Puppet MastersS


Dollar

Europe contemplates ditching IMF and creating own fund


RT
Mon, 30 Oct 2017 10:00 UTC
EU stars figure
© Kai Pfaffenbach / Reuters
Relations between Europe and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which have carried out several bailout programs together, may change dramatically as the eurozone intends to replace the fund's presence in bailouts.

The European Commission plans to give more responsibility to the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) which helps eurozone countries to borrow money. The ESM will monitor and enforce compliance with bailout programs while continuing to disburse funds.

"The euro area is more resilient now than in years past... I believe the ESM should now progressively graduate into a European Monetary Fund which, however, must be firmly anchored in the European Union's rules and competences," Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission president, told lawmakers in September.

Analysts say by creating its own IMF the eurozone will deepen links within the union and thereby become more resilient to financial shocks. The move would also make Europe independent from the IMF each time a euro currency country needs financial rescue.

Comment: Currently in the IMF, EU holds approximately 35% of the voting power.

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Eye 1

Trump accuses Killary and Dems of a 'Witch Hunt' aiming to distract from tax cuts


RT
Mon, 30 Oct 2017 08:27 UTC
Trump
© Sputnik News
Donald Trump has unleashed a tweetstorm against Clinton and the Democrats, accusing them of a "Witch Hunt" over his alleged ties with Russia and hinting their aim is to distract public attention from "historic tax cuts & reform."

[Tweet messages October 29:]
"Never seen such Republican anger and unity as I have concerning the lack of investigation on [Hilary] Clinton made Fake Dossier (now $12,000,000?) The Uranium to Russia deal, the 33,000 plus deleted Emails, the Comey fix and so much more," Trump wrote on Sunday.

..the Uranium to Russia deal, the 33,000 plus deleted Emails, the Comey fix and so much more. Instead they look at phony Trump/Russia,....

..."collusion," which doesn't exist. The Dems are using this terrible (and bad for our country) Witch Hunt for evil politics, but the R's...

...are now fighting back like never before. There is so much GUILT by Democrats/Clinton, and now the facts are pouring out. DO SOMETHING!

There is so much guilt by Democrats/ [Hilary] Clinton, and now the facts are pouring out," he added.

"The Democrats are using this terrible (and bad for our country) Witch Hunt for evil politics, but the Republicans are now fighting back like never before," he tweeted.

All of this "Russia" talk right when the Republicans are making their big push for historic Tax Cuts & Reform. Is this coincidental? NOT!
On Friday Trump said it was "commonly agreed" that there was no collusion between his presidential bid and the Russian government, adding that there "was collusion with [Hillary Clinton]!" He was apparently referring to the accusations that the Clinton Foundation received bribes in exchange for approving the 2010 sale of US uranium mines to a Canadian company owned by the Russian corporation Rosatom.

Comment: It is less likely the DNC wants to distract the public from tax cuts as much as it wants to deflect scrutiny away from its illegal activities.
See also:

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Attention

Sen. Collins demands Debbie Wasserman Shultz and John Podesta testify on Trump-Russia dossier


RT
Sun, 29 Oct 2017 23:11 UTC
PodestaclintonDWS
© unknown
Several top Democrats should be summoned to testify before the US Senate Intelligence Committee on the infamous Trump-Russia dossier, US Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) has said.

Her remarks were prompted by new revelations linking the file to the Democratic Party and the Clinton campaign. Collins, who is a member of the Senate's Intelligence Committee, was emphatic that Hillary Clinton's election campaign manager, John Podesta, and the former head of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Debbie Wasserman Schultz, "absolutely need to be recalled."

She added that they were most likely aware of the Democrats role in the preparation of this document.

"It's difficult to imagine that a campaign chairman, that the head of the DNC would not know of an expenditure of this magnitude and significance. But perhaps there's something more going on here. But certainly it's worth additional questioning of those two witnesses," she told CBS' Face the Nation.

She said further that Marc Elias, a lawyer representing Hillary for America and the DNC, should be questioned "more than anyone." On Tuesday, the Washington Post alleged that Elias retained research firm Fusion GPS in April 2016 to continue research into Trump's alleged coordination with Russia; and which later became known as the Steele dossier.

Comment: The 'Russia-Trump Campaign Collusion' farce, and subsequent permutations of Russophobia, has taken center stage for over a year. One of its nearly successful effects was to camouflage, sidetrack and delay investigations into real sabotage taking place at the DNC.

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Snakes in Suits

Department of Justice says former Trump campaign aide lied to FBI agents


RT
Mon, 30 Oct 2017 19:27 UTC
Trump
© Mark Kauzlarich / Reuters
A former Trump campaign aide pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents during the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller, the Department of Justice said Monday.

Attorney George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty on October 5 to making false statements to FBI agents in the probe examining allegations of Russian influence in the 2016 US presidential election.

Papadopoulos "made material false statements and material omissions during an interview with the Federal Bureau of Investigation that took place on January 27, 2017," said the complaint. He allegedly mislead the investigators "about the timing, extent and nature of his relationships and interactions with certain foreign nationals whom he understood to have close connections with senior Russian government officials."

According to the authorities, the campaign aide made numerous false statements and omitted material facts regarding the extent, timing, and nature of his communications with an "overseas professor" said to have "substantial connections" to Russian government officials; a female Russian national; and a man who "told defendant Papadopoulos he had connections to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)." The three individuals were not named.
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Arrow Down

Rohani turned down meeting with Trump in September


RFE/RL
Mon, 30 Oct 2017 07:51 UTC
Rohani
© unknownPresident of Iran Hassan Rohani
The Iranian Foreign Ministry says President Hassan Rohani turned down a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump during his trip to the United Nations General Assembly in September.

The semiofficial ILNA news agency on October 29 quoted ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi as saying that "an intention was expressed by the American side that was not approved by President Rohani" during his visit to New York. The White House has not commented on the claim.

Rohani and Trump exchanged harsh words during their speeches at the annual UN Assembly. Trump called Iran "a corrupt dictatorship," while Rohani assailed the "rogue newcomers" in the U.S. administration.

The U.S. leader has consistently accused the Iranian government of supporting terror and insurgent groups throughout the Middle East. He has also said Tehran has broken the "spirit" of a 2015 landmark nuclear accord in which Iran agreed to curtail its nuclear activities in exchange for relief from international sanctions.

Washington and Tehran have not had diplomatic relations since 1979.

Comment: A well-deserved international snub, given the rhetoric, paranoia and animosity displayed by the US administration.

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Stock Up

Romania's Basescu criticizes EU defense spending, ridicules 'Russian threat'


Baltic Review
Sat, 28 Oct 2017 00:00 UTC
Traian Basescu
© Stiri pe surseFormer Romanian President Traian Basescu
In a speech October 26, former Romanian President Traian Basescu suggested there was no need for US forces and weaponry to be posted in Europe, and ridiculed the notion of a "threat" posed to the continent by Russia. His comments will almost inevitably be extremely unwelcome to NATO leaders.

Traian Basescu, Romanian President 2004 to 2014, said October 26 the integration of national armed forces across Europe into a cohesive unit was essential for the European Union to solve external security problems and improve internal defenses.

Speaking at a conference at the National Bank of Romania, "10 Years Since Romania's EU Accession," the popular reformist ex-President noted member states had 178 weapon systems, while the US had but 30.

"The EU can defend its eastern flanks on its own, provided the armed forces are integrated. An integration of defense research is essential. We're all spending money to find out the same thing. Sooner or later, taxpayers will ask, 'why are we investing so much money in defense and are unable to defend ourselves and crying for the Americans to come defend us?' " Basescu said.

He also implicitly ridiculed the notion of an existential "Russian threat" by noting the Russian Federation's defense budget totals US$66 billion, while EU member states had a collective total defense expenditure of US$263 billion.

"Poland is crying for the Americans to come, [saying] Russians are attacking us. Romania is also crying for the Americans to come. I can assure you the Americans will come to Europe anyway. Why do we feel we're not safe?" he explained.

Comment: Objectivity and big picture...two missing elements in the EU paranoia over Russia.

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Arrow Up

Liberated by SDF, Raqqa considered occupied until Syrian gov't controls the city


Sputnik
Sun, 29 Oct 2017 20:48 UTC
Raqqa Syria
© Gabriel ChaimAerial shot of Raqqa, Syria
The Syrian city that Daesh terrorists had called their self-proclaimed capital, has been liberated by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. Syria considers, and will consider, Raqqa an occupied city until it comes under the control of the Syrian army, the SANA news agency reported Sunday citing an official source at the Foreign and Expatriates Ministry.

According to the source, misleading claims by the US-led coalition about the city's liberation from Daesh was aimed at dividing the opinion of the international community from the crimes the coalition and its allies allegedly committed in Raqqa province.

The spokesman added that the statements made by the US authorities, including the White House, the Pentagon, and the State Department, about the crucial role of the Raqqa's liberation in the struggle against the terrorists and the contribution of the US-led coalition to this fight, also could puzzle.

Comment: The SANA report continues:
The source said that the US and its illegitimate alliance are misleading the international community about their intentions towards Syria, stressing that their claims of liberating Raqqa city from ISIS are mere lies aiming to divert international public opinion from the crimes they committed in Raqqa province.

The source said that more than 90% of Raqqa city has been leveled due to the deliberate and barbaric bombardment of the city and the towns near it by the alliance, which also destroyed all services and infrastructures and forced tens of thousands of locals to leave the city and become refugees.

The source said that the US and its allies are celebrating what they call the liberation of Raqqa over the bodies of their victims, as proven by the suffering of the forcibly-displaced citizens who are living on the roads and in camps due to the practices of the so-called "Syrian Democratic Forces" which seize humanitarian aid meant to save the lives of Raqqa locals, adding that these Forces also confiscate locals' IDs and documents and subject them to brutal torture and detainment.

The source went on to say that ISIS wouldn't have exited Raqqa and went to other areas to fight the Syrian and Iraqi armies there if it hadn't been in collusion with the US and the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces.
...
The source added that the quick calls by the US and the alliance for rebuilding Raqqa is an act of scam and fraud on the public opinion seeking to cover up the destruction they caused in Raqqa.

The source concluded by saying that Syria calls on the international community to expose what the US and its pawns did in Raqqa, and demands that Security Council resolutions on respecting the unity of Syria be respected, in addition to demanding the dissolution of this suspicious and illegal alliance.


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Pirates

Duma defense chief: Before year ends, ISIS will be destroyed


RT
Mon, 30 Oct 2017 09:43 UTC
Russian Troops
© Ali Hashisho / ReutersRussian troops in Aleppo.
The head of the Lower House Committee for Defense, a former commander of the Airborne Troops, says that by the end of 2017 the Syrian government will regain control of its eastern border and the Islamic State terrorist group will 'cease to exist.'

"We count upon the scenario in which [Syrian] government forces restore control over the eastern border of the Syrian Arab Republic and the Islamic State ceases to exist as a military structure," MP Vladimir Shamanov was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti. The MP was speaking at a meeting between members of the parliamentary defense committees of Russia and Kazakhstan on Monday.

Shamanov also stated that it was already clear that Russian Air Force had successfully fulfilled all major objectives of its Syrian operation.

Last week President Vladimir Putin said that Syrian government forces, supported by the Russian Air Force, had liberated over 90 percent of the country's territory. Earlier, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said that before Russia sent its Air Force Group to fight the Islamic State, terrorists had controlled about 70 percent of Syrian territory.
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Snakes in Suits

President Barzani resigns, vows to continue fight for Kurds' rights


Sputnik
Sun, 29 Oct 2017 21:01 UTC
Barzani
© TwitterIraqi Kurd President Masoud Barzani steps down.
Amid the grave consequences of a controversial independence referendum in the autonomous region of Kurdistan, its leader Masoud Barzani decided to step down from the presidency.

President of Iraqi Kurdistan Masoud Barzani said on Sunday that he will continue to fight for the rights of the Kurds as a member of the Peshmerga, after his term as the autonomy's head ends on November 1.

Earlier in the day, 71-year-old leader officially refused to extend his duties. Previously both presidential, as well as parliamentary elections, were slated for November 1, however, the chaos that broke out after the independence vote made authorities to postpone elections.

Masoud Barzani is the first president of Iraqi Kurdistan elected in 2005. In 2013 he refused to abandon the post, though his mandate expired. The parliament since then has extended it twice for two years.

Barzani is considered to be an architect of the independence referendum held in Kurdistan on September 25. More than 90 percent of 3.4 million people in northern Iraq's three main Kurdish provinces and in multi-ethnic Kirkuk region voted to have a separate nation-state. The independence vote was deemed illegal by the central authorities. Iraqi government launched an offensive which led to Kurds losing to Baghdad large swathes of oilfields in the disputed province of Kirkuk.
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Dig

Breaking: Tony Podesta quits Podesta Group amid Mueller inquiry

Anna Palmer
Politico
Mon, 30 Oct 2017 18:05 UTC
Red shoes Tony Podesta
Democratic power lobbyist Tony Podesta, founder of the Podesta Group, is stepping down from the firm that bears his name after coming under investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller.

Podesta announced his decision during a firm-wide meeting Monday morning and is alerting clients of his impending departure.

Podesta is handing over full operational and financial control to longtime firm CEO Kimberley Fritts, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the meeting. Fritts and a senior group of the Podesta team will be launching a new firm in the next one or two days. Sources said the transition has been in the works for the past several months.

"[Tony] was very magnanimous and said, "This is an amazing group of people," a source said of Podesta's remarks. Podesta also told staff he "doesn't intend to go quietly, or learn how to play golf." He said he "needs to fight this as an individual, but doesn't want the firm to fight it."

Fritts also addressed the gathering, telling staff that she is "thrilled at this opportunity" and that, "This is not about me, this is about y'all." Several other senior staff spoke about their excitement about the future of the firm. The meeting ended with a resounding ovation for Podesta.
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