Puppet MastersS


Vader

US military increases presence in Guyana to boost anti-Venezuela operations

Us military forces Guyana
© FileA US military officer poses with a Guyanese counterpart in closing ceremony of the US-led New Horizons training exercise in Guyana on August 22, 2019.
Fears China, Russia inroads

A US military contingent has been deployed to the impoverished South American nation of Guyana for the first time in a decade in a bid to beef up its regional influence as it seeks to press for a military intervention in neighboring Venezuela and undermine growing Chinese and Russian presence in the region.

The four-month long program -- led by the US Air Force and dubbed New Horizons humanitarian outreach - is intended to serve as "a stepping-stone toward a prolonged relationship" with the Guyana military forces, US-based Military.com news outlet reported Saturday, adding that Air Force officials hope American ties with the Guyanese military will remain strong amid the growing influence of Russia and China in the southern hemisphere as well as the persisting crisis in Venezuela.

"Guyana is going to become a larger player in this region, both economically and politically in the future, so it's important that we are closely tied with them," said 12th Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Andrew Croft in an interview.

Comment: RT highlights the renewed US push for a world-wide presence:

And yet the Us may have a particular interest in Guyana besides it being right next to Venezuela. Guyana has been in a low-key, but centuries-long dispute with Venezuela over an area rich in mineral wealth. So rich that Juan Guaido was caught offering it as a bargaining chip to gain US support for his failed coup. Is Guyana more amenable to being looted by Western interests than Venezuela?

Venezuela prosecutors open probe into opposition leader Juan Guaido for 'high treason'
On Thursday, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez offered evidence in the form of phone records in which adviser Manuel Avendaño allegedly discussed with Venezuelan-American diplomat Vanessa Neumann relinquishing claims to the Esequibo region.

"The criminal organization headed by Juan Guaidó had initiated concrete actions to illegally appropriate Venezuela's assets, financial resources, Venezuelan gold, Venezuelan debt, to enrich themselves and to serve transnational interests," Rodriguez said.
Esequibo guyana venezuela territory dispute
© WikipediaThe striped area is claimed by Venezuela
A vestige of South America's colonial history, the dispute over Esequibo is long in the making, dating back centuries to squabbling between the Spanish, Dutch, and eventually British Empires. In the 20th century Venezuela and Guyana have been trying to settle the matter through UN. More recently, however, conflict over the territory has been tied to natural resources, eyed by companies like ExxonMobile. Last year, a standoff broke out between the Venezuelan Navy and vessels of the energy firm searching for oil in the region with Guyana's permission, forcing the surveyors to turn back.



Gold Coins

Russia purchase brings bullion & foreign currency reserves to new highs

gold bricks compass
© Getty Images / gmutlu
Russia's gold bullion holdings have reached $109.5 billion as the nation continues to shift its growing international reserves away from the US dollar, according to the latest data released by the country's central bank.

Russia has increased its stockpile of the precious metal by more than $7.5 billion in one month, figures released by the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) on Friday show. Thus, the share of gold in the nation's reserves has set a new record, jumping to 20.7 percent from the previous 19.6 percent.

Comment: Russia and China appear to be preparing for a currency reset or even a global economic meltdown. They know the 'world's reserve currency' is worthless. Who buys the US dollar being backed the "full faith and credit of United states Government." shtick any more?


War Whore

In response to 'rocket fire from Gaza', IDF shells Hamas targets

Rockets
© Reuters/Amir Cohen (file photo)
At least five rockets have been fired from Gaza toward Israel, with one landing near Sderot, according to the IDF, who retaliated by attacking an observation post in northern Gaza with tanks.​

One of the rockets landed in an open area near Sderot, causing a fire to break out with minor damage. No casualties have been reported.​

The rockets were launched on Friday night, just a few hours after two Palestinian teenagers were shot dead during the ongoing Great March of Return protest at the Gaza border. Friday's protest saw approximately 66 protesters injured by Israeli soldiers in what the IDF claims were "especially violent" demonstrations.

Hamas declared Israel would "bear the consequences of this crime," according to public broadcaster Kan.


Nuke

Iran activates 40 advanced uranium-enrichment centrifuges in latest erosion of nuclear deal

Behrouz Kamalvandi
© Wana News Agency / ReutersBehrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran speaks during news conference in Tehran.
Iran has started up 40 advanced centrifuges at its uranium enrichment facility, an Atomic Energy Organisation spokesman said Saturday, in a third step to scale back its commitments under the threatened nuclear deal.

"We have started lifting limitations on our research and development imposed by the [nuclear] deal," Behrouz Kamalvandi told reporters, adding it would include the "development of more rapid and advanced centrifuges."

Kamalvandi said "all these steps are reversible if the other side fulfills its promises" set out in the 2015 nuclear agreement, or JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) with China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK, and EU.

Shopping Bag

Singapore to join Russia-led Eurasian free-trade zone in October

Singapore
© Global Look press / Valentin Wolf
One of the leading Asian economies, Singapore, is set to ink a free trade agreement with the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) next month, Russia's deputy minister of economic development has revealed to RT.

In an interview to RT during the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) Timur Maksimov said that talks with Singapore on the free trade deal had already been finished.

"A meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council is scheduled for October 1, where the document [free-trade deal] is expected to be signed," the official said.

Bizarro Earth

Denmark to make military deployment to Northeast Syria - Pentagon

Syria
© AFP 2019
The Danish military will deploy soldiers to northeast Syria to assist the US-led coalition in the fight against Daesh, Chief Pentagon Spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement on Friday.

"The United States welcomes the announcement by the Danish Government to make a military deployment to Syria in support of Operation Inherent Resolve and to continue to share the burden and responsibilities of this important mission," Hoffman said. "Our Danish partners will work with the residual US military force in northeast Syria to support stability and security."

Earlier this year, the US admitted that forces of the coalition had killed at least 1,319 civilians during operations against terrorists in Syria and Iraq since August 2014.

Comment: If the US (and Israel) continues to supply terrorists with arms, is there any hope for 'stability and security' in the region? Islamic State Weapons in Yemen Traced Back to US Government: Serbia Files (part 1)

See also:


House

Home invader attacks head of Russian Election Commission with stun baton on eve of election

Pamfilova
© Sputnik / Ilya PitalevFILE PHOTO. Ella Pamfilova.
Russian Central Election Commission chief Ella Pamfilova was attacked at her home with a stun baton by an unknown assailant. The incident, believed to be a botched burglary, occurred two days before local elections.

The incident occurred early on Friday, when Pamfilova was at home in Moscow Region. Later in the day, she recounted her experience on TV.
At first, I was frightened, then pulled myself together and began hitting him with all my might. Then I grabbed a chair, began to shout at him very loudly. I did not even know that I could do it that loudly.
According to media reports, the official was roused by her cat, which wanted to go inside. As she went downstairs to let the cat in, she ran into a masked individual who attacked her with a stun baton. However, she fought back, hitting and scratching him until he fled.

Comment: See also:


Evil Rays

9/11 and Jeffrey Epstein: Media silence amounts to complicity

Larry Silverstein
Larry Silverstein
As the 18th anniversary of 9/11 approached, the arrest and alleged suicide of Jeffrey Epstein made headlines — and raised questions about the credibility of official narratives. As Eric Rasmusen writes: "Everybody, it seems, in New York society knew by 2000 that Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell were corrupting teenage girls, but the press wouldn't cover it." Likewise, everybody in New York society has long known that Larry Silverstein, who bought the asbestos-riddled white elephant World Trade Center in July 2001 and immediately doubled the insurance, is a mobbed-up friend of Netanyahu and a confessed participant in the controlled demolition of Building 7, from which he earned over 700 million insurance dollars on the pretext that al-Qaeda had somehow brought it down. But the press won't cover that either.

The New York Times, America's newspaper of record, has the investigative talent and resources to expose major corruption in New York. Why did the Times spend almost two decades ignoring the all-too-obvious antics of Epstein and Silverstein? Why is it letting the absurd tale of Epstein's alleged suicide stand? Why hasn't it used the work of Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth — including the brand-new University of Alaska study on the controlled demolition of WTC-7 — to expose the biggest scandal of the 21st century, if not all of American history?

The only conceivable answer is that The New York Times is somehow complicit in these monstrous crimes. It must be protecting its friends in high places. So who are those friends, and where are those high places?

Whistle

China slams Washington for 'abusing concept of national security' in crusade against Huawei

56 huawei
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson has condemned VP Mike Pence's calls for further international cooperation in US ongoing crusade against tech giant Huawei.

Beijing sharply criticized Washington after Pence called on "Iceland and other freedom-loving nations to find alternatives to essentially China's state-based 5G operation" in a meeting with Iceland's Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir.


"This is a typical hegemonism and the politicization of economic and trade issues," said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang, AP reports.

American leaders are making "irresponsible remarks" and continue "abusing the concept of national security" to target Chinese companies, Geng maintained.

Comment: See also:


Newspaper

German policy on China trade won't be decided by 'people who throw Molotov cocktails' in Hong Kong

germany china
© Reuters / Tobias Schwarz
Germany takes its own approach to relations with China and won't bow to US demands and pressure over unrest in Hong Kong, analysts told RT, as Chancellor Angela Merkel heads to Beijing to talk trade. f

Merkel arrives in China for a three-day visit on Thursday. Accompanied by a large trade delegation, she is seeking to close on the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment - but with anti-Beijing protests still raging in Hong Kong, the chancellor has been warned by the US that this is no time to do "business as usual."

The Trump administration has been waging a trade war against China, with the president constantly slapping new tariffs on Chinese imports and declaring that China's economy will "crumble" when he "wins."

Policy not dictated by US or Hong Kong protesters

Comment: See also: