Puppet MastersS

Attention

Best of the Web: CrowdStrikeOut: Mueller's own report undermines its core Russia-meddling claims

Mueller/obama/report
© Twitter
At a May press conference capping his tenure as special counsel, Robert Mueller emphasized what he called "the central allegation" of the two-year Russia probe. The Russian government, Mueller sternly declared, engaged in "multiple, systematic efforts to interfere in our election, and that allegation deserves the attention of every American." Mueller's comments echoed a January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) asserting with "high confidence" that Russia conducted a sweeping 2016 election influence campaign. "I don't think we've ever encountered a more aggressive or direct campaign to interfere in our election process," then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told a Senate hearing.

While the 448-page Mueller report found no conspiracy between Donald Trump's campaign and Russia, it offered voluminous details to support the sweeping conclusion that the Kremlin worked to secure Trump's victory. The report claims that the interference operation occurred "principally" on two fronts: Russian military intelligence officers hacked and leaked embarrassing Democratic Party documents, and a government-linked troll farm orchestrated a sophisticated and far-reaching social media campaign that denigrated Hillary Clinton and promoted Trump.

Star of David

The only strategic rationale for America's involvement in Syria finally revealed

Netanyahu and Trump
© Flickr/israel-mfa
"Washington lacks a clear strategy in Syria "; those were the recent words of Robert Ford, the last American ambassador to Syria who served prior to and during the first few years of the Syrian uprising from 2010 to 2014. A man of Ford's intricate knowledge of the Syrian/American political dynamic is surly knowledgeable enough to assess America's policy towards Syria. He goes on to say, "It is hard to explain the fundamental American mission in Syria... Is it to fight Daesh? Or is it to help promote a Kurdish autonomous district in Northeastern Syria... Or is it to resist Iranian encouragement?" It is partially all three; however, oddly enough, Mr. Ford avoids the obvious top priority and strategic rationale for America's involvement in Syria: The Protection of Israel.

To alleviate this dereliction by the executive branch for not presenting a clear strategy in Syria, as the former ambassador asserts, the Congress took it upon itself to identify American strategic interests in Syria and make recommendations to Trump. However, it is legitimate to ask: what do American congressmen know about Syria to qualify them to determine American strategic interests in the country? It is very unlikely for American congressmen to know much about Syria; they are dictated by the Israeli narrative and that is all they need to know.

Oil Well

Is Denmark the last bottleneck for Nord Stream 2?

Nord Stream 2 (NS2)
Large energy projects tend to be controversial due to environmental and political reasons. Nord Stream 2 (NS2) is not an exception as it is, arguably, the most contentious energy pipeline currently under construction in Europe. According to the critics of NS2, Europe is increasing its dependence on Russian gas, which would give Moscow unwanted influence in European capitals.

Opposition has been growing since the laying of pipes started. The U.S. has found allies in several Eastern European countries who fear Moscow's intentions due to historical reasons. Regardless of the efforts to thwart the construction of NS2, contractors have continued their work to complete the pipeline before the end of this year. Nord Stream AG, the company responsible for the project, has received permits from all littoral states of the Baltic Sea except for Denmark. Recently, the company made an important decision to end the political stalemate and prevent delays.

Chess

US Pressures Germany to Send Ground Troops to Syria to 'Partially Replace' American Forces

german soldiers
© AP Photo / Jan Pitman
US Special Representative for Syria Engagement James Jeffrey was in Berlin on 5 July seeking to draw pledges of military and financial support from the German government as Washington ramps up its pressure on Berlin with the aim of expanding its mission in Syria.

US diplomat James Jeffrey has formally asked Germany to send troops to Syria to help fight the Daesh terrorist group, claiming allies need to provide technical support to the Kurdish-led opposition.

In an interview with the German DPA news agency and weekly Welt am Sonntag newspaper, the US Special Representative for Syria Engagement urged Germany to send military trainers, logistics specialists and technicians to aid the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighting Daesh.

"We want ground troops from Germany to partially replace our soldiers," said Jeffrey said, adding he hoped to receive a response from the German government this month.

"It is better to force IS [Daesh] back with local Syrian forces, but a certain international presence is needed to secure air support, for logistics, training, and technical help.

"We hope that the Germans will be able to do more," Jeffrey said. "I am optimistic. Some allies will deploy ground troops, I'm sure of it."

Comment: The military/deep state's solution to Trump's wish to exit Syria: simply replace one illegal occupying force with an allied illegal occupying force. The only militaries with a legal right to be in Syria are the Russians and Iranians. But the American-led 'coalition' is so convinced of its righteousness and its 'above-the-law' status, that it feels it can do whatever the hell it wants, international law be damned. The level of pathological arrogance is staggering.


Bad Guys

Iran partially pulling out from JCPOA deal - 'divorce proceedings' with EU underway

Hassan Rouhani
© APIranian President Hassan Rouhani
As promised, Iran is partially pulling out of the JCPOA nuclear deal. This can be called a "phase one withdrawal" since other phases are expected to follow in the coming months. The basis for this act is not limited to the actions of US President Donald Trump - who shredded the JCPOA deal unilaterally - but also to the failure of the European signatories (i.e. France, the UK and Germany) to offer any incentives for Iran to comply with the deal. This leaves the entire JCPOA agreement in a kind of limbo, now that western leaders have shown themselves untrustworthy to honour any future deals in the wake of Trump's abdication. The absence of necessary trust and partnership seems to preclude any future pacts between nations, notably between the US, Europe and Middle Eastern countries.

The size of the US market blocks any effective European move to honour its commitment to the JCPOA. In an interview with al-Jazeera, Ellie Geranmayeh, deputy director of the European Council on Foreign Relations' Middle East and North Africa programme, sees the launch of INSTEX as important because of the political message it sends. "The E3 are preparing the roadmap to sustain trade with Iran, for now it's going to be restricted - but there is the hope that it will be expanded with time."

Europe is asking Iran to wait without offering any prospects of what it can do next. European leaders are asking for more time and "hope" to find a solution, a very nebulous prospect so long as Trump is in power and Europe is not united. Indeed, EU Foreign policy is far from being homogenous. Even if the European leaders' signatories have not imitated Trump by revoking the nuclear deal, they have offered nothing to compensate for the damage to Iran's economy created by the harsh US sanctions.

Comment: Iran announced it will increase its uranium enrichment to the level needed for the operation of Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, up from 3.67% to 5%.
Araghchi again criticized his European colleagues for failing to fulfill their commitments under the JCPOA and warned that Tehran will be further stepping away from that agreement "every 60 days" until the situation changes for the better.


The representative of the Iranian government, Ali Rabiya, also stated that Tehran is making efforts to keep the 2015 nuclear deal working, but not at the country's expense. "Iran hopes to maintain the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan, but not at any cost, and not at the expense of its national interests."
Ignoring the terms of the deal, Macron warned of 'consequences' for Iran's 'violation' of the deal. They're not - it was the U.S. that pulled out unilaterally, and it's the EU not meeting its own commitments. By the terms of the deal, Iran is free to scale back its own commitments in response:
"The President of the Republic has agreed with his Iranian counterpart to explore by July 15 conditions to resume dialogue between the parties," the Elysee announced in a statement late Saturday, shortly after a phone call between Macron and his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani. Macron said that he would be reaching out to the Iranian authorities and other sides of the 2015 accord in hopes of diffusing tensions.

Macron's call for dialogue came with a threatening undertone, however, as he warned the Islamic Republic with retaliation if it keeps on surpassing the deal-imposed caps on its uranium stockpile and level of enrichment, saying consequences "would necessarily follow."

In his own statement after the phone call, Rouhani reiterated that the best way to revive talks and save the deal would be to suspend all sanctions imposed on Iran.

"Stopping all sanctions can be the beginning of dynamics between Iran and the P5+1," he said. "The European Union should fulfill more of its commitments and take more actions to salvage the deal."

His statement also cited Macron as effectively admitting that Europe has failed to offset the damage inflicted on the Iranian economy by the American sanctions. "We accept that Europe's actions to compensate for the US sanctions haven't been effective and successful but that we will do whatever we can to make up for it," the press release quotes Macron as saying - this part does not appear in the Elysee statement, however.
Israel - a rogue nuclear nation itself - is predictably and hysterically warning that Iran is "marching on" towards producing nuclear weapons:
Yuval Steinitz, the country's Energy Minister and member of the Israeli security cabinet, asserted that Iran "has begun - while it is a moderate rise right now - but it has begun to raise, to break out of the uranium enrichment curbs that were imposed on it," he told Ynet TV.

Upping the ante, Steinitz, a renowned Iran hardliner, also claimed that Tehran "is brushing off the red lines that were agreed [under the 2015 nuclear deal and] that it has begun its march, a march that is not simple, toward nuclear weaponry."
Israel has been crying "Iranian nuclear wolf" for decades. It's a wonder anyone is still listening to them. Netanyahu went full retard, comparing the uranium enrichment with the Nazis' march into the Rhineland in 1936:
This sort of thinking is a "mistake," Netanyahu said, noting that the Second World War began "when Nazi Germany took one small step - to enter the Rhineland [in 1936]. A small step. No one said anything and no one did anything. The next step was the Anschluss [the annexation of Austria in 1938] and the next step was entering the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia [in 1938]. And the rest is known."

Alleging that the enriched uranium could be used "for only one thing - to prepare nuclear weapons," Netanyahu appealed to his "friends, the heads of France, Britain and Germany," telling them "you signed this agreement, and you said that once they take this step, there will be harsh sanctions. That was the decision of the Security Council."



Bad Guys

Flashback Billionaire sex offender Epstein once claimed he co-founded Clinton Foundation

epstein_clinton_plane
Epstein, (l.), and Clinton, (r.), flew dozens of times on the billionaire's jet, dubbed "The Lolita Express."
Attorneys for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein touted his close friendship with Bill Clinton and even claimed the billionaire helped start Clinton's controversial family foundation in a 2007 letter aimed at boosting his image during plea negotiations, FoxNews.com has learned.

The 23-page letter, written by high-powered lawyers Alan Dershowitz and Gerald Lefcourt, was apparently part of an ultimately successful bid to negotiate a plea deal before Epstein could be tried for using underage girls in a sex ring based in Palm Beach, Fla., and his private island estate on the 72-acre Virgin Islands home dubbed "Orgy Island." Epstein spent 13 months in prison and home detention after agreeing to a plea deal in which he admitted to soliciting an underage girl for prostitution.

Comment:


Light Sabers

Trump to unleash hell on Europe: EU announces channel to circumvent SWIFT and Iran sanctions is now operational

JCPOA meeting Autria June 28 2019
European and Iranian officials attend a meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission in Vienna, Austria, June 28, 2019
With the world waiting for the first headlines from the Trump-Xi meeting, the most important and unexpected news of the day hit moments ago, when Europe announced that the special trade channel, Instex, that will allow European firms to avoid SWIFT and bypass American sanctions on Iran, is now operational.

Following a meeting between the countries who singed the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was ditched by US, French, British and German officials said the trade mechanism which was proposed last summer and called Instex, is now operational.

As a reminder, last September, in order to maintain a financial relationship with Iran that can not be vetoed by the US, Europe unveiled a "Special Purpose Vehicle" to bypass SWIFT. The mechanism would facilitate transactions between European and Iranian companies, while preventing the US from vetoing the transactions and pursuing punitive measures on those companies and states that defied Trump. The payment balancing system will allow companies in Europe to buy Iranian goods, and vice-versa, without actual money-transfers between European and Iranian banks.

Comment: Comment: See also:


Eye 1

US' anti-Kremlin plan "vicious anti-Russia propaganda" & "voice from Cold War era" - Moscow

Russian Foreign Ministry
© SputnikRussian Foreign Ministry building
The Russian Foreign Ministry calls Washington's plan to counter "Kremlin influence" a "voice from the Cold War era" aiming to harvest European markets while planting "vicious anti-Russia propaganda."

On Friday, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) presented a strategy called the 'Countering Malign Kremlin Influence (CMKI) Development Framework.' It humbly aims to free Europe from Russia's alleged meddling and aggression, while injecting American companies into the local market.

In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry questioned the sanity of those who came up with the doctrine which "tries to terrify the rest of the world with the threat of Russia allegedly trying to undermine democracy everywhere."

Comment: The US' new doctrine attempts to do exactly what they're accusing Russia of doing. It also goes to show that, despite the fact that Trump may prefer to have good relations with Russia and others, as evidenced by the display at the G20, this sentiment isn't shared by the unipolar warmongers controlling the US:


HAL9000

It's not just Google's algorithms that are manipulating search results

google
Google CEO Sundar Pichai was summoned to testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee on December 11, 2018. This hearing spanned many topics, including Google's alleged bias against conservative content. In response to one such question about manipulation of search results, Sundar said, "We don't manually intervene on any particular search result."

Sundar Pichai did not tell the truth when he made this statement.

"Just Go Talk to the Engineers"

In the introductory chapter of How Google Works, "Introduction โ€” Lessons Learned from the Front Row," the very first lesson reads, "Just go talk to the engineers." Few quotes embody the ethos of Google as much as this one. Google's ethos eschewed traditional business plans and traditional corporate hierarchies in favor of a structure that granted more freedom and autonomy to its engineers, engineers who were not just technically gifted, but who also displayed intelligence and creativity in other domains.

Back then, the tech industry was treated as one of the prize jewels of the American economy, and it enjoyed unwavering support from both political parties. However, by the time Sundar testified in front of Congress, those golden days were long gone. On top of that, Google's problems have only intensified since that visit to Capitol Hill. Stories from multiple sources have since alleged manipulation of search results, manual blacklisting of sites, and even election interference. These stories have called into the question the sacred reputation of Google's search results.

Comment: Another thing that is clear is that Sundar doesn't trust their algorithms to capture everything they want to suppress, so they need to manipulate things manually as well. However, it looks like Google's latest change to their algorithm is aimed at furthering their efforts to control the narrative the way they want (big surprise). As offGuardian reports:
Google has changed their algorithm so that it actively suppresses "misinformation" when "bad events" are taking place. This is pretty big news if you're interested in free speech or the free flow of information. Nobody in the media treated it that way.

In fact, you probably didn't see it at all. Almost no papers covered it - and the major one that did, The Guardian, buried back in the "science and technology" section.

The idea that Google suppresses "misinformation", and boosts "authoritative voices" is not new. We already know they do that. The new part is that they will do it in real-time, they will respond to "tragic events" by focusing more on blocking "misinformation" at "criticial times".

Pandu Nayak, the Google representative interviewed for the article, summed it up thus:
...we have developed algorithms that recognise that a bad event is taking place and that we should increase our notions of 'authority', increase the weight of 'authority' in our ranking so that we surface high quality content rather than misinformation in this critical time here."
He is directly referencing mass shootings in the Sandy Hook vein, but he could just as well be talking about terrorist attacks, natural disasters, election results or war.

When he says "high quality content" (sic) he means corporate media. When he says "authority", he means government sources.

Essentially, Google - the most powerful company on Earth - is going to be tightening its control on the flow of information when important news is breaking.



Vader

We'll keep you safe: US unveils new anti-Russia plan to shield Europe from Kremlin's 'malign influence'

Russian bear Russia Moscow
The US Development Agency (USAID) has released a new strategy for freeing its European allies from Russia's alleged grip. It involves showering local media with US money and injecting American businesses into the local market.

The plan, called the 'Countering Malign Kremlin Influence (CMKI) Development Framework' and unveiled by the agency on Friday, has four stated goals: to help European countries protect their political systems from outside meddling, counter disinformation campaigns, and reduce Europe's dependence on Russian energy and mutual trade.

Comment: The proposed targets of the new US program, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia should take a long look at Ukraine. Their fate is written there.