Puppet MastersS


Cowboy Hat

Putin announces pullback from Ukraine border

Neil MacFarhuqar
NY Times
Wed, 07 May 2014 17:16 UTC
Image
© Sergei KarpukhinPresident Vladimir V. Putin pictured at the Kremlin on Wednesday. “Open, honest and equal dialogue is the only possible option,” he said of the situation in Ukraine.
President Vladimir V. Putin, faced with rising violence in southeastern Ukraine that threatened to draw in the Russian Army at great cost and prompt severe new Western economic sanctions, pressed pause on Wednesday in what had started to look like an inevitable march toward war.

But it remained unclear to analysts and political leaders on both sides of the Atlantic whether he was truly reversing course on Ukraine or if this was just another of his judo-inspired feints.

Using a far less ominous tone than in previous remarks about Ukraine, Mr. Putin told a news conference at the Kremlin that Russia had withdrawn its troops from along the border and that he had asked separatists to drop plans for a referendum on sovereignty this Sunday. Russia would even accept Ukraine's presidential election on May 25, he said, if demands for autonomy from the country's east were recognized.

Mr. Putin said Russia wanted to spur mediation efforts led by the Europeans. He said he did not know whether talks between the warring sides in Ukraine were "realistic," but was determined to give them a chance, in particular a suggestion from Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany that the factions engage in a round-table discussion.
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Better Earth

Remembering the important lessons of the Cold War

The Saker
The Vineyard of the Saker
Thu, 08 May 2014 15:46 UTC
Dr-Strangelove
Dr. Strangelove: just a movie? U.S. leaders just might be that crazy.
If anything the past 24 hours have proved, once again, that the US and NATO are opposed to any form of negotiations, confidence-building measures or any other type of negotiations with the Donbass and with Russia. Even though Putin tried really hard to sound accommodating and available for a negotiated solution, the US/NATO policy is clearly to provoke and confront Russia and its allies in every imaginable way. The same goes, of course, for the junta freaks whose forces have acted with special brutality during repressive operations in the city of Mariupol. As for the AngloZionist Empire, it is organizing all sorts of military maneuvers in Poland, the Baltic states and elsewhere. Logically, many of you are coming to the conclusion that a war is becoming a very real possibility and I therefore want to repeat a few things yet again.

First, there is no military option for the AngloZionists in the Ukraine, at least not against Russia. This is primarily due to three fact things: geography, US overreach and politics. Geography, it is much easier for Russia to move a ground forces to the Ukraine than it is for the US/NATO, especially for heavy (mechanized, motor-rifle, armored, tank) units. Second, simply too many US forces are committed elsewhere for the US to have a major war in against Russia in eastern Europe. Third, for the time being the western public is being deceived by the corporate media's reports about the "Russian paper tiger", but as soon as the real fighting starts both Europeans and Americans will suddenly wonder if it is worth dying for the Ukraine. Because if a shooting war between the USA and Russia really begins, we will all be at risk (see below).

Remember how the very same media promised that the poorly equipped, poorly trained, poorly commanded and poorly motivated Russian military could not crack the "tough nut" represented by the NATO-trained Georgian military?
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X

U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine: No evidence of direct Russian involvement in violence in Odessa

David Sherfinski
Washington Times
Sun, 04 May 2014 15:35 UTC
Victoria Nuland and Geoffrey R. Pyatt on the Maidan square.
© UnknownVictoria Nuland and Geoffrey R. Pyatt on the Maidan square, Kiev, Ukraine.
U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt said Sunday that while Russia is exercising influence across eastern Ukraine, there's no evidence the country was directly involved in the most recent spate of violence over the weekend.

Dozens were killed in Odessa in southern Ukraine over the weekend after a violent clash between demonstrators on both sides culminated in dozens of pro-Russia supporters ending up inside a building set ablaze.

The context of the deadly incident "suggests that somebody wanted this violence to explode the way it did," Mr. Pyatt said on CNN's "State of the Union."

"At this point, the whole country is trying to figure out what happened, how to pull together, and how to make sure that those who would try to divide the country will not be successful," he said.

Mr. Pyatt said that while Russia is "exercising influence" across eastern Ukraine, there's no evidence of the country's direct involvement in what happened in Odessa.

Comment: Hmm, we wonder who could've wanted Ukraine to erupt in violence the way it did...

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Laptop

Emails reveal close Google relationship with NSA

Jason Leopold
Al Jazeera America
Tue, 06 May 2014 15:19 UTC
alexander page brin
© (l. to r.): Loeb / AFP / Getty; Ramson / PolarisFrom left: NSA Director Gen. Keith Alexander; Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin
Email exchanges between National Security Agency Director Gen. Keith Alexander and Google executives Sergey Brin and Eric Schmidt suggest a far cozier working relationship between some tech firms and the U.S. government than was implied by Silicon Valley brass after last year's revelations about NSA spying.

Disclosures by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden about the agency's vast capability for spying on Americans' electronic communications prompted a number of tech executives whose firms cooperated with the government to insist they had done so only when compelled by a court of law.

But Al Jazeera has obtained two sets of email communications dating from a year before Snowden became a household name that suggest not all cooperation was under pressure.

On the morning of June 28, 2012, an email from Alexander invited Schmidt to attend a four-hour-long "classified threat briefing" on Aug. 8 at a "secure facility in proximity to the San Jose, CA airport."

"The meeting discussion will be topic-specific, and decision-oriented, with a focus on Mobility Threats and Security," Alexander wrote in the email, obtained under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, the first of dozens of communications between the NSA chief and Silicon Valley executives that the agency plans to turn over.
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Attention

Putin warns of growing militant nationalism, Nazi ideology in Europe - passes anti-fascism laws


RIA Novosti
Thu, 08 May 2014 15:09 UTC
putin
© RIA Novosti/Alexey Nikolsky
Militant nationalism, which has led to the appearance of Nazi ideology, is raising its head in Europe, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

"Here and there militant nationalism is again raising its head, the same kind that brought on the appearance of Nazi ideology," Putin said during a meeting with the leaders of Armenia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Belarus.

On Monday, Putin signed a bill making attempts to "whitewash Nazism" punishable with hefty fines and prison sentences. The law is based on the results of the Nuremberg Trials held by the Allies in 1945-1949, which convicted most surviving Nazi leaders of war crimes, denounced fascism and proclaimed most Nazi organizations as criminal.

The law provides for a monetary penalty of up to 500,000 rubles ($14,000) or a jail term of up to 5 years as punishment for rehabilitating fascism and spreading false information about the Soviet Union's actions during World War II.

Publicly desecrating symbols of Russian military glory or spreading information disrespecting public holidays related to the country's defense will be punishable by a fine of up to 300,000 rubles ($8,400) or community service for up to a year.

The Soviet Union's role in the Allied victory in World War II is an important component of many Russians' sense of pride and patriotism, with spectacular anniversary parades and ceremonies held each year on May 9.

Pro-federalization supporters have called Ukrainian nationalists, who have protested and fought against federalists in the country's east since the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych and deadly riots in Kiev, followers of Nazi ideology. Europe has been supporting Ukraine's so-called Euromaidan activists, who wish to see Ukraine become part of the EU.
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Evil Rays

Russian aircraft carrier sails into English Channel - NOT unusual

Ben Farmer
The Telegraph
Thu, 08 May 2014 15:02 UTC
dragon
© CrownHMS Dragon (foreground), a Type 45 Royal Navy destroyer, escorting the Admiral Kuznetsov in the English Channel. The Russian warships are expected to head into the North Sea and back to Russia.
A Russian aircraft carrier task group has sailed into the English Channel under escort by a Royal Navy warship.

HMS Dragon met the Russian warships in the south western approaches to the Channel on Wednesday and is shadowing them as they are expected to head into the North Sea and back to Russia.

The heavy carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is accompanied by the nuclear-powered Kirov class cruiser Peter the Great and several support ships after a five-month mission to the Mediterranean.

Naval sources said it was not unusual for Russian warships to pass through the channel and the Kuznetsov was also escorted past British waters on its way out in December when it passed Scotland heading south.

Capt Vadim Serga, spokesman for the Russian Northern Fleet, said: "The cruiser has accomplished its mission within the Navy task force in the Mediterranean and headed for Severomorsk. The aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is expected to return to base by late May."

The Russian ships have spent months training in the Mediterranean, where the Kuznetsov's Sukhoi Su-33 fighters and Kamov Ka-27 helicopters carried out more than 350 practice sorties. The ships also took part in missile and artillery firing drills.

A Royal Navy spokesman said: "We can confirm that HMS Dragon was activated as the fleet-ready escort vessel. She met the task group centred around the Admiral Kuznetsov."

Comment: Russian ships have been sailing in international waters for years. The only reason this is news is because the presstitute media are drumming up anti-Russian sentiment in the masses.

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Handcuffs

Sex, flies and videotape: the secret lives of Harun Yahya

Halil Arda
Rationalist.org.uk
Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:53 UTC
Adnan Oktar
Muslim creationist, cult leader, Dawkins' nemesis, messiah. Halil Arda tracks down the real Harun Yahya

Inspired by the high profile of its Christian American counterpart, Muslim creationism is becoming increasingly visible and confident. On scores of websites and in dozens of books with titles like The Evolution Deceit and The Dark Face of Darwinism, a new and well-funded version of evolution-denialism, carefully calibrated to exploit the current fashion for religiously inspired attacks on scientific orthodoxy and "militant" atheism, seems to have found its voice. In a recent interview with The Times Richard Dawkins himself recognises the impact of this new phenomenon: "There has been a sharp upturn in hostility to teaching evolution in the classroom and it's mostly coming from Islamic students."

The patron saint of this new movement, the ubiquitous "expert" cited and referenced by those eager to demonstrate the superiority of "Koranic science" over "the evolution lie", is the larger-than-life figure of Harun Yahya.

Comment: Meet the bizarre Islamic sex cult propelling Turkey towards a neo-Ottoman 'Turkish Islamic Union'

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Top Secret

Senate drops from intelligence bill requirement to report on drone use

Mark Mazzetti
The New York Times
Mon, 28 Apr 2014 12:28 UTC
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© Namatullah Karyab/AFP/Getty ImagesAn Afghan boy wounded in a US drone strike in Kunar province last year that left 10 civilians, including five children, dead.
The Senate has quietly stripped a provision from an intelligence bill that would have required President Obama to make public each year the number of people killed or injured in targeted killing operations in Pakistan and other countries where the United States uses lethal force.

The move highlights the continued resistance inside the government about making these operations, primarily carried out using armed drones, more accountable to public scrutiny. In a letter to the Senate earlier this month, James R. Clapper, the director of national intelligence, expressed concern that a public report would undermine the effectiveness of the operations.

The provision, passed by the Senate Intelligence Committee last year as part of its authorization bill, required Mr. Obama to make public an annual report on "the total number of combatants killed or injured during the preceding year by the use of targeted lethal force outside the United States by remotely piloted aircraft." The provision was the same for civilians killed or injured. But officials said that the provision encountered almost immediate resistance both from intelligence officials and Republican lawmakers, some who have fought against any changes to the way the targeted killing program has been managed.
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Health

Obamacare killing one-doctor medical practices

Dan Swain
The San Diego Union-Tribune
Mon, 28 Apr 2014 16:02 UTC
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© Peggy Peattie/Union-TribubeDr. Doug Moir fills out a patient’s medical history on the computer after her visit. Moir has less time for patients since electronic health record software became federally mandated.
Despite the predictions of fortune tellers in politics and think tanks, we won't know for years whether the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, will ultimately leave people sicker or healthier, richer or poorer.

Yet already the law, coming on top of previous legislation, is speeding the demise of an American small-business institution; the one-doctor medical practice.

Their problems began in the late 1990s. Government cost controls steadily eroded revenues while simultaneously boosting costs, by stacking on requirements for paperwork and accounting.

Some doctors adapted by figuring out ways to see more patients. Others just accepted falling incomes.

Now federal health care policy has delivered a major blow to productivity.
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Star of David

Ted Cruz: John Kerry should resign: 'has proven himself unsuitable for the position he holds'

Elahe Izadi
National Journal
Mon, 28 Apr 2014 11:58 UTC
Image
© UnknownSenator Ted Cruz his new boss, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Sen. Ted Cruz wants Secretary of State John Kerry to resign over his comment that without a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Israel risks becoming an "apartheid state."

The Texas Republican, who's possibly running for president in 2016, took to the Senate floor Monday to call for Kerry to step down.

"Sadly, it is my belief that Secretary Kerry has proven himself unsuitable for the position he holds," Cruz said. "Therefore, before any further harm is done to our national security interests and to our critical alliance with the nation of Israel, that John Jerry should offer President Obama his resignation and the president should accept it."

Comment: Looks like Israel has another lackey!

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