According to this story Kim Jong Un has released three United States prisoners–one of Donald Trump’s demands for a meeting–from a labor camp and has sent them to a medical facility near Pyongyang for treatment.
The story goes on to say that while the Americans are still in North Korea the United States could send an envoy over to take them home or Donald Trump may take them home after the summit is over. (Personally I believe Donald Trump would like the optics of them stepping off of Air Force One with him.)
We all remember the tragic story of Otto Warmbier and how that ended so naturally I am concerned about the well-being of these three men. However it would seem with all the progress which has been made with North Korea in recent weeks Kim Jong Un would not risk it all by sending these three men home in the same condition.
Assuming these men are okay and will be coming home in good health this is another big victory for Donald Trump on foreign policy as a situation which once seemed unsolvable looks to be more solvable on a daily basis.
malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium
In an effort to distance herself from homophobic blog posts MSNBC’s Joy Reid claimed she was hacked. That excuse fell apart and Joy Reid changed her story but apparently during the course of events a report was filed with the FBI and this could put Joy Reid in some hot water for filing a false report.
Here is more:
MSNBC personality Joy-Ann Reid appears to have changed her story about those homophobic blog posts. And with this sea change in Reid’s defense, there could be legal trouble ahead.
At first, Reid claimed she was hacked. That story completely fell apart when The Daily Beast–where Reid had her own column until it was suspended over those same posts–published a thorough dissection and dismissal of Reid’s claims.
After Mediaite‘s Caleb Ecarma broke the story, Reid said she and Nichols “notified federal law enforcement officials of the breach.” On Wednesday, The Daily Beast confirmed that the FBI was looking into the claims. Reid’s attorney John H. Reichman said, “We have received confirmation the FBI has opened an investigation into potential criminal activities surrounding several online accounts, including personal email and blog accounts, belonging to Joy-Ann Reid.”
So it appears as if a report was filed but if I am not mistaken it is only a crime if a person knowingly or willingly files a false report so the question becomes, who filed the report.
If MSNBC or one of Joy Reid’s underlings filed the report it would seem they thought they were filing a legitimate report because they were taking Joy Reid at her word, however if Joy Reid or her lawyer filed the report there could be legal trouble.
It goes without saying that if Joy Reid filed the report she knew it was false but if her lawyer filed the report it would mean Joy Reid lied to her lawyer, and while her lawyer probably believed the report was legitimate it would mean Joy Reid lied to her lawyer. If this is the case it would seem to me Joy Reid could still be in trouble.
There are allot of “ifs” here but the article I linked to states that Joy Reid notified the FBI about the breech, that makes it sound as if she did so directly, but does not rule out the possibility she used somebody else to file the claim. This could get very interesting…
malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium
Chuck Todd says Donald Trump is ‘cozying up with Kim Jong Un’ while ‘demonizing the Iranians’
It was not all that long ago when the mainstream media flooding the airways with talk about how Donald Trump was on the verge of starting WWIII because of his tough stance with North Korea but much has changed in the last couple of weeks. With peace talks between North and South Korea as well as denuclearization promises by Kim Jong Un it would appear as if Donald Trump’s stance is working.
At the same time the rhetoric is heating up between Iran and the United States with Donald Trump threatening to pull out of the Iran deal, and today Iran said it might pull out of the deal after Israel accused that country of lying.
The mainstream media and the left are at a loss over the North Korea situation because they do not want to admit Donald Trump may be on the verge of a major foreign policy victory–a victory which alluded both Barack Obama and George W Bush.
Chuck Todd is a perfect example of this: he claimed today that Donald Trump is “cozying up to Kim Jong Un” while “demonizing the Iranians.” Here is more:
Host Chuck Todd, never one to give credit to the Trump administration, called it “weird how we’re treating Kim Jong-un versus how we treat the Iranians.” Todd noted that dictator Kim Jong-un “essentially murdered an American citizen…Otto Warmbier”; he has “murdered other people”; and “he has starved his own people.”
“The Iranians don’t starve their own people,” Todd continued, “and yet we’re sort of now feeling comfortable cozying up with Kim Jong-un and demonizing the Iranians. It just feels like we’re sending some odd messages around the world,”
Chuck Todd is partially right but he is putting neither situation in the proper perspective. The reason Donald Trump is “cozying up” to Kim Jong Un is because the dictator is talking peace and denuclearization. With this progress being made would Chuck Todd prefer Donald Trump to say bleep you to North Korea? If Donald Trump took that approach you can rest assured Chuck Todd would have something to say about that.
As far as “demonizing the Iranians” and “sending odd messages around the world” I would say Chuck Todd is 100% wrong. Donald Trump is at the same point now with where he was with North Korea a month or two ago.
Donald Trump is sending the same message to Iran that he sent to North Korea; we will not let you become a nuclear nation. It seems to be working with North Korea and who knows, maybe it will work with Iran as well.
malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium
Kim Jong Un says he will give up nukes if the U.S. promises not to attack North Korea
The sudden transformation of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in recent days has been remarkable to behold. It culminated on Friday when we watched the leaders of North and South Korea ceremoniously step into each other’s countries before Kim Jong Un was lead hand in hand by South Korean President Moon Jae-in into his country to talk peace.
It is now being reported here that Kim Jong Un is willing to give up his nuclear weapons in return for the United States officially ending the Korean War and a promise not to attack North Korea.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told his South Korean counterpart at their historic summit that his country would be willing to give up its nuclear weapons if the U.S. commits to a formal end to the Korean War and a pledge not to attack the North, Seoul officials said Sunday.
Kim also vowed during his meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday to shut down the North’s nuclear test site in May and disclose the process to experts and journalists from South Korea and the United States, Seoul’s presidential office said.
That’s it? That’s all it will take? Why no mention of ending, or at least easing, the sanctions against North Korea? I remain cautiously optimistic yet somewhat skeptical of Kim Jong Un’s intentions, as does John Bolton.
“Well, we’ve heard this before. This is – the North Korean propaganda playbook is an infinitely rich resource.”
“What we want to see from them is evidence that it’s real and not just rhetoric,” he added.
But at the same time if you are going to negotiate an end to a nuclear North Korea you have to take it on good faith or the negotiations will go nowhere. Trust but verify…
I do not know what is driving Kim Jong Un at this point: it could be that the tougher sanctions, which are actually being enforced for the first time, coupled with Donald Trump’s I have a bigger button than you and it works rhetoric has him realizing he is in a no-win situation, or he could have an ulterior motive. But I do know that for the first time in decades we appear to be on the right path in North Korea and I hope and pray that we are finally on the right path with North Korea.
malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium
Sunday, April 29th open thread: ‘Love is the Drug’
Here is the open thread for Sunday, April 29th. Please feel free to post links to interesting articles and to discuss whatever issues arise during the course of the day. Nothing is off-topic here.
Last week we discussed 5 stories, did you miss any of them? If so there is an easy way to make sure it does not happen again. I understand that all of you are busy and cannot always find the time to check the blog for updates so why not subscribe to America’s Watchtower and receive email updates whenever I write a new post? That is the easiest way to follow the blog to ensure you never miss another post.
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Here is Roxy Music performing “Love is the Drug” live from 1979.
frui diem
Kim Jong Un meets with South Korea’s Moon Jae-in
It was a pretty amazing sight to see the leaders of North and South Korea meet at the demilitarized zone and then to see a North Korean dictator step into South Korea for the first time since the end of the Korean War. Here is how it went down:
The golden doors on the stately North Korean building swung open and leader Kim Jong Un, in a black Mao suit and surrounded by a gaggle of officials, descended steps towards the border.
Not since the 1950-53 Korean War had a North Korean leader set foot on South Korean soil.
With a smile, Kim stretched out his hand toward a waiting, and smiling, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who stood between the squat, blue buildings that straddle the border at Panmunjom.
The village is one of the few places where there are no barbed wire fences or minefields between the two countries, separated by a conflict that ended with a truce, not a treaty, in 1953, meaning they are still technically at war.
“I was excited to meet at this historic place and it is really moving that you came all the way to the demarcation line to greet me in person,” Kim said as he grasped Moon’s hand across the border.
“It was your big decision to make it here,” said Moon, dressed in a dark suit and light blue tie, who invited Kim to step over the line in the pavement, which he did.
There has been quite a turnaround over the last month or so with Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un agreeing to meet to talk about denuclearization, Kim Jong Un suspending missile testing, shutting down a test site, and now the thawing of tension between North and South Korea, and an agreement to officially end the Korean War.
Donald Trump deserves credit for this and it is being reported here that Congressman Messer plans to nominate the President for a Nobel Peace Prize. That might be a little premature (not as premature as Barack Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize) and I would like to see how this plays out first.
We appear to be on the right track but Kim Jong Un cannot be trusted. This could be the result of stiffer sanctions on North Korea which are actually being enforced combined with Donald Trump’s tough stance on North Korea, or Kim Jong Un could have an ulterior motive. I am cautiously optimistic it is the former but I am still not 100% willing to say we have turned the corner.
malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium
It is now being reported that the judge overseeing the Michael Cohen case, Kimba Wood, has appointed a “special master” to look through the documents which were seized from his office. Here is more:
The federal judge presiding over the criminal investigation into Trump attorney Michael Cohen agreed Thursday to appoint an independent “special master” to review the material seized in a recent FBI raid, granting a request first made by Cohen’s lawyers.
During a court hearing in New York City Thursday, Judge Kimba Wood announced the appointment of Special Master Barbara Jones, who will now look through material seized in the raid on Cohen’s apartment, office and hotel room.
The decision comes after federal prosecutors also endorsed the call. The appointment allows an independent reviewer to lead “an expeditious and fair review of the materials,” according to a letter U.S. Attorney Robert Khuzami submitted to the judge early Thursday.
Admittedly I am not familiar with how this works but from what I understand the special master will review the documents to determine which ones are protected under attorney-client privilege and, according to the article linked to above, Michael Cohen’s lawyers will have the chance to flag any documents they feel are protected.
At the same time the special master reviews the documents, Cohen’s attorneys will have the opportunity to go through and flag any seized material that they deem protected under attorney-client privilege.
This seems like the next logical step to me based on my limited knowledge of how this works and hopefully it will truly be fair.
It is being reported that Michael Cohen is going to plead the Fifth in this case and with the potential violation of attorney-client privilege this seems like the only course of action he could take at this time. Once, and if, that issue is resolved he should be free to testify if he has nothing to hide.
malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium
The man James Comey used to leak his memos had ‘special government employee’ status with the FBI
It now turns out the friend whom James Comey gave his memos to with the intent to leak them to the press, Daniel Richman, had “special government employee” status which allowed him to interact with the FBI when James Comey felt he was needed.
Here is more:
The Columbia law professor James Comey used as a go-between last year to leak the contents of sensitive memos to the media confirmed to Fox News on Tuesday that he previously worked as a “special government employee” (SGE) for Comey’s FBI on an unpaid basis.
The professor, Daniel Richman, confirmed the special status in response to an inquiry from Fox News, while referring other questions, including on the scope of his work, to the FBI.
“I did indeed have SGE status with the Bureau (for no pay),” Richman wrote in an email.
Sources familiar with Richman’s status at the FBI told Fox News that he was assigned to “special projects” by Comey, and had a security clearance as well as badge access to the building. Richman’s status was the subject of a Memorandum of Understanding.
Here is some reaction to this news:
it was brought out that Daniel Richman, the guy who information was leaked through to The New York Times, had this special status called special government employee status, where he could sort of come and go in the FBI,” Jordan said. He said he could not speak to the significance, but “it seems kind of interesting that the guy who Comey leaks to is a good friend, who had this sort of unfettered access into the FBI.” [Jim Jordan]
Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., also raised questions about the status.
“It’s certainly interesting that Director Comey would offer a special job and give full access to his friend when there are 35,000 employees at the FBI. And it isn’t just that he gave these memos to a friend–he gave them to another FBI employee he had hand-picked to act as a ‘special government employee’ of the FBI. The question becomes: how many other people did he give these memos to?” he told Fox News in a statement.
Giving a person special government employee status is lawful but it sure does seem to be a loophole in the system which can be used to hide the actions of the agency using them, especially when that person is being used to leak confidential government documents.
It makes one wonder what other nefarious goings on James Comey used Daniel Richman for as well as how many others he was using in this manner. If James Comey used him once for leaking documents there is no telling what else he was up to behind the scenes.
malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium
Judicial Watch sues for records related to the Obama administration’s role in Russian ambassador’s attendance at the RNC
Judicial Watch believes Barack Obama State Department facilitated and funded the attendance of Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak’s attendance at the Republican National Convention in 2016 and the watchdog group is suing for information related to this issue. Here is more:
The government watchdog group Judicial Watch announced today that it has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. State Department to obtain records about the Obama administration’s role in facilitating Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak’s attendance at the 2016 Republican National Convention (RNC).
Then-Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), now the U.S. attorney general, reportedly spoke with Kislyak at that convention, an encounter that compelled him to recuse himself from the investigation of alleged Russia-Trump collusion in the 2016 presidential campaign.
“Judicial Watch is trying to figure out the Obama administration’s role in getting the Russian Ambassador to the RNC convention,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton in a statement.
“The Deep State would have it appear the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians to have the Russia ambassador visit the RNC convention,” he said, “when the fact seems to be that the Obama State Department was behind his attendance.”
“Attorney General Sessions’ communications with the Russia ambassador have been the subject of controversial unmasking and illegal leaks, so this new federal lawsuit may provide essential information,” said Fitton.
Here is more:
Also, “Obama’s State Department helped set up a separate event in 2016, titled ‘Global Partners in Diplomacy,’ at which Sessions and Kislyak reportedly spoke,” said Judicial Watch in its statement. “Sessions was the keynote speaker at the event.”
This meeting always seemed like a setup to me and now we may be on the verge of finding proof it was. This does not excuse Trump campaign officials for being stupid enough to fall into the trap but it would show the only thing nefarious about the meeting was the way in which it was set up.
malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium
Is Christianity a ‘box’ used to control people or is it a ‘box’ which will set you free?
During a very large two part treatise I wrote a few months ago I talked about the notion that some people believe Christianity is a box which is used to control people but I had a different take on it. Because this treatise was so long I think people might have missed this part of it so I thought I would would isolate this one portion and discuss it briefly because I think it is important.
Here is what I wrote: Many people consider Christianity to be a box which stifles free will and thought, a box which is used to control people, but I would argue the opposite. If you accept the Word you will be set free from the box which men use to bind you in the chains of this world. Then, and only then, will you be truly free.
Let us continue:
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