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Red Flag

Why Sweden is giving Syria's White Helmets the 'alternative Nobel Prize'

Professor Marcello Ferrada de Noli
The Indicter Magazine
Tue, 01 Nov 2016 00:00 UTC
W Helmets Walstrom
© Twitter/MargoWallstrom"Honored to meet Raed Saleh of The White Helmets, 'heroic humanitarian workers' saving lives in Syria's war"...or not! In the image above Sweden’s Foreign Minister having tea with the White Helmets invited to Stockholm to receive the Right Livelihood Award.
As the alliance with Hillary Clinton and her doctrine, promoted by both Carl Bildt and Margot Wallström, flourishes in the Swedish awards to murky organizations such the White Helmets, Swedish Doctors for Human Rights prepare a new presentation to the Nobel Peace Prize committee for awarding the prize to the organization WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange, for their contribution to transparency and democratic processes, cornerstones for world peace.

Sweden did not succeed in getting Bob Dylan to come to Stockholm to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. Nevertheless as a consolation the "White Helmets" did arrive to get the Right Livelihood Award.

This article examines a likely geopolitical rationale that the Swedish elites had for selecting that organization. Facts suggest a congruence between the stances of those elites on Syria and the declared political aims of the organization White Helmets. The reviewing of the institutions involved in the award-decision and process can also result relevant in pondering the reason for the event. Finally, to inquire into the role of Carl Bildt, as member of the board of directors in the institution ultimately deciding, is interesting against the backdrop of his opposition regarding the participation of Julian Assange and Edward Snowden in previous international events organized by the same institutions - all of them under the umbrella of the Swedish Foreign Office.

The Hillary Clinton Doctrine

Sweden's awarding a prize to this organization - referred to as 'murky White Helmets' by Professor Jan Oberg - it might reveal a semi-concealed intervention in support of Hillary Clinton's doctrine in the dirty war against Syria. In concrete, another means used by Sweden's elites in uttering their pro-view for the No-Fly Zone campaign in Syria, and gathering support for it.

Comment: Hollywood would be proud. Camera - Action - Applause - Award - Bow.
4 WHelmets
© twitter
See also:
'Massive evidence shows 'White Helmets' are a foreign-funded group set up to support terrorist entities in Syria'

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Info

Egypt's shifting position may tip the scales in Syria's favor

Jean Perier
New Eastern Outlook
Thu, 01 Dec 2016 19:28 UTC
Egyptian sailors with flag
In recent days, a number of Arab media sources started speaking about Egypt's growing involvement in the Syrian war. In particular, with a special reference to the Lebanese agency As-Safir, a number of Arab media reported that Egypt is allegedly sending troops to provide assistance to Damascus. Moreover, we are being told now that Egyptian pilots are already flying sorties in the Syrian Hama. In particular, it has been stated that Egyptian jets and cargo planes have been deployed to the province of Hama, and while fighters are bombing ISIS, Egyptian transport planes are helping the Syrian army to rapidly redeploy its cargo and personnel.

At the same time, Egyptian Foreign Ministry's official spokesperson, Ahmad Abu Zeid denied this information and told reporters of the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida that this information is false, since the doctrine of the High Command of the Egyptian state and its policies are based on the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other states.

However, analysts say that Egypt has every reason to join the Syrian war on the side of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, and it has recently witnessed a growing number of reasons to do so.

Comment: More stories on Egypt's changing policies:

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Snakes in Suits

Peace for Colombia? Congress approves revised peace deal with FARC rebels


RT
Thu, 01 Dec 2016 03:48 UTC
Colombia protest
© AP Photo/Fernando VergaraColombian opposition led by former President Alvaro Uribe march to protest against President Juan Manuel Santos' government, denounce concessions in peace talks with FARC.
The Congress of Colombia has approved the updated peace deal with FARC rebels, outlining a six-month countdown for the insurgents to abandon their weapons and form a political party. The new vote comes after the previous text of the deal was narrowly rejected. The agreement was approved in the lower house in a 130-0 vote late Wednesday, just one day after it passed the Senate in a 75-0 vote.

President Juan Manuel Santos and rebel leader Rodrigo Londono [pseudonym Timochenko] signed the accord last week, after the first deal was rejected in a national referendum. Santos is looking to get the deal implemented as soon as possible, in order to maintain a fragile ceasefire. Interior Minister Luis Ernesto Gomez praised the deal on Twitter, saying "Peace has arrived!"

However, Colombia's conservative population has expressed anger that Uribe ratified the agreement without holding another referendum, and lawmakers from the Democratic Center party left the floors of both houses of Congress in protest just before the voting began.

Former President Alvaro Uribe, now a senator for the Democratic Center party, has said the government is being too lenient on FARC rebels who have battled the government for 52 years, and that the deal does not serve as a deterrent for other groups involved in crime. The new agreement, aimed at ending Latin America's longest-running insurgency, was put together in just over a month, after the original pact - which allowed rebels to hold public office and skip jail - was narrowly defeated in an October 2 referendum.

Comment: The agreement also includes land reform issues, missing persons search, land mines removal and an end to illegal drug trafficking. Disarming FARC sparks fear they would make easy targets and as well as concerns that rival groups would take over the criminal rackets putting much of Colombia at extreme risk of greater corruption and violence.

And the US to the 'rescue': Kerry provided a U.S. commitment to support the security of disarmed rebels and Obama has asked Congress to support post-conflict peace efforts with $450 million in U.S. aid. Washington would consider removing the group from the terror list once they lay down their arms and no longer pose a risk to U.S. interests. Such a deal for the US taxpayer. What is the US extracting from this commitment?

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Info

How Putin, Khamenei and the Saudi prince got OPEC deal done

Rania El Gamal, Parisa Hafezi and Dmitry Zhdannikov
Reuters
Thu, 01 Dec 2016 19:05 UTC
Russian President Vladimir Putin
© REUTERS/Maxim ShemetovRussian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during his annual state of the nation address at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, December 1, 2016.
Russian President Vladimir Putin played a crucial role in helping OPEC rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia set aside differences to forge the cartel's first deal with non-OPEC Russia in 15 years.

Interventions ahead of Wednesday's OPEC meeting came at key moments from Putin, Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani, OPEC and non-OPEC sources said.

Putin's role as intermediary between Riyadh and Tehran was pivotal, testament to the rising influence of Russia in the Middle East since its military intervention in the Syrian civil war just over a year ago.

Comment: Lukoil confirms Putin's involvement: Putin 'directly involved' in OPEC reaching production cut deal
Russian President Vladimir Putin played an active part in bringing about the OPEC deal to cut oil production, the vice president of Russian energy giant Lukoil said.

"The [OPEC] negotiations were quite difficult, perhaps ever since the beginning of 2016. I want to express enormous gratitude to our president, Vladimir Putin, as he has been directly involved in reaching the solution, [which] is extremely important for our country and for oil producers," Leonid Fedun said in an interview with TV channel Rossiya 24.


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Stock Down

What's India doing? Cash ban and transaction tax plan leading to further instability


Moon of Alabama
Thu, 01 Dec 2016 18:56 UTC
India notes banned
The current Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, has a history of racism and can be described as a neo-fascist. A more pleasant label is Hindu nationalist but that essentially means the same.

It now turns out that Modis extremism in not confined to the nationalist bend but includes some crazy economic ideas.

Modi decided to demonetize the country from one day to another. Every bank note valued at over US$7 was taken out of circulation. The rather crazy idea behind this is to move all monetary transactions to some electronic money systems and to then tax each and every transaction. All other kind of taxes would be abolished.

Comment: Looks like cashless society is also being pushed on India. However the way they are going about this seems incredibly silly and likely to provoke massive unrest.

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TV

50 facts the world needs to know about the CIA's influence on media and spreading propaganda

Prof. James F. Tracy
Global Research
Fri, 28 Aug 2015 02:26 UTC
Image
Since the end of World War Two the Central Intelligence Agency has been a major force in US and foreign news media, exerting considerable influence over what the public sees, hears and reads on a regular basis. CIA publicists and journalists alike will assert they have few, if any, relationships, yet the seldom acknowledged history of their intimate collaboration indicates a far different story - indeed, one that media historians are reluctant to examine.

When seriously practiced, the journalistic profession involves gathering information concerning individuals, locales, events, and issues. In theory such information informs people about their world, thereby strengthening "democracy." This is exactly the reason why news organizations and individual journalists are tapped as assets by intelligence agencies and, as the experiences of German journalist Udo Ulfkotte (entry 47 below) suggest, this practice is at least as widespread today as it was at the height of the Cold War.

Consider the coverups of election fraud in 2000 and 2004, the events of September 11, 2001, the invasions Afghanistan and Iraq, the destabilization of Syria, and the creation of "ISIS." These are among the most significant events in recent world history, and yet they are also those much of the American public is wholly ignorant of. In an era where information and communication technologies are ubiquitous, prompting many to harbor the illusion of being well-informed, one must ask why this condition persists.
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Telephone

Russia negotiates with Turkey jihadis' surrender in Aleppo, Putin forces Erdogan to back down on his rhetoric

Alexander Mercouris
The Duran
Thu, 01 Dec 2016 18:55 UTC
Russia's President Vladimir Putin interacts with Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan Damir Sagolj/Reuters
© Damir Sagolj/ReutersRussia's President Vladimir Putin interacts with Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan
Financial Times provides confirmation that as claimed by The Duran in early November Turkey is brokering talks between Russia and the Jihadis in eastern Aleppo for them to surrender the eastern districts of the city.

Back on 2nd November 2016 I wrote a piece for The Duran in which I said that all diplomatic contacts with the US over Syria having completely failed, the Russians were trying to negotiate the surrender of eastern Aleppo with Turkey.

This is what I said:
"Having despaired of getting the US to separate Al-Qaeda/Jabhat Al-Nusra from the other Jihadis in Aleppo, and getting them to withdraw, it is likely the Russians are trying to agree the same thing with the Turks. Indeed [General] Gerasimov's [Russia's Chief of General Staff] comments today essentially say as much."

Comment: See also: Erdogan backtracks on Syria goals after call with Putin, clarifies terrorists are the only target

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Bad Guys

Yemeni President Hadi refuses to adopt peace plan proposed by UN


Sputnik
Thu, 01 Dec 2016 18:35 UTC
Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi
© AP Photo/ Jason DeCrowYemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.
Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi gave a letter to UN Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Sheikh Ahmed with a government's denial to adopt a peace plan proposed by the United Nations, local media reported on Thursday.

The letter was given during a meeting between Hadi and Ahmed that took place in the southern Yemeni city of Aden, the Saba news agency reported.

The president also thanked the UN envoy for his efforts, adding that the government is ready to take part in the peace process. The plan implied retirement of Hadi and his vice-president in exchange for Shia Houthi rebels' withdrawal from the seized territories.

Comment: Of course Hadi would reject the plan since he has support from Saudi Arabia and Western nations.

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Info

Aleppo Offensive: Syrian army advancing, terrorists fleeing

J. Arnoldski (translator)
RusVesna / Fort Russ
Thu, 01 Dec 2016 18:22 UTC
The Syrian army and its allies are continuing their victorious offensive in Aleppo.

"The strategically important Sheikh-Said district has been taken by troops following fierce clashes with militants during a special operation in the south of the city," Hezbolla's press service reports in addition to publishing new, updated maps:
aleppo

Comment: Yesterday the Red Cross began sending employees into the liberated areas of Aleppo, to assess the situation, deliver aid, and help in reuniting disconnected families split up during their escape from the militants. The UN is negotiating to bring aid to the city, but still says "security guarantees" have not been received. The UK Foreign Office says the UN is waiting for "Assad's permission". But a diplomatic source close to the International Syria Support Group's task forces in Geneva told RIA Novosti "nothing prevents the United Nations from delivering relief to the north-eastern regions of Aleppo, liberated from the militants, since Castello road is free and safe. The issue requires coordination with the Syrian government which is willing to cooperate with the United Nations."

The State Department was typically mendacious: "With continued violence taking place in Aleppo, it is difficult to trust Russia's assertions that the path to providing aid in Aleppo is safe and secure for deliveries." Basically, the U.S. was only interested in the welfare of Aleppans while they were under the control of terrorists. Now that many have been liberated, the U.S. is not so keen on helping them. Lavrov's biting commentary:
Meanwhile, our military and the Emergencies Ministry are sending humanitarian aid and mobile hospitals. These hospitals with physicians, necessary drugs and equipment are being deployed in the east of Aleppo. So instead of whining about the fact that the residents of eastern Aleppo cannot get help we are engaged in concrete actions. We hope that international organizations, including the United Nations, will follow our example.
According to the Russian reconciliation center, 6,020 people (including 3,113 children) escaped the areas still controlled by the militants yesterday. Now that many of the terrorists' fortified positions are broken, civilians have finally been able to flee to safety.

A source in the city says life in the Hanano district is already returning to normal:
"Repair crews have already arrived in the area to assess the damage. Public utilities expect to establish a fresh water supply and restore a supply of electricity within a few days. Civilians are full of determination to start everything with a clean slate despite of a dire state of property," the source said.


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Rocket

Russia Hermes-K ATGM missiles arrived in Syria: Weapon terrorists should fear

Andrei Akulov
Strategic Culture Foundation
Sat, 26 Nov 2016 18:18 UTC
Russia Hermes-K ATGM missiles
© bastion-karpenko
Russia's military operation in Syria has been in the focus of world media ever since it was launched in late September, 2015. It was the first time the Russian Federation's military saw real combat while operating far from home. The anti-terrorist campaign is unparalleled in terms of complexity. It also provides a unique opportunity to test the brand new cutting-edge weapons systems on the battlefield.

Helicopters play the role of working horses in Syria operating around the clock to protect the infrastructure, save people while conducting search and rescue operations and striking the enemy targets with great accuracy. These rotorcraft are irreplaceable. Russia's defense industry has come up with new formidable weapons to make helicopters more powerful on the battlefield. The Hermes-K is a good example. It has just arrived in Syria to display its unique performance capabilities.

The Ka-52K Katran attack helicopters based on the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier deployed near Syria's coastline will conduct first tests of Russia's latest superweapon - the Hermes-K extreme-range anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system developed by the well-known worldwide Tula Instrument Design Bureau.
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