Impeachment, Kobe, Middle East Non-Peace, And We’re All Gonna Die From A Virus

Ken AshfordBlogging, Ebola/Zika/COVID-19 Viruses, In Passing, L'Affaire Ukraine, Middle East, Personal & Other, Trump & Administration, Trump ImpeachmentLeave a Comment

I was hospitalized for a few days with colon issues. Nothing major and nothing I care to discuss. But boy did I miss a lot. It kind of seems pointless to talk about most of it. Just some small reflections. I’m not much of a basketball fan, but this Kobe Bryant death even shook me. He seemed like one of … Read More

Breaking: US Claims Iranian Anti-Aircraft Missile Shot Down Ukrainian Aircraft Over Tehran

Ken AshfordIran, Iraq, Middle EastLeave a Comment

US officials are now confident Iran shot down a Ukrainian jetliner with 176 people on board. Sources say US intelligence picked detected infrared blips of two missile launches, followed by the blip of an explosion. The Ukrainian jetliner crashed during takeoff in Tehran early Wednesday, killing 176 people — mostly Iranian and Canadian. Somehow, I don’t think the Iranians or … Read More

I Can’t Believe This A-Hole Is President: Part LXVII

Ken AshfordEmoluments Violation, Middle East, Polls, Syria, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

When gently corrected by one of the astronauts about how other women have spacewalked, Donald Trump uses his middle finger to "fix" his hair. How is this even real life? pic.twitter.com/9bnj7XfY1m — Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) October 21, 2019 "We never agreed to protect the Kurds…we never agreed to protect the Kurds for the rest of their lives," Trump said at … Read More

The Cease Fire That Wasn’t

Ken AshfordMiddle East, Russia, Syria, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

So Trump sent this embarrassing letter a couple days ago: Oh my God. A “deal”??? It didn’t go over well in Turkey either Wow. #Erdogan tells news conference the letter sent by @realDonaldTrump telling him not to be a ‘tough guy’ wasn’t in line with diplomatic or political customs. He said they wouldn’t forget the lack of respect. “When the … Read More

Trump’s “America First” Means We Have No Influence Anymore

Ken AshfordMiddle East, Syria, Trump & Administration, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

Donald Trump sure has made the rest of the world respect us: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected a U.S. offer to mediate a cease-firebetween Turkish forces and Kurdish militants in northeastern Syria….“The terrorists should drop their weapons and leave the area that we have identified as the safe zone,” he said in a speech Wednesday to the Turkish parliament. He vowed to press … Read More

Turkey Bombs US Forces, Apparently By Mistake

Ken AshfordMiddle East, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

War is messy. War is unpredictable. An unstable peace is prefereable to a war. And this is why: A contingent of U.S. Special Forces has been caught up in Turkish shelling against U.S.-backed Kurdish positions in northern Syria. Newsweek has learned through both an Iraqi Kurdish intelligence official and senior Pentagon official that Special Forces operating in the Mashtenour hill … Read More

Turkey Now Heading Into Syria

Ken AshfordMiddle East, Syria, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Sorry Kurds. A bad situation in Northeast Syria is about to get much worse. Sources say that US officials have just informed the Syrian Kurds that Turkey is likely to attack on air and ground in next 24 hours. The United States, per Trmp’s ill-advised pullout, will do nothing. Targets are Tal Abyad and Ras al Ayn. Ironically Tal Abyad … Read More

Putin’s Poolboy Reverses US Policy On Turkey

Ken AshfordMiddle East, Syria, Trump & Administration, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

He didn’t consult allies. He didn’t consult Congress – even Republicans. I’m not sure he even consulted his advisers. But I’ll give dollars to donuts he talked to Putin about this. This morning, Americans woke to this… out of the blue: So President Trump has given his endorsement for a Turkish military operation that would sweep away American-backed Kurdish forces … Read More

Our Next Conflict In The Middle East?

Ken AshfordIran, Middle East, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Two oil fields in Saudi Arabia were attacked on Saturday. In short, A drone strike was said to have knocked out half of the Saudis’ daily oil production. The Houthi rebel group in Yemen assumed responsibility, but many were doubtful. Trump, exhibiting an embarrassing toadie-ism, tweeted: Saudi Arabia oil supply was attacked. There is reason to believe that we know … Read More

The Real Collusion May Be With Saudi Arabia

Ken AshfordMiddle East, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

It’s becoming clear that the Trump Administration came into being seeing the United States as an asset for sale. NBC: Whistleblowers from within President Donald Trump’s National Security Council have told a congressional committee that efforts by former national security adviser Michael Flynn to transfer sensitive nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia may have violated the law, and investigators fear Trump is still considering it, … Read More

ISIS Not Defeated

Ken AshfordMiddle East, Syria, Trump & Administration, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

NBC News reports: U.S. service members were among those killed by an explosion in Syria on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the coalition fighting the Islamic State group said. Earlier, a senior Kurdish security official told NBC News that members of the U.S.-led coalition were caught up in a blast at a market in the northern city of Manbij. The official could … Read More

Crazy Days

Ken AshfordGeneral corruption, L'Affaire Russe, Middle East, Stormy Daniels & Karen McDougal Affairs, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

It’s impossible to keep up with the news anymore. Here is just today: Donald Trump’s inauguration committee is under investigation. Apparently they managed to spend twice as much as any other recent president for an inaugural celebration that was half the size of any other recent president. Maria Butina pleaded guilty to infiltrating the NRA on behalf of Russia. Trump is now on … Read More

Trump Gives MBS A Thanksgiving Pardon

Ken AshfordCrime, Middle East, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

BREAKING: Trump says he’s taking no new punitive measures against Saudi Arabia over the killing of US-based Saudi columnist. — The Associated Press (@AP) November 20, 2018 Trump on MBS/Khashoggi: “Our intelligence agencies continue to assess all information, but it could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event – maybe he did and maybe … Read More

Trump Administration Tries To Cover For Saudis

Ken AshfordForeign Affairs, Middle East, Trump & Administration, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

If Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Riyadh to read the Riot Act to Saudi rulers over the apparent murder of Jamal Khashoggi, he hid it well behind cheery smiles and professions of amity. But then outrage has been conspicuously absent from the Trump administration in the two weeks since Mr. Khashoggi entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, never to be … Read More

Breaking: Saudis Admit To Killing Khashoggi: Said It Was An Accident

Ken AshfordMiddle East, Trump & Administration, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

It looks like the Saudi prince is trying to clear his name by throwing certain operatives under a bus. Source tells NYT the Saudis are preparing to describe a scenario that would protect MBS from blame. The source said the royal court would soon put out a narrative that an official within the kingdom's intel services carried out the killing … Read More