Puppet MastersS


Newspaper

Turkish journalist reports from Aleppo; finds Syrians oppose Jihadism, support Assad, grateful to Hezbollah and Russia

Syrian flags in market
© AFP 2016/ LOUAI BESHARA
Turkish journalist Fehim Taştekin in second report from Aleppo casts further doubts about Western claims about the Syrian war.

The Turkish journalist Fehim Taştekin has provided Al Monitor with a highly interesting follow up to his previous report on the situation Aleppo, which cast doubt on some of the claims the Western media made during the fighting there.

Chess

Trump signs executive order halting all Federal hiring - except for military

Trump White House Executive Order
© Kevin Lamarque / ReutersU.S. President Donald Trump holds up the executive order on withdrawal from the Trans Pacific Partnership after signing it in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington January 23, 2017.
Here at the Free Thought Project we are non-partisan and are unafraid to call out the good and bad we see in Washington, no matter who does it.

Included in one of the many executive orders signed by president Trump today, was an order for the US to withdraw from the tyrannical Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Also included was an executive order for the Federal Government that implements a hiring freeze on all government jobs.

Considering Bush Jr. sent federal employment up 17 percent, and Obama up another 10 percent, placing a hiring freeze certainly seems like a good idea — and it is — in theory.

Comment: For more info check out: A Preview of Trump's Executive Actions


Compass

China's building a Navy that will drive U.S. out of Asia

Navy China
© Unknown
In many ways, China's socioeconomic and military influence in Asia has already balanced a long-lopsided equation of geopolitical power in the region. The social and economic stability brought by the rise of China along with the rest of Asia has helped eliminate many of the "dark alleys" the US and its European allies have often used to create division, destruction and opportunities to then intervene, even overturn entire governments.

China's naval ambitions in particular have been disparaged by Western political and military analysts who believe (correctly) China's growing naval capabilities will never be on par with the United States' global-spanning naval forces.

But that is precisely the point.

Comment: Further reading: China prepared to take on role of global leader if US steps moves towards isolationist policy
"If China is required to play that leadership role, then China will assume its responsibilities," the official added.

Zhang's comments came on the hills of Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, in which he advocated the benefits of globalization and spoke on the perils of isolationism, which critics argue Washington may face if US President Donald Trump pursues his "America first" policy.



Red Flag

Trump signs order reviving Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipeline constructions

oceti sakowin camp dapl
© Lucas Jackson / ReutersA woman looks at the Oceti Sakowin camp as activists celebrate news that Dakota Access Pipeline will be denied easement for building near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, North Dakota, December 4, 2016
President Donald Trump ordered the removal of obstacles to the construction of two major oil and gas pipelines, which the Obama administration had reluctantly blocked after protests from environmentalists and Native Americans.

The construction will be "subject to terms and conditions to be negotiated by us," Trump said, citing as an example the need for pipe components to be built in the US.

Other executive orders signed on Tuesday included expediting environmental reviews for critical infrastructure projects and streamlining the "extremely cumbersome" regulatory process for domestic manufacturing.

"The regulatory process in this country has become a tangled-up mess," Trump said.

Comment: Trump would be wise not to discount the environmental effects that his business-first mindset has on the world. While energy is indeed important, fracking is well known to cause many environmental problems, along with the resultant health affects of the people who live near fracking.


Blackbox

Trolling Trump? US DoD tweets on mental health & social media use

donald trump
© AFP 2016/ Jim Watson
A tweet from the US Department of Defense (DoD) about social media use being an indicator of mental health has led many to wonder if the national security body is subtly trolling President Donald Trump.

"Social media postings sometimes provide an important window into a person's #mentalhealth, Know what to look for," the department tweeted from its official account.

The tweet links to research on military suicide funded by the DoD's Suicide Prevention Office which claims that social media use "can provide an important window into a person's state of mind."

Comment: Is the Department of Defence trolling the President? Maybe it's encouraging for those who hate Trump so much to believe they are. But as Abraham Maslow once said, "I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail."


Chess

China prepared to take on role of global leader if US steps moves towards isolationist policy

chinese flag
© Guang Niu / Getty Images
A senior Chinese Foreign Ministry official has hinted that Beijing may pick up the torch of global leadership if forced to do so by the withdrawal of other contenders for the role as Washington under Trump appears to become more immersed in domestic issues.

"If anyone were to say China is playing a leadership role in the world, I would say it's not China rushing to the front but rather the frontrunners have stepped back, leaving the place to China," Zhang Jun, the director general of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's international economics department, told reporters on Monday, according to Reuters.

At the same time, he said that China would not shun the opportunity to lead the world if needed for the common good.

"If China is required to play that leadership role, then China will assume its responsibilities," the official added.

Zhang's comments came on the hills of Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, in which he advocated the benefits of globalization and spoke on the perils of isolationism, which critics argue Washington may face if US President Donald Trump pursues his "America first" policy.

Bomb

Flashback Arms smuggling to terrorists in Syria, attack on Benghazi...a primer in connecting the dots

McCain & Stevens
© newsrescue.comSenator John McCain with now deceased US Ambassador John Christopher Stevens in the terrorist rat nest of Benghazi after marshaling cash, weapons, and political support for militants tied directly to Al Qaeda. McCain’s insistence that the terrorists he helped arm and install into power were ‘not Al Qaeda’ runs contra to the US Army’s own reports which state that Benghazi’s terror brigades officially merged with Al Qaeda in 2007. McCain’s ‘Libyan patriots’ have now killed US Ambassador Stevens with weapons most likely procured with cash and logistic networks set up by NATO last year, part of a supranational terror campaign that includes violently subverting Syria - a campaign McCain also supports.
A lot of the early deliveries of weapons sent to the Syrian terrorists in 2011 and 2012 came from Gaddafi's weapons hoard.

Chris Stevens was specifically sent to Libya to arm terrorists, he visited Benghazi with John McCain in April 2011 to arrange weapons transfers. Chris Stevens went on to ship weapons out of Benghazi to terrorists in Syria, from late 2011.

The London Times even reported on one 400 ton shipment from Benghazi to Syria (the article is behind a paywall): Syrian rebels squabble over weapons as biggest shipload arrives from Libya

Rand Paul started asking questions to Hillary at the Hearing in 2013 on Benghazi and explicitly referenced the article above - somebody obviously told him to shut up about it, because he and everyone else never asked any more. Update: Rand Paul: Hillary perjured herself on Benghazi gun running, throw her in jail.

The CIA annex a mile or so from the rented villa that Chris Stevens was using as a "Consulate" had over 30 CIA agents and Special Forces. This was the Black Operation to smuggle assorted weapons including Manpads and RPG's to the Syrian terrorists using Libyan extremists as the couriers.

Comment: We may never be privy to the full and accurate accounts of Benghazi, Libya, ISIS, Syria and others, nor have full confirmation of nefarious activities and coverups by the CIA and the Obama administration. Secrets tend to stay hidden. Nevertheless, it is incumbent upon societies to seek the truth when nefarious activities and covert agendas destroy cultures, countries and the rights and liberties of the people.


Attention

Trump administration threatens response to Beijing's South China Sea territory grab

US Guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur
© Diana Quinlan / AFP
The standoff between China and the US looks set to reach new highs, as the Trump administration promises steps to prevent Beijing's takeover of "international territories" in the strategic waterway in the South China Sea.

"The US is going to make sure that we protect our interests there," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Monday. Journalists asked him if he agreed with the statement delivered by Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson on January 11, that Washington will from now on take a tougher stance with Beijing over its actions in the South China Sea.

"It's a question of if those islands are in fact in international waters and not part of China proper, then yeah, we're going to make sure that we defend international territories from being taken over by one country," Spicer added.

Comment: Aside from Tillerson's gas interest in Indonesia, there is no need for the US to interfere in the South China Seas:


Dominoes

Astana peace process comes to an end, paving way for Geneva talks

Syria Astana peace talks conference
The talks on the Syrian peace process concluded in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, with the three guarantor countries - Russia, Turkey and Iran - issuing a joint statement establishing trilateral support for the Syrian ceasefire and paving the way for the Geneva talks due February 8.

Russia, Iran and Turkey have announced they will establish a trilateral mechanism to support the ceasefire in Syria. In a joint statement issued at the end of talks in the Kazakh capital, Astana, they said the Syrian opposition had agreed to take part in peace talks on the issue set for Geneva, Switzerland.

"The delegations of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey ...support launching the talks between the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic and the armed opposition in Astana on January 23-24, 2017," said a joint statement on Tuesday.

Comment: For more background on the peace talks, see: Astana peace talks kick off with 'frosty' exchanges between govt. & armed opposition


Attention

Don't blow it! Trump gives Theresa and the snobby Tory twerps a second chance due to Brexit

theresa donald
© NewsGrioMake nice or tantrums, what'll it be?
This Friday Theresa May will become the first world leader to meet President Trump. With one eye on the Women's Marches that have shrieked across our cities, she says this is the 'biggest statement' she can make about the role of women in the world.

No, Theresa. It is not. Your chromosomes do not interest us, your actions do. Put your vagenda to one side and focus. You are the Prime Minister. You have work to do.

Sadly, you have been distracted by millions of women marching in silly hats because they are not men. You have to be better than that. And do not dare to suggest you will be letting President Trump know which of his behaviours or statements you find unacceptable as a woman. You are not going to lecture the President of America. In this game of Top Trumps you cannot play the Vagina card. Because the guy you are speaking to owns the name of the whole damn pack.

Sitting here a few blocks from the White House, perhaps I can provide some much needed perspective on where Theresa May and Britain stand in the order of things.

Comment: A rather sardonic look at the Prime Minister...as in hold your nose and hope for the best. It 'May' present a prime test for The Donald's presidential diplomatic gentleman-ness.