Puppet Masters

Abbas urges UNSC to reject 'deal of the century' peace plan: It's 'like Swiss cheese!'

RT
Tue, 11 Feb 2020 18:57 UTC

© Reuters/Shannon Stapleton
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks at the UNSC meeting in New York, US on February 11, 2020.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has appeared before the UNSC, criticizing the Trump administration's peace plan for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and urging the Security Council to firmly reject it.

The UNSC gathered in New York on Tuesday to discuss the decades-long conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, and the much-hyped 'deal of the century' plan unveiled by the US President Donald Trump and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu late in January.

Speaking before the Council, Abbas once again rejected Trump's peace plan, blasting the project as a gift to Israel. "This plan should not be considered an international reference for negotiations. It is an Israeli-American preemptive plan to put an end to the question of Palestine," Abbas stated.

He then produced a map of the "independent" Palestinian state envisioned by Trump, arguing that the proposed disarray of Palestinian enclaves within Israeli territory is meant only to "legitimize what was illegal" and reinforce "the apartheid regime." Such a "state" will not actually have any real sovereignty and will lack any control over its "land, sea and air," Abbas argued. "Here's the plan they gave us. It looks like Swiss cheese."

Judge Sullivan cancels General Flynn's sentencing until further notice

Cristina Laila
Gateway Pundit
Mon, 10 Feb 2020 00:00 UTC

Federal Judge Emmet Sullivan on Monday canceled General Flynn's sentencing scheduled for February 27 "until further order of the court."

General Flynn formally asked to withdraw his guilty plea last month and accused federal prosecutors of "egregious government misconduct." Federal prosecutors then backed down and offered Flynn probation after asking for up to six months prison time.

Flynn's lawyers are still working through withdrawing Flynn's guilty plea because the government asked for an extension to consider Flynn's motion to withdraw his plea.

Flynn's lawyer Sidney Powell opposed the extension and argued, "The Department of Justice should agree to the withdrawal of the plea. Accordingly we oppose any further extension of the briefing schedule."

So Judge Sullivan indefinitely postponed Flynn's sentencing hearing.

Rise and fall of Merkel's 'mini-me'

Michelle Fitzpatrick
Yahoo News
Mon, 10 Feb 2020 00:00 UTC

© AFP/John MacDougall
Merkel's onetime protegee in the end found it impossible to operate as the CDU's nominal leader when her mentor still held the chancellorship.

In the end, the "mini Merkel" nickname was perhaps too big to live up to. Barely a year after replacing her mentor as head of Germany's CDU party, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has thrown in the towel -- unexpectedly upending Chancellor Angela Merkel's succession plans.

Kramp-Karrenbauer, best known by her initials "AKK", said she was standing down as CDU leader and would not seek to become the centre-right party's new chancellor in a general election slated for next year. She said her stint as party leader had been "a difficult time" as mainstream parties grapple to respond to the rise of the far right. It's a swift fall from grace for AKK, whose spell in the spotlight was marred by high-profile blunders and weak showings by the CDU in regional polls.

A political fiasco in the small state of Thuringia last week cast further doubt on her leadership skills and proved the final blow. Not only did AKK fail to persuade rebellious CDU lawmakers there against siding with the far-right AfD in a key vote, she couldn't get them to back snap polls afterwards in the face of nationwide outrage.

Merkel had to weigh in from South Africa to condemn the vote as "unforgivable" -- breaking an unwritten rule not to comment on domestic rows from abroad.

Comment: See also:

Copy the best: Indonesia to create sovereign wealth fund based on Russian model

RT
Tue, 11 Feb 2020 16:18 UTC

Jakarta wants to establish a national wealth fund similar to the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to attract foreign investment to the country, the Indonesian deputy minister of state-owned enterprises (SOE) has said.

An initiative to establish the wealth fund was earlier unveiled by Indonesian President Joko Widodo during his visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to a top ministry official cited by the Jakarta Post. It is expected that the fund could attract at least $20 billion in foreign investment, and some countries have reportedly shown interest in financing the project.

The new sovereign fund won't be like similar structures in Norway or the US, which use it for investing in overseas projects. Instead, the body hopes to raise the necessary funds from private investors, SOE Deputy Minister Kartika Wirjoatmodjo explained.

Comment: Indeed, Russia has already put its funds to good use, encouraging investment in infrastructure projects at home and around the world. The US made a grave mistake under Obama, in walking away from opportunities because Russia. As a business man and developer, it probably drove Trump to distraction.

Vostok Oil project will boost Russia's GDP & strengthen country's position in the Arctic - Putin

RT
Tue, 11 Feb 2020 15:08 UTC

Russia's massive Vostok Oil project could bolster Russia's presence in the remote Arctic region and boost the country's economy, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.

The Russian leader discussed the multibillion-dollar project aimed at developing oil and gas fields and energy infrastructure in the remote northern regions during his meeting with Igor Sechin, CEO of the country's biggest oil company Rosneft, which is responsible for the implementation of the initiative.

"The project is huge and promising. It will increase in the country's GDP as a whole, boost freight traffic along the Northern Sea Route, and, of course, strengthen Russia's position in the Arctic," said Putin.

Comment: Meanwhile Russia is also ensuring it can keep the area well protected:

Irish reunification now on the table - former Foreign Office head

Brian Hutton
Irish Times
Tue, 11 Feb 2020 18:33 UTC

Simon Fraser says Europe has more experience negotiating trade deals than the UK.

Reunification of Ireland and the future status of Scotland are issues "definitely on the table" as a result of Brexit, the former head of the UK Foreign Office and Diplomatic Service has said.

Simon Fraser, chief policy adviser to two British foreign secretaries, William Hague and Philip Hammond, said a decision to pull out of the EU complicates the union of Britain and Northern Ireland.

"Brexit does complicate, in my view, the future status of both Scotland and Northern Ireland, if you look at it from the British aspect," he said.

"I think these questions are definitely on the table in terms of the future of our union."

Comment: See also:

New Leaks Shatter OPCW's Attacks on Douma Whistleblowers

Aaron Maté
The Grayzone
Tue, 11 Feb 2020 17:46 UTC

Bloody cover-up

For the past year, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has been roiled by allegations that it manipulated an investigation to falsely accuse the Syrian government of a chemical weapons attack. An OPCW report released in March 2019 lent credence to claims by Islamist militants and Western governments that the Syrian military killed around 40 civilians with toxic gas in the city of Douma in April 2018. The accusation against Damascus led to US-led military strikes on Syrian government sites that same month.

But leaked internal documents published by Wikileaks show that OPCW inspectors who deployed to Douma rejected the official story, and complained that higher-level officials excluded them from the post-mission process, distorted key evidence, and ignored their findings.

After months of virtual silence, the OPCW has responded with an internal inquiry that lambasts two veteran officials who raised internal objections, attacking their credibility and qualifications. The OPCW's self-described "independent investigation" describes the pair as rogue, low-level actors who played minor roles in the Douma mission and lacked access to crucial evidence. In a briefing to member states, OPCW Director General Fernando Arias dismissed them as disgruntled ex-employees. The two "are not whistle-blowers," Arias said. "They are individuals who could not accept that their views were not backed by evidence."

Comment: And the OPCW is equally determined to snuff out that light. RT's Murad Gadziev explains how the UN chemical warfare watchdog is responding to this farce:

For more on this story, see:

'Stop your cyber intrusion & surveillance,' China tells US after indictment of Chinese military in Equifax hack

RT
Tue, 11 Feb 2020 17:32 UTC

Unlike the US itself, China does not engage in cyberattacks on foreign companies, a Chinese official has said after the US indicted four Chinese military officers over the 2017 breach of the Equifax credit reporting agency.

The US Department of Justice has formally charged four members of China's People's Liberation Army of stealing personal data of some 147.9 million Equifax customers after getting access through a software vulnerability which the company failed to patch.

The Chinese government denied any involvement in the Equifax hack, saying its civilian and military personnel "never engage in cyber theft of trade secrets," according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang.

Comment: Previously: Four Chinese military hackers charged with massive 2017 Equifax breach

Soleimani could have 'easily' killed American commanders ANYWHERE in Middle East...but chose stability - Rouhani

RT
Mon, 10 Feb 2020 17:30 UTC

Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated by a US drone strike in Iraq, was more than capable of targeting American commanders in the Middle East, but he wanted calm in the region, Iran's president has claimed.

The leader of the elite Quds Force had pursued "stability and calm in the region," Hassan Rouhani said on Monday in a speech broadcast live on state TV.

"If commander Soleimani wanted to kill American generals it would have been very, very easy for him, in Afghanistan, Iraq and any other place. He never did that," stated Rouhani.

Is Pete Buttigieg the Israel lobby's choice for US President?

Philip Giraldi
The Unz Review
Tue, 11 Feb 2020 00:00 UTC

Cyberwarfare began in Iowa

Many Americans might consider it decidedly odd that the recent impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump also featured constant vilification of President Vladimir Putin, to such an extent that one might have though that the Russian leader was also in the dock awaiting sentencing. The irony is, of course, that while "Russian interference" has virtually become a cliché, its actual impact on the 2016 election outcome was less than negligible.

Russia was cited seemingly incessantly by House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff, to include the always useful assertion that "if we don't fight them over there [in Ukraine] we'll have to fight them over here." Even more ridiculous, Schiff suggested that if Trump were to lose the presidential election later this year, he might well refuse to accept the result and could be supported by an invading Russian army.

Senator Charles Schumer of New York delivered one of the more astonishing pre-impeachment vote diatribes, tying Trump to foreign interests. He said "No greater subversion of our democracy than for foreign powers to determine or elections... My fellow Americans, asking for foreign interference in our elections is a high crime. Our Nation was founded on the idea of truth." Yet the same Schumer brazenly claims that he is the "protector" of Israel in the U.S. Senate, that his surname is derived from the Hebrew "shomer" which means "guardian."

Comment: See also:

Vaya con Satan, Colin. Powell was generally highly regarded by Reps, Dems, and independents before and after he joined the GW Bush administration....

sottreader

If these cops strike just watch how fast she comes around. These bureaucrats and politicians are paper tigers without the cops to protect them. If...

bbrebozo

It's that time of year again.....[Link]

JTF Truth

Clowns they all are...[Link]

JTF Truth

XPan, you're not alone. Watch this. "No you're not crazy for standing firm: the rest of the worid is nuts!" Patriot Nurse on U Tube. I can't get...

ReRan

Puppet Masters

Abbas urges UNSC to reject 'deal of the century' peace plan: It's 'like Swiss cheese!'

Judge Sullivan cancels General Flynn's sentencing until further notice

Rise and fall of Merkel's 'mini-me'

Copy the best: Indonesia to create sovereign wealth fund based on Russian model

Vostok Oil project will boost Russia's GDP & strengthen country's position in the Arctic - Putin

Irish reunification now on the table - former Foreign Office head

New Leaks Shatter OPCW's Attacks on Douma Whistleblowers

'Stop your cyber intrusion & surveillance,' China tells US after indictment of Chinese military in Equifax hack

Soleimani could have 'easily' killed American commanders ANYWHERE in Middle East...but chose stability - Rouhani

Is Pete Buttigieg the Israel lobby's choice for US President?

Latest News

Picture of the Day

Quote of the Day

Recent Comments

Quantum Quirk

Contact Us