Puppet MastersS


Bullseye

Thousands killed in 'reconstruction' mission show it's high time for US to get out of Afghanistan

Nebojsa Malic
RT
Wed, 12 Feb 2020 17:14 UTC
honor guard
© REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
A recent report shows over 2,000 people were killed outside of combat during the US "reconstruction" of Afghanistan. Yet President Donald Trump campaigns on ending that and other endless US wars, without actually doing so.

By a conservative estimate from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), 2,214 people were killed and 2,921 wounded in the course of "reconstruction or stabilization" mission, between its beginning in April 2002 and the end of 2018. Another 1,182 people were "kidnapped or missing."

This is on top of casualties in actual combat with the Taliban and other militant groups, resupply missions, or attacks on Afghan government and military forces, or in places unrelated to "reconstruction" activities.

Dated February 5, the SIGAR report was made public on Tuesday, when the special inspector John Sopko testified before a Senate committee on the "lessons learned" from the long war. News about Afghanistan was relegated to the (metaphorical) back pages, however, as the media attention was on New Hampshire primaries or the latest episode in #Resistance lawfare against Trump.
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Attention

Moscow says Turkey failed to separate 'opposition' from its terrorists in Idlib, made the situation worse by pumping arms into area


RT
Wed, 12 Feb 2020 16:54 UTC
turkish troops turkey Idlib syria
© Reuters / Khalil AshawiTurkish military vehicles are seen in Hazano near Idlib, Syria, February 11, 2020.
Turkey's inability to separate "opposition" from terrorist groups in Syria's Idlib is one of the main reasons behind the ongoing escalation there, Russian Defense Ministry has said, warning Ankara against "uncoordinated" actions.

The ongoing fighting in Syria's Idlib region has been triggered by repeated attacks from "terrorist groups" in the government-controlled parts of the country, the Russian military said on Tuesday. These continual attacks - documented by both Russian and Turkish servicemen stationed in the area - ultimately triggered a Syrian government offensive against the militants.

Comment: Erdogan doubled down in abrogating the Sochi Memorandum, in a unstated effort to hold the territory Turkey's proxies still control:
The Turkish leader made his comments during a speech in the nation's parliament on Wednesday.
I announce that we will strike the [Syrian] regime forces everywhere starting from today, without being bound to Idlib and by the Sochi Memorandum, if our soldiers at the lookout posts or elsewhere suffer any harm.
The 2018 Sochi Memorandum established the de-escalation zone set up around Idlib by Ankara and Moscow to enforce ceasefire on the ground between the Syrian army and anti-government forces. Turkey also promised to clear the area of jihadist militants.
Russia backs the Syrian position that Idlib is sovereign territory and they are entitled to clear out the terrorists, regardless of who is supporting them. Civilian casualties are always tragic, but they are due to the terrorist tactic of using them as human shields, not allowing them to leave the combat area.
Turkey has failed to clear the de-escalation zone in Syria's Idlib Province of jihadist groups, despite promising to do so under the 2018 ceasefire agreement reached by Moscow and Ankara, the spokesperson for the Kremlin Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.

"These groups are still attacking the Syrian forces from Idlib, as well as conducting aggressive actions against our military sites," he said.

The Kremlin's spokesperson denied that Damascus deliberately targets anyone except the militants. "The Syrian army's strikes in Idlib are strikes against terrorists, not civilians," Peskov said.
In the meantime, the SAA continues its advance. Now, except for a tiny stretch south-west of Aleppo city, Syria has gained full control of the M5 highway:
While Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is crying foul threatening Syria with military actions, his dear al-Qaeda-linked Idlib militants are losing more and more areas to the Syrian Army.

On February 12, government forces once again attacked the militant-held town of Khan Nuran, and liberated the villages of Arnaz, Sheikh Ali, Aradah and Dhahra Sheikh Ali in southwestern Aleppo.

The Syrian Army is now advancing on positions of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other radical groups in Radhwan and nearby areas.
Syria idlib february
© SouthFront.org


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Control Panel

Forever war: Almost all quiet on the Afghanistan front - for now

Valery Kulikov
New Eastern Outlook
Wed, 12 Feb 2020 00:00 UTC
US troops Afghanistan
US President Donald Trump confirmed his intention to end nearly two decades of war in Afghanistan and reduce the number of US troops in the country in his State of Union address to Congress on February 4. About 14,000 members of the US military are currently deployed in Afghanistan, as well as 17,000 troops from 39 NATO member states. However, according to the Trump administration, it aims to reduce the number of US troops in Afghanistan to 8,000-9,000 as part of a peace agreement to end the conflict.

Putting an end to the war in Afghanistan was one of Trump's pre-election promises during his campaign in 2016. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that this remains one of the most pressing issues as Trump has begun his re-election campaign. In his speech, Trump emphasized that the USA is negotiating with the Taliban (the movement is banned in the Russian Federation) and the government of Afghanistan in order to reach a peace deal. Nevertheless, he once again hinted that the US could secure a win in Afghanistan, but that would lead to a large number of casualties, including civilian deaths.

It should be noted that, as of yet, Washington's talks with representatives of the Afghan leadership and the Taliban (banned in Russia) leave no hope for the possibility of signing a peace treaty between these parties and ending the armed conflict in the foreseeable future.

Comment: See also: US-Created Chaos in Afghanistan May Use ISIS to Target Russia in Great Game of Global Control as well as:

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Magnify

US 'brain injury' numbers a cover-up for dead US troops in Iranian missile strike - IRGC


Press TV
Sat, 01 Feb 2020 11:28 UTC
Ain al-Asad
© APUS military personnel look at damage to a building at the Ain al-Asad base in Anbar Province, west of Baghdad, in Iraq, January 13, 2020.
The spokesman for the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps has said that Washington's alleged numbers of "brain injuries" in its troops following the Iranian retaliatory missile strike on the Ain al-Assad airbase represent the number of dead troops.

"We conclude that what the United States announces to be related to brain injuries from the attack on Ain al-Assad to be a metaphor for dead US troops," Brigadier General Ramezan Sharif wrote for Iran's Vatan-e-Emrooz daily on Saturday.

"I believe that that the term 'brain trauma', whether mild, moderate or severe, reflects the number of dead, which they hesitate to formally announce," he said.

Comment: See also:

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Toys

Puppet Pete Buttigieg says revolution and the status quo aren't mutually exclusive

Caitlin Johnstone
Medium
Mon, 10 Feb 2020 00:01 UTC
puppet pete buttigieg
The world's first laboratory-grown presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg met with boos and chants of "Wall Street Pete" at a recent Democratic Party event in New Hampshire for taking a dig at the revolution-minded rhetoric favored by Bernie Sanders and his supporters.

"We cannot risk dividing Americans' future further, saying that you must either be for a revolution or you must be for the status quo," Buttigieg said. "Let's make room for everybody in this movement."

This is a talking point that the tightly scripted and focus group-tested Buttigieg has been repeatedly regurgitating all month, so it's worth taking a look at.

Comment: See also:

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Satellite

Norway claims Chinese intelligence has repeatedly acquired its space technology


Sputnik
Wed, 12 Feb 2020 04:42 UTC
satellite
© John Pulsipher / Global Look Press
Norway plays an important role in space exploration for key military space facilities used by the US, including the Globus II radar in Finnmark County, sometimes referred to as the world's most advanced radar for tracking satellites.

In recent years, the Chinese intelligence service has succeeded in obtaining advanced Norwegian technology several times, the Scandinavian country's intelligence service has stressed, warning that China is en route to becoming "a military superpower in Norway's neighbourhood".

"With growing interest in the Arctic, we believe that China will continue to influence the situation, even in our proximity", the head of the intelligence service, Lieutenant General Morten Haga Lunde, said, as quoted by national broadcaster NRK.

According to Haga Lunde, advanced technology with military application is especially sought after.

For instance, the Andøya Space Centre at Andenes in Nordland County, which is vying to become the first in Europe to launch satellites, has admittedly noticed penetration attempts.

"We notice that the interest and awareness of our sector is only getting bigger, even when it comes to penetration attempts", Odd Roger Enoksen, Managing Director of the Andøya Space Centre, told High North News.
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Arrow Down

Andrew Yang drops out of presidential race

Julia Jester and Dareh Gregorian
NBC
Wed, 12 Feb 2020 02:04 UTC
Andrew Yang
© Brendan Smialowski / AFP - Getty ImagesAndrew Yang makes his way through the spin room after a debate in Detroit on July 31, 2019.
"You know I am the math guy, and it is clear tonight from the numbers that we are not going to win this race," he told supporters on Tuesday.

Andrew Yang, a New York businessman whose unusual presidential campaign rose to prominence with a plan to give Americans $1,000 a month, is dropping out of the Democratic race.

Initially seen as a long-shot candidate, Yang used a savvy social media strategy to garner legions of devoted followers who referred to themselves as the "Yang Gang."

Comment: See also:

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Bulb

Best of the Web: What Trump is really about

Sylvain Laforest
Oriental Review
Fri, 15 Nov 2019 00:00 UTC
Trump
The timing is right for everyone to understand what Donald Trump is doing, and try to decrypt the ambiguity of how he is doing it. The controversial President has a much clearer agenda than anyone can imagine on both foreign policy and internal affairs, but since he has to stay in power or even stay alive to achieve his objectives, his strategy is so refined and subtle that next to no one can see it. His overall objective is so ambitious that he has to follow random elliptic courses to get from point A to point B, using patterns that throw people off on their comprehension of the man. That includes most independent journalists and so-called alternative analysts, as much as Western mainstream fake-news publishers and a large majority of the population.

About his strategy, I could make a quick and accurate analogy with medication: most pills are designed to cure a problem, but come with an array of secondary after-effects. Well, Trump is using medication solely for their after-effects, while the first intent of the pill is what's keeping him in power and alive. By the end of this article, you'll see that this metaphor applies for just about every decision, move or declaration he's made. Once you understand what Trump is about, you'll be able to appreciate the extraordinary presidency he's conducting, like no predecessor ever came close to match.

Comment: In case you missed it: Revelations in the bubble: Trump's presidency brings to light 7 undeniable facts about the swamp

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Wall Street

The crash party: A brief history of economic crashes and those in power

Sven Henrich
Northman Trader
Mon, 10 Feb 2020 00:00 UTC
The crash party
Since 1900 markets have had their fair share of crashes. Mind you crashes don't happen that often, in fact crashes are very rare. You know what's also very rare? A particular party being in power preceding crashes. Every single time, making them the crash party.

Oh don't start hating on me. This is not a political post, but I know how tribal politics are these days and you say one thing about anyone or party you get hammered. For the record: I'm not a Republican and I'm not a Democrat. Tribalism, parties, clubs, it's just not in my DNA. I'm an independent or outsider or whatever label fits.

I analyze charts, trends, macro data. And people who have followed me for a long time know I've been ranting about the Fed during the Obama administration as much as I am now. So this post has nothing to do with party, but with history and the data is surprising.

First off, what were the big crashes since 1900?

Comment: Interesting historical review, but for the purposes of the regular working class individual, the important thing to note is that the conditions for a crash seem quite possible for this period - now. But if one does want to drill down, these conditions got a lot of help in being put into place under Democratic leadership.

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Chess

US promises 'enormous pressure' on Tehran over... failed satellite launch?


RT
Tue, 11 Feb 2020 19:31 UTC
Pompeo says missile development behind Iran space program
Mike Pompeo
© Reuters / Kevin LamarqueUS Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
Iran's latest attempt to launch a scientific satellite has apparently unnerved Washington, with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lashing out at Tehran and vowing that the US would not let it continue the launches.

Washington used the occasion to once again slam Iran and the 2015 deal on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, from which the US itself unilaterally withdrew back in 2018.

Since then, America has been hell-bent on stopping the Iranian missile program, seemingly at any cost, introducing several tranches of heavy restrictions on Tehran and threatening other nations - including some of America's allies - with secondary sanctions if they don't toe the US line on dealing with Iran.

Comment: On the brink of war with Iran: US claimed it had 'intelligence' to blame Iran (Iraqi PMUs) for attack on K1 base

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