Puppet Masters
The report RT's Abby Martin SHOULD have done - RT America exposes blatant hypocrisy of Western media
But bluster and self-interest aside, Russia's invasion helps hold up a mirror to the West's foreign policy, however much that makes us flinch. "The first casualty when war comes is truth," US Senator Hiram Warren Johnson was reported to have said in 1918; in the Ukrainian crisis, the first casualty has been irony. "You just don't invade another country on a phoney pretext in order to assert your interests," declares John Kerry, Secretary of State for a country which infamously did just that almost exactly 11 years ago. "The world cannot say it's OK to violate the sovereignty of another nation in this way," solemnly proclaims William Hague, who merrily waltzed through the division lobby in support of the Iraq war in 2003.
'Swallow’s Nest' Castle in Haspra, Republic of Crimea
The agreement was signed by Crimean Prime Minister Sergei Aksionov and Rustam Minnikhanov, the head of Tatarstan.
After the document was signed in the Crimean Council of Ministers, Aksionov thanked members of Tatarstan's delegation for taking the time to come to Crimea "at this difficult time and plan steps for further cooperation."
Minnikhanov told reporters that more specific areas of cooperation will be determined within the next month by experts from the two governments.
Such leg-spreading can be very bad for your (and your country's) health at this age Mr president... or your imperial highness... it's really hard to keep up these days!
Vladimir Putin and Hugo Chávez had a lot in common: both leaders managed to convince people of the legitimacy of their corrupt governments, oppressed all dissidence and ran their overly resource-reliant countries into the ground. It is thus fitting that Mr. Putin should remember a tyrant of equal standing so fondly.
"Remembering this exceptional man, I cannot help but admire his strength of will, his courage, his indefatigable energy and his personal charm," wrote the Russian leader.
Nothing seems to be tempering the zeal of the elements managing the growing global octopus of U.S. covert intelligence operations, notwithstanding the revelations of astonishing excesses that have come to light in the last year.
The contempt that these operatives have demonstrated for the transparency that is required in a democracy has been met by lukewarm, at best, bleats of protest in the official corridors of power, going further to prove the impotence of our Congress than any gridlock on other issues could show.
© Ye Pingfan/Rex
The conversation featuring EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton was posted on YouTube.
The conversation featuring EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton was posted on YouTube.
A leaked phone call between the EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton and Estonian foreign minister Urmas Paet has revealed that the two discussed a conspiracy theory that blamed the killing of civilian protesters in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, on the opposition rather than the ousted government.
The 11-minute conversation was posted on YouTube - it is the second time in a month that telephone calls between western diplomats discussing Ukraine have been bugged.
In the call, Paet said he had been told snipers responsible for killing police and civilians in Kiev last month were protest movement provocateurs rather than supporters of then-president Viktor Yanukovych. Ashton responds: "I didn't know ... Gosh."
Comment: What the salaried U.S. government person is trying not to say is that the phone calls that were leaked to the press reveal uncomfortable truths that point towards his government's involvement in the crisis in Ukraine. So how to put the worms back in the can? Blame it on Russia! It's in fashion anyway now that the Cold War posters have been out of the old dusty closets and reused.
BREAKING! Kiev snipers hired by new coalition, not Yanukovych - Estonian FM to EU chief Ashton
Note that, to date, the above Guardian article is the ONLY Western mainstream media report on this bombshell leaked phone call between Ashton and Paet. Clearly an order came from on high to 'bury it'.
© Inconnu
Maduro had three other diplomats expelled in September, including the charge d'affairs, Kelly Keiderling, after the government accused them of plotting with opponents.
The leader of the opposition, Leopoldo López Mendoza, has challenged the government to arrest him. Student-led protests have posed a serious challenge to Maduro's government.
© ITAR-TASS/Alexei Nikolsky
The new Constitution of Ukraine must be adopted in a referendum, but the decision rested with the future legitimate authorities, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.
"A new Constitution must be adopted, and this must be done through a referendum so that all citizens of Ukraine could feel involved in that process, the process of shaping the main principles of their state system," he said. "It is no business of ours, but the business of the Ukrainian citizens and its authorities, who are the ones to decide," Putin added.
© ITAR-TASS/Lev Fedoseev
Vice-Admiral Alexander Vitko
Vice-Admiral Alexander Vitko
According to the document, Vitko "has committed crimes under Part 2, Article 27 and Part 1, Article 111 (incitement to treason), Part 3, Article 27 and Article 113 (engineering act of sabotage) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine".
"For committing the named crimes, the offender may face imprisonment for 3 to 15 years," the prosecutor's office reports.
© ITAR-TASS/Alexei Pavlishak
Russian flag at the entrance to Crimea's Supreme Council
Russian flag at the entrance to Crimea's Supreme Council
Addressing the audience at the building of the Supreme Council, one of the deputies said: "Firstly, we've taken a decision to be part of the Russian Federation as Russia's subject. Secondly, the referendum will take place on March 16."
"Crimean residents will be asked: 'Are you for Crimea's being part of the Russian Federation?'," the deputy said, adding that the Supreme Council had also decided to address the Russian leadership to start a procedure for Crimea's being part of Russia.
Several thousands of people have gathered at the building and have Russian and Crimean flags in their hands.
Comment: It must be very hard for those 'journalists' who happily spread the U.S. drivel against Vladimir Putin and the late Hugo Chavez, to understand the depth and quality of sentiment which the former took the time to express for a man whom he admires.
Of all the above, only the bolded parts contain any truth, but also that "it is getting lonely in the Kremlin", yet not in the way the 'journalist' indented.
Chavez's death - nefarious indeed! - means that there are very few heads of states left in the world, with true understanding and courage in their purpose to care for their people, who can stand up to the U.S. psychopathic imperial machine and its allies. Losing one, is a loss for all of us who can See.