Puppet MastersS


Chess

Moscow proposes exchanging US citizens in return for jailed pilot Yaroshenko

jail cell
© Reuters / Jenevieve Robbins
Moscow has proposed a prisoner exchange with Washington that would also see the return of Russian diplomatic property that was seized in the US, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov.

Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, jailed in the US for 20 years after a DEA sting operation, should be freed and swapped for any American citizen who is serving time in Russia, Ryabkov said.
Let's start with something that doesn't require dramatic decisions with longstanding changes to the policies. Let's try achieving at least a small progress and the positive effect from it may be significant.
He didn't mention any names, but former US marine, Paul Whelan, is currently being held in pre-trial detention in Moscow. Whelan was arrested in late 2018 with documents containing Russian "state secrets" in his possession, and was charged with espionage.

Cardboard Box

Like a car without fuel: Iranian ambassador to UN criticizes INSTEX payment mechanism

Majid Takht Ravanchi
Iran's ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations called on Saturday the European payment mechanism for trade with Iran, INSTEX, "a beautiful car without fuel", saying it's not enough at this stage.

"I personally believe that INSTEX in its current condition isn't enough. This mechanism without money is like a beautiful car without fuel," Iran's ambassador to the UN Majid Takht Ravanchi told the media in New York on Saturday.

"The Europeans asked us to remain in the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action]. We waited a year as they requested, but we told our European counterparts that they need to take tangible steps to maintain the nuclear deal. Mere statements in support of the pact doesn't resolve our problems," he added during the one-hour press briefing that was held at Iran's permanent mission at the UN in New York.

Germany, France and the UK, the three European signatories to the Iran nuclear deal of 2015, created a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for trade with Iran called Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) late January. The channel hasn't had any financial transaction with Iran.

"Since the US withdrawal from the JCPOA, the Europeans haven't done anything tangible, that is, the JCPOA doesn't function well. We can't keep our end of the bargain unilaterally and not benefit from it," Takht Ravanchi noted.

Comment: See also:


Eye 1

Bolton gets ready to kill New START arms control agreement with Russia

Bolton
© AP/Jacquelyn MartinUS Natl. Security Advisor John Bolton
If Bolton gets his way, New START is not long for this world:
At the same time, the administration has signaled in recent days that it plans to let the New Start treaty, negotiated by Barack Obama, expire in February 2021 rather than renew it for another five years. John R. Bolton, the president's national security adviser, who met with his Russian counterpart, Nikolai Patrushev, in Jerusalem this week, said before leaving Washington that "there's no decision, but I think it's unlikely" the treaty would be renewed.

Mr. Bolton, a longtime skeptic of arms control agreements, said that New Start was flawed because it did not cover short-range tactical nuclear weapons or new Russian delivery systems. "So to extend for five years and not take these new delivery system threats into account would be malpractice," he told The Washington Free Beacon, a conservative outlet.

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Newspaper

Macron bucks Atlanticist allies, announces attendance at 75th Victory Day in Moscow

Putin und Macron
© Sputnik
French President Emmanuel Macron has bucked other Atlanticist allies, and has announced that he will visit Russia in 2020 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Victory. He reported about it on air of the program "Tolstoy Sunday" on Channel One.

Macron said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had invited him to the celebration during a meeting on the margins of the G-20 summit in Osaka. The celebration of this date, according to the president, is important for France.

"Mr Putin invited me and I will come ... We know that they owe much to Russia and those who resisted," said the French leader.

Earlier, at a meeting with Putin, Macron expressed confidence that in the current international situation, cooperation between Russia and France - permanent members of the UN Security Council - is of paramount importance and in today's unpredictable world liberal democracies still have much to do and bring. The President recalled that the ministers of foreign affairs and defense of the Russian Federation and France will have a meeting in the "two plus two" format in several weeks.

Comment: It's notable that Trump has also accepted an invitation for Victory Day 2020 in Russia.

See also:


Snakes in Suits

'Coddling' the 'dictator next door': Democrats savage Trump for Kim Jong-un 'photo op'

trump kim
© Reuters / Kevin Lamarque
A host of Democratic party hopefuls for the presidency have taken turns denouncing President Donald Trump's meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong-un as a "photo op," while slamming Trump for cosying up to the "ruthless dictator."

After scheduling an impromptu meeting via Twitter, Trump met Kim at the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarized Zone on Sunday. The leaders shook hands and Trump became the first sitting US president to cross the border into the North.

The historic moment was praised by some observers - including Pope Francis and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, but Trump's Democratic rivals savaged him for so casually extending the olive branch to Kim.

Comment: Isn't it odd that most other nations are able to work towards peace with North Korea, including it's neighbours in South Korea, as well as China and Russia, and yet many in the US aren't? One would think they don't want stability in the region.

See also:


Eye 2

Israeli airstrikes on Syria kills 4 civilians, including toddler - As fourth and final S-300 became operational

syria israel strike
© Reuters / Ammar Awad
Syrian air defenses have responded to apparent missile attacks in the vicinity of Damascus and Homs, SANA reports, with its military source claiming that a number of 'hostile targets' have been intercepted.

At least 4 people, including a baby, were killed in the strikes on the Damascus countryside, while 21 others suffered injuries, according to state TV. One of those injured is a month-old baby girl, who suffered burns and facial wounds. Besides the casualties, a number of houses on the outskirts of Damascus suffered "material damage."

The missiles were launched from Lebanese airspace, where Israeli aircraft were spotted making low-altitude flights around the time of the incident, according to TV channel Al-Mayadeen, Al-Masdar News, and other regional sources.

Comment: Fort Russ provides more details:
At midnight, the Israeli aviation and fleet carried out a combined attack on Syrian territory of great proportions with dozens of missiles launched, of which it is part of cruisers from ships. The missiles were flying from Lebanon.

In the video below, Syrian air defense systems can be seen shooting down eleven (11) missiles.

You can watch the video here.

The rampage above the Syrian sky lasted more than an hour. The Syrian PVO (air defense) has intercepted more than 50% of the rockets. Locations that are battered are found in the provinces of Damascus, Homs and Hama. Several rockets hit the base Mezeh south of Damascus, a warehouse near the Syrian-Lebanese border. The Syrian army operated the S-200 large-scale systems from the province of Homs in the direction of Lebanon.

Syria is using the S-200's for a number of reasons. The S-300 Favorite of the PMU is in Hama but has a 200km range. The cruise missiles are coming from a bigger range than that. But this attacks with curse missiles are not effective. Therefore they can not attack with reasonable accuracy from the distance that Israel is firing from. Still, Syria has managed to down more than 60% of the Israeli missiles. The Syrian army unfortunately can not attack Israel planes in Lebanon air space, even though Lebanon has either allowed Israel to use its Airspace, or while Lebanon is in no position to counter Israeli presence in its airspace.Still Israel is frustrated that they can not penetrate the A2-ad zone to start a more serious air raid at a closer range, that is within 200 km, because their planes would be decimated.
Sputnik:
A correspondent from the scene also reported that a series of powerful blasts had rocked the skies over Damascus.

According to a Syrian military source, the missile attacks were carried out by the Israeli Air Force. There was no immediate confirmation on that matter from Israel.

"The Syrian Air Defence Force repelled the attack of missiles launched by Israeli military aircraft from Lebanese airspace in the direction of our military positions in Homs and near Damascus", the source said.

The attack resulted in four people being killed, while 21 more were wounded, local media reported on Monday.

Lebanese TV-channel Al-Mayadeen, meanwhile, has reported that explosions also heard on the Syria-Lebanon border, correspond in time with Israeli aviation's low-altitude flights in the south of Lebanon.

Later, a source at Beirut International Airport also said that the attack had been conducted by the Israeli military from Lebanon.

"We observed that before the attack on Syria ten or more Israeli military aircraft entered the airspace", the source said.

Tel Aviv has previously admitted to carrying out "hundreds" of air attacks against Syria in recent years, and said that the strikes are aimed at countering an alleged Iranian and Iranian-linked presence in the war-torn country. Damascus has condemned the attacks as a blatant violation of international law. Iran has said that its presence in Syria has been limited to helping Damascus fight Daesh (ISIS)*, al-Qaeda,* and other terrorist groups.
Zero Hedge notes these attacks occurred just as the S-300s became operational:

Syrian state media published footage showing missile intercepts of inbound projectiles.


It is also as yet unknown if the S-300s were active during the air strikes, however, Israeli media reports suggested that newly installed S-300s at several sites as well as Iranian troop presence was a prime cause behind the Israeli action, despite the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) neither confirming nor denying the strikes:
The reported strikes came just hours after an Israeli satellite imagery analysis company said Syria's entire S-300 air defense system appeared to be operational, indicating a greater threat to Israel's ability to conduct airstrikes against Iranian and pro-Iranian forces in the country.

Until now, only three of the country's four surface-to-air missile launchers had been seen fully erected at the Masyaf base in northwestern Syria.

Israel has threatened to destroy the S-300 system if it is used against its fighter jets, regardless of the potential blowback from Russia.
Journalist Danny Makki called the overnight air strikes "certainly one of the biggest Israeli attacks on Syria this year" - given that two provinces were targeted, as well as multiple installations and a civilian neighborhood being hit.

See also: The Real Story Behind Israel's Attack on "Iranian" Targets in Syria and Trump's Abandonment of the Iran Deal


Chess

Michael Flynn's new attorneys seek security clearances & access to classified info

Michael Flynn
Michael Flynn
The new attorneys for Michael Flynn want security clearances so they can see classified information they believe exists that relates to the retired general's case.

The team made the request during its first appearances in federal court this week, setting the stage for possible future clashes with the prosecution during the Monday status conference.

Flynn entered a guilty plea for making false statements to government agents in 2017 and has been cooperating with the government prior to his sentencing, which is expected sometime later this year.

Light Saber

Trump makes history as first US President to enter North Korea; Announces restart of nuclear talks

kim_trump_historic
Shortly after, Trump said “Good progress, good progress,” as he and Kim crossed back into South Korea. “Stepping across that line was a great honor,” Trump said, adding that he would invite Kim to visit the White House.
President Trump made history on Sunday by taking an unprecedented step - literally - onto North Korean soil, after which he held an extraordinary last-minute meeting with Kim Jong Un in which he announced that Washington and Pyongyang will relaunch stalled nuclear talks.

Rocket

India signs deal with Russia for acquisition of 'Strum Ataka' anti-tank missiles

India buys Russian Strum Ataka anti-tank missiles
The deal for the missiles is worth around Rs 200 crore and would give an added capability to the Mi-35 attack choppers to take out enemy tanks and other armoured elements.
"The deal for acquiring 'Strum Ataka' anti-tank missiles was signed with Russia under the emergency clauses through which the missiles would be supplied within three months of contract signing," government sources told ANI.

The deal for the missiles is worth around Rs 200 crore and would give an added capability to the Mi-35 attack choppers to take out enemy tanks and other armoured elements.

The Mi-35s are the existing attack choppers of the Indian Air Force and are set to be replaced with the Apache gunships being acquired from the US and slated to be delivered from next month onwards.

India has been trying to acquire the Russian missiles for a long time but the deal has been signed under the emergency provisions after more than a decade.

Comment: New Delhi is apparently unimpressed with Pompeo's offer of American goodies:


Star of David

Mass hysteria? Britain's obsession with 'anti-Semitism'

British Labour Party Jewish voters
© Ben Cawthra/Sipa USA/NewscomBritain’s Labour Party lost support among Jewish voters before Jeremy Corbyn became its leader.
Cries of "anti-Semitism" are the charges every supporter of the Palestinians has to face. I doubt that there is a single Palestine solidarity activist who hasn't been accused of anti-Semitism.

The rationale for these accusations include the suggestion that we are operating "double standards" in singling out Israel for criticism. We are alleged to criticize Israel because it is a "Jewish" state. Israel is the "targeted collective Jew among the nations," Irwin Cotler, a former government minister in Canada, has written.

Today, a different, more subtle argument is developing: Israel and Zionism are an integral part of Jewish identity. That is why opposition to Zionism and Israel is automatically anti-Semitic.

This argument was tested earlier this decade in an employment tribunal which assessed allegations that Britain's University and College Union was anti-Semitic because it supports BDS - the Palestinian call for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel. Ronnie Fraser, the pro-Israel campaigner who had taken legal action against the union, argued that Zionism was an integral part of Jewish identity.

That argument was rejected by the tribunal's judges in 2013. The tribunal concluded that "a belief in the Zionist project or an attachment to Israel" was "not intrinsically a part of Jewishness."

Another variant of this argument is to suggest that as Israel is the only Jewish state in the world, opposition to it must be anti-Semitic. Since there are Islamic and Christian states, opposition to Israel cannot be other than anti-Semitic. However this is to obscure the fact that Israel is unique because it is the only ethno-religious state in the world.

Comment: