I’m going to ignore the name-calling. What I find amazing is that Marcy is doubling down on this notion that Manafort was writing emails to his clients and colleagues in 2013 as part of a “deception” and “propaganda” effort to, i don’t know, fool Mueller in 2017-18? 
Here's a look at Marcy Wheeler:
Marcy Wheeler is a hyperpartisan conspiracy theorist and shameless liar who has never had any sources other than fellow partisans, and has never found employment with any media organization other than a tumultuous few months with Glenn Greenwald's The Intercept. Her only story for them was spiked, and she then left — here's her account of that incident. Wheeler describes herself in that last link as "document rather than source-focused" — a polite spin on the fact that responsible leftists don't want to give quotes to someone who wrote a book purporting to prove that Dick Cheney outed Valerie Plame a year aftermultiple actual journalists broke the story that it was really Richard Armitage. Needless to say, she has no track record of cultivating opposing partisan sources, routine even for people at The Nation or National Review.
In any case, while no mainstream or even reputable partisan publication had touched her work in years, she has continued to produce reader-sponsored material on her own site. Margaret Sullivan, formerly the ombudsman at the New York Times, and now a media columnist at the Washington Post, calls this a "careful and principled" move. But what did Wheeler's source do to deserve being exposed to Mueller? Per Sullivan:
Her blog post centers on a text message she says she got from the source on Nov. 9, 2016 — about 14 hours after the polls closed — predicting that Michael Flynn, who would be Trump’s appointee for national security adviser, would be meeting with “Team Al-Assad” within 48 hours. Russia has been perhaps the Assad regime’s staunchest ally.As she noted: “The substance of the text — that the Trump team started focusing on Syria right after the election — has been corroborated and tied to their discussions with Russia at least twice since then.”…In addition to the knowledge of her source’s inside information, Wheeler said, she had reason to believe that the source was involved with efforts to compromise her website and other communications. And perhaps most important, that he was involved in cyberattacks — past and future — that had done and could do real harm to innocent people.
So there are two claims:
- That a text message from the source proved to be accurate (although her spin on its substance is wildly partisan — there is no basis whatsoever for claiming that Trump has been ON "Team Assad")
- That the source may have engaged in cyberattacks on her or related parties
Let us be clear — reason 1 is absolutely, completely inexcusable betrayal of the source. If they gave her valid information in confidence, her desire to be part of what she believes to be "the good guys" is subordinate to her work as a journalist. This is basic confidential source procedure. She is not on "Team Mueller," no matter how much she wants to be. 1 is a sufficient reason for her to never get a call back from anyone in government ever again, even if they are people she hero-worships. The scoop she claims to have is completely banal — that a national security advisor would begin working on a current issue — and does not prove any sort of corruption or conspiracy. It is genuinely shocking that she treats it as significant, never mind worthy of calling the FBI.
2 strikes me as a lie intended to justify her actions. Ms. Wheeler has no experience or training in computer forensics, and further grandiloquently states she "will not disclose this person’s true identity or the identity and/or role I believe he played in the attack." In other words, while she has no credible ability to make these claims, we are to take her word for them. The rest of that linked statement on her blog is full of delusions of grandeur, where she imagines herself to be a target of assassination by the Russian government, and where she claims to be a public figure acting to protect people like Christopher Steele who have "taken risks to share information with the government."
That's our sweet Marcy. She needs to pack it in. Her celebrity is over. She has nothing to offer anyone.
Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"
Monday, September 17, 2018. Iraq finally has a Speaker of Parliament.
TASNIM reports, "The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament, Mohammed Rikan Hadeed al-Halbousi, praised Iran’s role in the Arab country’s liberation from terrorist groups and said in the era of 'unfair' sanctions against Iran, the Iraqi nation will side with the Islamic Republic."
Iraq's new what?
Saturday, Iraqi MPs finally elected a Speaker of Parliament. Pakistan's THE NEWS reported, "Iraq´s parliament elected Sunni lawmaker Mohammed al-Halbousi as speaker on Saturday, marking an important step towards establishing a new government four months after an inconclusive national election." In addition to being part of Moqtada al-Sadr's bloc (the winner of the May 12th elections), he was backed both by the outgoing prime minister Hayder al-Abadi and by Hadi al-Ameri whose milita bloc came in second in the May 12th elections. al-Halbousi has been a member of Parliament since the 2014 elections. Following serving in Parliament, al-Halbousi became governor of Anbar Province.
Mohammed al-Halbousi is elected as parliament speaker by 169 votes. A young engineer whose entire political experience is 4 years. He was Anbar governor since 2017. With hos election, Parliament speakership is out of Muslim Brotherhood after a long time. (1)
Pakistan's THE NATION notes, "Halbusi ran against three other candidates, including Vice President Osama al-Nujaifi and former Defence Minister Khaled al-Obeidi." This was news -- at least the al-Obeidi part -- to THE WASHINGTON POST's Tamer el-Ghobashy.
Mohamed Al-Halbusi, the 37 year old Governor of Anbar has been elected speaker of parliament. This allows the much delayed process of forming Iraq’s new government to move forward (in theory). Halbusi beat out veteran politician/former def minister Khaled al-Obeidi.
Let's explore that for a moment -- in part because Tamer didn't. How is Khaled al-Obeidi the former Minister of Defense? I ask because the government's supposed to be dissolved but Hayder al-Abadi continues to meet with the Cabinet and al-Obeidi became Minister of Defense in October 18, 2014 as part of then incoming prime minister Hayder's Cabinet.
It's a four year term. But for Khaled, it was less than two years. Why was that?
He was stripped of his position just before he completed the second year of his term. The Parliament held a no confidence vote. He stood accused of corrpution. In what world do you receive a no confidence vote in August of 2016 and be stripped of your post only to be elected Speaker of Parliament two years later? You don't. Why in the world would Tamer be seeing the defeat as newsworthy when there was nothing surprising about it?
NIQASH's Mustafa Habib offers this analysis:
US forces succeeded with support of Halabousi in deploying their forces in "Qaim" the strategic town on the border with #Syria where Shiite factions on the other side were planning to open road Iran-Iraq-Syria through this town,guess what? Qaim is the capital of Karbouli family(3
In Dec. 2017 "Liwa' Altufuf" pro-Iranian militia sent message to his leaders explain the situation on the border & advised to push on Anbar gov to keep US troops out of the border, but the gov refused that. Other side, Halabousi supported training tribal program by US forces.(4)
Karbouli family knows very well that the keep Anbar away of collapse requires US forces, everyone knows the stay of US forces in Anbar is not opinion but demand of all local politicians and tribes.(5)
Who’s better for US side? Halbusi? or Khaled al-Obeidi who does not have a strong party depends on it, he would be weak if he became speaker of parliament as it has been dismissed from his office as Minister of Defense in August 2016 (6)
Here is the thing, the next move of Shiite Mps pro-Iran is to ask the parliament to discuss withdraw of US troops. Do think Halabousi will agree to this discuss simply? while he know that will put the city & reputation of his party at stake. (7)
As for the other nominee? That's actually more newsworthy, al-Halbousi defeating Osama al-Nujaifi whom the media identified as the Vice President. He was that. However, before becoming one of Iraq's three vice presidents, Osama was the Speaker of Parliament.
If you're not getting that only one of the two was newsworthy, maybe this FACEBOOK post will help you out:
النجيفي يستقبل المبعوث الرئاسي الأميركي وسفير الولايات المتحدة الأميركية في العراق
***
استقبل السيد أسامة عبد العزيز النجيفي رئيس تحالف القرار العراقي يوم الأثنين 17 أيلول 2018 السيد بريت ماكغورك المبعوث الرئاسي الأميركي والسيد دوغلاس سيليمان سفير الولايات المتحدة الأميركية في العراق .
تم في الاجتماع بحث ومناقشة آخر تطورات الوضع السياسي فيما يتعلق برئاسة مجلس النواب ورئاسة الجمهورية ورئاسة الوزراء ، والبرنامج الحكومي ، وسبل الوصول إلى تشكيل حكومة قادرة على مواجهة متطلبات البلد والنهوض به ..
أكد السيد النجيفي على ضرورة الاسراع في انتخاب رئيس الجمهورية وتكليف رئيس مجلس الوزراء وحسب التوقيتات الدستورية ، مشددا على الحرص على تحقيق التوافق الوطني ، وعدم السماح بكسر الارادات وصولا إلى تحقيق غايات لا تخدم الوطن والمواطنين
وأشار إلى أن العراق بحاجة إلى رئيس جمهورية يتمتع بالخبرة والكفاءة ويكون قادرا على الحفاظ على الدستور والسهر من أجل عدم التجاوز عليه . كما أن الضرورة تقتضي النجاح في اختيار رئيس مجلس وزراء معتدل ومقبول ينآى بالعراق عن الصراعات الدولية ، ويتمتع بقدرة اقامة أوسع العلاقات مع المجتمع الدولي بما يخدم مصلحة العراق .
من جانبهم عبر المبعوث الأميركي والسيد السفير عن تقديرهم لخبرة وكفاءة السيد النجيفي والحاجة إلى نصائحه وارشاداته لدعم المسيرة السياسية في العراق .
***
استقبل السيد أسامة عبد العزيز النجيفي رئيس تحالف القرار العراقي يوم الأثنين 17 أيلول 2018 السيد بريت ماكغورك المبعوث الرئاسي الأميركي والسيد دوغلاس سيليمان سفير الولايات المتحدة الأميركية في العراق .
تم في الاجتماع بحث ومناقشة آخر تطورات الوضع السياسي فيما يتعلق برئاسة مجلس النواب ورئاسة الجمهورية ورئاسة الوزراء ، والبرنامج الحكومي ، وسبل الوصول إلى تشكيل حكومة قادرة على مواجهة متطلبات البلد والنهوض به ..
أكد السيد النجيفي على ضرورة الاسراع في انتخاب رئيس الجمهورية وتكليف رئيس مجلس الوزراء وحسب التوقيتات الدستورية ، مشددا على الحرص على تحقيق التوافق الوطني ، وعدم السماح بكسر الارادات وصولا إلى تحقيق غايات لا تخدم الوطن والمواطنين
وأشار إلى أن العراق بحاجة إلى رئيس جمهورية يتمتع بالخبرة والكفاءة ويكون قادرا على الحفاظ على الدستور والسهر من أجل عدم التجاوز عليه . كما أن الضرورة تقتضي النجاح في اختيار رئيس مجلس وزراء معتدل ومقبول ينآى بالعراق عن الصراعات الدولية ، ويتمتع بقدرة اقامة أوسع العلاقات مع المجتمع الدولي بما يخدم مصلحة العراق .
من جانبهم عبر المبعوث الأميركي والسيد السفير عن تقديرهم لخبرة وكفاءة السيد النجيفي والحاجة إلى نصائحه وارشاداته لدعم المسيرة السياسية في العراق .
That's Osama's post about meeting earlier today with US Special Envoy Brett McGurk. I seriously doubt that Brett met earlier today with Khaled al-Obeidi.
Back to the current Speaker, ALJAZEERA noted:
Mohammed al-Halbousi, a Sunni
politician and the former governor of Anbar province, won 169 votes in a
secret ballot conducted at Saturday's session of the 329-seat assembly,
according to reports.
Aged 37, he will be the youngest speaker of parliament in Iraq's history.
Some hailed the election of a Speaker of Parliament on Saturday as a
huge step forward -- this despite the fact that it was supposed to have
taken placer much earlier. Raya Jalabi and Ahmed Rasheed (REUTERS) noted,
"Parliament had been due to elect a speaker and two deputies during its
first meeting on Sept. 3, but failed to do so as lawmakers were unable
to determine which competing bloc had the most seats. The move is not
that big. Saturday was supposed to also have seen the Parliament elect two deputy speakers but that didn't happen. On Sunday Hassan
Karim al-Kaabi (a Shi'ite) was elected first deputy and Bashir
al-Haddad (a Kurd with Barzani's KDP) was elected second deputy. RUDAW notes that both the KDP and the PUK backed al-Haddad. QANTARA reports
that Shi'ite cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr put forward
Hassan Karim as the nominee for first deputy speaker. There's still no
president and still no prime
minister-designate. Elections were four months ago.
Today, Mohammed Sabah (AL MADA) reports
that the Parliament is now saying that they can name a president
without also naming the largest bloc (naming the largest bloc would
require naming the prime minister-designate).
They have a Speaker of Parliament but not much else.
Ruth's updated this morning:
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