Puppet MastersS


Pirates

Pentagon inflates number of ISIS terrorists justifying buildup of troops in Iraq

soldiers'reflection
© Task & Purpose
A senior commander of Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces), said that the US report on the presence of 14,000 ISIS terrorists in Iraq and Syria is unrealistic and the numbers have been exaggerated too much, in order to give Americans an excuse to increase the number of troops in the region.

"What the American sources say about the number of ISIS members and the danger of their infiltration from Syria to Iraq is an attempt to intimidate the Iraqi nation and government," Mo'ein al-Kazzemi told the Arabic-language Baghdad al-Youm news website on Tuesday. "The Americans want to find a pretext for their continued military presence and increase their forces," he added.

Al-Kazzemi said that the Iraqi security forces are now chasing and cleansing ISIS terrorists from al-Anbar, Salahuddin, Nineveh and Diyala provinces, stressing that Operation Will of Victory has shown that only a few dozens of ISIS terrorists have remained in their hideouts in Iraq.

Target

IRGC: Hezbollah can 'wipe Zionist regime off the map by itself', as rhetoric escalates

Hezbollah fighter/watchtower
© AP/Bilal HusseinHezbollah fighter at watchtower
Earlier, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander claimed that the Lebanese militant group had 100,000 missiles aimed at Israel and ready to fire in the event of war.


Comment: This isn't news actually. It's been known for some time. But it's important that Israel be reminded of it so that, if and when they do something stupid, everyone knows they were given every chance to redeem themselves and start behaving like a civilized nation.


Lebanon's Hezbollah militia group has the capability to defeat Israel without any foreign assistance, IRGC commander Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami has alleged, speaking to officers in Urmia, northwestern Iran on Wednesday, his remarks quoted by the FARS News Agency.
"They (the US and its allies) intended to undermine Iran's regional influence, but everyone witnessed how this policy backfired to increase Iran's influence and a united front was formed against the Zionist regime. The Lebanese Hezbollah has now developed such an extent of power through the experience of confrontation against proxy wars that it is now able to wipe the Zionist regime off the map in any possible war by itself. Wherever the enemy is, we are already there."
War of Words

Israel, which classifies Hezbollah as a 'terrorist group,' and which has conducted hundreds of strikes targeting it and other Damascus-allied forces operating in Syria in the anti-Daesh (ISIS) effort, has repeatedly threatened to destroy the militia movement's fighting capabilities in the event of a new war.

Propaganda

Information Laundering Scheme : Comey's FBI was running a secret counterintelligence operation against Trump, new docs show

Russian File, Obama, Comey, MCCABE PAGE, STRZOK, Lynch, Yates, Clinton, OHR
Newly obtained documents confirm that James Comey's FBI was running a secret and corrupt counterintelligence operation against the Trump campaign in the summer of 2016 and repeatedly deceiving the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) thereafter in order to wiretap a Trump campaign associate.

The disclosure was the result of a federal lawsuit and a year of litigation. Despite efforts by FBI Director Christopher Wray to obstruct, a federal court issued an order that forced the FBI and Department of Justice to produce the records known as "302 reports." They are a summary of interviews FBI agents conducted with Bruce Ohr, a top DOJ official.

These 302s show that the FBI and DOJ were warned repeatedly by Ohr that ex-British spy Christopher Steele was virulently biased against the target of their investigation, Trump.

Bad Guys

Iran looks toward planned release of oil tanker, Gibraltar stumbles on delivery - Update

Iranian oil tanker
© REUTERS/Jon Nazca/File PhotoIranian oil tanker Grace 1 sits anchored after it was seized earlier this month by British Royal Marines off the coast of the British Mediterranean territory on suspicion of violating sanctions against Syria, in the Strait of Gibraltar, southern Spain July 20, 2019.
The British territory of Gibraltar will not yet release an Iranian oil tanker seized by Royal Marines in the Mediterranean despite an Iranian report that it could do so on Tuesday, an official Gibraltar source said.

The commandeering of the Grace 1 on July 4 exacerbated frictions between Tehran and the West and led to retaliatory moves in Gulf waterways used to ship oil.

Britain accused the vessel of violating European sanctions by taking oil to Syria, a charge Tehran denies.

Comment: Iran's state run media station IRIB is now reporting that the Grace 1 tanker will be released within two days:
The Grace 1 tanker, carrying Iranian oil and detained in Gibraltar more than a month ago will be released within two days, Iran's state-run television and radio corporation IRIB reported on Tuesday, citing informed sources.

According to IRIB, the tanker will be freed as a result of Iran's diplomatic and legal efforts.

The outlet did not provide further details of the expected release.
Sounds like a repeat performance, but we'll just have to wait and see.


Bad Guys

Khan warns India: Pakistan will respond to any aggression in Kashmir

khan
© FILE PHOTO AFP / Iranian Presidency
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has used a speech marking the country's Independence Day to accuse India of planning military action in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.

"The Pakistani Army is fully aware that they have made a plan of taking action" in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, Khan said in an August 14 address before the region's legislative assembly in Muzaffarabad.

"We will be ready, we will respond to whatever you do," he added.

Tensions between Pakistan and India have soared since New Delhi last week imposed a security lockdown in Indian-ruled Kashmir and revoked an article in India's constitution that guaranteed the predominantly Muslim region greater autonomy than other states in India.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the move will allow New Delhi to rid the region it administers of "terrorism and separatism."

Tens of thousands of people have died in a three decades-old insurgency in Indian-ruled Kashmir.

Comment: See also:


Bad Guys

US walks away from southeast Asia summit empty-handed

pompeo
A recent meeting of the 10 member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) convened in Bangkok, Thailand and attended by representatives from China, Russia and even the United States, provides us with a clear indicator of how power and influence are being shaped across wider Asia and even globally.

Headlines like the Associated Press', "Pompeo ends frustrating Bangkok visit," gives a good feel for how, at least for Washington, the meeting went and how the region responded to Washington's "plans" for it.

The article would note:
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo left Thailand on Saturday with his hopes for resuming nuclear talks with North Korea dashed, while facing an escalating trade war with China and a potentially devastating breakdown in relations between key American allies Japan and South Korea.

Chess

Trump: India, China no longer 'developing nations', shouldn't be 'taking advantage' of WTO benefits

trump
© Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump speaks to the press on the South Lawn of the White House before departing Washington on Aug. 9, 2019.
The U.S. and China are currently engaged in a bruising trade war after Donald Trump imposed punitive tariffs on Chinese goods and Beijing retaliated.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said that India and China are no longer "developing nations" and were "taking advantage" of the tag from the WTO and asserted that he will not let it happen anymore.

Mr. Trump, championing his 'America First' policy, has been a vocal critic of India for levying "tremendously high" duties on U.S. products and has described the country as a "tariff king".

The U.S. and China are currently engaged in a bruising trade war after Mr. Trump imposed punitive tariffs on Chinese goods and Beijing retaliated.

Black Cat

Fate of pedophile Epstein's fortune shrouded in mystery after his death

epstein island
© Emily Michot/The Miami HeraldJeffrey Epstein’s home sits on the island of Little St. James in the U.S. Virgin Islands. It was one of many homes owned by the hedge fund manager, including ones in Palm Beach, Manhattan, Paris and New Mexico.
Millionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's death has raised many questions. With his accusers seeking compensation, there is speculation about where his wealth came from, how much there is, and what happens to his fortune now.

The 66-year-old, who was arrested and jailed on July 6 on charges of sexually abusing and trafficking underage girls, was found dead in his jail cell on Saturday. While his death was initially reported as an apparent hanging suicide (despite the fact he was on suicide watch following a previous attempt to take his own life), the medical examiner declined to name suicide as the cause of death and said a further investigation was in order.

Moreover, Epstein's death may be a relief for many powerful figures around the world who were allegedly frequent guests on Epstein's Lolita Express jet and his 'pedophile island'. These include Britain's Prince Andrew, former President Bill Clinton, and other US politicians and businessmen. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called the financier's death "way too convenient," wondering how many "other millionaires and billionaires were part of" Epstein's "illegal activities."

Comment: What happens to Jeffrey Epstein's wealth and property now?


Question

Michael Baden, pathologist connected to JFK investigation, to conduct independent autopsy on Epstein

Pathologist Michael Baden
Pathologist Michael Baden
Let the conspiracy theories commence.

Pathologist Michael Baden, who served as chairman of the House Select Committee on Assassinations' Forensic Pathology Panel that investigated the assassination of John F. Kennedy, is set to conduct an independent autopsy on Jeffrey Epstein.

"Epstein's representatives have hired celebrity pathologist Michael Baden to conduct an independent autopsy and they were allowed to observe the autopsy," reports the Daily Beast.

As chairman of the investigation into the JFK assassination, Baden bolstered the official story that Kennedy was killed by a single bullet, also known as the "magic bullet" theory.

Handcuffs

Barr suspends Epstein guards, reassigns warden over suicide

epstein suicide
© William FarringtonEMTs attempt to revive Jeffrey Epstein as he's wheeled into New York Downtown Hospital.
Update: The warden of the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) where Jeffrey Epstein died has been temporarily reassigned to the Bureau's Northeast Regional Office by Attorney General William Barr, according to a Tuesday statement by the Justice Department. Meanwhile, two prison employees who had been assigned to Epstein's unit have been placed on administrative leave pending ongoing investigations, according to CNBC.
Department of Justice spokewoman Kerri Kupec, in a prepared statement said, "Today, the Attorney General directed the Bureau of Prisons to temporarily assign the warden at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York to the Bureau's Northeast Regional Office pending the outcome of the FBI and OIG investigations into the apparent suicide of Jeffrey Epstein, a former MCC inmate."

"FCI Otisville Warden James Petrucci has been named Acting Warden of the MCC New York. The Bureau of Prisons also placed on administrative leave two MCC staff assigned to Mr. Epstein's unit pending the outcome of the investigations. Additional actions may be taken as the circumstances warrant." -CNBC

Comment: And the questions of the circumstances surrounding the most high-profile suicide in recent times continue to mount.

The New York Post reported there were no cameras trained on Epstein's cell, though this was ultra-maximum security facility
Although there are cameras in the 9 South wing where the convicted pedophile was being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, they are trained on the areas outside the cells and not inside, according to sources familiar with the setup there.
As Paul Joseph Watson comments, "How convenient."


Epstein had been taken off suicide watch, apparently at the request of his lawyers. Why was Epstein's cellmate removed?
"Epstein was supposed to have a cellmate," reports Fox News. "But the person who was assigned to share a cell with Epstein was transferred on Friday before the 66-year-old's death."

"It was not immediately clear why the cellmate was transferred nor why no one else was assigned to room with Epstein."
The warden and guards on duty at the time appear to be being made the patsies in the affair, and like to be subject to disciplinary action.
The warden of the federal jail in New York City where wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein killed himself was replaced Tuesday on orders of Attorney General William Barr pending investigations into the incident, the Justice Department said.

The U.S. Bureau of Prisons also placed two staffers at the Metropolitan Correctional Center who had been assigned to Epstein's cell unit on administrative leave as probes into the death of the accused child sex trafficker continue.

"Additional actions may be taken as the circumstances warrant," said Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec.

Lamine N'Diaye is being replaced at MCC by acting warden James Petrucci, who had been warden of the federal prison in Otisville, New York.
Breitbart adds:
Two New York City prison guards in charge of checking up on Jeffrey Epstein reportedly fell asleep and later falsified documents in an attempt to cover up their mistake on the eve of the alleged child sex trafficker's apparent suicide.

According to the New York Times, the guards dozed off for three hours, causing them to miss the Metropolitan Correctional Center's routine prisoner check. They then forged their supervision logs, which could come with criminal charges. On Tuesday, federal authorities removed the prison warden and the pair of guards from their roles.

The move by the Justice Department came amid mounting evidence that the chronically understaffed Metropolitan Correctional Center may have bungled its responsibility to keep the 66-year-old Epstein from harming himself while he awaited trial on charges of sexually abusing teenage girls.

Security at the Manhattan Correctional Center has been described as 'intense':
Dana Gottesfeld's husband Martin, who is serving a 10-year sentence for hacking, has spent three months in New York's Metropolitan Correctional Center and has even drawn a picture of the special unit Epstein was imprisoned in.

"When you enter the prison it says something to the effect of, 'one of the harshest SHU's - that's a segregated housing unit - in the country,'" she told RT. "They're locked down for 23 to 24 hours a day, they get one 15 minute call a month."

"It's really harsh," she added. Security was "really intense" at the prison, she said, explaining that as a high profile case, her husband had "two guards and a lieutenant to transfer him between his solitary room to the visiting room."

"So they're very, very keen on security. They pay very special attention to high profile cases, so it's hard to imagine that Epstein would not be given at least a three guard escort," Gottesfeld said.
Apparently though, security at this tough prison can be breached, for those with the right means:
Last year, a prison guard at the jail, Victor Casado, pleaded guilty to taking more than $25,000 in cash bribes to smuggle cellphones, alcohol and food to a wealthy Turkish gold trader between 2016 and 2017.

He also received thousands of dollars in payments from another inmate, which were given to him by the prisoners relatives and a paralegal representing him.

Casado was sentenced in January to three years in prison by a judge who called the crime an assault on 'our entire system of justice'.

Reza Zarrab, who was the Turkish gold trader involved with bribing the guard, was in prison over a money laundering scheme to Iran.

He has previously testified in court that someone tried to assassinate him at the prison when he implemented Turkey's President Recep Tayip Erdogan in the scheme that would launder billions of dollars from the U.S. to Iran.

'I came face to face with an individual who was trying to take my life, and he had pulled a knife on me, and I was about to lose my life,' Zarrab testified in 2017.

'He said that he had received instructions to kill because I was cooperating.'

A former CIA employee, Joshua Adam Schulte, is also accused of leaking classified files while he was locked up in the federal prison.

Schulte was charged last year with stealing classified national defense information from the CIA in 2016. He is believed to be behind the 'Vault 7' and 'Vault 8' documents released by WikiLeaks.

Authorities found multiple cellphones in his cell at the prison when they raided it in October last year. Officials also found 13 email and social media accounts that Schulte was allegedly using to communicate with others outside the prison.