Puppet MastersS


Eye 1

New Tory legislation would mean jail for journalists who publish leaked information

Great Britain
© REUTERS/ Phil Noble
There are some well known stages that mark the path towards totalitarianism - and one indicator that we are strolling down this dangerous path is the UK government's Investigatory Powers Act.

One of the principal purposes of the IPA is to records the phone calls, internet browsing records and other data traffic of every person in the country, just in case it comes in useful later. Namely - to create an internal surveillance system. This was quite rightly judged to be illegal by The Court of Justice of the European Union, although the government is yet to meaningfully respond to the ruling. One can only surmise that our impending exit from the jurisdiction of the CJEU will mean that any protection afforded by the judgement will be short lived, if it ever materialises at all.

Comment: Further reading: RT under attack from 'all sides' as West cracks down on free speech


Map

Trump vs. Muslim-Brotherhood-age of liberal demagogues

Muslim Brotherhood member
© Amr Abdallah Dalsh / Reuters
Liberals beware Trump is on the prowl, and he means business. This time America's 45th US President is going after the infamous Muslim Brotherhood, and liberals have a lot to say on the matter. Welcome to 2017, the year of demagoguery.

For those of you still reeling from the "Muslim Ban," news that the Trump administration is currently looking to outlaw the Muslim Brotherhood in the United States, courtesy of one Senator Ted Cruz, must have felt like another blow to the solar plexus.

On January 10, Sen. Cruz opened the festivities against everything "Islam-like" by reintroducing a Bill to Congress that, if enacted, would brand the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization.


Star of David

Is Trump advancing Israel's 'Iran Agenda'?

Trump Iran flag
© Real Iran
Did Trump cheat us all with his campaign promises and his succinct 'to the point' Inaugural Address? Or did he just deceive some of us, some of the time, and the rest will be taken care of by a more or less sophisticated trickery? - A gambit, one of which is Iran?

After all, we know how he has been elected. Among the ruses used was a distinct scheme of mind manipulation, targeting specific voter groups in swing states, just as many as necessary to swing the state in his favor. This allowed him to capture a large majority of electoral votes, making him the winner, but running almost 3 million popular votes behind Hillary ("Mind Manipulations" to Influence Election Results)

By no means is this a plea for Hillary. With her in the White House we might already be in WWIII, I mean the nuclear version of it. But it shows that the choice Americans were given was rigged from the very beginning, as it usually is. It was either 'business as usual' or 'business as usual - plus'. I don't dare guessing what we have now. But for sure it ain't going to be peace for America and the rest of the world anytime soon. Not by a long shot. Not even near the prospects Trump put out when he said he would like to make peace with Russia, have Russia as a partner, rather than an enemy, and he would put an end to interventions in foreign countries. He specifically pointed to Syria, where he would not insist on a 'regime change', but rather fight efficiently and in collaboration with Mr. Putin, Islamic terrorism, i.e. ISIS, Al-Nusra, Al-Qaeda and whatever other names they give themselves.

Comment: Further reading: Iran war rhetoric and the 'Trump-ordered' dawn raid in Yemen: WWIII isn't 'coming' - It's happening NOW
It's too late now for the Empire to act on such verbal threats to Iran. Trump can tweet late into the night that Iran is "playing with fire", but that doesn't change the fact that it now has the military capability to protect itself from US aerial bombardment. On the financial-economic front, thanks to patient diplomatic moves by Iran and its allies over the last decade, the 'Iran nuclear deal' (which of course had little to do with nukes) was agreed last year. That genie is already out of the bottle: mega trade and investment deals have now been lined up between Iran and corporations and governments - from both east and west. Iran is, if anything, emboldened by the shrill protests in Washington, London and Tel Aviv: their response has been to test more missiles and radar systems, and issue counter-sanctions against "US individuals sponsoring terrorism."



Attention

Syrian army 'less than 20 km from Palmyra' as ISIS blows up Roman theater

Palmyra, Syria
Russian General Staff confirms Syrian army now close to ISIS held ancient city. Kremlin however refuses to discuss plans for its liberation.

The Russian General Staff has commented on the progress army as it continues offensive in central Syria against ISIS.

Starting in December ISIS launched a major offensive in central and eastern Syria. This captured Palmyra and a belt of gas fields west of Palmyra, and also involved a major attack on the besieged eastern desert city of Deir Ezzor.

The Syrian army's counter offensive began in earnest at the end of January, but has been slow to develop as the Syrian army has been obliged to deploy some of its best troops elsewhere in Syria, for example against ISIS in the strategically important town of Al-Bab, and against Al-Qaeda in Wadi Barada near Damascus. The Syrian army's counter offensive against ISIS in central Syria, and the Syrian garrison's defence of Deir Ezzor against ISIS, have however been supported by heavy bombing by the Russian air force, including by TU22M3 medium bombers flying from Russia.

Handcuffs

Last week Turkish police detained 792 members of Gulen's organization

Turkish police forces army arrest Turkey Ankara
© AP Photo/ Mahir Alan/Dha-Depo Photos
1,300 terror suspects, including 45 supposed the Daesh members, were arrested in Turkey since February 6, according to Turkey's Interior Ministry statement.

Turkish police have detained more than 1,300 terror suspects since February 6, local media reported Monday citing Turkey's Interior Ministry statement.

According to the Hurriyet newspaper, 792 suspects are believed to be members of the Fethullah Gulen Terrorist Organization (FETO), which is accused by Ankara of being behind the July 15 military coup attempt, 520 - of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), 45 — of Islamic State terrorist organization (ISIL or Daesh), and 6 - of other banned leftist terrorist groups. Out of them, a total of 147 FETO and 26 PKK alleged members have been arrested so far.

Comment: With so many of Gulen's members getting arrested one wonders if this has something to do with Trump's recent overtures.

Further reading: How Trump plans to win back Turkey
The quickness with which the Trump Administration has sought to win back Turkey seems to have come as a surprise for Russia, which is now all of a sudden reminding the public that - in spite of Moscow officially acknowledging that "Russia is coordinating both Syria's and Turkey's efforts in Aleppo province, heading off any provocations and clashes between the sides" - the two sides "still have many differences".



Better Earth

China "seriously concerned and opposed" after Trump backs Japan over disputed islands in East China Sea

east china sea
On Friday, when President Trump confirmed that the US alliance with Japan covers the contested "Senkaku" islands located in the East China Sea, and which prompted a diplomatic scandal between China and Japan in 2013, we predicted that China would not be happy.

Additionally, in a joint Japanese-U.S. statement after the weekend meeting in the United States said the two leaders affirmed that Article 5 of the U.S.-Japan security treaty covered the islands, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.

Sure enough, on Monday our prediction was confirmed after China's Foreign Ministry expressed displeasure after Japan got continued U.S. backing for its dispute with Beijing over islands in the East China Sea during a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Reuters reported.

Info

Russia gets top notch grade in emerging markets survey, GDP growth forecast rises along with the ruble

Euro graphic
© pixabay
Russia and Brazil received the highest marks in Bloomberg's survey of emerging markets, as investors predict key rate cuts, surging local currencies, and higher carry trade returns.

In a survey of 16 investors and analysts, the countries received the best marks in currencies' and bonds' outlook, while China and Turkey were the least favored.

"Countries that represent improving fundamentals and offer high carry are likely to outperform, especially if they are still in the process of cutting interest rates," Jens Nystedt, a money manager at Morgan Stanley Investment Management overseeing $417 billion in assets told Bloomberg.

"Asia, given its lower yields and reflecting increased trade tension, remains vulnerable to higher global interest rates, with China explicitly trying to tighten monetary conditions," Nystedt added.

Comment: Those anti-Russian sanctions are working well.


Camera

Theresa May 'used porn star' to liven up her image

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May (L) and Glamour model Teresa May
© Facebook / ReutersBritain's Prime Minister Theresa May (L) and Glamour model Teresa May
Before rising through the ranks, Theresa May used a porn star with the same name to perk up her image, according to a new tell-all book about the notoriously-private prime minister.

May, then-shadow secretary of state for education and employment, appeared on a GMTV daytime television sofa in 2000 alongside adult film star Teresa May, who had starred in 60 adult movies, to politely discuss current events.

All that had brought them together that day was the similarity of their names. Teresa May - without an h - was a 32-year-old porn star from Beckenham in South London, and Theresa May was a former City high-flyer and the MP for Maidenhead.

Dollar

Mafia, guns and clans: The big Libyan oil heist

Libian troops
© Esam Omran Al-Fetori / Reuters
Libya's oil production problems extend far beyond whether the forces of Tripoli or Benghazi secure ultimate control over the country: Clan-based militias are running their own smuggling operations, and their mafia reach is said to extend as far as the Coast Guard - and even into Europe.

This smuggled oil is making its way into Europe, and Libya authorities say it has cost the state $360 million so far, at a time when the country is producing only 715,000 barrels per day, down from its Ghaddafi heydays of 1.6 million bpd.

The post-Ghaddafi chaos has created some great business opportunities in both human trafficking and oil smuggling.

Comment: For more on the Libya situation, have a listen to SOTT radio broadcasts:


Snakes in Suits

Puppet Boris Johnson launches £700mn aid fund to 'thwart Russia's Europe takeover'

Boris Johnson
© Alessandro Bianchi / Reuters
Amid criticism of Russia's 'soft power' in Eastern Europe, Britain is now itself spending hundreds of millions of pounds to bolster relations with the region, it is claimed.

The Sun newspaper reports UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will pump £700 million (US$877 million) of British aid money into areas of Eastern Europe said to be in Russia's sphere of influence.

The Foreign Office however has responded to the claims by saying details of the plan have not been set.

"The Empowerment Fund is in the early stages of development. Details of the Fund will be announced in Parliament in due course," an FCO spokesperson told RT.