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Moscow expects response from Europe over Ukraine's Donbass status laws


RT
Thu, 19 Mar 2015 21:50 UTC
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© RIA Novosti / Anton Denisov
Moscow expects its European partners from the 'Normandy Four' to give their appraisals of the freshly-approved Ukrainian laws on self-rule in the southeastern regions.

"We have not yet heard any judgments on the part of our colleagues and partners. We still hope that such judgments will appear," Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.

He added that if the Minsk peace accords are undermined as a result of Kiev actions the situation would demand urgent involvement of all guarantors of the ceasefire.

"We support any dialogue," Peskov stated. However, he said that at the moment the Normandy Four had not yet agreed on a new meeting.

He also said that if the presence of US and British military advisers in Ukraine, if true, did not contribute to the security in this country.

On March 17, the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passed the law on special status for the Donbass regions, granting the self-proclaimed Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk special self-rule status, but postponing its introduction until the regions hold new elections under Ukrainian laws.
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Red Flag

Several reported dead in escalating conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan


RT
Thu, 19 Mar 2015 21:44 UTC
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© RIA Novosti / Iliya Pitalev
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia escalated on Thursday leaving several military dead. Different figures were produced by each side, ranging from at least three, up to 20 people in the disputed enclave in the South Caucasus.

The defense ministry of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which is an unrecognized state populated mostly by ethnic Armenians and completely surrounded by Azeri territories, reported that three of its servicemen were killed and several others injured in an attack from the Azerbaijan side on Thursday.

"On Thursday morning a reinforced group of [Azerbaijan's] special operation forces attacked the Karabakh positions," the ministry said in its statement, adding that the Armenian soldiers serving in that region repelled the attack and "totally defeated" the military group.

Three Armenian servicemen died in the fight, and four more were injured, the ministry's press-service said.

The Azerbaijani side called these reports intentional "disinformation," and said that its troops killed and wounded up to 20 Armenian military.

"As a result of military clashes on March 19 on the front line, Azerbaijan's armed forces conducted a heavy attack up-front on the Armenian side, and eliminated and wounded up to 20 Armenian servicemen," the Azerbaijani defense ministry said in its statement.

Both sides have repeatedly accused each other of trying to reignite a conflict that broke out in 1988 when the Nagorno-Karabakh region announced its plans to seek independence from Azerbaijan and become part of Armenia.
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Blue Planet

Best of the Web: West to East: Global power balance shifting - the American empire is dying

Joachim Hagopian
American Empire Exposed
Wed, 18 Mar 2015 23:57 UTC
west to east
A major recent event last week largely went unnoticed by both MSM and independent news sources alike. The British are apparently jumping ship away from the US dollar/petrodollar in an overt effort to align itself more closely with the BRICS alliance as it seeks a new standard international currency. For several years Russia, China, Brazil, India and South Africa (BRICS) have been preparing the world for its transition from USD standard international currency to its own alternative-in-the-making. America's so called mother country England has seen the writing on the wall and knows the global balance of power is rapidly tilting in favor of where the sun always rises in the emerging East.

The European central banking cabal from the City of London, a separate and private political and financial entity apart from the rest of both London and England, sent British royalty Prince William to China to quietly sign a deal to become a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). This surprising new development is a clear indication that the royal Bank of England is placing its financial bet and future on China and the East as its rock solid anchor. Much of the world has been looking to move away from and abandon the longtime global financial stronghold of the US Federal Reserve, its World Bank and US dollar standard. A US official feebly chastised UK in the Financial Times:
We are wary about a trend toward constant accommodation of China, which is not the best way to engage a rising power.
More consternation arose when Germany, France and Italy have additionally made overtures in the same direction. This worldwide trend spells utter defeat for Obama and his disastrous foreign policy. After Washington's been exerting strong-armed pressure on Australia as its key allied partner supporting its failing Asian pivot designed to check China's growing regional and global dominance in the Pacific Asian market, Australia is now also looking to follow suit accepting and embracing China's lead.
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War Whore

Best of the Web: The West's attempts to draw Russia into Ukraine are an utter failure

Rostislav Ishchenko
The Saker
Mon, 16 Mar 2015 03:42 UTC
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In an interview with the radio station Russia Today, Rostislav Ishchenko, President of the Center for Systematic Analysis and Forecasting, talks about who is trying to draw Russia into a military conflict, and why, Crimea's role in the situation, and the splitting of the Ukraine into separate territories.

In one of your articles, you wrote that the Ukraine was in all likelihood considering some sort of attack on Crimea. What exactly did you mean?

First, I don't think the Ukraine or even the powers that be in Kiev want to attack Crimea. I believe that even the orders to shoot that [Oleksander] Turchynov allegedly gave the military in February 2014 were a PR move. It's doubtful whether he gave such orders at that time. And, if he had given them, of the 20,000 soldiers who were in Crimea at that time, someone would have fulfilled them.

Second, as for an attack on Crimea by the Ukraine, I have already said and I'll repeat it: from my point of view, it's one of the last ways to start a war with Russia. It's perfectly clear that, from February to March of last year, they began trying to draw Russia into direct combat in the Ukraine. And it's clear that the idea came not from Kiev but from Washington.

After the failed attempts to get Russia to send troops to southeast Ukraine in March, April, May, and August, as well as in January of this year, the only more or less justified chance, from the point of view of international law, to instigate a Ukrainian-Russian war is to attempt to play the return-of-Crimea card. And it has been important from the very beginning to ensure that the Ukraine is not seen as the aggressor.

Comment: Unfortunately for the West, Putin has been two steps ahead of them the whole way and didn't fall into the trap of taking Ukraine.

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Gold Bar

Is a gold-backed ruble in Russia's future?


Russia Insider
Thu, 19 Mar 2015 19:25 UTC
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This article originally appeared at KOPP Online. Translated for RI by Alexander Samarkin

Russia is struggling with a number of liabilities these days. The price for oil, Russia's most important export good, has reached historical lows. During the previous weeks the Ruble could only recover slightly from its devastating slump against the Dollar, that has been lasting for a year now.

Compared to February last year, the Russian currency now has about 40% less purchase power than the Greenback. Russia and USA are in the middle of a currency war that threatens to become an armed conflict. Not even during the cold war has the ,diplomatic" talk between USA and Russia been that harsh.

Even from elitist circles come ominous warnings of an acute geopolitical danger. The continuing sanctions against Russia in the process of the Ukraine-crisis hurt the Russian economy additionally. The Russian government has to take radical measures to enhance the attractiveness of the Ruble for investors. In this context a gold backing seems more probable than ever.
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Stock Down

People have spoken: Over half of Ukrainians fed up with Poroshenko - Almost 60% don't believe stories published by Ukrainian press


RT
Thu, 19 Mar 2015 19:11 UTC
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© Reuters / Mykola LazarenkoUkrainian President Petro Poroshenko (R) talks to Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk
A recent poll by a Ukrainian research group shows how unhappy the country is with their politicians. Only eight percent say the country is going in the right direction, while almost two-thirds assert they don't approve of the president's actions.

The figures should make for worrying viewing for President Petro Poroshenko and his government as Ukraine is currently mired in economic turmoil and political instability. A poll carried out by the Kiev-based Research & Branding Group from March 6-16, shows just how fed-up Ukrainians are with the way their country is being run.

Poroshenko may have been in power for just over nine months, but it would appear his 'honeymoon' period has well and truly ended. Just a third of those asked believe he is doing a good job, while almost 60 percent say they aren't happy with the way the billionaire is running the country. If elections were carried out today, just under 20 percent of Ukrainians would back Poroshenko, while 30 percent would either vote against every candidate or not bother going to the polls.

However, Poroshenko seems to be getting off lightly. Ukraine's nationalist Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk is even less popular with less than a quarter of those surveyed believing he is doing a good job in helping to run the country.

Comment: The question is - does the people's unhappiness with their leaders matter? The Kiev leadership is a U.S.-installed puppet regime. The U.S. can simply replace one puppet with another, and nothing will change. It should be clear that democracy and freedom matter little to the U.S. government, and that their meddling in Ukraine has little to do with caring about the population.

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Attention

Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité - French government begins blocking websites it doesn't like

Michael Krieger
Liberty Blitzkrieg
Thu, 19 Mar 2015 19:11 UTC
Official website message
© TwitterYou are being redirected to this official website since your computer was about to connect with a page that provokes terrorist acts or condones terrorism publicly.
There's no better way to show terrorists you mean business than by preemptively ending freedom before the infidels have a chance to.

Ever since the tragic Charlie Hebdo terror attacks, France has responded by turning its back on decency, freedom and civilization itself. While the counterproductive authoritarian government response to terror attacks throughout the Western world has been long noted by myself and countless others, no country has demonstrated a more enthusiastic embrace of fascism and irrationality than France.

The writing was on the wall shortly after the attacks. I noted it in the post, French Authorities Demonstrate Defense of Free Speech by Arresting 54 People for Free Speech.
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Yoda

Russia and South Ossetia sign alliance treaty - Russia pledges military protection


RT
Thu, 19 Mar 2015 19:02 UTC
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© RIA Novosti / Aleksey NikolskyiRussian President Vladimir Putin (R) and South Ossetian President Leonid Tibilov make a statement for the press March 18, 2015
The presidents of Russia and South Ossetia have signed a key treaty according to which the two nations will partially join their military forces, and Russia will provide full military protection to its ally.

The treaty introducing the collective security principle was signed by Vladimir Putin and Leonid Tibilov on Wednesday, after the two presidents held talks in Moscow.

Vladimir Putin said the document was another step not only in improving mutual legal systems, but also in economic development between the two nations. Leonid Tibilov added the friendship between the two countries and the stepping up of integration processes, were an answer to threats and challenges existing in the modern world.

"We know the Russian Federation is the only guarantor for our people and for our republic," Tibilov said, adding that South Ossetia supported all Moscow's political moves, such as the reunification with the republic of Crimea one year ago.

The document sets out that Russia would provide for the security and defense of South Ossetia, including constant protection of its state border. In return, South Ossetia would allow part of its military to join Russian military forces. The details of the process must be developed jointly by the two countries within six months of signing the treaty. The procedure will be financed by the Russians and 1 billion rubles (about $16 million) will be allocated from the Russian budget for this purpose.

The treaty with South Ossetia is very similar to the agreement with the Caucasus republic of Abkhazia signed in 2014 and ratified by the Russian parliament in January this year. Both republics were recognized by Russia after a brief war in 2008, which took place after Georgia tried to reclaim South Ossetia by military force, in violation of ceasefire agreements and despite Russian peacekeepers' presence.

In December 2013, Russia introduced a free trade regime with Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
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Radar

Large-scale Russian military exercises 'logical response' to NATO troops on its border


RT
Thu, 19 Mar 2015 18:56 UTC
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© image from http://pda.mil.ru
As NATO increases its activity by putting troops on the Russian borders, it is hardly surprising that Russia responds in a similar way, political analyst Chris Bambery told RT.

Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian Northern Fleet put on full combat alert as part of large snap military exercises. The announcement came with increased NATO activity near the Russian border.

RT: The media generally reports that these are a response to the NATO exercises. What's your take?

Chris Bambery: I think they are a response to NATO exercises which have taken place at first in the Black Sea and now in the Baltic. Why America has sent 750 military vehicles to the Baltic states including Abrams tanks, I don't know. Plus 3,000 troops. Germany is sending 600 troops. This is quite an escalation for Russia and it's on their border we should remember. But I think we also have to say something else. The rhetoric from America and to some extent from London is this idea that Putin is this "new Hitler," "the aggressor." The German military intelligence know full well that Vladimir Putin has got no ambition to occupy Ukraine. He's got no ambition to occupy the Baltic states. He's not an idiot. He is not going to invade the Baltic states and have a war with NATO. If there was evidence that Putin had sent in armored columns into Ukraine, NATO which has been [monitoring] this and the Americans who have been [monitoring] this very carefully would have flooded the world with those images.

And in fact Germany and France have secured a ceasefire which is relatively successful. So why they are going along with the Americans who clearly have much more aggressive agenda here, I don't know. This is a question we should ask Francois Hollande and Angela Merkel. But I think the answer to your first question is: sure, if you are going to put troops on the borders of Russia, isn't it logical; is it hardly a surprise that Russia is going to respond in kind?

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Stormtrooper

Who is behind Tunisia museum attack?


RT
Thu, 19 Mar 2015 18:37 UTC
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© Reuters / StringerA tourist injured after an attack by gunmen on Tunisia's national museum is wheeled on a stretcher in Tunis March 18, 2015
Groups like IS, which could be behind the Bardo Museum shootings, have a long history of collaborating with the West and may have attacked tourists just to maintain their anti-Western façade, says independent political analyst Dan Glazebrook.

RT: Do you think that the Western tourists were targeted on purpose?

Dan Glazebrook: Yeah, I think so. The thing is with ISIS and these groups - they have a long history of collaborating with the West. It's fundamental to their appeal that they kind of try to present themselves as anti-Western. If you look over the last several years, they've been singing from the same song-sheet - whether it's on Libya, the fight against Gaddafi; Syria, the fight against Assad. We've had revelations about fighters' passage to Syria to go and fight against Assad being facilitated by MI5, by British intelligence. This all came out in the hearings in Mozambique last year. So these guys are on the same page, they are helping to fulfill the West strategic aims of destabilization in the area. ... The thousands and thousands people they've killed, the vast majority of them have been other Muslims and non-white people. From time to time they have to kill some Europeans and some Westerners in order to maintain this façade of somehow being opposed to the West, whilst they continue to carry out and facilitate the West's strategic aims.

RT: A large number of Islamic State fighters reportedly come from Tunisia. Why is that?

DG: It was estimated at one point that the actual majority of foreign fighters in Syria were of Tunisian origin, over 3,000... They've also fought in Libya; they've fought in terrorist campaigns in Algeria. There are many different reasons; part of it is a kind of extremist backlash against the extremist secularism of the previous President [Zine El Abidine] Ben Ali and his predecessor [Habib Bourguiba]. But I think a lot of it is just simply to do with the economics and finances. There is very high unemployment in Tunisia. It is rumored that you can get up to $27,000 a year for going to fight for ISIS... Billions of dollars were put into these sectarian militias to build up these groups by Saudi Arabia and the USA as a bulwark against the resistance axis of Syria, Iran, and Hezbollah. These billions of dollars are still slushing around.
Sergio Altuna, researcher focusing on jihadist movements and political Islam in Tunisia: "I'm not sure at this point if the Bardo Museum was the main target of this terrorist operation... But given the fact that the Bardo Museum is just by the National Assembly another feasible possibility would be that a terrorist attack was aimed to attack the Assembly. It was working [Wednesday]; everybody was there - by the way, debating the new anti-terrorist law. Maybe security was too high... There is no clear information about it."
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