Puppet MastersS


Briefcase

Legal process granted: Wikipedia to challenge NSA surveillance in court


Sputnik
Tue, 23 May 2017 21:44 UTC
NSABird cogs
© OpEdNews
In a rare bit of good news for privacy activists in the United States, a federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday that a legal challenge to the massive global surveillance architecture of the NSA may proceed, amid claims that the agency routinely invades the privacy rights of citizens while trampling on the laws of the US Constitution.

The 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, in a unanimous 3-0 vote, will allow the Wikipedia online encyclopedia parent organization, Wikimedia Foundation, to proceed with a legal challenge to the NSA's "Upstream" global surveillance arm.

NSA's Upstream, whose existence was made public following leaks by whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013, is a US global spy program that accesses the cables, switches and routers comprising the principal data routes of the internet to conduct universal international communications surveillance. At least nine organizations, including Wikimedia Foundation, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch previously argued that, as their representatives source or receive over one trillion international communications every year, Upstream presented a violation of the right to privacy, free expression and association.

In 2013 a US District Judge in Baltimore had dismissed the lawsuit, citing a lack of evidence that the NSA conducted global surveillance "at full throttle." But in the new appeal to allow the lawsuit to proceed, Circuit Judge Albert Diaz suggested that there was "nothing speculative" about the claims made by Wikimedia Foundation and the other plaintiffs.

Diaz, Reuters reported, stated that the NSA interception and copying of international internet communications revealed "an invasion of a legally protected interest — the Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures."

Comment: Wikileaks shined a light into this dark and deep hole. The showdown in court will be epic.

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Bad Guys

HRW: Mass Executions Alleged At Military Base In Brak El-Shati, Southern Libya


Eurasiareview
Wed, 24 May 2017 19:55 UTC
Location of Libya. Source: CIA World Factbook
Location of Libya. Source: CIA World Factbook
Forces aligned with the United Nations-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) attacked a military base and allegedly executed at least 30 captured soldiers, Human Rights Watch said. A hospital official and an eyewitness told Human Rights Watch that soldiers from the 13th Battalion aligned with the GNA Defense Ministry attacked the base in Brak El-Shati, in southern Libya, on May 18, 2017, and executed troops from the 12th Battalion of the Libyan National Army (LNA).

The head of the GNA's Presidency Council ordered an investigation and the suspension of his defense minister and the commander of the battalion responsible for the attack. The summary execution of persons who have been captured or who have surrendered constitutes a war crime.

"The Government of National Accord should act on its promise to investigate allegations that its troops executed opposing forces who had already been rounded up," said Eric Goldstein, Middle East and North Africa deputy director at Human Rights Watch. "The authorities need to send a strong message that such crimes will not be tolerated which means that if the allegations are true, they should try those responsible."

The LNA does not recognize the authority of the GNA, and instead supports rival authorities based in the east.

Comment: See also: Libya: Massacre at Brak al-Shatti airbase may trigger larger civil war

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Bullseye

Zakharova describes media coverage of Trump-Lavrov meeting as "medieval bigotry, a witch hunt"


Sputnik
Tue, 23 May 2017 18:04 UTC
trump lavrov
© RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY
The United States' media coverage of the meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US President Donald Trump on May 10 was an example of "medieval bigotry," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday.

"It was an absolutely standard first meeting to outline some points of the agenda, to find where our positions differ and where we may cooperate... Concerning the coverage in mass media, it was bigotry. Real medieval bigotry, a witch hunt, burning on fire," Zakharova told the Komsomolskaya Pravda radio broadcaster.

Zakharova reportedly specified that scandal which arose from the published photos of the White House meeting was "nonsense."

"I have never heard that the official photos may be regarded as classified information. It is a nonsense. A scandal was made out of it, and it was expanded — every day there were secret leaks citing secret sources which were not confirmed," Zakharova told the broadcaster.
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Attention

Podesta calls Sputnik and RT the 'favored go-to sources in White House press room'


Sputnik
Wed, 24 May 2017 18:02 UTC
Sean Spicer
© AFP 2017/ Mandel Ngan
The former chairman of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, John Podesta, called Sputnik news agency and RT TV Channel the "the favored go-to sources in the White House press room" in an interview with The Washington Post.

"We know the Russians are engaged and active, both in the over sense through the use of RT, the Russian Kremlin-sponsored television station, through Sputnik and other information sources, which now seem to be the favored go-to sources in the White House press room," Podesta told The Washington Post during The Daily 202 Live.

He added that "even" Sputnik and RT "ask tough questions these days, I guess."
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Network

China-Pakistan Corridor is 'core component' of One Belt One Road Initiative says Pakistan PM


Global Times
Wed, 24 May 2017 17:52 UTC
China Pakistan Economic Corridor
China Pakistan Economic Corridor
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was a core component of Belt and Road Initiative, and Pakistan strongly favors synergizing energies in the region to support this project, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said here Wednesday.

Sharif made the comment at the Pakistan Investment Forum during his three-day visit in Hong Kong starting from Tuesday.

The forum was organized by China Innovative Finance Group Limited and Consulate General of Pakistan.

Sharif said the CPEC was a key regional initiative for connectivity and shared prosperity of nations, adding it also had the potential of bringing improvement in the lives of people, with projects related to energy, road and rail infrastructure, industrial parks and economic zones.
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Sherlock

Anonymous FBI insider: Trump/Lavrov meeting foiled false flag, Clinton investigation could potentially bring down 200 politicians

Angie
Victurus Libertas
Tue, 16 May 2017 17:48 UTC
lavrov trump
© REUTERS/Maxim Zmeyev/Lucas Jackson/Abir Sultan/Pool/File Photo

Comment: While the source below is giving very plausible answers to the many different scenarios unfolding behind the scenes in the US Deep State, the reader should keep in mind that the answers are mostly unverifiable.


We are fortunate and grateful to work with some really great insiders who want the truth to come out about the inner workings of our governments. FBI Anon, most known for showing up on 4Chan from time to time with his AMA, has agreed to allow our audience to ask questions.

Here are the questions and answers:
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Jet3

US ramps up bombing in Afghanistan while Trump mulls troop surge


RT
Wed, 24 May 2017 17:46 UTC
US Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II
© U.S. Air Force / Tech. Sgt. Jason Robertson
As the Pentagon lobbies President Donald Trump to send up to 5,000 more troops to Afghanistan, US jets have stepped up bombing operations to levels last seen in 2012, in an effort to crush an Islamic State affiliate before it establishes a foothold.

The latest airpower report released by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) shows 460 bombs, missiles and other weapons released over Afghanistan in April. This is more than the ordnance used in the previous two months combined, a sevenfold increase over the 62 weapons used in April of last year, and the most bombs dropped since August 2012, when 589 weapons were used.

"The two main reasons are this is the first spring fighting season since the expanded authorities were granted," US Navy Captain Bill Salvin, spokesman for the US forces in Afghanistan, told Reuters. "And General Nicholson has stated the goal to eliminate ISIS-K in Afghanistan in 2017, which has required more offensive operations and strategic effects support."
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Network

One Belt One Road: Japan opens door to work with China, India turns its back on emerging world

Vladimir Terekhov
New Eastern Outlook
Wed, 24 May 2017 15:47 UTC
Xi Nikai
© The Japan TimesXi tells LDP's Nikai he wants to move bilateral relations in 'right direction'
The string of events that accompanied the recent forum in Beijing that was devoted to the One Belt-One road project has confirmed the thesis of the ultra-high dynamics of the political game between the leading powers in the Asian-Pacific region.

Among the negative aspects of this forum was absence of the official delegation from India at this forum, but this fact compliments the overall picture of mutual distrust and growing suspicion in the relations between the two Asian giants.

Each of these giants, of course, has its own explanation to explain the present state of bilateral relations, that is extremely poor. China's position on the matter has been illustrated by a picture published in the Global Times, which shows a fun party, that represents the recent forum in Beijing. While the guests are celebrating, there is a lonely, gloomy elephant sitting at a separate table, with his back turned on the crowd. However, it should be noted that if any of the participants would bother enough to ask the elephant about the reason of his bad mood, he would certainly say something logic and worthy of everybody's attention.


Comment: Not likely. The elephant (India) has stuck its head in the sands of Western influence and cannot see the bigger picture. India chose not to particiapte in the OBOR initiative because the planned China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will run through Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, which India believes belongs to them. One likely reason China is pursuing a route through a contentious territory is because this is a region where the most can be gained between Pakistan and India. Kashmir has long been an issue due in no small part to the American role in maintaining instability. The US utilizes this chaos to play both sides, a strategy it has also used in Afghanistan, Syria, and Turkey (which all have been historically important hubs for trade). Yes, Pakistan has used terrorism as a tool (with the help of covert US assistance), but an important objective of China is to use trade as a means of achieving peace and prosperity, which will be a much more effective tool against terrorism.


Comment: If Trump has done one good thing in office, it was to bury the TPP. The US should veer towards isolationism for all the damage it has done as the world's hedgemon. Conversely, countries like China and others involved BRICS and the OROB initiative should rightly be global partners. It's inspiring to see Japan open the door to work with China. Hopefully at some point India will pull its head out of the sand and do the same.

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Newspaper

Independent journalists reveal America's sinister war in Syria

Tony Cartalucci
New Eastern Outlook
Wed, 24 May 2017 17:12 UTC
Destruction in Syria
Syria is not experiencing a "civil war." It is being targeted by both proxy and direct military force organized by the United States and its allies for the explicit purpose of dividing and destroying yet another Middle Eastern nation.

Worse than that, the United States is employing tactics to transform Syria's heterogeneous multi-ethnic and religious communities into segregated ghettos, and using this as a means of dividing and conquering the nation and even the region.

The US is also widely employing the abhorrent tactics of socioeconomic, psychological, and armed terrorism to break the Syrian people completely and absolutely.
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Propaganda

Generators of the absurd: US mainstream media Is dangerous and corrupt

Decker
Russia Insider
Tue, 23 May 2017 00:00 UTC
Putin
He gets it!

The lunatics running the media asylum here in the States control the narrative that most Americans buy into without thinking twice

Despite the fact that US media suffers from varying degrees of psychosis and regularly regurgitates transparent propaganda that the rest of the world finds deeply amusing, millions of Americans still sit in front of their televisions each night impatiently awaiting breaking news about the latest Russian atrocity.

"Russia-gate" continues to dominate headlines here in the States, with CNN giving themselves a hearty handshake and slap on the back for their "epicness" of telling it like they want it to be:

Journalism's epic week: surprises, scoops and a newspaper war - money.cnn.com
On television that day, Carl Bernstein said, "I think this is a potentially more dangerous situation than Watergate." David Ignatius channeled the concerns of prominent Republicans, one of whom he said had told him Trump is "Richard Nixon on steroids."

"A lot of people are scared," Ignatius said.

"And they wonder, how do we get out of this?"

On Monday came the Washington Post's stunner: "Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian diplomats." There was scattered applause in the newsroom, according to reporters, when the scoop broke an internal record for number of web readers per second.
Such gleeful stupidity can really only be found from these generators of the absurd.

Comment:



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