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SOTT Focus: Behind the Headlines: The Fall of Western Society and American Isolationism


Sott.net
Sun, 30 Jul 2017 16:00 UTC
russia sanctions
© New Eastern Outlook
Western society is apparently in trouble. 'Left'- and 'Right'-wing ideologies are resorting to increasingly extreme positions and isolating large groups of people from each other.

Meanwhile, a similar parting of the ways seems to be happening at the level of 'international order'. In just one week, the US has increased sanctions on Iran, tabled a new package of sanctions against Russia and North Korea, and slapped sanctions on Venezuela. From positioning itself as the global arbiter of 'just wars' in the aftermath of 9/11, the US is today self-declared as the global arbiter of economic trade.

With sanctions the US government believes it can isolate Russia and other regimes it doesn't like, and thus 'hold the center'. But is it in fact only isolating itself and further polarizing opinion and society inside the USA?

Join us on Behind the Headlines today, from 12-2pm EST (4-6pm UTC, 6-8pm CET), for our discussion of the week's news in context.

Running Time: 01:39:15

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Bad Guys

Al Qaeda 'mysteriously' metastasizing in Northwest Syria

Tony Cartalucci
New Eastern Outlook
Sun, 30 Jul 2017 14:48 UTC
Al Qaeda militants
The Washington Post in an article titled, "Al-Qaida in Syria snuffs out competition in northwest," clumsily reveals what many following the Syrian conflict have known all along - that the so-called uprising never existed, and that the US and its allies are directly arming, aiding, and abetting Al Qaeda in Syria.

The article admits:
Syrian rebels and activists are warning that an al-Qaida-linked jihadi group is on the verge of snuffing out what remains of the country's uprising in northwestern Syria, after the extremists seized control of the opposition-held regional capital, Idlib, last weekend.
However, the so-called "uprising" has been allegedly supported since 2011 by the US, Europe, and the West's collective allies across the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars a year in weapons, training, logistics, and even vehicles, and now even direct military support.

This significant support has been reported on numerous times by Western papers, including the Washington Post itself. If such support was truly being given to a secular, pro-democratic opposition inside of Syria, who then has supplied "Al Qaeda-linked jihadi groups" with enough support to meet or exceed it on the battlefield? The answer is, there was never a secular, pro-democratic opposition in Syria.
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War Whore

US-led coalition strikes hospital in Syria


Sputnik
Sun, 30 Jul 2017 14:49 UTC
US-led coalition's aircraft
© US Air Force
The US-led coalition's aircraft has attacked the Syrian settlement of Abukamal in the Deir ez-Zor province, SANA reported on Sunday.

The news agency said the airstrike hit a hospital, among other sites. Six people were killed and 10 others wounded.

This is the fourth air raid of the coalition in Deir ez-Zor over the month, according to SANA.

On Saturday, SANA reported that the coalition, which ostensibly fights Daesh, hit houses in al-Mayadeen, killing 10, including five children.
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Pistol

Anti-Russia sanctions: Moscow has many options in response to the US 'Colt Culture'


Sputnik
Sun, 30 Jul 2017 14:31 UTC
Nuclear explosion
© CC0
Commenting on the new set of US punitive measures against Russia, which is waiting to be approved by President Trump, Russian political analyst Alexei Fenenko explained to Sputnik Radio in what particular spheres Moscow's response could be the most sensitive.

On Thursday, the US Senate approved a bill that would impose sweeping sanctions on Russia and seeks, in particular, to target companies that invest in Russian energy projects. The bill now has to be either signed or vetoed by US President Donald Trump.

On Tuesday, the legislation was approved by the House of Representatives. The chamber voted to attach Iran and Russia to a bill that originally targeted North Korea, which is what the Senate had requested. The bill passed by the Senate retains the stipulation that any attempt by the White House to lift or relax sanctions must go through the US Congress.

The restrictions target Russia's defense, intelligence, mining, shipping and railway industries, and restrict dealings with Russian banks and energy companies.
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Info

Former Lebanese MP: 'US blocks Russian arms supplies to Lebanon, while not helping to fight terrorism enough'


RT
Sun, 30 Jul 2017 14:18 UTC
Lebanese army
© Anwar Amro / AFP
Washington is reluctant to provide the Lebanese army with much needed support to fight terrorists, but prevents it from getting arms from Russia or Iran, former Lebanese MP Mohammed Obeid told RT outside the recently captured base of Al-Nusra Front militants.

An RT crew traveled to eastern Lebanon to document the results of an offensive by Hezbollah militia which saw up to 90 Al-Nusra militants killed and an area of 100 square kilometers liberated in the mountainous terrain near the town of Arsal on the border with Syria. Some 200 more terrorists were surrounded and reportedly agreed to leave Lebanon for Syria.

There was a mixed response to the operation, but Hezbollah, which is backing the Lebanese forces in the fight against the insurgents, consider it a success. Both Hezbollah and Lebanese Army flags were raised at the site to announce the victory as a joint effort, despite the army taking a back seat in the operation.

Despite the Arsal victory, Lebanon is experiencing shortage of arms and logistical support in its fight against terrorist groups, which include Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS, ISIL).
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Info

Evo Morales calls US 'threat to international law' over 'unilateral' Russia sanctions


RT
Sun, 30 Jul 2017 13:10 UTC
Evo Morales
© Maxim Shemetov / Reuters
Bolivian President Evo Morales slammed the US as a "threat to multilateralism, international law, the UN," and condemned the latest round of sanctions against Russia.

"The United States again seeks to impose unilateral sanctions against Russia. They contradict international law. Bolivia rejects them," Morales tweeted.

"With these types of sanctions, the USA can be described as a threat to multilateralism, international law, and the United Nations," another tweet said.

It comes a couple of days after the US Senate adopted yet another round of sanctions, aimed at Russia, North Korea, and Iran. Now only the signature by US President Donald Trump remains before the sanctions are finally greenlighted.

The White House has stated that President Trump is satisfied with the document and "intends to sign it" shortly.
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Radar

'Ready to use force': US supersonic bombers, Japanese and S. Korean fighters fly over Korean Peninsula


RT
Sun, 30 Jul 2017 12:46 UTC
US Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers
© Staff Sgt. Joshua Smoot / Reuters
In response to what North Korea called another successful test of an ICBM on Friday, a pair of supersonic B-1B Lancer bombers joined by Japanese and South Korean fighter jets flew over the Korean Peninsula Sunday in a show of force.

The US Pacific Air Forces said that the 10-hour sequenced bilateral missions were a "direct response" to Pyongyang's missile test on Friday, and the earlier July 4 launch of what was claimed to be a Hwasong-14 rocket.

The American bombers took off from a US air base in Guam, and were joined by Japanese and South Korean fighter jets, the US Pacific Air Forces said in a statement.

"North Korea remains the most urgent threat to regional stability," Pacific Air Forces Commander General Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy said, as cited by AP.

"If called upon, we are ready to respond with rapid, lethal, and overwhelming force at a time and place of our choosing," he warned.


Comment: And the US warned with another THAAD test launch: US military 'successfully' tests THAAD by launching ballistic missile over Pacific

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Radar

Trump 'very disappointed' at China for 'doing nothing' with N. Korea


RT
Sun, 30 Jul 2017 12:41 UTC
N. Korea missile launch
© KCNA / Reuters
US President Donald Trump blasted China for essentially "doing nothing" to help resolve the North Korean crisis, promising to put an end to it in yet another twist in the president's rhetoric towards Beijing.

"They [China] do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk. We will no longer allow this to continue," President Trump tweeted, adding that it shouldn't take much for Beijing to "solve this problem!"

The statement comes just two days after Pyongyang test-fired what it claims to be its second intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) which could reach any place within the US mainland, according to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
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Rocket

US military 'successfully' tests THAAD by launching ballistic missile over Pacific


RT
Sun, 30 Jul 2017 12:07 UTC
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system
© Missile Defense Agency / Reuters
The US military has successfully tested the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system over the Pacific Ocean, the country's Missile Defense Agency (MDA) chief said in a statement cited by local media.

"The U.S. Missile Defense Agency and U.S. Army soldiers of the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade from Fort Bliss, Texas, conducted a successful missile defense test today using the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system," the statement reads, as cited by NBC.

"A medium-range target ballistic missile (MRBM) was air-launched by a U.S. Air Force C-17 over the Pacific Ocean," the announcement says further, adding that part of the THAAD system stationed in Alaska pinpointed and intercepted the target.

The 'Flight Experiment THAAD' test was aimed at gathering "threat data from a THAAD interceptor in flight," according to the US military.
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Fire

US Navy warship fires flares at an Iranian patrol boat in the Persian Gulf as Tehran condemns 'hostile' sanctions on its missile programme passed by Congress

Gareth Davies
Daily Mail
Sat, 29 Jul 2017 11:05 UTC
An Iranian vessel making a close approach to a US coastal patrol ship USS Thunderbolt, right.
An Iranian vessel making a close approach to a US coastal patrol ship USS Thunderbolt, right.
A US Navy ship has fired flares at an Iranian patrol boat in the Persian Gulf on the day Tehran condemned new sanctions on its missile programme.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Saturday that the US Navy had approached their patrol vessels in the Gulf and fired flares in what it called a provocative move yesterday afternoon.

In a statement, the Guards said: 'The supercarrier USS Nimitz and its accompanying warship, while being monitored by the Guards' frigates, flew a helicopter near the Resalat oil and gas platform and approached the force's ships.

'The Americans in a provocative and unprofessional move, sent a warning message to the frigates and fired flares.'

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