Saturday, September 14, 2024

Demagogue Donald

Convicted Felon Donald Trump and his running mate  Miss Sassy JD Vance falsely promoted a lie that immigrants in Springfield, Ohio were killing dogs and cats and eating them.  Donald even lied at Tuesday night's debate bringing the nonsense up.



As we noted in Friday's snapshot: The world can't afford a second term of Donald Trump.  In the debate, he lied over and over.  And he lies all the time so it may be hard to be shocked or surprised.  But we should not grow immune to recognizing the damage his lies do.  David Badash reports:





Just days after the Republican nominees for president and vice president promoted and doubled-down on false, debunked and racist claims about immigrants in Springfield, Ohio stealing pet cats and dogs and eating them, that town’s city hall and elementary school were forced to evacuate after a bomb threat targeting multiple locations was received Thursday.


“Due to a bomb threat that was issued to multiple facilities throughout Springfield today, City Hall is closed today,” the City of Springfield wrote in a Facebook post, saying it had “received a bomb threat that has prompted an immediate response from local and regional law enforcement. As a precautionary measure, the building has been evacuated, and authorities are currently conducting a thorough investigation. Our primary concern is the safety and well-being of our employees and residents. We are working to address this situation as swiftly as possible.”

The statement adds the bomb threat came via an email at 8:24 AM that was “sent to multiple agencies and media outlets.”

Just one day ago, City Manager Bryan Heck in a video denounced the rhetoric used in the presidential race, while promoting the city’s growth, which has been improved local businesses say, by the influx of immigrants.


Here's Bryan Heck.




His lies aren't just words.  His lies lead to violence.  He is a threat to democracy and we can defeat him at the ballot box.  


 To demonstrate how hateful and disgusting the two are, how willing to encourage violence,, Vance is now posting a new lie about immigrants in Ohio.  Justin Rohrlich (INDEPENDENT) reports, "Republican vice-presidential candidate Senator JD Vance continues to stoke outrage against foreign-born members of his own constituency, sharing video footage with his 1.9 million social media followers that he claimed showed African migrants in Dayton, Ohio 'eating cats'   — but instead appears to show nothing more than poultry cooking on an outdoor grill." Aditi Srivastava (HINDUSTAN TIMES) adds, "The Ohio senator then went on to criticise 'Kamala Harris and her media apparatchiks.' However, this time it seems things have backfired, as Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims and local residents have strongly refuted the claims, denouncing them as 'baseless' and criticising the sensational nature of the video."  Rhona Tarrant (CBS NEWS) reports:


Police in Dayton, Ohio, have said there is no evidence that immigrants are eating pets, calling new allegations that emerged online on Saturday "irresponsible." 

The police statement was issued hours after a new video and article alleged African immigrants in Dayton were seen preparing to grill dead cats. The claim was shared by Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, the Republican vice presidential nominee, Donald Trump Jr., and others on X.

Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal said in a statement, "We stand by our immigrant community and there is no evidence to even remotely suggest that any group, including our immigrant community, is engaged in eating pets. Seeing politicians or other individuals use outlandish information to appeal to their constituents is disheartening." 


All they have to offer is lies.  They use lies to scare people and to stoke outrage.  They're nothing but demagogues. 




And he hangs with other purveyors of hate like Laura Loomer.





A lot to cover in Iraq.  First, an attack on the US facility in Baghdad.  The attack took place Tuesday but the US government didn't announce until Friday.  SHAFAQ NEWS reports:


"Iranian-affiliated militias" launched an attack targeting a US diplomatic facility in Baghdad, the US Embassy in Iraq stated on Friday.

The attack occurred late Tuesday, targeting the US Embassy's logistics center within the airport. A security source told Shafaq News that the strike, which may have involved rockets or mortars, also impacted areas near the headquarters of the Anti-Terrorism Agency. 


AFP explains, "The compound, located within the airport perimeter but attached to the US embassy, provides logistical support and medical services, among other things."  The attack comes as a deal for some US forces to leave Iraq in 2026 is in the news cycle.  TURKIYE TODAY reports:


Iraq and the United States have reached an agreement to withdraw most American troops from Iraq by 2026, with a small force remaining in the northern region.

The deal was disclosed this week by both American and Iraqi officials.

Recently in an interview with Al-Arabiya Iraqi Defense Minister Thabit al-Abbasi confirmed that the agreement would phase out the current U.S.-led military mission, known as Operation Inherent Resolve, which was launched over a decade ago to combat the Daesh terrorist organization in Iraq and Syria.


On Iraq and the US, Hayan Abdel-Ghani, Oil Minister of Iraq, required emergency heart surgery this week while visiting the US.  



Abdel-Ghani was appointed the Oil Minister in 2022. Today, Iraq's Ministry of Oil website posted about the surgery (they refer to "a health problem" that required "admission to the hospital" and they state he is in stable condition and will be returning to Iraq.  They also note that in addition to being the Minister of Oil, Abdel-Ghani is also the Deputy Minister for Energy Affairs.

The last known health incident of an Iraqi official in the US that required hospitalization was during Bully Boy Bush's second term occupying the White House.  Jalal Talabani, then the president of Iraq, collapsed in a book store and had to be taken to a hospital due to clogged arteries. 


At the start of the visit, US official Geoffrey Pyatt Tweeted:



No word on whether the visit saw the deal close on the ten gas exploration blocks Iraq was offering. 


Monday, Iraq's Parliament is supposed to begin a busy week.  RUDAW reports:


 Iraq’s parliament is preparing for an eventful session on Monday with three major items on the agenda - a vote on a bill that would return land confiscated under the Baath regime to the original Kurdish and Turkmen owners, the second reading of amendments of the controversial personal status law, and a second reading of the general amnesty bill that would change the definition of affiliation with terror groups.

Voting on the Kirkuk land restitution bill was supposed to be held earlier this month, however, it was excluded from the agenda for the September 4 session, prompting Kurdish parties to boycott the parliament meeting.

“The Kurdish factions objected. We will not participate in the parliamentary assembly until the draft law is added to the agenda and put to a vote,” Jamal Kochar, a member of the Iraqi parliament from the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), told Rudaw at the time.


RUDAW also notes, " Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Friday fired the head of the state-owned Iraqi Airways following the carrier’s recent flight delays stranding many international tourists."  Whether he's truly addressing corruption or not, he is developing an image for doing it.  Iraq remains one of the most corrupt nation-states in the world.  On corruption,  MEMO notes:

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The audio leaks involving Head of the Iraqi Commission of Integrity Haider Hanoun, in which he refers to his involvement in financial corruption operations, continue to develop despite him heading an anti-corruption body. While the judiciary announced it is investigating the case, calls have grown to remove Hanoun and hold those involved in corruption accountable.

On Wednesday, an audio clip was circulated of a phone call allegedly involving Hanoun, in which he talks about receiving sums of money and a plot of land on which he built his house in Maysan Governorate in southern Iraq. He complained about the withdrawal of multiple case files from the Commission to the investigating judge in the court. In the call with another person whose identity has not yet been confirmed, he relayed that the Commission: “Is working on many files, but its work is restricted.”

Hanoun stressed during the recording: “We are facing great pressure from the parties, and we cannot work under these conditions.” He also spoke about receiving 1.65 billion Iraqi dinars (about $1.25 million) and a Cadillac from a person named Nawras.

 The following sites updated:


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