EDITORIAL
Saudi Arabia Is the Source of Terrorism! Trump Must Drop It, and Stay with New Paradigm
May 22 (EIRNS)—Even while President Donald Trump was engaged in unmentionable ceremonies with the Saudi golden calf-worshippers Sunday, the new paradigm of China’s Belt and Road Initiative was being prominently reported in the Gulf States’ newspapers. And Iran—a crucial nation in development of the new Eurasian Land-Bridges—was responding amicably to Trump’s extreme provocations, by simply offering to wait and assuming he would come to a more sensible policy!
Saudi Arabia is the place that educated virtually all the principal Islamist extremists and terrorists in the world. It is not going to help a U.S. President rebuild the city against which it launched destruction 15 years ago—no more than it will rebuild Yemen which it has levelled and tormented now. For that matter, Saudi Arabia has been cancelling its own power and other infrastructure projects since the oil price went down—the exact opposite of China’s “win-win” Belt and Road great projects.
Even more important than the news of the extraordinary success of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing hitting the press in the Gulf while the President was there, was the content of that coverage. It focussed on the 30-year “World Land-Bridge” campaign of Lyndon and Helga LaRouche, which was the seed of today’s successful “New Silk Road” initiative of China. The extraordinary account by Dr. Ahmed Al-Kedidi appeared in the Qatari and Omani state newspapers and various other private papers and websites in the Gulf over the weekend.
Lyndon LaRouche noted today that this echoes the increasingly important role Helga Zepp-LaRouche—who spoke at events during the Beijing Summit—is playing in the development of the “Belt and Road” into the World Land-Bridge. This, while the Pacific region is becoming economically more predominant and growing faster.
President Trump urgently needs to be refocused on rebuilding and recovery in the United States—especially in his own home city of New York, whose metropolitan area is turning into a dangerous infrastructural disaster zone. The simplest intra-metropolitan trips have become dangerous and uncertain to millions. Actions are needed there immediately, and continuing, LaRouche said; a committee of experts should form up to demand it.
When Trump did focus on such rebuilding, President Xi of China and Prime Minister Abe of Japan came to meet him with definite plans for investments in new transportation infrastructure, of which they are the world champion builders now. That is the new paradigm, from great projects, to space exploration and fusion research—all in cooperation among nations.
And for security and the fight against terrorism as well, the relationship with Russia is still the strategic one for the Trump Administration, as well as Russia’s own relationship with Iran.
The American people are not going to forget who sponsored the 9/11 attackers, not after they fought Bush and Obama to get that “secret” information disclosed. President Trump must look to the new paradigm for cooperation in what he promised those Americans he would do.
U.S. POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC
Trump Attempts Anti-Terror Alliance with Saudis, Despite Unsettled Saudi Business at Home
May 22 (EIRNS)—President Donald Trump arrived in Riyadh yesterday, where the United States and approximately 55 Mideast Sunni Islamic countries signed the “Riyadh Declaration,” to form the “Mideast Strategic Alliance.” The Declaration makes Shi’ite Iran a general enemy, for “destabilizing” the region.
The signers pledged to “combat terrorism in all its forms; address its intellectual roots; dry up its sources of funding, and to take all necessary measures to prevent and combat terrorist crimes in close cooperation among their states.”
The Saudis greeted President Trump with a shopping list of 15 huge arms and oil equipment deals: Raytheon will develop air defense systems and smart weapons in Saudi Arabia; Lockheed Martin will support assembly of 150 Blackhawk S-70 helicopters; armored combat vehicles from General Dynamics, as well as oil field and aircraft equipment.
However, the American people know—because it took a 15-year hammer-and-tongs fight by the 9/11 families, Florida’s former Sen. Bob Graham, the LaRouche movement, and many others, to get the classified final “28 pages” chapter of the 2002 Joint Congressional Inquiry on 9/11 declassified—the pages which show that the 9/11 terror was done by the Saudis and that the FBI among others knew it. The Saudis still owe restitution to the American people, especially the families of those murdered by it, whose children and families are still seeking the justice of truth, as well as monetary damages in New York Federal Court. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 were Saudi Wahhabite Sunnis.
Trump, Netanyahu Press Conference Targets Wrong Enemy
May 22 (EIRNS)—U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were united today in their vilification of evil at their press conference in Israel. Unfortunately, they had their sights trained on the wrong target.
Their mutually agreed upon enemy was Iran, with Netanyahu announcing his appreciation for Trump’s “policy shift” in this area, and Trump (who spoke second) claiming that “all things were possible now,” including, “facing the Iranian threat.” Netanyahu claimed that the Saudis can help secure peace in the region, which Trump echoed, saying that a “great alliance” had now been created, and that, “a new partnership is now possible.”
If any confrontations or disagreements did indeed exist between the two, they were certainly not evident at the (mercifully short) press conference, actually more of a “photo op,” with no questions asked or answered. Absolutely no mention was made of the Palestinians, moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, or the Israeli settlements in the West Bank. At one point, Netanyahu (who twice addressed Trump as “Donald”), thanked the President for his “tremendous courage” for bombing Syria, but there was no mention of Russia.
New Lancet Study: U.S. Ranks Poorly in Preventing Death from Many Treatable Diseases
May 22 (EIRNS)—In a new study reported May 18, in the British medical journal, The Lancet, the economic collapse and policy crisis in the United States is reflected in its comparatively poor and worsening record, in preventing fatalities from diseases that shouldn’t lead to early death. Titled, “Healthcare Access and Quality Index, Based on Mortality from Causes Amenable to Personal Health Care in 195 Countries and Territories, 1990-2015,” the study involved dozens of collaborators internationally, in association with principal author, Dr. Christopher Murray, of Washington State. He described the U.S. results as “disturbing,” to the Washington Post May 18, saying, “people are not getting the care that should be expected for diseases with established treatments.”
The researchers created an index involving 32 causes of death, by which they looked at the 195 countries over the 25-year period. They tried to exclude diseases and death rates closely associated with localized environmental features. The researchers report that their health-care access and quality index—the HAQ—“provides a more comprehensive measure that reflects health-system capacity for effectively detecting risk for, managing, and preventing early death from a range of conditions.” The higher the index, scaled from 1 to 100, the more effective the national health care system.
The United States comes in at 80, which is down on the lowest level of the second (from the top) decile of nations, whose topmost rank includes Australia, Japan, Canada and most of Western Europe, save for Britain, which is likewise in decile two. For perspective, the extremes of the HAQ scores over time, go from 23 in Ethiopia in 1990, which then improved; and on the high end, over 90 as of 2015, in Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland. Since 1990, 167 have improved out of the 195 nations studied, with the biggest improvement in China, Turkey and Peru.
Where the United States falls down, is having relatively high death rates for nine diseases whose fatality pattern can be much lower with proper treatment: hypertensive heart disease, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, non-melanoma skin cancer, lower respiratory infections, neonatal disorders, and adverse complications from medical treatment.
In the case of the United States, the national patterns are glaring, and documented in county-level studies, of people not getting treatment under conditions of poverty, despair, long-travel distance to hospitals and the like. When death rates are factored in from drug overdoses, and fatalities from car accidents and injuries due to drugs and alcohol, the U.S. fall in life expectancy is dramatic. Dr. Murray’s University of Washington-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, first put out a 96-page report on this in 2003 (July 10, JAMA), pointing out then that, for example, U.S. women’s life expectancy remained level or dropped, in nearly 1,500 of the 3,000 U.S. counties, from 1985 to 2010. EIR published county maps of the health collapse in West Virginia and Oklahoma. Under the Bush and Obama years, the situation went from bad to worse. In 2012, a series of studies at Princeton University document this, showing patterns of national fall in life expectancy for whole categories of the population.
STRATEGIC WAR DANGER
No Color Revolution Can Succeed in Russia, Says Security Council Head Patrushev
May 22 (EIRNS)—There is “No Chance of Color Revolution in Russia,” Nikolai Patrushev, the Secretary of the Russian Security Council told the government daily Rossiiskaya Gazeta on May 19, RT reported, writing “Russian authorities control the situation in the country and will not allow a ‘color revolution’ scenario planned by the foreign special services.”
Patrushev said, “This is a traditional political tool for some nations, aimed at destruction of statehood and sovereignty of a foreign country, conducted under an excuse of democratization. In reality, almost any country where a color revolution is launched eventually descends into chaos and falls under external management.”
He continued, “I would like to emphasize that we are keeping the situation under control. Law enforcement agencies and special services have accumulated considerable experience in prevention of various provocations and other illegal activities.”
Patrushev said he possessed information that Western nations still have hopes for successfully implementing a “color revolution” scenario in Russia and are actively sponsoring various NGOs that attempt to cause protests, often by spreading lies.
In mid-2015, Patrushev told reporters that Russian agencies would develop a plan of action to prevent color revolutions or other attempts of forceful change of lawfully elected authorities through mass protests, and would devise measures to negate the threat, including some steps against “network protest activities” and propaganda against the “romantic, revolutionary stereotype.”
In June 2014, EIR covered Anthony Cordesman’s first-hand report on the Moscow Conference on International Security, where Russian and Belarusian military leaders identified “a view of the U.S. and the West as deliberately destabilizing nations in North Africa, the Middle East, and the rest of the world for their own ends. They describe such actions as having failed, and been a key source of terrorism. They see the West as rejecting partnership with Russia and as threatening Russia along all of its borders with Europe,” Cordesman wrote. His report “Russia and the ‘Color Revolution’ ” warns: “What is critical is that the U.S. and Europe listen to what Russian military leaders and strategists are saying. These are not Russian views the U.S. and Europe can afford to ignore.” (Emphasis in original.)
Iran’s President Leaves Door Open for Saner U.S. Policy in Southwest Asia
May 22 (EIRNS)—Newly re-elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani responded calmly to the Saudi-Trump summit, calling it a “theatrical gathering with no practical or political value,” and refusing to take it as the last word from the Trump administration—while also reminding Americans of the Saudi role in 9/11. Rouhani’s response came in his press conference on today, after winning re-election on May 19 with a firm 57% of the vote. Various wires quote him saying:
“The Americans do not know our region. That’s the problem. Those who are advising the Americans are unfortunately rulers who deviate America with unsound advice or buy some influence in the U.S. with their money….”
“When they attacked Afghanistan, they made a mistake. When they attacked Iraq, they made a mistake. When they imposed sanctions on us, they made a mistake,” he said. “If you know of a case where America acted correctly, you tell me.”
The only sensible move by Washington, Rouhani said, was the nuclear deal it signed with Iran in 2015, when the United States “talked with respect” and reached a “win-win result. … If America chooses another path, it will fail again.”
“We are waiting for this government to settle. … I hope it can settle so that we can have a better judgment about those in Washington….”
Taking a swipe at Saudi Arabia, Rouhani said, “You can’t solve terrorism just by giving your people’s money to a superpower.
“Those who have fought terrorists are the Syrian and Iraqi people. Iran has stood by their side and continues to do so….
“The American people have not forgotten the blood spilt on September 11. They will not allow it to be traded for billions of dollars.”
The Saudi vulgar flaunting of their money at the “summit,” and President Trump’s falling for it, is becoming a joke in the region, EIR’s Hussein Askary reports. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif tweeted on Sunday: “Iran—fresh from real elections—attacked by @POTUS in that bastion of democracy & moderation. Foreign policy or simply milking KSA of $408 Bn?”
Like Rouhani, Zarif has raised the sticking point of 9/11. In an op-ed published on May 22 in “The New Arab” (or “Al-Araby Al-Jadeed”), an English-language website published by a Qatar company in London), Zarif wrote that Iran is still prepared to have peace with Saudi Arabia, “conditional on the Saudi government ending the futile war and devastating attacks on the Yemeni people, and ceasing its repression of the majority seeking democracy in neighboring countries. If the U.S. President is committed to his own electoral slogans, and considers himself a friend of Riyadh’s government, then he must engage the Saudis regarding the methods necessary to stop Takfiri terrorists from continuing to fuel fires in the region and repeat attacks such as the 9/11 attacks by its citizens in Western countries.”
THE NEW GLOBAL ECONOMIC ORDER
Greece Congratulates China for Belt and Road Forum
May 22 (EIRNS)—In a televised message recorded on May 20 at the presidential mansion in Athens, Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos extended wishes for success of the Belt and Road Initiative in future. “The exceptionally successful organization of the Belt and Road forum in Beijing showed the great significance of the initiative, proposed by our friend Chinese President Xi Jinping, to the international economic cooperation and development,” Pavlopoulos said in the message released to Xinhua.
“The representation of states at the highest level from across the globe underlines the international acceptance of this ambitious plan, which, through trade and investments, aims to bring Asia closer to Europe, the American continent and Africa,” the Greek leader said in the message.
In this context, the success of China’s Belt and Road Initiative is certain, and will contribute to the promotion of peaceful coexistence among peoples and subsequently to the consolidation of peace worldwide, Pavlopoulos said. This is especially important in the currently uncertain and turbulent times, which was also highlighted during the Ancient Civilizations Forum in Athens on April 24, the first ministerial conference of 10 countries representing ancient civilizations.
Greece’s cooperation with China is of strategic significance, which has been proven by the presence of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Beijing’s forum, Pavlopoulos stressed, and that the Forum would further enhance bilateral cooperation in both public and private sectors.
Speaking to Xinhua on May 20, the Greek President also underlined that Greece, with its special position between Europe and Asia, encourages every effort to strengthen cooperation between the two sides. “The emblematic investment of COSCO Shipping at Piraeus is a highly promising start for the future of Sino-Greek ties in all fields,” the Greek leader said, referring to the fruitful Sino-Greek cooperation in Greece’s largest port. “With these thoughts, I congratulate once again Chinese President Xi Jinping on the Belt and Road Initiative, which is shining internationally, and I wish every success for the future,” Pavlopoulos said.
Danube-Oder-Elbe Connection as Part of New Silk Road
May 22 (EIRNS)—Czech President Milos Zeman’s delegation to the Beijing Belt and Road Forum included a grouping of 28 Czech companies. According to the Prague Daily Monitor, one of them was Josef Drebitko, a board member of the DOE Europe SE company, which is promoting the construction of a canal system, connecting the three rivers, the Danube, the Oder and the Elbe.
According to the Mlada Fronta Dnes daily, Drebitko said “Everything is ready. The Czech state would not have to pay anything, it would only monitor that all is as it should be.” He thinks that it can be financed by the Chinese and he is prepared to build part of the project. Chinese investors are apparently interested. According to the newspaper, there has also been interest by the Chinese to build a giant logistics center in Hodonin, a town on the Slovak border near Austria.
COLLAPSING WESTERN FINANCIAL SYSTEM
New U.S. Infrastructure Funding Bills: The Serious, and the Laughable
May 22 (EIRNS)—While New York Metropolitan Area residents were watching their transportation infrastructure break down around them, and President Trump was being sold a bill of goods about “Saudi investments,” Members of the House and Senate introduced two new bills dedicated to infrastructure investments.
The first of the two—if it has actually gotten from press release to introduction—is derisory. The Hill wrote that Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Roy Blunt (R-MO) said “The so-called Bridge Act would use $10 billion worth of federal dollars to spur about $300 billion worth of total project investment from the private sector … through a newly created investment bank.” The Senators might want to call their new investment bank “Lehman Brothers”; it had about that leverage ratio of 30:1 borrowed capital for its last four years.
Actually the CNBC-TV network had warned for the second time May 13 that private investment should not be counted on for sewer, water management, power, and rail infrastructure. “Experts warn that for a variety of reasons, most infrastructure projects lack the revenue stream and return on equity needed to attract [Wall Street or pension fund] private investors,” CNBC reported, while noting the most important public-private partnerships in infrastructure had failed, gone bankrupt.
All of the more important such projects have the function of adding new productivity to the economy and labor, not sucking revenue streams from them.
A new House bill, H.R.2329 by Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY), is serious, however. That may be why, in the current Washington atmosphere, Higgins has no co-sponsors for it—so far.
The “Nation Building Here at Home Act of 2017” would give Transportation Secretary Elaine Chow a maximum of nine months to “establish a transformational infrastructure competitive [matching] grant program” like the Highway Trust Fund, and authorize the Treasury to fund it with new Treasury security issues of $300 billion. The grants would go to state and local governments, transit and port agencies, which would provide some additional funding. “Projects” would be either highways and bridges, public transportation projects, long-haul passenger or freight rail, port infrastructure investments including “land-side” connections to other infrastructure; aviation infrastructure projects; or water infrastructure projects.
Nor is the immediate $300 billion Federal bond issuance all; Higgins’ bill actually authorizes $1.263 trillion from Fiscal Years 2018-22. H.R.2329 mandates prevailing-wage standards on its Federally-funded infrastructure projects; and calls for the iron, steel and manufactured goods to be made in America. This is a page out of President Trump’s campaign book, although Higgins’ bill specifies reasonable exceptions to that rule.
President Trump had better exit the gold vaults of Riyadh—where the City of London Crown Prince is actually cancelling infrastructure projects like power plants—and get back and deal with the infrastructure collapse of his home city.
SCIENCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Helium-3 on the Moon Is Helping To Push Lunar Mining Forward
May 22 (EIRNS)—Generally, when the various initiatives to mine the Moon are discussed in the U.S. press, the most accessible—namely water ice—is the focus. But mining helium-3 to fuel fusion power plants is highlighted in a May 18 article in the periodical, Science Times.
Helium-3 is a prime motivation of private companies planning to mine the Moon, along with other minerals, such as platinum, it is reported. Although the focus of the article is the private start-up, Moon Express, along with other companies, “other rich conglomerates are aiming for the abundance” of the materials. “China is a key player for the race to the Moon,” it reports.
Helium-3 as a fusion fuel, “can fuel the Earth’s power requirements for thousands of years, experts say. The harnessing of energy using fusion technology will do the job to harness the properties of helium-3 that is abundant on the lunar surface,” the article reports.
“According to experts, the Moon could be the Earth’s eighth continent. It is a whole new world open for exploration and settlement for humankind.”
