Puppet Masters

US, Russian generals have 'constructive' talks in Finland - details secret

RT
Sun, 10 Jun 2018 14:54 UTC

© USN PO1C Dominique A. Pineiro / Reuters
Gen. Joe Dunford (left) and Gen. Valery Gerasimov (right), Helsinki, Finland, June 8, 2018

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford and his Russian counterpart, Valery Gerasimov, had a "constructive" meeting in Finland, where they discussed the situation in Syria and European security.

Marine General Dunford and Army General Gerasimov met at the Konigstedt Manor in Helsinki on Friday after meeting senior Finnish officials.

"It is really good that the United States and Russia have a dialogue in a tense international environment," Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini told Finnish broadcaster YLE.

The two generals discussed various ways of resolving the crisis in Syria, including the avoidance of incidents between the US and Russian forces operating in that country, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. They also touched upon the topic of lowering tensions and ensuring security in Europe.

"The US and Russian militaries have undertaken efforts to improve operational safety and strategic stability," said Colonel Patrick S. Ryder, spokesman for the Joint Chiefs. "Both leaders recognize the importance of maintaining regular communication to avoid miscalculation and to promote transparency and deconfliction in areas where our militaries are operating in close proximity."

Ryder added that both generals have agreed to keep the details of their talks private, "in accordance with past practice."

Good idea: Trump plans to ask athletes who kneel during anthem to recommend people for pardoning

Veronica Stracqualursi and Kiatlan Collins
CNN
Fri, 08 Jun 2018 14:47 UTC

President Donald Trump said he wants to meet with NFL players and other athletes who kneel during the National Anthem so they can recommend people they think should be pardoned due to unfair treatment by the justice system.

In what he seemingly sees a solution, President Donald Trump said he wants NFL players and other athletes who kneeled during the National Anthem.

"I'm going to ask them to recommend to me people who were unfairly treated," Trump said at White House Friday. Trump's contentious relationship with the NFL reached a peak last year when he lambasted players who took a knee during the National Anthem to protest institutionalized racism and police brutality.

"You have a lot of people in the NFL in particular, but in sports leagues, they're not proud enough to stand for our National Anthem. I don't like that," Trump said Friday, also insisting that players should not remain in the locker room when the "Star Spangled Banner" is playing.

"What I'm going to do is, I'm going to say to them instead of talk ... I am going to ask all of those people to recommend to me -- because that's what they're protesting -- people that they think were unfairly treated by the justice system," Trump said. "And I understand that."

He added, "If the athletes have friends of theirs or people they know about that have been unfairly treated by the system, let me know."

Trump called his presidential power to pardon people a "beautiful thing," adding that "you got to get it right." The President also floated a pardon for posthumous boxing great Muhammad Ali, though the athlete's attorney said that is "unnecessary" because the Supreme Court overturned his previous conviction.

US sought Saudi oil price support before Iran deal withdrawal

Tsvetana Paraskova
Oilprice.com
Thu, 07 Jun 2018 14:45 UTC

A day before US President Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal, a senior official of the Trump Administration phoned Saudi Arabia to ask it to help keep oil prices stable should the US decision on Iran disrupt oil supply.

A senior US official had called Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before President Trump announced his decision on the Iran nuclear deal, to make sure that the United States could count on OPEC's largest exporter and de facto leader Saudi Arabia to keep prices stable, because Washington was concerned that the sanctions could drive oil prices up.

A senior Saudi official did not confirm the call had taken place, but told Reuters: "We were made aware of the decision on the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] before the announcement...We always have conversations with the US about the stability of the oil market."

U-turn? Protectionist Trump now proposes ultimate goal of zero tariffs, zero barriers, and zero subsidies at G7 summit

Conservative Fighters
Sun, 10 Jun 2018 14:09 UTC

President Donald Trump revealed his preference for totally free trade to promote economic growth, confirming reports that he brought up the proposal at the G7 summit with world leaders.

"That's the way it should be, no tariffs, no barriers ... and no subsidies," Trump said, referring to his former college education. "That's the way you learned at the Wharton school of finance, I mean that would be the ultimate thing."

Trump's proposal reflected an entirely free-trade approach to economics, which he said the leaders discussed.

He offered no significant updates on NAFTA negotiations, but suggested that perhaps the United States could negotiate unilateral deals with Canada and Mexico.

Comment: Trump now says he is all for free trade when the big news in the last couple of weeks had been exactly the opposite when he imposed new tariffs. Is he just talking hypothetically - as in a 'perfect world' scenario - or is he really asking for the implementation of hardcore free trade? Is that even a good idea? Time will tell. In the meantime:

Check out the recent Sott Radio Network show on this topic:

Behind the Headlines: Trump's Economic Nationalism: Dismantling the US Empire

US reportedly asks Japan to cut its huge plutonium stockpiles as Kim-Trump summit looms

RT
Sun, 10 Jun 2018 14:36 UTC

Washington has reportedly asked Tokyo to downsize its massive plutonium stockpile, which could pave the way for thousands of nuclear warheads. It comes ahead of a renewal of the US-Japan nuclear pact, a key to its energy security.

The request came as US President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un are on their way to the much-anticipated June 12 summit in Singapore. With high hopes being pinned on eventual peace in the peninsula after years of nuclear saber-rattling by Pyongyang, Kim indicated that he would be ready to give up nukes only if his country's security is guaranteed.

The US, in turn, hinted that it is ready to provide Kim with certain safeguards, with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying on Thursday that should the North agree to de-nuclearization, the US president "is prepared to ensure a DPRK free of its weapons of mass destruction is also a secure North Korea."

Trump calls Trudeau 'weak' over 'false statements' and pulls back on G-7 communique endorsement

Conservative Fighters
Sun, 10 Jun 2018 05:20 UTC

President Trump on Saturday slammed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, saying he was "very dishonest and weak," and claimed the world leader made "false statements" following the G-7 economic summit.

At a news conference held in Charlevoix, Canada, Trudeau announced that all seven countries in the summit had agreed on "a joint communique."

Comment: It seems like Trump knows all the right buttons to press with Trudeau, but it's really all just posturing.

See also:

A short breakdown of Vladimir Putin's marathon Q & A

Alex Christoforou
The Duran
Sat, 09 Jun 2018 12:26 UTC

Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to answer as many of the 2 million questions from Russian citizens as he could in a marathon four and a half hours question and answer.

Personal answers served as interjections to sharp commentary about Russia's complex relationship with the West.

No other leader in the world could possibly do such an event, as Putin does every year for 16 years running.

The Duran's Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the memorable summer Q&A from the Russian President in the video below.

Comment: See also:Another marathon Q&A with Vladimir Putin: God, steel and World War III among the highlights

And for a partial transcript of the marathon Q & A, see here.

'We never left and we will be happy to see everyone in Moscow': Putin on Trump's call to have Russia back with G7'

RT
Sun, 10 Jun 2018 10:14 UTC

Putin attends a news conference on the results of the SCO summit in China

Russia has never turned its back on the G8 (now G7), Vladimir Putin said, speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The latter, however, is now stronger in some aspects, including power parity, he added.

"As for Russia's return to 'the seven,' 'the eight' [G7, G8] - we have not left it. Our colleagues once refused to come to Russia due to well-known reasons. We will be happy to see everyone in Moscow," Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a news conference in Qingdao, where the SCO summit took place.

The SCO gathering concluded just shortly after the G7 summit, which was marred by strong divisions between US President Donald Trump and his allies over, among other things, US tariff policies. The contentious summit came to a head when Trump gave a clear 'no' to a joint resolution. He then called the Canadian prime minister "weak and dishonest."

Comment: The summit will officially start Friday in the Canadian province of Quebec and run until Saturday. US President Trump is expected to leave the summit early to fly to Singapore, skipping the climate session. Russia announced its permanent withdrawal from the G8 in 2017; the group was thereafter renamed the G7.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitriy Peskov responded to Trump's remark, concerning Moscow's participation in the G7 meeting, set to kick off on Friday:

"Russia is focused on other formats, apart from the G7," the spokesman stated, referring to formats for interaction between governments such as the G7 forum and BRICS.

Seriously? James Clapper (fmr director of National Intelligence) says he never heard of Carter Page, George Papadopoulos, or Stefan Halper until leaving office

Nick Givas
The Daily Caller
Thu, 07 Jun 2018 00:47 UTC

Former director of national intelligence James Clapper claimed Thursday on The Hugh Hewitt Show he'd never heard of Carter Page, George Papadopoulos, or Stefan Halper until after he had left office.

"Did you know, Mr. Halper, the academic at Cambridge? [Halper] Do you know him at all," Hewitt asked.

"No, I do not. I didn't know anything about that until it came out in the media," Clapper replied. "I didn't know anything about it contemporaneously."

Comment: Seriously? With Clapper's record for prevarication, how can anyone buy this latest whopper.

Another marathon Q&A with Vladimir Putin: God, steel and World War III among the highlights

RT
Thu, 07 Jun 2018 22:17 UTC

As Vladimir Putin tried to answer as many of the 2 million questions from Russians he could in four and a half hours, personal answers served as interjections to sharp commentary about Russia's complex relationship with the West.

Tariffs are sanctions by another name

"The introduction of US tariffs on steel, on aluminum, not only for Europe but also for Canada and Mexico, are sanctions disguised in other terms," said Putin, noting that both Donald Trump's recent tariffs, and the long-standing sanctions against Moscow over alleged election meddling and Ukraine, both served to advance "American national interests."

"Did they also allegedly annex Crimea?" Putin asked sardonically of the affected Western allies, reminding them that he had warned them of American overreach as far back as his Munich speech in 2007.

Eppla, Elppa, Elp me, I can't meet demand, raise the prices. BS product.

JTF Truth

'' America's police forces — riddled with corruption, brutality, sexual misconduct and drug abuse — have largely become part of the problem.''...

Demore

I live in Australia, but the outcome of that election even pleased me. I hope the Left doubles down on their insanity so that all of them will...

Spur

JP Sears - Why two classes of citizens is a GREAT idea: [Link]

Animanarchy

Is this not a case of, The pot calling the kettle black.

Winternights3

Puppet Masters

US, Russian generals have 'constructive' talks in Finland - details secret

Good idea: Trump plans to ask athletes who kneel during anthem to recommend people for pardoning

US sought Saudi oil price support before Iran deal withdrawal

U-turn? Protectionist Trump now proposes ultimate goal of zero tariffs, zero barriers, and zero subsidies at G7 summit

US reportedly asks Japan to cut its huge plutonium stockpiles as Kim-Trump summit looms

Trump calls Trudeau 'weak' over 'false statements' and pulls back on G-7 communique endorsement

A short breakdown of Vladimir Putin's marathon Q & A

'We never left and we will be happy to see everyone in Moscow': Putin on Trump's call to have Russia back with G7'

Seriously? James Clapper (fmr director of National Intelligence) says he never heard of Carter Page, George Papadopoulos, or Stefan Halper until leaving office

Another marathon Q&A with Vladimir Putin: God, steel and World War III among the highlights

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