Puppet MastersS


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Iranian forces in Strait of Hormuz man weapons as American warships pass, US Navy claims 'harassment'


RT
Fri, 24 Mar 2017 14:42 UTC
USS George H. W. Bush
© Juan David Guerra / ReutersThe aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77)
American warships were "harassed" by Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz, according to US Navy commanders, who said the Iranians had their weapons uncovered, manned, and armed. It comes amid already tense relations between Tehran and Washington.

The incident occurred on Tuesday as a US-led, five-vessel flotilla, which included the aircraft carrier 'USS George H.W. Bush', passed through the waters on its way to the Arabian Gulf.

According to the commanders, the flotilla was approached by two sets of Iranian Navy fast-attack boats, some of which came as close as 870 meters (950 yards) from the aircraft carrier.

Comment: Update (Mar. 26): The Iranian military has brushed off accusations from the US Navy that its fast-attack boats came dangerously close to a US aircraft carrier in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, as it was on its way to the Arabian Gulf on an anti-terrorist mission.
Dismissing the allegations, Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri, deputy chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, stated that the reports of a faceoff were completely unfounded and stem from "false reports or ulterior motives," IRNA cited him as saying.

Jazayeri went on to stress that the US would be solely to blame for any potential skirmishes that may break out in the area, and called on the US military to review its operations.

"We emphasize that the Americans would be responsible for any unrest in the Persian Gulf, and again warn that the US military must change its behavior," he said.


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Attention

Report reveals police warned of Berlin attacker as 'terrorist threat' 9 months before assault


RT
Sun, 26 Mar 2017 07:56 UTC
Berlin truck attack
© Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP
German criminal police tipped off the interior ministry of a potential "terrorist threat in the form of a suicide-attack" by Anis Amri nine months before he ploughed a truck into a crowded Berlin Christmas market, Bild am Sonntag reports.

The State Criminal Police Office (LKA) in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) apparently shared intelligence (indicating that Amri was plotting a terrorist attack in Germany) with the local federal interior ministry office in Dusseldorf in March 2016 - over half a year before the December attack.

In a confidential letter, seen by Bild am Sonntag, police stated that "according to the data available so far, the forecast can be made that Amri poses a terrorist threat in the form of a (suicide) attack," citing as evidence some messages the future attacker sent in a chat on February 2, which was monitored by law enforcement.
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Rocket

We mean business: Syria will fire scud missiles at Israel in response to airstrikes


Sputnik
Sun, 26 Mar 2017 07:50 UTC
Scud missile
© Wikipedia
The Syrian government has announced that it will retaliate should Israel continue to conduct airstrikes on Syrian territory.

Any further airstrikes on Syrian territory will be met with deadly force and retaliation strikes deep within Israeli soil, they said.

According to the message, delivered via Russian mediators, attacks on Syrian military objects will be met with Scud missiles launched at Israeli military (IDF) bases. If Israel attacks civilian infrastructure, Syrian missiles will be fired at Israel's Haifa port and petrochemical plant. The missiles will be launched without any prior notice, the statement said.
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Vader

Iraqi security forces halt offensive to recapture western Mosul over concern for civilian casualties


RT
Sat, 25 Mar 2017 15:22 UTC
Mosul civilian deaths
© ABCFuneral in Mosul after coalition airstrikes
An Iraqi security forces spokesman said government forces halted the offensive to recapture western Mosul from ISIS due to the high number of civilian casualties. A later report from the Iraqi command claims, however, that the offensive continues.

"The recent high death toll among civilians inside the Old City forced us to halt operations to review our plans. It's a time for weighing new offensive plans and tactics. No combat operations are to go on," an Iraqi Federal Police spokesman said, as cited by Reuters.

"We need to make sure that taking out [Islamic State] from the Old City will not cost unwanted high casualties among civilians. We need surgical accurate operations to target terrorists without causing collateral damage among residents," the agency cites the police spokesman further.


Comment: Mosul's civilians have learned to fear coalition airstrikes as much as the attacks from ISIS. Spunik reports that almost 4,000 civilians have been killed in Western Mosul just in the past month. Since October when the operation to liberate Mosul began, field hospitals have received over 22,000 wounded residents. Those who have managed to flee the combat areas have reported high civilian casualties.

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Red Flag

Here we go again: Moscow bewildered as U.S. imposes new sanctions on Russian defense and aviation firms


RT
Sat, 25 Mar 2017 22:39 UTC
US sanctions Russia
© Evgeny Biyatov / SputnikCompanies such as Rosoboronexport and Aviaexport, as well as several aviation training centers and academies, have been included on the new US sanctions list.
Russia's Foreign Ministry has said it is "bewildered and disappointed" over new US sanctions targeting eight Russian companies, including defense firms and pilot training academies, which the State Department claims engage in "proliferation" activity with Iran, North Korea and Syria.

While the restrictions will cause "no serious problems" for Russia, they undermine the fight against global terrorism, which Washington has been claiming is its priority, the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement posted on Facebook

"This step runs counter to the statements we hear from Washington that emphasize the fight against terrorism, in particular in Syria, where it has gained a foothold. On the contrary, it is completely at odds with such declarations and undermines the prospects of setting up comprehensive multilateral cooperation to destroy Islamic State [IS, formerly ISIS,ISIL] and other terrorist groups that pose a threat to all countries, including the US," Zakharova said.
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Magnify

Conspiracy - that Trump, Putin, et al, is in cahoots - is starting to fall apart


RT
Sat, 25 Mar 2017 16:13 UTC
Jim Jatras
© YouTubeJim Jatras, former US diplomat
Public opinion in the US is changing, as a lot of Americans, especially those who supported Trump, see what somebody has called "Trump derangement syndrome beginning to merge with Putin derangement syndrome," said former US diplomat Jim Jatras.

Earlier this week, the FBI confirmed it's investigating alleged collusion between Donald Trump's presidential campaign team and the Russian government to influence the outcome of the US presidential election.

Jim Jatras joined RT America's Simone Del Rosario to discuss what is known about the investigation so far and how to interpret Americans' changing attitudes towards Russia.

RT: Is it getting hotter for Russia or are things starting to cool off?

Jim Jatras: I think things are starting to cool off. Look, if you watch that House Intelligence Committee hearing, there were two completely different hearings going on. The Republicans wanted to know what was going on with the leaks - these are criminal activities and the FBI is supposed to investigate when they have evidence that a crime has been committed. And we know the crime was committed. The FBI refused to confirm they were investigating this. Meanwhile, they did confirm they are looking into collusion which, if it occurred, might be a crime, might not be a crime. They do not have evidence that a crime has taken place. So I think they are chasing something that very well may not be there. And I think people are starting to catch on to that.

Comment: Diversions, witch-hunts, false accusations, etc., are stock plays in political game plans. Keep them busy with proof and denial while 'other' is taking place. Is the frenzy and paranoia fading? Hard to tell. If so, it is anyone's guess as to what will remain. Facts and truth would be good for a change.

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Info

German businessmen and lawmakers arrive in Crimea


Sputnik
Sat, 25 Mar 2017 20:08 UTC
Crimea
© Sputnik/ Vasiliy Batanov
A delegation of German lawmakers and businessmen arrived in Crimea to form opinion on the situation in Crimea, the chairman of the Crimea's German National and Cultural Autonomy, Yury Gempel, said Saturday.

"The delegation consists of ten people. They are mostly businessmen who deal with real estate issues and regional-level politicians, [namely] Left Party's lawmakers. In the end of the visit our guests will be able to express their opinion on Crimea, on the situation here, after having received objective information," Gempel said.

The delegation is expected to visit the cities of Yalta and Sevastopol, as well as to meet with the speaker of Crimean parliament, Vladimir Konstantinov.

Comment: They may have a wonderful and prosperous visit, unlike if they visited Kiev. Home, sweet home! Crimeans feel happy about the 'future of their children'

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Snakes in Suits

Washington's swampy things: Profiling Congressman Adam Schiff

Phil Butler
New Eastern Outlook
Sat, 25 Mar 2017 00:00 UTC
Adam Schiff
© The AtlanticCongressman Adam Schiff
The "swamp" in Washington President Donald Trump swore he would drain has been revealed as more of a cesspool lately. Trump has stirred up some of the most vile creatures in the "ick" that Washington politics has become, and he's now assailed from every side in unprecedented form. The so-called "deep state" is showing signs of unravelling, and recent disclosures put the neo-leftists on the defensive. The most recent "Obama wiretap" news also reveals Trump's hand is firmly fixed on the toilet flushing handle. Here's a look at how the new president may well pull the plunger soon.

The blowback from an announcement by chairman of the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Devin Nunes, that the intelligence community did in fact surveil Donald Trump's team is predictable. Now western mainstream media and the globalists are back-peddling and covering up what is surely a scandal 1000 times bigger than Watergate.

Three weeks ago I predicted that President Trump had cast an irresistible piece of bait before the New Democratic Order with his "sick Obama" Tweet. I told my colleagues Trump would get the Congress to disclose some of his corroborative evidence, and that he would then reel in the big swamp fishes like a master angler.

Comment: See also:

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Bomb

UN: Concerned over 'hundreds of casualties' from suspected coalition airstrikes in Mosul


RT
Sat, 25 Mar 2017 01:43 UTC
mosul
© Youssef Boudlal / ReutersMosul, Iraq, March 24, 2017
The UN has urged all parties to the anti-terrorist operation in Mosul to refrain from "indiscriminate use of firepower" after reports by eyewitnesses said over a hundred civilians were either killed or buried under rubble in an alleged coalition bombing raid. "The United Nations is profoundly concerned by the reports yesterday of a high number of civilian casualties in al-Jadida in Iraq, a densely populated neighborhood in Mosul. Initial reports indicate hundreds of casualties," Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the UN Secretary General, told a press conference on Friday.

Since the release of the video of an aftermath of the airstrike on Friday morning, showing scores of dead bodies being pulled up from a completely destroyed house, Pentagon announced it is "looking into" the report of it being a result of a coalition sortie. "We are aware of reports on airstrikes in Mosul resulting in civilian casualties," Eric Phahon, Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement, cited by Fox News, acknowledging that coalition jets had carried out recent airstrikes in Mosul.

Earlier, the Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) for Operation Inherent Resolve said in an email to RT that the process of examining the allegations will "take time" as conflicting reports put the airstrike between March 17 and March 23. Meanwhile, the US-led coalition has "opened a formal civilian casualty credibility assessment on this allegation," as cited by AP.


Comment: There is a pattern of civilian casualties tied to coalition airstrikes..death raids with no distinction, without acknowledgement or apology. Out of sight, out of mind and done all over again.

UPDATE from RT:
The US military has confirmed a coalition airstrike on the site in Mosul where dozens of civilians allegedly died. The US said the strike was at the request of the Iraqi forces.

"An initial review of strike data from March 16-23 indicates that, at the request of the Iraqi Security Forces, the Coalition struck ISIS fighters and equipment, March 17, in West Mosul at the location corresponding to allegations of civilian casualties," US Central Command said in a statement issued on Saturday.


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No Entry

Closed to the public: Russia-Trump election hearings


RT
Fri, 24 Mar 2017 19:56 UTC
Devin Nunes
© The HillRepresentative Devin Nunes
The Republican head of the House Intelligence Committee has nixed a public hearing on Russia's alleged involvement in the US election. The committee's top Democrat has called the decision a mistake, as the chairman's activities have come under scrutiny.

Representative Devin Nunes (R-California) said Friday that he cancelled the public hearing in favor of a closed-session meeting, possibly on March 28, involving the entire committee and the heads of the FBI and National Security Agency. "The committee seeks additional information... that can only be addressed in closed session," Nunes said. The committee is in the midst of an investigation into any possible connections between Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Russia.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-California), the ranking member on the committee, said his party does not agree with the decision and that Nunes, through his actions this week, has compromised the committee's ability to investigate any Trump-Russia ties. "That was not in our view in the public interest and we resisted that," Schiff said Friday. "We strongly objected to the cancellation of this hearing."

The announcement comes as Nunes is embroiled in controversy after claiming on Wednesday that the communications of President-elect Donald Trump's transition team were "incidentally collected" by US intelligence surveillance operations of foreign entities. He then traveled to the White House to brief the president about the documents he had received.

Comment: By waffling and tepid apologies here and there,Nunes has offered himself up for skewering which is the likely outcome of any Dem-led Nunes investigation.

What Nunes told the president on March 23, 2017: "on numerous occasions" US intelligence agencies "incidentally collected information about US citizens involved in the Trump transition." The individuals' names were explicitly stated in intelligence data, potentially constituting a legal violation, he said. "I have seen intelligence reports that clearly show the president-elect and his team were at least monitored and disseminated in what appears to be intelligence reporting channels," the representative said. "None of the surveillance was related to Russia, or the investigation of Russian activities,"

See also:

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