THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019

Volume 6, Number 17

EIR Daily Alert Service

P.O. Box 17390, Washington, DC 20041-0390

Daily Telegraph Unhinged by British Exposure, Invents Most Bizarre Narrative Yet

The ‘New SDI’ Must Be the SDE—Strategic Defense of Earth

Dems Go Berserk Against Trump on Martin Luther King Day

Wild Smear against Catholic Students—and by Implication President Trump—Exposed as Hoax

Experts Ritter and Jatras Urge Trump To Stay the Course on Syria Withdrawal

Philippines Case Proves China ‘Debt Trap’ Is Fake News

Subscribe to EIR Daily Alert

EDITORIAL

Crush the British War Party

Jan. 23 (EIRNS)—The Schiller Institute and LaRouche Political Action Committee have escalated their fight against the British-led war party in the United States, after successfully exposing British intelligence as the driving force of “Russiagate” against President Donald Trump. All intelligent Americans now know it is London, the British Empire party for war against Russia and China, which has tried to drive Trump out of office, because he believes in cooperation with those powers.

Now EIR’s [lpac.co/three-part]Barbara Boyd, who has led this exposure, has written a new pamphlet specifically targeting the British military’s “Integrity Initiative” disinformation front for war, and all offices in the U.S. House and Senate are receiving it as part of national circulation.

There is found the next step which must be taken. The British role in the coup against President Trump is exposed. We must act to defeatthat coup—shut up the war party in both political parties in Congress, which are outdoing each other to try to keep the United States in perpetual war in developing countries and constant confrontation with great powers. These Members of Congress think they have to take the place of the generals Trump has fired, in pushing for war!

As the LaRouche PAC leaflet “Why Are New York Liberals Silent When Prof. Stephen Cohen Calls for a Public Outcry Against U.S./NATO Nuclear War Provocations Against Russia?” being distributed at a major event in New York City, demands to know: “When the U.S. President withdraws U.S. troops from Syria and Afghanistan, why do New York Liberals do nothing to support those moves?

“When the U.S. President, with the diplomatic assistance of the Russian Federation, of China, and of the Republic of Korea, negotiates directly with the Chairman of North Korea to de-nuclearize, and develop, the Korean Peninsula, why do New York Liberals do nothingto support these concrete moves for Peace?

“When an American President seeks to reverse the escalating New Cold War, and improve relations with Russia—to avert world war—why do liberals join a McCarthyite/Hooverite witchhunt?”

The LaRouche Political Action Committee is guiding the next step with “The Way Forward”—also out nationally and to all offices of Congress. This statement explains Lyndon LaRouche’s proposed Four Laws “to save the nation,” and the New Bretton Woods international credit system for development, which can be formed on the initiative of the United States, China, Russia and India. (See “LaRouchePAC Challenges Congress: Put Principle Above Party and Move the Nation Forward With the President.”)

We are mobilizing for the intelligence and foresight of the American people. They have to give up cheering for profanity-shouting political “warriors” on either side, or for hyped-up celebrity “experts” and stock market “winners”; to study how to bring the nation back up to a level of scientific and economic progress equal to or better than its best before, from industry and agriculture to space exploration and fusion power; to learn how cooperation with other major nations can create a more human age of mankind. LaRouche PAC’s class series on the science of a New Bretton Woods international system, is for that purpose, streamed on Saturdays at 2 p.m. Eastern time, and archived on its LaRouche Action Center page.

In one small step for mankind, NASA this week has given us a lead, by a statement which discusses collaborative travel to and exploration of the Moon with China—prohibited by a law of the Congressional war party; but that law can be changed. To make it happen, would be a giant leap for mankind against the British Empire war party.

SCIENCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE

NASA’s Statement on Moon Missions with ‘Global Partners’ Focuses on China

Jan. 23 (EIRNS)—NASA wrote a statement on Jan. 19, reviewing its “Campaign To Return to the Moon with Global Partners.” At that time, the statement was not readily available, but there were media reports on the contents. What was covered in the media, and in EIR Daily Alert on Jan. 20, were some specific areas of cooperation on lunar missions, such as having NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter take photos of the Chang’e-4 landing site at the end of this month.

Now, the full Jan. 19 statement is available. What is most noticeable is that the only “global partner” discussed is China. One-third of the statement describes the discussions NASA has been having with its Chinese counterparts and various areas of lunar cooperation with China.

The statement is an institutional recognition of the importance of China’s lunar program. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has expressed his view that the Wolf Amendment prohibiting the necessary collaboration, be dropped from the House NASA budget appropriation bill. It is still in the House bill for the current FY19 budget. That could be changed by the Senate.

U.S. POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC

Veteran House Democrat Breaks on Shutdown; Pelosi May Have Overplayed

Jan. 23 (EIRNS)—One leading House Democrat was reported in his home state Jan. 22 to have told Speaker Nancy Pelosi to “ ‘Give Trump the Money’ for Broder Wall.” Washington Free Beaconreported on a local radio interview of Minnesota Rep. Collin Peterson “bucking his party’s leadership and calling for Democrats to approve funding for a wall on the southern border.” There were some other signs that the all-out drive for a political defeat of President Donald Trump may be shifting into legislative combat over ending the partial government shutdown.

“Peterson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, has not been a supporter of President Donald Trump but told [Fargo-Moorhead station] KFGO’s ‘News & Views’ that it is time for Democrats to compromise,” reported the Free Beacon. “ ‘Give Trump the money,’ Peterson said. ‘I’d give him the whole thing—and put strings on it so you make sure he puts the wall where it needs to be. Why are we fighting over this? We’re going to build that wall anyway, at some time.’ ”

Peterson made clear he was reacting to Pelosi’s latest statement on the fight. Her failed attempt to push a line that “a wall is an immorality,” struck Peterson as allowing no possible path to end the shutdown. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) also moved away from Pelosi’s statement in a Fox News interview, though continuing to oppose a full-border wall. “I don’t think this is an issue of morality,” Hoyer said. “It’s an issue of does it work?… A wall that protects people is not immoral.”

The Senate will reportedly vote on Jan. 24 on Republican and Democratic bills, neither of which will get the preliminary 60 votes—but the votes in themselves could lead away from partisan posturing on both sides. Exhaustion with the shutdown is pressuring Democrats to settle for less than Pelosi’s desired complete humiliation of the President.

In the House, Politico reported, Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), chair of the Appropriations subcommittee that funds Homeland Security, is preparing a bill that provides DHS with the $5.7 billion in increased spending as requested by Trump, but for any spending for walls or fencing.

National Intelligence Strategy Report Puts Geopolitical Focus on ‘Adversaries’ Russia and China

Jan. 23 (EIRNS)—In a press conference to his staff in McClean, Virginia, yesterday, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Dan Coats presented the 2019 National Intelligence Strategy Report, which is released every four years.

This is a geopolitical tract which emphasizes the dangers posed by such allegedly “traditional adversaries” as Russia and China, as well as North Korea and Iran, reflecting a shift away from previous years’ focus on combatting international terrorism. It is also said to echo the intelligence community’s “unanimous” 2017 conclusion that Russia interfered in the U.S. 2016 Presidential elections to “undermine the U.S.-led liberal democratic order.” It also feels compelled to stress its commitment to becoming “more transparent,” in order to regain the trust of the American people, who have no reason to trust the intelligence community for anything, given its history of skullduggery.

While documenting many other “dangers”—cyberthreats, the “democratization of space,” Chinese and Russian development of anti-satellite weapons to challenge U.S. military effectiveness, etc.—the report is primarily concerned that “traditional adversaries will continue attempts to gain and assert influence, taking advantage of changing conditions in the international environment—including the weakening of the post-WWII international order and dominance of Western democratic ideals, increasingly isolationist tendencies in the West, and shifts in the global economy.”

In its “Strategic Environment” section, the report warns of the likely continuation of “Russian efforts to increase its influence and authority” which “may conflict with U.S. goals and priorities in multiple regions.” An additional concern is “Chinese military modernization and continued pursuit of economic and territorial predominance in the Pacific region and beyond.” And Iran and the North Korea nuclear program pose additional threats, it warns.

Asked about the report in her press conference today, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying replied, “China once again urges the U.S. to abandon the outdated Cold War mentality and zero-sum game mindset and contribute more to the mutual trust and cooperation between China and the U.S. as well as the peace and stability of the world.”

The report is posted to the DNI’s Newsroom Reports & Publications webpage.

Larry Kudlow Denies Any Cancellation of China Trade Talks

Jan. 23 (EIRNS)—The City of London’s Financial Times reported yesterday that the U.S. had turned down a request from Beijing to hold another round of deputy-level trade talks this week, prior to the planned high-level Jan. 30-31 talks in Washington. Based on the report, the stock market reportedly “swooned,” as the Washington Postput it, but went up again following clarifying remarks by Larry Kudlow, director of the National Economic Council.

In an interview with CNBC, Kudlow denied that such a meeting was ever planned. “There was no cancellation,” he said, explaining that “there were no other intermediate meetings scheduled.” He went on to say that the Jan. 30-31 meetings with China’s Vice Premier Liu He, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin are “very, very important and “determinative.” He also stressed that President Donald Trump is looking forward to settling the trade dispute with China.

OTHER

Integrity Initiative Empties Website, Ready To Blame Russia for Exposure

Jan. 23 (EIRNS)—The British military-run, anti-Russia propaganda and disinformation campaign called the “Integrity Initiative,” heavily exposed of late for its involvement in the drive to remove U.S. President Donald Trump from office, has removed all of its website content as of Jan. 21. RT reports Jan. 23, “A group claiming association with the loose hacktivist collective Anonymous has been dumping private Integrity Initiative documents online in various batches since November. The leaks revealed that the Scotland-based, government-funded organization, which bills itself as a non-partisan disinformation-busting charity, was actually using clusters of journalists, politicians, and academics to carry out secret anti-Russia campaigns, interfere in domestic politics across Europe and smear anyone who questioned its narratives.”

All that remains on the site, according to RT, is a short statement: “We’ve temporarily removed all content from our website, pending an investigation into the theft of data from the Institute for Statecraft and the Integrity Initiative. The website will be relaunched shortly.”

This suggests—and not only to RT—that the site will quickly relaunch with a claim that it was Russia that hacked it.

U.S. Goes for Regime Change, Recognizes Venezuela National Assembly President as Head of State

Jan. 23 (EIRNS)—Egged on by the British Empire’s war party in Washington, including Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the White House today announced that it was “recognizing the President of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Juan Guaido, as the Interim President of Venezuela. In its role as the only legitimate branch of government duly elected by the Venezuelan people, the National Assembly invoked the country’s constitution to declare Nicolas Maduro illegitimate, and the office of the presidency therefore vacant.” Canada and a number of Ibero- American countries—including Brazil, Argentina and Colombia—quickly followed Washington’s lead.

The Maduro government in Caracas responded by breaking diplomatic relations with the United States, ordering all American diplomats out of the country within 72 hours.

China, Russia, Mexico and many other countries have continued to recognize the Maduro government—which recently won reelection—refusing to engage in “interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation.”

The British trap has now been armed for a full-scale geopolitical confrontation in the Americas, possibly including violent civil war inside Venezuela. The Venezuelan Supreme Court has backed the Executive, declaring the National Assembly’s actions unconstitutional. The all-important military at this point continues to side with Maduro.

War party loudmouths in Washington are pointing the finger at Russia and China for threatening U.S. security by refusing to join the operation to overthrow Maduro. They are denouncing Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba as Russian and Chinese “beachheads” in the Americas. Vice President Pence in a Jan. 16 speech to the corps of U.S. ambassadors, argued that the U.S. faces a “Wolf Pack of Rogue States,” which the Air Force Times insightfully characterized as, “Pence channels his inner Bush.”

Lyndon LaRouche was among the first international statesmen to harshly criticize Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, and his anointed successor Maduro, for their British-sponsored Jacobinism. But he also insisted that regime-change operations should never be employed, including against Venezuela, as they leave open the British Empire efforts to end the Treaty of Westphalia’s system of national sovereignty and unleash chaos.

China Cautions U.S. and Canada on Extraditing Huawei’s Executive

Jan. 22 (EIRNS)—Speaking in Beijing today, China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying warned that China would take action against the U.S. and Canada if Washington goes ahead with its demand to extradite Huawei Chief Financial Officer Sabrina Meng Wanzhou, South China Morning Post reported. Canada’s Globe and Mail reported today that the U.S. would file by Jan. 30 an extradition request on allegations of banking fraud related to violations of U.S. sanctions against Iran.

Canada arrested Meng at the request of the U.S. Justice Department in Vancouver, on Dec. 1, where she was changing planes.

“China will take action in response to measures taken by the U.S.,” Hua said her regular press briefing. “Everyone has to be held responsible for their own actions. Both the U.S. and Canada should be aware of the seriousness of the case and take steps to rectify the mistake.” Hua said the case was an abuse of extradition convention, and called on the U.S. to withdraw the request.

THE NEW GLOBAL ECONOMIC ORDER

China’s President Xi Jinping To Visit India Next Month

Jan. 22 (EIRNS)—China’s President Xi Jinping is planning to visit India as early as February, reported India Today. Xi is expected to discuss with Prime Minister Narendra Modi measures to defuse border tensions, and to propose deals to expand imports of Indian farm products and increase cooperation in advanced technologies. Earlier reports said Xi hoped to visit before India’s general election due by April/May, according to Nikkei Asian Review.

Last June, when Modi and Xi met at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Qingdao, Modi invited Xi to visit India. During the Qingdao meeting the two leaders decided to set a trade target of $100 billion. Xi then also showed readiness to open China’s market to Indian pharmaceuticals as well as agriculture products. Today, during a meeting in Beijing between India’s Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan and China’s Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen, a detailed discussion took place on India’s widening trade deficit with China, which crossed $57 billion last year, the Indian Embassy said.

López Obrador Takes Fight Against Oil Theft to the Mexican People

Jan. 23 (EIRNS)—As he promised, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, or AMLO, has taken his fight against illegal oil theft directly to the population, yesterday arriving on the first leg of an organizing tour, at the towns of Acambay and Ixtlahuaca in the state of Mexico, two areas in which oil theft has been significant.

In both locations, López Obrador told citizens they would no longer have to resort to stealing gasoline, as they have been forced to do up to now, because now the government would be assisting both older adults and young people, to ensure “that there are jobs for all,” or pensions for retirees and the disabled. There will no longer be excuses for the oil theft, he said.  “Anyone who, out of necessity, has resorted to ‘huachicoleo’ [a Spanish term used to refer to the fuel theft], now is guaranteed the right to a job, and to an income necessary to survive,” he vowed.

There are a large number of Pemex oil pipelines in and around both Ixtlahuaca and Acambay, and the government’s policy of deploying the military to protect them was evident yesterday, as police and National Guard were stationed at all access roads and highways leading to the nearby Tula-Toluca pipeline. However, no one was denied access to the President. López Obrador asked the townspeople what they thought of the government’s plan, and if they would commit themselves not to steal fuel. “Will you continue supporting us, and help in guiding people so they don’t resort to huachicoleo?” he asked. He got a unanimous “Si,” in response.

In today’s press conference, López Obrador reported that gasoline and fuel shortages in northern Mexico—Monterrey and Reynosa in particular—were the result of attacks on Pemex pipelines in that region.

STRATEGIC WAR DANGER

House Passes Bill To Prevent Trump from Defunding or Withdrawing from NATO

Jan. 23 (EIRNS)—Proclaiming that they are the last bulwark standing in defense of Western democratic values, a bipartisan group of House members yesterday passed the NATO Support Act, by a vote of 357-22. The bill reiterates the U.S. commitment to NATO, including a provision that rejects any attempt by President Donald Trump to withdraw from it, or to cut off funding. Sponsored by Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), the bill does stress that NATO partners have to pay their fair share of financing, although Panetta insisted NATO is more than a “transactional” operation.

Several Congressmen pointed to NATO’s role in defending Europe from “Russian aggression,” RT reported. According to Defense News, the bill affirms support for NATO’s mutual defense clause, for Montenegro’s accession to NATO, and for “robust” funding for the European Deterrence Initiative. The latter is a military program set up in 2014 following Russia’s reunification with Crimea, to support the activities of the U.S. military and its European allies.

At a press conference yesterday announcing the bill—there is also a Senate version—its backers effusively praised NATO, with Eliot Engel (D-NY) warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s fervent goal is to splinter NATO.

Revealing were the remarks by freshman Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), who warned that Congress is the “only check we have” after the departure from the administration of former Defense Secretary James Mattis, former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, and Nikki Haley, former UN Ambassador. “They’re all gone now,” he lamented. “We’re all that’s left.”

COLLAPSING WESTERN FINANCIAL SYSTEM

Amidst Brexit Fears, London’s Big Banks Move Assets

Jan. 23 (EIRNS)—Bloomberg reports today that, amidst the uncertainty and bickering in the British Parliament over the fate of Brexit, big banks have made an “irreversible” decision to move their assets out of the City of London, to either Frankfurt, where the European Central Bank is headquartered, or Amsterdam.Unidentified sources told Bloomberg that, five of the largest banks planning to serve continental European customers, intend to move €750 billion of their balance-sheet assets to Frankfurt. First among them is Deutsche Bank AG, which is repatriating at least €400 billion.JPMorgan Chase & Co. will move €200 billion to Frankfurt over the next year or two, twice as much as previously reported. Banks are mostly moving to Frankfurt, but Bloomberg reports that trading venues and the algorithmic traders that provide much of their volumes, have mostly gone to Amsterdam. Among them is CME Group Inc. which as of March 18, will have moved its BrokerTec market for short-term lending, the largest in Europe.This comes in addition to last November’s move of the €200 billion-a-day repo market. CME is also moving its European government bond venue, and its separate $15 billion-a-day ESB foreign exchange forwards and swaps market to Amsterdam.  Reach us at eirdailyalert@larouchepub.com or call 1-571-293-0935