More News, Rumors and Opinions Monday PM 10-20-2025
KTFA:
Clare: The "third envoy" to Baghdad: Trump remained in Iraq to play a decisive role.
10/20/2025
The appointment of Iraqi Chaldean Mark Savaya as US President Donald Trump's special envoy to Iraq has generated considerable interest in Iraq, with attempts to understand the US move and the background of this man, known for his closeness to Trump.
However, Savaya now assumes a sensitive position, handling the Iraqi file, despite having never held any official position, either at the state or federal levels.
Mark Savaya is the third US envoy to Iraq, since Paul Bremer in 2003, and after Brett McGurk during the war against ISIS in 2014.
Mark Savaya appears to straddle the worlds of business and politics. His Instagram account, which has over 94,000 followers, features numerous photos of him with Trump, reflecting the personal side of their relationship, including in the White House and other locations, as well as photos of him with numerous prominent political, media, and entertainment figures.
Savaya commented on Trump's appointment as Special Envoy to Iraq in an Instagram post, saying: "I am deeply humbled, honored, and grateful to President Donald Trump for appointing me as Special Envoy to the Republic of Iraq. I am committed to strengthening the US-Iraq partnership under President Trump's leadership and guidance. Thank you, Mr. President. I will work to build bridges of trust and cooperation to achieve sustainable security in Iraq and the region."
Savaya was known for his active involvement in Michigan, demonstrating his ability to influence the masses, particularly in non-traditional communities, which led him to play a pivotal role in increasing voting rates among Michigan's Arab and Muslim communities to record highs.
Savaya is considered a member of the influential MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement, which is believed to have played a key role in Trump's rise and subsequent successful return to the White House, and which includes a diverse group of media figures, politicians, and influential activists.
According to his LinkedIn page, Savaya, a Michigan resident, has no government experience at the local, state, or federal level. He is an active businessman in the Detroit area, where he founded a marijuana retail chain called Leaf & Bud, which sells medical and recreational marijuana. According to The Independent, the company was criticized by Detroit leaders for its bold billboards that promoted the slogan: "Come and get it. Free weed."
However, Trump expressed his great confidence in Savaya's career, saying that he "possesses a deep understanding of regional relations and has direct contact with Iraqi communities, which makes his appointment an important step in advancing America's interests in the Middle East." He added, "We are confident in Mark's ability to advance our agenda and protect our interests in Iraq, especially during this critical period."
The Independent noted that Savaya's Leaf & Pad company conducted an extensive marketing campaign on Detroit roads, prompting city leaders to issue an ordinance restricting such advertising.
According to Reddit, two Liv & Bud branches have closed since January, leaving only three brick-and-mortar stores listed on the company's website. According to The Independent, the website has been updated to remove references to Savaya himself, including "The Mark Savaya Collection."
But Savaya's statement from 2020 says, "It's good to produce cannabis from seed and sell it. It's a process we go through instead of buying it from a different cultivation center. We make it ourselves, and we want to make sure it's a clean product, and that everything we do is monitored."
The Independent noted that it contacted Leaf & Bud to try to confirm Savaya's current role at the company, which had previously identified him on its website as the "visionary" behind the natural cannabis retail chain that marketed itself with the slogan "Come and get it. Free weed."
Trump is known for his personal opposition to drug use, but he has softened his stance in recent years. He supported Florida's referendum to legalize recreational marijuana in 2024, and during his campaign, he called for the execution of drug traffickers. In 2019, he praised China for its use of the death penalty in some serious drug-related cases, and he recently ordered airstrikes targeting boats in the Caribbean, allegedly smuggling drugs. This drew widespread criticism, as the strikes were deemed illegal.
However, Israeli Elizabeth Tzurkov, who was kidnapped in Iraq for more than two years, wrote on the X platform, "I congratulate Mark Savaya on this important appointment. Mark played a pivotal role in freeing me after 903 days of captivity by Kataib Hezbollah, an Iraqi militia working for Iran, without any compensation. This is very bad news for everyone who serves Iran's interests in Iraq and seeks to undermine Iraqi sovereignty."
"This is impossible. He is strongly opposed to the militias," Tsurkov said in response to a comment from an X user who expressed concern that pro-Iranian militias might try to manipulate Savaya. LINK
************
Ariel: Understanding the Implications of this
10-20-2025
We Need To Understand The Implications Of This:
What did Donald Trump mean when he said Mark will advance the Interest of the American people in a foreign country?
What happened a few days ago?
Didn’t Iraqi banks fall under Rafidain Bank and are now subject to the authority of the U.S. Treasury?
What recently happened with their oil a couple of days ago?
Source(s): https://x.com/Prolotario1/status/1980128926782406958
https://dinarchronicles.com/2025/10/20/ariel-prolotario1-understanding-the-implications-of-this/
************
Courtesy of Dinar Guru: https://www.dinarguru.com/
Frank26 The only way you're going to see the HCL is if they use the new exchange rate. That's why they told you they're lifting the 3 zeros. You got the new exchange rate and you got the HCL we just need the damn laws...You're about to see a different...value added to your currency which will allow the HCL to be calculated properly and then give the citizens of Iraq a decent oil and gas rights payment to them. At 1310 all they were going to give them was a few pennies. We're walking on very thin ice and at any moment I believe in my heart it's going to crack and put us right through into the monetary reform purchasing power for the citizens and our blessing, our profit.
Jeff They're talking to us out of both sides of their mouth. From one side they keep announcing all the brand new wonderful stuff they're doing/have done, letting us know the rate is about to change. But from the other side of their mouth they won't tell us anything about the budget schedules. They keep hiding that from us.
************
"I Believe the Market Top May Be In" Got Gold & Silver?
Mike Maloney: 10-20-2025
Are we seeing the top of the markets now?
In this urgent episode of The Gold Silver Show, Mike Maloney & Alan Hibbard break down why they believe the highest highs may already be behind us—and how gold & silver could become lifeboats in the coming storm.
What you’ll get in this video
• Why the standoff between Trump and Xi could trigger a market collapse
• The importance of real assets when central banks lose control
• How China may secretly own far more gold than reported
• A powerful gold–silver ratio strategy to multiply your gold
• Lessons from Rome: how empires collapse when currencies are debased