Puppet MastersS


Laptop

Twitter cuts ties with software firm believed to help law enforcement spy on activists


RT
Sat, 10 Dec 2016 11:32 UTC
Twitter
© Lucas Jackson/Reuters
Twitter is doubling down on its commitment to opposing police use of its data for surveillance. The social network has severed its contract with Media Sonar, which produces surveillance software used by 19 local government agencies.

The social media giant cut Sonar off in October as part of its commitment to opposing the use of its data by companies that offer mass surveillance tools to law enforcement. Media Sonar was guilty of doing so, Twitter confirmed to the Daily Dot on Friday.

Media Sonar's access to API, Twitter's public platform for developers, was shut down, and Twitter told the Daily Dot that if they try to create more," we will terminate those as well and take further action as appropriate."

Media Sonar's sales representatives pitched the cloud-based surveillance program as being "specifically designed for law enforcement" and their promotional material contains "an effective list of high frequency social media terms that can help identify illegal activity and threats to public safety."

A copy of their material was obtained by the ACLU who discovered that much of the terminology contained on the list pertained to anti-police brutality movements, such as Black Lives Matter. A separate column for Mike Brown-related keywords was included in the 2015 material.

Read More...
Take 2

Democrats outraged as Trump may stay on as 'Celebrity Apprentice' executive producer


RT
Sat, 10 Dec 2016 13:58 UTC
Trump
© Lucy Nicholson / Reuters Executive Producer and host Donald Trump (C) speaks about the NBC television show "The Celebrity Apprentice" during the TCA presentations in Pasadena, California, January 16, 2015.
President-elect Donald Trump may be giving up his salary, but he will reportedly be staying on as executive producer of reality show "Celebrity Apprentice." While critics have denounced this as conflict of interest, Trump's campaign chief compared it to golfing.

Trump will keep his executive producer credit on the show, the show business magazine Variety reported on Thursday. In the credit sequence, Trump's name will be shown after the show's creator Mark Burnett and before Arnold Schwarzenegger, the current celebrity host.

Having been a star of the show for seven seasons, Trump bowed out in February 2015, before launching his presidential bid in June.

"Were we so concerned about the hours and hours and hours spent on the golf course of the current president? I mean presidents have a right to do things in their spare time," said Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, appearing on CNN's 'New Day' on Friday.

"Whether it's President Obama or President Donald Trump, the idea that these men are going to be all work and nothing else all the time is just unrealistic because it's never happened in our lifetimes," Conway said, adding that work is Trump's hobby.
Read More...
Info

German opposition rightfully slams 'hypocritical' MoD plans to train Saudi officers


RT
Sat, 10 Dec 2016 14:17 UTC
Ursula von der Leyen
© Hamad I Mohammed / ReutersGermany's Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen
The German defense ministry's decision to offer training to Saudi Arabian officers triggered a wave of criticism, with some opposition politicians saying it is hypocritical to help a "brutal dictatorship" that supports "Islamists and jihadists" and wages war in Yemen.

Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen held talks with her Saudi counterpart, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in Riyadh on Thursday, to push forward the "excellent bilateral relations" with Germany's "difficult but central partner in the region."

"The visit aims to finalize the talks on enhanced cooperation in the training sector. Beginning from next year, the German Defense College will host several young officers and staff from the Saudi military," the embassy said in a statement, as quoted by AFP.


Comment: This visit comes on the heals of Theresa May's visit to Saudi Arabia.


Comment: Europe should stop supporting Saudi Arabia's support for terrorism: The world needs to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for its terrorism

Read More...
Briefcase

Trump calls 'fake news' on CNN's claim of his role in Apprentice relaunch


Sputnik
Sat, 10 Dec 2016 17:34 UTC
Donald Trump
© Damon Winter/The New York Times
US President-elect Donald Trump called CNN claims that he would remain an executive producer on a reality show he helped create 'fake news.'

US President-elect Donald Trump blasted the CNN television channel on Saturday for claims he would remain an executive producer on a reality show he helped create and hosted for over a decade.

"I have NOTHING to do with The Apprentice except for fact that I conceived it with Mark [Burnett] and have a big stake in it. Will devote ZERO TIME!" the former billionaire businessman tweeted.

The story was first reported by the Variety magazine, which said the NBC show was returning for its 15th season next month with a new host, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Trump hosted it in 2004-2015.

"Reports by CNN that I will be working on The Apprentice during my Presidency, even part time, are rediculous [sic] and untrue — FAKE NEWS!" he continued.



​The CNN said Trump's participation in the show as an exec had been confirmed by NBC sources and raised concerns of a possible conflict of interest, since the show is aired by a channel that also reports on his presidency.
Read More...
Attention

Turkish backed Free Syrian Army enters al-Bab, Syria


Sputnik
Fri, 09 Dec 2016 14:09 UTC
Free Syrian Army soldier
© AP Photo/ Virginie Nguyen Hoang, File
Free Syrian Army troops entered the Syrian city of al-Bab in the Aleppo Governorate from North and East with the support of the Turkish army on Friday, according to the information received by Sputnik correspondent from a source in the FSA.

Violent fighting is currently taking place in al-Bab. According to information received by Sputnik, Daesh militants are maintaining fierce resistance.

Jihadists blew up a car rigged with explosives, killing ten people. Some more people sustained injuries and were rushed in critical condition to hospitals in the Turkish province of Gaziantep.

Street fights are still ongoing in al-Bab.

Comment: Turkey seems to be ramping up its forces while the UN discusses ceasefire: Operation 'Euphrates Shield': Turkey deploys 300 elite commandos in Syria

Read More...
Attention

Former Pentagon analyst: 'US arming Syrian militants could escalate into direct conflict with Russia'


RT
Sat, 10 Dec 2016 13:42 UTC
Syrian rebels
© Rasem Ghareeb / Reuters
President Obama's waiver of restrictions on military aid to militant groups in Syria may bolster jihadist forces and ultimately lead to a direct confrontation between the US and Russia, security analyst and former Pentagon official Michael Maloof told RT.

RT: How might Obama's waiving of current restrictions on assistance to forces in Syria affect the situation there? Can we possibly see it better or is it likely to decline?


Comment: Obama grants waiver for military support of foreign fighters in Syria


Michael Maloof: I think it's going to greatly decline, it's going to escalate the conflict and it means that the rebels, whom we cannot identify, are going to be getting some very sophisticated weapons. Potentially , I should say, man-portable air defense systems, which can knock down Russian and Syrian aircraft. And the fact too, that we have stocks already in Europe, that can easily be transferred with this waiver. Under the waiver, it's supposed to be a fifteen-day notification to Congress, but Congress, as of tonight, Washington time is going to be out of session until January. So these arms can go within hours.


Comment: Yes, the timing of this announcement is curious, meanwhile UN trying to broker a ceasefire.


And given the sophisticated armament that could be sent to these rebels, again people we cannot identify, this really represents an escalation particularly since these rebels are out to topple the government of Bashar Assad. And it would also put the United States into a situation of waging a proxy war, ultimately, against the Russians and Syrians.

Comment: Also Carter announced an increase of US boots on the ground in Raqqa: US Defense Secretary Ash Carter: US sending 200 more special ops soldiers to Syria

Read More...
Jet3

More 'Friendly' Airstrikes: US bombs Iraqi forces in Mosul, kills 90 servicemen


South Front
Sat, 10 Dec 2016 00:00 UTC
US air force craft
© UnknownU.S. Air Force photo
90 Iraqi military servicemen were killed and 100 wounded as result of a US airstrike in Mosul, the Iraqi Factiniraq news portal reported.

The airstrike that had been likely made by mistake on Friday allegedly destroyed eight infantry fighting vehicles and four Humvee military light trucks belonging to Iraqi security forces (ISF) and pushed ISF to retreat from the recently liberated areas of the ISIS stronghold.

This was not the first time when the US-led coalition's air power successfully assisted ISIS terrorists to defend their positions in Mosul.

Comment: US-Led Coalition Cannot Confirm Accidental Airstrike on Iraqi Forces
The US-led coalition in Iraq cannot confirm reports of its alleged accidental airstrike on Iraqi forces in Mosul, a coalition source told RIA Novosti on Saturday.

"We do not have any reports confirming this," a US Central Command representative said.
See also:

Read More...
Stormtrooper

US Defense Secretary Ash Carter: US sending 200 more special ops soldiers to Syria


RT
Sat, 10 Dec 2016 08:41 UTC
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter
© Yuri Gripas / ReutersU.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter
The US is sending 200 additional military personnel to Syria to help drive Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) from Raqqa, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Saturday.

Speaking in Bahrain at the Manama Dialogue conference on Middle East security, Carter said the 200, including special forces trainers, advisers, and explosive ordnance disposal teams, would join 300 US special forces already in Syria.

"These uniquely skilled operators will join the 300 US special operations forces already in Syria, to continue organizing, training, equipping, and otherwise enabling capable, motivated, local forces to take the fight to ISIL," Carter said, as quoted by AP.

"By combining our capabilities with those of our local partners, we've been squeezing ISIL by applying simultaneous pressure from all sides and across domains, through a series of deliberate actions to continue to build momentum," he added.

Comment: See also: Operation 'Euphrates Shield': Turkey deploys 300 elite commandos in Syria

Read More...
Info

France's Fillon may dramatically change EU's stance on Russia if he wins presidency


Sputnik
Fri, 09 Dec 2016 02:56 UTC
Francois Fillon
© REUTERS/ Christian Hartmann
UK Member of Parliament Tristram Hunt told Sputnik it will be interesting to find out how the next president of France will impact the European Union's stance on Russia.

Voters in France will elect a successor to the unpopular Socialist President Francois Hollande in two rounds of voting in April and May 2017. The center-right The Republicans nominee Francois Fillon is expected to face National Front leader Marine Le Pen in the runoff.

"I think it will be interesting to see what effect the new French Prime Minister has on as it were on Europe well if Fillon wins what the new French President would have on the effect of the European Union's approach to Russia," Hunt said on Friday.
Read More...
Info

Quantum philosophy perspective of the demise of empires

Youssef A. Khaddour
Katehon
Fri, 09 Dec 2016 00:40 UTC
White House through broken glass
History speaks of the emergence of many great empires. Some of them lasted for centuries and some of them for less than that. The durations of these empires related to many factors, but one of the most important factors was the relation between the people and rulers of these empires.

In the Arab region, especially since the beginning of the Islamic era, big Arab empires were formed in the region and extended for a long period (more than eight hundred years). We also remember the Ottoman Empire, which ruled the Arab world for more than four hundred years and caused backwardness and ignorance in the Arab arena.

In the modern era, especially after the Second World War, the Imperial figure was to be considered by watching the Russian and American empires. The Russian Empire turned from 1917 to communism and was competing with the American Empire, which was characterized by deception and cunning, as they talk about freedom and values ​​of democracy, but are characterized by greed and working to control the resources of the world to maintain global leadership and remain at the highest levels of the Imperial ladder.
Read More...