Puppet MastersS


Star of David

Hezbollah TV: Footage of missile attack on Israeli army vehicle, response to Israeli drone attacks

Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
Mon, 02 Sep 2019 20:50 UTC
Hez missile attack
© SCREENSHOT/AL MANARRecording footage of Hezbollah anti-tank missile attack on IDF vehicle near Avivim in Galilee.
Hezbollah's Al Manar TV has aired footage which purports to show Sunday's attack on an Israeli military vehicle across the Lebanese-Israeli border at Avivim in the far north of Israel.

Hezbollah and Lebanese media sources had claimed the attack "killed and wounded those inside" — something which Israeli officials, including PM Netanyahu, have denied. The attack involving two guided anti-tank missiles was hailed as successful by Hezbollah leadership, and led to brief Israeli shelling of locations in southern Lebanon; however, no casualties were reported.

The second projectile seen in the video, described by reports as a Kornet anti-tank missile, can be seen landing in the smoke and blast radius of the first. It appears a direct hit on the IDF armored vehicle.


Comment: See also:

Read More...
Briefcase

Obama counsel Greg Craig denies lying to investigators, wasn't an agent of Ukraine

Jerry Dunleavy
Washington Examiner
Wed, 28 Aug 2019 04:49 UTC
Greg Craig
© Win McNamee/Mark Wilson/Getty ImagesAttorney Greg Craig arrives at US District Court in Washington, DC.
Greg Craig, the Obama White House counsel swept up in a case spun off from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, denied on the stand Wednesday allegations he'd misled investigators looking into whether he'd acted as an agent of Ukraine.

Craig, 74, is charged with misleading Department of Justice investigators about his role promoting the report put together at the behest of the Kremlin-linked government in Ukraine regarding the country's controversial prosecution of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko for alleged corruption.

Craig testified that he did not lie to investigators and that his only involvement in any media outreach was to stop the whitewashing of the conclusions of his report by Ukraine's Ministry of Justice or by people working for Manafort, saying his report was "bad news for Ukraine" and that he was motivated by a desire for his report to be portrayed accurately in the media.

Comment: More from saraacarter.com, 11/4/2019: Thursday Indictments...White House official Greg Craig...
Interestingly, the indictment references Craig's contacts in the media and that he lied about those contacts to investigators.

"It proposed leaking the report to a selected media outlet before it's release, having a former Congressman of a U.S. based lobbying firm working for the Government of Ukraine pre-brief the selected journalist on the report, and then ensuring that the journalist "would be given an off-the record briefing call with [Craig]."
And from Bloomberg Law, 27/8/2019: Greg Craig Trial Poses Public Relations Test for Skadden
In 2012, the firm agreed to develop an independent report on the prosecution of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko by the Yanukovych-led government, which hired Skadden. The engagement drew criticism in Ukraine as a ploy to whitewash deficiencies in Tymoshenko's trial.

Of particular concern was the $12,000 Ukraine said it was paying Skadden for the report. At that time, the identity of the report's third-party financier — a Ukrainian businessman named Viktor Pinchuk — wasn't disclosed, and neither was the more than $4 million he allowed Manafort's team to funnel to Skadden.
See also:

Read More...
Star of David

ICC prosecutor given orders to consider reopening Gaza flotilla case


Aljazeera
Mon, 02 Sep 2019 00:00 UTC
Mavi Marmara anniversary
© Press TVSecond anniversary of the deadly attack on the Mavi Marmara, Turkey
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has ordered the tribunal's prosecutor to reconsider whether Israel should face charges over a deadly 2010 raid on a flotilla carrying aid to the besieged Gaza Strip.

In line with the decision of the appeals judges, prosecutor Fatou Bensouda will now examine once more whether to bring Israel before The Hague-based court. "The prosecutor is directed to reconsider her decision by December 2, 2019," presiding appeals judge Solomy Balungi Bossa told the court on Monday, adding that three out of five judges in the court's appeals chamber had backed the move.

Bensouda said in 2014 that she would not prosecute Israel over the raid that killed 10 people, saying it was "not of sufficient gravity" - which means the case could be determined as inadmissible before the ICC. Bensouda again affirmed the decision in 2017 after judges said she must take another look at the case.
Read More...
Bad Guys

Revealed: How a secret Dutch mole aided the U.S.-Israeli Stuxnet cyberattack on Iran

Kim Zetter and Huib Modderkolk
Yahoo
Mon, 02 Sep 2019 17:04 UTC
stuxnet
© AP, Getty Images. Shutterstock
For years, an enduring mystery has surrounded the Stuxnet virus attack that targeted Iran's nuclear program: How did the U.S. and Israel get their malware onto computer systems at the highly secured uranium-enrichment plant?

The first-of-its-kind virus, designed to sabotage Iran's nuclear program, effectively launched the era of digital warfare and was unleashed some time in 2007, after Iran began installing its first batch of centrifuges at a controversial enrichment plant near the village of Natanz.

The courier behind that intrusion, whose existence and role has not been previously reported, was an inside mole recruited by Dutch intelligence agents at the behest of the CIA and the Israeli intelligence agency, the Mossad, according to sources who spoke with Yahoo News.

An Iranian engineer recruited by the Dutch intelligence agency AIVD provided critical data that helped the U.S. developers target their code to the systems at Natanz, according to four intelligence sources. That mole then provided much-needed inside access when it came time to slip Stuxnet onto those systems using a USB flash drive.

Comment: A subtle point being made in this article is that cyber-attacks are just fine if they are being done by the West to its enemies. But when countries that aren't favored by the US engage in the same kind of warfare, they are demonized. Such is the nature of journalism in the West - grovel to the West so that access to "intelligence sources" remains intact and paint countries like Iran or Libya as evil for even considering defending themselves from Western aggression. There is no objectivity left in the MSM, they exist purely as PR departments for Western imperialism.

Read More...
Chess

Trump pressures China to make deal soon, or it'll get tougher if he wins in 2020

Fred Imbert
CNBC
Tue, 03 Sep 2019 17:46 UTC
trump outdoor press conference
© Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times
President Donald Trump pressured China on Tuesday to make a trade deal with the U.S. in the near future, warning talks will get much tougher if he is reelected in 2020.

Trump said in a series of tweets: "We are doing very well in our negotiations with China. While I am sure they would love to be dealing with a new administration so they could continue their practice of "ripoff USA"($600 B/year),16 months PLUS is a long time to be hemorrhaging jobs and companies on a long-shot...And then, think what happens to China when I win. Deal would get MUCH TOUGHER! In the meantime, China's Supply Chain will crumble and businesses, jobs and money will be gone!"

Trump's tweets came after new tariffs on both countries' goods came into effect over the weekend. The U.S. imposed 15% tariffs on a variety of Chinese goods on Sunday, while China imposed new charges on U.S. products.
Read More...
Pistol

Beto O'Rourke pledges to take away AR-15s and AK-47s if elected

AWR Hawkins
Breitbart
Mon, 02 Sep 2019 00:01 UTC
Robert Francis
© Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo
Robert Francis "Beto" O'Rourke said on Labor Day that AR-15 and AK-47 owners will have to give up their firearms if he is elected president.

He posted a video on the topic, addressing "fears" that an O'Rourke administration would take away "assault rifles."

He said, "I want to be clear: That's exactly what we're going to do. Americans who own AR-15s and AK-47s will have to sell their assault weapons. All of them."

Comment: See also:

Read More...
Stock Down

America's wealth is dependent on borrowed money

Vincent Del Giudice
Bloomberg
Sat, 31 Aug 2019 14:00 UTC
gold bars
© Scott Eells/BloombergGold bars sit in a vault at the United States Mint at West Point in West Point, New York.
The U.S. economy is consistently ranked among the world's strongest. But cut off its addiction to debt and exhaust its gold and currency reserves, and a very different picture would emerge.

The nation's health as measured by gross domestic product per capita would plunge into negative territory without its dependence on borrowed money, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

In fact, the U.S. would fall almost to the bottom of a ranking of 114 economies by GDP per capita. Only Italy, Greece and Japan would fare worse. That's a seismic shift from America's comfortable No. 5 spot on a list based on conventional measures.

To get this somewhat dystopian measure, Bloomberg took each economy's 2020 GDP as projected by the International Monetary Fund as a starting point. We then adjusted the number by removing the ability to borrow, while adding reserves to create an alternative wealth measure.

Comment: While Bloomberg appears sure of Americas ability to dazzle the world and retain its position, the market hasn't been so confident of late: Plummeting stocks at Dow, S&P & NASDAQ, signs of 2008-style crash up ahead?

See also: Islamic State weapons in Yemen traced back to US government: Serbia files (part 1)

Read More...
Windsock

US fails to deter Poland from China's 5G roll out with reminders of 'possible foreign interference'

Alan Charlish
Reuters
Tue, 03 Sep 2019 10:49 UTC
Andrzej Duda
© Slawomir Kaminski/Agencja Gazeta via REUTERSPolish President Andrzej Duda and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speak during a press conference in Warsaw, Poland September 2, 2019.
The United States and Poland believe suppliers of 5G network equipment should be rigorously evaluated for foreign government control, a joint declaration signed on Monday said, as Washington pressures allies to exclude China from 5G networks.

Chinese telecoms giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd has denied U.S. accusations that its equipment provides back doors for Beijing's intelligence agencies, at a time when the two nations are embroiled in a trade war.

Huawei has a strong foothold in Poland, a close ally of President Donald Trump's administration, and has featured national soccer hero Robert Lewandowski in its advertising.

Comment: Evidently the only real country interfering in Poland's democracy is the US, but when it comes to China's superior technology, Poland was unable to resist.

Read More...
Chess

FEC vacancies mean Ilhan Omar protected - for now - against accusations of campaign finance law violations


Fox News
Tue, 03 Sep 2019 08:54 UTC
Ilhan Omar
© REUTERS/Jim BourgIlhan Omar
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who is accused of improperly using political campaign funds to reimburse her alleged lover for travel expenses, doesn't need to worry for now about a complaint filed against her with the Federal Election Commission. Vacancies on the FEC make it impossible for the commission to take any action.

The FEC, where I served as a commissioner over a decade ago, is supposed to act as a government watchdog against election law violations. But unless it has four members, the watchdog is effectively muzzled and chained, helpless to act. Right now there are three members and three vacancies on the commission.

That's good news for Omar, who refused Wednesday to answer questions about the allegations filed against her this week by a nonprofit group called the National Legal and Policy Center, which describes itself as "a charitable and educational organization" that seeks to "foster and promote ethics in government and public life."
Read More...
Binoculars

Netanyahu's bad luck results in new Hezbollah "response strategy" - Israel denies any casualties from retaliatory attack

Elijah J. Magnier
ejmagnier.com
Mon, 02 Sep 2019 22:52 UTC
Hezbollah fighter/watchtower
© AP/Bilal HusseinHezbollah fighter at watchtower
The people of the Middle East looked from different and contradictory angles at the "battle between wars" that took place between Israel and Hezbollah in the last week of the month of August. Many wanted to see more Israeli blood and more killing of soldiers; others criticised Hezbollah's retaliation to the Israeli aggression on Lebanon when they sent two booby-trapped drones into the suburb of Beirut. Nevertheless, the Hezbollah attack against an Israeli vehicle marked a new starting point for a future equation imposing respect for the rules of engagement, the implementation of a response strategy, and an exchange of more messages understood by both belligerents. All these consequences are the result of the Israeli Prime Minister's intention to start a new plan of action, sending suicide drones against Iran and its allies. Netanyahu's bad luck was that his hit-and-run tactic was disturbed by technical damage to one of the two drones he sent to the suburb of Beirut. This failure had the effect of imposing new rules which are expected to last for as long as no US war is waged on Iran.

According to available information, a group of Hezbollah and allies went to the borders of the occupied Golan Heights in Syria at night and released a drone towards Israel. A few hours later, these returned to their villa close to Damascus airport, followed by an Israeli drone to identify their location. Israel decided to bomb that house, killing the two militants, according to the Hezbollah official release. The same night Israel sent two suicide drones to the suburb of Beirut, targeting what seems to have been a drone warehouse. One of the drones experienced technical failure or an unknown incident and was captured by Hezbollah, revealing the new Israeli targeting tactic against Iran's allies.

Comment: Nasrallah announced a 'new phase' in the simmering conflict with Israel:
Hassan Nasrallah has issued a stark warning to Israel, saying that if it attacks the group's positions, all Israeli "borders and forces will be at risk".

In what he described as a clear "message" to Israel, the Hezbollah leader said that the latest escalation of tensions marked the "start of a new phase", adding that the Lebanon-based movement "no longer" has red lines. He also vowed to attack "deep inside" Israel if the movement was targeted again.

Nasrallah continued by saying that "there is a new battlefield which is targeting Israeli drones in Lebanon's skies" in an apparent reference to last week's incident in which two alleged Israeli UAVs crashed near Beirut.

His statement comes a day after the IDF and Hezbollah exchanged fire, with the latter launching numerous anti-tank missiles at Israeli positions, while Tel Aviv hit back by firing over 100 artillery shells into southern Lebanon.


Nasrallah appeared to reiterate his previous comments, in which he addressed the professed Israeli drone incident, describing it as a "suicide mission". It was reported last week that one drone allegedly fell in the southern suburbs of Beirut, while a second UAV exploded in the air on 25 August, a Hezbollah official was cited as saying by Reuters. The source claimed that the drones were Israeli. The blast reportedly caused significant damage to the Hezbollah press service's building and left three people wounded.

He vowed that Hezbollah would "do everything to prevent" attacks of that sort in the future, arguing that the time when Israel could bomb Lebanon was "over". The movement's leader went on to say that they had entered a new phase in the long-standing conflict with the Jewish state.
Today, Israel launched a spy balloon into Lebanese airspace. Netanyahu gave himself a pat on the back for Israel's actions:
"The man in the bunker in Beirut knows exactly why he is in the bunker", he said, apparently hinting at Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. "We will continue to do everything necessary to keep Israel safe - at sea, land and air - and we will continue to work against the threat of [Hezbollah's] precision missiles".


Because he's one of the biggest threats to Israel, and the Israelis know it. Given the Israelis' propensity for blatant criminality and assassination, the "man in the bunker" has proven to be quite competent.


...
Neither of the sides has reported causalities following the clashes, which are believed to mark the largest confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah in years.

It was reported by The Jerusalem Post that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Lebanese Prime Minister Said Hariri passed on a message to Israeli authorities through third-party countries after the exchange of fire took place that stated that from Hezbollah's point of view, the incident was over and pledged to end hostilities, as Israel had "achieved its goals".

"We received pleas from Lebanon through third-party countries, pleading with us not to respond", a senior Israeli official source told journalists, as reported by Haaretz.


Read More...