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Ten facts the mainstream media won't tell you about the war in Syria

Darius Shahtahmasebi
AntiMedia
Wed, 03 Aug 2016 12:20 UTC
Machine gun
Corporate media regularly attempts to present Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria as solely responsible for the ongoing conflict in the region. The media does report on events that contradict this narrative — albeit sparingly — but taken together, these underreported details shine a new light on the conflict.

10: Bashar al-Assad has a higher approval rating than Barack Obama

Despite Obama's claims Assad is illegitimate and must step down, the fact remains that since the conflict erupted in 2011, Assad has held the majority support of his people. The elections in 2014 - which Assad won by a landslide with international observers claiming no violations - is a testament to the fact that although Assad has been accused of serious human rights violations, he continues to remain reasonably popular with the Syrian people.

Obama, on the other hand, won elections in 2012 with a voter turnout of a mere 53.6 percent of the American public; only 129.1 million total were votes cast. This means approximately 189.8 million American people did not vote for Obama. His current approval rating sits at about 50 percent.
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Bomb

The Trans-Pacific Partnership and the reason mainstream media is silent about it

Claire Bernish
True Activist
Thu, 04 Aug 2016 12:10 UTC
Trans Pacific Partnership
After two years with nary a mention from the mainstream press, the corporate windfall otherwise known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) finally earned some, albeit still inadequate, attention.

Considering a New York Times poll from June 2015, which found an alarming 78 percent of respondents had no substantial knowledge of the looming agreement — 30 percent said they hadn't heard or read much about it, while 48 percent had zero knowledge of it whatsoever — the dearth in coverage by mainstream media allowed the TPP to go virtually unnoticed by the public it directly affects.

From August 1, 2013 through January 31, 2015, Media Matters for America tracked how often the TPP earned a mention from the Big Three major cable news outlets: CNN, Fox, and MSNBC. During that lengthy period, CNN and Fox acknowledged the TPP just one time each — and while MSNBC appeared more on the ball, with 73 mentions, the now-canceled The Ed Show was responsible for 71 of those.

While it might seem remiss, if not wholly irresponsible, for such an expansive international trade agreement to escape the mainstream media's attention, the omission wasn't unintentional.

Comment: Further reading:

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Display

Another shot fired in the information war against Russia

Paul R
Irussianality
Wed, 03 Aug 2016 00:00 UTC
info war
In recent weeks, fear of 'Russian propaganda', 'disinformation', and 'information warfare' has reached somewhat hysterical proportions, as seen most clearly in the case of alleged links between Russian hackers and US presidential candidate Donald Trump. Yesterday, British information warriors Edward Lucas and Peter Pomerantsev joined in with a report published by the Center for European Policy Analysis entitled Winning the Information War: Techniques and Counter-strategies to Russian Propaganda in Central and Eastern Europe.

The report is pretty much standard Lucas/Pomerantsev fare: Russia, they write, 'regards the post-1989 settlement of Europe as both deplorable and temporary. It sees democracies and open societies as a threat, because they may "infect" Russia with their ideas. It aims to undermine a rules-based multilateral security order in Europe that it regards as unfair and unsustainable.' To this end Russia is using disinformation against the West, 'overtly - through foreign-language television ... and covertly, using notionally independent journalists, experts and commentators'. Moscow's aim, say Lucas and Pomerantsev, is 'not to convince or persuade, but rather to undermine. Instead of agitating audiences into action, it seeks to keep them hooked and distracted, passive and paranoid.'
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HRC Blue

Psychopaths! Israeli lawmakers legalize imprisonment of Palestinian 'child terrorists' as young as 12


RT
Wed, 03 Aug 2016 23:25 UTC
Palestinian child
© Ammar Awad/Reuters
Israeli lawmakers have legalized the imprisonment of Palestinian minors as young as 12 in case they are accused of grave crimes such as acts of terrorism against the state of Israel. The so-called Youth Bill has already faced criticism at home and abroad.

In a ruling which saw 32 voting in favor, 16 against, and one abstention vote, the Youth Bill, which will "allow the authorities to imprison a minor convicted of serious crimes such as murder, attempted murder or manslaughter even if he or she is under the age of 14, passed its second and third readings," the Knesset said in a statement.

Violence between Palestinian youths and the Israeli police, soldiers, as well as civilians has skyrocketed in the last 10 months. Ongoing scuffles that erupted last October, have since resulted in the deaths of at least 34 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese.

Overall, according to the Israeli mission to the UN, Palestinians youths were responsible for 47 "acts of terrorism" committed in the same timeframe, using a knife, gun or car-ramming tactics. In response, Israel intensified its security and retaliatory methods, killing some 219 Palestinians.
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Dollars

Ukraine resumes payments to Russia for nuclear fuel


RT
Wed, 03 Aug 2016 02:20 UTC
nuclear fuel
© Aleksandr Kondratuk / Sputnik
Russia's state nuclear corporation has agreed to continue disposing of Ukraine's spent nuclear fuel after the resumption of payments. Rosatom halted operations in May after Kiev blocked the accounts of Ukraine's state company Energoatom.

"Everything has resumed. Ukraine started paying six weeks ago. But the dates for spent nuclear fuel imports have shifted," said a source in Rosatom. He added that despite the delay they will try to fulfill the annual plan for deliveries to Russia. The first shipment is expected in August with UkraIn March, Kiev seized Energoaine paying market price.

In March, Kiev seized Energoatom's accounts and property worth $8 billion, blocking the operation of the largest power generating company in Ukraine. "Our partners at Energoatom are absolutely reasonable people. They understand you have to pay for goods and services. But the government there has blocked all accounts," said Rosatom's fuel subsidiary TVEL Vice-President Aleksey Grigoryev.

The authorities regard the company's debts as fictitious, and were used to finance the ousted President Viktor Yanukovich's campaign. Now, the accounts have been unfrozen, but the case hasn't been closed. Ukraine has been trying to diversify from Russian nuclear fuel by expanding cooperation with US-based Westinghouse. However, nuclear experts have warned Westinghouse fuel is incompatible with Ukraine's ageing ex-Soviet reactors and may result in a nuclear meltdown.
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Stock Down

Republic of Congo falls into default amid cheap crude prices


RT
Wed, 03 Aug 2016 15:47 UTC
Republic of Congo
© Jiro Ose / Reuters
A man walks past empty market stalls in Republic of Congo's capital of Brazzaville
Plunging oil prices have forced the Republic of Congo to skip a $478 million payment for bonds due at the end of June. As the one-month grace period has passed, the country is officially in default on its debt. The country sometimes referred to as Congo-Brazzaville to differ from its neighbor the Democratic Republic of Congo, had its sovereign credit rating downgraded by S&P to 'SD/D' (selective default).

"We are therefore lowering our long- and short-term foreign currency sovereign credit ratings on the Republic of Congo to 'SD/D' (selective default) from 'B-/B', indicating that the Republic of Congo has defaulted on some of its foreign currency obligations," said a statement from the rating agency. "If and when the Republic of Congo cures the payment default on the notes, we will revise our ratings on the sovereign debt depending on our assessment of residual litigation risk, access to international debt markets, and the sovereign's overall credit profile," added the agency.

According to S&P, the 'SD/D' mark does not carry an outlook because it displays a condition, default, and not a forward-looking opinion of default probability. S&P added the Republic of Congo faces balanced risks, specifically on its local currency debt. In 2014, oil production made up about 70 percent of the country's total revenue. Crude prices have plummeted from $114 per barrel in mid-July 2014 to slightly over $40 in August 2016. The yield on the bond, which was issued as part of its London Club debt restructuring in 2007, has grown to 9.5 percent, according to Bloomberg data.
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Crusader

U.S. foreign policy comes full circle: Al Qaeda shoots down Russian helicopters like it did in Afghanistan

Ulson Gunnar
New Eastern Outlook
Thu, 04 Aug 2016 01:41 UTC
downed russian heli
The recent downing of a Russian Mi-8 helicopter and the death of all 5 on board over Al Qaeda-held Idlib province in Syria, represents the unenviable full circle US rhetoric has made surrounding both the Syrian conflict, and the wider "War on Terror."

It was the United States who first created and used Al Qaeda in Afghanistan in the 1980s to down Russian aircraft and to fight Russian troops. After successfully pushing Russia out of Afghanistan and plunging it into a sociopolitical dark age, the US went on to claiming to be victimized by the monster they themselves created, perhaps most spectacularly on September 11, 2001. Today, the US finds itself back to now fully using Al Qaeda to fight a proxy war against Russia, this time in Syria.

Russian Helicopter Was on Humanitarian Mission Over Al Qaeda Territory

The Russian Mi-8 helicopter was conducting humanitarian operations. This is not according to only Russian or Syrian sources, but even opposition sources including UK-based anti-Syrian government proponent Rami Abdulrahman who refers to himself as the "Syrian Observatory for Human Rights" (SOHR).

The New York Times in its article, "Russian Military Helicopter Is Shot Down in Syria, Killing 5," would report that:
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Bomb

New deterrence (threat?): US to upgrade nuclear bomb


RT
Tue, 02 Aug 2016 15:47 UTC
B-2 Spirit Bomber
© Reuters
B-2 Spirit Bomber drops a B61-11 "Bunker Buster"
The National Nuclear Security Administration has given the go-ahead for work on upgrading the B61 airborne nuclear bomb, as the Pentagon is eager to embark on a multi-billion-dollar scheme to improve the US nuclear arsenal. The decision taken by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) authorized the program to enter a post-engineering phase, which comes after four years of work. This now means that the first upgraded bombs are set to roll out by 2020.

The B61 has been the principal US airborne nuclear bomb since 1968, when the first version was commissioned. With some of the modifications being canceled over the years and others withdrawn from use, only models 3,4,7,11 and 12 are currently in active service.

"Reaching this next phase of the B61-12 LEP is a major achievement for NNSA and the exceptionally talented scientists and engineers whose work underpins this vital national security mission," NNSA Administrator Lt. Gen. Frank G. Klotz (Ret.) said in a statement. "Currently, the B61 contains the oldest components in the US arsenal. This LEP (life extension program) will add at least an additional 20 years to the life of the system," he added.

The Obama administration has embarked on a plan to try and modernize the US nuclear weapons arsenal, which is expected to cost around $355 billion by 2023. However, critics say that this figure could rise to over $1 trillion in the future.


Comment: In other words, 'end-of-the-world stakes' poker...tick tock, tick tock. So far, one player.

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Magnify

Pakistan to investigate network of Gulen-linked schools at Turkey's request


Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Wed, 03 Aug 2016 00:00 UTC
Cavusoglu and Aziz
© nation.com.pk
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Foreign Policy Chief Sartaj Aziz
Pakistan says it will investigate a network of schools in the country that Turkey has asked to be shut down due to its ties to a U.S.-based Muslim cleric that Ankara blames for last month's failed coup.

But Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan's foreign policy chief, refused to agree to close the schools after holding talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Islamabad on August 2. Cavusoglu said he expressed the hope in his discussions that schools linked to Fethullah Gulen and his religious movement, which he called a "terrorist group," would be closed.

Gulen has condemned the coup and denied any involvement in the July 15 attempt by a Turkish military faction to take power. More than 230 people were killed in the coup attempt.

There are some 11,000 students studying at 25 schools and colleges in Pakistan run by Gulen's organization. Some 900 Pakistanis work at the schools.

"I am studying here for the last 10 years," a female student at one such school told RFE/RL. "I don't know Gulen and did not hear even the name in all those years." Teachers said they would resent any plan to shut down the schools.

Gulen's organization operates schools in 160 countries around the world.

Kyrgyzstan rebuked Turkey last week for calling on the Kyrgyz government to shut down Gulen schools.

Comment: Intensity of intent: Cavusoglu dangled incentives to Pakistan's Sartaj Aziz to shut down the Gulen school network by offering a free trade agreement promise, reminders of Turkish cooperation in the past regarding Kashmir, a deepening of bilateral relations, more high level exchanges, an intensified cooperative fight against terrorism, and an upgraded economic partnership. While Aziz may have been agreeable to all of the above, he cautiously only committed to investigate.

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Oscar

Palestinians in Israel under attack, Bibi's actions louder than his fake words and false sentiments

Jonathan Cook
Jonathan Cook
Mon, 01 Aug 2016 00:00 UTC
Fence Palestine
© AP Photo/Bernat Armangue
Divided and conquered.
Was it meant as an epic parody or an insult to his audience's intelligence? It was hard to tell. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to social media to apologise for last year's notorious election-day comment, when he warned that "the Arabs are coming out to vote in droves" - a reference to the fifth of Israel's population who are Palestinian.

In videos released last week in English and Hebrew, Mr Netanyahu urged Palestinian citizens to become more active in public life. They needed to "work in droves, study in droves, thrive in droves," he said. "I am proud of the role Arabs play in Israel's success".

Pointedly, Ayman Odeh, head of the Palestinian-dominated Joint List party, noted that 100,000 Bedouin citizens could not watch the video because Israel denies their communities electricity, internet connections and all other services.


Comment: Unbelievable...literally and totally. Netanyahu sat there, spewed platitudes, praises and promises for a people he despises, persecutes at every turn and murders with alarming regularity. That he did it with such ease exemplifies a purely psychopathic nature devoid of empathy and humanity, hellbent on influencing and managing global perception, and completely convinced he can get away with it.

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