Beltway Insider: Biden/G20, Moroccan Earthquake, Musk Cuts Ukraine Internet, 9/11, Coco Gauff

Details: Category: Beltway Insider; Published on Sunday, 10 September 2023 14:21; Written by Janet Walker

President Biden after attending the G20 Summit along with leaders of the world's top 20 economies, announced the commitment to India-Middle East Europe Corridor, which will focus on transportation and economic development between these nations.

The President's job approval rating, according to the website fivethirtyeight.com, for the period ending September 10, 2023 decreased by 0.4% to 40.1% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness increased by 1.1% to 55.7% of those polled who disapprove of his effectiveness. A slight 3% of the population polled have no opinion. Ratings are calculated weekly.

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Death Toll Climbs in Moroccan Earthquake

With more than 2,100 dead and another 2,400 injured the death toll in the 6.8 earthquake that struck Morocco, late Friday, has continue to climb. Rescuers are frantically searching the rubble in hope of finding more survivors in the worst earthquake to hit the region in more than a century.

"The most deadly earthquake in Morocco's recent history struck near Agadir in 1960, killing at least 12,000 people. The coastal city is located 80 miles southwest of the epicenter of Friday's quake," reported The New York Times.

Earthquakes in the region are not uncommon, and while the region and Marrakech, the major city, has unique tourist appeal, the North African region is predominately made up of rural villages filled with brick structures not built to withstand the powerful shaking of an earthquake.

The politics of the region are superseding the desperate need for aid. Even as nations have pledged support other organizations have explained the rural and mountainous region primarily affected are difficult to reach has car-size boulders block the roads. Heavy equipment is needed to simply clear the roads before aid organizations can even begin to assist the population.

"In the small town of Amizmiz, buildings were still collapsing Sunday afternoon, nearly 40 hours removed from the Friday night quake. In one home, traces of its former inhabitants could be glimpsed in the ruins of a second-floor ceiling: velveteen blankets, suitcases, rugs, a sagging mattress. Survivors had moved to higher ground, pitching tents on stretches of flat, dry land," The Washington Post reported.

In the meantime, shell-shocked survivors are burying their dead, and trying to find shelter as the aftershocks further destroy the weakened structures.

G20 Summit

The G20 Summit, held in India, brought together the leaders from the world's twenty leading economies, look forward to developing an economic interconnectedness, including building a rail transportation system to cross the continent.

"The meeting of the leaders from the United States, European Union (EU), France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mauritius, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and the World Bank demonstrated the collective urgency to make meaningful progress in narrowing the infrastructure gap in low- and middle-income countries to enable inclusive and sustainable growth and promote economic activity and prosperity," a White House briefing statement read.

Developing an inter-continental railway system will allow for the transportation of goods and services and connect the economies of these emerging nations. Building a rail system across the African continent through the middle east and northern African into Europe will add new import and export opportunities, which will boost economies of some of the world's poorest nations.

The most surprising development from the G20 occurred when the participating actions refused to condemn Russia over the war in Ukraine, adopting a Leader's Declaration that stopped short of condemning Russia for the war but called for lack of violence.

"White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters the summit declaration "does a very good job of standing up for the principle that states cannot use force to seek territorial acquisition or to violate the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of other states," Reuters reported.

Essentially the G-20 presented a policy in double speak that failed to outright condemn Russia for the territorial violations of the Ukraine Sovereignty but gently told Putin and his killing forces that they cannot use violence in any landgrabs.

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Alleged Chinese Spy Exposed in Parliament

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed concern to his Chinese counterpart, Chinese premier Li Qiang, over the arrest of an alleged Chinese spy working in British Parliament, and closely associated with the foreign affairs committee.

The sidebar meeting was one that exhibited diplomacy rather than accusations of spying or espionage.

"We discussed a range of things and I raised areas where there are disagreements," Sunak said. "And this is just part of our strategy to protect ourselves, protect our values and our interests, to align our approach to China with that of our allies like America, Australia, Canada, Japan and others, but also to engage where it makes sense," Politico.eu reported.

Ukraine War: Elon Musk's Starlink Stops Ukraine Drone Strike

For over a year, the world has witnessed the brutalities of the unprovoked War in Ukraine, the siege of Mariupol, and the murder on innocent lives, pregnant women, clear and horrendous violation of the Geneva Convention.

We have witnessed Russian forces decimate villages, towns, cities, scorching the landscape, violating the territorial sovereignty of the Ukraine, and heard Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy plead and petition every governing body for aid, weapons, and assistance.

The war, which the United and other nations have provided extensive support, billions in aid in the form of munitions to fight its own battle, and arming them with the opportunity to fight the tyranny of the Russian forces lead by Russian President Vladimir Putin, and now the people of the world are informed that Elon Musk, the extravagant inventor of Tesla automobiles, Space X, and Starlink satellite Internet constellation, had the Starlink satellite communications system disabled to stop Ukraine in its effort to defend itself.

Politico.com reported "Elon Musk secretly ordered his engineers to disable Starlink satellite communications near the coast of Russian-occupied Crimea last year to sabotage a planned Ukrainian drone strike."

Essentially, the Space X founder cut the internet service, leaving the Ukrainian submarine fleet, who were ready to launch a counterattack against the Russian fleet station in the Black Sea, without the necessary satellite capability to carry out the counterattack.

As the world is increasingly interconnected, safeguards and precautions need to be in place to allow military operations to advance outside of the control of private third parties. Governing agencies, NATO, EU, the DOD, the United Nations, and other global interconnected agencies need to know their internet service is secure and military operations will not be interrupted by a maniacal lunatic.

With Musk in control of the on/off switch, and an apparent loyalty to Russia, or inhumanity depending on the interpretation, coupled with his lack of empathy that was documented by biographer Walter Issacson, in the recently released book Elon Musk and reviewed by The New York Times, "As the people closest to him will attest, he lacks empathy — something that Isaacson describes as a "gene" that's "hard-wired," reported The New York Times.

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Coronavirus Totals

Mandates have been altered or lifted in most urban areas with limited exceptions, and the population is encouraged to maintain personal protective practices. Masks are optional and tolerated. Vaccines and boosters are still considered the most effective agents against contracting the Coronavirus.

For the week ending September 10, 2023, the total of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide reached 770,437,327 confirmed cases, an increase over the past week of 351,614 cases worldwide. The total worldwide death toll increased by 727 to 6,956,900 deaths. The United States has stopped providing Covid data to the World Health Organization. (Data from The World Health Organization).

COVID U.S. Totals

As hospitalizations and infection rates continue to rise in the United States, some jurisdictions are suggesting new mask mandates. For the 7-day period ending September 10, 2023, the total hospitalizations resulting from new Covid hospitalizations in the U.S. increased by 17,416 to 6,289,643 which represents a 15.7% increase. The coronavirus has claimed 1,140,278 total U.S. deaths, an 10.5% increase, adding 821 deaths, over the past week. (Data from CDC).

Pentagon's Diary Gets Personal

Protecting for gain of function knowledge only aides those who initiated the constitutional violations. It does nothing to combat homegrown terrorism.

September 11, 2001 - We Remember

September 11, 2001, Memorial

Twenty-two years ago, Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four planes originating from Logan International Airport in Boston, Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., and Newark International Airport in New Jersey all direct flights to Los Angeles, filled with fuel.

Within minutes after take-off, at 8:45am, the first plane, United Flight 11, flew into the World Trade Center; minutes later, a second plane, United Flight 175, slammed into the corner of the second tower, destabilizing the building immediately. At 9:45am plane three, United Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon.

United Flight 93 was delayed on the tarmac at Newark, and due to the delay, the passengers were made aware of the other planes. With an expected target of the Capitol or White House, the passengers decide to fight for their country and storm the cockpit to stop the final plane from reaching its intended target. As the passengers had no weapons, the flight attendants used boiling water burning the hi-jackers, a fire extinguisher is suspected to have been used to breach the cockpit door, determined to not go down without a fight, these common citizens, exhibited bravery and courage and cared more for their country than most who are sworn to protect it.

The 9/11 terrorist attacks have resulted in many changes in the nation, however, the hatred for America, freedom, and democracy, has not changed and terror cells, both homegrown and international, continue to grow, targeting the disgruntled, preaching anti-American ideologies, dogma, and violence.

Americans need to exhibit the courage and bravery of those on Flight 93 and when necessary, fight for our nation. If you see something, say something.

Hurricane Katrina A Decade Later: Graphics Explain Devastation, Damage

Hurricane Lee Spares Eastern Seaboard

Hurricane Lee, which formed into a monster category five storm over the warm southern tropical waters has been downgraded to a category two as it churns up through the cooler waters of the Atlantic, dissipating and slowly losing its strength.

Lee is miraculously curving north and not expected to make a direct hit along the eastern seaboard, although New York's Long Island could experience high winds, high waves and beach erosion, if the storm doesn't curve further.

Coco Gauff Wins U.S. Open

Coco Gauff, 19, put on quite the show at Arthur Ashe Stadium last night with her come from behind win over Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus to capture her first U.S. Open title. Her victory in front of the usually sedate crowd had the audience jumping to their feet in a show of appreciation as she battled with determination after losing her first set. Gauff won the match, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

"Down a set and fighting just to stay in games, Gauff's signature fist-pumps and shouts of "Come on!" harkened to Serena Williams, her legendary predecessor as the queen of Flushing Meadows. She started chasing and lunging toward ball after ball, rattling Sabalenka into error after error. Each highlight charged up the crowd, sending more noise bouncing off the walls and the roof, helping to wither Sabalenka's spirit," The New York Times reported.

For more information on President Joe Biden w ww.whitehouse.gov.