Puppet MastersS


Telephone

Lavrov phones Tillerson: Russia to sue over diplomatic property row because US in 'flagrant violation of international law'


RT
Tue, 05 Sep 2017 20:39 UTC
Russian and US flags
© Maxim Shemetov / Reuters
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has told his American counterpart, Rex Tillerson, that Moscow has initiated legal proceedings over the "seizure" of Moscow's diplomatic properties in the country at the behest of the current White House administration.

The Foreign Ministry in Moscow said that Lavrov and Tillerson spoke by phone on Tuesday.

"When discussing international relations, Lavrov pointed out that the seizure of Russian diplomatic property on US soil was a flagrant violation of international norms," the ministry said in a statement. "The minister drew the secretary of state's attention to the words of Vladimir Putin during the BRICS summit in Xiamen, China about Russia's intention to use legal means to fight back against Washington's illegal actions."
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Bad Guys

The Rohingya Of Myanmar: Pawns in an Anglo-Saudi proxy war against China

b
Moon of Alabama
Tue, 05 Sep 2017 19:57 UTC
Polizisten Myanmar
© Reuters / Soe Zeya Tun
Media attention is directed to some minor ethnic violence in Myanmar, the former Burma. The story in the "western" press is of Muslim Rohingya unfairly vilified, chased out and killed by Buddhist mobs and the army in the state of Rakhine near the border to Bangladesh. The "liberal human interventionists" like Human Rights Watch are united with Islamists likeTurkey's President Erdogan in loudly lamenting the plight of the Rohingya.

That curious alliance also occurred during the wars on Libya and Syria. It is by now a warning sign. Could there be more behind this than some local conflict in Myanmar? Is someone stocking a fire?

Indeed.

Comment: Further reading: Rohingya conflict: Soros and hydrocarbons behind destabilization in Myanmar

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Handcuffs

Venezuela police arrest 2 bank execs after opposition leader found with 'cases of cash'


TeleSur
Tue, 05 Sep 2017 19:57 UTC
Venezuela opposition Banco Occidental de Descuento Lilian Tintori Leopoldo Lopez
© Reuters / @madeleintlSUR-Twitter
The criminal investigation police (CICPC) seized four crates of new currency worth 205 million bolivars from a vehicle owned by Tintori's brother.

Two vice presidents of the Banco Occidental de Descuento (BOD) bank were arrested in connected with over 200 million bolivars found in a vehicle of Lilian Tintori, the wife of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez.

Junior Fructuoso Marquez Ramirez, 67, vice president of interbank operations, and Luis Antonio Llavanero, vice president of operations and services, were arrested Thursday, the La Tabla website reported.
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Attention

The world according to Emmanuel Macron: The days of popular sovereignty are over

Thierry Meyssan
Voltaire Net
Tue, 05 Sep 2017 19:23 UTC
Emmanuel Macron
Delivering a keynote speech before the most senior of French diplomats, President Macron revealed his conception of the world and the way in which he intends to use the tools at his disposal. According to him, there will be no more popular sovereignty, neither in France, nor in Europe, and therefore no more national or supra-national democracies. Neither will there be any more collective interest, no more Republic, but an ill-defined catalogue of things and ideas which compose the common good. Describing their new program of work to the ambassadors, he informed them that they should no longer defend the values of their country, but find opportunities to act in the name of the European Leviathan. Entering into the details of certain conflicts, he described a program of economic colonization of the Levant and Africa.

Participating in the traditional Ambassadors' Week, President Macron gave his first general speech on foreign policy since his arrival at the Elysée Palace [1]. In this article, all the quotations are taken from his speech. The President did not give an overall account of current international relations, nor did he explain the role that he imagines for France in the world, but the way in which he intends to use the tool of diplomacy.
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Light Saber

The liberation of Deir Ezzor, Syria from ISIS commences

b
Moon of Alabama
Tue, 05 Sep 2017 00:00 UTC
Liberation of Deir Ezzor
The Syrian army just broke the Islamic State siege on the city of Deir Ezzor and its military garrison. The siege had been held up since mid 2014.

In a six month long campaign the SAA moved several hundred kilometers from the outskirts of Aleppo and Palmyra towards Deir Ezzor. Three axes, north, center and south drove the campaign through the semi desert. One axis has now reached the areas held by the besieged troops while the spear tips of the other two are only a few kilometers away.

Syrian TV showed the first joyful contact at the 137 brigades area, 15km from Deir Ezzor city center.

Only in January the city and its 100,000 inhabitants left was on the verge of falling into the hands of ISIS. A massive U.S. air attack on the most important Syrian military position of Deir Ezzor in September 2016 directly enabled the ISIS move. But surprisingly the garrison, with 4-5,000 soldiers, held out. Supplies were dropped by parachute through a Russian and Syrian air-bridge and the grand operation to liberate the city was planned and prepared.
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Info

In with a bang: Paul Funk assumes command of US-led operation against Daesh in Syria and Iraq


Sputnik
Tue, 05 Sep 2017 19:47 UTC
US-led coalition jet
© AP Photo/ Vadim Ghirda
The Operation Inherent Resolve stated that the coalition conducted 37 strikes in Syria and Iraq on Monday, adding that Lt. Gen. Paul Funk had assumed command of the coalition.

Lt. Gen. Paul Funk has assumed command of the US-led coalition that is fighting Daesh in Syria and Iraq, the Operation Inherent Resolve said in a press release on Tuesday.

"Lt. Gen. Paul E. Funk II, III Armored Corps Commanding General, assumed command of the Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) from Lt. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend," the release stated.
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Newspaper

BRICS Summit: No tangible commitments made between India and China

Adam Garrie
The Duran
Tue, 05 Sep 2017 19:45 UTC
Narenda Modi and Xi Jinping
In many ways the would-be highlight of this year's BRICS summit, the inevitable handshake and discussion between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was something of a dog that did not bark.

While India withdrew its troops from Doklam/Donglang just prior to the beginning of the BRICS summit, in a move widely seen as a way to avoid embarrassment for the Indian delegation upon its visit to China, little apparent progress on settling the underlying border tensions between the Asian powers appears to have been made.

While both leaders agreed that closer communications are necessary in order to foster greater cooperation and avoid conflicts, the reality is that India had the opportunity to take China up on its summer-long offers for direct dialogue but this did not happen. Without any further commitments to a dialogue process or any near-future bilateral meetings set-up during the Xi-Modi meeting in Xiamen, it is unlikely that anything more specific other than the polite commitment to dialogue has been offered.
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Attention

'Agreeing with Putin'? Sen. Lindsey Graham opposes North Korea sanctions but...


RT
Tue, 05 Sep 2017 19:39 UTC
Lindsey Graham
© Aaron P. Bernstein / Reuters
Senator Lindsey Graham has found himself agreeing with the Russian president that further sanctions against North Korea will most likely fail, following the Trump administration's call for new measures against the North.

Graham has urged a "forceful response" by the United States against "any future missile test" by North Korea, in a series of tweets Tuesday morning, adding that he couldn't believe he was in agreement with the Russian president that "further sanctions on North Korea [are] very unlikely to work."

An American military strike against North Korea was "inevitable" if something did not change, Graham told BBC this weekend.

The Republican Senator from South Carolina has blasted Vladimir Putin on many occasions, recently calling him a "bad guy."
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Attention

May finally calls on Saudis to end Yemen War but arms sales might continue


Sputnik
Tue, 05 Sep 2017 19:13 UTC
Adel al-Jubeir
© AP Photo/ Khaled Elfiqi
In a meeting with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, UK Prime Minister Theresa May is said to have called for the country to end its involvement in the Yemeni civil war, and comply with international humanitarian law. Nonetheless, there is as yet no suggestion that UK arms sales to Riyadh will cease.

While Westminster remains in recess, ministers are still at work, jetting round the world on official trips, and hosting visits from allies - on September 4, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir flew to London for a "short" meeting with May in Downing Street.

The pair are said to have discussed a range of bilateral and regional issues, including the ongoing isolation of Qatar in the Gulf region, with the Prime Minister "reiterating her call" for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the situation and restore Gulf Cooperation Council unity - and Saudi Arabia's "Vision 2030" reform program.

"The Prime Minister noted [Saudi Arabia's] focus on transformation, innovation and empowerment and said the UK looked forward to continuing to work closely with Saudi Arabia on this ambitious project. She hoped that Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman would be able to visit the UK in the near future to build on the historic partnership between the two countries," a Downing Street spokesperson said.

Comment: And also: Good luck with that: Top UN official tells Saudis 'stop war in Yemen, fund 100% of humanitarian aid'

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Jet2

Egypt to resume military exercises with US after 8-year hiatus


PressTV
Tue, 05 Sep 2017 18:57 UTC
James Mattis General Amer
© AFPUS Defense Secretary James Mattis (L) and Egypt's Central Military Zone Commander General Ayman Abdelhamid Amer stand for the playing of the US national anthem following Mattis' arrival to place a wreath at the memorial of the Unknown Soldier in Cairo on April 20, 2017.
Egypt has announced that it will resume hosting joint military exercises with the United States following an eight-year hiatus.

Colonel Tamer el-Rifai, an Egyptian military spokesman, said Tuesday that the two countries would begin the 10-day maneuver on September 10.

Egypt and the US began the drills, known as the "Bright Star", in 1981 and staged it each two years until 2011 when former US President Barack Obama decided to suspend the action following a popular uprising that led to the ouster of the long-time dictator Hosni Mubarak. The Obama administration then cancelled the exercises after a democratically-elected government was removed from power in a coup led by then army chief and current president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The military strongman was elected to power next year but failed to convince Washington to resume the drills as the White House felt increasing pressure over its inaction to deal with human rights abuses in Egypt.

Comment: It appears the US is propositioning Egypt using a variety of methods. To be sure, none of this has anything to do with 'human rights'. That's just political speak the US uses to pressure other countries and to indicate displeasure over some rebellious response that doesn't abide with complete submission.

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