Octopus Overlords

Defiant wrote:

US investigators believe Russian hackers breached Qatar's state news agency and planted a fake news report that contributed to a crisis among the US' closest Gulf allies, according to US officials briefed on the investigation.

The Qatari government has said a May 23 news report on its Qatar News Agency attributed false remarks to the nation's ruler that appeared friendly to Iran and Israel and questioned whether President Donald Trump would last in office.

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The United Arab Emirates orchestrated the hacking of Qatari government news and social media sites in order to post incendiary false quotes attributed to Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani, in late May that sparked the ongoing upheaval between Qatar and its neighbors, according to U.S. intelligence officials.

Officials became aware last week that newly analyzed information gathered by U.S. intelligence agencies confirmed that on May 23, senior members of the UAE government discussed the plan and its implementation. The officials said it remains unclear whether the UAE carried out the hacks itself or contracted to have them done. The false reports said that the emir, among other things, had called Iran an “Islamic power” and praised Hamas.

hepcat wrote:She can't be held responsible for the actions of every underage worker in her sweatshops, can she?

The decision to close the office comes at a time when America’s top diplomat has been seeking to reorganize the State Department to concentrate on what he sees as key priorities: pursuing economic opportunities for American businesses and strengthening U.S. military prowess. Those changes are coming at the expense of programs that promote human rights and fight world poverty, which have been targeted for steep budget cuts.

President Donald Trump has certified that Iran is complying with the nuclear deal reached under President Barack Obama, although he added in his message to Congress that Iran is also “unquestionably in default of the spirit” of the deal.

According to The New York Times, Trump actively resisted the advice of his foreign policy advisers urging him to certify Iranian compliance:

At an hourlong meeting last Wednesday, all of the president’s major security advisers recommended he preserve the Iran deal for now. Among those who spoke out were Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson; Defense Secretary Jim Mattis; Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, the national security adviser; and Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to an official who described internal discussions on the condition of anonymity. The official said Mr. Trump had spent 55 minutes of the meeting telling them he did not want to.

Despite ultimately ceding to the wishes of his experts on the Iranian nuclear deal, Trump is still planning on cracking down on the country.

President Donald Trump’s decision on Monday to certify that Iran is still abiding by the terms of the nuclear deal, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — a decision that prevents the reimposition of U.S. proliferation-related sanctions on Iran — would seem to be good news for supporters of the nuclear agreement. However, stories that Trump spent an hour arguing with his entire national security team about whether to certify and only reluctantly agreed to continue the nuclear agreement should be of grave concern. Indeed, Trump’s behavior and the administration’s insistence on coupling every certification with over the top, belligerent rhetoric may be setting the United States up to walk away from the nuclear agreement on the worst terms possible.

The first problem is that in the event Trump decides to leave the agreement, the blame game will be critical. If the United States is blamed for the collapse by its P5+1 partners (Britain, China, France, Germany, and Russia) and other key international actors, sanctions will be nearly impossible to reimplement. Many of America’s partners will continue to engage with Iran economically and call our bluff, daring the United States to sanction them. The end result will be an Iran that is no longer constrained by the nuclear obligations of the deal but is not under severe economic pressure.

At every turn, the administration has made absolutely clear that it does not like the nuclear agreement, believes it was a bad deal, and is signaling a desire to abandon it. This approach, combined with the overall negative perception of Trump across the globe, means that in almost any scenario he will be blamed for the collapse of the agreement. It is hard to imagine a scenario in which the Trump administration would be able to reimplement sanctions. Even if Iran were caught cheating red-handed, the intelligence would likely be disputed. And with the administration facing such a trust deficit globally, specifically on this issue, it is hard to see how the United States could come out of the situation in a strong position.

But even as the United States signals to the world that it may walk away from the deal, the message to Iran is that the United States will talk tough but not really take meaningful steps to counter the Islamic Republic in the region. That is because the tough talk has run into the reality that the Middle East is incredibly complicated and that there is little support in the United States for new, major military adventures. In Islamic State-controlled eastern Syria, the administration has hotly debated whether to compete militarily not just with the Islamic State, but also with Iran. And it appears that the more cautious Pentagon approach may be prevailing over the more aggressive strategy being pushed by the National Security Council.

Meanwhile, Jordan, Russia, and the United States earlier this month agreed to a ceasefire in southwest Syria. Trump has touted this breakthrough as a major success. But in recent days, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come out against the agreement, arguing that it is too friendly to Iran and could allow Iran and its allies in Syria to establish a base on Israel’s border. The text of the agreement has not been shared publicly, so it is hard to know where the precise problem lies. But it seems most likely that this is a case in which the United States is willing to accept more risk to cut an agreement that it believes is in its interests and Israel’s, while the Israelis take a more absolutist position about their security. Indeed, this dynamic is quite similar to the years-long disagreements over the nuclear deal — though Israel’s supporters in Washington do not seem to be going after Trump for this approach with nearly the same vigor that they did when President Barack Obama and Netanyahu had similar disputes.

These policy decisions in Syria may be the right ones. But if they are, why does the administration persist in its over-the-top rhetoric and threats toward Iran? All the administration is doing is demonstrating to Iran and to U.S. regional partners that the United States is all talk no action, which will weaken its hand on Iran policy overall, and especially in a scenario in which the nuclear deal collapses and Iran considers restarting its program.

It is hard to explain why the administration is pursuing these incoherent and contradictory steps. What appears to be driving it is a similar dynamic to what we see with healthcare. The American public has moved on from both the healthcare debate and the Iran debate. It is ready to focus on new issues. But Trump has no clear agenda or policies of his own, and in their absence he is simply trying to tear down Obama’s key domestic and foreign policy achievements, with little understanding or care for what might replace them. On Tuesday, he failed quite spectacularly on both fronts. But he is going to keep trying — and unfortunately, on Iran, as opposed to healthcare, he does not need Congress’s help to bring down the policy.

Max Peck wrote:Trump’s Incoherent Iran Policy Could End the Nuke Deal on the Worst Possible Terms

It is hard to explain why the administration is pursuing these incoherent and contradictory steps. What appears to be driving it is a similar dynamic to what we see with healthcare. The American public has moved on from both the healthcare debate and the Iran debate. It is ready to focus on new issues. But Trump has no clear agenda or policies of his own, and in their absence he is simply trying to tear down Obama’s key domestic and foreign policy achievements, with little understanding or care for what might replace them. On Tuesday, he failed quite spectacularly on both fronts. But he is going to keep trying — and unfortunately, on Iran, as opposed to healthcare, he does not need Congress’s help to bring down the policy.

@DPRK_News wrote:Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un can no longer take Donald Trump seriously.

Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un cannot even.

@AP wrote:BREAKING: Official: Trump administration certifies Iran is complying with nuclear deal but says it's 'in default of the spirit'

@AP wrote:BREAKING: Trump administration to extend Iran's nuclear sanctions relief, but will target more Iranians with non-nuclear sanctions.

President Trump has decided to end the CIA’s covert program to arm and train moderate Syrian rebels battling the government of Bashar al-Assad, a move long sought by Russia, according to U.S. officials.

The program was a central plank of a policy begun by the Obama administration in 2013 to put pressure on Assad to step aside, but even its backers have questioned its efficacy since Russia deployed forces in Syria two years later.

Officials said the phasing out of the secret program reflects Trump’s interest in finding ways to work with Russia, which saw the anti-Assad program as an assault on its interests. The shuttering of the program is also an acknowledgment of Washington’s limited leverage and desire to remove Assad from power.

Max Peck wrote:More American foreign policy, fresh from the Kremlin!

Trump ends covert CIA program to arm anti-Assad rebels in Syria, a move sought by Moscow

President Trump has decided to end the CIA’s covert program to arm and train moderate Syrian rebels battling the government of Bashar al-Assad, a move long sought by Russia, according to U.S. officials.

The program was a central plank of a policy begun by the Obama administration in 2013 to put pressure on Assad to step aside, but even its backers have questioned its efficacy since Russia deployed forces in Syria two years later.

Officials said the phasing out of the secret program reflects Trump’s interest in finding ways to work with Russia, which saw the anti-Assad program as an assault on its interests. The shuttering of the program is also an acknowledgment of Washington’s limited leverage and desire to remove Assad from power.

Pyperkub wrote:(though I would hope we got some concessions).

El Guapo wrote:

Pyperkub wrote:(though I would hope we got some concessions).

It's like you don't even know Trump.

Max Peck wrote:Even parody dictators bow down to Amerika's Dear Leader:

https://twitter.com/DPRK_News/status/887423845019394048

@DPRK_News wrote:Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un can no longer take Donald Trump seriously.

Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un cannot even.

@AP wrote:BREAKING: Official: Trump administration certifies Iran is complying with nuclear deal but says it's 'in default of the spirit'

@AP wrote:BREAKING: Trump administration to extend Iran's nuclear sanctions relief, but will target more Iranians with non-nuclear sanctions.

Max Peck wrote:More American foreign policy, fresh from the Kremlin!

Trump ends covert CIA program to arm anti-Assad rebels in Syria, a move sought by Moscow

Ralph-Wiggum wrote:You know things aren't going great when the wife of Japan's Prime Minister pretends not to speak English so she doesn't have to talk to Trump:

Max Peck wrote: The consensus seems to be that while she does speak some English, she isn't fluent and isn't comfortable attempting a conversation in English in any kind of formal environment, and that it was not a snub.

Holman wrote:

Max Peck wrote: The consensus seems to be that while she does speak some English, she isn't fluent and isn't comfortable attempting a conversation in English in any kind of formal environment, and that it was not a snub.

The protocol team was 100% aware of everyone's linguistic abilities. A decent leader would have conversed through the interpreter, and we know there was one. Trump was just too much of a boor for this, and he really really wanted time with Putin instead.

Japan didn't snub Trump here. Trump snubbed Japan.

Max Peck wrote:

Ralph-Wiggum wrote:You know things aren't going great when the wife of Japan's Prime Minister pretends not to speak English so she doesn't have to talk to Trump:

The consensus seems to be that while she does speak some English, she isn't fluent and isn't comfortable attempting a conversation in English in any kind of formal environment, and that it was not a snub.

@realDonaldTrump (Who is Totally Sane) wrote:The Failing New York Times foiled U.S. attempt to kill the single most wanted terrorst, Al-Baghdadi. Their sick agenda over National Security

While Mr. Trump did not provide more detail about the accusation, the tweet came about 20 minutes after a segment about leaks aired on Fox News' "Fox and Friends." At one point, the chyron read "NYT FOILS U.S. ATTEMPT TO TAKE OUT AL-BAGHDADI."

Trump wrote:Their sick agenda over National Security

Chaz wrote:No, see national defense only means guns, tanks, planes, ships (with steam, goddamit), and walls. That's the only way to keep everyone safe.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is growing increasingly frustrated with the Trump administration and could quit before the year is through, according to reports.

Two sources familiar with Tillerson’s conversations with friends told CNN over the weekend that he has grown so frustrated with President Donald Trump and his administration that there may soon be a “Rexit.”

The change in Tillerson’s tone followed a stressful week for the secretary of state. He was found to have violated U.S. sanctions against Russia while working as CEO of Exxon Mobil.
...
The sources acknowledged that Tillerson could have been venting after a tough week, but his frustration is just the latest in a long list of times he has butted heads with the president and his administration.

Last month, President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner was the one calling Tillerson “unprofessional.” The secretary of state reportedly blew up at top Trump administration staffers during a meeting in White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus’s office.
...
Both sources said that Tillerson’s frustrations with these situations, and many other tug-of-wars between the White House and Cabinet members, are increasing noticeably and that he has come to realize things won’t change anytime soon.

Holman wrote:State Department spokesperson just announced that Tillerson is "taking a little time off."

Holman wrote:It's telling that Trump can't even work with the unqualified toadies he picked because the genuine talent wouldn't touch him.

Pyperkub wrote:

Holman wrote:It's telling that Trump can't even work with the unqualified toadies he picked because the genuine talent wouldn't touch him.

I don't know about unqualified, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't much of a toadie.

It’s impossible to endlessly tolerate this kind of insolence toward our country.