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Iran seeks to revive oil pipeline across Iraq to Syria amid tensions in Hormuz strait - media


RT
Mon, 26 Aug 2019 17:21 UTC
gas pipeline
© Reuters / Essam Al-Sudani
Tehran has discussed with Baghdad the possibility of reopening a pipeline linking Iran and Syria through Iraqi territory to avoid using the Strait of Hormuz for oil transportation in the Persian Gulf.

The pipeline would link Iran with the Syrian port city of Biniyas on the Mediterranean Sea, al-Sumaria television channel reported, citing a source said to be familiar with the proposal. The trans-Iraq pipeline would allow Iran to sidestep the Strait of Hormuz for oil transportation and circumvent US sanctions "amid growing fears [the Strait of Hormuz] may be closed in case of direct military confrontation between the United States and its allies with Iran."

According to the source, the pipeline would consist of two parts. First, Iran would construct a new 1,000km pipeline through Iraq into Syria, going through the Nineveh plain in northern Iraq and entering Syrian territory through Deir al-Zour province, leading to the Syrian coast. Secondly, Iran would reopen the Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline, which was shut in 1982 during the Iran-Iraq War. It was revived for three years in 2000 but was severely damaged by airstrikes during the 2003 US invasion of Iraq. The proposal provides that both the construction of the pipeline and its maintenance would be carried out by Tehran.
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Briefcase

Russia not pursuing return to G8, says foreign minister Lavrov


Yeni Safak
Mon, 26 Aug 2019 17:21 UTC
Serguéi Lavrov
© AFP
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday that Russia had never approached anyone to seek a return to the G8.

"Moscow became aware of the talks regarding Russia's return to the group through media. In all these years we have never touched the topic in our contacts with anyone," Lavrov said at a news conference in Moscow.

Russia was suspended from the G8 in 2014 due to its annexation of Crimea as well as its political and military support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

At the G7 summit in France, the U.S. President Donald Trump created a flutter, by demanding to readmit Russia into the group.

Trump on Sunday said on the sidelines of the summit that Washington will "certainly possible" invite Russian President Vladimir Putin as a guest of next year's G7 summit, which will be held in the U.S.

Lavrov said that the readmission was never part of Russia's foreign policy endeavor.

"In all these years we have never touched the topic of the G8 in our contacts with anyone, and, frankly speaking, we did not even have it in mind when we were building our foreign policy," he said.

Comment: See also:

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Star of David

Method to the madness: How Israel is attempting to expel Palestinians from Gaza

Ahmed Abu Artema
Middle East Eye
Fri, 23 Aug 2019 17:11 UTC
Gaza refugees
© Agence France-Presse
A man and a child are pictured at a refugee camp in southern Gaza on 24 June
Israeli officials have reportedly said the state was willing to help Palestinians leave Gaza - provided they don't come back

Israeli officials recently admitted what they have really been aiming to achieve through the inhumane, 13-year siege of Gaza.

The blockade has not been imposed for security reasons, or to punish a specific Palestinian faction. Rather, it is part of an ongoing process of "more land, less Arabs," initiated by Zionist gangs to expel and displace the indigenous people of Palestine.

According to a report last week in Ynet News, a government source acknowledged that Israel has sought to push Palestinians to leave Gaza, noting that "attempts have been made" to persuade "certain nations" to take in Palestinians, but the attempts failed.
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Rocket

Iraqi Parliament bloc: Israeli strikes on Iraq a 'declaration of war', demands US troops exist


Sputnik
Mon, 26 Aug 2019 15:14 UTC
US soldiers Middle East
© United States Department of Defense/Pvt. Christopher McKenna
Although Israel has not officially confirmed it carried out airstrikes in Iraq, the country's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted that could be the case, while anonymous US officials separately confirmed it in an interview with The New York Times.

The Fatah Coalition, an influential bloc in the Iraqi Parliament, has called recent airstrikes on the country, allegedly conducted by Israel, a "declaration of war" by the Jewish state and stated that it holds the US fully responsible for Tel Aviv's actions. In light of this, the coalition has called for the withdrawal of the about 5,000 remaining American soldiers from Iraq.

The parliamentary bloc also said in the statement that the country reserves the right to respond to Israel over the air raid purportedly conducted by it.
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Boat

Iran deploys 2 warships to Gulf of Aden to protect commercial shippers


Military Times
Mon, 26 Aug 2019 17:11 UTC
sahand iran ship
© Iranian Army via AP
Iranian naval forces attend a Dec. 1 inauguration ceremony for the destroyer Sahand, in Bandar Abbas, Iran.
Iran's navy says it has deployed two warships to the Gulf of Aden aimed at providing security to the country's commercial shipping.

Piracy is a major concern in the Gulf of Aden, located between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa, and ships must pass through it when transiting the Suez Canal.

Iranian state TV said Monday that the destroyer Sahand carries surface-to-surface missiles, air defense systems and torpedoes, while the supply ship/replenishment oiler Kharg has a helicopter pad and serves in a logistical role.

The move comes amid a growing confrontation between Iran and the West.

Iran still holds a British-flagged tanker seized in July the Persian Gulf after a supertanker carrying Iranian oil was detained off Gibraltar, a British overseas territory.

The Iranian ship was released earlier this month, and Iran said Monday that its oil has been sold to an unnamed buyer.

Comment: See also:

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Bad Guys

'Bloody hell': English police could patrol Northern Ireland border after no-deal Brexit


RT
Sun, 25 Aug 2019 15:14 UTC
English police
© Reuters
Despite a wealth of history suggesting that it's a very bad idea, UK politicians have reportedly devised detailed plans to deploy English police officers in Northern Ireland in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

According to a report in The Sunday Times, the plans would first see approximately 300 Scottish police drafted in to support the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) as a preliminary step.

However, if tensions between the unionist and nationalist communities boil over or civil unrest erupts, officers from English forces will be deployed in the province.

Comment: In late 2016 Downing Street launched a probe into 302 killings by British troops in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. So, this is where the 'more than 300 people killed' figure comes from. The actual number is much, much higher though, even if it is undocumented. Take for instance the now established fact that Britain used secret death squads to inflict terror on the population:
Members of the Military Reaction Force (MRF) told BBC Panorama programme's, Britain's Secret Terror Force that they targeted an unspecified number of IRA members regardless of whether or not they were armed.

Panorama reports that MRF soldiers killed at least two men in drive-by shootings and injured more than 10 civilians, despite the lack of evidence to suggest that any of them were armed or were members of the IRA.

Several former members of the force were interviewed by reporter John Ware about their involvement in the unit, which was commanded at brigadier level.

"We were not there to act like an army unit, we were there to act like a terror group," said one former soldier.
These British terror attacks killed untold numbers of people:
In 1974, a coordinated attack was launched in the Irish cities of Dublin and Monaghan. On May 17, three car bombs were detonated during rush hour in the nation's capital. Only 90 minutes later, a fourth explosion went off in Monaghan, just south of the border with Northern Ireland. Thirty-three people were killed. An estimated 300 were injured.

The loyalist paramilitary group Ulster Volunteer Force claimed responsibility for the attack, and in a recent Irish documentary, "Collusion," a member of the group claims that the bombings were conducted under direction from the British Army. The goal: to implement a civil war.
By all signs, 'Brexit' will be in name only, with perhaps a few benefits for those in power, like removing the UK from the judicial rulings from the EU. Britain will be free to stoke tensions in Northern Ireland without any legal oversight from the EU.

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Clipboard

No nukes for Iran, no tariffs on French wine and possible China trade deal discussed: Macron, and Trump summarize G7 talks at joint press conference


Sputnik
Mon, 26 Aug 2019 17:39 UTC

Comment: We're not really bothered reporting about this. Most other media seem excited about it, but as far as we can see the G7 is just a gathering for has-beens hanging on to their illusion that Big Brother USA loves them...


Trump and Macron
© REUTERS / Carlos Barria
The Presidents of France and the United States have organised a joint press conference on the third day of G7 summit, taking place in Biarritz, France, after having discussed a number of topics in bilateral and international relations.

During the joint presser with the US head of state, French President Emmanuel Macron shared that he had discussed the issue of Iran with Trump, agreeing that Tehran must not obtain nuclear weapons and needs to comply with international obligations in this area.

Macron further said that in his opinion, the "conditions [were] created" for a meeting between Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to discuss a possible new agreement that would reduce the tensions between the two countries. The French president said that such a meeting could be arranged in the coming weeks and that he had spoken about this possibility with Rouhani on the phone, telling him that he believes an agreement can be reached between the US and Iran.

Trump commented on possible talks with Iran by saying that he would agree to them if the "circumstances were correct or right". He added that he still has a "good feeling" about negotiations with Iran.

Comment: Trump also reiterated his desire to see President Putin rejoin the group:
US President Donald Trump said he would "certainly" invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to next year's G7 summit as a guest. However, Trump noted that as a "proud person" Putin might not accept the invite.

Trump told reporters Monday that as the summit host next year, he would "certainly" invite the Russian leader along, speaking at a press conference following the G7 summit in Biarritz, France.
There were a lot of things that we were discussing and it would have been easy if Russia were in the room... Yesterday we were discussing four or five matters, and Russia was literally involved in all of those matters.


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Jet1

Israel is now more visible in the geopolitical mix

Steve Brown
The Duran
Mon, 26 Aug 2019 00:00 UTC
Israeli air force
Take it as given that Israel tends to operate behind the scenes and would prefer to influence affairs covertly rather than overtly, so when Israel admits to resuming air strikes vs Syria and Iraq that's worth a look.

Israel has resumed air strikes on Syria and Iraq, claiming to strike Iranian military emplacements in both countries. Perhaps significantly, the Israeli strikes have resumed just subsequent to serious setbacks for terrorist militias in Idlib and Hama; where Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, Ahrar al Sham, al Nusra, the NLF, and many other terrorist groups are based and backed by the US, Turkey, and Israel.

One basis for hope to end foreign adventurism in Syria was the liberation of Khan Sheikhoun, which cut a major terrorist supply route between Hama and Idlib. Considering the Syrian forces in that region, it would be logical for the IAF to strike there, however the New York Times reported Israeli bombing in the vicinity of al Aqraba which is in southern Damascus (and unlikely to have been a real target) while the IAF report says that Dama near As-Suwayda was hit. Most likely, neither report is accurate.

Where Israel truly bombed is anyone's guess since the normally reliable liveua conflict map shows just the one Israeli report for August 25th with no verifiable evidence, an unusual occurrence in itself. Only the New York Times and Israeli press are reporting the specifics of the attack, and those sources are generally doubtful. Reports this author has seen indicate that Israel bombed a corridor north of Hama used by Syrian security force reinforcements at a time when the Syrian air force and its allies were relatively inactive.

Comment: See also:

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Pirates

Don't be fooled by the protests in Hong Kong - they are made in the West

Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers
Dissident Voice
Sun, 25 Aug 2019 00:00 UTC
Agnes Chow and Nathan Law
© Facebook
Agnes Chow and Nathan Law accept the 2018 Lantos Human Rights Prize on behalf of Joshua Wong in Washington, DC.


Update: Protests continued in Hong Kong this weekend. The protesters returned to the use of violence and the police responded. The South China Morning Post reported:
In a now familiar pattern, the protesters threw bricks, petrol bombs, corrosive liquid and other projectiles at the police, who responded with tear gas, pepper balls and sponge grenades. Twenty-eight people were arrested, including an organiser of an approved protest march. At least 10 people were hospitalised, including two men in serious condition.
Some people in the United States are confused about the protests going on in Hong Kong. Whenever the corporate media and politicians, especially people like Marco Rubio, applaud a social movement, it is a red flag that the protests are not a progressive people's movement, but serve other purposes. Is this really a democracy movement? Are workers protesting the deep inequality and exploitation there? If not, what are these protests really about?

Fortunately, a more complete narrative of what is happening in Hong Kong and how it relates to the geopolitical conflict between the United States and China is developing among independent and movement media. The following is a description of what has been learned recently.

Comment: See also:

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Tornado1

More fake news? Report alleges Trump suggested using nukes to stop hurricanes from hitting US

Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
Mon, 26 Aug 2019 09:48 UTC
trump
© KEVIN LAMARQUE/ REUTERS
Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office, Washington D.C., August 20, 2019
When it comes to unconventional proposal to control the weather, NBC News probably holds the prize with this gem, which we discussed back in January: "A last-ditch global warming fix? A man-made 'volcanic' eruption" to cool the planet. Scientists and some environmentalists believe nations might have to mimic volcanic gases as a last-ditch effort to protect Earth from extreme warming."

Another just as ridiculous proposal to "control" atmospheric events emerged during the Eisenhower era, when a government scientist proposed detonating a nuclear bomb over the eye of a hurricane to counteract convection currents.

Why do we bring it up? Because according to an Axios report late on Sunday (which if capital markets weren't collapsing and China wasn't on the edge of invading Hong Kong would have been the top watercooler discussing point tomorrow, but as it stands will hardly make the top 10 most shocking weekend developments) President Trump "suggested multiple times to senior Homeland Security and national security officials that they explore using nuclear bombs to stop hurricanes from hitting the United States."
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