing for its self-proclaimed president Juan Guaido. But President Maduro is not showing signs of leaving and seems to continue to have the support of the military. So how did this situation happen. What's the United States role in Venezuela and is there a connection between Venezuela policy and increasing opposition to the government in Haiti. For some perspective and analysis we turn to Christopher Sabatini, an adjunct professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, and editor of Global Americans a newsletter focused on Latin America and the Caribbean. We've had lots of conversations on this program about the kind of immediate crisis that Venezuela is going through the lack of medicine and food on the shelves. Right? The things that the people are suffering through I mean in the bigger picture how did we get here.


pbs--2019-05-30--Kushner meets with Netanyahu amid Israels political crisis

Kushner meets with Netanyahu amid Israel's political crisis

JERUSALEM (AP) — President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to push the Trump administration’s long-awaited plan for Mideast peace, just as Israel was thrust into the political tumult of [an unprecedented second election](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/israeli-parliament-votes-to- dissolve-calling-second-election-this-year) in the same year.  Kushner and U.S. special envoy Jason Greenblatt stopped in Israel as part of a Middle East tour to rally support for the administration’s upcoming economic conference in Bahrain, which the White House bills as the first portion of its peace plan.  The U.S. is hoping to draw Arab states with deep pockets to participate in the workshop, which envisions large-scale infrastructure work and investment in the Palestinian territories.  In brief joint remarks, Kushner touted American-Israeli cooperation, saying, “it’s never been stronger and we’re very excited about all the potential that lies ahead for Israel … and for the whole region.”  But public attention was dominated by Israel’s political crisis.  Netanyahu attempted to play down concerns that the Israeli parliament’s dramatic dissolution would further postpone the U.S. peace plan rollout. “You know, we had a little event last night,” he said. “That’s not going to stop us.”  At the White House, President Trump, a close ally of Netanyahu, weighed in expressing dismay at the prime minister’s failure to form a governing coalition. Calling Netanyahu a “great guy,” Trump said he feels “very badly” that the country has to face another election because there is “enough turmoil” in the region.  Israel’s reopened election season presents another stumbling block for Trump’s Mideast peace process, which the Palestinians, citing the administration’s pro-Israel bias, have rejected out of hand.  The Trump administration had hinged the plan’s unveiling on Netanyahu’s victory in elections last month. Now, it seems the proposal will have to wait for the outcome of another tumultuous election cycle, after which Trump’s own race for re-election will be kicking into gear.  Meanwhile, Netanyahu is facing indictment on a series of corruption charges, with his first hearing set for October. His legal troubles throw his long rule into question, along with the feasibility of a future peace plan.  Traveling this week to Jordan and Morocco, Kushner and Greenblatt strove to drum up support for the economic conference in Bahrain, scheduled for June 25-26. Neither state has announced plans for participation.  After more than two years of work, Kushner’s team still has not unveiled its political vision. But glimpses of the plan hint it will focus heavily on so- called economic peace while sidelining or ignoring the longstanding Palestinian goal of independence. The two-state solution continues to enjoy the broad support of the international community.  Meeting with the U.S. presidential advisers, Jordan’s King Abdullah II stood by his country’s commitment to the two-state solution, exposing a rift with the administration and raising doubts about how Trump’s team will win over skeptical Arab states.  Dennis Ross, the veteran Middle East negotiator, says the plan’s outlook has dimmed, considering the “many unknowns” that may indefinitely defer its rollout. Specifically, if Netanyahu pivots even farther to the right on the campaign trial, appealing to voters by promising to annex West Bank settlements again, “the political climate will only get more difficult … it will make it harder for Arab leaders to accept anything.”  But, he said, Trump has attached particular importance to this peace agreement, and is eager for an accomplishment. If the administration manages to ditch the stigmatized tagline of “economic peace,” and sells the Bahrain workshop as a step toward “economic stabilization” with the help of wealthy Gulf states, the constant deferral of the plan’s thornier political portion, such as the status of contested Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees, could work in its favor.  “It might be difficult for the Palestinians to reject reconstruction and development projects given the financial crises destabilizing the West Bank and Gaza right now,” said Ross. At this early point, the cash-strapped Palestinian leadership “would be saying no only to the improvement of the terrible economic conditions in Gaza and the West Bank … that could be helped without their having to give anything up politically.”  Still, the Palestinians say they will not attend the Bahrain meeting, rejecting the parameters of the conference and the role of the U.S. as mediator. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his autonomy government in the West Bank cut off ties with the White House after Trump recognized contested Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December 2017.  Israel captured east Jerusalem in 1967 and annexed it to its capital. Though Trump said his declaration did not determine the city’s final borders, the Palestinians saw the move as unfairly favoring Israel. U.S. cuts in aid, and the closure of the Palestinian diplomatic office in Washington, further deepened their suspicions.


politicalwire--2019-08-03--Russian Political Crisis Grows with More Arrests

“For the second consecutive weekend, Moscow police conducted mass arrests as Russia’s biggest political crisis in several years continued to escalate and pose a challenge to the Kremlin’s heavy-handed approach toward public dissent,” the Los Angeles Times reports.  “More than 600 people were detained for participating in an unsanctioned rally in downtown Moscow, which opposition leaders had called to demand the inclusion of independent candidates in next month’s city council elections. At a mass rally on July 27, police took almost 1,400 people into custody and violently clashed with the thousands of protesters, beating some with truncheons.”


politicalwire--2019-08-24--Amazon Fires Become a Global Political Crisis

“As an ecological disaster in the Amazon escalated into a global political crisis, Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, took the rare step on Friday of mobilizing the armed forces to help contain blazes of a scale not seen in nearly a decade,” the New York Times reports.  “The sudden reversal, after days of dismissing growing concern over hundreds of fires raging across the Amazon, came as international outrage grew over the rising deforestation in the world’s largest tropical rain forest. European leaders threatened to cancel a major trade deal, protesters staged demonstrations outside Brazilian embassies and calls for a boycott of Brazilian products snowballed on social media.”


politicususa--2019-02-08--Virginia congressional Democrats hint at path for easing political crisis

RICHMOND, Va. (Reuters) – Virginia’s congressional Democratic delegation has hinted at a possible pathway for easing a week-old political crisis that has embroiled Governor Ralph Northam and two fellow Democrats at the top of the state’s executive branch.  A statement issued on Thursday by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, and signed by seven other Virginia Democrats from the House of Representatives, still called for Northam to resign over racist imagery on his 1984 medical school page ad his admission to having performed in blackface.  But the statement suggested a readiness to forgive the embattled state attorney general, Mark Herring, who also admitted to a blackface episode in 1980 while in college. Blackface traces its history to 19th century “minstrel” shows that mocked African-Americans and is seen as offensive by many Americans.  The scandals have rattled the Democratic Party in a state where it has been gaining ground in recent years and that will play a key role in picking the winner of the 2020 presidential elections.  Northam, 59, and Herring, 57, both white, have apologized in recent days for the blackface incidents. Northam additionally was revealed to have had a photo featuring a person in blackface and another in the white robes of the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan printed on his medical school yearbook page.  Herring said he had donned blackface to imitate groundbreaking 1980s rapper Kurtis Blow, who weighed in on the matter on Friday.  “It is unfortunate that in this current climate we are confronted with the use of blackface as a barometer of where we are as a society,” he said on Instagram. “It is my hope that these regrettable actions can be turned into teachable moments.”  Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax, a 39-year-old African-American, has meanwhile been accused of forcing himself sexually on a woman 14 years ago. He denies the allegation, saying the encounter was consensual.  All three men have come under pressure to resign. If all three were to step down, the Democrats would lose the governorship to the Republican speaker of the House of Delegates, who is next in the line of succession.  The congressional delegation indicated it was withholding final judgment on Herring, widely seen as showing more sincere contrition, while he continued efforts to mend fences with Virginia’s political establishment.  Herring, who has expressed intentions to run for governor, is seen by some as more sympathetic in part because he went to the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus to confess his blackface experience before it became public, and because the episode occurred when he was just 19.  Northam, by his own admission, was 25 when he donned blackface to masquerade as pop star Michael Jackson. Northam initially said he was one of the two individuals in the yearbook picture, then changed his story to say neither was him. At a Saturday news conference he mused about showing off one of Jackson’s signature dance moves before his wife counseled him against it.  As for Fairfax, the congressional Democrats said the sexual assault allegations against the lieutenant governor “need to be taken very seriously” but stopped short of demanding a formal investigation.


rawstory--2019-08-02--Unacceptable Trump using Puerto Ricos political crisis to restrict hurricane relief aid

‘Unacceptable’: Trump using Puerto Rico’s political crisis to restrict hurricane relief aid

Reports of the president’s plans come just days after Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló announced he would step down in the midst of massive protests over his corruption and slur-filled text messages that mocked victims of Hurricane Maria, which may have killed nearly6,000 people.  Rosselló is expected to resign on Friday, and it is not clear who will replace him.  Puerto Ricans expressed alarm at the planned restrictions on disaster aid, which could further hamper the island’s ability to recover from Maria and prepare for hurricane season, which begins next month.  According to the Post, the $8.3 billion in disaster funding to Puerto Rico “was approved by Congress to protect parts of the island prone to natural disasters, such as by building water pumps where flash flooding occur.”  “The crisis on the island should not stall disaster aid,” Federico A. de Jesús, principal of consulting firm FDJ Solutions and the former deputy director of the Puerto Rico governor’s office in Washington, told the Post. “The money should go directly to the people—with as many safeguards and accountability processes as needed—without slowing the aid down.”  Trump has repeatedly lied about the amount of federal aid Puerto Rico has received since Hurricane Maria struck the island in September of 2017. As Common Dreams reported in May, Trump said during a rally in Florida that Puerto Rico has received $91 billion in disaster relief aid since Hurricane Maria, pointing to a crude bar graph as proof.  In reality, according to the Associated Press, Trump’s “number is wrong, as is his assertion that the U.S. territory has set some record for federal disaster aid. Congress has so far distributed only about $11 billion for Puerto Rico, not $91 billion.”  Trump has reportedly complained to aides that Puerto Rico has received “too much” disaster relief and said he doesn’t want “another single dollar going to the island.”  Trump’s efforts to stop Puerto Rico aid appears to have been effective. As Common Dreamsreported in June, the island said it had not received $600 million in food stamp aid that was approved by Congress.  Sen. Bernie Sanders, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, said Thursday that Trump’s decision to add further restrictions to Puerto Rico aid is “unacceptable.”  “For far too long, the U.S. government has failed the people of Puerto Rico,” Sanders tweeted. “That must end today. President Trump must act now to ensure that the federal government is doing everything in its power to fully rebuild Puerto Rico.”


realclearpolitics--2019-02-08--Political Crisis in Virginia a Test for Democratic Party

If the Democratic party’s actions are to ever credibly meet its rhetoric, then Northam, Fairfax and Herring must resign


renegadetribune--2019-05-31--Israel PM Meets Top US Officials Amid Political Crisis

(MEMO) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday met with Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s senior adviser (and son-in-law), and Jason Greenblatt, Trump’s Mideast envoy, Anadolu Agency reports.  Kushner and Greenblatt are visiting Israel as part of a wider Middle East tour in the run-up to a planned US-sponsored meeting in Bahrain meant to lure investment to the Palestinian territories.  The White House has described the upcoming meeting in Manama as the first phase of its so-called “Deal of the Century”, a backchannel Palestine-Israel peace plan the terms of which have yet to be made public.  In April, Kushner said that details of the plan would be unveiled after the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.  Israeli media, however, reported on Thursday that this could be delayed after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government, prompting him to announce snap elections in September.  “Kushner thought he was coming to Jerusalem to meet a prime minister,” Haaretz reported. “Instead, he’s meeting a man forced to plan his second reelection campaign of the year.”  According to the newspaper, the political crisis could end up derailing the Trump administration’s peace plan.  Slated for June 25 and 26, the upcoming conference in Manama will reportedly be chaired by Kushner and Greenblatt.  Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have all announced their intention to take part in the event.  Based on leaks in the Israeli media, Trump’s peace plan will call on the Palestinian leadership to make concessions to Israel regarding Jerusalem’s status and the rights of Palestinian refugees.


rferl--2019-01-26--UN Security Council To Meet On Venezuela Political Crisis

The UN Security Council is due to discuss the political crisis in Venezuela after the United States requested an emergency session in New York.  U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza both plan to attend.  Pompeo said on January 25 he would urge other countries to support Juan Guaido, who declared himself Venezuela's interim president on January 23 as Venezuelans took to the streets to demand the resignation of President Nicolas Maduro.  Maduro has broken off diplomatic relations with Washington and ordered U,S. diplomatic staff to leave by January 27.  In press conferences on January 25, Guaido urged his sympathizers to stage another mass protest next week and told them that if he is arrested they should "stay the course" and peacefully protest, while Maduro called for dialogue.  The United States, the European Union, more than half a dozen Latin American countries, and Albania have thrown their support behind the opposition. Other countries -- including Russia, Iran, Turkey, Cuba, Bolivia, and Nicaragua -- have backed Maduro.  Maduro won a second term in May elections widely seen as undemocratic and was sworn in on January 10 amid mounting international pressure on him to step down.  Guaido has described the situation in Venezuela as a "humanitarian emergency."      Despite possessing the largest oil reserves in the world, Venezuela has been in economic and political crisis for years.


rt--2019-05-08--Constitutional crisis or political stunt House Democrats hold AG Barr in contempt

‘Constitutional crisis’ or political stunt? House Democrats hold AG Barr in contempt

House Judiciary Committee Democrats have voted to hold Attorney William Barr in contempt of Congress for defying their demands for the unredacted Mueller report and underlying evidence.  Following the 22-12 vote along party lines, committee chair Jerry Nadler (D-New York) told reporters the US is now in a “constitutional crisis.”  The vote came after the White House asserted executive privilege over the report’s contents, calling Nadler’s demand for the unredacted report a “blatant abuse of power.” A version of the report with most of the redactions removed has been made available at a secure facility, but so far no Democrats have bothered to look at it.  “It is deeply disappointing that elected representatives of the American people have chosen to engage in such inappropriate political theatrics," DOJ spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said in a statement, adding that no one force the Department of Justice to break the law by handing over documents that cannot be disclosed.  This is only the second occasion a congressional committee has held a sitting attorney general in contempt. The first such instance was in 2012, when Barack Obama’s AG Eric Holder was held in contempt by the Republican-majority House over his refusal to provide documents related to the “Fast and furious” gun smuggling scandal.  At the time, Nadler called it a “shameful, politically-motivated” vote and walked out of the proceedings.  Mueller was appointed special counsel in May 2017 by deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, after Democrats accused Trump of obstructing the 'Russian collusion' investigation by sacking FBI Director James Comey. After nearly two years of investigating, he submitted a 448-page report to the DOJ in March.  Barr, who became AG in February, published the full report – with less than 10 percent redacted to protect sources, methods, grand jury information and ongoing investigations – to the public on April 18.  In his refusal to hand over the documents demanded by the committee, Barr cited the opinion of AG Janet Reno from 1996, during the Clinton administration. Back then, Nadler vocally opposed the release of the full report by special counsel Ken Starr into President Bill Clinton.  Democrats have gone so far as to demand Barr’s resignation over his handling of the Mueller report, though certain conservative commentators have suggested that the outrage aimed at the AG has more to do with his ongoing investigation into the Obama administration’s surveillance of the Trump campaign during and after the 2016 presidential election.  Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!


russiainsider--2019-02-27--Neoliberal Economic Reform Timidity in East Ukraine Has Russia Sliding Toward Internal Political Cr

Neoliberal Economic Reform, Timidity in East Ukraine Has Russia Sliding Toward Internal Political Crisis

A rather harsh criticism of the Russian Government and the Kremlin in this SouthFront analysis.  Sadly, I cannot say that I disagree with what they say.  In fact, I think that they are spot on and that all the “loyal” Kremlin-bots who deny that there is a serious problem in Russia are wrong.  Supporting Vladimir Putin’s struggle to truly make Russia sovereign again and built a new multi-polar world does not at all entail being blind to all the very real mistakes and even faults of the Russian government. I can only say that I hope that SF is right and that the current lack of support of the Russian people of the government’s neo-liberal/capitalist policies will force Putin to correct the course and return to the kind of social policies the Russian people clearly want.  It is also high time for Russia to take a harsher stance on the Ukraine, if only because the situation in the Ukraine (political and economic) is a total disaster and because some kind of military escalation in the Ukraine seems inevitable. All in all, yet another absolutely superb report by SouthFront whose sober analysis contrasts favorably with what both flag-wavers and fear-mongers typically produce.  The Russia of 2019 is in a complicated economic and even political situation. Smoldering conflicts near its borders amid continued pressure from the US and NATO affect the situation in the country negatively. This is manifested in society and in national politics. The approval rating of the Russian government and personally of President Vladimir Putin has been decreasing.  According to VCIOM, a state pollster, in January 2019, Putin’s confidence rating was only 32.8%. This is 24% less than in January 2018 when it was 57.2%. At the same time, the confidence rating of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was 7.8%. The approval rating of his cabinet is 37.7% while the disapproval rating is 38.7%. Opposition sources show data, which is far worse for the current Russian leadership.  This tendency is not linked to the foreign policy course of the Kremlin. Rather, it’s the result of the recent series of liberal-minded economic reforms, which look similar to the approaches exercised by the Russian government in the mid-1990s. The decision to increase Value Added Tax amid the slowing Russian economy, especially in the industrial sector, and a very unpopular pension reform increasing the retirement age were both factors contributing to the further growth of discontent in the population.  Russia’s GDP increased by 2.3% in 2018 compared to 1.6% in 2017. However, the Ministry of Economic Development, in its document entitled “Economic Picture” stated that this is linked to “one-time factors” and is not “stable”. The ministry maintained its earlier forecast stating that GDP growth in 2019 will be 1.3%. It confirmed increasing capital outflow. In this case, the repayment of funds to Western creditors by the Russian private sector is one of the causes.  The Ministry of Economic Development also pointed out that the expendable income of the population decreased by 0.2%. Statutory charges, including the increased taxes, are named as one of the reasons. The document says that statutory charges grew by 14.8% in 2018.  Additionally, the population is facing an increasingly restrictive administrative pressure: new fines and other penalties for minor violations in various fields and additional administrative restrictions limiting the freedom of actions of citizens. Restrictive traffic management of big cities, increasing fees for using federal highways as well as policies that are de-facto aimed at small business and self-employed persons are among its landmarks.  Meanwhile the general population has no effective levers of pressure to affect or correct government policy. The public political sphere has become a desert. United Russia (Edinaya Rossiya) is the only political party still de—facto existing in public politics. By now its ideological and organizational capabilities have become exhausted. Other “political parties and organizations” are just media constructs designed to defend the interests of a narrow group of their sponsors. It is hard to find a lawmaker in the State Duma or the Federation Council, who is not affiliated with the cliquish top political elite and oligarch clans.  In the media sphere, the government has failed to explain its current course to the population. A vast majority of the initiatives of Medvedev’s cabinet face a negative reaction from the population. A spate of scandals involving high and middle level government officials made the situation even worse. These cases revealed blatant hypocrisy and the neglectful attitude to duties of some Russian officials.  Some of the officials even became heroes of nationwide memes. Probably, the most prominent of these heroes are Minister of Labour and Employment of the Saratov region Natalia Sokolova and Head of Department for Youth Policy in the Sverdlov Region Olga Glatskikh.  Sokolova advised Russian pensioners to eat “makaroshki” [a derogatory term for maccheroni] to save money and to thus become able to survive on the subsistence minimum of 3,500 RUB [about 50 USD] per month.  “You will become younger, prettier and slimmer! Makaroshki cost is always the same!”, she said during a meeting of the regional parliamentary group on social policy in October 2018 adding that discounted products can be used to create a “balanced, but dietic” menu.  Glatskikh became a meme hero thank to her meeting with young volunteers during the same month. Commenting on the possible financing of youth projects, she told volunteers that the government did not ask their parents “to give birth” to them. So, they should expect nothing from the state.  In the period from 2018 to 2019, there were multiple arrests of officials caught exceeding the limits of their authority and being involved in corruption schemes. In comparison to previous periods, this number had increased by 1.5-2 times. The most recent detention took place right in the Parliament building on January 30. A 32-year-old senator, Rauf Arashukov, is suspected of being a member of a criminal group involved in the 2010 murders of two people and in pressuring a witness to one of the killings. On the same day, authorities detained his father, an adviser to the chief executive of a Gazprom subsidiary, Raul Arashukov. He is suspected of embezzling natural gas worth 30 billion rubles ($450 million).  However, these actions do not appear to be enough to change the established media situation. After a large-scale corruption scandal in the Ministry of Defense in 2012, which led to almost no consequences for key responsible persons including former Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, who even continued his carrier in state-linked corporation Rostec. The general public has serious reservations about any real success of anti-corruption efforts.  The aforementioned factors fuel the negative perception of the Medvedev government and Vladimir Putin as the head of state among Russian citizens.  The 2014 events in Crimea showed to the Russian population that its state is ready to defend the interests of the nation and those who describe themselves as Russians even by force of arms. This was the first case when this approach was openly employed in the recent history of Russia. Therefore, the population was enthusiastic and national pride was on the rise. However, the Kremlin failed to exploit these gained opportunities and did not use them to strengthen the Russian state. In fact, up to February 2019, the policy towards eastern Ukraine has been inconsistent. At the same time, Moscow continues to lose its influence in post-Soviet states. This can be observed in both the Caucasus and Central Asia. Even, their close ally, Belarus, occasionally demonstrates unfriendly behavior and focuses its own efforts on the exploitation of economic preferences granted by Russia.  Evaluating the current internal political situation in Russia and its foreign policy course, it’s possible to say that the Russian leadership has lost its clear vision of national development and a firm and consistent policy, which are needed for any great power. Another explanation of this is that the Russian leadership is facing pressure from multiple agents of influence, which stand against vision of a powerful independent state seeking to act as one of the centers of power on the global stage. One more factor, often pointed out by experts, is the closed crony-caste system of elites. This system led to the creation of a leadership, which pursues its own narrow clannish interests. Apparently, all of these factors influence Russian foreign and domestic policies in one way or another.  The aforementioned large-scale anti-corruption campaign, regarding the people’s show-me attitude towards its result, could be a sign of a new emerging trend, which would lead to a purge of the corrupt elites and to strategic changes in Russian domestic policy.  It is highly likely that Russia will face hard times in the next two years (2019-2020) and face various threats and challenges to its economy, foreign policy course and even to its statehood.


sottnet--2019-01-31--Venezuelan FM African Union voices support for Maduro amid political crisis

Venezuelan FM: African Union voices support for Maduro amid political crisis

The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said that the African Union had expressed its support for President Nicolas Maduro amid the escalating political crisis in the country."Deputy Chairperson of the African Union, Thomas Kwesi Quartey, has sent a message of solidarity with the people of Venezuela and of support for constitutional president Nicolas Maduro," the ministry wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.The message had been handed over to the Venezuelan authorities through the country's ambassador to Ethiopia, the ministry added.Earlier in the day, Uruguay's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the upcoming international conference on the current political crisis in Venezuela, which is to take place in Montevideo on 7 February. The initiative was suggested by Uruguay and Mexico.Later Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called for a dialogue between the sides to the Venezuelan crisis without setting any conditions."We and the Spanish government share the call for dialogue between the [Venezuelan] sides. I believe that we have agreed that we can engage in this [process] if it is necessary in order to make both sides of the conflict sit down and maintain dialogue without any conditions," Obrador told reporters after his meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday.On Wednesday US President Donald Trump spoke to Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, reiterating the US' support for the opposition's "fight to regain democracy".Last Monday, mass protests erupted across Venezuela and on 23 January, Guaido declared himself the country's interim president. The UK, Germany, France, and Spain declared on Saturday their intention to recognise Juan Guaido as the country's interim president if Caracas does not announce snap presidential elections within eight days.In turn, Russia, Cuba, China, Turkey and Iran have given Maduro's government full support, with Maduro himself calling Venezuela "the victim of a US conspiracy", referring to US Vice President Mike Pence promising Guaido "full American support" the day before he declared himself Venezuela's new head of state. Maduro also stressed that Venezuela had held legitimate elections and urged European countries to withdraw their demand.


sottnet--2019-02-27--Russia slides towards internal political crisis

Another explanation of this is that the Russian leadership is facing pressure from multiple agents of influence  , which stand against vision of a powerful independent state seeking to act as one of the centers of power on the global stage.  This is a critical look at the situation in Russia. The video is based on an article of one of our readers and additional data.The Russia of 2019 is in a complicated economic and even political situation.This is manifested in society and in national politics. The approval rating of the Russian government and personally of President Vladimir Putin has been decreasing.According to VCIOM, a state pollster,when it was 57.2%. At the same time, the confidence rating of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was 7.8%. The approval rating of his cabinet is 37.7% while the disapproval rating is 38.7%. Opposition sources show data, which is far worse for the current Russian leadership.This tendency is not linked to the foreign policy course of the Kremlin. Rather,, which look similar to the approaches exercised by the Russian government in the mid-1990s.amid the slowing Russian economy, especially in the industrial sector,were both factors contributing to the further growth of discontent in the population.. However, the Ministry of Economic Development, in its document entitled "Economic Picture" stated that this is linked to "one-time factors" and is not "stable". The ministry maintained its earlier forecast stating that GDP growth in 2019 will be 1.3%. It confirmed increasing capital outflow. In this case, the repayment of funds to Western creditors by the Russian private sector is one of the causes.The Ministry of Economic Development also pointed out that. Statutory charges, including the increased taxes, are named as one of the reasons. The document says that statutory charges grew by 14.8% in 2018.Additionally, the population is facing an increasingly restrictive administrative pressure:. Restrictive traffic management of big cities, increasing fees for using federal highways as well as policies that are de-facto aimed at small business and self-employed persons are among its landmarks.Meanwhile the general population has no effective levers of pressure to affect or correct government policy.. United Russia (Edinaya Rossiya) is the only political party still de-facto existing in public politics. By now its ideological and organizational capabilities have become exhausted.It is hard to find a lawmaker in the State Duma or the Federation Council, who is not affiliated with the cliquish top political elite and oligarch clans.In the media sphere,A vast majority of the initiatives of Medvedev's cabinet face a negative reaction from the population.made the situation even worse. These cases revealed blatant hypocrisy and the neglectful attitude to duties of some Russian officials.Some of the officials even became heroes of nationwide memes. Probably, the most prominent of these heroes are Minister of Labour and Employment of the Saratov region Natalia Sokolova and Head of Department for Youth Policy in the Sverdlov Region Olga Glatskikh.and to thus become able to survive on the subsistence minimum of 3,500 RUB [about 50 USD] per month."You will become younger, prettier and slimmer! Makaroshki cost is always the same!", she said during a meeting of the regional parliamentary group on social policy in October 2018 adding that discounted products can be used to create a "balanced, but dietic" menu.Glatskikh became a meme hero thank to her meeting with young volunteers during the same month. Commenting on the possible financing of youth projects, she told volunteers that the government did not ask their parents "to give birth" to them. So, they should expect nothing from the state.In comparison to previous periods,. The most recent detention took place right in the Parliament building on January 30. A 32-year-old senator,is suspected of being a member of a criminal group involved inand in pressuring a witness to one of the killings. On the same day, authorities detained, an adviser to the chief executive of a Gazprom subsidiary,He is suspected ofHowever, these actions do not appear to be enough to change the established media situation. After a large-scale corruption scandal in the Ministry of Defense in 2012, which led to almost no consequences for key responsible persons including former Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, who even continued his carrier in state-linked corporation Rostec.The aforementioned factors fuel the negative perception of the Medvedev government and Vladimir Putin as the head of state among Russian citizens.The 2014 events inshowed to the Russian population that its state is ready to defend the interests of the nation and those who describe themselves as Russians even by force of arms. This was the first case when this approach was openly employed in the recent history of Russia. Therefore, the population was enthusiastic and national pride was on the rise. However, the Kremlinand did not use them to strengthen the Russian state. In fact, up to February 2019,This can be observed in both the Caucasus and Central Asia. Even, their close ally, Belarus, occasionally demonstrates unfriendly behavior and focuses its own efforts on the exploitation of economic preferences granted by Russia.Evaluating the current internal political situation in Russia and its foreign policy course, it's possible to say that the Russian leadership has lost its clear vision of national development and a firm and consistent policy, which are needed for any great power.This system led to the creation of a leadership, which pursues its own narrow clannish interests. Apparently, all of these factors influence Russian foreign and domestic policies in one way or another.The aforementioned large-scale anti-corruption campaign, regarding the people's show-me attitude towards its result, could be a sign of a new emerging trend, which would lead to a purge of the corrupt elites and to strategic changes in Russian domestic policy.It is highly likely that Russia will face hard times in the next two years (2019-2020) and face various threats and challenges to its economy, foreign policy course and even to its statehood.


sputnik--2019-02-26--WATCH UNSC Holds Meeting on Venezuelan Political Crisis

WATCH: UNSC Holds Meeting on Venezuelan Political Crisis

US Special Envoy to Venezuela Elliot Abrams said Tuesday ahead of the UNSC meeting that Washington would announce more sanctions on Caracas and reintroduce a UN resolution on humanitarian aid.  The scheduling of the Security Council session comes after the United States imposed new sanctions on the Venezuelan government while US and opposition leaders vowed to intensify efforts to deliver controversial "humanitarian aid."  Venezuela is gripped by political crisis. On 5 January, lawmaker Juan Guaido was elected as the president of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, which all other government branches have been refusing to recognize since 2016.  On 23 January, two days after the Venezuelan Supreme Court annulled his election, Guaido declared himself the country's "interim president". Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was sworn in for his second presidential term on 10 January after winning the May election, which part of the opposition boycotted, qualified Guaido's move as an attempt to stage a coup orchestrated by Washington.


sputnik--2019-03-14--Britain Is Now in the Clutches of an Even Bigger Political Crisis - Professor

Following the vote, the prime minister told MPs that if her deal fails to get through Parliament there could be a delay in Brexit until 30 June. Sputnik discussed the prospects of Brexit with James Downes, a Professor in Comparative Politics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.  Sputnik: UK lawmakers have rejected a no deal Brexit. What are the next steps for Britain?  James Downes: Britain is now in the clutches of an even bigger political crisis. The next steps for Brexit are incredibly uncertain. There are two potential scenarios on the horizon. The first scenario involves an extension of Article 50. This would involve MPs deciding whether to delay Brexit until the 30th June 2019, in order to allow for the legislation to be passed through the UK House of Commons. However, this is all predicated on MPs backing Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal by the 20th March. Again, it is highly unlikely that MPs would currently accept the Prime Minister’s deal. This causes even more problems as the European Parliament elections will be held in May 2019.  This may even involve Britain having to take part in the European Parliament elections as part of some compromise strategy with the European Union. However, such a move could further undermine political trust amongst voters in Britain, creating further divides between the political elites in Westminster and ordinary voters alongside empowering ‘hard’ Eurosceptic groups in the UK. It is also not even clear whether there would be support for such a move both politically and legally within the EU.  The second scenario would now seem to point to the possibility of a second Referendum. The notion of holding a second Referendum back in 2018 would have seemed completely out of the question. However, we are not living in ordinary political times and a looming constitutional crisis is engulfing the British Government now. Holding a second Referendum may be the only way to clearly solve the current political impasse that Britain is at. Yet there are grave risks of holding a second Referendum, particularly in how this could further undermine political trust amongst Brexit voters and further increase polarisation in the United Kingdom. Parliament would also need to seize momentum from the government and table a vote for a second referendum to take place.  It is also important to underline how it would take considerable time to even set up a second Referendum and this is extremely difficult, logistically speaking. It is not even remotely clear whether there would be a simple Remain or Leave question, or whether different Brexit deal scenarios would be outlined to the British voters. The chances of a second Referendum though are likely higher than the possibility of another General Election. Holding another General Election is highly to lead to no party having a clear majority in Parliament and would likely exacerbate Brexit further and divisions within the United Kingdom. Having said that, the first Brexit vote also highlighted significant age divides, between younger and older voters. A second Referendum would also likely produce similar polarisation amongst different age cohorts and between the North and South of England in particular.  Sputnik: Some reports have noted that the vote will clear the path for Parliament to request extra time for the withdrawal process. What consequences can this have on the already divided Conservative party?  James Downes: This is likely to further divide the Conservative Parliamentary Party, both Remainers and Leavers alike. However, Brexit cuts across traditional political party lines and this would also further split the Labour Party. The only political parties that would come out of Brexit well are likely to be the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Nationalist Party. The latter have even recently been speaking about tabling a motion for a second Independence Referendum, should Britain crash out of the EU.  UK PM Could Win Hard Brexiteer’s Support By Warning They Could ‘Lose Brexit’ – Prof There has been much talk about the damage caused by Brexit to the UK Conservative Party, but arguably more damage may be done to the UK Labour Party, with the party split significantly at the moment between the democratic socialist radical left leadership of Jeremy Corbyn and a large majority of the social democratic Labour Parliamentary Party which is pro-Remain (pro-EU) and deeply concerned about the prospects of leaving the EU. The mass membership (voter base) of the Labour party is also heavily split on this issue, particularly amongst the influential Momentum Movement.  In short, Britain’s two traditional mainstream parties (Conservative & Labour) will take years to recover from the mess of Brexit. In turn, this opens up political space for other ‘minor’ parties in British politics such as the increasingly far right United Kingdom Independence Party and the newly formed Independent Group. Yet, paradoxically, the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) electoral system that Britain uses for Westminster elections would still make it incredibly difficult for new ‘entrant’ or ‘minor’ parties to translate their vote shares into meaningful seats in the UK House of Commons. This would be the only real saving grace for Britain’s two historically dominant political parties.  Sputnik: In your view, under what circumstances will the EU agree to extend the withdrawal process?  James Downes: The European Union has by no means made any meaningful guarantees that they will agree to prolong or even extend the Article 50 process. The EU long expected the Brexit issue to have been settled months ago and has had enough of compromising. As outlined earlier in the interview, the EU would have wanted a decisive outcome on Brexit well in advance of the May 2019 European Parliament elections. Key leaders of EU member states such as Prime Minister Mark Rutte from the Netherlands and President Emmanuel Macron from France have voiced their scepticism about the EU further extending Article 50. Countries such as France have taken a particularly strong stance and highlighted how they are still working towards March 29th 2019 as the end point for Brexit.  Too Hard to Bear: Brits Stockpile on Toilet Paper, Painkillers Ahead of No-Deal Brexit However, whilst the EU 27-member states have remained remarkably unified thus far, there still remains the distinctive possibility that the UK could crash out of the EU on the 29th March with no agreement and thus trade on World Trade Organization terms. All it would require is one individual EU member state to refuse to any such re-negotiations for this to happen If such a crash out did occur. This would be catastrophic for both the UK and the EU. Political brinksmanship and compromises are needed over the next two decisive weeks from both sides alike.  The EU is likely to only make concessions at the very last moment as it will be deeply worried about the possibility of Britain crashing out. The next two weeks will decide the future of British politics and at the same time the future direction of the EU project.  The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect Sputnik's position.


sputnik--2019-03-22--EU Not Responsible for Solving Political Crisis in UK - French Foreign Minister

"It is necessary for the British to take courage and not to bring their difficult internal situation to the European Union. It is not the European Union who should resolve the UK political crisis," the minister said on the BFMTV broadcaster.  READ MORE: Petition to Revoke Brexit Gets Over 2.7Mln Signatures  Following discussions on Thursday evening in Brussels, heads of the EU member states identified two scenarios for postponing Brexit, which the United Kingdom has requested. The first would be an extension until May 22, provided the withdrawal agreement is approved by the UK parliament. If lawmakers reject the deal, the deadline would only be moved until April 12. European Council President Donald Tusk said that April 12 was a key date with regard to whether or not the United Kingdom would participate in the elections to the European Parliament.


sputnik--2019-04-03--Major Political Crisis Certain if Brexit Delays Continue - Fmr UK Labor Leader

‘Major Political Crisis’ Certain if Brexit Delays Continue - Fmr UK Labor Leader

Originally due to leave the EU on March 31, the UK was granted at least 12 more days to accommodate further parliamentary debate. But now that deadline also seems certain to be missed, as May's Brexit deal has been rejected for a third time since its initial agreement between her government and Brussels last November.  Alex Gordon, former president of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, told Radio Sputnik's Loud and Clear Tuesday that much of the fear over Brexit's economic and social effects was "stoked up" by either EU or UK governments to try and "smuggle their class interests past the interests of the majority of the population."  Gordon said May's government was a "circular firing squad" and had been described by one of her own Conservative Party leaders as "the most dysfunctional government in history."  "What you're seeing unraveling in real-time is a political and state crisis of one of the most important states in the world," Gordon said, noting that "its ruling class is now in complete meltdown: deadlocked, unable to reach a decision, unable to reach a consensus, unable to smuggle their class interests past the interests of the majority of the population over here, which was their historic purpose. The Conservative Party has always been the vehicle for promoting the interests of the British ruling class as the interests of the nation, and they've simply been unable to do that over this question of Brexit."  "So what it means is, she's going to go running along, on the 10th of April, in just over a week's time, to the European Council of Ministers and ask them for a further extension to Article 50 beyond the 12th of April," Gordon said. "It seems extremely possible that the European Council are going to refuse that, because they've seen the shambolic state of her government; they know that she cannot deliver; she can't deliver within her own cabinet, and she can't deliver within the House of Commons, the British Parliament."  "So, everyone is asking the question over here: ‘What's going to happen?' Some of the best-informed commentators think that still the most likely outcome of this whole mess is that Britain will leave the European Union on the 12th of April without a deal with the European Union — that is to say, leave on World Trade Organization terms," Gordon told Sputnik.  "The other possibility is that the House of Commons will effectively launch a parliamentary coup d'etat and revoke the entire departure process — revoke Article 50 — and decide that they're going to remain in the European Union. If they do that, they will reap a whirlwind, because there's going to be a complete breakdown of established party politics in Britain," Gordon said, reassuring hosts Brian Becker and John Kiriakou that "British commentators and British viewers have no more idea than your own audience what the British political ruling class is up to." Only the Rich Fear Brexit - Former Labour MP  Gordon said the British Civil Service "has made extensive preparations" for Brexit. "There will be small dislocations in trade; everything has been taken into account. There will not be a catastrophe; there will not be a meltdown in trade; the prices of food will not skyrocket; there will not be a mass closure of factories because they can't get spare parts. There's been a huge project of fear mounted in the last two or three months around these issues for the consequences of trade, but it's quite clear there will be a Brexit under World Trade Organization rules."  "The British government has published its proposals for the impact on tariffs. In effect, the duty-free ratio of tariffs will move from 80 percent at current levels on goods imported to Britain to 87 percent, so there'll be an increase in reductions in tariffs into Britain. This will depend on which sector you're talking about; whether it's agriculture or manufactured goods or pharmaceuticals, there will be a change in tariff rules, but it's going to be a dislocation rather than a catastrophe," he said. British Pound Falls 0.43% Against US Dollar in Wake of Brexit Deal Vote  As for the question of the border between the independent Republic of Ireland and the UK's Northern Ireland, which has proven the major subject of contention in the UK's internal Brexit debate, Gordon told Sputnik that "much of this fear has been stoked up by the Irish government at the behest of the European Commission." He said that Irish republicans were "incredulous at the suggestion that an Irish government might impose border controls… when the British Conservative government is saying that under no circumstances would they impose border controls," although Gordon wouldn't' discount the idea of politics in Dublin, London or Brussels changing "a few years down the road."  Based on his talks with people on both sides of the border, Gordon concluded, "The impact is going to be extremely minimal in terms of the day-to-day lives of people who live around the border of Northern Ireland… The border in Northern Ireland has been used cynically by the European Commission and the Irish government to try and put pressure on the British in the negotiations. I don't think it is a major issue, in reality."  "The sky won't fall" if Britain doesn't leave the EU on April 12, Gordon said, but "if there's a long extension… there will be a major political crisis in Britain, because… the majority of the electorate has voted to leave the European Union, and such an act of treachery would be paid back with real vengeance, and we would see really a breaking of the existing party system of Labour and Conservative and the emergence of new forces that we can't really contemplate entirely at this moment."


sputnik--2019-04-06--French Foreign Minister Libyan Crisis Can Only Be Resolved by Political Means

French Foreign Minister: Libyan Crisis Can Only Be Resolved by Political Means

"In Libya, we know what needs to be done. Yesterday evening, we set forth the communique with no difficulty. There is one basic principle which that in Libya there will not be a military victory. The solution can only be a political one", Le Drian said at a press conference closing the meeting of G7 foreign ministers in France.  The political solution for the Libyan crisis includes calling a national conference and a subsequent holding of elections, the French foreign minister noted.  "Now, for all of this to happen in a calm setting, we need many elements of the present situation to stop, and different players to restrain themselves", Le Drian underlined.  The situation in Libya escalated on 4 April as Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the commander of forces loyal to East Libya-based government, ordered an offensive to retake Tripoli from the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA)-backed forces. The LNA has already recaptured a number of settlements on its way to the capital, while leader of Libya's UN-supported government Fayez Sarraj has ordered its troops to use force if necessary.