Puppet MastersS


Star of David

Israel drills for war with Hezbollah near Lebanon's border

An Israeli Merkava battle tank
© Photo by AFPAn Israeli Merkava battle tank is seen during war games in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights along the border with Syria, on August 8, 2018
Israeli military says the regime has recently conducted war games using several divisions, including the infantry regiments, tanks and combat engineering units, in a move, which is apparently aimed at preparation for another war with the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah 12 years after the Israel's defeat in the 33-day military onslaught against Lebanon.

"There has been incredible progress in our abilities. If you look at 150 kilometers around us, you will not find a brigade or corps as strong as these in their capabilities," the Jerusalem Post quoted Israeli military's Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot as claiming on Sunday.

He added that divisions such as the 7th Armored Brigade as well the Golani Brigade were joined together as a unified force to field-test a new fighting method as part of a major reform meant to streamline the regime's military.

Comment: See also:


Light Saber

Trey Gowdy has 'run out of patience': Demands Trump dossier conspirators appear before Congress

trey gowdy shannon beam fox news
© Fox NewsFox News’ Shannon Beam and Congressman Trey Gowdy
This week, newly released emails between the "Trump Dossier" author Christopher Steele and Obama Official Bruce Ohr gave us an inside look into just how corrupt this Russia investigation is because of it's origin, and now they are going to have to answer for their shady tactics.

The damaging revelations has forced Trey Gowdy and the House Intelligence Community to give an ultimatum to Steele and Ohr - either talk in front of congress or you will be slapped with a major subpoena.

When speaking to Fox News' Shannon Beam, Gowdy said he has "lost patience" and they are ready to ask them hard-nosed questions to get to the bottom of this.

Rocket

Russia slams new "draconian" sanctions, considers banning delivery of rocket engines to US

russia  RD-180 rocket engine
© Sputnik / Yuri StreletcThe Russian-made RD-180 rocket engine
A furious Russia condemned a new round of U.S. sanctions as "draconian" on Thursday and threatened to retaliate as news of the measures sent the ruble tumbling to two-year lows and sparked a wider asset sell-off over fears that Moscow was locked in a spiral of never-ending sanctions.

"Such measures are absolutely unfriendly and can hardly be associated with the constructive - difficult but constructive - atmosphere at the last meeting of the two presidents," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on a conference call.

As reported yesterday, in the latest diplomatic attack launched by Trump, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday it would impose fresh sanctions by the month's end after determining that Moscow had used a nerve agent against a former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter, Yulia, in Britain, something Moscow denies. The latest sanction announcement came just days after a bipartisan group of senators proposed a law mandating "crushing sanctions" - including on purchase of new sovereign debt and on big state banks - to punish Russia for election interference.

Comment: Sputnik reports a personal element at play:
The US government shouldn't make a hasty decision and stop the use of the Russian-made RD-180 rocket engines; otherwise it would hinder US access to space, Senator Richard Shelby wrote for the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

Some members of the US Congress, led by Senator John McCain, are against the fact that the US Air Force relies on RD-180 engines, imported from Russia, to get to space. McCain, who is the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, argues that Washington should stop buying the RD-180, a cost-effective booster engine with unique features, which powers he Atlas 5 rocket built by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co.

However, Shelby argued that stopping the use of Russian rocket engines immediately would limit US access to space.

"If we do so hastily, the result could leave our military in a dangerous predicament," Shelby said, as cited by the WSJ.

According to Shelby, the Russian-made engine should be used until a reliable US alternative would become available.

By seeking to ban the RD-180, McCain wants to "eliminate competition" for his personal friend Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX. If McCain's proposal passes it would give SpaceX, which in the past had many delays, technical failures and crashes, a monopoly on national security measures. It's also worth noting that SpaceX is yet to launch a single mission to space, Shelby explained.

Everyone knows McCain is not particularly fond of Russia and President Vladimir Putin, but if he genuinely wants to ban Russian imports, why doesn't he ban other items from Russia - for example, ammunition, oil and petroleum products?



Question

Venezuela's President Maduro "invites" FBI to help dismantle terror cells behind assassination attempt

Maduro
© Ariana Cubillos/Associated PressVenezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro
President Nicolas Maduro is willing to accept the FBI's involvement in the investigation into the recent assassination attempt on him if it helps dismantle terrorist groups allegedly working with/from the United States.

In statements made on Saturday, Maduro said Washington offered "the FBI's cooperation to investigate the links between people residing in that country with the so-called 'murder plan'."

In this sense, the president indicated that if Washington ratified its offer of cooperation, "I would agree that the FBI would come and participate in the investigation and help dismember the terrorist cells" allegedly based in the state of Florida. Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said he would ask for the extradition of Osman Delgado Tabosky, appointed as the group's financier.

Comment: An odd turn of events. What would prompt such an offer from the U.S. who has so loudly decried Maduro's policies?


Blackbox

Jim Jordan: Bruce Ohr key to answers in Trump-Russia investigation - had close ties to Christopher Steele

Rep. Jim Jordan
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) questions Former FBI Counterintelligence Division Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok
Documents reveal Bruce Ohr's close relationship with ex-British spy and anti-Trump dossier author, Christopher Steele Congressmen believe Ohr can provide answers to many of their questions Steele and Ohr communicated about Russian aluminum magnate, Oleg Deripaska

The montage of documents, emails, texts and phone records obtained by congressional oversight committees from twice-demoted Department of Justice Associate Attorney General Bruce Ohr reveal his close relationship with foreign spy, Christopher Steele. The information also reveals that the FBI used that same spy (even after they fired him) to continue to collect unverified information in an effort to obtain a warrant to spy on the Trump campaign.

According to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Ohr may hold the key to unraveling a good portion of "who was involved and what actually took place" in the FBI's Trump-Russia investigation.

Comment: The swamp seems to be widening by the day.


Dominoes

Creepy backstabbing FBI agent Peter Strzok finally fired by FBI

strzok smirk hearing
Peter Strzok
FBI agent Peter Strzok, who became a central figure in controversy surrounding investigations into alleged Russian meddling and Hillary Clinton's private email server, has been fired, his attorney has said.

The 21-year FBI veteran was fired Friday afternoon, according to Strzok's attorney Aitan Goelman.

"This decision should be deeply troubling to all Americans," Goelman said in a statement released on Monday, adding that the bureau's deputy director had "overruled" the FBI's Office of Professional Responsibility concerning Strzok's case.

Strzok's firing comes just days after President Donald Trump took to Twitter to denounce him and other FBI officials as "clowns and losers" who have tarnished the reputation of the bureau.

Bad Guys

Iraq bows to US pressure, PM Abadi cancels visit to Iran over sanctions

Iraq PM Abadi
© AP Photo / Adam Berry
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi's visit to Tehran has been canceled amid Baghdad's readiness to adhere to renewed US sanctions against Iran, media reported on Monday, citing Abadi's office.

Abadi said last week that Iraq does not support the recently re-imposed US sanctions against Iran but will abide by them. Baghdad would comply with the US sanctions in the interests of the people of Iraq, Abadi added, noting that still, the restrictions were a "strategic mistake and incorrect."

The Iraqi prime minister, however, will go ahead with his planned visit to Turkey on Tuesday, according to Iran's Mehr news agency.

Star of David

Whitewash: Israeli internal report attempts to excuse drone murder of four children on Gaza beach

boys killed gaza beach
Smoke billowed from a beachside shack in Gaza City on July 16, 2014, after two missiles fired by Israeli drone operators killed four young boys mistaken for militants.
A confidential report by Israeli military police investigators seen by The Intercept explains how a tragic series of mistakes by air force, naval, and intelligence officers led to an airstrike in which four Palestinian boys playing on a beach in Gaza in 2014 were killed by missiles launched from an armed drone.

Testimony from the officers involved in the attack, which has been concealed from the public until now, confirms for the first time that the children - four cousins ages 10 and 11 - were pursued and killed by drone operators who somehow mistook them, in broad daylight, for Hamas militants.

The testimony raises new questions about whether the attack, which unfolded in front of dozens of journalists and triggered global outrage, was carried out with reckless disregard for civilian life and without proper authorization. After killing the first boy, the drone operators told investigators, they had sought clarification from their superiors as to how far along the beach, used by civilians, they could pursue the fleeing survivors. Less than a minute later, as the boys ran for their lives, the drone operators decided to launch a second missile, killing three more children, despite never getting an answer to their question.

Comment:


Bad Guys

Elijah Magnier: Is Israel preparing a new war on Hezbollah in Lebanon?

lebanon
Tension is silently mounting between Israel and Hezbollah on the Lebanese border, where frenetic preparations are taking place, under the watchful eyes of both belligerents. There is an unusual state of alert, yet hardly visible to the naked eye: Israel is increasing its patrols on the borders, rising the deployment of officers and soldiers in their static military positions on the Lebanese borders, and Israeli jets and reconnaissance drones are more frequently violating the Lebanese airspace. For its part, Hezbollah is also improvising new positions to cover any gaps on the front, inland and underground, increasing the level of alert and recalling its well-trained and experienced Special Forces (Al Ridwan units) from Syria to take preventive positions facing Israel. But is a third war possible today between Hezbollah and Israel after Israel's failure in 2006? Why is the tension increasing just now?

Twelve years after the war that ended in August 2006, the drums of war are silently beating in the south of Lebanon. Since that date Hezbollah has increased its military capabilities and has stockpiled long-range accurate strategic missiles, solid fuel to ensure a rapid launch (built to its needs-high explosive warhead). Moreover, Hezbollah has acquired anti-ship missiles that can close any Israeli harbour and hit any ship and oil platform in the Mediterranean. There are strong indications that Hezbollah has anti-air missiles in its arsenal and that its militants are trained in using these in air raids.

Also, its Special Forces have gone through all kinds of warfare in Syria, from open desert to urban warfare, fighting ideologist jihadists indifferent to casualties (al-Qaeda in Syria) - plus dealing with car bombs, guided armed drones, suicide attacks... accumulated significant military experience any army in the world would dream of acquiring. Hezbollah has worked very closely with a classical army (the Syrian army), a Superpower (the Russian forces deployed in Syria), with irregular guerrilla groups (Iran's allies) and alone in dozens of battles - throughout these seven years of war. Hezbollah's strategic missiles are installed along the Lebanese-Syrian borders, inside the mountain chains, and under the ground to avoid Israeli bombs and also keep the action away from Lebanese residential areas.

Bad Guys

Erdogan says Turkey planning additional operations in Syria to "liberate" new territories

turkish tank syria
© AP Photo / Lefteris Pitarakis
Turkey has reached the final stage of preparations for its new military operations in the neighboring Syria, the country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday.

"We are at the last stage of preparations for increasing the number of regions in Syria, where we have provided stability through 'the Euphrates Shield' and 'the Olive Branch' operations. With God's help, we will liberate new territories in the near future and bring security there," Erdogan said, as quoted by the Anadolu news agency.

The president noted that 250,000 people have returned to the places, where Turkey had held its military operations.

Comment: Is Erdogan referring to Manbij (west of the Euphrates, currently held by the U.S./SDF) and perhaps Tell Rif'at, the small area held by the Kurds to the west of that and surrounded by the Turks, Syrian government, and al-Qaeda/rebels. Or maybe Erdogan is planning something for Idlib? As Moon of Alabama wrote recently:
The only chance Turkey has to escape from U.S. demands is to further ally with Russia. Putin knows that Erdogan needs him. He will play for time to increase the pressure and then make his own demands. Erdogan will have to give up completely on his plans for Syria. All Syrian land Turkey or its proxies hold must be put back under Syrian government control. Only then will the Turkey's trade route to the Gulf states reopen. Only then will Russia (and Iran) help Turkey though its [economic] crises.

On Monday Russia's foreign minister Lavrov will visit Turkey.

Will Erdogan accept the Russian demands or will he flip back to the U.S. side and surrender to Trump and the IMF? Or will he find a different way to escape from this calamity?
It has been Turkey's role to 'separate' the moderate and radical jihadis in the Idlib 'de-escalation zone'. But now the Syrians have begun their campaign to retake the province. Erdogan had his time, and the presence of al-Qaeda means Syria can engage in the operation without violating the de-escalation agreement, which never applied to AQ and ISIS. The only question at this point is what Turkey's response will be. Until now they have had friendly relations with the 'rebels' in Idlib.