Puppet MastersS


Footprints

'Proven veterans': As DoD signals retreat, private mercenaries to take over the US-Afghan war


Sputnik
Mon, 03 Dec 2018 00:35 UTC
Bomb attack
© AP/Rahmat GulKabul, Afghanistan, site of a suicide bomb attack November 29, 2018.
As the US urgently seeks an exit from its ongoing 17-year war in Afghanistan - the longest war the nation has prosecuted in its 242-year history - for-profit, privately-held mercenary corporations are increasingly taking over, leading officials in Kabul to question their expensive and often deadly presence.

In 2001, the US invaded Afghanistan, quickly contributing to a boom in the so-called 'private security' business, a euphemism to describe the use of mercenary soldiers, according to reports.

Although the US is making moves toward giving up its 17-year Afghanistan war - a fight described last month by the US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, General Joseph Dunford, as a "stalemate" - widespread instability in Afghanistan remains, and there is a high demand for armed soldiers to guard foreign business operations, national embassies and even military bases, according to the BBC.

The nation's interior ministry created a Kabul-supervised Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF) in 2010, following a series of deadly accidents and scandals that came to light involving the indiscriminate killing of civilians by for-hire soldiers. The APPF, according to the nation's interior ministry, handles most of the current security missions in the country, including escorting foreign troops and guarding diplomats, businesspeople and NGO workers.

Variously tasked with protecting people, structures, installations and property, as well as standardizing policing and security methods in unstable regions, mercenary firms led by US-based Triple Canopy and UK-based G4S are paid unknown amounts of money to keep a semblance of order in what has become one of the most dangerous places on Earth, according to the BBC.

Comment: Proxies and mercenaries...war for hire. Not out of Afghanistan, just 'once removed'.

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Target

US sets its sights on Hezbollah's allies by meddling in internal Lebanese politics

Elijah J. Magnier
ejmagnier.com
Sun, 02 Dec 2018 18:54 UTC
nasrallah
US sanctions on Hezbollah and its allies have limited effect; thus, the US is meddling in internal Lebanese politics, hoping to disrupt Hezbollah's alliance with the Christians of Lebanon.

Hezbollah considers the US administration's sanctions on the group to be an ineffective power play. Hezbollah and its commanders don't have accounts in foreign banks or other overseas institutions and they are not dependent on western financial support. Moreover, Hezbollah has placed internal restrictions on the travel of its commanders; they will not suffer from any visa rejections or limitations. The US is attacking the society where Hezbollah operates and lives. It has attacked the wealthy Shias who are close to Hezbollah by closing their businesses, imprisoning others, and disrupting their overseas business outside Lebanon. The US administration is even putting pressure on the Lebanese Central Bank, the core of the Lebanese economy. Lebanon has felt the weight of this and is worried, particularly now that its deficit is reaching $80bn.

Hezbollah is an organisation composed mainly of poor families. Its members believe in its ideology and objectives, and are convinced that the party is their only source of protection in this stratified multi-ethnic society. They also feel the need for protection from Israeli aggression. But Hezbollah considers that the wealthy individuals affected by the US sanctions have actually benefitted from being close to Hezbollah. In some cases, accused individuals not related to the group may be able to demonstrate to the international court that they are independent businessmen and defend themselves through legal procedures. Some of the collateral damage to the Shia community results from its success - Hezbollah is integrated within the Shia community - and the community's emerging role in Lebanon.
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Bad Guys

Deliberate 'mistake'? US coalition airstrike hits Syrian Army positions while claiming the target was top ISIS commander


RT
Mon, 03 Dec 2018 18:38 UTC
US coalition airstrike Syrian Army Al-Sukhnah Syria
© AP Photo / Vadim Ghirda"Forces of the US-led coalition fired several missiles toward the positions of our units in the area of Al-Ghurab mount, to the south of the city of Al-Sukhnah at around 18:00 GMT. Syrian government has repeatedly accused the US-led coalition of causing civilian casualties while conducting aerial operations in Syria.
The US-led coalition says it targeted a top Islamic State terrorist commander who was involved in the beheading of a US officer and posed an "imminent threat." Local media, however, claim the airstrike hit Syrian Army positions.

"Coalition forces conducted precision strikes against a senior ISIS [Islamic State, IS] member, Abu al Umarayn, and several other ISIS members on Dec. 2 in the Badiyah Desert," after determining an "imminent threat" from the cell, a spokesperson for the US-led Operation Inherent Resolve told RT in a written statement, without elaborating on the success of the mission.

While the US-led forces insist their pinpoint strikes targeted only the cell involved in the beheading of former US Army Ranger and aid worker Peter Kassig in November 2014, local media claim the strike actually "supported" terrorists instead.

The coalition fired "several missiles" targeting the Syrian Arab Army's positions in the eastern Homs countryside south of al-Sekhneh, allegedly causing some "material damage," but no deaths or injuries, SANA news reports.

Comment: With 'help' like this, who needs enemies?

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Arrow Up

Fair play: Trump legal team makes case to prosecute Comey, Clapper for false statements in light of similar charges against Cohen

Rowan Scarborough
Washington Times
Sun, 02 Dec 2018 18:23 UTC
Comey
Former and current members of President Trump's legal team have compiled research to make the case that former FBI Director James B. Comey misled Congress in his testimony and is not a reliable witness for special counsel Robert Mueller.

The lawyers last year tried to persuade Mr. Mueller to investigate Mr. Comey, his former colleague, to no avail.

The Trump-Comey war took on new dimensions last week as Mr. Mueller won a guilty plea from former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who admitted to lying to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence about a proposed election-year Trump Organization Moscow hotel deal.

"The Cohen plea of lying to Congress by the special counsel raises the very serious question as to why the special counsel has refused to investigate and prosecute the false statements and testimony of James Comey, the main accuser of the president, before the Senate Judiciary and intel committees," former Trump attorney John Dowd told The Washington Times.

Mr. Dowd and his colleagues filed a complaint with the Justice Department and Mr. Mueller last year. It says, in part, that Mr. Comey was dishonest in May 2017 when he said he never took steps for FBI surrogates to leak stories about Mr. Trump to the news media.
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NPC

"Obvious": Czech spy agency blames Russia for cyberattacks on foreign ministry


RFE/RL
Mon, 03 Dec 2018 18:10 UTC
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis
© David W Cerny / ReutersCzech Prime Minister Andrej Babis
A Czech spy agency has said it is "obvious" that Russia was behind two recent cyberattack campaigns against the Czech Foreign Ministry and Czech diplomats.

The agency, known as the BIS, said in its annual report on December 3 that the cyberattacks were part of the most serious wave of cyberespionage to target the Czech Republic.

It says 150 e-mail accounts were hacked in an attack by the Russian state that began in early 2016 and was not discovered until 2017.

It also says a separate Russian cyberattack began in December 2016.

The BIS report concludes that the attacks were part of the Turla malware campaign by Russia's FSB intelligence agency and the APT28 or "Fancy Bear" campaign by Russia's GRU military intelligence agency.

Comment: Funny how Russia is seemingly the only country to commit these kinds of attacks (North Korea and Iran sometimes get an honorable mention), if we are to believe the public statements from western governments. The UK, US, and Israel are never involved in such attacks. And they certainly don't attempt to leave digital signatures implicating their enemies. You'll just have to take their word for it.

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2 + 2 = 4

German FM rejects calls to cancel Nord Stream 2 to punish Russia for Kerch - doing so would actually hurt Ukraine

Andrea Shalal
Reuters
Mon, 03 Dec 2018 17:38 UTC
Heiko Maas
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas
Germany's foreign minister on Monday warned against pulling out of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline with Russia, as some lawmakers suggested using the project to punish Moscow for its seizure of Ukrainian ships and their crew off the coast of Crimea.

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, a candidate to replace Chancellor Angela Merkel at the helm of her Christian Democrat party, said on Sunday one option might be to reduce the amount of gas that will flow through the pipeline from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea.

However, Foreign minister Heiko Maas, a member of the Social Democratic junior partners in Merkel's coalition, told reporters the $11-billion pipeline, led by Russia's Gazprom, was a commercial project that would continue, even if German firms pulled out.

Withdrawing political support would diminish Berlin's ability to pressure for some gas supplies to continue to be sent to Europe via Ukraine, he said.

Comment: This just goes to show how short-sighted and idiotic anti-Russian sentiment has become. European politicians are willing to "punish" Russia, even if that means shooting Ukraine in the foot - all in the name of defending Ukraine. That's modern Western politics in a nutshell right there.

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Eiffel Tower

'All options considered': France mulling state of emergency amid chaos; students and farmers initiate new wave of nationwide protests

Tyler Durden
ZeroHedge
Mon, 03 Dec 2018 10:18 UTC
French President Emmanuel Macron will hold an emergency meeting of senior ministers on Sunday following the worst unrest Paris has seen in decades on Saturday.
yellow vest protests france
Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux told France's Europe 1 radio that a state of emergency may be imposed to prevent "serious outbursts of violence" after thousands of masked "Yellow Vest" protesters fought with police, and set fires to cars, houses and banks in the worst disturbances France's capital has seen since 1968, when Macron's wife was fifteen - the same age the French president was when they met.
Griveaux had indicated the Macron administration was considering imposing a state of emergency. The president was open to dialogue, he said, but would not reverse policy reforms.

"We won't change course. We are certain of that," he told Europe 1 radio. -Reuters

Comment:

UPDATES:

The Free Though Project notes that riot police officers are in sympathy with the protestors and were filmed removing their helmets in solidarity.


According to Jean Bricmont, a French political writer, the protests have more to do with the 'incompetent', EU-dependent government policy than the rising gas prices. 'The revolt is not just about the gas prices, it's a general revolt against the policy of the government. There's not much that French authorities could do to relieve people's worries and defuse tensions as Paris has to obey the orders from the European Commission.' Bricmont added: 'I think [Macron] doesn't realize the depth of the crisis ... there's not much he can do about it. He's not a statesman, he's a banker, he's been put in that position and thinks that he has solution to everything in his head. I think he's extremely arrogant, extremely self-centered, extremely detached from reality.'

Those arrested (over 200) during the violent clashes in Paris are going to trial on Monday or Tuesday and the justice minister vowed 'harsh' punishment for the alleged perpetrators, who has claimed they are 'professionals of disorder'. Over 130 people were injured in the clashes and the police also took a beating, with 23 officers requiring medical attention.

Not to be outdone, French students have joined the fray in multiple cities blocking schools across France in protest against the education reform. Thousands of high school students flooded the streets, their protest quickly turning violent. Angry youths, who initially came out following the call of the National Union of High School Students (UNL), started erecting barricades and burning cars.




The central French city of Limoges saw the high-schoolers joined by local farmers and members of the Yellow Vest movement against new taxes and higher fuel prices. The farmers drove tractors and trucks to the office of the local prefecture and blocked the streets around it.


In Nice, crowds of students marched through the center of the city and blocked a nearby highway, triggering a traffic collapse. The protesters, who were initially rallying against the education reform, started chanting political slogans and called for President Emmanuel Macron to resign.


Students around France blocked entrances to dozens of educational facilities:


For an excellent analysis of the situation, see: NewsReal: Révolution Jaune? France Revolts Against Macron

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Dollars

Experts forecast China's yuan to become a global heavyweight - trade war or not

Kelly Olsen
CNBC
Sun, 02 Dec 2018 17:35 UTC
yuan and dollar
© Reuters/Jason Lee
Trade war or not, one thing is clear, according to many experts: The global importance of the Chinese yuan seems destined to rise.

Strategists and economists say flows in the currency will grow over the long term if China continues to gradually open its financial system and further pushes use of the yuan internationally.

But it won't all be smooth sailing, and a gap in Chinese authorities' willingness to allow more funds into the country is likely to remain.

Comment:

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Light Saber

Iran Foreign Minister Zarif blasts the 'surrealism' guiding US foreign policy


PressTV
Sun, 02 Dec 2018 17:22 UTC
Zarif
© IRNAIran FM Mohammad Javad Zarif
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif condemns the "surrealism" informing the US' foreign policy after his American counterpart accuses Tehran of violating the very UN Security Council resolution that Washington is in breach of.

"'Surrealism' is now the US' modus operandi in its foreign affairs," Zarif tweeted on Sunday.

Earlier, Mike Pompeo had accused Tehran of testing a missile "capable of carrying nuclear warheads" in violation of Security Council Resolution 2231.

Comment: Pompeo's statements have merited the term 'surreal', not to mention cruel and malicious.

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Brick Wall

Comey capitulates, will sit down with lawmakers behind closed doors

Alex Swoyer
The Washington Times
Mon, 03 Dec 2018 16:26 UTC
Jamescomey
© Getty Images
Former FBI Director James Comey said Sunday he plans to sit down with lawmakers this week behind closed doors, asking the court to withdraw his motion to halt their subpoena.

GOP chairmen, who are about to lose power in the new Congress in January, have been trying to bring Mr. Comey to Capitol Hill to explain his decisions related to the 2016 election, particularly investigations into Hillary Clinton's use of her personal email and the probe into Russian activities during the campaign.

Comment: Comey's done an awful lot of ducking and weaving over the hearing. Wonder why?

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