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Snakes in Suits

US applies pressure on the EU to cancel Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline

Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline
The United States are pushing for European countries to cancel the construction of the "Nord Stream 2" gas pipeline, a diplomatic source in Brussels told RIA Novosti .

"The US wants to bury the project because, having started selling liquefied natural gas to EU countries they would face Gazprom's competition in Europe".

Yesterday, European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič stated that the Euro-committee's panel still expects from the European Union a mandate for negotiations with Moscow on the creation of a legal base for "Nord Stream 2".


Radar

The first shots of America's new war for Syria's Euphrates valley have already been fired

US soldiers
'It'll be just like The Rat Patrol'
If Trump admin officials have their way, the next US war will be to block the Syrian army from retaking Syria's Euphrates valley.

When the US shot down the Syrian Su-22 jet Sunday this may have been intended as a warning to Syria that the US intends to take eastern Syria for itself -- and that a Syrian push into eastern Syria will be violently opposed.

Footprints

Taliban says foreign troops must go before peace negotiations as US plans 4,000-strong surge

Taliban
© Mohammad Ismail / Reuters
In an annual address to followers, the Taliban's leader warned against sending additional foreign troops to Afghanistan, saying that only after all foreign soldiers leave can peace be negotiated.

Maulvi Haibatullah Akhunzadah spoke on Friday on the occasion of the Eid al-Fitr festival, which ends the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. He reiterated that Afghanistan must be free of foreign occupation.

"The occupation is the main obstacle in the way of peace," he said, referring to the presence of NATO troops in the country.

"The more they insist on maintaining the presence of their forces here or want a surge of their forces, the more regional sensitivity against them will intensify," he added.

Comment: See also: At least 34 killed in Taliban claimed car bomb attack at bank in southern Afghanistan


Info

The US 'doesn't fully understand what it is doing in Syria and is very nervous'

US and YPG soldiers
© REUTERS/ Rodi Said
Commenting on the recent downing of a Syrian jet near the city of Tabqa and the alleged shooting down of an Iranian-made drone near al-Tanf, Russian political analyst Vyacheslav Smirnov explained to Sputnik Radio that the US does not fully understand what it is doing in Syria, which is making the country's military very nervous.

On June 18, a US jet shot down a Syrian Su-22 fighter-bomber near the city of Tabqa. The US-led coalition claimed that the Syrian aircraft attacked Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) positions, adding that the coalition downed the Syrian jet as part of "collective self-defense of Coalition partnered forces."

Bullseye

UK desperate to end Julian Assange five-year embassy stand-off - Ecuadorian FM

Julian Assange
© Peter Nicholls / Reuters
The British government is trying to extricate itself from the Julian Assange embassy stand-off which has seen the WikiLeaks co-founder holed up in the Ecuadorian mission since 2012.

The five-year stalemate has seen millions of pounds poured into policing and surveillance efforts to keep the Australian from fleeing the country.

He had originally faced an international arrest warrant for allegations of sexual assault in Sweden.

Even though Swedish authorities withdrew the charges in May this year, UK police said Assange would still be arrested if he left the embassy because he had broken bail and failed to surrender to authorities despite an arrest warrant being issued for him in June 2012.

Comment: See also: 'Even US doesn't call me a hacker': Assange hits back at Ecuador's new president Lenin Moreno


Cult

White Helmets volunteer caught with rebels dumping beheaded bodies

white helmets
© REUTERS/ Abdalrhman Ismail
A volunteer with the Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, was caught on video dumping the mutilated bodies of Syrian Army troops.

The volunteer was summarily fired by the group after he was filmed participating in the dumping of dead pro-Syrian government fighters.

"Impartial and humanitarian White Helmets participating in the beheading and throwing of Syrian soldiers bodies at a dumpster in Daraa today," a Lebanese army soldier posted on Twitter with the extremely graphic video.

"On 20 June 2017, a volunteer of SCD in Daraa Governorate was witnessed participating in an activity that violated the organizational principles and vision of SCD," the group announced, adding that the man's "gross breach" of conduct led to his dismissal.

Skeptics of the White Helmets have long suspected the group to be a terrorist front group, even as Western icons like the British rock band Coldplay have endorsed the group for a Nobel Peace Prize. A 2016 Netflix documentary about the group won an Academy Award.

"White Helmets are Al Qaeda members," Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told RT.

Comment: Also see these stories:


Attention

North Korea blames US student's death on Obama policy, calls itself 'biggest victim'

 Otto Warmbier
© KCNA / AFP
A US student released by North Korea to the US in a coma was a victim of the "strategic patience" policy of former President Barack Obama, who never requested his release, says Pyongyang. It labels itself the "biggest victim" after the student's death.

North Korea has blamed the death of Otto Warmbier, whom it released in a coma after 17 months' detention, on Obama's "strategic patience" policy. His release was never requested, Pyongyang says.

Warmbier was released earlier in June with severe neurological trauma after months spent in a coma. He passed away at University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Ohio, on Monday.

In its first official comment following his death, Pyongyang says Warmbier was "a victim of the policy of strategic patience" of then-US President Obama, whose administration never requested his release, an unnamed North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a statement to the official KCNA agency, released Friday and seen by Reuters, AFP and AP.

Comment: See also: Otto Warmbier's death is being exploited for propaganda purposes by western media


Info

Erdogan struggling to find German venue to address supporters on G20 sidelines

Tayyip Erdogan
© Yasin Bulbul / Reuters
The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is reportedly finding it difficult to secure booking for a suitable venue to address thousands of his supporters on the sidelines of the upcoming G20 summit in Hamburg, according to local media.

So far, a number of arenas located in the North Rhine-Westphalia region, which could potentially cater to the Turkish leader's needs, have for various 'reasons,' reportedly politely refused to host Erdogan on July 9.

The Dortmund Westfalenhallen is not available, said a spokesman for the event center on Wednesday, as the hall has already been booked on that day, apparently for construction work for another event, Ruhr Nachrichten reports.

Attention

Senate Foreign Relations Committee demands legal rationale from Trump for Syrian jet shooting

Syrian Mig-23 fighter jet
© Sputnik/ Mikhail Voskresenskiy
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee is asking President Donald Trump for the legal rationale behind the decision to shoot down a Syrian jet over the weekend, US media reported on Thursday.

An aide to Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Corker confirmed that he "followed up with a request of the State Department as he explained during the hearing," The Hill reported.

Comment: Can't wait to hear the response!


Handcuffs

US issues international arrest warrants for former VW execs over emissions cheating

Volkswagen sign with US flag
© Mike Blake / Reuters
The United States government has issued international arrest warrants for five former Volkswagen (VW) managers in connection with the dieselgate scandal.

According to the Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, the five are accused of conspiring to commit fraud and violating US environmental regulations. At least two were reportedly confidants of former VW CEO Martin Winterkorn.

The German daily suggested Berlin will not hand over the accused to the American authorities. It said that if found guilty the suspects would face extremely long jail sentences compared to German sentencing standards. They, however, will be unable to leave Germany due to the risk of being extradited to the United States from a third country.