Puppet Masters

US Intel Chief warns Israel is provoking retaliation from Iran

Sputnik
Wed, 30 Jan 2019 18:37 UTC

The US intelligence chief's remarks come amid smouldering tensions between Israel and Iran over the IDF's continued airstrikes targeting alleged Iranian military sites in Syria and Tehran's intensified anti-Israel rhetoric.

Speaking before the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, warned that Iran was likely to attack Israel if Tel Aviv went ahead with airstrikes on alleged Iranian targets in Syria.

"We assess that Iran seeks to avoid a major armed conflict with Israel. However, Israeli strikes that result in Iranian casualties increase the likelihood of Iranian conventional retaliation against Israel", Coats said.

Presenting the views of the US Intelligence Community to the Committee as part of an annual Worldwide Threat Assessment, the director claimed that Tehran's purported efforts to expand its clout in Syria had triggered the Israeli airstrikes:

"Iran continues to pursue permanent military bases and economic deals in Syria and probably wants to maintain a network of Shia foreign fighters there despite Israeli attacks on Iranian positions in Syria. Iran's efforts to consolidate its influence in Syria and arm Hezbollah have promoted Israeli airstrikes as recently as January 2019 against Iranian positions within Syria and underscore our growing concern about the long-time trajectory of Iranian influence in the region and the risk that conflict will escalate".

Comment: Coats is more right than wrong here. Iran doesn't want a war. Israel wants regional supremacy, and if any further conflicts do break out, they will not have been the result of Iranian aggression, but Israeli.

See also: DNI testifies to Senate that Russia, China 'most serious' espionage threats to US.

Drinking neocon tears: Trump says Afghan peace talks 'proceeding well'

RFE/RL
Wed, 30 Jan 2019 18:21 UTC

President Donald Trump has expressed cautious satisfaction over the progress of peace talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan, following six days of talks between the U.S. special envoy for the conflict-wracked country and Taliban negotiators last week.

"Negotiating are proceeding well in Afghanistan after 18 years of fighting," Trump tweeted on January 30.

"Fighting continues but the people of Afghanistan want peace in this never ending war. We will soon see if talks will be successful?" he wrote in a separate tweet.

Comment: The neocons are still irate at Trump's decision to end their regime change operations and endless wars in the Middle East. But Trump is going along with their agenda so far with regard to Iran and Venezuela, and he's still in bed with Israel. The neocons might not get everything they want, but that doesn't mean they've gone anywhere. Bolton and Abrams are still alive and kicking, much to the regret of everyone else.

See also:

The rabid socialists are ripping America apart

Allen West
The Old School Patriot
Wed, 30 Jan 2019 17:18 UTC

If there is one thing I can always trust the left to do is display their intolerance.

First, however, I want y'all to ponder this: have y'all noticed how very quiet the leftists in America - okay, the Democrat Party - have been about what is happening in Venezuela? You have a government gunning down and wantonly imprisoning, and torturing, its own citizens. You have a dictator storing up riches while the people of that country go hungry, are without running water, and have spotty electricity. To think, this was once one of the most prosperous nations in Latin America.

You have really bad actors like Turkey, Iran, and Cuba aligning themselves with the former bus driver, Nicolas Maduro. And even the progressive socialist left's proclaimed specter, Russia, and Vladmir Putin, sided with Maduro, and the left says nothing.

Comment: West paints with a broad MSM-infused brush here, completely missing the fact that Venezuela was doing very well, thank you, until it began to chart its own course away from the US hegemony. Then it became a target of the neocons just as Iraq, Libya and Syria were targeted. The countries he decries as 'supporting a 'dictator' are upholding the idea of national sovereignty and the right of a country to determine its own policies and social organization.

Comment: West has given a cogent assessment of US Leftist politics. However, his remarks vis a vis Venezuela betray a shocking ignorance of the true nature of the US' long-running covert attempt to overthrow a government that refuses to hand over, carte blanche, its most valuable resource.

Maduro defies Europe's mafia ultimatum, says next election will take place in 2025

RT
Wed, 30 Jan 2019 18:04 UTC

© Reuters / Marco Bello
A Venezuelan soldier casts her vote at a polling station during the municipal legislators election in Caracas, Venezuela December 9, 2018.

President Nicolas Maduro has rejected an ultimatum issued by Europe which called for new elections in Venezuela within 8 days, saying instead that the next presidential elections will be held in 2025.

Germany, France and Spain said that they would recognize the self-proclaimed president of Venezuela unless new elections are held - but Maduro has stressed that Europe has no right to make such demands, telling RIA Novosti that the next elections will take place in 2025.

In an earlier interview with CNN Turk, Maduro slammed the European demand as "complete insolence."

"They should withdraw this ultimatum. No one can give us an ultimatum," Maduro said. "Venezuela is not tied to Europe. This is complete insolence."

Comment: He's right, actually. Venezuela's business is none of Europe's business.

See also:

US eyes anti-ICBM radar on Japan soil

The Japan News
Mon, 28 Jan 2019 17:35 UTC

The U.S. government is considering asking Japan to deploy a large stationary radar in this nation, to help reinforce the U.S. system aimed at intercepting intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs, see below) targeting U.S. territories, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

Washington intends to sound out Tokyo on the plan soon, according to multiple sources close to the Japanese and U.S. governments. The U.S. government is believed to envision possible attacks by China, Russia or North Korea.

According to the sources, the U.S. government is considering deploying in Japan a new radar called the Homeland Defense Radar (HDR). The HDR tracks ICBMs heading for the U.S. mainland as well as Hawaii, the U.S. territory of Guam and elsewhere, from locations close to the launch.

The U.S. government also plans to use the radar for monitoring killer satellites that attack satellites, and for observing space debris. It intends to share information obtained from the radar with the Self-Defense Forces, the sources said.

Comment: The US also recently approved the sale of Aegis Ashore batteries to Japan, which are used to defend against cruise missiles.

Is a mystery plane heading to Russia loaded with Venezuelan gold?

RT
Wed, 30 Jan 2019 17:21 UTC

The Kremlin has called reports of 20 tons of Venezuelan gold heading to Russia fake news. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov advised the public against listening to rumors.

On Wednesday, a member of the Venezuelan opposition and former banker at the country's central bank, Jose Guerra, claimed he has information of the planned shipment of tons of gold bars, amounting to 20 percent of the bank's holdings. The lawmaker said that a Russian jet, which arrived from Moscow, was ready to transport the cargo.

The statement was then reported by Bloomberg, and then by other Western media. The rumors were fueled by other reports, claiming that a mystery Boeing 777, which can carry some 400 passengers and belonging to Russia's Nordwind Airlines, was spotted at the local airport after flying direct from Moscow.

Russia vows to defend its Venezuelan oil assets

Tsvetana Paraskova
oilprice.com
Tue, 29 Jan 2019 17:15 UTC

© Reuters
The head of Russia's Rosneft Igor Sechin, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela's Oil Minister Eulogio del Pino

Russia will defend its interests in Venezuela within the international law using "all mechanisms available to us," Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russia's President Vladimir Putin, told Russian media on Tuesday.

Russia has kept close ties with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and has extended loans to Venezuela, including oil firm Rosneft lending money to Venezuela's state-held firm PDVSA. Rosneft has extended $6 billion of loans to PDVSA, which needs to be fully redeemed in crude oil supplies by the end of this year.

According to S&P Global Platts, as of November 2018, Venezuela had $3.1 billion outstanding loan to repay to Rosneft. The Russian company also has five joint upstream projects with PDVSA in Venezuela.

However, the US Treasury slapped another round of sweeping sanctions against PDVSA on Monday, in order to "help prevent further diverting of Venezuela's assets by Maduro and preserve these assets for the people of Venezuela."

Venezuela plot thickens... UN should be probing Washington and allies for regime-change crimes

Finian Cunningham
RT
Mon, 28 Jan 2019 19:54 UTC

Identical condemnations from the US and allies and the synchronicity show that Venezuela is being targeted for regime change in a concerted plot led by Washington.

Given the South American country is reckoned to possess the largest known oil reserves anywhere on the planet, that obviously makes it a major prize for US and European corporations and banks.

How dare the Venezuelan government aspire to harness its vast natural wealth for independent national development! Especially contemptible is a socialist government in the presumed backyard of Uncle Sam. Such temerity qualifies for urgent regime change.

It has emerged US Vice President Mike Pence phoned Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido last week urging him to make the unprecedented move to declare himself the "acting president", and denounce the incumbent leader Nicolas Maduro as a "usurper."

In addition, it was also reported that several weeks ago the Bank of England blocked the Venezuela government from repatriating $1.2 billion in gold reserves held in London. That extraordinary refusal by the British authorities had to have been a deliberate political decision, and was way before the tumultuous events in Venezuela last week, suggesting those events were not simply spontaneous.

'Godfather' tactics: Bolton threatens 'serious consequences' if Venezuela arrests 'president' Guaido

RT
Wed, 30 Jan 2019 16:36 UTC

National Security Advisor John Bolton has threatened the government in Caracas that he denounced as "illegitimate" not to lay a finger on Juan Guaido, the opposition figure Washington considers to be Venezuela's president.

"Let me reiterate - there will be serious consequences for those who attempt to subvert democracy and harm Guaido," Bolton tweeted on Tuesday, addressing the "illegitimate former" attorney general of Venezuela who he said threatened the self-proclaimed president.

Bolton's threats came after Venezuelan AG Tarek Saab announced that Guaido would be investigated for "serious crimes that threaten the constitutional order." The authorities may freeze Guaido's bank accounts and seek to prevent him from leaving the country, local media reported.

Comment: Who is Bolton to tell the Venezuelan government it's not entitled to arrest a traitor? The arrogance of the American Empire is on full display, and the world is taking note. The motivation is too clear to miss.

No deal, no money: UK minister warns EU won't get a cent for Brexit divorce bill

RT
Wed, 30 Jan 2019 16:19 UTC

A UK Brexit minister has warned the EU that if new arrangements on the Irish backstop cannot be agreed to seal a deal, then Britain will refuse to pay the divorce bill, as PM Theresa May prepares for showdown talks with Brussels.

In the wake of parliament giving May the green light to her deal if she can secure "alternative arrangements" to the contentious backstop - the insurance policy that avoids a hard border in Ireland in the event of no deal - UK ministers have been ramping up the pressure on the EU.

In an interview with the BBC on Wednesday, Brexit minister Kwasi Kwarteng insisted that compromises would have to be made on the backstop from the EU otherwise it would lead to a no-deal - meaning the UK would not hand over any of the £39 billion divorce bill money.

Comment:

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codis

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ROEL

Telling the truth? What a fucking joke. Liz Cheney is the spawn of Satan.

tekdude

Why, even Inspector Clouseau could crack this case. His first and most important clue was THE GREAT DECEPTION (CB), from there on out it was an...

Solare

The covid smokescreen is slowly being lifted. This is bad. Really bad. I f the US go for this crap it is just a question of time for Canadians...

Demore

Puppet Masters

US Intel Chief warns Israel is provoking retaliation from Iran

Drinking neocon tears: Trump says Afghan peace talks 'proceeding well'

The rabid socialists are ripping America apart

Maduro defies Europe's mafia ultimatum, says next election will take place in 2025

US eyes anti-ICBM radar on Japan soil

Is a mystery plane heading to Russia loaded with Venezuelan gold?

Russia vows to defend its Venezuelan oil assets

Venezuela plot thickens... UN should be probing Washington and allies for regime-change crimes

'Godfather' tactics: Bolton threatens 'serious consequences' if Venezuela arrests 'president' Guaido

No deal, no money: UK minister warns EU won't get a cent for Brexit divorce bill

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