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Draining the swamp: Putin dismisses government officials over Russian Academy of Sciences elections

Translated by J. Arnoldski
Fort Russ
Mon, 28 Nov 2016 00:00 UTC
putin
Vladimir Putin has dismissed employees of the office for presidential affairs, the FSB, the Ministry of Defense, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Kremlin's press service has reported.

Last week, Putin publicly recalled that at the end of 2015, he asked government representatives to refrain from participating in elections to the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAN).

The president also promised that officials elected to the Russian Academy of Sciences would have the opportunity to deal only with scholarly activities.

As a result, the deputy manager of presidential affairs and head of the medical directorate, Konstantin Kotenko, the head of the FSB's directorate for registrations and archive funds, Lieutenant General Vasily Khristoforov, the head of the main military medical directorate of the defense ministry, Alexander Fisun, and the deputy minister of internal affairs and head of the investigative department of the interior ministry, Alexander Savenkov have been relieved of their duties.

Almost all of the officials agreed to be dismissed "at their own will", while Khristoforov was released for "surpassing the age limit for military service." President Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, confirmed that the officials' dismissal is related to their election to the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Comment: Putin in action:



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Jet5

Coalition general uses stalling tactics; calls for patience and restraint in re-taking Mosul


RT
Mon, 28 Nov 2016 15:59 UTC
soldier in tank
© Thomas Coex/AFP
The deputy chief of the US-led coalition in Iraq said outside observers need to show "patience" towards retaking Mosul, admitting there is no deadline, as ISIS militants vigorously defend it.

Major General Rupert Jones, Britain's most senior commander in Iraq and deputy commander of the US-led coalition in the region, told journalists on Monday the offensive to retake the Islamic State-held (IS, previously ISIS/ISIL) city may not go as smoothly as planned.

The terrorist group is fighting vigorously in the besieged city, he stressed, despite "an extraordinary amount of progress" made by Iraqi troops and coalition forces, the Guardian reported. Therefore it was necessary for the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) to "demonstrate restraint," Major General Jones insisted.

The strength of the IS forces defending Mosul is estimated at 4,000 to 9,000 militants, including 1,000 foreign fighters. The offensive force comprises a 100,000-strong alliance of the Iraqi Army, Kurdish Peshmerga, as well as Iraqi-backed Shiite militias, Turkish expeditionary forces, and Western commandos.
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Bullseye

Hypocritical Killary: Trump's chief-of-staff slams Clinton camp for taking part in recount


RT
Mon, 28 Nov 2016 10:31 UTC
Reince Priebus
© Jonathan Ernst / ReutersReince Priebus
Donald Trump's incoming chief-of-staff slammed the Clinton campaign's participation in the Wisconsin recount, calling it "hypocritical" and suggesting the Democratic candidate is backtracking on the deal which outlined how the loser would concede the race.

In an interview to Fox News Sunday, Reince Priebus said that Trump and Clinton had struck an agreement in which they would phone their opponent to concede the race within 15 minutes of the Associated Press calling it for the rival.

Although he admitted that Clinton held up her end of the deal on the election night, Priebus is now questioning whether the Clinton campaign's decision to participate in the Wisconsin recount effort is in violation of that agreement.

"It is a total and complete hypocritical joke that the group of people that thought that they were nervous about President-elect Trump not conceding are the people that are conducting recounts in states where we won by over 68,000 votes," Priebus said.

"I think the American people know this is a waste of everyone's time and money," Priebus went on, aimed only "to divide this country when we need to come together no matter who you are."

He went on to claim that nothing would change following the recount organized by Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein, calling the effort a "notoriety-driven fraud by someone who won 33,000 votes in Wisconsin to President-elect Trump who won 1.4 million."

"We will win again for the second time and they will lose again for the second time," he said.

Comment: See also: Trump laments Jill Stein-led recount effort as "sad waste of time and money"

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Info

Ramsauer pleads for reason: EU 'should follow Trump' regarding plans to lift anti-Russian sanctions


Sputnik
Mon, 28 Nov 2016 15:49 UTC
Portraits of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin
© AP Photo/ Alexander Zemlianichenko
German politician Peter Ramsauer is confident that US president-elect Donald Trump will end Moscow's isolation and lift economic sanctions against Russia.

In an interview with German magazine Focus Online, Chairman of the Bundestag Committee on Economy and Energy Peter Ramsauer said that Russia's isolation will soon come to end with Trump having been elected the US' new president. "Before the election Donald Trump announced his plans to normalize relations with Russia. Most likely, he will lift the economic sanctions, and German authorities should follow his example. They shouldn't miss the train again," the politician said.

Comment: There are some EU politicians with a voice of reason but there are too few at the moment.

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Handcuffs

Killary for prison: Trump to pressure foreign govts to investigate Clinton Foundation


RT
Mon, 28 Nov 2016 15:41 UTC
hillary for prison
While President-elect Donald Trump earlier announced a U-turn on investigating Hillary Clinton, he is now reportedly planning to pressure foreign governments to look into the finances of the Clinton Foundation.

During one of the campaign debates, Trump said once he is in the oval office he would appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Hillary Clinton's alleged misgivings, including the use of a private email server and involvement in the Clinton Foundation.

"You'd be in jail," he warned his rival if he were to win the election.

After his election victory he made a U-turn on the threat. But according to the New York Post, the Trump administration would pressure foreign governments to investigate the financial dealings of the Clinton Foundation.

Comment: If true, it's a clever move on Trump's part. Killary for prison!

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No Entry

Growing doubts of production cut deal puts oil prices under pressure


RT
Mon, 28 Nov 2016 09:53 UTC
oil production
© Maxim Shemetov / Reuters
Crude oil prices are falling after Saudi Arabia walked away from Monday's talks with Russia and other non-OPEC producers saying there was a lack of unanimity in the cartel on how to rebalance the oversupplied oil market.

On Friday, Riyadh said it wouldn't attend the meeting with Russia until there was "a clear decision within OPEC." Some OPEC members are reportedly insisting on Russia cutting production.

However, Moscow is ready only for a freeze, said Russian Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak. Russia is pumping the highest volume of oil since the Soviet-era peak, averaging 11.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in October.

According to Novak, the Russian contribution to the OPEC deal would be scrapping a planned increase in production next year by 200 to 300 thousand bpd.
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Propaganda

Fake News Invasion: MSM outrage over Syrian army gains and Civilian escape to safety in Aleppo


South Front
Mon, 28 Nov 2016 15:14 UTC
Fake news Invasion
The mainstream media is in outrage as Syrian government forces have liberated the northeastern part of Aleppo city and saved up to 10,000 civilians that had been used as a human shield by the so-called 'moderate opposition'.

According to headlines in the mainstream media, the local population is running from "regime forces".

Unfortunately, they just forgot to mention that locals are running to the "regime-held areas".

Comment: See also:

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Snakes in Suits

Russia confirms Kerry makes 'unbelievable effort' to save Syrian rebels before Trump


RT
Mon, 28 Nov 2016 15:06 UTC
Syrian rebels
© Khalil Ashawi / Reuters
US Secretary of State John Kerry has significantly intensified contacts with Russia on Syria, the Kremlin confirmed, substantiating a report that Kerry wants to seal a deal with Moscow before Donald Trump assumes the US presidency in January.

The report, by Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin, says Kerry is taking a last-ditch effort to stop the Syrian operation in eastern Aleppo, because the Trump administration may be "squarely on the side of dictator [Syrian President] Bashar al-Assad."

Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov confirmed that Kerry has lately intensified contacts with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Syria.

"This [effort] could be called unbelievable, in terms that there have never been so many phone calls between the Secretary of State and Russia's FM which were focused on discussing a single issue - Syria," he told journalists. Ushakov refrained from commenting on whether there was any progress on it.
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Bad Guys

Ukraine uses ultra right-wing thugs to prevent Viktor Yanukovych testifying about Maidan deaths: Update

Alexander Mercouris
The Duran
Sat, 26 Nov 2016 22:59 UTC
Viktor Yanukovych
Trial in Kiev of police officers charged with deaths during the 2013/2014 Maidan protests disrupted with collusion of Ukrainian authorities to prevent ousted President Viktor Yanukovych giving evidence.

Ukraine's overthrown President Viktor Yanukovych was supposed to give evidence by video link on Friday to a court in Kiev which is trying five former police officers who have been charged with shooting protesters during the Maidan protests of 2013 and 2014.

Yanukovych had previously made known that he intended to deny giving any orders to shoot protesters, and that he would say that the violence during the protests which caused numerous deaths amongst protesters and police officers was instigated and largely carried out by the leaders of the protests. His video testimony to the court would have given him an opportunity to provide further details, and to enlarge on this under cross-examination.

Comment: Update: Yanukovych: I Couldn't Order Use of Weapons in Dispersing 2014 Protests
Ukraine's ex-President Viktor Yanukovych said Monday he did not order the use of weapons to disperse protesters from central Kiev in early 2014.

"From the beginning to the very end, I was against the use of weapons and against bloodshed. It was my principal position," Yanukovych said during questioning over the deadly events. "That is why I could not have given these orders."


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Bad Guys

UK commander: ISIS intelligence seized in Syria's Manbij reveals terror plots throughout Europe


RT
Mon, 28 Nov 2016 11:23 UTC
Abandoned buildings in the Syrian town of Manbij
© Ayham al-Mohammad / AFP
A "huge amount" of Islamic State intelligence found after the capture of the Syrian town of Manbij was related to terror threats in Europe, according to Britain's most senior commander in Iraq and Syria, as cited by British media.

Major General Rupert Jones said the capture of Manbij in August was "hugely important for external operations," adding that "a huge amount of intelligence gathered in Manbij related to threats in Europe and elsewhere..." the Telegraph reported.


Comment: Syrian commander: Syria's Manbij fully liberated from Daesh jihadists


"I am not going to go into the details but we know that external operations have been getting orchestrated to a very significant degree from within the caliphate critically from within Raqqa and from within Manbij..." Jones said, as quoted by the Guardian.

"...They were key external operations hubs. There is a huge amount of intelligence, documentation, electronic material that has been exploited there that points very directly against all sorts of nations around the world," he added.

Comment: See also:

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