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MBS aide: Saudi Prince said to use 'bullet' on Khashoggi a year before the murder


Sputnik
Fri, 08 Feb 2019 07:40 UTC
Khashoggi
© AP/Hasan Jamali
Jamal Khashoggi
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud said in a conversation with one of his aides that he would go after journalist Jamal Khashoggi, killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, "with a bullet" a year prior to the murder, media have reported, citing US and foreign officials familiar with intelligence reports.

The New York Times reported late on Thursday that in the conversation, which took place in September 2017, the prince told his aide Turki Aldakhil that if Khashoggi did not return or was not brought by force to Saudi Arabia from the United States and did not stop criticizing the Saudi authorities, the prince would use a bullet on him.

US intelligence analysts reportedly concluded that Prince Mohammed had likely used the phrase, a metaphor, expressing his intention to kill the journalists unless he returned to Saudi Arabia.

The conversation, which was intercepted and transcribed by the US intelligence, took place during the period when Riyadh's concerns about Khashoggi's criticism were growing and amid the prince's moves to tighten his grip on power in Saudi Arabia, the newspaper noted.

The outlet added that the conversation took place the same month as Khashoggi began writing his articles, criticizing the Saudi authorities, for The Washington Post.

Comment: After what happened to Khashoggi, would anyone connected to the royals say anything incriminating? US intel originally dismissed it. Was this the right interpretation?

More from Sputnik:
Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir has refused to comment on the recent publication in The New York Times about the murder of the Saudi journalist, as it was based on anonymous sources, but noted that officials of the kingdom know that the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud was not behind Jamal Khashoggi's killing.

"We know that this was not an authorized operation. There was no order given to conduct this operation," the minister said. Al-Jubeir further vowed to bring those responsible for committing the crime to justice.


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Arrow Down

'No hope with either Maduro or Guaido' says Venezuelan oil czar and 'would-be' president


RT
Fri, 08 Feb 2019 18:43 UTC
Rafael Ramirez
© Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins
Rafael Ramirez, was Venezuela’s oil minister under President Hugo Chavez
Venezuela has "no chance" of recovery under President Nicolas Maduro, but there's equally no hope with Juan Guaido, an "extreme right-wing"-backed front man for US intervention, believes Hugo Chavez's oil minister Rafael Ramirez.

"I'm against any foreign intervention in my country. I'm against the sanctions because they're completely illegal," Ramirez told RT's Oksana Boyko.

Ramirez believes that Maduro betrayed the legacy of Chavez, but is refusing to support Guaido because he is backed by the US and the "extreme right-wing" in Venezuela. The former energy minister (2002-2014) hopes to run for president if elections are called. He was energy minister from 2002 to 2014.

The full interview with Ramirez airs on Worlds Apart this Sunday, February 10.

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Airplane

Moscow signals it is ready for more contacts on MH17 with The Hague


TASS
Fri, 08 Feb 2019 17:55 UTC
MH17 wreckage
© AP/Peter Dejong
MH17 wreckage
Earlier it was reported that The Hague hoped it would be possible to begin talks with Moscow on responsibility for involvement in the MH17 crash in the near future.

The dialogue on the MH17 crash between Russia and the Netherlands has never stopped, and Moscow is ready to continue contacts, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told reporters on Friday. "Our dialogue has not interrupted, including at the political level," he said, when asked about the possibility of contacts at the state level.
"We raise these issues and are ready for a conversation. Proceeding from the premise that our dialogue will continue, [we will] raise such issues as Kiev's failure to provide primary data to investigators in the Netherlands.

"The issue at hand should also be Ukraine's responsibility, which did not close its airspace, and all other aspects related to the fact that the Netherland did not take into account the information, which we provided to it in The Hague as part of our legal cooperation."
The RTL TV channel earlier reported citing the Dutch Foreign Ministry that The Hague hoped it would be possible to begin talks with Moscow on responsibility for involvement in the MH17 crash in the near future.

Comment: See also:

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Arrow Up

Predetermined? Washington's decision on forceful intervention in Venezuela


Sputnik
Thu, 07 Feb 2019 16:23 UTC
Venezuelan police
© REUTERS/Manaure Quintero
National Police fire rubber bullets at protester against Maduro's government.
The United States is working on scenarios for regime change in Venezuela, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has stated at a weekly briefing in Moscow.
"There are still signs coming from Washington about the possibility of using force in order to overthrow the legal authorities, including through direct military invasion. This is actually being spoken about openly in the White House. I would like to recall that this kind of statement from the mouth of American officials is a direct violation of Article 2 Par. 4 of the UN Charter, ordering all UN members to refrain from the threat or use of force in international relations".
According to Zakharova, the decision on the use of force has already been made by Washington, "everything else is nothing more than a covering operation".

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has also stated that the United States has incited Venezuela's military to commit crimes, promising them amnesty for betraying the country's authorities.
"Washington has turned to direct threats of sanctions to the Venezuelan military, who remain loyal to the legitimate government. That is just a different, new reading of the 'carrot and stick' approach. On the one hand, they threaten a potential punishment. On the other hand, they promise a potential reward".

Comment: See also:

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Eye 2

New Israel-Lebanon conflict may stem from US sowing discord in the region - Russian Ambassador


Sputnik
Sat, 09 Feb 2019 11:32 UTC
israel army
© REUTERS / Baz Ratner
A new conflict could erupt between Israel and Lebanon as a result of the United States' actions aimed at sowing discord in the region as well as Washington's campaign against Tehran and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin said in an interview with Sputnik.

"As for a conflict between Israel and Lebanon, nothing can be predicted with certainty because the region is at a crossroads. Peoples are demanding the settlement of existing crises, the return to a peaceful life, the development of cooperation. A negative alternative to this is the incitement of new conflicts by the Americans, which could involve many countries as well as ethnic and religious forces", the diplomat said.

Zasypkin stressed that instead of trying to deal with tensions in the region together with Russia and other countries, the United States has launched a campaign against Iran and Hezbollah, making the situation the region even more volatile.

Comment: It is repeatedly being exposed that the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia will do anything to avoid peace in the region - at least until they get their way:

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Eye 1

'Zero imports of anything': US official declares no extension to waivers on Iran sanctions


NHK
Tue, 05 Feb 2019 07:49 UTC
Brian Hook

Brian Hook
A senior US official says the Trump administration has no plans to extend the grace period currently in place before sanctions against Iranian crude-oil imports begin in May.

Brian Hook was speaking to NHK on Monday. He handles Iranian issues at the US State Department.

He urged countries to stop buying oil from Tehran, saying: "What we have announced is the policy to get to zero imports of Iranian crude as quickly as possible. We are not looking to grant any future waivers or exceptions to our sanctions regime, whether it is oil or anything else."

Comment: In the short term this is surely disruptive for all involved, but continued US arrogance is driving nations to set up trade blocs that are out of their reach, and in the end the US will be the biggest loser of them all: Russia-led free-trade initiative to include 5 more countries

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Better Earth

Russia-led free-trade initiative to include 5 more countries


RT
Sat, 09 Feb 2019 07:17 UTC
trade
© Pexels.com
Free-trade agreements are expected to be signed between the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and Israel, Singapore, India, Egypt and Iran in the near future.

That's according to Russia's First Deputy Minister of Industry Sergey Tsyb. He said WTO member states currently use over 7,500 non-tariff measures such as quotas, licenses, restrictions and embargos in respect of industrial goods.

"Therefore, in our opinion, it would be very productive if we actively move towards the conclusion of agreements on the free-trade zone," said the official.

This would make it possible to promote exports within the framework of regional trade hubs, he explained. "That will definitely help in this challenging and highly sensitive situation on global markets to provide the opportunity for promotion of Russian export initiatives."

Comment: One would imagine this trade bloc will eventually provide some protection from US financial terrorism: Also check out SOTT radio's:

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Red Flag

Propaganda Alert: UK police now say FIVE Russians are wanted over the Salisbury poison attack

Larisa Brown
The Daily Mail
Thu, 07 Feb 2019 16:12 UTC
Skripals
© ukr.media / Global Look Press
Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia
Police are investigating two more Russian agents suspected of involvement in the Salisbury poisoning.

The total number implicated in the nerve agent attack on former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia is now five. The newly identified pair posed as tourists to get a British visa last March and are now thought to be back in Russia, senior security sources said.

Comment: Britain is attempting to salvage the trainwreck the Skripal case has become. There are so many holes in the narrative the only way forward seems to be throwing out new red herrings. Pehaps it's to distract from a more plausible line of investigation?

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Megaphone

'You're deaf': Maduro lambasts EU, reiterates that Venezuela is open for dialogue


RT
Fri, 08 Feb 2019 16:21 UTC
maduro
© Reuters / Carlos Barria
Nicolas Maduro
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has rejected the "partisan and ideological nature" of the EU-backed International Contact Group on Venezuela, which recently vowed to ensure a "credible" new election in his country.

Venezuela supports the dialogue process proposed by Mexico, Uruguay, Bolivia and the Community of Caribbean Countries (CARICOM), Maduro said at a press conference in the Miraflores Palace in Caracas. He added that the government was ready to talk to "whomever and whenever."

"We are in the immediate position to support any action that promotes diplomacy, dialogue and meeting between Venezuelans," said the president.

The EU must hear "Venezuela's truth," however, instead of listening to "right-wing extremists," Maduro insisted.

Comment: Venezuela's elections which brought Maduro to power were intentionally verified as legitimate and Maduro won a majority that puts Western politicians to shame: Also check out SOTT radio's: NewsReal: US Regime Change Operation in Venezuela - This Time It's Legit?

election results venezuela


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Marijuana

US moves to change cannabis laws by removing federal punishment, opening up banking, applying taxation

Michael R. Blood
AP
Sat, 09 Feb 2019 08:16 UTC
Sen. Ron Wyden
© AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File
FILE - In this Dec. 19, 2018, file photo, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., joined at left by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Ore., speaks during a news conference to press Congress to intervene on behalf of the Affordable Care Act, after a federal judge in Texas ruled it unconstitutional, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Wyden has proposed legislation that would give states a free hand to allow legal marijuana markets without the threat of federal criminal intervention.
Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden proposed legislation Friday that would give states a free hand to allow legal cannabis markets without the threat of federal criminal intervention, the latest push in Congress to bolster the nation's burgeoning pot industry.

The proposal, identical to a bill in the House, aims to ease the longstanding conflict between states where cannabis is legal in some form and the U.S. government, which categorizes marijuana as a dangerous illegal drug, similar to LSD or heroin.

"The federal prohibition of marijuana is wrong, plain and simple," Wyden, a Democrat, said in a statement. "Too many lives have been wasted, and too many economic opportunities have been missed."

It remains unclear if Wyden's bill would have a chance of clearing the Republican-controlled Senate.

Comment: As with most things in life, cannabis has its benefits and drawbacks, but what is clear is that the war on drugs is an abject failure, has benefited mostly criminals, and has withheld a powerful medicine from patients causing untold unnecessary suffering: Also check out SOTT radio's: The Health & Wellness Show: The Highs and Lows of Cannabis as Medicine

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