Showing posts with label Mike Pompeo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mike Pompeo. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Op-ed: 
An Uncalled For Misstep 
By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots / Right Side Patriots Radio

He has already proven to be a great president for under his stewardship not only was America great again, but American exceptionalism was on display for all the world to see. We were, to name but a few, energy independent; inflation was at a 40-year low; black American's and other minorities saw their job numbers soaring; our southern border was for the most part secured; and American foreign policy triumphs led to things like the Abraham Accords. And dare we forget that Vladimir Putin was kept in check; Ukraine was aligning itself with the West; we were free of Obama's very bad Iranian nuclear deal; and Kim Jung-un was but a laughable threat at best.

He obviously being America's 45th president...President Donald J. Trump.

America was on the right tract under this man leadership and would have remained so if not for Dominion voting machines; illegals and dead folks voting; mail-in ballots suddenly turning up in the middle of night; and other assorted Democrat initiated nasties...like made up scandals and false accusations. Simply, in no way did “basement Joe” garner 80 million votes, but what is...is...and nothing anyone can say or do will change the fact that we now are baring witness to Barack HUSSEIN Obama's third...and quite disastrous...term in office. The puppet master pulling the strings of a fool has seen his so wanted “fundamental transformation of America” sadly starting to reach fruition.

And while Donald J. Trump did prove that a non-politician could indeed get elected and do great things as President of these United States, what with his message and policy initiatives resonating with the soul of America as he stood strong for the rule of law that is the Constitution as well as for the values, ideals, and morals that we as Americans hold dear, in no way did we expect him to be perfect. However, I did hope that Trump would continue to conduct himself in a presidential manner even after his having left office. And while Democrats in no way adhere to that philosophy...Bill and Hillary Clinton and Obama himself are prime examples of those who just will not relinquish the spotlight...I did expect Donald Trump to learn from past mistakes made and reemerge as an even stronger version of himself especially if he were to run again.

But, sadly it seems I was wrong. But before I get into that, let me say that if Trump does decide to run again and gets the Republican nomination, I will not only vote for him but work hard to help get him elected. We need a man like Trump to “Make America Great Again,” but we do not need the theatrics nor childishness...as in the name calling and barrage of insulting social media posts...that still seems to be Trump's hallmark.

Simply, Trump needs to learn to keep his mouth shut or he will not only loose the all important state of Florida as well as the independent vote come 2024, but he will loose that election itself. Why...because it seems he did not learn that childish behavior not only impresses no one, but actually turns people off. A case in point...at a campaign rally for Dr. Oz in Latrobe, Pennsylvania this past Saturday, Trump childishly gave the “Free State of Florida's” great and highly beloved Governor Ron DeSantis the insulting nickname “Ron DeSanctimonious.” Not only was that insulting and uncalled for especially with DeSantis now working hard to help restore southwest Florida to some semblance of its pre-Ian condition, but Trump knows that Ron DeSantis...according to leading pollsters...is his main rival for the Republican presidential nomination. And this is never mind that our governor...and yes I'm a proud Floridian...has not even announced nor given any indication that he will or will run for president in 2024.

But if Gov. DeSantis should choose to run for the Republican nomination, he likely is the only one in the list of possible candidates who could prevent Trump from garnering said nomination. And why... because DeSantis' record as governor speaks for itself. And nothing highlights that record better than the fact that during the Covid pandemic Florida rightfully earned the aforementioned moniker the “Free State of Florida” for not only were DeSantis' Covid policies driven by common sense and implemented with unwavering logic...remember Florida's schools and businesses were the first to reopen and stay open...but he successfully fought back against the left's racially driven and woke indoctrination nonsense while implementing true conservative policies in our state...the “Heartbeat Law” amongst them. And his response to Hurricane Ian is truly one for the history books what with destroyed bridges rebuilt in less than a months time. But, and this shows the true character of the man, Gov. DeSantis has done all this without his saying one negative word about Donald J. Trump, the man he knows played a key role in getting him elected the first time he ran for governor.

In other words, gratitude, respect, and above all honor has always been shown towards President Trump by Gov. DeSantis, the very things Trump seems to have trouble doing when he's faced with any sort of criticism let alone competition whether it be real or simply self-perceived. And it's this, in turn, which then leads him to revert back to childish name calling behavior.

In fact, Trump's latest uncalled for behavior directed at Gov. DeSantis has resulted in some conservative commentators...commentators usually aligned with President Trump...now calling him to task. Take for example Matt Walsh, a commentator at The Daily Wire and a leading voice amongst social conservatives who rightfully stated that, “DeSantis is an extremely effective conservative governor who has had real policy wins and real cultural wins. Trump isn’t going to be able to take this one down with a dumb nickname. He better have more than that up his sleeve,” if he were to politically negate DeSantis. And Walsh added, “Also, nice job launching your public attack against the most popular conservative governor in America three days before the midterms when we’re all supposed to be showing a united front”...wise and truthful words indeed.

Then there's Rod Dreher, a senior editor at The American Conservative who simply stated of Trump, “What an idiot,” adding that, “DeSantis is a far more effective leader of the Right than Trump was, if, that is, you expect a leader to get a lot done, rather than just talking about it and owning the libs.” And while I would never use the word “idiot” to describe President Trump, after all he was one of our most economically successful presidents ever, I will say Trump needs to control the words that at times foolishly spew from his mouth.

And while other commentators (including editors at The Wall Street Journal) have also called Trump to task for his DeSantis remarks, I think the words of former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo probably say it the best, and does so minus the nasty vitriol shown by some others. In his defending Gov. DeSantis, Pompeo tweeted these simple but powerful words, “Not tired of winning. @GovRonDeSantis you’ve proven conservative policies work. Florida is better for it. Vote for @GovRonDeSantis.” And to that I say if Trump was smart...and we know he is...he would humble himself and issue an apology to Gov. DeSantis, but with Trump being Trump, I sadly doubt his ego would ever allow him to do so.

So as things stand now President Trump will likely announce his 2024 presidential run next week, and will garner the Republican nomination no matter who announces his or her run for said nomination. And as I stated in the beginning of this article I will support, vote for, and work to help get Donald J. Trump reelected, even with there being some uneasiness not in my voting for him, but in an underlying feeling that this run for president is primarily based upon revenge instead of it solely being about “Making America Great Again.”

And so with both Gov. DeSantis and President Trump holding separate rallies here in Florida this past Sunday,* our governor wisely chose not to take the bait Trump laid out with his name calling. In fact, while speaking at the Sun City Community Center, DeSantis chose instead to focus on his record as governor...focusing on the issues at hand and issues that will arise in the future. But whether Ron DeSantis remains our governor in 2024 or chooses to run for the Republican nomination, know that this man will someday be President of these United States, and it hopefully will be with President Trump's support.

But for now if Trump announces a 2024 run I remain steadfastly loyal in voting for him...it's the patriotic, America loving thing to do...no ifs, ands, or buts.

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* While in Florida on Sunday, Trump did “urge” Floridians to vote for his “good friend” Sen. Marco Rubio and also for Gov. Ron DeSantis, but no apology or official endorsement was given regarding DeSantis.

Copyright © 2022 / Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All rights reserved. 


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Today, Tuesday, November 8th, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen's and Diane Sori's Election Night Coverage...'The Red Wave' begins at 7pm EST and continues until we know who controls Congress. Hope you can tune in to RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS on https://rspradio1.com. Click 'LISTEN LIVE' starting at 6:50 pm EST with show beginning at 7pm EST.
 
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Thursday, October 31, 2019

Op-ed:
Dead By Rightful Design
By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots on American Political Radio

"Last night was a great night for the United States and for the world. A brutal killer, one who has caused so much hardship and death, has violently been eliminated.”
- President Donald Trump on the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

There were no U.S. casualties during the compound raid, with but a military working dog named Conan sustaining minor injuries when Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, also known as Caliph Ibrahim, blew himself and his three young children up...children he had been using as human shields...in a true act of cowardliness after realizing his fate had been sealed...sealed thanks to President Trump.

It was an operation five months in the making...an operation involving joint ground intel as well as ongoing monitoring which culminated in a daring, two-hour nighttime raid on al-Baghdadi's compound. Located in Idlib province's Barisha hamlet, this particular hamlet and compound had been under our surveillance for some time due to its being in what was left of ISIS held territory in northern Syria.

And so the actual lead-up to al-Baghdidi's death started around 5p.m. EST last Saturday evening when after having finished rehearsing the raid in Erbil, Iraq, eight helicopters carrying teams of elite U.S. troops included Delta Force commandos, launched from al-Assad airbase in Anbar province Iraq and flew over what President Trump called "very, very dangerous territory" towards the compound where “al-Baghdadi spent his last moments in utter fear, in total panic and dread, terrified of the American forces bearing down on him.” Finally meeting his demise in what was a dead end tunnel...Abu Bakr al-Baghadadi detonated his suicide vest and blew himself and his three children straight into hell.

And know that al-Baghdidi is indeed dead contrary to what the naysayers are now saying as DNA tests done about 15 minutes after his “very messy demise” positively confirmed that that the dead man indeed was ISIS founder and Iraqi national Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In fact, U.S. teams on the ground as per President Trump, "brought body parts back" so there could be no questions as to who was killed, unlike Barack HUSSEIN Obama who had our military, “respectfully” dump Osama bin Laden's body into the sea. More like destroying the evidence I'd say.



And while our president's critics are now chiming in with condemnation regarding his actions taken...you can read about that in my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's article, He Died Like a Dog...also know that President Trump tentatively approved the final mission about a week before it commenced. 

Rightfully keeping the mission a secret, Trump knew that to do otherwise would see a number of Democrats “letting slip” certain key bits of information, thus jeopardizing not only the mission to take out the world's most wanted man, but would also put those involved in said mission in serious danger. 
 
In fact, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo agreed with President Trump's decision to keep the mission for the most part mum saying that “there were only a handful of us that were dialed into this operation, myself and a handful of others, and then those, of course, who were executing the mission, in the run-up to this.” Also according to Pompeo those involved in the operation had two priorities, ensuring information security and executing the mission...and I believe this is exactly how all critical operations should be handled...as in the less who know the better.

“We’ve been tracking this guy for a long time, we wanted to take no risk that anyone would ever compromise the operation, so we were very focused on information security...and we wanted to make sure we were doing it right, and so we were focused on delivering the outcome that we got,” were Mike Pompeo exact words. 

And so successful was our president and those few who knew in keeping this operation a secret that only now has it become known that two or three previously planned missions were scrapped until every last detail for success was locked into place.

But while it was our U.S. forces alone who actually went in and accomplished what they were tasked with doing... a task that also saw at least nine members of ISIS killed in addition to al-Baghdadi with many of them being his family members...the mission itself was still a joint operation of sorts...a chain of both information and cooperation...with trusted Iraqi officials, Vladimir Putin, as well as the Kurds living in Syria's northeast quadrant...being given a heads-up as to what was going to take place. Even Turkey was given a cursory heads-up no matter that they deem the YPG Kurds to be terrorists, for it was those very YPG Kurds who also saw the danger ISIS posed not only to the region in general, but to their all important quest for an autonomous state, thus solidifying their cooperation. 

In fact, it was the commander-in-chief of the Kurdish forces in Syria, one Mazloum Abdi, who admitted in a tweet after the operation was completed that the intelligence gathering that led to al-Baghdai's death had indeed began in earnest about five months ago...thus proving to Trump's critics that this was no impulsive move on our president's part. And Commander Abdi also announced within hours of al-Baghdadi's death that U.S. backed anti-ISIS forces remaining in northern Syria had also taken out Abu Hassan al-Muhajir, a close associate of al-Baghdadi, and that they did so courtesy of SDF intel shared with our military.

And then just this past Monday, Commander Abdi told NBC News that another of his SDF informants actually helped lead the Americans to al-Baghdadi’s compound. Adding that the still unnamed informant had gained al-Baghdadi's trust to such a degree that he was a "facilitator and logistics aide" involved in helping al-Baghdadi move from numerous safe houses in Idlib province before settling into the compound where he met his end, and also that the informant provided personal details about al-Baghdadi, including the fact that he always wore a suicide vest when traveling so that he could blow himself up if cornered.

And as I write this neither the Pentagon nor the White House has officially commented on a "high-level mole" being part of the mission to kill or capture al-Baghdadi. And yet that is not out of the whelm of possibilities as "moles" have at times been an integral part of such types of operations.

But to me what is most critical to this mission's success was the fact that Russia..who controls the much needed airspace over Idlib province...made no attempt to stop said mission as Putin...remember he had been informed of the mission and his country is part of the U.S. led coalition against terror...knew that not only is ISIS a destabilizing force in the region, but that they are an enemy of all civilized men.

And so at around 3:30am Syrian time after the mission was successfully completed... including our gathering up of ISIS intel and documents laying out their future plans...U.S. choppers took off for the return journey to Erbil, Iraq, flying unchallenged over the so-called “badlands of Syria,” briefly crossing into Turkey, then into northeastern Syria, continuing on to the Kurdish held north of Iraq, the very place where the long hunt for Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had really begun. After all it was in Camp Bucca where al-Baghdadi was reportedly held back as late as 2009, only to be “unconditionally” released to the Iraqi's who in time let him go...and so began al-Baghdadi's unrelenting killing spree. 



And so the seedlings of what became ISIS...seedlings that were actually planted in Iraq back in 2009...grew to where on June 29, 2014, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclaimed that a "caliphate" was now straddling both Syria and Iraq and that it was under ISIS control.

But the question still remaining is what exactly allowed what became “Operation Kayla Mueller”...named in honor of the young American aid worker who was kidnapped, tortured, and then killed on al-Baghdadi's orders...to go forward? The fact is that up until a little over a month ago we still had little if any serious leads as to al-Baghdadi's current whereabouts. But a much needed break finally came in September courtesy of Iraqi National Intelligence Service officials who were able to identify a Syrian man who had recently moved his own family from Iraq to Syria as being the same man who had smuggled into Syria's Idlib province through Turkey the wives of two of al-Baghdadi’s brothers. In fact, it was also learned that this very same smuggler had previously helped smuggle al-Baghdadi’s children from Iraq into Syria, again through Turkey. And luckily these same Iraqi officials were then able to “bribe,” if you will, the smuggler and his wife, along with one of al-Baghdadi’s own nephews, into providing information about the route al-Baghdadi had used along with the final destination of those traveling with him.     
   
And in early October, the Iraqi's turned over their now confirmed intel to the C.I.A. who then in turn were able to locate al-Baghdadi, with the Iraqis continuing to provide updated real-time information to President Trump once al-Baghdadi had settled into the Barisha compound. And so the man who was always on the move out of fear for his own safety was now back in Syria where he had been very many times before.

And here I'll include as a side note that back in 2013, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was indeed in Syria masquerading as one of the “supposed” Syrian rebels, and it was here in Aleppo that it appears he met with Sen. John McCain as can be witnessed by these photos. It would have been interesting to know exactly what, if anything, transpired between these two men or if McCain had any idea of who Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi really was or of what evils he soon would become capable of.

But with that being but an interesting yet mute point, the fact remains that once the Iraqi's shared said intel with President Trump...who had made taking down al-Baghdadi one of his top priorities...he was then able to order military commanders to begin drawing up specific plans for al-Baghdadi's take-down. And while the actual decision to move forward...to begin “Operation Kayla Mueller”...was not officially finalized until Saturday morning after his having received “actionable intelligence” that al-Baghdadi was indeed in the Barisha compound, did members of the Joint Special Operations Command Delta Force Team carry out the high-level and still then secret operation. 

"Something very big has just happened!" was President Trump's tweet after Saturday night's successful completion of “Operation Kayla Mueller” had taken place.



And so the annals of history will now show that America once again stood strong and proud under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump as we were the ones who took out one of the baddest of all bad guys. And while this one chapter regarding ISIS is now closed, the ISIS book in regards to Syria itself still has for us at least two chapters remaining open. One chapter concerns our troops still being stationed in eastern Syria to not only protect the oil fields that are under our control, but to keep the oil out of the hands of a possible and highly likely ISIS tried resurgence...an expected resurgence to avenge al-Baghdadi's death.

And while neither Syrian nor Russian forces have to date challenged our control of those oil fields, it should be noted that another still open chapter sees us keeping a small number of troops at the Tanf garrison near the Syria-Iraq border what with American commandos housed at Tanf still being tasked with training an anti-ISIS force separate from the joint SDF mission.

“The death of Baghdadi is an important moment in our fight against terror but the battle against the evil of Daesh [Isis] is not yet over.”
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on hearing of al-Baghdadi's death.

So while ISIS in Syria might seem to be no longer a threat, all parties involved should still be wary for ISIS has well prepared for such an occasion as their founder and leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's death. Remember, the deadly rattlesnake can bite even after its head has been cut off, and know that ISIS can too even without its titular head.

Copyright @ 2019 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All Rights Reserved. 

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For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article, He Died Like a Dog.
 
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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!

Tomorrow, Friday, November 1st, from 7 to 9pm EST on American Political Radio, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss 'Dead By Rightful Design';  'He Died Like a Dog'; and important news of the day.

Hope you can tune in at: http://listen.samcloud.com/w/73891/American-Political-Radio#history...or on Tune-In at: https://tunein.com/radio/American-Political-Radio-s273246/
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Monday, June 17, 2019

Op-ed:
See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil...MSM Style
By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots on American Political Radio

The mainstream media is at it again...sidestepping certain key stories they either don't want us to know about, give just a bit of cursory attention to, or simply downplay their importance...and three such stories have happened within the past few weeks.

Let's start last Tuesday when one Wajahat Ali, a far-left New York Times op-ed writer who helped launch the Al Jazeera America network and who regularly appears on CNN, had the audacity to not only mock but call Navy Seal war hero, Texas Congressman Dan Crenshaw, to task for not supporting the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund. In a now-deleted tweet Ali stated that, “Anytime a Republican says they are ‘patriots’ ask them if they voted to fund the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund. You know who’s for it? Ilhan Omar. You know who hasn’t sponsored it? Dan Crenshaw. @DanCrenshawTX, I hope you do the right thing. If not, why aren’t you?”

Obviously this so-called journalist didn't bother doing his homework what with Crenshaw's cut-to-the-chase response to Ali's unabashed lie saying it best, “Hey ‘journalist,’ maybe you should check your facts. I am a co-sponsor. Nice try though.”

“Nice try,” indeed for when Crenshaw outed Ali's lie, Ali did indeed cowardly delete his tweet then issued an anything but apology. Saying simply that he was wrong about the Congressman, Ali instead focused his musings on getting Crenshaw to reverse his critical “comments” about Ilhan Omar. Saying, “Thanks for letting me know. I'm glad you did and I have no problem correcting and updating the record with facts. Now try it with your comments about Ilhan Omar. You'll feel better. Sincerely, a fellow patriot," but what Ali's response shows is first, he is a truly dishonorable man and second, muslims will always stick together to defend one of their own even when one of their own is an anti-Semitic, anti-American, jihad defending stain on Congress.

And to make matters worse, Ali even walked back that so-called apology by following it up with this tweet, “I deleted this b/c Dan Crenshaw supported the Fund in May after being a holdout. Apologies to him for the tweet. I have no problem admitting it & correcting the record with facts. For those trying to "own" me, especially as you still promote "alternative facts," enjoy Tuesday.”

What a truly vile little man Wajahat Ali is...no wonder he's a defender of equally vile muslima Ilhan Omar.

But what started this “tweet war” of sorts between a highly decorated American war hero...Dan Crenshaw was awarded two Bronze Star Medals, the Purple Heart, and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with valor...and Wajahat Ali a mere shadow of a man? It all started with comedian Jon Stewart's comments when he appeared before Congressional members of the House Judiciary Committee regarding first responders and their families still having no assurance that “a victims’ compensation fund set up after the 9/11 attacks won’t run out of money,” as well as Stewart's statements as to why Crenshaw and others skipped the very hearing devoted to this “crisis.”

And even while John Stewart is a known Trump basher, he has always been an advocate for the 9/11 responders, and was truly upset that the "sick and dying" first responders and their families...families who traveled to Washington just for this hearing...were being “disrespected” because only a handful of committee members were seated at the dais. But here Stewart is wrong as only two committee members were absent...Reps Eric Swalwell (D-Calif) and Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa), the other members appearing to be coming and going during discussion were actually moving in and out of other subcommittee hearings, as is standard practice.

So...absolutely no disrespect whatsoever was meant, and anyway when it comes to D.C. politics a grand show usually ends up being nothing but bad political theater. And in this case it was for Louisiana's Rep. Mike Johnson (R) told John Stewart that the compensation bill would assuredly pass with overwhelming support. And pass it did when last Wednesday night, one day after Wajahat Ali posted his tweets, the compensation bill overcame its first hurdle when the House Judiciary Committee unanimously passed the bill's funding through 2090.

So with Wajahat Ali now being exposed as but a pseudo-journalist at best, and while John Stewart's heart is in the right place, we are now bearing witness to the fact that a broken clock is indeed right twice a day as the ever detestable Jerry Nadler (D-NY) said of the compensation bill that “we stood together as a nation in the days following September 11, 2001, and just as we stood together in 2010 and 2015 to authorize and fund these vital programs, we must now join forces one more time to ensure that the heroes of 9/11 are not abandoned when they need us most." And to that I say Jerry Nadler is right, and hell just froze over a bit.

And speaking of hell freezing over a bit, the U(seless) N(ations), specifically the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), just got knocked down a peg or two when on June 6th, Syed Akbaruddin, the Indian representative at ECOSOC, supported an Israeli draft decision, “L.15,”...a decision titled “Application of the non-governmental organization Palestinian Association for Human Rights – Witness for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council”...which basically fought against granting “observer status” to Lebanon-based “Shahed.” And why...because “Shahed” is a Palestinian non-governmental organization (NGO) directly linked to terrorist groups Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In fact, “Shahed” is the proxy arm of Hamas in Lebanon.

And India's unprecedented support of Israel against the Palestinians came just weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his allies won a two-thirds majority in the Indian general elections. Since 2014 when Modi became prime minister, India has mostly abstained from voting on UN resolutions targeting Israel but has not until now openly sided with the Jewish State out of fear of its large muslim minority “acting up,” and its dependence on Arab oil. But now under Modi's leadership India has not only broken the country’s historical voting record of siding with Arab and muslim countries against Israel, it has openly come out in favor of Israel and has formed a closer public relationship and stronger ties with Israel.

And the all-important decision against “observer status” was adopted in a vote of 28 to 15, with five abstentions. Some voting against “observer status” were Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Ukraine, the U.K., and of course the U.S. and Israel. ECOSOC then decided to return "Shahed’s" status application because they had failed to turn over important information when its credentials were being considered during the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations earlier this year.

So, what was the response to India's decision to side with Israel? Maya Kadosh, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Israel Embassy in India when first hearing of the vote immediately took to Twitter to say, “Thank you #India for standing with @IsraelinUN and rejecting the request of terrorist organization “Shahed” to obtain the status of an observer in #UN. Together we will continue to act against terrorist organizations that intend to harm,” while a statement was issued from the Simon Weisenthal Center that, “A significant day. India has gone from Third World Nemesis of Israel to a pivotal ally of Jewish state.” And leading Indian journalist, Shekhar Gupta, described India's vote as a “shedding of hypocrisies” and urged India to form even stronger ties with its “natural ally and strategic partner” Israel.

And that sentiment was also echoed by Vijeta Uniyal, the founder of the group "Indians for Israel." Saying, “This is a truly historic vote. By taking a principled stand at the United Nations, India has finally broken a voting pattern reminiscent of the Cold War era...and in my opinion, the position taken today by Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi’s government finally reflects the long held of wishes and attitudes of the Indian people.” And to Vijeta Uniyal I say the wishes of the American people as well.

And while we know that Iran surely is not happy with India right now...ain't that just too damn bad...Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had these simple but powerful words to say, “Thank you @NarendraModi, thank you India, for your support and for standing with Israel at the UN.” And sometimes a simple “thank you” truly does say it best.

So as the tide seems to be turning, albeit ever so slowly, against those out to do us all harm it's turning nevertheless, and that is indeed a very good thing.

And lastly, just this past Thursday explosions disabled two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, one of the most vital passageways for much of the world’s oil. One of the disabled ships, the Front Alair owned by the Norwegian shipping company Frontline, saw its 23-member crew not only evacuating the now on fire ship, but after their being rescued by the Hyundai Dubai, they were surrendered by its ship's captain to those on board Iranian "fast boats," and are currently being detained in Iran. The second tanker, Japanese owned Kokuka Courageous, was also on fire forcing its 21-member crew to abandon ship, but are thankfully safe after being rescued by the USS Bainbridge, part of our Navy’s Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet.

And this latest attack came barely one month after four other oil tankers were attacked and damaged in roughly the same area and saw those attacks being blamed on Iran. In fact, in late May, National Security Advisor John Bolton said that Iran was “almost certainly” responsible for those attacks with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo agreeing. Saying the attack was nothing but “efforts by the Iranians to raise the price of crude oil,” we saw how right Secretary Pompeo was as crude oil prices rose more than three percent in response to said attack, thus indirectly boosting Iran’s revenue as an oil producer.

Not good...not good at all. And even while one of Iran's larger militarized "fast boats" was in the midst of being filmed removing a failed to explode limpet mine* from the Kokuka Courageous**...they "categorically" denied being the perpetrator of these attacks. Saying how could they be when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was at the time of the attacks in a meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei in Tehran, I say what a perfect cover story that meeting makes. And yet Iran still heralds these attacks as rightful payback for Trump's newest sanctions that have blocked most of its crude-oil exports thus sending their country into a deep recession.

And after last Thursday's attack Mike Pompeo stated that American intelligence agencies have determined that Iran is directly responsible for the attacks, adding that said attacks are being specifically directed towards the economic interests of the U.S. and our allies... as all ships targeted are indeed U.S. allies.*** And why has this decision been reached... because no proxy group operating within the area has either the “resources or proficiency” to carry out such attacks and do so with the high degree of sophistication seen in these attacks. And like with May's attack, this latest attack also saw oil prices almost immediately going higher as well as setting off new fears that serious trade disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz would become reality.



So while the issue of possible consequences against Iran was not addressed by Pompeo in Thursday's statement or in his press conference, he did say that the U.S. will defend its forces, interests and stand with our partners and allies, adding that he hoped they could bring Iran "back to the negotiating table." But he did say in a tweet that the attacks are “a threat to international peace and security, a blatant assault on the freedom of navigation, and an unacceptable escalation of tension by Iran,” and that we intend to raise this issue with the UN Security Council...which we did in a closed door Security Council meeting on Thursday night. And with President Trump recently warning Iran about possible retaliation being leveled against its “aggressive actions,” he is now working to build an "international consensus" while at the same time Iranian small boats continue, as I write this, to prevent salvage tugs from moving one of the damaged ships to port.

So there you have it, three current news stories getting little mainstream media attention as the msm deems it more important to aid the Democrats in their call for President Trump's impeachment then it is to report the news. The once honorable Fourth Estate truly is dead.
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* A limpet mine is a mine designed to be attached magnetically to a ship's hull and set to explode after a certain time.
** This photo and the video were taken by a U.S. Navy P-8 surveillance aircraft showing Iranian "fast boats" trying to remove a failed to explode limpet mine.
*** Ships attacked by Iran were owned by Norway, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)...allies all.

Copyright @ 2019 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All Rights Reserved.

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For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article, A Price To Be Paid For Arson.

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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!

Tuesday, June 18th, from 7 to 9pm EST on American Political Radio, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss' See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil...MSM Style'; 'A Price To Be Paid For Arson'; and important news of the day.

Hope you can tune in at: http://listen.samcloud.com/w/73891/American-Political-Radio#history...or on Tune-In at: https://tunein.com/radio/American-Political-Radio-s273246/
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Monday, March 4, 2019

Op-ed: 
Negotiations on Hold...But for How Long 
By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots on American Political Radio

“Sometimes you have to walk.”
- President Donald Trump's words after the failed Vietnam Summit

It was a summit too many expected too much from...68 years of animosity cannot be expected to end overnight... yet it was a summit that saw truly unrealistic demands being made by one country's leader while the other country's leader held strong by simply walking away. After all, the demands that were made were at best but a bad joke.

So by now we all know that the Vietnam Summit between President Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un...their second summit in under a year...ended with no agreement being reached regrading denuclearization in exchange for sanctions being lifted. And even though President Trump stated that no fair proposals were made, and with Kim Jong-un of course countering that fair proposals were indeed made but not accepted, thankfully no harsh words of personal condemnation were made by either man.

Simply, President Trump turned his back on negotiations going nowhere and walked away with both a luncheon and the hoped for photo-op signing ceremony being cancelled...a signing ceremony that was to be like last years truly historic diplomatic breakthrough where both Trump and Kim Jong-un signed a document in Singapore agreeing to work towards the "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." 
 
Seems the North Korean dictator had his fingers crossed behind his back or at the very least sneakily and ever so calculatedly misled the world...as some of us always expected he would do.

And how right President Trump was to simply walk away because Kim Jong-un not only wanted Trump to lift all...yes all...international sanctions against his country in exchange for the dismantling of his main Yongbyon nuclear facility...one of many nuclear facilities...but Kim Jong-un wanted...demanded...those sanctions be lifted before he would even entertain the prospect of committing to total denuclearization...with total meaning the shutting down of secretive missile and warhead programs as well.

Unacceptable for sure, especially when President Trump simply asked Kim Jong-un to please do more regarding his “intentions to denuclearize,” with Kim's answer being that he was “unprepared to do that” at this point in time. This left our president with no other choice but to end these “dog and pony show” negotiations post-haste while at the same time wisely choosing to end the talks on a somewhat amicable note. This allowed Trump to leave Hanoi and fly back to Washington with the door open for possible future talks between the two men...two men who obviously live in what amounts to being two totally different whelms of both reality and truth.

And by the simple act of Trump's turning his back and walking away...for he is no enemy condoner nor placator as was his predecessor nor will he make what he truly knows is a very bad deal simply to say he made a deal...President Trump actually, but obviously not intentionally, publicly humiliated the man he once referred to as “little rocket man.” I guess Kim Jong-un forgot that while he was making his unreasonable demands that it's we...the United States of America...who call the shots not him. 
 
So what was Kim Jong-un left to do but to try and “save face”...something very important in oriental culture...and he tried to do so by claiming that it was President Trump alone who made an realistic proposal about lifting the sanctions. In fact, adding to Kim's words and in a rare press conference, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho stated that the original deal put forth at last summer's summit in Singapore was that if even “some of the sanctions” were lifted only then would his country close its Yongbyon nuclear facility. 

Continuing on, Ri Yong Ho added that Kim Jong-un was ready to offer "in writing" a permanent halt of the country’s nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, and that Washington had wasted an opportunity that “may not come again.”

But we all know or should know that is simply not true as President Trump has always stated that all...as in each and every one...of North Korea's nuclear facilities must be fully dismantled or in the process of being dismantled before any sanctions are lifted, and he has not and will not rightfully waiver from that. 

America first for President Donald J. Trump...always has been...always will be...and was proven by his walking away.

  

So while this newest summit did indeed start on a high note, what with Kim Jong-un alluding during a question-and-answer session that he is "ready to denuclearize," and that, “If I’m not willing to do that, I won’t be here right now,” Kim Jong-un also for the first time answered a U.S. reporter's questions about not only his outlook for this summit...where he stated that, "It's too early to say. I won't make predictions. But I instinctively feel that a good outcome will be produced"...but also answered when asked if he was willing to allow the U.S. to open an office in Pyongyang. Saying, "I think that is something which is welcomable"...left President Trump to state that, "We're in position to do something very special.”

But, unfortunately, as we all know, sometimes things that start off good can end very badly, and this summit was one such thing for in the end it was all about lifting sanctions not about denuclearization, and thus came crashing to a screeching halt.

And that halt led Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was in Hanoi with President Trump, to say, “We were hoping we could take another big swing when the two leaders got together”...and "We the People" were hoping that as well. Also saying that “lower-level diplomacy between the two sides could resume quickly,” directly led North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui to tell reporters that, “Mr. Kim was finding it difficult to understand why the U.S. left the talks,” and that the "young North Korean leader may have lost his will” to continue the talks. 

I guess citing age does have its advantages when one is being pushed into a corner...or so Kim Jong-un thinks.

So where does that leave our two countries at this point in time? First, we must give President Trump high praise for his not backing down or acquiescing to the rogue nation's leader just to keep him at the negotiation table. Second, with Kim Jong-un being pressured not just from the U.S. but from many of the world's nations...nations who are also telling him to dismantle his nuclear weapons program...it's that very international pressure that actually protects us and our allies from seeing a mushroom cloud appear over any of our respective countries.

And to give up that collective pressure before Kim Jong-un does capitulate and gives up his nuclear ambitions... which in the end he will ultimately be forced to do as his country is on the verge of total economic collapse...that giving up would put America, the world, and especially South Koreans...at risk.

How so for South Korea...South Korea desperately wants an actual formal "in writing" end to the Korean War as well as to begin constructive and lasting inter-Korean relations...family reunification most especially...and they believe that can only be accomplished by seeing a nuclear disarmament deal being both secured and put into effect between Washington and Pyongyang. It is as simple as that.

So as this summit ended not as expected, the political fallout here at home continues to ratchet up but surprisingly Congressional leaders, including some key Democrats, are praising President Trump in a surprising show of bipartisanship...but with some caveats that is.

Republicans are rightfully heralding Trump's decision to walk away, with Sen. Lindsey Graham retweeting Trump's, “it's better to walk away than sign a bad deal,” and with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell saying that, “President Trump should be commended for walking away when it became clear insufficient progress has been made on denuclearization.” And McConnell also said that it was “smart" to meet with Kim Jong-un in both Singapore and Vietnam to show him the "economic prosperity" that is possible for his country if North Korea abandons its nuclear and missile programs.

And on the Democrat side there's Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is usually out for Trump's blood, saying that President Trump surely “did the right thing by walking away and not cutting a poor deal for the sake of a photo op.” Then there's former Vice-President Joe Biden who while speaking at the University of Nebraska said that, “The president did the right thing by walking away." Even Obama's infamous National Security Advisor Susan Rice, also no fan of President Trump, stated in an NPR interview that, "For the United States to have agreed to lift all sanctions in the absence of real and complete denuclearization would have been a tremendous mistake."

But the infamous Nancy Pelosi played it both ways by first saying, “Mr. Trump was right not to take a bad deal,” but added that Mr. Kim was the “big winner” for having secured two personal summits with an American president and easing his country’s “pariah status” without having made any significant concessions. 
 
Can't let your hatred for President Trump go can you Nancy...Hillary lost...please for our country's sake get over it already.

In fact, some on both sides of the political aisle have said that President Trump actually “enhanced his bargaining position” by showing both the North Koreans and all the world that he was more than willing to risk short-term setbacks to achieve positive long-term goals...paramount of which is North Korea's total denuclearization. And what many seem to forget is that there needs to be not just a beginning, but a middle, and an end to diplomacy before any final and lasting agreement can be reached.

So while both sides are now licking their wounds, so to speak, after having returned to their respective home countries, they need to access the damages done by a summit gone bust. And as far as President Trump is concerned the only faux par...the only mistake...I believe he made was in taking Kim Jong-un's word that he did not know about the brutal treatment received by Otto Warmbier, the American college student who in 2016 was "detained"...jailed actually...in North Korea only to be returned to the U.S. in a coma in 2017, and who died soon afterward. Saying he will "take [Kim] at his word" that he was unaware of the torture was surely not a wise thing for our president to say about a man who for sport routinely murders his own people...that man's word should never be trusted nor believed.

But I wonder though if President Trump, the very man who secured Otto Warmbier's release, truly believes Kim Jong-un or was he somehow told to say what he said in order to keep the negotiations on track...only time will tell I guess.

And as for Kim Jong-un, even he has to know that it would make no sense for North Korea to exit negotiations at this stage of the game, or to start making threats, or even resume provocative acts like launching missiles into the Sea of Japan. His country's economy is in serious trouble, truly on the verge of collapse, and his people are starving...and starving people can only take so much before even they will start to fight back. And dare Kim Jong-un forget public perception for to act up now would only prove to the world that President Trump was correct for not trusting Kim’s assertions of his good intentions and improved behavior.

And while he cannot show outward weakness per se...he must “save face” after all...Kim Jong-un has not yet said "no" to another chance for negotiations...negotiations that have not been shutdown just sidetracked for awhile. And things can surely get back on track if only Kim would both stop lying and stop taking his "marching orders" from China. Kim Jong-un must instead start listening to the U.S., for on some level even he knows that his and North Korea's only hope for the future lies with America and with President Trump, and not with a country who would throw him under the proverbial bus if need and necessity be.

It cannot be said any clearer or more directly than that.

Copyright @ 2019 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All Rights Reserved.

********************************************************************************************************************************
For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article For Liberals...Truth is the New Hate Speech.

*************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************  RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!

Tuesday, March 5th from 7 to 9pm EST on American Political Radio, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss 'Negotiations on Hold...But for How Long'; 'For Liberals...Truth is the New Hate Speech'; and important news of the day.

Hope you can tune in at: http://listen.samcloud.com/w/73891/American-Political-Radio#history...or on Tune-In at: https://tunein.com/radio/American-Political-Radio-s273246/
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