Tidbits From TNT" Thursday Morning 12-24-2020
TNT:
Tishwash: In anticipation of attacks in Iraq .. Reuters talks about a high-ranking security meeting at the White House
US national security officials met at the White House on Wednesday to agree on a set of proposed options to deter any attack on US military personnel or diplomats in Iraq.
Reuters quoted a senior security official, (December 23, 2020), as saying that “a group of officials in the main committee, including Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien, discussed the situation at home. the White".
The official told the agency that they had "agreed on a" set of options "that would soon be presented to US President Donald Trump, which would be non-escalatory and designed to deter further attacks.
"The aim of the White House meeting is to develop the right set of options that can be presented to the president to ensure that the Iranians and Shiite militias in Iraq are deterred from launching attacks on our personnel," the US administration official said. link
Tishwash: An economist reveals a surprise in the 2021 budget
Economic expert Basem Jamil Antoine revealed a surprise in the draft fiscal budget for 2021.
Antoine said in a press statement this evening, that "the size of the budget is 150 trillion dinars and the value of the deficit is 63 trillion dinars," revealing that "oil imports in the budget accounted for 73% - and for the first time they occurred after - 2003 - which is a happy thing as for the rest of the non-oil imports. It amounted to 17%. "
He stressed "the need to reduce oil imports, and we have great hope for operating local sectors and achieving internal food security."
He pointed out that "there are signs of a rise in global oil prices," indicating that "if it reaches 65 dollars, taxes may stop."
He stressed that "the economic crisis is due to the accumulations of successive governments," calling for "the need to support local products and the advancement of the large industrial sector, and there are 50 existing projects that need this support," noting "the need to prevent construction imports that can be provided locally and do not need the importer."
And Antoine, that "protecting the local product means creating job opportunities for the unemployed, and reform decisions will certainly lead to a significant reduction in the budget deficit."
Last Monday, the Council of Ministers voted in an extraordinary session on the draft Federal Budget Law for 2021.
Information on the budget revealed “imposing a tax of 40% on the salaries of presidents, ministers, deputies, general managers and special ranks, and not including employees who earn less than a million in tax,” And withholding full income tax on salaries of more than one million dinars.
Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi said in a press conference last Monday after the cabinet meeting and the vote on the draft law that "the budget will not affect the salaries of the employees of the two classes that make up the majority of the people," indicating that "the target party in this budget is the upper classes."
As for Planning Minister Khaled Al-Battal, he stated that "the volume of investment spending will be around 8 trillion dinars, and that the budget included the suspension train project, the Faw port, and a number of projects."
Meanwhile, Minister of Labor, Adel Al-Rikabi announced during the conference, "40% of the salaries of the three presidencies will be deducted from the budget, and 30% of the total salaries of MPs and ministers will be deducted." link
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Tishwash: Legal procedures against 13 private banks for violations of entering the currency auction
The Rusafa investigation court, which is competent to look into issues of integrity, money laundering and economic crime, decided, Thursday, to take legal measures against 13 private banks for violations of entering the currency auction.
A statement by the Supreme Judicial Council stated, "The Rusafa Investigation Court, which is competent to look into issues of integrity, money laundering and economic crime, has decided to take legal measures against 13 banks for violations of entering the currency auction without submitting customs permits that support entry of goods, tax accounting, and suspicions of falsifying documents related to this."
The statement added, "The aforementioned court decided to bring in the authorized directors of the violating banks due to their breach of the due diligence procedures imposed by the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Law No. (39) of 2015. link
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Tishwash: Urgent America is considering moving its embassy in Baghdad to one of these two locations
The United States is considering closing its embassy in Baghdad quickly after a series of missile attacks on the Green Zone in Iraq, according to two sources familiar with the discussions of the American news site, Axios.
The site said that this step could be among several options under consideration, an introduction to respond to missile attacks.
He pointed out that, "In the event that the US embassy in Baghdad is closed, the US ambassador to Iraq (Matthew Toller) will be transferred to the city of Erbil in the Kurdistan region, or to the Al-Assad air base in Anbar province.
Earlier Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said , He will "hold Iran responsible" in the event of an attack targeting Americans in Iraq, with the approaching first anniversary of the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike near Baghdad airport.
Trump attached a picture of missiles with a tweet on Twitter, in which he said that the embassy is in Baghdad was attacked last Sunday by several missiles.
A US official revealed to Reuters, on Wednesday, that "senior national security officials met at the White House and agreed on a set of proposed options to deter any attack on American military personnel or diplomats in Iraq."
The commander of the US Central Command in the Middle East, General Frank MacKenzie, said that the barrage of missiles that was fired at the US embassy in Baghdad on Sunday was the largest attack on the capital's Green Zone since 2010, with 21 missiles. link
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Phantom809: Twas the day before Christmas and all the banks will close early so no RV today, maybe it will be in the cards next week for us all to make hay......RV to all and may all sleep tight tonight.!
Mot: Remember Evan Catching Santa Claus On Camera Last Christmas !!!!!!
Mot: An ALL time Favorite Christmas Book and Movie is the Christmas Carol. Did you know?
In early December of 1843, Charles Dickens completed the manuscript for a little ghost story about Christmas. He called it A Christmas Carol and the publisher printed the first copies a week before Christmas. By Christmas Eve all 6000 printed copies were sold. The story was overwhelmingly received, being read and repeated in homes throughout London.
Charles Dickens had conceived the idea of writing a Christmas story less than three months earlier. The idea was partially a response to his urgent need to produce some additional income. His publisher had informed Dickens that sales of his novels were not as great as expected and that he would have to reduce the advance income due Dickens until sales increased.
Dickens described his writing plan as “a little scheme,” but as the writing of the story progressed, Dickens was overwhelmed by the story’s joyful message. He said that during the writing he “wept, and laughed, and wept again.” The little ghost story became a special project that Dickens became passionate about and finished quickly.
Charles Dickens insisted that the book contain numerous woodcuts and etchings and be well-bound. Then he also insisted that it should sell for the small price of five shillings to make it affordable to a wide audience. The book was no longer part of a personal economic plan but was a gift from Dickens to the imaginations of families everywhere and a blessing to everyone.
Dickens called his story A Christmas Carol because he expected the story to be repeated and shared and to bring people together just as the singing of Christmas carols spread joy and brought families together each season throughout London. His carol was a song of praise of the Christmas season and of the redemption of Ebenezer Scrooge.
Cleverly, Dickens called the five chapters of the book “staves.” A musical stave is a stanza with a consistent theme and mood. Each stave in the story delivers a different message and each has a definite mood. As in a carol each stave can stand alone but each contributes to the carol’s overall theme.
A good carol also contains a memorable refrain, repeated at appropriate times throughout. In Dickens’ A Christmas Carol the refrain is no doubt the blessing from Tiny Tim, “God bless us every one!” It’s a refrain that has been repeated countless times since the publishing of A Christmas Carol.
The story sings the praises of the sentiments of the Christmas season in a memorable way and will be repeated as long as carols and the Christmas season endure.
Photo: Charles Dickens in 1842, the year before the publication of A Christmas Carol.
