QResear.ch

#22823829 at 2025-03-26 13:18:30 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #27874: Are You Caped? Edition

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10:00 AM EDT
Shared Threats: Indo-pacific Alliances and Burden Sharing in Today's Geopolitical Environment
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
^
WITNESSES:
The Honorable Randall Schriver
Chairman of the Board
Project 2049 Institute
Arlington, VA
^
Dr. Oriana Skylar Mastro
Center Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University
Non-Resident Scholar, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Stanford, CA
^
Dr. Victor Cha
Distinguished University Professor, Georgetown University
President, Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Washington, D.C.
^
https://www.congress.gov/event/119th-congress/senate-event/336744
https://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/shared-threats-indo-pacific-alliances-and-burden-sharing-in-todays-geopolitical-environment

10:00 AM EDT
National Security and Department of State - Member Day
House Appropriations Committee
^
WITNESSES:
The Honorable Marcy Kaptur
Member of Congress, Washington D.C.
^
The Honorable H. Griffith
Member of Congress, Washington D.C.
^
The Honorable Laura Gillen
Member of Congress, Washington D.C.
^
https://www.congress.gov/event/119th-congress/house-event/118037
https://rollcall.com/2020/03/10/congress-lobbying-congress-member-day-explained/
https://appropriations.house.gov/schedule/hearings/national-security-and-department-state-member-day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y53WwDRJ0OE

10:00 AM EDT
Hearings to Examine Pending Nominations
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
^
NOMINEES:
Brian Nesvik
Nominee to be Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
^
Jessica Kramer
Nominee to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
^
Sean Donahue
Nominee to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
^
https://www.congress.gov/event/119th-congress/senate-event/336751
https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2025/3/hearing-on-the-nominations-of-brian-nesvik-to-be-director-of-the-united-states-fish-and-wildlife-service-jessica-kramer-to-be-an-assistant-administrator-of-the-environmental-protection-agency-and-sean-donahue-to-be-an-assistant-administrator-of-the-environmental-protection-agency
https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hearings

10:00 AM EDT
POSTPONED Oversight of the Federal Emergency Management Agency: Operational Challenges and Opportunities for Reform
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
https://www.congress.gov/event/119th-congress/house-event/118057
https://oversight.house.gov/

10:00 AM EDT
POSTPONED The Fiscal State of the Nation
House Budget Committee
^
WITNESSES:
Dr. Paul Winfree
President and CEO, Economic Policy Innovation Center
^
Dr. Joshua Rauh
Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University
^
Mr. Daniel Clifton
Partner and Head of Policy Research, Strategas Asset Managemen
^
https://www.congress.gov/event/119th-congress/house-event/118048
https://budget.house.gov/hearings

10:15 AM EDT
Mission Incomplete: Strengthening the TAP Program to Ensure a Smoother Transition to Civilian Life for Tomorrow's Veterans
House Veterans' Affairs Committee
https://www.congress.gov/event/119th-congress/house-event/118028
https://veterans.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=6667
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HLQw0O7WHw
24

#11346139 at 2020-10-29 19:17:45 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #14491: Victory Rally Edition Edition

Key Pentagon Official Turned China Policy Over to Arms Industry & Taiwan Supporters

When the United States finalized a set of seven arms sales packages to Taiwan in August, including 66 upgraded F-16 fighter planes and longer-range air-to-ground missiles that could hit sensitive targets on mainland China, it shifted U.S. policy sharply toward a much more aggressive stance on the geo-strategic island at the heart of military tensions between the United States and China.

Branded "Fortress Taiwan" by the Pentagon, the ambitious arms deal was engineered by Randall Schriver, a veteran pro-Taiwan activist and anti-China hardliner whose think tank had been financed by America's biggest arms contractors and by the Taiwan government itself.

Since assuming the post of assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific security affairs in early 2018, Schriver has focused primarily on granting his major arms company patrons the vaunted arms deals they had sought for years.

The arms sales Schriver has overseen represent the most dangerous U.S. escalation against China in years. The weapons systems will give Taiwan the capability to strike Chinese military and civilian targets far inland, thus emboldening those determined to push for independence from China.

Although no U.S. administration has committed to defending Taiwan since Washington normalized relations with China, the Pentagon is developing the weapons systems and military strategy it would need for a full-scale war. If a conflict breaks out, Taiwan is likely to be at its center.

Returning Favors

Schriver is a longtime advocate of massive, highly provocative arms sales to Taiwan who has advanced the demand that the territory be treated more like a sovereign, independent state. His lobbying has been propelled by financial support from major arms contractors and Taiwan through two institutional bases: a consulting business and a "think tank" that also led the charge for arms sales to U.S. allies in East Asia.

The first of these outfits was a consulting firm called Armitage International, which Schriver founded in 2005 with Richard Armitage, a senior Pentagon and State Department official in the Reagan and George W. Bush administrations.

Schriver had served as Armitage's chief of staff in the State Department and then as deputy sssistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs. (Armitage, a lifelong Republican, recently released a video endorsement of Joseph Biden for president).

More
https://consortiumnews.com/2020/10/28/key-pentagon-official-turned-china-policy-over-to-arms-industry-taiwan-supporters/

#11326581 at 2020-10-28 19:25:38 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #14468: Still Can't Find A Decent Baker Edition

How a key Pentagon official turned China policy over to arms industry and Taiwan supporters

The "Fortress Taiwan" arms deal overseen by ex-Assistant Secretary of Defense Randall Schriver is one of the most provocative U.S. moves against China in years - and a big win for his think tank's arms industry and Taiwanese patrons.

When the United States finalized a set of seven arms sales packages to Taiwan in August, including 66 upgraded F-16 fighter planes and longer-range air-to-ground missiles that could hit sensitive targets on mainland China, it shifted U.S. policy sharply toward a much more aggressive stance on the geo-strategic island at the heart of military tensions between the United States and China.

Branded "Fortress Taiwan" by the Pentagon, the ambitious arms deal was the engineered by Randall Schriver, a veteran pro-Taiwan activist and anti-China hardliner whose think tank had been financed by America's biggest arms contractors and by the Taiwan government itself.

Since assuming the post of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs in early 2018, Schriver has focused primarily on granting his major arms company patrons the vaunted arms deals they had sought for years.

The arms sales Schriver has overseen represent the most dangerous U.S. escalation against China in years. The weapons systems will give Taiwan the capability to strike Chinese military and civilian targets far inland, thus emboldening those determined to push for independence from China. Although no U.S. administration has committed Washington to defend Taiwan since it normalized relations with China, the Pentagon is developing the weapons systems and military strategy it would need for a full-scale war. If a conflict breaks out, Taiwan is likely to be at its center.

More
https://thegrayzone.com/2020/10/27/pentagon-china-policy-arms-industry-taiwan/

#11242996 at 2020-10-23 22:13:28 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #14362: Fighting from the Golf Carts Edition

bohai harvest rst is harvesting falun gong organs (Face++)

https://www.dagnyintel.com/post/19-september-2019-dinner-news


An investment fund backed by Hunter Biden, son of 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden, invested in a surveillance system used to spy on Muslims in China, a new report claims.


According to the Intercept,Hunter's investment company in China, known as Bohai Harvest RST, invested in Face++, a technology used by the Chinese government to introduce a mass surveillance state and spy on its citizens.


The technology has been used to spy on Muslims in China's western province of Xinjiang, where an estimated 1 million Muslims are held in "re-education" camps, providing authorities access to data that shows personal information such as their religious activity, blood type and usage of utilities.


The U.S. government on Friday criticized China's mass detention of Muslims.


"The (Chinese) Communist Party is using the security forces for mass imprisonment of Chinese Muslims in concentration camps," Randall Schriver, who leads Asia policy at the U.S. Defense Department, said during a briefing, according to Reuters. He added that the number of detained Muslims could be "closer to 3 million citizens."


https://www.foxnews.com/politics/joe-bidens-son-invested-in-chinese-app-that-spies-on-muslims-as-us-officails-condemn-china-over-concentration-camps

When you have 3 million people in Chinese concentration camps, you have to wonder what is happening to them? Given China's established organ trade what would be the reasonable conclusion?:

"On June 17, an independent tribunal which has beeninvestigating "forced organ harvesting" from Chinese prisoners, including Falun Gong practitioners and Uighur Muslims, published its final judgment.


The China Tribunal concluded that "forced organ harvesting has been committed for years throughout China on a significant scale, [and] the tribunal has had no evidence that the significant infrastructure associated with China's transplantation industry has been dismantled and absent a satisfactory explanation as to the source of readily available organs concludes that forced organ harvesting continues till today."


Central to the tribunal's findings were estimates of the actual number of transplants taking place-far higher than official statistics, implausibly short waiting times and first-hand testimony from former detainees. Some of the organ extractions were said to have been conducted on live victims who were killed during their procedures."


https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2019/06/18/china-killing-prisoners-to-harvest-organs-for-transplant-tribunal-finds/#c1dded153d41

#11119835 at 2020-10-17 17:41:56 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #14221: THE BEST IS YET TO COME Edition

'If not a genocide, something close to it' going on in China: US national security adviser; warns Taiwan of Chinese invasion

The Trump administration recently authorized major arms deals with Taiwain

United States National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien delivered warnings regarding China on Friday, while also praising Hong Kong's pro-democracy protesters. Speaking at a webinar hosted by the non-partisan Aspen Institute, O'Brien expressed concern over China's iron-fisted rule in the Xinjiang region.

"If not a genocide, something close to it going on in Xinjiang," O'Brien told the online audience. Xinjiang is home to millions of China's ethnic minority of Uighur Muslims. The northwest region of China is also home to internment camps, which the Chinese Communist Party officially calls "vocational education and training centers."

There could be as many as 3 million Uighur Muslims detained in the secret re-education camps, according to Randall Schriver, former U.S. assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs.

O'Brien said, "The Chinese are literally shaving the heads of Uighur women and making hair products and sending them to the United States."

O'Brien is citing the seizure of 13 tons of hair products worth more than $800,000 at the Port of New York/Newark by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in June. The confiscation of human hair products, which originated from Xinjiang, points to "potential human rights abuses of forced child labor and imprisonment" by China.

O'Brien was also troubled by the crackdown of Hong Kong pro-democracy demonstrators by the Chinese government.

"Anyone who's been to Hong Kong and spent time there, it's sad what's going to happen. Hong Kong has been fully absorbed into China," O'Brien stated. "It'd be great if we had more immigrants from Hong Kong. They're terrific people."

The National Security Adviser also warned Taiwan to bolster its military to defend against a possible invasion by China.

"I think Taiwan needs to start looking at some asymmetric and anti-access area denial strategies and so on and really fortify itself in a manner that would deter the Chinese from any sort of amphibious invasion or even a gray zone operation against them," O'Brien said at the event.

O'Brien added that China doesn't want to do an amphibious landing on Taiwan, "It would be a hard operation for the Chinese to do." He added an animal aphorism, "Lions generally don't like to eat porcupines; they can, but they prefer not to."

Earlier this week, the Trump administration informed Congress that it plans to sell advanced weapons systems to Taiwan.

"The U.S. sales involve the Lockheed Martin-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, a truck-mounted rocket launcher; the Boeing-made over-the-horizon, precision strike missile Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response; and external sensor pods for Taiwan's F-16 jets," as reported by Defense News.

Last month, the Trump administration announced they would sell 66 new F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan.

O'Brien said that Beijing would be forced to consider possible retaliation by the United States for China's aggression. "We have a lot of tools in the toolkit that, if we got involved, could make that a very dangerous effort for China to engage in," O'Brien said.

https://www.theblaze.com/news/if-not-a-genocide-something-close-to-it-going-on-in-china-us-national-security-adviser-warns-taiwan-of-chinese-invasion

#10354552 at 2020-08-20 06:22:54 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #13250: Liberal Heads Need To Explode Edition

>>10354463
'Ambassador Tina Kaidanow, senior adviser for international cooperation, has left the Pentagon, the Department of Defense confirmed to Defense News Wednesday.

Why it matters: She's the fifth top official in seven days to exit or announce their departure from the Pentagon, according to Defense News and The Hill.

The big picture: Per the two news outlets, Kaidanow left her role on Dec. 16. It was announced on Dec. 12 that Randall Schriver, the top Asia policy official, would leave his position soon. A day later, Jimmy Stewart, the acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said he was retiring.

Steven Walker, head of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, will leave in January "for an industry job," Defense News reported Tuesday.
Earlier Wednesday, the Defense Department confirmed to the military news outlet that Kari Bingen, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence, would step down next month.

What they're saying: A Department of Defense spokesperson told The Hill the service of long-time official Kaidanow was appreciated and he wishes her well.

DOD spokesperson Lt. Col. Michael Andrews told Defense News the department was "committed to the development and implementation of international cooperative programs and defense exportability efforts to foster cooperation with U.S. allies on research, development, production and support of weapons systems and related equipment."
"The department will not provide anything further on this personnel matter," Andrews added.'
https://www.axios.com/tina-kaidanow-fifth-pentagon-official-resigns-4ea23438-d930-4e6b-be1e-9e370492e385.html

#9120186 at 2020-05-11 08:30:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #11673: The '[They] are already crafting a narrative. How cute!' Edition

Taking a swing at it…

4196
Q!!Hs1Jq13jV610 May 2020 - 1:07:52 AM
THE SHADOW PRESIDENCY.
THE SHADOW GOVERNMENT.
Why did [Hussein] shadow POTUS re: [F] trips?
>Gain Intel
Why did [Kerry] shadow POTUS re: Iran?
>Attempt to reassure the "deal" will continue
Why did [Kerry] shadow POTUS re: [CLAS 1-99]? [CLAS 1-99] = 1%
>Intel and to assure investors/leaders "Iran deal" will continue
Why did [McMaster] target and remove loyal intel operatives inside WH?
>Sabotage
Why did [McMaster] prevent declas-disclose to Congress?
>Told to by 1% (re: 99% patriots)
Why did [Coats] prevent declas-disclose to Congress?
>Afraid / death threat?
Why did [Bolton] prevent decals-disclose to Congress?
>Blackmailed
Why did [Ryan] prevent subpoena power of (R) Congress?
>Forced to comply
Why did [Rosenstein] work to entrap and install blockade [SC]?
>Attempt to cover tracks from FISA
Why did [Rosenstein] install [Mueller] knowing zero evidence of Russia collusion?
>Rosenstein was already "all-in" and neck deep with nothing left to lose
Why did [Mueller] attempt to retake FBI DIR position?
>Hide evidence / without evidence from Congress
Why did [Mueller][Rosenstein] drag out SC investigation if known no Russia collusion pre + start?
>Buying time for the next "step" (impeachment)
Why did select members of [NSC][Vindman] actively leak to MSM?
>Create the narrative
Why did select members of [NSC][Vindman] orchestrate fake whistleblower report w/ [Schiff][Atkinson][CLAS 1-9] to sabotage and initiate impeachment?
>Schiff bribed / extorted them
Why did [Pelosi] rush impeachment investigation?
>To keep facts from being revealed before the vote took place
Why did [Pelosi] then hold impeachment article(s) until Jan 15?
>Buy time for the next "step" (pandemic)
Why did [Schiff] push false 'Russia evidence' narrative post closed door interviews [no evidence of collusion]?
>Enforce the false narrative / rile up left / encourage Dem voters to vote
Why did [Schiff] coordinate w/ WH NSC [through proxy] to arrange for Ukraine whistleblower?
>Creation of witnesses
Why did [Schiff] actively leak knowingly false statements during-post classified sessions to MSM?
>Immunity within halls of Congress / continue pushing narrative
Why did [Schiff] illegally surveil [phone] members of WH legal team, media, and Congress?
>Intel
What Pentagon officials [CLAS 1-99 _subject] tendered resignation within a 2 week period?
>Randall Schriver, Tina Kaidanow, Steven Walker, John Rood, Kevin M. Sweeney
Why did [Omarosa Manigajlt Newmam] attempt to entrap POTUS through secret and illegal recording?
>Money / push narrative
Why did [Soros] finance anti-POTUS events and organizations across US?
>Create division within our nation
Why did [CLAS 1-99] organize and push propaganda [smear] campaign through use of MSM & Hollywood?
>Those involved are trying to hide painful truths (human tricking / corruption)
[CLAS 1-99][F]
[CLAS 1-99][F]
[CLAS 1-99][F]
[CLAS 1-99][F]
4 Foreign 1%
[CLAS 1-99]
[CLAS 1-99]
[CLAS 1-99]
[CLAS 1-99]
[CLAS 1-99] x 49
53 Domestic 1%
INSURGENCY.
IRREGULAR WARFARE.
THE GREATEST POLITICAL SCANDAL IN HISTORY.
What are they trying to prevent?
>Great Awakening
Who are they trying to protect?
>The evil ones
Q

#7548085 at 2019-12-18 19:39:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #9655: Think early retirement! Q! Edition

Principal Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Kari Bingen
top Asia policy official Randall Schriver would leave after two years on the job
top official in charge of personnel and readiness Jimmy Stewart had resigned after a little over a year on the job
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency leader Steven Walker will leave in January for a private-sector job.

#7547438 at 2019-12-18 18:42:00 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #9654: What a season for breaking the Sedition Tradition! Edition

>>7547301
Kari Bingen

Bingen was the Defense Department's No. 2 intelligence official and has been in the role since May 2017. Prior to that, she served as the House Armed Services Committee's policy director for four years and held a number of other positions on the committee's strategic forces panel.
ADVERTISEMENT

Her announced departure follows three others within seven days: the Dec. 12 notification that top Asia policy official Randall Schriver would leave after two years on the job; the Dec. 13 announcement that top official in charge of personnel and readiness Jimmy Stewart had resigned after a little over a year on the job; and on Tuesday Defense News reported that Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency leader Steven Walker will leave in January for a private-sector job.

Those four vacancies add to a number of openings within the Defense Department, with six of the 21 deputy assistant secretary of Defense policy jobs still empty. Several other roles are filled in an acting capacity, including chief management officer, comptroller, deputy undersecretary of Defense for policy, and assistant Defense secretary for international security affairs.

#7547406 at 2019-12-18 18:39:54 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #9654: What a season for breaking the Sedition Tradition! Edition

>>7547301

A top Pentagon intelligence official will soon leave the building, the fourth key defense official to announce their resignation within a week.

Principal Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Kari Bingen will leave in January. Her departure was first reported by Politico.

Bingen was the Defense Department's No. 2 intelligence official and has been in the role since May 2017. Prior to that, she served as the House Armed Services Committee's policy director for four years and held a number of other positions on the committee's strategic forces panel.

Her announced departure follows three others within seven days: the Dec. 12 notification that top Asia policy official Randall Schriver would leave after two years on the job; the Dec. 13 announcement that top official in charge of personnel and readiness Jimmy Stewart had resigned after a little over a year on the job; and on Tuesday Defense News reported that Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency leader Steven Walker will leave in January for a private-sector job.

Those four vacancies add to a number of openings within the Defense Department, with six of the 21 deputy assistant secretary of Defense policy jobs still empty. Several other roles are filled in an acting capacity, including chief management officer, comptroller, deputy undersecretary of Defense for policy, and assistant Defense secretary for international security affairs.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper earlier this week downplayed the departures, telling reporters that there is a "rhythm" to people leaving and taking positions and said there was already a replacement for Stewart.

"You'll probably see another couple of - some more announcements are coming up soon," Esper said on Monday while flying back to the U.S. from Belgium.

"Again, that's a normal rotation, folks have been at it hard for two years now, two-plus years. You have this happen even last year."

He added that it's important to "get people in place as quickly as possible. If not confirmed, at least acting," and keep moving the Pentagon forward.
(article text)

#7547169 at 2019-12-18 18:23:30 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #9654: What a season for breaking the Sedition Tradition! Edition

>>7547100
With moar coming…
"A top Pentagon intelligence official will soon leave the building, the fourth key defense official to announce their resignation within a week.
Principal Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Kari Bingen will leave in January. Her departure was first reported by Politico.
Bingen was the Defense Department's No. 2 intelligence official and has been in the role since May 2017. Prior to that, she served as the House Armed Services Committee's policy director for four years and held a number of other positions on the committee's strategic forces panel.
Her announced departure follows three others within seven days: the Dec. 12 notification that top Asia policy official Randall Schriver would leave after two years on the job; the Dec. 13 announcement that top official in charge of personnel and readiness Jimmy Stewart had resigned after a little over a year on the job; and on Tuesday Defense News reported that Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency leader Steven Walker will leave in January for a private sector job.
Those four vacancies add to a number of holes within the Pentagon, with six of the 21 deputy assistant secretary of Defense policy jobs still empty. Several other roles are filled in an acting capacity, including chief management officer, comptroller, deputy undersecretary of defense for policy and assistant defense secretary for international security affairs.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper earlier this week downplayed the departures, telling reporters that there is a "rhythm" to people leaving and taking positions and said there was already a replacement for Stewart.

***"You'll probably see another couple of, some more announcements are coming up soon," Esper said on Monday while flying back to the U.S. from Belgium."

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/475114-fourth-pentagon-official-announces-resignation-within-week

#7504996 at 2019-12-14 18:21:17 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #9599: Dems are voting Republican! Edition

Pentagon Personnel Chief is Latest DoD Leader to Resign

A retired Air Force general performing the duties of the under secretary of defense for Personnel and Readiness at the Defense Department has resigned, according to the Pentagon.

Without citing a specific reason, Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced in a statement Friday that James 'Jimmy' Stewart had stepped down from the position.

"Today, I accepted the resignation of Jimmy Stewart," Esper said.

Stewart, who was confirmed as the assistant secretary of defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs in October 2018, "has been filling the under secretary role since then, a role that is critical to the National Defense Strategy, in support of our families and readiness," Esper said.

"I note that Jimmy came out of retirement, after having served 37 years in the Air Force, to serve his country again. It's people like Jimmy, the selfless individuals who put service before self, who are the backbone of this country. I thank Jimmy and his family for their service to the department and the nation, and wish him the best in his retirement," he added.

Related: SecDef: I Was 'Flabbergasted' to Learn About Spencer's Secret Deal with Trump

Matt Donovan, the under secretary of the Air Force who served as acting Air Force Secretary until Barbara Barrett's recent confirmation, will step into the role vacated by Stewart, Esper said.

Donovan will still maintain his current role as Air Force under secretary until Dec. 27. When he transitions to performing duties as the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness for DoD, Shon Manasco, the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, will take over as Air Force under secretary.

"Under Secretary Donovan's steady leadership and work improving the force's readiness, modernization, and advocacy will leave the Department of the Air Force better for generations to come," Barrett said Friday. Donovan has been the under secretary for more than two years.

"The Department of the Air Force is in good hands with Shon Manasco's leadership," Barrett added.

Stewart is just the latest in a long series of officials to resign or be removed from top Pentagon roles in the last few years. Navy Secretary Richard Spencer was asked for his resignation in November after Esper said he had broken trust by dealing unilaterally with the White House. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson resigned in May to take a position as president of the University of Texas at El Paso. On Thursday, Pentagon officials confirmed that Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver was resigning after nearly two years in the post.

The position Stewart is vacating has not been filled by a Senate-confirmed official since Robert Wilkie departed to become secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs in July 2018.

According to his Air Force biography, Stewart was a pilot with over 4,700 flight hours flying the KC-10 Extender, C-17 Globemaster III, C-141A/B Starlifter, WC-130H weather reconnaissance aircraft and the C-130H2 Hercules during his nearly 40-year career, which spanned both active duty and the Air Force Reserve.

He retired from the Air Force as a major general in 2014.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/12/13/pentagon-personnel-chief-latest-dod-leader-resign.html

#7495409 at 2019-12-13 06:21:49 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #9587: Musty Charms are Magically Suspicious Edition

Resignations in the news 12/12/2019 - part 1


Domino's Pizza Chair Stephen Hemsley to step down
https://www.financial-world.org/news/news/business/4235/dominos-pizza-chair-stephen-hemsley-to-step-down/

EKU'S PRESIDENT TO STEP DOWN
https://www.wtvq.com/2019/12/12/ekus-president-step/

Broward County deputy fired for slamming teen's head into pavement
https://www.wptv.com/news/state/broward-county-deputy-fired-for-slamming-teens-head-into-pavement

IPI's Brown resigns
http://www.mvariety.com/cnmi/cnmi-news/local/117521-ipi-s-brown-resigns

NCA top official resigns
https://www.telegraphindia.com/sport/cricket/nca-top-official-resigns/cid/1726206

Randall Schriver, Pentagon's Top Asia Official, Resigns Post
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/pentagon-china-12112019180321.html

Larissa Read to resign from Holy Cross Energy board, creating vacancy
https://www.vaildaily.com/news/larissa-read-to-resign-from-holy-cross-energy-board-creating-vacancy/

Netanyahu to Resign From All Ministerial Positions While Remaining PM
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-netanyahu-to-resign-from-all-ministerial-positions-as-israel-heads-for-3rd-electiono-1.8260299

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Paul Swain
https://www.ksfy.com/content/news/Pope-Francis-accepts-Bishop-Swains-resignation-announces-successor-566125601.html

NJ League of Municipalities head stepping down in July
https://njbiz.com/nj-league-of-municipalities-head-michael-darcy-stepping-down/

Editors of 'Out' and 'Advocate', Pride Media CEO, Step Down Simultaneously Amid Financial Turmoil
https://www.towleroad.com/2019/12/out-advocate/

City of Ale co-founder steps down after nine years
https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/cofounder-of-norwich-city-of-ale-beer-festival-to-step-down-1-6421299

Orange Lutheran water polo coach Steve Carrera resigns, accepts position at College of Marin
https://www.ocregister.com/2019/12/11/orange-lutheran-water-polo-coach-steve-carrera-resigns-accepts-position-at-college-of-marin/

Hoschton Mayor Pro Tem Jim Cleveland resigns from office
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/hoschton-mayor-pro-tem-jim-cleveland-resigns-from-office

Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Marcus Clark retiring in middle of term
https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2019/12/12/breaking-supreme-court-justice-marcus-clark-retiring/4407936002/

CFF Offers Emotional Send-off to Retiring CEO Preston Campbell
https://cysticfibrosisnewstoday.com/2019/12/12/cff-offers-emotional-send-off-to-retiring-ceo-preston-campbell/

St. Clair County District Court Judge Cynthia Platzer retiring
https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/2019/12/11/st-clair-county-district-court-judge-cynthia-platzer-resigns/4404828002/

Mendocino Sheriff Tom Allman retiring
https://mendovoice.com/2019/12/mendocino-sheriff-tom-allman-retiring/

Bridgeport's controversial Democratic Registrar of Voters retiring
https://westfaironline.com/119442/bridgeports-controversial-democratic-registrar-of-voters-retiring/

Sheriff Allman retiring at the end of the year
https://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/2019/12/12/sheriff-allman-retiring-at-the-end-of-the-year/

Longtime Grady school board member stepping down
https://www.timesenterprise.com/news/local_news/longtime-grady-school-board-member-stepping-down/article_9c44b277-423e-5957-941c-621d00f828d6.html

UK Music founder to step down
https://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/magazine/faces/uk-music-founder-step-down

#6408181 at 2019-05-04 02:26:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #8194: The Moment Of Truth Edition

China putting minority Muslims in 'concentration camps,' U.S. says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States accused China on Friday of putting well more than a million minority Muslims in "concentration camps," in some of the strongest U.S. condemnation to date of what it calls Beijing's mass detention of mostly Muslim Uighur minority and other Muslim groups.

The comments by Randall Schriver, who leads Asia policy at the U.S. Defense Department, are likely to increase tension with Beijing, which is sensitive to international criticism and describes the sites as vocational education training centers aimed at stemming the threat of Islamic extremism.

Former detainees have described to Reuters being tortured during interrogation at the camps, living in crowded cells and being subjected to a brutal daily regimen of party indoctrination that drove some people to suicide.

Some of the sprawling facilities are ringed with razor wire and watch towers.

"The (Chinese) Communist Party is using the security forces for mass imprisonment of Chinese Muslims in concentration camps," Schriver told a Pentagon briefing during a broader discussion about China's military, estimating that the number of detained Muslims could be "closer to 3 million citizens."

Schriver, an assistant secretary of defense, defended his use of a term normally associated with Nazi Germany as appropriate, under the circumstances.

When asked by a reporter why he used the term, Schriver said that it was justified "given what we understand to be the magnitude of the detention, at least a million but likely closer to 3 million citizens out of a population of about 10 million.""So a very significant portion of the population, (given) what's happening there, what the goals are of the Chinese government and their own public comments make that a very, I think, appropriate description," he said.

The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday used the term re-education camps to describe the sites and said Chinese activity was "reminiscent of the 1930s."

The U.S. government has weighed sanctions against senior Chinese officials in Xinjiang, a vast region bordering central Asia that is home to millions of Uighurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities. China has warned that it would retaliate "in proportion" against any U.S. sanctions.

The governor of Xinjiang in March directly dismissed comparisons to concentration camps, saying they were "the same as boarding schools."

U.S. officials have said China has made criminal many aspects of religious practice and culture in Xinjiang, including punishment for teaching Muslim texts to children and bans on parents giving their children Uighur names.

Academics and journalists have documented grid-style police checkpoints across Xinjiang and mass DNA collection, and human rights advocates have decried martial law-type conditions there.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-concentrationcamps/china-putting-minority-muslims-in-concentration-camps-u-s-says-idUSKCN1S925K

#3569834 at 2018-10-23 02:26:17 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4529: AND STILL WITH YOU TEXAS Edition

Pentagon sends two US warships through Taiwan Strait, risking fury from Beijing as tensions remain high

Taiwan's defence ministry and the Pentagon say the warships passed through international waters on Monday. The Pentagon says the passage demonstrated a commitment to '?a free and open Indo-Pacific', but was 'certainly not' intended to raise tensions.

Two US Navy vessels sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Monday, in a move that is likely to exacerbate the already high tensions between Washington and Beijing. Both the island's defence ministry and the Pentagon confirmed the passage, with the former saying in a statement that it was aware of the "routine" operation, and warning that the island is capable of defending its maritime territory and airspace security. The operation, which Taiwan says took place in international waters, is expected to trigger a strong reaction from Beijing, which has repeatedly demanded that Washington cut all military ties with the self-ruled island. Beijing regards Taiwan as a breakaway province to be taken back, by force if necessary.

The US Department of Defence later confirmed the transit. Pentagon spokesman Colonel Rob Manning told reporters on Monday during a press briefing that "in the Taiwan Strait, earlier today, USS Curtis Wilbur and USS Antietam conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit in accordance with international law". Monday's passage is the second transit through the Taiwan Strait by US warships in less than four months after two destroyers, the USS Mustin and the USS Benfold, passed through the strait in July. The USS Curtis Wilbur is a guided-missile destroyer and the USS Antietam a guided-missile cruiser. "The ships' transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific," Manning said. "The US Navy will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law permits." Manning added that in conducting the transit, the US "maintained coordination and contact with the appropriate nations, authorities and parties". It was "certainly not the Department [of Defence]'s intention to raise tensions or any kind of escalation" across the Taiwan Strait, the spokesman said. The Pentagon had not received "any information talking about unsafe and unprofessional encounters with any Chinese vessels" during the transit, said another Pentagon spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Logan.

The move is likely to infuriate Beijing which recently expressed anger at America's continued communications with Taiwan. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told press in Beijing last week that the US should "correct its mistakes, stop any official contact, military ties and arms sales to the Taiwan region". Lu also said that the US should hold back "Taiwan independence" forces in case it further harmed China-US relations or peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The latest transit comes after US Secretary of Defence James Mattis' meeting last Thursday with his Chinese counterpart, Wei Fenghe, in Singapore on the sidelines of an Asian security forum. Mattis reportedly had tried to explain to Wei that US policies toward Taiwan were unchanged. At that point, the Chinese defence chief raised the Taiwan issue. "Minister Wei raised Taiwan and concerns about our policy. The secretary reassured Minister Wei that we haven't changed our Taiwan policy, our One China policy," Randall Schriver, a US assistant secretary of defence for Asian and Pacific security affairs, was quoted by Reuters. Washington has no formal ties with Taiwan but is bound by law to help it defend itself; it is the island's main source of arms.

The Pentagon says the US has sold Taiwan more than US$15 billion in weaponry since 2010. Mattis told Wei on Thursday that the world's two largest economies needed to deepen their military ties to navigate tensions and reduce the risk of inadvertent conflict. During the meeting, Mattis also repeated that Wei was invited to visit the US within the year, The New York Times reported, citing an anonymous senior Defence Department official who was in the meeting. Wei had already accepted an invitation made by Mattis in June. But the two sides' current rocky military relations have cast uncertainty on the trip. Washington disinvited the Chinese navy from taking part in a Pacific multinational military exercise, 2018 RIMPAC, in May. The US also imposed sanctions on a Chinese military equipment unit and its director in September, and has conducted "freedom of navigation operations" in the South China Sea. Manning said Beijing and Washington were still coordinating on Wei's visit to Washington. "I have not heard it [the trip] is off the table yet," the Pentagon spokesman said, "I have not heard [of] any changes in the status of the plan."

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/2169728/two-us-navy-ships-sail-through-taiwan-strait-move-likely-anger

#2698496 at 2018-08-22 04:52:34 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #3407: Schrödinger's Cat Bounce Edition

'The CIA is listening & may kill me': Duterte mulls ditching his smartphone

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is thinking of dumping his smartphone over fears that the CIA is constantly eavesdropping on his conversations and might use his private information to eventually assassinate him.

"I know, the US is listening. I'm sure it's the CIA, it's also the one who will kill me," Duterte said in Cebu City on Tuesday, rejuvenating fears that Washington may seek his demise over his independent foreign policy and willingness to obtain weapons from other global suppliers.

To avert possible smartphone intrusion by outside powers, which Duterte said could include "Russia, China, Israel, and maybe Indonesia," the 73-year-old leader is considering going back to using a basic cellphone, with which eavesdropping and interception is harder.

Noting that he is not a tech-savvy leader, he anecdotally recalled how he once sent a confidential message to all of his Viber contacts after accidentally clicking the "send all" feature.

Duterte has long feared that the CIA might be out for vengeance amid deteriorating bilateral ties with Washington. Just last Friday, Duterte once again noted that the CIA "wanted me dead."

Washington's refusal to sell assault rifles to Manila, over concerns about the country's human rights record amid its ongoing war on drugs, has forced Duterte to seek new suppliers. Manila, which has long depended on the US for weapons, turned to China and Russia to fill the gap.

Moscow and Manila signed a military cooperation agreement last year, with Russia already supplying over 5,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles to the Philippines for free, to help it fight Islamist insurgency. Despite pressure from the US, Duterte's government is also considering the purchase of patrol boats, helicopters, armored vehicles and even submarines from Russia.

On Tuesday, Duterte once again defended his choice to seek new arms suppliers, after US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver asked Manila to think "very carefully" about the consequences of acquiring Russian weapons. "You're not just buying capability, you're investing in a relationship," Schriver noted earlier this month.

https://www.rt.com/news/436533-cia-listening-may-kill-duterte/

#1714733 at 2018-06-12 17:12:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #2157: Only The Most Courageous Can Make Peace

Pentagon begins planning which South Korea exercises should be 'sped up, scaled back or suspended'

The U.S. military is making plans to restructure, scale down, and reschedule military training with South Korea, while ensuring troops remain at a high state of readiness, Pentagon officials said Tuesday.

"We will maintain the fighting readiness of our forces," said one official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the policy is still being refined.

But several sources said training would continue without the high-profile "in-your-face" named exercises that are regularly announced and given aggressive code names such as Max Thunder and Key Resolve.

A statement is expected soon from the Pentagon in the wake of President Trump's surprise announcement in Singapore that the U.S. is stopping joint "war games" with the South, "unless and until we see the future negotiation is not going along like it should."

The Pentagon confirmed that the next major military exercise - Ulchi Freedom Guardian - is scheduled for the fall. A spokesman said no new guidance has gone out to commanders in the field because there are still many questions on how the president's commitment will be implemented.

Last year's exercise was held in August, lasted 10 days and involved 17,500 U.S. troops. Service members from South Korea joined forces with the U.S. and seven other countries. Ulchi Freedom Guardian is a "computer simulated defense exercise," the Pentagon says.

Both Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford were well aware of Trump's plan to suspend large-scale military exercises, according to Pentagon officials who spoke privately.

"Mattis spoke about what was not on the table, not what was on the table," one official said, referring to a Monday meeting with reporters in which he said there was no discussion of withdrawing any U.S. troops stationed in South Korea.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hinted at the move when he told reporters at a pre-summit briefing in Singapore, "We're prepared to take what will be security assurances that are different, unique than [what] America's been willing to provide previously."

But because the option was under wraps, and contingent on a positive meeting between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, planning is just now underway to decide which exercises should be "sped up, scaled back or suspended," according a military official familiar with the planning

Pentagon officials say they are also waiting to get a briefing from Randall Schriver, assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific security affairs, who is the Defense Department's liaison with the State Department team leading the diplomatic effort.

In making the announcement to end what he called "war games," Trump cited both the cost and provocative nature of the exercises.

https:// www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/pentagon-begins-planning-which-south-korea-exercises-should-be-sped-up-scaled-back-or-suspended