Puppet MastersS


Red Flag

Erdogan gives U.S. ultimatum: "Turkey or Gulen"


RT
Thu, 11 Aug 2016 16:54 UTC
erdogan
© Umit Bektas / Reuters
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued an ultimatum to the US, saying it must choose between Turkey and the US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara believes was behind the failed July 15 coup attempt.

"Sooner or later the US will make a choice [...] Either the coup-plotting terrorist FETO [Gulenist Terror Organization, term used by non-Gulenists] or the democratic country Turkey. The [US] has to make this choice," Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara on Wednesday, as quoted by the state-run Anadolu Agency.

"Those who follow the Pennsylvania-based charlatan who sold his soul to the devil, or Daesh [Arabic pejorative term for Islamic State/IS], which shed Muslim blood, or the PKK that also has shed blood for 30 years to divide the country and the nation, will all lose in the end," the Turkish leader warned.

Comment: By focusing on Gulen and not directly implicating the U.S./CIA/NATO, Erdogan has a justification for poor relations without having to basically go to war with the U.S. In other words, by framing it in this way, the U.S. isn't off the hook, but Turkey avoids a direct retaliation with NATO and the U.S. that would just hurt Turkey even more than the attempted coup. Luckily for Turkey, they are not entirely isolated, and despite continuing disagreements with Russia over Syria, they do agree on some things. TurkStream plans are in motion, for example:
"We told (the Russian side) that there are no problems with the Turkish Stream project. We've proposed to divide expenses on the construction of the pipeline's section crossing our territory into halves," the Turkish president told reporters after Tuesday's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg.

"As for the remaining part of the pipeline, a preliminary agreement has been reached regarding its financing on a 50-50 basis," said Erdogan.


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Stop

All talk: U.S. warns Israel not to cross 'red line' by demolishing Palestinian village


RT
Thu, 11 Aug 2016 16:22 UTC
palestine
© Times of Israel / YouTube
Washington has strongly warned Israel against tearing down Palestinian village of Sussia in the West Bank, calling such a prospect "very troubling" following a US delegation visit. Earlier, the US dubbed Israel's actions in the area "provocative and counterproductive."

"If the Israeli government proceeds with demolitions in Sussia, it would be very troubling and would have a very damaging impact on the lives of the Palestinians living there who have already been displaced on other occasions," said US State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau in a briefing on Wednesday.

Speaking to the Jerusalem Post, an unnamed US diplomatic official said that for Israel going ahead with the decision would amount to "crossing of a red line" as it "would be to go against the whole international community."


Comment: But who's going to do anything about it?

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Star of David

Switzerland court rules in favor of Iran in oil pipeline conflict with Israel


RT
Thu, 11 Aug 2016 16:18 UTC
oil storage containers
© Amir Cohen / ReutersEilat-Ashkelon Pipeline Co. (EAPC) oil storage containers are seen on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in the southern city of Ashkelon
Switzerland's highest court has backed Iran in its oil pipeline conflict with Israel that has been ongoing since the Islamic revolution in 1979. Tel Aviv is obliged to pay Tehran $1.1 billion plus interest of $461,302 in court costs.

Israel refused to pay Iran the $1.1 billion compensation awarded by a Swiss court in September 2015. Now, Switzerland's supreme court has upheld the earlier decision on Thursday.

The pipeline in question was built by Eilat-Ashkelon Pipeline Co (EAPC) in 1968, when the nations were on friendly terms. According to the agreement between Israel and Shan Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's government, the pipeline transported Iranian oil to the Mediterranean.
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Bad Guys

Leaked emails reveal Killary took foreign policy advice from George Soros, who urged her to intervene in Albania civil unrest

Ryan Girdusky
The American Mirror
Thu, 11 Aug 2016 16:10 UTC
clinton soros
More leaked e-mails from Hillary Clinton's time as Secretary of State prove that she was taking foreign policy advice from left-wing billionaire activist George Soros.

An e-mail provided by WikiLeaks showed Soros reaching out to Secretary Clinton over a foreign policy dispute in Albania.

"Dear Hillary,

"A serious situation has arisen in Albania which needs urgent attention at senior levels of the US government. You may know that an opposition demonstration in Tirana on Friday resulted in the deaths of three people and the destruction of property.

"There are serious concerns about further unrest connected to a counter-demonstration to be organized by the governing party on Wednesday and a follow-up event by the opposition two days later to memorialize the victims.

"The prospect of tens of thousands of people entering the streets in an already inflamed political environment bodes ill for the return of public order and the country's fragile democratic process."
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Better Earth

Russia-UK relations thawing? If so, it would be to their mutual benefit


RT
Thu, 11 Aug 2016 15:45 UTC
may putin
© Reuters / Sputnik
Both Russia and the UK have to deal with fighting ISIS and the threat of terrorism and it's about time they understood it's better to do it united, says journalist and author John Wight commenting on a possible thaw in Moscow-London ties.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Britain's new Prime Minister Theresa May at the G20 summit in China next month. In their first phone conversation since May took office, the two leaders agreed Russia and the UK need to work together - meaning a stronger economic partnership, and closer dialogue between the two countries' security agencies.

RT: President Putin met the Turkish President on Tuesday trying to repair a severely damaged relationship. Now a meeting is lined up with Theresa May. Are we seeing a realignment of Russia's relations with key powers?

John Wight: It certainly looks that way. Putin can be proud of his achievement this week in effect in a rapprochement of relations with Turkey vis-à-vis his meeting with Recep Erdogan in Saint Petersburg. So it is very encouraging for him and also it looks like there can be better relations on the way between the UK and Russia.

Comment: May actually took a surprisingly sane position on the Litvinenko affair. According to the Kremlin regarding the May-Putin call, "During a discussion of current bilateral issues, both leaders expressed dissatisfaction with the current parameters of cooperation in the political, trade and economic spheres. They agreed to step up joint work in some areas." Given the strong U.S.-UK relationship, it's unlikely this will be anything earth-shattering, but in this current "ice age" of a cold war, any thaw is pretty remarkable.

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Satellite

China launches surveillance satellite over South China Sea


RT
Thu, 11 Aug 2016 00:11 UTC
south china sea
© Reuters
Beijing has put the contested waters of the South China Sea under ever-closer surveillance, launching a new high-resolution satellite. It will help the country "safeguard its maritime rights and interests," researchers behind the project say.

"The satellite will play an important role in monitoring the marine environment, islands and reefs, and ships and oil rigs," the official China Daily newspaper reported, citing Xu Fuxiang, Gaofen 3 satellite project leader at the Academy of Space Technology in Beijing.

Launched on August 10, the Gaofen 3 high-resolution Earth observation satellite is equipped with a radar system that is able to capture images from space with a resolution down to 1 meter, making intelligence gathering ever more precise. The satellite works around the clock and has 12 imaging modes, making it capable both of taking wide pictures of the Earth and capturing detailed pictures of specific areas 24/7.

In addition, the Gaofen 3 can generate radar images under any weather conditions and has a designed service life of eight years. The satellite's chief designer, Liu Jie, claimed the new satellite is the best of its kind in the world in terms of technology and imaging mode.
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Bullseye

Nearly 7,000 terrorists positioned near Aleppo as Moscow brokers humanitarian ceasefires


RT
Wed, 10 Aug 2016 21:36 UTC
Aleppo
© Abdalrhman Ismail / Reuters
Nearly 7,000 heavy armored terrorists have taken positions southeast of the key Syrian city of Aleppo, the Russian Defense Ministry says. The build-up comes as Moscow brokers a three-hour daily truce for the embattled city.

"The most alarming situation has unfolded in the southwest outskirts of Aleppo," Lieutenant General Sergey Rudskoy, chief of the main operations department of the Russian General Staff, told reporters on Wednesday.

"Terrorists amassed to a unit of some 7,000 fighters, armed with tanks, armored personnel carriers, artillery and trucks with weapons mounted on them," Rudskoy said. The groups of terrorists are getting reinforcements from neighboring territories. "Militants are pulling their troops from the controlled areas in the provinces of Idlib, Homs and Hama," Rudskoy said.

On Wednesday, terrorists shelled residential areas in Aleppo's southwestern neighborhood of Hamdania, Syrian news agency SANA reports. According to the outlet, 13 civilians died with a number of people injured. Government forces have been engaged in fierce fighting with the terrorists in the area in the past four days.

Comment: See also: Sputnik exclusive report from besieged Aleppo city; Russian General Staff reports on military situation, humanitarian op

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Megaphone

'Am I not speaking English?' Reporters grill State Dept over Clinton emails, spokeswoman dodges questions


RT
Thu, 11 Aug 2016 04:46 UTC
State Department's Elizabeth Trudeau
© U.S. Department of State / YouTube
"I'm not going to speak anymore," replied a State Department spokeswoman, reaching a point of exasperation repelling reporters' hounding over a new batch of Hillary Clinton's emails that exposed cozy relationships between the former secretary's team and wealthy donors of her husband's foundation.

The State Department's Elizabeth Trudeau had a hard time dodging a swarm of uncomfortable questions, forcing her to comment on the ethical side of close ties of Department and the Clinton Foundation back when it was headed by the current Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Comment: See also: Killary faces her own corruption scandal after links between donors & State Dept exposed: #PayToPlay

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Chess

'A warning signal to EU': German media assess meeting between Putin & Erdogan


Sputnik
Thu, 11 Aug 2016 12:32 UTC
Putin Erdogan
© dpa
German newspapers assessed the meeting between Russian and Turkish leaders differently. Some of them viewed it as a chance to reach progress on the settlement of the Syrian crisis, while others considered it a sign of alienation between Western countries on the one hand, and Turkey and Russia on the other.

Alienation from the West

Some German media perceived the meeting of Turkish and Russian presidents as a sign of a deepening gap between the West and the two countries.

For instance, German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau indicated the meeting as a warning signal to the European Union.

"Erdogan's first trip abroad after the failed military coup is a sign of Turkey's alienation from the West, and a warning signal to the EU, which, after the attempted coup, dealt with its difficult partner in an inadequate way," the newspaper wrote.

Comment: Further reading: Dissecting the Putin-Erdogan summit: Massive upgrade in cooperation, agree to disagree on Syria

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Quenelle

Shootout in Crimea: What were the Ukrainian saboteurs after?

Alexander Mercouris
The Duran
Thu, 11 Aug 2016 13:08 UTC
Russian FSB
© Elite members of the Russian FSB near Sochi, Russia.
The FSB interception of Ukrainian sabotage groups attempting to infiltrate Crimea raise tensions.

Anyone who has been following Ukraine related news over the last few days will be aware of reports of Russian troop movements in Crimea, of a shoot out there between the Russian security forces and alleged Ukrainian infiltrators which left several people dead, and of claims that Ukrainian sabotage groups had attempted to infiltrate the peninsula.

On 10th August 2016 came final confirmation of the incident from Russia's counterintelligence and anti terrorism agency, the FSB (full statement attached below). It reported separate incidents involving three Ukrainian sabotage groups connected to the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Defence Ministry, shoot outs between FSB operatives and the Russian military and the Ukrainian military across the border line, and the deaths of one FSB operative and of one Russian soldier caught up in the shoot outs. Other reports speak of the death of at least two Ukrainian infiltrators, and of the capture of several others, which claims however the FSB report does not confirm. The FSB report does however speak of twenty improvised explosive devices containing more than 40 kilograms of TNT equivalent, ammunition, fuses, antipersonnel and magnetic bombs, grenades and the Ukrainian armed forces' standard special weapons being found in one of the locations involved in the incident.
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