stefan melis

Geen drs.

[Bart 🌊⚓️ @BartGonnissen]

It is mind-boggling to see self-proclaimed communists and pacifists defend substandard oil tankers, owned by dubious companies in Dubai, owned by multi-millionaires engaged in extortion of third-world laborers and crews, and often involved in the illegal arms trade. Ships without sufficient insurance that pose a danger to our coasts, fauna, and flora, and threaten the income of fishermen alike. When the bill for an oil spill cleanup has to be paid, it will need to be covered by our government (instead of that big bad company in Dubai), meaning the taxpayer (you and me) is footing the bill. You're not fighting for the common man, but you're a stooge for dictatorial regimes and shady multi-millionaires.

[Michael T. Lester @MichaelTLester]

My post on Sazan Island went viral yesterday because the verifiable facts are shocking.

Here's what I left out: Sazan is just one piece of a much bigger operation.

Jared Kushner started Affinity Partners in July 2021. One day after leaving the White House.

Within weeks, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund wired him $2 billion. Senior Saudi officials objected. Mohammed bin Salman overruled them.

By the end of 2024, Affinity was managing $4.8 billion, almost entirely from foreign governments. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE. Today that number is $6.16 billion. 99% from foreign nationals.

The fee structure, disclosed to the Senate Finance Committee under investigation: Kushner charges the Saudis 1.25% annually on $2 billion in committed capital. Other investors pay closer to 2%. The Senate's own investigators called this "unusually high" for a firm with Kushner's experience level, or more correctly, complete lack of experience. As of mid-2024, Affinity had generated zero return on investment and had not distributed a penny of earnings back to any client.

He's charging governments tens of millions a year to have their money sit in a bank account.

In late 2024, Senator Wyden referred Kushner to the Department of Justice for possible violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The same law that put Paul Manafort in prison.

Now Kushner is back in government. Trump's "Special Envoy for Peace." Negotiating with Iran. Negotiating with Russia. Negotiating ceasefire terms in Gaza. On behalf of the United States. Not chosen by Americans. No experience running an investment firm. No training or experience in international relations. His sole credential is that he married the president's daughter. All while managing $6 billion from the governments he is negotiating with.

Before Trump's second term started, Kushner publicly promised he would not raise additional capital while serving. The New York Times then reported he was actively soliciting $5 billion more from foreign governments. His lawyers confirmed the conversations. They said he "does not intend" to take it.

He said the same thing before he took it the first time.

The Senate Finance Committee and the House Oversight Committee are both demanding answers. They've asked for every communication between Kushner and foreign governments. They've asked Affinity to preserve all documents. Any destruction of records, they said in writing, will be treated as obstruction.

Now look at the ownership chart below. It was produced as part of a corporate investigation published June 3rd titled "Exporting the Abraham Accords: The Hidden Network Converging on Albania's Shoreline." My follower @SlavicWoman777 flagged it in my replies.

Five unnamed Albanian shareholders. 24% combined stake. Structured deliberately just below the 25% threshold that would require public disclosure under Dutch law.

That is someone trying to hide who is behind the money.

This is what corruption looks like when it's wearing a suit and has a law firm on retainer.

What do you call it when your government's negotiator is on the payroll of the governments he's negotiating with?

[stefan melis @smellslike9]

@MichaelTLester @FTM_nl

[stefan melis @smellslike9]

@whazittoya @MichaelTLester Yeah

[stefan melis @smellslike9]

If I were the Iranian government negotiating peace I'd add one term. Next year's Superbowl (American Soccer) will be played in Iran.

[State of Palestine @Palestine_UN]

Genocide.

[Lisa Westerveld 🟥 @Lisawesterveld]

Al maanden krijg ik onvoldoende steun van rechtse partijen en coalitie voor een plenair debat over dakloze mensen in Nederland.

We gaan hier nu in het najaar over praten, in een commissie.

Intussen worden de problemen steeds schrijnender.👇🏼

https://t.co/G0jmyZiyfD

[stefan melis @smellslike9]

@Radlab72 @RonnyNaftaniel En je kunt op z’n minst ook de juiste persoon niet meer serieus nemen. Maarten van Rossum != Maarten van Rossem.

[stefan melis @smellslike9]

@sanchezcastejon @MinPres zo ziet een minister president eruit

[BRP Sierra Madre @BRPSierraMadre]

IF CHINA IS A PEACE-LOVING COUNTRY — WHY ARE ITS MARITIME MILITIAS OCCUPYING PHILIPPINE WATERS AGAIN? | China keeps insisting it respects peace and international law — so why are Chinese maritime militia vessels once again massing inside the Philippine EEZ near Escoda and Pag-asa?

If these waters are not yours under international law, then what exactly are you defending there?

Why does a country that calls itself a “friend” need swarms of militia ships to intimidate Filipino fishermen and coast guard personnel inside waters recognized by UNCLOS and affirmed by the 2016 Arbitral Award?

A nation confident in its claims does not need to hide behind gray-zone tactics, harassment, and manufactured presence.
A nation acting in good faith does not normalize encroachment every single week.
The world is watching.
So are Filipinos.

If China truly believes its actions are lawful, then answer plainly:
Why are armed maritime militias repeatedly operating deep inside another country’s Exclusive Economic Zone?

And if this is “peace,” why does it always arrive in formations?

The West Philippine Sea is not a stage for intimidation.
It is home to Filipino communities, Filipino livelihood, and Filipino rights.

#BRPSierraMadre #WPS #WestPhilippineSea #UNCLOS2016 #ArbitralRuling #ChinaBully

[stefan melis @smellslike9]

@darkosubotica Could this be done with an array of DVD-RW’s and would that be even stupider?

[liam cunningham @liamcunningham1]

When the Knesset yesterday, passed the law approving the death penalty for Palestinians ONLY, they popped champagne bottles in the chamber as they applauded. You read that correctly.

Not your problem?
It’s complicated?
STILL SILENT?

SILENCE IS COMPLICITY.

[Judd Legum @JuddLegum]

1. CONSUMERS paid most of Trump's tariffs, which the Supreme Court ruled were illegal.

But CORPORATIONS will receive the refunds.

Will they pass that cash back to consumers? Or pocket the money?

We asked them.

🧵

[stefan melis @smellslike9]

@JeffLandry The question you should be asking yourself is: would Denmark’s system improve the health of Louisianans?

[stefan melis @smellslike9]

It's the US govt that harboured him, that gave him sweatheart deals, that kept him out of jail, that eventually killed him when it was all about to come out. It's the US govt that's now (in violation of its own laws) withholding evidence.

It's the US govt, you silly people.

[stefan melis @smellslike9]

It’s gotta be great being the CIA. Here we all are with an American operating in American interest from American soil with American co-conspirators and we’re all arguing over whether he’s an Israeli or Russian asset.

[stefan melis @smellslike9]

It's comforting to blame Israel and or Russia, because, yeah they're obviously bad guys, but for the love of fucking God this man was USA all the way.

Blame the USA. That's the root of all this evil.

[Tymofiy Mylovanov @Mylovanov]

Russia abducted Ukrainian journalist Yana Suvorova in occupied Melitopol when she was 18.

After a closed, staged trial, she was sentenced to 14 years for “terrorism” and “treason.” Her case is classified. She vanished from exchange lists, United24. 1/

[stefan melis @smellslike9]

@PatrickByrne Your geek is @mqudsi ?

Would be a waste if he's not and you're doing double work.

https://t.co/UQedsOD2rF