Beltway Insider: Saudi's Hail Trump; FBI/Russia; Iran; Seed Bank Breech; Weiner; NYC Ram Attack

President Trump, leaving his embattled government behind, traveled to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Saudi Arabia, following with meetings in Israel, with Pope Francis in Rome, at the NATO Summit and culminates with the G7 Summit in Sicily.

According to Gallup, President Trump's job approval, over the past week, remained consistent at 38% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness as President decreased one percentage point to 56%. 

Saudi Arabia - Saudis Hail Trump – President Trump Meets with Middle Eastern Leaders

President Donald Trump, who targeted the Saudi’s and eleven other predominately Muslin nations throughout his campaign and in his controversial travel ban, wholly embraced King Salman as the Saudi King welcomed the president to his country.

The President, and First Lady, are attending the Arab Islamic American Summit, along with Heads of State from 55 predominantly Islamic nations, with an agenda of developing dialogue that will result in multiple shared partnerships based on trust, and mutual interest.

The President gave the keynote address, addressing issues which are considered detrimental to the furtherance of global partnerships including extremists and zealot, the oppression of women, religion, faith, peace, and terrorism. The speech can be read here

  

A better future is only possible if your nations drive out the terrorists and extremists. Drive. Them. Out. DRIVE THEM OUT of your places of worship. DRIVE THEM OUT of your communities. DRIVE THEM OUT of your holy land, and DRIVE THEM OUT OF THIS EARTH.

 

Every time a terrorist murders an innocent person, and falsely invokes the name of God, it should be an insult to every person of faith. Terrorists do not worship God, they worship death.

 

If we do not act against this organized terror, then we know what will happen. Terrorism’s devastation of life will continue to spread. Peaceful societies will become engulfed by violence. And the futures of many generations will be sadly squandered.

 

If we do not stand in uniform condemnation of this killing—then not only will we be judged by our people, not only will we be judged by history, but we will be judged by God.

 

This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations.

 

This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it.

 

This is a battle between Good and Evil. - said President Donald J. Trump in Keynote speech at Riyadh Summit

Beltway Insider: Trump Fires FBI Director; Attempts To Stop Russian Probe; Macron; Global Cyber-Attack

 

Trump Secures 350bn in Saudi Investments

President Trump, King Salman, Ministers of Trade, and Saudi Arabian companies, agreed to Trade and investment agreements worth $350 billion. The deals, which include multi-year licensing agreements, direct investments, and Memoranda of Understanding, are the largest in the more than 80-year relationship between the two countries. 

"Today we announced 23 foreign investment export licenses leading to upwards of more than $350 billion of historic direct investment.  We expect that these investments over the next 10 years or so will provide hundreds of thousands of jobs in both the United States and in Saudi Arabia.  They will lead to a transfer of technology from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia, enhance our economy, and also enhance the American investments in Saudi Arabia, which already are the largest investments of anyone," said Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson.

"The sheer breadth and scale of these agreements epitomizes the accelerating diversification of the Kingdom’s economy into high-growth sectors such as technology, industrial manufacturing and aerospace, creating and safeguarding 250,000 jobs both in Saudi Arabia and the U.S," said HE Dr. Majed bin Abdullah Al-Kassabi, Minister for Commerce and Investment, Saudi Arabia.  

These agreements cover a wide range of sectors and investment to and from the U.S and Saudi Arabia to create job opportunities and drive economic growth in both nations.

GE, DOW, Motiva Increase Money, Provide Power, and Skills Training

Among the more than 40 agreements signed during President Trump’s visit are investments valued at $15 billion by GE to build capacity in the Kingdom, generate power, deliver skills training, and drive digital transformation.

Dow, the second largest global chemicals company, signed an agreement to invest more than $100 million to construct a facility to produce a range of polymers for coatings and water-treatment applications.

Saudi Aramco-owned Motiva Enterprises announced a landmark investment in the United States totaling $12 billion with a likely additional investment of $18 billion by 2023.  The agreement will lead to a significant boost in Motiva’s U.S. operations at its facility in Port Arthur, Texas.

Technology transfer to Saudi Arabia is a focus area to increase local content in production and manufacturing industries, while investments in the technology sector through data centers, start-ups and digitization efforts will create over $100 billion in value and lead to more than 50,000 jobs in both the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

The agreements covered defense, energy, oil and gas, chemicals, infrastructure, technology and digital solutions, healthcare, and pharmaceutical, and more.

President Trump Continues a Week Long Foreign Trip

President Trump will continue his inaugural oversees trip meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, no doubt sharing the success of the Riyadh Summit, as the two leaders continue to reassure and cement the friendship of the two nations while dealing with the contentious two state issues that must be addressed.

Trump travels next to Vatican City meeting with Pope Francis, followed by Belgium Brussels for a NATO summit and culminating with the G7 in Sicily, Italy.

Fact Checking Trump Previous Statements on Saudi Arabia

Throughout the President’s campaign he continued to insist the Saudi’s were responsible, for the Terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Calling Hillary, a fraud and her foundation corrupt for accepting money from the Saudi’s and labeled Hillary as “crooked Hillary, crooked foundation.” He has now explained the Saudi are investing billions of dollars in infrastructure and military.

His controversial travel ban, which had clearly targeted specific people groups, including those of Muslin nations and of Islamic faiths.  He has extended the hand of partnership to the Saudi’s whom he insisted were responsible, for the Terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

Washington - U.S Election Investigation FBI/Russia

Impeaching the President allows the Republicans to retain the "victory" of the November 2016 election. The revelations and proof of fraud and Russian Cyber influence negates the election results. Passing the torch to Hillary Clinton.

Unprecedented yes, definitely. And the fact remains the American people are resilient. We, oddly enough, can handle the truth. We overcome; we meet challenges, carry burdens, hope, and believe. Full disclosure of a nation state cyber-attack solely directed at altering the election results wouldn’t surprise us. Campaign mudslinging, the dark recesses of campaign revelations we expect. We, as a nation, our feelings, our belief in fairness, in an election process above reproach, would be hurt. 

We also expect our democratic system to stand on election day, to stand for the freedom of choice, to stand for the many triumphs and tragedies as a nation we have suffered and endured. We expect it to stand for those who have died defending our nation on foreign shores, on American soil, in space, and where ever duty calls.

Donald Trump may have some notion of the what being an American means and even some level of patriotism, his family, and adult children, his inner core, don’t and haven’t needed to, America to them is a passport for wealth without work, an entitled belief of conquering (stealing, if necessary). His children are power players and not patriots.

Vice President Pence is a politician and even as his politics are somewhat alienating and polarized, he has a dedication to the democratic system of government and while it is not an endorsement, impeachment of the President does right the listing ship with Pence assuming the helm.

Iran: Moderate Cleric Rouhani Reelected

Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, the moderate and legally trained cleric, won reelection as his country’s president by a landslide.

In a televised victory speech, Rouhani said, Iran’s nation chose the path of interaction with the world, away from violence and extremism.”

The message on inclusion has become a theme of the 68-year-old President who won his first victory on the same platform steering his nation away from the behavior and pursuits that squeezed the sanction strapped nation nearly to death.

Rouhani, who won by nearly 10million votes, secured 59% of the voters with major cities reflecting the highest turnout. The citizens of Iran are exercising greater steps to secure a government and homeland that allows them to thrive as people, live in peace, rejecting violence, and allow outside nations to opportunity to interact.

Violence and extremized isn’t birthed in one nation or another it is taught. The Iranian people are accepting the moderate Rouhani’s view of the world and belief that he can usher in even greater freedoms over the next four years.

Norway: Global Seed Bank Breached By Melting Ice

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, the underground storage facility geared to secure the diversity of the world’s crops and food supply, was recently breached by unexpected water, melt off due to global warming, resulting in minor flooding of entry ways.

In a press release issued by the Crop Trust Organization the governing organization that manages the Svalbard Seed Vault, explained “The seeds in the seed vault have never been threatened and will remain safe during implementation of the measures. The measures are being carried out to provide additional security to the seed vault, based on a precautionary (“better safe than sorry”) approach.”

The vault, which is buried deep in the mountains of Norway, freeze copies of the World’s seeds so should catastrophic global disaster, war or atmospheric conditions destroy even parts of the earth ability to produce crops, seeds indigenous to those areas are saved, frozen for use.

Currently 930,000 different varieties are housed in the facility. The breech, which resulted in minor entry way flooding, brought certain issues of global warming which had not previously been addressed to the forefront.

Pal Vidar Sollie, The Director General of Agriculture and Food, Norway, and his team have reviewed the situation and implemented an immediate plan which provides for the continual safekeeping of the seeds, taking into consideration results from any changes in global warming, and planning for conditions resulting from the global warming doomsday disasters.   

New York City: Disgraced Former New York Representative Pleads Guilty in Sextexting Case 

Anthony Weiner, the former United States Representative, New York City Mayoral candidate and husband of former Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton’s right hand, Huma Abedin, has plead guilty to a federal obscenity charge stemming from sex-texting.

The repercussions for the former politician who spent over a decade in public service, serving New York’s Ninth District winning seven terms in office, were immediate, and meteoric. His estranged wife, Abedin, whom separated from the beleaguered sex addict in August 2016, during the presidential campaign, immediately filed for divorce petitioning for sole custody of their son.

After his wife announced the separation, Weiner’s email history, past and present, were scrutinized. A newspaper report in the UK tabloid the Daily Mail reported Weiner, who had previously admitted sending sexually explicated photographs, using the alias Carlos Danger, reported Weiner had again become engaged in sending obscene and explicit photographs to a 15-year-old girl.

This report caused Weiner’s personal electronics, laptops, and handhelds, to be seized by the FBI. Then F.B.I. Director James Comey also found sensitive and top secret emails which were by the nature of the sender and information relevant to Hillary Clinton. The specific nature of the emails have never been exposed.

By January 2017, a new President had taken the oath of office and James Comey made the decision to prosecute. Anthony Weiner, who at one time was a real contender in the race for New York City Mayor pled guilty, in an arranged plea deal, to a single count of transferring obscene material to a minor.

Sentencing is schedule for September.

Driver Plows into Tourist Packed Times Square Leaves One Dead; Dozens Injured

Alyssa Elsman, 18, from Portage, Michigan, and her family were on vacation in the Big Apple, walking through the new Times Square, a neon mecca of mega billboards, glittering teasing advertisements, when tragedy struck.

The family, Alyssa, her younger sister, Ava, 13, along with her parents, Tom and the Jyll, were meandering along at about noon, on Great White Way near 45th and Broadway or Three Times Square as the area is now known.

New York City is intoxicating, deafening and exhilarating. Cutting through the swell of big city noise, the cacophony of life, on Thursday the roar of a gunned engine, out of nowhere a maroon Honda, did almost, it is said, a U turn, careened over the barricades and drove, on the sidewalk at nearly 50 miles per hour plowing into pedestrians, knocking them over effortlessly, sending bodies into the air and leaving a trial of downed, injured people suddenly brought together by lunacy at the crossroads of the world.

With security camera, EarthCam’s and video cams recording nearly every corner of the eight-block stretch known as Times Square, from 42nd Street to 50th Street, with pedestrian only plazas covering the majority of that area in the North-South direction with only crosstown or east-west traffic permitted, has captured the vehicle ramming attack from as many angles.

In the days before the Islamic State introduced Ram Kills into daily life an out of control vehicle would be a senseless tragedy; on this day, these methods are only the beginning as in terrorism cases, the Islamic State fighter would have jumped from his car with a machete or high powered automatic weapon and continued his killing spree.

Richard Rojas, 26, a former U.S. Navy sailor from the Bronx, has since admitted being high on a PCP-Cannabis smoking binge, was overcome with an undeniable urge. He too, jumped from his burning and damaged vehicle that came to rest wedged on its side, screaming how he wanted them dead.

Not propelled by religious beliefs of zealot dedication, Rojas, armed with an unquenchable thirst to kill, driven by voices, in a drug fueled suicidal mission, who four days earlier had been arrested for menacing, threatening, drove his car to the one place in Manhattan where his plan could be exacted with the highest casualty and death possible.

It was a beautiful New York City spring day, nearly Memorial Day, the buzz of Fleet Week and the upcoming summer, getting out for the lunch break to sit and enjoy the sunshine, people watch, soak up the city that never sleeps, release and regenerate for the afternoon.

When the carnage ended, Alyssa Ellsman would be dead, plowed down and killed instantly. Her sister Ava and 21 others injured, three critical, and one, also a tourist, very critical.

Rojas was arrested at the scene and charged with one count of murder 21 counts of attempted murder with more charges likely.  

For more information on President Donald Trump: www.whitehouse.gov

Sources: Whitehouse.gov, Wikipedia.com, www.riyadhsummit2017.org

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