Puppet MastersS


Wolf

The non-story of Donald Trump Jr and the Russian lawyer: Set up for a possible sting?

Natalia Veselnitskaya Trump Jr. russian lawyer
© NBCNatalia Veselnitskaya
Whilst the story of Donald Trump Junior's dealings with Russian lawyer is tangled, the facts show no evidence of any wrongdoing on his part. On the contrary he is the only person who can be shown to have acted straightforwardly and honestly in the whole affair.

A consistent pattern of the Russiagate affair is that the New York Times or the Washington Post "expose" what is presented as some dark and terrible twist to the story of Donald Trump's connections to Russia.

The rest of the news media and the Democrats in Congress following up by greeting the "revelation" with a mixture of enthusiasm and feigned horror.

The days and weeks pass, it turns out that nothing of importance has been "exposed" and that the "revelation" is not so dark or terrible after all.

At that point it quietly drops out of the news.

Comment: Trump Jr. Releases Emails: Everything You Need To Know About the Trump Jr.-Russian Lawyer Nothing-Burger


Star of David

IDF Deputy Chief Golan says Israel is becoming like Nazi Germany, refuses to back down

Israeli IDF general
Last year, a top Israeli general's comments during the country's annual Holocaust Remembrance Day address sparked controversy when he likened the atmosphere in modern day Israel to 1930's Nazi Germany. Now, the outgoing IDF Deputy Chief has doubled down on his remarks and in an interview this week, defended his controversial speech.
"If there is anything that frightens me in the remembrance of the Holocaust, it is discerning nauseating processes that took place in Europe in general, and in Germany specifically back then, 70, 80 and 90 years ago, and seeing evidence of them here among us in the year 2016," Maj. Gen. Yair Golan, the Israeli army's deputy chief of staff said.
As the Times of Israel reports, Golan, speaking in a new video interview produced by the military, said he "didn't realize it would go to the very political place that it went," but added that he "doesn't take back the remarks."

Info

Britain's EU ambassador still not living in Brussels after 6 months on the job

Tim Barrow
© Neil Marshall‏ / Twitter
Britain's ambassador to the EU is still based in London despite the fact he took the job six months ago and Brexit negotiations are looming.

Sir Tim Barrow is still living in the UK with his family amid a reported turf war between the Foreign Office, for whom he works, and the Department for Exiting the EU (DEXEU), who are rumored to have sidelined him.
"Olly Robbins [the permanent secretary in Dexeu] has cut him out," a senior source told the Times.

Map

Military official: US troops inside ISIS stronghold Raqqa in Syria as civilian casualties soar

U.S. fighter stands near a military vehicle, north of Raqqa city
© Rodi Said / Reuters
US military advisors are operating inside the city of Raqqa, the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terrorist group's stronghold in Syria, a US military official said Wednesday.

The US troops, many of them special operations forces, are working in an "advise, assist and accompany" role, AFP quoted Army Colonel Ryan Dillon, spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), as saying.

The troops are supporting local fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), he added.

"They are much more exposed to enemy contact than those in Iraq," Dillon said.

However, he added that they are not in a direct combat role but are calling in airstrikes.

Propaganda

Retired US Lt. Col. on Tucker Carlson: 'Russians are terrorists, Putin is pure evil'

Ralph Peters and Tucker Carlson
Russia killed Baghdadi and this US retired Lt Col is upset about it.

This unhinged retired US Lt. Col. Ralph Peters, who is most likely now employed by the US military industrial complex as a "consultant", believes Russia did not kill ISIS leader Baghdadi but the US did it.

The US Lt. Col. believes Russia is not fighting ISIS, but bombing the democracy loving US backed "moderate rebels" (aka AL Qaeda and Al Nusra) in Syria.

Snakes in Suits

Good luck with that: Dem Congressman submits resolution to impeach Trump

Impeach Trump sign
© AFP
Representative Brad Sherman (D-California) has introduced a resolution to impeach President Donald Trump for "high crimes and misdemeanors," including obstruction of justice over the president's firing of former FBI Director James Comey.

The initiative, submitted to the House of Representatives, claims the president has "prevented, obstructed and impeded" a federal investigation into his former national security advisor, Michael Flynn.

Trump "sought to use his authority to hinder and cause the termination of such investigation(s) including through threatening then terminating James Comey who was until such termination the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation," reads the proposed resolution.

Snakes in Suits

3 months after no proof gathered, stubborn US still blames Assad for attacking Khan Sheikhoun and refuses to investigate the incident

Mike Pompeo
CIA Director Mike Pompeo said the decision to carryout a missile strike against Syria was based on "strong evidence" about Khan Shaikhoun events, gathered during one day.

Regarding Trump's decision to strike Syria, Pompeo said Trump first questioned the intelligence about the possibility of Damascus behind the chemical attack in the northwestern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun, noting that he did not hesitate to attack Syria after he realized that enough "compelling evidence" was gathered by the intelligence.
"I told him that the intelligence community had concluded that the chemical weapon had indeed been used in the attack and it had been launched by the Syrian regime... I knew that the intelligence community had solid evidence... I said to Mr. President that we have high confidence that this really took place". The remarks of Pompeo came during the dinner with CIA leadership, held in scope of the annual event, hosted by the Alliance for National Security Intelligence (INSA).

Info

Israeli police detain seventh suspect in German submarine purchase probe - Update: Netanyahu's lawyer named

Israeli police
© AP Photo/ Ariel Schalit
Israeli police have detained a seventh person for questioning over their suspected involvement in a corruption scandal surrounding the government's purchase of submarines from the German ThyssenKrupp company, local media reported Tuesday citing the police.

According to The Jerusalem Post, the suspect is a retired Israeli Navy major general, whose name has not been disclosed.

On Monday, six people were detained as part of an investigation into the corruption scandal, local police said in a statement. The suspects have been accused of fraud, bribery, and various tax-related offenses with the aim to make the deal more favorable for the German shipbuilder. Some were working within the government at the time of the deal, while others were in the private sector.

Comment: Netanyahu's Lawyer, Ex-Navy Chief Named as Suspects in German Submarine Probe
Attorney David Shimron, a personal lawyer to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Adm. Eliezer Merom, a former commander of the Israeli Navy, were questioned within the ongoing investigation into government contracts to purchase submarines from the German ThyssenKrupp company, media reported Wednesday.

According to The Jerusalem Post newspaper, Shimron and Merom were detained by the police earlier this week, questioned and placed under house arrest.

Shimron worked as an intermediary for Miki Ganor, the Israeli representative of the German shipbuilder, and he is suspected of bribery while pushing to acquire submarines under conditions which were skewed more favorable for ThyssenKrupp, the media outlet said.

Marom, who commanded the Navy from 2007 to 2011, is suspected of having received bribes from Ganor.



Attention

US approves $3.9 billion Patriot missile system for Romania: Putin warns 'We will be forced to respond'

US Patriot Missile System
© Darkone/Wikimedia Commons
On Tuesday the State Department approved the sale of $3.9 billion in patriot missile systems to NATO-member Romania after prior Russia warnings that such actions could be met with severe reprisals.

The announcement, issued through the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency, is sure to be a huge shot across the bow following on the heels of Russian President Vladimir Putin's earlier unambiguous words (issued in May) regarding further NATO build-up in the large Balkan country:
If yesterday in those areas of Romania people simply did not know what it means to be in the cross-hairs, then today we will be forced to carry out certain measures to ensure our security. We won't take any action until we see rockets in areas that neighbor us. We've been repeating like a mantra that we will be forced to respond... Nobody wants to hear us. Nobody wants to conduct negotiations with us.

Target

Wrong target? Who is the real enemy?

TRumpKho
© Getty/Shutterstock
It is one of the great ironies that the United States, a land mass protected by two broad oceans while also benefitting from the world's largest economy and most powerful military, persists in viewing itself as a potential victim, vulnerable and surrounded by enemies.

In reality, there are only two significant potential threats to the U.S. The first consists of the only two non-friendly countries - Russia and China - that have nuclear weapons and delivery systems that could hit the North American continent and the second is the somewhat more amorphous danger represented by international terrorism.

And even given that, I would have to qualify the nature of the threats. Russia and China are best described as adversaries or competitors rather than enemies as they have compelling interests to avoid war, even if Washington is doing its best to turn them hostile. Neither has anything to gain and much to lose by escalating a minor conflict into something that might well start World War 3. Indeed, both have strong incentives to avoid doing so, which makes the actual threat that they represent more speculative than real. And, on the plus side, both can be extremely useful in dealing with international issues where Washington has little or no leverage, to include resolving the North Korea problem and Syria, so the U.S. has considerable benefits to be gained by cultivating their cooperation.

Also, I would characterize international terrorism as a faux threat at a national level, though one that has been exaggerated through the media and fear mongering to such an extent that it appears much more dangerous than it actually is. It has been observed that more Americans are killed by falling furniture than by terrorists in a year but terrorism has a particularly potency due to its unpredictability and the fear that it creates. Due to that fear, American governments and businesses at all levels have been willing to spend a trillion dollars per annum to defeat what might rationally be regarded as a relatively minor problem.

Comment: For those keeping score, the Kingdom of Saudi America has now invaded Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kuwait, Iraq (twice), Libya, Bahrain, Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, and Somalia (twice). And that is just the military aspect of 'invasion.' Is Iran next? America should wake up. Its worst enemy is the one pulling the strings from within.