Puppet MastersS


Attention

New (old) Pentagon report says Pyongyang sees nukes as key to its survival


RT
Thu, 24 May 2018 09:46 UTC
NKorean Missile pad
© jpost.com
With uncertainty surrounding the summit between Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the Pentagon has pulled a trump card, releasing a February report that finds no reason for Kim to abandon nuclear weapons.

The DOD's report on 'Military and Security Developments Involving the Democratic People's Republic of Korea' draws on data obtained before December 15, meaning it neither reflects the Olympics charm offensive of the Kim government, nor the historic intra-Korean talks, nor US President Donald Trump's acceptance of the invitation to a summit with the North Korean leader.

The report, compiled in February, was submitted to Congress in April. Last week, Bloomberg cited excerpts.

While the published report did not provide any new insights due to its reliance on largely outdated data, its timing could have hardly come at a more crucial moment for the fate of the meeting between the US and North Korean leaders, which had already been up in the air.

Comment: Back to the beginning? Because the US can't change? Trump seems to be the only one left standing with the idea that real progress has merit. And, sadly, his adherence to this is spotty at best.

Read More...
Attention

Pompeo: 'We're light-years ahead' of Obama concerning Russia


RT
Wed, 23 May 2018 18:33 UTC
Pompeogalaxy
© Leah Mills/Reuters/KJNSecretary of the Universe, Mike Pompeo
State Secretary Mike Pompeo declared that the Trump administration was "light-years" ahead of Obama's in dealing with Russia, and he offered his European allies advice on pushing back for themselves.

Testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday on his department's 2019 budget request, Pompeo was grilled on issues from North Korea talks to women's rights as he tried to justify $39.3 billion in funding for the State Department and USAID. Russia could not have been avoided. Lawmakers questioned Pompeo on whether his department was doing enough to prevent Russian actors from meddling in the 2018 midterm elections this November.

Pompeo did not say what 'meddling' could possibly take place, but he assured lawmakers that his administration will take "appropriate countermeasures," to fight what he called "continued efforts."


Comment: Is Pompeo saying Russia is meddling? ...and in doing so, throwing the Trump administration under the Mueller bus?


Predictably, the specter of Russian collusion was raised by the Committee's top-ranking Democrat, Rep. Eliot Engel (D-New York), who accused the Trump administration of "giving Russia a pass," citing unproven allegations of Russian support for Trump in the 2016 election.

Comment: Pompeo is a rolling disaster and he's picking up steam. If Trump is trying to completely sever the US from Europe, create an economic implosion, foment enough anger to wipe America off the planet, this is just the guy to do it.

Read More...
Nuke

Iranian leader's demand for Europe to keep nuclear deal: 'Europe must buy our oil'


RT
Thu, 24 May 2018 02:00 UTC
Iranian oil platforms
© Raheb Homavandi / ReutersOil production platform at the Soroush oil fields in the Persian Gulf, south of Tehran.
Iran's Supreme Leader said Europe must make up for any and all adverse effects the US pullout from the nuclear deal might have on its economy and not seek to include its ballistic missile program and regional policy in the deal.

The list of conditions under which Iran would stay in the nuclear deal was laid out by the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei on Wednesday. In a speech before government officials, Khamenei listed a set of demands that France, Britain and Germany must comply with if they don't want to see Iran restart its nuclear program that was phased out under the 2015 deal.

While European countries that are party to the landmark agreement have criticized the US exit and vowed to stick to the deal, Khamenei argued that words were not enough and that Europe needs to formally denounce the US' decision at the UN.
"During the last two years, the US violated the JCPOA several times, and Europe remained silent. Europe must compensate for that silence,"Khamenei said, calling for Europe to "explicitly stand up to the US sanctions."
While saying Iran doesn't seek a "fight" with Europe, Khamenei noted, "these three countries have proved that, on the most sensitive issues, they follow the US."

Comment: Did Trump give Iran a really 'huge' bargaining chip?

Read More...
Stop

US 'disinvites' China from RIMPAC 2018 naval exercises citing 'militarization' of Spratly Islands


RT
Wed, 23 May 2018 19:15 UTC
Chinese Navy
© China Stringer Network/ReutersChinese PLA Navy units on maneuvers
The US has revoked the Chinese navy's invitation to participate in the RIMPAC 2018 naval drills, citing Beijing's militarization of disputed islands in the South China Sea. The two countries vie for influence in the region.

"As an initial response to China's continued militarization of the South China Sea we have disinvited the PLA Navy from the 2018 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise," US Department of Defense spokesman Marine Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher Logan said in a statement on Wednesday.

At issue is the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy presence in the Spratly Islands, an archipelago also claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.
"We have strong evidence that China has deployed anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, and electronic jammers to contested features in the Spratly Islands region of the South China Sea," Logan said. "We have called on China to remove the military systems immediately and to reverse course on the militarization of disputed South China Sea features."

Comment: The US is not about 'keeping one's enemies closer.'

Read More...
Question

Afghanistan: US' worth questioned; Pentagon watchdog admits lack of progress


RT
Wed, 23 May 2018 11:50 UTC
Military reflection
© Task & PurposeA reflection of the US military
Despite committing additional resources to Afghanistan, US troops and local security forces have made little inroads against the Taliban. Some Afghan lawmakers are questioning whether the country needs US assistance at all.

A report to Congress prepared by the Pentagon's inspector general challenges an earlier assessment of the US military that the latest increase of support to the Afghan national security forces helped turn the corner and gain momentum against the militant movement. Over the first quarter of 2018 the Taliban's threat has not greatly diminished.

"The Taliban continued to hold territory and launched devastating terrorist attacks in Kabul and across the country," Glenn Fine, the deputy Pentagon inspector general, wrote in an introductory note to the report, which was released on Monday.

The Trump administration changed the US Afghanistan policy in August last year, deploying 3,000 additional troops to the country. Yet Kabul is far from achieving the benchmark of controlling areas where at least 80 percent of the Afghan population lives, as set out by Washington. As of the end of January, the figure stood at 65 percent, compared to 64 percent last quarter, the report said. There were few changes in control over territory too, with the Taliban controlling or contesting almost half of Afghanistan.

Comment: See also:

Read More...
Attention

Clapper lies (again) about his previous lies on NSA spying

Bre Payton
The Federalist
Tue, 22 May 2018 00:00 UTC
Clapper
© FacebookJames Clapper, expert on NSA surveillance or not
In an interview with the ladies of The View Tuesday afternoon, James Clapper told another lie about his previous lies about the NSA program to spy on American citizens.

Meghan McCain confronted Clapper about a statement he made while testifying before Congress five years ago, when he was asked whether or not the NSA was spying on Americans. "In 2013 when you were asked about it, you said 'no,'" McCain said. "So that is a lie."

"I made a mistake," Clapper said. "I didn't lie. I was thinking about something else, another program." Clapper then proceeded to prattle on about two different surveillance programs in an attempt to obfuscate his answer.
"I've been trotting up the Hill testifying for 25 years," Clapper said. "Gee, just for a change of pace, I think I'll lie on this one question and by the way do it on live television and do it in front of one of my oversight committees. So I made a mistake, but I didn't lie."
Let's revisit the exchange that Clapper referenced.

Comment: Lying is a standard mastery for top jobs in Washington. Clapper isn't particularly good at it - even to defend his use of it.

Read More...
Dollars

Russia ready to toss dollar like a smelly sock in favor of Euro for foreign trade


RT
Thu, 24 May 2018 18:09 UTC
Euro dollar
© Dado Ruvic / Reuters
Settlements in US currency could be dropped by Russia in favor of the euro if the EU takes a stand against the latest US sanctions on Moscow, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

"As we see, restrictions imposed by the American partners are of an extraterritorial nature. The possibility of switching from the US dollar to the euro in settlements depends on Europe's stance toward Washington's position," said Siluanov, who is also Russia's first deputy prime minister.
Read More...
Rocket

Russia provides exhaustive evidence that Ukrainian BUK systems were used in downing MH17


Sputnik
Thu, 24 May 2018 17:40 UTC
MH17
© Sputnik / Andrey Stenin
Russia has provided exhaustive evidence pointing to the involvement of the Ukrainian BUK system crews in the destruction of the MH17 flight, Russian Defense Ministry said.

"The Russian Defense Ministry, both in the first hours after the tragedy, and in the future, officially denied the insinuations of the Ukrainian side about the alleged involvement of Russian servicemen in the skies of Ukraine and brought the relevant evidence to the Dutch investigation team. Not a single anti-aircraft missile system of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation has ever crossed the Russian-Ukrainian border," the Russian Defense Ministry report said.

Dutch investigators in the case of the Boeing crash did not take into account eyewitness testimonies regarding the launch of a missile from territory controlled by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Russian Defense Ministry added.
Read More...
Rocket

Russian MoD shows video of sub launching barrage of 4 nuclear ICBMs


RT
Thu, 24 May 2018 19:16 UTC
Launching a missile
© Russian Defense Ministry
The Russian Defense Ministry has released footage of a Borei-class submarine firing a barrage of four Bulava missiles - the first such test for this type of submarine. The test was conducted on Tuesday in the White Sea.

The video published on Wednesday shows some pre-launch activities on board the Yuriy Dolgorukiy, the lead of the project. Then the submarine is shown firing four Bulava missiles at a test range in Kamchatka in quick succession.

Previous tests of the weapon were conducted solo or in barrages of two on two occasions. Firing missiles in a barrage is more challenging for the crew and ship, but reduces the time the submarine stays close to the surface exposed to detection and possible attack.
Read More...
Star of David

Israeli Security Cabinet annuls law allowing Netanyahu to declare war 'on his own'


Sputnik
Thu, 24 May 2018 18:55 UTC
Knesset
© CC BY 2.0 / James EmeryKnesset
Israel's government has reportedly moved to alter a law that would allow the prime minister to declare war without the backing of the majority of the cabinet.

The Israeli Security Cabinet has decided to annul a law that was approved by the parliament last month and which effectively grants the country's prime minister and defense minister the authority to declare war without the support of other ministers or legislators, Haaretz reports.

According to the newspaper, the original draft of the law, which is about to be "promoted anew" by the government, allows the cabinet to declare war or authorize any significant military action even if some of the cabinet's members are absent when the decision is being made.

Comment: See also: Israeli parliament allows Netanyahu to declare war with only defense minister's approval

Read More...