Puppet MastersS


Dollar

Trumponomics? Apple to invest $350 billion in the US economy


Sputnik
Thu, 18 Jan 2018 10:01 UTC
Apple
US President Donald Trump has expressed his satisfaction with the decision made by IT giant Apple to invest $350 billion in the US economy.

"I promised that my policies would allow companies like Apple to bring massive amounts of money back to the United States. Great to see Apple follow through as a result of TAX CUTS. Huge win for American workers and the USA!" Trump wrote on his Twitter page.


Comment: Creating incentives to invest in America instead of outsourcing manufacturing, creates jobs. And cutting tax rates gives further incentives to work.

See also:

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Horse

Could Poland be the trojan horse of Europe?

Philip Prokudin and Vladimir Agaev
Fort Russ
Thu, 18 Jan 2018 09:09 UTC
Poland a trojan horse?
It is considered that Warsaw does not want to be the eternal periphery of the EU or a "second-class Europe". Polish politicians intend to teach European bureaucrats of European and Christian values themselves, and perhaps make their country a new center of power. But then Poland will have to make friends with a neighbour - Russia.

The head of the European Council, Donald Tusk, said that Poland, having recently lost sufficient funding, could withdraw from the EU. According to him, if Warsaw's monetary obligations to the EU increase, "the Polish government will decide that it's time to ask citizens if they want to see their country in the EU at all."

Comment: This graph makes it clear that the EU has been lavishing Poland with tens of billions in order to keep Poland in the fold. A key reason has been to bolster NATO and thus gain geopolitical strategic advantage.
EU contributions
© European Commission
See also:

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Rocket

Russia starts delivering S-400 missile system to China


TASS
Thu, 18 Jan 2018 10:09 UTC
S-400 Triumf air defense missile system
© Vitaliy Nevar/TASSS-400 Triumf air defense missile system
Moscow has begun the delivery of the S-400 Triumf air defense missile systems to China under the 2014 contract, a source close to the Russian system of military cooperation told TASS on Thursday.

"The implementation of the contract has begun, the first shipment has been sent to China," the source said.

Comment: See also: Game-Changer? China will soon receive S-400 missile systems from Russia

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Dollar

BofA: "Investors are long, unprotected and partying like it's 2019"

Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
Tue, 16 Jan 2018 00:00 UTC
In Bank of America's latest monthly survey of Fund Managers which polls 183 participants with $526bn in AUM, BofA Chief Investment Strategist Michael Hartnett found what many had expected: euphoria is officially the only sentiment that matters in the market, to wit: "Investors are long, unprotected, & say equity bull market continues to 2019."

As part of this "Party like it's 2019" mentality, Hartnett believes that the bull capitulation means "a vol spike is imminent but requires surge in inflation & yields to satisfy bond paranoia." Meanwhile, fund managers are rotating into pro-cyclical sectors like tech, industrials, EMs, equities, and out of telecom, bonds, utilities, UK.

Below we lay out the main findings from the January poll:

Average cash balance falls from 4.7% in December to 4.4% this month, a five-year low:
Month-on-Month changes to Global FMS positioning
© BofA Merrill Lynch Global Fund Manager Survey
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Propaganda

Russiagate manufactured crisis: Mueller counterattacks, subpoenas Bannon

Alexander Mercouris
The Duran
Wed, 17 Jan 2018 00:00 UTC
Decision to subpoena Bannon makes little sense except in terms of partisan politics
Steve Bannon
© Unknown
That Special Counsel Robert Mueller is becoming rattled because of the growing criticism of his investigation by Republicans in Congress and because of the legal action Paul Manafort has recently brought against him, is strongly suggested by his frankly very strange decision not just to subpoena Steve Bannon but to subpoena Steve Bannon to give evidence before a Grand Jury.

It is difficult to understand the logic of this step if Mueller is carrying out a serious investigation.

No one up to now has suggested that Bannon was involved in the alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Comment: Mueller's investigation of Russian collusion became an embarrassing nothing burger to the FBI, democratic party, deep state and the country itself. But they are not in a position to stop and until they find something - anything - even if it is a rat in a mountain. It continues to reveal itself for exactly what it is - a witch-hunt against anyone the deep state doesn't like. See also:

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Pistol

US-Led coalition refuses to provide details on reported arms supply to SDF


Sputnik
Wed, 17 Jan 2018 00:00 UTC
SDF in Syria
© REUTERS/ Rodi Said
Al-Masdar News on Monday reported that the United States had provided MANPADS to Kurdish forces near the northwestern Syrian town of Afrin earlier this month under an agreement between Washington and the People's Protection Units (YPG), a mostly Kurdish militia that makes up the bulk of SDF forces.

Meanwhile, the US-led coalition fighting the Daesh terror group refuses to say whether it gave portable anti-aircraft missiles (MANPADS) to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria, the Public Affairs Office of the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) told Sputnik.

"The international Coalition is resolved to train, equip and support our SDF partners to attain the lasting defeat of ISIS [Daesh]. Due to operational security concerns, we will not provide details of weaponry provided to specific units in specific locations," the press office said when asked about reports that the US had provided man-portable air defense systems or MANPADS to Kurdish forces in Syria.

Comment: See also:

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Snakes in Suits

Inspector General: Awans used "unauthorized access" to transfer Congress' data to stolen server

Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
Wed, 17 Jan 2018 17:52 UTC
imran_awan
© WashingtonPost
  • An internal House probe concluded that Pakistani IT aides Imran Awan along with four other individuals inappropriately accessed House servers and moved data
  • They impersonated at least 15 U.S. House members they did not work for and the Democratic Caucus, using their credentials to gain access to the system - a federal offense.
  • Data was migrated from several servers onto a single server, which disappeared while being monitored by police
  • The Awans engaged in a "pattern of login activity" which suggest steps were taken to conceal their activity
  • House Democrats in turn misrepresented the issue to their own members as solely a matter of theft
  • No criminal charges have been filed related to the data breaches or a number of other violations
In what must surely warrant a Special Counsel by now, an internal House investigation concluded that Pakistani IT aides Imran Awan and wife Hina Alvi, along with Imran's brothers Abid and Jamal and a friend, impersonated at least 15 U.S. House members for whom they did not work - using their credentials to log into Congressional servers, before migrating data to a single server, which was stolen during the investigation, all while covering their tracks - reports Luke Rosiak of the Daily Caller.
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Propaganda

The Washington Post's war of disinformation on Russia

Stephen Lendman
Stephen Lendman
Fri, 12 Jan 2018 00:00 UTC
Washington Post
The neocon Washington Post is a CIA house organ, serving its pure evil agenda, its targeted assassinations, its orchestrated color revolution attempts to topple foreign governments.

William Blum once explained why they'll never be a coup in Washington - because "there's no American embassy there."

In its latest assault on Russia, the Washington Post disgracefully claimed its government "fooled the US in Syria."

Along with Iran, it's been combating US-supported terrorists since September 2015 - at the same time, going all-out for conflict resolution, its best efforts sabotaged by Washington and its rogue allies.

WaPo never explains these and other vital issues, featuring disinformation instead.

Comment: Where would the CIA's covert wars be without its neocon mouthpiece the Washington Post ?

See: Obnoxious, Arrogant, Imperial America in Syria

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Red Flag

Palestine Liberation Organization endorses BDS, makes unprecedented request for sanctions

Palestinian BDS National Committee
Mondoweiss
Wed, 17 Jan 2018 00:00 UTC
PLO building
On Monday, the Central Council of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, officially announced its support for the BDS movement and called, for the first time, on the international community to "impose sanctions on Israel" to end its ongoing, grave violations of Palestinian rights as stipulated by international law.

This is the most explicit and official adoption of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement by the PLO.

Specifically, a statement released by the Palestinian Central Council, the second highest authority in the PLO, agreed to:
Adopt the BDS movement and call on states around the world to impose sanctions on Israel to put an end to its flagrant violations of international law, its continued aggression against the Palestinian people, and to the apartheid regime [Israel has] imposed on them.

Comment: Though the PLO is a little late to the BDS strategy, it is still probably one of the best moves the governing body can make. The Palestinians are in no position to challenge Israel militarily, and this high road does have the precedent of working for the oppressed of South Africa. Standing in stark contrast to the challenge of addressing South African apartheid however, is the political and media power Israel wields around the world. But the tide seems slowly to be turning as awareness of the Palestinian plight has been brought into greater consciousness - from an ever-growing number of those unafraid to be labeled 'anti semitic'. More and more voices are decrying the slow-motion nightmare that is Palestinian life under Israeli occupation; one of the most recent in Time Magazine (of all establishment places).

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No Entry

Phil Giraldi: US plan for "border police" in Syria overhyped - they don't have the resources to oppose Turkey

Ekaterina Blinova
Sputnik
Wed, 17 Jan 2018 21:28 UTC
sdf forces
© REUTERS/ Rodi Said
Tensions continue to flare over the reported US plan to create a 30,000-strong "border force" in the regions controlled by the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the Arab Republic.

On January 16, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned his US counterpart Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense James Mattis during a summit in Vancouver, Canada, that if the US begins forming the new army in northern Syria the US-Turkish relationship would be "irreversibly harmed."

Turkey views Washington's allies - Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) and Democratic Union Party (PYD) - as affiliates of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara.

On January 14, Colonel Ryan Dillon, the spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, announced the plan to establish a new military force in Syria together with the SDF.

According to Yenicag Gazetesi, Mattis recommended Cavusoglu not to believe media reports about the formation of the "border force."

Comment: Turkey's National Security Council made clear today what they think of the U.S.'s plan:
"Turkey will not allow the creation of a terrorist corridor along its borders, as well as a terrorist army. All necessary measures will be taken in this regard. All weaponry that has been delivered to the terrorist organization - the self-defense forces of the Syrian Kurds - must be immediately collected and retrieved," the council said in a statement.
The Iraqis say the U.S. never consulted them on the decision (note: Iraq shares a border with Syria where these alleged "border security" forces will presumably be operating!):
The US-led coalition, fighting the Daesh terror group, has not yet addressed Iraq's Defense Ministry to coordinate the issue of establishing a new border security force in Syria near to the Turkish and Iraqi borders, Iraqi Defense Ministry's spokesman Tayar Khafaji told Sputnik on Wednesday.

"As of now, there has been no coordination on this issue with the Defense Ministry. If there is [coordination], if this issue is on the negotiating table, the, of course, the ministry will engage," Khafaji said.

The Iraqi Defense Ministry is coordinating its activities with the coalition to a significant extent, the spokesman stressed. Khafaji emphasized the coalition's support to Baghdad in fighting terrorism, adding that Baghdad coordinates the activities of its forces in this area with the coalition directly.
And what's up with Mattis telling Cavusoglu that the whole story is a nothing-burger?!

See also:

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