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Fish

Russia's two most advanced submarines to finish sea trials by next year


RT
Mon, 10 Dec 2018 16:48 UTC
submarine
© RuptlyFILE PHOTO: The nuclear multipurpose submarine 'Kazan' is being launched on March 31, 2017.
Two state-of-the-art Russian submarines are currently undergoing sea trials and are expected to finish the tests by the year's end, the CEO of the Sevmash shipyards said, adding that they will be handed over to the Navy in 2019.

Named 'Knyaz Vladimir' and 'Kazan', the two submarines, which are currently braving the harsh weather conditions of Russia's polar White Sea, belong to two various vessel classes which are expected to become the backbone of the Russian undersea fleet.

"Everything is going well, right according to the plan," Mikhail Budnichenko, the Sevmash CEO, told a press conference as he confirmed the news about the two submarines' sea trials. He also said that there was "no doubt" that the tests will be successful. The vessels are expected to be back to the port on December 24 and 28.

Both submarines will undergo another round of sea trials starting in May 2019 and will be handed over to the Navy by the end of the same year, Budnichenko said. Earlier, media reports suggested that one of the two submarines, 'Knyaz Vladimir', was deployed for sea trials on November 28.

Comment: As with much of Russia's technological advancements, they're likely to far surpass anything coming out the West, especially if recent news reports are anything to go by, see: Also check out SOTT radio's: Behind the Headlines: Putin The World To Rights: Russia's New Nuclear Weapons And The End of 'Unipolarity'

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Target

MI6 spymaster reveals how the UK conducts 'Fourth Generation Espionage'

Andrew Korybko
Oriental Review
Sat, 08 Dec 2018 00:00 UTC
AlexYoungerMI6
© Andrew Milligan/AP/KJN
The head of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) Alex Younger briefed the public about the challenges of so-called "fourth generation espionage".

The UK's top spy spent some of his time blaming Russia for trying to, as he put it, "subvert the UK way of life" by supposedly poisoning the Skripals and through other mischievous but ultimately never verified actions, though moving beyond the infowar aspect of his speech and into its actual professional substance, he nevertheless touched on some interesting themes. According to him, "fourth generation espionage" involves "deepening our partnerships to counter hybrid threats, mastering covert action in the data age, attaching a cost to malign activity by adversaries and innovating to ensure that technology works to our advantage." In other words, it's all about applying what he calls the "Fusion Doctrine" for building the right domestic and international teams across skillsets in order to best leverage new technologies for accomplishing his agency's eternal mission, which is "to understand the motivations, intentions and aspirations of people in other countries."

Comment: Hybrid Threats: The art of camouflage, redirection and diversion to create a false reality for political and geographical gain.

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Attention

Andrii Telizhenko: The guy who will blow the lid off Mueller's Russian witch hunt

Jim Holt
The Gateway Pundit
Mon, 03 Dec 2018 00:00 UTC
andril telizhenko
© TwitterAndrii Telizhenko worked as a political officer in the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington DC in 2015-2016
Andrii Telizhenko worked as a political officer in the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington DC in 2015-2016. Andrii Telizhenko is speaking out about the DNC-Russia collusion scandal.

In early 2016 Telizhenko was approached by DNC operative Alexandra Chalupa. She is still working at the DNC. She wanted dirt on Trump and his campaign manager Paul Manafort.

The Ukrainian embassy in Washington DC worked VERY CLOSELY with DNC operative and Hillary supporter Alexandra Chalupa.

Chalupa told Andrii she wanted Russian "dirt" on the Trump campaign.

Comment: See also:



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Broom

'A bully, bigot, liar for Trump' - media says goodbye and good riddance to John Kelly

Mehdi Hasan
The Intercept
Sun, 09 Dec 2018 10:57 UTC
JohnKelly
© Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty ImagesWH Chief of Staff John Kelly
The president's chief of staff is heading for the White House exit. "John Kelly will be leaving," Donald Trump confirmed to reporters on Saturday. "I don't know if I can say 'retiring,' but he's a great guy."

This "great guy" will leave behind an administration mired in scandal, chaos, and corruption; a president perhaps even more reckless and lawless today than he was when Kelly arrived for work at the West Wing on the morning of July 31, 2017.

That was a period in which political pundits and correspondents also believed the retired four-star general to be a "great guy." Remember how his appointment, as replacement for the hapless Republican operative Reince Preibus, was greeted by the liberal press? Kelly, we were told, would be the "adult in the room"; he would rein in a brash and belligerent commander-in-chief.

The New York Times called the former Marine commander a "beacon of discipline" who would be "unafraid to challenge" the president. The Washington Post said he would "bring some plain-spoken discipline to an often chaotic West Wing." Axios listed him as a key member of the "Committee to Save America." Then there was my favorite headline, from Bloomberg News, on August 6, 2017: "New Chief of Staff Kelly Moves Quickly to Tame Trump's Tweets." (How did that work out?)

Comment: A confluence of personalities, beliefs and agendas create an administration personae. Kelly's won't be missed.

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X

Poroshenko terminates the Russian-Ukrainian Friendship Treaty of 1997


Sputnik
Mon, 10 Dec 2018 16:05 UTC
Poroshenko
© Sputnik/Nikolay LazarenkoUkranian President Petro Poroshenko
Kiev sent a diplomatic note to Moscow in September saying it would not renew the 1997 treaty.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he signed a law to terminate the Russian-Ukrainian Friendship Treaty, with the law set to step into effect on April 1, 2019.

"Ukrainian law No.206 'On the termination of the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership Between Ukraine and the Russian Federation' has been signed," Poroshenko wrote on his official Twitter account.

Ukraine's parliament voted not to prolong the treaty last week, with 277 of 450 lawmakers supporting the decision. Poroshenko submitted the bill to parliament last Monday. Kiev sent sent Moscow a letter indicating it did not plan to renew the treaty in September.

The Russian-Ukrainian Friendship Treaty is one of the most important agreements among the several hundred treaties signed between the two countries following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. It promotes the principle of strategic partnership, forbids the countries from declaring war on one another, and recognizes the principle of respect for territorial integrity. Furthermore, the treaty established protections for the citizens of Ukraine in Russia and vice-versa in accordance with the principles of international law.

Comment: Poroshenko is a US tool. His solutions come from Western higher-ups. A setting of the stage, perhaps?

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Stock Up

Mogherini: EU to establish alternate payment channel to allow Iran to bypass US sanctions


RT
Mon, 10 Dec 2018 14:57 UTC
Frederica Mogherini
© AzerNewsFrederica Mogherini
Brussels will create an alternative payment channel to facilitate financial transactions between the European Union and Iran in the near future to bypass US sanctions, the EU's top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, has announced. "I will expect this instrument to be established in the coming weeks before the end of the year as a way to protect and promote legitimate business," EU's foreign policy chief told reporters on Monday.

The 28-nation bloc has been considering ways to continue doing business with Tehran and bypass US economic restrictions after Washington pulled out from the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed economic sanctions.

In November, EU officials proposed creating a clearinghouse, or a special purpose vehicle (SPV), to facilitate financial transactions with Iran. The proposal failed to reach an agreement after not a single EU country agreed to host such a mechanism out of fear of punitive measures that Washington may potentially introduce against them.

So far, France and Germany have ruled themselves out as SPV hosts. At the same time, the EU's major powers are reportedly planning to put more pressure on Luxembourg and Belgium to host the headquarters for the SPV after Austria declined a request to manage the project. Both Belgium and Luxembourg have reportedly dropped a hint of doubt over the issue.

Comment: 'The nail that sticks out shall be hammered down.' -Japanese proverb

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Arrow Down

Lindsey Graham pledges to 'get to the bottom' of FISA abuse as Senate Judiciary Chair

Chuck Ross
The Daily Caller Foundation
Sat, 08 Dec 2018 03:00 UTC
Lindsey Graham
© The HillSenator Lindsey Graham
South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said Saturday that if he takes over as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, as is expected, he will "get to the bottom" of whether the FBI misled the federal surveillance court to obtain spy warrants against former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

"In my view the process used to obtain a FISA warrant - and its multiple renewals - against Carter Page should disturb every American," Graham tweeted. "I intend to get to the bottom of what happened if I am Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee."

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Laptop

Hillary's use of private email server among 'gravest' offenses to transparency, says judge

Dom Calicchio
Fox News
Sat, 08 Dec 2018 00:00 UTC
Killary
© MSNBC/KJNFormer US Sec of State, Current Criminal-in-Waiting, Hillary Clinton
A conservative group won a court victory this week when a federal judge ordered more fact-finding in the Hillary Clinton email investigation.

In his ruling Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth assailed Clinton's use of a private email server while secretary of state as "one of the gravest modern offenses to government transparency."

Conservative group Judicial Watch had filed a Freedom of information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the State and Justice departments, alleging that Clinton's email practices represented a deliberate effort to violate the FOIA, Politico reported.

On Friday, Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton praised Lamberth's ruling, telling Fox News it showed the court was "not terribly convinced" that former FBI Director James Comey adequately investigated Clinton's use of the private server while secretary of state from 2009 to 2013.

Federal Judge Royce Lamberth says Judicial Watch should be allowed to demand documents and additional testimony into whether Hillary Clinton's use of a private email system was a deliberate effort to thwart the Freedom of Information Act; reaction from Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton.

Fox News interview with Tom Fitton:

Comment: It is time to open the Clintons' multiple cans of worms.

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Attention

Over 51K apprehended at the border...in November!

Lawrence Richard
governorpalin.org
Sat, 08 Dec 2018 00:00 UTC
borderwall
© Mario Tama/Getty Images
When speaking with Urs Gehriger of the Swiss weekly Die Weltwoche, Fox News host Tucker Carlson said that President Trump was a conversation starter. Carlson said Trump entered Washington D.C. and began to ask the questions that no one seemed willing to ask. One of these questions was simply: why isn't the southern border working?

Migrants have been able to freely and illegally cross into the country for decades, something Trump brought to the forefront of political discourse.

While a funding fight for a $25 billion border wall has an uncertain outcome, one factor has been made remarkably clear: Trump will not tolerate illegal border crossing.

As the Washington Examiner reports, in the month of November over 51,000 people were apprehended at the Mexican border.

More than 51,000 people were caught illegally entering the United States from Mexico in November, according to Department of Homeland Security data released Thursday evening, the highest number recorded since President Trump took office almost two years ago.

"The November 2018 border numbers are the predictable result of a broken immigration system - including flawed judicial rulings - that usurps the will of the American people who have repeatedly demanded secure borders," DHS spokeswoman Katie Waldman said in a statement.

Comment: See also:

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Padlock

Deadlocked situation for Rukban refugee camp due to US actions


Sputnik
Mon, 10 Dec 2018 17:13 UTC
Rukban Refugee camp
© AFP/Khalil MazraawiRukban refugee camp on border of Jordan and Syria
Russia is wondering why Washington's partners insist on involving militants, extremists in rendering humanitarian assistance to Rukban's residents, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Moscow requires transparent control while organising a new UN humanitarian convoy to the "Rukban" camp in Syria in mid-December, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry recalled that this camp, which, according to various estimates, holds up to 50,000 people, is inside the "illegally occupied 55-kilometre security zone organised by the United States around the Syrian settlement Al-Tanf".

Why do the US's partners insist on joining the militants from illegal armed groups to render humanitarian aid and not give their consent to real assistance to those in need in Rukban if they fully share the well-known concerns, is the question, the Russian Foreign Ministry added.

The Rukban refugee camp is located in Syria's al-Tanf district (Homs province) near the Jordanian border, next to a US military base where Syrian opposition forces are being trained.

Moscow and Damascus, on one side, and Washington on the other accuse each other of hindering the delivery of UN humanitarian assistance to the area.

Comment: See also:

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