Puppet MastersS


Info

Without evidence, US sanctions 271 Syrians and freezes their US assets

Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
Mon, 24 Apr 2017 20:04 UTC
Steven Mnuchin
© Brendan SMialowski/Getty ImagesSteven Mnuchin
Two weeks after launching missile strikes on Syria, the U.S. Treasury announced it has sanctioned 271 employees of Syria's Scientific Studies and Research Center in response to the alleged sarin attack conducted by the Assad regime on Kahn Sheikhoun. It's one of the largest sanction actions in U.S. history.

The action was announced in a statement by the Treasury Department, and Treasury Security Steve Mnuchin simultaneously briefed reporters at the White House.

The action - which takes place in lieu of a probe demanded by Russia and Syria to determine if Assad was indeed responsible for the recent sarin attack - freezes the individuals' U.S. assets - which we doubt exist - and generally prohibits U.S. persons from dealing with them
Read More...
Attention

Trump passively gives go-ahead for AG Sessions to bring down Assange and Wikileaks, not involved in that decision

Alex Christoforou
The Duran
Mon, 24 Apr 2017 00:00 UTC
Assange
© unknownJulian Assange
Last week The Duran reported that the United States is preparing charges against Julian Assange.

The Hill notes that...
U.S. officials familiar with the matter said prosecutors have found a way to move forward, after struggling to determine whether the First Amended [Amendment] protected Assange from prosecution.

The Justice Department's investigation of WikiLeaks can be traced back to 2010, after thousands of U.S. government files stolen by former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning appeared on the website.

Trump's comment about WikiLeaks was made at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania last year, in reference to a leak of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's emails.

"I love WikiLeaks," he said at the rally. "It's amazing how nothing is secret today when you talk about the Internet."

Comment: We all should be speaking out against this one!

Read More...
Boat

NGOs accused of colluding with human traffickers in Libya by Italian prosecutor


RT
Sun, 23 Apr 2017 17:48 UTC
boat of migrants
© Darrin Zammit Lupi / ReutersMigrants transported in international waters off the coast of Sabratha in Libya.
A prosecutor in Sicily has made the extraordinary claim that NGO migrant rescue boats are in direct communication and collusion with human traffickers in Libya. "We have evidence that there are direct contacts between certain NGOs and people traffickers in Libya," Carmelo Zuccaro told Italian newspaper La Stampa.

"We do not yet know if and how we could use this evidence in court, but we are quite certain about what we say; telephone calls from Libya to certain NGOs, lamps that illuminate the route to these organizations' boats, boats that suddenly turn off their transponders, are ascertained facts," he said.

Zuccaro is a member of a group of prosecutors investigating the trafficking and exploitation of migrants. He told Italy's parliament in March that he was sure traffickers were in contact with rescuers, but didn't have proof.

EU border agency Frontex has long warned against NGO rescue boats, accusing them of encouraging traffickers. In December, the Financial Times reported on confidential Frontex documents which suggested migrants had been given "clear indications before departure on the precise direction to be followed in order to reach the NGOs' boats."

Zuccaro goes one step further, claiming NGOs are working with traffickers to arrange collection points, instead of waiting for the Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Center for directions. He has also raised questions about who is funding the NGOs.

Comment: See also:

Read More...
Clipboard

Tillerson briefs Poroshenko on Russian visit, confirms support


RFE/RL
Mon, 24 Apr 2017 01:21 UTC
PoroTiller
© unianPresident Petro Poroshenko and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has told Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko that Russia's actions in eastern Ukraine remain an obstacle to improved U.S.-Russian relations and he reiterated his "firm" support for Kyiv. Spokesman Mark Toner on April 23 said the call was meant to brief the Ukrainian leader on Tillerson's April 11-12 trip to Moscow, where he met with President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

He said Tillerson relayed his "message to the Russian leadership that, although the United States is interested in improving relations with Russia, Russia's actions in eastern Ukraine remain an obstacle."

Toner said Poroshenko passed on his condolences on the death earlier in the day of a U.S. member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission in eastern Ukraine. The OSCE said a member of its monitoring staff was killed and two were injured after their vehicle hit a mine in eastern Ukraine in an area controlled by Russia-backed separatists.

The OSCE first deployed staff in 2014 to monitor the cease-fires between the Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces in a conflict that has killed at least 9,940 people. The mission has been extended to at least March 2018.

Tillerson and Poroshenko agreed that "this tragic incident makes clear the need for all sides -- and particularly the Russian-led separatist forces -- to implement their commitments under the Minsk agreements immediately," Toner said.

The spokesman said the secretary reiterated the "firm" U.S. commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. He confirmed that sanctions against Moscow will remain in place until Russia returns control of the Crimean Peninsula to Ukraine and fully implements its commitments in the Minsk agreements.

Comment: Sum it up in one word: "Ditto." More of the same and nothing has changed.

Read More...
Che Guevara

Chinese envoy to Syria: Syrian conflict can only be solved with political solutions, not by use of force

Translated by Samer Hussein
Fort Russ
Mon, 24 Apr 2017 19:54 UTC
Xie Xiaoyan
Chinese Ambassador Xie Xiaoyan
Ambassador Xie Xiaoyan, China 's special envoy on the Syrian issue, said that the solution to the settlement of the Syrian crisis lies within the path that can only be reached through dialogue.

In a statement, expressed during his visit to Cairo yesterday, Xiao Yan said "The conflicting sides in Syria should commit themselves to find a political solution through negotiations and not by the use of force force as they must demonstrate the political will to engage in dialogue and make sacrifices when required", adding "there are some positive developments regarding Syria, namely the ceasefire agreement."

"There is another positive development too, in particularly the stronger recognition of the importance of the international fight against terrorism which requires an even greater commitment to this task", he further added.

He also said that a fair and balanced investigation should be launched into the incident, related to the Khan Sheikhoun chemical attack, while repeating that his country strongly rejects any use of chemical weapons by any country, organization or individual under any circumstances and at any place and any time.

It shall be noted that on the 13th of April, the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, said China 's proposal to adopt a political solution is the only way to resolve crisis in Syria. The Chinese Foreign Ministry also released a statement, calling to preserve Syria 's sovereignty and territorial integrity, while also firmly rejecting and foreign military intervention against Syria.
Read More...
Snakes in Suits

US Supreme Court rejects request from ACLU to force CIA to release full Senate torture report


RT
Mon, 24 Apr 2017 19:37 UTC
supreme court building
© Jonathan Ernst / Reuters
The US Supreme Court has turned down an appeals request from the American Civil Liberties Union seeking to force the CIA to release the full 2014 Senate report about the agency's use of torture tactics.

In rejecting the appeal, the justices let stand a May 2016 ruling by the DC Circuit court, which held the 6,900-page report prepared by the Senate Intelligence Committee was not subject to the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

There was no comment from the Supreme Court on ACLU, ET AL V. CIA just its listing under "Certiorari Denied."

"We are disappointed by this major setback for government transparency and accountability. The full report is the definitive account of one of the darkest chapters in our nation's history, and the public has a right to see it," Hina Shamsi, director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) National Security Project, said in a statement.

"Even though the full report is still secret, government agencies have copies and must use them to ensure that a program on inhuman and unlawful cruelty never happens again."
Read More...
Attention

Insult to Injury: UN elects misogynist theocracy Saudi Arabia for Women's Rights Commission

Jack Burns
The Free Thought Project
Mon, 24 Apr 2017 18:06 UTC
saudi women
Saudi Arabia isn't known for gender equality. In fact, the Saudi government's idea of fair play among the sexes is ensuring women their husbands can only have three more wives. Saudi women truly have zero rights in society. Ranking Saudi Arabia among the 10-worst-countries for women, the Toronto Star wrote, "In oil-rich Saudi Arabia, women are treated as lifelong dependents, under the guardianship of a male relative. Deprived of the right to drive a car or mix with men publicly, they are confined to strictly segregated lives on pain of severe punishment." So, imagine the surprise and dismay the world is now exhibiting with the knowledge the United Nations has elected Saudi Arabia as a member of its Women's Rights Commission called the "Commission on the Status of Women."

Geneva-based UN Watch president Hillel Neuer likened the election to, "making an arsonist into the town Fire Chief!" Neuer went on a Twitter tirade to drive home the significance of his opposition to allowing Saudi Arabia to have a seat anywhere near a women's rights council.


Comment: From the UNWatch article:
It was a secret ballot, but the math tells us that at least 15 of the following democratic member states of the U.N. Economic and Social Council voted to elect Saudi Arabia to the U.N.'s women's rights commission:
  • Andorra
  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Belgium
  • Brazil
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Czech Republic
  • Estonia
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Norway
  • Republic of Korea
  • South Africa
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • UK
  • USA
Twitter is angry:





Read More...
Eiffel Tower

European elites and media flock to praise Macron as 'hope of EU', some call for Le Pen's defeat


RT
Mon, 24 Apr 2017 17:58 UTC
Macron france elections
© Philippe Wojazer / ReutersSupporters of Emmanuel Macron in Paris, France April 23, 2017
The French establishment and leading EU politicians, including Francois Hollande and Federica Mogherini, have rushed to praise Emmanuel Macron ahead of the presidential runoff vote. Some have openly called for the defeat of his rival, Marine Le Pen.

Despite both candidates being neck-and-neck in the first round of the French election, according to preliminary results, it appears that many ruling politicians and eurocrats are not shying away from openly endorsing centrist Macron ahead of the decisive vote on May 7.

Conservative candidate François Fillon conceded defeat before the results were officially announced, claiming sole responsibility for it. He added that he would vote for Macron in round two, arguing that "there is no other choice but to vote against the far right."

Comment: The very fact that EU elites and government leaders are pushing Macron should give any thinking French voter pause.

Read More...
Eye 1

Defense Secretary Mattis hides the real goals of the US in Yemen

Ivan Konovalov
Katehon
Mon, 24 Apr 2017 20:24 UTC
Pentagon
© David B. Gleason/commons.wikimedia.org
The head of the U.S. Department of Defense, James Mattis, announced during his visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) that he was ready to make an effort to regulate the Yemeni military conflict through negotiations. "We will work with our allies, with our partners to try to get it to the negotiating table holding by the U.N.", Mattis said.

It was a routine statement of any senior politician but It was made by "Mad Dog" Mattis and It looked like absolute insincerity or military deception. Actually, he was the one who sent recently to the White House a request to lift restrictions on the military support of the Arabic coalition which is under Saudi Arabia's leadership.

This coalition is making war against the Supreme Revolutionary Committee, which is formed by Shia-Yemeni military group "Ansar Allah" (known as Houthis movement) and the army that remained loyal to the former president of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh. The base of the military coalition supports the troops of president Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, who was deposed in January 2015 but kept his power formally, and it consists of KSA, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait that are supported by Egypt, Sudan, Morocco and Jordan. Riyadh asked Pakistan to help but got a refusal.

Mattis' peacekeeping statements sound very awkward, especially, when Donald Trump's administration started again to provide a serious military aid to the Saudis in Yemen. Barack Obama sharply decreased his help in his time because the troops of KSA and their allies were constantly blamed for killing innocent civilians. The State department of the U.S. approved the urgent sale of guided munitions at the price of 390 million of dollars to Saudi Arabia. The U.S. gives the coalition the intelligence data and unmanned aircrafts. There are also talks about the US force participation in ground operations.

The main aim of the US non-direct participation in the Yemeni civil war is still oppose to Iran, which is called " terrorist state № 1" by president Donald Trump. Teheran supports the Houthis who have been successfully opposing the invaders so far. It should be said that Washington has always set an official goal to fight against "Al-Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula" and tried to avoid a fight with the Houthis.

Comment: See also:

Read More...
Clock

Ron Paul: Candidate Trump: 'I Love Wikileaks', President Trump: 'Arrest Assange!'

Ron Paul
Ron Paul Institute
Mon, 24 Apr 2017 18:19 UTC
Trump and Assange
© TheDuran
"I love Wikileaks," candidate Donald Trump said on October 10th on the campaign trail. He praised the organization for reporting on the darker side of the Hillary Clinton campaign. It was information likely leaked by a whistleblower from within the Clinton campaign to Wikileaks.

Back then he praised Wikileaks for promoting transparency, but candidate Trump looks less like President Trump every day. The candidate praised whistleblowers and Wikileaks often on the campaign trail. In fact, candidate Trump loved Wikileaks so much he mentioned the organization more than 140 times in the final month of the campaign alone! Now, as President, it seems Trump wants Wikileaks founder Julian Assange sent to prison.

Last week CNN reported, citing anonymous "intelligence community" sources, that the Trump Administration's Justice Department was seeking the arrest of Assange and had found a way to charge the Wikileaks founder for publishing classified information without charging other media outlets such as the New York Times and Washington Post for publishing the same information.

It might have been tempting to write off the CNN report as "fake news," as is much of their reporting, but for the fact President Trump said in an interview on Friday that issuing an arrest warrant for Julian Assange would be, "OK with me."
Read More...