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Germany may opt to join Western airstrikes on Syria if Damascus uses chemical weapons


Sputnik
Sun, 09 Sep 2018 23:29 UTC
German Jets
© AFP 2018/Tobias Schwartz/Pool
German Tornado Jets at Incirlik, Turkey, 2018
Germany may join possible airstrikes on Syrian government forces by western nations in case of chemical weapons use by Damascus, according to local media.

German Defence Ministry has been mulling joining possible airstrikes by the United States, the United Kingdom and France against the Syrian government forces, Bild reported. The ministry is considering the option in case of possible chemical weapons use in Syria, which they presume will be carried out by the Syrian government troops, the outlet said.

Earlier in the day, French Minister for the Armed Forces Florence Parly said that if chemical attacks are carried out in Syria, response will follow, including those from France.

Comment: Another military involvement may complicate already potentially volatile circumstances, should Germany follow through.

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Hardhat

Report: Prince Ahmed blames Saudi King and Crown Prince for Yemen war, may choose 'self-exile'


RT
Mon, 10 Sep 2018 01:19 UTC
Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz
© House of Saud
Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz al-Saud
The brother of King Salman is pondering whether he should return to Saudi Arabia after criticising the King and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the war in Yemen, the Middle East Eye reports.

Earlier this week Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, one of the few remaining sons of the kingdom's founder, told Yemeni and Bahraini protesters outside his London home that the entire Al Saud family should not be blamed for the war in Yemen.

"There are certain individuals who are responsible. Don't involve anyone else," the prince said.

When asked who the individuals were, the prince said "the king and the crown prince, and others in the state". "In Yemen and elsewhere, our hope is that the war ends today before tomorrow," he added.


Comment: The Saudi press release:
The official Saudi Press Agency

Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz: What was published in the media and social media is inaccurate

Tuesday 1439/12/24 - 2018/09/04
Jeddah, Dhu-AlHijjah 24, 1439, September 04, 2018, SPA -- Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud stated that what was published in social media or media is inaccurate. I have made it clear that the king and the crown prince are responsible for the state and its decisions. This is true for the security and stability of the country and the people. Therefore, it is not possible to interpret what I said in any other way.

--SPA
23:44 LOCAL TIME 20:44 GMT
0037
www.spa.gov.sa/1809475


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Vader

More lies? US-led coalition denies using white phosphorus in airstrikes on Deir ez-Zor


Sputnik
Mon, 10 Sep 2018 15:59 UTC
US airstrikes Deir-ez-Zor white phosphorus
© Sputnik / Mikhail Alaeddin
On Monday the US-led coalition refuted accusations of using prohibited phosphorus munitions is the Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor.

"At this time, we have not received any reports of any use of white phosphorous. None of the military units in the area are even equipped with white phosphorous munitions of any kind," the coalition's spokesperson told Sputnik.

The spokesperson was commenting on the statement, made on Sunday by the head of the Russian Center for Syrian reconciliation, Vladimir Savchenko, who had said that two US F-15 jets carried out airstrikes on September 8 in the Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor using internationally-prohibited phosphorus munitions.


Comment: 2 US jets strike Syrian town with banned white phosphorus bombs - Russian Defense Ministry - UPDATE


This is not the first time the coalition forces are accused of using white phosphorus munitions banned under Additional Protocol to the 1949 Geneva Conventions. Last year, Damascus blamed the international forces for airstrikes with the use of white phosphorus, which claimed the lives of six civilians, including three children.

Comment: Considering the Empire's propensity for outright lies and disregard for human life, such denials are highly questionable. The coalition has previously been caught using white phosphorus in both Iraq and Syria:

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Oil Well

US Energy Chief Perry to meet Russian and Saudi counterparts prior to new Iran sanctions

Timothy Gardner, Maria Kiselyova
Reuters
Sun, 09 Sep 2018 10:52 UTC
Sec of Energy Rick Perry
© MyStateman.com
US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry
U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry will meet his counterparts from Saudi Arabia and Russia starting on Monday, sources familiar with the matter said, as the Trump administration encourages oil-producing countries to keep output up two months before it is due to renew sanctions on Iran's crude exports.

Perry will meet Khalid al-Falih, Saudi Arabia's energy minister, and other officials from the kingdom, the world's largest oil exporter, in Washington on Monday morning, a U.S. government source said.

Perry, al-Falih and Darren Woods, the chief executive of ExxonMobil, were introduced on Saturday to the crowd at a Texas A&M University football game in College Station, Texas. All three attended at the university.

The U.S. energy secretary will also meet with Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak on Thursday in Moscow, according to the U.S. source and a diplomatic source said.
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Dominoes

Russia, Turkey and Iran speeding up efforts to drop US dollar from trade


RT
Mon, 10 Sep 2018 11:54 UTC
Dollars
© Thomas White / Reuters
In response to US sanctions, Russia, Turkey and Iran are negotiating the reduction of the US dollar's share in mutual trade, Tehran Times daily quotes the country's central bank governor as saying.

Eliminating the greenback in mutual trade was most recently discussed by the three countries last weekend in Tehran during the trilateral summit of the Syrian ceasefire, said Iranian Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati as quoted by the media.

"We have decided to proceed with further work in light of the agreements reached at a meeting with the Russian Central Bank governor in Moscow," Hemmati was quoted as saying. According to Hemmati, the topics discussed also included oil and gas prices, expansion of banking ties and strengthening of economic relations.

Comment: See also: And check out SOTT radio's: Behind the Headlines: Trump Ditches Europe, Europe Bluffs, Russia and China Carry on With Eurasian Integration

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Gear

Pentagon not ruling out strikes on Russian, Iranian targets in Syria - Tehran to respond to any hostile action tenfold


Sputnik
Mon, 10 Sep 2018 20:50 UTC
Idlib, Syria
© AFP 2018 / Mohamed al-Bakour
Syrian northwestern city of Idlib
Syria's northwestern Idlib province is the last remaining stronghold of militant and terror groups in the country. President Bashar Assad sees the liberation of Idlib as a topmost priority.

The US is mulling air and missile strikes on Syrian government forces if they use chlorine gas in their operation to liberate Idlib.

The US strikes could also target Russia and Iranian positions in the area, the Wall Street Journal wrote on Sunday.

Comment: Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated the day before that the power of Iranian forces should be increased in order to "scare off the enemy," following a series of statements about plans for a military build-up by top officials of the Islamic Republic.
"The era of hit and run is over in the world and any hostile measure against our country will be responded to by Tehran tenfold. We are capable of protecting ourselves in every field," Admiral Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security, said on Monday, according to Tasnim News Agency.
The United States, Britain and France have agreed that any use of chemical weapons by the government of Syria would result in a much stronger response than in previous incidents, US National Security Adviser John Bolton stated in Washington, DC.
"We've tried to convey the message in recent days that if there's a third use of chemical weapons, the response will be much stronger," US National Security Adviser John Bolton said while answering questions after a policy speech.


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USA

'ICC is dead to us': Bolton vows using 'any means' to protect US & Israeli war criminals from war-crime probes


RT
Mon, 10 Sep 2018 20:07 UTC
Tear gas canisters, fired by Israeli forces, fall onto Palestinian protesters
© Mahmud Hams / AFP
Tear gas canisters, fired by Israeli forces, fall onto Palestinian protesters
The US has announced its decision not to cooperate with the International Criminal Court, vowing to protect itself and its "friend and ally" Israel from the judicial body. It also threatened sanctions against the "unjust" court.

Announcing the move, US National Security Advisor John Bolton on Monday warned the ICC against continuing its investigation into alleged war crimes committed by Americans in Afghanistan. If the international court continues to pursue the probe, Washington will ban ICC judges from entering the country, prosecute them and sanction their funds, the official said in a speech before the Federalist Society in Washington, DC.

"We will ban ICC judges and prosecutors from entering the United States, sanction their funds in the United States financial system, and, prosecute them in the United States criminal system," Bolton boomed.

Comment: Bolton stated that Washington would consider taking steps in the United Nations Security Council in order to constrain the ICC power.
"We will consider taking steps in the UN Security Council to constrain the Court's sweeping powers, including ensuring that the ICC does not exercise jurisdiction over Americans and the nationals of our allies that have not ratified the Rome Statute," Bolton said.


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Bullseye

Peskov: Kremlin has no information on Skripal suspects, if Great Britain cooperated it would facilitate the investigation


Tass
Mon, 10 Sep 2018 11:59 UTC
According to Dmitry Peskov, the matter is under the purview of the relevant agencies
Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov
© Valery Sharifulin/TASS
Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov
The Kremlin has no information about the two men Great Britain suspects of poisoning former Russian military intelligence (GRU) Colonel Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"We don't have such information," he said. According to Peskov, the matter is under the purview of the relevant agencies. "If there is some information on this, then the relevant agencies must have it," he pointed out.

The Kremlin spokesman added that "if Great Britain cooperated [with Russia] in accordance with the legal assistance agreement, it would facilitate the investigation into the Skripal case." "But unfortunately, Great Britain is reluctant to cooperate," he said.

Comment: The latest news in the Skripal saga:

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Clipboard

Rep. Mo Brooks: Blue states acquired 20 additional congressional seats by counting 15M illegal aliens as voters

John Binder
Breitbart News
Sun, 09 Sep 2018 16:38 UTC
Mo Brooks
© Youtube
Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL)
Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) says the counting of illegal aliens when dividing up congressional seats and electoral college votes is a violation of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Brooks, along with the state of Alabama, are suing the federal government for their counting of illegal aliens, rather than citizens, in congressional apportionment and the dividing up of electoral college votes.

In an exclusive interview with SiriusXM Patriot Channel's Breitbart News Saturday, Brooks revealed that should the Congress continue dividing up congressional seats and electoral college votes based on all persons in each district - including illegal aliens - rather than the number of American citizens, that the state of Alabama is set to lose a congressional seat.

Comment:

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Arrow Up

Austrian Chancellor's common-sense strategy with Moscow - no peace possible without Russia


Sputnik
Mon, 10 Sep 2018 16:30 UTC
austria Kurz Russia putin
© Sputnik / Alexei Druzhinin
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Russian President Vladimir Putin
The youngest head of state in the EU has shared how the country's policy towards Russia changed since Vladimir Putin's appearance at the Austrian foreign minister's wedding, and what understanding he gained after talks with the Russian president.

In an interview with the magazine Spiegel, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz stated that it is impossible to attain peace in Europe without Russia participating in the process. The chancellor shared that after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his recent visit he realized that the existing issues between the EU and Russia must not prevent or hinder an open dialogue between the states.

Comment: Austria seems to have the good fortune of a level-headed leader.

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