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Radar

Russian air regulator debunks official MH17 findings, radar data could not 'miss' missile

wreckage is seen at the crash site of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17
© Maxim Zmeyev / ReutersA part of the wreckage is seen at the crash site of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 near the village of Hrabove (Grabovo), in the Donetsk region July 21, 2014.
Russian radar could not have failed to notice a projectile approaching Flight MH17, despite the claims by a Dutch minister, the head of Rosaviatsia says. The lack of radar marks shows nothing approached the plane from the east, despite official findings.

Last week, the Dutch government published a series of replies by Security and Justice Minister Stef Blok, who explained to a parliamentary commission why radar data provided by Russia did not show any objects approaching the MH17 flight, including a Buk missile.

The radar, according to Blok, could simply miss a missile. The minister compared the radar to a lighthouse, claiming that a missile could slip through during its "turn" and therefore leave no trace on Russia's Utes-T air route radar system. Blok also claimed that the radar could not register such a relatively small object as a Buk missile.
"It is inappropriate to say that a radar station could miss the missile," the head of Russian aviation regulator Rosaviatsia, Oleg Storchevoy, said Tuesday, commenting on the latest Dutch claims.

Radar

US heeded Russian warnings by grounding some types of aircraft in Syria

US F/A-18 jet landing
Pentagon spokesman says it now takes 'aircraft with specific capabilities' to fly in western Syria.

What everybody wants to know right now is: has the Russian announcement that their air defense systems will begin to track US aircraft west of the Euphrates in Syria as targets limited US air activity over Syria?

Immediately after the Russian announcement we figured the new Russian stance would affect US carrier-based aircraft (F/A-18s) would be affected the most.

Since then the US has carried a solitary strike against ISIS in Palmyra—far to the west of Euphrates—just to make a point. However, that strike was the exception. Judging by CENTCOM's own press releases virtually all strike missions since the new Russian policy have been either to the east of the Euphrates, or just a couple miles to the west of it but—still well within the river valley. Then it would seem the Russian warning did have a very substantial effect.

Attention

Syrian Kurds reject American scheme to 'confront' Assad or Iran in eastern Syria

Kurdish YPG militia
US-backed militias say they only signed up for a war against ISIS, have no interest in a crusade against Iran.

Trump's NSC advisors want the US to pursue "direct conflict" with the Syrian government to keep its army out of eastern Syria. If Trump indeed decides to do so it seems the US will have to proceed without its largest proxy force on the ground by far — the Kurdish YPG militia.

The YPG dominates the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) coalition, providing some 40,000 of its 50,000 fighters. A senior YPG commander told al-Monitor the YPG is happy to fight until the final defeat of ISIS, but has no intention of picking up a needless fight "against Iran" or anyone else:
A senior YPG commander who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity said the YPG is ready to go to anyplace in Syria to fight IS, but they will not agree to any alliance beyond that. said Kurds see Iran as a problem but will not become part of a battle against it. They have no plans to move to al-Tanf, he said.

Info

'American Nazism': North Korea media compares Trump to Hitler

Donald Trump
© Jonathan Ernst / Reuters
US President Donald Trump's "America-first principle" equates to Nazism and his policies are worse than fascism, North Korean state media reported.
"The idea is the American version of Nazism, far surpassing the fascism in the last century in its ferocious, brutal and chauvinistic nature," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in an article titled "We Reject 'American-first Principle'- Nazism in the 21st Century," which was cited by KCNA Watch on Tuesday.
KCNA goes on to say that while Trump divides the world into "friends and foes," his "two-nation strategy" follows "Hitler's dictatorial politics."

Apparently referring to the travel ban imposed on majority-Muslim countries, KCNA says that such an approach is "little short of fascism's racist politics."

Attention

Can Theresa May be sued for conspiring to commit war crime by nuking Moscow?

submarine HMS Vanguard
© David Moir / Reuters
Britain's Attorney General is investigating whether UK Prime Minister Theresa May can be sued for conspiring to commit war crimes after she claimed she is willing to launch Trident nuclear weapons.

An alliance of activists have presented an indictment after May, Defense Secretary Michael Fallon, and others said they would be willing to carry out what the groups termed "indiscriminate mass slaughter" by using nuclear missiles.

The Ferret, an investigative journalism website, reports that proceedings in local courts have already begun but that they need permission from the Attorney General's Office (AGO) to proceed.

Snakes in Suits

Report surfaces: Michael Flynn investigation was an FBI personal vendetta for sexual discrimination charges

Michael Flynn
Michael Flynn intervened on behalf of an FBI Special Agent, Robyn Gritz, who had accused McCabe and other top FBI officials of sexual discrimination.

A new report from Circa News indicates that Deputy Director of the FBI, Andrew McCabe, may have launched a criminal probe against Trump' former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn for nothing more than simple revenge.

Circa News reports that Michael Flynn apparently enraged Andrew McCabe a few years back after he intervened on behalf of an FBI Special Agent, Robyn Gritz, who had accused McCabe and other top FBI officials of sexual discrimination.

Apple Green

China to develop 'green zones' to improve environment

china green zones
© Jason Lee / ReutersA villager transplants rice seedlings in the village of Basha in Congjiang county, Guizhou province
Beijing has announced plans to set up five 'green finance' pilot zones as part of the Chinese government's anti-pollution campaign.

The central bank of China said it would support the zones through preferential loans and low-cost capital from green development funds.

The five zones will be in the provinces of Guangdong, Guizhou, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang, as well as the far western region of Xinjiang.

Banks will be encouraged to explore new financing mechanisms, including emissions trading and water use permits. The pilot programs are also expected to speed up the development of green insurance.

Comment: China's green zones seek to develop economies, reduce pollution and clean up the land. It's worth noting the irony in how these will be the direct opposite of the United States 'green zone', which is used as a base for destruction.


Safe

Putin asks State Duma to ratify international convention on countering terrorism financing

Putin
© Alexei Druzhinin / Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin has submitted to the State Duma for ratification the Council of Europe's Convention on the confiscation of illegal funds and on countering the sponsorship of terrorism.

The bill to ratify the convention was prepared jointly by the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian State Agency for Financial Monitoring.

According to the explanatory note attached to the document, which was published on the parliament's official website on Tuesday, the convention regulates the powers and rights of law enforcement agents in the investigation of suspects' bank accounts and operations, as well as the procedure of seizing illegal income. It also regulates cooperation between various departments of the Russian Financial Intelligence Service.

The note also reads that the ratification of the convention would improve the effectiveness of Russia's cooperation with foreign nations in the fight against the legalization of criminal funds and sponsorship of terrorism.

Stock Down

Pop goes the cryptocurrency craze: Bitcoin and ethereum continue to fall

Ethereum and Bitcoin
© Wit Olszewski / Shutterstock
Following June's record rally, the world's most popular digital currencies bitcoin and ethereum continued their slide on Tuesday.

Bitcoin was trading at $2,430, having given up 20 percent since hitting nearly $3,000 two weeks ago.

Rival cryptocurrency ethereum now costs $267, down over 30 percent since the mid-June record of nearly $400.

The total market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies fell to around $91 billion, a more than a 20 percent decline from the all-time high of $117.2bn on June 12.

Info

Sturgeon drops plans for second Scottish independence referendum until after Brexit deal

Nicola Sturgeon
© Russell Cheyne / ReutersNicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party
Scottish first minister and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) Nicola Sturgeon says she will delay her plans for a second independence referendum until after Brexit negotiations have concluded in autumn 2018.

The First Minister said there is "no doubt" her government has a mandate to call a second referendum.

She did, however, say it is important to "reset" the debate until after Brexit negotiations have progressed.
"We will not seek to introduce the legislation for an independence referendum immediately," she told MSPs.