Puppet Masters

Putin's charm offensive in Saudi Arabia. Is it pragmatism or is Russia friends with the entire Middle East?

RT
Sun, 13 Oct 2019 17:43 UTC

Russia defends Iran, backs Bashar Assad in Syria and criticizes Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to Riyadh would seem a risky balancing act - but is instead a pragmatic move rooted in mutual interest.

Putin arrives in Saudi Arabia on Monday, his second visit to the country after his 2007 trip. Just days earlier, Riyadh ignored his proposal (though apparently made in jest) to buy Russian air defense systems, and even more recently, approved the United States' deployment of about 3,000 troops on its territory, including fighter squadrons, an air expeditionary wing and air-defense personnel.

The signs are clear that Riyadh remains firmly in the orbit of Washington's influence, at least when it comes to security and defense. But Moscow doesn't seem to hold it against Riyadh - in fact, relations with the Saudis have never been better. Putin has been seen chatting cordially with Saudi Crown prince Mohammed bin Salman at international meetings, and has spoken about his personal rapport with both MBS and with the Saudi king himself. The friendship has been well echoed in economics: trade turnover, while still comparatively low, is on a quickening rise (it grew by 15 percent in 2018 and by 38 percent so far in 2019), there's talk of a $1-billion joint oil facility, and further investment deals are expected to be inked this week.

Comment: Western media can't believe it's possible, but Russia is showing it IS possible to move beyond 20th century military-strategic alliances in the new multi-polar world. Why not be neither 'friends' nor 'enemies' to everyone?

See also:

Arab media's full interview with Putin: Russia 'does not build alliances against anyone'

Iran releases new photos showing damage done to oil tanker Sabiti

Sputnik
Mon, 14 Oct 2019 16:31 UTC

The tanker, belonging to the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), was hit by two missiles around 100 kilometres from the Saudi city of Jeddah on 9 October as it was sailing through the Red Sea. Tehran has vowed to investigate the incident and give an "appropriate response" once the attacker is determined.

West Asia News Agency has published new photos of Iranian oil tanker the Sabiti revealing the damage that it sustained to its hull during a recent attack in the Red Sea. The images show two large holes in its hull a bit above the water line on the right broadside of the vessel. Another set of photos shows the vessel's crew on deck, which seems to have been unharmed in the attack. According to the timestamps, the pictures were taken on 13 October - four days after the incident.

Comment: Sputnik, 14/10/2019: Iran shares 'found clues' with PM Khan regarding oil tanker attack

The initial reports about an Iranian oil tanker, the Sabiti, falling victim to two missiles launched from Saudi Arabia were later dismissed as incorrect, although the company owning the vessel confirmed there had been some damage inflicted on the tanker as it sailed across the Red Sea.

According to Rouhani, Tehran "provided the Pakistani prime minister with the clues" that they "have found in this regard", emphasising that they will continue their investigations until they arrive at a final plausible result vis-à-vis "the main factors behind the attack on the Iranian oil tanker".

"It is an absolute mistake for a country to think that it could create insecurity in the region without receiving a response", Rouhani thundered, referring to last week's purported explosion that set the National Iranian Oil Company's tanker on fire 100 kilometres from the Saudi port city of Jeddah.

Saudi FM denies its involvement in attack on Iranian tanker

Tim Korso
Sputnik
Sun, 13 Oct 2019 15:32 UTC

The initial reports of an Iranian tanker being struck by two missiles claimed that they came from Saudi Arabia. However, the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) that owns the vessel later dismissed those claims.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, answering journalists' questions on 13 October, dismissed the allegation that Riyadh could have attacked the Iranian oil tanker Sabiti in response to attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities in September, attributed by the US and Saudi Arabia to Iran.

Al-Jubeir said that while Riyadh had indeed blamed Iran since it believes the drones were made in the Islamic Republic, it will not respond in kind. The minister added that the investigation into the Saudi Aramco attacks is still ongoing and the drone launch site has not been determined yet.

Comment: See also:

Khamenei to Iran's Guards: Develop advanced, modern weapons

Parisa Hafezi
Reuters
Sun, 13 Oct 2019 05:19 UTC

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards on Sunday to develop more advanced and modern weapons, amid increasingly tense disputes with the United States and Gulf Arab states.

Tensions in the Gulf have risen to new highs since May 2018, when the Trump administration withdrew from a 2015 international nuclear accord with Tehran that put limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the easing of sanctions. As U.S. sanctions have been reimposed, there have been a series of attacks in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf that Washington and its allies have blamed on Iran, which denies responsibility.

"The Guards should have advanced and modern weapons ... Your weapons should be modern and updated. It should be developed at home. You need to develop and produce your weapons," Khamenei said in a speech at Imam Hossein Military University in Tehran.

"Today the Guards have a powerful presence inside and outside Iran ... America's hostile approach has increased the Guards' greatness," Khamenei said, according to state TV.

Comment: See also:

PM Khan visits Iran: Rouhani welcomes Pakistani peace gesture

Sanaullah Khan
Dawn
Sun, 13 Oct 2019 00:00 UTC

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday met Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran during his one-day official trip, with both leaders emphasising the need for peace in the region. "I told Prime Minster Imran we welcome any gesture by Pakistan for peace in the region and appreciate his visit to our country," said Rouhani at a joint press conference with the premier.

Rouhani said that the two leaders had discussed, among other things, the war in Yemen and the sanctions by the United States on Iran. "Regional issues have to be resolved through regional means and dialogue. We also emphasised that any goodwill gesture will be responded with a goodwill gesture and good words," said the Iranian president.

"We also discussed how the nuclear deal could be restored," added Rouhani. Rouhani also warned that Iran would respond to any threats, saying it was a "big mistake" to think it wouldn't do so, according to the Associated Press.

Prime Minister Imran thanked Rouhani for speaking up for the people of occupied Kashmir at the UN General Assembly in New York, where the two leaders also held a meeting on the sidelines.

The difference between Sanders and Warren? Bernie says 'she is a capitalist'

Mike Brest
Washington Examiner
Sun, 13 Oct 2019 09:49 UTC

2020 presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders used Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren's support for capitalism as a way to draw a distinction between the two candidates.

Sanders, 78, and Warren, 70, are the two front-runners coming from a more progressive ideological standpoint. Sanders' recent heart attack has potentially left Warren an opportunity to win over some of his supporters. Sanders said on Sunday's edition of ABC's This Week:

"There are differences between Elizabeth and myself. Elizabeth I think, as you know, has said that she is a capitalist through her bones. I'm not. I am I believe the only candidate who's going to say to the ruling class of this country — the corporate elite — enough, enough with your greed and with your corruption. We need real change in this country...

"I mean, Elizabeth considers herself, if I got the quote correctly, to be a capitalist to her bones. I don't. And the reason I am not is because I will not tolerate for one second the kind of greed and corruption and income and wealth inequality and so much suffering that is going on in this country today, which is unnecessary."

Skripal update: English coroner runs out of legal camo, evidence, for postponing Dawn Sturgess death inquest - attempts lying to press

John Helmer
johnhelmer.net
Mon, 14 Oct 2019 17:07 UTC

The British Government's narrative that a Kremlin-ordered assassination plot against a former GRU agent, Sergei Skripal, in March of 2018 also caused the death of a woman, Dawn Sturgess, three months later, has collapsed for lack of evidence admissible in court.

After nineteen months of investigations by hundreds of police, military personnel, forensic scientists, and secret service agents, including Skripal himself and his daughter Yulia, the Metropolitan Police have been unable to present their case for the cause of death of Dawn Sturgess to the Wiltshire and Swindon County senior coroner, David Ridley (lead image). Ridley's court is located at 26 Endless Street, Salisbury, the town in which Skripal was allegedly attacked on March 4, 2018. Sturgess fell ill on June 30 at her companion's home in Amesbury, nine miles from Salisbury. She died on July 8.

Because Ridley cannot rule on the cause of death according to the requirements of British law, the Government has decided to prevent an inquest from being held. Although Ridley has ordered postponements of the inquest every six months since he convened the first pre-inquest review (PIR) on July 19, 2018, he and his superiors in London decided last week that the hearing scheduled for this week should not be held at all, and that the Sturgess inquest should be delayed sine die, without a date being set.

This is tantamount to ending the legal process - without a ruling that Sturgess had been the victim of murder. That in turn casts grave legal doubt on the British police, government and press allegations of what caused Skripal's collapse, and who was responsible.

Are the US and Turkey cooperating to 'carve up' Syria?

Sputnik
Mon, 14 Oct 2019 17:36 UTC

Comment: This is one theory. There are others...

© Reuters /Murad Sezer
urkish military vehicles are seen in the Turkish border town of Ceylanpinar in Sanliurfa province, Turkey, October 11, 2019.

While US President Donald Trump continues spouting claims of bringing troops home from Syria and exchanges threats of sanctions with Turkey, the mainstream narrative is neglecting to acknowledge the two nations' history of carving up Syria and the dozen US bases actively blocking Damascus from its own resources.

Friday marked the third day of Turkey's Operation Peace Spring along the Syrian border, and despite Washington's decision to shift some 50 soldiers out of the way, US Special Forces near Aleppo's Kobani still ended up on the receiving end of the offensive.

Though a Friday evening Pentagon release noted that no Americans were injured by Turkish artillery fire, the Trump administration and the Turkish Foreign Ministry are still trading threats on an economic front.

Comment: It's true that northeastern Syria is resource-rich (see: The one-third of Syria illegally occupied by US and proxy forces contain most of its oil, water and gas), but that's not what's going on here. Turkey is almost certainly playing a role to stimulate Damascus-Kurdish rapprochement, all with RUSSIA's approval...

New Middle East (for real): Saudis roll out red carpet for Putin's first visit since 2007

Olesya Astakhova, Stephen Kalin
Reuters
Mon, 14 Oct 2019 17:05 UTC

© Reuters / Alexander Zemlianichenko
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speaks during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

President Vladimir Putin signaled Moscow's growing Middle East clout on Monday by visiting Saudi Arabia for the first time in over a decade, buoyed by Russian military gains in Syria, strong ties with Riyadh's regional rivals and energy cooperation.

Moscow accrued power in the Middle East in 2015 by sending troops to Syria, where it and Iran have been key backers of President Bashar al-Assad amid civil war, while the United States pulled back. Saudi Arabia sided with Syrian rebels.

On the eve of Putin's trip, U.S. troops were abruptly retreating from northern Syria as Russian-backed government forces deployed deep inside Kurdish-held territory under a deal to help fend off a Turkish cross-border offensive.

Comment: As always, Putin's gifts are a cut above, although the poor Arctic falcon may not have been so keen on his new owners:

The Saudi military band made a real hash of the national anthem. Putin looked, well, non-plussed?!

CNN in the hotseat: Project Veritas begins drop of massive exposé claiming to uncover 'anti-Trump CRUSADE'

RT
Mon, 14 Oct 2019 17:14 UTC

Project Veritas has dropped what it claims is a bombshell expose on CNN, including secret recordings of staff at editorial meetings which reveal an "anti-Trump crusade" and "bias" at the highest levels.

In the first clip uploaded by PV, a person who is allegedly CNN President Jeff Zucker tells a staff meeting that he wants them to "stay very focused" on President Donald Trump's possible impeachment.

The video also shows Nick Neville, a media coordinator at CNN saying that Zucker has a "personal vendetta" against Trump.

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Puppet Masters

Putin's charm offensive in Saudi Arabia. Is it pragmatism or is Russia friends with the entire Middle East?

Iran releases new photos showing damage done to oil tanker Sabiti

Saudi FM denies its involvement in attack on Iranian tanker

Khamenei to Iran's Guards: Develop advanced, modern weapons

PM Khan visits Iran: Rouhani welcomes Pakistani peace gesture

The difference between Sanders and Warren? Bernie says 'she is a capitalist'

Skripal update: English coroner runs out of legal camo, evidence, for postponing Dawn Sturgess death inquest - attempts lying to press

Are the US and Turkey cooperating to 'carve up' Syria?

New Middle East (for real): Saudis roll out red carpet for Putin's first visit since 2007

CNN in the hotseat: Project Veritas begins drop of massive exposé claiming to uncover 'anti-Trump CRUSADE'

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