Puppet MastersS


Dollars

Putin warns Finance Minister to ax US dollar from Russian trade


RT
Wed, 28 Oct 2015 14:48 UTC
Russian President Vladimir Putin
© Alexey Nikolsky / RIA Novosti
Russian President Vladimir Putin blasted the government for turning a blind eye on US dollar payments in the domestic oil trade.

"I would like to mention one crucial issue in the development of the energy industry, and the economy as a whole. It is a question of finally stopping the use of foreign currency in internal trade," said Putin at the fuel and energy presidential commission on Tuesday.

Putin posed the question to the Russian Finance Minister.

"Mr. Siluanov, aren't settlements in foreign currencies prohibited by [Russian] law? And what do we have in practice? Fees for shipment of oil products and crude oil in the Russian ports of Novorossiisk, Taman, Ust-Luga, Kozmino, Primorsk and others - are either directly priced in US dollars, or denominated in US dollars on online trading systems, practically in real time," asked the President.

"This is, of course, unacceptable. It directly contradicts current legislation. I don't understand what the regulatory authorities are looking at," Putin added.

Comment: Putin is still cleaning house in Russia. Moving away from the US dollar will be an important step. If the Russian Finance Minister refuses to cooperate, look for a change in the Russian Central Bank operations.

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Magnify

Syria: US-Turkey "Buffer Zone" to save ISIS, not stop them

Tony Cartalucci
New Eastern Outlook
Sun, 25 Oct 2015 21:16 UTC
army
Russia's intervention in Syria has derailed US regime-change efforts aimed at Damascus. It also threatens America's secondary objective of dividing and destroying Syria as a functioning, unified nation-state. Long sought after "buffer zones" also sometimes referred to as "free zones" or "safe zones" still stand as the primary strategy of choice by the US and its regional allies for the deconstruction of Syria's sovereignty and the intentional creation of a weak, failed state not unlike what the US and NATO left within the borders of Libya since 2011.

And while the US seeks to sell its "buffer zone" strategy under a variety of pretexts - from protecting refugees to fighting the so-called "Islamic State" (ISIS/ISIL) - it is admittedly a tactic aimed instead at America's true objectives in Syria - the destruction of its government, the division of its people, and the eradication of its sovereignty.
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Snakes in Suits

Killary Clinton: We lied - the aim of our war on Libya was regime change


Moon of Alabama
Sat, 24 Oct 2015 00:00 UTC
Image
Micah Zenko finds a nugget in yesterday's Benghazi hearing of Hillery Clinton:
When asked by Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) about a video clip that read, "We came, we saw, he died [meaning former Libyan President Muammar al-Gaddafi]. Is that the Clinton doctrine?" Clinton replied, "No, that was an expression of relief that the military mission undertaken by NATO and our other partners had achieved its end."
The video clip in question is here and should be watched by everyone to understand what an evil character Hillary Clinton is.

Comment: See also:The truth about Benghazi: Cover for providing weapons to terrorists in Syria

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Quenelle - Golden

Crimea rejoining Russia was will of the people, says Serbian lawmaker


Sputnik
Wed, 28 Oct 2015 00:53 UTC
crimea street view
© Sputnik/ Sergey Malgavko
Crimean reunification with Russia reflects the self-determination of the Black Sea peninsula's citizens, a Serbian lawmaker on a visit to Crimea said in a letter seen by Sputnik.

Bosko Obradovic, the Dveri Movement leader, made these comments in response to the Ukrainian ambassador's note of protest over the Serbian delegation's visit to Crimea. Obradovic is on a three-day visit to the peninsula with delegates from the Patriotic Block and leaders from the Democratic Party.
"Crimea's return to Russia, as well as the authority in Crimea, is not self-appointed, but is the fruit of self-determination of citizens of Crimea, who expressed their views in a referendum," Obradovic wrote on Tuesday.

Comment: See also:

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Radar

Roughly 700 refugees in Germany disappear without a trace


Sputnik
Wed, 28 Oct 2015 00:53 UTC
empty beds missing refugees
© AP Photo/ Jens Meyer
Roughly seven hundred of 4,000 asylum-seekers who had been initially accommodated in the German state of Lower Saxony have mysteriously disappeared, and because of administrative breakdowns, local authorities are clueless about who and where they are.

angela merkel looking concerned
© AP PHOTO/ MARKUS SCHREIBER
The staggering figures were revealed by local officials in the northwest German state by a survey conducted by the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung (NOZ) newspaper. Because many of the refugees hadn't been registered yet, nothing is known about who they are or where they might have gone.

Some have speculated that the immigrants departed from the mostly rural province to either reunite with their relatives or to look for more attractive places to stay elsewhere in Germany or even abroad, according to the Local. Others point to failures to provide adequate housing for refugees.

Comment: It seems fairly unlikely that nearly 20% of these refugees would get lost and not be able to find their way back to the shelter, so is this just a case of people moving on for various reasons, something nefarious going on, or something else?

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Airplane

Ongoing incursions: At least 20 Turkish military aircraft allegedly violate Greek airspace


Sputnik
Tue, 27 Oct 2015 22:27 UTC
Turkish Air Force F-16
© Flickr/ UK Ministry of Defence
Some 20 Turkish warplanes briefly entered Greek airspace over the Aegean Sea on Monday in what is the latest violation of the Athens FIR (flight information region), Greek media reported.

The exact number of Turkish planes seen in the sky above Greece differs depending on the news source. The Kathimerini newspaper alleged that "five formations of 14 planes, as well as six other aircraft committed 15 violations and 31 additional violations."

The information has not been officially confirmed but Turkish military aircraft often violate Greek airspace. Earlier in October, Greece scrambled fighter jets to intercept several Turkish F-16 planes over the Aegean.

Comment: What is Turkey up to by violating Greece airspace so much? And where is the international outcry? Russia skirts the border of Turkey for a few minutes, apologizes, and the 'international community' (i.e. NATO) throws a hissy fit. Talk about double standards.

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Vader

Clueless US brushes off China's criticism of warship patrol in South China Sea, says it can go anywhere international law allows


RT
Tue, 27 Oct 2015 22:00 UTC
Image
© Jacob D. Moore / Reuters
The US has shrugged off China's criticism over its warship patrol in the South China Sea saying that the operation had been conducted within the limits of international law and had not required any special permission.

"The US has conducted naval operations in the South China Sea in recent days and will conduct similar operations in the future," Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said.

"Our freedom of navigation operations do not assert any specific US rights," White House Eric Schultz said when asked about the details of a US Navy destroyer sailing past China's artificial islands, adding that the United States will fly and sail anywhere international law allows. He did not comment further.


Comment: That's rich, the US citing international law. The US goes around breaking international law almost every day and here they are hiding behind it when it suits them. There is likely not a more hypocritical bunch in the world. This isn't about anything other than testing the Chinese to see how they would react, which is a provocative act that the Chinese correctly label as irresponsible.


China has criticized the US patrol operation, which led one of its destroyers past artificial island features created by China in the South China Sea, saying it was "an abuse of freedom of navigation." Beijing has promised to do everything necessary to "protect [the] country's security and interests".

Comment: See also: South China Sea tension rises: China angrily reacts to US Navy destroyer passing close to artificial islands

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Briefcase

Hot air? House GOP begins impeachment against IRS chief


Washington Times
Tue, 27 Oct 2015 22:02 UTC
John Koskinen
© AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, FileIRS Commissioner John Koskinen
House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz began the impeachment process against IRS Commissioner John Koskinen Tuesday, accusing him of misleading the public and destroying documents that were being sought under a congressional subpoena.

It's the latest move in the battle over tea party targeting at the tax agency, and comes less than a week after the Justice Department issued a report finding no criminal behavior in the IRS's decision to subject conservative groups to intrusive scrutiny.

Among the specific charges Mr. Chaffetz and 18 of his fellow Republicans on the committee allege are that Mr. Koskinen misled Congress when he said he'd turned over all of former IRS senior executive Lois G. Lerner's emails, and oversaw destruction of evidence when his agency destroyed backup tapes that contained the emails.

Comment: The IRS already has too much power and nothing will come of this latest impeachment resolution. And on and on it goes.

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USA

Inept coalition: 22 Iraqi troops killed in US airstrikes in Ramadi


FARS News Agency
Tue, 27 Oct 2015 21:52 UTC
Iraqi troops
The US-led anti-ISIL coalition targeted the Iraqi forces' positions instead of ISIL terrorists in the Western parts of Iraq.

"The coalition warplanes pounded the Iraqi forces after they advanced near the city of Ramadi after al-Jama bridge and al-Davajen bridge," a security source said.

He noted that at least 22 Iraqi forces, including volunteer forces, known as Al-Hashad Al-Shabi, were killed in the US-led airstrikes in Ramadi.

The US has repeatedly struck the popular forces' positions in different parts of Iraq.

In June, fighter jets of the US-led coalition struck the Iraqi forces' positions in Anbar province, Western Iraq.

The US-led coalition warplanes hit the bases of Iraqi army's Hezbollah battalions in Fallujah in Anbar province, killing 6 soldiers and injuring 8 others.

Comment: How is it that the US claims to be helping Iraq fight the head-chopping terrorists yet keeps bombing the Iraqi Army? This certainly won't help the US in preventing Iraq asking Russia for help.

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Attention

Syria situation in past 24 hours: Army makes new gains in key provinces


FARS News Agency
Tue, 27 Oct 2015 21:40 UTC
Syria battle map
The Syrian army backed by Hezbollah fighters and the Russian air force destroyed terrorists' positions in Aleppo, Hama, Daraa, Homs, Damascus and Idlib over past 24 hours.

Dozens of terrorists were killed and many more were wounded in the Syrian army's military operations across Syria on Monday.

Aleppo

The Syrian army and the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance forces backed by the Russian air force seized back over 150 square kilometers of territories in operations in the Southwestern parts of Aleppo province.

The army and the resistance forces have won back Qala'at Al-Najam village, Hadadin village, Al-Shahid hilltops, Zeytouna Farms, Al-Kabdar Garrison, Mleiha Village, Abtayn Village, Al-Vazihi village, Kodar village, Al-Sabeqiya village, Shaqidla town, Tanks Battalion, Tal al-Naa'am, Al-Naa'am town, Al-Nasseriya town, Heijeneh, Howeija town, Boqja town, al-Barijieh, Kafr Tuna and al-Harra.

The army and resistance forces were engaged in heavy clashes with the militants on Monday to take control of the Khanasser-Ithriyah road which links Hama province to the Northern parts of the country, specially the city of Aleppo.

Comment: Really impressive results in Syria now that Russia is involved. Keeping this momentum going will ensure Russia completes its mission in the three to four month guideline.

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