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Stephen Cohen: Who Putin is not

Stephen F. Cohen
The Nation
Thu, 20 Sep 2018 01:00 UTC
Putin montage
© enVolve
Falsely demonizing Russia's leader has made the new Cold War even more dangerous.

Stephen F. Cohen, professor emeritus of Russian studies and politics at Princeton and NYU, and John Batchelor continue their (usually) weekly discussions of the new US-Russian Cold War. (Previous installments, now in their fifth year, are at TheNation.com.) This post is different. The conversation was based on Cohen's article below, completed the day of the broadcast.
"Putin is an evil man, and he is intent on evil deeds."
- Senator John McCain
"[Putin] was a KGB agent. By definition, he doesn't have a soul."
"If this sounds familiar, it's what Hitler did back in the 1930s."
- 2016 Democratic Presidential Nominee Hillary Clinton
The specter of an evil-doing Vladimir Putin has loomed over and undermined US thinking about Russia for at least a decade. Henry Kissinger deserves credit for having warned, perhaps alone among prominent American political figures, against this badly distorted image of Russia's leader since 2000: "The demonization of Vladimir Putin is not a policy. It is an alibi for not having one."

Comment: Their problem with Putin is indeed, from their perspective, a fundamental one: he is incorruptible.

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Star of David

Will the downing of Russia's IL-20 be the beginning of the end of Israeli hubris?

Askiah Adam
Global Research
Sat, 22 Sep 2018 00:00 UTC
Neti drinking
© Carlo Allegri/Reuters
A bit worried are we?
None of us would be cheering on a war that could easily be the absolutely final one if President Putin had not defused the situation while clearly signaling that he holds Israel accountable for downing the Russian IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft even though it was shot down by a Syrian missile. If he did not why would he have signed off on the Russian MOD's statement which squarely placed the blame on Israel.
"The blame for the downing of the Russian plane and the deaths of its crew members lies squarely on the Israeli side," the Minister Shoigu said. "The actions of the military were not in keeping with the spirit of the Russian-Israeli partnership, so we reserve the right to respond."
Furthermore, in declaring that he will upgrade the safety of Russian military personnel in Syria and the security of the Russian military facilities, Putin says, "These will be the steps everyone will notice." Are these just innocuous words meant to placate or is there more to them? Will these measures be so different or unexpected that it cannot be missed. Some three days after the incident it is reported that Russian boots on the ground are all over Syria making attacks on Syrian and Iranian positions difficult because the risk of hitting Russian soldiers are increased manifold.

Comment: Israel has typically refused to take blame for its overt activities and those are ones we know about. It certainly will not divulge those it masterminds and achieves covertly. Caught dead to rights it will place blame elsewhere. See also:

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Russian Flag

S-300 delivery to Syria shows Israel who's in charge, not to hurt relations, say analysts


RT
Mon, 24 Sep 2018 12:46 UTC
Putineti
© AFP/124 News/Zee News
Russian President Vladimir Putin • Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu
Russia's decision to boost Syrian air defenses in response to the downing of an Il-20 plane amid an Israeli raid is meant to sting, but not pose a serious threat to Israel's national security, experts told RT.

Last week, a Russian Il-20 electronic warfare plane with 15 crew on board was shot down off Syria's coast by a Syrian anti-air missile fired in response to an Israeli air raid. The raid targeted the Latakia province, which houses a Russian airbase.
"It was inevitable that at some point [Israel] would cross that line in its special relationship with Russia and would go a bit too far," said Beirut-based journalist Martin Jay.

"The deal that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin gave to Israel was incredible. It [not only] allowed Israel to make air strikes with impunity across the country on targets that it believed to be Hezbollah weapons factories or Iranian military installations."
Moscow accused Israel of failing to warn the Russian military of its impending attack in time to move the landing aircraft out of harm's way. On Monday, the Russian military said they would boost Syrian air defenses in several ways to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Russia had also promised to keep pro-Iranian militias away from Syria's border with Israel and froze a planned delivery of an S-300 long-range air defense system to the Syrian armed forces. This deal has now been unfrozen and is to be completed within two weeks, Moscow has announced.

Comment: See also:

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Attention

Libya seeks UN intervention: 110+ dead in wake of Tripoli battles


RT
Sun, 23 Sep 2018 22:26 UTC
Libyan security forces
© The Times of Israel
Libyan joint security forces, Tripoli, Libya
At least 115 people have been killed and 383 others injured during a month of fighting between rival militant groups in Tripoli. The fractured country's UN-backed government has urged the Security Council to intervene.

"The death toll could surge because of the critical condition of the injured and the continuing fighting," Libya's health ministry spokesman Wedad Abo Al-Niran told Reuters. The Tripoli-based armed groups, which back the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), however, claimed that they continuously patrol the city and maintain "the situation is under control."

Tripoli's southern residential areas, along the road leading to the destroyed airport, where the frontline currently lies, have suffered significant damage in the clashes, with houses shelled, cars torched and shops destroyed. Mortars, armored vehicles and trucks with mounted heavy machine guns are being deployed by the warring parties.



Comment: See also: Civil war breaking out in Libya as rival factions battle on streets of Tripoli

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Arrow Up

Lisa Page believed Rosenstein's Trump tape talk was serious

Betsy Woodruff
Daily Beast
Sat, 22 Sep 2018 10:17 UTC
McCabePageRosenstein
© Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast
Andrew McCabe • Lisa Page • Rod Rosenstein
Two sources told The Daily Beast that FBI lawyer Lisa Page was present for Rod Rosenstein's comments on secret recordings and did not believe he was joking or being sarcastic.

A debate with major implications has broken out over whether Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was being sarcastic when, in the spring of 2017, he reportedly talked about covertly recording President Donald Trump.

A former career Justice Department official who was in the room when the topic arose told The Daily Beast he believes the deputy attorney general was being sarcastic. But another person in the room at the time has indicated she took it seriously.

Former FBI lawyer Lisa Page was present for Rosenstein's comments on secret recordings and did not believe he was joking or being sarcastic, according to two people familiar with the events in question. A spokesperson for Page declined to comment for this story.

Comment: For the NYT article mentioned above, and other references see:

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Arrow Up

Turkish FM Cavusoglu offers support for Venezuela during visit, condemns interventionism


teleSUR
Sat, 22 Sep 2018 00:00 UTC
Cavusoglu Maduro
© Reuters
Turkish FM Mevlut Cavusoglu • Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro
"Bilateral relations in various areas have been strengthened," between Turkey and Venezuela said Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that his country "is doing all that it can to support Venezuela" [to] overcome the difficult situation brought on by United States-led and European Union and Canadian supported sanctions. During a visit to Caracas to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries Friday, Cavusoglu condemned the foreign intervention methods, which are being used in the hope of "isolating" Venezuela.

"I would like to insist, once again, that Turkey will continue to support Venezuela... We are against isolation measures. We are against sanctions. We favor dialogue and exchange between individuals," Cavusoglu said after meeting with his Venezuelan counterpart, Jorge Arreaza.

Cavusoglu highlighted the fact that "economic cooperation has deepened and bilateral relations in various areas have been strengthened" between the countries as proof of his government and country's commitment to the South American country.

He said despite Venezuela going through a "critical period... several Turkish investors are interested" in the country because they acknowledge its potential.
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Better Earth

Tensions grow as China, Russia and Iran lead the way towards a new multipolar world order

Federico Pieraccini
Strategic Culture
Mon, 24 Sep 2018 12:00 UTC
Putin Xi
Military and economic tensions are increasing due to the ramped up warlike stance of the US establishment. The impossibility of halting the shifting world order in favour of prolonging the unipolar moment has left the US deep state reaching for any available weapon at hand, taking no heed of the dangers and consequences of such a reckless foreign policy.

With the province of Idlib ever closer to being liberated from terrorists by the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), the tensions between the US and Syria (and Syria's allies) are rising. Every significant military campaign by the SAA seems to be accompanied by the usual alarms and false reports emanating from the Western media and governments warning of an imminent (staged) use of chemical weapons by the SAA. Tensions are rising as several American voices, including that of the President, have expressed the desire to strike Syria over any alleged use of chemical weapons, without even waiting for any independent verification. Threats by the US, the UK and France to bomb Russian troops in Syria are voiced everyday on Western media. The insanity is reaching disturbing levels.

These developments in Syria appear to be accompanied by the persistent attempts of Ukraine and the United States to sabotage the Minsk agreements, re-igniting the conflict in order to blame it on Russia. The assassination of Aleksandr Zakharchenko, charismatic leader of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), killed a few days ago in a terrorist attack, should be seen in this light.

Comment: See also: Also 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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2 + 2 = 4

Russian MoD spokesman: Israeli F-16 hid behind Russian Il-20 plane to avoid Syrian missile


RT
Mon, 24 Sep 2018 20:18 UTC
Russian Defense Ministry's spokesman, Major General Igor Koanshenkov
© Ministry of Defense
Russian Defense Ministry's spokesman, Major General Igor Koanshenkov speaks at the September 24 news briefing on the downing of the Russian Il-20 in Syria
Data captured by Russia's S-400 system in Syria proves Israeli jets were responsible for the downing the Russian plane, the Defense Ministry said, adding that the Syrian missile changed its course shortly before hitting the Il-20.

Data gleaned from the S-400 air defense system deployed at the Russian Khmeimim air base in Syria's Latakia province has revealed that the Syrian anti-air missile was, in fact, targeting an Israeli F-16 jet before it abruptly altered its course and eventually hit the Russian aircraft. This, and the position of all the aircraft at the moment of the incident, proves that an Israeli jet was de facto using the larger Il-20 as a cover, the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, Major General Igor Konashenkov told journalists at Monday's news briefing.


Comment: See also: 'We didn't hide behind any aircraft': Israel insists its jets not to blame for downing Russian Il-20



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Network

Trump expected to meet with Kim Jong-un for a second time 'quite soon'


RT
Mon, 24 Sep 2018 18:21 UTC
trump and kim
© The Straits Times/Global Look Press
Donald Trump is expecting to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for the second time "quite soon." The US president did not elaborate on a possible venue or date for such a meeting.

Details of Trump's second summit with Kim will be worked out in the immediate future, Trump told the media on Monday after a UN meeting on the Global Call for Action on the World Drug Problem.

"The relationships are very good with North Korea... [It] looks like we'll have a second summit quite soon. As you know, Kim Jong-un wrote a letter - a beautiful letter - asking for a second meeting and we will be doing that."

The first historic meeting between the two leaders took place in Singapore in June. However, talks between Pyongyang and Washington have stalled since then. Last month, Trump canceled the planned visit of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Pyongyang, citing insufficient progress towards the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

On Monday, the US leader seemed to change tone as he hailed "tremendous progress on North Korea."

Meanwhile, South and North Korea have been settling matters in relation to the peninsula on their own. Last week, the two Koreas made unprecedented steps towards reconciliation and denuclearization, signing a military agreement and a joint declaration. One of the most remarkable steps, later praised by Trump, was the North's commitment to permanently shut down its Sohae Satellite Launching Station.
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Chess

German industry slams Trump over efforts to influence EU energy policy


RT
Mon, 24 Sep 2018 17:57 UTC
trump merkel
© Kevin Lamarque / Reuters
The European Union and companies within the bloc have the right to decide on energy policy independently of "third parties," according to Dieter Kempf, head of the Federation of German Industries (BDI).

"I have a big problem when a third state interferes in our energy supply," Kempf told the German daily Suddeutsche Zeitung.

The comment follows Donald Trump's repeated criticism of Germany for its alleged dependency on natural gas from Russia. The US president has accused Berlin of being a "captive" of Russia.

He has urged Germany to halt work on the $11-billion Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which will be built in the Baltic Sea and will double the existing pipeline's annual capacity of 55 billion cubic meters. In an attempt to force-feed American liquefied natural gas (LNG) to German consumers, Washington threatened to sanction European companies for funding the Russia-led gas pipeline project.
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