Puppet MastersS


Bell

Bribery, fraud, breach of trust: Benjamin Netanyahu trial kicks off in Jerusalem amidst protests for and against him


Sputnik
Sun, 24 May 2020 05:20 UTC
Netanyahu
© REUTERS / Adina Valman/Knesset Spokesperson's Office/Handout
Israel's prime minister is set to arrive at the Jerusalem District Court later today amid tightened security and mass demonstrations in favour of and against the PM, who is accused of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in a series of graft probes that include buying positive news coverage and receiving illegal gifts from a rich donor.

East Jerusalem will see heavy traffic and tightened security later today as the city prepares for the opening of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trial, who will now become not only the country's longest serving but also the first sitting PM to go before a tribunal.

Citing an unwillingness to breach regulations imposed by Israel's Ministry of Health banning crowds in enclosed spaces, Netanyahu tried to skip his first hearing but the High Court decided his presence was "necessary", ruling that only a few people would be let inside the courtroom.

The trial, previously scheduled for mid-March, was postponed due to the outbreak of the coronavirus and is set to kick off at 13:00 GMT. Netanyahu is expected to arrive at the court accompanied by a retinue of bodyguards and security personnel as well as several of his loyalists, members of his party Likud.

Comment: Quite unsurprisingly Netanyahu is loudly proclaiming his innocence:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lambasted the charges levelled against him as an "attempt to depose a strong right-wing leader" and topple him "in any way possible", while making a statement in court. He said his opponents were hoping to use this trial as a means to remove "right-wing [political parties]" from the Israeli political landscape for "many years" to come.

Netanyahu also said that he will be "standing tall, head high" throughout the corruption trial. The prime minister went on to accuse the prosecutors of trying to "tailor" a criminal case against him using "contaminated" and exaggerated evidence.

"These investigations were tainted and stitched-up from the first moment", Netanyahu commented on the case against him.

The prime minister previously blasted the cases against him as an "attempted coup" following Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit's announcement that he would indict Netanyahu on three criminal cases known as case 1000, case 2000, and case 4000.
Israelis are sharpy divided for and against Bibi:
The rival protests hit the streets on Sunday as Netanyahu appeared before the Jerusalem district court for its first hearing. [...]

Those venting anger at Netanyahu - the first sitting Israeli PM to stand trial in court - unfurled a banner that read "Crime Minister" in a reference to allegations that he engaged in fraud and accepted bribes from wealthy friends.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu's supporters chanted slogans against what they said was an unfair trial against their leader. This group later took to the courthouse and booed Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who filed the indictments against Netanyahu.

Police have sealed off several streets around the court and the PM's house on Balfour Street, but both demonstrations have so far been peaceful.



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Eagle

'Don't complain, toe the line': US envoy snaps at Germany for criticizing Open Skies Treaty pullout


RT
Sun, 24 May 2020 16:47 UTC
Grenell
© Global Look Press / Imago-images.deUS Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell
Berlin should pile pressure on Moscow instead of criticizing America's withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty, a US envoy told the German foreign minister, as the two NATO allies clashed over Washington's move to ditch the accord.

The US announced its intention to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty (OST) earlier this week, unnerving its NATO allies in Europe.

Among those calling for the preservation of the 2002 multilateral deal, which allows for surveillance flights over the territories of its signatories, was German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.

Germany's top diplomat sounded the alarm that the looming US withdrawal would "significantly reduce" the scope of the treaty, adding that Berlin would "work intensively" with "like-minded partners" to talk the US out of leaving the treaty in the following six months.

The rhetoric from the European powerhouse did not sit well with the US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, who has courted controversy in the past over his repeated attempts to lecture Berlin on a range of domestic issues, from its military spending to the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

"Instead of complaining about the US reaction, Heiko Maas should have ramped up pressure on Russia in recent years so that it meets its obligations [under the Open Skies Treaty]," Grenell said in an interview with Rheinische Post on Saturday.

Comment: See also:

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Light Saber

First Iranian oil tanker reaches Venezuela despite US threats


Deutsche Welle
Sun, 24 May 2020 16:25 UTC
Iran Zarif Venezuela Maduro
© Reuters / Miraflores PalaceVenezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif shake hands during their meeting in Caracas, Venezuela July 20, 2019.
The vessel has arrived in Venezuelan waters, carrying 1.53 million barrels of gasoline, to help alleviate fuel shortages in the former oil-exporting nation. Tehran had warned of "consequences" if the US stopped the ship.

The first of five Iranian oil tankers reached Venezuelan waters late on Saturday to temporarily ease the South American nation's fuel crunch, despite a warning from the US.

The oil tanker Fortune entered Venezuela's exclusive economic zone at around 7.40 pm local time on Saturday (Sunday 0140 UTC), without facing any immediate signs of obstruction from the US. Government officials celebrated the arrival as the tanker sailed through the Caribbean waters towards the Venezuelan coast.

Comment: Also, RT reports:
Hashtag #GraciasIran [Thank you, Iran] has been launched on Twitter to mark the occasion, with netizens hailing the cooperation between Tehran and Caracas in defiance of the de facto naval blockade by the US.


Fortune is followed by the other four Iranian tankers - the Clavel, the Forest, the Faxon and the Petunia - all en route to Venezuela's shores. The vessels are expected to deliver a total of about 1.5 million barrels of oil to Caracas. Despite boasting the world's largest proven oil reserves, the country has been struggling to cover its domestic supply needs, with its energy industry ravaged by crippling US sanctions.

Shortly before the passage, Iran issued a stern warning to the US, noting that although Tehran is not interested in another flare-up, it would not hesitate to respond to any provocation.

"We hope the Americans will not make a mistake," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said.

While the Trump administration has largely refrained from commenting on the impending delivery, which would be in violation of US sanctions on both Venezuela and Iran, Reuters quoted a senior White House official as saying last week that Washington was considering steps it could take in response to the fuel transfer.

Venezuela, for its part, claimed that the tankers were facing "the threat of imminent use of military force" from the US, vowing to accompany the Iranian vessels with military aircraft and ships to protect them from any potential assault.
The Fortune had a rough ride into the Venezuelan port:




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Attention

Beijing says US is pushing China to 'brink of a new Cold War'


DW
Sun, 24 May 2020 00:00 UTC
Chinese State Councillor Wang Yi
Chinese State Councillor Wang Yi
The spat over the COVID-19 outbreak has heightened longstanding tension between Washington and Beijing. China's foreign minister says the Trump administration has fabricated too many lies about the Asian powerhouse.

Chinese State Councillor Wang Yi said on Sunday that China and the US would benefit more from cooperation and a peaceful co-existence than hostility and confrontation.

At his annual news conference, the Chinese foreign minister urged the US to stop wasting time and start coordination on macro policies for their respective economies as well as the global economy. Wang said that China was prepared to work together with the US in the spirit of mutual respect and interconnectedness.

However, the diplomat also made several jabs at Washington, telling reporters that Trump's administration is tarnishing relations with Beijing with what it calls a smear campaign.

Comment: Washington's neocons (and Trump's worst instincts) have propelled the anti-China rhetoric to new heights in recent weeks: And the new anti-China industry as exemplified by Nikki Haley: She's back: Pathological Nikki Haley's anti-China rage

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Control Panel

Chairman Kim Jong Un presides over enlarged meeting of WPK Central Military Commission


The Pyongyang Times
Sat, 23 May 2020 00:00 UTC
Kim Jong Un
Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea, guided the Fourth Enlarged Meeting of the Seventh WPK Central Military Commission.

The meeting was attended by members of the WPK Central Military Commission, members of the Executive Committee of the Korean People's Army Committee of the WPK, commanders and commissars of the services and corps of the KPA, commanding officers of the Ministry of State Security, the Ministry of People's Security, the Guard Headquarters and other military organs at all levels and deputy directors of major departments of the WPK Central Committee.

It studied and discussed important military and organizational and political measures for further bolstering up the overall armed forces of the DPRK politically, ideologically and in military technique, so as to firmly defend the political stability and sovereignty of the country and reliably contain the persistent military threats, big or small, of the hostile forces, and dealt with an organizational matter.

Comment: State propaganda to be sure - but also a message to the West that N Korea is not letting its guard down. And a reminder that its leader is still alive and kicking:

Anatomy of a fake news campaign: How the lie Kim Jong-un died was spread from US govt-funded outlet

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Pistol

Ukrainian MP found dead with gunshot wound to the head

Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
Sat, 23 May 2020 20:30 UTC
Ukrainian MP Valery Davydenko
Ukrainian MP Valery Davydenko of the Dovira faction was found dead in his office bathroom with a gunshot wound to the head, according to a post by MP Ilya Kiva on his Facebook page and confirmed by local media.

"His body with a gunshot wound has just been found in the office of an MP Valeriy Davydenko. The circumstances are being investigated," he wrote.

According to the Ukrainian Truth news agency, a weapon was found near the body.
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Airplane

Tucker Carlson exposes US government involvement in Saudi 9/11 coverup

Malcolm Harris
The Duran
Sun, 24 May 2020 00:01 UTC
911 twin towers
For years the families of 9/11 victims have been pursuing a lawsuit against the Saudi Arabian government, believing it was associated with the attacks that left over 2,000 dead.

Despite the overwhelming evidence that supports this theory, the United States government has prevented the declassification of critical documents. This includes the identification of the official that is believed to have assisted two of the 9/11 hijackers. Last week, however, the FBI revealed his name, by accident. His name is Mussaed Ahmed al-Jarrah. He worked at the Saudi Embassy from 1999 to 2000.

These allegations have escaped the headlines of the mainstream media. That is, until prime time cable host Tucker Carlson decided to report on it.

Comment:

See also: FBI 'accidentally' reveals name of Saudi official suspected of directing support for 9/11 hijackers in court filing

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Eye 1

The CIA's murderous practices, disinformation campaigns, and interference in other countries still shape the world order and US politics

Glenn Greenwald
The Intercept
Thu, 21 May 2020 15:57 UTC
cia emblem foyer
In the weeks before the 2016 presidential election, the most powerful former leaders of the Central Intelligence Agency did everything they could to elect Hillary Clinton and defeat Donald Trump. President Obama's former acting CIA chief Michael Morrell published a full-throated endorsement of Clinton in the New York Times and claimed "Putin ha[s] recruited Mr. Trump as an unwitting agent of the Russian Federation," while George W. Bush's post-9/11 CIA and NSA Chief, Gen. Michael Hayden, writing in the Washington Post, refrained from endorsing Clinton outright but echoed Morrell by accusing Trump of being a "useful fool, some naif, manipulated by Moscow" and sounding "a little bit the conspiratorial Marxist." Meanwhile, the intelligence community under James Clapper and John Brennan fed morsels to both the Obama DOJ and the U.S. media to suggest a Trump/Russia conspiracy and fuel what became the Russiagate investigation.

In his extraordinary election-advocating op-ed, Hayden, Bush/Cheney's CIA chief, candidly explained the reasons for the CIA's antipathy for Trump: namely, the GOP candidate's stated opposition to allowing CIA regime change efforts in Syria to expand as well as his opposition to arming Ukrainians with lethal weapons to fight Russia (supposedly "pro-Putin" positions which, we are now all supposed to forget, Obama largely shared).

Comment: See also:

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Snakes in Suits

Danish PM 'falsely claimed health agencies backed lockdown'


thelocal.dk
Fri, 22 May 2020 12:00 UTC
Frederiksen
© Martin Sylvest/Ritzau ScanpixDanish PM Mette Frederiksen on March 11, as she announced the dramatic new measures.
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has been accused of misleading the public by implying that the country's health agency backed her decision to impose a strict lockdown on the country, when in fact it had not.

In her historic speech announcing Denmark's lockdown on March 11, Frederiksen repeatedly said that the tough measures being imposed had been recommended by 'myndighederne', a word which in Danish means 'the authorities', or 'the agencies'.

"It is therefore the advice of 'the agencies' that we shut down all unnecessary activity in these areas for a period," she said, as she announced the closure of schools, universities, libraries and religious institutions, and banned gatherings of more than 100 people.

Comment: Now that we know it wasn't the health agencies the PM was referring to, it begs the question: Who was it that gave the orders?

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Cow Skull

The economic "reopening" is a fake out

Brandon Smith
Alt-Market
Fri, 22 May 2020 15:11 UTC
federal reserve
How does one define an economic "reopening"? I think most people would say that a reopening means that everything goes back to the way it was before the crisis; or at least as close as possible. Most people would also say that a reopening is something that will last. Simply declaring "America has reopened" while keeping many restrictions in place in certain parts of the country is a bit of a farce. And, reopening with the intention of implementing lockdowns again in a matter of weeks without explaining the situation to the public is a scam of the highest order.

For example, states like New York, California, Illinois and New Jersey have extended their lockdowns; with LA's extension remaining ambiguous after they initially declared restrictions for another 3 months. New York's lockdown is extended to the end of May (so far). This is the case in many US states and cities, while rural areas are mostly open. This is being called a "partial reopening", but is there a purpose behind the uneven approach?

As I predicted in my article 'Pandemic And Economic Collapse: The Next 60 Days', the restrictions will continue in major US population centers while rural areas have mostly opened with much fanfare. The end result of this will be a flood of city dwellers into rural towns looking for relief from more strict lockdown conditions. In about a month, we should expect new viral clusters in places where there was limited transmission. I suggest that before the 4th of July holiday, state governments and the Federal government will be talking about new lockdowns, using the predictable infection spike as an excuse.


Comment: Or a new viral cluster may not happen occur right away without a little "help".

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