Puppet MastersS


Mr. Potato

Politico touts Chelsea Clinton as possible Senate candidate in Arkansas

Thomas Lifson
American Thinker
Tue, 05 Dec 2017 01:51 UTC
chelsea clinton
© ELLE
Go ahead - make my day, Democrats.

I wonder who it was who suggested that a major Politico Magazine story on Chelsea Clinton entitled Clinton Should Run for Cotton's Senate Seat was a good idea? A reasonable guess would be members of the Clinton Machine who know that its days are numbered, now that Hillary Clinton is embarrassing herself with excuses for her loss and angry Sanders supporters feel the injustice of having the nomination stolen from their guy.

The problem is that there is no possible heir other than Chelsea to build on the name recognition inherent in the Clinton Brand, and Chelsea is...well...not exactly racking up successes that would appeal to Arkansas voters. True, she enjoys a spacious $15-million apartment in a trendy part of Manhattan, but she didn't earn the money for it, and her husband, whose last hedge fund was shut down after making bad bets on Greek sovereign debt, lacked the wherewithal. And I am not certain that fashionable New York digs count for much in Arkansas.

Still, the Clinton crowd sees her as glamorous:
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Heart - Black

Not our problem: Just 30 out of 650 MPs showed up to emergency debate on "world's biggest humanitarian crisis" in Yemen


RT
Mon, 04 Dec 2017 17:20 UTC
yemen
© Mohammed Mohammed/ Global Look Press

The Commons has come under fire after only a small number of MPs showed up at a debate on the "world's biggest humanitarian crisis" in Yemen. Campaigners spoke out against the embarrassingly low turnout at the emergency debate.

The debate on Yemen had been called by Tory MP Andrew Mitchell, the former International Development Secretary last Thursday.

He aimed to discuss Britain's responsibility in the Yemen war given the UK's ongoing arms to Saudi Arabia, which is allegedly using the military equipment as part of its bombing campaign against the Houthi rebels. This proved to be something which was only of interest to 30 out of 650 MPs.

Comment: Yemen risks starvation as western-backed Saudi siege continues

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USA

At all levels, US government is the problem

John W. Whitehead
The Rutherford Institute
Tue, 05 Dec 2017 00:28 UTC
"In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem, government IS the problem."-Ronald Reagan
Whitehouse
© The Daily Beast
Corruption. Graft. Intolerance. Greed. Incompetence. Ineptitude. Militarism. Lawlessness. Ignorance. Brutality. Deceit. Collusion. Corpulence. Bureaucracy. Immorality. Depravity. Censorship. Cruelty. Violence. Mediocrity. Tyranny.

These are the hallmarks of an institution that is rotten through and through.

What you smell is the stench of a dying republic. Our dying republic.

The American experiment in freedom is failing fast.

Through every fault of our own-our apathy, our ignorance, our intolerance, our disinclination to do the hard work of holding government leaders accountable to the rule of law, our inclination to let politics trump longstanding constitutional principles-we have been reduced to this sorry state in which we are little more than shackled inmates in a prison operated for the profit of a corporate elite.

We have been saddled with the wreckage of a government at all levels that no longer represents the citizenry, serves the citizenry, or is accountable to the citizenry.

We're not the masters anymore.

It doesn't matter whether you're talking about the federal government, state governments, or local governing bodies: at all ends of the spectrum and every point in between, a shift has taken place.

"We the people" are not being seen, heard or valued.

We no longer count for much of anything beyond an occasional electoral vote and as a source of income for the government's ever-burgeoning financial needs.

Everything happening at the national level is playing out at the local level, as well: the violence, the militarization, the intolerance, the lopsided governance, and an uneasy awareness that the citizenry have no say in how their communities are being governed.
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Bad Guys

CIA chief Pompeo: Saudi Arabia and Israel may set up joint military headquarters "that can basically work together to try to provide stability"


Press TV
Mon, 04 Dec 2017 11:06 UTC
Mike Pompeo
© AFPCentral Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo
CIA Director Mike Pompeo says Saudi Arabia is working directly with Israel on confronting "challenges" in the Middle East, suggesting that the two sides could go as far as setting up "a joint military headquarters."

Speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California, Pompeo cited Daesh, Iran and "failed states" as posing a challenge to both Saudi Arabia and Israel, advising the two sides to develop their relationship.

"We've seen them [Saudis] work with the Israelis to push back against terrorism throughout the Middle East, to the extent we can continue to develop those relationships and work alongside them - the [Persian] Gulf states and broader Middle East will likely be more secure," he said.


Comment: Say what?! Who does Pompeo thinks he's kidding here - the Israelis and the Saudis pushing back against terrorism?? Either Pompeo is utterly stupid and clueless, or he's making a great impression for the neocons, thinktankers and intelligence agencies that thrive on some pretty evil geopolitical ambitions. Probably the latter.


"It is incredibly important that in the Middle East, where we have failed states, where you have ISIS, where you have Iran, that we have got to develop a stronger coalition of countries that are willing to work together to confront these challenges," he added.

Comment: See: The Saker: Israel, Saudi Arabia setting preconditions for war with Hezbollah

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Pirates

ISIS claims it downed Syrian warplane near Al-Bukamal


South Front
Mon, 04 Dec 2017 22:43 UTC
Syrian warplane
Members of ISIS have downed a Syrian warplane (apparently L-39) in the outskirts of al-Bukamal, the ISIS-linked news agency Amaq reported.

Furthermore, ISIS have allegedly captured two pilots of the downed warplane near the village of Al-Buq'an.

No photos or videos have been released by Amaq to confirm its claims. The situation remains unclear.

Comment: Further reading:

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Snakes in Suits

Dangerous bluster: Netanyahu compares Iran to Nazi Germany in its 'ruthless commitment to murder Jews'


RT
Mon, 04 Dec 2017 03:11 UTC
Netanyahu
© ReutersIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister went on another fiery tirade against Iran, comparing the Islamic Republic with Hitler's Germany, claiming both shared the goal to exterminate all Jews.

"Obviously, there are some differences between the Nazi Germany and Islamic Republic of Iran," Benjamin Netanyahu generously allowed, "but both regimes do have two important things in common: one, a ruthless commitment to impose tyranny and terror, and second, a ruthless commitment to murder Jews," he claimed in a video message, filmed for the Saban Forum, a conference on the US policy in the Middle East, that kicked off in Washington on Sunday.


Comment: This is the same event that Jared Kushner recently attended and received accolades from.


The Israeli leader has recently ratcheted up his angry rhetoric towards Iran, repeatedly accusing it of gaining a military foothold in Syria to attack Israel and vowing to "act alone" to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Comment: If Iran were truly "anti-semitic" it probably would have done something about the population of Jews (however small) that live in that Persian country a long time ago. No, Iran isn't genocidal or Jew-hating or anything of the kind. It is, however, quite willing to call truth to pathological power - and make deals with other nations when they're reasonable and mutually beneficial.

See: Alleged Threat of Iranian Nukes is Hysterical Nonsense Because Iran Doesn't Have a Death Wish

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Briefcase

The obvious solution to the Irish border issue is a referendum on Irish reunification. But extremist British ideology prevents it

Caoimhín de Barra
The Guardian
Mon, 04 Dec 2017 22:43 UTC
united ireland
© @UnitedIreland / Twitter
The frustrating thing about the row over the impact of Brexit on the Irish border is that there is an obvious and straightforward solution. When Britain eventually leaves the EU, Northern Ireland should remain within the customs union.

While not perfect, it is undeniably the simplest way to avoid the difficulties that would come with a hard border between the two parts of Ireland. But this proposal has been rejected by the DUP. Yet it is tough to be sympathetic to their stance, because ultimately it is one based exclusively on symbolism rather than pragmatism.

DUP MP Sammy Wilson stated recently that if the Conservatives are prepared "to have Northern Ireland treated differently than the rest of the UK", his party could no longer support the government.

The problem with this logic is that since the formation of the United Kingdom in 1707, there has always been considerable differentiation between its constituent parts. Scotland had the Presbyterian kirk as its official state church while England had an Anglican equivalent. An independent and separate Scottish legal system is still in place today.

Comment: At this rate, the Union will endure no longer:

Clusterf*ck: Theresa May left red-faced as Brexit deal between UK, Ireland and EU is scuppered by DUP

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Quenelle - Golden

Clusterf*ck: Theresa May left red-faced as Brexit deal between UK, Ireland and EU is scuppered by DUP

Daniel Boffey, Jennifer Rankin & Anushka Asthana
The Guardian
Mon, 04 Dec 2017 21:38 UTC
Setback for British PM's hopes of agreeing deal to move to next phase of Brexit talks as unionists refuse to back Irish border plan
arlene foster theresa may
"You go there and tell them that I said: 'NO SURRENDER!'"
Theresa May's political weakness was brutally exposed to Brussels on Monday as an agreement struck between Britain and the EU to solve the problem of the Irish border and move to the next phase of Brexit talks was torpedoed by a last-minute telephone call with the leader of the Democratic Unionist party.

Confidence early on Monday that an agreement was within reach came to nothing when, during a working lunch with the European commission president, Jean Claude Juncker, May was forced to pause discussions to take a call from Arlene Foster.


Comment: Remember her? That's the leader of the DUP, the only reason Theresa May's Conservatives are still in power in London:

Meet the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Britain's loyal fundamentalists in Ireland


The unionist leader, whose party currently provides the Tories with a working majority in the Commons, told the British prime minister that she could not support Downing Street's planned commitment to keep Northern Ireland aligned with EU laws.

Comment: The utter fecklessness of the Tories' EU referendum is the gift that keeps on giving.

The situation is currently as follows:

Whichever UK government is in power, the referendum result means the UK must leave the EU.

The UK must also - somehow - uphold the joint British-Irish Good Friday agreement, which it can't do if Northern Ireland leaves the EU while the Republic remains in it.

The UK's current leadership relies on a coalition with the tiny DUP party, sworn enemies of the Irish, to govern.

The DUP is so paranoid of even the potential for reunification of both Irish states that the phrase "continued regulatory alignment" between Republic and Province triggered them to fire the 'gun' they have pointed at May's head, thereby sinking, it appears for now at least, the deal reached between her government, the Dublin government and Brussels.

This in turn prompted the Scottish nationalists to hint that any precedent set whereby Northern Ireland acquires special 'EU' status within the UK could also be sought by Scotland. For good measure, the Mayor of London suggested as much for his city too.

What a complete clusterf*ck. The UK is threatening to come apart at the seams.

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Question

Robert Mueller's firing of anti-Trump FBI agent Peter Strzok doesn't make sense

Alex Christoforou
The Duran
Mon, 04 Dec 2017 21:38 UTC
Robert Mueller Peter strzok
Peter Strzok and Robert Mueller
Mueller's entire team hates Trump. What is the real reason for the firing?

The New York Times reported yesterday that special counsel Robert Mueller removed FBI agent Peter Strzok from his investigative team because Strzok was anti-Trump.

Joe Hoft examines the Mueller, FBI agent firing, noting that the firing of an anti-Trump agent doesn't make much sense given that Mueller's entire investigative team is anti-Trump.

Comment: And over at ZeroHedge:
A rabidly anti-Trump FBI agent who was fired from Robert Mueller's Special Counsel investigation relied on claims made in a largely unsubstantiated and highly salacious dossier provided by Washington DC-based opposition research firm, Fusion GPS - which enlisted former MI6 agent Christopher Steele to assemble the 34-page 'Dirty Dossier' in mid-2016.

Veteran FBI agent Peter Strzok - who headed up the Hillary Clinton email investigation, was dismissed from Mueller's Trump-Russia probe in mid-August and relegated to the FBI's Human Resources department, after the DOJ opened an inquiry into anti-Trump / pro-Clinton text messages Strzok sent to his Trump-hating mistress - FBI lawyer Lisa Page, while the two were working together on the Clinton probe. Page was also fired from the Mueller investigation into Russian meddling earlier this year.

Strzok's conduct in the Clinton investigation is now under review by the Justice Department, along with his role in a number of other politically sensitive cases, according to Fox News.
"While Strzok's removal from the Mueller team had been publicly reported in August, the Justice Department never disclosed the anti-Trump texts to the House investigators."

"Responding to the revelations about Strzok's texts on Saturday, Nunes said he has now directed his staff to draft contempt-of-Congress citations against Rosenstein and the new FBI director, Christopher Wray." -Fox News
Of relevance - Strzok concluded that Hillary Clinton was "careless," in her mishandling of classified information, yet found "no proof of intent," an opinion which former FBI director James Comey based his recommendation not to prosecute. Comey, as it turns out, drafted Clinton's exoneration letter long before the FBI had finished reviewing evidence in the case.

Strzok's team and the Trump-Russia dossier...

In August, 2016 - nine months before Trump fired Comey which led to the creation of Robert Mueller's Special Counsel, the New York Times reported that Strzok was hand picked by FBI brass to supervise an investigation into allegations of Trump-Russia collusion.

The FBI investigation grew legs after they received the infamous anti-Trump "dossier" and decided to act on its salacious and largely unproven claims, According to Fox News:
House investigators told Fox News they have long regarded Strzok as a key figure in the chain of events when the bureau, in 2016, received the infamous anti-Trump "dossier" and launched a counterintelligence investigation into Russian meddling in the election that ultimately came to encompass FISA surveillance of a Trump campaign associate.

The "dossier" was a compendium of salacious and largely unverified allegations about then-candidate Trump and others around him that was compiled by the opposition research firm Fusion GPS. The firm's bank records, obtained by House investigators, revealed that the project was funded by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee. -Fox News
Dead ends

Weeks before the 2016 Presidential election, Strzok's team agreed to pay former MI6 agent and Fusion GPS operative Christopher Steele $50,000 if he could verify his claims that the agency had already used to take action. Of note, Fusion separately paid Steele $168,000 to assemble the dossier which had the cooperation of two senior Kremlin officials


Allegedly, and highly unlikely.

The agent said that if Mr. Steele could get solid corroboration of his reports, the F.B.I. would pay him $50,000 for his efforts, according to two people familiar with the offer.

One report, filled with references to secret meetings, spoke ominously of Mr. Trump's "compromising relationship with the Kremlin" and threats of "blackmail."

He [Steele] provided the documents to an F.B.I. contact in Europe on the same day as Mr. Comey's news conference about Mrs. Clinton. It took weeks for this information to land with Mr. Strzok and his team. - NYT
After meeting with the FBI in October to deliver a 'stack of new intelligence reports,' the agency ultimately decided not to pay Steele because he could not corroborate the information he had provided.

Never let a dodgy dossier get in the way of a good witch hunt!

Despite such a low level of confidence in Steele's dossier that they didn't pay him, the FBI used the document to obtain a FISA surveillance warrant on one-time Trump foreign-policy advisor Carter Page - who was described as having a "secret meeting" with Putin associate Igor Sechin and Deputy Chief for International Policy, Igor Diveykin during a July 2016 trip to Moscow to deliver a commencement speech.

Not true according to Page

While Page did travel to Moscow to deliver a commencement speech, he told the House Intelligence Committee that he's never heard of Diveykin nor met with any of the men mentioned in the dossier.

Page did testify that he spoke with Russia's deputy prime minister, Arkadiy Dvorkovich, who was in attendance at the commencement ceremony. Upon his return, Page relayed their meeting in a memo to the Trump campaign, writing "In a private conversation, Dvorkovich expressed strong support for Mr. Trump and a desire to work together toward devising better solutions in response to the vast range of current international problems."

Page claims he hadn't spoken more than a few words to Dvorkovich, and had instead gained insight into the Russian's opinion from listening to the Russian's speeches.

Back on point

We now know that the original, pre-Mueller FBI investigation into Trump-Russia collusion was spearheaded by Peter Strzok - an anti-Trump senior FBI agent who was fired for sending anti-Trump / pro-Clinton text messages to his mistress during their investigation into Hillary Clinton's mishandling of classified information.

We also know that the FBI probe led by Strzok relied on the salacious 34-page Steele dossier, paid for in part by Hillary Clinton and the DNC, to launch their Trump-Russia investigation and obtain a FISA warrant on Carter Page.

This raises a multitude of questions about Strzok, the Clinton email investigation, and any other politically charged cases he's worked on - which are now under review by the DOJ's Office of Personnel Management.

And while Strzok is stapling cover sheets on TPS reports in the FBI's HR department, it is of particular interest that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes is also honing in on Rod Rosenstein and the new FBI director, Christopher Wray for their roles in the decision to withhold the reasons for Strzok's dismissal in August.


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Life Preserver

Cleaning up another American mess: Afghanistan wants Russian expertise in restoring infrastructure


Sputnik
Mon, 04 Dec 2017 20:40 UTC
Afghan water dam
© Wikipedia/ 10th Aviation BrigadeNaghlu Dam, located in Surobi District of Kabul Province in eastern Afghanistan
Emerging from years of war and internal strife, Afghanistan looks at Russia to help rebuild the country's ravaged economy.

Russian companies' vast experience in building major dams and other infrastructure facilities in Afghanistan makes them an ideal choice for continuing their work in the country, a senior Afghan Energy and Water Ministry official told Sputnik.

Earlier this year, President Ashraf Ghani said that Russia could help rebuild the country's war-ravaged hydroelectric stations and other facilities.

"Companies from Iran, Turkey and America are also interested in doing this, bur Russian companies have better chances because, on the one hand, they have a great deal of experience in building several big dams here. On the other hand, they are very well aware of our geographic conditions because our countries are close neighbors," Asaf Ghafuri told Sputnik Dari.

Comment:

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