Puppet MastersS


Biohazard

Best of the Web: Latest novichok poisoning: The silence of the media whores

amesbury poisoning sturgess rowley
Dawn Sturgess and Charlie Rowley
The mainstream media are making almost no effort today to fit Charlie Rowley's account of his poisoning into the already ludicrous conspiracy theory being peddled by the government and intelligence agencies.

ITV News gamely inserted the phrase "poisoned by a Russian nerve agent" into their exclusive interview with Charlie Rowley, an interview in which they managed to ask no penetrating questions whatsoever, and of which they only broadcast heavily edited parts. Their own website contains this comment by their journalist Rupert Evelyn:
He said it was unopened, the box it was in was sealed, and that they had to use a knife in order to cut through it.

"That raises the question: if it wasn't used, is this the only Novichok that exists in this city? And was it the same Novichok used to attack Sergei and Yulia Skripal?
But the information about opening the packet with a knife is not in the linked interview. What Rowley does say in the interview is that the box was still sealed in its cellophane. Presumably it was the cellophane he slit open with a knife.

Comment:


Rocket

Israeli air defense reportedly fails to intercept Syrian army missiles targeting ISIS

missile
The Israeli Air Defense System know as Maqla David (David's Sling) failed to intercept two of the Syrian Army's Tuchka missiles used by the Damascus forces to target terrorists' positions near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The army launched missile attacks on ISIL's positions in Hawz al-Yarmouk region in Southwestern Dara'a.

One of the missiles was an advanced Russia-made Tochka ballistic missile that struck its target, causing sirens in the occupied Golan to start.

The sources further said that the Israeli Air Defense units operated to intercept the missile but failed.


Comment: Why are the Israelis trying to destroy missiles whose target is ISIS?


In the meantime, Israeli media quoted a military analyst as saying that the Israeli air defense system of David's Sling Missile System failed to intercept the Syrian Tochka missile in its first experience of facing such attacks.

The Israeli media further said that one of the David's Sling missiles was detonated automatically in the Golan, while the fate of the second missile is unknown even to the Israeli air force.

Bullseye

Georgia state rep resigns after making a fool of himself in Sacha Baron Cohen prank

jason spencer
Georgia state lawmaker Jason Spencer resigned Tuesday night after he was duped into an appearance on comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's new Showtime series, Who Is America.

Spencer, a Republican, initially refused to resign after the segment aired, which features him baring his buttocks, shouting the n-word, and doing a terrible impression of a Chinese tourist. He changed his tune on Tuesday after harsh rebuke, with a terse resignation letter which reads: "This email/letter is to serve as an official resignation notice to your office that I will be resigning my post effective July 31, 2018."
Spencer appeared in a segment in which Cohen portrays an Israeli military expert who is making a video about how to mount a personal defense against potential terrorists. In one scene Cohen's character urges Spencer to draw attention to an unfolding attack.

The lawmaker responds by shouting the n-word.

In another, Cohen says that Muslim extremists are religiously repulsed by human buttocks. He persuades Spencer to fend off an attacker by charging at him backwards ― he shouts "USA!" and "America!" ― with his bare bottom exposed. -NBC News

Comment: Conservatives are irate at Cohen's latest antics. They should grow a pair and get over it. Whatever you think of Cohen, he's effective at getting morons to reveal just how moronic they actually are. And Spencer isn't the only one who reveals just how tone-deaf he really is. Compare his behavior with Trump's above. Trump can actually spot BS. Cohen is so over the top that you have to be a special kind of stupid to get taken in by him, and thankfully for Cohen and his admirers, that's a special kind of stupid that is overrepresented among U.S. legislators. Even worse than the fact that Spencer seemingly believed showing his buttocks, shouting America, and pretending to be a Chinese tourist would actually work on real terrorists is the fact that he didn't see anything off about his behavior after the fact. He has the mentality of an 8-year-old, and a not very bright or mature 8-year-old at that.

At least Joe Walsh responded with at least a bit of self-reflection:




Megaphone

Iran continues war of words: 'Troublemaker' Trump pursuing 'ignorant diplomacy'

iran protest
© ReutersIranian women protest against Donald Trump's decision to walk out of a 2015 nuclear deal, in Tehran, Iran, May 11
US President Donald Trump's recent anti-Tehran comments are the "words of a troublemaker" pursuing "ignorant diplomacy," Iranian officials have declared, as the angry exchanges between Iran and the US rapidly escalate.

Recent anti-Iran tirades by the US angered a number of Iranian officials. On Tuesday the country's parliamentary speaker called the comments of the US president "the words of a troublemaker." "Trump is pursuing ignorant diplomacy," Ali Larijani stressed on Tuesday, as cited by local media.

US attempts to block Iranian oil exports will not be left unanswered, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi added. "If America wants to take a serious step in this direction it will definitely be met with a reaction and equal countermeasures from Iran," he said.

Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Mohammad Bagheri also vowed to implement a "strong, unimaginable and regrettable" response from Tehran. Bagheri stressed that Trump is attempting "to create a rift" among the Iranian people.

The wrath of Iranian politicians has apparently been directed at the widely-cited Trump tweet - all in capital letters - addressed to Tehran. The US leader warned his Iranian counterpart to "never, ever threaten the United States again" or suffer "consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before."

Comment: Today, Iran's Quds Force Leader Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani gave Trump an additional warning:
The war with Iran "will destroy everything you own," Major General Qassem Soleimani warned Trump on Thursday, local TV channel Al-Alam reported. His comment comes after US and Iranian leaders exchanged public threats, and Washington proposed to block Iranian oil shipment.

Speaking at a memorial event in the western Iranian city of Hamadan, Soleimani said that the Red Sea, an important shipping route, "is no longer safe" due to the American presence in the region.

The head of the Quds Force also cautioned Trump against further public outbursts against Tehran. "You must understand what you're saying when insulting the Iranian people and our president," he said.
This is all shaping up to be a repeat - like Zarif observed - of the war of words between Kim and Trump, and we all saw how well that turned out... Which was actually very well.


Nuke

Trump ready to negotiate 'real' nuclear deal with Iran

Trump
© 123Yahoo
Two days after exchanging harsh warnings with Iranian leaders, U.S. President Donald Trump says he is still eager to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Tehran.

"We'll see what happens, but we're ready to make a real deal, not the deal that was done by the previous administration, which was a disaster," Trump said on July 24 in a speech to veterans in the U.S. state of Missouri.

Trump over the weekend had threatened Tehran with "consequences the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered before" after Iranian President Hassan Rohani had warned Trump not to "play with the lion's tail."

The exchange of harsh rhetoric was reminiscent of the threats that volleyed back and forth between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last year -- exchanges that disappeared after the two adversaries agreed to negotiate a nuclear deal at a summit this spring.

Comment: Iran has other options for its oil as other countries such as China, India, Russia will close the gap. Given Trump knows this, the sooner a deal is struck with Iran, the more face he will save and the closer he will come to the result he is attempting to achieve.

See also: Oil economist predicts 'US sanctions on Iran will not have any impact and will fail'


Arrow Up

Bernie Sanders upholds the anti-Russian campaign

Bernie Sanders
© CBS/TwitterVermont Senator Bernie Sanders
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders appeared on the CBS interview program Face the Nation Sunday and fully embraced the anti-Russia campaign of the US military-intelligence apparatus, backed by the Democratic Party and much of the media.

In response to a question from CBS host Margaret Brennan, Sanders unleashed a torrent of denunciations of Trump's meeting and press conference in Helsinki with Russian President Vladimir Putin. A preliminary transcript reads:

SANDERS:
"I will tell you that I was absolutely outraged by his behavior in Helsinki, where he really sold the American people out. And it makes me think that either Trump doesn't understand what Russia has done, not only to our elections, but through cyber attacks against all parts of our infrastructure, either he doesn't understand it, or perhaps he is being blackmailed by Russia, because they may have compromising information about him.

"Or perhaps also you have a president who really does have strong authoritarian tendencies. And maybe he admires the kind of government that Putin is running in Russia. And I think all of that is a disgrace and a disservice to the American people. And we have got to make sure that Russia does not interfere, not only in our elections, but in other aspects of our lives."
These comments, which echo remarks he gave at a rally in Kansas late last week, signal Sanders' full embrace of the right-wing campaign launched by the Democrats and backed by dominant sections of the military-intelligence apparatus.

Comment: So for all of Sanders' socialistic efforts, he was considered a mere stooge by the DNC, a 'position holder' to balance out and camouflage their true intentions for the election and deliver voters their way. Used, abused, and little learned. He now spouts their talking points regarding Trump and Russia instead of offering an intelligent assessment that might signify he has a unique perspective and is a free thinker. He doesn't; and he's not; and he doesn't know it.


Snakes in Suits

Barack Obama's shady Trump-Russia spinmeister

Josh Ernest
© Getty ImagesJosh Ernest
An explosive story by Sean Davis at The Federalist reveals that President Obama's PAC, Obama for America, paid nearly $1 million in 2016 to the law firm that retained Fusion GPS, the consulting group responsible for the infamous Trump "dossier." According to Davis, Federal Election Commission records show the Democratic National Committee, Hillary Clinton's campaign, and Obama's PAC paid Perkins Coie more than $12 million last year alone.

The article also notes that Neil King, Jr. - the husband of Shailagh Murray, one of Obama's former senior advisors - went on to work for Fusion GPS shortly after the election. King was a longtime Wall Street Journal reporter who, while at the Journal, was also a colleague of Glenn Simpson, one of Fusion GPS's founders. These links were never divulged in any of King's election coverage for the Journal. These ties could explain the Obama White House's almost daily attention to the Trump-Russia collusion plotline, fueled largely by Josh Earnest, Obama's press secretary.

From the White House press podium, Earnest played a critical role in tossing Trump-Russia conspiracy chum to an eager White House press pool. He conferred White House credibility to a politically connected cybersecurity firm that claimed Russian hackers hit the DNC server; wove a tale of Trump campaign collusion after the election in a shameful attempt to discredit the president-elect; and, just days before Trump's inauguration, childishly compared Trump's obligation to defend himself against the dossier to Obama's need to defend against "birther" allegations.

Comment: And another piece of the Russiagate construct fits into place.


Oil Well

Oil economist predicts 'US sanctions on Iran will not have any impact and will fail'

Oil Rig
© Unknown
Oil prices rebounded on Tuesday amid concerns about rising tensions between the United States and Iran and oversupply. Brent crude oil was up 6 cents and stood at just over 73 dollars a barrel by Tuesday morning. The oil market received a boost on Monday after US President Donald Trump warned of dire consequences if Tehran threatened the US again.

Sputnik talked about the oil market and Donald Trump's call for countries to stop buying Iranian oil by November with Dr. Mamdouh Salameh, an international oil economist and a visiting professor of energy economics at ESCP Europe business school, London.

Sputnik: In your view how justified are the concerns of oversupply and what effect will that have on the oil market in the near future?

Dr. Mamdouh Salameh: For the time being there is, what I call, a concerted effort by many parties around the world to keep oil prices repressed. However, there is one fact which I have been always saying, is that the global oil market has not rebalanced completely till now. There's a bit of oil glut, a small amount, which could take care of outages in Venezuela, in Norway, in Nigeria and in Libya, and that, to some extent, has been causing the prices to remain stagnant to some extent. The oil market will improve shortly and there is one important point - what Saudi Arabia is saying, that it has added around 400,000 barrels a day to the global oil market might not be true. You realize that in summer, particularly in July-August, Saudi domestic oil demand goes up very significantly and that explains, to a major extent, the announcement by Saudi Arabia that they're adding that amount to the global oil market.

Comment: See also:


Gold Bar

Why is Russia growing gold reserves to record levels?

goldbars
© AP/Michael Probst
Fresh Russian Central Bank data shows that Moscow bought some 106 tons of gold since the start of 2018, with total reserves now approaching the 2,000 metric ton mark. News of the buy-up comes after a confirmation by the US Treasury Department that Russia dropped out of the top holders of US bonds. Sputnik explores the move and its possible reasons.

According to Russian Central Bank figures, Russia's total gold reserves amounted to 1,944 tons as of June 2018, with the regulator pointing to a steady rise in holdings of the precious metal over the last decade (total gold reserves amounted to less than 500 tons in 2008). In the same period, the share of gold in Russia's total reserves grew from just 2.5 percent to over 17 percent.

Last week, the US Treasury confirmed that Russia had undertaken a large-scale dumping of its T-bills, bonds and notes, with holdings falling from $92 billion in December 2017 to just $14.9 billion now, thereby pushing Russia out of the top 33 major holders of US securities.

Russia's total international reserves, including gold, now amount to $460 billion, with the Russian Central Bank aiming for $500 billion.

Comment: The less gold there is, given the mining prediction, the more valuable it will be perceived, thereby unfolding an interesting financial dynamic. Russia is positioning. Trapped in the dollar, what is the US doing?


Snakes in Suits

'Let them come and get me': Macron protects bodyguard over violent May Day scandal

Macron Benalla
© Charly Triballeau/AFPFrench President Emmanuel Macron and bodyguard Alexandre Benalla
French President Emmanuel Macron has decided to take the hit for the unfolding Alexandre Benalla affair, saying he's responsible for all the actions of his violent aide, who was filmed beating demonstrators during a May Day rally.
"If they are looking for the one responsible, the only one responsible is me and me alone," Macron told fellow parliamentary party lawmakers on Tuesday, as quoted by BFM TV. "If they want the one responsible, he's in front of you. Let them come and get me. I answer to the French people."
The full-blown scandal unfolded last week when it was revealed that Benalla, Macron's bodyguard and assistant chief of staff, "helped" the police to tackle seemingly peaceful protesters during the May 1st demonstrations in Paris. Benalla was filmed beating a male protester and dragging away a woman, while wearing a riot police-style helmet. The actual riot police did not intervene in Benalla's violent actions, according to the footage.

Macron on Tuesday called the scandalous May 1 events a "betrayal," adding that he had "trusted" Benalla. The French president at the same time stressed that he was also the one who authorized a "sanction" against the rogue aide, adding that none of his staff was above the law. The said sanction, however, had seemingly only taken effect when the affair went public, which forced the presidential administration to sack Benalla.

Comment: See also: Alexandre Benalla, the Rambo of Macron's 'Watergate'