U.S. Has ‘Likely’ Become the World’s Biggest Oil Producer

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The United States may have reclaimed the title of the world’s biggest oil producer sooner than expected.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration said Wednesday that, based on preliminary estimates, America “likely surpassed” Russia in June and August after jumping over Saudi Arabia earlier this year.

If those estimates are right, it would mark the first time since 1973 that the U.S. has led the world in output, according to government figures. (Read more from “U.S. Has ‘Likely’ Become the World’s Biggest Oil Producer” HERE)

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Report Blames Russia for Sonic Attacks

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U.S. personnel assigned to diplomatic missions in Cuba have over the past year or so complained about a “sonic attack” that produces in victims abnormal sensations of sound and pressure. . .

So the FBI, CIA and other agencies have been investigating, and their conclusion is that it may have been Russia using electromagnetic weapons against Americans. . .

“U.S. officials said in July they were still investigating health problems at the U.S. embassy in Cuba, and do not know who or what was behind the mysterious illnesses, which began in 2016 and have affected 26 Americans,” the report said.

“NBC has achieved the seemingly impossible, somehow managing to incorporate mysterious brain-zapping weapons, evidence-free accusations from anonymous U.S. officials, and Russia, into a juicy smorgasbord of journalistic excellence,” the publication said.

“The bombshell report opens with a phrase that every American schoolchild already knows by heart – ‘Russia is likely behind’ – but this is no ordinary, Pulitzer-prize winning morsel of security state stenography. This time, the Russians ‘likely’ targeted U.S. diplomats stationed in Cuba and China with a powerful brain-altering weapon (which has yet to be identified/confirmed to actually exist), resulting in various injuries, ranging from hearing loss to ‘problems with cognition.’” (Read more from “Report Blames Russia for Sonic Attacks” HERE)

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Police Dept. Mocked for Asking Citizens to Report Crimes Like ‘Offensive or Insulting Comments’

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Not only do police in the U.K. remove screwdrivers and scissors during a “weapons sweep,” they also ask their fellow citizens to report on “hate crimes,” like “offensive or insulting comments.”

In a tweet that genuinely has to be seen to be believed, the South Yorkshire police in Britain implored their followers to report “insulting comments” whether in word or in written form, as part of an anti-hate campaign.

“In addition to reporting hate crime, please report non-crime hate incidents, which can include things like offensive or insulting comments, online, in person or in writing,” the blue check marked tweet “reads. “Hate will not be tolerated in South Yorkshire. Report it and put a stop to it #HateHurtsSY”

(Read more from “Police Dept. Mocked for Asking Citizens to Report Crimes Like ‘Offensive or Insulting Comments'” HERE)

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Pope Shocks With Homily, Attacks ‘Great Accuser’ Satan for Exposing Bishops’ Sins in Church Scandal

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In a strange and almost tone-deaf homily delivered Tuesday morning, Pope Francis implored the hierarchy of the Catholic Church to pray and resist the “Great Accuser,” Satan, who seeks to expose sin in order to divide the faithful.

“In these times, it seems like the ‘Great Accuser’ has been unchained and is attacking bishops. True, we are all sinners, we bishops. He tries to uncover the sins, so they are visible in order to scandalize the people. The ‘Great Accuser,’ as he himself says to God in the first chapter of the Book of Job, ‘roams the earth looking for someone to accuse,’” Pope Francis said, according to an official report in Vatican news. . .

The “Great Accuser” is a reference to Satan first seen in the book of Job, in the Old Testament. Satan is there attempting to sow division by making false accusations of sin. Many faithful Catholics took the Pope’s word, however, as an attack on lay people seeking transparency from the Vatican, which is accused of covering for Bishops, Cardinals, and other clerics accused of sexual abuse over the course of at least four decades.

Concluding, it appears the Pope suggested Bishops consider the real victims of the sexual abuse scandals currently roiling the Church: the Bishops. The Devil, he said, “roams the world seeking how to blame. The strength of the bishop against the great accuser is prayer — his own and Jesus’, the humility to feel chosen and staying close to the people of God without heading toward an aristocratic life.”

There are, no doubt, concerns that some accusations being leveled at the Vatican hierarchy — particularly some of those contained in a letter from Archibishop Maria Vigano, which often veers into the ad hominem — are unfair. But ultimately, so much evidence exists that the Vatican, and particularly Bishops and clerics in the United States, silenced victims of sexual abuse for decades and protected and even hid their abusers, that a full and fair investigation is warranted in the name of justice. (Read more from “Pope Shocks With Homily, Attacks ‘Great Accuser’ Satan for Exposing Bishops’ Sins in Church Scandal” HERE)

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The Dossier: Trump Shuts Down PLO “Embassy”; Iran Threatens U.S. Troops

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Trump admin to shut down PLO’s Washington “embassy”

National security adviser John Bolton is expected to announce later today that the Trump administration is officially shutting down the D.C. diplomatic facility of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

Contrary to the opinions of the bureaucrats in the State Department and the bipartisan foreign policy elite, the PLO is today, and always has been, more representative of a terrorist organization than a group that aspires to be a functioning state.

Since its creation, the PLO has been committed to the “liberation of Palestine” (meaning the destruction of Israel and its replacement with a Palestinian state). The PLO was established to counter Zionism. Since its founding, the PLO has been labeled responsible for thousands of terrorist attacks, which have occurred not just in Israel and the Palestinian territories, but worldwide. The PLO was once a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, but that label was temporarily removed when former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat agreed to recognize Israel. However, shortly thereafter, he launched an “intifada” (armed struggle) against Israel.

The PLO innovated terrorist attacks of the types seen today from members of terror groups like ISIS and al Qaeda, such as vehicle ramming and plane hijacking.

Moreover, the PLO is responsible for the “Munich Massacre,” when several Palestinian jihadis murdered 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. The PLO also launched the First and Second Intifadas, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of Israelis and Palestinians. During the ’60s and ’70s, PLO-sponsored Palestinian hijackers took over several airliners in an effort to wage terror against innocent Israelis.

U.S. to assert sovereignty against International Criminal Court (ICC)

In his Monday speech, national security adviser John Bolton is also expected to announce that the Trump administration is considering sanctioning the International Criminal Court, should the ICC conduct an investigation into U.S. activities in Afghanistan.

“The United States will use any means necessary to protect our citizens and those of our allies from unjust prosecution by this illegitimate court,” NSA Bolton will state, according to a transcript of the speech reviewed by Reuters.

“We will consider taking steps in the U.N. Security Council to constrain the court’s sweeping powers, including to ensure that the ICC does not exercise jurisdiction over Americans and the nationals of our allies,” the statement continues.

Trump expected to declassify Carter Page, Bruce Ohr docs

President Trump will imminently declassify and publicly release documents related to the Obama administration’s unprecedented spying scandal, which took place mostly during the 2016 presidential campaign and during the transition period.

“President Trump is expected to declassify, as early as this week, documents covering the U.S. government’s surveillance of Trump campaign adviser Carter Page and the investigative activities of senior Justice Department lawyer Bruce Ohr, according to allies of the president,” Axios reports.

China pledges to retaliate against U.S. tariffs

Chinese officials warned the U.S. Monday that Beijing is prepared for a trade war, should the Trump administration impose further tariffs on their products.

President Trump said Friday that he was prepared to hit China with another $267 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods.

“If the United States insists on imposing another round of tariffs on Chinese products, China will definitely take countermeasures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told the media Monday.

Iranian regime threatens U.S. forces in the Middle East

High-ranking Tehran regime officials have issued continuous threats against U.S. forces operating in the Middle East.

On Sunday, an Iranian official openly announced that Iran is prepared to arm forces fighting the U.S. in Syria with “military support.”

The move comes just days after U.S. sailors intercepted a massive Iranian arms shipment that was believed to be intended for delivery to Houthi terrorists fighting the civil war in Yemen.

Remembering 9/11

Take a moment … to remember the thousands of innocent American lives that were lost in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States and to honor the heroes (many of whom paid the ultimate price) who emerged that day to make sure thousands more were saved and able to come home to their families.

It’s also a good time to reflect on our struggle against the radical Islamic ideology that motivated the attacks, what we’ve accomplished in those “long wars,” and the policies the U.S. has implemented since 9/11 — both the good and the bad — to safeguard the nation. (For more from the author of “The Dossier: Trump Shuts Down PLO “Embassy”; Iran Threatens U.S. Troops” please click HERE)

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Russian Threat Forces U.S. Military Action in Syria

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As Russia and Syria attacked Syria’s last major region held by anti-government rebels, the United States sent a warning to Russia’s Syrian-based forces in the form of a contingent of Marines.

Hours before reports of bombing began to come in from Idlib province, located in the northwest of Syria, more than 100 Marines were sent to a coalition base in Al Tanf, which the U.S. protects with a 35-mile security zone around the town. Marines conducted live-fire exercises in the region.

Tanf is located in the south, near Syria’s border with Jordan. Twice this month, Russian leaders have threatened the U.S. with military exercises in the region, and twice the Russians have been told the U.S. will not permit that, Fox News reported.

“The United States does not seek to fight the Russians, the government of Syria or any groups that may be providing support to Syria in the Syrian civil war,” said Lt. Col. Earl Brown, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, the Los Angeles Times reported. “However, the United States will not hesitate to use necessary and proportionate force to defend U.S., coalition or partner forces.”

The U.S. uses the Tanf base to train Syrian fighters to oppose Islamic State militants. Officials said they sent the Marines in response to fears that Russia could use its upcoming offensive in Idlib province as a time to also attack Tanf.

Initial reports Saturday from Idlib province said Russian jets were bombing civilian targets. At least four people were reported killed, according to The Guardian.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported there were more than 30 air raids Saturday in southwestern Idlib and Hama province, Fox News reported.

Health official Munzer Al-Khalil said there was “great fear” in Idlib province, Sky News reported.

“I fear we are about to face the most catastrophic crisis in our war,” he said. “When they decide to take an area, they first attack hospitals. I am worried this has already started.”

Neighboring Turkey issued a warning against escalating the attacks.

“Idlib is a ticking bomb,” said Turkish government spokesman Ibrahim Kalin. “We can turn it off and start a new process in Syria if the international community gets serious about the Syrian war and shows that they do care about the Syrian people.”

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump warned Syria against attacking Idlib.

“President Bashar al-Assad of Syria must not recklessly attack Idlib Province. The Russians and Iranians would be making a grave humanitarian mistake to take part in this potential human tragedy. Hundreds of thousands of people could be killed. Don’t let that happen!” Trump tweeted Monday.

With that in mind, Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said conversations have begun to develop military response options for Trump, NBC reported.

Dunford said no decision has been made.

“But we are in a dialogue, a routine dialogue, with the president to make sure he knows where we are with regard to planning in the event that chemical weapons are used,” he said during a trip to India.

Trump “expects us to have military options and we have provided updates to him on the development of those military options,” Dunford said. (For more from the author of “Russian Threat Forces U.S. Military Action in Syria” please click HERE)

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North Korea Committed to Denuclearize by the End of Trump’s Term

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North Korea will complete its journey along the rocky road to denuclearization by the end of President Donald Trump’s current term in office, according to a South Korean official.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in Sept. 18-20 to discuss “practical measures” toward denuclearization, Moon’s national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, said Thursday, according to Reuters.

Moon’s trip to Pyongyang will be the first visit of a South Korean leader to the capital of North Korea since 2007. It will also be the third meeting of the year between Moon and Kim.

Chung met with Kim on Wednesday and said the North Korean leader indicated his faith in Trump was “unchanged.”

“This trust, despite some difficulties surfaced during the negotiation process between the U.S. and the North, will continue,” Chung said, according to CNN.

North Korean state media said Kim “remains unchanged in his determination to strive hard to bring the fellow countrymen better results at an early date.”

“Noting that it is our fixed stand and his (Kim’s) will to completely remove the danger of armed conflict and horror of war from the Korean peninsula and turn it into the cradle of peace without nuclear weapons and free from nuclear threat, he said that the north and the south should further their efforts to realize the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula,” North Korea’s news agency said.

Kim also set the goal of achieving denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and overhauling U.S. relations by the time Trump’s current term ends, Chung said.

Chung said North Korea “was willing to take more active measures toward denuclearization if his advance steps could be met with matching measures (from the U.S.).”

“He particularly emphasized that he has never said anything negative about President Trump,” Chung said.

Trump responded to the comments with a tweet.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo conceded getting the concepts of an alliance down on paper remains daunting.

“The work of convincing Chairman Kim to make this strategic shift that we’ve talked about for a brighter future for the people of North Korea continues,” Pompeo said, according to The Daily Caller.

“It is the case that there is still an enormous amount of work to do,” he added. (For more from the author of “North Korea Committed to Denuclearize by the End of Trump’s Term” please click HERE)

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Mattis Makes Surprise Stop for Talks With New U.S. Commander, Afghan Officials

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U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis arrived in the Afghan capital on Friday in an unannounced visit, amid upheaval in the senior ranks of American and Afghan officials waging the 17-year war against the Taliban and other Islamist militants.

Mr. Mattis, accompanied by Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was to hold meetings with senior Afghan officials and with Army Gen. Austin Miller, the new commander of American-led international forces here, as well as hold a town-hall style forum with troops.

Peace talks with the Taliban, the country’s largest insurgency group, were expected to be high on the agenda of discussions between Mr. Mattis and Afghan officials.

In July, U.S. diplomats and Taliban representatives met in the Gulf state of Qatar to discuss a possible framework for talks aimed at ending the war. However, a series of devastating Taliban attacks last month and the insurgency’s refusal to reciprocate Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s call for a three-month cease-fire have slowed momentum for further discussions.

Still, while the war against the Taliban and Islamic State’s local branch has expanded since President Trump announced his rejuvenated Afghanistan strategy little more than a year ago, Mr. Mattis made clear this week that the prospect of talks with the Taliban hasn’t evaporated. (Read more from “Mattis Makes Surprise Stop for Talks With New U.S. Commander, Afghan Officials” HERE)

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Trump Issues Weighty Warning to Syria, Russia, Iran

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As Syria builds up forces for what is expected to be a battle to obliterate the last major pocket of resistance to the regime of dictator Bashar Assad, President Donald Trump is leading a battalion of American voices warning Syria not to make a mistake it will regret.

About 3 million people live in Idlib Province in northern Syria. Russian officials last week said an attack on the region was necessary. Russia and Iran have provided key military aid that has enabled Assad to score military victories over the rebels who have been fighting his government for the past seven years, according to The Hill.

“Idlib is the last major stronghold of terrorists who are trying to gamble on the status of the de-escalation zone and hold civilians as human shields and bring the armed formations ready for negotiations with the Syrian government to their knees,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said last week.

“So, from all standpoints, this ‘abscess’ has to be liquidated,” he said, according to the Voice of America.

Not so fast, Trump tweeted Tuesday.

“President Bashar al-Assad of Syria must not recklessly attack Idlib Province. The Russians and Iranians would be making a grave humanitarian mistake to take part in this potential human tragedy. Hundreds of thousands of people could be killed. Don’t let that happen!” Trump tweeted.

U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley also sent a warning.

“All eyes on the actions of Assad, Russia, and Iran in Idlib. #NoChemicalWeapons,” she tweeted.

CNN reported Monday that Russian jets attacked targets in Idlib Province after Trump issued his tweet.

The United States has already launched two attacks against Syria for using chemical weapons against the rebels.

An attack on Idlib Province would take a heavy toll of civilian lives, one expert said.

“Idlib would see a humanitarian catastrophe that exceeds the level of any seen in the Syrian conflict so far,” said Lina Khatib, head of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House in London, according to CNN.

“You have the potential for civilians to be not just targeted by the regime but also to be caught in battles through which these rebel groups aim to defend against regime attacks.” (For more from the author of “Trump Issues Weighty Warning to Syria, Russia, Iran” please click HERE)

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Birds of a Feather: Colin Kaepernick Gets Praise From John Brennan and an Iranian Dictator Who Hates America

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Over the long Labor Day weekend, Nike announced former NFL quarterback and anti-American flag activist Colin Kaepernick as the new face for their annual “Just Do It” campaign. . .

But Kaepernick also has supporters, including former CIA director John Brennan and Iranian dictator Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Ahmadinejad has called for the death of the United States and required Iranian citizens to burn the American flag in the streets.

(Read more from “Birds of a Feather: Colin Kaepernick Gets Praise From John Brennan and an Iranian Dictator Who Hates America” HERE)

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