Puppet MastersS


People

South Africans protest President Zuma as country downgraded by rating agencies

Christopher Torchia
Washington Post
Fri, 07 Apr 2017 00:00 UTC
Fleeing ANC Youth league protester
© Yeshiel Panchia/Associated PressMembers of the ANC Youth League flee from teargas and rubber bullets being fired by police, at the end of a march by the main opposition Democratic Alliance party in Johannesburg, Friday, April 7, 2017. Thousands of South Africans demonstrated in major cities against President Jacob Zuma. Zuma’s dismissal of the finance minister has fueled concerns over government corruption and a struggling economy.
Tens of thousands of South Africans demonstrated peacefully Friday in a national outpouring of anger at their scandal-tainted president, and a second agency lowered the country's credit rating to junk status a week after the firing of the respected finance minister.

While concerns grew about the struggling economy and government corruption, the protests were unlikely to pose an immediate threat to President Jacob Zuma, who retains the backing of powerful factions within the ruling African National Congress party. But divisions over his conduct are growing within the party, whose moral authority — a legacy of its leading role in the fight against white minority rule— has eroded during his tenure.

Nobel laureate and anti-apartheid leader Desmond Tutu, 85 and ailing, made a rare public appearance to support the protests. His foundation posted a scathing tweet in his name: "We will pray for the downfall of a government that misrepresents us."

Comment: See also:

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Light Sabers

Amid territorial rows, Japan nationalizes 273 islets, aims to develop dozens of outposts


RT
Sun, 09 Apr 2017 07:38 UTC
Uninhabited islands in Japan
© Kyodo/Reuters
Tokyo has adopted a program aimed at reversing population decline at over a hundred sparsely populated outposts, and has formally claimed another 273 uninhabited islands, de facto under its control, amid China's growing territorial ambitions.

"As a maritime country, we must take long-term, systematic measures to protect, maintain and expand peace, security and our maritime interests," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated during a meeting of the maritime policy task force on Friday.

The comprehensive development program envisions building administrative and transport facilities on 148 islets in borderline areas in accordance with the law on the 'Preservation of Remote Island Areas,' which took effect last week.

By providing a boost to the infrastructure of the islands, the Japanese government hopes to curb the depopulation of the islands, which they say is a threat to national security.

Comment: See also: Beijing 'gravely concerned' by US support of Japan's territorial claims

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Display

Shadow Brokers hacking group release NSA hacking tools in protest against Trump


RT
Sun, 09 Apr 2017 12:28 UTC
Shadow Brokers hacker release
© Monika Skolimowska/globallookpress.com
Hacking group Shadow Brokers has released the password to a trove of NSA exploits in what they say is a form of protest against President Donald Trump for going back on his campaign promises, and warning the president, "Don't forget your base."

The shadowy group first emerged last August and released hacking exploits used by the NSA's Equation Group, which included vulnerabilities in firewall products, and a list of IP addresses the NSA had exploited, which the group released at a later date.

Shadow Brokers released passwords to the rest of the exploits on Saturday, in a move they described as a protest against Trump, who they say has "abandoned" his base by going back on many promises made on the campaign trail.
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Bad Guys

Trump just handed his enemies legitimate grounds for impeachment

Alexander Mercouris
The Duran
Sun, 09 Apr 2017 12:10 UTC
Trump
© AP Photo/ Pablo Martinez Monsivais
Donald Trump acted illegally and unconstitutionally by ordering the missile strike on Syria giving his opponents legitimate grounds to impeach him. However they won't use them.

Ever since President Trump unexpectedly won the US Presidential election on 8th November 2016 he has faced a concerted attempt by his political opponents first to prevent him from being inaugurated as President and - since the inauguration - to remove him from the Presidency through attempts to impeach him.

So far the campaign - though furiously and even hysterically conducted - has been a total failure. This is because the charge which up to how has been made against the President - that he won the Presidency by colluding against Hillary Clinton with the Russians - is baseless and untrue.
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Chess

Trump Productions: The Khan Sheikoun Show


Moon of Alabama
Sun, 09 Apr 2017 12:10 UTC
Donald Trump
© Jonathan Ernst / Reuters
The "chemical attack" at Khan Sheikoun was faked and a show; though a number of people were killed or hurt during its production.

This video for example, of doctors and patients in an emergence room was pure theater, taken over a longer time period. The main presenter was a well-known criminal Takfiri but with links to the British secret service. The whole show was perfected, by specialists one would think, to fit for U.S. TV screens.

There were no scenes, zero in all the coverage, that showed casualties in places where they were surprised by gas and died. No basement was searched, no place of work or living was shown - only rescue centers. The male "victims" were clean shaven, despite living in al-Qaeda land. They even had two blond "Syrian" kids in there (vid) to convince the racist constituency that "revenge" was needed and just. A cut right out of Wag The Dog (vid). It is now racist to object to the war!

Comment: For more info, check out: Joe Quinn on Press TV: US airstrikes weak response to defuse globalists' warmongering and relentless pressure on Trump

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Candle

Egypt condemns US airstrikes on Syria, then ISIS blows up two Christian churches - Dozens dead and wounded


RT
Sun, 09 Apr 2017 11:21 UTC
Tanta church bombing
© Google Maps
At least 21 people were killed and 38 injured in a bomb explosion inside a church in Egypt's Tanta, north of Cairo, AP reports, citing the head of the provincial ambulance service, Magdi Awad.

The number of casualties could be as high as 25 killed and 60 injured, Reuters reports, citing state TV.

Egyptian officials have confirmed that the incident was a bomb explosion, according to AP. The explosive device was pre-planted in the prayer hall, according to Al-Manar broadcaster.

"There was a huge explosion in the hall. Fire and smoke filled the room and the injuries were extremely severe. I saw the intestines of those injured and legs severed entirely from their bodies," Reuters quoted Vivian Fareeg as saying.

Graphic images and footage presumably from inside the church have emerged, showing people gathered around apparently lifeless bodies.

Comment: It is quite clearly no coincidence that Egypt got two major terror attacks the morning after its government condemned US airstrikes against the Syrian airbase.

'ISIS' is no religious army - it's a Western mercenary terrorist group.

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Rocket

Pentagon Gave Israel Front Row Seats to US Missile Strikes in Syria

Matthew Allen
Russia Insider
Sat, 08 Apr 2017 00:00 UTC
Bibi
VIP
Israel's intelligence minister said Tel Aviv was given box seats for Trump's missile attack, which "restored" US prestige in Middle East

Israel was given VIP treatment while Trump pounded Syria with overpriced missiles, according to Israel's intelligence minister.

Yisrael Katz, Israel's intelligence minister and a member of the Cabinet's defense forum, said in a Friday interview that US defense officials "updated Israel in real time" about the strike, according to the Jewish Telegraph Agency.

Israel was a vocal proponent for military action in response to the alleged gas attack in Idlib province on Tuesday.

As the Jerusalem Post wrote on April 4, "Amid the voices in Israel's political establishment on Tuesday roundly condemning the Syrian chemical attack and calling on the world to actively intervene, some called for Israel to rethink its own policy toward Syria and suggested taking limited military action."

Comment: If the hypothesis in this article is correct then, indeed, Trump's strike against Syria was a "show" for Israel.

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Take 2

Syria is Trump's Bush-Obama WMD remix

Ulson Gunnar
NEO
Sat, 08 Apr 2017 00:00 UTC
Trump Syria
© The Dodo's Lament
The United States finds its increasingly clumsy, circular foreign policy looping back once again to accusations of "weapons of mass destruction" being inexplicably used against a civilian population, this time in Syria's northern city of Idlib currently serving as the defacto capital of terrorist organizations including various Al Qaeda affiliates, most notably the US State Department designated foreign terrorist organization, al-Nusrah Front.

The allegations have already been used for a rushed US attack on Syrian forces, without any formal investigation or approval from the United Nations.

There are several serious factors being intentionally omitted from this quickly evolving US-driven narrative, including:
  • While the eastern Syrian city of Raqqa serves as the defacto capital of the Islamic State, the northern city of Idlib serves as the defacto capital for all remaining Al Qaeda affiliates in the country;
  • The Syrian government is already winning nationwide using much more effective, conventional tactics and weapon systems. Syria is also under immense scrutiny, thus using chemical weapons would be an egregious tactical, strategic, political and military blunder, serving no purpose besides to incriminate the government and invite US-led foreign intervention;
  • The US has already prepositioned troops in Syria, increasing their number recently and expanding the scope of their operations. It is not a coincidence that they were placed there to exert greater military force against Damascus, and now suddenly have a pretext to do so;
  • The US has a long and sordid history of arraying false accusations against targeted states, specifically regarding the possession or use of chemical weapons and;
  • Militant groups the US and its allies are currently arming, funding, training and providing aid to, have been caught staging serial chemical weapon attacks or fabricating evidence regarding alleged attacks that never took place.

Comment: Theories abound regarding the decision to bomb the Syrian airfield. Motives and function aside, as was the case in the Iraq WMDs, how Trump's abrupt and unexpected military action plays out affects the trajectory of the war and the course of history.

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USA

President Trump asserts his authority over his allies

Thierry Meyssan
Voltaire Network
Fri, 07 Apr 2017 00:00 UTC
damaged hangar
© BBCDamaged aircraft hangar at Shayrat airbase.
Don't be confused by the diplomatic games and the Pied Piperism of the major medias. What happened this morning [April 7] in Syria has no connection with the story you are being told about it, nor the conclusions which are being drawn for you.

This morning, the United States are said to have fired 59 cruise missiles from the Mediterranean in order to destroy the Syrian military air base at Sha'irat. The attack was intended as a unilateral action aimed at punishing the chemical weapons attack which the US attributes to the Syrian Arab Army.

Stunned by the amplitude of the reaction by the US, all commentators concluded that the Trump administration had made a 180° turn concerning the Syrian question. The White House was claimed to have finally adopted the position of its US opposition and its British, French and German allies. Really?

The reality does not correspond to the story

Without hindrance, the US cruise missiles crossed the zone controlled by the new Russian weapon which inhibits NATO communications and commands. According to General Philip Breedlove, ex-Supreme Commander of NATO, this weapon enabled Russia to gain the advantage over the United States in terms of conventional warfare. It should normally have upset the guidance systems of these missiles, but apparently did not function. This indicates either that the Pentagon has finally found a technical riposte, or that the weapon had been de-activated by the Russians.



Comment: If the above reasoning is indicative of motive and action, Trump's tack has also paved the way to up the level of retaliation against the jihadists who really use chemical weapons. Assad was then the sticker face to open that door. At this point, however, all theories regarding this military action are, at best, an exercise in second-guessing.

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Bomb

Bus bomb blast kills 1, 25 injured south of Homs, Syria


RT
Sat, 08 Apr 2017 15:26 UTC
bombed bus
© TwitterDeath trap for one, many injured.
A bomb exploded on a bus in a town south of the Syrian city of Homs, resulting in multiple casualties, according to local media reports.

The bomb was planted in a bus with workers in the town of Hassia, 40km (25 miles) south of Homs, state TV reports, saying that one woman was killed and 25 more people were injured. SANA reports that multiple people have been injured.

Images purportedly showing the aftermath of the attack have appeared on social media. RT cannot verify their authenticity.

This is yet another attack in a string of bombings targeting civilians in Syria. In March, two bombs went off in Damascus on the same day, hitting the Justice Palace in al-Hamidiyeh and a restaurant in the al-Rabweh area, killing more than 30 people in total.

In late February, a car bombing near the Syrian city of Al-Bab in Aleppo Province claimed the lives of almost 70 people, mostly civilians. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by Islamic State.

Comment: There seems to be no end to indiscriminate atrocities in the name of political ideology or just for the 'hell' of it. Sad commentary on the state of humanity.

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