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After PM May, Rutte's Friendship w Trump | 27 comments (27 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
German Interests and Ursula Von der Leyen (none / 1)
Bavaria, the seat of Merkels sister party right-wing CSU and the bosses of German's auto industry ...

○ Incoming EU chief von der Leyen says 'we don't want a hard Brexit' | Reuters |
○ Germany's von der Leyen supports Brexit extension | DW |
○ Von der Leyen: EU could trigger emergency funding to protect countries hit by a no-deal Brexit | Politico !

Related reading ...

○ The Free State of Bavaria and its party: the CSU
○ Germany's Greens hit poll high, ahead of Merkel's bloc: survey
○ What Amsterdam's First Green, Female Mayor Means for the City

A Green Wave in Western Europe is only possible by positive economic news ... get rid of Trump and the universal U.S. sanctions and economic warfare to push capitalism of greed.

Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act and Nord Stream II - targeting German firms ...

○ U.S. warns German companies of possible sanctions over Russian pipeline

○ Von der Leyen's Green Deal isn't just a plan for the environment

The Dutch with long-time serving PM Rutte at the helm is missing out on progressive issues and the environment - TIME FOR CHANGE!

The Dutch not meeting the EU standard on emissions and air quality while permitting Schiphol Airport to expand! Not even mentioning the expansion of Lelystad airport for holiday flights.

by Oui on Fri Jul 19th, 2019 at 07:49:40 AM EST
Re: Ursula Von der Leyen (4.00 / 2)
I'm only catching up with vdL's PR since Monday. She's quite a piece of work. All things to all people--minus a proverbial "nose for wine". One extra-terrestrial landing my think she'd just been elected queing of the EU.

A predilection to please, to over compensate for sketchy competence in the EC, might or might not prove problematic for the Clowncil. < reckless eyeballing > Where's Selmayr?

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.

by Cat on Fri Jul 19th, 2019 at 09:17:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Ursula Von der Leyen (none / 1)
Part of the deal between EU leaders ...
< Selmayr resigned >
by Oui on Fri Jul 19th, 2019 at 10:48:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Ursula Von der Leyen (4.00 / 3)
According to Jean Quatremer (article in French):

  1. Selmayr's departure was demanded by heads of state/government at the 2 July European Council. Why? Juncker had practically handed over the reins of power to Selmayr, who had become acting ComPres. And

  2. Selmayr crossed a red line when, end of June, he agitated against Timmermans by stirring up the V4 + Romania + Croatia against him, and in favour of his candidate, Croatian PM Plenkovic; and also

  3. VdL wanted him immediately out after he arranged feeble advisers for her in preparation for the EP group hearings she blew, at the same time as he was working the EP against her, still hoping to end up with Plenkovic as ComPres.


Things are going to slide, slide in all directions
Won't be nothing
Nothing you can measure anymore
L. Cohen
by john_evans (john(dot)evans(dot)et(at)gmail(dot)com) on Sat Jul 20th, 2019 at 07:39:27 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Ursula Von der Leyen (none / 0)
All very good reasons to bounce him out sooner rather than later.  What is he being relegated to?  If in fact he is being relegated.
by rifek on Sun Jul 21st, 2019 at 01:20:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Ursula Von der Leyen (4.00 / 2)
If any of that is even half true, he had to go, because he had breached the red line between a supposed public servant and an insider political operative. Perhaps he's not quite as smart as he thought and a job in the "private sector" beckons...

Index of Frank's Diaries
by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot male dotty communists) on Sun Jul 21st, 2019 at 07:52:50 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Ursula Von der Leyen (4.00 / 3)
Again according to Quatremer (well-informed but hardly objective), some would wish to shoehorn Selmayr into a controlling position at the ECB behind Lagarde (so to speak). Quatremer thinks (rightly, imo) that Lagarde is too tough an old bird to put up with that. He says Selmayr is being temporarily set up as chief of the Commission's offices in Vienna, at the same salary level as in Brussels (17K€ a month).

Things are going to slide, slide in all directions
Won't be nothing
Nothing you can measure anymore
L. Cohen
by john_evans (john(dot)evans(dot)et(at)gmail(dot)com) on Sun Jul 21st, 2019 at 09:40:06 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Ad: Am Looking for a New Position (4.00 / 4)
A heartfelt endorsement from a key Commission official ...

Wanted: New Job for Martin Selmayr | Politico |

POLITICO has obtained this letter of recommendation written on Selmayr's behalf as part of the severance package.

    To whom it may concern,

    I have worked with Martin Selmayr over the last five years and can highly recommend him as a valuable addition to your team. In fact, once you hire Martin, you won't even need the rest of the team.

    With most new employees, you expect a certain period of getting-up-to-speed and learning-the-ropes. This is not an issue with Martin. Before his contract is even signed, he'll be running the place.

    What are his strengths and weaknesses?

    Strengths: Martin is an energetic self-starter who doesn't take No for an answer -- even from himself.

    His attention to detail is talked about in hushed tones in the Berlaymont. Just about everyone in the Commission could count on him to add track changes to whatever speech or piece of legislation or internal memo they were working on. They didn't even have to ask for help -- or for the Bertelsmann angle they hadn't previously considered.

    [...]

More @ #selmayr

In preparation for #EPplenary and vote, Ursula #vonderLeyen has presented a list of commitments to S&D - here .

by Oui on Sun Jul 21st, 2019 at 10:41:04 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Did you check all the rooms? (none / 1)
MWAHAHAHAHAAHAH

Diversity is the key to economic and political evolution.
by Cat on Sat Jul 20th, 2019 at 09:09:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: German Interests and Ursula Von der Leyen (4.00 / 3)
Setting the record straight ... Merkel explains what Ursula Von der Leyen meant when "offering" a Brexit extension beyond Oct. 31, 2019 to the UK ...

    The German chief mentioned she understood Ms Von der Leyen had recommended she would take into account extending the Brexit deadline if Britain requested it.

    Ms Merkel said: "The way I understand it is that Ursula von der Leyen said if there is the wish for more time coming from the UK she will grant it.

    "That's how we acted in the past already. If the UK needs more time we will give it to them, if not then that's OK."

by Oui on Sat Jul 20th, 2019 at 09:06:27 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: German Interests and Ursula Von der Leyen (4.00 / 3)
Didn't BoJo pledge to leave the EU by October 31, rain or shine?

If the UK is determined to leave, even without a deal, the EU cannot force them to another extension.

Then again, Boris has flipped-flopped more times than your average Brussels waffle; might very well pull something else out of his, er, hat.

by Bernard on Sat Jul 20th, 2019 at 10:11:49 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: German Interests and Ursula Von der Leyen (4.00 / 2)
In the footsteps of Farage, Trump, Brexit ... what is another lie? Offering an opportunity to prepare further for leaving w/o a deal.


London protest today

by Oui on Sat Jul 20th, 2019 at 10:27:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: German Interests and Ursula Von der Leyen (none / 1)
In our post-modern world, does anything even qualify as a lie anymore?
by rifek on Sun Jul 21st, 2019 at 01:22:43 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: German Interests and Ursula Von der Leyen (4.00 / 3)
No.

And that's the truth.

Things are going to slide, slide in all directions
Won't be nothing
Nothing you can measure anymore
L. Cohen

by john_evans (john(dot)evans(dot)et(at)gmail(dot)com) on Sun Jul 21st, 2019 at 07:14:29 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Tit-For-Tat :: British Tanker Seized (none / 1)
PM Theresa May leads COBRA meeting over incident with Iran in Strait of Hormuz ...

Iran claims to have seized British oil tanker in strait of Hormuz | The Guardian |

Iran's Revolutionary Guards claim to have seized a British oil tanker, the Stena Impero, which suddenly veered off course and headed into Iranian waters.

The ship's owners issued a statement saying it had been "approached by unidentified small crafts and a helicopter during transit of the Strait of Hormuz while the vessel was in international waters."

"We are presently unable to contact the vessel which is now heading north towards Iran," the owners, Stena Bulk, and the ship's managers, Northern Marine, said in the statement.

The UK ministry of defence said it was urgently looking into what had happened to the Stena Impero, a 30,000 tonne British-flagged ship, which was heading for Saudi Arabia when it abruptly left the international sea lanes through the strait of Hormuz and tracking data showed it heading north towards the Iranian island of Qeshm, where the Iran's Revolutionary Guard has a substantial base.  

○ British flagged tanker seized by Iran | UK Defence Journal |
○ IRGC says captures British oil tanker in Strait of Hormuz | PressTV - Iran |

Related reading ...

○ Iran nuclear deal at threat over UK seizure of oil tanker in Gibraltar | The Independent |
○ Iran threatens to seize UK ship over Gibraltar incident | DW |

by Oui on Fri Jul 19th, 2019 at 06:44:32 PM EST
Iran Seizes 2nd Crude Oil Tanker (none / 1)

○ Mesdar Liberia crude oil tanker - tracker

British foreign minister 'extremely concerned' by Iran's seizure of two tankers in the Strait of Hormuz | CNBC |

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he is concerned by the seizure of two ships by Iranian authorities in the Strait of Hormuz, and the U.K. is attempting to resolve the situation in Tehran and with international partners.

"I'm extremely concerned by the seizure of two naval vessels by Iranian authorities in the Strait of Hormuz," said Hunt.

"I will shortly attend a COBRA meeting to review what we know and what we can do to swiftly secure the release of the two vessels -- a British-flagged vessel and a Liberian-flagged vessel."

○ "I like him. I like Boris Johnson. I spoke to him yesterday," Trump.

by Oui on Fri Jul 19th, 2019 at 08:46:31 PM EST
Re: Iran Seizes 2nd Crude Oil Tanker (4.00 / 5)
Liberia? Do we have a defense treaty with them? If not, shouldn't we let the Liberian navy deal with this, instead of letting these tax evaders free-ride on us?
by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Sat Jul 20th, 2019 at 07:31:08 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: Iran Released MV Mesdar Oil Tanker (none / 1)
Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency and the vessel's operator, Norbulk Shipping UK, said guards had seized and boarded the British-operated Mesdar briefly in the Strait of Hormuz. Fars said the ship was given notice to comply with environmental regulations, then allowed to continue on its way.
by Oui on Sat Jul 20th, 2019 at 08:30:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Re: After PM May, Rutte's Friendship w Trump (4.00 / 3)
Missed out on top EU job ...

David Lidington revealed that a senior EU official made a secret offer to the UK to put Brexit on hold for five years and negotiate a "new deal for Europe".

○ EU officials don't relish the idea of no deal - but they are prepared to play hardball | The Guardian Opinion - Charles Grant |
○ EU picks divided how to handle Brexit | FT |

Boris will lead the UK next week in the North Atlantic aggression against Iran? Circling the wagons with the NATO emblem.

by Oui on Sat Jul 20th, 2019 at 09:09:36 AM EST
Cohesion in Washington DC (4.00 / 2)
by Oui on Sat Jul 20th, 2019 at 09:11:01 AM EST
Re: After PM May, Rutte's Friendship w Trump (4.00 / 4)
the joint press conference with President Trump dwarfed all Dutch talking points

The only thing you could see on TV was Trump talking about the Iranians and the tankers. I then idly looked at the flunkies surrounding him and, well, isn't that Mark Rutte on the right? And isn't there a Dutch flag blending in the background (just like the hapless PM)?

This was unlucky timing for Rutte, but had he read Kim Darroch's "6 ways to manipulate Trump"? The D-Day battle flag was way too subtle.

by Bernard on Sat Jul 20th, 2019 at 10:52:41 AM EST
After Brexit, Britain's Increased 'Lethailty' (none / 0)
Don't kid yourselves, the world ruled by the military and intelligence community of nations, not the U.N. Security Council or General Assembly. Is there a guardian for human rights?

○ British government invites Saudi Arabia to world's largest arms fair despite court ruling sales are unlawful

Piracy on the coast of Gibraltar ...

○ The detention of an Iranian oil tanker is a test case for Western hypocrisy about the global order | SCMP |
○ HM Government of Gibraltar announces the extension of the detained Grace 1 | News GI - July 19, 2019 |

    Her Majesty's Government of Gibraltar can confirm that, at a private meeting of the Supreme Court on an application by the Attorney General, the Court has extended the period of detention of the vessel, Grace 1, for a further 30 days and has set a new hearing for 15 August 2019.

The Iranian super tanker Grace 1 carried two million barrels of crude oil when entered by British Marines.

○ How Trump's arch-hawk lured Britain into a dangerous trap to punish Iran | The Guardian Opinion |  

○ Iran official calls tanker seizure 'reciprocal'; FM: Vessel broke maritime rules | Times of Israel |

As expected, the tit-for-tat ...

Jeremy Hunt set to freeze Iran assets after it taunts UK over seized tanker | The Telegraph / Reuters |

Ministers are drawing up plans to target the Iranian regime with sanctions after its forces seized a British-flagged tanker in the Gulf.

Jeremy Hunt is expected to use a Commons statement on Sunday to announce a package of diplomatic and economic measures, including possible asset freezes, in response to the capture of the Stena Impero.

The UK could also push for European Union and United Nations sanctions to be reimposed on the regime after they were lifted in 2016 as part of a deal on Iran's nuclear programme, which saw  billions of dollars of assets unfrozen and allowed the country's oil to be sold internationally.

Related reading ...

○ UK Foreign Minister Hunt: Syria's Assad Will Be Around for a While | Jan. 2019 |
○ Jeremy Hunt rebuked by EU after Soviet prison comparison
○ Brexit represents an opportunity for Britain to boost its global military standing and "enhance our lethality"
○ British Royal Navy in ports around the globe, renewal of Empire

by Oui on Sun Jul 21st, 2019 at 08:24:56 AM EST
Re: After Brexit, Britain's Increased 'Lethailty' (none / 0)
Telegraph story getting bigger ...

○ Britain mulls sanctions in response to Iran tanker seizure, report says | France24 |

by Oui on Sun Jul 21st, 2019 at 06:29:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]
COBRA: Iran Beyond Theresa May (none / 0)
The first two sessions were COBR meetings, today PM May chaired a COBRA meeting ...

○ Britain calls emergency meeting to weigh response to Iran's tanker seizure | France24 |

UK to seek European maritime mission to counter Iran's 'piracy' | The Guardian - 1 hr ago |

The British foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has proposed a European-led maritime protection force in the Gulf - spurning separate American plans for a US-led force to protect commercial shipping from Iranian interference.

Speaking to MPs, Hunt said the maritime security force would protect crew and cargo from what he described as "wholly illegal acts of state piracy by Iran".

[...]

In a sign of how the operation has been scrambled together in the past 48 hours, Hunt said he would be speaking to his European allies, and others later in the week to discuss how the operation might work.

Hunt admitted the US had first requested the UK to contribute to a US-led maritime protection force on 24 June leading to a formal request on 30 June.

There were signs that his decision, a big geo-strategic call in favour of Europe's continued support for the nuclear deal, may not prove popular with Atlanticist supporters of the expected incoming prime minister, Boris Johnson.

○ Royal Marines seize Iranian supertanker suspected of carrying oil to Syria | The Guardian - July 4, 2019 |

    White House national security adviser John Bolton welcomed the seizure of the ship. "Excellent news: UK has detained the supertanker Grace I laden with Iranian oil bound for Syria in violation of EU sanctions," Bolton tweeted. "America & our allies will continue to prevent regimes in Tehran & Damascus from profiting off this illicit trade."

Over one year ago, Trump and U.S. Congress beating the war drums ...

○ Trump's hawks ramp up campaign to shred last part of Iran nuclear deal | Politico - June 27, 2019 |
○ Trump Challenges Europeans Over Iran Deal | Arms Control - Nov. 2018 |
○ Israel's PM Office Claims Victory In Iran Nuclear Deal Defeat linked in diary of May 3, 2018

My earlier diary ...

○ Coalition of the Willing Against Iran: US Justice Dept, Ungar, UANI and Mossad by Oui @EuroTrib on Aug. 2, 2014

Website United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI)

by Oui on Mon Jul 22nd, 2019 at 06:45:35 PM EST
Spurn me and I'll spurn you (4.00 / 2)
The UK must be responsible for the safety of its own ships in the Gulf, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has said.

His remarks reflect unresolved tensions between Britain and the US over Donald Trump's plans for a US-led military convoy to protect international shipping operating off the Iranian coast.



Things are going to slide, slide in all directions
Won't be nothing
Nothing you can measure anymore
L. Cohen
by john_evans (john(dot)evans(dot)et(at)gmail(dot)com) on Mon Jul 22nd, 2019 at 08:23:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Relationship Rutte / Macron at a Low (none / 1)
Mark Rutte and Emmanuel Macron aren't friends at the moment ...

I spoke of Jeroen Dijsselbloem and the IMF vacancy after Lagarde was positioned at the ECB.

○ Dijsselbloem Floated for Top IMF Job by the Dutch Government [cached]
○ Olli Rehn strong candidate for IMF top job

WhoIs Macron's 'compromise' candidate Ms Georgieva from Bulgaria?

○ The Contradictions of Macronism

by Oui on Mon Jul 22nd, 2019 at 10:51:07 PM EST
Re: After PM May, Rutte's Friendship w Trump (none / 1)
Israeli group seeks sale of seized Iranian tanker over damages for Hamas attack | Times of Israel |

An Israeli NGO petitioned Gibraltar's top court Tuesday to sell an impounded Iranian oil tanker to compensate parents of an Israeli child allegedly killed by the Iran-backed Palestinian terror group Hamas.

    Chaya Zissel Braun, a 3-month-old baby killed in a terrorist attack in Jerusalem on October 22, 2014

Shurat HaDin, which wages legal battles worldwide on behalf of terror victims, won a $178.5 million US court judgement against Iran and Syria in 2017 over the death of an American infant killed in an attack in Jerusalem.

The case was filed in a US court because the baby, her parents and grandparents all hold American citizenship.

Shurat Hadin founder Nitzana Darshan-Leitner [link with Mossad - - WikiLeaks] told AFP that the vessel's sale, if ordered by the Gibraltar Supreme Court, would not raise more than a fraction of the District of Columbia District Court's award, but it could pave the way for the seizure of other Iranian assets.

'The New York Times' throws another sop to lovers of Israel | Mondoweiss - Jan. 2015 |

In selecting and filing stories about the conflict, New York Times reporters have to be as politically sensitive as former members of the old Soviet Writers Union: they have to send the right signals to powerful groups that monitor their every move.

That semi-official role helps explain the long profile of a rightwing Israeli lawyer published by Jerusalem bureau chief Jodi Rudoren [NY Times]. The headline lets you know that Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, 40, who pursues cases against attackers and critics of Israel in international fora is something of a loose cannon: "Crusading for Israel in a Way Some Say Is Misguided."

○ New York Times Caves to Anti-Semitism Police, Censors Cartoon

So, an agent provocateur for Israel ...

Break the Gaza Siege | Tikun Olam - Aug. 6, 2008 |

My good friend and peace ally, Shamai Leibowitz, who has defended human rights cases in Israel, has tangled with the legal brains behind this outfit, Nitsana Darshan-Leitner. He writes of her:

       She's a known right-wing lawyer, and a provocateur-cum-media-darling who enjoys harassing and intimidating human rights activists, and actually makes a living off doing that. I've had the privilege of fighting her in court, and she's as fire-and-brimstone as they get.

        Her letter is so full of crap that it causes me to think its only purpose is to attract media attention. I believe that's exactly what FGM needs right now, don't you think? They would do well to publicize this, with a resounding rejoinder, of course, and saying we are proudly abiding by internaional treaties...

○ Shamai Leibowitz leaked FBI's wiretaps of Israeli embassy in effort to stop Iran strike | Mondoweiss - Sept. 6, 2011 |

Today's article in Tikun Olam ...

○ Former Board of Deputies President Calls for Corbyn Assassination

Recent diary about Shurat HaDin ...

○ A Coordinated Attack On Labour and Corbyn

by Oui on Tue Jul 23rd, 2019 at 12:36:05 PM EST

After PM May, Rutte's Friendship w Trump | 27 comments (27 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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