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Polite analytics: Causes, results and effects of failed Ukrainian sabotage on Crimea

RoSsi BaRBeRa (translated by Scott Humor)
The Saker
Thu, 18 Aug 2016 20:41 UTC
Sychev
22-year-old Russian paratrooper Semen Sychev, killed during the counter-terrorism operation in Crimea
Somewhat belated, but in many ways comprehensive information on the development, goals, timing and course of the failed anti-terrorist operations. The customers, beneficiaries, the geopolitical results and little-known aspects of the incident.

The timing of sabotage
  1. At the time of a personal visit of Erdogan to Russia.
  2. On the eve of the Crimean parliamentary elections.
  3. During the Olympic games.
The goal of aggression

The target of this sabotage was the critical infrastructure the Crimean Peninsula. The ferries, the Titan, shipyards, the town of Krasnoperekopsk, aniline paints plant, gas distribution stations, strategic highways, a water supply system, stations of water purification, bridges.
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Hardhat

Clinton appoints pro-frack insider to head presidential transition team


RT
Wed, 17 Aug 2016 15:10 UTC
Salazar
© Jim Young/ReutersKen Salazar, head of Hillary's transition team...if she fracking wins.
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is no longer worried about appealing to progressive Bernie Sanders supporters, if her transition team selection is anything to go by. Even though she hasn't won the election yet, the former secretary of state chose her old cabinet colleague, Ken Salazar, a big supporter of fracking who served as President Barack Obama's interior secretary.

The controversial method of extracting gas was a big wedge issues between Bernie backers and Clinton, so this move could push more progressives towards her Green Party opponent Jill Stein, the only major presidential candidate against the controversial method for extracting gas.

Clinton's transition team will put together names for cabinet and administration positions - and develop policy plans, shaping her presidency from day one. Salazar served as a Colorado senator from 2005-2009 before joining the Obama administration as secretary of the interior, where he was responsible for allowing offshore drilling in the Arctic Ocean. He's a friend of the coal and mining industries - and supporter of the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, which gives corporations power to ignore and quash government regulations aimed at protecting the environment.

Comment: A fine array of samo bedfellows to prop up the Queen of Chaos-elect. Her mouth says one thing, her choices shout something else.

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Flashlight

Duterte: If UNHRC sends an observer, "I am going to whack him in the head"

Francis Martel
Breitbart
Wed, 17 Aug 2016 00:00 UTC
Duterte points
© AFP/Manman DejetoDuterte's 'Crack & Whack' policy in effect.
Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to "whack... in the head" any representative of the United Nations's Human Rights Committee sent to observe his nationwide push to eradicate drug crime, calling those concerned about human rights during the infancy of his tenure "stupid."


Comment: He described as "stupid" the reports accusing the government of being behind all the summary executions.


Duterte, the longtime mayor of southern Davao City — who won his position as head of state on a campaign vow to eradicate drug abuse and drug crime nationwide — has given police unprecedented liberties to detain drug crime suspects. He has become personally involved in the movement by naming 150 individuals in the government he claims to have evidence of having ties to drug crime. Over 60,000 Filipino drug abusers have surrendered to police and agreed to join rehabilitation programs since he took office in June, and hundreds have been arrested for ties to the drug trade.

Drug crime has decimated large swathes of the Philippines, particularly the impoverished south, where Duterte is from. The prime offending drug is methamphetamine, or "shabu," which has grown increasingly popular among the nation's youth.

The United Nations has expressed concern regarding Duterte's empowerment of police to eradicate the drug problem, which Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has condemned and the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime referred to as an "apparent endorsement of extrajudicial killings." Duterte has indeed told both police and civilians to kill drug offenders if they feel their lives are in danger.

Asked on Tuesday about the potential of the UN sending observers to the Philippines, Duterte said, "while I really do not know who's going to come here for that, I am going to whack him in the head. Do not investigate us as if we are criminals," he added. "I will not receive you warmly in this country. But if you come here, explain or maybe hear about the happenings on criminals or see (for) yourselves."

Comment: Critics of his anti-drug campaign said in their last count that about 1,000 people have been killed. Duterte said in his speech Wednesday that some of those were killed by drug criminals. This method of reform has resulted in a significant body count. It has also achieved an unprecedented radical reformation, on all levels of Philippine society, in a very short period of time. What will come of these drastic measures and Mr. Duterte remains to be seen. He has the support of his people.

See also:

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Clipboard

Most Russians agree govt should continue an independent course despite foreign sanctions


RT
Thu, 18 Aug 2016 09:46 UTC
China's President Xi Jinping and Russia's President Vladimir Putin
© ITAR-TASS/ZUMA PRESSPresident Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin: "Here's to the West."
Seventy percent of Russian citizens think the authorities must continue to implement independent policies in spite of the sanctions imposed by the West. However, over 40 percent hold that the economic restrictions are hurting both sides in the standoff.

According to the latest poll conducted by the independent research center Levada, about 40 percent of Russians are concerned about ongoing international isolation of their country. In early March 2014, soon after the international sanctions against Russia were introduced for the first time, this share was significantly larger at 56 percent. However, the decrease of concerned Russians could be explained by the fact that currently 43 percent of respondents think that sanctions have only had an insignificant negative effect on the Russian economy, while another 20 percent said there was no negative effect at all. Only 29 percent of those polled believe that Western sanctions had caused a significant problem for Russia's economy.

Some 77 percent of respondents told Levada researchers they had personally experienced the effects of the economic crisis, but 70 percent said that the government and other senior authorities should continue the chosen course regardless of external economic and political pressure. Only 21 percent said that they supported negotiations with the West and a search for a mutually-acceptable solution that would allow the sanctions against Russia to be lifted.

Comment: Fists in air, Russians to West: "Sanction this!" Russia is a tough and resourceful country, not easily scared or swayed by Western reprimands and financial antics. In fact, the sanctions have energized Russian production, fostered new alliances, made it more secure and stronger, garnered the respect of its people and those around the world...a backfire on Western policy and punishment.

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Star of David

UN demands halt as Israel orders a Palestinian school demolition in West Bank


RT
Thu, 18 Aug 2016 11:32 UTC
Bedouin school
© www.upi.comOn the Israeli chopping block, Bedouin school on Palestinian land.
The Israeli authorities have ordered a Palestinian school east of Jerusalem to be demolished as they say it was built without permission, despite coming under pressure from the EU and the UN for Israel to stop destroying Palestinian buildings.

The primary school is located in Kahn Al-Ahmar, which is a Bedouin village and was built in 2009 with money given by the Italian government. The Israeli authorities want the school, which provides an education to around 170 children, demolished because it was constructed near a planned road expansion.

"We continue to call on the Israeli authorities to fulfill their obligations as an occupying power and to rescind all policies and practices that - directly or indirectly - lead to the forcible transfer of Palestinian Bedouin families," said David Carden, who heads the UN's West Bank Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, according the Jerusalem Post.

The Bedouin community is horrified at the prospect of the school closing with Khalid Quzmar, a lawyer with Defense for Children International, saying that the school was essential to the local community. "Israeli authorities always claim that buildings are closed down or demolished because they were built without permits. But how are Palestinians going to get permits when Israeli authorities often times refuse to grant them?" he said, as cited by UPI. He also added that the building was constructed out of mud and tires to make sure that it did not break any planning laws, which "prohibit Palestinians from using cement in construction."


Comment: Catch 22: Built without a permit, permits not obtainable. It should not be a "catch" at all. The Palestinians have the right to build on their own land period. At least the EU is demanding Israel reform its policies, while the cowardly US is non-committedly "concerned." The UN: UNable, UNresolute, UNeffective.

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Network

Clinton Foundation hired security firm after suspected hacking

Mark Hosenball, Dustin Volz and John Walcott
Reuters
Thu, 18 Aug 2016 11:19 UTC
Killary
.
Bill and Hillary Clinton's charitable foundation hired the security firm FireEye to examine its data systems after seeing indications they might have been hacked, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

So far, no message or document hacked from the New York-based Clinton Foundation has surfaced in public, the sources said.

One of the sources and two U.S. security officials said that like hackers who targeted the Democratic National Committee, Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and the Democrats' congressional fundraising committee, the hackers appear to have used "spear phishing" techniques to gain access to the foundation's network.

These techniques include creating bogus emails or websites in an effort to gain access to Clinton Foundation staffers' emails and then to the foundation itself.

Comment: See also: Killary's tax returns reveal the Clintons have been getting filthy rich

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Health

Russia ready to support weekly 48-hour humanitarian ceasefires in Aleppo


RT
Thu, 18 Aug 2016 19:34 UTC
Battle in Alepo
© Abdalrhman Ismail / Reuters
The Russian Ministry of Defense has backed a proposal from the UN Syria envoy to organize 48-hour weekly ceasefires to supply humanitarian relief to Aleppo citizens. The first truce could be organized as early as next week.

The proposal - which was originally voiced last week by the UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura, who called for 48-hour ceasefires instead of the three hours proposed by the Russian side - has been welcomed in Moscow.

As a means to broaden the scale of the humanitarian mission in Aleppo, the Russian Defense Ministry is ready to back the UN proposal to introduce the 48-hour pauses, which would allow the city's population to be supplied with food and medication, and for vital infrastructure damaged by terrorist shelling to be restored, the ministry's spokesman, Major General Igor Konashenkov, said.

A test-run of the 48-hour truces could be organized next week to see if relief can reach civilians safely.

"A more precise date and time will be determined after receiving information about the readiness of the convoys from the UN representatives and receiving confirmation of the security guarantees of their safe travel from our American partners," Konashenkov said.
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Info

Alliance between Russia, Turkey and Iran on Syria may be taking shape


Sputnik
Thu, 18 Aug 2016 19:24 UTC
Hassen Rouhani and Recep Tayyip Erdogan
© REUTERS/ Yasin Bulbul/Presidential Palace
Turkey is considering a coalition with Russia and Iran against terrorists in Syria. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will soon visit Tehran to discuss the issue. The visit is also expected to normalize ties between Turkey and Iran, the two powers seeking dominance in the region.

Next week, Erdogan will visit Tehran to discuss a Russia-Turkey-Iran coalition to fight terrorism in Syria, Fars news agency reported.

During his recent trip to Russia, the Turkish president held talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, including on the situation in Syria.

Comment: Ankara praises crucial roles of Moscow and Tehran in Syria peace process

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Info

Ankara praises crucial roles of Moscow and Tehran in Syria peace process


Sputnik
Thu, 18 Aug 2016 19:13 UTC
Syrian flag
© REUTERS/ Omar Sanadiki
Moscow and Tehran are playing indispensable roles in resolving the Syrian conflict, the Turkish top diplomat underscored in an exclusive interview with Sputnik.

Achieving a lasting resolution of the crisis in Syria without Russia and Iran would be impossible, Ankara will cooperate with them on these issues, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Sputnik.

"We have repeatedly stated, even in the period of crisis in our relations, that it would be impossible to achieve a lasting resolution in Syria without Russia's participation. We continue to insist on this. The same can be said about Iran, with which we are negotiating at the moment as well and aim to strengthen cooperation in this sphere," Cavusoglu said.
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Attention

Turkish FM Cavusoglu: NATO isn't cooperating, Turkey considering military cooperation with Russia


RT
Thu, 18 Aug 2016 17:28 UTC
Mevlut Cavusoglu
© REUTERS/ Umit Bektas
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has lashed out at NATO, saying the alliance is not fully cooperating with Ankara. In an interview with Sputnik, he hinted that Turkey would consider military cooperation with Russia.

Cavusoglu says that Ankara has become alarmed at the lack of willingness shown by NATO to cooperate with Turkey, which is a member of the alliance.

"It seems to us that NATO members behave in an evasive fashion on issues such as the exchange of technology and joint investments. Turkey intends to develop its own defense industry and strengthen its defense system," he said in an interview with Sputnik.

"In this sense, if Russia were to treat this with interest, we are ready to consider the possibility of cooperation in this sector," Cavusoglu said when asked about the possibility of working with Russia in the defense sphere.

Comment: Cavusoglu also told Sputnik:
"The danger, the threat which we did not see in the past, Russia recognized from the beginning. We thought that the followers of this movement are good citizens of the country, people of faith, but we could not even suspect that they are secret agents."
As Sibel Edmonds has revealed, Russia has known the details of NATO's Gladio B for years, many Turkish ex-generals having defected to Russia to spill the beans about what was going on. Even the FBI has known the extent of Gulen's shady dealings since the mid-to-late 90s. Cavusoglu is being coy when he says that Turkey didn't suspect the Gulenists, but his statement about Russia is telling.

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