Puppet MastersS


Vader

Trump: UK's Theresa May 'didn't listen' to my ideas on Brexit

Chris Mills Rodrigo
The Hill
Thu, 14 Mar 2019 20:29 UTC
trump
President Trump said Thursday that United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May "didn't listen" to his ideas about Brexit. "I'm surprised at how badly it's all gone from the standpoint of a negotiation," Trump told reporters at the White House.

"But I gave the prime minister my ideas on how to negotiate it. And I think you would've been successful. She didn't listen to that, and that's fine. I mean, she's got to do what she's got to do. But I think it could've been negotiated in a different manner, frankly."

May's efforts to negotiate the U.K.'s exit from the European Union have faltered.
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Black Cat 2

Even a vacuous Mueller report won't put a stake though 'Russiagate'

Stephen F. Cohen
The Nation
Thu, 14 Mar 2019 18:28 UTC
Mueller sworn in
© Associated Press/J. Scott ApplewhiteFBI Director Robert Mueller is sworn in on Capitol Hill on June 13, 2013.
Too many reputations and other interests are vested in the legend for it to vanish from American politics anytime soon.

Russiagate allegations that the Kremlin has a subversive hold over President Trump, and even put him in the White House, have poisoned American political life for almost three years. Among other afflictions, it has inspired an array of media malpractices, virtually criminalized anti-Cold War thinking about Russia, and distorted the priorities of the Democratic Party. And this leaves aside the woeful impact Russiagate has had in Moscow-on its policymakers' perception of the US as a reliable partner on mutually vital strategic issues and on Russian democrats who once looked to the American political system as one to be emulated, a loss of "illusions" I previously reported.
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Pistol

Best of the Web: 49 killed and more than 40 seriously injured in New Zealand terror attack at 2 mosques - UPDATES

Louis Casiano, Samuel Chamberlain
Fox News
Fri, 15 Mar 2019 10:52 UTC
Christchurch man reacts
© AP Photo/Mark BakerA man reacts as he speaks on a mobile phone outside a mosque in central Christchurch, New Zealand, Friday, March 15, 2019. A witness says many people have been killed in a mass shooting at a mosque in the New Zealand city of Christchurch.
One person has been charged in connection with a "well-planned" terrorist attack that killed 49 people and injured dozens more in two New Zealand mosques on Friday, authorities said.

The New Zealand police said four people -- three men and one woman -- were in custody in connection with the mass shooting at both places of worship in the city of Christchurch. The charged male suspect is expected to appear in court Saturday, Police Commissioner Mike Bush told reporters at a news conference. He said the principal suspect was a 28-year-old Australian-born citizen who earlier claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said none of the suspects were on any security watch lists.

"These are people who I would describe as having extremist views, that have absolutely no place in New Zealand," Ardern said.

Bush clarified that police found two improvised explosive devices in one vehicle after the shooting. One was disabled and police were working to defuse the second Friday night.

Comment: UPDATE 15/3/2019 7:43: RT summary of events:
This is what we know about the attacks so far.
  • Police Commissioner Mike Bush has confirmed that 49 people have been killed, over 20 more injured.
  • Children were among those with gunshot wounds admitted to hospitals.
  • A man in his late 20s was charged with murder and is set to appear in court tomorrow, police said.
  • Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that a number of improvised explosives were found attached to the assailants' vehicles, but it is not clear whether they were planning a suicide attack. The explosives were then defused.
  • Four suspects have been arrested; one of them has been confirmed to be an Australian national by the country's prime minister. None of them were on any security watch lists.
  • PM Ardern called the tragedy "a terrorist attack" by "extremist right-wing" perpetrators, describing it as "one of New Zealand's darkest days."
  • The national security threat level has been changed to "high," the PM said, adding that New Zealand was targeted because of its values, which "cannot be shaken."
  • According to police, the attack was a "very well-planned event," and officers will be dispatched around mosques "to ensure nothing further occurs."
  • One of the gunmen identified himself on social media as a 28-year-old Australian named Brenton Tarrant.
  • Tarrant used a GoPro camera to livestream the attack on the Al Noor Mosque.
  • His weapons were inscribed with references to famous European battles against Muslims and neo-Nazi slogans. One of the battles referenced is the 1683 Battle of Vienna against the Ottoman Empire.
  • Tarrant posted a lengthy online 'manifesto' in which he declared his hatred toward "Muslim invaders" and cited Norwegian right-wing terrorist Anders Breivik as an inspiration.
  • Shortly after the beginning of the livestream, Tarrant reportedly said "Remember lads, subscribe to Pewdiepie," referring to popular YouTube blogger Felix Kjellberg. The YouTuber responded by saying he felt "absolutely sickened having my name uttered by this person." He also offered condolences to the victims.
  • The Bangladesh national cricket team was training near one of the mosques and was about to enter the building but fled when shots were heard. All players made it back safely to their hotel.
More background on the shooters:
The man said to be behind the deadly New Zealand mosque shootings is an Australian who vowed to fight against 'Muslim invaders'. Inspired by a Norwegian terrorist, he livestreamed himself while shooting worshippers.

The attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand claimed 49 lives, the police comissioner confirmed. Four people were detained in connection with the tragedy.

The man, identified himself on social media as a 28-year-old Australian named Brenton Tarrant, used a GoPro to livestream the attack on the Al Noor Mosque. The footage was promptly removed by Facebook at the request of police, but parts of it were published by local media. The POV-style video showed the gunman driving up to the mosque and taking firearms out of the trunk of his car.

The weapons contained inscriptions referencing famous European battles against Muslims and neo-Nazi slogans. One of the battles referenced is the 1683 Battle of Vienna against the Ottoman Empire.

Shortly before the attack, he published a 73-page 'manifesto' in which he vowed "revenge" against Muslim "invaders." According to reports, he also wrote that he was inspired by right-wing terrorist Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people in Norway in 2011.

He apparently picked the particular mosque to attack because a church once stood at the same place. He also mentioned a 2017 terrorist attack in Stockholm where five people died. One of them was an 11-year-old girl, who the shooter wrote he would avenge.


UPDATE 15/03/2019 - 22:00 CET

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ahern has announced new gun control measures after it's claimed one of the gunmen acquired his weapons in the country legally. Quite how the gunman "got a Category A firearms license in 2017" when he only arrived in New Zealand from Australia in 2019 has not yet been explained...

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Info

Sweden's domestic spy agency warns of the threat of violent Islamism and Russian meddling


RT
Fri, 15 Mar 2019 18:00 UTC
terrorist truck
© AFP / Odd ANDERSENFile photo: The stolen truck used by Rakhmat Akilov to plough into a crowd of shoppers in Stockholm, killing four and injuring 15 on April 7, 2017
Sweden's domestic spy agency Sapo has warned of a rise in radical nationalism within and major foreign spying operations against the country in its latest report, but still lists Islamism as the top national security threat.

The report states that violent Islamism still poses the biggest threat to Swedish national security but the threat has not grown in the past year. Adherents of the radical ideology are still plotting to carry out attacks in Sweden, however.

While the Sapo report unequivocally states it found that "no extensive influence campaigns aiming at influencing the Swedish elections," in 2018, it provided no evidence of or allusions to any attempts either.

The report mentions "around 15" foreign powers that are at least attempting to conduct espionage operations in Sweden, specifically naming Russia, Iran, and China as key figures in this regard, using data from a security survey of 100 public agencies.
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Arrow Down

CNN gives platform to alleged assassin who attempted to kill Maduro with drones

Nick Paton Walsh, Natalie Gallon, Evan Perez, et al.
CNN
Thu, 14 Mar 2019 17:19 UTC
madura venezuela drone attack
Security forces check a nearby building after an explosion was heard during Maduro's speech.
New videos obtained by CNN provide chilling insight into a mystery drone attack against Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro last year-the world's first known attempt to kill a head of state with a retail drone, purchased online and armed by hand with military grade explosives.

One man has come forward as an organizer of the attack, saying it was perpetrated by a group of Venezuelan Army defectors and others. In an exclusive interview with CNN, he recounted how they prepared for the attack, and provided cell phone videos of their drones, explosives, and practice flights in the rural farmlands of Colombia.

"We have tried every peaceful and democratic way to bring an end to this tyranny that dresses itself as democracy," he told CNN on condition of anonymity, referring to the Maduro regime. "We have friends who are in custody, tortured. This was a hard decision."

He also acknowledged that the attack could have killed innocent civilians alongside their target. "That was the risk we had to take," he said. "We cared about that as the Venezuelan people are always the ones feeling the consequences."

The self-declared interim president of Venezuela, its opposition leader Juan Guaido, told CNN he disapproved of the attack.

"Such options are not good," he said. He added that he suspected the attack was staged. "I think this was something internal, done by the government. It ends up making them look like victims."
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Arrow Up

Best of the Web: Rouhani's visit to Iraq is a slap in the face to Trump

Darius Shahtahmasebi
RT
Thu, 14 Mar 2019 13:05 UTC
Hassan Rouhani and Barham Salih
© AFP / SABAH ARARRouhani’s visit to Iraq is a slap in the face to Trump
Hassan Rouhani and Barham Salih
While the US has had a strategy to contain and isolate Iran, Iran continues to seek and build friendships with its regional neighbors. There are many indications that the US will not tolerate this for much longer.

As an aspiring journalist, it is hard to keep up with which country is at the top of Donald Trump's "to-bomb" list, given the target appears to change every week or so. Since the infamous days of his campaign trail up until the present day, the US president has held a deep animosity towards Tehran. However, the government's focus appears to shift away from the Islamic Republic periodically - one minute it's North Korea, every April since his election he also decides he briefly wants to bomb Assad in Syria, and most recently, his entire administration has raved incessantly about Venezuela.

No matter how the news cycle goes, and no matter the sort of historical death-squad arming psychopath Trump appoints as Special Envoy to Venezuela, at the end of the day the media focus inevitably continues to fall back on Iran (and with it, Donald Trump's keen and hawkish eye).

Comment: Netanyahu has made it quite clear that he won't stop till he's dragged the world into a war with Iran - because Israel isn't capable of taking Iran on alone: At Trump summit Netanyahu declares "common interest of war with Iran" sparking backlash from Tehran Also check out SOTT radio's:

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Pirates

SOTT Focus: 'Clash of Civilizations' Arrives in New Zealand: 49 Massacred by Multiple Gunmen During Multi-Site Terror Attack in Christchurch

Niall Bradley
Sott.net
Fri, 15 Mar 2019 18:15 UTC
christchurch mass shooting
© AP
A sophisticated multi-site terror attack beginning at 1:40pm local time in New Zealand earlier today saw several locations in the city of Christchurch targeted by multiple gunmen, prompting a major security operation and placing much of the city on lockdown. So far, 49 people have been confirmed killed, while an additional 48 have been injured.

Media accounts have begun narrowing the focus to one individual, a 28-year-old Australian man named Brenton Tarrant, who wore a GoPro camera to livestream his part in the attack, but local police report that they have so far arrested four people. The sadistic psychopath attacked the Masjid Al Noor mosque on Deans Avenue, east of the city center, 10 minutes after noon prayers began, so it was full of worshipers as he unloaded multiple magazines from one of several weapons he brought with him. Bodies have also been found in adjacent streets so some of the victims appear to have been shot dead outside the mosque. One was that of a child, slain in the middle of Deans Avenue.

Tarrant cannot have been the only shooter, however. An eyewitness told the Christchurch Star that she was in her car near the Al Noor Mosque as the attack began. Moments after hearing gunfire, she says "four to five men came running towards her." Terrified they would spot her, she put her seat down so she could hide in place. Police had not yet arrived on the scene.

A second shooting incident began, within 5 minutes of the beginning of the Al Noor attack, at another mosque, the Linwood Masjid on Linwood Avenue. This site is 5 kms to the east of the Al Noor Mosque. So far 7 people have been reported killed there - again, some inside the building, some outside. Eyewitnesses at this location say they saw a man leave the mosque "wearing camouflage gear and a motorcycle helmet," and that some locals gave chase as the gunman fled.
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Eye 2

Best of the Web: McCain associate David Kramer was in contact with a dozen reporters regarding Steele dossier

Chuck Ross
The Daily Caller
Fri, 15 Mar 2019 16:56 UTC
U.S. Senator John McCain
© Larry Downing / ReutersU.S. Senator John McCain
An associate of late Arizona Sen. John McCain described in detail his contacts with a dozen journalists and several government officials regarding the infamous Steele dossier, according to a transcript of a court deposition unsealed Thursday.

David Kramer, a former State Department official, said in a deposition on Dec. 13, 2017 that he provided a copy of Christopher Steele's dossier to reporters from McClatchy, NPR, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and BuzzFeed and CNN's Carl Bernstein.

He also shared the report with State Department official Victoria Nuland, Obama National Security Counsel official Celeste Wallander and Illinois GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger.
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Toys

US & allied diplomats storm out as Venezuelan FM addresses UN drugs convention


RT
Fri, 15 Mar 2019 15:42 UTC
Jorge Arreaza
© Reuters / Andrew KellyJorge Arreaza
US officials led allied diplomats in a huffy walkout as Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza stood to address a UN convention on narcotics in Vienna, declaring that he represented an "illegitimate government."

"The members of the Venezuela delegation here today represent the illegitimate government of Nicolas Maduro, and thus cannot be considered as speaking on behalf of the Venezuelan people," a US Mission to International Organizations spokesman declared after storming out of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, trailed by officials from several Latin American countries, Canada, and a few European nations, including France.

Comment: Maybe they should just launch their own UN? They can call it the US! Oh, wait...

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Bad Guys

NATO sends forces, missiles to Russia's borders - top security official


RT
Fri, 15 Mar 2019 15:34 UTC
army tank
© AFP / Jonathan Nackstrand
NATO countries are reviving Cold War-era tactics by sending troops across the Atlantic and deploying BMD weapons near Russia's borders, Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council Mikhail Popov said.

Speaking to the media Popov said that within two years the NATO Response Force has increased from 25,000 to 40,000 people, while battalion tactical groups of up to 1,000 people were deployed in the Baltic countries.

"The Cold War-era system of transatlantic deployment of troops are being revived and used to post coalition task forces to Russia's borders," he explained.
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