Works Cited

Amah-Rose McKnight-Abrams. “Watch Marina Abramović and Anish Kapoor Take a Dive Deep into VR.” Garage. . (2018): . . http://bit.ly/2wbLpek

Anish Kapoor. “Into Yourself-Fall.” Anish Kapoor website. . (2018): . . http://bit.ly/2w9y1Hy

AMMC

SPUTNIK

Israel Vows to 'Eliminate' Assad if He Keeps Letting Iran Operate From Syria

May 7, 2018

Israel has repeatedly voiced concern over alleged Iranian military presence in Syria and claimed that the Islamic Republic has been building a base in the country, while Tehran has strongly refuted the accusations. However, Iran has admitted sending military advisors to Syria in order to help Damascus fight terrorists.

Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz has alleged that Israel was willing to "eliminate" Syrian President Bashar Assad if the latter continued to "allow Iran to operate" from his country.

"It's unacceptable that Assad sits quietly in his palace and rebuild his regime while allowing Syria to be turned into a base for attacks on Israel," Steinitz said as quoted by Ynet.

The minister claimed that while so far Israel hasn't gotten involved in the Syrian conflict, it is willing to topple the Syrian government.

"If Assad lets Iran turn Syria into a military base against us, to attack us from Syrian territory, he should know that will be the end of him,"

This development takes place only a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that his country won’t tolerate alleged Iranian military presence on its northern borders, even if it means resorting to military actions.

Netanyahu claimed that in recent months the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had been sending modern weaponry to Syria, including drones, air defense systems and ground-to-surface missiles.

Earlier on April 9, a pair of Israeli F-15 warplanes carried out an airstrike against the T-4 airbase in Syria, killing seven Iranians operating in the country.

Iranian authorities promised a response to this attack, prompting Israeli media to speculate that Iran may carry out a missile strike against Israel from sites inside Syria.

Despite Israeli and US claims, Iran has denied having military presence in Syria, although, admitted sending military advisors to help Damascus fight terrorism.

***

Bloombert

Israel and Iran on Path to War as Mideast Tinderbox Awaits Spark

By David Wainer, Donna Abu-Nasr, and Henry Meyer Updated on May 3, 2018

Israeli soldiers in the Golan Heights. Photographer: Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via Getty Images

There have been coups and revolutions, external invasions and proxy conflicts, but the Middle East hasn’t seen a head-to-head war between major regional powers since the 1980s.

There’s a growing risk that one is about to break out in Syria, pitting Israel against Iran.

The Islamic Republic’s forces are entrenching there, after joining the fight to prop up President Bashar al-Assad. The Jewish state, perceiving a direct threat on its border, is subjecting them to an escalating barrage of airstrikes. Nobody expects those strikes to go unanswered.

The path to escalation is clear, and the rhetoric is apocalyptic. “We will demolish every site where we see an Iranian attempt to position itself,’’ Israel’s Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman told the London-based Saudi newspaper Elaph, adding that the Iranian regime is “living its final days.’’

In Tehran, Hossein Salami, deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards, said that “100,000 missiles are ready to fly’’ in Israel’s direction, and warned they could bring about its “annihilation and collapse.’’

Light a Match

Iran and Israel have been exchanging threats for decades. What’s different now is that Syria’s civil war, which sucked in both countries, provides a potential battlespace -- one that’s much closer to Jerusalem than to Tehran.

Israeli officials say there are 80,000 fighters in Syria who take orders from Iran. As they help Assad recapture territory, militiamen from Hezbollah have deployed within a few kilometers of the Golan Heights on Israel’s border. Iran has vowed to avenge its citizens killed by the Israeli airstrikes, and it has plenty of options for doing so.

It’s a tinderbox, says Ofer Shelach, a member of the foreign affairs and defense committee in Israel’s parliament. “I’m worried about the possibility that a match ignited in the Golan will light up a war going all the way to the sea.’’

Even more troubling is the absence of firefighters.

Israelis lament that Washington has become a bit-part player, unable to impose a Syrian settlement that would guarantee its ally’s security. Absent that, “we can only represent our interests through force,’’ Shelach says.

Asked about Israel-Iran tensions at a press briefing on Thursday, Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said the U.S. is concerned by Iranian actions that “destabilize the region,” including through its proxy Hezbollah. “Wherever Iran is, chaos follows,” she said.

Able or Willing

Far from tamping down tensions, President Donald Trump -– egged on by Israel –- has been ramping them up. By threatening to withdraw next week from the international agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear program, he’s added another volatile element to the regional mix.

The only power with channels open to both sides, and the clout to play mediator, is Russia.

President Vladimir Putin’s intervention in 2015 to shore up Assad has left Russia as the strongest actor in Syria. Putin is seeking to impose a peace that would lock in his political gains, so he has every interest in averting any spread of the war.

But that doesn’t mean he’s able or willing to rein in Iran. While Russia has cordial ties with Israel, they’re likely outweighed by the confluence of interests with the Islamic Republic, whose ground forces were crucial to the success of Putin’s Syrian gambit. Repeatedly threatened with attack or regime-change by its enemies, Iran sees the sympathetic governments in Damascus and Beirut as providing strategic depth.

‘Unstable, Unmanaged’

Now, the Iranians in Syria have graduated from helping Assad to “building their strategic presence against Israel,’’ said Paul Salem, senior vice president at the Middle East Institute in Washington. “It appears that neither the Russians nor the Assad regime are in control or can limit these things,’’ he said. “The situation is highly unstable and highly unmanaged.’’

One test of Russia’s ability to manage it may come in southern Syria, where Islamic State and other jihadists and rebels still hold territory near Israel’s border -- enclaves that are among the likely next targets for Assad’s advancing army.

“Before they do that, the Russians need to have an arrangement with the Israelis,’’ said Yuri Barmin, a Middle East expert at the Russian International Affairs Council, which advises the Kremlin. Russia is “willing to negotiate on the issue of Iran and Iran’s presence’’ in those regions, he said.

‘It’s Shortsighted’

That may not be enough to meet Israeli concerns, which extend far beyond the border.

Earlier in the Syrian conflict, Israel’s airstrikes typically aimed to destroy weapons convoys bound for Hezbollah in Lebanon. There’s been a significant change. Two strikes in the past month -– widely attributed to Israel, though the Jewish state doesn’t comment on such matters –- targeted permanent infrastructure used by Iran’s forces. Both took place deep inside Syrian territory.

“It’s shortsighted to look at it in terms of how many kilometers from the border Iran is sitting,’’ said Amos Gilad, who recently stepped down as director of political-military affairs at Israel’s Defense Ministry. “Iran cannot be allowed to base themselves militarily in Syria. And Israel is fully determined to prevent that.’’

To be sure, the goal could be achieved without a full-blown war. Salem, at the Middle East Institute, says the likeliest outcome is that Israel and Iran will avoid a conflict that neither really wants -- though he says the risk that they’ll end up fighting is higher than at any time since the Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006.

And although hostilities have effectively begun with the airstrikes, many analysts say that they can be contained to Syria -– where Israel and Iran can square off without their allies necessarily being drawn into the fight.

‘Never!’

“Never!’’ said Liberman, when asked if clashes with Iran could lead to clashes with Russia. “There will be no confrontation with them.’’

In Beirut, Sami Nader of the Levant Institute for Strategic Studies said that Russia may not oppose an Israeli attack on Iranian positions in Syria, provided it doesn’t threaten to topple the Assad regime that is “the Russians’ main card at the negotiating table.” Barmin, the Kremlin adviser, said there’s plenty of daylight between the “diverging interests” of Russia and Iran.

So far, Russia’s response to Israeli airstrikes has been muted. But after the U.S. bombed Syrian targets last month, to punish Assad for an alleged chemical attack, Russian officials said they may deliver state-of-the-art S-300 missile defense systems to Syria. That would pose new risks for the Israeli air force -– and increase the chance of a flashpoint.

Israel’s parliament this week passed a law empowering the prime minister and defense to declare war without wider Cabinet approval in “extreme circumstances.”

Half a century ago, Israel launched a surprise attack against its Arab enemies. A few years later, in 1973, the tables were turned. In both cases, one of the combatants consciously opted for war.

But that’s not how Israel’s more recent conflicts have started, says Shelach. “It always happened because the situation escalated, deteriorated, without any of the sides making a decision.’’

And that’s the risk he sees now, with no obvious off-ramp.

• With assistance by Hayley Warren, and Daniel Flatley

***

RT

Israeli missiles hit Syrian radar, air defense sites – state media

May 10, 2018

FILE PHOTO: An Israeli F16 fighter jet takes off during an exercise © Amir Cohen / Reuters

Some of the missiles Israel launched into Syrian territory have broken through the defenses deployed by Damascus and hit radar and air defense positions, state media outlet SANA said, citing a military source.

The missile barrage, reportedly launched by Israeli warplanes from outside Syrian territory, took place late Wednesday evening into early Thursday morning and targeted areas in the Quneitra and Homs areas near Damascus. Syrian air defense systems responded and shot down "tens" of incoming missiles, according to SANA.

"Some of them managed to target a number of air defense (positions), radar and an ammunition depot," the source cited by SANA said

Videos posted online by locals appear to show flashes from air defense missiles visible from the capital.

The Israeli army said it was attacking "Iranian targets" inside Syria. It earlier said its positions in the occupied part of the Golan Heights were targeted by some 20 missiles launched by "Iranian forces" from the Syrian-controlled part. At about the same time, Syrian media reported Israeli shells hitting the country's territory. Neither of those attacks resulted in any casualties, according to official sources.

Israel has been claiming that Iran is setting up bases of operations in Syria in order to stage attacks against the Jewish state. It has launched numerous air strikes against Syrian government-controlled territories, targeting alleged Iranian positions.

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RT

Trump & Bolton call for regime change in Iran even as they speak of peace

May 11, 2018

Protester outside of the White House reacts to US pulling out of Iran nuclear deal, May 8, 2018. © Leah Millis / Reuters

White House National Security Adviser John Bolton says the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal is not a step towards a policy of regime change in Tehran. His own record and President Donald Trump’s words suggest otherwise.

Those who believe that pulling out of the nuclear deal is a precursor for US boots on the ground in Iran “would be badly mistaken,” Bolton said at a White House press briefing on Tuesday, just minutes after Trump’s announcement that the US would be leaving the 2015 agreement.

The morning after, however, Bolton was accusing Iran of provoking a war, accusing Tehran of deploying missiles in Syria that could hit Israel.

“I think Iran is bringing us close to war with its belligerent activity in Iraq and Syria,” he told CBS This Morning on Wednesday. “It’s that aggressive militaristic behavior by Iran on the ground in the region that’s the real threat.”

The mustachioed former US envoy to the UN has long advocated for regime change in Tehran - notably in last year’s speech at the Grand Gathering of Iranians for Free Iran.

“Even if somebody said to you that the regime was in full compliance with the nuclear deal, it doesn’t make any difference,” he remarked. The only solution to the problem of possible Iranian nuclear weapons “is to change the regime itself.” Bolton even set the date for regime change, saying that it was due to happen before 2019.

In March 2015, as the Obama administration was negotiating the nuclear deal, Bolton penned an op-ed for the New York Times with the unambiguous title, “To Stop Iran’s Bomb, Bomb Iran.”

In January this year, Bolton contributed another op-ed, this time to the Wall Street Journal, arguing that the US policy should be to “end the Islamic Republic before its 40th anniversary.”

“Recognizing a new Iranian regime in 2019 would reverse the shame of once seeing our diplomats held hostage for four hundred and forty-four days,” Bolton wrote, adding that “former hostages can cut the ribbon to open the new US Embassy in Tehran.”

Bolton’s position appears to reflect a hard line in Washington, which still has not forgiven Iran for overthrowing the US-backed monarchy in 1979 and replacing it with a religious republic. What of Trump, however?

The US president famously campaigned on abandoning foreign wars, nation-building, occupations and regime change in favor of putting “America first.” He was also a vocal critic of the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, which Bolton has supported.

Since taking the oath of office, however, Trump has allowed himself to be persuaded to stay in Afghanistan and bomb Syria ‒ twice. Trump has also frequently repeated a talking point of neoconservatives, Israel and Saudi Arabia, that Iran had imperialist designs for the Middle East and fingers everywhere, from Lebanon to Yemen.

“There has been enough suffering, death, and destruction. Let it end now,” Trump said in Tuesday’s announcement, offering to negotiate a “new and lasting deal” with Iran whenever Tehran was ready.

While that sounds conciliatory, in the very same speech Trump denounced the Iranian government as a “dictatorship” that “seized power and took a proud nation hostage” almost 40 years ago, and he claimed that before then Iran had “prospered in peace with its neighbors and commanded the admiration of the world.”

The “Iranian regime… funded its long reign of chaos and terror by plundering the wealth of its own people,” Trump said, ending the speech by saying that Iranians “deserve a nation that does justice to their dreams, honor to their history and glory to God.”

If that doesn’t sound like an endorsement of regime change, it’s hard to imagine what does.

***

***

RT

Open rebellion? Europe signals patience drying up as US re-imposes harmful Iran sanctions

May 12, 2018

© Russell Cheyne /

Reuters

Europeans are angry over the latest US-imposed set of sanctions harming EU interests in the wake of Donald Trump quitting the Iran nuclear deal. The EU needs to decide whether to finally stand up for itself, analysts told RT.

Aside from imperiling a landmark international accord and endangering regional and global security, the US pull-out from the 2015 agreement with Iran will have crushing economic consequences for Europe. French, German and UK firms stand to lose billions of euros in investments and trade if they are forced to comply with the sanctions that will be re-imposed and expanded now that the US is no longer a signatory of the nuclear deal.

Now, facing the ruinous economic and political fallout from Washington’s unwillingness to honor its agreements, Europe has signaled that it may choose to pursue its own interests – as opposed to obediently swallowing what the US dictates.

‘Crucial turning point for Europe’

“At the moment, there’s a lot of anger in Europe about [US President Donald] Trump and the way he’s pulled out of the Iranian nuclear deal. European politicians are reacting to that anger,” journalist Neil Clark told RT. He noted that Europe faced a similar predicament following the 2014 Ukraine crisis, when the Barack Obama administration rolled out sanctions aimed at Russia. Back then, Europe went along with the sanctions that “were clearly not in the interest of EU nations,” but now the discontent seems to have reached the boiling point. “The key thing is: What actions will follow?” Clark notes.

It remains unclear whether Brussels will take matters into its own hands – even as top European officials are making highly critical statements about their American allies. The loudest has probably come from Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, who, on Wednesday, suggested that the EU should “replace” the US in the global arena.

“At this point, we have to replace the United States which as an international actor has lost vigor, and because of it, in the long-term, influence,” Juncker said, accusing Washington of being unwilling “to cooperate with other parts of the world.” For now, the top Eurocrat offered no actual roadmap leading to the bloc’s superpower status that could rival the US.

Federica Mogherini, the EU’s foreign affairs chief, was more cautious in her State of the Union speech on Friday, but she stressed that the EU is “determined” to work and deliver on the Iran nuclear deal.

“I know that this is not the mood of our times. It seems that screaming, shouting, insulting and bullying, systematically destroying and dismantling everything that is already in place, is the mood of our times,”Mogherini said, without pointing her finger at anyone in particular, adding that “the secret of change… is to put all energies not in destroying the old, but rather in building the new.” When reacting to Trump’s decision Tuesday, she also pointed out that “the nuclear deal is not a bilateral agreement and it is not in the hands of any single country to terminate it unilaterally.”

France, which was apparently among those countries trying to talk Trump out of quitting the deal, did not hide its bitter disappointment. Reacting to Washington’s threats to penalize countries that continue dealing with Iran, French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire hit at the “vassal” status of France and other European states when it comes to economic affairs with the US.

“Do we want the United States to be the economic policeman of the planet? Or do we Europeans say that we have economic interests, we want to continue to trade with Iran as part of a strategic agreement?” le Maire asked in a Friday interview. “Do we want to be vassals who obey decisions taken by the United States while clinging to the hem of their trousers?” the minister fumed.

He added that “it’s time for all European states to open their eyes.” The stinging comments are particularly remarkable because Paris has previously opted to acquiesce to draconian sanctions. An $8.9-billion fine was imposed by the US on French bank BNP for doing business with Iran. In 2014, the bank agreed to pay the fine to avoid being tried in court for violating US sanctions.

“Things are being said now in Europe which have not been said for a long time,” John Laughland, an Oxford-educated historian and specialist in international affairs, told RT. He believes, however, that, so far, the protest statements coming from Europe appear to be empty rhetoric. “I’m waiting to see if the rhetoric translates into anything real.”

“This is a crucial turning point now in Europe’s history – whether a new independent Europe will emerge from this,” Clark said. “It’s time for action. Is Europe ready for the role? Of course it’s ready. It’s always been ready. It just needs the leadership to say to American: ‘No, we’re going to look after our own interests,’” he said.

“Until we see European companies, and European governments actively opposing the United States, we won’t be able to conclude that there’s been a real change,” Laughland argued.

Warning to Germany: a step too far for Washington?

Earlier this week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel assured Iranian President Hassan Rouhani of Berlin’s full support for maintaining the nuclear deal, provided that Tehran continues to abide by its terms. German-Iran trade stands at 3 billion euros annually. While it’s but a fraction compared to Germany’s other trade partners, exports to Iran have seen a 50 percent increase since sanctions were lifted as a result of the 2015 nuclear deal, and German companies are not at all happy at the prospects of scaling back trade or having to dodge new US sanctions.

Adding fuel to fire were comments made by the US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell just hours after Trump announced the move on Tuesday. The newly-minted ambassador tweeted that German companies should “wind down” in Iran or risk being targeted by sanctions.

“US Sanctions will target critical sectors of Iran’s economy,” Grenell said.“German companies doing business in Iran should wind down operations immediately.”

According to Clark, the Twitter gaffe showed Washington’s true colors – and provides yet another reason for Europe to pursue its own independent economic and foreign policies.

“This isn’t 1945, it’s 2018,” Clark said. “It shows how arrogant the US has been towards Europe.”

German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier has stated that the German government will do everything it can to “minimize the negative consequences” of US sanctions, describing Berlin’s strategy going forward as “damage limitation.”

And while the German government has conceded that it may not be able to shield German companies that do business in Iran from US sanctions, German business leaders say there’s always a workaround. Michael Tockuss, who is with the German-Iran Chamber of Commerce Association in Hamburg, commented after the US sanctions were announced that German businesses will find a way to keep their doors open in Iran.

“Even during the sanctions time, there was business between Europe and Iran,” Tockuss noted during an interview with Marketplace. “The backbone of trade between Germany and Iran is done by these small and medium companies in the field of machinery and plant manufacturers. And these companies, they have a different risk calculation than international big operating companies. A lot of them, they don't have set ups in the United States and they are not as frightened as international operating companies. As long as there is a legal basis according to German and European law, I can guarantee you these companies will continue to do business with Iran.”

Adding Turkey to the mix

NATO ally and long-time EU member hopeful Turkey has also taken a stand against the US sanctions. Iran is a major trading partner for Ankara, and, considering the less than stellar condition of US-Turkey relations, it’s not difficult to imagine Turkey ignoring Washington’s orders. Already, Turkey’s leaders have signaled their displeasure with Trump’s pull-out.

“We don’t need new crises in the region,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip said in an interview with CNN, warning the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal could have regional, as well as global, repercussions.

Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci has outright called the situation with Iran an “opportunity.”

“The US decision on sanctions against Iran is an opportunity for Turkey. I will continue to trade with Iran, observing the terms of UN resolutions,” the minister said.

Erdogan reportedly doubled-down on Turkey’s economic commitment to Tehran in a conversation Wednesday with Rouhani. Bilateral trade between the two neighbors was around $10 billion in 2016, but they have since committed themselves to expanding trade to $35 billion. Given that Turkey and Iran have also been closely working politically in the Syrian peace process, trying to drive a wedge between the two could have the opposite effect for the US.

Power vs international law?

Even if the EU chooses to honor its international agreements, how will the bloc enforce its will without the vast military power of the United States at its disposal?

“Perhaps this crisis in the beginning of a change, but we mustn’t underestimate the difficulty of there being a real change in the international system. Because the realities of power are that the United States has military bases all over Western Europe, its military spending, as everybody knows, is as much as the next seven countries put together,”Laughland said. “This is a gigantic imbalance of power, and military power of course translates into political power.”

He added: “The Europeans to say that they want to liberate themselves from American hegemony, that’s a message that I’m very happy to hear, personally, but it really does require actions to prove it. It requires very substantial action. And I’m not convinced that those actions are possible. And the reason why I’m not convinced, is that however much I may disapprove of Trump’s decision, the fact is that he thinks in terms of power. The Europeans think in terms of international law.”

Laughland said that international law doesn’t mean much when you are powerless. “We know that Merkel, Macron and Boris Johnson all went to Washington to try to prevent this from happening, and they failed. So that is a demonstration of their lack of power,” he said.

***

RT

Foot in mouth: Japanese PM served dessert in a shoe at Netanyahu dinner

May 8, 2018

Japanese leader Shinzo Abe and his wife were dished up dessert in a shoe during dinner at the Israeli prime minister’s residence.The culturally offensive move has been slammed by diplomats from both countries.

“This was a stupid and insensitive decision,” a senior Israeli diplomat who had previously served in Japan told newspaper Yediot Aharonot. “It is equivalent to serving a Jewish guest chocolates in a dish shaped like a pig,” he said, adding “there is nothing more despised in Japanese culture than shoes.”

“No culture puts shoes on the table,” a Japanese diplomat told the Hebrew newspaper. “If this is meant to be humor, we do not find it funny. I can tell you that we are offended for our prime minister,” the diplomat said.

Abe and his wife dined with Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu on May 2, during Abe’s second official visit to Israel. The meal was prepared by Israeli celebrity chef Segev Moshe.

In a photo shared on Moshe’s Instagram page the shoes can be seen laid on placemats on the table as the Prime Ministers and their wives pose for the camera, apparently unperturbed by the cultural faux pas.

Another post by the celebrity chef explains that the shoe is made of metal and shows the chocolate praline selection inside.

The odd choice of dessert bowl substitute didn’t only baffle diplomats, with many social media users also expressing their bewilderment at the concept.

“What a stupid idea, shoes at the table!!” one commenter wrote. “So you knowingly served the Japanese prime minister a dessert in a shoe. First that isn't creative. Secondly it's offensive. What are you smoking?” another added.

While few cultures would appreciate having an actual shoe on the table, this goes double for Japanese etiquette, where street footwear is not permitted inside at all. People do not wear shoes in the home or the office and visitors are expected to comply by removing their footwear before entering inside.

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SUNDAY EXPRESS

EU CIVIL WAR: Hungary promises to bring Brussels to its knees by BLOCKING bloc's budget

HUNGARIAN prime minister Viktor Orban has threatened to bring the European Union to its knees by refusing to back the bloc’s latest budget proposals.

Mr Orban told Hungarians they “should not worry” about Brussels’ proposal to tie the distribution of EU funds to respect for rule of law.

Hungary is one of the bloc’s largest beneficiary of so-called cohesion funds, which are designed to help bridge the gap between the Continent’s richer and poorer nations.

However, the European Commission’s new proposals for its post-2020 cohesion budget includes a series of conditions for eligibility, including rule of law compliance and applying more restrictions on how EU funds can be used.

The Commission proposed the introduction of a “conditionality” mechanism, which would allow Brussels to withdraw and even cut off funding to countries deemed not to be respecting the rule of law or the bloc’s fundamental visions.

Budapest will likely fall short on the bloc’s new funding criteria, but Mr Orban has vowed to bring the EU’s budget crashing down unless change is secured.

He said: “This will be a long debate and series of negotiations.

“In the end there will have to be unanimity.

“Hungarians should not worry, there will be no budget until Hungarians say it is a go.”

The country’s foreign minister Peter Szijjarto accused the EU of “blackmail” after the details of the bloc’s Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021-2027.

He said: “There are treaties in force in the European Union that clearly specify the rights and obligations of EU member states.

“We do not agree with any proposal that would provide the potential for blackmail of anyone with regard to the payment of EU funds that are due to be given to countries based on the treaties.”

Budapest’s foreign minister refused to consider the funds as a form of “humanitarian aid” given to the EU’s poorer members.

Mr Szijjarto added: “We have opened up our marks and Western European companies have pocketed enormous profits in Central European markets.

“This is not a one-way street that those in the West are being good lads and give us EU funds.

“This is a two-way street and everybody must meet their commitments.”

***

RT

Frantic attempts to avoid enormous blast as lava approaches chemicals stored at Hawaii power plant

May 11, 2018

© Terray Sylvester / Reuters

The relentlessly advancing lava from the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii is now closing in on a geothermal power plant, prompting a frantic scramble to move tens of thousands of gallons of highly flammable chemicals.

Hawaii Governor David Ige revealed that an emergency task force is removing large amounts of pentane from the Puna Geothermal Venture plant after a new fissure opened up approximately half a mile from the facility on Wednesday. It was estimated that an enormous explosion with a blast radius of approximately a mile (1.6 kilometers) could be unleashed if the fluid ignites.

Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. It has forced the evacuation of around 2,000 residents and destroyed more than 36 buildings since it started erupting last Thursday.

A total of 15 new fissures have appeared on Hawaii’s Big Island since the eruption began. Geologists have warned that it may now be entering a more violent phase of explosive eruptions, the likes of which Hawaii has not seen in nearly a century.

The USCG says they are unable to predict the duration and impact of the explosions and whether they are imminent, as these kinds of natural events “provide very little warning.”

"As more fissures open and toxic gas exposure increases, the potential of a larger scale evacuation increases,” Ige said in a tweet on Wednesday evening.

/ Reuters / © USGS

"A mass evacuation of the lower Puna District would be beyond current county and state capabilities, and would quickly overwhelm our collective resources,” he said, adding in a separate post that he has signed a request for federal disaster assistance.

There have been a number of powerful earthquakes since the volcano started erupting, and authorities are warning of the danger of sulfur dioxide as Kilauea releases the noxious gas into the atmosphere. Sulfur dioxide causes coughing and a burning sensation in the throat and can even be fatal in high concentrations.

Kilauea is the youngest and southeastern-most volcano on the Big Island. It has actually been erupting continuously since 1983, however, its previous activity was largely confined to remote parts of the coastline.

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Ready Nutrition

The Amazing Health Benefits of Ginkgo Biloba

Jeremiah Johnson

April 30, 2018

We’re going to cover Ginkgo biloba, a very well-rounded herb with an ancient and time-tested past. Ginkgo (as it’s commonly known as) has been used for thousands of years in China. It has been known in the West for only a short time. When Nixon opened relations with China back in the 1970’s, Ginkgo was “discovered” by Westerners for the first time. Even this happened on a fluke, or more accurately, an appendicitis.

James Reston, the vice-president of the New York Times visited Beijing in 1971, where he came down with acute appendicitis and required surgery to survive. The Chinese surgeons used acupuncture and herbs to help him recover. It was this event that brought traditional Chinese medicine to the forefront of America’s focus. Ginkgo has its roots (no pun intended) in Chinese herbal medicine, where it is a cornerstone of Chinese traditional healing methods. Ginkgo has come to be recognized for its qualities in the West, as well.

Ginkgo itself is one of the oldest known plant species that survives, and it was around in most parts of the earth in the age of the dinosaurs. It is literally a “living fossil,” meaning that the fossil record clearly shows ginkgo existed back then, as it does now. After the Ice Age, the plant only survived in Asia. It is actually a tree and is cultivated by the Chinese, who have been using it for almost 5,000 years to help restore memory and mental status, and to help with respiratory problems.

How Ginko Biloba Can Enhance Your Health

In Europe, it is prescribed to combat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and Dementia. It improves circulation to every portion of the body, including the brain. Ginkgo also helps to maintain the elasticity and suppleness of the veins and arteries of the circulatory system. The herb also reduces clotting, an important quality for people who have a higher than usual tendency toward clotting. Ginkgo also prevents the interaction of free radicals with neurotransmitters.

What this means is that your brain works through a series of “firings” of electrical impulses, transmitted along a complex “circuitry system” of your neural pathways. These pathways have neurotransmitters (such as Acetylcholine, for one) that “connect” these pathways and enable the transmission of the electrical impulses (and thus thoughts) to and through the brain. Free radicals are the result of excess oxidation at the cellular level and are responsible for the aging process. A free radical is a reactive molecule or atom that is “missing” an electron and leaves it unbalanced. It takes that electron back…from another atom or molecule. The free radical kills healthy cells with this scavenging process.

Ginkgo is an antioxidant. It has extra electrons, and when it comes into contact with the free radical, it gives one of these electrons to the free radical and neutralizes it. This concept is important in relation to brain function, where impairment by free radicals and excess oxidization leads to Alzheimer’s disease. Ginkgo also helps the eyes, ears, and respiratory system in a similar fashion, and especially the latter, where the circulatory system runs hand-in-hand with the breathing. Want some more? Ginkgo also protects against UV (Ultraviolet) light exposure.

Want even more?

Soviet scientists found that Ginkgo biloba fights free radicals and cellular degeneration caused by radiation exposure…results from patients at Chernobyl.

How’s that for a super-happy-prepper herb? Especially in light of the fact that North Korea is threatening the United States with a nuclear attack. Ginkgo has been found to counteract the cumulative effects of radiation.

Ginkgo Biloba Extract:

To make a tincture, place 150g of dried ginkgo leaves or 400g of fresh ginkgo leaves in a jar and cover with 500ml of vodka. Cover and store in a dark place for 4 weeks, shaking the jar daily. After 4 weeks, strain the mixture, pressing all liquid from the ginkgo. Stored in a glass bottle, this will keep for up to a year.

For those who wish to avoid consuming alcohol, ginkgo tea is very simple to make. Simply add 1 cup of boiling water to 1 teaspoon of dried ginkgo or 1 tablespoon of fresh ginkgo. Allow to stand for several minutes, then sweeten as desired. The disadvantage to taking ginkgo in tea form is that the required dosage is much higher – 2-3 cups per day, rather than the 1-3 teaspoons of tincture. Alternatively, ginkgo capsules are available from health stores. Source

Ginkgo takes 50 lbs. of leaves to make 1 lb. of extract, a standard Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) that contains between 22 -27% ginkgo flavone glycosides (flavonoids), and 5-7% terpene lactones. Flavone glycosides are antioxidants that actually protect cellular membranes from deterioration. Recommended dosages are 120 to 240 mg per day. There can be some side effects in patients with circulatory disorders, therefore everyone should consult with your family doctor prior to using Ginkgo. You can make it a part of your daily supplements as well as your long-term survival supplies. It is an incredible supplement that just may help you to fight that good fight longer and better. JJ out!

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Until next week...keep on believing.
Almondtree Productions

“Begin the song with thanksgiving to the Lord; sing praises on the harp to our God: who covers the heaven with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who causes grass to spring up on the mountains, [and green herb for the service of men;].”
(Psalm 147:7-8)