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Former Senator Graham at plaintiff's table in 9/11 case against FBI


28Pages.org
Wed, 15 Feb 2017 16:36 UTC
Former Florida Sen. Bob Graham
© Tom Williams/Associated PressFormer Florida Sen. Bob Graham
Co-chair of congressional inquiry into 9/11 aids investigative journalist's FOIA case against FBI

At a federal court hearing in Miami on Tuesday, former U.S. senator and Florida governor Bob Graham was seated at the plaintiff's table in a case pitting a journalist against the FBI in a fight for transparency about the bureau's investigation of a Saudi family that suddenly left its upscale Sarasota home shortly before the 9/11 attacks.

At the heart of the case is a redacted April 16, 2002 FBI report in which an agent said his investigation of the prominent Saudi family living in an upscale Sarasota neighborhood "revealed many connections" to "individuals associated with the terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001."


Comment: Does a classified Sarasota investigation hold shocking truths about Saudi Arabia and 9/11?

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MIB

Ukraine says Russian hackers targeting Kiev's power grid and financial system


RFE/RL
Thu, 16 Feb 2017 16:25 UTC
Oleksandr Tkachuk
© RFE/RLOleksandr Tkachuk, Ukraine's security service chief, said on February 15 that the attacks were orchestrated by the Russian security service with help from criminal hackers.
Ukraine has accused Russian hackers of targeting its power grid, financial system, and other infrastructure with thousands of attacks and a new type of virus that attacks industrial processes.

Oleksandr Tkachuk, Ukraine's Security Service chief, said on February 15 that the attacks were orchestrated by the Russian security service with help from criminal hackers, and looked like they were designed by the same people who created malware known as "BlackEnergy."

Ukraine blamed hackers using BlackEnergy for knocking out part of Kyiv's power grid in December 2015, and for attacks last year on the Defense and Finance ministries and the State Treasury.

"Russian hackers and infobots become an important tool of the aggression against our country," Tkachuk said.

The latest attacks employed a mechanism dubbed "Telebots" to infect computers that control infrastructure, he said.

Moscow has repeatedly denied it is waging a "cyberwar" on Ukraine.
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Info

'Productive' first meeting: Lavrov and Tillerson discuss Syria and Ukraine, but not sanctions


RT
Thu, 16 Feb 2017 16:14 UTC
Sergey Lavrov and Rex Tillerson
© Maria Zakharova / Facebook
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said his first meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was productive, stressing that Moscow is ready to work with Washington on all issues as soon as Donald Trump's foreign policy team is fully formed.

Lavrov and Tillerson talked at a G20 summit in Germany. It was the pair's first meeting since Tillerson became Secretary of State, and came as a possible Russia-US rapprochement is in the spotlight.

"As soon as the teams in the State Department and the relevant agencies are formed, we expressed readiness to establish contacts," Lavrov told journalists at the G20 summit in Bonn, Germany.

Comment: Against custom, the personnel with Tillerson shooed the press out of the room just as he began his opening remarks.

Paranoia is rife in DC. They were afraid that even casual comments would be spun by the US Fake News Industry as 'getting into bed with the enemy'. If only Team Trump would say 'to hell' with the hawks spinning everything as a Russian conspiracy. The American people would understand.

For sanity's sake, don't just whisper to the Russians; embrace them! Make CNN et al go into meltdown! That's when the people know the right things are happening!

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Arrow Down

Putin less than optimistic of rapprochement with US amid Trump's change in tune and NATO's increasing hostility

Matthew Allen
Russia Insider
Thu, 16 Feb 2017 15:59 UTC
NATO Russian borders
Now congregating on Russia's border

Putin criticized NATO's increasingly hostile attitude towards Russia during a meeting with the Federal Security Service (FSB)

It seems Putin is less than optimistic about rapprochement with Washington or its "defensive alliance".

While speaking with the Federal Security Service (FSB) on Thursday, Putin remarked that:
"[NATO] has been expanding as it did before but now they seem to have found new serious reasons to justify the bloc's expansion and have sped up the process of deploying conventional and strategic weapons beyond the member states' borders," the Russian president stressed.

He went on to say that "they have been constantly provoking us in order to embroil us in confrontation." The Russian leader also pointed to "the ongoing attempts to interfere in our internal affairs and destabilize the social and political situation in Russia."

Comment: NATO's efforts to increase pressure on Russia will prove futile

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Chalkboard

Trump asks about autism in educators meeting

Jordan Fabian
The Hill
Tue, 14 Feb 2017 12:05 UTC
autism_trump
© Fox News
President Trump quizzed a school principal about autism during a meeting with educators at the White House on Tuesday.

"Have you seen a big increase in the autism with the children?" Trump asked Jane Quenneville, the principal of a Virginia public school specializing in special education. Quenneville responded that she has, and noted her school "has shifted its population" to accommodate more students with autism.

"So what's going on with autism?" Trump asked. "When you look at the tremendous increase, it's really such an incredible — it's really a horrible thing to watch, the tremendous amount of increase. Do you have any idea?" Quenneville didn't provide an explanation, but cited statistics showing that autism affects 1 in 66 or 68 children.

"Maybe we can do something," Trump said, claiming the rate is "coming in even lower."

Comment:

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Eye 1

Stoltenberg announces NATO agreement to increased presence in Black Sea


RT
Thu, 16 Feb 2017 15:46 UTC
BREEZE 2014 military drill in the Black Sea July 11, 2014
© Reuters
NATO nations have agreed to increase the alliance's presence in the Black Sea, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after a ministerial meeting of the bloc.

"Today, we agreed on two additional maritime measures: an increased NATO naval presence in the Black Sea for enhanced training, exercises and situational awareness, and a maritime coordination function for our Standing Naval Forces when operating with other Allied forces in the Black Sea region," the secretary general told journalists.

"Allies stand together, united and strong," he added.
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Propaganda

Film showing Iran defeating US forces set to be released - message to 'warmonger' Trump


RT
Thu, 16 Feb 2017 15:44 UTC
movie Iran US sinking ship
© IranClips / YouTube
An animated film depicting Iran's Revolutionary Guards defeating US forces will soon open in Iranian cinemas. The movie's director says he hopes the film will show "warmongering" President Trump what will happen if the US attacks the Islamic Republic.

The 88-minute film 'Battle of the Persian Gulf II' opens with the US Army attacking an Iranian nuclear reactor, and the US Navy in the Gulf hitting strategic locations across the country.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) then retaliates against the American forces, launching ballistic missiles on the US warships.
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Snakes in Suits

Palestinian president supports Trump's call for Israeli settlements 'pullback', wary of 'one state' idea


RT
Thu, 16 Feb 2017 05:10 UTC
The Palestinian president fully supports Donald Trump's call on Israel to "pull back" on settlement expansion, but is yet to comment on a trending idea that a peace deal might not necessarily include an independent Palestinian state.

The Palestinian presidency "demands that [Israelis] agree to [Trump's call] and that of the international community, to halt all settlement activities including in occupied East Jerusalem," a written statement issued by Mahmoud Abbas' office said.

Trump on Wednesday asked the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to temporarily hold off on building new Jewish settlements on land claimed by Palestinians for their future state.

Comment: See also:

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Attention

Moscow on US statement: Russia won't be talked to 'from position of strength'


RT
Thu, 16 Feb 2017 15:37 UTC
Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu
© SputnikDefense Minister Sergey Shoigu
Russia will not be talked to from a position of strength, only as an equal partner, the Russian defense minister said, commenting on the latest remark by his US counterpart. It comes as senior military commanders of the two nations are about to meet.

"We are prepared to restore cooperation with the Pentagon," Sergey Shoigu told journalists on Thursday. "But attempts to establish a dialogue with from a position of strength would be fruitless."

The warning came in response to remarks by US Defense Secretary James Mattis, who described his plan on reengaging Russia at a NATO meeting.
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Info

Shoigu reports clashes between Syrian government and moderate opposition forces ended


Sputnik
Thu, 16 Feb 2017 15:18 UTC
Free Syrian Army fighters
© REUTERS/ Khalil Ashawi
Clashes between the Syrian government and moderate opposition forces have fully stopped, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stated during his meeting with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.

He also stated that the fights were fully eliminated with the help of the conflict sides and the mediators.

"We hope to further build a constructive dialogue with the opposition. All in all, progress we made after December 29 [nationwide ceasefire], progress we have now — this scenario is much better than it used to be. The amount of shellings has significantly fallen, direct clashes have stopped completely," he stated.
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