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MAY 3, 2021
Defense Department Briefing | C-SPAN.org
Defense Department Press Secretary John Kirby briefs reporters at the Pentagon.
Defense Department Briefing | C-SPAN.org
Defense Department Press Secretary John Kirby briefs reporters at the Pentagon.
Defender Europe 21 Exercises Multinational Interoperability, Readiness, Transparency
May 4 - Exercise Defender Europe 21 has started once again. This year's exercise involves 26 nations, including the U.S., and around 28,000 multinational forces all focused on building operational readiness and interoperability between NATO allies and partners.
"It's defensive in nature, focused on deterring aggression, while preparing our forces to respond to crisis and conduct large-scale combat operations if necessary," said Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby, during a briefing today at the Pentagon.
Another key attribute of Defender Europe 21, Kirby said, is the transparency surrounding what it is all about, who will participate, what is meant to be accomplished.
"[Defender Europe] is an exercise that's annual. We've been doing it a long, long time ... it's a defensive exercise. And it's one that helps us build interoperability," Kirby said. "Here's the other thing that's different: we actually come to the podium and tell you about it."
Kirby said that openly discussing the Defender Europe 21 exercise and why U.S., NATO partners and other European allies are gathering troops is an important facet of the operation. Other nations have not been so clear or forthright about their own amassing of troops, he said.
"I'm going to continually talk about what we're doing — it's called transparency — it's a wonderful thing," he said "And we're not getting that out of Moscow and we haven't. So that's a big difference right there. It's a defensive exercise and you will be able to hear us talk about it and communicate to you and to the world what we're doing and why."
In past weeks, Russia had amassed more than 100,000 troops on the Russian side of its border with Ukraine — alarming the Ukrainians and allies. In recent days, those troops have started to pull back, but many still remain.
"There's still quite a few, I mean there's still a lot of forces arrayed against, or aligned along the border with Ukraine and in occupied Crimea," Kirby said. "And it's still never been completely clear what the intentions were."
Defender Europe is an Army-led exercise, though this year it has significant Air Force and Navy participation. Last week, for instance, the USNS Bob Hope arrived off the coast of Albania in advance of its participation in a joint logistics over-the-shore exercise there.
The Defender Europe 21 exercise will also include several smaller "linked" exercises, Kirby said. Those include Swift Response, which involves airborne operations in Estonia, Bulgaria and Romania; Immediate Response, which involves more than 5,000 troops from eight nations conducting live-fire training in 12 different countries; Saber Guardian, which includes more than 13,000 service members doing live-fire training as well as air and missile defense operations; and a command post exercise with 2,000 personnel exercising the ability of a headquarters to command multinational land forces.
"The Defender Europe exercise is going to conclude in June, but not before demonstrating joint force readiness, lethality and interoperability, reinforcing the U.S. commitment to our allies and partners, and providing an outstanding opportunity to highlight the superb job our men and women are doing every day and in the region — the Balkan and Black Sea regions in particular, and throughout Europe and the Africa area of operations," Kirby said. source from
May 4 - Exercise Defender Europe 21 has started once again. This year's exercise involves 26 nations, including the U.S., and around 28,000 multinational forces all focused on building operational readiness and interoperability between NATO allies and partners.
"It's defensive in nature, focused on deterring aggression, while preparing our forces to respond to crisis and conduct large-scale combat operations if necessary," said Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby, during a briefing today at the Pentagon.
Another key attribute of Defender Europe 21, Kirby said, is the transparency surrounding what it is all about, who will participate, what is meant to be accomplished.
"[Defender Europe] is an exercise that's annual. We've been doing it a long, long time ... it's a defensive exercise. And it's one that helps us build interoperability," Kirby said. "Here's the other thing that's different: we actually come to the podium and tell you about it."
Kirby said that openly discussing the Defender Europe 21 exercise and why U.S., NATO partners and other European allies are gathering troops is an important facet of the operation. Other nations have not been so clear or forthright about their own amassing of troops, he said.
"I'm going to continually talk about what we're doing — it's called transparency — it's a wonderful thing," he said "And we're not getting that out of Moscow and we haven't. So that's a big difference right there. It's a defensive exercise and you will be able to hear us talk about it and communicate to you and to the world what we're doing and why."
In past weeks, Russia had amassed more than 100,000 troops on the Russian side of its border with Ukraine — alarming the Ukrainians and allies. In recent days, those troops have started to pull back, but many still remain.
"There's still quite a few, I mean there's still a lot of forces arrayed against, or aligned along the border with Ukraine and in occupied Crimea," Kirby said. "And it's still never been completely clear what the intentions were."
Defender Europe is an Army-led exercise, though this year it has significant Air Force and Navy participation. Last week, for instance, the USNS Bob Hope arrived off the coast of Albania in advance of its participation in a joint logistics over-the-shore exercise there.
The Defender Europe 21 exercise will also include several smaller "linked" exercises, Kirby said. Those include Swift Response, which involves airborne operations in Estonia, Bulgaria and Romania; Immediate Response, which involves more than 5,000 troops from eight nations conducting live-fire training in 12 different countries; Saber Guardian, which includes more than 13,000 service members doing live-fire training as well as air and missile defense operations; and a command post exercise with 2,000 personnel exercising the ability of a headquarters to command multinational land forces.
"The Defender Europe exercise is going to conclude in June, but not before demonstrating joint force readiness, lethality and interoperability, reinforcing the U.S. commitment to our allies and partners, and providing an outstanding opportunity to highlight the superb job our men and women are doing every day and in the region — the Balkan and Black Sea regions in particular, and throughout Europe and the Africa area of operations," Kirby said. source from
MAY 3, 2021
Secretary of State Blinken and British Foreign Secretary Raab News Conference
Secretary of State Antony Blinken holds a joint news conference with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in London.
Secretary of State Blinken and British Foreign Secretary Raab News Conference
Secretary of State Antony Blinken holds a joint news conference with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in London.
‘Mind-bending’ photo of giant Bidens and tiny Carters baffles the internet
May 4 - The Carter Center released a photo showing Joe and Jill Biden during a visit with Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter -- but something seemed askew.
Both couples looked happy enough to spend time together, but the Bidens appeared to be about three times larger than the Carters, most likely due to a wide-angle camera lens -- but the strange effect set off speculation both humorous and serious. quoted from
May 4 - The Carter Center released a photo showing Joe and Jill Biden during a visit with Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter -- but something seemed askew.
Both couples looked happy enough to spend time together, but the Bidens appeared to be about three times larger than the Carters, most likely due to a wide-angle camera lens -- but the strange effect set off speculation both humorous and serious. quoted from
Sen. Lindsey Graham, left, Sen. Bob Menendez, center, and Sen. Chris Murphy on Capitol Hill, December 12, 2018.
Biden is getting closer to a deal with Iran, and Democrats in Congress need to get with the program
May 4 - ...US diplomatic credibility on the Iran issue took a plunge during the Trump years, particularly after he unilaterally pulled out of the JCPOA in 2018 even though Iran was complying with the deal. All the pressure in the world won't accomplish your goals if the other side, and your best allies, have no reason to believe you will keep your word.
Trump's irresponsible decision in 2018 to withdraw from the nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions lifted by the accord — despite the fact that Iran was in full compliance with the agreement and despite the objections of key US allies — unsurprisingly led Tehran to retaliate by breaching some of the deal's limits on its nuclear activities beginning in 2019.
Now, the time it might take Iran to amass enough material for a bomb has been reduced from one year or more, under the 2015 agreement, to perhaps less than three months.
If the US and Iran can agree on a process to return to compliance in their ongoing talks in Vienna, there is hope that Iran's most worrisome nuclear violations can be reversed, and the nonproliferation benefits of the 2015 accord can be quickly restored.
But just this week, Menendez is once again attempting to throw a wrench in the gears of diplomacy. He, along with Sen. Jim Risch, a known Iran hawk, introduced a bill that would purposefully complicate the diplomatic process by adding untenable reporting requirements for international agreements.
Biden needs a solid foundation for further negotiations with Iran to try to secure a follow-on deal that strengthens and lengthens the original nuclear agreement and advances America's interests in the region. quoted from
Biden is getting closer to a deal with Iran, and Democrats in Congress need to get with the program
May 4 - ...US diplomatic credibility on the Iran issue took a plunge during the Trump years, particularly after he unilaterally pulled out of the JCPOA in 2018 even though Iran was complying with the deal. All the pressure in the world won't accomplish your goals if the other side, and your best allies, have no reason to believe you will keep your word.
Trump's irresponsible decision in 2018 to withdraw from the nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions lifted by the accord — despite the fact that Iran was in full compliance with the agreement and despite the objections of key US allies — unsurprisingly led Tehran to retaliate by breaching some of the deal's limits on its nuclear activities beginning in 2019.
Now, the time it might take Iran to amass enough material for a bomb has been reduced from one year or more, under the 2015 agreement, to perhaps less than three months.
If the US and Iran can agree on a process to return to compliance in their ongoing talks in Vienna, there is hope that Iran's most worrisome nuclear violations can be reversed, and the nonproliferation benefits of the 2015 accord can be quickly restored.
But just this week, Menendez is once again attempting to throw a wrench in the gears of diplomacy. He, along with Sen. Jim Risch, a known Iran hawk, introduced a bill that would purposefully complicate the diplomatic process by adding untenable reporting requirements for international agreements.
Biden needs a solid foundation for further negotiations with Iran to try to secure a follow-on deal that strengthens and lengthens the original nuclear agreement and advances America's interests in the region. quoted from
Jews increasingly targeted by white nationalists, Biden warns
In Jewish American Heritage Month address, President Biden warns of rise in anti-Semitism, linking it to 'white nationalism'.
May 4 - In his proclamation marking Jewish American Heritage Month, President Joe Biden cited the precedents set by prominent Jews in politics this year and condemned the nation’s spike in antisemitism in recent years.
Biden recognized Douglas Emhoff and Chuck Schumer, saying this year Americans saw “two historic firsts… the Vice President take the oath of office alongside her Jewish spouse, and a Jewish American became the first Majority Leader of the United States Senate and the highest-ranking Jewish American elected official in our Nation’s history.”
Schumer, the Jewish Democrat from New York, became Senate majority leader in January when Democrats retook the Senate.
“Alongside this narrative of achievement and opportunity, there is also a history — far older than the Nation itself — of racism, bigotry, and other forms of injustice,” Biden said. “This includes the scourge of antisemitism. In recent years, Jewish Americans have increasingly been the target of white nationalism and the antisemitic violence it fuels.”
Biden’s decision to run for president was fueled in part by his perception that then-President Donald Trump was equivocating in condemning white supremacist violence and antisemitism. He said last week in his address to a joint session of Congress that white supremacists posed the greatest terrorist threat to Americans. source from
In Jewish American Heritage Month address, President Biden warns of rise in anti-Semitism, linking it to 'white nationalism'.
May 4 - In his proclamation marking Jewish American Heritage Month, President Joe Biden cited the precedents set by prominent Jews in politics this year and condemned the nation’s spike in antisemitism in recent years.
Biden recognized Douglas Emhoff and Chuck Schumer, saying this year Americans saw “two historic firsts… the Vice President take the oath of office alongside her Jewish spouse, and a Jewish American became the first Majority Leader of the United States Senate and the highest-ranking Jewish American elected official in our Nation’s history.”
Schumer, the Jewish Democrat from New York, became Senate majority leader in January when Democrats retook the Senate.
“Alongside this narrative of achievement and opportunity, there is also a history — far older than the Nation itself — of racism, bigotry, and other forms of injustice,” Biden said. “This includes the scourge of antisemitism. In recent years, Jewish Americans have increasingly been the target of white nationalism and the antisemitic violence it fuels.”
Biden’s decision to run for president was fueled in part by his perception that then-President Donald Trump was equivocating in condemning white supremacist violence and antisemitism. He said last week in his address to a joint session of Congress that white supremacists posed the greatest terrorist threat to Americans. source from
Pres. Joe Biden Will Give Everyone More Money
May 4 - ...Median black household income in the United States is approximately $59,000; that of Nigeria $5000. Black life expectancy in the USA is 75 years, that in Nigeria is 54. Even allowing for differences in purchasing power, American blacks are several times richer than Nigerians, and they live on average 21 years longer, a not inconsiderable advantage.
In other words, in important respects American blacks have been net beneficiaries from the forced transportation of their ancestors to America. This does nothing to detract from the horrors of slavery, but it does cast a different light on the claims to reparations of those who are now living.
I have a personal interest in reparations. My mother, a refugee from Nazi Germany, inherited nothing from her parents, who were solidly middle class. The German government offered her reparations, which she turned down to my youthful regret at the time, as they might have eased somewhat her (and subsequently my) economic path through life.
She called such reparations blood money. But it is obvious to me that I have no claim on Germany, nor would my life have been improved had I pursued, or even won, such a claim.
On the contrary, it would have been a degrading and dishonest search. The pursuit of something for nothing—nothing, that is, that is personally and individually deserved—is unedifying and not conducive to self-respect. quoted from
May 4 - ...Median black household income in the United States is approximately $59,000; that of Nigeria $5000. Black life expectancy in the USA is 75 years, that in Nigeria is 54. Even allowing for differences in purchasing power, American blacks are several times richer than Nigerians, and they live on average 21 years longer, a not inconsiderable advantage.
In other words, in important respects American blacks have been net beneficiaries from the forced transportation of their ancestors to America. This does nothing to detract from the horrors of slavery, but it does cast a different light on the claims to reparations of those who are now living.
I have a personal interest in reparations. My mother, a refugee from Nazi Germany, inherited nothing from her parents, who were solidly middle class. The German government offered her reparations, which she turned down to my youthful regret at the time, as they might have eased somewhat her (and subsequently my) economic path through life.
She called such reparations blood money. But it is obvious to me that I have no claim on Germany, nor would my life have been improved had I pursued, or even won, such a claim.
On the contrary, it would have been a degrading and dishonest search. The pursuit of something for nothing—nothing, that is, that is personally and individually deserved—is unedifying and not conducive to self-respect. quoted from
Meet The Press Broadcast (Full) - May 3rd, 2021 | Meet The Press | NBC News
May 4, 2021
Bill and Melinda Gates announce divorce, more than 360,000 new Covid cases reported in India, and U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and fears over impact on women.
May 4, 2021
Bill and Melinda Gates announce divorce, more than 360,000 new Covid cases reported in India, and U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and fears over impact on women.
