Last 9/11 Hijacker "Sent Home," WaPo "Fact Checks" Trump...Joke, Could Netflix/TikTok ban in Russia Backfire? VP Harris Pushes Electric Vehicles in Response to Gas Prices (The Five for 03/08/22)
Hey, welcome to The Five.
Let’s dive into the News.
[one]
Guantanamo Bay Prison, in Cuba
The “20th Hijacker” on 9/11 was turned away at the gate, due to “suspicious travel” by immigration officers. Mohammad Ahmad al-Qahtani was later picked up Afghanistan in 2002, and sent to Guantanamo Bay Prison in Cuba, where several prominent alleged terrorists were held post 9/11.
Yesterday, The Biden Administration released al-Qahtani to his home country of Saudi Arabia for “psychiatric treatment.”
According to medical examinations and records obtained by his lawyers, al-Qahtani has suffered from mental illness, including schizophrenia, since childhood.
At the the detention center, which Biden has said he intends to close, al-Qahtani was subjected to brutal interrogations that the Pentagon legal official in charge of war crimes commissions said amounted to torture.
The treatment included beatings, exposure to extreme temperatures and noise, sleep deprivation and extended solitary confinement.
As a result of the findings, the Bush administration dropped plans to put al-Qahtani on trial.
On one hand, the conduct of the U.S. is beyond defense, for two reasons.
The first is that we tortured this guy, who may not have been in his right mind. And the second is we held an individual for 20 years without offering him a trial to defend himself against the accusations.
Those actions are inexcusable and un-American.
On the other hand…we just sent the only surviving 9/11 hijacker home, and he’ll probably walk.
[two]
Donald Trump made headlines over the weekend for a joke about starting a war between Russia and China.
Former President Trump reportedly joked on Saturday that the U.S. should "put the Chinese flag" on F-22 fighter jets and "bomb the shit" out of Russia.
Trump made the comment to top Republican National Committee donors at a retreat in New Orleans, according to CBS News.
The network reported that the former president suggested that the U.S. should blame China for the offensive and then watch as the two countries engage in a conflict.
"And then we say, 'China did it,'" Trump said, which, according to an unidentified source cited by CBS News, elicited laughs in the room. "Then they start fighting with each other, and we sit back and watch."
The Washington Post also reported on Trump's comments.
Trump sparked criticism last month for calling Russian President Vladimir Putin "smart" and "pretty savvy" as Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. A number of GOP figures pushed back on those comments, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.).
Days later, the former president appeared to shift his tone, calling the conflict in Ukraine "a Holocaust" during a wide-ranging interview with Fox Business's Maria Bartiromo and urging Russia to stop fighting. He said Moscow had "to stop killing these people" and suggested that a deal could be reached to end the conflict.
During that same interview, Trump said he believed China would invade Taiwan sooner rather than later.
So, to recap:
There was a report Trump joked we should bomb Russia in Chinese jets.
The report is not confirmed. Nor is there a source named.
Let’s look at how the Washington Post handled the story:
Let’s go with the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition of “muses.”
To become absorbed in thought especially to think about something carefully and thoroughly.
“Musing” and “joking” are not the same thing…not even synonyms.
The audience laughed. A joke, perhaps! But also one about something that might well violate international law. And that’s if you can get past the idea that Russia would ever mistake F-22s — a highly recognizable airplane that the Chinese don’t use — for Chinese aircraft.
The formerly-credible newspaper then goes on to quote a law prof at Emory University who confirms that it would, indeed, be illegal to put Chinese flags on American jet and preemptively bomb Russia.
Are you kidding me?
The writer, Aaron Blake is listed as a “senior political reporter” at the Post.
This isn’t an op-ed. Blake is presenting the story as “news.”
About a joke that may or may not have happened.
The rest of the media recognized it as a joke.
Given that Trump doesn’t have a private air force of bombers, it’s obviously not happening…but WaPo fact checked this with all the seriousness that DJT was about to start WWIII by himself.
Think what you want about Trump, that’s subjective.
But the decline in quality at the Washington Post, a paper I formerly subscribed to and faithfully read, has reached the point of parody.
If a larger conflict does kick off from the Ukraine/Russia war…it won’t be because a former POTUS went full Bond villain and started a war between two allies.
[three]
Netflix has suspended it’s service in Russia after refusing to host government propaganda channels on it’s platform.
Last week, Netflix said it wouldn’t comply with a new Russian law that requires large streamers to host 20 Russian propaganda channels, such as NTV and the state-backed Channel One. The streaming giant later announced that it’s halting all productions and acquisitions in Russia — Netflix had been working on four Russian originals at the time. According to Bloomberg, Netflix currently has around 1 million subscribers in Russia.
Social network Tiktok has also pulled out, over new Russian laws about disinformation.
The law, which the lower chamber of Russia's parliament approved on Friday, threatens prison time for anyone who publishes what the Kremlin deems to be false information about the country's invasion of Ukraine. Those who are found guilty of disseminating false data about Russia's armed forced would face up to 15 years in prison or a fine of 1.5 million rubles, or USD $14,000.
TikTok, along with several news organizations, have decided to suspend operations in the country to maintain the safety of employees and users that might use the app to "provide a source of relief and human connection during a time of war when people are facing immense tragedy and isolation," tweeted the social media company.
While both companies pulling out of Russia certainly makes business sense…these moves may not help with military de-escalation.
This is purely speculative, but it seems like making everyday Russians feel like a part of the west…may keep them from wanting war with the west.
Currently, Putin’s war is unpopular with a large segment of Russian citizens who are seeing their sons drafted and sent to the front lines of a war they don’t understand.
Taking “our stuff away” makes sense for Netflix and Tiktok, given the risk both companies could face due to new Russian laws.
However, it further alienates the average Russian from Western culture.
In the long run, that may be a loss.
[four]
Gas prices hit an all time high today ($4.17/gallon is the nationwide average).
VP Harris and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigeg ignored that fact and instead pushed electric vehicles at an event this week.
Neither Harris nor Buttigieg specifically mentioned gas prices while speaking in the White House-adjacent Eisenhower Executive Office Building — or the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which threatens to send those prices even higher.
Harris asked her audience to “imagine a future” with electric vehicles.
“Imagine a future: the freight trucks that deliver bread and milk to our grocery store shelves and the buses that take children to school and parents to work. Imagine all the heavy-duty vehicles that keep our supply lines strong and allow our economy to grow. Imagine that they produce zero emissions. Well, you all imagined it,” she said.
“That’s why we’re here today,” Harris continued. “Because we have the ability to see what can be unburdened by what has been and then to make the possible actually happen.”
Harris announced the release of $1.5 billion to local transit authorities for electric buses.
Currently, the baseline Tesla model is $45,000, which is 73% of the average American family’s annual income ($61,000).
It’s highly unlikely that the majority of Americans could be approved for a bank loan to buy a Tesla, even if everyone went out and tried to buy one tomorrow.
Both Harris and Buttigeg are expected to make another run at the White House, assuming Biden doesn’t seek re-election in 2024.
But messaging like this doesn’t seem to be winning over middle class voters.
[five]
Apparently there is such a thing as “too much diversity,” at least in the eyes of the law.
A police chief in Florida has been terminated for refusing to promote Caucasion officers.
CNN reports:
The city of Fort Lauderdale has fired its police chief Larry Scirotto, who has been in office for less than a year, following allegations of discriminatory practices for promotions.
Scirotto was sworn-in as police chief in mid-August, and the city had hired a law firm by November to investigate complaints of discrimination before he was fired on Thursday, according to a copy of the law firm’s report obtained by CNN.
Scirotto told CNN Saturday the report that triggered his termination from the department was “vague on the facts,” and was largely based on hearsay.
The investigation concluded that during his time as police chief, Scirotto implemented an approach to hiring and promotion that was unfairly focused on minority candidates.
The report said Scirotto once pointed to a conference room wall displaying photos of the department’s command staff and stated, “that wall is too white,” and “I’m gonna change that.”
Until the next one,
-sth