Puppet MastersS


Attention

Ukraine's civil war threatens to expand, may directly involve NATO and Russia


Sputnik
Wed, 19 Oct 2016 16:23 UTC
Jens Stoltenberg and Petro Poroshenko
© AP Photo/ Sergei Chuzavkov
Officials from Ukraine's breakaway Donetsk People's Republic have stated publicly that Sunday's killing of militia commander Arseny Pavlov was a declaration of war by Kiev. Experts speaking to one of Russia's leading online newspapers warn that the smoldering conflict needs just one big spark to grow into a war that pulls in both NATO and Russia.

On Sunday, Arseny Pavlov (aka Motorola), commander of the DPR militia's Sparta Battalion, was killed in an explosion in his home. Officials from the self-proclaimed republic quickly pointed the finger at Kiev for the commander's death, citing repeated threats and attempts against Pavlov's life by Ukrainian forces. DPR leader Alexander Zakharchenko stated bluntly that the attack constituted a violation of the ceasefire, and an effective declaration of war.

Pavlov's death served only to add further tensions in the fragile ceasefire between Kiev forces and the Donbass militia. In the past few days, both sides have accused the other of repeated ceasefire violations, and Donetsk and Lugansk intelligence has reported a buildup of heavy equipment along the contact line, as well as the presence of foreign mercenaries in the area. Last week, unconfirmed reports emerged that militia had shot down a Ukrainian helicopter with NATO instructors onboard.

Comment: Looks like the Normandy Four meeting set to get underway today is off to a rocky start:

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Jet3

Russian air defense raises stakes of U.S. confrontation and prevents direct intervention in Syria

Karen DeYoung
The Washington Post
Wed, 19 Oct 2016 14:07 UTC
destroyed building Syria
© Karam Al-Masri/AFP/Getty Images
Russia's completion this month of an integrated air defense system in Syria has made an Obama administration decision to strike Syrian government installations from the air even less likely than it has been for years, and has created a substantial obstacle to the Syrian safe zones both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have advocated.


Comment: The Russians have not only to a large extent neutralized the threat posed by the US Air Force, their most recent 'humanitarian pause' also undermines the alleged necessity of American established 'safe zones'. By giving the militants, civilians, and even terrorists time to leave East Aleppo, they're proving to the world that they actually care about who they hurt or kill. Unlike the Americans in their current siege on Mosul.


Deployment of mobile and interchangeable S-400 and S-300 missile batteries, along with other short-range systems, now gives Russia the ability to shoot down planes and cruise missiles over at least 250 miles in all directions from western Syria, covering virtually all of that country as well as significant portions of Turkey, Israel, Jordan and the eastern Mediterranean.

By placing the missiles as a threat "against military action" by other countries in Syria, Russia has raised "the stakes of confrontation," Secretary of State John F. Kerry said Sunday.


Comment: And necessarily so. Without the S-400s and S-300s, it's possible the US Air Force would already have its no-fly zone and be running roughshod over civilians and Syrian military alike in its quest to remove Assad.


While there is some disagreement among military experts as to the capability of the Russian systems, particularly the newly deployed S-300, "the reality is, we're very concerned anytime those are emplaced," a U.S. Defense official said. Neither its touted ability to counter U.S. stealth technology, or to target low-flying aircraft, has ever been tested by the United States.

"It's not like we've had any shoot at an F-35," the official said of the next-generation U.S. fighter jet. "We're not sure if any of our aircraft can defeat the S-300."

Comment: See also:

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Propaganda

Shocking: Newsweek journalist claims US intelligence fed him false Putin-Trump conspiracy

Cassandra Fairbanks
Sputnik
Wed, 19 Oct 2016 16:03 UTC
Newsweek publication
© Flickr/ Mathieu Thouvenin
An error made by a Sputnik News editor has revealed shocking information that US intelligence agencies may actively be trying to manipulate the presidential election, while also spying on Sputnik's staff of US citizens.

Last week, a 29-year-old American writer and editor for Sputnik News was duped by a viral — but out-of-context — screenshot from the WikiLeaks release of Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta's emails. The screenshot contained an excerpt from a story on Benghazi by Newsweek columnist Kurt Eichenwald, misattributed to Hillary Clinton's long time confidante Sidney Blumenthal. The Sputnik writer, Bill Moran, jumped on what he thought was a scoop, and published an article based on the misattribution.

Moran realized his error less than 30 minutes after publication and quickly deleted the story, which had accumulated around 1,000 views. It was an honest mistake.
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Megaphone

Human Rights Judge Tulkens: Monsanto is guilty of crimes against the planet & humanity


Eradicating Ecocide
Tue, 18 Oct 2016 02:00 UTC
Judge Tulkens
Judge Françoise Tulkens: "civil society has to help International Law to develop and include ecocide" (Monsanto Tribunal Day 3, The Hague)- and indeed civil society is helping. Not only did the Monsanto Tribunal open up the space for testimony to be heard, but it also demonstrated that complex issues, such as significant harm arising from corporate ecocide, can be addressed through the rule of law. Ecocide is not yet a crime, but as Judge Tulkens declared, "civil society has to help International Law to develop and include ecocide."

And Judge Tulkens is a judge who speaks informedly - her legal background includes professorship specialising in the fields of general criminal law, comparative and European criminal law, juvenile justice and human rights protection systems before and tenure-ship as a European Court of Human Rights Judge. Tulkens is also the author of many publications in the areas of human rights and criminal law.

Was it a Kangaroo court, as Monsanto claimed? (See Guardian story here) or was it the first steps towards ecological justice? You decide...
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Bullseye

The Guardian's front page - straight from the pages of Orwell's 1984

Jonathan Cook
Information Clearing House
Wed, 19 Oct 2016 15:45 UTC
The Orwellian Guardian
© counterinformation.wordpress.com
Reading the "liberal" press has become a truly Orwellian experience. What was true yesterday is a lie today. What was black today will be white tomorrow. Two reports on today's front page of the Guardian could easily be savage satire straight from the pages of the novel 1984.

Report one:

The Guardian provides supportive coverage of the beginning of a full-throttle assault by Iraqi forces, backed the US and UK, on Mosul to win it back from the jihadists of ISIS - an assault that will inevitably lead to massive casualties and humanitarian suffering among the civilian population.

Report two:

The Guardian provides supportive coverage of the US and UK for considering increased sanctions against Syria and Russia. On what grounds? Because Syrian forces, backed by Russia, have been waging a full-throttle assault on Aleppo to win it back from the jihadists of ISIS and Al-Qaeda - an assault that has led to massive casualties and humanitarian suffering among the civilian population.

Remember, as was prophesied: "War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength."
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Cowboy Hat

Internet sleuths connect Hillary Clinton to mysterious front associated with Julian Assange pedophile smear

Joseph Jankowski
Planet Free Will
Wed, 19 Oct 2016 15:40 UTC
Assange and Clinton
Yesterday, WikiLeaks put out a serious of tweets informing the public that Julian Assange had been attacked in a smear campaign pushed by a "front" group and U.S. democratic media.


The DailyKos put out a report on Oct. 17 that WikiLeaks describes as a "smear campaign plot to falsely accuse Julian Assange of pedophilia."

"An unknown entity posing as an internet dating agency prepared an elaborate plot to falsely claim that Julian Assange received US$1M from the Russian government and a second plot to frame him sexually molesting an eight year old girl," WikiLeaks said in a press release Tuesday.

Comment: Report on Assange internet connection severed: Julian Assange's internet link has been intentionally cut off by a state party - WikiLeaks

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Gold Coins

Did Putin save EU from collapse? French prez on Grexit: 'Russia tipped us off about Syriza drachma plan'

Niall Bradley
Sott.net
Fri, 14 Oct 2016 13:55 UTC
putin tsipras
Tsipras: 'So, what do you say, help me screw over Germany and France?'

Putin: 'Whoa, not so fast!'
Leaks in the Western façade of 'freedom and democracy' have been springing all over the place lately. From powerful oligarchs to presidential candidates to sports heroes, it appears that anyone with anything to hide is having their dirty laundry aired in public.

While it's unclear if he said them 'on the record', a recently-published book by two Le Monde journalists (aptly titled Presidents Should Not Talk About Such Things) includes some controversial comments allegedly made by French president François Hollande.

Hollande's comments on the ineptitude of the French judiciary have upset the French establishment, while his comments about French footballers not being 'sufficiently French' are sure to upset the public (or make them nod their head in agreement).

Sandwiched between derogatory comments about 'Muslims taking over the country' that betray his 'leftist' government's real position on immigration, there are a couple of gems that shed light on the Greek bailout crisis, which reached boiling point in the summer of 2015.
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Briefcase

Wikileaks memo: Google's Eric Schmidt working directly with Killary campaign

Joe Schoffstall
The Washington Free Beacon
Wed, 19 Oct 2016 15:22 UTC
Google Hillary
© pamelageller.com
'Discreet conversations' also started with Facebook, Apple in 2014

Eric Schmidt, the chief executive of Alphabet, Google's parent company, is working directly with Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, according to a memo contained within an email released by WikiLeaks.

"Discreet conservations" of forming "working relationships" with companies such as Facebook and Apple were also facilitated as early as October 2014, the memo stated. This is at least six months prior to when Clinton announced her candidacy for president.

The document was attached to an Oct. 26, 2014 email sent from Robby Mook, now Clinton's campaign manager, to Cheryl Mills, a longtime Clinton aide; David Plouffe, Barack Obama's previous campaign manager; and John Podesta, Clinton's current campaign chairman whose email account was compromised.

The email was posted to Wikileaks after hackers believed to be working with the Russian government breached Podesta's email account.

Teddy Goff, now a digital strategist for the Clinton campaign who is the former digital director for Obama's reelection campaign, wrote the memo, which was addressed to Clinton. It touched base on "Technology and digital priorities."

Comment: Conflict engagement': How Democrat Strategists Plotted to Incite Violence at Trump Rallies

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Snakes in Suits

WikiLeaks 12: Clinton adviser mocks Hillary 'what planet is she on?'


RT
Wed, 19 Oct 2016 14:45 UTC
Hillary Clinton
© Lucy Nicholson / Reuters
WikiLeaks has released its 12th batch of emails from Hillary Clinton's campaign chair John Podesta. This brings the total number of emails released to date to over 21,000.

The whistleblowing website has previously stated that there are around 50,000 emails in total, with previous leaks exposing the Clinton campaign's cozy relationship with the media, its efforts to stop former Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders making the White House and the long-awaited speeches Clinton gave to Goldman Sachs.

Tuesday's release included a list of potential vice presidential picks, categorized by race and gender, opposition research on Trump, and staffers describing Sanders as a "doofus" and saying they "f*cking hate" potential Democratic nominee Larry Lessig.
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Cowboy Hat

Czech police enlisted by FBI to detain Russian citizen on unspecified hacking charges against US


Rueters
Wed, 19 Oct 2016 13:47 UTC
Czech police Russian citizen
© Czech policeA screengrab from video released by Czech police shows a man identified only as a Russian hacking suspect being taken into custody at a restaurant, Oct. 18, 2016, in Prague.
Czech police have detained a Russian man wanted in connection with hacking attacks on targets in the United States, the police said, without giving further details. The arrest was carried out in cooperation with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Czech police said on their website on Tuesday evening. Interpol had issued a so-called Red Notice for the man, seeking his arrest, they added.

The Russian citizen was detained at a Prague hotel. Police said he collapsed and was hospitalized. Czech courts will decide whether he will be extradited, police said.

A police spokesman identified the man on Wednesday as Yevgeniy N., born in 1987, and said the arrest was made on Oct. 5 on the basis of an Interpol notice.

Video footage released by police showed a man being arrested without resistance in a restaurant of a central Prague hotel. He had dark hair, and wore a hooded sweatshirt with camouflage pattern, blue jeans and sneakers.


Comment: Waiting for the right moment prior to the debates?
David Schön, a police spokesman, said on Wednesday that the arrest of the man was not announced immediately "for tactical reasons."

Comment: US exceptionalism on display once again. Isn't the FBI, like, WAY out of its jurisdiction here?

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