Puppet MastersS


Binoculars

Moscow claims US deploying hardware, boosting military presence in al-Tanf, Syria


Sputnik
Thu, 29 Mar 2018 16:35 UTC
us al tanf
© AFP 2018/ AHMAD AL-RUBAYE
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has commented on the situation in Eastern Ghouta and the US military presence in Syria.

Moscow is concerned by Washington's plans to fortify its military presence in Syria at the US military base in al-Tanf, as heavy military equipment is arriving, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.

"We are still concerned about reports that the United States and its allies are consolidating their illegal military presence in the territory of sovereign Syria. In particular, heavy military equipment is arriving to the zone established by the United States around the settlements of al-Tanf in the southeast of the country," Zakharova told a briefing.

The US military base is located in the border town of al-Tanf, where troops of the armed Syrian opposition are trained and equipped. The Al-Rukban refugee camp is located in the "security zone" next to the US military base al-Tanf; it was illegally deployed in April 2017 under the pretext of fighting terrorists.

At the end of November last year, the head of the Russian Center for the reconciliation of the warring parties in Syria, Lieutenant-General Sergei Kuralenko, reported that the US, having closed the 55-kilometer zone around the US base in the Syrian city of al-Tanf, had isolated more than 50,000 people in need of humanitarian assistance. Russia then proposed to the command of a group of US troops in al-Tanf to jointly ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the refugees. The coalition, led by the United States, agreed to help, but said that it had not received confirmation that Syrian authorities were ready to allow convoys to pass.

Comment: The U.S. is increasingly becoming that unsocialized child none of the other kids want to play with - the kid who grows up to be "that guy" at the party everyone wishes would just leave already, but who never gets the hint and only further damages his own reputation. Except "that guy" has nuclear weapons, a massive military budget, a history of destroying nations, assassinating leaders, and torturing people. Even that can't buy love though. Seriously, go home, America.

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Coffee

Russians can play this game too: Foreign Ministry demands UK prove it didn't poison Skripals, or face consequences


Russia Insider
Thu, 29 Mar 2018 16:00 UTC
lavrov
It better be something good!
What is good for the goose is good for the gander. At least Russia seems to think so. There may not be conclusive evidence Britain poisoned Sergei Skripal and his visiting daughter Yulia. But then neither is there evidence Moscow did it and that did not prevent London from demanding Russia proves its innocent (in 24 hours). Moreover the British are keeping Russians away from evidence, not the other way around.

So why wouldn't Russia now demand Britain instead proves its own innocence? Well, Lavrov's Ministry of External Affairs can't think of a reason why not.
Russia has demanded that London provide proof that British spies did not carry out the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that their analysis of the assassination attempt has them to believe in 'a possible involvement in it of the British intelligence services'.

The Ministry says that in the absence of proof of British innocence, Moscow will regard the incident as an attempt on the lives of Russian citizens on foreign soil.

'An analysis of all the circumstances ... leads us to think of the possible involvement in it (the poisoning) of the British intelligence services,' the foreign ministry said in a statement.

'If convincing evidence to the contrary is not presented to the Russian side we will consider that we are dealing with an attempt on the lives of our citizens as a result of a massive political provocation.'
Excellent! 'Do what you demand of us and prove your innocence to us, or we will regard it was a state-sponsored attempt at murder of our citizens.'

Lavrov has truly outdone himself here. And yet all he has done is responded in kind. So simple and yet so brilliant.

Comment: Priceless. And they're probably right, to boot! See Joe Quinn's We Can Actively Assume That Skripal Was Poisoned by The British Government.

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Handcuffs

Lock him up: Sarkozy to face trial for monitoring investigation into illicit campaign funding


RT
Thu, 29 Mar 2018 16:02 UTC
sarkozy
© Reuters
Ex-French president Nicolas Sarkozy will stand trial for allegedly misusing his influence to spy on an investigation into his 2007 presidential bid. It was claimed the campaign was funded by former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

France's financial prosecutor has confirmed that the former president will stand trial for influence peddling, according to Reuters. He's accused of securing leaked details of a probe into the alleged illicit funding of the presidential campaign.

Investigators examining allegations that Sarkozy's campaign was funded by Libya began to suspect that he was monitoring the probe using a network of informants. The case will come before France's highest court.

Lawyers for Sarkozy said in a statement that they will appeal the decision to take him to court.

The decision comes just days after Sarkozy was indicted for illicit campaign financing, misappropriation of Libyan public funds and passive corruption.

Sarkozy, who was president of France from 2007 to 2012, denies all the allegations against him. The accusations first emerged in 2012 and a judicial inquiry was launched a year later.
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Light Saber

Foreign minister say Austria doesn't fear reprisal for not expelling Russian diplomats - calls for dialogue


RT
Thu, 29 Mar 2018 15:22 UTC
Kneissl Austria foreign minister
© Heinz-Peter Bader / ReutersAustrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl attends a news conference in Vienna, March 8, 2018
Vienna refused to expel Russian diplomats not because it feared reprisal, but because it stands for open dialogue, Austria's foreign minister said, decrying the UK's attempts to lure the country into taking "certain measures."

Austria refrained from expelling Russian diplomats earlier this week, in contrast to its EU neighbors, who chose to rely on the UK's assertion that Russia was behind the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal in Salisbury. Karin Kneissl, Austria's top diplomat, said the surprise decision had nothing to do with a fear of countermeasures from Moscow.

"It never had any impact on considerations of the Foreign Ministry and communications with the chancellor," Kneissl said on Wednesday, as quoted by Kurier newspaper. Expelling foreign diplomats is not something Vienna stands for, she added. "You have to keep channels [of communication] open, especially when things get tough."
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War Whore

Russian media publishes 'silly presentation' UK used to prompt diplomat expulsions


RT
Thu, 29 Mar 2018 12:02 UTC
Sergei Skripal
© Henry Nicholls / ReutersPolice officers near a tent-covered spot close to where Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found poisoned in Salisbury, Britain
A document UK officials presented in a bid to persuade allies to expel Russian diplomats this week suggests London no longer questions whether Moscow poisoned Sergei Skripal, but offers no new specific evidence.

Titled 'Salisbury Incident,' the six slide PowerPoint document was sent out to 80 top level foreign embassy officials in Moscow, according to Kommersant business daily, the news agency to which the document was leaked. The diplomatic effort was a bid to sway opinion and prepare the ground for the expulsions of over 100 Russian diplomats by more than 20 countries, which have been announced over the past three days.

Previously, the UK publicly suggested that it was "highly likely" Moscow had a hand in the poisoning of double agent Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, on March 4 in Salisbury, however, the leaked document takes a harsher line.

Comment: A 6-slide PowerPoint? Well there you have it folks, 'undeniable proof'. For something so ridiculous we turn to Maria Zakharova for some common sense. Sputnik reports:
The presentation on the Skripal case given to foreign diplomats at a briefing in the UK Embassy in Moscow looks like a presentation made by primary school children, Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"Of course, it is shocking. It looks like pictures for children... This is the presentation, which resembles one made by primary school students, who have just learned how to use a computer. It retells not even the information reported by the media but rather the key points made by UK Prime Minister Theresa May during a hearing at the parliament. But again, it is chaotic, incoherent," Zakharova told Russia's Zvezda TV channel.

The spokeswoman pointed out that the presentation mentioned neither the formula of the substance used to poison Skripal, nor the number of people involved in the attack.


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Chess

US judge dismisses Saudi Arabia's motion to end 9/11 complicity lawsuits


RT
Thu, 29 Mar 2018 12:02 UTC
Trump Saudi Mohammed bin Salman
© Jonathan Ernst / ReutersU.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington
US District Judge George B. Daniels in Manhattan has dismissed the motion filed by Saudi Arabia to end long-running litigation over what those affected by the 9/11 terrorist attacks claim is Riyadh's complicity in the tragedy.

The allegations put forward by the victims' relatives and those who were injured in the attack "narrowly articulate a reasonable basis for this Court to assume jurisdiction under JASTA (The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act) over Plaintiffs' claims against Saudi Arabia," Daniels stated in the court opinion. Taking this into account, "this Court will exercise its discretion to allow Plaintiffs limited jurisdictional discovery," it added before announcing the Saudi Arabian motion dismissed.

JASTA, passed by Congress in 2016, overriding then-US President Barack Obama's veto, paved the way for legal proceedings against foreign states and their officials suspected of supporting terrorism to continue even if they were previously rejected in a court.

Comment: Further reading: Saudis complicit in 9/11 attacks (unless they kowtow to USA and get Russia)

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Black Magic

The "systemically murderous and evil' scheming of the empire: Is a new war against Russia in Ukraine unfolding before our eyes?

Prof. John McMurtry
Global Research
Wed, 28 Mar 2018 00:00 UTC
syria donbass war
We are now entering yet another US-UK led war build-up against the cornerstone of Western ideology, the designated Enemy Russia.

As usual there is amnesia of the ever-recurring big-lie pretext, the need for another crisis to keep the two-billion-dollar a day NATO war machine going, the baleful puppet moves of Canada in the process, the crisis of legitimacy of the lead attacker's government, and the silent diversion from the whole nightmare scenario unfolding by all NATO-member governments, mass media and even 'peace activist' organisations.

This time the big-lie pretext is about the alleged poisoning by the Kremlin/Putin of a double-agent, usually a stock move in espionage entertainments, but here with no evidence of the claimed origin of the lethal nerve-agent, but rather expert denial within British defence and weapons research itself, with devious political word games to get around the absence of evidence in familiar denunciations of Russia that are full of aggression and hate. Not even a death is recorded while US-led and UK-armed ally forces are still mass-murdering poor civilian Yeminis, drone-murdering endless targets and civilians abroad, continuing on unblamed for the ongoing NATO-executed eco-genocides of Iraq and Libya societies, and on the 19-years anniversary of the mass bombing of, once again a society, Yugoslavia, with the most evolved social infrastructures of health, education, housing and life security in the region.
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Snakes in Suits

DOJ Inspector General reviews alleged FISA abuses by DOJ, FBI

Brooke Singman
Fox News
Wed, 28 Mar 2018 18:35 UTC
Michael Horowitz DOJ
DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee
The investigation will determine if anyone in the ranks broke the rules when convincing federal judges to sign off on surveillance during the Russian collusion probe.

Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz announced Wednesday he will review potential Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) abuses by both the Justice Department and the FBI, following requests from Congress and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

The Office of the Inspector General released a statement Wednesday outlining the start of the review.

"The OIG will initiate a review that will examine the Justice Department's and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's compliance with legal requirements, and with applicable DOJ and FBI policies and procedures, in applications filed with the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) relating to a certain U.S. person," the statement obtained by Fox News read. "As part of this examination, the OIG also will review information that was known to the DOJ and the FBI at the time the applications were filed from or about an alleged FBI confidential source."

The OIG statement added that Horowitz also would "review the DOJ's and FBI's relationship and communications with the alleged source as they relate to the FISC applications."

The statement continued, "If circumstances warrant, the OIG will consider including other issues that may arise during the course of the review."
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MIB

UK, not Russia, meddled in US election: Julian Assange tweets links between British establishment and Steele dossier


Sott.net
Wed, 28 Mar 2018 21:42 UTC
MI6 london
After WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange last week let the cat out of the bag regarding a dirty Trump dossier secret, his internet has been cut off at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, his refuge from the Deep State for the last 6 years.

In winning the 2016 U.S. election, President Donald Trump defeated not only the corrupt Clinton machine, but also the republican party and foreign governments with strong vested interests in maintaining the US-led Western Empire.

It has long been assumed that Russia was the only foreign government involved in manufacturing manufacturing the dodgy 'Golden Shower' dossier that spawned a political witch-hunt against the president.

Last week, Assange reminded everyone that the British government - and specifically its security service, MI6 - was also intimately involved.

In a series of tweets on Thursday 22 March, Assange listed some of the dirty participants who played a role falsely accusing Trump of 'collusion' with Russia:

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Quenelle

Irish politicians slam government's decision to expel Russian diplomat


RT
Tue, 27 Mar 2018 20:46 UTC
Leo Varadkar
© Clodagh Kilcoyne / ReutersPrime Minister of Ireland Leo Varadkar
Ireland's government is facing pushback for its decision to follow the lead of the UK, the US and other European countries and expel a Russian diplomat from the country.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney released a statement on Tuesday, confirming that Dublin would stand in "unqualified solidarity" with the UK, which has accused the Russian government of being responsible for the chemical attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury.

The decision has sparked controversy in Ireland, with a number of political and media figures making their disagreement with the government clear.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald spoke against the decision in the Irish Parliament after the announcement was made. "Essentially you're asking us to trust Boris Johnson and dare I say this is not the wisest course of action," McDonald said to Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.

Comment: While Ireland's government went ahead with expelling a Russian diplomat based only on the worthless word of people like May and Johnson and without the support of their constituents, other EU nations have opted for a saner approach:
On Tuesday, Switzerland noted that it would wait for the results of the investigation before taking any action. Its Foreign Ministry said that the country "supports mechanisms and institutions that can independently clarify facts and security evidence."

Austria, an EU member, said it would not be taking any "national measures," while noting its desire to "keep the channels of communication to Russia open."

Cyprus also declined to expel any Russian diplomats without any further evidence. "Our country is not in a position to take measures against countries that are permanent members of the UN Security Council," government spokesman Prodromos Prodromou told Cyprus News Agency (CNA) on Monday, as quoted by the Independent Balkan News Agency (IBNA).

Slovakia was not eager to jump the gun either. "The development of the situation, as well as Russia's response to the calls addressed to it by the EU countries -- including Slovakia -- will influence the next steps that we are prepared to consider in this case," the Slovakian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. However, the country said it was summoning the Russian ambassador "without delay."

Last week, ahead of a meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May at a European Council summit dinner in Brussels, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras stressed the need for an investigation into the Skripal case before jumping to conclusions. "We have to express our solidarity to the UK, to the British people, but at the same time we need to investigate," he said.

Other EU nations, including Bulgaria, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, and Slovenia, have also declined to join the expulsion frenzy.


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