Puppet MastersS


Russian Flag

Story of real-life Russian heroes come to the screen: Shugaley

Steven Sahiounie
Mideast Discourse
Tue, 07 Apr 2020 17:46 UTC
movie shugaley libya russia prisoner
Scene from 'Schugaley'
The story-line of this new movie seems to be from a "Hollywood" script: terrorists, battle scenes, and prison torture. However, it is based on a true story unfolding in Libya. Shugaley tells the story of a Russian sociologist, and his translator, who were captured in May 2019 by terrorists in Libya on the orders of the Government of National Accord (GNA).

Russian sociologist Maxim Shugaley, and his Arab translator Samer Sweifan, were in Libya carrying out sociological research for The Foundation for the Protection of Traditional Values, a Russian think-tank.

While in Libya, Shugaley came upon explosive evidence damning to the western backed GNA government, which is viewed by many as a 'puppet' government, headed by Prime Minister Fayez Al Sarraj, which is recognized by the UN. Sarraj's private militia, RADA, captured Shugaley and Sweifan and took them to a private prison at Tripoli's Mitiga airport where they have suffered torture. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey exported terrorists to Libya from Syria, who were formerly on his payroll, having been cut off from US support in 2017 by President Trump. Since the pair's capture, they have been allowed only 1 visit with a lawyer, no charges have been filed, and no court hearings have been held. The pair is being held against their will, without due process. The UN office of human rights states under Principle 6:
"No person under any form of detention or imprisonment shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. No circumstance whatever may be invoked as a justification for torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."

Comment:

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Eye 1

EU to adopt unified policy on mobile apps tracking the spread of the coronavirus

Foo Yun Chee
NY Times
Wed, 08 Apr 2020 17:53 UTC
face masks
The European Union is drawing up common rules for using mobile apps to track the spread of the coronavirus, aiming to make better use of the technology and address privacy concerns.

The coordinated strategy comes after several EU countries have rolled out a variety of apps, triggering criticism from some data privacy activists who worry mass data collection could become permanent if not tightly controlled.

European Commissioner for values and transparency, Vera Jourova, said a joint move to harness virus-fighting technology offered an efficient solution.

"I fully support a European approach for the use of mobile applications and mobile data in response to the coronavirus pandemic in line with our fundamental rights. We will ensure this approach is transparent, proportional and based on people's trust," she said.
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Chess

Trump blames Warren & DNC for Sanders ending campaign, INVITES 'Bernie people' to the Republican Party


RT
Wed, 08 Apr 2020 17:49 UTC
trump and bernie
© REUTERS / Kevin Lamarque
President Donald Trump took to Twitter to invite Bernie Sanders supporters to the Republican Party after the Senator dropped out of the presidential race. Trump also blamed Sanders' exit on Elizabeth Warren and the Democrats.

"Bernie Sanders is OUT! Thank you to Elizabeth Warren. If not for her, Bernie would have won almost every state on Super Tuesday!" the president tweeted shortly after it was announced Sanders was suspending his presidential campaign, clearing the way for Joe Biden to earn his party's nomination.

Comment: Bernie seems to be sitting on the fence, suspending his campaign but still choosing to remain on the ballot in order to try to get more delegates to try and "exert more influence" at the Democratic Convention.

Of course Biden tried to lure the Bernie Bros over to his side, but since he's barely able to cobble sentences together the attempt was a flop. For some reason Hillary supporters are celebrating Bernie's loss. They must have forgotten about their own candidate getting her butt kicked in 2016.

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Bad Guys

GOP gears up for next relief fight: Democrats 'Want the Federal Government to take over elections'

Andrew Harnik
Breitbart
Mon, 06 Apr 2020 17:34 UTC
pelosi
© AP PhotoHANNAH BLEAU
The GOP is gearing up for what could be a contentious battle over the next stage of coronavirus relief, as Democrats continue to signal their desire to pursue a variety of changes related to the U.S. election.

Republicans and Democrats are expected to begin the process of crafting the next stage of economic relief after successfully passing a bipartisan measure to provide relief to small businesses and individuals affected by the coronavirus pandemic last month. The measure ultimately passed unanimously in the Senate, but it initially did not go without opposition, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) attempted to offer her own version of relief filled with a variety of liberal "wish list" items, including major changes to voting methods. While the speaker has signaled support for a bipartisan measure in the same mold as the last, she hinted last week that she is still going to pursue changes to voting methods.
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Question

Did Pakistan really win the Afghanistan War?

Kunwar Khuldune Shahid
The Diplomat
Wed, 08 Apr 2020 17:23 UTC
Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef
© AP Photo/Hussein SayedTaliban leader Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, center, who served as ambassador to Pakistan during the Taliban's rule speaks to the media in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 29, 2020.
Pakistan is jubilant over the U.S.-Taliban peace deal, but celebration may be premature.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo scrambled to Afghanistan last week in a bid to rescue the peace deal with the Afghan Taliban. A little over one month since the "historic deal" was signed in Doha, Washington is already feeling the need for a salvaging act. The United States' latest bid to get the current Ashraf Ghani-led Afghan regime on board, and in turn address a major stumbling block, was the announcement of a $1 billion reduction in aid to Afghanistan.

Islamabad is almost as invested in these developments as Washington and the Taliban are. While the past month has been marred by COVID-19 spiraling into a pandemic, in turn prompting Pakistan to focus the majority of its attention on addressing the escalating spread of the virus, the February 29 deal remains a milestone - and the basis for all of Islamabad's post-coronavirus stratagems.

Indeed, the deal itself was viewed in Pakistan as a resounding triumph. The agreement, which seeks to put an end to an 18-year-old war rooted in the post 9/11 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, was facilitated by a regional strategy envisioned in Rawalpindi long before the September 2001 attacks.

Comment:

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Network

Preparing for a post-Covid world? China and India settle old scores and team up

Shishir Upadhyaya
RT
Wed, 08 Apr 2020 17:25 UTC
face masks
© Reuters / Aly Song and Adnan Abidi
With the Covid-19 pandemic set to drastically reshape the world order, there are signs that China could see India as the best future ally. Can both countries use this dark time to smooth out their sometimes rocky relationship?

When India and China marked the 70th anniversary of formal diplomatic ties this month, the usual political formalities were exchanged. Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Indian President Ram Nath Kovind on the "extraordinary development" both nations had undertaken since India became the first non-socialist country to recognise Chairman Mao's China in 1950.
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Attention

Panic and political absurdities in the face of the 'pandemic'

Thierry Meyssan
Voltaire Network
Tue, 07 Apr 2020 16:49 UTC
empty times square new york coronavirus
The empty streets of New York City whose residents are under house arrest.
In history, the great epidemics that wiped out national economies were almost all followed by numerous overthrows of the executives. The one at Covid-19 should be no exception to this rule, no matter how many deaths it may cause. That is why political leaders around the world are making decisions that they know are unnecessary, just to show their fellow citizens that they have done everything in their power.

Social psychology shows that fear is not proportional to the danger, but to not being able to assess and control it.

When an unknown disease occurs and there is no telling how many men it will kill, Science tries to know about it by doubting everything. Politicians, on the other hand, have to make decisions without knowing more than researchers. Some politicians therefore surround themselves with people who have advanced science in the past, appoint them as "experts" on what they do not yet know, and use them to say how much good they think of their policies. For them, the aim is not to save lives, but to act to guarantee their Power.

Comment:

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X

Ecuador court finds ex-president Correa guilty of corruption in absentia - 'entire case is criminal conspiracy,' he tells RT

Gonzalo Solano
AP
Tue, 07 Apr 2020 16:57 UTC
correa
© Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFPRafael Correa gives a press conference at the European Parliament in Brussels.
An Ecuadorian court found former President Rafael Correa guilty of corruption Tuesday and sentenced him to eight years in prison, further sullying the legacy of one of the nation's most enduring and polemic political leaders.

Judge Iván León said prosecutors had successfully proved the existence of a "structure of corruption" led by Correa and 19 other high-profile politicians and business leaders accused of participating in the bribery scheme.

The decision could effectively end any aspirations by Correa to return to politics, as the sentence bars him from running for office for 25 years.

"So much money can't be hidden easily," said León, who read the sentence in the closed door, two-hour long sentencing in which judges wore masks and protective gloves as a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus.

Correa has denied the charges against him, calling them a political witch hunt.

"For sure we will win at the international level," he said on Twitter immediately after the sentencing. "Because this is all a monstrosity."

Comment: Here's what Correa told RT after news of the court's decision:
"[The prosecution] showed files from aide's computer. We've managed to obtain them. A Colombian firm confirmed that they were obtained through hacking in 2016 and modified in 2018," he told RT.

He was referring to files gathered from one of the defendants, Laura Teran, which were presented by prosecutors as evidence in the case. Teran worked for another defendant, Pamela Martinez, a former aide of Correa. Both women received reduced sentences in the case after pleading guilty.

After the trial started in February, Correa said the original files had been analyzed for his defense team by Adalid, a cybersecurity firm, but the court rejected the results.
They would never accept this evidence. Because they are afraid of the truth.
There are plenty of indicators that the prosecutors and the court worked hand-in-glove to hand down the guilty verdict, Correa insists. One of the justices had a personal connection to a secretary working at the attorney general's office, he said. There was also a publication in alternative media of what was purported to be the pre-written verdict for the court to read. All these details point to a 'processual fraud,' according to Correa.
This entire case is a criminal conspiracy to use political influence for personal gain.


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Fire

Trump removes Obama-era IG from Covid-19 relief watchdog panel as Dems cry corruption


RT
Tue, 07 Apr 2020 20:14 UTC
Trump pointing you're fired
© Reuters / Kevin Lamarque"You're fired."
US President Donald Trump has dismissed the Pentagon's inspector general from the top watchdog role over the $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill. Opinions were split on whether it was "cleaning house" or "blatant corruption."

The president removed Glenn Fine as the Pentagon's Inspector General, by extension booting him from the top oversight post on the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, on Monday. The committee, created to oversee the administration of the $2 trillion aid package signed into law last month, is made up of inspector generals who, in turn, had appointed Fine to lead them.

Fine has been replaced on an interim basis by Sean O'Donnell, who takes over his duties at the Pentagon in addition to his current role as Inspector General for the Environmental Protection Agency. Jason Abend, a policy advisor with Customs and Border Patrol, has been nominated to serve permanently in the role, but must be confirmed by the Senate first.
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X

Trump says US may put a 'very powerful hold' on funding to World Health Organization - UPDATE

Andrew O'Reilly
Fox News
Wed, 08 Apr 2020 00:56 UTC
president trump
President Trump signaled Tuesday he may put a "very powerful hold" on funding to the World Health Organization as he lashed out at the United Nations specialized agency and accused it of "being very China-centric" amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Reiterating his complaints from a tweet earlier in the day, the president said that the WHO "has been wrong about a lot things." Trump has been critical of the WHO for opposing the travel restrictions from China and Europe.

"They've been wrong about a lot of things," Trump said during the daily press briefing of the White House coronavirus task force. "They seem very China centric."

He added: "We're going to put a hold on the money sent to the WHO."

Trump, however, backtracked when questioned on that statement by members of media, saying he was "going to look into" cutting off funding to the WHO and denying his earlier statement.

Comment:
UPDATE: April 8: Naturally the WHO has pushed back against Trump's criticisms and have also denied being 'China-centric'. Hans Kluge, WHO's regional director for Europe warned against the cutback, saying "We are still in the acute phase of a pandemic so now is not the time to cut back on funding." In addition to Trump, several US politicians have also accused the organization of botching it's response to the virus and other senior US officials want WHO Director General Dr. Tedros sacked for his alleged mismanagement, even suggesting that he had conspired with China to cover-up the severity of the pandemic.

See also:

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