Puppet MastersS


Gold Seal

Think tank: Putin offers constructive and realistic approach to Syria


Sputnik
Tue, 29 Sep 2015 17:04 UTC
Image
© AFP 2015/ DON EMMERT
Russian President Vladimir Putin's call at the UN to include President Bashar Assad in a compromise peace process in Syria is much more realistic than repeated US calls that Assad be toppled, Institute for Research Middle East Policy Director Grant Smith told Sputnik.

In his speech, Smith noted, Putin urged the creation of an international coalition against the Islamic State comparable to the Grand Alliance of the United States, the Soviet Union and the British Empire that defeated Nazi Germany in World War II.

"Putin expressed a lot more of the traditional realist view of the region that used to be the consensus assessment of US policymakers and experts for so long."

Smith pointed out that Putin's call to respect the legitimacy of existing governments and create a broad coalition to contain and defeat extremist forces reflected values that the United States maintained through the Cold War.

"It used to be the dominant and accepted view in foreign policy circles in the United States," Smith explained.
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Blackbox

Best of the Web: West's coverage of the 'Syrian crisis' is a microcosm of the dying Western media

Tony Cartalucci
New Eastern Outlook
Tue, 29 Sep 2015 14:54 UTC
mainstreammedien,corporate media
Seymour Hersh has risked much over his decades of journalism. He is a true journalist who has been attacked, slandered, and shunned by all sides simply because he seems to resist taking any side.

When he reported on US atrocities in Vietnam, he was first attacked and denounced as a traitor or worse. In time, both the truth and Hersh were vindicated and the importance of what he did as a journalist to both inform the public and serve as a check and balance against the special interests of ruling power were recognized with a Pultizer Prize.

In 2007, when he exposed the then Bush-administration's plans to use the Muslim Brotherhood and militant groups linked to Al Qaeda to overthrow the government of Syria - the result of which is unfolding today - the New Yorker gladly welcomed his work as a message they perceived would resonate well with liberal audiences.

Comment: Also see: Syrian death toll exaggerated to generate Western public support for airstrikes and regime change

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Arrow Down

Business and diplomacy fail: France will lose $250 million euros on Mistral resale deal with Egypt


Sputnik
Tue, 29 Sep 2015 16:59 UTC
Image
© AFP 2015/ GEORGES GOBET
Only last week, French president Hollande said the deal would not entail any financial costs for his country.

According to the French Senate Finance Commitee, the country's budget is set to lose about 250 million euros on the deal to sell two Mistral ships originally built for Russia to Egypt.

"If the agreement with Egypt to resell the ships is implemented, it will cost the nation's budget 200 to 250 million euros," the committee's statement reads.

This is in stark contrast with last week's statement by French president Hollande that the nation would not bear any costs from the deal with Egypt. "A decision was made to provide the Mistrals to Egypt, we agreed with President Sisi on the terms and the price. France will not bear any financial costs from this agreement," he told reporters.

France and Russia terminated a $1.3-billion contract last month following Hollande's suspension of the warships' deliveries late last year over the Ukrainian conflict.

Paris repaid Moscow around $1 billion as compensation for breaching the contract.
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Whistle

Russia, US, Syria, Gulf States, the migrant crisis: Destabilization, former Yugoslavia to Syria

Murad Makhmudov, Michiyo Tanabe, Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Tue, 29 Sep 2015 00:00 UTC
Magnifying glass Mid East
© ftmdaily.comA closer look.
The ineptitude of the Obama administration in America knows no boundaries when it comes to foreign policy. In truth, this is following on from past administrations in this nation when it comes to the Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia. However, unlike past administrations that set in motion destabilization policies, it is clear that the Obama administration is turning America into a laughing stock because even allies are confused. Therefore, President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation is intent on finally trying to tackle the crisis of Syria head on.

Given this reality, the twin agenda of the Russian Federation applies to focusing on the growing menace of international terrorism and preventing another failed state based on the brutal deeds of Gulf and NATO powers against the government of Syria. Of course, other important areas also exist but these two areas are of major importance. Indeed, if you look at the migrant crisis in Europe and the Middle East then it is clear that America and the allies of this nation are overwhelmingly responsible.

In Afghanistan in the 1980s and early 1990s the nations of America, China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom - and other Gulf states - all supported and funded international terrorism. It was these nations that gave rise to al-Qaeda, the Taliban (especially applies to Pakistan) and various other Sunni Islamist sectarian terrorist groups.

Comment: Hopefully the tide turns and momentum builds on the side of Russian reason and constraint. Hopefully more and more countries, as well as common folk, rise up and throttle this insane and unnecessary march to oblivion, and those that perpetrate these acts are clearly seen for the psychopaths they are. We are at the crossroads...we passed the signpost yesterday. Will there be a turning?

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Bad Guys

All three of Canada's major political parties vow to be 'tough on Russia'


Sputnik
Tue, 29 Sep 2015 14:44 UTC
Canada political party Munk debate
© REUTERS/ Mark Blinch
With all three of Canada's major political parties pledging that they would continue the Harper policy line of being 'tough on Russia', it doesn't seem that the icy relationship between the two northern neighbors will thaw any time soon, regardless of who wins the parliamentary elections next month.

On Monday night, with the eyes of the world focused on the speeches being given by world leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York, the leaders of Canada's three major parties held another debate ahead of parliamentary elections next month, this time focusing on foreign policy.

The leaders demonstrated that they have arrived at a consolidated 'tough on Russia' stance as far as their northern neighbor is concerned, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper of the Conservative Party vowing that Ottawa would not "tolerate" Russia's "occupation" of Ukrainian territory.

Comment: This just goes to show how low a country can sink under the leadership of a spineless, psychopathic individual. More come out of the woodwork, eager to follow the lead and devote themselves to Washington's suicidal ambitions.

Also see: Real Life Run of the "Global Change Game": All Republican presidential candidates are eager for war against Russia

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Yoda

10 quotes from Putin's address to the United Nations


Sputnik
Mon, 28 Sep 2015 16:31 UTC
Image
© AFP 2015/ DON EMMERT
Putin delivered a much-anticipated speech outlining Russia's position to the United Nations General Assembly on Monday. Here is a summary of what he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered relatively few surprises at his UN General Assembly, despite what has been described as a buildup with additional aid sent to Syria and information sharing regarding the fight against ISIL also established with Iran and Iraq. However, it went in a stark contrast to US President Barack Obama's UNGA speech, with its ideological push and calls to end the rule of leaders of certain sovereign states.

Although both the Russian and the US leaders essentially covered the same subjects, their approaches were nearly polar opposites. Here is how that summed up on Putin's end:

1. The UN: Where the world works toward compromise

Putin outlined Russia's view of the UN as a body for compromise rather than a body for rubber-stamping a certain "needed" decision, while other states (referring to the US) see that structure as "getting in the way."

"During the UN's founding it was not assumed that consensus would rule here. The point of the organization, in essence, consists of finding and working out compromises, and its strength is in taking into account different opinions and points of view."

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Chess

Diplomatic chess? Obama just lost big-time to Putin

Jack Perry
Lew Rockwell
Tue, 29 Sep 2015 16:08 UTC
putin obama chess game
Yep, it's a game changer.
Hark! Hearest thou yonder sound? It is the sound of the United States government becoming OBSOLETE in the Middle East! Check out the news. See that? Now IRAQ is going to cooperate with Russia, Syria, and Iran to defeat ISIS over in Syria. HA HA HA! How do ya like THEM apples, Obama!? Hey, you can't say I didn't warn you. I said this could happen last week right here on Lew Rockwell when I said "Iraq might just join the party, too".

First, Putin went to the UN and rightfully gave the United States a good, swift kick in the keester it has needed for a long time now in regards to this whole "Let's arm the Syrian moderates!" shindig: "Instead of the triumph of democracy and progress, we got violence, poverty and social disaster — and nobody cares a bit about human rights, including the right to life," Putin said. "I cannot help asking those who have forced that situation: Do you realize what you have done?" Uncle Sam is still rubbing his sore keester from that truth-spanking.

So, now we know Russia, Iran, and Syria are all cooperating and now we also know Iraq HAS, in fact, joined the party! Gosh, and the poor United States now feels left out. Aww...Uncle Sammy wasn't invited to the party? Now Obama and Kerry have been scrambling, trying to talk to Iran about Syria and Yemen. Iran probably feels like Kerry is trying to invite himself to the soiree and use the old "Iran invited me!" shtick to crash the party. Now here goes Obama saying, "Oh, um, well, we want to cooperate with Russia! Seriously! But, Assad still needs to go, you guys!" Yeah, still trying to save face after all this time, even though there's egg all over it. Give it up, clowns. You just got outflanked. You lost this chess game for keeps.
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Stock Down

Estimates show Saudi Arabia withdrew 70 billion from markets

Stefania Bianchi
Bloomberg
Mon, 28 Sep 2015 16:47 UTC
Saudi Arabia oil company
© AFP
Saudi Arabia has withdrawn as much as $70 billion from global asset managers as OPEC's largest oil producer seeks to plug its budget deficit, according to financial services market intelligence company Insight Discovery.

"Fund managers we've spoken to estimate SAMA has pulled out between $50 billion to $70 billion from global asset managers over the past six months," Nigel Sillitoe, chief executive officer of the Dubai-based firm, said by telephone Monday. "Saudi Arabia is withdrawing funds because it's trying to cut its widening deficit and it's financing the war in Yemen," he said, declining to name the fund managers.
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Eye 2

London is the world capital of drug trafficking and money laundering

Vladimir Platov
New Eastern Outlook
Tue, 29 Sep 2015 15:07 UTC
Rolling Stone Bankers
© Rolling Stone/ Illustration by Victor Juhasz
As it appears from the report recently published by the Bank of England, half of British banknotes are used for money laundering by criminal structures, or circulate abroad. The British shadow economy covers, primarily, criminal activity which in addition to drug trafficking and prostitution, includes considerable monetary payments for such goods and services as, for example, construction works, which allows avoiding taxes. According to the British publication's estimates, the shadow economy makes up about 10% of the GDP of Great Britain.

The fact that London is the world capital of money laundering has already been mentioned in the British mass media. In particular, The Independent told its readers that billions of Pounds Sterling are laundered by criminals and foreign officials who buy expensive London real estate through offshore shell companies. Out of 36,342 private properties in London only recently bought through the shell companies from offshore zones, a huge number of the real estate was bought anonymously in order to hide stolen money.

According to London Police data, 75% of transactions on property are carried out through illicit companies by those persons, against whom criminal cases on charges of corruption were initiated. According to the information of the British Office of the Anti-Corruption Organization Transparency International, the flow of the "dirty money" led to an increase in average real estate prices in London and in its outskirts, thus an entire "world of expensive apartments and houses" that are inaccessible to ordinary people appeared.

Comment: Also see:

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Bad Guys

Complete media silence while NATO violates Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

Phil Butler
New Eastern Outlook
Tue, 29 Sep 2015 15:13 UTC

Yesterday at Ramstein Air Base here in Germany, hundreds marched in protest of America's drone killing and warlike posture. Carrying signs demanding the U.S. military "to go home" and "to stop war," a crowd of Germans peacefully protested the military activities carried out from this key base. Growing anti-US sentiment in Germany is only an undercurrent now, but what about when Moscow targets American nukes the Pentagon is sending? What if Germans discovered the new nukes are first strike weapons?

Ironically, only Stars and Stripes carried the story of the anti-drone protests on Saturday, but stories of growing anti-American sentiment are purposefully underplayed in the western press. Take the news Bundeswehr air base in Buchel in western Germany has begun preparations for receiving 20 new B61-12 nuclear bombs, if Russia had not complained, then you'd have never heard tell of the move. You haven't heard, have you?

Against the will of the German people, against the German parliament's 2010 call to remove all such weapons from German soil, and even the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), NATO still insists. What's more frightening still, is the fact German nor European media has seen fit to report.

Comment: Also see:

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