EIR Daily Alert Service
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2017 Volume 4, Number 34 EIR Daily Alert Service P.O. Box 17390, Washington, DC 20041-0390
EDITORIALThe ‘Dumbed-Down’ Are Becoming Inspired To ImproveFeb. 16 (EIRNS)—A long press conference held by President Donald Trump this afternoon, after responding to endless foolish questions from the corrupted U.S. press corps about Trump’s supposed illegal influence from Russia, insisted, yet again, that it is extremely important that we be friends, not enemies, with Russia, but added for the first time, something that the American people have been “dumbed down” so much that they forget: “We’re a very powerful nuclear country and so are they. I have been briefed. And I can tell you one thing about a briefing that we’re allowed to say because anybody that ever read the most basic book can say it, nuclear holocaust would be like no other.” The second part of an interview with Lyndon LaRouche by Joseph Cotto of the San Francisco Review of Books was published today, in which LaRouche addressed precisely this issue. He agreed with a comment from Cotto that the American people have been “dumbed down,” but added, “there is of course still the potential of reversing that trend. Human beings are human beings, and once they have hope for their future, they get inspired to improve.” This is the open secret about the Trump election—he gave a nearly hopeless people a sense of “hope for the future.” Hundreds of millions of people or more—not only in the United States but many other countries as well—suddenly have hope for their future, as they had not had for many years. The prospective for the future of mankind presented for decades by LaRouche—for cooperation among all great nations and cultures for the development of humanity—which we share with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and the Chinese leadership, has struck up against the hopelessness bred into our fellow citizens, especially under the 16 years of mis-leadership under Bush and Obama. No longer. This is an enormous change. LaRouche added: “Given the economic data of the state of the U.S. labor force—shorter life expectancies, drug addiction, suicide rates, unemployment—a real effort to increase the real productivity of labor will be required. And Trump will have trouble with this thing, as he doesn’t know how to explain the argument. Trump himself will understand the argument, but many of the people who are involved with him, as on his economic team, will have to face up to and understand this.” Will Trump live up to his promises? Will he implement Glass-Steagall? Will he revise our once-great space program which was dismantled under Obama? Will he join the New Silk Road initiated by Xi Jinping? In a very concise way, LaRouche has pointed precisely to the irreplaceable need for the leadership of his ideas at this moment—however long this moment may last. The fight for the restoration of Franklin Roosevelt’s policies, and for moving into new, unchartered domains, such as the New Silk Road and new levels of cooperation among nations based on the common aims of mankind, are now within our reach. “Don’t panic,” as LaRouche said to associates recently, “but focus.” U.S. POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC‘We The People’ White House Website Petition Seeks Arrest Warrant against SorosFeb. 16 (EIRNS)—“We The People,” launched September 22, 2011, is a section of the official Presidential website, which is set aside for petitioning the administration’s policy experts. The “We The People” petition is now collecting 100,000 signatures by Feb. 20, in order for the Administration to respond. The petition seeks the issuance of an international arrest warrant against George Soros. At the time of writing, it has collected more than 26,000 signatures. The petition charges: “George Soros is a menace to the free world and stands in the way of making America great again. He is guilty of the following crimes:
According to a May 4, 2013 Los Angeles Times article, “Rich Liberal Donors Throw Weight Behind Obama Agenda,” penned by Matea Gold, Soros is among the deep-pocketed financiers of the Organizing for Action (OFA) group, led by Barack Obama, which imagines it can unseat President Trump. Paul Sperry of the New York Post wrote on Feb. 11 that “Obama is intimately involved in OFA operations and even tweets from the group’s account. In fact, he gave marching orders to OFA foot soldiers following Trump’s upset victory.” In a conference call from the White House, Sperry wrote, Obama said: “Now is the time for some organizing. So don’t mope.” Sperry noted that the “OFA is run by old Obama aides and campaign workers, and has raised more than $40 million in contributions and grants since evolving from Obama’s campaign organization, ‘Obama for America,’ in 2013.” WikiLeaks Releases CIA Orders To Interfere in 2012 French ElectionFeb. 16 (EIRNS)—In its typically timely fashion, WikiLeaks released today a CIA directive ordering both SIGINT (electronic intelligence) and HUMINT (human gathered intelligence) spying on the 2012 French election. The order detailed the desired intelligence on both the ruling party of then President Nicolas Sarkozy and his opponents, including Marine Le Pen, Francois Hollande, and Dominique Strauss-Khan. The dossier required both intelligence on the activities of the candidates and parties, as well as psychological profiles of individuals and conflicts within and between parties. The orders are classified and restricted to U.S. eyes only (“NOFORN”) due to “Friends-on-Friends sensitivities.” The orders state that the collected information is to “support” the activities of the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency’s EU section, and the U.S. State Department’s Intelligence and Research Branch. The WikiLeaks press release reports that the CIA operation ran for ten months from Nov. 21, 2011 to Sept. 29, 2012, crossing the April-May 2012 French presidential election and several months into the formation of the new government. STRATEGIC WAR DANGERDie Linke Leader Insists, End Sanctions, Enter Dialogue with PutinFeb. 16 (EIRNS)—Sahra Wagenknecht, chairwoman of the Linke party’s group in the Bundestag, charged the German government and in particular Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen with using the allegedly turbulent and chaotic start of the Trump Administration as a pretext for increasing defense expenditures, which von der Leyen justifies by the alleged threat from Russia. The same pretext is being used, Wagenknecht said, to justify the continuation of the sanctions against Russia, and the German refusal to enter a serious dialogue with President Putin. All of this has created a very dangerous situation, from which Europe, which should, rather, act in its genuine interest, can only get out by dropping the sanctions and beginning a constructive dialogue with Russia. Six-Nation Consultations in Moscow on Afghanistan Call for Intra-Afghan ReconciliationFeb. 16 (EIRNS)—Following the Feb. 15 six-nation talks of Russia, Afghanistan, India, China, Iran and Pakistan, aiming to resolve internal conflict within Afghanistan, a Russian Foreign Ministry press release said: “The participants agreed to increase efforts to promote intra-Afghan reconciliation, while preserving the leading role of Kabul and compliance with previously agreed principles of integration of the armed opposition into a peaceful life.” The Russian host and participant in the dialogue was Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov. In an interview with TASS, Kabulov said “the Afghan government seeks to resume talks.” The Russian Foreign Ministry’s release said that the six nations want to bring the Central Asian countries into the next stage of the negotiations. Ashraf Haidari, director-general for policy and strategy at the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in his opening remarks, “said the government of Afghanistan firmly believed in peace and had made every effort to reach reconciliation with the armed groups that demonstrated genuine willingness to renounce violence, cut ties with terrorist networks, and opt for peace through a results-driven dialogue,” Pajhwok Afghan News agency reported today. He also praised India, China, Russia, Turkey, and all the Central Asian states for their continued support for joint peace efforts. He referred as well to Afghanistan’s constructive dialogue with Iran on common national security issues, The Wire an India-based online publication reported today. The tense relations that prevail between Afghanistan and Pakistan were evident during the talks. On the day of the talks, The Wire wrote, the Afghan deputy chief of mission was summoned by the Pakistan Foreign Office to lodge a protest over terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil by the terrorist outfit Jumaat-ul-Ahrar, from its sanctuaries inside Afghanistan. COLLAPSING WESTERN FINANCIAL SYSTEMPriceWaterhouse Coopers Issues Upbeat Report on Belt and RoadFeb. 16 (EIRNS)—The consulting firm PriceWaterhouse Coopers (PwC), issued a report on the Belt and Road Initiative which is generally upbeat and encourages firms to get involved. Entitled “China’s New Silk Route: A Long and Winding Road,” PwC notes that it has tracked the equivalent of $250 billion in projects that have either been built already, recently started construction, or have been agreed on and signed in relation to the Belt and Road. While many of the individual projects included predate the 2013 announcement of the Belt and Road, the B&R has bundled many these into an overall vision such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) or the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Corridor (BCIM). The report says: “The idea of connectivity along two main routes, and the investments that will go into it, is intended to be an effective and integrated way to stimulate trade and exports with China’s neighbors, increase export demand for Chinese capacity (e.g. construction and engineering capacity), help internationalize the Chinese currency renminbi, and create good will among its many neighboring countries.” PwC predicts that the B&R will mobilize up to $1 trillion within the next 10 years, and full implementation of the initiative will cover a span of over 30 to 40 years. “The geographical area that is potentially covered by the B&R initiative is vast,” the report says. “In its current shape … the initiative has … more than half of the world’s population (ca. 4.4 billion), around 30% of the global economy, and a total infrastructure investment need of around $5 trillion.” While it notes the benefit the B&R will have for China (most of China’s 27 provinces are covered by B&R projects), it also represents a unique opportunity for foreign businesses. “B&R is expected to have a significant impact on non-Chinese businesses in numerous ways. The figure above illustrates high-level opportunities brought by the first wave of B&R, especially for businesses that focus on infrastructure building, including suppliers of technology, equipment and components, raw materials and other elements to Chinese construction companies. They can partner with their Chinese customers outside China in much the same way as they have done inside China in the past. While technologies of Western firms complement China’s advantages, these complementarities will exist outside China for the Chinese companies as well.” PwC notes the example of Siemens, which has won a $1 billion order from China’s Shandong Electric Power Construction 3rd Company (SEPCOIII) for the construction of a combined cycle power plant at the Ras Al-Khair Plant in Saudi Arabia. “Secondly, foreign engineering, procurement and construction companies could partner with Chinese players in overseas markets, or conduct joint new market and customer development.” This will only increase as China expands the work of the B&R to include its own style of private-public partnerships, offering new opportunities for Western companies to get involved in this major infrastructural program. THE NEW GLOBAL ECONOMIC ORDERTrump Promises Nigeria Help in Fighting Boko HaramFeb. 16 (EIRNS)—In a clear shift from the Obama administration, President Trump called up President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria on Feb. 14 and promised help in the fight against Boko Haram, the most dangerous terror organization globally. In the White House readout it is reported that Trump spoke with Buhari “to discuss the strong cooperation between the United States and Nigeria, including on shared security, economic, and governance priorities. President Trump underscored the importance the United States places on its relationship with Nigeria, and he expressed interest in working with President Buhari to expand the strong partnership. The leaders agreed to continue close coordination and cooperation in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria and worldwide. President Trump expressed support for the sale of aircraft from the United States to support Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram. President Trump thanked President Buhari for the leadership he has exercised in the region and emphasized the importance of a strong, secure, and prosperous Nigeria that continues to lead in the region and in international forums.” In 2015, Obama had denied Nigeria the arms that it needed to fight Boko Haram, saying the U.S. laws do not allow sales of arms to countries with such human rights records. President Buhari subsequently claimed that Obama’s decision helped Boko Haram to gain further strength. Following his discussion with President Trump, the Nigerian Presidency issued a similar statement to the White House readout, and adding that Trump “commended Mr. Buhari for the efforts he made in rescuing 24 of the Chibok girls” and that “Mr. Trump also invited the Nigerian President to Washington at a mutually convenient date.” Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov Meets with U.S. Secretary of State Tillerson In BonnFeb. 16 (EIRNS)—U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met today in Bonn, Germany on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting, for the first time since Tillerson took office. Before their meeting Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov was asked by media if Russia is concerned about alleged turmoil in the Trump administration, to which he curtly answered: “You should know we do not interfere in the domestic matters of other countries.” In his opening remarks, Lavrov said he and Tillerson had “plenty of issues to discuss” and that they would “discuss and establish the parameters of our future work.” After the meeting, which was held behind closed doors, Tillerson made a very short statement to the press and did not take any questions. The short statement has been subject to much spin in the media. Here is the full statement: “Foreign Minister Lavrov and I have had a very productive meeting. We discussed a range of issues of mutual concern. As I made clear in my Senate confirmation hearing, the United States will consider working with Russia where we can find areas of practical cooperation that will benefit the American people. Where we do not see eye to eye, the United States will stand up for the interests and values of America and her allies. “As we search for new common ground, we expect Russia to honor its commitments to the Minsk agreements and work to de-escalate the violence in the Ukraine. Thank you very much.” Lavrov also gave a press conference, making a somewhat longer statement and fielding questions. “We have discussed the situation in bilateral relations, which were seriously undermined by the Obama administration,” Lavrov said, as reported by TASS. “Secretary Tillerson has confirmed readiness to overcome this period, as expressed by President Trump during the phone talks with President Putin,” he said, and confirmed that “We’ll proceed from the fact that the meeting of President Putin and President Trump will take place when the presidents deem it possible.” The foreign minister continued, “We have agreed that we’ll continue contacts and we’ll have a whole number of possibilities in the next few months.” Lavrov confirmed the U.S. wants to join conflict resolution, including the Ukraine crisis. “As soon as the State Department and other departments form a team to tackle these issues, we will be ready to establish relevant contacts,” Lavrov said. “We have common understanding that in those areas where our interests coincide, and there are a lot of them, we must go forward and demonstrate the United States’ and Russia’s ability to play the role they are assigned on the global arena,” Lavrov stressed. Lavrov also said Tillerson is ready to support the intra-Syrian process in Astana. “Tillerson expressed readiness to support this process,” he said. “We reiterated that we have common, coinciding interests—first of all, in what concerns resolute struggle against terrorism, in this context and in the context of political settlements, and in what concerns cooperation on the Syrian crisis, and on other countries of the region where terrorism has taken root,” he said. When asked if sanctions were discussed, Lavrov replied, “The issue of sanctions has not been discussed. We do not discuss sanctions; we believe that this is an anomaly, and those who resorted to sanctions should, in general, assess for themselves how effective it is, to what extent it corresponds to the normal communication between the states. And to which extent the artificial desire to politicize this issue meets the interests of the states that resort to this.” Global Times Editorial Demands ‘Western Media, Do You Have a Conscience?’Feb. 16 (EIRNS)—On Feb. 14, three knife-wielding Uyghur terrorists attacked a residential compound in Pishan County, Xinjiang, killing five and wounding five others before the assailants were killed by police. The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) in Munich defended the attackers, “claiming they resorted to radical means because there was no way for people to show peaceful dissent,” Global Times reports and that, “Such shameless remarks were quoted by Western media.” The daily’s editorial points out that, “All violent attackers, especially suicide attackers, have their own self-claimed tragic but solemn reasons. From their perspective, all terror attacks are just, or epic revenge.” They conclude: “When the terror slaughter happened in France, the Oriental Pearl tower in Shanghai, China was lit up in blue, white, and red, the colors of the French flag. Yet after thugs engaged in bloody crimes in China’s Xinjiang, Western media quoted the WUC as defending the criminals. Western media, do you have a conscience?”
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