Puppet MastersS


Question

Do politicians get even crazier during the springtime?

John McCain
© Inconnu
It is believed that springtime is a season of lovers and mental cases. It is in the spring that the symptoms of allergies and certain mental illnesses are generally exacerbated, and those physiologically unstable often suffer attacks of unmotivated activity and hallucination. It's a documented fact that in the spring in a mental patient's head voices are louder and they urge a person to act and act quickly.

Psychiatrists are convinced that the destructive power of these symptoms depends on the nature and stage of development of one's disease, along with patient's mental limitations. Psychiatrists often joke about the fact that there are no healthy people, only undiagnosed ones, but in general it's easier to diagnose a person in spring than in winter or summer.

It is difficult to state with certainty how much more often seasonal exacerbations occur in politicians than in ordinary mortals. It's a common joke that in order to go insane one must have a brain, and certain political figures have shown no signs of possessing one. But by putting jokes aside, one may note that a cook that has gone mental in the worst case scenario can completely ruin a dish, but with a politician hit by a similar scenario can lead his country to grave consequences.

It is therefore not surprising that a great many of wars and revolutions began in the spring. Take, at least the conflicts in Syria, Iraq, and Vietnam.

Certain announcement made by the rich and powerful in springtime continue fascinating political analysts and historians alike. For instance, in the spring of 2004 George Bush Junior made a pretty peculiar statement, by saying that: "I'm honored to shake the hand of a brave Iraqi citizen who had his hand cut off by Saddam Hussein."

Comment: Not gonna happen. No matter the season, pathological is pathological.


Info

Iraqi Kurds 'cannot wait' to achieve independence, having support from other ethnic groups

A flag of Kurdistan
© AFP 2017/ AHMAD AL-RUBAYEA flag of the autonomous Kurdistan region flies as Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters take position to monitor the area from their front line post in Bashiqa, a town 13 kilometers north-east of Mosul
Iraqi Kurdistan is in the process of putting everything in place to hold an independence referendum in the near future, Said Mamuziny, a representative of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in Mosul, told Sputnik Turkey, adding that 95 percent of the Kurds in the region support a divorce from Baghdad.

"We welcome the statement made by Masoud Barzani, the leader of Iraqi Kurdistan, with regard to holding the referendum. The Kurds have a right to achieve independence. They cannot wait for this day to come. The exact date when the referendum is expected to be held remains unknown at this point. We are currently in the process of preparing [for the vote]. However, President Barzani emphasized that it will take place in the near future," Said Mamuziny said.

In an interview with Sputnik, Tarik Gerdi, Deputy Chairman of Kurdistan Democratic Party's faction in the Iraqi parliament, confirmed that Iraqi Kurds were getting ready for the referendum. He said that he could not provide any details on the matter since he resided in Baghdad.

Comment: See also: War-weary Kurds seek independence 'as a result of the peace process'


Stop

Hawaii judge: Trump travel ban halt extended indefinitely - UPDATE: DOJ set to appeal

Judge Watson
© George Lee, The Star-Advertiser via APU.S. District Judge Derrick Watson, Honolulu, Hawaii
US District Court Judge Derrick Watson has extended his halt on enforcement of President Donald Trump's executive order travel ban, from a temporary order to an indefinite one in a new preliminary injunction.

On Wednesday, Judge Watson issued the permanent preliminary injunction after hearing arguments from the Hawaii attorney general and the US Department of Justice.


Comment: The US legal system has more than one level of justice and more than one avenue of pursuit. The ban falls within the president's power to protect national security. From a different posture, Judge Watson is blocking established federal law in protection of US citizens by mandating the door be left open before security protocol is in place. What about that?

Denver Post adds:
Watson wrote that he won't suspend his ruling if the government appeals. Enforcement of both provisions of the ban is prohibited nationwide until he orders otherwise.

"What a ruling in 4th Circuit in favor of the administration would do is create a split in authority between federal courts in different parts of the country," said Richard Primus, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Michigan law school. "Cases with splits in authority are cases the U.S. Supreme Court exists to resolve,"
See also: Update (March 31): The DOJ said it will appeal the decision in a court filing yesterday:
The appeal will be heard by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, the court that last month upheld a suspension of Trump's first travel order.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer on March 30 said the administration believes Trump's executive order is legal and would eventually be allowed to move forward.

Trump has said the travel restrictions are necessary to keep potential terrorists out of the country.

Judge Derrick Watson on March 29 issued his ruling extending the temporary halt on Trump's travel order until a lawsuit by the state of Hawaii against the presidential directive is resolved in the courts.



Bad Guys

Al-Qaeda Agrees to Temporary Ceasefire in Syria - Guess Who Vouches For Them?

Al-Qaeda fighters
You can't negotiate with them — unless you're their sponsor

An Al-Qaeda offshoot has agreed to a temporary ceasefire to allow for humanitarian evacuations. You'll never guess the bulwark of democracy who is acting as a guarantor...


Jaish al-Fatah, a coalition of Islamist "rebel" factions that teamed up with Al-Nusra Front, has agreed to a deal to allow the evacuation of four besieged areas in Syria.

As the BBC reports:
Residents of Foah and Kefraya, two government-held towns in the north-west, would be bussed out.

In return, people in two rebel-held towns near Damascus, Madaya and Zabadani, will be given safe passage.

[...]

Foah and Kefraya, most of whose residents are Shia Muslims, have been encircled by rebels and al-Qaeda-linked Sunni jihadists since March 2015.
But how is this possible?

Propaganda

The New York Times' ongoing dishonesty only makes Trump stronger

Trump
© Getty Images
Six months ago, I canceled my subscription to the New York Times because I felt the paper had become ethically challenged in its coverage of the presidential election.

And, it turns out, I was right.

Soon after the election — one in which the Times' favorite candidate, Hillary Clinton, lost — the paper admitted its mistakes.

After the shocking defeat of the Democrats' candidate, Times Publisher Arthur (Pinch) Sulzberger begged for his readers' forgiveness, although he did seem to choke a little on the apology.

"We aim to rededicate ourselves to the fundamental mission of Times journalism. That is to report America and the world honestly, without fear or favor ...," Sulzberger said in a letter to the paper's readers.

So the Times was "rededicating" itself to honesty. And that means it was admitting that it had strayed from being honest during the campaign.

The Times wasn't just receiving criticism from me and a lot of others who don't matter. Donald Trump, now president but then just a sure-to-lose candidate in the Times' eyes, was constantly on the paper's back.

Comment:


Info

Russian and South Ossetian defense chiefs sign collective security treaty

Russian soldiers
© Alexey Malgavko / Sputnik
The Russian and South Ossetian defense ministers have signed an agreement that allows South Ossetian citizens to serve in the Russian armed forces, and regulates the work of Russian peacekeepers in the republic.

The initial agreement, effectively allowing the two states to have joint armed forces and to work under the doctrine of collective security, was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and South Ossetian President Leonid Tibilov in March 2015. After this, the document was sent to the defense ministries of both countries in order to work out the details of its execution.

Quenelle

Saudi Brigadier General Ahmed Asiri dodges citizen's arrest in London over Yemen atrocities

Brigadier General Ahmed Asiri
Saudi military spokesperson Brigadier General Ahmed Asiri narrowly avoided an attempted citizen's arrest in London on Thursday.

Footage shows activist Sam Walton attempting the arrest, claiming Asiri is a war criminal responsible for atrocities in the Yemeni conflict.

Asiri's bodyguards blocked the attempted arrest and Walton can be heard saying "You're interrupting a citizen's arrest" as Asiri disappears into the building where he was due to appear at a think-tank forum.


Light Saber

RussiaGate is completely fake news - Stephen Cohen explains why in 5 minutes

Stephen Cohen
© Russia InsiderStephen Cohen
The American public is so stupid, has no agency, that Russian President Putin can manipulate them so easily during a US election.

Russiagate is falling apart and US lawmakers are scrambling to find any strand of evidence, however flimsy, that Russia interfered in the US election.

We even have "Little" Marco Rubio going in front of Congress to say he was hacked by Russia just yesterday. I was hacked by Russia 5 minutes ago. I am sure, you the reader, was also hacked by Russia these last few days as well.

Fox News' Tucker Carlson is brave enough to have Professor Stephen Cohen, a real Russia expert fluent in the language, explain in a little over 5 minutes why the entire Russiagate witch hunt is 100% fake news. It is (as Cohen explains in the video below) insulting to the American electorate, irresponsible and very dangerous for the entire planet.

Bad Guys

9/11 Terror Attacks & Insider Trading: Beware a Limited Hangout

You can download the 1st part of this article series here as a PDF document.

9/11 Terror Trading: Beware of a Limited Hangout, Part One
"The Indian knew that deer moved in circles...that if the hunter calculated his moves with skill, he could run the swift deer into submission. Its hooves would bleed, and the animal stumbled. The Indian was to kneel above his dying prey, putting his mouth to that of the deer, stealing its last breath. While he had earned the swiftness of the beast in its death, he was struck by its peace and stillness, and by his own."

- Opening Sequence of "The Indian Runner", 1991 -
Isn't it interesting if an eminence grise at the junction between the international capital markets, the national security policy of the United States as well as geo-economics writes about the topic of informed 9/11 terror trading? James G. Rickards, a well-known Wall Street lawyer, fund manager, gold market analyst, and author, did so.

Rocket

Poland expects to close $7.6bn missile systems deal by year-end

Patriot PAC-3 missile system
© AFPPatriot PAC-3 missile system
NATO member Poland expects to sign a deal with US defense firm Raytheon to buy eight Patriot missile defense systems by the end of this year, Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz said on Friday.

"We hope that we will sign the contract by more or less the end of the year," Macierewicz told reporters, as cited by Reuters.

The first of the eight systems, equipped the built-in Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS), are expected to arrive in Poland two years after the contract is signed, the minister said.