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Vader

So much 'Murrica! The exceptional nation asserts its exceptionalism in Venezuela

Western left and imperialsim
Washington has chosen a president for Venezuela. I wonder if Trump saw the black humor in doing to Maduro what the Democrats and presstitutes are doing to him.

Few Latin American governments have ever had a government that represents the majority indigenous people or a president who was not of Spanish descent. Chavez in Venezuela perhaps was the longest lasting indigenous leader. His successor Maduro is also indigenous.

Indigenous Latin American leaders are unacceptable to Washington, because they tend to be reformers who represent their country's people instead of American business and financial interests. Consequently, when a Latin electorate elects a leader who will put them first, Washington overthrows the leader. This is the history of US/Latin American relations.

In the 21st century alone Washington has overthrown the elected presidents of Honduras, Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela and overturned the independence of Ecuador that had provided asylum protection for Julian Assange. Washington's coup with the Spanish elite against Chavez in Venezuela initially succeeded. Chavez was in captivity, but before he could be murdered the Venezuelan people and military forced his release.

Comment: Debunking the propaganda and getting our facts straight on Venezuela


Quenelle - Golden

India's Modi rejects 'regime change' in Venezuela, backs Maduro as legitimate president

Modi

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
The Indian government led by Modi on Friday refused to be part of any efforts to recognise self-declared president of Venezuela and asserted that it is for the people of that country to find political solution, rejecting outside interference in a country's internal affairs.

In response to queries on the situation in Venezuela, India's MEA Official Spokesperson said, "We are closely following the emerging situation in Venezuela. We are of the view that it is for the people of Venezuela to find political solution to resolve their differences through constructive dialogue and discussion without resorting to violence."

"We believe democracy, peace and security in Venezuela are of paramount importance for the progress and prosperity of the people of Venezuela. India and Venezuela enjoy close and cordial relations," the spokesperson pointed out.

Comment: Also see: Russian authorities have a 'two-punch plan' to help the Venezuelan people


Bad Guys

Report: US won't remove all troops from Syria - some will remain to 'counter Iran'

US troops Syria
© CC0 / Staff Sgt. Jacob Connor / 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Earlier this month, an anonymous source told AFP news agency that the US has started withdrawing non-essential equipment from Syria, though American military personnel remain deployed in the Middle Eastern country. The troop pull-out was announced by President Trump in December 2018.

Despite President Trump's previous pledge to withdraw US troops from Syria, Washington is considering keeping some troops in al-Tanf, a strategic base in southeastern Syria, to counter Iran's regional clout, according to Foreign Policy magazine.

"Al-Tanf is a critical element in the effort to prevent Iran from establishing a ground line of communications from Iran through Iraq through Syria to southern Lebanon in support of Lebanese Hezbollah," an unnamed senior US military source told the magazine.

Bad Guys

Anonymous leaks Integrity Initiative docs revealing Ukraine's preparations for '100 year war' with Russia

anonymous hacker
The Ukrainian military have been ostensibly preparing for a hundred-year war with the Russian Federation, according to the documents published by Anonymous hackers. The hackers were able to get into the database of the British state project, Integrity Initiative, which opposes Russia.

In a new batch of papers published on Friday, January 25th. The published files contain data that five employees of the intelligence reserve of Ukraine, who at that time were between 45 and 53 years old, visited the UK from July 6 to July 13, and the year of the trip was not known.

Four of the visitors were "ethnically Russian" and spoke English. Two had previously served in the KGB, and had the rank of colonel, two more led brigades, and the latter "almost certainly" served in the GRU. One of these citizens told about preparations for a long "hundred years war" with Russia.

Eye 2

New Integrity Initiative leak outlines propaganda campaigns to make Muslims love NATO, target anti-frackers, plan for nuclear war

minute man missile
© Reuters/US Air Force
A Minuteman III ICBM test in 2017. Leaked docs show Integrity Initiative and Pentagon strategists preparing for nuclear conflict against Russia.
A new batch of leaked files from the covert influence network exposes how the Integrity Initiative recruits high-flying businessmen for intel ops, shows UK Muslims "why NATO matters" and prepares for nuclear conflict with Russia.

With the UK Foreign Office and NATO-backed organization still reeling from previous leaks whose authenticity it has not attempted to disprove, the fifth tranche of internal communications was uploaded to a public server this week under the name of hacktivist group Anonymous.

As before, it features the London-based group clandestinely meddling in various areas of civilian life for the benefit of its own undeclared objectives.

Comment:


Bad Guys

Report: Damascus accuses Ankara of breaching 1998 agreement by supporting terrorist groups in Syria

syria turkey bombing
© Sputnik
Jenderes village in Afrin Canton in the north of Syria after aircraft and artillery shelling by the Turkish Armed Forces
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently recalled the 1998 agreement with Damascus, saying the deal allows Ankara to enter Syria when it is threatened.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry reacted to the recent statement by Erdogan concerning the 1998 Adana agreement, accusing Turkey of violating the accord since 2011 by supporting terrorists and occupying Syrian territory, SANA reported, citing a representative in the ministry.

"Syria confirms that it is in compliance with the Adana Interstate Agreement on Combating Terrorism in all its forms and all agreements related to it, but the Turkish regime has been violating the agreement since 2011 up to now by sponsoring and supporting terrorism, training militants and making it easier for them to go to SAR, or through the occupation of Syrian territories with terrorist groups it controls it or directly with the help of the Turkish Armed Forces," Syrian state television quoted a source in the ministry as saying.

Attention

New leader of US regime change in Venezuela: Trump-bashing, Iraq war architect Elliott Abrams

Elliot Abrams

Elliot Abrams
Washington seems so dead-set on regime change in Venezuela, the State Department has just appointed a former diplomat with a sordid track record in Latin America and Middle East to spearhead "restoring democracy" in Caracas.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Friday the appointment of Elliott Abrams to "help the Venezuelan people fully restore democracy and prosperity to their country." Abrams is expected to coordinate all diplomatic efforts to replace President Nicolas Maduro with the self-proclaimed president Juan Guaido, recognized by the US, OAS and several EU members.

"I left this building 30 years ago this week - last time I worked here - so it's very nice to be back,"Abrams told reporters at the State Department on Friday. "This crisis in Venezuela is deep and difficult and dangerous and I can't wait to get to work on it."

The appointment is an attempt by the US to introduce a direct control of Venezuela as a "future regional vassal," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. "Democracy was 'restored' in Iraq. In Libya, too. In Syria they tried but failed, or rather weren't allowed to. And now in Venezuela."


Comment: A shameful turn of events now compounded by even more despicable choices from the US Empire.
See also:


Arrow Up

'Off to the races' as Trump vows to move ahead with the wall in 21 days - deal or no deal

Trump
© Reuters/Jim Young
President Donald Trump
President Donald Trump's administration has promised to "move forward building the wall" in 21 days "with or without the Democrats," countering the #TrumpCaved narrative dominating Twitter after the president ended the shutdown.

"The only outstanding question is whether the Democrats want something or nothing," Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted as if to confirm an ambiguous message from Trump an hour earlier in which he said it would be "off to the races" if no deal was forthcoming in the next three weeks.


The president, seemingly hurt by the trending hashtag, pleaded for understanding from his base, reframing his decision to end the longest shutdown in US government history as necessary to put food back on the tables of the "incredible patriots" forced to do their jobs without pay.

Trump signed a bill ending the government shutdown on Friday evening after announcing he would reopen the government for 21 days - enough time, he said, for Congress to work on a more permanent solution to the border security issue. At the end of that period, the government would either shut down again - or he'd finally use those emergency powers he's been talking so much about.

Some of Trump's supporters seemed let down by what they perceived as a capitulation by their hero, though few lost faith entirely - many assuming, as usual, that there was a greater Plan and that Trump had an ace up his sleeve. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told a press conference that she hoped the president had "learned his lesson" while her supporters celebrated the victory on Twitter with #TrumpCaved.

Comment: The returns from the public peanut gallery are just what one might expect: each entrenched side has been validated by comprehension bias - something to which Congress is especially susceptible.


Eiffel Tower

Compare French and Venezuelan protests - spot the difference

Demonstrators Venezuelan
© Reuters/Carlos Eduardo Ramirez
Demonstrators clash with security forces in a rally against Venezuelan President Maduro.
The 'Yellow Vest' anti-government protests in France have received limited coverage in Western media and what coverage there has been has been quite hostile to the protestors.

In Venezuela though it's a very different story. Here the street demonstrations are a major news event, despite the country being thousands of miles away. Furthermore, the coverage is very sympathetic to the protestors and extremely hostile to the government.


Why are angry street protestors in France bad, but in Venezuela very good?

The answer has to do with the stances and international alliances of the respective governments. It's inaccurate to call President Emmanuel Macron of France the President of the rich. He is, as his predecessor Francois Hollande admitted on French television, the President of the very rich.

Comment: Political shape shifting: The art of twisting and redefining otherwise equal scenarios to suit a particular agenda with programmed perceptions.


Arrow Down

New Congressional Democrats denounce Venezuelan coup, bashed for quoting RT-linked sources

Ilian Omar, Ro Khanna, Tulsi Gabbard
© MintPress News/AP
Ilian Omar • Ro Khanna • Tulsi Gabbard
A handful of Democratic lawmakers are opposed to the US-backed coup in Venezuela. But besides going against most of the establishment, they are being bashed for committing a worse sin in MSM's eyes - citing RT-related people.

Reps Ro Khanna (California), Ilhan Omar (Minnesota) and Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii) were spotted advocating against US-sponsored regime change in Venezuela, where Washington has recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the legitimate leader instead of President Nicolas Maduro.




Comment: Expressing different or opposing opinions are 'risky' when they challenge the groupthink defaults of Congress. Bravo to those who take the risk.