Puppet MastersS


Bad Guys

Silencing Dissent: Torture, Whistleblowers & the 'Dangerous Apathy' of US Politics

Ex-CIA Officer John Kiriakou
Ex-CIA Officer John Kiriakou
John Kiriakou never imagined he would become, much less be called, a whistleblower for speaking out publicly against his CIA employer over a shadowy torture program he's come to believe amounts to the most nefarious of violations of international law, a heinous crime against humanity, and an affront to otherwise-touted American values of freedom and justice.

But that's what happened.

And the ex-CIA officer languished behind bars for nearly three years for what amounts to a witch hunt targeting dissenting voices — those situated at the highest levels of government, down to military and surveillance contractors, and even extending broadly enough to begin quashing the free press.

Sherlock

Seymour Hersh challenges US version of events surrounding Assad 'chemical attack'

Seymour M. Hersh
Legendary investigative reporter Seymour Hersh is challenging the Trump administration's version of events surrounding the April 4 "chemical weapons attack" on the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun - though Hersh had to find a publisher in Germany to get his information out.

In the Sunday edition of Die Welt, Hersh reports that his national security sources offered a distinctly different account, revealing President Trump rashly deciding to launch 59 Tomahawk missiles against a Syrian airbase on April 6 despite the absence of intelligence supporting his conclusion that the Syrian military was guilty.

Hersh draws on the kind of inside sources from whom he has earned longstanding trust to dispute that there ever was a "chemical weapons attack" and to assert that Trump was told that no evidence existed against the Syrian government but ordered "his generals" to "retaliate" anyway.

Gold Coins

May's coalition deal makes DUP MPs 'worth £100mn each'... £20mn more than footballer Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo Foster DUP
© ReutersCristiano Ronaldo (L), Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Arlene Foster (R)
Each of the 10 Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MPs brought in to prop up Theresa May's minority government is "worth more" than Real Madrid footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, quipped Scottish National Party (SNP) MP Alison Thewliss.

Speaking during Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Thewliss hit out at Theresa May's deal with the DUP, which saw central government pledge to give Northern Ireland an extra £1 billion (US$1.3 billion) in exchange for backing Tory legislation.

The support of each of the DUP's 10 MPs has therefore set the PM back £100 million apiece.

Eye 1

The U.S. hypocrisy is limitless

US Naval_Mobile_Construction_Battalion_NMCB_40_conduct_drills_in_full_chemical_protective

Having ordered to attack the al-Shayrat air field near the western Syrian city of Homs, U.S. President Donald Trump knew that the Syrian government hadn't used any chemical weapons in Khan Shaykhun. At the same time the current U.S. administration was making every effort to develop an information campaign against Damascus.


This was reported by Die Welt am Sonntag, a German Sunday newspaper. US investigative journalist and political writer Seymour Hersh stressed that, actually, Syrian Air Force had targeted a two-story building, where extremists from various terrorist groups held meetings. According to Hersh, a bomb, dropped by the Syrian aircraft in Khan Shaykhun, caused a number of detonations. The explosion let to the formation of a cloud of noxious vapour. Washington was knowledgeable about that.

The attack became an ideal occasion for the U.S. further accusations against Damascus. After a short time, the world media started to spread staged footages and photos from Khan Shaykhun. Those materials showed injured people, who were allegedly dying in a suspected sarin chemical attack.

Permanent representatives of a number of Western countries to the UN also made every effort to put all responsibility for the incident on the Syrian government, headed by President Bashar Assad. Thus, Nikki R. Haley, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, at a Security Council meeting even showed photos, allegedly proving the 'crimes' of the Syrian authorities against Syrians.

Jet4

US intensifies reconnaissance flights in Syria

Syria city
© Reuters/ Mahmoud Hebbo
US reconnaissance aircraft have sharply increased the amount of flights over Syria, Lebanese Al Mayadeen television channel reported on Wednesday, citing its sources.

According to the outlet's source, the plane belongs to the US Navy, and such unusual activity may mean that it is preparing for some kind of action.

According to Al Mayadeen, the same plane was in Syria's airspace before the US strike on positions of the Syrian army in Deir ez-Zor in September 2016.

Star of David

No surprise: Netanyahu reneges on Western Wall deal

Wailing Wall
© Mike Smith/Agence France-PresseUltra-Orthodox Jewish men (L) and women (R) pray in different sections of the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City on February 2, 2016
Israel's shelving of a deal to allow men and women to pray together at the Western Wall echoed far beyond religion Monday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused of abandoning reform efforts for political gain.

Netanyahu's cabinet voted Sunday to back out of the hard-won deal, provoking a flood of criticism and warnings it could damage Israel's relationship with the United States' influential Jewish community. That followed pressure from ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties who are part of Netanyahu's right-wing coalition and follow a strict interpretation of religious rules.

Such parties have often played a kingmaker role in Israeli politics and have opposed years of efforts by more liberal Jews to win equal rights for women at the Western Wall, one of the holiest sites in Judaism.

Women and men currently pray in separate areas at the site in Jerusalem's Old City, where religious affairs are overseen by Israel's ultra-Orthodox establishment. A compromise reached more than a year ago and hailed as "historic" at the time would have created a third space near the wall, open to both women and men.

Sunday's cabinet vote froze the deal -- effectively cancelling it -- despite the government having earlier endorsed it.

Question

Pelosi health questions? Appears dazed at NYC event - stops speaking, stares at audience

Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi at 92nd St Y event.
As Nancy Pelosi struggles to beat back an insurgency by her House Democratic colleagues over a string of election losses, there are new questions over her health after she suffered multiple brain freezes during a recent appearance in New York City.

During a Sunday event at the 92nd Street Y, Pelosi would awkwardly stop mid-sentence repeatedly, stare at the audience, and then continue speaking.

Speaking about her father, Pelosi said, "He was part of a group called the Berkson Group and they did rallies and pageants and parades and um, and when he stood up on the floor of Congress, 'I stand here as a representative of the—" she said before halting and staring at the audience.

Then she resumed, "members of the Jewish army."

Moments later, while she was talking about a planning an agenda after losing four special elections, she said, "For us, we have to make sure that our members—-participate in that."

Comment: Pelosi seems to be joining other member of the elite in their declining health. Continuous lying is hard on the body.


Gold Coins

Google fined record €2.4 bln by EU for anti-trust violations

Google logo on mouse pad
© Dado Ruvic / Reuters
American IT giant Google will be watched closely by the European Commission for a long time after the company was fined €2.42 billion for antitrust violations.

The ruling opens the door for further regulatory action against Google's businesses like mobile phones and online ad buying. The fine will also make civil lawsuits against Google much easier given the precedent.

Google was found guilty of manipulating search results by putting its Shopping Box at the top of searches making other shopping websites less visible.

Snakes in Suits

Netanyahu's fist of fury while visiting young Jews in Birthright, Texas

Netanyahu's fist
This is funny. The Israeli Prime Minister's office published this video of Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Birthright delegations of visiting young Jews two days ago. And the PM tells them Israel's hand is outstretched to peace, but he's making a fist.

Go to the minute mark of the video below.
It's a country that feeds the hungry, heals the sick, and helps keep people safe in Africa Asia and around the world. This is the real Israel... It's a strong country that is ready to defend itself against any threat. And its hand is outstretched to peace, a genuine peace, with all our neighbors. This is the real Israel and you should tell everyone about it. Everyone.
You can see that Netanyahu twice makes a fist as he speaks of this genuine peace Israel is seeking.


Netanyahu also says that Iran's days are numbered, in language that is somewhat reminiscent of the old Iranian threat that Israel will vanish from the page of time. Netanyahu:
[Iran] put up a digital clock counting down to Israel's destruction... Well we were here in this land for thousands of years before the ayatollahs took the people of Iran hostage, and we'll be here long after their theocratic tyranny is just a footnote of history.
For the Iranian quote, see the New Statesman.

Jet4

Putin: We will bolster military power against aggressors who do not like a sovereign Russia

vladimir putin
© Sputnik/ Aleksey Druzinin
Russian President Vladimir Putin affirmed that Russia would continue bolstering its military power against potential aggressors.
"Only advanced powerful mobile armed forces are capable of securing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country and protecting us and our allies from any potential aggressor, as well as from pressure and intimidation by those who do not like the independent sovereign Russia," he said at a meeting with Russian military graduates.

"During the past years, the Russian army has noticeably improved, the officers' professionalism has grown, as can be seen from the counter-terrorism operation in the Syrian Arab Republic," he stressed. "We plan to further bolster the army and fleet combat power, provide well-balanced and consistent operation of all army branches and services based on long-term plans and programs, as well as enhance the quality and intensity of combat training."