Puppet MastersS


Vader

Saudi King absolves military of future accountability for their acts in Yemen war


RT
Thu, 12 Jul 2018 22:01 UTC
Saudi King Salman and crown prince Mohammed bin Salman
Saudi King Salman and crown prince Mohammed bin Salman
A royal decree by Saudi King Salman has 'pre-exonerated' all troops fighting in Yemen from any accountability issues they may face over their conduct in the war, in which thousands of civilians have been killed and wounded.

A statement announcing the early pardon, released by Saudi Arabia's state news agency SPA, said the pardon extends to "all military men across the armed forces" taking part in Operation Restoring Hope, citing the official codename of the Riyadh-led invasion of Yemen.


Comment: Clearly an operational name suggested by the US - where it's opposite - something like "Operation Restoring Imperial Oppression" would be more accurate.


The royal decree was issued following "reports submitted" by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's sitting defense minister.

It exonerates troops involved in hostilities from "their respective military and disciplinary penalties, in regard of some rules and disciplines." The statement issued by the SPA wasn't specific as to any particular crimes, but said the move was to show appreciation for the "heroics and sacrifices" of the soldiers.

Comment: So King Salman's decree (if it really came from him and not from Mohammed bin Salman) just gave Saudi forces carte blanche to act with even more barbarity towards the Yemenis.

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Hammer

Ahead of meeting with Theresa May Trump slams her on 'soft Brexit', would kill hopes of trade deal

Tyler Durden
Zerohedge
Thu, 12 Jul 2018 18:52 UTC
Trump May
In a extensive interview with with the popular Murdoch-owned British tabloid The Sun, Trump landed a double blow to embattled UK Prime Minister Theresa May, criticizing her handling of Brexit and saying her plans for a "soft Brexit" would kill any hopes of a trade deal with the US, suggested former foreign minister Boris Johnson, who quit May's cabinet on Monday, would be a better leader than May, and criticized London Mayor Sadiq Khan as "terrible" and unwelcoming.

Trump said that while he likes May, she didn't listen to his advice on Brexit, and that her Brexit deal isn't what the U.K. voted for, and warned she may have killed any chance of a key US trade deal.

His comments come at the start of a three-day tour of the U.K., which includes dinner at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, and tea with Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle. And, of course, Theresa May herself.

May had been hoping to impress Trump and use the visit to push for a trade deal with the U.S. after the U.K. leaves the European Union next year, in a process known as Brexit, however that may no longer happen as a result of Theresa May's proposed "Soft Brexit" deal with the EU.

Comment: More information from The Sun:

Trump says trade deal with UK may be off cause he told May how to do Brexit 'but she wrecked it'

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Dollar

Trump insists he's consistent on NATO spending...and that he's a stable genius


RT
Thu, 12 Jul 2018 22:50 UTC
Trump NATO
© Yves Herman / Reuters
What good is NATO if Germany is paying Russia billions of dollars for gas and energy?" he asked, adding that the US is "paying for Europe's protection, then loses billions on trade."

At the press conference on Thursday, a Croatian reporter dared ask if Trump would change his mind once he leaves Brussels for London.

"We understand your message," the reporter asked. "But some people ask themselves, will you be tweeting differently when you board the Air Force One?"

"No, that's other people that do that. I don't. I'm very consistent. I'm a very stable genius," Trump said.

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Chess

Kim Jong-un sends Trump 'very nice note' seeking progress on DPRK-US relations


RT
Thu, 12 Jul 2018 22:50 UTC
Kim Jong-un Trump note
© Donald J. Trump / Twitter 296Kim Jong-un's note to President Trump
North Korean leader Kim-Jong-un has sent President Donald Trump a note expressing his satisfaction with last month's summit in Singapore, and his desire to meet again.

President Trump tweeted out the note, dated July 6, on Thursday. "A very nice note from Chairman Kim of North Korea," Trump said. "Great progress being made."

In the note, Kim addresses Trump formally, calling him "Your Excellency Mr. President," ( five times) and describes the June 12 meeting of the two leaders as "the start of a meaningful journey."

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Bad Guys

Trump: If the West has good relations with Russia, there would be less of a problem with Nord Stream


RT
Thu, 12 Jul 2018 17:41 UTC
Nord Stream 2
© Sergey Guneev / Sputnik
Donald Trump, who chastised Germany for buying energy from Russia and extending the natural gas pipeline connecting the two countries, indicated he may reconsider his stance if "everybody" has a good relationship with Russia.

US President Donald Trump hinted at the change of heart at a media conference following the NATO summit in Brussels.

"Frankly, maybe everybody is going to have a good relationship with Russia, so there will be a lot less problem with the pipeline. But to me it was a major point of contention. We discussed it at length today. Germany has agreed to do a lot better than they were doing," he said.

Trump was referring to what he described as Germany's pledge to spend more on defense along with other NATO members, which he sees as a major win for his administration.

Comment: That's pretty rich considering the only reason tensions exist between Western countries and Russia is because the United States created them.

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Phoenix

SOTT Focus: Vladimir Putin: Restoring Faith in Humanity

Björn Seelmann von Eggebert
Sott.net
Thu, 12 Jul 2018 23:58 UTC
"We can no longer tolerate the current state of affairs in the world." ~ Putin, addressing the UN in September 2015, referring to Washington's strategy of using terrorist organisations for its own ends. Less than 48 hours after these words were uttered, Russian warplanes began pounding terrorist targets in Syria...
Putin candle
© Unknown
To remain on top, and to keep everyone else on their knees, the stewards of the Empire of Chaos give extremists free reign across the Earth. 76 countries are now involved in America's never-ending 'War on Terror'. The US has suffered a bitter defeat in Syria, losing the so-called Islamic State as a geopolitical chess piece to Russia's new military might, but the ideological or 'systemic' war is still being fought globally, and is far from over.

The Empire and its proxies can never really achieve victory, but they can sustain hegemony - indefinitely, they hope. Until they no longer can, countless more souls will likely be subjected to the horrors of war, proxy war and trade war. But the reality these psychopathic monsters wish to manifest seems to be losing traction in the mass mind with each passing day.
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Road Cone

US trying to force EU to pay more for their gas rather than get it from Russia


Sputnik
Thu, 12 Jul 2018 13:06 UTC
Nord Stream 2
© Sergey Guneev / Sputnik
Earlier in the day, Washington reiterated its opposition to the Moscow-initiated Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, threatening to sanction any firms working in the Russian energy sector.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, responding to US President Donald Trump's earlier statements on the Nord Stream 2, called liquefied gas (LNG) suppliers attempts to force European consumers to buy more expensive gas a manifestation of "unfair competition."

"As regards attempts to, so to say, orchestrate various attacks on this commercial project, we have said before that we consider this to be a manifestation of unfair competition. It is nothing more than an attempt to force European consumers to purchase more expensive liquefied gas that can be supplied from alternative places," Peskov told reporters.

Comment: Russia is offering a better deal, it's that simple. The US can lash out all it likes, threatening sanctions and pushing lies, and in doing so it risks alienating itself even more and forcing countries to find suitable alternatives: Also check out SOTT radio's: Behind the Headlines: Trump Ditches Europe, Europe Bluffs, Russia and China Carry on With Eurasian Integration

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Sherlock

India deports British Lord amidst conviction of former PM of Bangladesh for corruption involving foreign donations to orphanage


Sputnik
Thu, 12 Jul 2018 12:29 UTC
india airport
Alex Carlile, who is a member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the chief legal consultant to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, was scheduled to hold a press conference in New Delhi but was deported on the grounds of not having a valid visa. Earlier, Lord Carlile had also tried to address the media in Bangladesh but was denied entry.

A British member of Parliament and barrister, Lord Alexander Carlile, was deported back to his country soon after he landed at an airport in New Delhi from London.

"Lord Alexander Carlile, a British national, arrived in New Delhi on July 11, 2018, without having obtained the appropriate Indian visa. His intended activity in India was incompatible with the purpose of his visit as mentioned in his visa application. It was therefore decided to deny him entry into India upon arrival," the Ministry of External Affairs' spokesperson, Raveesh Kumar, said.

Comment: One wonders if the Indian government was eager to keep the Lord out of the country, and why?

See also:

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Attention

What's up? ME officials flocking to Moscow ahead of Putin-Trump meeting


RT
Thu, 12 Jul 2018 09:49 UTC
PutinArabs
© Yuri Kadobnov/ReutersRussian President Vladimir Putin and guests
Moscow is awash this week with Middle East movers and shakers, apparently eager to have a word with Vladimir Putin ahead of his meeting with Trump. Is there a big ME deal in the making? RT talks to analysts.

Before having a face-off with his US counterpart in Helsinki next week, President Putin is to have several high-profile meetings in Russia. There is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ali Akbar Velayati, the foreign policy aide to Iran's Supreme Leader. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will be in Moscow in time to watch the World Cup finals on Sunday and is expected to meet Putin. Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, will also be among the spectators, although whether he would talk with Putin is yet to be confirmed.

Amid the flurry of visits there is some speculation in the media that a grand deal between the US and Russia, which would involve a rebalancing of power in the Middle East, may come out from the Helsinki talks and that regional players are making an 11th-hour bid to ensure that their interests would be taken into consideration.

Comment: Political acorns do not fall far from their ideological trees. Perhaps it is enough Putin and Trump find themselves, finally, in the same forrest. That said, two unusual men may just as likely produce an unusual outcome.

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Target

Mueller suggests tenuous link between Manafort charges and Trump

Byron York
Washington Examiner
Tue, 10 Jul 2018 04:01 UTC
ManafortMueller
© Mother Jones
It's often been observed that special counsel Robert Mueller, assigned to investigate alleged Trump-Russia collusion in the 2016 presidential campaign, has yet to charge anyone with a crime involving Trump-Russia collusion in the 2016 presidential campaign.

The biggest of Mueller's indictments, that of one-time Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, has no connection at all to collusion. And until a few days ago, it appeared to have no connection to Donald Trump, either.

Now, though, Mueller has revealed why he believes the Manafort prosecution is related to the 2016 Trump campaign. It's a small part, a very small part, of the overall charges against Manafort. And it has nothing to do with any actions by the candidate - now the president - himself.

Comment: Mueller is out to lunch: Another nothing-burger without a legal bun.

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