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Thumbing its nose at the US: The EU will ditch the dollar and use Euros for Iranian oil, says source


RT
Wed, 16 May 2018 15:09 UTC
burning dollar
© Ohde / face to face / Global Look Press
The European Union is planning to switch payments to the euro for its oil purchases from Iran, eliminating US dollar transactions, a diplomatic source told RIA Novosti.

Brussels has been at odds with Washington over the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, which was reached during the administration of Barack Obama. President Donald Trump has pledged to re-impose sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

"I'm privy to the information that the EU is going to shift from dollar to euro to pay for crude from Iran," the source told the agency.

Earlier this week, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said that the foreign ministers of the UK, France, Germany, and Iran had agreed to work out practical solutions in response to Washington's move in the next few weeks. The bloc is reportedly planning to maintain and deepen economic ties with Iran, including in the area of oil and gas supplies.

Mogherini stressed that the sides should jointly work on the lifting of sanctions as an integral part of the historic nuclear deal. "We're not naive and know it will be difficult for all sides."

Comment: Europe ready to defy US economic sanctions on Iran

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Star of David

Israel's massacre of Gazans is a deliberate and calculated policy

Steven Chovanec
Truthout
Tue, 15 May 2018 14:36 UTC
Gaza City protest tear gas
© Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesProtesters run away from tear gas dispersed by Israeli forces as they inch closer to the border fence separating Israel and Gaza on May 14, 2018, in a camp east of Gaza City, Gaza.
Palestinian blood continued to pour along the border fence with Gaza on May 14, 2018, the 70th anniversary of Israel's founding.

Israeli soldiers wounded more than 2,700 Palestinian protesters and killed dozens more with rifle fire on Monday. At least five children were killed, including an 8-month-old baby girl who died after inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli soldiers. Today, a few hundred Palestinians have defiantly returned to protest near the Gaza fence after yesterday's carnage. Early reports indicate that there has already been one death and dozens of injuries from live ammunition and gas inhalation, while casualties have been reported during separate protests in the West Bank.

For more than a month, Israeli soldiers have been shooting and killing unarmed Palestinian protesters in Gaza, using high-powered sniper rifles and live ammunition.

Palestinians have been shot while kneeling for prayer. They have been shot in the back. Children have been targeted and killed. Journalists, clearly marked as such, have been shot, killed and maimed. Thousands have been injured, and some have had to amputate their limbs to survive their injuries.

No evidence has been presented showing that Palestinians have posed a threat to the Israeli snipers pulling the triggers. The Israeli soldiers are positioned hundreds of yards away, perched behind a hill, wearing full battle gear. They are comfortably shooting at the Palestinians through sniper scopes, from a safe distance from which they are in no danger.

What's more, the justifications that the Israeli government has given to defend this practice do not even attempt to deny these facts. Statements such as Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman's claim that "anyone who approaches the fence is putting his life in jeopardy" instead seek to justify the firing of live ammunition against unarmed protesters who pose no legitimate threat.
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Ambulance

Pakistan blocks US diplomat from leaving country after running red light, killing cyclist in April - UPDATED


BBC
Sat, 12 May 2018 20:50 UTC
pakistan joseph emanuel hall
© ReutersCCTV footage captured a car jumping the red light and hitting a motorbike
Pakistan has prevented a US diplomat from leaving the country after he allegedly killed a motorcyclist by driving through a red light last month.

Local press said on Saturday that a plane was sent by the US to collect Col Joseph Emanuel Hall, a military attache, but was denied clearance.

US officials have previously said he cannot be arrested or tried because he has diplomatic immunity.

The incident has increased political tension between the countries.

Ateeq Baig, 22, was killed in the crash in Daman-e-Koh, north of Islamabad, on 7 April.

Comment: Interesting timing. This comes just as the U.S. imposed a travel ban on Pakistani officials and their families - a move reciprocated by Pakistan. See: US imposes travel ban on Pakistani officials and family members - Pakistan reciprocates in tit-for-tat ban of their own

Update: Hall has been allowed to leave Pakistan. His departure was confirmed by both sides on May 14.

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Newspaper

Russia responds to US condemnation of Crimean Bridge


RT
Wed, 16 May 2018 12:04 UTC
Crimean bridge
© most.life
Russia will not ask for anyone's permission to build infrastructure on its territory. This was the response to the US, which condemned the opening of the Kerch Strait bridge between Russia and Crimea.

The US State Department accused Russia of flouting international law by building a bridge to "occupied" Crimea without the permission of the government of Ukraine.
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Sherlock

The Strzok-Page texts shine light on the origins of 'Russiagate'

Andrew C. McCarthy
National Review
Wed, 16 May 2018 10:56 UTC
J Edgar Hoover building FBI
© Aaron P. Bernstein/ReutersThe J. Edgar Hoover Federal Bureau of Investigation Building in Washington, D.C.
Peter Strzok and Lisa Page's texts shine a highly redacted light on how the Trump-Russia investigation began.

It was July 31, 2016. Just days earlier, the Obama administration had quietly opened an FBI counterintelligence investigation of Russian cyber-espionage - hacking attacks - to disrupt the 2016 election. And not random, general disruption; the operating theory was that the Russians were targeting the Democratic party, for the purpose of helping Donald Trump win the presidency.

FBI special agent Peter Strzok was downright giddy that day.
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Bullseye

Russian upper house chair: Relations with UK won't improve until May is removed from power


RT
Wed, 16 May 2018 11:03 UTC
theresa may
© Simon Dawson / Reuters
Relations between Moscow and London have hit a historic low since the Skripal scandal, and the situation will hardly change while UK PM Theresa May and her cabinet remain in power, according to the Russian upper house speaker.

The chairwoman of the Federation Council, Valentina Matvienko, slammed the UK government for spearheading a "Russophobic policy" and countering Russia with "dirty methods."

"As for the relations between Russia and Great Britain, they are indeed at the worst level, probably in... history,"Matvienko said in an interview to RIA Novosti published on Wednesday.

"I believe that while people who promote Russophobia, who are imbued with this anti-Russian policy, are in power, an improvement in relations cannot be expected in the near future," she stated.
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Question

Assange betrayed? Ecuador negotiating with UK to hand him over

Michael Quinn
Russia Insider
Tue, 15 May 2018 10:54 UTC
Julian Assange
Julian Assange is perhaps the greatest freedom fighter of our time leading the information war against corrupt governments and corporations.

All people who support accountability of corrupt governments and corporations can appreciate the service Wikileaks provides to the entire world. Julian Assange has been the leader of that organization since he founded it in 2006. Unfortunately our hero might be in for some trouble.

The government of Ecuador, which has provided Assange with political Asylum since 2012, has cut off his communications and recently announced negotiations with the UK over Assange's status.
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Vader

Examining the legality of Trump's decision to separate immigrant children from their parents

Ana Campoy
Quartz
Sat, 12 May 2018 10:29 UTC
mother with child
© Reuters/Loren Elliott
The Trump administration said this week it's prosecuting every immigrant caught entering the US illegally, a policy that will likely result in the separation of children from their parents while their legal cases unfurl.

Critics have denounced it as a particularly cruel and mean-spirited tactic. It appears to be motivated by a coldly-calculated strategy to bypass legal protections for immigrant families and unaccompanied children.

Donald Trump is fixated on ending "catch-and-release" polices. Under them, apprehended immigrants who have a right to be heard in court, such as asylum seekers, are let go pending a resolution of their cases. The president believes that allowing people who illegally cross the border to go free will encourage others to follow. His goal, then, is to hold those immigrants in detention.

But the administration is not allowed to indefinitely detain families and children-a group of immigrants that has been growing. So it's separating the children from the adults.
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SOTT Logo Media

Best of the Web: RT documentary 'Coups R US' examines rationale and impact of US 'humanitarian' interventions and regime changes


RT
Wed, 16 May 2018 10:02 UTC
coups r us
In the new RT documentary Coups R US, prominent American journalist Stephen Kinzer examines the rationale and impact of Washington's interventions, from complacent colonialism in Hawaii to regime change in Libya.

"There are three stages. In the first one, the government that we don't like shows bad faith by bothering an American company. Then we convince ourselves that this country is our geo-political enemy. And we sell the intervention as humanitarian intervention," says Kinzer, who currently lectures at Brown University, in his introduction.

"We only do it to help them. We don't do anything for ourselves; in fact we sacrifice ourselves for the good of others," he adds sarcastically.

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Bad Guys

Is the US playing right into the hands of Israel and its plan for war with Iran?

Jay Syrmopoulos
The Free Thought Project
Mon, 14 May 2018 09:33 UTC
Trump Netanyahu
While last week's announcement that the United States was withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action-commonly referred to as the Iran nuclear deal-made global headlines, it is important to understand that the withdrawal is one part of a larger strategy by Israel to use the United States as a form of military backing as they intensify their conflict with Iran.

To more clearly understand the situation, it is important to remember that Iran sent major military assistance to assist their Syrian allies in defeating a regime change operation carried out largely by jihadi groups and supported by western powers. For all intents and purposes, the Assad government has defeated the 7-year-old insurgency and with it brought Iranian forces closer to Israel's border.
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