Puppet MastersS


Question

Saudi purge signals readiness for war with Iran - Trump and Israel in full support

Finian Cunningham
Strategic Culture Foundation
Fri, 10 Nov 2017 21:09 UTC
bin salman
Mohammed Bin Salman, aka the "Red Prince"
Mass arrests of senior royals, amid fear of assassinations, indicate that what is going on in Saudi Arabia is a far-reaching purge. The facade of a "corruption probe" - promoted in part by Western news media and US President Donald Trump - is a barely credible cover.

The cover is not just for a ruthless power grab within the desert kingdom by Saudi rulers, but a realignment that also puts the entire Middle East region on notice for more conflict and possibly even an all-out war with Iran. A war that the Israeli state and the Trump administration are enthusiastically egging on.

This move towards war with Iran could explain why the Saudi royals made a landmark trip to Moscow last month. Was it an attempt to buy off Russia with oil and weapons deals in order to free the Saudi hand with regard to Iran?

In typical fragmented fashion, Western media have tended to report the mass arrest last weekend of royal princes, ministers and business leaders, carried out under the orders of King Salman and his heir Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as a crackdown on corruption and business sleaze.
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Vader

Finland and Sweden signal readiness to dance to Washington's militaristic and anti-Russian tune

Peter Korzun
Strategic Culture Foundation
Thu, 09 Nov 2017 20:56 UTC
finnish soldier
US Defense Secretary James Mattis visited Helsinki on Nov. 6-7 to attend a meeting of the Northern Group, a multilateral forum of 12 countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Before the event, the secretary was received by Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and then met his counterparts from Sweden and Finland. This is the first time a US Defense Secretary held talks in this format. Looks like the tripartite format talks are going to become a regular event as a similar meeting was announced to be planned for 2018.

Finnish Defense Minister Jussi Niinistö explained that the goal of this format was meant to supplement, rather than replace, Finnish and Swedish bilateral relations with Washington. According to him, no new alliance is being built despite the expanded military cooperation with the United States. The minister also invited the US military to participate in large-scale military drills in 2020 or 2021. According to him, Finland started preparations for a major military exercise of a scale it had not arranged since the end of the Cold War. "If there's a crisis, it will be good for us to practice receiving help," Jussi Niinistö said. Formally a neutral country, Finland is offering a scenario which envisages receiving US-led NATO reinforcements, like if it were a full-fledged member of the North Atlantic Alliance to be defended in accordance with Article 5 of the Washington Treaty!
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Caesar

In Beijing, Trump and First Lady received honor no foreign leader has had since foundation of PRC - state dinner in Forbidden City

Ryan Pickrell
Daily Caller
Fri, 10 Nov 2017 20:10 UTC
Jinping trump
© REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstU.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. first lady Melania visit the Forbidden City with China’s President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China, November 8, 2017.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are reportedly being treated like royalty on their first official visit to China.

Trump and his wife were granted a rare dinner at the Forbidden City, an honor that has not been bestowed on a foreign leader since the founding of the People's Republic of China 68 years ago, reports New York Daily News, as well as several other media outlets.

The president and first lady arrived in China, the third leg of Trump's two-week Asia tour, Wednesday afternoon. After landing in Beijing, Trump and Melania toured the Forbidden City with Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan.
jiping trump
© NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty ImagesChina’s President Xi Jinping shakes hands with President Donald Trump next to his wife Peng Liyuan and first lady Melania Trump

Comment: On paper, it was productive:

Trump's deals made in China

China Petroleum and Chemical Corp signed a US$43 billion deal to jointly explore natural gas with the US in Alaska; financial support will come from China Investment Corp and Bank of China.

China National Petroleum Corp signed an initial deal with Cheniere Energy for a "long-term supply contract" of liquefied natural gas.

Xiaomi, OPPO and Vivo will sign deals to buy stuff from US telecom mobile chip maker Qualcomm (Broadcom made a US$105 billion takeover bid for Qualcomm in early November.)

The Silk Road Fund - linked to the People's Bank of China to promote the New Silk Roads/BRI - will set up a joint fund with the US.

China Investment Corp will set up a joint fund with Goldman Sachs.

China will buy more planes from Boeing and will import more Teslas.

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Bizarro Earth

'Here I am!' Controversial Italian PM Berlusconi is making surprise political comeback


RT
Fri, 10 Nov 2017 20:45 UTC
Silvio Berlusconi
© Antonio Parrinello / ReutersSilvio Berlusconi
The sweeping victory of a center-right bloc backed by Silvio Berlusconi in Sicily's election may signal the return of the four-time Italian Prime Minister - once at the center of graft allegations and bunga-bunga scandals - from his political hiatus.

"Sicily, just as I asked, has chosen the path of real, serious, constructive change, based on honesty, competence and experience," the 81-year-old Berlusconi declared after his rightist Forza Italia bloc claimed an unexpected victory in regional elections held Sunday. Nello Musumeci, Forza Italia's candidate for governor of the island, garnered 39.9 percent of the vote, while Giancarlo Cancelleri of the anti-establishment Five-Star Movement took 34.6 percent. Fabrizio Micari of the ruling Democratic Party led by former PM Matteo Renzi was lagging far behind on 18.5 percent.

The Sicily election result is a further blow to the ruling center-left government which is already haemorrhaging popular support over its immigration policy. Berlusconi's allies - the Brothers of Italy and the right-wing, nationalist Northern League - pushed for nationwide anti-immigrant campaigns, making sure the issue remains high on the public agenda. The tactic seems to have paid off handsomely. The steady influx of migrants into Europe, many of whom landed in Italy, caused the public to direct their anger at the centrist government's perceived pro-immigrant policies and the EU's relocation quotas.
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Laptop

Why is the U.S. attacking Kaspersky? Because they exposed U.S. and Israeli spies behind Stuxnet


RT
Fri, 10 Nov 2017 19:43 UTC
Kaspersky Logo
© Reuters Maxim Shemetov
The campaign to discredit Kaspersky Lab dates back to 2010, when the Russian-based cybersecurity firm uncovered the origin of the Stuxnet malicious computer worm which ruined Iran's nuclear centrifuges, experts in the field told RT.

Kaspersky Lab, founded in Moscow in 1997, has been a world leader in cybersecurity for decades, taking pride in working outside of any government's sphere of influence. US intelligence agencies, however, seem to consider the Russian firm a competitive challenge, cybersecurity experts say.

"Kaspersky is highly reputable. It has been operating for a couple of decades. It has 400 million users around the world, including until very recently the American government," former MI5 analyst Annie Machon said. "So of course if they are doing it, other countries are going to do it to a competitor corporation around the world too. Obviously, the CIA would be interested in a very successful Russian-based company that offers protection on the internet."

Comment: More on the witch hunt against Kaspersky:

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Quenelle

President Duterte thanks Putin for helping Philippines to win battle against ISIS

Adam Garrie
The Duran
Fri, 10 Nov 2017 20:19 UTC
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte and Russian President Vladimir Putin
© RFE/RL
While addressing journalists, Duterte said that Russia helped Philippines where the US failed. Putin in turn praised Duterte's leadership.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in Vietnam.

During a brief statement before the press, Duterte expressed his gratitude to Russia for delivering free shipments of arms to the country.


Comment: Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, who has overseen a bloody 'war on drugs,' said Manila stands ready to host a world summit on protecting human rights. He suggested investigating all violations of human rights committed by international governments.
The Filipino strongman told a news conference, held at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Vietnam, that the summit should focus on human-rights violations not just in the Philippines, but across the world.

"Let's have a summit of how we can protect human rights for all [of the] human race," Duterte said late on Thursday, following a meeting with the Filipino community in Vietnam. "What makes the death of people in the Philippines more important than the rest of the children in the world that were massacred and killed?"

"Let us investigate all violations of human rights committed by all governments," Duterte said, as cited by Manila Bulletin. When asked if he would invite the United Nations to the summit, the Filipino leader said he would rather opt for lawyers and health experts. "I'm more comfortable with a panel of lawyers because they will understand the legal implications. And maybe experts in the science of medicine and the destruction of the human body."


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Evil Rays

Trump aide: President thinks Scientology should have tax exemption revoked

Yashar Ali
HuffPost
Fri, 10 Nov 2017 19:23 UTC
David Miscavige
© GettyDavid Miscavige dedicates a new church Nov. 19, 2016, in San Diego, California.
President Donald Trump believes the Church of Scientology should have its tax exemption revoked, a longtime family aide and current top official at the Department of Housing and Urban Development told an actress and producer in May.

In an unsolicited Twitter message, Lynne Patton, who has worked for the Trump family since 2009, told actress Leah Remini of Trump's position and said she would interface with the IRS directly to seek more information in an effort to initiate revocation. Remini sent HuffPost copies of Patton's messages and has declined to comment further.

It's not clear if Patton ever communicated with the IRS. But if Trump did express an opinion on the church and Patton did contact the IRS about it, as her message suggests, that would be a highly inappropriate level of interference with the IRS by the administration, one expert said.

"For the White House or any administration official to try and influence who the IRS targets, for whatever reason, is wrong and could result in a violation of the law," said Larry Noble, the former general counsel of the Federal Election Commission who is now a senior director of ethics and general counsel at the Campaign Legal Center. "The IRS must make these decisions independently without any influence by the White House or administration officials."

The White House and HUD did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Comment: See also:

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Info

ISIS caliphate crumbles as U.S. troops move from bases to outposts on the front lines with Iraqi troops

Susannah George
AP / Army Times
Fri, 10 Nov 2017 19:10 UTC
Anbar
© Khalid Mohammed/APIn this Nov. 6, 2017, photo, U.S. Marines prepare to build a military site during a sandstorm in western Anbar, Iraq.
The US-led coalition's newest outpost in the fight against the Islamic State group is in a dusty corner of western Iraq near the border with Syria. Here, several hundred American Marines operate close to the battlefront, a key factor in the recent series of swift victories against the extremists.

The Americans directed Iraqi troops in their victory last week recapturing the nearby border town of Qaim, the militants' last urban holding. Now the Marines will lead the equally difficult task of clearing the extremists from their last redoubt: a large stretch of empty desert north of the Euphrates River adjoining the border with Syria.

They also face the possibility of friction with Iranian-backed Iraqi Shiite militias that are increasing their own presence in the border region.


Comment: Those "Iranian-backed Iraqi Shiite militias" happen to have Sunnis, and Yezidis in them too. In fact, their demographics roughly reflect Iraqi demographics in general. Quit trying to stir up sectarianism.


Under a plastic tent, the Marines run an austere joint command center about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the border. A dozen monitors relay surveillance footage and troop positions in the town of Qaim nearby. Using racks of radio and satellite equipment, the coalition forces and Iraqi officers at the base pass information between forces on the ground and al-Asad air base, the coalition's main base in Anbar province some 130 kilometers (80 miles) to the east.
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Wolf

Former Democratic chief Donna Brazile: Obama's obsession with his image leeched party of its vitality

Thomas Phippen
Daily Caller
Tue, 07 Nov 2017 19:02 UTC
obama vader
The Democratic party was "leeched it of its vitality" by Former President Barack Obama and others in the lead-up to the 2016 election campaign, according to Donna Brazile, former interim chair of the Democratic National Committee.

"We had three Democratic parties: The party of Barack Obama, the party of Hillary Clinton, and this weak little vestige of a party led by [Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz] that was doing a very poor job getting people who were not president elected," Brazile writes in her new book Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House, released Tuesday.

Many of the revelations in Brazile's book revolve around the deep debt the Democratic party was facing at the end of Obama's presidency and the lengths it had to go to to survive a national presidential race. Obama's use of party funds for private pollsters and focus groups drained the party, and Wasserman Schultz's leadership as party chairman failed to address the problem. Clinton then bailed out the party in order to gain control of it, according to Brazile.
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Blackbox

Academic tied to Papadopoulos Russiagate hoax goes missing

Tim Lister and Nic Robertson
CNN
Fri, 10 Nov 2017 18:38 UTC
Joseph Mifsud
Joseph Mifsud met with the Russian ambassador to the UK Alexander Yakovenko in May 2014.
Joseph Mifsud, the Maltese academic suspected of being a link between the Trump campaign and Russian officials, was once a regular on the foreign policy circuit, attending conferences the world over. Now, after being identified as a key figure in the US special counsel investigation into Russian influence over the 2016 US presidential election, Mifsud has gone to ground. Last Thursday he disappeared from the private university in Rome where he teaches. Repeated attempts to reach him since have been unsuccessful, though he appears to have read some messages from CNN.

But more details are emerging of the background and contacts of the man who emerged last week as "the professor" in court filings relating to charges brought against former Trump aide George Papadopoulos. In the US affidavit, Papadopoulos claims Mifsued -- referred to as "Foreign Contact 1" -- told him in April 2016 that the Russians had "thousands of emails" relating to Hillary Clinton. An associate also told CNN that he repeatedly bragged about how Moscow had "compromising material" on the Clinton campaign in spring 2016, contradicting Mifsud's assertion that he never talked about Russian "dirt" on the Democratic presidential bid. At that time, according to US officials and independent analysts, Russian agencies or proxies were rummaging around the stolen emails of both the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee. The intrusion would not become public for several months.


Comment: Just quit it already, CNN. The Russians didn't hack the emails.


Comment: More on the Puffing Professor:

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