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Obama: It would be a mistake to topple the Assad government

Obama
© presstv.ir
US President Barack Obama has said that toppling the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would be a mistake. Obama, who made the remarks in an interview with the BBC on Sunday, also ruled out deploying any ground troops to Syria. "It would be a mistake for the United States, or Great Britain or a common nation of Western states to send in ground troops and overthrow the [Bashar al-] Assad regime," he said.

The US president, however, said that all of the parties involved in Syria crisis, including Iran, Russian and what he called the moderate opposition group, can be pressurized into brokering a transition. "But, I do believe that we can apply international pressure to all the parties, including Russia and Iran, who essentially are propping up Assad, as well as those moderate opposition that exist and may be fighting inside of Syria to sit down at the table and try to broker a transition," Obama stated.

Commenting on the campaign against Daesh terrorists, Obama said, "We can slowly shrink the environment in which they operate."


Comment: Why slowly? Shrink environment, not eliminate the problem?


Comment: Obama is backing off, not backing down. He's trying new words to convey his marching orders, phrases he hopes will soften objections. What he should have said was, "We made a horrific mistake and this is an official apology to Syria and its people, to President Bashar and to all who have lost their cities, homes, family and countrymen." It would be a start.


Light Saber

Keven Barrett: Russia exposed US lies in fighting Daesh

Kevin Barrett interview
© Press TV
"If the US and its allies had wanted to stop the funding for Daesh, they could have done so long ago by cutting supply lines that go through Turkey and then mostly to Israel."

"If the US and its allies had wanted to stop the funding for Daesh, they could have done so long ago by cutting supply lines that go through Turkey and then mostly to Israel," Barrett says.The Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group was created by the US and its allies and their "ruse" in waging a military campaign to allegedly destroy the group has been exposed by Russia, says an American scholar and political analyst.

Dr. Kevin Barrett made the remarks while discussing the US-led military efforts against Daesh which started in 2014 in Iraq and Syria.

US Air Force Major General Peter Gersten, who is responsible for all US-led combat operations across Iraq and Syria, claimed this week that airstrikes by the so-called coalition against Daesh positions inside Syria and Iraq have led to the possible destruction of up to $800 million of the terror group's cash reserves.

"If the US and its allies had wanted to stop the funding for Daesh, they could have done so long ago by cutting supply lines that go through Turkey and then mostly to Israel," Barrett said Thursday.

He said it was instead the Russians that carried out the task in their anti-Daesh military campaign that started last September upon a request by Damascus.

Comment: Further reading


Snowman

Saudi Arabia's Prince Mohammed: Women 'not ready' to drive because of culture, not religion

Prince Azzhat
© Charles Platiau/Reuters
Prince Mohammed "Azzhat" bin Salman

Comment: What a misogynistic azzhat representing a society of same!


Saudi Arabia isn't ready to allow women to drive cars, a powerful prince has announced, dismissing suggestions that the ban would soon be lifted.

"So far the society is not persuaded [by women driving] - and it has negative influence - but we stress that it is up to the Saudi society," said Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has been granted unprecedented powers under the rule of his father. The prince added that it is not "a religious issue as much as it is an issue that relates to the community itself that either accepts it or refuses it," Gulf News reported.

Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women are not allowed to drive. Although there are no formal written laws barring women from operating vehicles, they are not issued licenses, making it illegal for them to drive.

Other restrictions faced by women in the ultra-conservative country include being forced to wear loose-fitting gowns and being barred from going anywhere without a chaperone. They cannot open bank accounts, work certain jobs, attend university, undergo medical procedures, or travel outside the country without permission of a male guardian - usually their husband or a relative.

War Whore

The Empire Files: Abby Martin exposes Killary's corporate cronyism

hillary
© AP
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at her presidential primary election night rally, Tuesday, April 26, 2016, in Philadelphia.
Abby Martin, a leading alternative journalist, accuses Hillary Clinton of being a political shapeshifter who is "morphing her positions to try to capture support" from supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders.

In an April 17 episode of "The Empire Files," the investigative news program Martin hosts on TeleSUR English, she promised to expose "what Hillary Clinton really represents," devoting the entire half-hour program to exploring the presidential hopeful's history and corporate-driven agenda.

Under pressure from Sanders' unexpected success in his campaign, Clinton has attempted to position herself as an anti-establishment, anti-Wall Street candidate, as well as the best choice to oppose Donald Trump's open racism and Islamophobia.

Comment: See also: Anonymous documents Killary's criminal career


X

Denied! China blocks US warship from making port call in Hong Kong

US warship Hong Kong
© Sputnik/ Alexander Vilf
Chinese authorities did not allow the US aircraft carrier John Stennis to make a stop-over at the Hong Kong port, a US consulate official told the South China Morning Post newspaper on Friday. The warship requested a port call permit early Thursday but was denied entry.

"[They] said 'no' to the carrier," the US official told the South China Morning Post newspaper on condition of anonymity.

According to the outlet, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that port calls by US warships had to be approved on a case-by-case basis "in accordance with sovereignty principles." The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs notified the United States that the Stennis would not be permitted to make a scheduled port call in Hong Kong next week, Darragh Paradiso, a spokesperson for the US Consulate General in Hong Kong, told Bloomberg News.

Attention

Officers responsible for the Kunduz hospital bombing receive little more than a slap on the wrist

MSF bombing
After bombing a Doctors Without Borders (Médicins Sans Frontières, MSF) hospital in Afghanistan — and shooting at terrified victims as they fled the chaos, and then attempting to cover up its role in the tragedy — the Pentagon is refusing to press charges against any of the 16 service members found to be responsible.

Following a six-month Pentagon investigation, those 16 service members were found culpable in the attack in Kunduz, Afghanistan, on October 3, last year that left 42 patients, staff members, and civilians dead. According to the Los Angeles Times:
The 16 found at fault include a two-star general, the crew of an Air Force AC-130 attack aircraft, and Army special forces personnel, according to U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the internal investigation.

One officer was suspended from command and ordered out of Afghanistan. The other 15 were given lesser punishments: Six were sent to counseling, seven were issued letters of reprimand, and two were ordered to retraining courses.

Star

Body of 'Hero of Palmyra' handed over to Russia

Alexander Prokhorenko Palmyra
© Sputnik
Alexander Prokhorenko
The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed that the body of Alexander Prokhorenko, killed during the Palmyra liberation, was returned to Russia.

"It was a matter of honor for the Defense Ministry to return the body of First Lieutenant Alexander Prokhorenko, Hero of the Russian Federation, from the hands of terrorists," the Ministry said in a statement adding that the officer died while carrying out a military task in Syria.

"The fallen officer's body was brought to Moscow after special actions involving the representatives of the Syrian government and Kurdish self-defense forces", the statement read.

Bad Guys

Pepe Escobar: The turbulent calm before the next devastating geopolitical storm

oil field
© AP Photo/ Hasan Jamali, File
Major turbulence seems to be the name of the game in 2016. Yet the current turbulence may be interpreted as the calm before the next, devastating geopolitical/financial storm. Let's review the current state of play via the dilemmas afflicting the House of Saud, the EU and BRICS members Russia, Brazil and China.

Oil and the House of Saud

Not many people are familiar with the Baltic Dry Index. Yet the Index is key to track commodity demand. Two months ago, it was trading to all-time lows. Since then, it has increased over 130%. Precious metals prices have all moved higher in virtually all currencies. Why is this important? Because it tells us that faith in fiat currencies - the US dollar especially — is sharply declining.

The Baltic Index rise portends a rise in oil demand in Asia - especially China. Falling supply and rising demand for oil will likely drive up the price of the barrel of oil in the second half of 2016.

That does not mean that the House of Saud will win back the trust of both the US and Russia. Deep sources keep confirming that as far as Washington and Moscow are concerned, the House of Saud is expendable. Both are really energy independent (should the US want to be). Powerful Washington factions blatantly accuse Riyadh of "terror" - well, it's way more complicated - while Moscow regards the House of Saud as following US orders to destroy Russia in an oil price war.

Light Sabers

Libyan army readying attack on IS positions in Sirte

ISIS Daesh
© Associated Press
Chief of the Libyan army Khalifa Haftar is preparing troops for an attack on the position of the terrorist group "Islamic State" (IS, banned in Russia) in the city of Sirte, which should begin within 48 hours, according to British newspaper The Times , citing military sources.

The newspaper notes that about 7000 military deployed in the city of Ajdabiya, have to strike the first blow to the positions of the IS. Another 700 military will be to the south-east of the city of Sirte, ready for battle, which in the military is estimated to last at least a month. The troops will air support from MiG-23 fighter aircraft, reported Gen. Akram Bou-Khaliq.

Residents of the city Ajdabiya videotaped a large convoy of 150 pick-up trucks equipped with anti-aircraft guns, which was heading towards Sirte.

The Government of National Unity opposes these actions by stating that they can not only lead to clashes with the militants IS, but also with the military loyal to the General National Congress in Tripoli, whose forces are now deployed to the west of the city of Sirte.

Sheeple

Mush for brains: Kiev blames Russia for Ukraine's drop in GDP

Poroshenko
© Mikhail Markiv / Sputnik
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko
After blaming Russia for inflation skyrocketing to 80 percent over the last three years and losing $100 billion in trade, Kiev says Moscow is now responsible for Ukraine's 20 percent GDP drop.

"Ukraine has lost more than 20 percent of its GDP as a result of Russian aggression. This comes along with the effective economic war that Russia initiated against us, blocking our exports and transit to Central Asia and China," said Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Vadym Pristayko at a UN Security Council meeting.

Pristayko was implying that Russia is violating the Budapest agreements of 1994, where the "signatories pledged not to exert economic pressure on Ukraine."

However, Moscow considers its new trade relations as a response to unfriendly economic measures from Kiev.

Comment: Maybe Kiev should start using those brain cells that appear to be waste. It was Russia who got sanctioned and Ukraine who joined the US/NATO. They should put 2 + 2 together and realize who the real culprit is for their economic losses.