Puppet MastersS


Footprints

Russian troops enter base housing US military in Niger, US official says

Rus Military
© Kenya InsightsUncertainty looms over the future of US presence in Niger
Russian military personnel have entered an air base in Niger that is hosting U.S. troops, a senior U.S. defense official told Reuters, a move that follows a decision by Niger's junta to expel U.S. forces.

The military officers ruling the West African nation have told the U.S. to withdraw its nearly 1,000 military personnel from the country, which until a coup last year had been a key partner for Washington's fight against insurgents who have killed thousands of people and displaced millions more.

A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Russian forces were not mingling with U.S. troops but were using a separate hangar at Airbase 101, which is next to Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger's capital.

Comment: See also:


Whistle

Best of the Web: Hungary, Italy reject Macron's 'dangerous' claim of possibly sending NATO troops to Ukraine

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations Peter Szijjártó
FILE: Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations Peter Szijjártó
Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations Peter Szijjártó criticized French President Emmanuel Macron's statements about the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine.

According to Azernews, the head of the Foreign Ministry of Hungary said this on the air of the LCI TV channel.

"We consider these statements as a threat and we understand very well that if the Western troops are on the territory of Ukraine, the scale of the war will increase significantly," Szijjártó stressed.


Comment: It's likely that Szijjártó is well aware that Western troops are already operating on the ground in Ukraine, both as mercenaries, but also in 'advisory' roles, as well in a covert capacity.


According to the Hungarian diplomat, "the escalation of the conflict would be very dangerous."

Comment: Agenzia Novi reports:
Crosetto excludes the intervention of the Italian military in Ukraine: "Insist with diplomacy"

On the words of French President Macron: "I do not understand the purpose and usefulness of these declarations, which objectively raise tension"

Italy's position does not change: "We have always said that the Ukraine it needed to be helped in every possible way, and we are doing so, but we have also always excluded direct intervention by our military in the conflict". The Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, said in an interview with "Corriere della Sera" in relation to the new declarations of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, on the sending of troops to Ukraine.

As Defense Minister who "from the beginning" claimed that "Ukraine had to be helped to avoid an expansion of the conflict", today Crosetto asks not to raise tensions.


The West's 'help' has resulted in well over 500,000 dead Ukrainian troops and a significant loss of territory.


On the contrary, he seeks every form of dialogue, starting to "weave the web of diplomacy" and this because if a conflict explodes "Italy would have a lot to lose." Clear words from the minister who clearly reiterates that Italy will not participate in any possible armed intervention: "Absolutely not! No one can doubt this today."

Unlike others, the minister explained, "we have in our system an explicit prohibition on direct military interventions, outside of what is provided for by law and Constitution. We can only foresee armed interventions upon international mandate, for example in implementation of a UN resolution. The one hypothesized in Ukraine would not only not be included in this case, but would trigger a further spiraling of the conflict which would not be of benefit above all to the Ukrainians themselves. In short, the conditions for our direct involvement do not exist."

And on Macron's words, the minister added: "I don't judge a president of a friendly country like France, but I don't understand the purpose and usefulness of these declarations, which objectively raise tension."
Full text:
Hungarian Foreign Minister Szijjártó: "If there are European or American soldiers in Ukraine, this will mean that we have crossed the red line drawn by NATO. If even one NATO member country sends its troops to Ukraine, this will mean a direct conflict with Russia, and this will mean the third world war Do any of us want this? I don't. This is not our war, because no one attacked Europe. The escalation of this conflict is very dangerous."



Quenelle - Golden

China rejects Canada's 'shameless' allegations of how it 'may' have interfered in its elections

trudeau xi canada china
© Kazuhiro Nogi/Pool via REUTERSFILE: China's President Xi Jinping (L) and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attend the session on women's workforce participation, future of work, and ageing societies, at the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019.
The Chinese Embassy in Canada expressed "strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition" to the baseless accusation of "China's interference in Canada's internal affairs," according to its spokesperson on Friday.

The initial report released by Canada's Foreign Interference Commission on Friday launched a scathing attack on countries including China, Russia and India, accusing them of interfering in Canada's 2019 and 2021 general elections.

"We have never meddled in Canada's internal affairs, nor do we have any intention to do so. The attempts by certain Canadian politicians to shift blame onto China for their own electoral failures are unfair and unethical, revealing their self-serving and shameless nature," the spokesperson said, adding that China has consistently upheld the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs.

Comment: It seems that, once again, the demonisation of Russia and China is picking up apace: NATO accuses Russia of 'hybrid and malign' activities on alliance's territories


Pirates

NATO countries - also the Nordic - quietly preparing to send troops into Ukraine!

NATO
(3 May 2024) NATO is desperate to cover up its Himalayan mistakes of

a) expanding NATO instead of creating a common European security and peace system that would have permitted us all to live in prosperity and peace today; and

b) stupidly including Ukraine in that expansion - with only a small minority of Ukrainians wanting NATO membership for their country at the time. Ukrainian and NATO elites couldn't care less about people's opinion - as is also well known for, e.g. Sweden's membership process.

One of the most hawkish Western strategists, Edward Luttwak,1 has recently argued that NATO troops must now get involved on the ground in Ukraine lest suffering a catastrophic defeat. He writes: "The British and French, along with the Nordic countries, are already quietly preparing to send troops - both small elite units and logistics and support personnel - who can remain far from the front."

You do not have to be an expert in strategy, warfare and NATO's already manifested Ukraine catastrophe to predict that they will be sucked in step-by-step when Ukraine gets weaker, move closer and closer to fight Russian forces and be reinforced when necessary. Once in, NATO won't get out without fighting.

French President Macron has aired the idea.
NATO Ball & Chain
The US Secretary of "Defense", Lloyd Austin, has stated that it will be necessary to prevent Russia from taking all of Ukraine (!) and continuing to swallow other countries (!) The Swedish Chief of Defense - a cool fear-monger vis-a-vis the Swedish people - has said that he does not exclude an isolated Russian attack on Southern Sweden (No, it wasn't an April Fool's joke).

Well, this is all possible because NATO has violated its own defensive UN-like Treaty for the last 25 years when it began its operation outside its own member states and bombed Yugoslavia. Only fools, complete top-down managed media people and cynic propagandists still call NATO 'defensive' ...


Finally, for those of our readers who live in the Nordic NATO countries, please observe that Luttwak specifically mentions the UK, France, and the Nordic countries as spearheading NATO's coming warfare in Ukraine. Some of us are not surprised - these countries are now among the most militaristic in Europe and eager to prove their greater loyalty to Washington and Brussels than to their own citizens and their peace and security.

Be this as tragic and self-destructive as it may, this militarist kakistocracy will not survive for long.

* Jan Oberg, born in 1951, is a Danish citizen living in Lund, Sweden, since 1971. He is an internationally respected peace researcher, mediator and peace commentator as well as an art photographer. Jan Oberg and his wife, Dr Christina Spännar, are founders of The Transnational Foundation for peace by peaceful means (TFF). sind die Gründer der Transnationalen Stiftung für Frieden mit friedlichen Mitteln (TFF).

Source: https://thetransnational.substack.com/p/tff-pressinfo-739-nato-countries, 11 April 2024

1 See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Luttwak

Download E_International_Oberg_NATO-countries-quietly-preparing-to-send-troops.pdf (722.1 KiB)

Comment: NATO is a completely useless organization

2014 - NATO Chief holds love-fest with Ukraine PM, pledges undying allegiance

NATO summit, a theater of the absurd

It could also be said, that NATO has been very very useful for creating wealth for some people, while sowing intentional conflict and death and destruction around the world. NATO is also one big Arms Bazaar for new member States, where upwards of 60% of global military spending is initiated. Where debt of nations is a guarantee.

A month ago: NATO 75 years on... A war machine long past its sell-by date
This week marks the 75th anniversary of NATO's founding in April 1949. The organization has become a global danger to peace and security and should have been disbanded more than 30 years ago when the Cold War supposedly ended. That the alliance was not disbanded attests that its real purpose was always to serve as a weapon for U.S.-led Western imperialism.



Arrow Down

NATO state rejects €100 billion Ukraine war chest 'madness'

Stoltenberg
© Omar Havana/Getty ImagesNATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg • Hungarian FM Peter Szijjarto • April 03, 2024 • Brussels, Belgium
Budapest is opposing a potential €100-billion ($107 billion), five-year NATO plan to fund Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has said. The draft plan on the military aid fund was presented to member states of the US-led bloc by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg earlier this week, Szijjarto revealed.

The minister made the remarks on Thursday to Hungarian broadcaster M1 before heading for a ministerial meeting of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in Paris. Szijjarto said:
"On Tuesday, the NATO member states received the secretary-general's proposal to raise 100 billion that NATO plans to spend on the war. Since the money is to be collected over five years, this means NATO expects the hostilities to continue for this period."
Budapest will oppose the initiative and is not planning to participate in arming Kiev or training its soldiers, Szijjarto stressed. The draft plan was presented to the bloc's member states in its "first reading" and is still a subject to negotiations, the senior diplomat noted.
"In the coming weeks during negotiations we will fight for Hungary's right to stay away from this madness, from collecting these 100 billion and siphoning them out of Europe."

Comment: Unfortunately, few are listening.


Cut

Colombia to sever ties with Israel

Petro
© Diego Cuevas/Getty ImagesPresident of Colombia Gustavo Petro • International Workers Day • Bogota, Colombia • May 1, 2024
Bogota will cut diplomatic relations with Israel due to its "genocidal" leadership, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on Wednesday.

In March, following a UN Security Council resolution seeking an immediate ceasefire and more humanitarian aid to Gaza, he vowed to sever ties with the Jewish state should it fail to meet the demands.

In a Labor Day speech in Bogota, Petro expressed solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza whose "children have died, dismembered by bombs."
"Here, in front of you... as the president of the republic, I announce that tomorrow, on May 2, we will break off diplomatic relations with Israel for having a genocidal government. A time of genocide, of an extermination of an entire nation before our eyes, cannot return... If Palestine dies, humanity dies."
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz condemned the move, accusing President Petro of abetting Hamas and "siding with the most despicable monsters known to mankind." He branded the South American leader a "hate-filled, anti-Semitic president," in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.

Comment: Exit or be consumed. The Palestinians point the way.


Stop

Turkey stops all trade with Israel over 'humanitarian tragedy' in Gaza

Erdogan
© Emin Sansar/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Turkey has halted all trade with Israel, citing the "worsening humanitarian tragedy" in the Palestinian territories, which prompted strong criticism from the Israeli foreign minister.

"Export and import transactions related to Israel have been stopped, covering all products," Turkey's trade ministry said late on Thursday.

"Turkey will strictly and decisively implement these new measures until the Israeli government allows an uninterrupted and sufficient flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Israel's foreign minister, Israel Katz, accused Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, of acting like a "dictator" after the restrictions were first reported.
Katz
© Sebastian Scheiner/ReutersIsraeli FM Israel Katz
Go here for the rest of this article.

Vader

Best of the Web: The biggest illusion about the Ukraine war the West refuses to acknowledge

zelensky depressed
© Paula Bronstein/Getty ImagesUkrainian President Vladimir Zelensky
Despite what foreign leaders and commentators say - and really seem to believe - Russia is the one setting the tempo of the conflict

We are living through a remarkable Western anticlimax. The US has finally, after half a year of domestic wrangling, passed another large funding package of $61 billion for Ukraine. This money had been presented as decisive: either it would come through or Kiev would be unable to hold its crumbling frontlines against Russia and would lose the war soon, as Ukrainian President Zelensky himself warned.

That was the minimum sales pitch. The more aggressive hard sell went further, claiming that once the money would be added to a fresh mobilization drive in Ukraine, its re-armed and replenished forces would not only resist Russian pressure but turn the tables and, in the end, perhaps in 2025, win the war.

Both these sales pitches were very unrealistic, as marketing often is. Now that the funding is on its way, reality is reasserting itself. There is no surprise that Russian advances are continuing, while the Ukrainian position keeps deteriorating, as the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military, General Syrsky, is admitting.

Bizarro Earth

Haiti council appoints new prime minister as country continues to face gang violence

Fritz Bélizaire
© Social mediaFormer Sports Minister Fritz Bélizaire has been appointed as Prime Minister for Haiti, April 30, 2024
Haiti's transitional council appointed Fritz Belizaire as prime minister to address rampant violence.

Haiti's newly installed transitional council chose former Sports Minister Fritz Belizaire as the country's prime minister Tuesday as it presses forward in its monumental task of trying to establish a stable new government amid stifling violence.

Belizaire replaces Michel Patrick Boisvert, the former minister of economy and finance who was the current interim prime minister. Belizaire is little known and even some members of the council didn't know him.

The nine-member transitional council, seven of whom have voting rights, was choosing a new prime minister and Cabinet in a bid to help quell gang violence that is choking the capital of Port-au-Prince and beyond.

Comment: An interview Mar 21, 2024 with two journalists actually on the ground in Haiti, which cuts through the above propaganda. Cohen and Ives give a detailed background on how the present situation has come about:

Haiti, facts and fiction w/ Dan Cohen and Kim Ives (Live)


Haiti announces state of emergency following mass prison break, gang boss vows to oust Prime Minister


Attention

The Russia - Iran - China search for a new global security order

While the collective west is in the grips of an existential legitimacy crisis, the RIC is devising its own security order to protect the rest of the world from the 'genocidals.'
Russia, China an Iran Leaders
© The Cradle
The Hegemon has no idea what awaits the Exceptionalist mindset: China has started to decisively stir the civilizational cauldron without bothering about an inevitable array of sanctions coming by early 2025 and/or a possible collapse of the international financial system.

Last week, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and his list of delusional US demands was welcomed in Beijing by Foreign Minister Wang Yi and President Xi Jinping as little more than an annoying gnat. Wang, on the record, stressed that Tehran was justified in defending itself against Israel's shredding of the Vienna Convention when it attacked the Iranian consulate in Damascus.

At the UN Security Council, China now openly questions not only the state terror attack on the Nord Streams but also the US-Israel combo's blocking of Palestinian statehood. Moreover, Beijing, just like Moscow recently, hosts Palestine's political factions together in a conference aiming to unify their positions.

Next Tuesday, only two days before Moscow celebrates Victory Day, the end of the Great Patriotic War, Xi will land in Belgrade to remind the whole world about the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Chinese embassy by the US, UK, and NATO.

Russia, meanwhile, provided a platform for the UNRWA - the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees, which Israel has sought to defund - to explain to high representatives of BRICS-10 the cataclysmic humanitarian situation in Gaza, as described by UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini.

In short, serious political business is already being conducted outside of the corrupted UN system, as the United Nations disintegrates into a corporate shell with the US dictating all terms as the largest shareholder.

Yet another key example of BRICS as the new UN: Russian Security Council chairman Nikolai Patrushev met in St. Petersburg with his Chinese counterpart Chen Wenqing on the sidelines of the 12th International Security Summit, congregating over 100 nations, including the security heads of BRICS-10 members Iran, India, Brazil, and South Africa, as well as Iraq.