Puppet MastersS


Road Cone

UK MPs want Tommy Robinson banned from social media


Independent
Sun, 03 Mar 2019 20:18 UTC
Tommy Robinson
© ReutersTommy Robinson arrives for his hearing at the Old Bailey
Tommy Robinson should be banned from YouTube "as a matter of utmost urgency", says Labour deputy leader Tom Watson.

The EDL founder was removed from Facebook and Instagram on Tuesday for violating their policies on "organised hate" and the targetting of Muslims.

He responded by posting videos to Youtube - the only major social media platform he can still use - claiming he was the victim of censorship.

In a letter to Google chief executive Sundar Pichai on Friday, Mr Watson described Robinson - real name Stephen Yaxley Lennon - as a "violent, racist, Islamophobic campaigner".

Comment: Social media giants in league with politicians are increasingly claiming themselves to be the arbiters of free speech, and this nefarious drift towards censorship is alarming because it's being used to shut down much more legitimate outlets and voices than just Tommy Robinson's:

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Bizarro Earth

De-escalation delayed: India & Pakistan exchange shelling on Kashmir border, casualties reported


RT
Sat, 02 Mar 2019 08:31 UTC
shelling
© FILE PHOTO REUTERS/Adrees Latif
Just a day after an Indian pilot was freed from Pakistani captivity, offering hope for de-escalation, the two countries resumed shelling in Kashmir, killing a number of civilians on both sides, according to local authorities.

A 24-year-old woman and her two siblings were killed on Friday night near the Line of Control, a heavily militarized frontier that divides Pakistani and Indian parts of Kashmir. Another civilian was gravely injured in the shelling, NDTV reported, citing local police.

Meanwhile, on the Pakistani side of the line, Indian artillery fire killed a boy and wounded three people, according to a government official. He told AP that the neighbor's forces were "indiscriminately targeting border villagers," and added that Pakistani troops were "befittingly" responding to the Indian artillery barrage.

Comment: RT also reports:
US looks into claims Pakistan misused F-16 fighter, as media war over Kashmir clash heats up
Pakistan Air Force
© Reuters / Faisal MahmoodFILE PHOTO: A Pakistan Air Force F-16 flies above a military parade in Islamabad
The US State Department is investigating claims Pakistan improperly used a US-supplied F-16 jet against India this week, Indian media claims. The jet has been a bone of contention between the two nuclear powers.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) claimed on Thursday to have shot down a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) F-16 one day earlier, during a PAF raid on Indian military bases. Pakistan denied using the American-supplied fighter and denied that any of its planes had been shot down. The IAF countered by showing off the twisted wreckage of an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile, claiming the projectile "conclusively proves" Pakistan deployed an F-16.

Pakistan's alleged use of an F-16 may have been in breach of its end-user agreement with the United States. Pakistan operates 45 F-16s, and has used the jet since the 1980s. However, Islamabad's use of the fighter is bound by agreements with Washington, including a requirement that flights outside of Pakistani airspace be cleared with the US government.

"We are aware of these reports and are seeking more information," a State Department spokesperson told India's PTI news agency on Saturday.

Amid rising tensions between the two countries, accusations have been kicked back and forth. Pakistan's World News Observer reported on Friday that Lockheed Martin - the F-16's manufacturer - was planning a lawsuit against the Indian government for falsely claiming to have shot down the Pakistani jet "for political gains."

Lockheed Martin India said it "has made no such comments."
It's notable that when buying US military equipment countries are apparently bound to consult them before using it. One wonders whether the US consults anyone when using banned white phosphorous in Syria?

See also:

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Blackbox

What's behind Australia's decision to suddenly grant Julian Assange a passport?

Jimmysllama
Mint Press News
Sat, 02 Mar 2019 00:00 UTC
The real question here is why the Australian government is playing nice by issuing Assange a passport since it has refused to acknowledge evidence of a sealed indictment or provide him with any sort of substantial assistance to get him home in the last eight-plus years.
Assange
On February 21, 2019, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) issued Julian Assange a new passport despite the fact that DFAT officials had reservations about doing so. According to the article, last year officials stated that Assange's "entitlement to a passport" might be affected by "an arrest warrant in connection with a 'serious foreign offence' within the meaning of Section 13 of the Australian Passports Act 2005."

Section 13 of the Australian Passports Act states that an application may be rejected if the applicant is subject to an arrest warrant for a serious foreign offense, is restricted from traveling because of a serious foreign offense, or if the issuance of a passport would compromise proceedings connected with a serious foreign offense.

However, it would be extraordinary if the Australian government's reservations last year had anything to do with a U.S. indictment or charges against Assange, some of which may include charges under the Espionage Act, since it not only went ahead and issued the passport but as recently as last week maintained that there is no evidence of any U.S. charges against Assange.

In fact, parliamentary documents dating back to 2010 reveal not only that the government rarely takes seriously evidence in Assange's case, but also that it has embraced an entirely passive role in helping to secure his freedom, despite the fact that it has used government pressure and diplomatic power to help free other Australian citizens detained in foreign states.
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Light Saber

Venezuelan VP Delcy Rodriguez tells RT how Caracas fights sanctions & what awaits Guaido when he tries to return


RT
Sun, 03 Mar 2019 19:43 UTC
Delcy Rodriguez lavrov
© TwitterVenezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez and Russian Foreign Minister at a joint news conference in Moscow, Russia, March 1, 2019.
Caracas will use all legal means available to protect its assets in Europe and the US from illegal seizure, Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez told RT. She also spoke about the self-proclaimed 'president' Juan Guaido.

In an exclusive interview with RT, Rodriguez said the Venezuelan government has already taken "concrete legal steps" to claim back the assets of which it was "robbed" by the US and which have been frozen by European banks.

It was reported earlier that the Bank of England had blocked Venezuela's attempts to retrieve $1.2 billion worth of gold in the nation's foreign reserves. Venezuela's self-proclaimed and US-backed 'interim president' Juan Guaido hailed the move as the "protection" of the country's assets.

Comment: So the great uprising of the "oppressed" Venezuelan public is fizzling out. Guido is living in la-la land if he thinks he is anything other than a disposable pawn in the game of "Steal Venezuela's Oil".

US needs a 'major, shocking event' to shift dissenting opinions on Venezuela: Puppet Guaido better watch his back

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Caesar

Orban interview on Soros, migration, liberal democracy, and the future of the EU

Robin Alexander
Welt
Sat, 02 Mar 2019 18:43 UTC
orban
© Balazs SZECSODI"I don’t like people who wear suspenders and a belt at the same time": Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán refutes the accusation of antisemitism. He will continue his controversial campaign against the EU Commission - and announces the next step in it's escalation: He will put up billboards against more politicians.

WELT AM SONNTAG: Prime Minister, we Germans are immensely indebted to Hungary for its opening of the iron curtain in 1989. But today the path your country is following scares many Germans. How could it happen that we have become so estranged?

Viktor Orbán: The gratitude for 1989 is reciprocal. The reunification of Germany was in a geopolitical sense the premise for Hungary's freedom. This is why, in 1990, Hungarians supported German reunification more than even the Germans themselves. And this is why there is veneration for German Chancellor Helmut Kohl in Hungary to this day. Hungarians have a fine sense for geopolitical realities.

Comment: For more on some of the topics Orban brings up, see: And check out SOTT radio's:

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Info

Iranian FM Zarif returns to work, Soleimani to his maps

Elijah J. Magnier
ejmagnier.com
Sun, 03 Mar 2019 20:47 UTC
zarif assad
It is quite normal that the Iranian Foreign Minister Jawad Zarif is not the only decision maker on foreign policy because the Islamic Republic is in a constant war-like situation with surrounding Middle Eastern countries and the west.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman's decision to move the battle to Iran and the aggressive US embargo has put the country on a constant war footing. Moreover, the Iranian constitution calls for support of all oppressed population or groups around the world. This particular role falls to one branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the IRGC-Quds brigade, under the command of Brigadier General Qassem Soleimani. It is up to this brigade to deal with all foreign groups - regardless of their creed or religion - who are in harmony with Iran's objective of ending US hegemony and presence in the Middle East.

On the other hand, it is the function of the IRGC general command to protect the value of the revolution and to support and complement the role of the Iranian Army and security forces against potential domestic and external danger.

Nowadays, the wars in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, the unstable situation in Bahrein, the constant danger hovering over Lebanon from a possible Israeli war, the high level of tension with Saudi Arabia and the US embargo, have imposed on the IRGC a leading role. Therefore, the function of the Iranian Foreign Ministry is limited to assisting in formulating the nation's foreign policy and in representing the interests of the country. Nevertheless, the situation of Foreign Minister Jawad Zarif is different.
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Biohazard

The Novichok Anniversary: BBC Change Official Skripal Story Yet Again

Tom Secker
Medium
Sun, 03 Mar 2019 20:32 UTC
salisbury hazmat
We're coming up on the first anniversary of the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, and the official story has been revised once again. According to the most recent BBC reports, fundamental details that we were told about the circumstances around the poisoning must have been wrong, because the new reports completely contradict the original ones.

Today the BBC published an article saying that the police first made the connection between Russia and the two people found unconscious in the centre of Salisbury via a google search. The state broadcaster treated this like it is news, when in reality the BBC reported the same thing months ago on their episode of Panorama dedicated to the poisonings.


Curiously, it was not Bailey who told the BBC about the google search revealing that Sergei Skripal was a double agent. Instead it was Sgt Tracey Holloway, who is identified in the report as one of the first on the scene.

The problem is that the mainstream media - based on police statements and briefings - unanimously reported that Bailey was the first on the scene and that this is how he was exposed to Novichok. In the week following the poisoning the news was full of stories about how he had courageously rushed to help the Skripals, without regard for his own safety.

Comment: See also:

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Bad Guys

Netanyahu meets with Putin, agrees that withdrawal of foreign forces from Syria is common goal


Sputnik
Sun, 03 Mar 2019 20:11 UTC
netanyahu putin
© Sputnik / Aleksey Nikolskyi
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Iran and its allies were the biggest threat to Middle Eastern security, Russian television showed Sunday.

During the meeting, which took place on Wednesday in Moscow, Netanyahu reiterated his country's readiness to continue countering Iran and praised the role of Russian-Israeli cooperation in ensuring regional stability.

"Iran and its allies are the biggest threat to regional stability and security", Netanyahu said, as aired in the "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" programme on the broadcaster Rossiya 1.

Netanyahu has long been pursuing anti-Iranian policies. Over recent years, it has been advocating the review of the Iranian nuclear deal with an aim at resuming global pressure on Iran. Israel has also been opposing what it calls Iran's military presence in Syria, though Iran itself has stressed that it only sends advisers at the request of the Syrian government.

According to the prime minister, he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed that the withdrawal of foreign forces from Syria was a common goal for Israel and Russia.

"President Putin and I agreed on a joint goal - the withdrawal of foreign forces that were deployed to Syria after the start of the civil war. We agreed to create a joint group to achieve this goal with the participation of other parties," Netanyahu said at a government meeting, as quoted by his office.

Comment: Not that Netanyahu can be trusted, but it would be amusing if Israel were to be the one to get the U.S. finally and definitively out of Syria - having got them into it in the first place.

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Passport

EU to introduce migrant/refugee 'humanitarian visas' to end trafficking and allow better vetting

Stan M
Voice of Europe
Mon, 25 Feb 2019 20:02 UTC
visa passport
The European Commission will present a new bill in favor of a 'Humanitarian Visa' allowing migrants to legally enter the EU to apply for asylum, erasing more lines between migrants and refugees.

Approximately 90 per cent of all so called 'refugees' arrive in the EU illegally according to the European Parliament. With this proposal EU states claim to want to put an end to trafficking.

The 'Humanitarian Visa' will according to representatives include a background check for security reasons and to make sure only actually persecuted persons benefit with the help of national and international databanks.

Applicants will be able to apply for asylum electronically or through written forms at the embassy and consulates of EU member states.

Meanwhile no changes were made public to stop further illegal entries or how to decrease the already existing asylum application flood.

Germany is experiencing a 62 per cent increase of asylum applications since January. Out of 17.051 applications mainly from Syria, Iraq and Nigeria around every third person was recognized as a refugee.

Comment: Lauren Southern spent months on the ground, talking to refugees and migrants on all stages of their journey, including interactions with the human traffickers and NGOs facilitating their movement into Europe. A previously harsh critic of the refugee/migrant problem, she is still a critic, but her experiences softened her approach to the point where she came to the conclusion that the crisis is good for no one, not Europeans OR the migrants/refugees. They were sold a lie and now countless numbers of them are essentially stateless, jobless, and in permanent limbo. See the talk she gave to the EU on what she learned:



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Fire

Britain's witchfinders ready to burn Jeremy Corbyn

Jonathan Cook
The Unz Review
Fri, 01 Mar 2019 00:00 UTC
JeremyCorbin
© shutterstockLabour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn
"McCarthyism" is a word thrown around a lot nowadays, and in the process its true meaning - and horror - has been increasingly obscured.

McCarthyism is not just the hounding of someone because their views are unpopular. It is the creation by the powerful of a perfect, self-rationalising system of incrimination - denying the victim a voice, even in their own defence. It presents the accused as an enemy so dangerous, their ideas so corrupting, that they must be silenced from the outset. Their only chance of rehabilitation is prostration before their accusers and utter repentance.

McCarthyism, in other words, is the modern political parallel of the witch hunt.

In an earlier era, the guilt of women accused of witchcraft was tested through the ducking stool. If a woman drowned, she was innocent; if she survived, she was guilty and burnt at the stake. A foolproof system that created an endless supply of the wicked, justifying the status and salaries of the men charged with hunting down ever more of these diabolical women.

And that is the Medieval equivalent of where the British Labour party has arrived, with the suspension of MP Chris Williamson for anti-semitism.

Comment: See also:

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