Tesla finally agrees to close its California plant at least termporarily

(March 31) On March 19th Tesla,Elon Musk's EV company, announced finally that it would temporarily shut down its electric car factory in California.

Local officials claim keeping Tesla factory open was a public health risk

Tesla had argued with local officials as to whether the factory was subject to a country wide set of regulations that would close non-essential businesses that could be a health hazard. The company exchanged emails with local officials in which it argued that Tesla was an essential business and thus need not close. Local officials on the other hand argued that the factory should be closed as keeping it open was a public health risk.

Emails were sent by the local police chief to Dan Chia, Tesla's chief policy advisor. The emails reveal the substance of the calls and virtual meetings between Tesla and county officials. The discussions revolved around the question where Testa should be closed as a public health risk as local officials claimed or whether it was an essential business that should remain open.

Tesla's position

Tesla has maintained that vehicles and commercial ships manufacturing are listed as critical infrastructure by the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in 2015 guidelines. However in the March 28 memorandum about the coronavirus epidemic motor vehicles does not appear in the list of critical manufacturing businesses. Tesla is also alone in that every other major auto manufacturer has ceased operations in compliance with the memorandum.

Valerie Workman, head of human resources at Tesla had thought that Tesla would be considered an essential business as part of the national critical infrastructure. Workman said: " “People need access to transportation and energy, and we are essential to providing it,” she reportedly wrote in the email, adding that Tesla has “been in close communication with the State of California, Alameda County, and the City of Fremont, regarding the federal government’s guidance.” " However, Tesla's viewpoint failed to prevail. The Fremont plant produces Model 3, Model S, Model X and Model Y versions of Tesla's EVs.

At first the company had indicated that it would comply with the March 16 order to shut down. Kimberly Petersen the chief of police had written to Tesla's senior policy advisor Dan Chia: “I would like to reiterate that the City of Fremont highly values Tesla as a partner and appreciates what you do for our economy and our community,” Petersen wrote in her email memorializing the meeting, which was dated March 21st. “We are extremely grateful for your willingness to collaborate in our fight against the spread of COVID-19 by placing public health ahead of all other priorities.”

However later, that same day Chia told the deputy city mayor that Petersen's letter was not fully accurate and that another virtual meeting was scheduled for March the 22nd. Tesla's counsel argued that the shelter-in-place order of the California Governor Gavin Newson superseded the county order suspending production, and the language of his order left room for the plant to remain open. However, police chief Petersen said she felt obliged to enforce the county health's interpretation of the order.

Tesla continues winding down operations

Tesla decided that it would continue winding down its operation in the Fremont factory except for basic operations such as payroll. The company said a few workers would be brought in for what is called "end of work" operations. The Fremont police department has found Tesla to be in compliance with the local order after a post-shutdown inspection of the plant.

Tesla has shut down other operations

Tesla has scaled down operations at its Gigafactory battery and assembly plant in Nevada by more than 75 percent. It has also closed down its solar panel factory in New York. Petersen noted that the Fremont factory could have remained open if it had transitioned to making ventilators or other equipment used in combating the coronavirus pandemic. However CEO Elon Musk said that he intended to manufacture ventilators with the aid of Medtronic in Tesla's New York factory. So perhaps the New York factory will reopen soon.

Previously published in the Digital Journal

Snowden warns of the dangers of the dangers of new surveillance techniques used to fight COVID-19

Monday, Edward Snowden, a former National Security Contractor who leaked documents about US intelligence mass surveillance activities warned that high-tech government surveillance measures used to fight COVID-19 could have a long-lasting impact.

Snowden made the claim at an interview with the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival.

US government wants phone data from Facebook and Google

The US government is reported to be in talks with tech companies Google and Facebook to use anonymized location day from phones to help them in tracking the spread of COVID-19. Some commentators say this could be a helpful too for health authorities in tracking the spread of the virus but others are concerned about the potential for the data to be shared by the government.

Snowden's concerns

Snowden worries that government's could extend the access they have to people's personal information during a crisis but then use it to monitor their actions. For example he suggests that during the COVID-19 pandemic government could claim that they were worried about public health and order every fitness tracker to look at measures like pulse and heart rate, and demand access to data about that kind of activity. Even after the virus is gone the data will remain available to share and governments could use new causes such as terrorist threats to justify continually analyzing and gathering people's data.

During the interview Snowden said: "They already know what you're looking at on the Internet. They already know where your phone is moving. Now they know what your heart rate is, what your pulse is. What happens when they start to intermix these and apply artificial intelligence to it?" It is not clear that the government would know about what particular person's phone or other data they are receiving though if the data can be anonymized.

Snowden's previous revelations

Back in 2013 Snowden revealed details of secret surveillance programs that were being carried out by the National Security Agencies. After Snowden's revelations were publish in both the Washington Post and the Guardian the government declassified some information about the programs and began to publish annual reports about the program but the surveillance carried on.

In January of 2018 the legislation authorizing the surveillance over the Internet for national security purposes was extended.

Snowden faces charges of espionage and theft of government property in the US but managed to escape the country and flee to Russia where he has lived since 2013.

Previously published in the Digital Journal

Pentagon plans attacks against Iraqi Shi'ite militias

(March 28) Last week in the US, the Pentagon issued a secret directive that asked US military commanders in Iraq to plan a huge campaign against Iraqi Shi'ite militias with the plan of wiping out some at least.

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Initiative urged by Mike Pompeo

The offensive plan is being advocated by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who believes the US can destroy some Iran-backed militia operating in Iraq. He thinks they act as proxies for Iran by attacking US facilities. Pompeo believes he can do this while Iran is distracted as it has to deal with the effects of the coronavirus weakening the government. The US has refused to temporarily reduce the sanctions to aid Iran cope with the virus. Indeed, it has been increasing sanctions. Some US commanders in particular Lt. Gen. Robert White object to Pompeo's plan.

General White's criticism

General White is the US top commander in Iraq. He warned that any offensive campaign could be bloody and even counterproductive and risked outright war with Iran. Perhaps Pompeo would welcome a war with Iran. White also noted that any new military campaign would need thousands of more US troops. It would also divert resources from the US mission of training Iraqi troops and combating the Islamic State ISIS.

The US mission is virtually finished with ISIS in survival mode as it has lost all territory it held. Iraqi forces are no doubt able to meet any ISIS challenge on their own. The Iraqi parliament earlier this year voted 170 to 0 that all foreign troops be withdrawn. The US ignored the resolution and refused to talk about withdrawing. Trump has threatened Iraq with severe sanctions if it tries to force the US to leave. The US obviously wants to stay in Iraq to counter Iranian influence and to be ready to attack it if necessary.

Response of other officials

Defense Secretary Mark Esper and General Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have been wary of any sharp military escalation. Both have warned that such actions could destabilize the Middle East when President Trump has said he hopes to reduce the number of troops in the region. Trump often changes his mind and there have already been more troops and equipment sent into the Middle East region including Saudi Arabia to confront Iran.

However Esper authorized planning for a new campaign inside of Iraq even as the military reduces its counter-terrorism presence in the country. The plans would provide options for the Trump administration should militia groups in Iraq escalate their attacks on US targets in Iraq according to two senior by anonymous officials.

Trump's response

It is not clear if Trump has signed off on the plans for the offensive but he has allowed planning to continue, and advocates of the plan are likely to believe that they can move from planning to engagement without too many obstacles.However, there may be some opposition within the Trump administration as there was about earlier strikes on March 12 at a top level meeting: "Before the meeting Mr. Trump convened with his top advisers, a lower-level meeting descended into acrimony when Brian H. Hook, the State Department’s top Iran adviser, erupted at Pentagon officials who professed not to have seen the military options being prepared for Mr. Trump, according to senior administration officials with knowledge of the meeting." So far the maximum pressure tactic has not stopped Iranian-backed militia from attacking the US in Iraq.

US actions are exacerbating conflict

The US assassination of key Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani near Baghdad airport resulted in retaliatory attacks from Iran and also on US bases in Iraq by Iran-supported Iraqi militia. The militia the US intends to attack are part of the Popular Mobilization Forces that are financed and approved by the Iraqi government. They are in effect part of Iraqi security forces. Given the fact that the US has been asked to leave by the US parliament, the Iraqi government can hardly accept an attack on its own forces. There will be even more pressure on a weak government in political crisis that could see it fall and the country descend into chaos. Perhaps the US wants to occupy Iraq again and appoint its own officials to be in charge such as Jay Garner and Paul Bremer.

Previously published in the Digital Journal

Lyft the bike-sharer company helps fight the coronavirus in several US citiies

(March 25) Lyft, the largest bike-share company in North America is offering free or discounted bike-share trips to workers who are fighting the coronavirus.

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The offer is valid in several large US cities

Lyft invited certain workers in Boston, Chicago and New York to sign up for free one-month memberships or discounted trips. Lyft says it is also ensuring that bikes are adequately sanitized between trips. Cheaper bike-share rates could attract more customers as public transportation ridership is declining rapidly. With many people trying to avoid mass transportation because of the pandemic there has been a surge in cycling in New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia. Lyft sees this as an opportunity to help those in the front lines of the outbreak. Uber the ride-sharing service has also seen its business decline as it is not seen as a good substitute for mass transit These customers too may be turning to cycling or walking. Both Lyft and Uber provide bike-sharing as well as ride sharing..

The deal in New York

Lyft-owned Citi Bike is offering free 30-day memberships for workers in health care, first responders, or public transportation and this includes city workers. Hospitals and clinics are instructed to email Lyft to obtain enrollment information that can be distributed to staff. The deal includes an unlimited number of 45-minute trips on traditional bikes but for thirty days only.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio praised the Lyft move: “Our frontline workers are sacrificing so much to help and protect their fellow New Yorkers,. I want to thank Lyft for stepping up and helping us fight this pandemic by providing the employees on the front line with a safe, free ride to work.”

The plan in Chicago and Boston

In Chicago Lyft-owned bike-share company Divvy announced: "Divvy is working with the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) to offer half off annual memberships ($49.50) and $1 Single Rides through April 30." Divvy is also giving eligible healthcare workers free unlimited 45-minute trips on classic bikes for 300 days.

Boston Bluebikes will give hospital workers a free 30-day membership in their bike-share system. Eligible employees will receive a twenty dollar discount code to obtain the 30-day pass for free.

Previously published in the Digital Journal

Trump administration cuts One Billion from Afghan aid

(March 24) The Trump administration cut $1 billion in aid to Afghanistan on Monday. This followed an visit to the capital Kabul by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Two competing presidents cannot agree on a unity government

Pompeo tried to get the two who claim the presidency Ahraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah to form a unity government with a power sharing deal. In 2014 the two were in a similar position but a power-sharing deal was worked out successfully. However, this time around so far there has been no agreement. Both men have had their own inauguration ceremonies.

US Taliban peace deal may be in ever greater jeopardy

US officials were disappointed by and critical of the meetings even claiming that they dishonored the US and its coalition partners and posed a direct threat to US interests. Pompeo said after the meeting: “The United States deeply regrets that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and former Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah have informed Secretary Pompeo that they have been unable to agree on an inclusive government that can meet the challenges of governance, peace, and security, and provide for the health and welfare of Afghan citizens."

The political impasse may threaten the US Taliban peace deal. At the end of February, the Taliban and US signed a peace deal that included a prisoner swap with the Taliban. However, the Afghan government would not carry out the terms of the swap causing the Taliban to restart attacks on the government. When the US defended the government clashes with the US restarted as well. With the political crisis in the Afghan government there may be even more difficulty in salvaging the peace deal.

US may be pressuring Afghanistan government to follow through on prisoner swap

It is the Afghan government not the Taliban or the US who are sabotaging the peace deal. The US may be using the withdrawal of aid as leverage to force the Afghans to comply with the conditions of the prisoner swap. Officials have already said that further aid could be cut and that the US is doing a full review of its support for the Afghan government.

The Taliban are supposed to start talks with the Afghan government on power sharing as well and this is not happening. The US may have decided that the present Afghan government is a liability and are warning that no Afghan government will get US help unless they help realize US aims.

Previously published in the Digital Journal

US and UAE hold war games to send message to Iran in spite of COVID-19 pandemic

(March 22) A number of planned war games have peen postponed because of fears they would help spread the coronavirus. However, the US and United Arab Emirates (UAE) carried on the biennial Native Fury to send a message to Iran.

Native Fury

The Native Fury exercise involves 4,000 US troops plus fighters from the UAE. The exercises were held on Monday at Al-Hamra base in Abu Dhabi's desert region. The thousands of troops backed by armored vehicles and helicopters "capture" a fictional model Iranian city containing mock multi-story buildings and mosques. The troops roam through narrow streets looking for enemy fighters.

US ambassador claims that the exercise was defensive

US Ambassador John Rakolta Jr. described the exercise as defensive in nature. He claimed this in spite of the fact that the exercises practiced an invasion and attack on a model Iranian city. Rakolta said that he did not think that it was provocative to tell the Iranians the US was coming. To indicate they are coming is to say they will invade and attack Iranian cities. How could that be other than provocative and a clear threat? There is nothing defensive about the exercises.

Rakota praised the UAE and when asked about Yemen where the UAE is involved said: “Partnerships are based on many aspects, many fundamentals, and this happens [to be] just one of them.Trust is a huge, huge factor. Transparency, common values all work into a partnership.” There have been international condemnation of the Saudi-led war with UAE support as involving bombing attacks that amount to war crimes.

US General also defends the exercise

Brigadier General Thomas Savage of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, the highest ranking US Commander of Native Fury said:

"Provocative? I don't know. We're about stability in the region. So if they view it as provocative, well, that's up to them. This is just a normal training exercise for us." So an exercise that threatens to invade Iran and practices doing so promotes stability? Savage does not know if this exercise creates stability even though he says that is what the US is in Iraq to create. The official reason for the US being in Iraq is to defeat ISIS. However, ISIS is more or less defeated and it seems clear that the US remains in Iraq to counter Iran's influence. It remains in Iraq even though the Iraqi parliament passed a motion that all foreign troops withdraw that passed 170 to 0 earlier this year.

The US has refused to reduce sanctions against Iran even though the sanctions negatively impact Iran's attempts to control the coronavirus

Previously published in the Digital Journal

US refuses to ease economic sanctions on Iran despite negative effects of coronavirus pandemic

(March 22)US hostility toward Iran is so deeply ingrained in US policy, that the US refuses to even consider reducing sanctions on the country to help alleviate effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

US rejects any easing of sanctions on Iran

In themselves the US sanctions help create misery for many Iranians by making a poor economic situation even worse. During the coronavirus the sanctions cause an even worse humanitarian system as it hinders Iranian efforts to fight the pandemic. Even with Iranians dying and being infected at a high rate the US has said it absolutely would not consider any relief. The US warned Iran that the coronavirus would not save it from sanctions.

US Special Envoy Brian Hook added that if Iran was having troubles they should have spent more on health care instead of billions of dollars on war. Iran's expenditures on the military are a pittance compared to what the US spends. Many in the US may be wishing that their government spent more on health and less on wars.

Pompeo claims that US sanctions do not impact Iranian humanitarian aid

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo insists that the sanctions have no impact on humanitarian aid. Pompeio said at a White House briefing on Friday: “The whole world should know that humanitarian assistance to Iran is wide open, it’s not sanctioned."

Pompeo pointed out that there are no sanctions on medicines going into Iran or humanitarian assistance. However, the sanctions mean that resources that could be used to help fight the virus are used for other purposes. So the sanctions in that way make a dire situation even worse.

Banking sanctions in practice make even humanitarian trade more difficult, including aid shipments. Added to this, items such as medical equipment are not considered humanitarian aid and are sanctioned but such equipment could be of great help in fighting the pandemic.

Ironically Iran has offered to help the US in its efforts to control the virus. The US has just recently added new sanctions on Iran.

Iran badly hit by the virus

Iran is the worst hit of all Middle East countries. Its recent death toll from the virus is 1,284. It is estimated by the Iranian Health Ministry that one person dies from the virus every 10 minutes and about 50 become infected every hour. While the situation may to some extent be caused by inadequate government action, the situation is made much worse by the negative effects of US sanctions. The US could help but it would seem it desires to make things worse for the government no doubt in the hope that the people will demand regime change. However, it is more likely to cause increased anti-American sentiment.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/politics/op-ed-us-refuses-iran-s-request-to-reduce-sanctions-due-to-corona-virus/article/569139#ixzz6PGNcCiU4

US criticizes Iraq for not defending US bases

(March 21) The US State Department on Friday issued a statement declaring that they were enormously disappointed by the failure of the Iraqi government to protect US and coalition forces in the country.

The US responding to rocket attacks on camp near Baghdad

One rocket attack on Camp Taji last week killed one American soldier and a contractor as well as a UK solider. Iraq said it would investigate the attack. The US responded by several attacks on militia they believe may have been responsible for the attacks. The US mounted retaliatory attacks on those they thought might have launched the rockets before waiting for the Iraqis to complete any investigation.

Iraqis have asked the US to leave

The US described the militia targeted as Iran supported. However, they are part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) that are approved and financed by the Iraqi government, in effect part of their own forces.

The US has stressed that the US troops are in Iraq at the request of the Iraqi government mainly to help fight the Islamic State (ISIS). However, ISIS is mostly defeated and in survival mode. The US is not needed to meet the challenge of ISIS. Also, the PMF had been key fighters in the battle against ISIS. The US appears bound to stay in Iraq to try to lessen Iranian influence in the country.

However, in January the Iraqi parliament voted 170 to 0 to have all foreign troops leave Iraq. Trump responded by threatening to impose severe sanctions on Iraq if it tried to force US troops to leave. The US refused to discuss any withdrawal plans with Iraq.

Iraqi government in danger of collapse

US actions may provide more energy to protest movements against the government which is seen as incompetent, corrupt, and unable to resist US violations of its sovereignty. To side with the US after the US attacked its own security forces would most likely make the situation even more precarious for the government.

The government appears to be crumbling and is trying to get ready for new elections. Since the January vote to expel foreign troops two Iraqi PM have resigned, First Abdul Mahdi resigned but agree to serve as caretaker PM until a replacement was found. Next, Mohammed Allawi was chosen as PM designate but resigned after he was unable to form a government. Just last week Adnan Zufi was selected as PM designate.

US official warns Iraq

David Schenker, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs claimed that the present situation was a high point of contention between Iraq and the US. Schenker said: “it’s no secret that we’ve been, I think, enormously disappointed with the performance of the Government of Iraq in fulfilling its obligations to protect coalition forces, particularly American forces, who are in Iraq at the invitation of the government.”

Schenker warned that the Iraqi government is at a decision. He threatened that the US would take proactive action to defend its bases if the Iraqi government did not take action to hold those accountable for the attacks on US forces. There is no mention of the fact that the US has been asked to leave and that the forces the US holds accountable and attacked are de facto part of the Iraqi armed forces. The US has clearly violated Iraqi sovereignty in its attacks and has not waited for any Iraqi investigation. US actions are bound to arouse even more anger and protests and increase pressure on the Iraqi government to force to the US to leave.

 Previously published in the Digital Journal