Puppet MastersS


Target

EU parliamentarian calls to sanction Vanessa Beeley and all observers of Donbass referendums

Loiseau/Beeley
© UnknownFrench MEP Nathalie Loiseau • Journalist Vanessa Beeley
MEP Nathalie Loiseau of France is lobbying for individual sanctions on all observers of the Russian-organized referendums in the Donbass region. She has singled out journalist Vanessa Beeley not only for her coverage of the vote, but for her reporting on the foreign-back war against Syria's government.

A French Member of European Parliament (MEP), Natalie Loiseau, has delivered a letter to EU High Representative of Foreign Affairs, Joseph Borrell, demanding the European Union place personal sanctions on all international observers of the recent votes in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics and certain Russian-controlled territories in eastern Ukraine.

Obtained by The Grayzone from an EU source, the letter is currently being circulated among European parliamentarians in hopes of securing a docket of supportive signatures.
"We, as elected members of the European Parliament, demand that all those who voluntarily assisted in any way the organization of these illegitimate referendums be individually targeted and sanctioned."

Comment: Apparently megalomania is alive and well in the European Parliament.


Clipboard

Putin outlines goals of 'geopolitical adversaries'

Putin
© Sputnik/Gavrill GrigorocRussian President Vladimir Putin chairs meeting with members of the Security Council
Russia's adversaries in the West are willing to create crises and unleash violence anywhere in the post-Soviet world, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on Thursday.

Addressing a meeting with the heads of intelligence for the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Putin said Russia's "geopolitical adversaries" are prepared to turn any country "into a ground zero of a crisis," and to unleash "bloody massacres," Putin said by videolink.
"We also know that the West is devising scenarios for inciting new conflicts in the CIS. But we already have enough of them."
He pointed to the current military confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, as well as "what is happening on the borders of other CIS countries," an apparent reference to recent border clashes between Armenia and neighboring Azerbaijan, as well as between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Dollar

US Senate approves $12 Billion in new aid for Ukraine amid war

walkers
© UnknownA walk in the ruins
The US Senate approved $12 billion in new economic and military aid for Ukraine Thursday as part of a stopgap extension of the federal budget into December.

The measure, agreed by senators of both parties, includes $3 billion for arms, supplies and salaries for Ukraine's military, and authorizes President Joe Biden to direct the US Defense Department to take $3.7 billion worth of its own weapons and materiel to provide Ukraine.

It also provides $4.5 billion for Kyiv to keep the country's finances stable and keep the government running, providing services to the Ukrainian people.

It comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to declare the annexation of parts of Ukraine occupied by Russian troops on Friday.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced:
"Seven months since the conflict began, it's crystal clear that American assistance has gone a long way to helping the Ukrainian people resist Putin's evil, vicious aggression. But the fight is far from over, and we must, we must, continue helping the brave, valiant Ukrainian people."

Comment: Death dollars: Biden spreads the wealth.


Star of David

IDF to use armed drones for targeted killings in West Bank

drone
© IDF Spokesperson's UnitIDF Drone
IDF commanders in the West Bank have been given the green light to use armed drones to carry out targeted killings of Palestinian terrorists, with the approval of Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi.

According to sources, commanders will now be allowed to use the platforms not only as cover and intelligence for forces during operations but also to carry out strikes should armed gunmen be identified as posing imminent threats to their troops.

The order comes as Israeli security forces have encountered a significant rise in shooting attacks and massive gunfire during arrest raids, specifically in the northern West Bank cities of Jenin and Nablus.

On Wednesday, four Palestinians were killed and 44 others injured during an arrest raid that saw heavy gunfire targeting troops who had entered Jenin's refugee camp to arrest Abd al-Rahman Hazem, brother of the terrorist who killed three civilians on Tel Aviv's Dizengoff Street in April.

Kohavi later met with Central Command chief Maj.-Gen. Yehuda Fuchs and West Bank Division Commander Brig.-Gen. Avi Blot, and was presented with an updated assessment of the region. During the meeting, the use of the aerial platforms was discussed by the senior officers.

Stock Up

GOP Rep. Chip Roy blasts Democrats for handling of stock trading bill

Pelosi
© ScreengrabHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy is ripping Democrats for claiming publicly that they support a bill aimed at preventing lawmakers from insider trading.

In a letter sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Texas Republican slammed Democrats for not moving with any urgency to at least hold a vote on the STOCK Act.

Roy noted that he had worked with Democrat Rep. Abigail Spanberger on the bill that would prevent lawmakers and members of their families from trading individual stocks. He wrote:
"As you are aware, the House floor schedule this week contains the 'Possible Consideration of Legislation Related to the STOCK Act.' I am glad to see the House finally taking up the idea of reforming policies related to Member stock trading. However, as one of the original sponsors of reform language — notably introducing HR336, the TRUST in Congress Act, some 2 years ago with my Democrat colleague from Virginia, Abigail Spanberger — I was interested to see the 'final' language via Jake Sherman's Twitter account last night.

"The state of the House of Representatives is absurd — and that is not a partisan statement. Like virtually every other legislative idea or proposal, we have not had any robust debate on reforms to member stock trading or even a 'Member Day' hearing that would allow each member of the House to air individual views on the matter. This complex issue requires thought, debate, amendment, and a full airing in committee to build as much bipartisan agreement as possible rather than the normal cram-down from the top that permeates literally everything we do."
Roy said members' investments and their committee work have sparked strong bipartisan concerns about conflicts of interest. Pelosi's team dismissed Roy's concerns and accused him of politicizing the issue.

Comment: The Pelosis' stock scam? "Russia made them do it."


Whistle

Memory holed, part II: The "rigged" election

envelope
© Washington Post
Both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton raised doubts about elections in the same way, before and after votes.

Matt Orfalea's follow-up video his "The Russians Hacked the Election" piece rescues for posterity another key piece of history likely to be suppressed: the fact that both Democrats and Republicans raised doubts about the legitimacy of the election process. This took place not only after 2016, but both before and after the 2020 vote.

These campaigns were two sides of the same coin. Trump raised doubts about the reliability of mail-in votes, and admonished supporters ahead of time that a Trump loss should be understood as a fix. Meanwhile, Democrats and media figures — as well as a seemingly endless succession of named and unnamed intelligence sources — argued Russians were bent on corrupting the vote. Hillary Clinton went so far as to say Joe Biden shouldn't concede "under any circumstances."


Comment: May as well have two random citizens draw straws for an election outcome. At least then we could watch it happen.


Magnify

Best of the Web: Unpacking the Ukraine 'Game Change': Is a major conflict inevitable?

Russia referendum
© REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko/Strategic CultureAny political solution – however theoretical, at this point – would involve Moscow sitting with the collective West. Kiev had become a bystander.
Russia is preparing for an escalation in this war. She is augmenting her forces to the minimum level that could deal with a major NATO offensive. This decision was not precipitated by a significant attrition in the existing force. The facts are clear: The militias of Donetsk and Luhansk represent the majority of the Russian allied forces fighting in the Donbas. The militias have been reinforced by contract soldiers from the Wagner Group and Chechen fighters however, rather than by regular Russian forces.

But this is about to change. The number of Russian regulars fighting in Ukraine will rise dramatically. However, the referenda in the Ukrainian oblasts come first; and those will be followed by the Government of Russia and the Duma accepting the results and approving the annexation of these territories. After that is concluded and the territories assimilated into Russia, any attack on the new Russian territories would be treated as an act of war against Russia. As former Indian diplomat, MK Bhadrakumar, notes, "The accession of Donbass, Kherson and Zaporozhye creates a new political reality and Russia's partial mobilisation on parallel track is intended to provide the military underpinning for it".

Black Magic

Germany to spend €200 billion in attempt to stabilize soaring energy costs

Habeck Scholz
© AP Photo/Markus SchreiberGerman Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck (L), Chancellor Olaf Scholz (C) and Finance Minister Christian Lindner (R) brief the media.
Germany's government says it will spend up to €200 billion to help consumers and businesses cope with rising energy prices.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on Thursday that the government is reactivating an economic stabilising fund and "will do everything it can" to bring prices down.


Comment: Without Russia's critical supplies, there's not much it can do. Well, unless they plan on going all Weimar and literally burning money to stay warm.


Prices for natural gas -- used to heat homes, generate electricity, and power factories -- have surged across Europe amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.


Comment: Russia's special operation in Ukraine didn't stop energy supplies, the West sanctioned itself out of the market.


Germany previously used the so-called "defensive shield" to support the country during the global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund will cap the price German customers pay for gas and relieve them from inflation.

Comment: The taxpayer is being saddled with debt it will never be able to be repay all because its officials have chosen to submit to the US in its proxy-war on Russia; the same US which rightly stands accused of literally blowing up Germany's best chance for making it through the burgeoning crisis:

Although, it seems that Britain will be indebting its citizens the most:






Quenelle

Hungary's Orbán announces referendum on Russia sanctions, 'were not decided democratically but by bureaucrats & elites'

Orban
© DPAFILE PHOTO: Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks at a press conference in Budapest.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has announced a referendum on the sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU due to the war in Ukraine.

"The sanctions were not decided democratically, but were decided by Brussels bureaucrats and European elites," he said on Monday. "Although Europe's citizens are paying the price, they were not asked," he added.

Orbán has been raging for months against the sanctions imposed on Russia, even though Hungary has always voted in favour of the sanctions packages at the Council of the European Union, which has to take these decisions unanimously.

The country, however, was able to negotiate an exemption from the Russian oil embargo.

Comment: If the parties policies are 'confirmed' then it's probably because they, in large part, reflect the will of the people. It's notable that Hungary is one of the few countries to have these kinds of consultations and referenda over significant issues, because elsewhere in Europe politicians daren't, and, if they do, as has been the case with independence or EU membership, they either ignore the results or force citizens to re-vote until they 'get it right'.

Making this an issue of a democratic vote is a smart move by Hungary, because the West is apparently so besotted with its facade of democracy that proof such as this makes it a little harder for the establishment to smear. All the same, its propaganda arms will simply go into overdrive, as they already have done in Brussels calling Hungary an 'autocracy', or 'not a full democracy'.


MIB

German spies secretly helping Ukraine - media

The headquarters of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (Bundesnachrichtendienst, BND) in Berlin, November 06, 2019.
© Sean Gallup/Getty ImagesFILE PHOTO: The headquarters of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (Bundesnachrichtendienst, BND) in Berlin, November 06, 2019.
The BND also reportedly backed the illegal 2003 US invasion of Iraq, despite Berlin's official line.

German foreign intelligence service BND has been forwarding satellite imagery, radio and phone intercept data to Kiev for months, helping the Ukrainian war effort while Berlin has officially maintained it wasn't party to the conflict, Zeit magazine revealed on Wednesday.

The information "can be incorporated into war planning and help the Ukrainian army to assess the combat effectiveness and morale of Russian units or to check their positions," Zeit wrote, describing it as the German contribution to the "turning point" on the battlefield.

Zeit also revealed that German spies fed the US some intelligence from Baghdad during the 2003 Iraq invasion. Berlin had officially declined to share information with Washington during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, reportedly to BND's frustration. This time around, however, the spies unanimously decided that the "exceptional historical situation" warranted helping the Ukrainians.

Comment: See also: