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Attention

Report: Macron, May advised to strengthen NATO alliance to counter 'unpredictability' of Trump


RT
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 15:55 UTC
MayMacron
© ReutersBritish Prime Minister Theresa May • French President Emmanuel Macron.
The UK and France must urgently deepen their military alliance through intergovernmental organizations such as NATO, to guard against the 'unpredictability' of US President Donald Trump, a former British NATO chief has warned.

Former Labour defense secretary Lord Robertson, who was NATO's Secretary General from 1999 and 2004, along with ex-French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, have released a report claiming the UK and France's relationship has never appeared more perilous, due to risks surrounding Brexit and current US foreign policy, led by Trump.

The report urges British and French intelligence agencies to work together on a greater scale, and for the NATO allies to share military facilities, and push for concessions to be made on Brexit talks between the UK and EU, to strengthen ties.

Robertson, who served in former PM Tony Blair's administration, and his French co-author say that US foreign policy has never been more volatile, especially following the recent midterm elections that saw Trump's Republicans lose control of the House of Representatives.

Comment: May and Macron - the embodiment of puppets with no strings attached.

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USA

What Washington's strategy means for Syria

Martin Berger
New Eastern Outlook
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 00:00 UTC
militarylookouts
© Unknown'The Lookouts'
At this point it's hardly worth arguing that the Syrian conflict has entered endgame, as this fact seems pretty obvious at this point. Yet, even after exhausting all of its options the United States chose to double down on its Syrian intervention.

This serves as a clear indication that America's Syria policy is in dire straits. For months now, Donald Trump would carry on voicing his typical Twitter threats against Damascus and its allies that are determined to put an end to massive terrorist groups operating inside war-ravaged Syria.

Under this backdrop, it's hardly surprising that the Washington Post would cite an unnamed official in the Trump administration that revealed that the US tried to create quagmires for Moscow and Damascus until it would be able to grab what it has been after all along. To be more specific, this implies that the West will try to get its foot in the door of the ending conflict, ensuring that the Syrian government will not be able to secure its victory. This means Washington will once again rush to save al-Qaeda to keep the war going, which has been a recurring undercurrent in US policy in Syria for years.

Comment: The price of dominance has risen. It may well be the US is playing out its final hand in Syria one way or another.

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Eye 2

Best of the Web: FBI bombshell report: Ukrainian neo-Nazis met and trained with US white supremacists in Charlottesville riot


RT
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 18:27 UTC
Azov rally Ukraine
© Reuters / Gleb GaranichSupporters of Azov National Corps hold torchlight rally in Kiev, Ukraine, October 2017.
Ukraine's neo-Nazi Azov battalion is "believed to have participated in training and radicalizing" US-based white supremacists, the FBI said in a recent indictment of several California men involved in the Charlottesville violence.

Four members of the "Rise Above Movement" (RAM), described by the FBI as a "white supremacy extremist group" were indicted for conspiracy to riot over the August 2017 violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, among other things. In the affidavit, signed by FBI Special Agent Scott Bierwirth, 28-year-old Robert Rundo is said to have traveled to Germany, Italy and Ukraine in the spring of 2018.

Rundo allegedly met with Olena Semenyaka, one of the officials of the National Corps - a political wing of the Azov Battalion.

Comment: Well, well, well. As we said at the time: there is no real 'white supremacist, KKK, Nazi' movement in the USA. There is only a fake one controlled and used by the US deep state to tarnish Trump and his supporters.

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Chart Bar

Russia to replace US soybean exports to China amid escalating trade war


RT
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 18:07 UTC
soybeans
© Global Look Press
The ongoing trade conflict with Washington is forcing China to look for new suppliers of day-to-day produce to the domestic market. Russia is expected to be the answer when it comes to soybeans and other goods.

According to Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, the country may partially replace US as the leading exporter of soybeans to China. The nations are also planning to work more closely on deliveries of other agricultural goods, including pork, rice, poultry, fish, as well as developing joint logistics projects.

"Soybeans are in very big demand in China," Medvedev told reporters Wednesday during his three-day visit to China.
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Handcuffs

Denmark releases three members of Iranian separatist group, keeps patsy accused of assassination plot in detention


RFE/RL
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 18:12 UTC
ahvas iran attack
© ISNA / Morteza Jaberian / AFPThe three were accused of having praised those behind a deadly attack in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz in September.
Danish authorities say three members of an Iranian exile opposition group arrested on suspicion of supporting terrorism have been released.

Police detained the three on November 7 under the accusation of having praised those behind a deadly attack in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz in September.

The release was announced late on November 7 after they were interviewed by police.


Comment: That's a surprising lack of detail. Did they or did they not praise the attack?


The three are members of the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz (ASMLA), an Iranian ethnic Arab separatist group that Iran has blamed for the September attack in which at least 25 people were killed.

ASMLA, which seeks a separate state for ethnic Arabs in Iran's oil-producing southwestern province of Khuzestan, has condemned the violence and said it was not involved.

Late last month, the Danish PET security service accused the Iranian intelligence service of plotting to assassinate the leader of the group's Danish branch. Tehran denied the allegation, calling it a conspiracy aimed at damaging Tehran's relations with the European Union.

Comment: See also: Iran blames Israel for alleged Denmark murder plot - which Mossad blames on Iran

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USA

America first not to come: Trump will snub Macron-favored Paris Peace Forum


RT
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 16:16 UTC
Presidents Trump and Macron
© REUTERS/Carlos BarriaPresidents Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump, 73rd United Nations General Assembly.
Unlike many other world leaders, US President Donald Trump will not attend a conference hosted by France's Emmanuel Macron, the organizers said today.

The Paris Peace Forum coincides with France's program for the commemoration of the end of World War I taking place this week. Around 70 world leaders are to visit France for the event, including Trump.

But unlike people including Germany's Angela Merkel, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the US president will not attend the forum, which is touted as a new annual event aiming to "develop solutions for today's transborder challenges."

As the opening date was drawing closer, there was a lot of uncertainty about Trump's participation. But on Thursday chief organizer Justin Vaisse confirmed to AFP that the American leader will not be part of it. Earlier this week Vaisse tried to downplay the importance of Trump's presence.

The forum was given impetus by Macron as part of his agenda to keep France closely involved in international politics and to promote European integration. Trump, a self-described nationalist who adopted the motto "America first" as the quintessence of his policy, apparently found the event's goals not to his liking.

Comment: Nothing and no one should overshadow Macron's moment.
See also:
Macron worried Putin & Trump might steal limelight in Paris so he asked them not to meet

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Megaphone

Saudi Arabia planning 'imminent' execution of 12 Shiite prisoners - Amnesty


RFE/RL
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 17:25 UTC
nimr protest saudi
© AFPIranians protest after Saudi Arabia executed a prominent Shi'ite Muslim cleric Nimr al-Nimr in 2016.
Amnesty International has warned that the executions of 12 Saudi Shi'ite Muslim prisoners could be imminent, after they were sent to a secretive state security body that reports directly to the king.

The men, who were sentenced to death in 2016 after being convicted of spying for Iran in a mass trial, have been transferred to the Presidency of State Security, the human rights group said. They could be executed once the king ratifies their sentences.

"The families of the men are terrified by this development," Amnesty Middle East Director Heba Morayef said.

"Given the secrecy surrounding Saudi Arabia's judicial proceedings, we fear that this development signals the imminent execution of the 12 men."

The Saudi government could not be reached for comment on the cases.
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Cult

Ukrainian President Poroshenko calls for Russian Orthodox Church to be expelled: 'Go home!'


RT
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 16:50 UTC
fake patriarch Ukraine orthodox church schism
© Sputnik UkrainianSelf-proclaimed Ukrainian 'patriarch' Filaret and president Petro Poroshenko.
President Petro Poroshenko lashed out at the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate, telling it to "go home" in fiery comments, which the Church dismissed as "absurd" and unconstitutional.

Concerns voiced by top Russian officials about the ongoing church row in Ukraine are proof that the institution should not be in the country at all, according to Poroshenko.

"Is it normal when the Kremlin urgently gathers the Security Council, presided over by Putin, with the only issue on the table: How to protect the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine?" Poroshenko said on Tuesday. He added that "your church, your troops, your armaments" have no business in Ukraine, and urged them to "go home, back to Russia."

Comment:

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Star of David

Israeli police: Bribery evidence surfaces against Netanyahu's lawyer and ex-Navy general


Sputnik
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 13:41 UTC
INS Rahav sub
© AFP/Jack GuezINS Rahav,the 5th Israeli sub arrives in Haifa on January 12, 2016
In June, Netanyahu was questioned for the first time on the 'submarine affair', the reportedly corrupt deal worth $2 billion to purchase submarines and naval vessels from a German shipbuilder.

Israeli Police stated Thursday that they had substantial evidence to accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's lawyer and confidant, David Shimron, of mediating corruption, Haaretz reported. In addition, police stated that Netanyahu's former bureau chief, David Sharan, former navy chief Eliezer Marom, and two ex-navy generals should be charged following similar accusations linked to the 'submarine affair,' also known as Case 3000.

However, police stressed that there was a lack of proof to charge another key Netanyahu attorney, Issac Molho.

The 'submarine affair' is linked to an allegedly corrupt $2 billion deal to purchase submarines and other naval vessels from the German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp.

Comment: See also:

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Oil Well

United States oil production set to rise past 12 million barrels per day


RT
Thu, 08 Nov 2018 08:11 UTC
US oil production on the rise
© Reuters/Lucy Nicholson
Rising shale production is putting the United States on track to hit the 12 million bpd oil production mark sooner than previously forecast, the Energy Information Administration said in its November Short-Term Energy Outlook.

Next year's US crude oil output is now expected to average 12.1 million bpd, up from a forecast of 11.8 million bpd just a month ago in the October STEO (Short-Term Energy Outlook).

US crude oil production reached a new monthly record of 11.3 million bpd in August 2018, exceeding 11 million bpd for the first time. Production in August was 290,000 bpd higher than expected in the October STEO, and it was this higher level that raised the baseline for the EIA's forecast for production in 2019.

Comparing the forecasts in the latest STEO with the October estimates, the EIA now sees US crude oil production hitting the 12-million-bpd mark in the second quarter of 2019 rather than the fourth quarter.
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