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Arrow Up

Putin claims Russia to continue increasing its defense potential, but remains ready for disarmament

Paul Antonopoulos
FRN
Wed, 06 Nov 2019 00:00 UTC
Putin and gun
© AP/Sputnik/Kremlin PoolRussian President Vladimir Putin examines a Kalashnikov sniper rifle.
Russia will continue to increase defense potential, but is ready for disarmament, Putin said.

"Our army and navy have proven their readiness, and we intend to increase their defense potential by putting into service hypersonic, laser, and other weapon systems that other countries do not yet have," Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with senior officials and prosecutors.

Russian President stressed that, however, for Russia:
"This is no reason to threaten others. On the contrary, we are ready to do everything that is up to us to encourage the disarmament process, also taking into account our latest weapon systems, whose mission is only to ensure security in light of the growing threats against us.

"This year the number of military exercises has increased by 25%. It is important to continue to raise the level of professional preparation of officers and soldiers, to reinforce discipline and morale in the Army. This represents a guarantee of the combat capability of the Armed Forces."
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Attention

SDF and US-led coalition resume the fight against Daesh


Sputnik
Thu, 07 Nov 2019 07:09 UTC
Erdogan/SDF
© www.express.co.uk/CBS News/KJNTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan • SDF forces
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced on Wednesday that they had resumed cooperation with the US-led international coalition against the Daesh terrorist group in northeast Syria. Mazloum Abdi, the SDF commander, wrote on Twitter:
"As a result of a series of meetings with leaders of the coalition, SDF resumes working with the coalition to combat IS [Daesh] and protect the infrastructure of northeastern Syria, in accordance with the current stage and the last developments on the ground."
Since 2014, the US-led international coalition has been conducting military operations against the Daesh terror group in Syria, without the government's consent.

On 9 October, US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of US troops from northeast Syria after holding telephone talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who promptly launched an offensive against Kurdish militia groups and the Daesh in the region.

On 17 October, the United States and Turkey agreed to a 120-hour ceasefire in the area to allow the withdrawal of the Kurdish fighters.

Comment: FRN, 7/11/2019: Erdogan accuses US of failure to ensure Kurdish troops withdrawal
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that the United States was conducting joint patrols with Kurdish militants in the security zone in northern Syria, which contradicts the US-Turkish arrangements on Kurdish forces' withdrawal.

"Today, we started our second joint patrol as part of the agreement with Russia. Unfortunately, the United States is holding separate patrols with the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) terrorist group. However, they were expected to leave! How will the United States explain this? There is no such a thing in our agreement."

The situation is extremely volatile, given the sheer number of intricate alliances between the warring parties.
See also:

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Arrow Up

Hadi and Zubaidi to implement a peace deal to stabilize Yemen in the wake of secession threats


Sputnik
Fri, 08 Nov 2019 05:03 UTC
Hadi/Zubaidi
© Wikipedia/ourcampaigns.com/KJNYemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi • STC leader Aidarus Zubaidi
The internationally recognized Yemeni government, led by President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, and the Southern Transitional Council (STC), headed by Aidarus Zubaidi, agreed to implement a peace deal recently reached in Riyadh, media reported.

The two leaders held a meeting on Thursday. During it, the president noted the "importance of making steps toward the implementation of all details of the Riyadh agreement to stabilize the situation in the south of the country", Al Arabiya reported.

Zubaidi, in his turn, noted the STC's readiness to support Hadi and work together with the government for the peace deal implementation. Hadi also expressed his willingness to settle the situation in southern Yemen as soon as possible through comprehensive peace dialogue. The two sides signed a peace deal in the Saudi capital on Tuesday. The STC was created in 2017 and Zubaidi, the former governor of Aden, became its chief.

The separatist forces have been allied with the government in their fight against the Houthi rebel movement. However, they engaged in a conflict with the authorities in August, making Aden and other southern provinces a scene of violent clashes.

Comment: See also: 'Very good start!': Trump offers support for Yemen power-sharing deal

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Document

The bloom is off the ruse: Yovanovich transcript is a case study in narrative construction

sundance
The Last Refuge
Mon, 04 Nov 2019 00:00 UTC
Yovanovitch
© unknownFormer US ambassador Marie Yovanovitch
Good grief, it was always inferred that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff had assembled a 'star chamber' proceeding in the HPSCI basement, but after actually reading the transcript of former U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch to Schiff's assembly the bloom is officially off the ruse.

Start by remembering: after the 2018 mid-terms, in preparation for the "impeachment" strategy, HPSCI Chairman Adam Schiff and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler hired Lawfare group members to become House committee staff.

Chairman Schiff hired former SDNY U.S. Attorney Daniel Goldman (link), and Chairman Nadler hired Obama Administration lawyer Norm Eisen and criminal defense attorney Barry Berke (link). House Speaker Nancy Pelosi then hired Douglas Letter as House General Counsel - all are within the Lawfare network.

Why is that important? Because hired Lawfare contractor Daniel Goldman was the inquisitor for the "deposition" of Ms. Yovanovitch. There are no Democrat politicians present other than Chairman Adam Schiff; it's all staff. This deposition is a political ruse.

Comment: See also:

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Boat

Iran reports two new attacks on Iranian tankers; calls Red Sea 'unsafe'

TIm Korso
Sputnik
Thu, 07 Nov 2019 21:35 UTC
Sabiti damage
© Reuters/West Asia News AgencyDamage to the vessel Sabiti
Tehran had previously only reported a single attack on one of its tankers, which took place in the Red Sea off the coast of Saudi Arabia on 11 October. The country promised to conduct a full investigation of the incident before pointing the finger at those responsible, but noted that the incident must have been organised by "one or more" states.

Iranian authorities have notified the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) that a total of three of its oil tankers have been attacked over the course of six months, all in the same region - in the Red Sea, off the Saudi coast, The Wall Street Journal reported. In its letter to the international body, Tehran indicated that the attacks, which it argues were likely "organised by one or more states", had impacted regional maritime security in a negative way. The Iranian letter reportedly stated:
"A major concern in this respect is that the organised and directed pattern of these attacks within a short time and similar locations have rendered the Red Sea as an unsafe route for ships to adopt for their voyages."
Apart from the confirmed attack on the Sabiti oil tanker, which took place on 11 October, Iran reportedly mentioned two other occasions in the notification to the IMO. One of them took place in August 2019 and involved a tanker named "HELM". This vessel reported suffering a technical failure in the Red Sea on 21 August, but provided no further details at the time and didn't refer to the incident as an "attack".

Comment: See also:

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Dollars

Dems turn on billionaire Bill Gates for not being a fan of Sanders' or Warren's proposed wealth tax


RT
Thu, 07 Nov 2019 17:08 UTC
Bill Gates
© Reuters/Arnd WiegmannBill Gates
Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates was eviscerated on social media after balking at some Democratic candidates' wealth tax and hinting he'd vote for whoever is "more professional," which some took as a dog whistle for Trump.

Gates expressed some apprehension about the "wealth tax" proposed by Democrats Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, admitting he'd only be willing to fork over so much of his massive fortune. "I've paid over $10 billion in taxes, I've paid more than anyone in taxes! I'm glad to have — If I had to pay $20 billion, it's fine," he told the New York Times DealBook Conference on Wednesday.

"But when you say I should pay $100 billion, then I'm starting to do a little math about what I have left over," the world's richest man said, to laughter from the audience. "Just kidding," he added, while his body language suggested he wasn't.
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Light Sabers

Iran says it shot down infiltrator drone near key port - not one of ours, US responds


RT
Fri, 08 Nov 2019 17:57 UTC
drone attack iran
Iranian air defense forces have shot down a foreign drone near the port city of Mahshahr, Iranian media reported, showing alleged footage of the intercept as proof. The US Central Command said it didn't lose any of its UAVs.

The drone was taken down on Friday by an Iran-developed Mersad surface-to-air missile, the Iranian Mehr news agency reported. Alleged footage of the takedown released by the Iranian side showed a missile being fired, followed by an explosion.

Gholamreza Shariati, the governor of the Khuzestan province where Mahshahr is located, said a wreck of the drone was recovered from the marshlands in the suburbs of the city.
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Cult

Eric Ciamarella describes the coup d'etat a.k.a the Complete Fake Impeachment Inquiry

Seraphim Hanisch
The Duran
Fri, 08 Nov 2019 17:29 UTC
eric ciaramella CIA
© LaCorte NewsFeatured photo from LaCorte News piece identifying the Ukraine whistleblower as CIA analyst Eric Ciamarella
Fox News just ran a piece noting that the "Ukraine whistleblower", alleged to be CIA agent by the name of Eric Ciamarella is on record for tweeting in 2017 that the "coup has begun", two years before its realization unfolded in the Compleat Fake Impeachment Inquiry which has been dominating much of the news cycle for all American media outlets. What we see now is this coup in progress. Fox reports:
Mark Zaid, the attorney for the Ukraine call whistleblower, allegedly identified as Eric Ciaramella, on Thursday defended a series of tweets from 2017 in which he predicted a "coup" against President Trump and promised to "get rid of him" — saying in a statement the tweets referred to "a completely lawful process."
Here, as printed in an earlier piece by Fox, is what Mr. Zaid said:
Mark Zaid, one of the attorneys representing the intelligence community whistleblower at the center of the Democrats' ongoing impeachment inquiry, tweeted conspicuously in January 2017 that a "coup has started" and that "impeachment will follow ultimately."

Then, in July 2017, Zaid remarked, "I predict @CNN will play a key role in @realDonaldTrump not finishing out his full term as president." Also that month, Zaid tweeted, "We will get rid of him, and this country is strong enough to survive even him and his supporters."

Comment:

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Brain

Macron says NATO is brain-dead - Russia and all thinking humans agree


The Economist
Thu, 07 Nov 2019 17:38 UTC
Emanuel Macron
© REUTERS / Yoan Valat/Pool
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, has warned European countries that they can no longer rely on America to defend NATO allies. "What we are currently experiencing is the brain death of NATO," Mr Macron declares in a blunt interview with The Economist. Europe stands on "the edge of a precipice", he says, and needs to start thinking of itself strategically as a geopolitical power; otherwise we will "no longer be in control of our destiny."

During the hour-long interview, conducted in his gilt-decorated office at the Elysée Palace in Paris on October 21st, the president argues that it is high time for Europe to "wake up". He was asked whether he believed in the effectiveness of Article Five, the idea that if one NATO member is attacked all would come to its aid, which many analysts think underpins the alliance's deterrent effect. "I don't know," he replies, "but what will Article Five mean tomorrow?"

NATO, Mr Macron says, "only works if the guarantor of last resort functions as such. I'd argue that we should reassess the reality of what NATO is in the light of the commitment of the United States." And America, in his view, shows signs of "turning its back on us," as it demonstrated starkly with its unexpected troop withdrawal from north-eastern Syria last month, forsaking its Kurdish allies.


Comment: Cue the outrage:
Macron's "drastic words" were "unnecessary, even if we do have problems and must get it together," Merkel complained at a Berlin news conference on Thursday, insisting the "transatlantic partnership is indispensable for us."

Stoltenberg backed her up, declaring "European unity cannot replace transatlantic unity," and warning that the EU cannot defend Europe without outside assistance. When the UK finally leaves the alliance, some 80 percent of NATO's defense will be funded by non-EU countries, he warned.

The general secretary praised Germany as "the heart of NATO" and lauded Merkel's government for boosting its military spending. With most of NATO's member countries failing to chip in their promised 2 percent of GDP, Germany announced on Thursday it hopes to hit that target for the first time by 2031 - seven years later than the date agreed upon by the alliance's members in 2014.
Zakharova's response was more entertaining:
"Golden words. True and accurate. A proper definition of the current state of NATO," Maria Zakharova wrote in a Facebook post, referring to the hard-hitting remark Macron made in an interview to the Economist, which was published on Thursday.
Lavrov too:
"I wouldn't want to drag myself into a discussion about the medical side of this issue," Lavrov told reporters, at an arms control event in Moscow on Friday. He added, sarcastically: "If Macron had felt that the diagnosis he made [of NATO] was so evident - he had all the right to state it. He knows NATO better than me, since he represents a nation which is a member of the alliance."

Lavrov noted that Russia remains interested in building mutually-beneficial relations with the US-led bloc, which would be based on an equal footing. "So, once NATO 'recovers', we'll be right there."

The Kremlin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the trans-Atlantic military alliance was designed for confrontation since its inception. He, too, quipped about Macron's take on NATO's current state of affairs.

"Whether NATO is alive or dead, and which of its parts are comatose - that's not for us to decide. We're not pathologists."


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Bomb

Perennial lies: Israel says Iran is less than a year away from making nukes

Tim Korso
Sputnik
Fri, 08 Nov 2019 17:30 UTC
Netanyahu Bomb Iran
Iranian officials earlier discarded the idea that the country could obtain or use nuclear weapons, insisting that it goes against their religious principles. Israel, which has long accused Tehran of running a nuclear weapons development programme, ignored these statements.


Comment: Coming from Israel, a country which already has its own illegal stockpile of nuclear weapons.


Israeli intelligence believes that Tehran is making progress in its nuclear programme, and can potentially make its first atomic weapons soon if it decides to, the Israeli Kan 11 broadcaster reported citing anonymous sources.

"Iran can achieve a nuclear bomb within less than a year if they decide to act quickly in that direction", the broadcaster cited the intelligence agency's warning.


Comment: And they've been that far away from making the bomb for decades... Almost seems as if maybe they're not planning to do it, and never were?

The broadcaster's sources further noted that the Israeli authorities are transferring "materials" that allegedly prove their claims to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), but said that the process is taking too long due to bureaucracy.
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