Trump’s Failed Regime Change Operation in Venezuela

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José Gregorio Biomorgi

In recent days, the mass media have amplified their offensive against Venezuela to impose a narrative following the US aggression, which culminated in the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Deputy Cilia Flores.

These misinformation merchants have disseminated fantastical and fabricated stories, the product of unfounded speculation. Their aim, to introduce the idea of ​​betrayal by the High Command of the Revolution against President Maduro into public consciousness. More specifically, the offensive has been directed against our sister, the Acting President, Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez.

It is clear that this strategy is being led by the eternal enemies of the Bolivarian Revolution, together with traitors to the Chavista movement, many of them former ministers, who cannot forgive Chávez for proposing Nicolás Maduro as his successor, nor can they forgive the latter for his absolute loyalty to Chavismo and the people of Venezuela.

What is the reason for the media offensive against Delcy Rodríguez?

To answer this question, we must first understand two undeniable facts:

1. The US effectively failed in its “Regime Change” strategy in Venezuela.
2. The aggression against Venezuela has been a “Miscalculation” by the US administration and is already beginning to take its toll.

Keeping these two facts in mind, it will be much easier to understand the desperation of Venezuela’s enemies in their search for a new strategy to weaken the Bolivarian Revolution, after their historical failure to do so. What is the purpose of this new offensive? It is none other than to try to divide the people and the Chavista movement. That is the real reason behind the narrative of betrayal.

Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez’s Roots

Before discussing Delcy Rodríguez as a political figure and Acting President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, let’s talk about her roots. Delcy is the daughter of the historic figure Jorge Antonio Rodríguez, a prominent student leader and social activist, a member of the MIR (Revolutionary Left Movement), and later the founder of the Socialist League. Both political organizations were left-wing movements with a Marxist-Leninist and anti-imperialist ideology.

Jorge Rodríguez, the Father (as he is also known), actively collaborated with the guerrilla movements of the late 1960s and early 1970s that fought against the repression of what is known in Venezuela as the Fourth Republic. This is the political system formally established in Venezuela from 1958 to 1999. During this period, repressive and highly corrupt governments were installed which, after the overthrow of the military dictatorship in 1958, betrayed the people, sided with the national oligarchy, and became subservient to the United States. Then began the persecution of any leftist movement that demanded sovereignty and advocated for a people’s government, one that would serve the citizens and not the corrupt ruling class, which was already demonstrating its moral decay.

In the midst of these struggles, led by a group of young people with strong political convictions who felt betrayed by the New York Pact (or Punto Fijo Pact, as this agreement signed by the political leaders who betrayed the people is known), the figure of Jorge Antonio Rodríguez emerged as a political and moral leader. And it was in the heat of these revolutionary struggles that our sister Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez was born in 1969.

Jorge Antonio Rodríguez’s dedication and loyalty to the people of Venezuela cost him his life. In 1976, he was assassinated by the repressive government apparatus of one of the most corrupt figures Venezuela has ever had as President. We are referring to the infamous Carlos Andrés Pérez. Delcy Rodríguez lost her father when she was only 7 years old. That’s where our Acting President comes from. A woman who was born in the heat of anti-imperialist struggles.

Delcy Rodríguez, a worthy representative of Venezuelan women

The Rodríguez Gómez family continued on their way despite the pain of losing the leader of their family, who dedicated his life to just causes and the people of Venezuela. Inspired by the example of loyalty and love for the people of Jorge Antonio Rodríguez. This is how the woman who now leads the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela grew up.

Delcy Rodríguez entered the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) in the late 1980s and graduated in 1993 with a law degree. During her time at UCV, she participated in student movements that fought against the repressive state apparatus of that era.

She then continued her academic training in Europe, earning a Master’s and a Doctorate in Social and Labor Law from the University of Paris X-Nanterre, taking courses in economic philosophy at Cambridge, and completing a Master’s degree in Political and Social Theory at Birkbeck, University of London.

From 2002 onwards, she became actively involved in politics, taking her first steps in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. In 2006, she was appointed head of the Office of the Ministry of the Presidency. In 2007, she assumed the General Coordination of the Vice Presidency.

In 2013, she led the Ministry of Communication and Information, and in 2014, she was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, a position she held until 2017. It is worth noting that in 2014, Barack Hussein Obama declared Venezuela an “Unusual and Extraordinary Threat.” Delcy served as Minister of Foreign Affairs for three years, when the US dropped the pretense and began its direct aggression against the Venezuelan people.

In 2017, she took on the Presidency of the Constituent Assembly convened by President Nicolás Maduro, which put an end to the destabilization plan implemented by the National Assembly elected in 2015, in conjunction with the extremist opposition, who once again proved to be the tool (or useful idiots) used by the US at that time in its efforts to destabilize Venezuela.

From 2018, Delcy Rodríguez was appointed Vice President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, a position she held until January 5, 2026, when she assumed the role of Acting President, as established by our Constitution, in response to the cowardly aggression by the US and the kidnapping of President Maduro.

Additionally, in 2020 she was appointed Minister of Economy and Finance and in 2024 Minister of Hydrocarbons. She held both positions while serving as Vice President, demonstrating the Acting President’s exceptional work ethic and management skills. Delcy Rodríguez’s track record speaks for itself.

A brief note for those unfamiliar with the day-to-day realities of our nation: Venezuela began experiencing economic growth in 2021, after several years of recession resulting from the unilateral coercive measures initiated by the US in 2015. This growth continues to this day, and Venezuela has seen five consecutive years of economic growth and improvement. And do you want me to tell you something? Yes, that’s right. Delcy Rodríguez was the coordinator and person in charge of implementing the Economic Recovery Plan designed by President Nicolás Maduro, who always referred to her as the “Leader of Venezuela’s Economy”. So, no further explanation is necessary.

The truth behind the narrative against the Acting President Delcy Rodríguez

Once we have briefly summarized Delcy Rodríguez’s prestigious career as a fighter, academic, revolutionary, manager, and political leader, you, dear readers, will realize that the fascist right and their masters in the North have no way to discredit this woman. We are not exaggerating when we say that Delcy Rodríguez is one of the most capable and qualified people in Venezuela to take the leadership of our nation in these complex times.

Faced with the impossibility of discrediting Delcy Rodríguez, the traitors and the fascist right have no alternative but to resort (once again) to the tool of lies and manipulation, creating false narratives of betrayal. And this is no coincidence. It is a well-thought-out instrument of manipulation, if we consider some chapters of betrayal in our republican history. A false narrative that could take root in the collective imagination.

It is absolutely false (and illogical) to think that the US planned the kidnapping of President Maduro to leave Chavismo in charge of the government. Only ignorant and foolish minds who have no idea how “Realpolitik” works can believe that.

No one should have any doubt that the US objective was to promote regime change in Venezuela. That is why they kidnapped President Maduro, who will never be forgiven for not betraying Chávez and for being able to maintain the unity of Chavismo during the most complex moments of our recent history.

But they failed. The US did not achieve its goal, and faced with that failure, they had no choice but to recognize that the only alternative that guarantees stability in Venezuela is Chavismo. Therefore, they decided to dialogue with Chavismo, although with a gun pointed at their heads. And our people have understood this perfectly and know their role in this historical moment very well. The level of maturity and awareness of the Venezuelan people has surprised the entire world.

Faced with the disappointment of Trump and his hawks, the narrative in the US has begun: “Delcy Rodríguez is cooperating,” “Delcy is fantastic and is doing what we tell her,” “Delcy is leading a transitional government,” or “Delcy is giving us oil and will have relations with whomever the US decides,” and a host of other absurdities not worth mentioning, which are no longer credible even to the US voters.

It is no coincidence that after every conversation between a US official and the (Acting) President, a press release or publication appears in which the US insinuates that it is giving instructions to Delcy Rodríguez. Want a recent example? Let’s look at the US Embassy’s post after its Chargé d’Affaires (CdA) met with the Acting President:
“Today I met with Delcy Rodríguez and Jorge Rodríguez to reiterate the three phases that @SecRubiohas outlined for Venezuela: stabilization, economic recovery and reconciliation, and transition – LFD.”

The aim of this post is to undermine Delcy Rodríguez’s position as a President of a Free and Sovereign Nation, and, at the same time, it suggests that instructions were given to the Venezuelan authorities at that meeting. Although it is a very clumsy post from a political standpoint, it pursues a single goal: the division of the Chavista people.

[…]

Via https://libya360.wordpress.com/2026/02/25/what-is-the-truth-behind-the-narrative-of-betrayal-in-venezuela/

Iran warns Trump against decisions based on false information

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf addresses economic activists, chamber of commerce members, and local merchants on current economic issues and trade concerns in Tehran, February 25, 2026. (Photo by IRNA)

Press TV

Iran’s Parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has warned US President Donald Trump against making decisions based on false information, emphasizing that Iran has never sought, does not seek, and will never seek nuclear weapons.

Speaking at a meeting with economic activists in the Iranian Parliament on Wednesday, Qalibaf reacted to Trump’s latest remarks over Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities.

During his State of the Union address in congress, Trump once again claimed that he would not allow what he called the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism to obtain a nuclear weapon.

Qalibaf said, “In a previous interview I gave to CNN, I told the US president not to make incorrect analyses based on false information, and then make wrong decisions.”

He stated that Iran has “never sought, does not seek, and will never seek nuclear weapons,” adding that despite these assurances, the United States continues “to act with threats.”

He criticized US claims during the 12-day war, including reports that the city of Mashhad had fallen, and condemned foreign interference and misinformation by anti-Iranian elements and Israel which orchestrated attempted coups during the riots.

Qalibaf also noted that Trump directly intervened in the recent diturbances, citing his statement on the 12th day of the 12-day war promising US assistance.

He dismissed US and Israeli accounts of casualties reporting 32,000 deaths in latest foreign-backed riots, calling them false and misleading.

He said the real perpetrators were past terrorists responsible for over 17,000 targeted killings in Iran, including the deaths of high-ranking officials such as the president, prime minister, judiciary chief, parliament members, and military commanders.

The parliament speaker also referred to a recent statement by US special envoy to West Asia, Steve Witkoff, who said Trump is “curious” as to why Iran has not “capitulated” to US demands.

“The reason the Iranian people do not fear or submit,” Qalibaf said, “is because you do not understand them. Even during the 12-day war, while the fifth and sixth rounds of negotiations were underway, Trump attacked us from behind the negotiation table, along with Israel, and faced a humiliating defeat.”

Qalibaf emphasized that all options regarding the United States remain on the table, including both dignified diplomacy and a deterrent defense.

He added that if the diplomatic table respects Iranian dignity and mutual interests, Iran will engage, noting that the third round of negotiations is scheduled for tomorrow.

The remarks come as Iran and the US held a second round of indirect nuclear negotiations at the Omani consulate general in the Swiss city of Geneva on February 17.

As in the previous round in the Omani capital of Muscat, the agenda of the talks focused primarily on the nuclear issue and the lifting of illegal US sanctions.

The US maintains that Iran must cease its nuclear program, whereas Tehran asserts that it is not pursuing nuclear weapons and says it is entitled to peaceful nuclear energy.

Washington began its war rhetoric against Iran after recent economic protests in the country, which were hijacked by foreign spy agencies and turned violent.

Since then, the US president has kept threatening military action against Iran, deploying two carrier groups and dozens of fighter jets, bombers, and refueling aircraft to regional waters near Iran.

[…]

Via https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2026/02/25/764692/Qalibaf-warns-Trump-against-wrong-decisions,-reiterates-Iran-will-not-pursue-nukes

CIA‑founded NGO admits deploying Starlink satellites in Iran amid riots

This file photo shows president of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) Damon Wilson.

Press TV

The US-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED) deployed around 200 Starlink devices in Iran during recent riots, NED president Damon Wilson has revealed at a congressional hearing, before representatives cut him off, saying the topic shouldn’t be discussed.

Wilson said Tuesday NED “began supporting the deployment [and] operation of about 200 Starlinks early on” amid the riots, but Representative Lois Frankel interrupted him, saying, “You know what, I am going to interrupt you, we better not talk about it.”

Founded by the CIA, NED claims to support political and civil society initiatives abroad. Wilson also said the organization helped shape media coverage of Mahsa Amini’s death in Tehran in September 2022, which sparked foreign-backed riots in Iran.

Amini was an Iranian woman who died at the hospital days after she collapsed at a police station in Tehran in September 2022. Foreign-sponsored riots broke out in Iran following her death.

“NED partners helped cover that story, get it out to the world, and get it back into Iran,” he said.

He presented the organization also as a key force behind the recent riots in September when armed rioters went on rampage in several Iranian cities, killing police and civilians and torching mosques and other public and private property.

The NED president further detailed collaborations with NGOs and media networks, saying the organization had amplified stories blaming the Iranian government for mismanaging resources like water in Tehran.

The protests that erupted in early January 2026 were initially peaceful over economic grievances, including currency devaluation, but escalated into violent riots when foreign-backed actors intervened.

According to police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan, detainees confessed to receiving payments in dollars from abroad and carrying weapons and explosives to attack their targets.

Reports indicate that militants linked to Israel’s Mossad, as well as separatist groups based in northern Iraq, infiltrated the initially peaceful protests, targeting government buildings, police stations, marketplaces, and religious sites.

The riots caused the destruction of hundreds of mosques, government offices, and other public infrastructure.

Wilson also boasted of NED campaigns abroad, including efforts to influence Bolivia’s government to prevent Russian control over lithium and media training in Nicaragua aimed at undermining the administration.

NED, founded in 1982 under CIA oversight, has consistently interfered in sovereign nations under the guise of promoting democracy.

Co-founder Allen Weinstein admitted in 1991 that “a lot of what we do today was done covertly 25 years ago by the CIA.”

Wilson appeared proud of that legacy, describing NED’s recent programs in Iran as the organization’s “fastest-growing program” and one of its largest globally.

[…]

Via https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2026/02/25/764690/NED-Leader-interrupted-in-Congress-after-boasting-of-Starlink-deployment-in-Iran–Report

Iran condemns CIA Persian-language recruitment video, seizes Starlink equipment in diplomat’s luggage

Pedestrians walk past a billboard depicting a US aircraft carrier with damaged fighter jets on its deck and a sign in Farsi and English reading, “If you sow the wind, you’ll reap the whirlwind,” at Enqelab-e-Eslami (Islamic Revolution) Square in Tehran, Feb. 22, 2026. (Photo by AP)

Press TV

The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Netherlands says US “double standards” have been exposed after the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) published a Persian-language video instructing Iranians on how to make contact with the agency.

In a post on the social media platform X on Tuesday, the Iranian embassy in The Hague said, “They no longer even pretend. When the CIA releases a video in Persian and teaches Iranians how to contact it, this is no longer diplomacy; it is blatant interference. Imagine the outrage if the roles were reversed. Double standards have been exposed.”

On Tuesday, the CIA released a video in Persian explaining to Iranians how to establish secure virtual contact with the agency.

The CIA’s tips include using a virtual private network, or VPN, to circumvent internet restrictions and surveillance, and the use of a disposable device that can’t easily be traced back to the user. The CIA also urged potential informants to use private web browsers and to delete their internet history to cover their tracks.

In a similar western interference, authorities at Tehran’s airport discovered Starlink satellite equipment in the luggage of a European diplomat attempting to enter the country.

A Dutch diplomat left behind a suitcase at Imam Khomeini International Airport after refusing to submit it for security screening, citing diplomatic immunity.

Airport security informed the diplomat that diplomatic luggage is subject to a separate legal procedure, but he declined to comply. Iranian customs authorities then initiated formal procedures to inspect and seal the suspicious cargo.

The diplomat hurriedly departed Iran without following up on the status of the suitcase, invoking political immunity.

Days later, a second diplomat returned to pursue the matter, prompting an official inspection in the presence of customs and Foreign Ministry officials.

The search reportedly uncovered three Starlink modems and seven satellite phones concealed inside the luggage.

The equipment was confiscated, and the second diplomat was denied entry.

The Dutch Foreign Ministry has summoned Iran’s ambassador to the Netherlands in protest over the confiscation of the Dutch diplomat’s suitcase, according to media reports.

Iranian media identified the first diplomat as Andre Van Feichen, describing him as a security and defense expert, and added he had past links to the United States, including providing reports on Iran to US officials, according to documents published by WikiLeaks.

The report surfaced amid the United States increasing its threats against Iran. Threats by US President Donald Trump came after a wave of foreign-backed unrest in Iran in early January, which left thousands dead, including civilians and security personnel.

During the unrest, Iranian authorities said they seized dozens of Starlink devices from individuals leading anti-government activities.

At the time, multiple reports indicated that Iran deployed military-grade GPS jamming systems to disable Starlink connectivity, which had been introduced into the country as part of a US-supported effort to assist rioters during an internet shutdown.

[…]

Via https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2026/02/25/764679/Iran-condemns-CIA-Persian-language-video,-seizes-Starlink-equipment-in-diplomat%E2%80%99s-luggage

Massie: US Government Under Siege By Chemical Giant Bayer

US government is under siege by chemical giant — Massie

Pravda

Rep. Thomas Massie just went scorched earth on the executive branch, naming names and connecting dots between German Bayer, the White House, and the Supreme Court.

All three branches are “under siege by lobbyists and lawyers from a German company named Bayer. ”

Bayer spent over $9 million lobbying to avoid liability for Roundup herbicide damages.

“The Constitution guarantees people a trial if they’ve been harmed. Why are we contemplating going against the Constitution?”

The connections:

The AG Pam Bondi has “opined favorably for this German company in front of the Supreme Court” on liability.

The President’s Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, and Bondi both worked for a lobbying firm that received “millions of dollars from Bayer. ”

Furthermore, an executive order has declared the production of this Bayer chemical a “national defense priority. ”

“We know why they’re doing that. It’s to keep them from having any liability.”

[…]

Via https://news-pravda.com/world/2026/02/25/2095469.html

Elusive COVID Justice: Where Are the Prosecutions?

A year and change into the Golden Age — a deep, and thus far unquenched, thirst for justice among a huge portion of the MAGA base notwithstanding — the administration has prosecuted precisely zero COVID criminals.

What’s more, the Department of Justice, when Pam Bondi isn’t promising to prosecute Americans for “hate speech” or rolling out new schemes to cover up the Epstein, hasn’t scrounged up the time or energy to bother even investigating any of them.

No prosecutions, no investigations, no press releases.

Nothing but radio silence.

The guy running HHS, RFK Jr. wrote a big, beautiful book elaborately detailing the rampant criminality of Fauci and many, many of his co-conspirators.

And yet, nothing.

Rather, AG Pam Bondi seems far more interested in prosecuting phantom “hate speech” crimes and covering up for the Epstein class.

Were she inclined to do the job the base that put her in office would like her to do, however, she would have a plethora of legal implements at her disposal.

It is true that, for some federal crimes that these people likely committed — and we’re only discussing federal crimes, setting aside state-level statutes under which these people could be targeted — the statute of limitations has run its course and the window for prosecution has elapsed, being over six years out since the start of the pandemic and even longer from the pre-planning (the tabletop exercise Event 201 coincidentally timed in October 2019, just a few months before the lockdowns began, the illicit gain-of-function work on coronaviruses in offshore labs, etc.).

Criminal conspiracy — which these people provably engaged in — typically has a five-year statute of limitations.

The key provision, though, is that the clock on the five-year statute of limitations window for criminal conspiracy only commences once the conspiracy has concluded.

As the conspiracy — the shot mandates, the forced masking, the business closures etc. — arguably continued deep into 2023 and arguably even beyond, we’d still be well within the five-year window for prosecution.

Via Department of Justice (emphasis added):

Conspiracy is a continuing offense. For statutes such as 18 U.S.C. § 371, which require an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy, the statute of limitations begins to run on the date of the last overt act. See Fiswick v. United States, 329 U.S. 211 (1946); United States v. Butler, 792 F.2d 1528 (11th Cir. 1986). For conspiracy statutes which do not require proof of an overt act, such as RICO (18 U.S.C. § 1961) or 21 U.S.C. § 846, the government must allege and prove that the conspiracy continued into the limitations period. The crucial question in this regard is the scope of the conspiratorial agreement, and the conspiracy is deemed to continue until its purpose has been achieved or abandoned. See United States v. Northern Imp. Co., 814 F.2d 540 (8th Cir. 1987); United States v. Coia, 719 F.2d 1120 (11th Cir. 1983), cert. denied, 466 U.S. 973 (1984).

An individual’s “withdrawal” from a conspiracy starts the statute of limitations running as to that individual. “Withdrawal” from a conspiracy for this purpose means that the conspirator must take affirmative action by making a clean breast to the authorities or communicating his or her disassociation to the other conspirators. See United States v. Gonzalez, 797 F.2d 915 (10th Cir. 1986).”

So, who should the Department of Justice be investigating, assuming it was serious about pursuing justice?

A short but wildly incomplete list to start with:

Entire books can, and in some cases have, been written about each of these seedy characters, whose depravity stretches far further back in time than COVID; indeed, their lack of morals or decency was the qualifying features that catapulted them to the top of the Public Health™ apparatus in the first place.

None of these people, for the record, benefitted from the flurry of pardons issued by whoever was running the Biden autopen on his way out the door, with the exception of Anthony Fauci. And even Fauci’s pardon, if indeed if was signed via autopen as it appears to have been, is highly suspect.

All of which is to say: there is no excuse for the total lack of effort to punish these demons who perpetrated the greatest scam in world history and killed untold millions of people, and perhaps billions in the aggregate, in the process.

[…]

Via https://www.globalresearch.ca/covid-justice-where-prosecutions/5916653

ICE Whistleblower: “I received secretive orders for new cadets to violate the Constitution”

Telegram founder Durov investigated in terrorism-related probe

Telegram founder Durov investigated in terrorism-related probe – Kremlin

RT

Telegram and its founder, Pavel Durov, are being investigated over mass violations of Russian law and refusal to stop terrorism-related activities on the messaging platform, the Kremlin has said

Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed an earlier report in Rossiyskaya Gazeta, which broke the story.

”We are, of course, familiar with these reports. They are based on materials provided by the Federal Security Service (FSB), which is doing its job,” Peskov said.

The article claimed that “the illusion of anonymity has drawn armies of radicals, drug dealers, murderers, and terrorists to the messenger, creating threats to our society.”

It also stated that since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Telegram has become “the main tool of NATO special services and the ‘Kiev regime,’” which obtain information shared on the app and use it for military purposes.

The outlet claimed that high-profile attacks such as the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall, which killed 149 people and left 600 injured, as well as the murders of journalist Darya Dugina and General Igor Kirillov, were coordinated using Telegram. It also claimed that Durov’s team has ignored thousands of requests sent by Russian media watchdog Roskomnadzor demanding that the illegal content be removed.

“A large number of violations and the unwillingness of Telegram’s administration to cooperate with our authorities have been recorded,” Peskov said. “Our relevant authorities are taking the measures they deem appropriate.”

Durov confirmed that an investigation has been opened for “aiding terrorism,” accusing the authorities of fabricating “new pretexts” to restrict Russians’ access to Telegram and suppress the right to privacy and free speech.

Earlier this month, Roskomnadzor slowed down Telegram and said the measure would remain in place until the platform complies with the law.

Durov is also facing legal proceedings in France. The Russian-born tech mogul was arrested in Paris in 2024 over allegations that Telegram failed to deter criminal activity on the platform. Durov maintained that his arrest was politically motivated.

Telegram currently has over 1 billion active users worldwide, including more than 100 million in Russia.

[…]

Via https://www.rt.com/russia/632992-telegram-durov-investigation-terrorism/

Epstein-linked former Norwegian PM hospitalized after suicide attempt

Epstein-linked former Norwegian PM hospitalized after suicide attempt – media

RT

Former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland was hospitalized last week after a suicide attempt, days after being charged with gross corruption over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Norwegian outlet iNyheter has claimed.

Citing a “rock-solid source,” iNyheter wrote that Jagland’s condition is serious. The facility treating the 75-year-old statesman has not been disclosed.

Jagland is one of Norway’s most prominent political figures, having served as prime minister, parliament leader, foreign minister, and Secretary General of the Council of Europe. He also chaired the Norwegian Nobel Committee from 2009 to 2015.

Earlier this month, Jagland was charged with gross corruption following the release of the latest batch of Epstein files by the US Justice Department. Norway’s anti-corruption agency carried out extensive searches of Jagland’s properties in Oslo and Risor.

According to the agency’s letter to the Council of Europe seeking to lift his immunity, Jagland and his immediate family used Epstein’s private apartments in Paris and New York multiple times between 2011 and 2018, and stayed at his villa in Palm Beach, Florida. Jagland also allegedly asked Epstein for assistance with a bank loan.

If convicted, Jagland could face up to 10 years in prison. He has denied wrongdoing.

The scandal is part of the wider fallout from the Epstein document release, which has triggered probes and resignations across politics, business, and academia.

The files also mention several other high-profile Norwegians, including Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who appears extensively in documents detailing years of contact with the notorious sex offender. The revelations add to the scrutiny of Norway’s royal household amid the rape trial of her son, Marius Borg Hoiby.

In the UK, ex-Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested last week on suspicion of “misconduct in public office” over claims he shared confidential government information with Epstein while serving as trade envoy. He was later released and remains under investigation,also denying any wrongdoing. An anonymous tip in the files alleged that the former royal took part in torturing a six year old.

Former UK ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson was also arrested on similar charges, while three senior officials in Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government have resigned in the past ten days.
[…]

Alchemy and Chemistry in Early Baghdad

The legacy of Jabir ibn Hayyan. #DistillingHistory #HouseOfApplejay # ...

Episode 14 – Alchemy and Chemistry in Early Baghdad

Islamic Golden Age (2017)

By Eamon Gearon

Film Review

According to Gearon, the narrow definition of the term “alchemist” is someone who searches for the “philosopher’s stone” capable of converting base metals like lead, iron, copper etc into precious metals (silver, platinum and gold). A wider definition would include all the people conducting chemistry research before it became became a separate science in the 17th century.

Jabir Ibn Hayyan, also known as Geber, and Abu Bakr al-Razi (see Medieval Muslim Medicine and Hospitals), al-Kindi (see Baghdad House of Wisdom’s Lead Translators: Ibn Izhaq and Al-Kindi), and Ibn al-Haytham (see Cairo’s House of Wisdom and al-Haytham’s Book of Optics) fulfilled this wider definition of alchemist.

Born in the Persian city of Tuse, Ibn Hayyan worked for the Umayyad caliphate in Persia and Damascus before moving to Baghdad to work for Harun al Rashid. He was a philosopher, physician, engineer, pharmacist, astronomer and alchemist. He’s credited with 3,000 treatises, although some were were written by his students.

His book the Emerald Stone, translated into Latin in the 12th century, is a strange text about esoteric secrets of alchemy. It includes recipes for creating scorpions, snakes and human beings and led his second name to be linked with the English word gibberish.

Ibn Hayyan is remembered for transforming alchemy into an experimental science. He hypothesized the four elements Hippocrates identified (earth, air, fire and water) could be combined to form two types of metals spirits that became vapors when heated and solid metals like gold, silver, lead, iron and copper and non-maleable stones (which could be pounded into powder).

Ibn Hayyan first discovered sulfuric, nitric citric, acetic and tartaric acid, arsenic, antimony, sulfur and mercury. He also developed the modern process of distillation and crystallization and invented a type a type of paper that (when burned) could keep iron from rusting and glow-in-the-dark ink.

He also responsible for developing 20 pieces of lab equipment found in modern chemistry labs, including an alambic (a type of still) and a retort.

Alambic Arabe 3 Litres

alambic

Glass Retort Meaning at Harrison Fulton blog

retort

Born in 854 AD, the physician Abu Bakr al-Razi was also an important Islamic alchemist. Translated into Latin, his Book of Secrets, translated into Latin, became a standard medieval alchemy text.

His research mainly focused on trying to find the philosopher’s stone and effective medical treatments.

He classified minerals into six groups:

  • spirits (mercury, sulfur, arsenic)
  • bodies – gold, silver copper, iron, lead
  • stones – gypsum, asbestos, talcum, lapi lazuli
  • vitriols
  • borate
  • salt – rock salt, sea alt, common salt, table salt and urine

Al-Kindi (see Baghdad House of Wisdom’s Lead Translators: Ibn Izhaq and Al-Kindi), a third Islamic alchemist, was openly skeptical of man’s ability to convert base metals into gold. He was the first to distill alcohol to make perfume, wine and and an early form of brandy.

Working for the Fatamid caliphate in Cairo, Al-Haytham was a fourth Islamic alchemist who introduced the concept of a control or constant in experimental research. Robert of Chester translated his Book of the Composition of Alchemy into Latin in 1144. Much of Al Haytham’s work remains untranslated.

https://www.kanopy.com/en/pukeariki/watch/video/5756987/5757015