Puppet MastersS


Propaganda

UK govt's OPCW response is 'propaganda drive against Russia' - political expert to RT


RT
Thu, 12 Apr 2018 14:51 UTC
Yulia Skripal
© ReutersYulia Skripal, daughter of former Russian Spy Sergei Skripal.
Politics expert Piers Robinson says the OPCW may not have been tasked to find out the origin of the nerve agent used to poison the Skripals, and that the UK reaction to the findings was part of a propaganda drive against Russia.

"[It's] a political game being played by the British government to try to exploit the events and whatever happened in Salisbury in order to continue the propaganda drive against Russia," Robinson told RT.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) published a summary of its analysis on Thursday, in which it confirmed the British findings on the nerve agent used in last month's poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal, his daughter Yulia, and a police officer who assisted them in Salisbury. The report did not assign blame for the incident or even identify the source of the agent.
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Biohazard

UK releases dubious Yulia Skripal statement, OPCW releases report - confirms British analysis of 'toxic chemical', doesn't confirm Russia responsible


Moon of Alabama
Thu, 12 Apr 2018 14:37 UTC
Sergei and Yulia Skripal
Victims: Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33
There are a few notable developments in the Skripal case about the poisoning of a former British secret agent from Russia and his daughter in Salisbury.

(If you are new to the issue please refer to our older pieces listed below. You may want to start with The Best Explanation For The Skripal Drama Is Still ... Food Poisoning.)

On Sunday Yulia Skripal was secretly released from the Salisbury District Hospital but immediately taken into British government custody. She is under guard at an unknown location. Yesterday the Metropolitan Police released a Statement issued on behalf of Yulia Skripal:
"I have specially trained officers available to me, who are helping to take care of me and to explain the investigative processes that are being undertaken. I have access to friends and family, and I have been made aware of my specific contacts at the Russian Embassy who have kindly offered me their assistance in any way they can. At the moment I do not wish to avail myself of their services, but, if I change my mind I know how to contact them.
"Most importantly, I am safe and feeling better as time goes by, but I am not yet strong enough to give a full interview to the media, as I one day hope to do. Until that time, I want to stress that no one speaks for me, or for my father, but ourselves. I thank my cousin Viktoria for her concern for us, but ask that she does not visit me or try to contact me for the time being. Her opinions and assertions are not mine and they are not my father's.

"For the moment I do not wish to speak to the press or the media, and ask for their understanding and patience whilst I try to come to terms with my current situation."
While written in quotes it is doubtful that Yulia Skripal expressed any of these words. "At the moment I do not wish to avail myself of their services" is British bureaucratese, not the wording any Russian (or anyone else) with English as a second language would ever use.

Comment: Despite the relative lack of anything in the OPCW report, Boris Johnson immediately claimed it left "no doubt" that Russia was responsible. Britain is requesting a UN security council meeting on the report.

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Pirates

Syrians Curse Ghouta: US-supported Jaish al-Islam might have killed up to 3800 civilians in the town of Duma

Paul Antonopoulos
Fort Russ
Tue, 10 Apr 2018 00:00 UTC
Syrians protest of East Ghouta FSA killings
Syrians were so enraged after the discovery that the US-supported Jaish al-Islam could have killed up to 3800 civilians in the East Ghouta town of Duma to the east of Damascus city center.

The civilians were captured on video chanting "curse your soul Ghouta" yesterday.

4000 Syrians were kidnapped in 2013 by Jaish Al Islam in the towns of Adra and Taken and were taken to Duma, however, many civilians were devastated to find that less than 200 prisoners were released, which was supposedly all civilians the terror group held before they were transported to northern Syria.

Comment: Where is the outrage for this type of massacre?. In fact, British troops were captured for planning to attack Damascus. These Western nations who supported these head chopping rebels should be prosecuted for War crimes. See also:

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Attention

PM May calls urgent undisclosed cabinet meeting amidst reports of taking the country to war without parliamentary approval


RT
Wed, 11 Apr 2018 22:08 UTC
Theresa May
Press British Prime Minister Theresa May has summoned her cabinet to brief ministers this Thursday on a "fast-moving week" amid the ratcheting up of tensions over Syria. May's spokesman confirmed that the meeting will focus on Syria.

May will hold an unscheduled meeting of her cabinet on Thursday, which will involve senior ministers, her spokesman told media. While the agenda of the meeting has not been made public, reports suggest May is going to seek approval for military action in Syria.

Sky News reported that May is expected to ask the ministers to greenlight the UK's participation in an attack spearheaded by France and the US, without consulting the Parliament. Should the approval be granted, the operation could be launched "within hours."

Comment: See: Also check out SOTT radio's: Behind the Headlines: World in Chaos: Anti-Russia Hysteria, Israel Murders Palestinians, US Leaving Syria?

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Info

Russia launches live-fire exercises off Syrian coast amid expected US strikes


South Front
Thu, 12 Apr 2018 09:51 UTC
Russian navy ships fire off missiles at a parade
© Stringer/REUTERSRussian navy ships fire off missiles at a parade
Russia has scheduled a missile-firing exercise in the eastern Mediterranean as US President Donald Trump have threatened Syia and Russian forces deployed in the country with "smart" missiles.

The Russian military exercises, including missile-firing, will be held from April 11 to April 26 around Nicosia in the eastern Mediterranean.

A similar warning was earlier issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which had recommended all aircraft to supervise over their flights in the eastern Mediterranean region within the next 72 hours. The warning appeared due to possible airstrikes on Syria involving cruise missiles or air-to-surface missiles.


Comment: Europe's air traffic control: 'Possible air strikes on Syria within 72 hours' - as Trump, Macron and May 'decide' whether to do something really stupid


Comment: The Arabic service of RT news channel quoted a Russian military diplomatic source as warning that any increased military build-up in the Mediterranean will intensify tensions, adding that Moscow is pursuing and assessing the developments.
He stressed that the Russian A-50 reconnaissance planes have been monitoring the guided-missile destroyer the USS Donald Cook's voyage in the past few days, saying, "The Russian warships are able to give a rapid response if necessary."

The source noted that the Russian navy also has deployed submarines in the Mediterranean equipped with torpedoes and missiles to destroy marine and ground targets.

Meantime, Russia's Humeimim airbase in Syria's Lattakia province is equipped with anti-ship cruise missiles of Kh-35 type.
See also: Russian Su-35 superiority fighter carrying anti-ship missiles spotted over Syria's Tartus

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Handcuffs

Best of the Web: Syrian army arrests British and other Western forces embedded with terrorist groups in Eastern Ghouta - Local reports


Sputnik
Thu, 12 Apr 2018 09:30 UTC
Pro government forces check tunnels
© AFP 2018/ STRPro government forces check tunnels used by the rebels over the past years during the siege in the recently conquered area of Jobar, in Eastern Ghouta on April 3, 2018
According to a report by Al-Mayadeen news channel cited by Fars News, a number of British troops have been captured during the Syrian Arab Army's operations in Eastern Ghouta.

They are believed to be a part of international military forces deployed in the region to launch a ground assault in Damascus in cooperation with the US. According to the report, the US and other NATO countries, Jordan and Israel planned to launch attacks from several fronts, but the plot failed as Syrian armed forces made a series of rapid advances in Eastern Ghouta in March. The plot allegedly involved massive airstrikes by US and Israeli planes that were supposed to pave the way for ground forces.

Comment: Interestingly, the US operations center at the al-Tanf base in southern Syria ordered the end of all operations by the aforementioned allied forces after the terrorists were defeated in Eastern Ghouta, following the collapse of two towns - al-Nashabiyeh and al-Mohammadiyeh - in the first days of the Syrian army's offensives in Eastern Ghouta.
Also the US CENTCOM urged withdrawal of allied forces from Eastern Ghouta to Arabayn, Zamalka and Douma before dividing Ghouta into three areas to pave the ground for their withdrawal from Ghouta region.

Militants allied to the US troops in Eastern Syria had revealed in March that the US planned to stage the attack in a different region further to the East between the provinces of Homs and Deir Ezzur.
This evacuation of thousands of terrorists and embedded Western troops from Ghouta appears to be this previously reported event:

Jaysh al-Islam militants - likely perpetrators of any chemical weapon attack in Douma - suddenly surrender to Syrian govt and leave E. Ghouta

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Bad Guys

Mark Weisbrot: US is involved in the continuing coup in Brazil (VIDEO)

Aline Piva
Nocaute
Thu, 12 Apr 2018 07:07 UTC
Journalist Aline Piva interviews american economist Mark Weisbrot, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research and President of Just Foreign Policy, a non-governmental organization dedicated to reforming US foreign policy.
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Propaganda

Red Crescent found no trace of previous 'Ghouta chem attack' used by US to blame Syria & Russia


RT
Mon, 09 Apr 2018 00:00 UTC
A Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteer
© Samer Bouidani / Global Look PressA Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteer talks to a child on an evacuation bus before leaving the town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta, Syria, on March 13, 2018.
A former US secretary of state famously blamed Moscow for being 'ultimately responsible' for every chemical incident in Syria, after reports of a chorine attack in Ghouta in January. The incident, it now turns out, never happened.

The reports about an alleged chlorine gas attack that, supposedly, affected more than 20 civilians on January 22, were dismissed by the medical specialists of the Red Crescent, who worked in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta for many years. The doctors said they found no traces of the use of any chemical agent at that time.

"At some point, our [hospital] received six people, who were allegedly suffering from respiratory problems. Following a medical examination, we did not find any problems at all, any traces of chemical agents," Seif Aldin Hobia, a member of the Red Crescent, who worked for the last seven years at the central hospital of Douma in Eastern Ghouta, told journalists. Recalling the events that took place in January, he said "we had no evidence of chemical agents being used [in the area]."

Comment:

See also:

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Jet2

Russian combat aircraft buzz French warship - warning against missile attack

George Allison
UK Defence Journal
Wed, 11 Apr 2018 22:21 UTC
French Frigate
French FREMM frigate Aquitaine
French magazine Le Point has reported that a Russian aircraft had flown over frigate Aquitaine over the weekend and was fully-armed.

France, the US and allies are considering a military response centred around cruise missile strikes after accusing the Russia-backed Syrian government of being behind a serious chemical weapons attack.

Aquitaine is equipped with 16 cruise missiles and 16 surface-to-air missiles. It is currently operating off Lebanese shores alongside US ships as part of the force fighting Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq.

Comment: Perhaps this little show of force formed part of Macron's concern? From Checkpoint Asia:
If Assad is such a monster that he needs to be bombed then so are his allies for standing by him so what is Macron doing reassuring them and asking for their restraint?

The French boy-president says he is discussing bombing Syria with Washington and London. Actually last year Macron drew a red line saying any use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government side (which in practice means any allegation with enough media oomph) would automatically trigger a direct French military intervention.

Even so the visibly nervous Macron is now begging Moscow to please understand that any French strikes would not be aimed at Russians but would have the sole aim of allowing Macron to stand by Trump:
The French leader added that any action would not be intended to harm government allies, who include Russia:

"In no case will the decision we take be intended to harm the regime's allies, or anyone else, but to attack the chemical capacity of the regime, if the decision is taken."
The obvious question is if Macron is so unsure of the strikes he is deliberating on why even order them? The best guarantee that Syria's allies won't respond is not to attack Syria.

But of course if Assad is such a monster then so are his allies for standing by him so why is Macron reassuring them and asking for their restraint?


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Attention

US 'doomsday' plane takes off amid tensions in Syria


Sputnik
Wed, 11 Apr 2018 21:55 UTC
US doomsday plane
© Creative CommonsBoeing E-4BNational Emergency Airborne Command Posts (NEACP) landing at Offutt AFB, Nebraska.
Earlier US President Trump threatened on his Twitter page to strike Syria with "nice and new and smart" missiles over the alleged use of chemical weapons in Douma. Russia has already warned Washington against such a move.

The CivMilAir Twitter account, which monitors airplane movements, posted information that the Boeing E-4B Nightwatch, commonly known as the "Doomsday plane," took off from the Wright-Patterson airbase near Deiton on April 11 in 14:09 and flew towards Springfield, Illinois. What is curious about it is the fact that it left the airbase minutes after US President Donald Trump made his threat to launch a missile attack on Syria.
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