Puppet Masters
Amid the latest flare-up of hostilities between Israel and Hamas militants both sides are also battling for hearts and minds online. Part of the Israeli messaging effort was a threat on Twitter, on the account of Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), a defense ministry unit that enacts policies related to civilian issues in occupied Palestinian territories.

FILE PHOTO. US President Donald Trump (R) looks on as DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen (L).
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen might lose her job as soon as this week, according to the Wall Street Journal. Trump has cancelled a planned trip with Nielsen to visit troops at the US-Mexico border, telling his aides that he wanted her out as soon as possible, five former and current White House officials told the newspaper.
Nielsen has reportedly been disgruntled with her job, as Trump has berated her during Cabinet meetings and branded her a "Bushie" months ago, as she used to serve under President George W. Bush. However, she is supposedly reluctant to leave the post before reaching the one-year mark.
Ariel Ricker, the executive director of Advocates Abroad, a major non-profit NGO which provides legal aid to migrants, has been caught on tape openly discussing how she teaches refugees to lie to border agents. The video was released by Canadian right-wing activist, author and internet personality, Lauren Southern, and will be a part of her new documentary film project 'Borderless,' which takes on the European migration crisis.
On its website, Advocates Abroad claims to have helped as many as 15,000 migrants cross the Greek border, and 2,500 more outside of Greece. The organization is massive, taking volunteers from major universities, and was even featured in a documentary film by the International Bar Association.
Gaza militant groups have announced an Egypt-backed ceasefire with Israel amid the escalation of hostilities.
"Egypt's efforts led to the cessation of fire between the resistance factions and the Zionist enemy. The Palestinian movements will adhere to it, provided that the enemy does the same," according to the joint statement by movements led by the Hamas movement ruling the Gaza Strip.
Comment: Wow, the Gazans have clearly acquired upgraded capabilities since the last major round of Israeli slaughter in 2014.

A ball of fire above the building housing the Hamas-run television station al-Aqsa TV in the Gaza Strip during an Israeli air strike, November 12, 2018
The Hollywood warriors have insurance of course, and other homes too, sometimes many of them. The hovel-dwellers of Gaza have neither.
The brave firefighters of California are well-equipped and have the wind of hope of millions of well-wishers at their backs. There are no firefighters in Gaza.
The US-led coalition evacuated the other day a number of Daesh* terrorists by helicopter from the province of Hasakah to some unknown location, SANA reported.
"On November 10, the helicopters of the international coalition led by the US evacuated supposedly three militants out of As-Suwayda village in the north-eastern part of Hasakah province and headed in an unknown direction," the agency cited its sources as saying.
The coalition hasn't yet commented on the reports.
Head of the political division of the Syrian army, Gen. Hassan Akhmad Hassan earlier stated in an interview with Sputnik that the US and its allies support terrorists in Syria instead of fighting them, rather supervising them and issuing assignments. To prove the point, the general brought up reports of Daesh chiefs having been evacuated on more than one occasion to safe places by American aircraft and choppers.
Comment: No wonder the US DoD said it would take years to defeat Daesh - the US military keeps rescuing and re-locating the head-choppers!
Saudi oil minister Khalid al-Falih said on Monday that the kingdom would slash oil exports by 500,000 bpd in December, a move that would go a long way to reversing the 1 million-barrel-per-day increase in output agreed to by OPEC+ in June.
It was only a few weeks ago that al-Falih was trying to reassure the market that Saudi Arabia had enough spare capacity in the event of an outage; now he is rushing to try to stop the slide in prices but paring back production.
The production cut would come just after crude oil officially entered bear market territory, falling 20 percent from its October peak.
Comment: Considering that Saudi Arabia's main income comes from oil, they must be desperate:
- Iran embargo falters: Bolton gives India temporary waiver, claims won't hurt "friends and allies"
- Russia and China will "disappear" from oil market - Saudi crown prince's prediction raises eyebrows
- US and OPEC flood oil market ahead of midterms and Iran sanctions
- Saudi energy minister denies plans to break up OPEC oil cartel, amid rumors of partnership with Russia
- "King, we're protecting you": Saudi Arabia tells Trump no more oil
"Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism; nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism," Macron said.
As for Trump's policy of "America first," Macron trashed such atavistic thinking in this new age: "By saying we put ourselves first and the others don't matter, we erase what a nation holds dearest, what gives it life, what makes it great and what is essential: its moral values."
Though he is being hailed as Europe's new anti-Trump leader who will stand up for transnationalism and globalism, Macron revealed his ignorance of America.
Trump's ideas are not ideological but rooted in our country's history.
"Together with the Chinese partners, we have already built four power units at this site and thus have paved the way for further projects," said Vladimir Savushkin from Rosatom's engineering division Atomstroyexport (ASE).
Savushkin told Strana Rosatom newspaper that "cooperation continues, now on the basis of Russia's newest 3+ generation technologies," adding that the deadlines are tight and "in 2021 we are to begin construction works at Tianwan-7."
Comment: Russia is at the forefront of harnessing nuclear power, and, with the energy needs of the planet only increasing, unless another similarly reliable energy source is discovered, it won't be going away anytime soon:
- Nuclear energy to stage a come back in Japan
- Russian scientists isolate bacteria which neutralizes nuclear waste
- Diamond batteries made of nuclear waste can generate power for thousands of years
The UK Prime Minister focused a large part of her annual speech at the Lord Mayor's Banquet in London on fighting the perceived Russian threat, which she claims has proven to be "ever more real" recently. Despite the belligerent stance towards Moscow, May said that London seeks a "different relationship" with the Kremlin - if only it "desists from these attacks that undermine international treaties and international security."
"We hope that the Russian state chooses to take this path. If it does, we will respond in kind," May stated on Monday.
Comment: The list of issues that May has bungled, fumbled and made a total mess of in her role as Prime Minister are numerous. So much easier to deflect from her own failures - and play up to the anti-Russia war party - than face up to the real problems she should be addressing effectively:
- 'Bring her own noose': Tory MP's attack Theresa May using violent language as she faces a vote of no confidence over Brexit negotiations
- Theresa May madder than 'Mad Dog' Mattis - refuses to support US calls for Saudi Arabia-Yemen ceasefire
- Theresa May's 'revenge' against Russia all the rage in trashy UK tabloids
- Not So Fun Fact: Theresa May Leads the West in Stealing Africa's Wealth
- Theresa May's husband's company owns shares in firm that made the Yemen school-bus bomb
- Theresa May's collapsing government lashes out at Russia like cornered rats














Comment: "By way of deception, wilt thou do war." -- motto of Mossad
The PR department of COGAT made a bad slip here. Israel is supposed to be the innocent victim of "Palestinian aggression". Can't have the 'most moral army in the world' making threats to its captive population. Even the mainstream media acknowledges that Israel broke the ceasefire with Hamas.
- Israel launches special forces raid into Gaza, kills top Hamas commander - 7 killed in total, including one IDF occupier
- Israel launches ANOTHER round of airstrikes against Gaza, destroys open air prison's only TV station
Hamas makes a serious response this time:200 Rockets launched from Gaza into Israel, bus carrying IDF soldiers destroyed