Puppet MastersS


Star of David

French envoy calls Israel 'apartheid state' as Trump's Palestine deal looks all but doomed


RT
Mon, 22 Apr 2019 21:00 UTC
TrumpKushnerNeti
© Reuters/Carlos BarriaPresident Trump • Senior Advisor Jared Kushner • Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
US President Donald Trump's "deal of the century," aimed at resolving the decades-long conflict between Israel and Palestine, looks dead in the water, as speculation continues that the plan will be far more favorable to Israel.

Gérard Araud, France's outgoing envoy to the US, dubbed Israel an "apartheid state" in a farewell interview with the Atlantic magazine on Friday and suggested that the secret plan is "very close to what the Israelis want" and 99 percent "doomed to fail."

Still, Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, are exerting "immense pressure" on the Palestinians to accept Trump's deal, a senior Fatah official told Iran's Press TV on Monday. Those countries are "using all means, including political and financial blackmail" to force Palestinians into agreeing with the deal "despite all the dangers it poses to the Palestinian cause."

Meanwhile, the Arab League pledged to pay $100 million per-month to the Palestinian Authority (PA) to fill the gap left after Israel, which collects taxes on behalf of the PA, blocked tax transfers earlier this year. Israel withheld $138 million in transfers in February over Palestinian payments to political prisoners in jail for attacks on Israelis.

Publicly, the group of Arab nations also rejected Trump's deal, saying it "will not succeed in achieving a long-lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East."

Comment: For more of Gérard Araud's commentary: See also:

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Bullseye

As in RTS bombing, 'threatened' media cheers arrests of journalists on 'wrong' side

Nebojsa Malic
RT
Mon, 22 Apr 2019 23:57 UTC
RTS building bombing
© ReutersRadio-Television Serbia (RTS) building, bombed by NATO on April 23, 1999.
Even as journalists in the West claim to be under attack, they mock and deride their jailed colleague Julian Assange - and forget they applauded the US bombing of their colleagues in Serbia exactly 20 years ago.

Rather than apologize for years of frankly fraudulent "bombshell" reporting flogging the bogus 'Russiagate' conspiracy theory, the mainstream US media have chosen to claim they are the real victims here, citing a Reporters Without Borders (RSF) report pointing the finger at US President Donald Trump for creating a "climate of fear."

"It's never been a more dangerous time to be a journalist, and press freedom has never been under greater attack than it is now," Rebecca Vincent, head of the UK bureau of RSF, told CNN.

Where were these paladins of press freedom when a NATO missile destroyed the building of Radio-Television Serbia (RTS) on April 23, 1999, killing 16 staff members and injuring another 16? Funny you should ask.
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Light Sabers

Trump threatens EU with retaliation after Harley-Davidson claims tariffs hurt profits

Megan Henney
Fox Business
Tue, 23 Apr 2019 17:38 UTC
Trump Harley Davidson
© Getty ImagesWhite House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and Vice President Mike Pence look on as President Donald Trump speaks briefly to reporters after greeting Harley Davidson executives on the South Lawn of the White House, February 2, 2017 in Washington, DC.
President Trump vowed on Tuesday to reciprocate against "unfair" European Union tariffs that are hitting Harley-Davidson after the company posted a first-quarter profit that dropped 26.7 percent.

The U.S. motorcycle company blamed its slumped profits on falling U.S. sales and European import tariffs. However, Harley topped Wall Street's expectations by more than 30 cents, sending its shares higher.

"So unfair to the U.S.," Trump wrote in a tweet. "We will Reciprocate!"

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Chess

Bernie Sanders urges Congress to take back war powers - override Trump veto on Yemen


Sputnik
Tue, 23 Apr 2019 17:29 UTC
Bernie Sanders
© Andrew Harnik / Associated PressSen. Bernie Sanders, pictured here on Jan. 30, has has confirmed to VPR that he is seeking the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. This marks Sanders' second presidential run.
US Senator Bernie Sanders in a letter to fellow lawmakers said that it is critical for Congress to reaffirm its power to declare war and overturn President Donald Trump's veto of a resolution to end America's involvement in the conflict in Yemen.

Trump last week vetoed a bipartisan resolution directing the White House to end US involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen. The House passed the resolution by a 274-175 vote in early April, less than a month after it was approved by the Senate 54-46. US Congress would need two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate to override Trump's veto.

Comment:

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Bad Guys

Russia to ratify Paris climate accord in 2019


RT
Tue, 23 Apr 2019 17:29 UTC
arctic
© Sputnik / Vera Kostamo
Russia plans to join global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by finally ratifying the Paris climate agreement before the end of 2019, Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Gordeev said.

"We're are preparing ratification of the document in accordance to our internal legislative proceedings. We plan to complete this work ... by the end of 2019," Gordeev told journalists.

Gordeev also praised the Paris climate deal as a "sustainable international legal base" for long-term climate regulation. According to the vice PM, Russia has an ambitious plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 75 percent of 1990 levels by 2019. Russia also aims to keep gas emissions at the same level for the next 35 years.
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Star of David

Barbarism: Israeli military shoots blindfolded, handcuffed 16-year-old Palestinian boy at 'point-blank' range in West Bank

Yumna Patel
Mondoweiss
Tue, 23 Apr 2019 00:00 UTC
IDF shoots unarmed teen West Bank April 2019
© Ma'an News AgencyLocal news agencies reported that the teen was shot in the groin area, allegedly at “point-blank” range. Wafa news reported that a a bullet had hit a main artery, causing heavy bleeding.
The Israeli military is coming under criticism after its forces opened live fire on a bound and blindfolded Palestinian teenager as he ran away from a group of soldiers attempting to detain him.

The shooting took place on Thursday in the Bethlehem-area village of Tuqu, in the southern occupied West Bank, following funeral processions for a local teacher who was killed earlier in the week when an Israeli settler rammed into her with their vehicle.

Maan News Agency reported that after the funeral and subsequent protests, Israeli forces clashed with local youth in the area.

The victim, 16-year-old Tuqu resident Osama Hajahjeh, who has been hospitalized in a Palestinian hospital since last week, told AP journalists on Monday that he had been let out of school early to attend the funeral.

During the commotion, he says he was tackled, handcuffed, and blindfolded by the armed soldiers.

Comment: See also:

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Network

Putin to meet Kim Jung-un for the first time on Thursday


RT
Tue, 23 Apr 2019 16:56 UTC
Putin Kim Jong-un
© Sputnik/Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via REUTERS
Vladimir Putin and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-un will meet in Vladivostok, in Russia's Far East, on April 25. It will be the first meeting of the two heads of state.

The leaders will hold talks on Thursday, Putin's foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, confirmed. He called Kim's visit to Russia "the key event" in the recent history of Moscow-Pyongyang relations.

It is crucial in terms of assisting the political and diplomatic efforts to resolve the [North Korean] nuclear issue.
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Yoda

Best of the Web: PM Khan admits, during visit to Iran, that Pakistan-based terror groups have attacked Iran


RT
Tue, 23 Apr 2019 17:10 UTC
Imran Khan Rouhani
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (R) and Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan
Opposition MPs in Pakistan's National Assembly were in an uproar Tuesday over PM Imran Khan's "unprecedented" act of admitting that terrorist attacks against Iran had been carried out by groups based in Pakistan.


Comment: What a novel concept: a politician who tells the truth and takes responsibility. Maybe we need more leaders like Khan in this regard.


During a joint press conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani following their talks on Monday, Khan made an admission that did not go down well with a number of Pakistani politicians.
I know Iran has suffered from terrorism [perpetrated] by groups operating from Pakistan. ...we [need to] have trust in each other that both countries will not allow any terrorist activity from their soil. We hope this will build confidence between us.
Khurram Dastagir Khan of Pakistan's opposition party, the National Assembly, was particularly vocal in his outrage over the statement.

"No prime minister has ever made such a confession on foreign soil," he said.


Comment: Exactly. And maybe they should.


The legislator stated that Imran's comments had left the country "exposed," stressing that such "diplomatic blunders" have actually "hurt national security."

Comment: Thank God for 'populist' leaders.

So Pakistan WAS a base of operations for terrorist groups in the region for decades. So much for THAT conspiracy 'theory'...

Meanwhile the US myth-makers still bleat about Iran being the center of global terror operations. Far from it; terror was directed AT Iran.

See also:

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Star of David

After Jerusalem and Golan, will Trump recognize West Bank as Israeli?

Ekaterina Blinova
Sputnik
Tue, 23 Apr 2019 16:58 UTC
Trump Kushner Netanyahu
© REUTERS / Kobi Gideon/Courtesy of Government Press Office
The Israeli elections on 9 April resulted in the victory of Benjamin Netanyahu, who was officially appointed as the country's prime minister on 17 April. Speaking to Sputnik, Israeli publicist Avigdor Eskin shared his opinion on what to expect from the Netanyahu cabinet in the near future.

Avigdor Eskin, an Israeli political analyst and publicist who predicted Netanyahu's victory back in November 2018, believes that Washington and Tel Aviv will continue to strengthen Israel's positions in the region following the de facto recognition of Jerusalem on 14 May 2018 and Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights on 25 March 2019.

"I anticipate Israeli official recognition of towns and villages on the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) as a part of the state and I also anticipate US recognition. We will also see the attempts to negotiate with Gaza. Egypt will play an important role", the Israeli publicist foresees.

The West Bank and the Gaza Strip have remained disputed lands along with the Golan Heights since the Six-Day War of 1967. The United Nations and the EU view the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza as "occupied Palestinian territories". For the last two decades, the international community supported the establishment of a Palestinian state as the way to solve the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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Arrow Down

China slams Washington's decision on Iranian oil sanctions


RFE/RL
Tue, 23 Apr 2019 16:43 UTC
Iranian oil refinery
© APAn Iranian oil worker rides his bicycle at a Tehran oil refinery.
Beijing has lashed out at a U.S. decision to impose sanctions on countries that buy Iranian oil, warning that it will intensify turmoil in the Middle East and in the international energy market.

"China firmly opposes the U.S. implementation of unilateral sanctions and its so-called long-armed jurisdiction," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at an April 23 press briefing.

The White House announced on April 22 that the United States will not renew exemptions granted in 2018 to five buyers of Iranian oil -- top customer China as well as India, Turkey, South Korea, and Japan -- pressuring importers to stop buying from Tehran.

The exemptions, or waivers, allowed the five countries to buy Iranian oil without facing U.S. sanctions. The White House has said that the decision to end them is intended to bring Iran's oil exports -- a key source of revenue for the authoritarian government -- to zero.

The United States has said it was working with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two of the largest oil exporters, to ensure the market was "adequately supplied."

Comment: The spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Maja Kocijancic, said Tuesday:
"We regret yesterday's announcement by the US not to renew all waivers. This further risks undermining the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action... We, as the European Union, will continue to abide by the JCPOA as long as Iran continues the full and effective implementation of its nuclear-related commitments," Kocijancic told reporters.


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