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Western aggression in ME heats up: B-52 bombers, F-15 fighters fly first deterrence sorties pointed at Iran

Kyle Rempfer
Air Force Times
Mon, 13 May 2019 16:41 UTC
Airmen from the 20th Bomb Squadron
© Airman Jacob B. Wrightsman/Air Force
Airmen from the 20th Bomb Squadron prepare to board a B-52H Stratofortress before a Bomber Task Force deployment from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., May 7
The Air Force began flying deterrence missions in the Middle East Saturday, aimed at what the Pentagon has called threats from Iran.

B-52H Stratofortress bombers from the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, touched down at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Thursday, according to Air Force Central Command.

Air Force F-15C Eagles also flew deterrence missions on Saturday and were refueled by a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 28th Expeditionary Aerial Refueling Squadron at an undisclosed location. The 28th EARS maintains a presence across AFCENT's area of responsibility, including in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan.

The F-15Cs deployed to an undisclosed location in the Middle East on Wednesday. F-35A Lightning IIs are also in theater.

"We will not discuss mission specifics," said Air Force Maj. Holly Brauer, an AFCENT spokesperson. "They have begun flying deterrence missions in the region, including over the Arabian Gulf."
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Chess

Pompeo meets Lavrov: Says Trump wants to improve relations with Russia


RT
Tue, 14 May 2019 12:53 UTC
Mike Pompeo and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
© Reuters / Pool / Pavel Golovkin
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have sat down to talks in Sochi, Russia. Although both officials welcomed the chance to thaw Russia-US relations, they have much to discuss first.

Speaking before the meeting on Tuesday, Lavrov stated that "it is time to build a new, more constructive and responsible" relationship between Washington and Moscow. "It's not destiny that we're adversaries on every issue," Pompeo added, touting the cooperation between both nations on counterterrorism issues.

"I'm here today because President [Donald] Trump is committed to improving this relationship," Pompeo said. "I hope that we can find places where we have a set of overlapping interests, and can truly begin to build out strong relationships."


Comment: Poor Lavrov. He has to continue extending his hand for rational reasonable discussion knowing full well that, even if Trump's attempts at detente are sincere, the larger body of the insane and power-mad in Washington will continue to push for US aggression towards Russia and her national interests. And there's nothing Russia can do about it but prepare as well as it can.

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Snakes in Suits

Pompeo: Iran is active threat but we're willing to talk

Everett Rosenfeld
CNBC
Sat, 11 May 2019 09:30 UTC
Pompeo
© Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
Iran is an active threat to American interests as it sows chaos in the Middle East, but the White House would "of course" welcome the opportunity to negotiate with Tehran, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Saturday.

Speaking with CNBC's Hadley Gamble, America's top diplomat said he's seeing increased threats from Iran, and that President Donald Trump's administration is reinforcing its capacity to respond to any offensive action from Iran. That's why, according to Pompeo, the U.S. deployed a carrier strike group and other weaponry to the region:
"We've done all the right things to increase our security posture to the best of our ability, but we also want to make sure that we had deterrent forces in place, so in the event that Iran decided to come after an American interest - whether that be in Iraq, or Afghanistan, or Yemen, or any place in the Middle East - we were prepared to respond to them in an appropriate way. "
Despite the greater military presence in the region, the secretary of state stressed that the U.S. isn't looking for a fight - and it wouldn't stumble into one either.


Comment: There is nothing genuine about Pompeo's posturing except his desire to provide enough provocation to cause a reaction from Iran. The 'token phone call' is merely window dressing. Perhaps Iran should 'call the bluff'.

See also:

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Bad Guys

Iranian FM warns of US false flag plotting in region


FARS News Agency
Tue, 14 May 2019 16:15 UTC
Zarif
© AFP 2019/Atta Kenare
Iranian FM Javad Zarif
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned of plots by a number of radical officials in the US administration to launch false-flag operations in the region, apparently alluding to the recent ship attacks in the UAE that Washington and its Persian Gulf allies are attempting to blame on Tehran.

"We discussed the regional issues and dangers that the policies of extremist individuals in the US administration are trying to impose on the region as well as concerns about the suspicious and sabotage acts that happen in our region, and we had earlier predicted that they will adopt such measures to provoke tensions," Zarif told reporters in New Delhi on Tuesday after a meeting with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj.

The Iranian top diplomat also added that he and Swaraj conferred on issues related to energy, Chabahar port, good relations and trade between the two countries, developments in Afghanistan and fight against terrorism.
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Light Sabers

Yemeni's army drone squadron bombs vital Saudi oil facilities


Farsnews
Tue, 14 May 2019 21:04 UTC
oil tanker
Seven drones of Yemen's armed forces carried out airstrikes on vital Saudi oil facilities in Yanba' region after flying deep into the rich Arab nation's airspace on Tuesday.

"The extensive military operation was conducted in retaliation for Saudi Arabia's aggression and siege of the impoverished Arabian Peninsula state," a Yemeni military source told Al-Masirah TV on Tuesday.

The official stated that Yemeni fighters stand ready "to execute more significant and tough strikes as long as the siege continues".

Al-Alam news network, meanwhile, claimed that the goals have likely been oil-related and economic targets in the Red Sea port of Yanbu in the Al-Madinah province in Western Saudi Arabia.

Citing Yemen's defense ministry, Al-Mayadeen TV Chanel reported that seven drones penetrated deep into Saudi Arabia and targeted large-scale vital facilities.

Comment: While the Yemeni military has taken credit for the attack on Saudi oil infrastructure, the attack on Sunday on Saudi oil tankers off the UAE coast has not been claimed by Yemeni or Iranian sources. In fact, an Iranian lawmaker has claimed that those attacks were the result of "Israeli mischief".

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Attention

Guatemala intel secretary: Economic migrants arriving in US 'weaponized as picketing mob' for open borders

John Binder
Breitbart
Sat, 11 May 2019 16:15 UTC
migrants
© AP Photo/Moises Castillo
Guatemala's Secretary of Strategic Intelligence Mario Duarte says migrants arriving at the United States-Mexico border are coming to the country for economic reasons and have been "weaponized" as a "picketing mob" for international open borders organizations.

In an exclusive interview with SiriusXM Patriot's Breitbart News Saturday, Duarte said the truth about illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border is that most migrants are looking for jobs, not asylum, and that the lack of opportunity in Central America is largely due to globalization.

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Snakes in Suits

US Senate threatens to sanction companies assisting construction of Russia and Germany's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline

Amy Mackinnon, Robbie Gramer
Foreign Policy
Mon, 13 May 2019 16:56 UTC
US Capitol building
Washington and Berlin face off again over Nord Stream 2 as European ships are targeted.

In the latest uptick of trans-Atlantic tensions, European ships involved in the construction of a controversial gas pipeline from Russia to Germany could be subject to U.S. sanctions under a new bipartisan bill that will be introduced in the U.S. Senate as early as Monday.

The bill, sponsored by Sens. Ted Cruz, a Republican, and Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, would sanction companies involved in laying deep-sea pipelines for Russian energy projects, taking direct aim at the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which has emerged as a major source of tension between the United States and Germany. Foreign Policy obtained a draft copy of the bill.

Critics say the Nord Stream 2 project, which would double the amount of Russian gas piped to Germany via the Baltic Sea, makes little commercial sense and is a geopolitical power play by Moscow to exert energy leverage over Western Europe. Countries such as Poland and the Baltic states have joined the United States in opposing the pipeline. They also warn it could destabilize Ukraine as it wages war against Russian-backed separatists in the east of the country. Despite the conflict, the Ukrainian government relies heavily for revenue on transit fees for Russian gas going into Europe.

Comment: All the pain delivered by belligerent US sanctions in its attempt to bend the world to its will - has not - and will not succeed. While Russia, Germany, China, Iran and other nations are working to make economic inroads with good deals and construction, the US continues to flounder and beat the sanction war drum.

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Blue Planet

Another Chinese humanitarian aid cargo plane spotted landing in Venezuela


RT
Mon, 13 May 2019 20:05 UTC
china humanitarian aid

A screenshot from www.flightradar24.com
China has sent another shipment of humanitarian aid to Venezuela, reports claim, as flight tracker data and footage from the ground show a cargo plane landed. Beijing sent tons of medicine to the sanctions-hit country in April.

The Suparna Airlines (formerly Yangtze River Express) flight reportedly left Shanghai on Monday, making a stopover in Madrid before arriving at the Maiquetía Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas. Suparna Airlines was established in 2003 and is the second-largest cargo airline in China after China Cargo Airlines.


Comment: At least Madrid allowed the Chinese to stopover unlike Malta: 'At least applauding keeps your hands off the trigger': Russia claps back at US praise for Malta's refusal to let planes land on route to Venezuela


Pedro Mario Burelli, the former director of Petroleos de Venezuela, first highlighted the shipment on Twitter, posting a screenshot of the flight path from the FlightRadar24 website. According to the flight-tracking website, the flight which originated in Shanghai landed in Caracas at 1:09pm local time.

Comment: By providing aid, assistance and continuing to do business with the Venezuelan government, Russia and China are making it clear that they will not stand idly by while the US attempts to subvert democracy in the country:

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Jet4

Paul Craig Roberts: Trump is being set-up for war with Iran

Paul Craig Roberts
Paulcraigroberts.org
Tue, 14 May 2019 00:00 UTC
The Economist on US-Iran Collision course

. . . and how the Economist is covering it.
Trump destroyed his chance at being a successful president by the stupid appointments he has made. At the moment he is being set up by his national security advisor John Bolton and Israel for a war with Iran.

Using the same format of lies that was used against Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Venezuela, Bolton has accused Iran of "troubling and escalatory indications" of a forthcoming Iranian attack on American forces in the Middle East. To help protect against the attack, Bolton has ordered Patriot missile batteries, an aircraft carrier strike group, and a bomber strike force to the region.

Even the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, pointed out that Bolton failed to identify the "troubling and escalatory" Iranian actions. No one else has seen any sign of them.

The reason for the Patriot missiles is not to deter Iran from an attack, but to prevent successful Iranian response to an attack on Iran.

Comment: While saber rattling is reaching a feverish pitch across the MSN spectrum, both Russia and China would certainly not necessarily sit still on the sidelines should things further escalate. As for Bolton:

Devotee Bolton's MEK connection and why it matters

Patrick J. Buchanan had this to say from back in January: Lunatic neocon John Bolton is steering Trump into war with Iran

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Chess

As Rosenstein departs, the battlefield is now ready

Brian Cates
The Epoch Times
Mon, 13 May 2019 19:52 UTC
Rod Rosenstein
© Reuters
Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein
Commentary

The Department of Justice on May 9 held a going-away ceremony for Rod Rosenstein, who is leaving after having served probably the most crucial role in the Trump administration for the past two years.

As Rosenstein makes his long-anticipated departure as deputy attorney general, the final pieces are moving into position on the battlefield that President Donald Trump has been carefully preparing for more than two years.

As I wrote in my column, Trump Continues to Prepare the Battlefield, on Jan. 18, it was absolutely of paramount importance that Rosenstein leave the Justice Department (DOJ) before the prosecution phase of Spygate could begin. This is what I wrote:
"William Barr is coming in now to take over the next phase, while [Jeff] Sessions is free to appear as a witness and testify about what McCabe and the other plotters told him at the time they were trying to entrap him.

Do you know who would also have to leave his current job at the DOJ to be a participant in these prosecutions? Because like Sessions, he's involved a lot of this as a witness? Rod Rosenstein."
While you are in the role of being called as a witness in certain criminal cases, you can't also be in a position of authority over those selfsame cases. That's why both Sessions and Rosenstein had to leave the DOJ before the prosecution phase could be launched.
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