Reader’s Links for May 20th, 2022

Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.

This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.

So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.

This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

47 Replies to “Reader’s Links for May 20th, 2022”

    • “We must remember, the people of the past. And the people today.

      History repeats itself. Nuremberg will happen again.
      We must remember…” – Dr. Daniel Nagase

      Dr. Daniel Nagase: A Courage Doctor Speaks Out
      Video + Text
      by John Gideon Hartnett – October 6, 2021
      https://biblescienceforum.com/2021/10/06/dr-daniel-nagase-a-courageous-doctor-speaks-out/

      Dr. Daniel Nagase – Nuremberg Trials 75TH Anniversary
      Bonobo3D – Published on October 4, 2021
      https://www.bitchute.com/video/cLZ3s6spE6k3/

      • “We must remember every doctor who stopped patients from having a life saving medication.” – Dr. Daniel Nagase

        Dr. Immanuel – Doctors Stop Being Complicit & Accessories To Murder – Stop Being “Good Nazis”
        pelermon – Published on July 29, 2020
        https://www.bitchute.com/video/iNdYfWlUA9X8/

    • “We must remember, the people of the past. And the people of today.
      History repeats itself. Nuremberg will happen again.
      We must remember.” – Dr. Daniel Nagase

      We must remember the people of the past.

      “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis
      Great Britain – 1943 – World War II
      Audio + Text
      Book 1 Chapter 2. Some Objections – Moral Law

      Excerpt:

      Supposing you hear a cry for help from a man in danger. You will probably feel two desires – one a desire to give help (due to your herd instinct), the other desire to keep out of danger (due to the instinct for self-preservation). But you will find inside of you, in addition to these two impulses, a third thing which tells you that you ought to follow the impulse to help, and suppress the impulse to run away. Now this thing that judges between two instincts, that decides which should be encouraged, cannot itself be either of them. You might as well say that the sheet of music which tells you, at a given moment, to play one note on the piano and not another, is itself one of the notes on the keyboard. The Moral Law tells us the tune we have to play: our instincts are merely the keys.

      Another way of seeing that the Moral Law is not simply one of our instincts is this. If two instincts are in conflict, and there is nothing in a creature’s mind except two instincts, obviously the stronger of the two must win. But at these moments when we are most conscious of the Moral Law, it usually seems to be telling us to side with weaker of the two impulses. You probably want to be safe much more than you want to help the man who is drowning: but the Moral Law tells you to help him all the same. And surely it often tells us to try to make the right impulse stronger than it naturally is. I mean, we often feel it our duty to stimulate the herd instinct, by waking up our imaginations and arouse our pity and so on, so as to get up enough steam for doing the right thing. But clearly we are not acting from instinct when we set about making an instinct stronger than it is. The thing that says to you, “Your herd instinct is asleep. Wake it up,” cannot itself be the herd instinct. The thing that tells you which note on the piano needs tp be played louder cannot itself be that note…
      https://www.truthaccordingtoscripture.com/documents/apologetics/mere-christianity/Book1/cs-lewis-mere-christianity-book1.php#b

      “Mere Christianty” by C.S. Lewis
      Librovox – Audiobook
      Tract 1 – Book 1, Chapter 2 “Some Objections” @ 25:29…
      https://archive.org/details/c.s.lewismere.christianity/C.S.Lewis-Mere.Christianity-001.ogg

  1. US may lift sanctions from Belarus in exchange for grain export from Ukraine

    Washington is studying the possibility of lifting sanctions on potash fertilizers in Belarus in exchange for Minsk’s consent to the transit of Ukrainian grain through the country, Report informs referring to The Wall Street Journal.

    US officials may lift sanctions against the Belarusian potash industry for six months in exchange for allowing Ukrainian transit. It is assumed that if the Belarusian side agrees, the grain will be delivered by rail through the territory of Belarus to the port of Klaipeda.

    In August 2021, a year after the presidential elections in Belarus, which were not recognized by the West, the US placed Belaruskali OJSC, one of the largest producers of potash fertilizers in the world, on the sanctions list.

    In December last year, US Treasury sanctions were extended to the Belarusian Potash Company, the only exporter of potash fertilizers from Belarus, as well as to Slavkali, which was building facilities for the production of potassium chloride in the country. At the same time, the US Treasury warned that any companies that operate in this sector may subsequently be included in the sanctions list.

    https://report.az/en/amp/other-countries/us-may-lift-sanctions-from-belarus-in-exchange-for-grain-export-from-ukraine/

    =================================

    EU Approves Further Sanctions Against Belarus Over Role In Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine

    The European Union has approved new sanctions on Belarus for assisting Russia in its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

    France, the current holder of the EU’s rotating presidency, said in a statement on March 2 that the sanctions are aimed at those individuals in Belarus who are playing a role in aiding the attacks on Ukraine, as well as “some economic sectors, and in particular timber, steel, and potassium.”

    The 27-nation bloc has already imposed a series of wide-ranging measures against Belarus over human rights abuses stemming from a brutal crackdown by the regime of authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka against dissent after a disputed presidential election in August 2020.

    Lukashenka claimed victory, and a sixth consecutive term in office, after the vote, while the opposition says the process was rigged and that its candidate, Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, won the balloting.

    https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-belarus-new-sanctions-lukashenka/31732048.html

    ====================================

    WSJ – Russia Rejects Pleas to Permit Grain Shipments From Ukraine

    Russia dismissed calls from top United Nations and Western officials to halt a Black Sea blockade that has prevented Ukraine from exporting much of its grain to world markets, causing price hikes and exacerbating food shortages.

    Moscow’s ambassador to the U.N., Vasily Nebenzya, told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Thursday that rising food prices had been caused by Western sanctions against Russia and other factors, rather than the nearly three-month old war in Ukraine. He didn’t acknowledge calls to negotiate the shipment of grain from Odessa and other Ukrainian ports.

    https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-rejects-pleas-to-permit-grain-shipments-from-ukraine-11652990107

    • INTERNATIONA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

      ICC calls for global action plan to restart agricultural trade with Ukraine and Russia

      ICC has today called on G7 governments to spearhead a concerted diplomatic and logistical effort to restore trade in Ukrainian grains and vegetable oils – as well as fertilisers from Russia and Belarus.

      Global food prices have been pushed to record highs since the onset of the war in Ukraine – a trend that will impact developing and low-income countries most acutely. Fertiliser prices have risen at an even steeper pace, raising concerns that crop yields in 2022 and 2023 could be severely diminished around the world.

      A global food shortage risks major economic and political implications for developed countries – and, most worryingly, a threat of famine and a debt crisis in the emerging world.

      Prior to the war, Ukraine accounted for a significant proportion of the world’s wheat and sunflower oil supply; while Russia was the largest global exporter of fertilisers. Current market projections suggest that this gap in supply cannot be closed by tapping alternative sources or bringing new supplies online alone.

      In this context, ICC has called for the G7 – in coordination with the European Union – to implement a four-step approach to reopening the agricultural corridor with Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, specifically:

      Establishing a “humanitarian corridor” to enable the safe passage of Ukrainian grain and vegetable oil exports via the Black Sea – including guarantees from the Russian Federation that it will allow safe passage of all vessels transporting agricultural products.

      Accelerating the implementation of “Solidarity Lanes” to speed the shipment of Ukrainian agricultural products through ground routes, building on recent proposals from the European Commission to boost rail and road transport capacity and speed customs processes in neighbouring countries.

      Significantly scaling the availability of risk guarantees for trade finance and insurance coverage for transactions with Ukraine – ensuring that banks and insurers have the necessary capacity to facilitate a rapid resumption in food exports.

      Removing prevailing European sanctions on Russian and Belorussian fertilisers, coupled with the establishment of a political “safe-harbour” to provide the necessary legal certainty for trade in essential nutrients to resume.

      ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO said: “Without rapid and radical action it’s clear that the world now stands of the brink of a catastrophic food security crisis that will hit the world’s poorest most acutely. Re-establishing the agricultural corridor with Ukraine must be the principal priority of the G7 in the coming weeks. This is an impending – and entirely foreseeable – emergency that can only be averted by immediate political interventions.

      “We very much welcome the call this week from the UN Secretary General to reopen the Black Sea to agricultural shipments from Ukraine. We now need all governments to get squarely behind this vital diplomatic effort.

      “The notion of restoring trade in fertilisers from Russia and Belarus may go against the grain of prevailing political sentiment in Europe. But to avert a food security crisis — which the World Food Program has described as potentially “catastrophic” for the developing world– governments must live up to their promises to keep agricultural products free of sanctions. And, in doing so, provide the political cover necessary to facilitate trade in essential agricultural inputs.

      “If we are serious about advancing peace and prosperity throughout the world, the global food system must not become another victim of the senseless war in Ukraine.”

      https://iccwbo.org/media-wall/news-speeches/icc-calls-for-global-action-plan-to-restart-agricultural-trade-with-ukraine-and-russia/

      ==================================

      reuters – Blinken accuses Russia of using food as a weapon in Ukraine

      U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Russia on Thursday of using food as a weapon in Ukraine by holding “hostage” supplies for not just Ukrainians, but also millions around the world.

      A senior official in Moscow later rejected the allegations, saying Russians were “not idiots” and would not export food while being subject to tough sanctions.

      Addressing the United Nations Security Council, Blinken appealed to Russia to stop blockading Ukrainian ports.

      “The Russian government seems to think that using food as a weapon will help accomplish what its invasion has not – to break the spirit of the Ukrainian people,” he said.

      “The food supply for millions of Ukrainians and millions more around the world has quite literally been held hostage.”

      The war in Ukraine has caused global prices for grains, cooking oils, fuel and fertilizer to soar.

      Russia and Ukraine together account for nearly a third of global wheat supplies. Ukraine is also a major exporter of corn, barley, sunflower oil and rapeseed oil, while Russia and Belarus – which has backed Moscow in its war in Ukraine – account for more than 40% of global exports of potash, a crop nutrient.

      Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said Russians were skilled at producing food needed throughout the world under the right circumstances.

      “Everything turns out to be illogical – on the one hand, crazy sanctions are introduced while on the other hand there are demands to supply food,” wrote Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council.

      “Things don’t work like that. We are not idiots.”

      Medvedev said producing harvests required people skilled in agriculture, as well as proper equipment and fertilizer.

      “Russia knows how to do this,” he wrote. “We have all the opportunities to ensure there is food in other countries, so that there are no crises. Just don’t prevent us from working.”

      Russia’s U.N. Ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, dismissed as “absolutely false” any suggestion that Russia was to blame for a global food crisis that had been brewing for several years.

      He accused Ukraine of holding foreign vessels in its ports and mining the waters.

      “The decision to weaponize food is Moscow’s and Moscow’s alone,” Blinken said.

      “Some 20 million tons of grain sit unused in Ukrainian silos as global food supply dwindle (and) prices skyrocket.”

      U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is trying to broker a deal allowing Ukraine to resume food exports and revive Russian food and fertilizer production to world markets.

      https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/blinken-accuses-russia-using-food-weapon-ukraine-2022-05-19/

      ==========================

      Ukraine Latest: US Steps Up Aid to Get Weapons on Battlefield

      Bloomberg) — US President Joe Biden welcomed congressional passage of $40 billion in aid for Ukraine and announced a new package of weapons he said would be sent “directly to the front lines.”

      A top Kremlin official said Russia is intent on taking all of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine. The US and United Nations are looking at ways to help Ukraine ship its grain by rail to a port in Lithuania, the Wall Street Journal reported, in the face of a global grain crunch caused by the war.

      NATO’s secretary general said he was hopeful applications by Finland and Sweden to join the bloc could soon be accepted despite initial opposition from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

      Bloomberg News
      Fri, May 20, 2022,

      Ukraine Latest: US Steps Up Aid to Get Weapons on Battlefield

      (Bloomberg) — US President Joe Biden welcomed congressional passage of $40 billion in aid for Ukraine and announced a new package of weapons he said would be sent “directly to the front lines.”

      A top Kremlin official said Russia is intent on taking all of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine. The US and United Nations are looking at ways to help Ukraine ship its grain by rail to a port in Lithuania, the Wall Street Journal reported, in the face of a global grain crunch caused by the war.

      NATO’s secretary general said he was hopeful applications by Finland and Sweden to join the bloc could soon be accepted despite initial opposition from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

      Key Developments

      Scholz’s Push to Make Germany a Real Military Force Hits Trouble

      Senate Approves $40 Billion for Ukraine Aid, Sends to Biden

      Yellen Says Secondary Sanctions on Russia Oil Discussed at G-7

      Biden Backs Finnish, Swedish NATO Bids as Turkey Dangles Keys

      Germany’s Scholz Urges Former Chancellor to Quit Russian Jobs

      All times CET:

      Oligarchs Avoid Spanish Party Isles as Yachts Risk Seizure (7:59 a.m.)

      Russian tycoons are skipping the Balearic Sea — best known for the resort islands of Majorca and Ibiza — to avoid having their megayachts seized.

      Just one vessel tied to a sanctioned Russian tycoon was spotted in the region this spring after Russia invaded Ukraine and sanctions were imposed, according to an analysis for Bloomberg News by Spire Global Inc., which provides maritime intelligence data.

      Wildfires Near Chernobyl Pose No Radioactive Threat, Ukraine Says (5:47 a.m.)

      Wildfires near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant don’t pose a radioactive threat, Ukraine officials told the International Atomic Energy Agency, its director general Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement. The agency agreed with Ukraine’s assessment.

      Last week, Ukraine reestablished full remote transmission of safeguards data from Chernobyl, after two months of interruption caused by Russia’s invasion.

      US and UN Mull Grain Export Plan, WSJ Says (

      The US and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are reviewing plans for the possible export of Ukrainian grain by railway through Belarus to the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unidentified US officials. The US may offer a six-month sanctions break on Belarus’s potash fertilizer industry, the newspaper said.

      Belarus’s main potash producer, which accounts for about a fifth of global supply, was hit with US sanctions last year to limit the financial benefits that President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime derives from exports.

      Germany’s Scholz Urges Former Chancellor to Quit Russian Jobs (8:42 p.m.)

      German Chancellor Olaf Scholz upped the pressure on predecessor Gerhard Schroeder to leave his lucrative jobs as chairman of both the state-owned Russian oil giant Rosneft PJSC and the shareholders’ committee of Nord Stream AG following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

      Schroeder served as chancellor from 1998 to 2005, but the former leader has become an embarrassment to his party for refusing to cut his close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow’s state-owned energy companies.

      Biden Welcomes $40 Billion for Aid, Offers More Weapons (8:12 p.m.)

      The Biden administration announced $100 million in military assistance to Ukraine including artillery, radar and other equipment ahead of the $40 billion Ukraine aid package sent to him by Congress on Thursday.

      Biden said the package will “allow us to send even more weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, replenish our own stockpile and support US. troops stationed on NATO territory.” The Pentagon said the equipment will include 18 155MM howitzers, their carriers and three counter-artillery radars. Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said the artillery is proving “critical” equipment for Ukrainian forces. He said the $100 million exhausts existing “drawdown” authority from US stockpiles.

      The latest shipments will bring the total amount of US military assistance provided to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion to $3.9 billion.

      Ukraine Gets 504 Million Euros from World Bank

      Ukraine received 504 million euros ($534 million) in grants from the World Bank, the country’s finance ministry announced.

      Funds, which include $500 million from the US and 24 million pounds ($30 million) from the UK, will be used to help cover social, humanitarian and healthcare spending and support for internally displaced people, the ministry said.

      Senate Sends Biden $40 Billion Ukraine Aid Package

      The US Senate passed a Ukraine aid package of more than $40 billion on a bipartisan 86 to 11 vote, sending the measure to Biden for his signature.

      The legislation is significantly larger than the $33 billion package Biden requested last month but received overwhelming support. Although some Republicans in both the House and Senate objected to adding to the deficit by sending more money abroad or criticized Biden’s strategy, most backed the Democratic president’s call to rush more aid to Ukraine.

      NATO’s Brass Welcome Sweden and Finland Joining

      NATO’s top military brass welcomed Sweden’s and Finland’s applications to join, saying the aspiring members would boost the alliance’s security due to their land mass, modern capabilities and already high level of integration with allies.

      Asked how challenging it would be for the alliance to defend the two countries’ large geographic areas, archipelagos and forests, NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe, US General Tod Wolters, said “we look at those attributes as tremendous opportunities to improve our ability to comprehensively deter.”

      Germany Starts Heavy Artillery Training

      Training for Ukrainian soldiers on heavy artillery has started in Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a joint press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in the Netherlands on Thursday.

      Rutte pledged more military support for Ukraine from Germany and the Netherlands but said there won’t be more shipments of howitzers. There are limits to “what we can do,” Rutte said.

      Russian Forces to Take All of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kremlin Says

      Russian forces will take Ukrainian territory all the way to the “historical borders” of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and “demilitarize” nearby areas, a top Kremlin official said, reconfirming Moscow’s ambitious war aims there even as its troops struggle to advance against heavy Ukrainian resistance.

      Sergei Kiriyenko, first deputy chief of the presidential staff, didn’t indicate a time frame for the takeovers in a televised meeting with youth groups. Occupation authorities in the territories held by Russia have suggested they’re likely to seek annexation by Moscow.

      The Kremlin’s public statements on its aims have shifted over the months since the Feb. 24 invasion. President Vladimir Putin said then that Russia didn’t plan to occupy Ukraine. Since then officials have laid out plans to permanently hold at least the territories occupied by Russian forces in the east and south. Ukraine has refused to cede any land in now-stalled peace talks.

      China Seen Bolstering Cyber Capabilities as a Lesson Learned

      Anticipating a potential future showdown over Taiwan, China is learning lessons from the war in Ukraine — including from Russia’s failure so far to make extensive use of cyber warfare, an analyst said in Washington.

      In the view from Peking, the US and allies “are fighting Russia today but might fight China next,” Bonny Lin, director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told a House Foreign Affairs panel.

      China is taking steps to insulate itself strategically and economically, including making investments in food, energy and raw materials and developing alternatives to interconnected supply-chains and the SWIFT financial messaging service, she said.

      Russia Military Chief Speaks by Phone to US General: Interfax

      Russia’s top military officer, Valery Gerasimov, discussed the war in Ukraine by phone with US General Mark Milley, Interfax reported, in the first known direct contact between the top commanders since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24.

      The Defense Ministry statement cited by Interfax provided no details of the conversation, other than to say that it was placed at the initiative of the US.

      Last week, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called for an immediate cease-fire in his first discussion since the invasion with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, the Pentagon said May 13. Gerasimov, seen as one of the most powerful advocates of the war in the Russian leadership, hasn’t been seen in public recently.

      Ukraine’s Corn Sowing ‘Almost Completed’

      Ukraine’s total area sown with corn fell 29% from a year earlier to about 3.8 million hectares, the Grain Association said.

      Global food costs are poised to climb further as drought, floods and heat waves threaten production worldwide just as Russia’s war in Ukraine throttles supply from one of the largest growers.

      Biden Backs Finnish, Swedish NATO Bids as Leaders Visit

      Biden offered support while meeting Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson at the White House, a day after the Nordic countries applied to become members of the defensive alliance in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

      “They meet every NATO requirement and then some,” Biden told reporters. “This is about the future. It’s about a revived NATO that has the tools and resources, the clarity and conviction to defend our shared values and lead the world.”

      New Ukraine Aid Hints at More to Come From G-7

      Germany will contribute 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in grants to Ukraine to provide short-term liquidity in a move that heralds more funds from Group of Seven countries. The US will provide $7.5 billion and other countries will also contribute, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said.

      That’s just the start: G-7 leaders will gather in Elmau, Germany June 26-28, where a bigger aid package will be decided. Russia’s invasion means Ukraine faces a monthly financial gap of about 5 billion euros. G-7 nations’ priority is to cover the next three months.

      NATO Head Hopeful on Swedish, Finnish Entry Bids

      NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he hoped the applications of Sweden and Finland to join the alliance can been accepted “within weeks rather than months,” adding that he expected to find ways to address Turkey’s concerns over their accession bids.

      Speaking in Copenhagen alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Stoltenberg said NATO was in close contact with Ankara, Stockholm, Helsinki, and other allies, without elaborating. Allies had expressed hope the two countries would become formal invitees to NATO in a matter of weeks before their bids would be ratified in national parliaments.

      Johnson, Zelenskiy Discuss Opening Black Sea Blockade

      UK Premier Boris Johnson spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy by phone, with the two leaders discussing how to deal with the Russian blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.

      “They looked at options to open up critical sea and land supply routes for Ukrainian grain stocks, and committed to direct their teams to work urgently on the next steps,” the British prime minister’s office said in a statement.

      China in Talks to Buy Russian Oil for Strategic Reserves

      China is seeking to replenish its strategic crude stockpiles with cheap Russian oil, a sign Beijing is strengthening its energy ties with Moscow just as Europe works toward banning imports due to the war in Ukraine.

      The crude would be used to fill China’s strategic petroleum reserves, and talks are being conducted at a government level with little direct involvement from oil companies, said a person with knowledge of the plan.

      https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/ukraine-latest-biden-meet-finnish-071251691.html
      =============================
      Germany Says G-7 Will Send $19 Billion Aid to Ukraine

    • GEROGE W BUSH

      PART 1 : How the USA cynically broke the PROMISE NOT to expand NATO.

    • global news – “Wolverines!”: The secret foreign volunteer group training Ukrainians to fight Russia

      For months, photos from Ukraine on social media have sparked international intrigue, showing destroyed Russian military vehicles spray-painted with the word “Wolverines.”

      It’s the calling card of a secretive group of foreign volunteers, who are training Ukraine’s civilians to fight Russian forces.

      With exclusive access to the group, Jeff Semple reports from Ukraine on their operations, the Canadian veterans among them, and the classic Cold War-era movie behind their namesake.

    • TASS – Key Russian lawmaker reveals illicit Ebola, smallpox research at US-run Ukraine biolabs

      According to the legislator, the information obtained indicates “aggressive goal-setting that underpins the foundation of these programs, de facto implemented by US Department of Defense on Ukrainian soil”

      MOSCOW, May 20. /TASS/. The US researched Ebola and smallpox viruses in Ukraine, says Irina Yarovaya, Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Commission on Investigation of US Biological Laboratories in Ukraine.

      “Today, we presented an analysis of which pathogens the US was particularly interested in in Ukraine,” she told reporters Friday. “Aside from the pathogens that are territorially bound to Ukraine, [the laboratories] researched viruses and pathogens that are endemically very far from Ukraine, such as Ebola and smallpox.”

      According to the legislator, the information obtained indicates “aggressive goal-setting that underpins the foundation of these programs, de facto implemented by US Department of Defense on Ukrainian soil.”

      “Unfortunately, it is necessary to particularly emphasize that the betrayal that the Ukrainian regime carried out against its own people has effectively left Ukrainian citizens defenseless in the face of these manipulations, experiments and clandestine research that the US is carrying out on Ukrainian territory,” Yarovaya underscored.

      She noted that Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin spoke as the main expert at Friday’s commission meeting.

      “I would like to underscore that the dialogue that we had with the SVR chief today, combined with the proof obtained by the commission, fully confirms the US-created network of biological intelligence worldwide and the implementation of active military-biological exploitation of the globe, and Ukraine in particular. This essentially poses a serious global threat,” Yarovaya warned.

      According to the lawmaker, Russia’s main goal today is to guarantee the protection of its national interests and the security of the Russian people.

      “But at the same time, [it should] urge the global community to seriously get to the bottom of this secret and dangerous military biological activity, implemented by the US. So that comprehensive measures pertaining to common, equal and indivisible security could be developed. Given the distinction between peaceful and non-peaceful use of bacteriological research and the study of toxins, it must be completely transparent and controlled. And there simply must not be any bacteriological weapons in the world, this is Russia’s principal position,” Yarovaya stressed.

      https://tass.com/politics/1453907

      • The U.S. wasn’t working with innocent Uke virgins.
        We’re just continuing Soviet establishment research. Decades of work.

        Putin rushed military to Kazakhstan to secure a couple remote biolabs immediately after the recent unrest. China’s doing lots of hinky stuff in Kyrgystan.

        U.S., Russia, China, France – all of us have secret biolabs all over the world. Making an issue of it here is monstrous hypocrisy. Russian TV keeps pumping the story. Putin groupies in the West are repeating the propaganda.

  2. twitter @disclosetv

    NEW – In March 2021, NTI partnered with the Munich Security Conference to conduct a tabletop exercise simulating a global pandemic involving an unusual strain of monkeypox caused by a terrorist attack using a pathogen engineered in a laboratory.

    + 1 min 32 VIDEO

    https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1527574636631928832

    ===========================
    NTI – NOV 23 2021

    Strengthening Global Systems to Prevent and Respond to High-Consequence Biological Threats

    In March 2021, NTI partnered with the Munich Security Conference to conduct a tabletop exercise on reducing high-consequence biological threats. The exercise examined gaps in national and international biosecurity and pandemic preparedness architectures—exploring opportunities to improve prevention and response capabilities for high-consequence biological events. Participants included 19 senior leaders and experts from across Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe with decades of combined experience in public health, biotechnology industry, international security, and philanthropy.

    This report, Strengthening Global Systems to Prevent and Respond to High-Consequence Biological Threats: Results from the 2021 Tabletop Exercise Conducted in Partnership with the Munich Security Conference, written by Jaime M. Yassif, Ph.D., Kevin P. O’Prey, Ph.D., and Christopher R. Isaac, M.Sc., summarizes key findings from the exercise and offers actionable recommendations for the international community.

    Exercise Summary

    Developed in consultation with technical and policy experts, the fictional exercise scenario portrayed a deadly, global pandemic involving an unusual strain of monkeypox virus that first emerged in the fictional nation of Brinia and spread globally over 18 months. Ultimately, the exercise scenario revealed that the initial outbreak was caused by a terrorist attack using a pathogen engineered in a laboratory with inadequate biosafety and biosecurity provisions and weak oversight. By the end of the exercise, the fictional pandemic resulted in more than three billion cases and 270 million fatalities worldwide.

    Discussions throughout the tabletop exercise generated a range of valuable insights and key findings. Most significantly, exercise participants agreed that, notwithstanding improvements following the global response to COVID-19, the international system of pandemic prevention, detection, analysis, warning, and response is woefully inadequate to address current and anticipated future challenges. Gaps in the international biosecurity and pandemic preparedness architecture are extensive and fundamental, undermining the ability of the international community to prevent and mount effective responses to future biological events—including those that could match the impacts of COVID-19 or cause damage that is significantly more severe.

    Report Findings and Recommendations

    Discussion among exercise participants led to the following key findings:

    (The full findings are available on page 14 of the report.)

    Weak global detection, assessment, and warning of pandemic risks. The international community needs a more robust, transparent detection, evaluation, and early warning system that can rapidly communicate actionable information about pandemic risks.

    Gaps in national-level preparedness. National governments should improve preparedness by developing national-level pandemic response plans built upon a coherent system of “triggers” that prompt anticipatory action, despite uncertainty and near-term costs—in other words, on a “no-regrets” basis.

    Gaps in biological research governance. The international system for governing dual-use biological research is neither prepared to meet today’s security requirements, nor is it ready for significantly expanded challenges in the future. There are risk reduction needs throughout the bioscience research and development life cycle.

    Insufficient financing of international preparedness for pandemics. Many countries around the world lack financing to make the essential national investments in pandemic preparedness.
    To address these findings, the report authors developed the following recommendations:

    (The full recommendations are available on page 22 of the report.)

    Bolster international systems for pandemic risk assessment, warning, and investigating outbreak origins

    The WHO should establish a graded, transparent, international public health alert system.

    The United Nations (UN) system should establish a new mechanism for investigating high-consequence biological events of unknown origin, which we refer to as a “Joint Assessment Mechanism.”

    Develop and institute national-level triggers for early, proactive pandemic response
    National governments must adopt a “no-regrets” approach to pandemic response, taking anticipatory action—as opposed to reacting to mounting case counts and fatalities, which are lagging indicators.

    To facilitate anticipatory action on a no-regrets basis, national governments should develop national-level plans that define and incorporate “triggers” for responding to high-consequence biological events.

    Establish an international entity dedicated to reducing emerging biological risks associated with rapid technology advances

    The international community should establish an entity dedicated to reducing the risk of catastrophic events due to accidental misuse or deliberate abuse of bioscience and biotechnology.

    To meaningfully reduce risk, the entity should support interventions throughout the bioscience and biotechnology research and development life cycle—from funding, through execution, and on to publication or commercialization.

    Develop a catalytic global health security fund to accelerate pandemic preparedness capacity building in countries around the world

    National leaders, development banks, philanthropic donors, and the private sector should establish and resource a new financing mechanism to bolster global health security and pandemic preparedness.

    The design and operations of the fund should be catalytic—incentivizing national governments to invest in their own preparedness over the long term.

    Establish a robust international process to tackle the challenge of supply chain resilience

    The UN Secretary General should convene a high-level panel to develop recommendations for critical measures to bolster global supply chain resilience for medical and public health supplies.
    Click here to learn more about the November 23, 2021 launch event for this report on the margins of the Biological Weapons Convention Meeting of States Parties.

    To learn more about NTI’s previous tabletop exercises at the Munich Security Conference, see our 2019 report, “A Spreading Plague,” and our 2020 report, “Preventing Global Catastrophic Biological Risks.”

    https://www.nti.org/analysis/articles/strengthening-global-systems-to-prevent-and-respond-to-high-consequence-biological-threats/
    ============================

    PDF – 36 pages

    Results from the 2021 Tabletop Exercise Conducted in
    Partnership with the Munich Security Conference

    https://www.nti.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/NTI_Paper_BIO-TTX_Final.pdf

    ===================================
    NTI on youtube

    https://www.youtube.com/c/NuclearThreatInitiative/videos

    ====================================

    Strengthening Global Systems to Prevent and Respond to High Consequence Biological Threats

    ( 60 min )

    In March 2021, NTI partnered with the Munich Security Conference to conduct a tabletop exercise on reducing high-consequence biological threats. The exercise examined gaps in national and international biosecurity and pandemic preparedness architectures—exploring opportunities to improve prevention and response capabilities for high-consequence biological events. Participants included 19 senior leaders and experts from across Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe with decades of combined experience in public health, biotechnology industry, international security, and philanthropy.

    This report, “Strengthening Global Systems to Prevent and Respond to High-Consequence Biological Threats: Results from the 2021 Tabletop Exercise Conducted in Partnership with the Munich Security Conference,” written by Jaime M. Yassif, Ph.D., Kevin P. O’Prey, Ph.D., and Christopher R. Isaac, M.Sc., summarizes key findings from the exercise and offers actionable recommendations for the international community.

    The report launch on November 23, 2021 was chaired by NTI | bio Interim Vice President Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg and featured remarks from Twist Biosciences CEO and Co-Founder Dr. Emily Leproust, and NTI | bio Senior Fellow Dr. Jaime Yassif.

    • Two suspected cases of monkeypox in B.C.: Tam

      Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer says there are now two suspected cases of monkeypox in British Columbia.

      This comes after Montreal confirmed 17 suspected cases yesterday.

    • zero hedge – WHO Convenes Emergency Meeting As MonkeyPox Virus Goes Global

      […]”I’m sure that ultimately this will be the largest outbreak of monkeypox that we’ve had outside of the endemic areas in Africa,” Daniel Bausch, infectious disease expert and president of the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene told Axios.

      […]CDC officials are evaluating whether smallpox vaccine should be offered to healthcare workers treating monkeypox patients and other people who may be at “high risk” for exposure to monkeypox, McQuiston said.

      […]And it is being reported that there are enough doses of the smallpox vaccine “to vaccinate basically everyone in the U.S.”

      And as another bioterrorism precaution, stockpiles of three smallpox vaccines are large enough “to vaccinate basically everyone in the U.S.” Inglesby said. And though monkeypox patients usually get just supportive care, a possible treatment does exist and has also been stockpiled: Tecovirimat, or TPOXX, was developed to treat smallpox but would likely work for monkeypox too.

      […]Apparently a monkeypox vaccine already exists as well, and the New York Post is reporting that the U.S. has just ordered “13 million additional doses”…

      The US has ordered 13 million additional doses of the monkeypox vaccine after a Massachusetts man contracted the rare — but potentially severe — virus, officials said Thursday.

      The massive $119 million order of Jynneos jabs — which can be used to treat both the monkeypox virus and smallpox — was created by the biotechnology company Bavarian Nordic, according to Newsweek.

      + comments

      https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/how-has-monkeypox-suddenly-spread-all-over-globe-lightning-speed

      ============================

      DAILY MAIL – Monkeypox is now spotted in Italy and Sweden — bringing number of countries with confirmed or suspected cases to SEVEN

      Italian patient tested positive in Rome after returning from the Canary Islands
      UK, US, Spain and Portugal have confirmed cases and Canada is probing several
      Experts fear known cases tip of iceberg because most patients not connected

      https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-10833529/Monkeypox-spotted-Italy-Sweden-bringing-number-countries-cases-SEVEN.html

      =============================
      paul j watson – MONKEYPOX

    • Montreal Gazette – Canada may deliver vaccines to Quebec to combat monkeypox

      The vaccines once used against smallpox have been found to be effective against monkeypox. Quebec officials reported Thursday they had confirmed two cases of monkeypox and were investigating 20 suspected instances.

      Federal health authorities are looking into providing vaccines to Quebec for protection against monkeypox after an outbreak was discovered this week in Montreal.

      […]Canada has a limited supply of the vaccines, but can’t disclose how much for security reasons, said Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer. At the same time, Canada is having discussions internationally about acquiring vaccines, she said. Just under two dozen cases are being investigated by local officials, mainly in Quebec but also in British Columbia.

      […]Countries including the United States and Spain have been acquiring vaccines and medications to ward off the disease.

      Quebec health authorities are looking into the possibility of ordering smallpox vaccines with their federal counterparts.

      […]Montreal is the only region in Canada to report confirmed cases so far, but health authorities are alerting medical professionals throughout the country to be on the lookout. Montreal’s cases are believed to be linked to a traveller from Boston.

      https://montrealgazette.top1tv.net/news/local-news/canada-might-acquire-vaccines-to-protect-against-monkeypox

      ctv news – Canadian government eyeing vaccines after monkeypox outbreak in Quebec

      The federal government said it is exploring the possibility of using the smallpox vaccine to protect Quebecers from the recent outbreak of the disease’s cousin, monkeypox.

      Late Thursday, Quebec’s health ministry confirmed Canada’s first two cases of monkeypox were in the province.

      As of Friday morning, Montreal public health reported 18 suspected cases of the rare disease, in addition to the two positive infections.

      During a virtual media briefing Friday, Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Njoo said the smallpox vaccine, which hasn’t been used in Canada since the 1970s, appears to be effective against monkeypox and that the federal government is exploring its use for monkeypox.

      “We have some doses and we are always ready. We’re talking at the moment with the province of Quebec about the possibility of using it,” Njoo told reporters.

      Smallpox vaccination ended in Canada in 1972 after the shots helped eradicate the disease, but public health chief Theresa Tam said there are discussions in Canada and around the world about reviewing their efficacy on monkeypox.

      She said Canada has a “limited” supply of those vaccines in stock but said she couldn’t provide an exact number due to security reasons.

      Earlier this month, the Public Health Agency of Canada placed an order for 500,000 vials of the smallpox vaccine Imvamune, which also gives protection against monkeypox. However, these doses won’t be delivered until April 2023.

      So far, the outbreak of the disease appears to be contained in Quebec, although Dr. Tam said there are “a couple” of cases under investigation in British Columbia as well.

      The Ministry of Health and Social Services said Thursday that investigations are underway to determine the links between the cases found in the Montreal area “and to identify potentially at-risk contacts and inform them of protective measures.”

      The World Health Organization called an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the recent outbreak of more than 100 confirmed and suspected cases of monkeypox in Europe.

      Public health officials in Quebec say, however, there is no reason to panic over the outbreak in Quebec as the transmission of monkeypox is believed to come from “prolonged and close contact” with an infected person. They also stress that it is less contagious than other viral infections, like the flu and COVID-19.

      Symptoms include fever, fatigue, and headache in the first few days of infection, followed by rashes on the face and other parts of the body.

      https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/canadian-government-eyeing-vaccines-after-monkeypox-outbreak-in-quebec-1.5912665

  3. DAILY MAIL – BREAKING NEWS: Hillary Clinton APPROVED sharing debunked ‘covert’ communications between Trump and Kremlin-backed bank with press – even though she wasn’t ‘totally confident’ in the legitimacy, ex-campaign manager tells Durham trial

    Robby Mook testified on Friday about the campaign meeting on the data

    He told the trial of Michael Sussman that he was first briefed about Alfa Bank by campaign general counsel Marc Elias

    Mook also said he discussed the data with Jake Sullivan and John Podesta

    He admitted the campaign wasn’t ‘totally confident’ in the ‘legitimacy of the data,’ but was hoping a reporter could get it confirmed

    Sussman is accused of lying to the FBI about the fact that he was representing Clinton’s 2016 campaign interests and that of another client
    —————————————–

    Hillary Clinton’s former campaign manager Robby Mook told a court on Friday that she signed off on sharing debunked allegations linking Donald Trump and the Kremlin-backed Alfa Bank with the media in the run-up to the 2016 election.

    Mook told the trial of Michael Sussman, the first to be indicted by Special Counsel John Durham in his Russia origins probe, that he was first briefed about Alfa Bank by campaign general counsel Marc Elias.

    He said he also discussed with then senior adviser Jake Sullivan – now the White House National Security Adviser- and campaign chairman John Podesta about whether to share the information with a reporter.

    ‘I discussed it with Hillary as well,’ Mook told the court.

    He also admitted the campaign wasn’t ‘totally confident in the legitimacy of the data’, but was hoping a reporter would follow it up and determine if it was ‘accurate’ or ‘substantive.’

    ‘I don’t remember the substance of the conversation, but notionally, the discussion was, hey, we have this and we want to share it with a reporter,’ Mook said.

    They decided to share it with the reporter after the meeting, he testified.

    ‘I recall it being a member of our press staff,’ Mook said. ‘We authorized a staff member to share it with the media.’

    […]

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10838115/Hillary-Clinton-APPROVED-plan-share-Trump-Russian-bank-communications-campaign-manager-claims.html

  4. This is an illustration from a Washington Post article

    Which shows how the future head of the Department of Homeland Security’s Disinformation Governance Board NINA JANKOWICZ works in the election headquarters of Vladimir Zelensky

    Yes, just like that. THERE IS NEVER COINCIDENCE

    https://t.me/azmilitary11/4858

    PIC

    https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2022-05/de220ee0-d6c8-11ec-bf5a-95a76002056f

    Nina Jankowicz, who served as a Fulbright fellow, works in a press room at Volodymyr Zelensky’s campaign headquarters in 2019 in Kiev, Ukraine.

    Jankowicz was recently named the head of the Department of Homeland Security’s Disinformation Governance Board.

    ==================================================
    Washington Post – How the Biden administration let right-wing attacks derail its disinformation efforts

    A ‘pause’ of the Department of Homeland Security’s newly created board comes after its head, Nina Jankowicz, was the victim of coordinated online attacks as the administration struggled to respond

    On the morning of April 27, the Department of Homeland Security announced the creation of the first Disinformation Governance Board with the stated goal to “coordinate countering misinformation related to homeland security.” The Biden administration tapped Nina Jankowicz, a well-known figure in the field of fighting disinformation and extremism, as the board’s executive director.

    In naming the 33-year-old Jankowicz to run the newly created board, the administration chose someone with extensive experience in the field of disinformation, which has emerged as an urgent and important issue. The author of the books “How to Be a Woman Online” and “How to Lose the Information War,” her career also featured stints at multiple nonpartisan think tanks and nonprofits and included work that focused on strengthening democratic institutions. Within the small community of disinformation researchers, her work was well-regarded.

    But within hours of news of her appointment, Jankowicz was thrust into the spotlight by the very forces she dedicated her career to combating. The board itself and DHS received criticism for both its somewhat ominous name and scant details of specific mission (Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said it “could have done a better job of communicating what it is and what it isn’t”), but Jankowicz was on the receiving end of the harshest attacks, with her role mischaracterized as she became a primary target on the right-wing Internet. She has been subject to an unrelenting barrage of harassment and abuse while unchecked misrepresentations of her work continue to go viral.

    Now, just three weeks after its announcement, the Disinformation Governance Board is being “paused,” according to multiple employees at DHS, capping a back-and-forth week of decisions that changed during the course of reporting of this story. On Monday, DHS decided to shut down the board, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation. By Tuesday morning, Jankowicz had drafted a resignation letter in response to the board’s dissolution.

    But Tuesday night, Jankowicz was pulled into an urgent call with DHS officials who gave her the choice to stay on, even as the department’s work was put on hold because of the backlash it faced, according to multiple people with knowledge of the call. Working groups within DHS focused on mis-, dis- and mal-information have been suspended. The board could still be shut down pending a review from the Homeland Security Advisory Council. On Wednesday morning, Jankowicz officially resigned from her role within the department.

    “Nina Jankowicz has been subjected to unjustified and vile personal attacks and physical threats,” a DHS spokesperson told The Washington Post in a statement. “In congressional hearings and in media interviews, the Secretary has repeatedly defended her as eminently qualified and underscored the importance of the Department’s disinformation work, and he will continue to do so.”

    Jankowicz has not spoken publicly about her position since the day it was announced.

    Jankowicz’s experience is a prime example of how the right-wing Internet apparatus operates, where far-right influencers attempt to identify a target, present a narrative and then repeat mischaracterizations across social media and websites with the aim of discrediting and attacking anyone who seeks to challenge them. It also shows what happens when institutions, when confronted with these attacks, don’t respond effectively.

    Those familiar with the board’s inner workings, including DHS employees and Capitol Hill staffers, along with experts on disinformation, say Jankowicz was set up to fail by an administration that was unsure of its messaging and unprepared to counteract a coordinated online campaign against her.

    A disastrous rollout

    Just hours after Jankowicz tweeted about her new job, far-right influencer Jack Posobiec posted tweets accusing the Biden administration of creating a “Ministry of Truth.” Posobiec’s 1.7 million followers quickly sprung into action. By the end of the day, there were at least 53,235 posts on Twitter mentioning “Disinformation Governance Board,” many referencing Jankowicz by name, according to a report by Advance Democracy, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that conducts public-interest research. In the days following, that number skyrocketed.

    The board was created to study best practices in combating the harmful effects of disinformation and to help DHS counter viral lies and propaganda that could threaten domestic security. Unlike the “Ministry of Truth” in George Orwell’s “1984” that became a derogatory comparison point, neither the board nor Jankowicz had any power or ability to declare what is true or false, or compel Internet providers, social media platforms or public schools to take action against certain types of speech. In fact, the board itself had no power or authority to make any operational decisions.

    “The Board’s purpose has been grossly mischaracterized; it will not police speech,” the DHS spokesperson said. “Quite the opposite, its focus is to ensure that freedom of speech is protected.”

    Posobiec’s early tweets shaped the narrative and Jankowicz was positioned as the primary target. Republican lawmakers echoed Posobiec’s framing and amplified it to their audiences. Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, who is a U.S. Senate hopeful, and Rep. Andrew S. Clyde (R-Ga.) both posted tweets similar to Posobiec’s. Former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) also posted a video repeating Posobiec’s statements.

    The week following the announcement, approximately 70 percent of Fox News’s one-hour segments mentioned either Jankowicz or the board, with correspondents frequently deriding the board as a “Ministry of Truth,” according to Advance Democracy. The Fox News coverage was referenced in some of the most popular posts on Facebook and Twitter criticizing Jankowicz.

    Dozens of websites including Breitbart, the Post Millennial, the Daily Caller and the New York Post began mining Jankowicz’s past social media posts and publishing articles to generate controversy. Some were simply mocking, making fun of her for parodying a song from “Mary Poppins” to talk about misinformation. In another instance, a performance where Jankowicz sings a popular musical theater song about a person’s desire to become rich and powerful was misrepresented to imply that Jankowicz herself was after money and power and would sleep with men to get it.

    As this online campaign played out, DHS and the Biden administration struggled to counter the repeated attacks.

    The weekend after her hiring was announced, Mayorkas attempted to clarify the board’s mission and defended Jankowicz’s credentials. He did a round of TV news interviews and testified about the board during House and Senate committee hearings. A forceful defense of Jankowicz was noticeably absent online, where the attacks against her were concentrated. White House press secretary Jen Psaki debunked false claims about the board during two news briefings and touted Jankowicz as “an expert on online disinformation,” but it had little effect on the growing campaign against her.

    “These smears leveled by bad-faith, right-wing actors against a deeply qualified expert and against efforts to better combat human smuggling and domestic terrorism are disgusting,” deputy White House press secretary Andrew Bates told The Post on Tuesday.

    As she endured the attacks, Jankowicz was told to stay silent. After attempting to defend herself on Twitter April 27, she was told by DHS officials to not issue any further public statements, according to multiple people close to her.

    Democratic lawmakers, legislative staff and other administration employees who sought to defend Jankowicz were caught flat-footed. Administration officials did not brief the relevant congressional staff and committees ahead of the board’s launch, and members of Congress who had expressed interest in disinformation weren’t given a detailed explanation about how it would operate. A fact sheet released by DHS on May 2 did nothing to quell the outrage that had been building on the Internet, nor did it clarify much of what the board would actually be doing or Jankowicz’s role in it.

    DHS staffers have also grown frustrated. With the department’s suspension of intra-departmental working groups focused on mis-, dis- and mal-information, some officials said it was an overreaction that gave too much credence to bad-faith actors. A 15-year veteran of the department, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, called the DHS response to the controversy “mind-boggling.” “I’ve never seen the department react like this before,” he said.

    A textbook disinformation campaign

    Experts say that right-wing disinformation and smear campaigns regularly follow the same playbook and that it’s crucial that the public and leaders of institutions, especially in the government, the media and educational bodies, understand more fully how these cycles operate.

    The campaigns invariably start with identifying a person to characterize as a villain. Attacking faceless institutions is difficult, so a figurehead (almost always a woman or person of color) is found to serve as its face. Whether that person has actual power within that institution is often immaterial. By discrediting those made to represent institutions they seek to bring down, they discredit the institution itself.

    Harassment and reputational harm is core to the attack strategy. Institutions often treat reputational harm and online attacks as a personnel matter, one that unlucky employees should simply endure quietly.

    Jankowicz’s case is a perfect example of this system at work, said Emerson T. Brooking, a resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab. “They try to define people by these single, decontextualized moments,” Brooking said. “In Nina’s case it’s a few TikTok videos, or one or two comments out of thousands of public appearances. They fixate on these small instances and they define this villain.”

    The worst thing any institution can do in the face of such attacks is remain quiet, several disinformation researchers said.

    “You never want to be silent, because then the people putting out the disinformation own the narrative,” said Mark Jacobson, assistant dean at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, who has researched propaganda, political warfare and disinformation for over 30 years. “You need to have a factual and equally emotional counternarrative. A fact sheet is not a narrative.”

    Not responding with a highly compelling counternarrative, or not getting out ahead of these campaigns to begin with, Jacobson explained, can “give them an air of legitimacy.” He said he was frustrated by the Biden administration’s lack of a loud and vocal response to what Jankowicz was going through. “Saying it’s amateur hour is cliche, but it’s amateur hour,” he said of the administration’s inaction.

    The fallout from the campaign against Jankowicz can be seen in the escalating attacks. Violent threats against her are flourishing online, according to Advance Democracy. Users on far-right social media platforms continue to use misogynistic and bigoted language in posts about Jankowicz, with many users calling for violence.

    In response to one post on Gab featuring a video of Tucker Carlson discussing Jankowicz, users commented: “Time to kill them all.” Another post featuring Carlson’s coverage of Jankowicz was shared to a right-wing forum with the caption “This is the point where we have to draw the line.” Comments said Jankowicz should be “greeted with Mr. 12 Gauge Slugs.” An April 30 post on Gab featuring a tweet by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) telling her followers “this is the hill to die on” sparked replies that were flooded with threats to Jankowicz’s life. “It’d be easier if we had a large group of trained assassins to take a lot of the [government] bastards out first,” one user wrote.

    “The irony is that Nina’s role was to come up with strategies for the department to counter this type of campaign, and now they’ve just succumbed to it themselves,” said one Hill staffer with knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the issue. “They didn’t even fight, they just rolled over.”

    DHS staffers worried that the way Jankowicz’s situation was mishandled could hurt their ability to recruit talent at a time when white nationalist violence is thriving and the midterm elections are approaching.

    “We’re going to need another Nina down the road,” said one DHS staffer who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not at liberty to comment. “And anyone who takes that position is going to be vulnerable to a disinformation campaign or attack.”

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/05/18/disinformation-board-dhs-nina-jankowicz/

  5. “Hidden Document Shows Obama Met Dr. Tedros and Terrorist Leaders of Ethiopia in 2014 – Then In 2017 Tedros Elected Head of WHO” by Joe Hoft – May 20, 2022
    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/05/hidden-document-shows-obama-met-dr-tedros-terrorist-leaders-ethiopia-2014-2017-tedros-elected-head/

    Just like Obama, Tedros goes after and punishes his political opponents.

    The Ethiopian Terrorist in Charge of the World Health Organization – Dr. Tedros Adhanom
    by Frank Parlato – April 14, 2020
    https://frankreport.com/2020/04/14/the-ethiopian-terrorist-in-charge-of-the-world-health-organization-dr-tedros-adhanom/

  6. Session 105 – Testing the Waters
    Corona Investigative Committee – May 20, 2022

    Topics
    1. Resistance of Artificial Intelligence: Showing the Algorithms the Limits
    2. Economy at the end? Social credit system and blockchain technology
    3. Promoting parallel societies: An alternative health care delivery system
    4. A general practitioner’s perspective on normalized covid measures
    5. Preventive nuclear strike? Danger of a third world war and the role of Ukraine
    6. The Great Reset and the Destruction of Civil Society
    Dr. Reiner Fuellmich – May 19, 2022
    https://t.me/ReinerFuellmichEnglish/344

    Session 105 – Testing the Waters
    Corona Investigative Committee – May 20, 2022
    Session begins @ 34:07
    https://gettr.com/streaming/p1akvf1a666

  7. This is the REAL reason they want to keep partial/post birth ‘abortions’ legal:

    Humans that successfully emerge from the womb can still be slaughtered after birth for the benefit of the wealthy and elite, who allegedly attempt to attain immortality by consuming the blood and body parts of youngsters, reports Ethan Huff.
    Stanford University researchers say life extension could be as simple as harvesting children’s vital organs and implanting them in old people who want to live forever rather than die as part of the normal life cycle.

    According to Stanford researchers, cultures throughout the ages have “worshipped” the young for their ability to be exploited for the benefit of the elderly. With today’s technology, that could mean harvesting the life essence from the young and transferring it to the elderly.

    They recently tested this by “infusing cerebrospinal fluid from young mice into old mice,” which in turn “improves” the brain function of the latter. Now they want to do the same with human babies and children.

    “The Stanford team put fluids from 10-week-old mice into the brains of 18-month-old mice for seven days and found that the older mice had a better memory of associating a small electric shock with a sound and a blinking light. ” reports the Telegraph (UK).

    https://anonymouswire.com/stanford-university-says-harvesting-blood-and-organs-from-children-could-help-adults-achieve-immortality/

  8. BREAKING: Hillary Clinton authorized dissemination of Russia collusion hoax to press
    Former Clinton campaign manager Robert Mook testified that Clinton had personally approved giving the media the Alpha Bank story regarding then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.

    https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-hillary-clinton-authorized-dissemination-of-russia-collusion-hoax-to-press/

    In related news:

    Robby Mook Testifies: Hillary Clinton Personally Approved Leak of Alfa Bank Hoax to Media

    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/05/20/robby-mook-testifies-hillary-clinton-personally-approved-leak-of-alfa-bank-hoax-to-media/