I am doing legal analysis for CBS News and BBC in New York today but, for those who have not read the report, it is linked below.
As I discuss in today’s column, the report does clear the President of the original allegations of collusion with little ambiguity or reservation. Ultimately, he was also cleared of obstruction through the decision of both Barr and Rosenstein.
I believe the report also vindicates Barr on the criticism of the expected redactions. There was surprising light redactions, particularly on obstruction. Moreover, while some are insisting that Barr’s summary to Congress was not reflective of the report, it did accurately give the conclusions. As for his press conference, it is doubtful that any description would be acceptable to many people. That is why he would have been wise to minimize those descriptions in favor of his discussion of the process.
Here is the Report: Redacted Mueller Report
OT: This is how Palestinian terrorism is born and supported by Palestinian leaders. There is no peace in that area of the world because the Palestinian leadership has no desire for peace with Israel or a solution where the Jewish nation exists. [one message “kill” to Palestinians and another message of “peace” to the rest of the world. Read to the end.]
From An Unknown Teenager To A Palestinian Symbol –
In Just Two Weeks
By Nan Jacques Zilberdik | April 20, 2019
Before March 17, 2019, Omar Abu Laila was just an ordinary unknown 19-year-old Palestinian.
Now he is a Palestinian symbol and hero. Why?
Because on that day, he stabbed and murdered Israeli soldier Gal Keidan, and shot and murdered Rabbi Ahiad Ettinger, a father of 12. And then, two days later during an exchange of gunfire with Israeli soldiers, he was killed and died as a “Martyr.”
This could have been the end of his story, but it wasn’t. Within just two weeks after he committed the murders, PA President Mahmoud Abbas and Fatah had already turned murderer Omar Abu Laila into the newest symbol and role model for Palestinians.
This is how they did it.
Just three days after the terrorist was killed, Abbas’ deputy chairman in Fatah, Mahmoud Al-Aloul, publicly declared him the new role model for young Palestinians, “We are extremely proud. This is Omar Abu Laila, who implemented his choice… through which he represents all of you, represents all young Palestinians.” Fatah then posted the video of Al-Aloul on its official Facebook page to give it wide exposure, especially for Palestinian youth.
The next day, Fatah announced the decision by the municipality of Brukin to name a street and a square after the murderer. To highlight the importance of honoring the killer, Fatah posted on their Facebook page a photo of the decision and signatures of each of the members of the town council. The council’s declaration stated, “In order to glorify the heroism of Martyr Omar Amin Abu Laila, the town council has decided to name the main street leading to Omar Abu Laila Square… Omar Abu Laila Street.”
The mayor of Brukin, a town in the murderer’s home district, explained that they named the street after the murderer to “perpetuate the memory of our righteous Martyrs,” and that the decision emanated from the “pride of the town of Brukin.”
By now, Fatah had already erected a monument adorned with the terrorist’s picture and the Fatah logo, declaring him a martyr, “Martyr Omar Abu Laila from Al-Zawiya, who died as a Martyr on the land of Burkin.” This was also posted on Fatah’s official Facebook page.
In addition to these secular symbols, the village of Abwein also named a mosque after the terrorist. At a rally in the village, Fatah’s Ramallah district secretary announced the naming of the mosque, saying Palestinians had gathered “to emphasize the continuation of the Palestinian people on Martyr Omar Abu Laila’s path in defying the occupation.”
At that same Fatah rally, two Fatah members also glorified murderer Abu Laila in a speech that included words as if they were spoken by him, “I’m the one who confronted [the Israelis]… who carried a knife and a gun… who frightened the enemy soldiers.” It ended with a promise to the murderer, “We are following in your footsteps.”
Two weeks had not yet passed from the day Abu Laila murdered two Israelis, and the PA and Fatah had turned him into the newest Palestinian symbol and role model by naming a street, a square and a mosque after him and erecting a monument in his honor! Fatah held a rally to sing his praises, and Abbas’ Fatah deputy secretary announced that the killer “represents all young Palestinians.” And most significantly, reports of these events were publicized in the PA’s official daily Al-Hayat al-Jadida, PA TV and Fatah’s official Facebook page.
This is a classic example of how the PA and Fatah motivate Palestinians – and particularly the youth – to carry out terrorist attacks and to kill Israelis. They show Palestinians that terrorism is the fast track to fame. If you kill Israelis, you will have streets and mosques named after you, monuments erected in your honor and masses will participate in rallies to express their admiration. You will be the newest Palestinian hero.
How ironic that at the very same time that Fatah and PA showed their infatuation with this terrorist murderer, Mahmoud Abbas was receiving students from Harvard University and telling them that the PA rejects terrorism. “We will not choose a path other than negotiations,” he said. “We made agreements with 83 states in the world… on one issue: the war on terrorism in the world, terrorism in all its forms.”
PA policy has always been to present a message of peace to foreign audiences, but a different one endorsing and encouraging terrorism to its own people. The international community, as well as Israelis who regularly meet with Abbas, should stop listening to what Abbas tells them and instead look carefully at how Abbas’ PA and Fatah turned an unknown teenager into a Palestinian symbol and role model in less than two weeks, solely because he murdered two Israelis. It shows that no matter what they preach to Israelis and foreign audiences, the PA and Fatah continue to support terrorism.
“The Party’s Over”
– Willie Nelson
Turn out the lights
The party’s over
They say that all
Good things must end
Call it a night
The party’s over
And tomorrow starts
The same old thing again
What a crazy crazy party
Never seen so many people
Laughing dancing
Look at you, you’re having fun
But look at me
I’m almost cryin’
But that don’t keep her love from dyin’
Misery ’cause for me the party’s over
Turn out the lights
The party’s over
They say that all
Good things must end
Call it a night
The party’s over
And tomorrow starts
The same old thing again
AN UNHINGED PRESIDENT REACTS TO MUELLER REPORT
Donald J. TrumpVerified account @realDonaldTrump 7h7 hours ago
….big, fat, waste of time, energy and money – $30,000,000 to be exact. It is now finally time to turn the tables and bring justice to some very sick and dangerous people who have committed very serious crimes, perhaps even Spying or Treason. This should never happen again!
Donald J. TrumpVerified account @realDonaldTrump 15h15 hours ago
…agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the “Report” about me, some of which are total bulls**** & only given to make the other person look good (or me to look bad). This was an Illegally Started Hoax that never should have happened, a…
Donald J. TrumpVerified account @realDonaldTrump 16h16 hours ago
Statements are made about me by certain people in the Crazy Mueller Report, in itself written by 18 Angry Democrat Trump Haters, which are fabricated & totally untrue. Watch out for people that take so-called “notes,” when the notes never existed until needed. Because I never….
Donald J. TrumpVerified account @realDonaldTrump Apr 18
Kimberley Strassel should get the Pulitzer. She is a treasure (and I don’t know her) who correctly called the Russia Hoax right from the start! Others who were soooo wrong will get the Prize. Fake News!Donald J. Trump added,
Donald J. TrumpVerified account @realDonaldTrump Apr 18
“The Mueller Report is perhaps the single most humiliating thing that has ever happened to the White House Press in the history of this Country. They know they lied…Many reporters lied about Russia Collusion and so much more. Clapper & Brennan, all lies”
Donald J. TrumpVerified account @realDonaldTrump Apr 18
“If dozens of Federal prosecutors spent two years trying to charge you with a crime, and found they couldn’t, it would mean there wasn’t any evidence you did it – and that’s what happened here – that’s what we just learned from the Mueller Report.” @TuckerCarlson
Donald J. TrumpVerified account @realDonaldTrump Apr 18
When there is not an underlying crime with regard to Collusion (in fact, the whole thing was a made up fraud), it is difficult to say that someone is obstructing something. There was no underlying crime.” @marthamaccallum @FoxNews
Donald J. TrumpVerified account @realDonaldTrump Apr 18
Anything the Russians did concerning the 2016 Election was done while Obama was President. He was told about it and did nothing! Most importantly, the vote was not affected.
Donald J. TrumpVerified account @realDonaldTrump Apr 18
Donald Trump was being framed, he fought back. That is not Obstruction.” @JesseBWatters I had the right to end the whole Witch Hunt if I wanted. I could have fired everyone, including Mueller, if I wanted. I chose not to. I had the RIGHT to use Executive Privilege. I didn’t!
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Here we learn that Trump thinks the”crazy Mueller Report” was a “big fat waste of time, energy and money” and an “illegally started hoax”. Then he throws in “witch hunt” for good measure while adding that “the whole thing was a made up fraud”.
Trump also advises to “watch out for people who take so-called notes”. This apparently is a jab at former White House Counsel Donald McGahn who refused to relay Trump’s order that Deputy Attorney General Rob Rosenstein be fired.
In short, none of these tweets sound like they came from an actual U.S. President. To the contrary they seem to be the words of a mafia don who barely beat the rap but fears additional charges. One can hardly think Trump was ‘cleared’ based on these bitter ramblings.
Tweets from THE REAL DONALD TRUMP, Twitter
AN UNHINGED PETER SHILL REACTS LEGITIMATE TRUMP TWEETS
The Mueller report was a waste of time and diverted the nations efforts from making the country better into a witch hunt that should have been ended on day 1. It was a total waste of money and has entrapped many innocent lives in this hoax which was a fraud on the American public.
I am not sure but I have heard from some that the actual report may have revealed processes that should not have been revealed to our enemies.
UNHINGED PETER SHILL IS DOOMED TO REMAIN UNHINGED
Once again simpleton….. We elected OUR President as an outsider and gave him a number of tasks. Mot important was the destruction of the socialist movement and the DNC with Clinton at the top of the list including the RINO faction. And where we could meet goal one goal two was to expose them. Thanks to the Comrades you are doing a fine job of helping us meet those goals.
The rest is icing on the cake and candles on the frosting.
Constitutionalists vs Socialists.
“I am sickened at the extent and pervasiveness of dishonesty and misdirection by individuals in the highest office of the land, including the President,” Romney said in a statement posted to Twitter.
“I am appalled that, among other things, fellow citizens working in a campaign for president welcomed help from Russia — including information that had been illegally obtained; that none of them acted to inform American law enforcement,” he wrote.
https://spectator.us/robert-mueller-avenue-collusion-myth/
That Mueller laid this all out in exhaustive detail again demonstrates that his investigative purview extended well beyond that of an ordinary prosecutor: he was expected not just to determine whether certain actions were criminally chargeable, but to put forth a coherent narrative of all relevant accusations pertaining to the Trump-Russia collusion theory. Contrary to the groundless objections raised by some, no external forces that we can glean inhibited him from carrying out this task. And his conclusions were devastating for ‘collusion’ profiteers.
Some Democrats apparently feel that Mueller’s finding of no conspiracy or coordination simply indicates that he failed to pursue relevant leads, but that stupendously misrepresents his report to the point of absurdity. Not only did Mueller aggressively pursue innumerable leads, he pursued some which were at most tangential, and had long fermented in speculative anti-Trump corners of the internet. All bases, as far as we can tell, were covered. So for the collusion proponents to persist in affirming their theory – which now more resembles an article of religious faith than a political or legal position – is downright comical. As if they somehow deduced evidence of collusion that Mueller’s intensive 22-month investigation failed to uncover. It just shows that these sad, angry people are committed to digging themselves deeper and deeper into a hole of paranoia and desperation.
Sounds like a bad reading of the situation but someone who doesn’t understand it.
“Sounds like a bad reading of the situation but someone who doesn’t understand it.”
What bad reading. Can’t you ever get past the generalities?