Puppet MastersS


Attention

Trump reportedly gave CIA power to authorize drone strikes


RT
Tue, 14 Mar 2017 15:05 UTC
small drone on truck
© Rodi Said / Reuters
President Donald Trump has reportedly given the Central Intelligence Agency the power to conduct drone strikes against suspected terrorists. Under former President Barack Obama, that authority was limited to the Pentagon in the name of transparency.

Unnamed US officials claim that President Trump expanded the power to conduct drone strikes from the Pentagon exclusively to the CIA, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday. The move has not been confirmed by the Trump administration.

Under the new authority, the CIA would not require permission from the Pentagon or even the White House before launching a drone strike for a targeted killing mission.


Comment: Yet the Pentagon wants looser drone authority: Pentagon wants looser rules on using force in 'temporary areas of active hostility'

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Attention

Pentagon wants looser rules on using force in 'temporary areas of active hostility'


RT
Tue, 14 Mar 2017 14:51 UTC
US drone grafitee
© Khaled Abdullah / Reuters
The White House is reportedly mulling over a Pentagon proposal to designate undeclared battlefields across the world as "temporary areas of active hostility," granting military top brass the same carte blanche they enjoy in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.

If approved, the measure would give military commanders as much scope to launch airstrikes, raids and campaigns against enemy forces for up to six months as they already possess in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, the Guardian reported, citing a US administration official familiar with the situation.

The proposal would reportedly dismantle the existing scheme for launching lethal assaults like drone strikes, used in countries such as Pakistan, Yemen and Afghanistan.
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Pistol

Libyan government ready to implement arms contracts with Russia reached under Muammar Gaddafi


Sputnik
Tue, 14 Mar 2017 14:30 UTC
Lyban soldier
© AP/Manu Brabo
Russia promised to assist the local authorities in the east of Libya in combating terrorism, he said.

"We asked the Russian government to help us in training of the armed forces, repairing of military equipment by Russian experts, as most of our officers were trained in Russia and many speak Russian, and they know how to use Russian equipment. We were promised an assistance in the fight against terrorism," Issa said.

"Commissions which will have to check and monitor the implementation of defense contracts reached with Russia during the rule of Muammar Gaddafi will be established. They will be implemented with the two sides' good will," Issa said.

Comment: Once again Russia is cleaning up the US/NATO mess.

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Info

Ukrainian soldiers caught planting car bombs in Donbass: Guess who trained them?

Rudy Panko
Russia Insider
Tue, 14 Mar 2017 14:28 UTC
Ukrainian soldier
The "mystery" behind the long list of assassinated rebel leaders in Donbass might now be solved.

Two Ukrainian soldiers have been captured with weapons and bomb-making materials by Lugansk authorities.

The two soldiers, both allegedly part of Ukraine's Special Forces, confessed to assassinating the rebel commander Oleg Anashchenko last month.

Guess who trained them? You already know.
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Boat

Beijing wants to hear from Tokyo on sending largest warship to disputed S. China Sea


RT
Tue, 14 Mar 2017 14:12 UTC
Izumo military helicopter carrier
© Toru Hanai / ReutersThe Izumo military helicopter carrier of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
China is waiting to hear official word from Japan on why it is reportedly planning to send its largest warship on a three-month tour in the South China Sea. Beijing claims most of the waterway as its own, despite competing claims from other countries.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a news briefing on Tuesday that Beijing is unsure whether the helicopter carrier 'Izumo' is merely passing through to visit Southeast Asian countries, or if there is another aim.

"We have not yet heard what Japan says officially," Hua said, as quoted by Reuters.

"If it's only a normal visit, going to several countries, and passing normally through the South China Sea, then we've got no objections, and we hope this kind of normal exchange between relevant countries can play a role promoting regional peace and stability," she added.
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Георгиевская ленточка

Since Trump's US victory, the Russia-bashing industry has never had it so good or got it so wrong

Bryan MacDonald
RT
Mon, 13 Mar 2017 20:44 UTC
Russian flag American flag
© mashabuba / Gettyimages.ru
For some years now, people have been able to write any rubbish about Russia in the Western press and suffer hardly any consequences. This irresponsible approach has led to a feeding frenzy since Donald Trump won last fall's race for the White House.

Two years ago this week, Vladimir Putin died. On Twitter, at least.

And the false reports reached the pages of various news outlets, including web giant Yahoo. What made this 'fake news' more remarkable was how it was primarily spread by the so-called 'expert community.'

Others had different takes. Perhaps he'd been ousted in a palace coup? Or had a stroke? But my favorite made up report came from The Daily Telegraph's Moscow correspondent, who insisted Putin was in Switzerland attending the birth of a new child. The idea of Putin going on secret paternity leave was deliciously preposterous.
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Bullseye

US reaffirms rules of engagement in Mosul, says 'ISIS trapped & going to die' - as civilian casualties increase


RT
Tue, 14 Mar 2017 13:49 UTC
ISIS/ISIL
As the fighting in Mosul rages on, the number of civilian casualties and displacements have grown significantly. While vowing to avoid civilian casualties by all means, the US is adamantly helping to maintain the siege until every single jihadist dies there.

Air strikes targeting Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) fighters in the Iraqi city of Mosul are frequently killing civilians, a number of residents who lost loved ones have been telling RT recently. While the Islamic State is known to use men, women, and children as human shields in Mosul, the city's residents have also accused the coalition of indiscriminate bombing.

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Megaphone

Populist Wilders tells Dutch PM 'You're Erdogan's hostage, close borders'


RT
Tue, 14 Mar 2017 13:41 UTC
Geert Wilders, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte
© Yves Herman / ReutersDutch far-right politician Geert Wilders of the PVV party and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte
The war of words between Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and far-right populist Geert Wilders exploded in a face to face debate on Monday as Wilders called on Rutte to close the Netherlands' borders.

"You are being taken hostage by [Turkish President] Erdogan. Close the Dutch borders," Wilders told his top rival, Rutte, during the 30-minute televised debate.

"That's a totally fake solution," Rutte retorted, hitting back at Wilders' suggestion that the Dutch borders should be shut.

"You want Nexit, you want the Netherlands out of Europe. You know what it will cost... don't do it," he warned.
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Bad Guys

Azov & Right Sector attack & 'brick up' Russian bank in central Kiev (VIDEO)


RT
Tue, 14 Mar 2017 13:22 UTC
Russian bank Ukraine radicals Azov battalion brick
© Stringer / Sputnik
Ukrainian radicals have built brick walls in front the entrance and windows of a Sberbank office in central Kiev on Monday, demanding that the Russian bank's license is revoked.

The Sberbank office on Vladimirskaya Street in the Ukrainian capital was attacked by members of the Azov voluntary battalion and Right Sector radical group, Tass reported.

Several dozen activists, headed by Ukrainian parliament member Andrey Biletsky erected concrete blocks in front of the bank's façade.

Comment: Further reading: Donbass is breaking away from an agonized Ukraine
Tectonic shifts are continuing to occur in the political landscape of the Ukraine. Last week, following the imposition of a total blockade against Novorussia by the Ukronazis, Russia declared that she will from now on recognize the official documents emitted by the DNR and LNR authorities. This week, the Novorussian authorities have nationalized all the key factories of the Donbass. Furthermore, the Novorussians have now declared that since the Ukrainian authorities are not willing to purchase their coal and anthracite they will from now on export them to Russia. And just to make sure that they cover all their bases, the Novorussians have also declared that from now on only the Russian Ruble will be circulating in the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics.


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Jet5

US, S. Korea & Japan hold joint drills, N. Korea threatens 'merciless' strikes


RT
Tue, 14 Mar 2017 13:34 UTC
South Korean war ship
© South Korean Navy / ReutersSouth Korean navy's war supply ship Cheonji (R) refuels KDX-II destroyer Choi Young
North Korea has warned that it will launch "merciless" strikes if the US strike group that arrived for two days of trilateral drills with South Korea and Japan infringes on Pyongyang's "sovereignty and dignity."

"If they infringe on the DPRK's [Democratic People's Republic of Korea's] sovereignty and dignity even a bit, its army will launch merciless ultra-precision strikes from ground, air, sea, and underwater," said the North's state news agency, KCNA, as cited by Reuters.

Pyongyang pointed out that "many enemy carrier-based aircraft flew along a course near territorial air and waters of the DPRK to stage drills of dropping bombs and making surprise attacks on the ground targets of its army."
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