Puppet MastersS


Light Sabers

Good luck with that: US demands Russia 'end or modify' 9M729 missile to save INF treaty

Jonathan Landay and Arshad Mohammed
U.S. News & World Report
Thu, 06 Dec 2018 19:28 UTC
cruise missile
© Sputnik / Vadim Savitskii, Russian Defense MinistryKalibr sea-launched cruise missile the US is comparing the 9M729 missile to
Russia must scrap its 9M729 nuclear-capable cruise missiles and launchers or modify the weapons' range to return to compliance with a key Cold War-era arms control treaty and avert a U.S. pullout from the pact, a senior U.S. official said Thursday.

"Either you rid the system, rid the launcher or change the system where it doesn't exceed the range" in a verifiable manner, said U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Andrea Thompson.

On Tuesday, the United States announced it was giving Russia 60 days to end what Washington charges is the missiles' violation of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, or it would begin to withdraw from the pact.

The possibility that the treaty might unravel alarms Washington's European allies, who fear its collapse would trigger a new U.S.-Russian nuclear weapons race with the danger that Europe itself could become a nuclear battleground.
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Vader

Bluffing? NATO claims it has key to defeating Russia's Kaliningrad tactics

Paul Antonopoulos
Fort Russ News
Wed, 05 Dec 2018 18:35 UTC
nato russia
NATO has found the keys to overcoming Russia's defense in the Crimea and Kaliningrad, said the head of the newly restored US Second Fleet, Vice Admiral Andrew Lewis, quoted by the Business Insider newspaper.

In particular, the US military has paid special attention to the tactics of Russian troops, according to which Russia is constantly expanding the so-called denial area (A2/AD), ie. denial or interdiction of access of foreign troops to strategically important areas.

The former commander of the US Land Forces in Europe said that Russia's potential to block access to strategic points varies from region to region.

Comment:

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NPC

Why conservatives should begin taking Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seriously

Jesse Kelly
The Federalist
Thu, 06 Dec 2018 17:11 UTC
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Earlier this week, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez put up a tweet so mind-numbingly stupid that simply calling it "factually incorrect" would be an insult to the word "incorrect." As is to be expected in the social media world, folks on the right ripped the incoming congresswoman to shreds for it.

Here were some of the typical responses: "This is factually incorrect!" "We cannot have someone this stupid in the government!" "This is what happens when we elect someone with no experience." "Sure, this message is popular. Too bad it's all wrong."

Learning From The Left's Mistakes

Take a moment and look at those responses again. Do they look familiar? They are the exact same arguments the politico class made against then-candidate Donald Trump for two straight years, right up until the point he carpet-bombed Hillary Clinton on election night.

Yes, the tweet was incorrect. Yes, it would be nice if the people in our government had some actual knowledge about the things they talk about. Still, it is critical for folks on the right to avoid the mistakes made by the left. We must learn from how they treated (and treat) President Trump and endeavor not to make the same mistakes.
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Blackbox

Who is violating Resolution 1701, Israel or Lebanon?


Voltaire Network
Sat, 08 Dec 2018 16:57 UTC
lebanon palestine
This photo was taken on 4 December in Kfar Kila (Lebanon). To the right you'll see several vehicles of the Blue Helmets of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFL). To the left, between the Palestine flags and the flags of Resistance, you see a placard that pays homage to a young Hezbollah combatant now a martyr, and the flags of the Lebanese Resistance and the Palestine. In this area, the road signs to the Israeli border do not mention "Israel", but rather "Palestine".
UNIFL is not confirming the existence of tunnels that the Israeli army says are within Israeli territory. Since 4 December 2018, Tshahal has been declaring that it has located and destroyed these tunnels.

According to the Israeli general staff, these tunnels would be around 200m long, would pass under the Israeli Wall that is being built (along 130 km of the "Blue Line") and would continue for around 40 m onto Israeli territory.

The Israeli representation to the UN has prepared a draft resolution condemning Hezbollah for violating Resolution 1701. This Resolution it should be noted put an end to the Israeli war against Lebanon.

The Resolution provides for setting up a demilitarized zone in South Lebanon under the sole responsibility of the Lebanese army. However the Lebanese soldiers have never been deployed and the area is under the control of Hezbollah with the tacit consent of the Lebanese authorities whose army is under-equipped.

Furthermore and this is the most important point, Resolution 1701 forbids third states from delivering military materials to the Hezbollah without first getting permission from the Lebanese government. Now, the latter has never authorized Iranian deliveries. This was also the subject of the intra-Lebanese crisis of 2008.

This Israeli analysis of Resolution 1701 ignores the reality on the ground. For starters, Resolution 1701 was only a truce that the US negotiated at that time so that Israel could escape with its head held high from the harsh destruction that was being inflicted on it by the resistance of the Hezbollah combatants.

Comment: Voltaire Network continues:
The Interim Force of the United Nations in Lebanon (IFUNL) held a meeting where both Israeli and Lebanese representatives were present. Israel showed videos that allegedly show the tunnels but no proof of where they are located nor how they are funded by Iran. In other words, Israel has failed to provide proof that Lebanon is violating Resolution 1701. Lebanon has denied that these tunnels exist and recalled that, for the past 12 years, Israel has violated Lebanese air space and sea space about 150 times a month.

The Lebanese Minister for Foreign Affairs, Gebran Bassil, announced that he was preparing to make a request to the United Nations to address Israel's incessant violations of the resolution and the defamatory accusations that Israel persistently makes.

The highest Israeli authorities are used to telling the most shameful lies. In September 2018, from the UN General Assembly tribune, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahou had already accused the Hezbollah of constructing an arms factory in the heart of Beirut, thus using the population as a civil shield. Minister Gebran Bassil had then invited the ambassadors in post in Lebanon to come to verify for themselves the lies of Netanyahu and took them to visit the places in the Lebanese capital that Netanyahu had mentioned. Another example: on 20 September, the Chief of Staff of the Army of the Israeli Air Force, General Amikam Norkin, went to Moscow to justify destroying a Russian military plane which was based in Syria and tried to do by saying things that totally contradicted the radar and satellite recordings.

In Israel, the press mentions that it is possible that this propaganda operation was thought up by the Prime Minister to attack his former Minister of Defence, Avigdor Lieberman, or to divert the Israeli public attention from his own problems with the justice system, at a time when he is about to be put under investigation for embezzlement of funds.
See also:

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Bomb

US-led coalition bombs, completely destroys local hospital in Hajin, Syria


Sputnik
Fri, 07 Dec 2018 16:46 UTC
syria airstrike
© Sputnik / Mikhail Voskresenskiy
The Friday airstrikes of the US-led Coalition have completely destroyed a hospital in the Syrian city of Hajin in the eastern Deir ez-Zor province, Ikhbariya broadcaster reported.

SANA and the Ikhbariya broadcaster reported earlier on Friday that eight more civilians were killed in recent airstrikes on Hajin. All of the killed civilians were reportedly members of one family.

The US-led coalition regularly carries out airstrikes in eastern Deir ez-Zor province, and has recently been concentrating its air power on Hajin.

According to the Wednesday US-led Coalition press release, all strikes were carried out near Hajin and destroyed supply routes, vehicles, fighting positions, as well as tunnels and buildings.
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Info

WikiLeaks slams DNC lawsuit as attack on free speech, requests its dismissal

Amy Lieu
Fox News
Sat, 08 Dec 2018 16:29 UTC
wikileaks
Lawyers for WikiLeaks asked a federal judge on Friday to dismiss a Democratic National Committee lawsuit over the anti-secrecy group's publication of party data during the 2016 presidential election, citing its constitutional rights, reports said.

"WikiLeaks's conduct - publishing truthful information of public concern as a media organization - is protected by the First Amendment," WikiLeaks lawyer Joshua Dratel wrote in a 33-page motion filed in New York City, according to the Washington Times.

Dratel called the DNC's lawsuit an "existential threat" to the organization.

He said that if the Democrats were successful in thwarting WikiLeaks, all that would remain would be "a shell of the First Amendment," with a self-censoring media intimidated by the fear of lawsuits, according to Court House News.

Dratel said a DNC victory would have a "chilling effect" on the press' exercise of constitutionally protected speech.

But Democrats pushed back on WikiLeak's argument on Friday.
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Arrow Down

Ukraine decides to give nationalist post-WII Nazi collaborators same status as war vets


RT
Fri, 07 Dec 2018 16:14 UTC
Ukrainian Insurgent Army
© Reuters / Valentyn OgirenkoVeterans of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).
Ukrainian parliament has passed a law, which gives Nazi-collaborating nationalist fighters, who fought against the Soviet Union after the end of World War II, the same status as the people who fought against Nazis during the war.

Ukraine's current nation-building effort puts it at odds with other nations because Kiev seeks to glorify different forces that wanted an independent Ukrainian state, regardless of what crimes they may have committed. The most awkward legacy comes with the radical Ukrainian nationalists, who were active in the first half of 20th century.

They started by targeting Polish officials in what is now western Ukraine with a campaign of terrorism. Later they sided with Nazi Germany during World War II hoping that Adolf Hitler would make Ukraine independent, but then turned against him after their expectations proved wrong.

Comment: Awkward indeed, for Ukraine and for their American sponsors. The U.S. will go down in history as the great democracy that lent its support to Nazi collaborators and Wahhabi jihadists. As for Ukraine, future generations will only look back and laugh.

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Star of David

Israeli undercover agents were detained & questioned by Hamas prior to failed Gaza raid


Sputnik
Fri, 07 Dec 2018 00:00 UTC
Israeli raid Hamas Gaza
© Reuters / Amir Cohen
An undercover Israeli operation in Gaza failed on 12 November 2018, leading to a heated firefight between Hamas soldiers and IDF forces resulting in the death of a senior Israeli officer. The failed raid led to several days of fire exchanges on the Gaza border between Hamas and the Israeli military.

The undercover Israeli forces, who participated in a failed raid in November 2018, were detained and questioned by Hamas forces for 40 minutes prior to their cover being blown, Haaretz reported citing an unnamed Qatari news site, which in turned cited an anonymous Hamas source. The group of Israeli undercover agents was travelling in a van, pretending to be members of welfare association, Al-Basma Club for the Disabled and using fake IDs.

According to the media, after questioning the agents at the checkpoint in the southern part of the Gaza strip, Hamas' senior officer Nur al-Din Barakeh, suspected they were imposters and ordered to escort them to a command post, forcing the Israelis to break cover and shoot their way back. Barakeh and his deputy as well as a senior Israeli officer were killed in the subsequent gunfire exchange.

Comment: See: Israel launches special forces raid into Gaza, kills top Hamas commander - 7 killed in total, including one IDF occupier

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Cell Phone

'Dumb as a rock' and 'lazy as hell': Trump destroys Rex Tillerson in tweet praising Pompeo


RT
Fri, 07 Dec 2018 15:36 UTC
Donald Trump (L) Rex Tillerson (R)
© Reuters /Jonathan Ernst ; Reuters / Leah Millis
US President Donald Trump lashed out at his first secretary of state, calling Rex Tillerson dumb and lazy after an interview in which Tillerson complained about his time at the State Department.

"Mike Pompeo is doing a great job, I am very proud of him," Trump tweeted on Friday. "His predecessor, Rex Tillerson, didn't have the mental capacity needed. He was dumb as a rock and I couldn't get rid of him fast enough. He was lazy as hell."
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Eye 1

Mueller and FBI versus Trump: Who will win?

Jim Dean
New Eastern Outlook
Fri, 07 Dec 2018 15:02 UTC
Robert Mueller
It is time for the reclusive Mr. Mueller to begin revealing where the focus of his investigation is going. This week, sentencing hearings begin for those who have cooperated with the government in the hopes of a lighter sentence.

The FBI has to provide sentencing recommendations and the reasons supporting them, which will give us some clues as to not only what it has, but also any potential exposure for President Trump.

The sentencing process will be complicated due to several of the defendants having broken their plea agreements by lying to the FBI or withholding information which kills their original plea deals. A good defense attorney will always explain this carefully to a client so he does not expose himself to more charges, perjury and/or obstruction of justice.

Also keep in mind that, with Trump savaging those making pleas, claiming they are lying to get a lighter sentence, Mueller will not be using their contributions without being in possession of supporting evidence like emails, phone call intercepts or corroborating testimony from others in the case. Someone with Mueller's stature does not go into court on a wish and a prayer.
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