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Ex-Central Bank official: US guided IMF austerity package shares guilt for chaos in Ecuador


RT
Sun, 13 Oct 2019 15:08 UTC
Quito protest
© Reuters/Ivan Alvarado
A demonstrator throws a tear gas canister during a protest against Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno's austerity measures in Quito, Ecuador. October 12, 2019.
The protests that have engulfed Ecuador and nearly brought the country's oil industry to a halt are triggered by economic policies imposed by the IMF, guided by none other than US foreign interests, an expert told Boom Bust.

"The IMF is heavily guided by the hand of [US] Department of State and Department of the Treasury. Basically, what the IMF does in Western hemisphere is US foreign policy," Andres Arauz, former official of the Ecuadorian Central Bank, has told RT's Boom Bust. The economist stated that while the IMF program endorsed by his country some time ago already significantly damaged Ecuadorian economy, the latest hikes in gas prices became the final drop and forced the people to mobilize.


Comment: See also:

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No Entry

Venezuela: Guatemalan president-elect denied entry to visit Guaido, officials 'escort' him back to plane


RT
Sat, 12 Oct 2019 16:49 UTC
Giammattei
© Jose Cabezas
Guatemala's President-elect Alejandro Giammattei
Guatemalan President-elect Alejandro Giammattei was left fuming after officials at Venezuela's Simon Bolivar International Airport denied him entry and sent him back to his plane ahead of a contentious visit.

Giammattei, who is due to take office in January, intended to visit Caracas on Saturday to show support for opposition leader Juan Guaido.

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Arrow Up

China, India not best friends but agree strategic adjustment may prevent war between the superpowers

Sreeram Chaulia
RT
Sat, 12 Oct 2019 16:49 UTC
XiModi
© AFP/PIB
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Krishna’s Butterball in Mamallapuram, India on October 11, 2019.
Asia's No.1 and No.2 powers have longstanding conflicts of interest, but are seeking common ground through "strategic communication" between their leaders. The goal - stability - is pursued with a heavy dose of personal diplomacy.

An enduring visual of the second 'informal summit' between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the ancient southern Indian port of Mamallapuram on October 11-12 was of the two holding hands aloft in front of a gigantic circular granite boulder on a hilly slope which has miraculously not rolled down for the past 1200 years.

The gravity-defying balance of Krishna's butterball despite its structural vulnerability conveyed the essence of the easygoing and freewheeling summit — China and India are large, mature neighboring countries which can avoid a catastrophic crash in relations through frank interactions of Xi and Modi, who have met seventeen times in the past five years.

Comment: See also:

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Map

Turkey attacks Rojava - Iran no longer US target in Syria

Elijah J. Magnier
ejmagnier.com
Sat, 12 Oct 2019 17:44 UTC
northeast syria
© humanitarianresponse.info
Although the Turkish attack against the Syrian Kurds in North-East Syria (NES) is limited to a specific bordering buffer zone not larger than 32 kilometres, it will achieve multiple layers of objectives if the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan respects the acknowledgement he has received from Russia and the US, permitting his forces to invade Syria.

The US was clear: Turkey has not crossed the red line, indicating that a previous consent was reached with Ankara to allow the Turkish incursion in NES. Russia has also called for the integrity of the Syrian territory but did not oppose or condemn its strategic ally President Erdogan. Regardless, Turkey may reduce its initial objectives, depending on how long President Donald Trump can resist the significant international and domestic pressure he is under for dropping the Syrian Kurds. After all, many countries benefit from this action and the US seems slowly but surely heading toward reducing its presence in Syria. Iran is no longer the reason for US forces to occupy NES and Al-Tanf since the al-Qaem crossing between Iraq and Syria regained its function. It is the US administration's confusion that is preventing an immediate withdrawal - that is however expected not to drag on for years to come.

Comment: See the following breaking news: Erdogan aims to push 35km into Syria regardless of arms embargoes - Kurds reach DEAL with Damascus, Syrian Army will enter northeast - UPDATES



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Bullseye

Hunter Biden resigns from Chinese firm following Trump attacks


CNBC
Sun, 13 Oct 2019 17:21 UTC
Hunter and Joe Biden
© David McNew | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Hunter Biden and Joe Biden
Hunter Biden is stepping down from the board of a Chinese-backed private equity company and committing to not working for a foreign-owned company if his father, former Vice President Joe Biden, is elected president in 2020.

Hunter's vows to forgo any foreign work follow a slew of unsubstantiated attacks by President Donald Trump accusing him of corruption.

In a statement released from his lawyer George Mesires, Biden vowed to step down by the end of the month from a management company of a private equity fund backed by Chinese state-owned entities, and said he hasn't discussed his own business activities with his father.


Comment: Bombshell admission: Ukrainian MP claims Joe Biden was 'personally paid $900K by Burisma'


Comment: See also: Trump says China should investigate Bidens, doubles down on Ukraine probe

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Boat

Was the recent Iranian tanker drama an inside job?

Stephen Bryen
Asia Times
Sat, 12 Oct 2019 17:09 UTC
Sabiti
© IRIB TV / AFP
A handout photo from Iranian State TV on October 10 shows the Iranian crude oil tanker Sabiti sailing in the Red Sea. It was initially believed that missiles struck the vessel, but it could have been damaged by fire or limpet mines.
According to Iran's state news agency, the Iranian tanker Sabiti, owned by the National Iranian Tanker Company, was hit by two missiles, at 5am and 5.20am on Friday October 11.

However, there is no evidence that the hull of the tanker was hit by missiles, as alleged, in the Red Sea off the Saudi port of Jeddah.

Some photographs have emerged purporting to show the Sabiti with a single fire on its port side near the waterline. If a missile was fired, the missile would have hit further up on the superstructure of the tanker.

There is no sign of a second strike against the ship.

Iranian Government Spokesman Ali Rabiei said Saturday that Tehran was investigating the incident as an "attack", without attributing blame to any party.

Comment: At the very least, the possibility should be kept in mind. Every nation has its war hawks (some more than others). If this or any previous mystery attacks have been rogue IRGC operations, it's a testament to both the Iranian leadership, and those of Iran's enemies, that things have not escalated very much so far. It seems everyone is walking on eggshells. No one wants war, but the U.S. refuses to back down and Iran will not budge on its demands, which are reasonable: return to the nuclear deal, eliminate sanctions. Until someone gives in, or a win-win deal is reached, the tension will continue.

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Map

Erdogan aims to push 35km into Syria regardless of arms embargoes - Kurds reach DEAL with Damascus, Syrian Army will enter northeast - UPDATES


RT
Sun, 13 Oct 2019 16:03 UTC
turkish troops
© REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
President Erdogan has shed light on some plans for his country's offensive in northern Syria, setting territorial limits to his troops' advances. He warned that nothing - including Western pressure - can stop Turkey's operation.

Turkish forces will advance 30 to 35km into Syrian territory as part of Operation 'Peace Spring', Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed in a televised speech on Sunday. The army and allied Syrian rebels have also taken under its control a 68-kilometer stretch of Syria's border, pushing back against the Kurdish resistance, he added.

He spoke shortly after Ankara proclaimed seizure of an important border town, Ras al-Ain, along with another settlement, Tal Abyad. Both towns had been held by Syrian Kurdish militias.

"We focused first on the 120-km (75-mile) area between Ras al Ain and Tel Abyad. Thus, we will divide the 480 km terrorist corridor down the middle," Erdogan was quoted by Reuters as saying.

Comment: After Turkey's "accidental" shelling of American positions yesterday, Trump has ordered a 'deliberate evacuation' of the remaining 1000 troops stationed in Syria's north, according to US Defense Secretary Mark Esper on CBS's Face the Nation.


Amid the US withdrawl from the region, Turkish forces took control of a key supply route, cutting off US forces still in the region:
The M4 highway runs parallel to the Syria-Turkey border, and is an essential supply route for Kurdish militia groups in the area. The Turkish Defense Ministry announced on Sunday that it has seized control of the route, and pushed 30-35km into Kurdish-held territory, several kilometers beyond its proposed 30km 'safe zone.'


In an earlier report, CNN stated that its reporters witnessed anti-government Syrian rebels - allied with Turkey - taking control of the route as Turkish aircraft buzzed overhead.

The Turkish incursion reportedly isolates US troops stationed in the Kurdish stronghold of Kobani from those stationed in the eastern reaches of Kurdish territory. Though the offensive was launched after the withdrawal of a small number of US troops near the Turkish border in northern Syria, its speed and depth prompted Washington to pull another 1,000 American personnel from the area.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper told CBS News on Sunday that the US is "preparing to evacuate" the troops "as safely and quickly as possible," to avoid being pinned between the Turkish advance and Kurdish defense, and also to allow the Kurds to "cut a deal" with the Syrian government and Russia to "counter-attack against the Turks."

"And so we find ourselves, we have American forces likely caught between two opposing advancing armies, and it's a very untenable situation," he told CBS. "There is no way they could stop 15,000 Turks from proceeding south."

It is not clear whether the troops will be flying home to America, despite President Donald Trump's pledge to cease the US' "endless wars." Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Friday that American troops will remain "co-located" with Kurdish forces, but that will likely be dictated by the depth of the Turkish advance.
As for the shelling of US positions yesterday, WaPo claims US officials think it was deliberate:
According to four current and former US officials, cited by The Washington Post, Turkish forces knew for months that a US Special Operations outpost was stationed in the area.

One US official said, cited by WaPo, that multiple rounds of 155mm fire were launched from within Turkey and that they had a "bracketing effect" in which shells landed on both sides of US positions.

"That's an area weapon [...] That's not something we ever would have done to a partner force", the official said, adding that Turkish forces knew there were Americans on the hill and that it had to be deliberate, the DC-based newspaper reported.
Communications Director at the Turkish Presidential Administration Fahrettin Altun condemned the Arab League's condemnation of the Turkish op:


Iran's FM offered to mediate:


According to rebel-friendly SOHR, at least 38 civilians have been killed so far, including a Kurdish female leader killed in an ambush by Turkey-backed rebels:
General Secretary of the Future Syria Party Hevrin Khalaf and her driver have been killed on an international road in Syria by Turkey-backed fighters, Kurdish forces report. According to the party, cited by the news outlet Kurdistan 24, the 35-year-old woman, who earlier lambasted Ankara's attempts "to occupy this land in order to defend the Turkish people" and that they "don't adjust to reality", was ambushed on her way from Jazeera canton to Raqqa. The attackers reportedly blocked the road at a checkpoint and killed people there.

The political wing of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), later stated that she was "taken out of her car during a Turkish-backed attack and executed by Turkish-backed mercenary factions", along with her driver.

"This is clear evidence that the Turkish state is continuing its criminal policy towards unarmed civilians", their statement reads.

As the local watchdog the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), cited by The Guardian, claims, the vocal critic of the Turkish offensive was one of nine civilians executed at different points south of the town of Tell Abiad. They are said to have been targeted for their cars by Turkish-backed fighters, who entered Syria amid Ankara's operation in the Kurdish-held north-eastern part of the war-torn country.
For previous updates, see: UPDATE

After Esper's statement, it looks like the SDF may have cut a deal with Damascus. The Syrian Army is preparing to enter the northeast to counter the Turks' invasion:



So far, RT is confirming that the Syrian Army is on the move:
Tensions are mounting in northern Syria as Damascus started moving its forces to face the Turkish troops that are carrying out an operation against the Kurds in the area, state news agency Sana reports.

The Kurdish-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have reached an agreement with Damascus, which will see the Syrian government troops arriving in the northern Kobani region, Mohammed Shaheen, deputy chairman of Euphrates Region, said earlier.

The Syrians will deploy to Kobani within 48 hours, Lebanese broadcaster al-Mayadeen reported. RT's sources in the region also confirmed the reports.


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Dollars

Russia to build $1bn oil complex in Saudi Arabia and further boost investment in joint projects


RT
Sun, 13 Oct 2019 14:18 UTC
A gas flame is seen in the desert near the Khurais oilfield, Saudi Arabia
© Reuters / Ali Jarekji
A gas flame is seen in the desert near the Khurais oilfield, Saudi Arabia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has revealed plans to boost economic ties with Saudi Arabia by setting up a $1 billion oil plant there. He also reaffirmed Moscow's commitment to the OPEC agenda of keeping the oil market steady.

"There is still a lot to be done, but we have set a good pace. Last year [trade turnover] was up 15 percent. In the first six months of 2019, growth was as high as 38 percent," said Putin.

"We are considering some good joint projects. Our Direct Investment Fund and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia have jointly established a $10 billion platform. $2 billion has already been invested. Work is underway on other projects, and some promising and interesting projects have already been implemented," the Russian president said in a joint interview with Al Arabiya Sky, News Arabia and RT Arabic ahead of his visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia later this month. He also noted that Russia is considering the possible construction of a petrochemical plant in the region, as well as a number of other ambitious projects.

"We also consider it possible to operate on the territory of Saudi Arabia. One of our companies is exploring the possibility of building a petrochemical facility with an investment of more than $1 billion. It is SIBUR Holding, Russia's largest company in this sector."
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Info

Putin: Saudis asked Russia to probe Aramco oilfield attack, Moscow will condemn Iran if it's responsible


RT
Sun, 13 Oct 2019 14:05 UTC
An oil pipe damaged in September 14 attack on the Saudi Aramco facility

An oil pipe damaged in September 14 attack on the Saudi Aramco facility.
Russia agreed to look into the September aerial attack on the Saudi Aramco oil facilities and will condemn whoever was behind it, but will not take sides in the feud between Riyadh and Tehran, President Vladimir Putin says.

Russia treasures its cordial ties with both Iran and Saudi Arabia, and is equally sensitive to each side's concerns, Putin told reporters from three Arabic-language broadcasters when asked for his take on the recent strike on Riyadh's oil processing facilities in Abqaiq.

On the one hand, Moscow maintains "close contacts with the leadership of Saudi Arabia, including the Crown Prince [Mohammad bin Salman]," who asked the Russian leader if his country could help establish crucial facts about the incident.

"I said yes, we are ready to share anything that might be necessary, everything we have for a thorough investigation," Putin revealed.
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Gold Coins

'Our currency's stable, why not use it?' Russia looks to ditch US dollar for exchanges in rubles and euro in energy exports


RT
Sun, 13 Oct 2019 14:01 UTC
Russian rubles
© Sputnik / Aleksey Sukhorukov
Russia is planning to abandon the US dollar in favor of euro and rubles for currency settlements in global energy transactions in order to minimize reliance on the American currency.

"We have a very good currency, it's stable. Why not use it for global transactions?" Economy Minister Maxim Oreshkin said in an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday. The minister noted that the only question is whether switching from the US dollar would lead to any excessive costs.

"We want [oil and gas sales] in rubles at some point. The question here is not to have any excessive costs from doing it that way, but if the broad... financial infrastructure is created, if the initial costs are very low, then why not?" the minister stated. He added that Russia will be able to sell its energy exports in local currency, given the popularity of the country's domestic bonds among foreign investors, who own roughly 29 percent of its ruble debt.
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