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Politics of Fear Mongering: AfD branch under fire over map showing west of Germany 'taken over' by Islamists

German according to Caliphat

A screenshot from a Facebook post by Berlin-Lichtenberg branch of Alternative for Germany party
A Berlin area branch of the right-wing anti-migrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has faced backlash after posting and then deleting a photoshopped map calling the west and the south of the country a "German Caliphate."

The graphic, posted by AfD's Berlin-Lichtenberg Facebook page a day after the European Parliament vote ended, featured the flag of Germany over the country's eastern states, where AfD won the most support. The five federal states and Berlin were painted blue and titled the Federal Republic of Germany.

In contrast, the west and the south of the country were painted green and emblazoned with a black flag featuring the shahadah, or Islamic declaration of faith. The states were branded the "German Caliphate," while a caption to the post read: "Pictures speak louder than words."

Megaphone

Belgian voters ditch mainstream parties, far-right win 2nd largest share

Vlaams
© Olivier Hoslet/EPA
The Vlaams Belang party leader, Tom Van Grieken, with King Philippe in the background.
The leader of Flanders' far-right separatist party has had an audience with the king of Belgium for the first time in the modern political era.

According to Belgian media, 1936 was the last time a far-right leader held an official meeting with the king.

King Philippe has been meeting party leaders since Monday, after national elections on Sunday split the country in two. Prosperous Flanders voted right, while Francophone Wallonia moved left, as voters on both sides of the linguistic divide rewarded fringe parties at the expense of the Christian Democrats, Liberals and Socialists.

Nearly 19% of Flemish voters chose the far-right Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest), a stunning reversal of fortune for a party recently in decline.

Comment: Some will be actively voting for the far-right party while others will be using it as an opportunity to vote against the traditional parties that no longer represent the people. We're seeing the same happening throughout Europe and it is starkly apparent in the recent EU parliamentary elections: European Parliament Elections 2019: Big Wins For Nationalist Parties in The UK, France, And Italy

See also: And check out SOTT radio's:


Megaphone

China says US trade war is "naked economic terrorism"

china mining
© China Stringer Network/Reuters
China’s vice foreign minister said a trade war will have a ‘serious negative effect on global economic development and recovery’.
Provoking trade disputes is "naked economic terrorism", a senior Chinese diplomat said on Thursday, ramping up the rhetoric against the US amid a bitter trade war that shows no signs of ending soon.

Zhang Hanhui, China's vice foreign minister told reporters in Beijing China opposed the use of "big sticks" such as trade sanctions, tariffs and protectionism.

"We oppose a trade war but are not afraid of a trade war. This kind of deliberately provoking trade disputes is naked economic terrorism, economic homicide, economic bullying," Zhang said, when asked about the trade war with the US.

The comments came after financial markets around the world suffered when Beijing signalled a readiness to strike back at Washington in their escalating trade war by restricting exports of rare-earth elements.

Comment: See also:


Arrow Up

Swiss government balks at signing EU treaty, Brussels threatens trade

Swiss Federal Palace
© REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
People play in front of the Swiss Federal Palace (Bundeshaus) in Bern, Switzerland May 10, 2019.
Opposition from across the political spectrum will make it all but impossible for the Swiss government to sign a draft treaty with the European Union next month, sources close to the matter told Reuters.

Failure to sign the accord that Brussels has sought for a decade and which was negotiated over four years would plunge Swiss ties with its biggest trading partner into a new ice age, potentially disrupting trade and cross-border securities deals.

The Swiss cabinet is likely to tell Brussels that too many issues remain unresolved to clinch a deal now while it battles a far-right campaign to end the free movement of EU citizens in a referendum due next year, the sources said. That looming battle is being billed as Switzerland's Brexit moment.

Comment: As we've seen time and again the EU behemoth won't take no for an answer. Although, evidently, Switzerland's direct democracy has provided it with a modicum of protection because, judging by the current state of actual EU members, any deal on offer is unlikely to be worth it in the long run: European Parliament Elections 2019: Big Wins For Nationalist Parties in The UK, France, And Italy

See also:


Star of David

Israel set for snap elections after Netanyahu fails to form government for 1st time in history

Benjamin Netanyahu, Avigdor Lieberman
© Global Look Press
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu (C, 1st row) and Avigdor Lieberman (L, 2nd row)
Israel's Knesset has voted to dissolve, ending Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition-forming struggles and triggering new elections.

The vote passed its second reading shortly after midnight, with 77 members of the Knesset voting in favor and 45 against. After a third and final vote, the parliament was dissolved and fresh elections called. Netanyahu had faced a midnight deadline for pulling together a government.

Netanyahu's efforts ultimately fell flat after him and ally Avigdor Lieberman, and a collection of ultra-Orthodox parties failed to agree on a controversial military draft bill for Orthodox religious students.

Comment: More from RT:
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to win a snap election in September after he failed to meet the deadline to form a coalition government and the parliament, for the first time in history, voted to dissolve itself.

"We will run a sharp, clear election campaign which will bring us victory. We will win, we will win and the public will win," Netanyahu told reporters in a brief statement after parliament voted to dissolve itself. The vote of 74 to 45 in favor of dismantling the Knesset will send the country into yet another election on September 17.

After more than a month of futile attempts to form a coalition government following last month's election victory, Netanyahu made a last-ditch effort to strike a deal between ex-defense minister Avigdor Lieberman and ultra-Orthodox parties on military draft exemptions. But that attempt has failed, with Lieberman blaming Netanyahu for dragging the country into another election because of the Likud's party's refusal to vote on a bill to draft the ultra-Orthodox Jews into mandatory military service.

Netanyahu hit back at his former commander, claiming that Lieberman misled his voters just to drag Israel into a new election "just because he wants a few more votes, which he won't get." The PM also accused Lieberman of being a man of the left who "brings down right-wing governments."

Meanwhile the leader of the opposition, Benny Gantz, who previously argued that his Blue and White party should be given the chance to form a coalition if Netanyahu fails, slammed the Prime Minister as well.

"Bibi proved again - not Israel before all. Bibi over everything," he said on Twitter. "Bibi was a prisoner of the legal fortress and trying to avoid prison. The people will have to pay for Bibi's failure."



Control Panel

The 'dancing Israelis' suggest Israel had a role in bringing about 9/11

dancing israelis
FBI evidence supports prior knowledge or complicity

The tale of 9/11 will just not go away, largely because it is clear to anyone who reads the lengthy 9/11 Commission Report that many issues that should have been subject to inquiry were ignored for what would appear to be political reasons. The George W. Bush Administration quite obviously did not want to assume any blame for what had happened and that bias also extended to providing cover for U.S. "allies," most particularly Saudi Arabia and Israel. Those who have sought the truth about 9/11 have been persistent in their attempts to find out information that was suppressed but they have been blocked repeatedly in spite of numerous FOIA requests.

Now, eighteen years after the event, there has been something like a breakthrough, penetrating the wall of silence erected by the government. FBI reports on the possible Israeli role in 9/11 were released on May 7th and they serve to support speculation by myself and other former intelligence officers that Israel, at a minimum, had detailed prior knowledge of what was to take place. More than that, Israeli intelligence officers working in the United States might well have enabled certain aspects of the conspiracy.

To recount some of what is already known and suspected, one should first examine the 2016 release of a heavily edited and redacted 28 pages long annex to the 9/11 Commission Report that explored the Saudi Arabian role in the terrorist attack. The section concluded that the Saudi government may have played a direct role in 9/11 by assisting two of the hijackers, including a dry run exercise intended to learn how to get into a plane's cockpit. There was also considerable evidence suggesting that wealthy Saudis and even members of the Royal Family had been supporting and funding al-Qaeda.

Comment: See also:

The Dancing Israelis: Newly Released FBI Docs Shed Light on Apparent Mossad Foreknowledge of 9/11 Attacks




Target

'Highly likely': Pinning the blame on Russia without proof has become trendy - Lavrov

Austria former Vice Chancellor Strache, Vilimsky
© Reuters / Leonhard Foeger
European election posters of Austria's former Vice Chancellor Strache and FPO top candidate Vilimsky are seen in Vienna.
Pinning the blame on Russia without proper proof has become trendy, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said as a new report debunks allegations that the 'Russian oligarch's niece' stands behind the Austrian government scandal.

Moscow's top diplomat shared his take on the Austrian government crisis, fuelled by corruption allegations, against the former Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache. The official was forced to resign after German media published a video showing him presumably soliciting a bribe from a woman who "supposedly" was a niece of a Russian oligarch. However a subsequent report from the Austrian paper Kronen claimed that she was actually a Bosnian student paid to set up the then-vice-chancellor.
It is quite revealing that free media in the West which eagerly picked up the version about the woman's Russian descent... reported very little, if at all, about her Bosnian origins being uncovered.

Comment: The idea that the Russian government was involved is implausible given that Strache has repeatedly advocated for stronger ties with Russia. See: NATO 'Deep State' And Israeli Interests Served by Ousting of Austrian Government


Comment: 'Highly likely' is the new 'proof' when no evidence is available. RT presents a few recent examples:
Iran 'almost certainly' attacked Saudi tankers

US National Security Advisor John Bolton claimed this week that Iran was "almost certainly" behind a recent attack on ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, in the Gulf of Oman. Not one for detail, Bolton declined to offer actual evidence to back up the allegation.

'Highly likely' Russia poisoned Skripal

British Prime Minister Theresa May barely waited until the doctors had examined Sergei and Yulia Skripal before accusing Russia of being behind their poisoning last March. May quickly rallied Western governments, prompting a mass expulsion of Russian diplomats without providing any actual evidence of Moscow's guilt. She emphatically told Parliament that Russia was"highly likely" the culprit. Mainstream media, of course, instantly jumped on that bandwagon and dissenting voices were banished from the airwaves.

Beluga whale 'most likely' spying for Putin

In April, Western media was hysterical over the discovery of a Beluga whale "with suspected Russian military ties." The whale, spotted by a fisherman in Norwegian waters, was wearing a harness, which led to suggestions that some nefarious Russian activity was going on. One expert at the Arctic University of Norway in Tromsoe took a leaf out of the CIA's book, telling the media that the whale was "most likely" trained by Russia for military purposes. The claim was repeated ad nauseam until it was countered by another Norwegian report that the whale could actually have been trained to entertain children. Oops!?

Assad 'highly likely' responsible for Douma

Syrian President Bashar Assad was "highly likely" responsible for a chemical attack on the city of Douma in 2018, according to the British government. The incident was used as an easy pretext for US, British and French bombing in Syria. Surely, they would never lie to us? Well, a report leaked by OPCW engineers earlier this month contradicts the official narrative on the Douma attack, its findings implying that it could have been a staged provocation designed to justify Western bombing.

NotPetya cyber attack 'almost certainly' Russia

Both the US and British governments also blamed Russia (surprise!) for the so-called NotPetya cyber attack which hit companies and government systems around the world in 2017, with London saying Moscow was "almost certainly" behind it.

Several Russian companies were also targeted in the attack and officials never gave evidence or explained why the attack was instantly blamed on Russia.



Bad Guys

'Modern-day eugenics'? US Supreme Court ruling upholds Indiana abortion restriction

prochoice protest
© Global Look / Steve Eberhardt
The Supreme Court has allowed part of an Indiana law restricting abortions to go into effect, reversing lower court rulings and sending a signal to pro-life activists that their constant hammering at Roe v. Wade may bear fruit.

The Court nibbled a little more off Roe v. Wade with its ruling, upholding part of a 2016 Indiana law (passed by then-governor Mike Pence, who praised the decision) that mandates the burial or cremation of fetal remains, defying two lower courts which had blocked the measure. A frustrated Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said the whole law should have been thrown out, pointing out that if Planned Parenthood had used the "undue burden" standard, using the argument that adding burial costs would likely jack up abortion fees by several hundred dollars, they could have won the day.

The Court chose not to review another part of the law that banned any abortion based on sex, race, or other characteristic, including diseases not immediately fatal, triggering Justice Clarence Thomas to defend the provision as the only thing "preventing abortion from becoming a tool of modern-day eugenics."

Comment: Abortion has grown to be one of the most contentious issues in US domestic affairs. We witness both the left and right driving the other to more extreme positions with no interest in reaching common ground. Maybe that is the whole point.


Info

The swamp has no power to drain the swamp

Barr Mueller
If you only tuned into US politics within the last couple of years this will come as a major surprise, but believe it or not there was once a time when both major parties weren't constantly claiming that imminent revelations are about to completely destroy the other party any minute now. Used to be they'd just focus on beating each other in elections and making each other look bad with smears and sex scandals; now in the age of Trump they're both always insisting that some huge, earth-shattering revelation is right around the corner that will see the leaders of the other party dragged off in chains forever.

Enthusiastic Trump supporters have been talking a lot lately about the president's decision to give Attorney General Bill Barr the authority to declassify information regarding the shady origins of the discredited Russiagate hoax, including potentially illicit means used to secure a surveillance warrant on Trump campaign staff. For days online chatter from Trump's base has been amping up for a huge, cataclysmic bombshell in the same language Russiagaters used to use back before Robert Mueller pissed in their Wheaties.

"There is information coming that will curl your hair," Congressman Mark Meadows told Sean Hannity on Fox News. "I can tell you that the reason why it is so visceral - the response from the Democrats is so visceral right now - is because they know, they've seen documents. Adam Schiff has seen documents that he knows will actually put the finger pointing back at him and his Democrat colleagues, not the president of the United States."

Light Saber

Le Monde journalist refuses to reveal Benalla Scandal sources when questioned by French intelligence

Ariane Chemin
© Eric Feferberg / Agence France-Presse / File
Le Monde journalist Ariane Chemin pictured on February 28, 2013, in Paris.
French intelligence on Wednesday questioned a Le Monde journalist who broke the story that became a scandal involving a security aide to President Emmanuel Macron, the latest reporter to be questioned by French authorities.

France's domestic intelligence service on Wednesday questioned a journalist who broke the story of a scandal that shook President Emmanuel Macron, the latest in a growing number of reporters to be quizzed in a trend that has disturbed press freedom activists.

Ariane Chemin, who works for the daily Le Monde, said she was questioned by the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) for some 45 minutes in the presence of her lawyer after being summoned last week.

"I explained that I only did my job as a journalist," she told AFP after the meeting.

Comment: