Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with Japan Minister for Foreign Affairs, Fumio Kishida, at the Ikura Guest House in Tokyo, Japan. The visit included a joint press conference. The first video below is edited down to present Secretary Tillerson’s statement as well as his answers to a few questions.
With all the challenges facing Asia: North Korea missile tests, China expansion into the S-China Sea etc., the ugly American press corps never fails to deliver the reality of their self-absorption. [04:35] The extremely predictable journalists within the State Department Correspondents Association (SDCA) ask Tillerson about State Department budget cuts; that’s what they are worried about.

(more…)

Tucked away from the attention of almost all of the Western media has been the quiet forward, front, visible and back channel communications playing out amid a very narrow pathway.   CTH continues to monitor these precarious -albeit optimistic- quiet steps because they are converging to form a very specific picture.  [Tweet Link]

(The Hill) Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met with an envoy from President Trump on Tuesday and told him that a peace deal is possible under the new president.
The meeting between Abbas and Jason Greenblatt, Trump’s Special Representative for International Negotiations, took place in Ramallah.
“President Abbas told Mr. Greenblatt that he believes that under President Trump’s leadership a historic peace deal is possible, and that it will enhance security throughout the region,” according to a statement from the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem.  (read more)

We have continued to express optimism for a confluence of events, people and activity that is happening quietly, and could stun the geo-political world.  The timing is right, because we view these activities through a different prism.  We review against the backdrop of President Obama’s mid-east failure, equitable misery.
(more…)

A Reuters filing en route to Asia showcases the bitterness, anger and seething rage of U.S. journalists who have been forced to fly First-Class Commercial to cover Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s Asia trip.
State Department correspondents are used to the exclusive wide-body private charters of the U.S. federal government’s airline fleet.  Previous heads of the Department of State have flown aboard Air Force 3.  Normally a Boeing 757.  At the very worst Air Force 3 would be a C17 Globemaster.
However, T-Rex is taking a smaller jet to Asia and only one journalist accompanies him.  To make matters exponentially worse, T-Rex did not select a journalist from the corporate stable of the refined and pedigreed media elites.

We can only imagine how Andrea Mitchell must be seething at having to take simple first-class commercial flight accommodations with ordinary people.  The scope of the almost unimaginable horror she has to face will soon pour from her pursed and vengeful lips.  We can predict a retaliatory report soon from the wrath of the ignored elitist within NBC.  This shall be, as they say, epic.
Secretary Tillerson has rebuked customs and norms.  The traveling correspondents will have to pass through customs and passport checks as if they are ordinary travelers.  There is a very real possibility no-one will recognize them or care diligently for their very individual and specific needs.
Can you imagine Mrs. Alan Greenspan flying all the way to Asia from the Eastern Seaboard and having to do that on a commercial flight?  My God, have we really dropped our standards of decency that far… (more…)

There are articles that are funny in their presentation, and then there are articles that are hilariously funny in their apoplectic protestations.  CNN writes a lengthy article about the upcoming President Trump budget.  The headline:

“Trump’s plan to dismember government“

Washington (CNN) – President Donald Trump plans to dismember government one dollar at a time.
His first budget — expected to be unveiled later this week — will mark Trump’s most significant attempt yet to remold national life and the relationship between federal and state power.
It would codify an assault on regulatory regimes over the environment, business and education bequeathed by former President Barack Obama, and attempt to halt decades of steadily growing government reach. (read more)

And, and… they say this like it’s a bad thing. (more…)

Against the backdrop of intelligence reports pointing toward the U.K. as the source of President Obama’s covert surveillance over Candidate and President-Elect Trump; a claim  from U.K. London resident (Ecuadorian embassy captive) Julian Assange takes on additional dimension.
Assange is essentially claiming the Pro-Clinton Deep State institutional systems are working toward the elimination of President Trump (via congressional action), and then replacing Trump with Vice-President Pence:
While it might be disconcerting to see, on its face this is not a revelation.  There is no surprise within a claim that various DC based interests would be much better positioned if a more traditional politician was occupying the White House.
(more…)

Earlier today President Trump signed an executive order initiating a full review of all federal departments to include a recommendations within 180 days for which departments and programs can be completely shut down. Almost immediately the Swamp trees begin convulsing spasmodically.
The notification ripples had yet to carry across the swamp water notifying all of the inhabitants when…   Apparently President Trump was not satisfied with the XO instructions alone.  Trump slams down the atomic sledgehammer in an epic budgetary notification to battalion commander T-Rex.

WASHINGTON DC – President Trump’s administration has told the State Department to cut more than 50 percent of U.S. funding to United Nations programs, Foreign Policy reported.

The push for the drastic reductions comes as the White House is scheduled to release its 2018 topline budget proposal Thursday, which is expected to include a 37 percent cut to the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development budgets.

It’s not clear if Trump’s budget plan, from the Office of Management and Budget, would reflect the full extent of Trump’s proposed cuts to the U.N.

(more…)

Earlier today President Trump met with his cabinet members and outlined the administrations’ expectation they immediately conduct a wholesale review of each department in order to lower costs, shrink the size of their departments and utilize their leadership and executive skills to remove cost redundancy with extreme urgency.

To accomplish this goal, President Trump signed an Executive Order initiating an immediate reorganization of the executive branch –SEE HERE–   Including the elimination of “unnecessary agencies” as identified in the review.

Section 1.  Purpose.  This order is intended to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of the executive branch by directing the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (Director) to propose a plan to reorganize governmental functions and eliminate unnecessary agencies (as defined in section 551(1) of title 5, United States Code), components of agencies, and agency programs.

.
[Transcript] 3:07 P.M. EDT – THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody.  I’m proud to welcome everyone to our first official Cabinet meeting. (more…)

Don’t listen to the Western media version of what Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says. It is important to listen to his words directly:

.
CNN has intentionally broadcast a filtered version of this interview focusing on the “foreign invaders” perspective. However, pay close attention to the 06:15 point of the video above where Assad discusses President Trump and his policy, and how Assad (correctly) views Turkey as facilitating ISIS.

“We have hopes that this administration in the United States is going to implement what we have heard, taking into consideration that talking about ISIS doesn’t mean talking about the whole terrorism; ISIS is one of the products, al-Nusra is one of the products, you have so many groups in Syria but they are not ISIS – but they are al-Qaeda. They have the same background of the Wahhabi extremist ideology”. [ie. The Muslim Brotherhood]

Asked about cooperation with President Trump specifically, President Assad expands: (more…)

Last night President Trump had a lengthy dinner and conversation with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in advance of several upcoming foreign emissary visits to the White House, and T-Rex’s strategic trip to Asia.
Today President Trump took Secretary Kelly (DHS), Secretary Ross (Commerce), Secretary Mnuchin (Treasury), Secretary Shulkin (VA), together with their spouses to Trump National Golf Club in Virginia.
Accompanying the cabinet group was key staff: Press Secretary Sean Spicer, Senior Adviser Steve Bannon, and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus.

Clockwise from President Trump: Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Hilary Ross, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Louise Linton (engaged), Karen Kelly and DHS Secretary John Kelly, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, Senior Adviser Steve Bannon, Press Secretary Sean Spicer, Merle Bari Shulkin and Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin.

This type of exit from DC is really smart for multiple reasons.  It might be a little challenging for the convoy to drive 35 minutes, but it allows the cabinet team to synergize in a more relaxed environment with introductions and fellowship amid the spouses.
Additionally, it provides a fully private venue, with full pre-arrival security controlled by Team Trump (ie. no ears); and an escape from the toxic fumes which perpetually emanate from the DC Swamp.
(more…)

State Department Journalists are some of the most tender snowflakes in Washington DC.  The latest outrage du jour is reporters complaining they are not allowed to fly with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to Asia.
There’s no-one stopping the reporters from flying to Asia and covering T-Rex’s visit.  The entire complaint is that they don’t get to fly on his airplane.
Who does the State Department run to when they need to voice their alarm,…. well, that would be CNN of course:

(Via CNN) The new secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, has been all but silent in his first month on the job. And he is planning on traveling to Asia next week without the traditional coterie of traveling press with him.
Journalists are strenuously objecting to the plan. But there is no indication that Tillerson is going to reverse course. The State Department may allow one hand-picked journalist to tag along, but the details are unknown.

(more…)