Puppet MastersS


Snakes in Suits

Poroshenko says Ukraine just 'destroyed' Minsk Agreement but blames Russia

Petro Poroshenko
After urging Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council to impose a state-sanctioned blockade on Donbass on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he would "propose another law that would be in line with Ukraine's national interests" because recognizing eastern Ukrainian territories not under Kiev's control as "occupied" would "destroy" the Minsk process.

A rather bizarre admission from Ukraine' president — especially because he supports the blockade — but this kind of erratic behavior should be expected from a man who feasts on Roshen bars and Lindsey Graham's Ugg boots.

Comment: More on the crazy Ukraine situation:


Bad Guys

Despite int'l protest, US ally Saudi Arabia planning 'heinous' assault on Yemen's largest port city

Yemen Aden man port
A Yemeni man looks at a World Food Program ship at the port of Aden, Yemen, Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Despite a warning from the UN to end its existing blockades of Yemeni ports, a Saudi-led coalition is planning another major assault on the nation's largest port city of Al Hudaydah, a move that threatens to worsen Yemen's already unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

While the Syrian conflict has long dominated international coverage of Middle Eastern crises, the humanitarian crisis in Yemen has been continually overlooked by the mainstream media. Since March 2015, the nation has been in a state of chaos following the overthrow of former Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, who was installed by the United States and Saudi governments, by a grassroots political movement led by the Houthis.

Following the Houthi-led coup, Saudi Arabia essentially invaded Yemen, eager to maintain control over the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait, a critical area for the region's oil trade. The Saudis' efforts to maintain their undue influence in Yemeni politics and maintain hegemony over a key oil route has now manifested as a war effort bordering on genocide — one that has claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people, most of them civilians. In addition, more than a third of Saudi airstrikes in the nation are believed to have destroyed civilian targets.

Comment: Check out: Russian FM: Saudi plan to attack Yemen port city would 'cut millions off from food & aid supplies'
The coalition's "plans to storm Yemen's biggest port of Hudaydah give rise to serious concerns," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement published on the ministry's official website.

She added that battles in this area "would not only inevitably lead to a mass exodus of the [local] population but would also de facto cut the [Yemeni] capital of Sanaa from... food and humanitarian aid supplies."



Penis Pump

Preet Bharara's mealy-mouthed reason for why he let Wall Street banksters dodge prison

banker get out of jail card
Recently dismissed U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara, is suddenly being celebrated as an aggressive warrior in the fight against Wall Street corruption. Really? You could've fooled me. Perhaps I was in a coma when a string of big bank executives were arrested and sent to prison.

No, what actually happened is one of the most powerful attorneys in the nation came up with a mealy-mouthed, cowardly rationale for why he let these financial thieves off the hook.

Comment: So a U.S. District Attorney just backed down when a Wall Street lawyer said "Boo!". Disgraceful. He totally deserved to be fired.


Info

Libya unity government and rival factions agree to a ceasefire after Tripoli battle

Libyan security forces
© AFP
Libya's unity government and rival armed groups in Tripoli have signed a ceasefire deal, ending fierce fighting for the control of the capital.

The deal, signed by the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), local mayors and powerful militias from Tripoli and Misrata provides for an "immediate ceasefire."

The agreement calls for armed groups that do not recognize the GNA to leave Tripoli within 30 days.

According to GNA's Defense Ministry, the deal also demands the release of people arrested since fresh battle triggered on Monday.

Comment: The UN-backed GNA is an illegitimate farce, not supported by the Libyan people. Here's what Haftar, leader of the Libyan National Army in the east and who at least has the temporary support of the Libyan people, had to say:
Ahmed Al-Mismari, the spokesperson of Haftar's forces, claimed that some members of the UN-backed Presidency Council and High Council of State held secret meetings with leaders of Al-Qaeda to mastermind the attack on the oil crescent region by Benghazi Defense Brigades, according to Libya Observer.

In an extraordinary press conference, Al-Mismari said the meetings were held in Tripoli and Misrata and attended by President of High Council of State Abdul-Rahman Al-Swaihli, some members from the Presidency Council and some leaders of Al-Qaeda.

He said, "This is a coalition of all terrorist groups in western Libya against the Libyan National Army in the east." He also noted that their aim is political opportunism.

Al-Mismari also claimed that Al-Qaeda are competing for the control of Tripoli and oil ports to have more influence on the ground.

Moreover, Al-Mismari has previously accused Qatar and Turkey of supplying advanced military equipment to Benghazi Defense Brigades ahead of their military operation in oil ports.



Attention

Massive lawsuit exposes Chiquita Banana for funding terrorist death squads

Columbia AUC security
© AFP
The families of Colombians killed by right-wing paramilitary groups want compensation from former executives of the Chiquita banana company, who they say armed and funded the death squads.

In a complaint filed March 11 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, more than 200 relatives of the slain claim nothing short of "a campaign of terror" was carried out by paramilitary groups in Colombia's Uraba region to maintain control of vast banana plantations owned by Chiquita.

The plaintiffs, who are identified only as John and Jane Does, go on to claim that former Chiquita CEO Cyrus Freidheim and manager Charles Keiser violated U.S., Colombian and international laws against torture, extrajudicial killing and other "crimes against humanity" by directing the activity.

According to the 155-page complaint, Chiquita made regular monthly payments to security forces controlled by the United Self-Defense Groups of Colombia, or AUC, totaling more than $1.7 million.

Comment: Other companies also involved hiring the same terrorists: Coca-Cola: Funding Colombian death squads?


Chess

Maryland federal judge blocks Trump's travel ban, cites fears of 'religious persecution'

Trump travel ban muslim ban protest
A federal judge in Maryland has suspended a portion of President Donald Trump's travel ban which prevents US visas from being issued to citizens of six countries. It comes after a similar ruling from a judge in Hawaii.

US District Judge Theodore D. Chuang determined on Thursday that Trump's revised executive order was "the realization of the long-envisioned Muslim ban."

Citing previous comments made by the president, Chuang concluded that "the history of public statements continues to provide a convincing case that the purpose of the Second Executive Order remains the realization of the long-envisioned Muslim ban."

Comment: So many people want to see 'religious persecution' in Trump's relatively neutral travel ban, but when it comes to the US' wars that have killed upwards of 4 million Muslims, well that's just hunky dory, carry on then.

Further reading: Did Obama visit Hawaii judge who halted Trump's travel ban?


Bad Guys

Did Obama visit Hawaii judge who halted Trump's travel ban?

obama
© Unknown
The deep state is as deep as we have all suspected. A mere hours prior to Trump's travel ban going live, US District Court Judge Derrick Watson, who presides in Honolulu, challenged and halted the executive order. Another liberal judge playing politics? Likely so, but possibly another liberal judge that's tied into the deep state.

Snakes in Suits

McCain has meltdown: 'Rand Paul is working for Putin!' [UPDATE]

John McCain
© www.freedomworks.orgSenator John McCain: Ratz! Foiled again!
"Putin derangement syndrome" may have finally jumped the shark. Just minutes ago on the US Senate Floor, Sen. Rand Paul did the sensible thing and blocked NATO accession for tiny, corrupt Montenegro. The inconsequential Balkan country brings absolutely nothing to the NATO alliance, with its army of approximately 1,950 active duty military, a population the size of the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and a history political repression and corruption.

Montenegro would only be a drain on the NATO alliance, but those pushing for its membership don't care much. They view Montenegro's NATO membership as another black eye for the Russians, who have been historically close to the tiny Balkan state.

Comment: Senator Rand Paul has responded to McCain's raving lunacy in an interview with MSNBC:
"I think he makes a really, really strong case for term limits. I think maybe he is past his prime. Maybe he has gotten a little bit unhinged."

"I do think that when we talk about NATO, there can be a rational discussion about the pros and cons of expanding it. We currently have combat troops in six nations. We have troops actively, just stationed in probably a couple dozen others."

"We have a twenty trillion dollar debt. And one of my favorite articles in the last couple of years, was one that talked about the 'angry McCains'. And if we put active troops, and got involved in combat where McCain wants us to be, they would put a little angry McCains on the globe, on the map, and its virtually everywhere."

"His foreign policy is something that would greatly endanger the United States. Greatly over extend us. And there has to be the thought, whether or not, it is in our national interest to pledge, to get involved with war, if Montenegro has an altercation with anyone."

"There is also another argument, is that when you ask the people of Montenegro, only about 40% and slightly less are actually in favor of this. They are close to Russia, they are close to being sort of like Ukraine, in the transition from Europe to Asia. Perhaps it would be good to be more like Switzerland, and be more neutral to trade with both."

"To call someone, somehow an enemy of the state, or a traitor might be considered by most reasonable people a little over the top."




Bad Guys

Bad News: The Kagan Family is Back

Kagan Nuland neocons
Neocons Robert Kagan and wife Victoria "F**k the EU" Nuland
The Kagan family, America's neoconservative aristocracy, has reemerged having recovered from the letdown over not gaining its expected influence from the election of Hillary Clinton and from its loss of official power at the start of the Trump presidency.

Back pontificating on prominent op-ed pages, the Family Kagan now is pushing for an expanded U.S. military invasion of Syria and baiting Republicans for not joining more enthusiastically in the anti-Russian witch hunt over Moscow's alleged help in electing Donald Trump.

In a Washington Post op-ed on March 7, Robert Kagan, a co-founder of the Project for the New American Century and a key architect of the Iraq War, jabbed at Republicans for serving as "Russia's accomplices after the fact" by not investigating more aggressively.

Smiley

Turkey will not integrate its Russian S-400 into NATO's missile defense system

S-400 missile system
© Sputnik/ Sergei Malgavko
S-400 missile system that Ankara plans to buy from Russia will not be integrated into NATO missile defense system, Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Işık said on Thursday.

"The Russian S-400 system will not be integrated into NATO missile defense system," Işık said.

On Wednesday, Turkish Defense Minister said that Ankara and Moscow made certain progress in talks on delivery of Russian-made S-400 air defense systems to Turkey, but the sides are still not ready to strike a deal.

Comment: Further reading: