“A movie will be made out of this.” Top ex-German intel boss arrested

SAN FRANCISCO

Lee Heidhues 10.7.2026 UPDATED

The blogger has read many spy novels. Particularly those written by John Le Carre. Therefore it comes as a shock only in the sense that Life can be stranger than fiction.

Excerpted from Deutsche Welle 10.6.2026

Michaela Kufner, Chief Political Editor of Deutsche Welle was unsparing in her critical comments.

“A movie will be made out of this.”

“There’s never a good time to discover that your former chief of intelligence might have sold the country (Germany) out.”

“This is not only a loss of face. It’s a loss of credibility for the German foreign intelligence BND both externally, but also internally.”

“Huge damage done in real time.”

**A sampling of the John Le Carre novels in the blogger’s collection**

The former head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service, the BND, has been accused of spying for a foreign country. Never before has a German official of August Hanning’s stature been accused of treason.

The Federal Intelligence Service (German: Bundesnachrichtendienst, pronounced [ˌbʊndəsˈnaːχʁɪçtnˌdiːnst] ^ⓘ; BND) is the foreign intelligence agency of Germany, directly subordinate to the Chancellor’s Office.^[3] The BND headquarters is located in central Berlin. The BND has 300 locations in Germany and foreign countries. In 2016, it employed around 6,500 people; 10% of them are military personnel who are formally employed by the Office for Military Sciences. The BND is the largest agency of the German Intelligence Community. Federal Intelligence Service – Wikipedia

If the allegations are confirmed, it would be an espionage case of historic proportions for Germany: August Hanning, former head of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), has been arrested, with the federal prosecutor accusing him of espionage, treason and attempted treason.

**A coffee mug of the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin. Gift from the German foreign office http://www.diplo.de**

August Hanning, now 80, headed the BND from 1998 to 2005. But even before then, he had enjoyed a meteoric rise within the security apparatus. After leaving the BND, he served as state secretary in the Federal Interior Ministry, then moved into the private sector and worked as a security consultant.

According to the federal prosecutor’s office, his informant was his former chief-of-staff, named in the statement only as Manfred D.*, who went on to hold this position under Hanning’s successors from March 2012 to March 2026. D. thus had access to a great deal of classified information.

https://www.dw.com/en/germany-shaken-by-espionage-and-treason-allegations/a-79566578

Opening Theme to the 2014 film adaptation of the John Le Carre novel “A Most Wanted Man”.

Bang bang “Happiness is a warm gun” in Trump’s America 2026

SAN FRANCISCO

Lee Heidhues 10.5.2026

The blogger needs not write any introductory comments. Just open the attached New York Times article and read it.

Another tragic event in Ohio the result of a dispute involving the President. In May 1970 the President was Richard Nixon. In October 2026 the President is Donald Trump.

Mary Ann Vecchio gestures and screams as she kneels by the body of a student lying face down on the campus of Kent State University, Kent, Ohio on May 4, 1970. The day a Vietnam War protest ended with National Guard shootings that left four dead. (AP Photo/John Filo)

Excerpted from The New York Times 10.5.2026

What happened between two dog owners one April afternoon in Ohio will soon be scrutinized by a judge and jury as both men grapple with the consequences.

Before any criminal charges were filed, before any weapons were drawn, before anybody mentioned the president, a dog named Bob wanted to go to the park.

The events that unfolded over 20 minutes — pieced together from interviews, records and body camera footage — would be unusual, but hardly unthinkable in a country where political tensions so often combust. Two men, one Black and liberal, one white and conservative, would disagree about President Trump. Their disagreement would become an argument, then a screaming match and then, because both men had guns in their cars, a crime.

Bob’s owner, David Mattai, had the week off from his job as a forklift mechanic. Mr. Mattai, 55, first tried taking Bob on a hiking trail, but the spaniel refused to walk. So Mr. Mattai drove to his favorite dog park in Bainbridge Township, Ohio.

At a picnic table inside the park that April afternoon was Emmanuel Mathews, 80, and his corgi, Frankie.

Mr. Mathews was retired from a career as a meat distributor, and on the days when his back wasn’t causing him problems he was a regular at the park. He had brought a copy of The Wall Street Journal with headlines that included “Trump Grapples With Fears on War.”

**Bob’s owner, David Mattai, 55, had the week off from his job as a forklift mechanic.**

**Untitled photo – Lee Heidhues – 10.5.2026**

**At a picnic table inside the park that April afternoon was Emmanuel Mathews, 80, and his corgi, Frankie.**

Happiness is a Warm Gun – The Beatles “When I feel ,my finger on your trigger, I know no one can do me no harm.”

Vladimir Putin is incapable of doubting that he is right

SAN FRANCISCO

Lee Heidhues 10.4.2026

**A pregnant Ukrainian woman being carried away after a Russian drone assault**

Just when you think Donald Trump is the most powerful narcissist, think again. His buddy Vladimir Putin is worse because, unlike America, he has total unchallenged authority.

Something Trump can only wish for. That is why he cozies up to authoritarians like Xi Jinping and Vladimir Purin.

Excerpted from Foreign Affairs 9.24.2026

For now, the Kremlin believes that it has both the time and the means to continue fighting for as long as it takes (in Ukraine).

Vladimir Putin is incapable of doubting that he is right.

Vladimir Putin as KGB agent in Dresden, Germany – circa 1980’s

Along with the stage-managed Duma elections, the purging of any trace of antiwar rhetoric from the public sphere is intended to grant Putin a stronger mandate for whatever actions he sees fit to take. An unknown question is how far into the future Russians are prepared to grant this legitimacy.

So far, it has been up to citizens themselves to cope with the burning oil refineries, destroyed warehouses, empty gas stations, nonfunctioning Internet, and life-threatening risks from drone attacks. In addition to chronic inflation, the budget deficit has become a problem, and Russia’s GDP and industrial production are hovering just above zero. This is despite the fact that, until recently, arms production had formally kept these indicators at a moderately high level; now, even that is no longer helping.

**After a Russian drone attack in Ukraine – June 2026**

In the face of these challenges, people are bearing with the system for now. It is also worth noting that the same surveys that show Russians are less satisfied with the special military operation than they were before also show that greater numbers of them prefer intensifying strikes over making concessions to achieve peace.

More than half the respondents in an August Levada Center poll think it is likely that the special military operation will last another year, and the number of those who say they are certain of this has grown. Precisely because of their utter exhaustion with war, many see increased military activity as a way to bring peace closer.

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/guest-pass/redeem/x8c5CPE1H4U

An updated Version – BACK IN THE USSR

Progressives are so Reactionary. Rejecting a car free environment

SAN FRANCISCO

Lee Heidhues 10.3.2026

The blogger and longtime San Francisco Green Party member continues to be baffled.

One person in response to my bafflement wrote, “There’s definitely a generational (Green Party) divide within the “Progressive” camp with older ones that are still car-centric.”

I am definitely “older” and on the far side of that “generational (Green Party Divide).

I ask myself why do some so called “Progressive” organizations, advocacy groups and individuals oppose car free spaces in San Francisco?

The stale worn out excuse I hear is that people need their cars. It may be true elsewhere but not in San Francisco.

In the upcoming November 3rd election Proposition G, put on the ballot by a small group of entitled motorists would destroy Sunset Dunes Park. This is the third time in four years San Francisco voters are voting on this measure. In 2022 and 2024 voters said they want the oceanside park.

So, it comes as a surprise that the San Francisco Green Party and the “Progressive” Pissed Off Voter Guide are not taking a position on the measure.

I suppose it’s an improvement for the Green Party. In 2024 the Greens urged a NO vote on Proposition K which passed with nearly 55 percent and made the now named Sunset Dunes Park permanent.

**Richmond Review ‘Official Party Endorsements’ – October 2026**

**San Francisco November 2024 Voter Guide with its NO ON K recommendation. This measure approved by nearly 55 percent resulted in the creation of Sunset Dunes Park**

**Pissed Off Vote Guide has ‘No Position on Prop G. A NO vote will save Sunset Dunes Park which was approved by the Voters in November 2024 with a 54.73 percent majority**

What’s the problem with San Francisco so called Progressives?

Some ‘On the Road Again’ music from the Canned Heat old school 1969 album. Perhaps this is the world the senior generation is living

Only the Dead Have Seen the End of War – Plato

SAN FRANCISCO

Lee Heidhues 10.2.2026

Israeli military rejects allegations portrayed in ‘NAZA’

What else do you expect from the murderous Israeli military after it murdered over 70,000 Palestinians since October 7, 2023?

The truth hurts, eh.

Excerpted from Deutsche Welle 10.2.2026

When it premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in mid-September, “NAZA” received a 25-minute-long standing ovation and the Special Jury Prize. But in Israel, the documentary has fueled heated debate.

Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar described the work of filmmakers Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham “treason against the state” and urged that their citizenship be revoked. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also sharply criticized the documentary.

Israel’s culture minister wants to strip the makers of a documentary on Israel’s Gaza offensive of their citizenship. He accused the two of seeking “applause from antisemites around the world.”

**Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar described the work of filmmakers Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham “treason against the state”***No Other Land* (Arabic: لا أرض أخرى, romanized: *Lā arḍ ukhrá*) is a 2024 documentary film directed by Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, and Rachel Szor, in their directorial debut. A Palestinian-Israeli collective of activists, the four conceived and produced the film in what they describe as an act of resistance on the path to justice in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The film was recorded between 2019 and 2023 and shows the destruction of Masafer Yatta, a Palestinian community in the occupied West Bank, which had been resisting forced displacement after an Israeli “firing zone” was declared on their land.^[4][5]

Now the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has also rejected the film’s allegations about its conduct during the war in Gaza. In a multi-page document, the military accuses the filmmakers of presenting a “distorted, misleading and disingenuous picture.” The film, it says, is based on “substantial factual errors” resulting from “manipulative misrepresentations of reality.”

The 80-minute documentary examines the Israel Defense Forces’ operations during the war in Gaza. It is based on interviews conducted with 24 anonymous military and intelligence personnel, who describe internal procedures and decision-making processes involved in selecting targets in the Gaza Strip. According to the interviewees, high civilian casualty estimates were, in some cases, deliberately factored into these decisions.

The military accuses the filmmakers of omitting important facts. According to the IDF, the film fails to show the role of military legal advisors and commanders in reviewing and authorizing attacks or the measures it says it takes to protect civilians.

It also argues that the film does not adequately address the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which over 1,200 people were killed and 250 people were taken hostage.

https://www.dw.com/en/israel-naza-documentary-idf-response/a-79520483

**The aftermath of 2000 lb. dropped on Gaza by Israel. Supplied by the American taxpayers**

The Israel Defense Forces are totally intertwined with Donald Trump’s money making son-in-law Jared Kushner. A relationship which has had disastrous consequences for the people of Gaza

Top photo: Palestine graveyard – Only the Dead Have Seen the End of War – Plato

Capital punishment. Legal murder. Barbarism in Tennessee.

SAN FRANCISCO

Lee Heidhues 10.1.2026 UPDATED

Capital punishment is barbaric state sanctioned murder.

Edvard Munch (/mʊŋk/ *MUUNK*;^[1] Norwegian: [ˈɛ̀dvɑɖ ˈmʊŋk] ^ⓘ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter. His 1893 work *The Scream* has become one of the most iconic and acclaimed images in all of Western art. Edvard Munch – Wikipedia

To know there are people expectantly waiting outside the Tennessee prison where Christa Pike will be executed. Mistakenly thinking justice will have been served.

Christa Pike’s crime, committed when she was just 18 years old, will not bring back the dead.

A civilized nation does not commit state sanctioned executions.

Top etching: Edvard Munch.

Jack Smith. “I will not be intimidated?” Who’s the “dirt bag” now?

SAN FRANCISCO

Lee Heidhues 9.30.2026 UPDATED

**MAGA friendly New York Post – 9.**30.2026

**The morning after** The Hill – 9.30.2026

Did a clueless MAGA senator think he could humiliate veteran war crimes prosecutor Jack Smith by calling him a “dirt bag” after thoroughly embarrassing himself and the Republican party on national television?

Jack Smith is the man who brought Federal charges against Donald Trump only to have his work torn apart after Trump returned the White House in January 2025.

Now Trump’s toady MAGA allies in Congress have used their power to discredit Jack Smith. It’s not working. Jack Smith is familiar with criminals of all types,. Kosovo war criminals included.

John Luman Smith (born June 5, 1969) is an American attorney who has served in the United States Department of Justice as an assistant U.S. attorney, acting U.S. attorney, and head of the department’s Public Integrity Section. He was also the chief prosecutor at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, an international tribunal at The Hague tasked with investigating and prosecuting war crimes in the Kosovo War. He served as a special counsel for the Department of Justice from November 18, 2022, until his resignation on January 10, 2025. Jack Smith (lawyer) – Wikipedia

**Jack Smith at the Senate Judiciary Committee – 9.29.2026**

Excerpted from The Daily Beast 9.29.2026

MAGA Senator Eric Schmitt dramatically accused former special counsel Jack Smith of perjury and being a “dirtbag” on Tuesday—only to learn he got his reveal entirely wrong.

Smith appeared confused at first by the line of questioning, but it turned out that Schmitt completely mixed up the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks with the Hawkeyes from the University of Iowa.

Instead Schmitt was publicly humiliated, just as D.C. was gossiping that he could be a running mate for JD Vance in 2028.

The cringeworthy exchange came when the Missouri Republican started asking Smith about attending a basketball game in Atlanta in 2024.

He appeared to be trying to tie the former special counsel to the separate election interference case with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

MAGA Senator Humiliated Himself With Botched Gotcha Moment

Jack Smith calmly refutes absurd allegations from MAGA Senator Eric Schmitt

Why is San Francisco supporting Israel’s nuclear war machine?

SAN FRANCISCO|

Lee Heidhues 9.28.2026

The question I have is the following. “Why has San Francisco engaged in a Sister City for 10 years with the German port City of Kiel which is building lethal hardware for the Israeli navy?

Submarines which are believed to be nuclear armed though Israel never admits to possessing nuclear weapons.

Such an action does not fit international city San Francisco long known for its involvement in the peace movement and antiwar activities going back to the Vietnam War era?

At this Sunday’s German Day well attended celebration in Golden Gate Park the blogger had an instructive conversation with a representative from Kiel, Germany Kiel – Wikipedia A sister city of San Francisco.

I learned that the port City of Kiel in Northern Germany is a major supplier of weaponry to the Israeli navy. On September 1st six submarines left Kiel for the port of Haifa. With more scheduled for delivery.

**Sister Cities of San Francisco at Powell and Market Streets**. **Kiel is 5484 miles away.**

Excerpted from The Times of Israel 9.27.2026

Israel’s newest, largest submarine arrives, deepening Navy’s stealth capabilities

Twelve years and one scandal in the making, the INS Drakon completes its 23-day journey from Germany with a ToI reporter aboard, carrying secret tech and powered by a system that will allow it to stay underwater for longer

The Israeli Navy’s INS Drakon submarine sails in the Mediterranean Sea, early September 24, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)*Jane’s Defence Weekly* reported that the *Dolphin*-class submarines are believed to be nuclear armed, offering Israel a sea-based, second strike capability.^[18][19] In adherence to Missile Technology Control Regime rules^[48] the US Clinton administration rejected an Israeli request in 2000 to purchase Tomahawk long range SLCMs. The U.S. Navy has deployed nuclear armed and conventional Tomahawk missiles for its submarine fleet which are launched from standard heavy 533 mm torpedo tubes.^[52] The Federation of American Scientists and GlobalSecurity.org reported that the four larger torpedo tubes are capable of launching Israeli built nuclear-armed Popeye Turbo cruise missiles (a variant of the Popeye standoff missile), and the U.S. Navy recorded an Israeli submarine-launched cruise missile test in the Indian Ocean ranging 1,500 km (930 mi).^[10][14][53]

ABOARD INS DRAKON — Just a few nautical miles west of Haifa, the Israeli Navy’s sixth submarine was approaching Israel’s coast on Thursday morning after a 3,792-nautical-mile (around 8,000-kilometer) voyage over the past 23 days from Germany.

At dawn, reporters had boarded a small Defender-class patrol boat and headed out to greet the INS Drakon — or Dragon — on the final leg of her maiden journey to the Haifa Naval Base, where a ceremony was planned in the vessel’s honor.

Before we departed the naval base, the military took away all our electronic devices, from cellphones to key fobs, due to security concerns

Israel’s newest, largest submarine arrives, deepening Navy’s stealth capabilities | The Times of Israel

The Dolphin class (Hebrew: הצוללות מסדרת דולפין) is a diesel-electric submarine developed in Israel^[6] and constructed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) in Kiel, Germany, for the Israeli Navy‘s Shayetet 7 flotilla.^[7] The first three boats of the class were based on the export-only German 209-class submarines, but modified and enlarged. This Dolphin-I sub-class is slightly larger than the German Navy Type 212 in length and displacement. Dolphin-class submarine – Wikipedia

Top photo: Israeli Dolphin Class submarine at the Port of Kiel, Germany

Germany has deep roots in the heart of San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO – GOLDEN GATE PARK CONCOURSE

Lee Heidhues 9.27.2026

The blogger spent part of his Sunday renewing acquaintances and checking out the action at 2026 German Day in Golden Gate Park.

A large crowd enjoyed the food and entertainment as he made his way through the many booths of language schools, educational sites and the German Consulate in San Francisco.

**Marion Gerlind in line for the German Day opening parade**

A major presence at the event is the Gerlind Institute in Oakland Gerlind Institute for Cultural StudiesGerlind Institute for Cultural Studies whose director Marion Gerlind and her partner ‘JB’ offer a wide range of educational classes, cultural events and movies. It was due to the blogger’s wife Liz participation with the Institute that we accompanied the Gerlind Institute to Germany in 2017. After that we twice more traveled to Berlin and explored this historic European city.

**Liz, Marion and Lee in Berlin – 2017**

Sister Cities: Kiel and San Francisco

A most intriguing conversation for the blogger occurred when I spoke with a representative of San Francisco’s sister City Kiel. It turns out the shipyard in the port city of Kiel just built six submarines for the Israeli navy. These submarines sailed for the Israeli port of Haifa in early September. Three more are in line to be shipped. Israeli Navy’s Sixth Submarine, INS Drakon, Departs Germany for Israel | VINnews

**The blogger spoke with a consular representative and after spinning the Wheel of Fortune was awarded an artsy coffee mug**

**The crowd enjoyed the on stage dance routine and the Golden Gate Park Band attired for the occasion**

**The always popular Biergarten at any German festive event**

**Home, again with souvenirs from German Day 2026** **including a German language edition of Franz Kafka’s The Trial and a book containing 46 drawings by Edvard Munch – Lebensfries**

Top photo: Gerlind Institute booth at 2026 German Day

Trump’s war awash in exploding gas prices will bring him down

SAN FRANCISCO

Lee Heidhues 9.26.2026

The blogger has not owned a car for 60 years and never must visit the gas station except to occasionally use the restroom.

I am also well aware that I pay the price when I go shopping.

I am well aware of the logistics of transportation. I worked in this sector nearly 25 years negotiating contracts and being responsible for shipments foreign and domestic.

The current seemingly unending inflationary spiral is due in large part to the sharp rise in gas prices. Responsibility for this is undeniable. Donald Trump’s war of choice against Iran.

One of the groups hardest hit are his supporters. The farmers, ranchers and transportation companies mostly in Red State America, whose owners have been Trump’s biggest MAGA supporters. Until now.

**Trump’s war against in Iran seven months and counting awash in exploding gas prices will bring him down**

Excerpted from The Wall Street Journal 9.26.2026

It’s costing more and more to get stuff in the hands of American shoppers.

Trucking expenses are at their highest level since the Covid pandemic snarled operations around the world. Diesel prices are up 77% in the past year. Freight railroads are adding surcharges. And the nation’s busiest port is the busiest it’s ever been.

There’s virtually no way for businesses to avoid paying more, and they’re passing on the pain to consumers. It all adds up to extra inflationary pressure on a U.S. economy that has been wrestling with rising prices for years.

Among the key drivers is the soaring price of diesel fuel. It hit a record of $6.53 on Sept. 22, according to AAA.

Also contributing to the rise in trucking costs, companies say, is a shortage of truck drivers, a byproduct of the Trump administration’s tightened enforcement of rules on who can qualify for a commercial driver’s license. Tens of thousands of immigrants—often the ones most willing to handle the less popular long-haul trucking routes—have lost their certifications.

https://www.wsj.com/business/inflation-costs-diesel-port-trucks-1062d089?st=X6fkCE&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

**Diesel fuel $8.59 gallon in San Francisco – 9.21.2026 – photo Lee Heidhues**

Transport costs are rising because diesel prices have hit record highs (up to $6.40 per gallon in 2026), truckload spot rates have surged to $3.83 per mile, and capacity shortages, labor constraints, and insurance spikes are pushing all freight modes upward.

What’s Driving the Increases

1. Fuel Prices Are at Historic Highs

Diesel averaged $6.40 per gallon in the U.S. in 2026 — a 70% increase year‑over‑year. americanactionforum.org
Geopolitical tensions (e.g., Strait of Hormuz crisis) pushed diesel to $5.50 per gallon earlier in the year. keynnectlogistics.com
Fuel is 15–20% of trucking operating costs, so spikes immediately raise freight rates.

**San Francisco Chronicle – 9.19.2026** **(article attached)**

https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/gas-diesel-price-farm-california-22435710.php?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=copy-url-link&utm_campaign=article-share&hash=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2ZjaHJvbmljbGUuY29tL2NhbGlmb3JuaWEvYXJ0aWNsZS9nYXMtZGllc2VsLXByaWNlLWZhcm0tY2FsaWZvcm5pYS0yMjQzNTcxMC5waHA%3D&time=MTc5MDQ2OTA0NjEyNQ%3D%3D&rid=OTJhM2RhZWItNDMzYy00ZjMxLTgyMTQtZTU2ZjE2NDIzNDRl&sharecount=Mw%3D%3D

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Israel’s newest, largest submarine arrives, deepening Navy’s stealth capabilities

Twelve years and one scandal in the making, the INS Drakon completes its 23-day journey from Germany with a ToI reporter aboard, carrying secret tech and powered by a system that will allow it to stay underwater for longer

Share this: reblog

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Transport costs are rising because diesel prices have hit record highs (up to $6.40 per gallon in 2026), truckload spot rates have surged to $3.83 per mile, and capacity shortages, labor constraints, and insurance spikes are pushing all freight modes upward.

What’s Driving the Increases

1. Fuel Prices Are at Historic Highs

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