Puppet MastersS


Snakes in Suits

Of course: US State Dept. calls UK-based pizzeria owner 'credible' source on Aleppo strikes

Smoke from bombings in Aleppo
© REUTERS/ Ammar Abdullah
The United States views the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) as a credible source of information for confirming who is responsible for bombing hospitals in the Syrian city of Aleppo, US Department of State spokesman John Kirby said in a briefing on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Russia's Defense Ministry denied allegations reported by SOHR and Qatari television channel Al Jazeera that claimed Russian combat jets bombed hospitals in Aleppo.

Comment: More on the SOHR 'watchdog':


Star of David

Concealing crimes: Israel seeks to keep terrorism suspects' interrogations off-record

Israeli security forces
© Amir Cohen / Reuters
The Knesset has preliminarily approved a bill which would exempt security forces from having to record the interrogations of terror suspects. Authorities say the move will help to counter terrorism, while critics fear possible human rights violations.

Israeli lawmakers approved the bill in its first reading on Monday, Haaretz reported.

Currently, all interrogations in Israel must be recorded, but several years ago the Knesset suspended the rule for terrorism-related cases. The new bill basically aims to turn the temporary legislation into a permanent law, exempting the Israel Police and Shin Bet security service from being obliged to record the interrogation process.

Snakes in Suits

'Ridiculous and insane hysteria': Russian news agencies placed alongside ISIS in new EU resolution debated by MEPs

Members of the European Parliament
© Vincent Kessler / ReutersMembers of the European Parliament take part in a voting session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, November 22, 2016.
The EU Parliament is debating a resolution that aims to establish measures "to tackle Russian and ISIS propaganda." In the latest wake of anti-Russia sentiment, the British parliament will also hear a report denouncing public figures with alleged Russia links.

On Wednesday, MEPs in Strasbourg will vote on a non-legislative resolution which calls for the EU to "respond to information warfare by Russia and Islamist terrorists with more positive messaging, awareness raising, and education in information literacy."

Comment: Absolutely ridiculous. These 'elites' are really worried about truth in reporting that counters their preferred view of the world.


Snakes in Suits

State Department lies: NATO force on Russian border 'not a threat in any way'

NATO troops
© Ints Kalnins / Reuters
Washington has expressed discomfort over Russia's deployment of Iskander missiles and air defenses in Kaliningrad, saying that NATO is a "defensive alliance" and is not threatening Moscow. Meanwhile, more tanks and troops are being deployed to the Baltics.

"NATO is a defensive alliance, it's always been a defensive alliance, it will remain a defensive alliance," State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Tuesday. "There is no reason why Russia should view NATO in any way, shape or form as a threat."

On Sunday, NATO kicked off "Iron Sword 2016" exercises in Lithuania, the largest such maneuvers to date, involving 4,000 troops from across the alliance. The exercises in 2015 and 2014 involved 2,500 and 2,000 troops, respectively.

"There is no reason for anybody in Russia to feel threatened by NATO's military activities or preparations." Kirby continued. "In terms of recent months and years, there would have been no reason for NATO to advance and commit additional capabilities on the European continent - including American capabilities - had it not been for Russia's move in Ukraine."


Comment: As always, it's Russia's fault when in reality Russia had nothing to do with the US coup in Ukraine.


Comment: Contrary to what Kirby says, NATO is not "defensive". It attacked Yugoslavia and Libya. Russia hasn't attacked anyone. Is it any wonder Moscow is concerned?


Chess

Navy chief: Russian naval aviation to get almost 2 dozen new jets, helicopters by year's end

Su-33 fighter on the deck of Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier
© Ministry of defence of the Russian Federation / SputnikSu-33 fighter on the deck of Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier
The Russian Navy will be bolstered by six additional Su-30SM fighter jets, two Il-38 anti-submarine aircraft, as well as 10 helicopters of various modifications by the end of the year, according to Commander-in-Chief Admiral Vladimir Korolev.

"Naval aviation has already received several pieces of the latest military equipment and weaponry as part of an arming process. By the end of the year it will also be equipped with six additional Su-30SM fighter jets, two Il-38 aircraft, as well as 10 helicopters of various modifications," the Russian Navy commander announced on Tuesday.


An expanded meeting of the Navy's Military Council took place in St. Petersburg on Tuesday, and was attended by the North, Pacific, Black and Caspian Sea flotilla commanders. The commander of the Western Military District, Colonel Andrey Kartapolov, was also present.

The production of the Su-30SM is carried out at the Irkutsk aircraft factory. According to a contract signed with the Ministry of Defense, the Air Force should receive 88 fighters, while 28 will go to the Navy. At the same time the Ilyushin Aviation Complex is to supply the Defense Ministry with a total of 20 modernized anti-submarine aircraft Il-38N by 2020, according to the contract.

Comment: See also: South Front: Russian Navy Prepped for Massive Aleppo Op (VIDEO)


Георгиевская ленточка

Kremlin can potentially build ties to Trump through Russian Jewish business circles

Donald Trump Ivanka Jared Kushner
© Associated PressPresident elect Donald Trump (L) greets his daughter, Ivanka Trump, after giving his acceptance speech at an election night rally. Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner stands right next to her. Source: AP
Seeking contacts with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, the Russian leadership has turned to its connections in Jewish business circles, Gazeta.ru has learned. Despite accusations of xenophobia, Trump maintains good relations with the Jewish community and intends to involve his son-in-law Jared Kushner in his administration.

A high-ranking and well-informed source has told online Russian news publication Gazeta.ru that in their search for channels of communication with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, Kremlin representatives have used members of Russia's Jewish business circles who have contacts with the family of his daughter Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner, an Orthodox Jew.

In an interview with Gazeta.ru, the president of the Russian Jewish Congress, Yury Kanner, said he could neither confirm nor deny reports that the Kremlin had tried to establish communication with Trump via members of the Jewish business community.

"Generally speaking, attempts to use representatives of global business, including Jewish business, are absolutely normal in this situation. I am convinced: Not only members of the Russian leadership are seeking contacts with Donald Trump," he said.

According to Kanner, following Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election, traditional political and diplomatic channels lost their relevance for a while: The elected American leader is a businessman and prior to the election campaign was not involved in politics.

Briefcase

MSM fail: Donald Trump's transition is going smoothly

Trump
There is no warrant for the media to talk about a chaotic transition when Donald Trump has made more and smoother appointments at this stage in his transition than did Barack Obama and Bill Clinton did during theirs.

Less than 2 weeks since his unexpected election victory, it is already becoming clear that one of the major problems Donald Trump is going to face is the established media's hostility to everything he does.

A case in point is the way the media is misreporting his discussions aimed at setting up his new administration. There has been much talk about how this process has supposedly be chaotic, with much talk of a backlash against Trump for some of his appointments.

On the contrary my opinion is that the process has been going quite smoothly. Trump acted decisively and quickly to replace Christie with Pence as head of the transition team, rather than remove Christie too late when it was already obvious that he was not up to the job, whilst the appointments of Reince Priebus as Chief of Staff and Stephen Bannon as chief strategist seem to be carefully judged to balance the appointment of a seasoned political insider and professional manager (Priebus) against a loyal publicist and ideologue (Bannon), whilst his appointments of Michael Flynn as National Security Adviser, Jeff Sessions as Attorney General and Mike Pompeo as CIA chief bring in seasoned professionals who in the cases of Sessions and Pompeo should not have difficulty getting Senate confirmation.

The latter is important because the way Trump obtained the Presidency set him at odds with the Republican Party establishment, which means he has few obvious allies in the Senate. In order to ensure a smooth transition and to avoid embarrassing defeats in the Senate during the confirmation process, Trump has to win over the leading Republican Senators and the leaders of the Republican Party's establishment.

Star of David

Global outcry momentarily stops Israeli demolition of Palestinian village - land being cleared to house illegal settlers

Here is an outrage that should be in everyone's thoughts today. Israel has served a demolition order on a Bedouin village in the Negev in order to remove the 1000 Bedouin occupants of the village and make way for a Jewish settlement with a Hebraicized version of the village's Arab name.

Demolition was to take place today. But international outcry appears to have halted it, for a day anyway. From Adalah's Facebook page:
The large presence of journalists, Arab parliamentarians, and community leaders and activists that gathered in Atir-Umm al-Hiran, as well as the vigilance of supporters and allies around the world, appears to have deterred the Israeli authorities from carrying out their plans this morning to demolish several homes in the village.

The demolition remains imminent, however. According to the court order, the state has until November 30 to carry out the demolition. We will keep you updated.
The community and their supporters remain steadfast. Adalah will continue to represent and stand with the villagers in their just struggle to remain in their homes and on their land.
Here is video of families preparing for demolition. This is not the West Bank, it's Israel. As if the policy of Judaizing the land differs on one side or the other of the Green Line.


Arrow Down

War mongering neocon wonders why there aren't more Christian refugees in the US after instigating chaos for decades

Syrian Christian refugees
The title of this blog post - The United States Bars Christian, Not Muslim, Refugees From Syria - will strike many readers as ridiculous.

But the numbers tell a different story: The United States has accepted 10,801 Syrian refugees, of whom 56 are Christian. Not 56 percent; 56 total, out of 10,801. That is to say, one half of one percent. The BBC says that ten percent of all Syrians are Christian, which would mean 2.2 million Christians. It is quite obvious, and President Obama and Secretary Kerry have acknowledged it, that Middle Eastern Christians are an especially persecuted group.

So how is it that one half of one percent of the Syrian refugees we've admitted are Christian, or 56, instead of about 1,000 out of 10,801 - or far more, given that they certainly meet the legal definition? The definition: someone who "is located outside of the United States; Is of special humanitarian concern to the United States; Demonstrates that they were persecuted or fear persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group." Somewhere between a half million and a million Syrian Christians have fled Syria, and the United States has accepted 56. Why?

Comment: It's highly doubtful Abrams is concerned about Christian refugees from Syria since he's been pushing war throughout the Middle East against people of all backgrounds for decades. Furthermore, he provides no sources for his estimates of Christian refugees fleeing Syria because there are none. It's an unknown.


Blackbox

Again? US Navy 'stealth' destroyer Zumwalt towed into Panama port after another break down

DDG 1000, the first of the U.S. Navy's Zumwalt Class of multi-mission guided missile destroyers
© Joel Page / Reuters DDG 1000, the first of the U.S. Navy's Zumwalt Class of multi-mission guided missile destroyers.
Built at a cost of more than $4 billion, the high-tech USS Zumwalt only made it to the Panama Canal while on its first journey to its homeport in San Diego. A malfunction left the warship in need of tugboats so that it could reach the closest port, where it remains under maintenance.

Passing southbound through the Panama Canal on Monday evening, the USS Zumwalt crew discovered water seeping into two of the four ship's bearings connecting the port and starboard Advanced Induction Motors, or AIMs, to the drive shafts, according to US Naval Institute News citing a defense official.

The AIMs are part of what makes the Zumwalt the most high-tech, and most expensive, destroyer in the US Navy's history. They generate up to 78 megawatts, allowing the 610-foot, 15,000-ton ship's propulsion to rely entirely on electrical power.

Comment: This expensive high tech piece-of-junk warship has another problem: the cost of ammunition rounds. US Navy to cancel Zumwalt warship ammunition costing $800,000 per round.