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REVEALED: The British government's covert propaganda campaign in Syria

Ian Cobain, Alice Ross
Middle East Eye
Wed, 19 Feb 2020 06:02 UTC
Anti-government protesters in Aleppo
© AFP
Anti-government protesters in Aleppo's Bustan al-Qasr neighbourhood in 2013. British objectives in Syria included "promotion of the moderate values of the revolution"
The British government covertly established a network of citizen journalists across Syria during the early years of the country's civil war in an attempt to shape perceptions of the conflict, frequently recruiting people who were unaware that they were being directed from London.

A number of leaked documents seen by Middle East Eye show how the propaganda initiative began in 2012 and gathered pace the following year, shortly after the UK parliament refused to authorise British military action in Syria.

Drawing upon British, American and Canadian funding, UK government contractors set up offices in Istanbul and Amman, where they hired members of the Syrian diaspora, who in turn recruited citizen journalists inside Syria.

These journalists, many of them young, were commissioned to produce TV footage, radio programmes, social media, posters, magazines and even children's comics.
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Dominoes

Turkey faces strategic defeat in Idlib after failing to live up to its commitments on Syria

Scott Ritter
RT
Thu, 20 Feb 2020 22:36 UTC
turkish army
© Getty Images / Cem Genco / Anadolu Agency
Under the 2018 Sochi agreement, Turkey was supposed to disarm and disassociate itself from the terrorist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Its failure to do so has sown the seeds of Turkey's inevitable defeat in Syria.

When Turkey threw its weight behind the anti-Assad rebellion in 2011, it did so believing that it would be able to dictate the outcome on the ground by controlling the main organized resistance forces, namely the so-called Free Syrian Army (FSA), formed from the ranks of defectors from the Syrian Army and various bands of Islamist fighters affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. But the rebellion took on a life of its own, and in 2012 a Syrian Islamist fighting for Al-Qaeda in Iraq returned to Syria to form a new resistance organization loyal to Al-Qaeda which became known as the Al Nusra Front.
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Sherlock

Trump, Roger Stone, and The Guardian: Seeing through the lies - US edition

Craig Murray
craigmurray.org.uk
Tue, 18 Feb 2020 20:58 UTC
roger stone
© Cliff Owen/AP
Roger Stone arrives at federal court in Washington for his trial in November
The Guardian newspaper has taken the art of obfuscation, false implication and the subtler forms of journalistic lying to new heights in its very extensive coverage of the Roger Stone sentencing saga. It has now devoted fourteen articles in the last fortnight to this rather obscure episode of American political history. Yet in not one of those articles - nor in more than a dozen articles about the Stone case that preceded it over the last few months - has the Guardian informed its readers what Stone was actually convicted of doing.

Stone was convicted of giving false testimony and misleading the FBI, because he claimed to be a conduit between Wikileaks and Trump when he was not. There was no conduit between Wikileaks and Trump. Stone was also convicted of witness intimidation, because once his fantasies got him into trouble he tried to browbeat my friend Randy Credico into backing up his tale.

The Guardian has, in a feat of some skill, contrived to give its readers the impression that Stone has been convicted for Trump/Wikileaks links, when that is in fact the precise opposite of the truth.

Stone has been convicted for fabricating the existence of Trump/Wikileaks links, of which there were none.
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Target

Roger Stone's conviction could be the last hope to save RussiaGate

Patrick Henningsen
RT
Thu, 20 Feb 2020 08:55 UTC
Stone
© Getty Images/Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency
Roger Stone, US District Courthouse, Washington, DC, January 29, 2019.
The Trial of Roger Stone has reached its finale. After closely examining Stone's case, one thing becomes clear: it should never have gotten this far.

Stone, long-time political operative and former Trump adviser, is due to be sentenced today in federal court in Washington DC, for charges including lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstruction.

To the untrained eye it might seem like just another Beltway scandal, featuring one of Washington's finest, a self-proclaimed Dirty Trickster and rancorous political operative.

Beyond the Machiavellian intrigue though, this trial and its outcome could carry some very profound implications. If convicted, his verdict will be hoisted by the American establishment to further validate the RussiaGate narrative, in particular the idea that Russia had passed hacked emails on to WikiLeaks at the height of the 2016 US presidential election.

It's important to note that Stone's case shares the very same fundamental prosecutorial assumptions which underpin Julian Assange's US case, namely, that Assange and WikiLeaks are hostile foreign actors, and not members of the Fourth Estate. In this political hall of mirrors, each piece of the official myth reinforces the other, but it is this perversion of legalese which has allowed both of these anathemas of due process to persist, and that's why these show trials should be regarded as a low point in the history of American justice.

Comment: The risks of exposure dictate more subterfuge. The attack on Roger Stone became one of those layers.

See also:

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Putin

Putin: "No one mentioned Mishustin, except me" - new Russian PM wasn't on the original shortlist

Johnny Tickle
RT
Thu, 20 Feb 2020 18:00 UTC
Putin/Mishustin
© Sputnik/Aleksey Nikolskyi/Kremlin via Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin
When Dmitry Medvedev unexpectedly stepped down as Russia's prime minister in January, it stunned political observers. Especially when his replacement was so little known he even lacked an English-language Wikipedia entry.

Now, Vladimir Putin has revealed that he hand-selected Mikhail Mishustin, despite him not being on the first draft of contenders. During an interview with Moscow's TASS News Agency, the Russian president spoke about his reasons for change and his current mindset.

On January 16, 2020, Putin's state-of-the-nation speech was followed with mass resignations in the Government, including that of Medvedev, long regarded as his most loyal ally. The appointment of Mishustin caught "Russia Watchers" unawares, and most had almost certainly not even heard of him before.

"No one mentioned Mishustin, except me," Putin said, "Three, or maybe even four candidates were submitted. But Mishustin was not on the list."

When asked about the reasons for his choice, the president replied: "I took into account the personal traits and professional skills of Mr Mishustin."


Comment: The follow-up segment, published by TASS on February 24th, is even more enlightening. In it, Putin reveals the extent to which it's indeed true that he personally oversees ALL of the 'national projects' in Russia - and the battles he had to win against Kudrin (fmr. finance minister) and Gref (fmr. minister of the economy) to get anything done:


See also: Medvedev government resigns after Putin's state-of-the-nation speech, new PM appointed

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Dollars

Total wasters: Pentagon IG Report finds $716 million in equipment destined for Syrian rebels left to rust


Sputnik
Wed, 19 Feb 2020 20:56 UTC
rebel fighters in Syria
The Pentagon's inspector general has found that US commanders could not properly account for $715.8 million in weapons destined for the "Vetted Syrian Opposition" in fiscal years 2017 and 2018.

According to the February 13 report, leadership at Special Operations Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (SOJTF-OIR) - which is part of Combined Joint Task Force-OIR (CJTF-OIR), the US military's mission in Syria - failed to properly account for nearly $716 million in weapons procured for distribution to US-backed rebels fighting against the Syrian government. In addition to not maintaining comprehensive lists of all equipment purchased and received, the weapons were stored improperly, allowing them to rust and leaving them vulnerable to theft.

The report notes that personnel with 1st Theater Sustainment Command (TSC) "did not properly store or secure CTEF-S [Counter-Islamic State of Iraq and Syria Train and Equip Fund] equipment at the BPC [Building Partners Capacity] Kuwait warehouse in accordance with DoD guidance, Army regulations, or SOJTF-OIR standard operating procedures. For example, 1st TSC personnel stored weapons outside in metal shipping containers, exposing the equipment to harsh environmental elements, such as heat and humidity."
rusted rocket propelled grenade
© DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
Photo of a rusted rocket propelled grenade included in the DOD IG report of February 13,
"This occurred because SOJTF-OIR personnel did not divest or dispose of CTEF-S equipment, which led to overcrowding at the BPC Kuwait warehouse," the Department of Defense Inspector General wrote on Monday, when the audit was released to the public. "In addition, according to 1st TSC's inventory records, 1st TSC personnel stored 4,144 Category II weapons (sensitive weapons), such as machine guns and grenade launchers, outside in metal shipping containers and not in a facility that met the requirement for storing Category II weapons."

Comment: On the bright side, rust and waste is better than for these weapons to have actually gone to the terrorists they were intended for, adding to the bodycount American officials and taxpayers are responsible for. As for the American taxpayer, this is where your money is going: either to kill people, or to be totally wasted.

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Attention

Terrorists launch major attack against Syrian Army in Idlib, 'pro-Turkish' militants involved


RT
Thu, 20 Feb 2020 20:41 UTC
syrian rebel
© AFP / Bakr Alkasem
A Syrian anti-government fighter near Idlib on February 20, 2020.
Syrian state media say "terrorists" have launched a major offensive in the province of Idlib. Some reports suggest "pro-Turkish" militants are also taking part as tensions between Ankara and Damascus mount.

Citing its reporter on the ground, SANA news agency said on Thursday that government troops forces have been repelling militant attacks towards the village of Al-Nayrab, southeast of Idlib. The community was liberated by Damascus earlier this month when the Syrian Army made gains in the areas controlled by pro-Turkish groups.

The anti-government forces are also pressing towards the city of Saraqib, an important road junction, which was also seized by the Syrian Army in early February, Anadolu reported. According to the outlet, intense clashes continued after the militants entered Al-Nayrab, destroying a Syrian tank and an APC, as well as capturing another tank.

The militants have been heavily supported by Turkish army artillery, the Russian defense ministry said. To avoid further breaches of the Syrian defense lines, Moscow launched airstrikes against the "terrorists." Earlier, reports and videos on social media also suggested that the militants in Idlib were aided by military hardware supplied by Ankara.

Comment: According to the Russian Reconciliation Center, the militant offensive was "massive", using several armored vehicles in addition to the Turkish artillery mentioned in the article above:
Aerial footage published by the Russian Defense Ministry shows a Turkish self-propelled howitzer battery shelling the Syrian Army positions.


At the request of Damascus, Russian Su-24 strike aircraft hit the advancing armed groups, helping Syrian forces to repel the offensive, destroying a tank and six infantry-fighting vehicles, among other hardware.

The Turkish forces stopped the artillery barrage after Moscow contacted Ankara. The Reconciliation Center also said that the Turkish shelling left four Syrian soldiers injured. Moscow also once again called on Ankara to cease its support for terrorists in Idlib, and stop handing over weapons to them.

Meanwhile, Turkey's Defense Ministry said that two Turkish soldiers were killed and five others injured in the air strikes.
The Turkish Defense Ministry claims to have retaliated for the deaths of the Turkish soldiers:
In turn, Turkey, a NATO member which is allied with militants opposed to President al-Assad's government, retaliated.

The Turkish Defense Ministry claimed that as many as 50 Syrian government soldiers were killed in response, and that two armored personnel carriers, and other equipment were destroyed.
The Turks seem keen to neglect the the fact that they're the invaders supporting jihadist nutjobs. The Russians are no doubt watching developments closely, and their willingness to fire on Turkish artillery shows they mean business. Keep in mind Peskov's words from yesterday:
Turkey's President Erdogan said on Wednesday Ankara was prepared to launch a military incursion into Idlib to force the Syrian army out. Russia's reaction to such a development would depend on what goals the Turkish troops decide to pursue, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"If it will be an operation against terrorist forces in Idlib, that would certainly be within the spirit" of Russia's agreements with Turkey, he said.
But if it is about an operation against legitimate Syrian armed forces, that would certainly be the worst case scenario.
Russia and Turkey agreed on the process of de-escalation in Idlib, the last stronghold of anti-government forces in Syria. Under the so-called Sochi agreement Turkey is supposed to use its clout among the armed groups to scale down and eventually halt attacks from within the province. The arrangement was taken as an alternative to a major military offensive by Damascus, which, Ankara said, would cause a major exodus of refugees from Syria to Turkey.
In reality this didn't happen, Peskov said.

"We were satisfied with the agreements that were reached in Sochi over a year ago and the satisfaction was mutual. We were absolutely not satisfied after militants and terrorist groups started launching attacks from Idlib territory against the Syrian armed forces and Russian military sites," he said. "That is when our satisfaction ended."


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Question

End of an era as Surkov leaves Kremlin: Will it signal new dawn between Russia & Ukraine?

Bryan MacDonald
RT
Thu, 20 Feb 2020 20:32 UTC
Vladislav Surkov
© Global Look Press / Komsomolskaya Pravda
Vladislav Surkov
So it's official now. A month after it was first leaked, the Kremlin has confirmed that Vladislav Surkov has left the building. There are divergent views on his legacy, but nobody will accuse him of being boring.

It was the age of big beast political advisers. George W Bush looked to Karl Rove, Tony Blair relied on Alastair Campbell and Vladimir Putin had Vladislav Surkov.

In Washington, Rove reflected a post-Cold War American exuberance ("we're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality"), while Campbell kept his boss on a tight leash, reportedly once interrupting Blair's answer to a question on religion with the words "we don't do God."
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V

Lawyer tells court Trump offered WikiLeaks' Julian Assange a pardon if he admitted Russia was not involved hacking of DNC emails

Dan Mangan, Kevin Breuninger, and Christina Wilkie
CNBC
Wed, 19 Feb 2020 19:51 UTC
assange
© Daniel Leal-Olivas | AFP | Getty Images
President Donald Trump offered a pardon through an intermediary to Julian Assange if the WikiLeaks chief agreed to say that Russia was not involved in hacking emails from Democrats during the 2016 presidential election, a lawyer for Assange reportedly told a court in London on Wednesday.

Assange's lawyer Edward Fitzgerald made that claim during a hearing related to the U.S. request to extradite Assange from the United Kingdom to face more than a dozen criminal charges in the United States, according to The Daily Beast news site.

Fitzgerald referred in that hearing to a statement from Jennifer Robinson, another lawyer for Assange, saying that then-Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., told Assange that, "on instructions from the president, he was offering a pardon or some other way out, if Mr. Assange ... said Russia had nothing to do with the DNC [Democratic National Committee] leaks," The Daily Beast reported.
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Snakes in Suits

'Cokehead, womanizing, fag': New book of quotes by Michael Bloomberg paints a damning picture of Democratic presidential candidate

Barbie Latza Nadeau
The Daily Beast
Sat, 15 Feb 2020 19:34 UTC
bloomberg
© David McNew/Getty
"Cokehead, womanizing, fag." That's the way Michael Bloomberg once characterized a competitor in New York's financial industry, according to a book of quotes presented to the billionaire businessman for his 48th birthday in 1990.

The quote is one of a number of vulgar and degrading remarks, contained in a gag gift presented to Bloomberg by an employee, that may spell trouble for the former New York mayor as he attempts to convince Democrats he can topple Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

The tome, titled Wit & Wisdom of Michael Bloomberg, was published in full by the Washington Post on Saturday morning. It has been quoted at length over the years but has never been printed in full by a mainstream outlet.
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