Puppet MastersS


Rocket

India scraps Israel anti-tank missile deal after domestic developer promises alternative

Amitav Ranjan
The India Express
Mon, 24 Jun 2019 16:40 UTC
anti-tank guided missile
© ReutersOfficials said domestic production of the missile was favoured as DRDO’s effort in creating a man-portable anti-tank guided missile (MPATGM) was “progressing fast” with the second stage of testing concluded.
India has scrapped a $500-million deal with Israel for the purchase of Spike anti-tank missiles from defense contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Systems after indigenous developer Defense Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) claimed that it could deliver an alternative within two years.

Government officials associated with the approval of the deal said Israel has been informed about the contract being abandoned in favor of DRDO, which claimed that it was developing a similar missile at a lower price in partnership with VEM Technologies Ltd.

Officials said domestic production of the missile was favoured as DRDO's effort in creating a man-portable anti-tank guided missile (MPATGM) was "progressing fast" with the second stage of testing concluded. The DRDO claimed it successfully test-fired the MPATGM at the Ahmednagar range last September.
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Rocket

Russian industry minister: Development of Russia's advanced S-500 SAM enters 'final phase'


RT
Tue, 25 Jun 2019 16:33 UTC
Test-launch
© Russian Defense MinistryTest-launch of a long-range interceptor missile, which may be meant for the S-500 Prometey.
The S-500 Prometey, Russia's next-generation surface-to-air long-range missile system, has completed most of its trials and is ready to go into series production, according to the Russian industry and trade minister.

The development of the system is in its "final phase" after each element of the system was tested individually, Denis Manturov told Interfax in an interview. The current work is focused on checking the S-500's performance as an integrated system.

"All main specifications of the air defense system have been confirmed during the tests and it is now ready for series production," he said, adding that the hardware will be delivered to the Defense Ministry on schedule.
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USA

Mexico deploys troops to US border to help stem the tide of illegal immigrants

Samuel Chamberlain
Fox News
Tue, 25 Jun 2019 16:22 UTC
illegal immigrants
The Mexican government has dispatched approximately 15,000 troops and National Guard officers to the U.S. border in a bid to check the flow of migration from Central America, the country's defense chief told reporters Monday.

Mexico promised earlier this month to send 6,500 National Guard agents to its southern border, but Monday's announcement was the first public acknowledgment of deployments to the U.S. border.

At a news conference in the Caribbean city of Cancun, Defense Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval said Mexican forces were detaining migrants to prevent them from crossing the U.S. border. Mexican security forces previously have detained migrants traveling within Mexico but had not stopped them from crossing into the United States.

6,000 Mexican troops have been deployed to choke points on the border with Guatemala to thin out the number of migrants trying to reach the U.S.; William La Jeunesse reports from the scene.

"Given that migration is not a crime but rather an administrative violation, we simply detain them and turn them over to the [Mexican immigration] authorities," said Sandoval, as the AFP news agency reported.
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Marijuana

US House approves broad form of marijuana federalism

Jacob Sullum
Reason
Mon, 24 Jun 2019 16:16 UTC
marijuana plant
© CCO
Last Thursday the House of Representatives resoundingly approved a spending rider that would bar the Justice Department from interfering with the implementation of state laws allowing the production, distribution, and consumption of marijuana for medical or recreational use. The amendment, a broader version of a rider that has protected state medical marijuana programs since 2014, was supported by 62 percent of the legislators who voted, including 41 Republicans as well as 226 Democrats.

"This is without a doubt the biggest victory for federal cannabis policy reform to date, and a hopeful sign that the harmful policies of marijuana prohibition will soon be a relic of the past," Aaron Smith, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association, said in a press release. "Interfering with successful, regulated cannabis programs is a tremendous waste of resources, and only serves to push the market back into the hands of criminals. The amendment approved today reflects a growing realization of these facts by lawmakers."
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Attention

Best of the Web: American Pravda: NY Times admits it sends stories to US government for approval before publication

Ben Norton
The Grayzone
Tue, 25 Jun 2019 14:13 UTC
New York Times, subway
© Getty Images North America / Ramin Talaie
The New York Times casually acknowledged that it sends major scoops to the US government before publication, to make sure "national security officials" have "no concerns."

The New York Times has publicly acknowledged that it sends some of its stories to the US government for approval from "national security officials" before publication.

This confirms what veteran New York Times correspondents like James Risen have said: The American newspaper of record regularly collaborates with the US government, suppressing reporting that top officials don't want made public.

Comment: Nice that the NYT decided to come clean about its relationship to the intelligence community. But the proof was there all along.

As the quote attributed to George Orwell goes:
"Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed; everything else is public relations."
or propaganda . . . .

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Handcuffs

Suspected terrorist 'who denies' plotting US embassy attack arrested in Belgium


RT
Mon, 24 Jun 2019 00:00 UTC
Brussels Police
© Reuters / Yves Herman
A man has been arrested in Brussels on suspicion of planning an attack on the US embassy, Belgian prosecutors said in a statement.

Little is known about the suspect, who was identified only by his initials M.G. He was arrested on Saturday and charged on Monday with "an attempted attack in a terrorist context and preparing a terrorist offense."
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Red Flag

Royal Marines investigated as UK top brass fear video of 'Nazi initiation' could leak


RT
Mon, 24 Jun 2019 00:00 UTC
British Royal Navy sailors
© Reuters / Toru HanaiBritish Royal Navy sailors stand in front of HMS Albion
An investigation is underway after a group of Royal Marines allegedly filmed themselves drawing a swastika on one of their fellow servicemen, causing military top brass to fear that the embarrassing footage could be leaked online.

The Nazi "initiation" ceremony was filmed aboard a Royal Navy vessel during multi-national training exercises intended to "strike fear" into Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Mail on Sunday reported.

The troops involved were part of the Future Commando Force (FCF) and have reportedly since been warned that they might be prevented from taking part in similar future missions thanks to the humiliating incident

Comment: Three Royal Marines jailed over 'depraved' waterboarding, vomit & urine initiation ceremony

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Info

Top takeaways from Hope Hicks' slick Congressional testimony

Margot Cleveland
The Federalist
Tue, 25 Jun 2019 10:47 UTC
Hope Hicks
© Pablo Martinez Monsivais/APFormer White House communications director Hope Hicks leaving a closed-door interview with the House Judiciary Committee for a lunch break, at the Capitol in Washington, June 19, 2019.
On Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee released the transcript from its day-long interview of former Trump communications director Hope Hicks. The day-long hearing covered a lot of ground, with congressmen quizzing Hicks on all aspects of the Trump campaign and transition period.

The breadth of the topics covered might seem surprising given her title, but Hicks's responsibilities involved her in all aspects of Trump's campaign since the political novice launched his exploratory committee in 2015. From Hicks's performance under fire last week, it is understandable that Trump placed such trust in the 30-year-old.

Here are the top eight takeaways from the hearing transcript.
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Eye 1

With the 'taboo' lifted on the Israel lobby, it's time to register AIPAC as a foreign agent

Nasim Ahmed
Middle East Monitor
Tue, 25 Jun 2019 18:03 UTC
whitehouse palestine protest
© ( Samuel Corum - Anadolu Agency )Protesters gather in support of Palestine outside the White House during the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference in Washington, US on March 26, 2017.
Since US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar stirred controversy with tweets about the power of the US' Israel lobby, a flood of articles has followed exposing not only the hypocrisy of those attacking her, but lending support to claims made by the Minnesota representative about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

"There Is a Taboo Against Criticizing AIPAC - and Ilhan Omar Just Destroyed It," wrote UK journalist Mehdi Hasan in an article for the Intercept. The Al Jazeera journalist listed several famous instances in which AIPAC had exercised power and influence over US politics, including its bragging about cutting a $3 billion deal to secure aid for Israel and defeating political candidates that fall out of favour with the Israel lobby in re-election bids.

Comment: See also:

Also check out SOTT radio's: NewsReal #29: What Israeli Lobby? Anti-Semitism Hysteria Hits US, UK, France

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Snakes in Suits

'Not permanent': Sanctions on Russia can be lifted 'at any time' - French PM


RT
Mon, 24 Jun 2019 18:19 UTC
Edouard Philippe Medvedev
© RIA NovostiFrench PM Edouard Philippe (left) and Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev, June 24, 2019
Even as both the EU and Russia renewed sanctions against each other, the French prime minister argued the measures are not permanent and could be removed swiftly, in a possible signal to Washington.

"We know that sanctions are not a permanent regime, but a state that can be canceled at any time," PM Eduard Philippe said on Monday after meeting his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in Le Havre.

The meeting was taking place shortly after Moscow extended its counter-embargo against the EU by another six months, in response to last week's decision by the EU to keep its anti-Russia sanctions in place.

Comment: Were EU leaders acting in the best interests of their countries then they would drop Russian sanctions immediately, sadly for their citizens their 'special relationship' as lackey's of US foreign policy means it's more important to them to appease their real masters - for now, anyway: Also check out SOTT radio's: The Truth Perspective: Bill Browder, the Magnitsky Act, and anti-Russia Sanctions: Interview with Alex Krainer



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