Puppet MastersS


Question

Witness tampering? WSJ says Ford's 'FBI friend', Monica McLean, pressured Leyland Keyser to 'clarify' testimony and statement clearing Kavanaugh

sundance
The Conservative Treehouse
Fri, 05 Oct 2018 18:53 UTC
monica mclean kavanaugh hearing
If you thought it was sketchy that Ms. Christine Blasey-Ford's life-long best friend was a recently retired FBI agent and DOJ official, Monica McLean {Go Deep}; and if you thought it was sketchy that McLean and Ford were together on July 30th when Ford was writing a letter to Dianne Feinstein, likely making the friend Ms Ford's "handler" for the operation against Kavanaugh; then it's even more sketchy today with a report that McLean was pressuring witness Leland Keyser to shape her statements and testimony to the FBI.

According to the Wall Street Journal the FBI has text messages from Ms. McLean to witness Ms. Keyser, directing her to modify statements more favorable to Ms. Ford.

Comment:

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Bad Guys

US attempts to isolate Russia are fracturing Europe say experts


RT
Sat, 06 Oct 2018 19:11 UTC
Berlin Wall
© Fabrizio Bensch / ReutersFILE PHOTO. Students climb the Berlin Wall memorial in Bernauer Strasse in Berlin.
The US is hurting Europe by pushing EU and NATO integration eastwards and by bullying East European nations into cutting ties with Russia, which is contrary to their natural inclination to seek out partnerships, analysts told RT.

Last week the Balkans, aka "the powder-keg of Europe" came into the international spotlight after a border incident. The leader of Kosovo, the breakaway part of Serbia recognized as a sovereign state by Western nations, made a show of force by sending troops into a predominantly Serbian part of the province. Serbia responded by putting its army on high alert.

The spike in tensions between Belgrade and Pristina came nowhere near the power games of great powers during the 19th century, which eventually led to the First World War. But it was a chilling reminder that the Balkan nations carry a burden of internal differences and latent conflicts stemming from a power game.

Comment: The Western propaganda siege against Russia is falling flat because, while some in Europe are agreeing to sell out their country to maintain allegiance with the ailing US (and UK), much of the rest of the world is busy making billion dollar deals with Russia, China and, increasingly, even Iran; despite limp yet relentless US threats of sanctions. And, in the end, the West is suffering the worst: Also check out SOTT radio's: Behind the Headlines: Atlantic Trade War? How Trump Breaking Iran Deal Could Dismantle US Empire

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Better Earth

Putin: Trade between Russia & India will reach $30 billion by 2025


RT
Fri, 05 Oct 2018 11:36 UTC
india jewellry
© Amit Dave / Reuters
The volume of trade between Russia and India exceeded $9 billion last year and is set to grow further with the nations aiming to boost trade and encourage investments, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"We have set a target of increasing trade turnover to $30 billion... and increasing investments to $15 billion by 2025," Putin said during a press conference with Modi on Friday. The Russian president is in India on a two-day official visit.

Putin said the expansion of trade and investment interactions is a priority for both nations. He noted that "if we move at such pace, we will reach the target ahead of time and will continue expansion."

Statistics showed trade between Russia and India increased by 20 percent in the period January to July, amounting to more than $6 billion.
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Attention

The Saker: The ramifications of S-300s and other military hardware for Syria

The Saker
The Unz Review
Fri, 05 Oct 2018 15:26 UTC
s-300 syria russia
The S-300 system
This week Russian officials declared that the delivery of S-300s for Syria was completed and that this first batch included 49 pieces of "military equipment", including radars, control vehicles and four launchers. Russian officials added that, if needed, this figure could be increased to 8-12 launchers. Defense Minister Shoigu added that "the measures we will take will be devoted to ensure 100 percent safety and security of our men in Syria, and we will do this". This leaves a lot of unanswered questions.
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Bullseye

Serbia's president tells RT a 'Pandora's box' was opened when EU recognized Kosovo, not by attempt to mend ties


RT
Sat, 06 Oct 2018 15:08 UTC
protest Kosova
© Hazir Reka / ReutersPeople wave flags at a protest against potential border changes with Serbia in Pristina, Kosovo on September 29, 2018.
EU countries have shown great hypocrisy criticizing a rumored land swap between Serbia and Kosovo, Serbia's leader told RT, pointing out that they were the ones who changed the borders by recognizing the breakaway region.

"How can we open a Pandora's Box?! Who opened this Pandora's Box in 2008 having accepted, acknowledged and recognized the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo?!" Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told RT's Sophie Shevardnadze.

The official commented on the idea of a "land swap" between Serbia and the breakaway region of Kosovo, reportedly mulled over in Belgrade this summer, insisting that it was never actually directly proposed.

Even media reports of it, however, caused quite a stir in the EU, with Germany, Finland, Luxembourg and other countries rallying against any potential border changes.

Comment:

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Bad Guys

Delusional porn lawyer Avenatti declares war on Susan Collins

Pete Kasperowicz
Washington Examiner
Fri, 05 Oct 2018 13:50 UTC
avenatti Susan collins
Lawyer Michael Avenatti and Sen. Susan Collins
Michael Avenatti, the lawyer who represents a woman who claimed Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was at a party where she was gang-raped, blasted Sen. Susan Collins for dismissing that "outlandish" allegation.

Collins' speech was a dramatic cap to Kavanaugh's nomination process, and made it clear he was on the way to being confirmed by the Senate. It was also a slap to Democrats who many Republicans say used highly questionable information to smear the nominee.

But Avenatti accused her while she was speaking of channeling President Trump.

Comment: Contemplating a presidential run, Avenatti seems desperate to keep his face in the news. Unfortunately, most of his news makes him look bad.

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Question

Is Saudi Arabia the Middle East's next failed state?

Daniel Lazare
Consortium News
Thu, 04 Oct 2018 13:40 UTC
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
© lawepw / Wikimedia
Reports are growing that Muhammad bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's hyperactive crown prince, is losing his grip. His economic reform program has stalled since his father, King Salman, nixed plans to privatize 5 percent of Saudi Aramco. The Saudi war in Yemen, which the prince launched in March 2015, is more of a quagmire than ever while the kingdom's sword rattling with Iran is making the region increasingly jumpy.

Heavy gunfire in Riyadh last April sparked rumors that MBS, as he's known, had been killed in a palace coup. In May, an exiled Saudi prince urged top members of the royal family to oust him and put an end to his "irrational, erratic, and stupid" rule. Recently, Bruce Riedel, an ex-CIA analyst who heads up the Brookings Institution's Intelligence Project, reported that the prince is so afraid for his life that he's taken to spending nights on his yacht in the Red Sea port of Jeddah.
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Info

The results of the Mongolian president attending the 4th Eastern Economic Forum

Mark Goleman
New Eastern Outlook
Fri, 05 Oct 2018 13:23 UTC
Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga and Russian President Vladmir Putin
© KremlinMongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga and Russian President Vladmir Putin.
As you might know, the 4th Eastern Economic Forum was held in Vladivostok on September 13, 2018, led by the Russian President Vladimir Putin. It saw the participation of the Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, the South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon, the Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga and other officials.

The Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga arrived in Vladivostok on September 11 and plunged into the work of the Forum straight away where he had rather fruitful bilateral negotiations with Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Shinzō Abe and other participants.

On September 11, the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe paid a visit to the Mongolian President. It was their second encounter at the Eastern Economic Forum.

At the beginning of their meeting, the Mongolian President expressed his condolences to the Japanese people in connection with the recent natural disaster, an unprecedented flood in a number of Japanese prefectures, and his willingness to provide assistance and support. The parties exchanged opinions on developing their economic cooperation in the framework of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). "Mongolia is interested," said K. Battulga, "in electricity supply for creating a super network in Northeast Asia and in expanding our cooperation in such areas as tourism, agriculture and building an ecocity."
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Heart - Black

Most controversial Nobel Peace Prize winners who haven't been so 'nobel'


RT
Sat, 06 Oct 2018 07:10 UTC
Barack Obama and Henry Kissinger
© Jussi Nukari / Berit Roald / Kevin Lamarque / ReutersL to R: Barack Obama, the Nobel medal and Henry Kissinger
Despite Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un being tipped to take the top spot, this year's Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to anti-rape campaigns. However, previous winners haven't always been so 'noble.'

Before we begin, it's worth remembering exactly what the prize is intended to represent. According to Alfred Nobel's will, the Peace Prize should be awarded to people or organizations who "have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."

The Norwegian Nobel Committee have come under fierce criticism many times for snubs or shameful recognitions - Antonio Egas Moniz won the Nobel in physiology or medicine in 1949 for inventing the frontal lobotomy as a way to treat mental disorders, for example.
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Bizarro Earth

Hot Economic Warfare: Scrambling for Rare-Earth Minerals

Wayne Madsen
Strategic Culture Foundation
Fri, 05 Oct 2018 13:04 UTC
rare earth minerals
Just like the gold rushes of California between 1848 and 1855, Canada's Klonike of 1896 to 1899, and Western Australia's of the 1890s, the world is experiencing a frenzy to obtain mining rights in pursuit of today's "gold," namely rare earth minerals. Used for components of electric vehicle batteries, mobile telephones, flat-screen televisions, flash drives, cameras, precision-guided missiles, industrial magnets, wind turbines, solar panels, and other high-tech items, rare earth minerals have become the type of sought-after commodity that uranium and plutonium were during the onset of the atomic age.

Rare earth minerals do not easily roll off one's tongue in the same manner as gold, silver, and platinum. For example, yttrium oxide and europium, while sounding unimportant, are what provide the red hue in color televisions.

Nations around the world are scrambling to secure reserves containing rare earth minerals. China, where one-third of the planet's rare earth minerals are currently found, has severely restricted the export of the minerals to friends and competitors. One of the largest known reserves of rare earths is the Bayan Obo deposit in China's Inner Mongolia.
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