Puppet MastersS


Bad Guys

Trump's 'Game of Thrones' Iran threat sets off internet wildfire


RT
Sat, 03 Nov 2018 16:30 UTC
trump game of thrones
© Donald Trump/Twitter
US President Donald Trump's decision to use a Game of Thrones-themed picture to threaten Iran with sanctions has set off social media like a band of wildlings attacking a freefolk village.

On Friday Trump tweeted an image of himself purposefully striding forward along with the words "Sanctions are coming. November 5" written in the iconic Game of Thrones style across his chest.

Unsurprisingly the internet jumped on the cinematic warning like a army of wights ripping apart human flesh. The speed and creativity of many of the photoshop efforts was something to behold.
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Cardboard Box

Desperate: US Dept of Defense claims Taliban's victory over ISIS as its own

Bill Roggio
Long War Journal
Fri, 02 Nov 2018 16:30 UTC
US Marines and Afghan Commandos
© AFP / Wakil Koshar
In the Department of Defense's latest quarterly report on Afghanistan, the US military claimed the Taliban's victory against the Islamic State Khorasan Province in Jawzjan over the summer as its own. The US military's claim highlights just how desperate it is to report success in Afghanistan, and how infrequent those successes are in reality.

At the end of July 2018, the Taliban massed its forces and targeted a large cadre of Islamic State fighters that were based in Darzab district in Jawzjan. The Taliban operation was decisive; the Islamic State was routed. More than 150 of the 600 Islamic State operatives based in the district were killed and an estimated 100 more were wounded. Another 134 were captured by the Taliban. [See FDD's Long War Journal report, Taliban says Islamic State has been 'completely defeated' in Jawzjan.]

Following the drubbing by the Taliban, more than 250 Islamic State fighters and a handful of leaders, including the group's military commander for the north, surrendered to the Afghan government to prevent being captured by the Taliban.

At the time, both the US military and Afghan government spun the surrender as a successful operation. General John Nicholson, then the commander of US Forces - Afghanistan and Resolute Support, touted the Taliban's dominance over the Islamic State Khorasan Province as evidence that the security situation Afghanistan is improving.

Comment: The new US commander in Afghanistan has at least made a good start: New US commander in Afghanistan finally admits Taliban cannot be defeated after 17 years of useless war. With any luck, Trump will fulfil the spirit of his statements critical of the war - repeated in his campaign and recently - and get American troops out of Afghanistan. It has cost too much, killed too many, all with no strategic vision or substantive success.

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Bizarro Earth

Ukraine's neo-Nazi's hosted by US gov's 'America House', Russian rep condemns surge in extremism


PressTV
Sat, 03 Nov 2018 18:37 UTC
Ukraine nazi
The undated photo shows government-endorsed extremist fighters posing with neo-Nazi and NATO flags in an undisclosed location in eastern Ukraine.
Russian deputy envoy to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Dmitry Balakin has complained to the organization against neo-Nazi presence in a United States government-funded cultural center in Ukraine's capital city of Kiev.

Speaking to the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on Friday, Balakin condemned ongoing neglect of surging state-sponsored nationalist extremism in Ukraine.

"It got to a point where a member of the C14 neo-Nazi group was allowed to speak at the America House in Kiev, against the background of the American flag, where he boasted about results of 'cleaning' a Kiev railway station from Gypsies jointly with the city police," said the Russian diplomat.

The image of the controversial event has circulated on social media, showing a known neo-Nazi speaker at the center.

Comment: Judging by the increasing chaos and the extremists rising through the ranks of power, the dire situation in Ukraine boasts all the characteristics of Western intervention: Also check out SOTT radio's: Behind the Headlines: 'Revolution' in Ukraine: A history of manufactured chaos

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Radar

Keen Sword: US and Japan stage largest naval war drill in Pacific amid tensions with China


RT
Sun, 04 Nov 2018 15:38 UTC
USS Ronald Reagan during Keen Sword military drills, November 3, 2018
© Reuters / Tim KellyUSS Ronald Reagan during Keen Sword military drills, November 3, 2018.
Washington and Tokyo have amassed a record number of sailors, marines and airmen for the biggest joint naval drill that the two allied nations have ever held close to Chinese shores as tensions keep rising in the region.

Around 47,000 troops from the Japan Self-Defense Force have been joined by more than 10,000 US servicemen for the Keen Sword 19 military exercise - the biggest drill of its kind since the biennial joint maneuvers were launched in 1986. The US forces participating in the drill include the bulk of the Seventh Fleet, as well as the Submarine Group 7 - both of which are based in Japan's Yokosuka. Tokyo has deployed roughly a fifth of its military. Two Canadian warships are also taking part in the exercise.
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Jet5

Iran reveals mass production of homemade fighter jet just as US sanctions come into effect


RT
Sat, 03 Nov 2018 22:02 UTC
iran jet figther
© AFP / Iranian Defense Ministry
Iran's defense minister has launched the production of a domestically-designed fourth-generation fighter jet, just as Tehran is bracing for sweeping US sanctions, expected to come into effect early next week.

"Soon the required number of these planes will be produced and put at the service of the Air Force," Defense Minister Brigadier-General Amir Hatami said, at the ceremony marking the start of the production. He went on to hail the accomplishments of Iranian engineers, made in the face of "the enemies' psychological warfare, propagandist blackmail, and economic sanctions." Iran will also "spare no effort" as it seeks to further develop "peaceful defense technologies" to protect its sovereignty, Hatami added.

The fourth-generation jet, called Kowsar, boasts "advanced avionics", a multipurpose radar and a fire control system linked to a digital military data network as well as an independent radio navigation system, Iran's Press TV reported.

Comment: Interesting timing. And regarding the US sanctions on Iran, see: Paper Tiger Sanctions on Iran Will Speed The End of Pax Americana

See also: And check out SOTT radio's: Behind the Headlines: Atlantic Trade War? How Trump Breaking Iran Deal Could Dismantle US Empire

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Chess

German FM: EU needs to revise disarmament policies with INF Treaty about to collapse


RT
Sun, 04 Nov 2018 15:33 UTC
missiles
© Getty
The German foreign minister believes Europe needs to re-think arms control and disarmament strategies to preserve peace in the union following the abrupt US decision to quit the landmark INF accord.

The crucial nuclear treaty was signed in late 1980s and was always considered a milestone in ending the arms race between the two superpowers, the US and the USSR. Issues regarding the pact were raised again by Heiko Maas in his article for Der Spiegel newspaper on Saturday. The German FM has repeatedly stressed the importance of the agreement, from which Donald Trump decided to withdraw in October this year.

Maas asserted that an end to the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty would "bring down one of the greatest achievements of disarmament policy." He recalled that the then-US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev knew about the importance of arms control and disarmament, as they took "courageous steps" to reduce their countries' arsenals during the last years of the decades-long Cold War.
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Bizarro Earth

Trump boasts 'nobody has done more for Christians & religion', cue Twitterstorm


RT
Sat, 03 Nov 2018 20:36 UTC
trump
© REUTERS / Kevin LamarqueFILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in Washington, US, on November 2, 2018.
President Donald Trump has called himself the greatest friend of religious communities in the history of the US, but the rousing braggadocio did not appear to convince Twitter, where many users reacted with outrage and sarcasm.

"Nobody has done more for Christians or evangelicals or frankly religion than I have," Trump told the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) while aboard Air Force One. The president was in fact answering a question on whether he believed that American evangelicals would support him at the forthcoming midterms - but quickly ended up declaring himself the greatest champion of religion in US history.

He went on to clarify by referring to his desire to "totally destroy" the 1954 Johnson Amendment, which bans religious organizations from endorsing political candidates under the threat of losing their tax-exempt status. He's never actually managed to fulfill that desire as the revocation of the amendment has not been included in tax legislation until now.

Comment: There are people who have done a lot for people of faith in our time, although they would never be so proud as to make such claims: Also check out SOTT radio's: Behind the Headlines: Has Trump Gone Full Shlemiel in Planned U.S. Embassy Move to Jerusalem?

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Blue Planet

Russia, China, Norway dispute "supposed need" for Antarctic marine reserve, reject plan


AlJazeera
Sun, 04 Nov 2018 14:34 UTC
weddell sea
A proposal to create one of the world's largest marine reserves in a vast area of pristine Antarctic waters has been rejected, prompting concern among conservation groups about the ecosystem's future.

After two weeks of deliberations, Russia, China and Norway on Friday blocked the plan for a 1.8m square kilometres maritime protection zone in the Weddell Sea at a summit of the 25-member Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in Hobart, Australia.

The proposed reserve, roughly five times the size of Germany, would have made the area in question a no-go zone for fishing and other commercial activities.

Antarctica's waters and landmass are home to penguins, seals, whales and huge numbers of krill, a staple food for many species, among other animals.

Comment: See also: And check out SOTT radio's: Behind the Headlines: Earth changes in an electric universe: Is climate change really man-made?

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Calculator

Russian finance minister rules out progressive income tax, taxing luxury goods instead


IntelliNews
Tue, 30 Oct 2018 12:00 UTC
First Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Anton Siluanov
First Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Anton Siluanov
Russia will not introduce a progressive income tax system, First Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on October 29, but admitted Russian inequality inequality is too high.

"We are told: 'let's adopt a more progressive tax system for our citizens'. There are pros and cons to this. We know that rich people are clever, and they will find ways to circumvent this decision. They can just take the money out of the country. On the other hand, the flat rate of 13% has already been settled, and it would probably be wrong to change legislation in this regard," Siluanov said.

"One cannot not agree with the fact that income inequality creates social tensions. We are often told: 'let's raise taxes for the rich'. In fact, we have already done it - raised taxes on luxurious properties, cars, yachts, apartments and so on," Siluanov said.

Comment: Russia has its problems but it is a radically different place since Putin and his administration came to power, and their overwhelming support by the people is evident at the polls - and it's not just in Russia people admire Putin's efforts: Also check out SOTT radio's: Behind the Headlines: Trump Ditches Europe, Europe Bluffs, Russia and China Carry on With Eurasian Integration

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USA

Bonkers! Trump Administration prepares its best hackers for 'swift and severe' cyberattack against Russia - in case of election meddling

Tyler Durden
Zerohedge
Sat, 03 Nov 2018 00:00 UTC
vote
U.S. military hackers have been given the go-ahead to gain access to Russian cyber systems in case of midterm election 'meddling'.

The Pentagon and members of the US intelligence community have not-so-secretly agreed on a rough plan for an offensive cyberattack against Russia in the event the Kremlin interferes with the 2018 midterm elections on November 6, according to Yahoo! News, citing "current and former senior US officials" familiar with the plan.
In preparation for its potential use, U.S. military hackers have been given the go-ahead to gain access to Russian cyber systems that they feel is needed to let the plan unfold quickly, the officials said.

The effort constitutes one of the first major cyber battle plans organized under a new government policy enabling potential offensive operations to proceed more quickly once the parameters have been worked out in advance and agreed among key agencies. -Yahoo!
So far, national security officials have reported limited efforts by Russians to compromise political organizations and campaigns. There is concern, however, that "Moscow might unleash more aggressive interference" right before midterm voting begins, during voting, or while the votes are being counted, according to the report.


Comment: If you consider non-existent the same as limited, then sure, there have been "limited efforts by Russians to compromise political organizations and campaigns".


Comment: This development would be laughable - if it wasn't so dangerously insane. Never mind that there has never been any proof of any Russian interference in US elections, and never mind that after many months of "investigation" the Mueller cabal has come up with exactly Zero evidence of a Russia-Trump collusion of any sort that doesn't prove to be utter nonsense once one scratches just beneath the surface. Now the Trump administration is playing along with it all to boot?!? Or is this just a case of our certifiably insane intelligence agency-military-security apparatus making hay with a "tough" new policy of Trump's that it was never intended for. Take you pick.

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