Two Executive Orders from Trump that proves his laissez-faire free-market not caring for federal regulation of big-business!

trump-quote-2016

President Donald J. Trump has decided to the man and leader who love giant corporations and their needs first. Therefore, this February Trump Administration has yet again opened the doors for Business and big corporations to get free space to do their work without interference of the state or federal regulations. Trump wants business to be so free and without taxes, so the wealthy can be stinky rich without considering how they make their fortunes. Therefore, he has already loosen up with Fiduciary Duty Rule, where the investors get good advice or advice that might be better for the consumer, not the ones the wall-street trader or banker earns the biggest profit on and the consumer losing all their savings in. The second is that Trump will continue to cut strings and regulations. Take a look!

“The Department of Labor’s (Department) final rule entitled, Definition of the Term “Fiduciary”; Conflict of Interest Rule — Retirement Investment Advice, 81Fed. Reg. 20946 (April 8, 2016) (Fiduciary Duty Rule or Rule), may significantly alter the manner in which Americans can receive financial advice, and may not be consistent with the policies of my Administration” (E.O. 03.02.2017).

“You are directed to examine the Fiduciary Duty Rule to determine whether it may adversely affect the ability of Americans to gain access to retirement information and financial advice. As part of this examination, you shall prepare an updated economic and legal analysis concerning the likely impact of the Fiduciary Duty Rule, which shall consider, among other things, the following:

  • Whether the anticipated applicability of the Fiduciary Duty Rule has harmed or is likely to harm investors due to a reduction of Americans’ access to certain retirement savings offerings, retirement product structures, retirement savings information, or related financial advice” (E.O. 03.02.2017).

So you can see that advice from traders and bankers are getting freer so the U.S. Citizens can get bad advice that the crony capitalist earns on and the consumer loses their savings. They can give advice on investment portfolio that has problematic structures that even could be similar to subprime mortgage loans and the housing bubble of 2008, which started the economic recession. Therefore the ignorance of this proves that the President cares more about Goldman Sachs and other big multi-national banks. Their power eats the White House. Therefore the Trump administration has more plans that was unleashed on Friday!

On revising regulatory rules for business:

“By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to lower regulatory burdens on the American people by implementing and enforcing regulatory reform, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens placed on the American people” (E.O. 24.02.2017).

“Each Regulatory Reform Task Force shall evaluate existing regulations (as defined in section 4 of Executive Order 13771) and make recommendations to the agency head regarding their repeal, replacement, or modification, consistent with applicable law. At a minimum, each Regulatory Reform Task Force shall attempt to identify regulations that:

(i) eliminate jobs, or inhibit job creation;

(ii) are outdated, unnecessary, or ineffective;

(iii) impose costs that exceed benefits;

(iv) create a serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with regulatory reform initiatives and policies;

(v) are inconsistent with the requirements of section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2001 (44 U.S.C. 3516 note), or the guidance issued pursuant to that provision, in particular those regulations that rely in whole or in part on data, information, or methods that are not publicly available or that are insufficiently transparent to meet the standard for reproducibility; or

(vi) derive from or implement Executive Orders or other Presidential directives that have been subsequently rescinded or substantially modified” (E.O. 24.02.2017).

If you wonder what this means is that the Trump Administration is working on getting rid of certain financial regulations that is not benefitting the business community, the big-banks and the reforms that is done to secure a stable economic policies, to prevent bubbles and other openings that hurts the economy. Trump Administration rather wants to open all doors and believe fewer regulations are good and greed will create a prosperous society. Therefore, you can expect them to dismantle or repeal the Dodd-Frank regulation that can be summarised like this:

“Generally, the Dodd-Frank Act imposes more stringent regulatory capital requirements on financial institutions. The Act requires that the Council make recommendations to the Federal Reserve regarding the establishment of heightened prudential standards for risk-based capital, leverage, liquidity and contingent capital” (Morrison & Foerster, 2010).

This is seen as preventive for economic growth, even as the numbers and statistics haven’t showed lacking results of the business in the United States after the legislation came to pass. The Banking institutions haven’t lacked funds or investment opportunities in the republic. So the need to repeal or to take away the clear cut regulations of Dodd-Frank is more of ideological belief, than a systematic defaults of the added regulation to make sure the banks and corporations follows guidelines for their investments and follow the standards the Federal Reserves has put. This was put into a new law by the Presidency of Bill Clinton and called the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act or the GLBA.

This can be summarised like this:

“The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act makes the most important legislative changes to the structure of the U.S. financial system since the 1930s. Financial services firms will be authorized to conduct a wide range of financial activities, allowing them freedom to innovate in the new economy. The Act repeals provisions of the Glass-Steagall Act that, since the Great Depression, have restricted affiliations between banks and securities firms. It also amends the Bank Holding Company Act to remove restrictions on affiliations between banks and insurance companies. It grants banks significant new authority to conduct most newly authorized activities through financial subsidiaries” (…) “Removal of barriers to competition will enhance the stability of our financial services system. Financial services firms will be able to diversify their product offerings and thus their sources of revenue. They will also be better equipped to compete in global financial markets” (Clinton, 1999).

So surely Trump seems keen on following the traits of William Clinton or Bill, who had his ways of opening the markets and making sure the big-business didn’t had to have issues with regulatory business, giving bankers and banks more power and have more involvement with more financial instruments. Therefore the banks could sufficiently control more of the financial transactions and instruments to earn even bigger profits without any concern of the federal state regulatory bodies. This is one of the reasons for the Dot Com crash and the Subprime Crash of the recent decades, as the banks could easily transform business and create markets without any consideration of the small-investors, the citizens or the ones losing in the banking crisis of 2008. This is scenario coming up if the Trump Administration opens up and repeal the Dodd-Frank Act. There are another one he might look into that has also regulated the businesses in the United States, this being the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), which can be explained like this:

“Sarbanes-Oxley established the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board to regulate public accounting firms that audit publicly traded companies. It prohibits firms that audit publicly traded companies from providing other services to the companies they audit, and it requires that CEOs and CFOs of the publicly traded companies certify their companies’ annual and quarterly reports. The Act authorized the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to issue rules governing audits” (…) “The law requires that insiders may no longer trade their company’s securities during pension fund blackout periods. It mandates various studies including a study of the involvement of investment banks and financial advisors in the bookkeeping and recordkeeping scandals that motivated enactment of the legislation. Also included are whistle blower protections, new federal criminal laws, including a ban on alteration of documents” (FDIC – ‘Important Banking Laws’ 20.07.2015).

“That aspect of flexibility—being able to exempt some smaller companies from the mandate and make it easier for others to implement—is an important quality to keep in mind when we discuss future regulation,” says Srinivasan, who also cites the important role of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), a nonprofit private corporation created by SOX that oversees auditors of SEC-registered companies” (HBS Working Knowledge, 2014).

Certainly the review and the Trump Administration want are lacking accountability and freer market, total lassies-faire economy without any interference. Certainly if they could they would get rid of commissions and regulatory bodies that also interfering in the businesses of the United States…? Therefore, if SOX and Dodd-Frank acts are repealed or replaced with soft laws that opens the gates for free-for-all instead of economic regulations to safety the investors, the banks and the consumers. That would generate more trust for foreign investment and also of the consumers that want to be sure of their savings. Well, that is all a foreign opinion and understands of the world for the Trump Administration, an administration that is a corporate stooge and a not so invisible hand of Corporate America. Certainly Wilbur Ross and Steve Mnuchin will work for more open markets where the giant multi-national businesses get more freedom and less taxes, so profits can hopefully sore and the American consumer can be more rid-of-the-short-change in their pockets.

So if certain laws cease to exist or get repealed, if they get amended to a pointless state or even get new fancy laws made for big-business from Congress, don’t be surprised all the corporate stooges and well-wishers from the big-banks are all settled there, in the interest of capital donors and the republican super-PACs that want their reimbursement for their investment into the politician, certainly the Koch brothers and Mercer’s of this world want the gates open and market to sour for them. Not matter what cost or how many who loses their savings, as long as the wealthy are getting wealthier. Peace.

Reference:

Executive Order – Trump, Donald J. – ‘SUBJECT: Fiduciary Duty Rule’ – White House, United States of America (03.02.2017)

Executive Order – Trump, Donald J. – ‘ENFORCING THE REGULATORY REFORM AGENDA’ – White House, United States of America (24.02.2017)

Clinton, William J (Bill) – ‘Statement on Signing the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (12.11.1999) link: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=56922

HBS Working Knowledge – ‘The Costs And Benefits Of Sarbanes-Oxley’ (10.04.2014) link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hbsworkingknowledge/2014/03/10/the-costs-and-benefits-of-sarbanes-oxley/#77656419478c

Morrison & Foerster – ‘The Dodd-Frank Act: a cheat sheet’ (2010)

Anti-Climate Change Studies from Harvard sponsored by Exxon Mobile!

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A little dossier came my way, I am sure this is not new or even hot news. Since the Exxon Mobile has been well-known for producing evidence of lacking results in the Anti-Climate Change paradigm. Therefore, reading up on one study that was fixated and well-funding studies to Dr. Willie Soon at the astrophysical Observatory at the Smithsonian at the prestigious Harvard University. So you can see particular program that the Exxon Mobile bought to deflect the temperature of the sun over decades of time, so they could show that no evidence that the sun and solar evidence was there. This was done with corporate studies in a trusted institution where a doctor we’re bought and where the set of project studies was tailor made for the outcome that Exxon Mobile wanted. They paid for this. So that the Dr. Soon would get paid for his work and rubberstamp a belief the Oil Company had.  This was apparently done in full knowledge of the University. Take a look!

Mail from Exxon to Dr. Willie Soon in January 2008:  

“Hi Willie – the proposal looks fine. Please have the Center send me an invoice for 2008, for General Support for your work. Can you clarify for me, on page two there’s a reference to “original” and “review” papers – does that mean not peer reviewed, and peer reviewed?

I’d love to see a copy of the DVD. Who is releasing it – Smithsonian?

Lauren Kerr

Exxon Mobil Corporation” (Lauren Kerr – ‘Re: would it be OK for me to submit my sun-climate research proposal to Exxon-Mobil for 2008 support?’ (14.01.2008).

Mail to Lauren from unknown on the new terms and prices in February 2008:

“Dear Lauren,

Thanks very much for getting back to me last week about ExxonMobil’s support of Dr. Willie Soon’s research. We are very pleased at the outcome of this decision. I am attaching a proposal for your review and a request for payment. You may recall that I mentioned the adjustment in our indirect costs upwards from the 15% that Walt Buchholtz and I negotiated when he was still in your position. You will see in the attached that the project cost increases to -$76,000. I look forward to hearing good news from you soon.

With best regards and thanks,

Amanda” (Amanda Preston – ‘Proposal to Support Dr. Willie Soon’ 27.02.2008).

In July 2008: Amanda Preston of Harvard wrote in a letter:

“Dear Mr. Boudreaux: Thank you very much for Exxon Mobil’s contribution of $76,106 to the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory to support Dr. Willie Soon’s project, “Understanding Solar Variability and Climate Change.” Restricted gifts are very important for our science re9C81Ch. Particularly the projects that seek to better understand our own Sun” (Amanda Preston, 11.07.2008).

In 21st January 2010 an E-Mail from Amanda Preston of Harvard said this:

I received an email from Judith Batty at ExxonMobil about the $76,106 contribution for Dr. Willie soon’s research. I have attached the 3011 Transmittal Form from 4/2/09. You will see that $22,181.00 was allocated to task 40301770IS50AP. This amount is equivalent to the indirect costs that would have been charged if the gift had been a grant on instructions from Charles Alcock, I asked ExxonMobil to allow us to reclassify that amount as an unrestricted contribution” (Amanda Preston – ‘2009 ExxonMobil Gift of $76, 106’ 21.01.2010).

What is project of Dr. Wille Soon’s about:

“This proposal seeks $76, 106 from ExxonMobil Corporation for year one of this two-year project, “Understanding Solar Variability and Climate Change: Signals from Temperature Records of the United States.” Dr. Willie Soon proposes to conduct an intensive up-to-date science review of solar variability and climate change (see e.g., Soon 2007a), with emphasis on the signals from temperature record of the U.S. that will be a clear improvement of previous studies. The goals for the first year are to collect and assess the scientific quality of available temperature records from the United States, aggregated into four inter-related spatial domains: 1) a rural city (i.e., a city that is minimally disturbed by urban development), 2) an individual state, 3 regional U.S. area, and 4) the who1e contentious U.S. The goals for the second year are to study any plausible connection of these U.S. temperature records with estimated solar irradiance history for the past 112 years from 1895 to 2006” (…) “Soon (2007a) calls for the solar physics community to firmly establish this value emphasizing its great importance in establishing the mean climatology in climate models. The mean climatology in climate models can be subjected a rather arbitrary turning given that the absolute level of total solar irradiance is not determined to any level of confidence, with values ranging from 1372 to 1360 W/m2” (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory – ‘Understanding Solar Variability and Climate Change: Signals from Temperature Records of the United States – A Proposal to ExxonMobil Corporation’ (February, 2008).

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Another Corporation that support his science against climate change!

So this here is proof of science paid by the petroleum giant of Exxon Mobile. That they could fix and make assured they are getting the results they want out of a program. So that the University and the Dr. Willie Soon who fixed it so they followed the agreement done with Exxon Mobile. Therefore the studies doesn’t seem legitimate or feasible when the business controls the studies and science instead of the own independent scientists who finds the result in the material, instead of already deciding the result before the study. Peace.

Footage: Olara Otunnu speech on Ugandans forgetting history as it is “living in the moment” (25.02.2017)

Trump’s Executive order on the ‘Muslim Ban’ countered by the newly produced DHS Intelligence Report!

trump-executive-order-signing

There is now a new Department of Homeland Security report that assesses the “Muslim Ban” that we’re put in place 27th January 2017. So the own state agency is putting the numbers down and show who ridiculous this Executive Order from President Donald J. Trump and his Alt-Right government. That the Bannon Inspired law and his fear of foreigners seem abysmal now, if the Trump administration cared about facts. Which I will show how little the United States has to fear, if they should impose some stronger laws it should be on their own citizens and the own native-born individuals, as they are more likely to act. This report states that there have been 82 individuals who have posed terrorist threats by all the indicators that Department of Justice and Department of State has delivered of late. Therefore when you have had 82 individuals, as imposed on 7 countries was sanction in the Executive Order. Of these there are significant few individuals who have created or possessed a threat to proud American republic. Take a look!

Scope Note: This paper was prepared at the request of the DHS Acting under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis. It assess the international terrorist threat to the United States and worldwide by citizens in Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Citizens of these seven countries were impacted by Section 3 of Executive Order (E.O.) 13769 “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States”. The Assessment relies on unclassified information from Department of Justice press releases on terrorism- related convictions and terrorist attack perpetrators killed in the act, Department of State visa statistics, the 2016 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community, and the Department of State Country Reports on Terrorism 2015. This paper does not assess the threat of domestic reform” (DHS, 2017).

“DHS 1&A assess that country of citizenship is unlikely to be reliable indicator of potential terrorist activity. Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in March 2011, at least 82 primarily US-based individuals, who died in pursuit of or were convicted of any terrorism-related federal offence inspired by foreign terrorist organization, according to a DHS study of Department of Justice press release on convictions and terrorist attack perpetrators killed in the act. Of the 82 individuals we identified, slightly more than half were native-born in the United States citizens” (DHS, 2017).

Total individuals:

“Top seven origin countries of the foreign-based individuals are: Pakistan (5), Somalia (3), and Bangladesh, Cuba, Ethiopia, Iraq and Uzbekistan (2)” (…) “of the seven countries impacted by the E.O. 13769 that are not listed above, Iran, Sudan, and Yemen had 1 each, and there were no individuals from Syria” (DHS, 2017).

Simple math:

3+2+1+1+1 = 8 individuals, as I will explain it there is three fellow humans from Somalia, 2 other humans from Iraq, one single individual from these countries of Iran, Sudan and Yemen. Therefore the total amount of individuals who is concerned from the banned entry countries is 8 (eight). That of 82 individuals, as even the report states is that slightly more than half are native-born. Which means more than 41 individuals was a United States citizen, which means if by numbers, they should channel certain credit to their own state system and their own handle of American born citizens, instead of blaming Yemen, Iran and Sudan.

There are real issues, but the Trump Administration is not fixing the issue with doing this and banning entry from these nations, than Pakistan and other nations should also been part of this. Still, one of the nations that the United States even has on the list hasn’t had any terrorist threat to the American republic; that is from the Syrian Republic’s fleeing citizens from internal civil-war. Therefore the United States current government shows more belief in bias, than in ethical and truthful numbers.

So the Trump Administration has to continue to deflect the media and their reporting, because their own agencies and department are collecting information that is equally assessed by serious civil servants working for the common good and not just for a biased idea that Trump got on InfoWars, Fox News or by Breitbart. Therefore this intelligence report shows the lacking configuration and need for this sort of order. This will not create less of terrorism, unless the United States actually does something with their native-born terrorist, but that means harder guns-laws and stricter regulations on arms. With that in mind the National Rifle Association (NRA) support of Trump and his candidacy show’s that isn’t in the mind of this administration. Therefore, there will come more U.S. native-born lone-gun men who kills innocent in the United States for either themselves as a cause or a soldier for a foreign terrorist organization.

You should also wonder with the reactions this has created, that banning Iran is because of one fellow individual, just as they do as well with Yemen and Sudan. So three persons are the reason for the whole republics are not allowed to enter into the United States under Trump, so if one of the sons or daughters of Trump breaks the law abroad, means that United Arab Emirates, Vietnam or Botswana all of sudden banned all United States Citizens from entering because Donald Trump Junior tried to smuggle ivory from Botswana. Therefore if this scenario was true, than all the US Citizens are now banned from entering the African state. That is an example of the nonsense that the U.S. government under Trump administration is in charge of!  This is the precise wording and meaning behind this sort of law and executive order of Trump.

Peace.

Reference:

Department of Homeland Security – ‘Citizenship likely an Unreliable Indicator of Terrorist Threat to the United States’ (February 2017).

A look into the Exxon Mobile offshore adventure in Guyana!

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There been in the works for years about offshore drilling on the outside of the coast of Guyana. This has been well-known and is internationally known, as before the drilling the start. There was made arrangement between Exxon Mobile and Republic of Guyana. Therefore the squabble of the sea-bed and the ocean with Venezuela and Guyana… shows that both nations knew the value, as even at one point the Suriname could have showed with aggression of force towards Guyana. This was in the calculation of the United States Oil Company. Exxon Mobile was aware of this even in the 1990s and therefore before the boarders of the sea nd the republics right of the possible offshore adventure, the company had assessed the possible problems ahead. That shows how far this company goes to get massive profits. This is one of the Standard Oil babies, therefore the Exxon Mobile has a history and that repeat itself. Even Rex Tillerson the newly appointed State Secretary in the Trump Administration had something to do with newly forged deals with the Guyana republic. As the Republic of Guyana, also difference in value of the oil reserve between 2016 and 2017 is staggering. That the oil value goes from $70bn in 2016 instead of $200bn in 2017. This shows the proof what is coming and what the state can benefit from the oil drilling. Take a look!

Tillerson in Guyaya:

Rex Tillerson was scheduled to meet with Guyanese President David Granger at mid week to discuss ExxonMobil’s humongous oil and gas find of the country’s Atlantic coast back in May of last year. He was due to arrive late Tuesday” (…) “Oil Minister Raphael Trotman says every effort is being made to avoid this. Legislation which had catered mostly to deal with exploration rather than production is being updated, local content clauses requiring companies to hire locals and buy local will be included and professionals are being scrambled for overseas training in areas including petroleum law” (…) “Trotman has also said that a big chunk of revenues from the first few years of production — expected to commence around 2019-20 — will go to Exxon, meaning that Guyana “would be getting hundreds of millions of dollars but once that phased is passed we are taking about billions annually. At today’s prices the Liza find is worth about $70 billion dollars” (Wilkerson, 2016).

By law in Guyana Parliament:

“This Order may be cited as the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) (Tax Laws) (Esso Exploration and Production Limited, CNOOCNexen Petroleum Guyana Limited and Hess Guyana Exploration Limited) Order 2016” (…) ““Agreement” means the Petroleum Agreement between the Government of Guyana of the one part and Esso Exploration and Production Limited, CNOOCNexen Petroleum Guyana Limited and Hess Guyana Exploration Limited of the other part dated 27 June 2016 concerning the Stabroek Block, Offshore Guyana, which is a production sharing agreement” (Guyana, 2016).

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Agreement in 1990s:

“Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) has a Production Sharing Contract with the Government of Guyana dating back to 1999, which now covers 26.8k km2 in the Stabroek block, following required acreage releases (Figure A.1). In 2014, Hess (30%) and Nexen (25%) farmed in to the block. In May 2015, EEPGL announced a significant discovery of high-quality oil-bearing sands with the Liza-1 well (approximately 190 km [120 miles] offshore Guyana)” (Esso, P: 1, 2016).

Staboek oil drilling:

The FPSO will be designed to receive full well stream production and process oil at a design rate of 100,000 Barrels of Oil Per Day (BOPD) annual average, with the ability for sustained peaks of up to 120,000 BOPD, and a minimum oil storage capacity of 1.6 million barrels of oil. It will be designed to remain on station continuously for at least 20 years. Production and injection wells will be tied back (i.e., connected) directly to the FPSO via flowlines and risers. Umbilical(s) will provide power, control, and subsea chemicals to the drill centers” (…) “At peak production during Phase 1, the FPSO will offload up to 1 million barrels of oil to a conventional tanker approximately once every 10 days using an industry proven FPSO tandem offloading configuration. The conventional tanker will be held in position with the assistance of tug(s) to maintain a safe separation distance of approximately 120m from the FPSO” (Esso, P: 8, 2016).

Plan for Decommissioning:

“At this time, the expectation is that the SURF components would be detached from the FPSO and abandoned-in-place on the sea floor, consistent with standard industry practice. Risers and umbilicals would be flushed before being abandoned and wells would also be plugged and abandoned. For each well, cement and mechanical barriers would be used to secure the well casing and isolate the wellbore from the formation. A cement plug would also be set near the mudline surface to cap each well. The FPSO is expected to be towed away” (Esso, P: 11, 20016).

Waste Production:

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The new report of 2017 has more details into the production offshore of Guyana. There are certainly new aspects of the oil drilling. Where the environment get a little bigger aspect as even the changes of environment get a few more fleshy details:

Air emissions resulting from the Project have the potential to change ambient air quality in the Project Area of Interest (AOI) on a localized basis. Potential impact of greenhouse gas emissions from the Project on climate change” (…) “Subsea sound could cause impacts to sensitive marine fauna (e.g., whales, turtles, and fish) in the PDA” (…) “The Project will disturb marine geology and sediments on a localized basis in the PDA and could impact sediment quality from non-aqueous base fluid (NABF) on drill cuttings discharges” (…) “The Project could potentially impact beaches, mangroves, and wetland habitats in the Project AOI as a result of non-routine, unplanned events” (…) “The Project has the potential to adversely impact cultural heritage through localized disturbance of archaeological or historical sites related to Project development. These resources have conservation, cultural, and other values to stakeholders” (Esso, P: 14-17, 2017)

So with this in mind the government has even had a workshop in February this year. So that the Exxon Mobile Corporation and their drilling and offshore petroleum in the sea of Guyana. The whole deal and agreement between the nation and the business is not clear to the public, except that the business is supposed to be licenced for the drilling and give tax-monies of the production. The Exxon Mobile has already proven that they don’t build a refinery, so the export from the platform to the specialized boats to transport petroleum. Therefore the meeting in Jamaica, Kingston, shows the ability to speak with the ones that starting industry in the South American Nation:

“A HIGH-LEVEL team of Government officials was on Wednesday morning briefed by ExxonMobil on its production preparations, a move which marks the commencement of a series of consultations by the U.S. oil giant with stakeholders.The technical briefing was held at the Marriott Hotel, Kingston and a similar exercise was also expected to be carried out later in the day with a team led by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo” (…) “The report stated that early, rough estimates by experts of how much recoverable oil Guyana could have range to more than four billion barrels, which at today’s prices would be worth more than US$200B.

In addition to the Liza field, Exxon and drilling partner, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited are also exploring the Payara field, which is part of a block of 6.6 million acres. On January 12, Exxon announced that its drilling partner encountered more than 95 feet (29 metres) of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs at Payara. It said that the area was safely drilled to 18,080 feet (5,512 meters) in 6,660 feet (2,030 metres) of water” (Solomon, 2017).

esso-2001-guyana-military-p1esso-2001-guyana-military-p2esso-2001-guyana-military-p3

So the plans of drilling are set and the anticipated waste is happening as well. That Exxon Mobile will make a killing on these fields in pure and true. The massive reserves will surely make the government of Guyana happy as they even got settled who owned the waters between them and Venezuela.

There are so many more things to come as the proof of the environmental problems and the financial implications is also coming to the forefront with the different values in 2016 and 2017. Exxon Mobile has been hands on and used all means, even foreseen the implications of their activity in Guyana, as they we’re even embedded with the government before the drilling and before the settlement and lawful judgement on who could licence the sea and offshore areas was put in order. Even decades before and therefore the problems with Venezuela and Surinam over who owns it, shows the true levels of planning that the Oil Corporations does. That the Exxon Mobile leadership does what it takes to get giant petroleum reserves. Like the Standard Oil did in the past, so does it future clone Exxon.

We can just follow and wonder what this will lead too and what sort of ways the state can get the funds and resources into the consolidation funds, not to speak of in use for the citizens of Guyana. Not only the elite and the central leadership as so many petro-dollars have ended at. Let’s hope that the Guyana Republic and their leadership can sustain the offshore adventure and also give it back to its citizens. Peace.

Reference:

Esso Exploration and Production Limited Project – ‘SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION TO THE APPLICATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION FOR EEPGL’S LIZA PHASE 1 DEVELOPMENT, STABROEK LICENSE AREA, OFFSHORE GUYANA’  (8/2/2016) “ESSO EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION GUYANA LTD”

Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd – ‘PROJECT SUMMARY FOR LIZA PHASE 1 DEVELOPMENT, STABROEK LICENSE AREA, OFFSHORE GUYANA’ (January 2017)

Memorial of Guyana – ‘Exxon signs PSC for Deepwater Acreage off Guyana; Adds to Global Deepwater Portfolio’ (14.06.1999).

Guyana: ‘THE PETROLEUM (EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION) ACT – IN EXERCISE OF THE POWER CONFERRED UPON ME BY SECTION 51 OF THE PETROLEUM (EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION) ACT, I MAKE THE FOLLOWING ORDER’ No. 10 of 2016 (2nd August 2016).

Solomon, Alva – ‘Oil Brief –Exxon briefs Gov’t, Opposition on preparations for oil production’ (01.02.2017) link: https://guyanachronicle.com/2017/02/01/oil-brief-exxon-briefs-govt-opposition-on-preparations-for-oil-production

Wilkinson, Bert – ‘Tillerson scrubs Guyana visit’ (15.12.2016) link: http://www.caribbeanlifenews.com/stories/2016/12/2016-12-16-bw-tillerson-trump-pick-cancels-guyana-visit-cl.html

U.S.: City of L.A. letter to Director of ICE Officer’s in the City on their concerns (23.02.2017)

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U.S. Dannel P. Malloy Gov. of Connecticut letter “State Guidance for Superintendents on Immigration” (21.02.2017)

letter-malloy-21-02-2017-p1letter-malloy-21-02-2017-p2

Another ‘Grizzly Steppe’ report sheds more light into the Russian hacking in the United States!

russian-hack

There been several reports and assessments into the cyber-attacks and the hacking of the Presidential Election and Presidential Campaign of 2016 in the United States. This has been either criss-crossed or been over-looked. Certainly these has either addressed certain maladministration or lacking security defence of the Democratic Party. United States has been attacked and this hacking has been used to spread information on certain individuals and their parties when public opinion has mattered. Not all of the reports has shed much light on the matter, still the values of them all kind spread the value of the hacked documents.

Therefore the newly released report of another vision of the ‘Grizzly Steppe’ the Russian hacking on American soil and American computers proves the problematic situation, as this reports shed more light on the issue of the meddling of foreign powers into the recent election.

“JAR-16-20296 provides technical details regarding the tools and infrastructure used by the Russian civilian and military intelligence Services (RIS) to compromise and exploit networks and endpoints associated with the U.S. election, as well as a range of U.S. Government, political, and private sector entities. JAR-16-20296 remains a useful resource for understanding APT28 and APT29 use of the cyber kill chain and exploit targets. Additionally, JAR-16-20296 discusses some of the differences in activity between APT28 and APT29. This AR primarily focuses on APT28 and APT29 activity from 2015 through 2016” (DHS, P: 2, 2017).

This has already said more than others, where the levels of intelligence and the traits of a single system connected to RIS where there, also the period of activity. Also, with the proof of yet another method that we non-computer technicians haven’t heard about:

“GRIZZLY STEPPE actors use various reconnaissance methods to determine the best attack vector for compromising their targets. These methods include network vulnerability scanning, credential harvesting, and using “doppelganger” (also known as “typo-squatting”) domains to target victim organizations. The doppelganger domains can be used for reconnaissance when users incorrectly type in the web address in a browser or as part of delivery as a URL in the body of a phishing emails. DHS recommends that network defenders review and monitor their networks for traffic to sites that look similar to their own domains. This can be an indicator of compromise that should trigger further research to determine whether a breach has occurred. Often, these doppelganger sites are registered to suspicious IP addresses” (DHS, P: 4, 2017).

“GRIZZLY STEPPE actors have excelled at embedding malicious code into a number of file types as part of their weaponization efforts. In 2014, it was reported that GRIZZLY STEPPE actors were wrapping legitimate executable files with malware (named “OnionDuke”) to increase the chance of bypassing security controls. Since weaponization actions occur within the adversary space, there is little that can be detected by security analysts during this phase. APT28 and APT29 weaponization methods have included:

 Code injects in websites as watering hole attacks

 Malicious macros in Microsoft Office files

 Malicious Rich Text Format (RTF) files with embedded malicious flash code” (DHS, P: 5 ,2017).

So these reports are yet another step into the unravelling of the hacking that has occurred and the TLP White Report from the Department of Homeland Security. This report has showed a little bit more and especially more technical features that are hard to describe in words. Still, this one is the most proving one of the ones delivered.

This report also added technics of ways of hacking computers that can and shows the intelligent ways the RIS and their computer hackers. However, this was more technical so therefore I cannot digest it all, which needs to be done by computer technicians. So my estimation on the value of this one is certainly that the DHS tries to prove the actual acts and not only assess it. Therefore this gives the feeling of proof and the validity of these acts. Peace.

Reference:

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – ‘Enhanced Analysis of GRIZZLY STEPPE Activity’ (10.02.2017)

Kenya: Potential U.S. Military sale to Kenya in support of the fight against terrorism (18.02.2017)

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U.S. House Representatives wants to block the January Arms trade sold to the Kenyan Government!

tedd-budd-quote

“The arms trade – an intricate web of networks between the formal and shadow worlds, between government, commerce and criminality – often makes us poorer, not richer, less not more safe, and governed not in our own interests but for the benefit of a small, self-serving elite, seemingly above the law, protected by the secrecy of national security and accountable to no one.”

Andrew Feinstein

As of today there two United States Representatives from the Republican Party Ted Budd of North Carolina and Duncan Duane Hunter from California that for their own reasons to stop sales of U.S. arms to Kenya, this they have forwarded a joint resolution. This was first from Ted Budd, but Duncan Hunter became his co-sponsor of the bill. Of today it has been transmitted to the Committee at the House Foreign Affairs that will work on it, before initial voting.

“That the issuance of a letter of offer with respect to any of the following proposed sales to the Government of Kenya (described in the certification Transmittal No. 16–79, sent to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate pursuant to section 36(b)(1) of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2776(b)(1))) on January 19, 2017, is hereby prohibited:

(1) Twelve Air Tractor AT–802L.

(2) Two AT–504 trainer aircraft.

(3) Weapons package, technical support and program management” (Budd & Hunter, 2017).

It is not long ago since this was sanctioned to the Kenya Defense Force and their missions, as this was a supplement to the on-going missions that the Kenya contingent in Somalia and might even be used as blue-helmets inside South Sudan. Still, the U.S. Representatives think these will be misguided and not well used arms for their ally in East Africa. This is the double-standard and double moral from the U.S. counterparts that easily has dropped and sold this sort of weapons to others, but has to all of sudden sanction Kenya for buying the same thing.

Just take a look at the timing of the deal between the U.S. and Kenyan earlier in 2017:

“The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the possible sale on 19 January and disclosed the potential sale on 23 January” (…) “The DSCA said Kenya had requested the sale of up to twelve Air Tractor AT-802L and two AT-504 trainer aircraft, weapons, technical support and programme management worth $418 million” (…) “This proposed sale contributes to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a strong regional partner who is a regional security leader undertaking critical operations against al-Shabaab and troop contributor to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM),” the DSCA said” (…) “The proposed sale provides a needed capability in the ongoing efforts to counter al-Shabaab. The platform maximizes the Kenyan Defense Force’s Close Air Support (CAS) ability because it is a short-field aircraft capable of using precision munitions and cost effective logistics and maintenance.” (DefenceWeb, 2017).

So a purchase accepted in January is now in question in February, as the new Trump Administration will not care for the allies and friends as such before. The DSCA sanctioned the sale on the 23rd January 2017 and now on the 14th February 2017 the U.S. Representatives questions the sale. So the AMISOM mission and their allies who fights in it doesn’t matter as much, as that was the destination for the arms and technical weaponry in this transaction. That the sales of close worth over $400m that suddenly goes into the wind!

We will see if the Foreign Affairs Committee at the House of Representatives will work with this and see if this will go for voting in the House or Senate to sufficiently go forward with joint communique of Ted Budd and Duncan Hunter. That then will become legislation as the deal will not happen as the Committee will put forward a motion or legislation that the stops the arms agreement and trade between the DSCA and the Government of Kenya. Therefore the U.S. Arms trade to the Kenyan Defense Force.

This story is certainly not over. Peace.

Reference:

DefenceWeb – ‘US approves possible Air Tractor, weapons sale to Kenya’ (24.01.2017) link: http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46563:us-approves-possible-air-tractor-weapons-sale-to-kenya&catid=35:Aerospace&Itemid=107

Representative Ted Budd (R-North Carolina) & Representative Duncan Duane Hunter (R-California) – ‘H.J.Res. 72: Relating to the disapproval of the proposed foreign military sale to the Government of Kenya of Air Tractor aircraft with weapons, and related support’ (14.02.2017)