Puppet MastersS

Flashlight

Zakharova: US intel agents deliberately embroiled Washington and Moscow in conflict - May have contributed to Russian statesman Primakov's death


RT
Mon, 16 Jan 2017 13:18 UTC
Primakov
© Reuters / Reuters Former Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov
A ham-fisted attempt of the US intelligence services to recruit a Russian diplomat resulted in a delay in the delivery of a rare medicine needed for the treatment of legendary Russian statesman Evgeny Primakov, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

The scandal, which was previously never made public, was revealed on Sunday by Maria Zakharova in an interview with Rossiya 1 TV. It happened sometime before Primakov's death in June 2015.

According to Zakharova, doctors treating the legendary diplomat needed rare medicine that was available at the time only in the US. Time was of the essence, so as a favor to its former chief the Russian Foreign Ministry organized the purchase of the drug through a practicing US doctor. An embassy employee was supposed to pick up the package and deliver it to Moscow through diplomatic channels.

Comment: Drip, drip, drip... the US Deep State is being publicly exposed day-by-day...

The Primakov Policy - a great man's legacy to Russia

Read More...
Chess

Is Obama condoning and directing the hit on Trump?

Peter Lee
Counterpunch
Fri, 13 Jan 2017 10:37 UTC
Barack Obama
It's now publicly accepted that the CIA, factions in the CIA, whatever, object to Trump and are making life difficult for him.

The interesting question is, is President Obama just a passenger on the runaway Deep State train, thoughtlessly rattling through his hollow valedictories, or is he the conductor? or the engineer?

I was struck by this possibility while reflecting on David Ignatius' revelation on Thursday that intercepts showed that Trump's security adviser, Michael Flynn, had been on the phone with the Russian ambassador several times on the day President Obama announced the expulsion of the Russian diplos.

Hmmm. I thought. With all due respect, David Ignatius doesn't do reporting. He does top-drawer steno. He didn't dig this factoid out. It was fed to him. Specifically, the fact that Flynn's communications were being intercepted - normally, one would expect, the kind of tittle-tattle kept from the public eye under the rubric of "protecting sources and methods" - was being made part of the public discourse.
Read More...
Brick Wall

8 men own same wealth as half the world - Oxfam

Pan Pylas
Associated Press
Mon, 16 Jan 2017 09:51 UTC
Workers unload bricks at a brick-making factory in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Friday, Jan. 13, 2017. As bricks continue to be used in construction throughout Myanmar, traditional craftsmen who produce hand-made bricks are facing competition from machine-made bri
© AP Photo/Aung Shine OoWorkers unload bricks at a brick-making factory in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Friday, Jan. 13, 2017. As bricks continue to be used in construction throughout Myanmar, traditional craftsmen who produce hand-made bricks are facing competition from machine-made bricks which are produced more efficiently
The gap between the super-rich and the poorest half of the global population is starker than previously thought, with just eight men, from Bill Gates to Michael Bloomberg, owning as much wealth as 3.6 billion people, according to an analysis by Oxfam released Monday.

Presenting its findings on the dawn of the annual gathering of the global political and business elites in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, anti-poverty organization Oxfam says the gap between the very rich and poor is far greater than just a year ago. It's urging leaders to do more than pay lip-service to the problem.

If not, it warns, public anger against this kind of inequality will continue to grow and lead to more seismic political changes akin to last year's election of Donald Trump as U.S. president and Britain's vote to leave the European Union.

"It is obscene for so much wealth to be held in the hands of so few when 1 in 10 people survive on less than $2 a day," said Winnie Byanyima, executive director of Oxfam International, who will be attending the meeting in Davos. "Inequality is trapping hundreds of millions in poverty; it is fracturing our societies and undermining democracy."

The same report a year earlier said that the richest 62 people on the planet owned as much wealth as the bottom half of the population. However, Oxfam has revised that figure down to eight following new information gathered by Swiss bank Credit Suisse.

Comment: See also: Report: World's richest 1 percent will have more than half the world's wealth in two years

Read More...
Che Guevara

Move over, Fake News Outlets! Trump administration may invite bloggers and talk show hosts to enlarged press briefings at new, larger venue

Oliver Laughland
The Guardian
Mon, 16 Jan 2017 08:56 UTC
Donald Trump
© Justin Lane/EPA Trump calls on a reporter during his latest press conference on 11 January
Talk radio hosts and bloggers could be invited to official White House press briefings once the Trump administration takes office, under a highly irregular proposal being floated that may also remove briefings from the West Wing.

Trump's pick for White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, said on Sunday that due to "off the chart" interest in the new administration, the president-elect was considering moving briefings from the James S Brady press briefing room, which has been used by presidents to address the media since 1970, to a venue with a greater capacity.

A report published by Esquire magazine on Saturday indicated the venue could be inside the Old Executive Office Building, just west of the White House.

"I know change is difficult sometimes," Spicer told Fox News. "But sometimes change can actually be better."

Spicer argued the proposal would mean "you can involve more people, be more transparent, have more accessibility". He suggested that this would mean outlets that are not traditionally part of the White House press corps would be able to ask questions during presidential press briefings.

Comment: This just gets better and better!

Out of the way, Fake News outlets; it's time for the adults to take charge.

Read More...
Chess

Trump interview: May lift Russian sanctions - Merkel's migrant policy 'catastrophic' - NATO 'obsolete' - Won't quit tweeting


RT
Mon, 16 Jan 2017 08:28 UTC
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump
© Shannon Stapleton / ReutersU.S. President-elect Donald Trump
US President-elect Donald Trump has hinted that the US could lift its sanctions against Russia, called Merkel's migrant policy "a catastrophic mistake" and branded NATO "obsolete" in a new interview for The Times and Bild.

The interview was given in the President-elect's office in Trump Tower, just days before his inauguration.

Trump was quite straightforward in speaking out in favor of some common ground with Moscow.

"They have sanctions on Russia โ€” let's see if we can make some good deals with Russia. For one thing, I think nuclear weapons should be way down and reduced very substantially," Trump said to the two media outlets.

Comment: Exactly; why quit a good thing?

Trump tweets, the world listens (because the Fake New Outlets that berate him for tweeting make his tweets headline news!).

Read More...
Stormtrooper

Can Donald Trump trust the Secret Service to keep him safe?

Adam Garrie
The Duran
Mon, 16 Jan 2017 04:08 UTC
Secret Service agents surround Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a disturbance as he speaks at Dayton International Airport in Dayton, Ohio
© Aaron P. Bernstein/ReutersSecret Service agents surround Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a disturbance as he speaks at Dayton International Airport in Dayton, Ohio
Quis custodiet ipsos custodies is a Latin phrase meaning, who will guard the guards? Much has been said about Trump's need to 'watch his back' do to his high level enemies in the deep state. As with many other solutions Trump has found in order to help go directly to the people rather than rely on mainstream media, similar methods can be used and ought to be explored when it comes to providing Trump's personal security.

Comment: Well the NRA might seem like a reasonable idea, but let's not forget that some people will do nearly anything for money...

Read More...
No Entry

China and Russia will respond to US anti-missile systems to be installed in Asia

Peter Symonds
World Socialist Web Site
Sat, 14 Jan 2017 00:00 UTC
THAAD system in South Korea
China and Russia have agreed to take unspecified "countermeasures" against US plans to install a sophisticated anti-ballistic missile system in South Korea. While nominally directed against North Korea, Washington's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) deployment is part of an expanding US network of anti-missile systems in Asia aimed at preparing for war against China and Russia.

The two countries issued a joint statement following a meeting co-chaired by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov and Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou. The countermeasures, the statement declared, "will be aimed at safeguarding interests of China and Russia and the strategic balance in the region."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said yesterday that the US decision to deploy the THAAD anti-missile system "seriously threatened China's security interest" and also undermined the regional strategic balance. "China and other countries have to address our own legitimate security concerns and take necessary measures to safeguard our security interest," he said.
Read More...
USA

"It can't happen here" - Color revolution in America

Bernhard
Moon of Alabama
Sun, 15 Jan 2017 22:58 UTC
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin
© AP/Evan Vucci
The "Donald Trump likes Russia" and "Russia bad" strategy was propagated by the Clinton election campaign. It build on constant U.S. incitement against Russia after the U.S. coup in Ukraine partially failed and after the Russian intervention on the side of the government in Syria. Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State was the main force behind the original anti-Russian campaign. When Clinton lost the election to Trump the theme connecting Trump and Russia was continued and fanned by parts of the U.S. intelligence community.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI published a propaganda report claiming nefarious Russian cyber activities during the election without providing any evidence. The report came together with the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats by the Obama administration. The DHS then planted a false story of Russian cyber-intrusion into a Vermont utility with the Washington Post.

The Director of National Intelligence Clapper followed up with a "report" of alleged Russian interference with the election. Even the Putinphobe Masha Gessen found that to be a shoddy piece of implausible propaganda. The DNI then helped to publish an MI6 "report" of fakes asserting Russian influence on Trump. In an unprecedented threat escalation the Pentagon sends a whole brigade and other assets to the Russian border.

Now the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, John Brennan, warns the President elect to "watch his tongue". Is there any precedence of some "intelligence" flunky threatening a soon to be President?

This has been, all together, a well though out propaganda campaign to reinforce the scheme Clinton and her overlords have been pushing for quite some time: Russia is bad and a danger. Trump is aligned with Russia. Something needs to be done against Trump but most importantly against Russia.

Propaganda works. The campaign is having some effects:

Comment: Not as far-fetched an idea as you may think. Violence would provide the perfect excuse for instigating martial law and ham-stringing Trump's presidency right out of the gate. Blaming Russia would be the icing on the cake.

SOTT Exclusive: A Purple Color revolution in the U.S.? Learn the signs of color revolutions

Read More...
Info

Return to Aleppo: A squandered legacy

Fehim TaลŸtekin
Al Monitor
Thu, 12 Jan 2017 23:48 UTC
Damaged old city of Aleppo
© GEORGE OURFALIAN/AFP/Getty ImagesA general view shows Syrian pro-government forces walking in the ancient Umayyad Mosque in the old city of Aleppo, Dec. 13, 2016.
This is the second in a series of stories from Al-Monitor correspondent Fehim Tastekin, who is traveling in Syria.

When I finally arrived in Aleppo from Damascus, accompanied by Damascus-based Turkish journalist Hediye Levent, I discovered the Meridien Hotel we'd wanted to stay at was totally booked because of a government meeting. The hotel general manager found us places at Hotel Riga, once one of the best in the city. We had thought it was not operating because of the war.

When we reached the hotel, we were challenged by Russian security personnel who would not allow us in. We contacted its manager, who told us the hotel is reserved for the Russian military and hasn't had any other guests for a long time. He called the Meridien manager, security units were mobilized to check our credentials and, finally, we were given rooms. There was no water, no electricity, no heating, no breakfast, not even tea-coffee service. But the price was the same as before: $110.
Read More...
Attention

Rex Tillerson moves up date for China war!

Peter Lee
Newsbud
Sun, 15 Jan 2017 23:09 UTC
Rex Tillerson
Intentionally or Not Tillerson Has Put Down a Marker

Rex Tillerson, Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of State, stirred up the South China Sea, along with China, Asia, and the entire globe with this statement: "We have to send China a clear signal that the island building stops and second your access to those islands is not allowed."

Oh baby.

It was a bit amusing to see the China hawks from both Republican and Democratic Parties, who have vociferously condemned the Obama administration for its deficiencies of sack in standing up to the PRC in the South China Sea, shrinking back in dismay at this one and deploying their own temporizing arguments.

But the world can relax. Kinda.
Read More...