Was Skripal the "Russian intelligence source" for the Steele Dossier?

Gregory Copley, the Editor of GIS/Defense & Foreign Affairs states flatly in his March 21 article for the World Tribune that Sergei Skripal was indeed Christopher Steele's "Russian intelligence" source for reports in the dossier. 

(As to Gregory's reliability -- I won't call him the best in the business because I'm not familiar with the work of every defense analyst, but I do know many would agree that he is among the very best.)

And if Gregory's claim about Skripal's contribution to the dossier is correct, it could explain the Russian government's stunning accusation on March 21 that the British government was hiding and possibly planning to destroy evidence in the Skripal poisoning case. (See Russia accuses UK of hiding evidence in Skripal case;  the Guardian, March 21. )

During the March 21 John Batchelor Show Gregory spoke about the connection between Skripal and the Steele Dossier and said there was every indication Skripal was willing to talk openly about his contribution to Steele's dossier. (JBS Podcasts Part 1 of 2 and Part 2)  

If Skripal indeed said he was willing to sing like bird, he could well have signed his death warrant with his tongue, given the Steele dossier connection with the highest levels of the Obama Administration, the U.S. Democratic National Party, and the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. 

So talk about a solid motive for murder. 

From Gregory's World Tribune article (Murky waters: The attack on Sergei Skripal, the assassination of Kim Jong-Nam, and the ‘Steele dossier’, which point-by-point examines the British claim that 'Russia' ordered the hit on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia (who surely knew all about about her father's involvement with the Steele dossier):

[...]

5. Again, what is significant is the obvious matter which has not been raised in any of the discussions of the attack on the Skripals: the ongoing links between Sergei Skripal and SIS [aka MI6].

It is worth bearing in mind that Skripal’s period as a double agent for MI6 overlapped the period when now-former MI6 officer Christopher David Steele worked under diplomatic cover in the British Embassy in Moscow (1990-93) and as head of the Russia Desk at MI6 between 2006 and 2009. 

A number of sources have indicated a series of ongoing links between Steele and Skripal, and certainly, as head of the Russia Desk, Steele would have overseen aspects of Skripal’s handling in retirement in the UK. 

Furthermore, Skripal was known to have undertaken freelance work “in retirement”, preparing reports on Russia. He was well known to be an “author for hire” for anyone seeking a supposedly authoritative assessment on Russia or on Russian intelligence issues. 

He was, in short, the “Russian intelligence source” for the Steele Dossier compiled for the election campaign of Hillary Clinton on then-Presidential candidate Donald Trump. 

This Service raised the issue of the witting compliance of SIS/MI6, or its tacit support of, the activities of Christopher Steele — by this time retired from SIS, and working from his corporate base, Orbis Business Intelligence, Ltd. — in preparing what was clearly a document designed for political warfare use against a U.S. presidential candidate. Moreover, this was not an isolated example: 

[...]

If the British secret service was involved in the creation and/or use of the Steele dossier to influence the U.S. 2016 presidential election, would this be considered a crime in the United States? Well, the British government has deniability given that Steele was a former MI6 agent at the time he put reports together for the dossier. That wouldn't be the same for Steele -- unless he too has a story to tell the media, one he hasn't divulged yet. 

And although it's is behind a paywall at GIS/DFA, just the title of this special analysis, “Significant Ramifications for UK-USA Accord Signatories of Possible Unauthorized US Recruitment of a UK Intelligence Professional” (February 6, 2018) indicates there are very serious questions related to the matter.

Of course the attempted murder of the Skripals would be different story altogether and also raise questions about unauthorized recruitment. 

In any case perhaps the U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller should cast his net just across the Pond if he's still looking for evidence of a foreign influence in the U.S. election. 

I'll close with a few more quotes from Gregory's article, which I recommend needs to be read in its entirety:

[...]

What seems clear is that the “rush to judgment” against the Russian Government seemed necessary to many parties because there were too many unpleasant realities — many of which had immediate political and legal consequences — to be faced by (a) the U.S. Democratic National Committee (DNC); (b) the Clinton campaign; (c) former U.S. President Barack Obama; (d) SIS/MI6 and Christopher Steele; and (e) the UK Government (which may have felt that it had no other alternative but to pay a price to sweep the actions of recent years under the carpet).

Moreover, the whole nature of the attempt to stop Skripal from talking to the media (and this was apparently being mooted, according to GIS/Defense & Foreign Affairs sources) was designed in such a way that the immediate “suspect” would be Moscow.

[...]

******** 

Afrin Kurds believed U.S. and Al Saud would carve a country for them in Syria

Talk about a sucker born every minute. They should've taken the deal Damascus offered them.

The Kurds of Afrin were promised that Saudi Arabia would rebuild the province and invest in reconstructing better homes and contribute, under the US forces’ protection, to offering a mini-state to the Kurds in north-east Syria, a dream the Kurds always aspired to.

From Elijah J. Magnier's March 20 report, Why Afrin Has Fallen: US - Turkish - Russian - Kurdish roles


********

Corporate media's marketing of terrorists as Syrian freedom fighters

From Eva K. Bartlett's March 11 interview with veteran war zone correspondent Elijah J. Magnier:

BARTLETT: "I know you've been a journalist for many, many years. Have you ever seen such shameful journalism without any sort of ethics?"

MAGNIER: "Never, never in my life. In fact, today, the head of the tribes in Ghouta [said] the only reason the jihadis are holding onto Ghouta and not willing to leave and keeping the civilians as a shield is because of the mainstream media. The mainstream media is supporting them, the international community is supporting them -- they're supporting the jihadis.  [...]

The exchange is at the 27:40 mark in the YouTube video titled "Developments in Ghouta, Afrin, and Corporate Media's Shameful Reporting on Syria"

When Magnier says never in his life, he's speaking as someone who's reported on a great deal of warfare over a period of more than 30 years. From his website:

... Covered on the ground the Israeli invasion to Lebanon (1st war 1982), the Iraq-Iran war, the Lebanese civil war, the Gulf war (1991), the war in the former Yugoslavia (1992-1996), the US invasion to Iraq (2003 to date), the second war in Lebanon (2006), the war in Libya and Syria (2011 to date). ... 

See also James Corbett's November 2017 interview with Canadian Eva Bartlett about her extensive 'on the ground' reporting on the Syrian War and her challenges, based on her first-hand investigations, to corporate media's propaganda claims about the Syrian government's prosecution of the Syrian War.

********

"The continuing US policy of regime change in Syria"

This is not so much a war as a nightmare but one that has exposed the true face of the American government across Democratic and Republican regimes. From Col Pat Lang's Syrian War Report - March 17, 2018 at Sic Semper Tyrannis:

[...]

The continuing US policy of regime change in Syria leaves little possibility that the [Syrian] government can recover Syria east and north of the Euphrates River. That land is under US government "protection."  How the movement of (US) Kurds to Afrin to fight will affect that is unpredictable.

As SST forecast just after the fall of Aleppo City to the government, Idlib Province has become a cancerous wound in the side of the possibility of a fully reunited Syria. 

The Turks are taking advantage of their burgeoning relationship with Russia to eradicate Kurdish control of Afrin district in Aleppo Province. The Turks are making steady progress in this effort.

The evolving tie to Russia is evident in the S-400 SAM deal and Russia seems complicit in the "Olive Branch" campaign.  There are clearly limits to Russian protection of the SAG [Syrian Arab government]. The Turks have now established "observation posts" of company size all along the eastern border of Idlib Province. These are positioned to impede a renewed advance of  R+6 into Idlib Province once SAA and friends are finished in the Damascus area.

The latest of these posts is now being placed just NW of Aleppo so as to prevent an advance by the government to the west into northern Aleppo Province.  IMO what we are seeing is a slow motion annexation of NW Syria by Turkey. 

[...]

  ********

"Over 20,000 people left militant=occupied E. Ghouta on Sunday morning"- Russian MoD

Thousands of civilians fleeing militant-occupied E. Ghouta as mass exodus continues (LIVE VIDEO REPORTS)
Published time: 18 Mar, 2018 06:10

Edited time: 18 Mar, 2018 07:44

RT

More than 20,000 people have left the militant-occupied areas of the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta on Sunday morning, the Russian military said. Live images from the scene show people streaming to safety.

In total, more than 68,000 people have so far left Eastern Ghouta through the humanitarian corridors set up by the Syrian Army and Russia, the Russian Defense Ministry’s Center for Syrian Reconciliation said in a statement.

“The humanitarian corridor in Eastern Ghouta continues to work,” Maj. Gen. Vladimir Zolotukhin, a spokesman for the Reconciliation Center, said​​​.

READ MORE: ‘We were about to die’: E. Ghouta civilians say militants used them as human shields & barred escape

[END REPORT]

********

"Turkish-backed forces storm Afrin city in all-out assault - BREAKING NEWS" Updated 4:37 a.m. EDT

Update

Sputnik is reporting as breaking news that Erdogan has announced Turkish Army and "Syrian opposition" forces have taken over Afrin.

The Turkish Army and the Free Syrian Army armed opposition group have seized control over the Kurdish-held northern Syrian city of Afrin.
"Backed by the Turkish armed forces, Free Syrian Army (FSA) units entered Afrin and took complete control of the city. The majority of terrorists have fled. Our military and the opposition are defusing mines they have left," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared as quoted by local media.
He added Ankara would do its best to fix the infrastructure in the region.
The final offensive on Afrin, which has been under control of the Kurdish militia, was launched early on Sunday morning, the Anadolu agency reported.
Erdogan's press secretary Ibrahim Kalin has earlier stated that Turkey is not going to hand in control over Afrin to Damascus.

 On January 20, Ankara, jointly with the opposition Free Syrian Army forces, launched Operation Olive Branch in Afrin in order to "clear" Turkey's Syrian border from the terrorist threat.
Turkey considers the Democratic Union Party (PYD), a Kurdish political party in northern Syria, and the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia to be linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), listed as a terrorist organization by Ankara.Ankara's Olive Branch Operation in Afrin has been strongly condemned by Damascus, calling Turkey's move "a violation of the country's sovereignty." In response, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that preservation of the territorial integrity of Syria is the common goal of Ankara and Damascus and that Turkish troops are not going to attack government forces in Syria.
Moscow has called for respecting Syria's integrity.

[END REPORT]

END UPDATE 

(There's so much big breaking news from the Syrian war front that Al Masdar News has installed a Breaking News ticker tape.)

BEIRUT, LEBANON (8:49 A.M. March 18 - report filed by Andrew Illingworth for AMN)

After a week of systemically outflanking the Kurdish-held city of Afrin in Syria’s Aleppo province, Turkish-backed forces have now kicked-off the operation to capture the small but nonetheless highly strategic settlement.

The assault has been confirmed by a local Syrian paramilitary fighter (belonging to the National Defence Forces) in contact with Al-Masdar News.

The ground assault on Afrin by pro-Ankara militants comes after a week of relentless bombardment of the city by Turkish jets and artillery that has ultimately served to kill hundreds.

The[re] exists unconfirmed reports that Syrian Kurdish fighters will not actually attempt to fight for Afrin and have instead abandoned the city and its remaining inhabitants, as well as virtually all of the Afrin region, to the control of Turkish coalition forces.

[END REPORT]

Let me see if FARS has a report yet on the assault. [taptaptap] No but some related reports:

• Turkish Army Deploys to Afrin's Gate
• Tens of Civilians Killed, Wounded in Turkish Army Attacks on Hospital, Neighborhoods in Afrin
• Turkey-Backed Gunmen Block Damascus Militants' Move to Northern Aleppo
• Thousands of Civilians Flee Afrin towards Regions Controlled by Syrian Army amid Turkish Operation
• Over 3,560 Kurdish Militants Killed, Captured in Turkish Army Operation in Northern Syria

********

  

Deadly nerve poison no match for London bobbies

British government claims about the "poisoning" of a former Russian double agent and his daughter by a super-toxic nerve agent are so silly they can't be considered propaganda or even fake news. What could they be termed, then?

Obviously, the Spanish Inquisition  

For a straight-faced analysis here's Moon of Alabama's March 16 deconstruction of the latest exercise in British anti-Russian buffoonery.

******** 

Washington, DC needs a busload of exorcists

To protect terrorists U.S. officially threatens to attack Syrian Army

That's about par for the American course in Syria. 

SYRIAN WAR REPORT – MARCH 13, 2018: US OFFICIALLY THREATENS TO STRIKE SYRIAN ARMY
SouthFront
On March 12, US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley actually threatened that the US will strike Syrian government forces if they don’t halt their operation against terrorists in Eastern Ghouta.

“We also warn any nation that is determined to impose its will through chemical attacks and inhuman suffering, most especially the outlaw Syrian regime, the United States remains prepared to act if we must,” Haley said.

The US diplomat proposed a new UN ceasefire resolution that “will take effect immediately upon adoption by this Council. It contains no counterterrorism loopholes for Assad, Iran and the Russians to hide behind”.

According to Haley, the previous resolution “failed” because it had allowed the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) and its allies to conduct operation in Eastern Ghouta against Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda) and other militant groups.

Russian ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia reacted by saying that Syria has all the legal right to fight terrorism near its capital. The US-drafted document was not put to the vote on March 12.

On the same day, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that infighting had erupted among militant groups in Eastern Ghouta following a Russian proposal of safe passage out of the region for militants and their families which also demanded that Faylaq al-Rahman separate from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

The SAA liberated the village of Aftris where it found a militant chemical weapons workshop and advanced on Jisrin, Saqba and Hamuriyah.

Jaish al-Islam, which is the key group in the area of Douma, also claimed that no negotiations are ongoing between it and the government over a surrender or withdrawal agreement.

Reports are circulating that the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) have started handing over checkpoints near Tell Rifaat, the Menagh airbase and nearby villages to the government’s National Defense Forces. However, the situation remains unclear.

Even if the reports are true, this may be too late for the YPG to reach any wide-scale deal with Damascus because the YPG-held city of Afrin is almost cut off from the government-held area by Turkish forces.

[END REPORT]

********

Two more analysts who help keep my blood pressure under control

In addition to MOA's b, Gregory Copley and Lee Smith are strong empiricists who write for the public. Here are John Batchelor's latest interviews with them.

How Trump aims to solve North Korea and undermine China's One Belt, One Road imperialism in Asia. Gregory Copley, Defense & Foreign Affairs Podcast. March 13

Why does Robert Mueller chase barkeep fiction in the Seychelles? @LeeSmithDC

Podcasts: 1 of 2. Part 2. Lee Smith. March 14

********

The Russians did it or someone copied the secret nerve agent formulas from my online book

From Moon of Alabama's Theresa May's 'Novichok' Claims Fall Further Apart; March 14): 

... The former Soviet scientist, Vil Mirzanjaov, who 'blew the whistle' and wrote about the 'Novichoks', now lives in a $1 million home in the United States. The AFP news agency just interviewed him:

"Only the Russians" developed this class of nerve agents, said the chemist. "They kept it and are still keeping it in secrecy."

The only other possibility, he said, would be that someone used the formulas in his book to make such a weapon. ...

Better b than me because I don't have the patience to fisk that much insult to the public's intelligence; it's not even a propaganda war against Putin; it's pure spite. So why the Russians bother to do any business with the British is beyond me, unless you want to say oil has no nationality. But now the British have gone over the top, and with America's Ambassador to the U.N. playing Gunga Din for them. (Nikki Haley warns: Russia could use chemical weapons in New York.

Back to b's analysis of nonsense:

... There is no independent evaluation of the alleged poison. The British government claims that its own chemical weapon laboratory at Porton Down, only a few miles from where the incident happened, has identified the poison as one of the 'Novichok' chemicals.

But in 2016 a leading chemist at Porton Down published a piece in a scientific journal that denied that such chemicals exist. (Tim Hayword and Craig Murray both point this out):

As recently as 2016 Dr Robin Black, Head of the Detection Laboratory at the UK’s only chemical weapons facility at Porton Down, a former colleague of Dr David Kelly, published in an extremely prestigious scientific journal that the evidence for the existence of Novichoks was scant and their composition unknown.

In recent years, there has been much speculation that a fourth generation of nerve agents, ‘Novichoks’ (newcomer), was developed in Russia, beginning in the 1970s as part of the ‘Foliant’ programme, with the aim of finding agents that would compromise defensive countermeasures. Information on these compounds has been sparse in the public domain, mostly originating from a dissident Russian military chemist, Vil Mirzayanov. No independent confirmation of the structures or the properties of such compounds has been published. 

Robin Black. (2016) Development, Historical Use and Properties of Chemical Warfare Agents. Royal Society of Chemistry

Additionally the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has not recognized Novichoks as chemical weapons because it found scant evidence that they exist at all. The U.S. and the UK are both part of the organization and both agreed with this evaluation:

The OPCW Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) appeared to doubt the existence of “Novichoks”, and did not advise that the compounds described by Mirzayanov, or their precursors, should be designated as Scheduled Chemicals that should be controlled under the Chemical Weapons Convention:

[The SAB] emphasised that the definition of toxic chemicals in the Convention would cover all potential candidate chemicals that might be utilised as chemical weapons. Regarding new toxic chemicals not listed in the Annex on Chemicals but which may nevertheless pose a risk to the Convention, the SAB makes reference to “Novichoks”. The name “Novichok” is used in a publication of a former Soviet scientist [Vil Mirzanjaov] who reported investigating a new class of nerve agents suitable for use as binary chemical weapons. The SAB states that it has insufficient information to comment on the existence or properties of “Novichoks”. (OPCW, 2013)

[...]

Yes yes Mirzanhov's book of secret formulas is available online -- for $8.16. See the rest of b's discussion for the details.

On a personal note -- b (a German who writes anonymously and might or might not be a retired defense analyst for NATO) deserves a medal for the time, effort, and patience he's invested in deconstructing for netizens attempts to demonize Russians and Syrians who're on U.S., Saudi, and British hit lists. (The lists are pretty much interchangeable.)

Colonel Pat Lang at Sic Semper Tyrannis, where b is a frequent commenter, obviously respects b's opinion but once called him "anti-American." If only Americans had more such anti-Americans to catch our government with its hands in the cookie jar.

Why does he keep knocking himself out, I have wondered. His closing words in a March 7 post (No, Russians Do Not Hack The FCC's Public Comments) might be the best explanation:

The Russiagate nonsense has do be debunked at each and every corner to prevent its further abuse against dissent on everything else.

But to debunk consistently, on an almost daily basis, takes courage as well as commitment. I don't agree with every one of b's conclusions; however, his readers can at least make a distinction between his opinions and evidence he presents. I thank him for staying true to the empirical approach to defense analysis, without which political freedom has no chance.  Its the same for intelligent defense decisions.  

********

"It depends on who is dead and from what"

Guest post by Brad Lena:
The reality of death in the modern era

It should come as a surprise to no one that death, along with much of modern life, has been politicized, monetized and utilized by both private and public sectors. In the before time it was taken for granted that death caused anguish, loss and suffering among the family, friends and acquaintances of the dead. Not anymore; if a death does not fall into one of appropriate categories its aftershocks are of little import to modern sensibilities

According to a 1999 Institute of Medicine estimate, approximately 98,000 people die annually in American hospitals due to incompetence and error. Then came a 2013 study published in the Journal of Patient Safety. From ProPublica's article on the study:

... between 210,000 and 440,000 patients each year who go to the hospital for care suffer some type of preventable harm that contributes to their death.

A 2016 study published in BMJ (formerly British Journal of Medicine) titled Medical error—the third leading cause of death in the US, which built on the 2013 study, put the estimated total of hospital deaths annually from medical errors at 251,454 -- "surpassing the CDC’s stated third-leading cause of death, respiratory disease, which kills close to 150,000 people per year" as Stat's article on the 2016 study noted.

Much of the reason for the wide discrepancy in the estimates is due to how the cause of death is recorded. From Stat:

Currently, deaths are categorized based on insurance billing codes, which sometimes miss the true cause of death. 

The insurance code is based on the death certificate code. From the 2016 study:

... a major limitation of the death certificate is that it relies on assigning an International Classification of Disease (ICD) code to the cause of death.(1) As a result, causes of death not associated with an ICD code, such as human and system factors, are not captured. 

While the authors of the study are hopeful that improving methods of recording will mean more accurate counts of deaths due to medical errors (including incorrect medications, surgical mishaps, and wrong diagnoses), as it stands now annual deaths in America from medical errors are substantial, no matter which estimate is cited. However, it's not only the errors in themselves:

“There’s vast underrecognition, underpreparation, and underfunding of the problem of medical care gone awry, even though it has a significant impact on public health,” said Dr. Martin Makary, professor of health policy and management at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and lead author on the [2016] paper.

Dr Makary also noted, "People don’t just die of billing codes."

But they die in large numbers because of a medical industry that takes advantage of the limitations in billing codes to consistently obscure deaths from medical errors.

Where are the politicians and social justice warriors? Why aren't they protesting the outrage? 

The reality is that in their time of need innocent people turn to hospitals as sources of healing, rehabilitation and restoration and they die by the tens of thousands. They are blindsided, never expecting to be killed rather than given a chance at healing or life. 

And what of those maimed and crippled by medical errors? What are the numbers for them? What of the suffering, the loss and hardship?

If someone is killed by a gun, politicians and SJWs will come out of the woodwork to demand the slaughter cease. Death by guns totaled approximately 33,500 in 2015. But 60% or so of the gun deaths were from suicide! 

My guess is that the families and friends suffer just as much from the gunshot suicide of a loved one as those shot to death by a criminal or the mentally ill. 

Yet which cause of gun death is given greater prominence? Judging by the sparse public attention to the issue perhaps suicides are not as politically viable as gunshot murders. 

Is death the great equalizer? In the modern era? I would say it depends on who is dead and from what. 

********

The Storms

Photo: AP/Alessandra Tarantino

Extraordinary weather, from the 'Snowmageddon' that battered the European Continent and U.K. countries, to a series of 'bomb cyclones' along the U.S. Atlantic coast, preceded the solar flare. (See reports after the Daily Mail article.) Have no idea whether there's a connection between the storms on earth and the sun storm. From the Daily Mail, March 13; article by Harry Pettit (see the website for video and pix):

Massive solar storm that will slam Earth TOMORROW [March 14] could knock out power supplies, damage satellites and trigger stunning auroras

• Nasa spotted a solar flare releasing a coronal mass ejection earlier this week
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a 'G1' storm watch
• It coincides with the formation of 'equinox cracks' in the sun, which form around the equinoxes on March 20 and September 23 and weaken the magnetic field

A huge solar storm is heading for Earth, and it's likely to hit tomorrow.

The storm could knock out satellites, disrupt power supplies and spark stunning displays of the Northern Lights.

It was created last week by an enormous explosion in the sun's atmosphere known as a solar flare, and charged particles from that flare are now on their way to our planet.

The arrival of the solar storm coincides with the formation of 'equinox cracks' in Earth's magnetic field, which some scientists believe form around the equinoxes on March 20 and September 23 each year.

These cracks weaken our planet's natural protection against charged particles and could leave commercial flights and GPS systems exposed to the incoming storm.

The cracks also mean stargazers are more likely to catch glimpses of the Northern lights this week.

This may include parts of Scotland and northern England, as well as the 'northern tier' of the US including parts of Michigan and Maine. 

The charged, magnetic particles from the solar storm can interfere with machinery in Earth's orbit as well as at the planet's surface, such as GPS systems and radio signals. 

They can also threaten airlines by disturbing Earth's magnetic field.

Very large flares can even create currents within electricity grids and knock out energy supplies.

'A minor geomagnetic storm watch is now in effect for the 14 and 15 March, 2018. Aurora may be visible at high latitudes,' the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) wrote in a statement.

The particles, which came from the sun after solar flares took place on March 6 and 7, could cause 'weak power grid fluctuations' and a 'minor impact on satellite operations,' according to the NOAA.

Nasa said the first of the two flares - classified in the potent X class and facing directly at the Earth - was the biggest this year.

It was one of the largest of this cycle known as the solar minimum, which began in early 2007.

Geomagnetic storms are ranked on a severity scale, with G at the bottom, R in the middle and S at the top.

[Inset: What Are Solar Storms and Why Are They Dangerous?]

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says that the forecast suggests the solar storm will be a G-1 or 'minor' storm.

This could become a G-2 'moderate storm' depending on how the charged particles hit Earth.

The event coincides with the formation of 'equinox cracks' - theorised by some scientists to form semi-annually during the equinox.

On March 20 and September 23 each year, the Earth and sun line up so that day and night are of roughly equal length.

But the equinoxes also cause cracks to open up in Earth's magnetic field which stay open for hours.

[...]
END REPORT

Snowmageddon
I want to focus on explanations about why the unusual storms happened so I omitted several interesting paragraphs from the following report concerning how the storms affected various countries. 

From The New York Times, March 1:
Heaviest Snow in Decades Batters U.K., Ireland and the Continent
By CEYLAN YEGINSU

[...]

Since last Friday, Europe has been locked in a Siberian weather patternthat has pummeled the Continent with snow, freezing rain and brutal wind chills, paralyzing cities unaccustomed to more than a thin wet film of snow and killing dozens of people, mainly older and homeless people.

The weather system that is being called the “Beast From the East” has hit Britain especially hard, with some areas buried in up to three feet of snow and pushing temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 10 Celsius).[...]

Europe’s weather usually approaches from the Atlantic, to the west, keeping conditions mostly temperate, but that pattern has temporarily reversed, bringing a frigid system from Asia that meteorologists named “the Beast From the East.” Rome had its first snowfall in six years this week.

The cold weather in Britain and northwestern Europe is to some extent a mirror image of the “sudden stratospheric warming” in the arctic, experts say, referring to a disturbance in the polar jet stream that has alarmed scientists and forced some to reconsider even the most pessimistic forecasts for climate change.

As warm air has surged into the Arctic, experts say, a return flow into Europe dropped average February temperatures there to among the coldest ever.

“These changes in the upper areas of the atmosphere over the North Pole then lead to the jet stream being pushed southwards, which is what normally drives weather patterns in the U.K. and northwestern Europe,” said Chloe Moore, a meteorologist for the Royal Meteorological Society in Reading, southern England.

“When we have this setup in winter, the winds then come from the east, and this brings a very cold air mass from Scandinavia and Northern Russia,” she added.

[...]

END REPORT

Bomb Cyclones

The last of these unusual Nor'easters struck the U.S. around March 13 but going back to March 1: from a report filed by Doyle Rice for USA Today:

Nor'easter a 'life and death' situation with high winds for almost all of East Coast

[...]

The storm is expected to undergo explosive development known as bombogenesis, which is a rapid drop in atmospheric pressure of 24 millibars or more in a period of 24 hours or less, the Weather Channel said.

"This 'bomb cyclone' wind field is larger than most Category 1 hurricanes, with winds to match," Meteorologist Ryan Maue of weather.us said.

The storm will be the most powerful to hit the East since January's bomb cyclone, AccuWeather said.

All along the East Coast, authorities told residents of coastal communities to be prepared to evacuate if necessary in advance of Friday morning’s high tide, the Associated Press said.

Up to 2 feet of heavy, wet snow could bury portions of New York and Pennsylvania. Strong winds are likely Friday afternoon and evening, and whiteout conditions are possible, the weather service said. Blizzard conditions are possible in portions of eastern Pennsylvania.

[...]

END REPORT

********

Here We Go Again

Isley Brothers; full length version from Go All the Way album released in 1980 (via YouTube).  One of the greatest 'Old School' songs, although they'll be playing it a thousand years from now and it will still sound new.  

But right now the lyrics are a kind of touchstone for me --  how I've come to feel about my society, my government.   

Well, what do you do when you love somebody
and everything is going wrong
Nobody knows the way you feel about it 
'cause only you know you can't leave it alone
Here we go again .. .

I rarely visit Zero Hedge but saw the headline somewhere, last night. At first I didn't read the report then I was sorry when I did.

Contradictions In Seth Rich Murder Continue To Challenge Hacking Narrative

The contradictions, the questions, I don't want to think about them. God help me, I'm now scared to talk about so many things in public, on this blog. Dammit I'm an American, born and raised. I should not have to live in fear of speaking out, but now I live in -- I don't know what to call it; maybe 'great caution bordering on fear. ' 

What do you do when you love somebody
And realize you're walking away
You hesitate when it's time for leaving 
You and I know it's never too late
Here we go again

Is it really never too late? Can I never walk away from the nation, the society, that protected me all my life, even if it was often by hook or by crook? It's the kind of question a Mafia daughter would have to wrestle it. But the USA isn't a criminal organization.     

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When does Mr Trump plan to announce he's aiding al Qaeda in Syria?

I don't want to hear that Trump doesn't know, unless I'm to believe that no members of the National Security Council have informed him, and that the facts about what the U.S. military is up to in Syria have been withheld from the presidential briefings.  

The American people repeatedly suffered blowback from U.S. support for terrorist groups and tyrants during the Cold War. Yet actions by successive American presidential administrations since the end of the Cold War showed that nothing had been learned, nothing had changed. I'd hoped, briefly, that Trump would be able break the cycle. If he tried, the nightmare in Syria is evidence that he failed.

There's really nothing more to be said. Explanations, arguments, trotting out of evidence -- all that is the attempt to persuade people who are sincerely making a mistake. The American defense establishment is not making a mistake. Its leaders know exactly what they're doing. Assad remaining in power, and threats from Iran and Russia -- all that is phony rationalizations for aiding not only al Qaeda but also other terrorist organizations, including Islamic State, operating in Syria. This aid started during the Obama Administration, but the Trump Administration doubled down.    

To ask why is useless. Evil does not need a reason.

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Americans don't have enough strength of character to base foreign policy on democracy

If you don't know what you're doing, if you start only with a goal but you're working blind at every bend in the road, you're wise to allow God into the driver's seat. The catch is that it takes extraordinarily good character to hang on for the entire ride. 

This point was pounded home in the movie "Bajrangi Bhaijaan," which I wish could be required viewing for everyone working on American foreign policy. There is so much humor in the script and the lead actors are so engaging that the lessons don't sting but they sharp indeed. With God fiddling with every traffic light on the road the protagonists were able to complete their mission, and yet they were mentally prepared to embark on what would seem an impossible quest.
  
Americans with remarkably good character have always been involved in one aspect or another of U.S. foreign policy, but sustained success demands a concerted effort by many people across years. The tragedy is that higher the ideals informing a policy, the higher the price of failure.
    
Just as a person with weak arms and legs shouldn't attempt to climb a mountain, large numbers of  people -- not only in U.S. but everywhere else -- aren't prepared to carry off the ideas on which liberal democracy is based as a matter of foreign policy. The USA is the worst in this regard simply because our nation and its government are huge.    

What's the solution? Americans would do well to develop a society with an educational system that strongly emphasizes the importance of good character. Until then, scale back on the democracy initiatives, which today are a riot of conflicting interpretations of democracy overseen by people who don't have the character to match their intellects let alone their  vaunted ideals. 

Horrors such as the U.S. military and state department aiding Islamic State and al Qaeda in Syria in the attempt to remove the country's president on the argument that he's a tyrant. Talk about killing the patient in the effort to save his life. But in one sentence that's how American foreign policy has often worked out since the end of World War II.

Horror stories are also the theme in Russia historian Stephen F. Cohen's tales on Tuesday night for John Batchelor's audience.    
    
Enough lecturing for the day. Let's go to YouTube and sing along with a great qawwali from the movie . If you say you're not Muslim -- oh for crying out loud make up your own improvisation on the lyrics  

Tere darbaar mein	In your court
Dil thaam ke woh aata hai	He comes holding his heart
Jisko tu chahe	Whomever you want
Aye nabi tu bulata hai	O Prophet, you call them
Tere dar par sar jhukaye	At your door bowing my head down
Main bhi aaya hoon	Even I've come
Jiski bigdi haai nabi	O Prophet, you're the one
Chahe tu banata hai	Who can fix my broken fate
Bhar do jholi meri ya Muhammad	Please fill my bag Prophet Muhammad
Laut kar main na jaonga khali	I won't go back empty handed
Bhar do jholi meri ya Muhammad	Please fill my bag Prophet Muhammad
Laut kar main na jaonga khali	I won't go back empty handed
Bhar do jholi meri ya Muhammad	Please fill my bag Prophet Muhammad
Laut kar main na jaonga khali	I won't go back empty handed
Bhar do jholi meri ya Muhammad	Please fill my bag Prophet Muhammad
Laut kar main na jaonga khali	I won't go back empty handed
Band deedon mein bhar daale aansoon	My closed eyes are filled with tears
Sil diye maine dardo ko dil mein	I've sewn the pain in my heart
Band deedon mein bhar daale aansoon	My closed eyes are filled with tears
Sil diye maine dardo ko dil mein	I've sewn the pain in my heart
Jab talak tu bana de na bigdi	Until you fix my broken fate
Dar se tere na jaaye sawaali	This questioner will not leave your door
Bhar do jholi meri ya Muhammad	Please fill my bag Prophet Muhammad
Laut kar main na jaonga khali ... khali	I won't go back empty handed
Bhar do jholi ... aaka ji	Please fill the bag ... O Lord
Bhar do jholi ... hum sab ki	Please fill the bag ... of all of us
Bhar do jholi ... nabi ji	Please fill the bag ... O Prophet
Bhar do jholi meri sarkar-e-medina	Please fill my bag, O Lord of Medina
Laut kar main na jaonga khali	I won't go back empty handed
Khojte khojte tujhko dekho	Look, in search for you
Kya se kya ya nabi ho gaya hoon	What have I turned into, O Prophet
Khojte khojte tujhko dekho	Look, in search for you
Kya se kya ya nabi ho gaya hoon	What have I turned into, O Prophet
Bekhabar darbadar phir raha hoon	Being lost I'm roaming from door to door
Main yahan se wahan ho gaya hoon	I've turned into a wanderer
Bekhabar darbadar phir raha hoon	Being lost I'm roaming from door to door
Main yahan se wahan ho gaya hoon	I've turned into a wanderer
De de ya nabi mere dil ko dilasa	O Prophet, please console my heart
Aaya hoon door se main hoke ruhansa	I've come from far and full of sadness
De de ya nabi mere dil ko dilasa	O Prophet, please console my heart
Aaya hoon door se main hoke ruhansa	I've come from far and full of sadness
Kar de karam nabi mujh pe bhi zara sa	Bless me with some love, O Prophet
Jab talak tu	Until you
Jab talak tu panaah de na dil ki	Until you give me shelter in your heart
Dar se tere na jaaye sawaali	This questioner will not leave your door
Bhar do jholi meri ya Muhammad	Please fill my bag Prophet Muhammad
Laut kar main na jaonga khali	I won't go back empty handed
Bhar do jholi meri tajdar-e-medina	Please fill my bag, O king of Medina
Laut kar main na jaonga khali	I won't go back empty handed
Bhar do jholi meri ya Muhammad	Please fill my bag Prophet Muhammad
Laut kar main na jaonga khali	I won't go back empty handed
Jaanta hai na tu kya hai dil mein mere	You know what's in my heart
Bin sune gin raha hai na tu dhadkane	You're simply counting my heartbeats
Jaanta hai na tu kya hai dil mein mere	You know what's in my heart
Bin sune gin raha hai na tu dhadkane	You're simply counting my heartbeats
Aah nikhli hai toh chaand tak jayegi	My sigh will reach the moon
Tere taaron se meri dua aayegi	Your stars will pray for me
Aah nikhli hai toh chaand tak jayegi	My sigh will reach the moon
Tere taaron se meri dua aayegi	Your stars will pray for me
Aye nabi haan kabhi toh subah aayegi	O Prophet, a morning will come one day
Jab talak tu sunega na dil ki	Until you hear the prayer of my heart
Dar se tere na jaaye sawaali	This questioner will not leave your door
Allah!	Hail Allah!
Bhar do jholi meri ya Muhammad	Please fill my bag Prophet Muhammad
Laut kar main na jaonga khali	I won't go back empty handed
De taras kha taras mujhpe aaka	Have some pity on me, O Lord
Ab laga le tu mujhko bhi dil se	Now embrace me with your love
De taras kha taras mujhpe aaka	Have some pity on me, O Lord
Ab laga le tu mujhko bhi dil se	Now embrace me with your love
Jab talak tu mila de na bichdi	Until you connect me with what I've lost
Dar se tere na jaaye sawaali	This questioner will not leave your door
Bhar do jholi meri ya Muhammad	Please fill my bag Prophet Muhammad
Laut kar main na jaonga khali	I won't go back empty handed
Bhar do jholi ... aaka ji	Please fill the bag ... O Lord
Bhar do jholi ... hum sab ki	Please fill the bag ... of all of us
Bhar do jholi ... nabi ji	Please fill the bag ... O Prophet
Bhar do jholi meri sarkar-e-medina	Please fill my bag, O Lord of Medina
Laut kar main na jaonga khali	I won't go back empty handed
Dum dum Ali Ali ... dum Ali Ali	My breath is for Lord Ali
Dum dum Ali Ali ... dum Ali Ali	My breath is for Lord Ali
Yah Ali ... yah Ali!	Hail Lord Ali ... hail Lord Ali!
Yah Ali ... yah Ali!	Hail Lord Ali ... hail Lord Ali!

Lyrics and English Translation from Filmy Quotes

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