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<\/a><\/p>\nAlastair Crooke
\nThe Unz Review<\/p>\n
The Epstein cloud is metastasizing and becoming a rallying point for deep-seated popular alienation from certain ruling strata. The public begrudgingly has become resigned to accept that their \u2018rulers\u2019 routinely lie and steal, but nonetheless they (particularly within the MAGA faction) have dimly come to understand that there may be vice within the body public which they regard as too detestable to imagine. People have caught on that Trump was in one way or another (even as a by-stander) linked to that whole degraded culture.<\/span><\/p>\n This is not likely to pass easily \u2013 or perhaps pass at all. Trump was elected to drain all such tangled webs of interlinked oligarchy, power structures and of intelligence services acting to unseen interests. That\u2019s what he promised: America First.<\/span><\/p>\n Distraction from Epstein likely won\u2019t work. The exploitation, abuse and destruction of the lives of untold numbers of children in the pursuit of power, wealth and diabolical debauchery cuts to the deepest quick of moral being. It cannot be distracted away by pointing to other \u00e9lite vile monetary and power-plays. The abuse (and worse) inflicted on children stands apart in its own hellish category.<\/span><\/p>\n Trump may say that he\u2019s done nothing legally wrong. But the point is that he\u2019s now tainted \u2013 very seriously. He may consequently be entering Presidential lame-duck territory, barring some\u00a0deus ex machina<\/em>\u00a0occurrence sufficient to deflect public attention.<\/span><\/p>\n Just to be clear, it is in Trump\u2019s character to mightily resist becoming a \u2018lame-duck\u2019 President.\u00a0And here lies the geo-political danger. Trump needs headline distractions and he needs \u2018wins\u2019.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n However, he is at a weakened point now where the Security State and its Congressional allies are seizing more control. Equally, many in the nexus that links politicians and officials in the U.S., UK and Israel to deep business and intelligence ties will be extremely adverse to their exposure. Individuals, including the imprisoned Ghislaine Maxwell may\u00a0prove dangerous<\/a>, like a drowning man, who in his panic seizes on the nearest person only to drown the both of them.<\/span><\/p>\n Trump\u2019s narrow-minded foreign policy team has taken the President\u2019s foreign policy initiatives into a cage, whose bars have names such as \u2018arrogance and hubris\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n On Ukraine, Trump has given Moscow what is effectively 50 days to capitulate to the Kellogg ceasefire ultimatum, or to face consequences.<\/span><\/p>\n Whilst third-party 100% sanctions \u2013 affecting mostly China and India\u2019s energy imports from Russia \u2013 have been\u00a0utterly dismissed by China<\/a>\u00a0(and likely will be by India too), Trump will be under pressure from his hawks in Congress to do\u00a0something<\/em>\u00a0to inflict pain on Russia.<\/span><\/p>\n The problem is that\u00a0the war-chest is empty<\/a>. Neither the U.S. nor Europe hold a weapons inventory of any consequence to the war. Even were they to pay and order missiles or other weaponry now, it would be months until delivered.<\/span><\/p>\n Trump however needs\u00a0quick<\/em>\u00a0wins\/diversions.<\/span><\/p>\n Absent any meaningful inventory, Trump can only effectively escalate by using long-range missiles targeting Moscow or St Petersburg. Tomahawk 2,000 km range missiles are in the U.S. inventory (and were discussed byTeam Trump, David Ignatius has\u00a0reported<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n And what if these elderly Tomahawk missiles are easily shot down by Russian forces? Well, then there is a void. A serious void. Because there is nothing between the provision of token items of weaponry (a handful of Patriot missiles) to the U.S. pre-positioned tactical nukes that could be launched from fighter jets stationed in Britain.<\/span><\/p>\n At this point Trump would be hurtling toward a Big War with Russia.<\/span><\/p>\n Is there a plan \u2018B\u2019? Well \u2026 yes. It is to bomb Iran again, as an alternative to escalating against Russia.<\/span><\/p>\n Iranians think that another strike on Iran is likely, and Trump has said that he might do just that. So Iran is all-out preparing for such an eventuality.<\/span><\/p>\n It is quite possible that Trump has been briefed that the consequence to major strikes on Iran would be the effective missile-imposed de-militarisation of Israel \u2013 causing profound consequences in the U.S. polity, as well as the region.<\/span><\/p>\n It is also quite possible that Trump disregards such briefing, preferring to see Israel as \u201cso good<\/em>\u201d (the exclamation he made as the Israeli sneak attack on 13 June was underway).<\/span><\/p>\n And in the Middle East right now? It looks as if Netanyahu is pulling the strings for Trump. Gaza is already a scandal \u2013\u00a0a war crimes scandal<\/a>, with every prospect of getting worse.<\/span><\/p>\n Max Blumenthal\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that\u00a0\u201cwhen Tucker Calson alleged that Epstein had ties to Israeli Intelligence [and that this fact explained] why Trump is covering up [the Epstein Affair], the Israelis seemingly took fright. Naftali Bennett, the former Israeli Prime Minister, was summoned to declare that he had dealt, every day, with the Mossad and that Jeffrey Epstein did not work for the Mossad and was not an Israeli agent. He then threatened Carson, saying: \u2018We won\u2019t stand for this\u2019. The Israeli Minister for Diaspora Affairs also denounced Tucker Carson. It is like the relationship between the U.S. Conservative movement and Israel is cracking up over Epstein\u201d,<\/em>\u00a0Blumenthal suggests.<\/span><\/p>\n Netanyahu perhaps senses trouble ahead for Israel in the U.S., as young Americans and MAGA followers turn on Trump for having betrayed \u2018America First\u2019; for\u00a0\u2018co-owning\u2019<\/a>\u00a0the Gaza massacre;\u00a0the Israeli-U.S. led<\/a>\u00a0Syria sectarian civil war; the bombing of Iran; and the despoilation of Lebanon.<\/span><\/p>\n Eighty-one percent of Americans,\u00a0polls suggest<\/a>, want all documents related to Epstein released. Two-thirds \u2014 including 84% of Democrats and 53% of Republicans \u2014 think the government is covering up evidence regarding his \u2018client list\u2019 and death. Trump\u2019s disapproval rating\u00a0stands<\/a>\u00a0at 53% currently.<\/span><\/p>\n Netanyahu is (perhaps consequentially) on a hurried rampage to impose \u2018Greater Israel\u2019. \u2018Impose\u2019, because the original Abraham Accords were ostensibly an\u00a0agreement<\/em> to normalise with Israel. Today, under military threat, Arab states are being compelled to accept Israeli terms \u2013 and subjugation to Israel.<\/span><\/p>\n