Puppet Masters

Prince Khalid bin Talal, brother of Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed re-arrested

Tyler Durdenr
ZeroHedge
Sat, 29 Dec 2018 19:35 UTC

Among the more notable geopolitical events that took place last week, and which was swept away by the chaos in the capital markets, was Thursday's surprising announcement of a Saudi cabinet reshuffle that moved around some of the key players in the Khashoggi murder scandal (most notably the chief Saudi diplomat, Adel al-Jubeir) and removed Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf al Saud as the Kingdom's ambassador to the UK.

As a result of the reshuffle, more liberals and progressives will move into positions of power, suggesting that it could be part of the Kingdom's plan to move ahead with its 'liberalizing' reforms to try and rehabilitate MbS's tarnished reputation as a reformer. Amid the reshuffle, the king also ordered the creation of a new political and security council (presumably to help protect his chosen successor's flank) and - in a move that is reminiscent of a controversial decision made by President Trump this year - establishes a new Saudi space agency.

Soros as 'person of the year' indeed: In 2018 globalists have pushed peoples' patience to the edge of revolution

Robert Bridge
RT
Sun, 30 Dec 2018 19:03 UTC

Since 2015, the proponents of neoliberalism have been pushing ahead with their plans for open borders and globalist agenda without the consent of the people. The last 365 days saw that destructive agenda greatly challenged.

In light of the epic events that shaped our world in 2018, it seems the Yellow Vests - the thousands of French citizens who took to the streets of Paris to protest austerity and the rise of inequality - would have been a nice choice for the Financial Times' 'person of the year' award. Instead, that title was bestowed upon the billionaire globalist, George Soros, who has arguably done more meddling in the affairs of modern democratic states than any other person on the planet.

Putin to Trump: Russia still open to 'wide-ranging' dialogue with US

RFE/RL
Sun, 30 Dec 2018 18:11 UTC

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow remains open for dialogue with Washington.

Putin made the offer in a New Year letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, details of which were disclosed by the Kremlin on December 30.

Relations between the United States and Russia remain strained over a raft of issues, including Russia's role in wars in Syria and eastern Ukraine, its alleged meddling in elections in the United States and elsewhere, and the poisoning of a Russian double agent in Britain.

Comment: Wow. Something must be wrong with the world when RFE/RL refers to Russian meddling as "alleged"!

At the end of November, Trump abruptly canceled a planned meeting with Putin on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Argentina, citing tensions after Russian forces opened fire on Ukrainian Navy boats before seizing them and capturing 24 Ukrainian sailors.

In the letter, Putin stressed that U.S.-Russian relations "are the most important factor for providing strategic stability and international security," according to a statement by the Kremlin quoted by Russian media on December 30.

"[Putin] confirmed that Russia is open for dialogue with the U.S.A. on the most wide-ranging agenda," the statement said.

President Trump may actually have started repairing relations with Russia and Iran

Seraphim Hanisch
The Duran
Sun, 30 Dec 2018 17:13 UTC

© Associated Press
President Donald Trump spent around three and a half hours on the ground in Iraq on his first visit to a troubled region. (Dec. 26)

President Trump made an unexpected trip to Iraq on the day after Western Christmas, flying in secret on Air Force One with the lights blacked out and military escort jets alongside. The eleven-hour journey concluded with the President speaking to the US troops stationed there, but his message was intended for the whole world to hear. In that message, he delivered several messages that may well have been conciliatory towards both Russia and Iran, while also fiercely - and effectively defending his "America First" viewpoint of the US' involvement in foreign affairs, particularly those involving armed conflict.

The American media, as well as most Western outlets, are almost sure to miss this because of their desperate pivoting to find ways to be critical of the unwanted resident of the White House. However, for those who listen and read the actual news, there is some very interesting information that the President spoke about.

Comment: A very hopeful reading of Trump's Iraq trip with regard to the US, Russia et al. The Iraqis themselves weren't so pleased.

Syria may be will be happy to have troops out of its territory (should it actually happen), but no such luck for Iraq. Trump is a long way from being able to extract the US from the mess it has made of the Middle East.

No pullout of Iraq, it can be base "to do something in Syria" - Trump on first visit to troops

Land of the free? Rights of Russians behind bars in the US systematically violated

RT
Sat, 29 Dec 2018 17:26 UTC

© Reuters / Damir Sagolj; Sputnik; Reuters / Alexandria Sheriff's Office; AFP
(top left) Viktor Bout; (top right) A placard with an image of Konstantin Yaroshenko; (bottom left) Maria Butina; (bottom right) Family photo of Roman Seleznyov

As Moscow blasts Washington for "systematically violating" the rights of Russian detainees and inmates, RT takes a look at some of the high-profile cases of Russians landing behind bars in the US.

Around 100 Russian nationals are kept behind bars in American prisons and detention centers, according to Russian envoy to the US, Anatoly Antonov. The rights of Russian inmates and detainees are "systematically violated," the official told reporters. He cited the denial of medical assistance, unwarranted solitary confinement and psychological pressure among the alleged violations.

The cases of Russians arrested all over the world and extradited to the US have become hot-button issues among the two nations. RT looks at the most famous instances when Russian nationals were prosecuted in America.

Trump responds to Israeli kvetching about US troops exiting Syria: 'We give Israel $4.5B'

If Americans Knew Blog
Fri, 28 Dec 2018 00:00 UTC

Israel partisans have been claiming that Trump's planned Syria troop withdrawal will leave Israel in danger. Trump pointed out that the U.S. gives Israel billions of dollars...

Israel and its American partisans have been complaining vociferously about President Trump's recent decision to pull U.S. troops from Syria, a nation that Israel and pro-Israel neocons have long targeted.

When Trump was recently asked at a briefing in Iraq whether the troop withdrawal would leave Israel in jeopardy, Trump responded: "We give Israel $4.5 billion a year. And they're doing very well defending themselves..." Trump emphasized: "We're going to take good care of Israel. Israel is going to be good. But we give Israel $4.5 billion a year." He went on: "And we give them, frankly, a lot more money than that, if you look at the books - a lot more money than that."

While Trump's statements went virtually unreported in U.S. media, which rarely tell Americans about U.S. money to Israel, Israeli news organizations headlined the statement, some questioning the amount.

Comment: Trump is right. Subsidy to Israel is well over $4.5B/year, give or take a shekel. Since the foundation of the state of Israel in 1948, it has been "the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign assistance since World War II," according to the Congressional Research Service. The United States has provided Israel with $233.7 billion in adjusted for inflation aid between 1948 through the end of 2012, reports Haaretz. [The per annum has increased since 2012.]

See also:
After Bibi complains about US troops pulling out of Syria, Trump reminds Israel about the billion$ it gets in free money each year

Shocked! West totally underestimated Russian capabilities

Paul Antonopoulos
FRN
Sat, 29 Dec 2018 00:00 UTC

The German edition Die Welt reported that the Russian complex Avangard caused "panic" in the United States. Military analyst Andrei Koshkin commented on the situation, expressing hope that this could force Washington to continue negotiations.

According to the German newspaper, the Avangard complex, equipped with a hypersonic glider block, is a "New Year gift for the Russians", and the development of this hypersonic missile system caused a certain nervousness in the USA. The paper emphasizes that Americans will now be forced to "act under pressure."

In early November, the Pentagon launched a project to create a hypersonic weapons interception system, the Glide-Breaker Program, and announced an urgent tender for defense companies. Companies should present their ideas for an "air defense system to intercept missiles with gliding hypersonic block in the upper layers of the atmosphere."

According to the publication, what really causes this restlessness in the US is the "invisibility" of the new Russian system before the American radar, and not the speed or maneuverability of the new missiles.

Comment: To learn more about the new Avangard complex and the hypersonic Avangard missile, see also:

BBC to Russia: Complaint over leaked staff data that was 'shared with authorities'

RT
Sat, 29 Dec 2018 22:48 UTC

The BBC has gone out of its way to voice concern over the personal details of its staff in Russia appearing on social media and on a news site, not long after staying puzzlingly silent when UK media doxxed Sputnik staff in the UK.

A list featuring 44 names of BBC employees - with their pictures - published on a couple of Russian social media platforms and a news website did not sit well with the British broadcaster, which lamented "the groundless publication of our Moscow team's details" and then requested that Russian authorities investigate the matter.

The BBC said it was concerned with this "worrying" and "troubling" development and called it a "leak." The statement seemed to implicate Russian officials, as the list contained information the broadcaster said it had "shared with the Russian authorities." The Russian Foreign Ministry earlier said that the list seemed to contain open-source data.

Comment: By Western standards, turn-about is not fair play.
See also:
Names of BBC journalists in Russia publicized after Sunday Times doxxed, shamed Sputnik staff

Houthis begin to withdraw troops from Al Hudaydah as per Sweden deal

Sputnik
Sat, 29 Dec 2018 19:25 UTC

The Houthi movement, officially known as the Ansar Allah, announced on Saturday they began redeploying from the port city of Al Hudaydah in Yemen after more than six months of fighting with the Yemeni authorities, as mentioned in the Sweden deal, the Almasirah TV channel reported on Saturday.

"Our armed forces have been implementing the first stage of redeployment from the port city of Al Hudaydah since last night, in accordance with the agreement reached in Sweden and instructions by our command," the Ansar Alla said, as quoted by the Almasirah TV channel.

Yemen has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces led by President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the Houthi rebels. The Saudi-led coalition has undertaken military operations against the Houthis at Hadi's request since March 2015.

The UN Security Council adopted last Friday a resolution calling for a 30-day deployment of a United Nations team to Yemen to help monitor the ceasefire in Al Hudaydah during the UN-led consultations in Sweden. In a process overseen by a UN-chaired committee, troops of both sides of the conflict are supposed to withdraw from the area, exchange war prisoners and establish humanitarian corridors in Al-Hudaydah.

Comment: See also:

Assad receives Iraqi National Security Adviser in Damascus

Sputnik
Sun, 30 Dec 2018 17:28 UTC

Iraqi National Security Adviser Faleh al-Fayad conducted a visit to Syria, where he met with Syrian President Bashar Assad, Syrian president's press service said on Saturday.

According to the press service, the adviser delivered a letter from Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to the Syrian president. The letter calls for the cooperation between the two countries, as well as notes the importance of coordination of mutual efforts against terrorism, especially in the border region between the two countries.

The press service noted that the participants of the meeting had exchanged their opinions on the situation in the region and in the world. Assad acknowledged the positive changes in the Middle East, such as stabilization of the situation in the Iraqi and Syrian cities and return of the safety to the region. The Syrian president explained this by the willingness of the Middle Eastern nations to protect their sovereignty, despite foreign interference.

Comment: Looking up? Arab nations acknowledge Syria's victory in war: Bahrain joins UAE in reopening embassy in Damascus

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Puppet Masters

Prince Khalid bin Talal, brother of Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed re-arrested

Soros as 'person of the year' indeed: In 2018 globalists have pushed peoples' patience to the edge of revolution

Putin to Trump: Russia still open to 'wide-ranging' dialogue with US

President Trump may actually have started repairing relations with Russia and Iran

Land of the free? Rights of Russians behind bars in the US systematically violated

Trump responds to Israeli kvetching about US troops exiting Syria: 'We give Israel $4.5B'

Shocked! West totally underestimated Russian capabilities

BBC to Russia: Complaint over leaked staff data that was 'shared with authorities'

Houthis begin to withdraw troops from Al Hudaydah as per Sweden deal

Assad receives Iraqi National Security Adviser in Damascus

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