Puppet MastersS


Boat

China, US, and the Panama Canal

Fernando Menéndez
The Epoch Times
Thu, 11 Oct 2018 00:00 UTC
Panama Canal
© RODRIGO ARANGUA/AFP/Getty ImagesA merchant ship sails along the Panama Canal.
Tensions between the Chinese regime and the Trump administration, already taking the form of an escalating trade war, now appear to be intensifying in Central America and the Caribbean, creating a new wrinkle in a temperamental and volatile relationship.

At a moment of acutely strained relations with China, the United States sent strongly worded messages of discontent to three Central American nations that have recently normalized relations with China.

On the anniversary of the Torrijos-Carter Panama Canal Treaty, on Sept. 7, the State Department recalled Roxanne Cabral, the U.S. Charge d'Affaires in Panama. Also recalled for consultation in Washington were the U.S. ambassadors to the Dominican Republic and El Salvador, Robin Bernstein and Jean Manes, respectively. Each diplomat represents the United States in countries that have switched their diplomatic relations to China from Taiwan within the last year.

Comment: Militarily, China's interest in the Panama canal may be seen as comparable to US interest in the South China Sea, but in this case, it is also a buy-in proposition aimed at acquisition of a necessary trade route.

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Footprints

On question of Mattis, Trump says 'Everybody leaves at some point.' Mattis is...going...?


RT
Sun, 14 Oct 2018 15:08 UTC
James Mattis
© UnknownUS Defense Secretary General James Mattis
An apparently measured and philosophical answer from Donald Trump about the job prospects of his defense secretary incited a bout of media hysteria.

Lesley Stahl, who interviewed the US president for CBS 60 Minutes, which will air on Sunday night, kept repeatedly pressing her subject on persistent rumors Jim Mattis will leave his post, which have escalated following the announced departure of his colleague, Nicky Haley from her UN envoy post.
"I have a very good relationship with him. I had lunch with him two days ago. I have a very good relationship with him," replied Trump. "It could be that he is. I think he's sort of a Democrat, if you want to know the truth. But General Mattis is a good guy. We get along very well. He may leave. I mean, at some point, everybody leaves. Everybody. People leave. That's Washington."

Comment: Be damned the truth of the message or its intent, biases locked in place, MSM has learned nothing regarding this president and his views.

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Stop

Russia, fed up with Israeli intransigence and hubris, says Iran's presence in Syria is none of its business


Hiram's 1555 Blog
Sat, 13 Oct 2018 00:00 UTC
Russian Deputy FM Mikhail Bogdanov
© Al-ManarRussian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov
A senior Russian official has dismissed the Israeli regime's demand that Iran be forced out of Syria, saying that the issue is none of Tel Aviv's business as it is Syria's sovereign right to authorize Iranian forces on its soil.

"Syria is a member of the United Nations," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said, adding that the Arab country "has equal rights" over its self-determination with Russia, the US and any other member of the UN. "This is a sovereign country led by a legitimate government. It can agree on cooperation with any other country, including Iran, Russia, Israel," he noted in an interview with the Israeli TV channel i24NEWS released Thursday night.

Comment: Russia sees the gorilla in the room and calls it out for what it is.

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Oil Well

'It's not helpful': US warns India not to purchase Iran oil, Russian s-400s


Sputnik
Sat, 13 Oct 2018 12:40 UTC
TrumpModi
© IANSUS President Donald Trump • Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump promised that India will soon see his decision on punitive measures after New Delhi moved to purchase advanced S-400 air defense systems from Russia.

The US government is "very carefully" reviewing India's decision to continue buying oil from Iran and purchase Russian S-400 missile systems, according to US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

"Certainly when we hear about things such as purchasing [Iranian] oil or the S-400 systems, it's not helpful," she added.

Nauert noted that she had earlier seen reports of India continuing to buy oil from Iran, a topic which she said was discussed during US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to India last month.

"The President had addressed it - I believe it was just earlier today - which he was asked about, that question about whether or not India would buy oil from Iran after sanctions are reimposed. And the President said - and I'm not going to get ahead of the President, certainly - but he said we'll take care of that," she said.

Comment: Is Trump forcing countries to his will or to fortify theirs?

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Cloud Grey

'Worst gathered around each other': Rouhani lambastes US govt as ties continue to sour


RT
Sun, 14 Oct 2018 12:27 UTC
White House
© Reuters/Leah MillisDark clouds move over the White House.
There has not been a more hostile and spiteful US government against Iran in four decades, President Hassan Rouhani claimed in an explosive speech on Sunday, accusing America of pushing for a regime change.

"There was a time when there was one person who had enmity. The rest were moderate. Now...the worst have gathered around each other," the Iranian president said in a speech marking the beginning of the academic year at Tehran University.

Iran's president also accused the US of using psychological and economic warfare to reduce the country's "legitimacy" in a step towards regime change.



Comment: The current international upheaval may actually result in something of significance should there be a fundamental plan in the works requiring reshuffles and shocks to jolt nations out of complacency and transition into a new dynamic. Or not. Regardless, such it is.

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Arrow Up

'You've gained public trust': Abe boasts Japanese army's reputation, drives to beef up defense


RT
Sun, 14 Oct 2018 13:35 UTC
Japanese Self-Defense Force
© Kim Kyung-Hoon/ReutersJapanese Self-Defense Force servicemen, Asaka Base, Japan.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that 90 percent of the Japanese population respects the military as he pushes to expand it and change the country's constitution to get rid of its post-WWII pacifist requirements.

"Ninety percent of the population now treats the Self-Defense Force (SDF) with respect," Abe said during a military-themed event on Sunday. "You have gained public trust with your hands."

Speaking in front of about 4,000 servicemen at a military training center in Saitama Prefecture, the prime minister stated it is now up to politicians to create "an environment" for SDF to carry out its duties "with a sense of pride."

SDF functions as Japan's de facto national army. It is considered one of the most advanced and best equipped military structures in the world, and ranks 8th in terms of its budget size.

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Footprints

Militia commander: Syrian militants have partially withdrawn weapons from Idlib


Sputnik
Sun, 14 Oct 2018 10:30 UTC
Idlib city
© Reuters/Ammar AbdullahIdlib City, Syria
Militants of illegal armed groups in the south-west of the Syrian province of Idlib comply with the ceasefire regime and partially withdrew heavy weapons from the demilitarized zone on the border with the province of Hama, Nabil, the commander of the Christian militia of Al-Suqaylabiyah city, told Sputnik.
"There is information that armed terrorist groups fulfill the conditions of the agreement. It is also confirmed by some video and photo materials that they publish. According to our sources, there is a partial [weapons] withdrawal. Turkey confirms this through its media. We can say that this is partially true. But the withdrawal is not full, and there is still time for the full implementation of the agreement before October 15," Nabil said.
According to the commander, there have been no violations of the ceasefire regime in the area over the past several days.

On Wednesday, the Turkish Defense Ministry said that all heavy weapons had been withdrawn from the newly-formed demilitarized zone in Idlib.
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Snakes in Suits

Hypocrisy: US 'investigates' genocide in Myanmar as it supports genocide in Yemen

Joseph Thomas
New Eastern Outlook
Tue, 02 Oct 2018 00:00 UTC
Aung San Suu Kyi
© National Democratic InstituteWestern puppet Aung San Suu Kyi, defacto leader of Myanmar's government
Rarely is US hypocrisy so cynical and overt as a recent US State Department investigation into ongoing violence in Myanmar, all while the US continues its full spectrum support of Saudi Arabia's genocidal war on Yemen.

In addition to Washington's role in Yemen, the US also occupies Afghanistan and Syria while carrying out drone strikes and covert military interventions in territory stretching from North Africa to Central Asia.

In Myanmar specifically, the US has openly and for decades funded and supported groups and individuals involved directly on both sides of ongoing ethnic violence. Now, it is leveraging that violence to single out obstacles to US influence in Southeast Asia and in Myanmar specifically.
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Arrow Down

Merkel suffers another setback as sister party CSU returns worst election result since 1950 in Bavaria


RT
Sun, 14 Oct 2018 17:32 UTC
ballot box voting
Germany's political landscape is crumbling as Merkel's sister party, the CSU, has only received 35.5% of the votes in Bavaria, an exit poll shows. Meanwhile, the anti-establishment Alternative for Germany (AfD) has entered parliament for the first time.

Voters in Bavaria headed to the polls to decide on the composition of the 180-member parliament on Sunday. The Christian Social Union (CSU) - sister party to Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) - gained 35.5 percent in Germany's largest and second most populous state, according to an exit poll for broadcaster ARD.

It represents the worst election result since 1950, and a loss of its absolute majority for only the second time since 1962. It means the CSU will now have to form a coalition.

Comment: Alternative For Germany seems to have become the voice of Germany's 'deplorables', although the level of anti-immigration sentiment is much higher. The natives are living with the consequences of Merkel's open border policy every day. They have become intensely Eurosceptic, and see no value in bowing to the Atlanticist Empire's orders

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Bad Guys

Bad faith: US rejects Russian offer of mutual non-interference agreement

Paul Antonopoulos
Fort Russ News
Sun, 14 Oct 2018 17:00 UTC
TrumpPutin
© Someone's BonesUS President Donald Trump • Russian President Vladimir Putin
Russia has proposed mutual assurances to the United States over non-interference in each other's sovereign affairs, but Washington continues to reject the offer, a senior Russian diplomat told reporters.

Moscow has repeatedly offered such an agreement to the US State Department in recent years, and noted that the scheme worked in 1933 to restore healthy relations between the United States and the Soviet Union, said the head of the Foreign Relations Department the North America, Georgy Borisenko.

In 1933, Soviet Foreign Minister Maksim Litvinov and US President Franklin D. Roosevelt exchanged personal notes with obligations not to interfere in the sovereign affairs of the other nation, Borisenko noted. He said that these mutual guarantees were given at the insistence of the United States because, after the Great Depression, Washington was extremely concerned about the spread of communist ideas.

"Today we are proposing to exchange letters with similar content, for example between the heads of the foreign ministries of Russia and the United States. Unfortunately, Washington is stubbornly avoiding this proposal, they reject it in a simply categorical way," declared the diplomat.

Comment: This pretty much exposes the whole American stance against Russian 'intervention' as opportunistic, hypocritical, and mendacious. The US has no interest in stopping Russian intervention, because the US has no interest in stopping American intervention in Russian affairs. Their hysterical response to Russian 'meddling' is a PR move, nothing more. Maintaining their impunity is more important to them. They can meddle all they want - because freedom and democracy.

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