A Front Company and a Fake Identity: How the U.S. Came to Use Spyware It Was Trying to Kill.

A Front Company and a Fake Identity: How the U.S. Came to Use Spyware It Was Trying to Kill.

The secret contract — which The New York Times is disclosing for the first time — violates the Biden administration’s public policy, and still appears to be active. The contract, reviewed by The Times, stated that the “United States government” would be the ultimate user of the tool, although it is unclear which government agency authorized the deal and might be using the spyware. It specifically allowed the government to test, evaluate, and even deploy the spyware against targets of its choice in Mexico.

The secret November 2021 contract used the same American company — designated as “Cleopatra Holdings” but actually a small New Jersey-based government contractor called Riva Networks — that the F.B.I. used two years earlier to purchase Pegasus. Riva’s chief executive used a fake name in signing the 2021 contract and at least one contract Riva executed on behalf of the F.B.I.

The deal unfolded as the European private equity fund that owns NSO pursued a plan to get U.S. government business by establishing a holding company, Gideon Cyber Systems. The private equity fund’s ultimate goal was to find an American buyer for the company.

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4/4/23 Jeffrey Sachs on What Led to War in Ukraine

Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University joins the show to discuss the war in Ukraine. First, Scott asks him about his extensive experience telling the truth about American foreign policy on national television. They then take a look back at the important developments that led to this war over Ukraine. They discuss the talks after the fall of the USSR, the Russian interest in the port at Sevastopol, the true beginning of the current war in 2014 and more

4/4/23 Jeffrey Sachs on What Led to War in Ukraine

Ex-French President makes shock admission in call with Russian pranksters

Francois Hollande has confirmed that the European Union and France are directly participating in the armed conflict in Ukraine, despite Paris officially denying such claims.

Ex-French President makes shock admission in call with Russian pranksters

H/T: Der Friedensstifter

Backup video link.

Neither Google or Yandex will translate it into English. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Canada: Senator fears ‘modern Chinese exclusion’ but some redress activists reject link

Senator Yuen Pau Woo questions whether a foreign influence registry might become “a modern form of Chinese exclusion,” and says angry reaction to his suggestion proves his point about racial profiling and stigmatization.

Senator fears ‘modern Chinese exclusion’ but some redress activists reject link

H/T: Silk and Steel Podcast: Canada’s China Freakout with Justin Podur

No color revolution for Canada?! /sarcasm

The Tragedy of US Diplomacy Pushing for War, But Never Peace

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

In a brilliant op-ed published in the New York Times, the Quincy Institute’s Trita Parsi explained how China, with help from Iraq, was able to mediate and resolve the deeply-rooted conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia, whereas the United States was in no position to do so after siding with the Saudi kingdom against Iran for decades. The title of Parsi’s article, “The U.S. Is Not an Indispensable Peacemaker,” refers to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright’s use of the term “indispensable nation” to describe the U.S. role in the post-Cold War world.

The Tragedy of US Diplomacy Pushing for War, But Never Peace