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Best of the Web: The Washington Post's open letter to Donald Trump deconstructed

Peter Lavelle
The Duran
Tue, 13 Sep 2016 20:54 UTC
The world is not only about Washington and its interests. Morell and Vickers represent a morbid imperial and colonial mindset.
trump putin
Deconstructing "Morell and Vickers: An open letter to Donald Trump" - published by the The Washington Post on its opinion page September 10, 2016.

Many years ago, I used to engage in rebutting - paragraph-by-paragraph - the most egregious propaganda nonsense the American media could stoop to. But it is time consuming and maddening. I hate giving time to hateful and small minds. But this op-ed forces me to react. My words are in italics. [SOTT.net: we've removed the italics and placed Lavelle's responses below quoted sections of Morell's piece.]
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Magnify

Leaked emails reveal Colin Powell's scathing comments on Killary - She 'screws everything up,' 'can't believe or accept' that Obama beat her in '08


RT
Wed, 14 Sep 2016 20:36 UTC
Colin Powell
© Jonathan Ernst / ReutersFormer U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell
Hacked emails from former Secretary of State Colin Powell reveal scathing statements about both Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, who claimed Powell instructed her on using a private email server.

Whistleblower website DCLeaks posted some of Powell's emails on its site Wednesday, giving the access password to several news organizations (RT was not among them). Powell's spokeswoman Peggy Cifrino confirmed that the emails were authentic. "We have confirmed that the general has been hacked and that these are his emails," she told the Washington Post. "We have no other comment at this time."

Powell reportedly called Trump a "national disgrace and an international pariah," who "has no sense of shame." In June 2015, he wrote to an aide that "the whole birther movement was racist," noting that Trump led the calls for President Barack Obama to publish his birth certificate and prove US citizenship.

Questions about Obama's citizenship actually originated with Clinton's campaign in 2008.

While Powell's denunciations of Trump made headlines on Thursday, his disdain for Clinton has attracted far less attention. Multiple emails have revealed Powell's frustration with Clinton over the claims that he had instructed her on the use of private emails, during a 2009 dinner with several former secretaries of state.
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Light Sabers

US statement urging Turkey to respect democracy draws ire of Turkish diplomats - "Your ambassadors are not governors of Turkey"


RT
Wed, 14 Sep 2016 20:31 UTC
Binali Yildrim
© Umit Bektas / ReutersTurkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildrim
Following a US statement urging Turkey to respect the democratic process after clashes between demonstrators and police in southeastern areas, Turkish officials tell the American ambassador to respect their sovereignty.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that a "democracy lesson" from the US was not acceptable after the US embassy reproached the suspension of 28 mayors in the country. Foreign Minister Cavusoglu pointed out that US ambassadors were not governors.

On Sunday, the US embassy in Turkey issued a statement in the wake of rallies in the southeastern provinces of Suruc, Batman and Hakkari, which were dispersed by police. The protesters had taken to the streets to vent their anger at the suspension of 28 mayors across the region, heavily populated with Kurds.

Ankara accused the politicians of having links with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party PKK and Gulenists, and replaced them with trustees.
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Eye 2

Fruits of Western imperialism: Images of starving children show the horrors of US/Saudi war against Yemen


RT
Wed, 14 Sep 2016 20:27 UTC
yemen starving children
© Abduljabbar Zeyad / ReutersA woman rests on a bed next to her malnourished son at a hospital in the Red Sea port city of Houdieda, Yemen Setember 9, 2016
The horrors of Yemen's civil war have been encapsulated by photographs showing a toddler suffering from severe malnutrition. UNICEF estimates that 320,000 children are facing starvation, while over two million youngsters need urgent assistance.

The images, which were captured by a Reuters photographer, show the six-year-old boy Salim Musabih sitting on a bed beside his mother. His bones and ribcage stick out from under his skin as he sits in just his nappy.

starving yemen children
© Abduljabbar Zeyad / ReutersA malnourished boy lies on a bed at a hospital in the Red Sea port city of Houdieda, Yemen September 9, 2016
In another photograph, which was taken in the port city of Al-Hudaydah, the toddler's arm is so thin that he is able to wrap his lips around it. The size of a fly on his left arm in comparison to the size of the limb itself also portrays just how dire his condition is.

"They came from a destroyed area where there is no food, pure water or infrastructure. They were starving, the only food they had was from the sea," hospital volunteer Ibrahim Al Kalee told UAE's 7days newspaper.
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Nuke

Bushehr-2: Russia and Iran to begin construction on nuclear plant on September 10


ITAR-TASS
Tue, 06 Sep 2016 17:11 UTC
The power plant will be built under the new project II+, which received the EUR certificate

Reactor building
© AP Photo/Vahid SalemiReactor building of the Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, 2006
Moscow and Tehran are set to launch the construction of the second stage of Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant on September 10, the ASE company said in a statement on Tuesday.

ASE is an engineering company within Russian state atomic energy corporation, Rosatom.

Comment: See also: Iran and Russia agree to start building two new nuclear power plants this month

Update: Iran and Russia lay foundation stone of Bushehr 2
At the groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday, the director general of Russia's state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom, Sergei Kirienko, said:

"The construction of the first reactor proved that Russia always fulfills its obligations to foreign partners, regardless of the changes in the political climate."

The cost of the Bushehr 2 project is estimated at $10 billion. Its implementation is planned to take 10 years.
Iran launches 2 more units at Bushehr
At a ceremony with Russian representatives in attendance, Iran has inaugurated the second and third units of Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant.

Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), delivered the keynote address at the Saturday event in the southern city of Bushehr.

"We are going to launch the construction of two new power plant units at the nuclear power plant of Bushehr."

The construction of the units, Salehi said, would help Iran meet its energy needs, economize on natural energy resources by saving the country "22 million barrels of oil," and prevent the spread of "14 million tons of pollutants" into the air.

Iran's First Vice President Ishaq Jahangiri was also present at the event. Also attending the inauguration was Sergey Vladilenovich Kiriyenko, the head of Russia's Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation.

"Meeting energy needs is the prelude to economic development," said Jahangiri, who reminded that the country needed to produce 5,000 more megawatts of electricity each year so it could meet its energy demands.

Jahangiri also stated that Iran's right to construction of power plants was based upon peaceful application of nuclear energy, which has been enshrined in the agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plant of Action (JCPOA).


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Snakes in Suits

Ambassadorships for sale: Hacked DNC files reveal big donors rewarded with diplomatic posts


RT
Wed, 14 Sep 2016 18:45 UTC
us embassy
© Andrew Winning / ReutersUnited States embassy in central London
Hacker 'Guccifer 2.0' has offered support for allegations that Democrats rewarded big donors and fund-raisers with plum diplomatic posts, by releasing a donor list from November 2008, when current VP candidate Tim Kaine chaired the DNC.

Among the 500 megabytes of data released Tuesday was the document titled "11-26-08 NFC Members Raised," listing the names and addresses of some 100,000 Democratic National Committee donors. Cross-referencing the top donors' names revealed that they were later appointed to ambassador posts and other government jobs.

A third or more of US ambassadors are not career diplomats but political appointees. President Barack Obama came under criticism in 2013 after appointing several big campaign donors to prestigious diplomatic posts. Most recently the US ambassador to Hungary made headlines with some rather un-diplomatic remarks; Caroline Bell had been a TV producer before raising $2 million for the DNC.

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War Whore

Western aggression: Sweden announces it will permanently keep troops on strategic island near Russian border


RT
Wed, 14 Sep 2016 17:47 UTC
swedish soldiers
© Reuters
The Swedish military has announced that troops training on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, not far from Russia, will remain there permanently. Officials said "external factors" prompted the order for some 150 soldiers to stay on the island.

"The armed forces [now] ... have joint permanent groups and troops on Gotland. Gotland is one of our military strategic areas in Sweden ... Gotland needs ... to increase their operational capacity, and allow troops to practice and work in the field," the Swedish Armed Forces cited Supreme Commander Micael Byden as saying on its website.

Byden later told Swedish broadcaster SVT that "external factors in the world have deteriorated over time and it means I have made a decision about a permanent presence and that we put the battle group here earlier."

Some 150 soldiers currently training on Gotland received orders on Wednesday morning to remain on the island.

"We have to look realistically at the situation in the world. The armed forces are now taking their responsibility, and demonstrating that with increased military capability we are taking responsibility for the country's sovereignty," Byden added.
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Chess

Gazprom receives permission to begin construction on Turkish Stream pipeline


Fort Russ/Interfax
Wed, 14 Sep 2016 19:47 UTC
Stream pipeline
Translated by J. Arnoldski

Through diplomatic channels, Gazprom has received the first permission from Turkish authorities to construct the offshore section of the Turkish Stream pipeline, the company's report says.

A week earlier, Gazprom reported that it had received the "first permits to realize Turkish Stream" but did not specify the documents. In December 2011, Turkey gave permission for the construction of South Stream in its territorial waters. On June 22nd, 2015, Turkey also gave permission for engineering surveys for Turkish Stream. Later, however, such permits were withdrawn due to the serious deterioration of Russian-Turkish relations. Thanks to the improvement of relations since summer this year, Gazprom has resumed active work on the Turkish Stream gas pipeline.

Comment: See also:

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Light Sabers

Duterte: Philippines will pursue policies independent of US, looks to acquire arms from China and Russia


RT
Wed, 14 Sep 2016 17:40 UTC
dingy
© Erik De Castro / Reuters
The Philippines will pursue "independent" foreign and military policies separate from US interests in the region, the country's president said, announcing that in order to avoid any confrontations with China he would halt joint Filipino navy patrols with the US.

The Asian country may now also look toward China and Russia in order to acquire new weapons so that it can improve its capabilities tackling insurgencies and terrorism in the country.

In April, the Filipino navy began joint South China Sea naval patrols with the US to respond to China building artificial islands over disputed reefs.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been openly critical of American security policies, announced in a televised speech Tuesday, before military officers in Manila, a 'paradigm shift' in the country's dealing with allies.

"We are not cutting our alliances - military (alliances) as well. But certainly, we will follow an independent posture and independent foreign policy," Duterte said.

The first step for the Philippines is to opt out of US-led patrols of the South China Sea because the country does "not want trouble," the president said announcing that his navy "will not join any expedition of patrolling the seas... because I do not want my country to be involved in a hostile act."

Comment: See also:

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Dollars

The clean-up continues: Russian "anti-corruption" boss arrested - $120mn cash found in flat, alleged to have €300mn in Swiss banks


RT
Wed, 14 Sep 2016 17:25 UTC
russia anitcorruption boss investigated
© Eugene Odinokov / SputnikActing head of the T Department of the Central Anti-Corruption Board (Guebipk) of the Russian Interior Ministry Dmitry Zakharchenko suspected of bribery at the Moscow Presnenksky Court where the investigators' motion on his arrest is examined.
About €300 million ($336 million) was found in Swiss bank accounts of the father of Russia's anti-corruption agency head, media reports. The news comes days after police arrested Dmitry Zakharchenko and found over $122 million in cash at his Moscow home.

Law enforcement agencies found documents about the accounts of offshore firms registered in the name of Zakharchenko's father Viktor, according to a source speaking to Rosbalt news agency.

"Six bank accounts like this were found mostly at Rothschild Bank and the Dresdner Bank, with each having between €45 million and €47 million. This is more than €300 million," the source added.

The source described the amounts on the Swiss accounts as being "colossal," while the authorities are trying to find out where the money came from.

"It's clear that we are not only talking about money from Nota-Bank, as it was previously perceived," the source mentioned.

NOTA-Bank had its license revoked by the Russian Central Bank in November.
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