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Spreading peace, harmony and happiness - Xi speech outlines how One Belt, One Road initiative will change the world

Pepe Escobar
Asia Times
Mon, 15 May 2017 19:26 UTC
china honor guard
© ReutersHonour guards march before a welcoming ceremony ahead of the Belt and Road forum at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on May 13
President Xi Jinping, in his keynote speech that opened the two-day Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, did his best to explain the future of the New Silk Roads.

Xi said that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) - that what was once "One Belt, One Road" (OBOR) - is a multilateral project set to bring "peace, harmony and happiness" across Eurasia by "strategically connecting" nations as diverse as Russia, Mongolia, Turkey and Vietnam through development plans that are already operational. And, he added, they will be a success because extra funds are already on their way.

Xi told his audience, that included Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte and a host of other world leaders and top ranking officials, that he had proposed an additional RMB 780 billion (approximately US$113 billion) to be disbursed through multiple sources.

These include the Silk Road Fund; the China Development Bank; the Export and Import Bank of China and also overseas capital provided by Chinese banks. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is not part - at least not yet - of this proposed package.
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Gear

Trump's bluff about N. Korean war 2.0

Alexander Mercouris
The Duran
Mon, 15 May 2017 21:47 UTC
Donald Trump

The fact that April has passed with no military action in the Korean Peninsula taking place and the crisis unresolved shows talk of unilateral US military action was a bluff.

News that North Korea has tested a ballistic missile which hit the Sea of Japan 500 kilometres from the Russian coastline begs the question of what happened to the great crisis in the Korean Peninsula that the world media was talking about so excitedly throughout much of April?

As The Duran's readers may recall, during April the headlines were filled with stories of North Korea planning a sixth nuclear test, of President Trump warning of the US being prepared to take unilateral action if North Korea's nuclear programme was not stopped, of the the US carrier Carl Vinson with its accompanying "armada" closing on North Korea and of the US submarine USS Michigan with its vast battery of cruise missiles doing the same, of the entire US Senate being called to the White House to be briefed about the threat from North Korea, of the 'Mother of All Bombs' being dropped on ISIS in Afghanistan as a 'warning' to North Korea, and of Wang Yi - China's Foreign Minister - warning that war might break out on the Korean Peninsula at any moment.

In the event April has passed with no sign of a North Korean nuclear test and no military action by the US. North Korea since then has dropped out of the news whilst South Korea has elected a new more liberal minded President - Moon Jae-in - who seems intent on reducing tensions in the Korean Peninsula, has spoken of his desire to travel to North Korea to meet with Kim Jong-un, and who within a day of his inauguration spoke over the telephone with Russia's President Putin, with the Kremlin's summary of their conversation containing these interesting words that appear to signal Moon Jae-in's strong opposition to any attack on North Korea.

While exchanging views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula, both leaders underlined the importance of finding ways to resolve the crisis politically and diplomatically.



Comment: South Korea's new President may turn to peace & reconciliation


Whilst unilateral military action against North Korea by the US against South Korean opposition might in theory be possible, in practice it would be politically extremely difficult. The fact that President Moon Jae-in appears to oppose it makes it extremely unlikely it will happen.
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Flashlight

U.S. lawmakers want Trump's Comey tapes - if they exist

Ayesha Rascoe
Reuters
Mon, 15 May 2017 19:55 UTC
trump
© Joshua Roberts / Reuters
U.S. lawmakers on Sunday called on President Donald Trump to turn over any tapes of conversations with fired FBI chief James Comey, potentially setting up a showdown with the White House as Democrats considered a boycott of the vote on Comey's replacement.

In a highly unusual move, Trump last week appeared to suggest on Twitter that he might have tapes of conversations with Comey and warned the former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation against talking to the media. Trump and a White House spokesman declined to confirm or deny whether such tapes exist.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said the White House must "clear the air" about whether there are any taped conversations.

"You can't be cute about tapes. If there are any tapes of this conversation, they need to be turned over," Graham told NBC's Meet the Press program.

Trump sparked a political firestorm when he abruptly fired Comey last week. The FBI has been investigating alleged Russian meddling in the U.S. election and possible ties between Moscow and the Trump campaign.
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Magic Hat

US State Department: Renamed Al-Qaeda not considered a terrorist organization, can legally receive CIA supplies

b
Moon of Alabama
Mon, 15 May 2017 00:00 UTC
Al-Qaeda cia
Max Abrams, a professor who works about terrorism, came up with this new definition of "terrorism":
Nonstate actors who use violence against civilians for a political goal and haven't been supported by the US.
The highlighted part is "new" to those who have not learned from history and the many occasions of U.S. support for (typically extremely right-wing) terrorist organizations like the "contras" in Nicaragua, OUN fascists in Ukraine or Jihadi Mujahedin in Afghanistan. It can indeed be argued that the U.S. created al-Qaeda as well as the Islamic State (ISIS).

But lets just be happy that people get again reminded of the issue.

Prof. Adams remark came after a report by the Canadian CBC which found that the U.S. has not designated al-Qaeda's recently renamed organization in Syria as a "foreign terrorist entity".
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Blue Planet

China: One Belt, One Road forum welcomes heads of state


RT
Sun, 14 May 2017 01:15 UTC
Putin meeting OBOR
© The OlympianPresident Putin, OBOR conference meeting
Beijing is hosting a high-level international cooperation forum, dubbed "One Belt, One Road," which brings together dozens of heads of state and government, along with financial organizations and hundreds of business representatives and entrepreneurs. "Spanning thousands of miles and years, the ancient silk routes embody the spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit," Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the opening of the forum. "The Silk Road spirit has become a great heritage of human civilization."

Xi also undertook to build a "road of peace" as he emphasized the need to respect the sovereignty and national interests of each and every state. The Chinese president added that he also wants it to be a "road of prosperity," focusing on cooperation and production that would aim to maintain a dynamic growth.

The initiative, Xi said, is based on transparency and efficient resource allocation, with "no intention of creating a small group detrimental to stability."

Speaking after the host of the conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that, unfortunately, "protectionism and unlawful restrictions" have become the new norm in the modern world.

"We cannot resolve modern challenges by using old approaches. We need new ideas. We need to abandon all stereotypes," Putin urged. "We should set a role model for the global community of how we can work together, develop together, based on equality and respect for national sovereignty based on international law and the United Nations principles. Russia is ready to join the development of "new modern transport corridors," Putin said, as well as to contribute to "large scale energy infrastructure projects." Putin also called for scientific cooperation and to "set up international laboratories" which can contribute to regional development. Civilization project for the future," as Putin called the New Silk Road, should bring stability and prosperity along its way.


Comment: East versus West: the difference between having a creative, all-inclusive mindset and a self-serving, self-destructive one.

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Dominoes

Trump in Riyadh, media blinds left and right from common ground

Tony Cartalucci
New Eastern Outlook
Sun, 14 May 2017 00:00 UTC
Trump and Salman
© Source: Mark Wilson/Getty ImagesPresident Trump and Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman
A video went viral of an aggressive American man beating his chest, grabbing his genitals, and taunting a Muslim family on a Texas beach in support of what he believed was US President Donald Trump's mission of purging America of "Sharia law" and "ISIS" (the Islamic State). What this man was likely not aware of as he made his lowbrow political statement was that the "Sharia law" he actually fears is called "Wahhabism," and that his candidate of choice "Trump" was preparing to visit the very source of Wahhabism - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, the American 'left' remains convinced that their priority should remain resisting an alleged covert alliance between Russia and the Trump administration of which no evidence actually exists. They have made this a priority at the expense of exposing and resisting a documented and longstanding alliance between the US and Saudi Arabia that has endured for decades.

There is common ground here for the American public, but only if the intentional distractions presented by the Western media from both right and left cover can be sidestepped and the truth revealed.

Comment: There are expectations and then there are fulfillments. Sometimes these two appear to be disconnected. Trump is proving to be an expert at doubling back on the trail and shooting off in an unexpected direction. He separates business from everything else. Too soon to tell if that is a good thing, bad thing or a great thing. And, that depends upon your point of view (leading back to expectations!).

There is no doubt the media has sway over what and how news and information is presented to the public. That there are huge gaps in facts, that any article can be slanted by order or whim, that the MSM is so obviously doing someone's bidding -- has enormous ramifications on the mindset and intelligence of the public going forward. Perhaps the left and right might be able to come to common conclusions that are fair and honorable, but not until they stand a fair chance at a fair position. The public has to rise up and come to grips with the delusions they live under, and needs to look both left and right to find the answers.

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Hourglass

Think about it...are you ready to die?

Paul Craig Roberts
IPE
Thu, 11 May 2017 00:00 UTC
"Fifty years ago, the streets of Leningrad taught me one thing: If a fight is inevitable, you must strike first." Vladimir Putin

In George Orwell's 1949 dystopian novel, 1984, information that no longer is consistent with Big Brother's explanations is chucked down the Memory Hole. In the real American dystopia in which we currently live, the information is never reported at all.

On April 26—16 days ago—Lt. Gen. Viktor Poznihir, Deputy Chief of the Main Operations Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces, stated at the Moscow International Security Conference that the Operations Command of the Russian General Staff has concluded that Washington is preparing a nuclear first strike on Russia.

See:

Comment: The above links refer to the US defense shield deployments. It is speculated that the equipment can easily be utilized for attack purposes by switching out missile components to ones that include nuclear strike capability, including Tomahawk cruise missiles that can deliver a range of 5-200 kilotons of TNT equipped with a nuclear warhead. It is estimated that "by 2022, the US will have more missile defense than there are warheads in Russia."


The Times-Gazett in Ashland, Ohio, was the only US print media that a Google search could turn up that reported this most alarming of all announcements. A Google search turned up no reports on US TV, and none on Canadian, Australian, European, or any other media except RT and Internet sites.

I have been unable to find any report that any US Senator or Representative or any European, Canadian, or Australian politician has raised a voice of concern. No one in Washington got on the telephone to tell Putin that this was all a mistake, that the US was not preparing a nuclear first strike on Russia, or ask Putin how this serious situation could be defused. Americans do not even know about it, except for my readers.

Comment: There is rhetoric and there is action...sometimes the two go together, other instances it is positioning. How many times has the US declared Russia or China is planning a first strike at the US? The point being, who of all the possibilities (which includes more unstable nations than these three) will be the first to put their finger on the button? No one knows. Let's hope no one has that bad of a day, that we can contain our fear and aggression and wake up to greet the sun in the morning.

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Rocket

There can only be political solutions for the Korean peninsula

Dr. Alexander Yakovenko
RT
Mon, 15 May 2017 11:20 UTC
Yakovenko/NK missile
© Reuters/Getty ImagesNorth Korean long-range ballistic rocket • Dr. Alexander Yakovenko
There is no doubt we are living through one of the most dramatic developments on the Korean peninsula, showing the threat of confrontation is moving into its hottest phase. The belligerent rhetoric coupled with reckless muscle-flexing has led to a dangerous situation where one careless step can lead to the most terrible consequences.

We are watching the development of the situation in the region with alarm. On the one hand, Russia strongly condemns the provocative nuclear and missile activity by Pyongyang, which is confirmed by our support of UNSC resolutions 2270 (2016) and 2321 (2016). We call upon the North Korean authorities to end their proscribed programs, return to the non-proliferation regime and once again join the International Atomic Energy Agency verification regime.

At the same time, it is clear that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will not give up its nuclear program as long as it senses a direct threat to its security. That is how the North Koreans view the regular large-scale maneuvers and exercises by the United States and its allies in the region as well as the latest dispatch of an American naval armada near its coast. Why engage in silly saber-rattling?

Another destabilizing factor is the decision by Washington and Seoul to deploy in the Republic of Korea elements of the US global missile defense system (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense). Russia, as well as China, have repeatedly said this step would undermine the existing military balance in the region and pose a threat to the security of neighboring countries. Once again, we call upon the US and the Republic of Korea to review this decision. Why antagonize Russia and China?

Comment: It is dubious that the US, even if it wants to, would be able to negotiate a peace settlement with NK. This has to be left to a third party that has the respect of both sides.

To review the joint statement issued by the Six-Party Talks.

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Newspaper

Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson to be questioned in Netanyahu probe


Associated Press
Sun, 14 May 2017 14:46 UTC
Netanyahu and Adelson
© ReutersBenjamin Netanyahu and Sheldon Adelson.
American casino mogul Sheldon Adelson will reportedly give Israeli police testimony in an investigation into allegations of wrongdoing by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel's Channel 2 reported Sunday that Adelson, a close confidante of Netanyahu, and his wife will be questioned by police during their visit to Israel next week.

The Adelsons will be questioned about allegations that Netanyahu tried to trade better coverage in a major Hebrew newspaper in exchange for reduced circulation of a free daily paper owned by Adelson.

According to the report, Adelson only agreed to talk to police when they informed him he wasn't suspected of criminal activity.

A police spokesperson declined to comment on the report.

The investigation is one of several into alleged wrongdoing by Netanyahu. None have thus far yielded indictments.
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Biohazard

US military's toxic legacy - DoD produces more toxic waste than five largest chemical companies combined

Whitney Webb
Mint Press News
Mon, 15 May 2017 17:50 UTC
Four-year-old Alla Saleem
© AP/Enric MartiFour-year-old Alla Saleem, who suffers from a tumor in her eye, lies on her bed as she waits for medication Monday, January 15, 2001, at the Gazwan Children’s Hospital in the southern Iraq town of Basra, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the border with Kuwait. Iraqi authorities claim that about 300 tons of bombs with depleted uranium were used by the allied forces during the Gulf War bombing campaign, and this is responsible for the increase of cancer cases in the area. According to Doctor Jawal Al-Ali, chief cancer consultant of the Basra teaching hospital and member of the Royal College of physicians in London, the cases have multiplied by 12 since 1991
Last week, mainstream media outlets gave minimal attention to the news that the U.S. Naval station in Virginia Beach had spilled an estimated 94,000 gallons of jet fuel into a nearby waterway, less than a mile from the Atlantic Ocean. While the incident was by no means as catastrophic as some other pipeline spills, it underscores an important yet little-known fact - that the U.S. Department of Defense is both the nation's and the world's, largest polluter.

Producing more hazardous waste than the five largest U.S. chemical companies combined, the U.S. Department of Defense has left its toxic legacy throughout the world in the form of depleted uranium, oil, jet fuel, pesticides, defoliants like Agent Orange and lead, among others.

In 2014, the former head of the Pentagon's environmental program told Newsweek that her office has to contend with 39,000 contaminated areas spread across 19 million acres just in the U.S. alone.

U.S. military bases, both domestic and foreign, consistently rank among some of the most polluted places in the world, as perchlorate and other components of jet and rocket fuel contaminate sources of drinking water, aquifers, and soil. Hundreds of military bases can be found on the Environmental Protection Agency's list of Superfund sites, which qualify for clean-up grants from the government.
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