Puppet MastersS


Bacon n Eggs

Russia readies to end Greece food embargo


RT
Wed, 08 Apr 2015 19:31 UTC
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© RIA Novosti/Vladimir FedorenkoMinister for Economic Development Alexei Ulyukayev
Russia has drafted a number of proposals that could end the embargo on food products from Greece, Russia's Economic Development Minister Aleksey Ulyukayev said at a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Wednesday.

"We'll be discussing in detail this issue during the meeting of the Russian Prime Minister and his Greek counterpart tomorrow," Ulyukayev told reporters, as quoted by TASS.

"We've prepared a number of proposals regarding the embargo issue for discussion," the Economy Minister said.

Russia is also considering rescinding food sanctions against Cyprus and Hungary, according to Aleksey Pushkov, head of the Duma Foreign Affairs Committee.

Greece has been hit especially hard by the ban, as more than 40 percent of Greek exports are to Russia. In 2013, more than €178 million in fruits and conserves were exported to Russia, according to the Greek fruit export association, Incofruit-Hellas.

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Light Sabers

Why Putin won't "pull a Saudi Arabia" in Ukraine

Rostislav Ishchenko
Fort Russ
Tue, 07 Apr 2015 19:22 UTC
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Translated by Kristina Rus

The Weapon of Retribution

In the past year, an increasing number of Russians support the disputed opinion that Russia should have spit on the world and quickly occupied Ukraine in March 2014. Now, in light of the actions of Saudi Arabia and its allies in Yemen, the notion that Russia should not follow the protocol, but follow the example of the USA, and now the "wretched Saudis," by bombing left and right is spreading like wild fire (the particularly zealous recommend to use nuclear weapons) to put everyone in their place, afraid to make a peep, and the state interests of the Russian Federation would, thus, be protected worldwide.

Since it is obvious that the tendency of society for mindless use of force in both cases has common roots, and because in both cases it is motivated by Russian national interests, it must be worthwhile to take a detailed look at how realistic are such ideas and whether they really correspond to the national interests of the Russian Federation.

First, contrary to the societal consensus, Russia's armed forces cannot stretch like rubber. To ensure the existence of more or less stable regime in Kiev, not less than one hundred thousand Russian soldiers would have to be stationed in Ukraine on a permanent basis. This is the minimum number of troops under favorable conditions.
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Eye 1

Ex-Army Intelligence officer: MI5 covered up child sex abuse in Belfast, Ireland care home


RT
Wed, 08 Apr 2015 11:40 UTC
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© mi5.gov.ukThe MI5 headquarters in central London.
Britain's MI5 security service deliberately covered up the sexual abuse of vulnerable boys in a notorious children's care home in Belfast, Northern Ireland, an ex-Army Intelligence officer claimed on Tuesday.

Brian Gemmell, a former captain in Britain's Intelligence Corps, said security service chiefs at MI5 ordered him to"stop digging" when he reported suspicions of a pedophile ring at the Kincora care home for boys in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Gemmell made the disclosure during a meeting with child abuse victim Richard Kerr in an exclusive Channel 4 News interview. Kerr was sent to the Belfast care home in the mid-1970s at age 15.

Kerr said he and two other boys were abused in Kincora in the mid-1970s, trafficked to London in 1977 and subsequently molested by a number of "very powerful" members of a Westminster pedophile ring.

He claims he was sexually abused by British politicians and senior establishment figures at a luxury Dolphin Square apartment in Westminster, and also at Elm Guest House in west London. Both locations are being investigated by Scotland Yard, following allegations that a Conservative MP murdered a young boy.

Campaigners battling for justice for victims of child abuse argue that Kerr's account provides evidence of a concrete link between powerful pedophile rings that operated in Belfast in London during the 1970s.

Comment: The depravity and coverup of these heinous crimes is jaw-dropping. Unfortunately, it is just the tip of a very large iceberg:

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Take 2

Putin is successfully breaking up EU unity - Cyprus is Exhibit A

Andrew Higgins
Russia Insider
Wed, 08 Apr 2015 18:13 UTC
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© Sasha Mordovets, Getty ImagesPresident Vladimir V. Putin of Russia receiving his Cypriot counterpart, Nicos Anastasiades, in Moscow in February
Editor's note: It is simply extraordinary how biased The Times is in its supposedly straightforward reporting on Russia. It's crafty Putin again "waving cash", buying his way out of the "annexation" of Crimea. Please stop calling it an "annexation". Honest journalism would be to say "what the US says is an annexation and what Russia believes is a 'reunification'." That would be honestly presenting both sides, instead of plugging the view that you sympathize with. Pathetic.

But still a useful article: makes it clear how strong the Russian influence is on Greece and Cyprus. The EU is going to fold, it is only a matter of time, leaving US policy in a massive train-wreck.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times

When Cyprus seized hundreds of millions of dollars from bank depositors, many of them Russians, as part of an internationally brokered deal two years ago to rescue its collapsing financial system, the Russian leader, Vladimir V. Putin, denounced the move as "dangerous" and "unfair," warning of a sharp chill in relations.

But Mr. Putin was all smiles recently when he received Cyprus's president, Nicos Anastasiades, in Moscow. He hailed relations with the Mediterranean nation as "always being truly friendly and mutually beneficial" and agreed to extend — on greatly improved terms for Cyprus — a $2.5 billion Russian loan.

The shift from fury to declarations of eternal friendship displayed Mr. Putin's well-known flair for tactical back flips. But it also showed his unbending determination to break out of sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and the European Union for Moscow's annexation of Crimea and support for armed rebels in eastern Ukraine.

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© Katia Christodoulou, European Pressphoto AgencyDepositors in the now-defunct Laiki Bank, which closed in Cyprus's 2013 financial crisis, protested outside Parliament in Nicosia in March
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Cowboy Hat

Czech president tells Washington Czech Republic is not a U.S. vassal state

Paul Craig Roberts
paulcraigroberts.org
Mon, 06 Apr 2015 18:05 UTC
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As readers know, I have emphasized for years that European governments are regarded by Washington as vassals who behave according to Washington's wishes. It has been 70 years - two or three generations - since former world powers, such as Great Britain and Germany had an independent foreign policy.

In addition to this ignobility, European governments are also vassals to the EU, so on the sovereignty front European countries are twice damned. They simply have no sovereignty.

This is why it is so easy for Washington to spin a web of lies and drive its vassals into a "crisis" with Russia that does not serve the interests of Europeans. Washington's European puppets don't count. Only Washington counts.

Next month is Russia's Victory Day celebration over Nazi Germany. Washington has told its puppets not to attend, and many including German chancellor Merkel have complied with their overlord's demand. But not the President of the Czech Republic.
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War Whore

War machine marches on: U.S. to sell Pakistan $1Billion in weapons


Sputnik
Wed, 08 Apr 2015 17:53 UTC
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© Flickr/ Mario Sainz Martínez
The US is closing in on a nearly billion-dollar arms deal with Pakistan, saying it will protect American interests in South Asia.

The $952 million sale, approved by the US State Department on Monday, will comprise of 15 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and 1,000 Hellfire II missiles. The deal will also includes engines, targeting and positioning systems, and other equipment, according to an announcement by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).

"This proposed sale of helicopters and weapon systems will provide Pakistan with military capabilities in support of its counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations in South Asia," the agency said in a statement.

DSCA had sent the proposal to Congress, citing its intention to support Pakistan's counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations with "precise-strike, enhanced-survivability aircraft that can operate at high-altitudes."

The agency stressed that the deal will "not alter the basic military balance in the region," and will contribute to the "foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a country vital to US foreign policy and national security goals in South Asia."

Comment: It's worth noting what Pepe Escobar has written about Pakistan's involvement in the Saudi war on Yemen in light of the U.S. supplying Pakistan with weaponry:
The House of Saud badly wants Pakistan to take no prisoners, supplying bomber jets, ships and lots of ground troops for their war. Riyadh treats Islamabad as a vassal state. A joint session of the Pakistani Parliament will decide what to do.

It's quite revealing to learn what happened when Pakistan's most popular private TV channel assembled representatives of all major political parties to explain where they stand. Soon they reached a consensus; Pakistan should be neutral; act as mediator; and commit no troops, unless there was a "tangible threat" to the two holy mosques in Mecca and Medina, which is far from the case.

The House of Saud remains on overdrive, showering tons of cash over Salafi and Deobandi preachers to bullhorn their war; that includes a delegation of ulema visiting Riyadh. Support has already duly poured from Pakistan-based hardcore groups that trained with al-Qaeda and fought with the Taliban in Afghanistan; after all they are all funded by Wahhabi fanatics.


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Dominoes

Five countries sign declaration seeking to carry out Russian Turkish Stream project in Europe


Sputnik
Wed, 08 Apr 2015 17:44 UTC
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© Sputnik/ Igor Zarembo
Hungary, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey seek ways to diversify routes and channels of natural gas deliveries to Europe through Turkey, according to a declaration foreign ministers of the five countries signed in Budapest on Tuesday.

The declaration paves the way for the five countries to participate in the project based on the so-called Turkish Stream gas pipeline, according to the Kommersant newspaper. The Russia daily added that Austria could also join the venture.

The Turkish Stream pipeline is an alternative to the South Stream, which Russia terminated in December 2014, citing Brussels' opposition to the project. The pipeline with an annual capacity of 63 billion cubic meters will deliver gas to Turkey via a gas hub on the Turkish-Greek border for further distribution to consumers in southern Europe.

The declaration reflects only political intent. The five countries and companies interested in the project will have to convene again on multiple occasions to discuss details of the venture. The next ministerial meeting is expected to take place in July but bilateral talks will start earlier.

The first leg of the Turkish Stream pipeline is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2016.
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Megaphone

Putin: Best way to resolve mutual restrictions issue with Greece is to stop sanctions war


TASS
Wed, 08 Apr 2015 17:34 UTC
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© EPA/TASS/ ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO/POOL
The best way of resolving the problems of the countries' mutual restrictions is to stop the sanctions war, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday following talks with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. "The best way to resolve these problems is to stop any sanctions wars and the appropriate retaliatory measures on our part," Vladimir Putin said, answering the reporters' question on the possibility of improving trade relations with Greece, including in the field of agriculture.

The Russian president noted that "Russia and Greece had always maintained good relations." "That's the way it is in practice," he said. "Greece had to vote for imposing sanctions against Russia, and Moscow's retaliatory measures have certainly hurt Greece, but that's not our fault," Putin added.

According to the Russian president, agricultural products accounted for 50% of imports from Greece to the Russian market. "But we could not act otherwise, we cannot make an exception for any one country of the European Union," he said.

Putin believes that one of the ways of resolving the current problems of interaction with Greece in the field of agriculture is setting up joint ventures in this area. "Today we talked about the possibility of expanding cooperation, including through the establishment of joint ventures," Putin said. "If we proceed on this path, we will inflict no damage to Russia, our commodity producers, since they are involved in this process."
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Die

Putin: Greece has not asked Russia for bailout


RT
Wed, 08 Apr 2015 17:29 UTC
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© RIA Novosti/Sergey GuneevApril 8, 2015. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras during a meeting in the Kremlin.
Athens has not formally asked Moscow for financial help to pay off its debt, Russian President Putin said after he met with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Moscow on Wednesday.

"The Greek side did not contact us with any requests for help," the Russian president said, when asked by a journalist whether Russia could help Greece with its debt burden.

Russia will not directly aid Athens to pay off its €316 billion debt, but Moscow could help out by buying Greek state assets in privatization sales, or in other investment projects, such as Turkish Stream, Putin said. In 2015 the Greek government plans to privatize €1.5 billion worth of assets.

"If we are going to implement some major projects this will generate income in Greece, and revenues can be used to repay these loans," the President said.

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Quenelle

Tsipras: Greece 'openly disapproves' of anti-Russian sanctions


Sputnik
Wed, 08 Apr 2015 17:22 UTC
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© Sputnik/ Sergey Guneev
During a joint press conference with President Vladimir Putin, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said that the EU economic war against Russia could lead to a new Cold War, and that Athens will try to become a 'negotiations bridge' between Europe and Russia to resolve the issue

Greece disagrees with the anti-Russia sanctions imposed by the West and considers them a form of economic warfare, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Wednesday.

"The Greek economy was greatly harmed due to the response to the sanctions... We understand very well that the retaliatory measures came as a response to the sanctions, the logic of which we do not agree with. We have repeatedly voiced our disagreement," Tsipras said at a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to Tsipras, Greece has raised the issue of anti-Russia sanctions at various EU summits.

"We don't think that this is a fruitful solution to the economic war. In fact, it will lead to a Cold War relationship between the West and Russia," Tsipras added.

In turn, Putin stressed that despite the fact that the Greek economy was hard-hit by the counter-sanctions imposed by Russia, Moscow would not make an exception for one EU country, as its goal is to build relationships of mutual trust and transparency with the whole of Europe.

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