Puppet MastersS


Snakes in Suits

Warhawk McCain makes secret trip to US-occupied Kurdish zone in Syria, goes on to meet Erdogan

Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
Thu, 23 Feb 2017 22:12 UTC
Senator John McCain
In an unusual move for a sitting senator, John McCain (R-AZ) secretly traveled to northern Syria last weekend to speak with American military officials and Kurdish fighters at the forefront of the push to drive Islamic State out of their de facto capital of Raqqa. The short visit came in the middle of a regional trip that took McCain from Saudi Arabia to Turkey, where he discussed evolving plans to counter the Islamic State in the Middle East. Per the Wall Street Journal:
U.S. officials familiar with Mr. McCain's trip said that the senator traveled to Kobani, the Syrian town on the Turkey border controlled by Kurdish forces since 2012.

In a statement, Mr. McCain's office confirmed that a trip took place, saying the senator "traveled to northern Syria last week to visit U.S. forces deployed there and to discuss the counter-ISIL campaign and ongoing operations to retake Raqqa."

Mr. McCain is believed to be the first U.S. lawmaker to travel to the Kurdish-controlled area of northeastern Syria since it became a hub for American special-operations forces who are aiding local forces in the fight against Islamic State.

Comment: McCain secretly travels to Syria to meet with troops, leaders, opposition


Comment: This lunatic McCain is acting on his own stirring up the war pot:

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Clipboard

French election intensifies: Rise of Le Pen, fade away of Macron

Alexander Mercouris
The Duran
Thu, 23 Feb 2017 00:00 UTC
Le Pen, Macron
© Le Temps
Opinion polls show Marine Le Pen increasing her lead in the French Presidential election, as the attraction of Emmanuel Macron - the centrist establishment candidate - begins to fade. Latest opinion polls in France suggest that Marine Le Pen is increasing her first round lead, and is starting to close the gap between herself and whatever challenger she will face in the second round of the French election. This is happening at the same time as the centrist challenger - Emmanuel Macron - is showing the first signs of losing support.

The poll conducted by Elabe for TV broadcaster BFM TV, puts the ratings of the various contenders for the first round as follows: [Le Pen] extending her lead by 1.5% if the centrist candidate Francois Bayrou remained in the race, and by 2% if he pulled out.

Comment: So far, the French election projections are moving a slim step back from a cliff-hanger, but anything can happen... as the US well knows.

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Snakes in Suits

Congresswoman Maxine Waters goes off the deep end, calls Trump's advisors "scumbags"

Alex Christoforou
The Duran
Thu, 23 Feb 2017 20:16 UTC
maxine waters
The Democratic congresswoman from California Maxine Waters is losing her mind over President Trump and Russia.

On MSNBC the intellectually challenged congresswoman got triggered, and started calling President Trump's cabinet (and anyone who has ties to Russian oil and gas interests) "a bunch of scumbags."

What does Waters call loser presidential candidates (HRC) who had ties with selling uranium rights to Russia?

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Footprints

ISIS 'surrenders' Syrian town of Al-Bab, Turkish military assumes control

Alexander Mercouris
The Duran
Thu, 23 Feb 2017 00:00 UTC
Turkish army
© REUTERS/ Khalil AshawiTurkish military reach center of Al-Bab, Syria
Turkish news agencies are reporting that ISIS fighters have surrendered the strategically important town of Al-Bab in northern Syria to the Turkish military, which is now in full control of the town. This follows a succession of see-sawing battles for the town, during which Turkish troops have often suffered heavy losses.

Turkish President Erdogan came close to declaring victory in Al-Bab two weeks ago. However a counter-attack by ISIS then drove the Turkish army and its 'Free Syrian Army' back, retaking all the territory they had captured. However yesterday the Turkish army itself counter-attacked and in an assault that apparently relied heavily on Turkish Special Forces the Turkish military is reported to have captured a quarter of the town.

This latest Turkish advance into the town appears to have set the scene for ISIS's surrender today.

According to the Al-Masdar news agency, ISIS surrendered after reaching an agreement with the Turkish military for the safe withdrawal of its fighters from Al-Bab.

Around 5,000 ISIS fighters have been trapped in Al-Bab and at a time when ISIS is coming under pressure on all fronts the organisation is in no position to throw away the lives of so many of its fighters to hold on to a town that is hardly crucial to its survival. As I discussed previously, what was surprising was that ISIS kept so many of its fighters in Al-Bab for so long, allowing them to become trapped there.

Comment: It is certainly curious to contemplate the behind-scenes deals taking place in Syria. 5000 trapped ISIS fighters allowed to walk does seem counter-intuitive to short-ending the overall ISIS threat and culminating the war in Syria (if that is your priority). While Al-Bab did not matter to ISIS, it is crucial to Turkey, given its location near the Turkish border. Perhaps the trade-off offered a sure-fire 'claim to victory' and occupation for Erdogan. But here's the question: Was a deal also made to meet Erdogan's real priority: elimination of the Kurds via 5000 grateful ISIS fighters?

See also: FSA, Turkish soldiers seize Al-Bab, Daesh on the run

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Stop

White House holds on issuing a revamped Executive Order on immigration


RFE/RL
Thu, 23 Feb 2017 00:00 UTC
Trump and 2
© Associated Press/Evan VucciEO on hold for now.
The White House said on February 22 that it is pushing back until next week the release of President Donald Trump's revamped executive order limiting entry into the United States for refugees and immigrants. Trump had said his administration would unveil the new order this week, but a White House official says that this has been delayed.

Trump's original order temporarily banning all refugees in addition to visitors from seven predominantly Muslim nations was blocked in the courts. The directive, which affected people from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, and Yemen, sparked confusion at airports and protests across the country and overseas.

The White House said it would rewrite the order to try to address the constitutional objections raised by a U.S. appeals court in San Francisco, which said the order appeared to discriminate on the basis of religion, and other lower-level U.S. courts that are reviewing the order.

Comment: Stay tuned. Round two.

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Footprints

FSA, Turkish soldiers seize Al-Bab, Daesh on the run


Sputnik
Thu, 23 Feb 2017 15:27 UTC
Turkish troops
© Reuters/Khalil AshawiTurkish offensive on route to al-Bab
Daesh terrorists are leaving the Syrian city of Al-Bab as the Free Syrian Army (FSA), backed by the Turkish armed forces, regained control of the city, reports the news agency Anadolu. Sputnik Turkey correspondent Hikmet Dorgun confirmed the information. According to a source in the FSA, Daesh terrorists who were trapped in the eastern part of the city began to withdraw their units and weapons from the region.

According to information received from Anadolu Agency reporters in Al-Bab, the FSA is currently clearing the city center of mines laid by Daesh. "The city center is under FSA control now. We're moving forward, considering mines and explosives around," Ahmed al-Shahabi, the FSA field commander, said as cited by Anadolu.

Al-Bab is one of Daesh's last remaining strongholds near the Turkish border. Capturing the city is of strategic importance to Turkey in order to prevent the Syrian Kurds taking it and unifying their own territories.

Earlier, it was reported that the Turkish military operation in Syria's al-Bab has entered the final stage. Turkey's units entered central al-Bab, the operation is being conducted in coordination with Russia to prevent clashes with Syrian government forces.

Comment: Russian and Turkish cooperation follows a January 12th agreement allowing their respective air forces to coordinate operations in Syria. At the time it was speculated that US involvement so close to the Turkish border would offer the Syrian Kurds an advantage, one Turkey doesn't want. Keeping the Turkish forces and YPG separated and out of clash with the Syrian army, and the US-added consideration for a safe zone, has been a logistic challenge in this area. It all depends on well-organized cooperation and the willingness of the various factions to abide by unified decisions and to follow through as required.

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Attention

A Dutch special agent's 'leak' prompts Wilders to abort public appearances


RT
Thu, 23 Feb 2017 17:52 UTC
Geert Wilders
© Robin Utrecht/ AFP/Getty images
Far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders has suspended public appearances after a special security agent tasked with protecting him leaked information to a criminal gang. Wilders' Party for Freedom leads the polls ahead of next month's general election.

However, Wilders has put his campaigning on hold amid safety concerns after a man from a team assigned to the politician by the Department of Safety and Security was arrested, according to reports in the Dutch media. The member of the Dutch security forces is suspected of leaking police information to people linked to the criminal underworld, according to De Telegraaf, although it is not clear what details may have been passed on.

The breach reportedly involves a security detail known as the Iris Unit, which escorts politicians and is also responsible for protecting members of the royal family. "Tremendously disturbing news," Wilders tweeted in reaction to the reports. "If I can't blindly trust the service that has to protect me, I can no longer function."

Comment: Netherlands promises to be another messy election if the leak and threat are real. If not, the candidate has undercut his position. Not an easy choice to make.

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Star of David

Netanyahu depicted as Hitler by Sydney protesters during historic Australia trip


RT
Thu, 23 Feb 2017 20:12 UTC
netanyahu as hitler
© William West / AFP Sydney on February 23, 2017
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was met by pro-Palestinian protesters carrying a poster depicting him as Adolf Hitler during his official state visit to Australia.

The visit marks the first from an acting Israeli premier to Australia. Around 650 pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in Sydney on Thursday to protest the visit, carrying a poster of Netanyahu with a Hitler-esque moustache and labeled 'Fascist'.

Others in the crowd carried placards branding Netanyahu a 'war criminal' and 'terrorist', according to the Jerusalem Post, and lambasted the Australian government's strong ties with Israel.
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Vader

Obama starts non-profit to continue disrupting Trump presidency


Sputnik
Thu, 23 Feb 2017 20:08 UTC
Ian Bassin
© AP Photo/ Jonathan FickiesFormer White House associate counsel Ian Bassin
Former President Barack Obama's lawyers have established the non-profit organization United to Protect Democracy (UPD) to serve as ethical and legal watchdog for the actions of the US government, UPD lawyer and former White House associate counsel Ian Bassin said in an interview on Thursday.


Comment: Considering the entire Obama Administration was completely devoid of ethics and democratic principles, this non-profit organization is obviously just a front for destabilizing the current administration.


"As people who had the privilege of serving at the highest level of our government, we understand those guardrails, where people might come up against them and what the tools are that we have as private citizens to hold our government accountable," Bassin told Politico.


Comment: Perhaps the citizens of the US should hold Obama, Killary, and the entire Obama foreign policy team accountable and demand the government charge them for treason and put them in jail for their war crimes. That would be accountability!


United to Protect Democracy, named after an expression in Obama's farewell address, has already raised $1.5 million and hired five staffers. The watchdog intends to double the number in the coming weeks, according to media reports.

Bassin explained that UPD may serve as a platform for government employees who are worried about ethics violations within the White House.

UPD has already filed 50 Freedom of Information Act requests, with the intention to obtain documents from the government and potentially file lawsuits.
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Extinguisher

Useful idiot Michael Moore launches 'resistance' website promoting anti-Trump actions

Shepard Ambellas
Intellihub
Wed, 22 Feb 2017 13:03 UTC
Michael Moore
© AP/Jose Luis MaganaFilm director Michael Moore speaks to the crowd during the Women’s March rally, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017, in Washington.
An anti-Trump "coalition" actually exists

In an effort to create more political friction for the White House than there already is, liberal, filmmaker and activist, Michael Moore launched The Resistance Calender, a website aimed at empowering liberals by pairing them with daily anti-Trump actions in which they can attend.

To the untrained eye, Moore's website, ResistanceCalendar.org, looks decent. It boasts an early-90's color scheme and is rather simple to navigate. It's basically, an online bulletin board which caters to leftists looking to take action by mobilizing against Trump.

The website allows users to "submit" or "add" an event by simply filling out an online form which asks users for their name, their email, the link they wish to promote and a description of the event. Under the "Monthly" tab I counted 55 different events taking place on Today alone with Saturday the 25th looking busy also.

Comment: Michael Moore is also selling his 10-step action plan to make 'Trump toast'.
HOW TO STOP TRUMP (Pocket Edition) by Michael Moore

1. THE DAILY CALL: You must call Congress every day. Yes - YOU! 202-225-3121. It will take just TWO MINUTES! Make it part of your daily routine. It's even better to try their direct line. For Senators, find their numbers here: http://bit.ly/2kko0Ao. For the direct line to your Congressman/woman in the House of Representatives: http://house.gov/representatives. But here's the best way to call them: Go to the App Store and get "5 Calls". The app will dial the friggin' phone for you and give you talking points for when you speak to your reps. Remember -- a call a day keeps the Trump away.

2. THE MONTHLY VISIT: To add even more pressure, SHOW UP! Your member of Congress has a local office in your town or somewhere nearby. So do both of your U.S. Senators (often in the nearest federal building). Go there and ask to speak to them or their aides about the issues you care about. And when they have a town hall meeting, be there!

3. YOUR RAPID RESPONSE TEAM: You and 5 to 20 friends must form a Rapid Response Team so that when we need to leap into action (like we did at the airports the hour after Trump signed his Muslim Ban), we can email and text those closest to us to make an instant plan.

4. JOIN! JOIN! JOIN!: If you haven't already, it's time to join some of our great national groups: Planned Parenthood, ACLU, Black Lives Matter, Democratic Socialists of America, ERA Action, MoveOn.org - the list goes on and on. And all the new groups that have sprung up to fight Trump: IndivisibleGuide.com, TownHallProject.com, Organizing for Action (ofa.us), ActionGroups.net, etc. Go and so many more. Sign up!

5. WOMEN'S MARCH NEVER ENDS: The historic, record-breaking January 21st Women's March on Washington -- and the hundreds of other Marches that day across the US and the world, with over 4 million in attendance! -- inspired millions and ignited hundreds of local movements. Every day now dozens of actions continue to take place as if the Women's March never ended. It hasn't. Join it! Go to my RESISTANCE CALENDAR (www.resistancecalendar.com) where you can find out what actions are taking place near you.

6. TAKE OVER THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY: The old guard of the Party has twice in 16 years presided over the majority of Americans electing the Democrat to the White House -- only for us all to see the losing Republican inaugurated as President. How is it that we have won the popular vote in SIX OF THE LAST SEVEN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS -- the Republicans have only won ONCE since 1988 -- and yet, we hold NO power in any branch of government?! We must elect reform and progressive candidate, Congressman Keith Ellison, as the new DNC chair. Keith is a former community organizer, the first Muslim elected to Congress, and a key backer of Bernie Sanders. Sign his petition of support at www.keithfordnc.org/howyoucanhelp. And locally, you need to start attending your county Democratic meetings. If possible, organize your friends and others and take over your local Democratic organization.

7. LET'S FORM BLUE REGIONS OF RESISTANCE: People keep saying, "I live in a Blue State - what can I do?" Show the rest of America what it could look like in a state where Trump isn't in charge! New York should go ahead and offer Free College for All. California can create its own Universal Health Care. Oregon can stop mass incarceration of African Americans. Hawaii can enact its own climate change laws. Important historical note: Before Roe v. Wade made abortion legal, California and New York passed their own state laws to make it legal. This greatly helped pave the way for CHOICE being the new normal - and, three years later, for the enactment of Row v. Wade.

8. YOU MUST RUN FOR OFFICE: I know, that's the LAST thing you want to do. But if we keep leaving the job up to the dismal, lame, pathetic political hacks who have sold us all down the river, then what right do we have to complain? This is only going to get fixed when you and I decide we are willing to put in our time -- even if it is a brief time -- and run for office. Run for school board, town council, state senate in 2018. I ran when I was 18 and got elected. You can, too. At the very least, run for precinct delegate. The time commitment is just 3 hours a year! Call your city or county clerk and find out how to get on the ballot. If you'll do it, I'll do it.

9. JOIN THE ARMY OF COMEDY: Trump's Achilles heel is his massively thin skin. He can't take mockery. So we all need to MOCK HIM UP! I truly believe the final tipping point for Trump will be when he implodes from all the laughter -- the mocking, the unbearable ridicule of tens of millions of Americans that will discombobulate him and force him out of the White House. I don't know what happened to Trump in boarding school at 13 and I don't care. Whatever it was, let's use it. He's used all the other things he picked up over the years - misogyny, bigotry, greed - against the powerless and the unfortunate. It's time to laugh him outta town. And if there's one thing we all could use right now is a good laugh -- AND the possibility of a much-shortened presidential term.

Please share this and spread the word. Follow me on Twitter (@MMFlint) and Facebook (facebook.com/mmflint) and I'll keep posting ideas on what we all can do. We can stop him. We can nonviolently block and obstruct halt the damage he's doing. But it's going to need -- and take -- ALL HANDS ON DECK!


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