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Bizarro Earth

Lavrov: US tried to include al-Nusra Front positions in 'silent' period


Sputnik
Wed, 04 May 2016 13:53 UTC
The United States tried to include areas captured by al-Nusra Front terrorist group in northern Syria's Aleppo in a recently established "silent" period during Washington's talks with Moscow on the issue, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Sputnik in an exclusive interview.
Syrian fighters
© AFP 2016/ Fadi al-Halabi / AMC
Lavrov pointed to evidence that linked the Turkish government with al-Nusra Front and Daesh terrorists, which have been excluded from all previous ceasefire deals brokered by Moscow and Washington for Syria.
"During the negotiations, our US partners actually tried to draw the borders of this 'zone of silence' to include a significant number of positions occupied by al-Nusra [Front]. We managed to exclude this as it is absolutely unacceptable," Lavrov said.
Lavrov suggested that some party wanted to manipulate the United States into shielding al-Nusra Front militants from government fire.
"This indicates that someone wants to use the Americans. I do not believe that it is in their interest to shield al-Nusra [Front]. But someone wants to use the Americans to shield the al-Nusra [Front] from strikes," Lavrov said.

Comment: One has to wonder if Lavrov truly thinks this or if it is, once again, Russia's exemplary diplomacy in not embarrassing the US and giving them an opportunity to save face.

The US/Turkey, US/EU and EU/Turkey relationships are a murky triangle. Is Lavrov hinting that he knows "Who's on first"?

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MIB

Russia accuses Obama of supporting al Qaeda in Syria

Eric Zuesse
Sott.net
Fri, 06 May 2016 13:51 UTC
Sergei Lavrov
On May 4th, Russia's Sputnik news agency headlined "Lavrov: US Tried to Include Al-Nusra Front Positions in 'Silent' Period", and reported that Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, speaking in Moscow about the lengthy negotiations between himself and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to agree on conditions for a Syrian ceasefire and peace talks to take place between Syria's government and Syria's rebels, said, "During the negotiations, our US partners actually tried to draw the borders of this 'zone of silence' to include a significant number of positions occupied by al-Nusra [Front]. We managed to exclude this as it is absolutely unacceptable."

Al Qaeda in Syria calls itself "Al Nusra."

The "zone of silence" or "silent period" (and there are other phrases for it) refers to the areas in Syria that would be excluded from the ceasefire.

In other words: Lavrov was saying that whereas Russia's President Putin refuses to stop military action in Syria to kill Syria's Al Qaeda, America's President Obama has been continuing, ever since the U.S.-Russian negotiations for a ceasefire in Syria started in January of this year, to insist that Russia must stop bombing those jihadists. Russia's Foreign Minister was saying that Obama has been trying to protect Al Nusra.

Comment: It's been pointed out before, but we have to say it again because too many people have such a poor memory these days: On September 11th, 2001, America was the victim of a horrific terror attack when aeroplanes were used as missiles to strike civilian and military targets, killing thousands of people. The attacks were blamed on an Islamic terrorist organisation by the name of al Qaeda.

So began the US "War on Terror", a fifteen year invasion and occupation of Middle Eastern countries and the murder of an estimated two million people - mostly Muslims - mostly based on the story of the eradication of terrorism and the eradication of al Qaeda.

But all evidence shows that the US has been arming, funding and supporting al Qaeda in Syria (al Nusra Front).

We surely do live in a bizzaro world.

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Megaphone

US in no position to impose solution to Syrian war


PressTV
Sat, 07 May 2016 17:05 UTC
assad
An American political analyst says time is on the side of the Syrian-Russian alliance and the United States is in no position to impose a solution to the years-long foreign-sponsored war in Syria.

Dennis Etler, a professor of Anthropology at Cabrillo College in Aptos, California, made these remarks in an interview with Press TV on Friday while commenting on US Secretary of State John Kerry's recent warning to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

On Thursday, Kerry warned the Syrian president of the consequences of a new US approach if he does not accept a political transition in the next few months.

"The target date for the transition is 1st of August," Kerry told reporters at the State Department. "So we're now coming up to May. So either something happens in these next few months, or they are asking for a very different track."

Professor Etler said that "Kerry's days are numbered. With the Obama administration quickly coming to a close both Kerry and Obama are lame-ducks whose pronouncements have increasingly less relevance as time goes on."
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Bullseye

Rouhani: US and Zionism main forces behind terror in Middle East


PressTV
Thu, 05 May 2016 16:55 UTC
President Hassan Rouhani
© President.irIran’s President Hassan Rouhani addresses a meeting between Iranian officials, ambassadors from Muslim states and Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in Tehran on May 5, 2016
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani names the US and Zionism as the main forces behind terror and insecurity gnawing away at the Middle East.

"Who brought terror and insecurity to this region?" he asked on Thursday, addressing a meeting in which Iranian officials and ambassadors from Muslim states met with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

"Who set up a usurper regime (Israel) in this region around 70 years go? Is not a good deal of the insecurity, assassinations and wars in our region rooted in the regime occupying al-Quds?" he further asked.The Iranian president also referred to the US-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, saying "Zionists and Americans are responsible for all these crimes."

He also condemned centuries-long Islamophobic efforts by Western Islamophobes, on the one hand, and "ignorant friends" or "dependent mercenaries," on the other hand, adding, "Both [groups] have endangered Islam's reputation and status like the blades of a pair of scissors."
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Info

Oil shocker: In dramatic power reshuffle, Saudi Arabia fires powerful oil minister al-Naimi

Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
Sat, 07 May 2016 15:56 UTC
Ali al Naimi
For years, Ali al Naimi was the most important person in the world of oil: the former CEO of Saudi Aramco ascended to the post of Saudi oil minister in 1995, and over the past 21 years had the power to send the price of oil soaring or plunging with one word. To be sure, over the past two years it was mostly plunging because as is well-known, Saudi Arabia's policy ever since the 2014 Thanksgiving OPEC meeting in which Saudi Arabia broke off from the rest of the petroleum cartel to pursue its intention of putting US shale and high cost OPEC production out of business.

Then things unexpected, and dramatically, changed in April when Bloomberg published a detailed interview on the present and future of Saudi oil policy, which however took place not with al Naimi but with a young man few had heard of: Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, barely 30 years old, who just happens to be the favored son of Saudi Arabia's new King Salman who took control just one year ago.
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Red Flag

John Kerry draws a new red line for ousting Assad in Syria

Natasha Bertrand
Business Insider
Wed, 04 May 2016 00:00 UTC
John Kerry
John Kerry - who hasn't yet failed in learning a lesson about regime change.
The new deadline for Syrian President Bashar Assad's transition out of power: August 1, US Secretary of State John Kerry said in a news conference at the State Department on Tuesday.

"The target date for the transition is the first of August," Kerry told reporters. "So we're now coming up to May. So either something happens in these next few months, or they are asking for a very different track."

The ultimatum was reminiscent of Kerry's warning in 2011 that Assad's days were "numbered," as well as President Barack Obama's "red line" speech in 2012 outlining the conditions — namely, the use of chemical weapons — that would prompt the US to take action against the embattled president. But then, as now, Kerry did not specify which "track" Washington would take to force Assad's ouster.

"That is for the future," Kerry said.

Comment: More absurd talk and projection from Kerry. It's Kerry and the US proxy forces that are attempting to carve out Aleppo from the democratically elected Assad government - not Assad trying to carve out a city from his own country!

See: Kerry's Plan B for Syria equals Brookings Institution and Brzezinski's Plan A

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Clipboard

Only a symbolic gesture: US getting tougher with Israel over settlements


PressTV
Sat, 07 May 2016 13:47 UTC
Palestinian Abu Anwar community
© AFPShanty homes in the Palestinian Abu Anwar community are seen near the Israeli settlement of Ma'ale Adumim (background), in the West Bank city of al-Azariya, east of Jerusalem al-Quds, on February 23, 2016.
The US government will endorse a tougher tone with Israel in an upcoming international report that criticizes the regime over expanding Jewish settlements, Palestinian house demolitions and property seizures on occupied Palestinian territory.

The US and its fellow Middle East mediators will focus on a surge of construction in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East al-Quds (Jerusalem), diplomats told The Associated Press.

The US approval of the harsh language marks a subtle shift, as Washington has traditionally tempered statements condemning Israel by the so-called "Quartet" of mediators with careful diplomatic language.
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Star of David

Instigating a third Palestinian Intifada? 5,677 Palestinians arrested by Israel since last October


PressTV
Sat, 07 May 2016 13:33 UTC
Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian man
© AFPIsraeli forces arrest a Palestinian man during clashes in the West bank city of Qabatiyah, February 4, 2016.
Israeli forces have arrested up to 5,677 Palestinians since last October, which marks the beginning of what is regarded as the third Palestinian Intifada (uprising), a Palestinian committee says.

The Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs said on Friday that the detentions were made across the Palestinian territories.

Abdul-Nasser Ferwana, the head of the commission, also accused Israeli authorities of spreading terror and panic among Palestinians while employing force on a daily basis to take individuals into custody.

Ferwana further expressed concern about the physical and mental torture exercised by Israeli forces against all prisoners.

The international community should assume its responsibility and force Tel Aviv to stop violating Palestinian human rights, he said.
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Info

Russian UN envoy reports Islamic State expanding its activities into Libya, Afghanistan, and Europe


ITAR-TASS
Sat, 07 May 2016 13:19 UTC
Vitally Churkin
© EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT
Islamic State, a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia, is uncontrollably expanding its zone of activity into Libya, Afghanistan and Europe, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vitally Churkin said on Friday at a United Nations Security Council meeting on the situation in Iraq.

According to the Russian diplomat, increased activities of Islamic State militants give grounds to doubt the efficiency of the U.S.-led anti-Islamic State coalition.

"We completely support the Iraqi government's efforts against Islamic State and note certain progress but the upsurge in terrorist activities, especially in Baghdad, makes us grow wary and question the efficiency of the activities of the 'coalition' which has been calling itself 'global' in the recent time due to some reason. In the meantime, the zone of terrorist operations is uncontrollable expanding beyond the region, into Libya, Afghanistan and Europe," he said.

"Only an all-embracing approach to anti-terrorism efforts and strict observance of international law may produce a desirable result," he stressed. "There is no room for double standards here. A consistent and principles approach of all responsible members of the international community is needed to counter this absolute evil."

Comment: US and Turkey are are increasingly being called out on its failed anti-Islamic State coalition and how they are actually supporting terrorists.

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Attention

Moscow regards preparations for US-Georgian drills as deliberate provocation


ITAR-TASS
Sat, 07 May 2016 13:09 UTC
US-Georgian military exercises (Noble Partner 2016)
© AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov
Moscow regards preparations for the US-Georgian military exercises (Noble Partner 2016) as a provocation aimed at deliberate destabilization of the military-political situation in South Caucasus, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

"We consider this sustainable 'reclamation' of the Georgian territory by the NATO military as a provocative step aimed at c destabilization of the military-political situation in South Caucasus. Washington and its allies that are openly appeasing Tbilisi's revanchist aspirations also contribute to that to a considerable degree," the ministry said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that the Noble Partner 2016 maneuvers had several objectives, including to prepare the Georgian army for participation in the NATO Response Force (NRF) and strengthen the Georgian potential of territorial self-defense.

Comment: On a related note:
Pentagon To Send In Tanks And Troops To The Republic Of Georgia, Military Exercises Or Military Buildup !

The Pentagon has begun the process today of loading tanks onto ferries in Varna, Bulgaria, to make their way across the Black Sea to Batumi, in the Republic of Georgia, where they will be used in upcoming military exercises, which will involve some 650 US troops and 150 British troops.

This is the second year of the exercise, which appears to be meant to be an annual event, and the first time US combat tanks will be involved. Last year, the US sent Bradley Fighting Vehicles to Georgia for the operation.

The Georgian Defense Ministry announced the deployment would happen back in January, saying at the time that the presence of the tanks would underscore US support for the Georgian Republic against Russia.


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