Puppet Masters
France may take part in the US bombing campaign in Iraq aimed at crippling the Islamic State militants if it is asked to do so. The US is now calling for an international coalition to defeat IS, but the UK and Germany are reluctant to join in the strikes.
"In Iraq... we support the formation of an inclusive government. We will participate if necessary in an aerial military action," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Wednesday in a speech in Paris.
He added that several hundred French jihadists have joined the IS, formerly known as ISIS, and pose a domestic threat that the French government regards as serious.
Although the judge found BP liable for "gross negligence," some U.S. media failed to mention that Barbier let BP off the hook on punitive damages. And that stuns me, given that the record seems to identify enough smoking guns to roast a sizable pig.
Here's a standout example:
Every rig operator knows that, before a rig can unhook from a drill pipe, the operator has to run a "negative pressure test" to make sure the cement has properly sealed the drill pipe. If the pipe is safely plugged, the pressure gauge will read zero. The amount of pressure BP measured at 5 p.m. on April 20, 2010, the day of the explosion? 1400 psi (see the findings, pages 62-65).
It appears the Europeans, realizing the ire that these actions will likely cause to Putin, are stepping back - "We haven't been asked, nor will we do it," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters and his U.K. counterpart Philip Hammond explicitly ruled out air strikes in Syria, after the U.K. parliament struck down such a move last year. So that leaves the French?
Comment: It appears the EU is beginning to understand that continually backing the US might not be in their best interests after all - better late than never.
© AP
Russian Prime Minister says Russia will respond should the West follow through with more anti-Russian sanctions
Russian Prime Minister says Russia will respond should the West follow through with more anti-Russian sanctions
- BY PASSING NEW ANTI-RUSSIAN SANCTIONS, EU EFFECTIVELY MADE CHOICE AGAINST PEACE PROCESS IN UKRAINE - RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY'S STATEMENT
- NEW EU SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA LEAVE RUSSIA NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO GO FOR CERTAIN COUNTER-MEASURES - RUSSIA'S PERMANENT REP TO THE EU
CHIZHOV - EU SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA DEVOID OF ELEMENTARY LOGIC, COMING SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH DE-ESCALATION OF UKRAINIAN CRISIS - RUSSIA'S AMBASSADOR TO EU CHIZHOV
© mediagallery.usatoday.com
Police threaten civilians, sporting new riot gear.
Police threaten civilians, sporting new riot gear.
Since June, the interior ministry has tendered four contracts to purchase riot equipment ranging from shields to stab vests. The ministry also finalized its purchase of a new truck-mounted water cannon, an anti-riot measure used during Spain's dictatorship and the transition to democracy but little seen in recent years.
Despite attempts by opposition Socialist politician Antonio Trevín to paint the purchase as "a return to times that we would rather forget," the ministry said in its tender that the water cannon was necessary, "given the current social dynamic."
The government's spending spree comes as groups across Spain are predicting a season of protests. "We're calling it the autumn of confronting power and institutions," said the activist group Coordinadora 25-S which has its roots in the Indignados movement.
Rallies are being planned to counter draft laws by the governing People's Party that would curtail access to abortion in Spain or see unauthorized protests levied fines of up to €600,000 ($775,000). Months after former King Juan Carlos abdicated the throne in favour of his son King Felipe VI, protests are also being planned to demand a referendum on the monarchy.
Comment:
© fusion.net
Venezuelan police using Spain's riot gear against protesters.
Venezuelan police using Spain's riot gear against protesters.
On the U.S. front...notice the uptick in gear and equipment for police departments around the country and how the U.S. military and MIC have their hands in this "upgrade." Comes with "free training" coupons, a bonus pack of rubber bullets and a selection of undisclosed, pre-arranged events for which to use them.
© Unknown
The war on terror has always been about killing terrorists but you can not kill an ism - terrorism. To do something about the causes that compel people to become terrorists would be much more efficient.
The President has said repeatedly that a lasting solution is political, not military. The speech, however, is exclusively military - not a word of political, psychological or other insights: No, we kill people because we think it is wrong to kill people...
© Reuters / Carlos Barria
A container ship is seen at the Yangshan Deep Water Port, south of Shanghai
A container ship is seen at the Yangshan Deep Water Port, south of Shanghai
The new seaport will be located in Russia's Far East, just 18 kilometers away from the Chinese border and will be capable to handle up to 60 million tons of cargo a year, China's state-run People's Daily Online reported.
The deal between the two countries was signed at May's Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Shanghai, the report said.
Igor Strelkov on Novorossiya, the Russian Spring, war against the West, and the Russian Fifth Column
Today, Igor Strelkov, previously the head of the Donetsk People's Republic Militia, gave his first public address since his resignation in August. Rumor had it that Strelkov was forced out by Russian influence, leading to the changes of leadership that saw the successful offensive actions taking by the newly christened Novorossiyan Armed Forces. While he doesn't confirm or deny that, Strelkov has much to say of importance in this briefing, specifically regarding the real motivations behind the war in Ukraine, its importance for Russia, and the continued interference of the West and their fifth column in Russia.
© Reuters/Goran Tomasevic
Rebel fighters jump away from shrapnel during heavy shelling by forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi near Bin Jawad, March 6, 2011.
Rebel fighters jump away from shrapnel during heavy shelling by forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi near Bin Jawad, March 6, 2011.
It's high time to "sound the alarm about the seriousness of the situation in Libya," Le Drian said in an interview with Le Figaro newspaper.
"The south [of Libya] is a sort of hub for terrorist groups where they come to re-supply - including with weapons - and re-organize. In the north, the political and economic centers of the country are now at risk of falling under jihadist control," he said.
Le Drian commented that the crisis-hit North African state was "the gateway both to Europe and the Sahara." Libya is a short flight or a boat ride away from Europe, with just over 1,000 kilometers separating it from Malta and the Italian island of Sicily in the Mediterranean.
The minister also warned that the country is the region's "trafficking zone, beginning with human trafficking."
"We need to act in Libya and mobilize the international community," Le Drian said, adding that French troops stationed in Mali could be moved closer to Libyan borders.
© Reuters/Stefan Wermouth
Recent polls indicating pro-union and independence camps are neck and neck have rocked British financial markets and pushed the pound to its lowest value since November.
RBS, which has been based in Scotland since 1727, claimed it would be "necessary to re-domicile the bank's holding company" because of "a number of material uncertainties arising from the Scottish referendum vote."
In a statement, the bank claimed independence could have a bearing on "credit ratings, and the fiscal, monetary, legal and regulatory landscape to which it is subject.
"For this reason, RBS has undertaken contingency planning for the possible business implications of a 'yes' vote. RBS believes that this is the responsible and prudent thing to do and something that its customers, staff and shareholders would expect it to do."
Comment: The psychopathic faction in the UK banking system and government are not going to allow Scotland's money to slip out of their greedy clutches. Ellen Brown suggests that Scotland's economic sovereignty could include a public bank option which wisely excludes the Big Bankers:
Ensuring Scottish sovereignty
Comment: Barack Obama, the Surveillance State, and the Secret Team: