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President Mahmoud Abbas won't meet Pence as Palestinians seek new mediator in peace talks


RT
Sat, 09 Dec 2017 20:28 UTC
Pence
© Joshua Roberts / ReutersU.S. Vice President Mike Pence
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will not meet with US Vice President Mike Pence later this month and is seeking a new mediator in peace talks with Israel. Abbas won't be alone in snubbing Pence on his Middle East tour in the wake of Trump's Jerusalem decision.

Abbas' refusal to host Trump was confirmed by Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki before an Arab League meeting in Cairo. He added there will be no contact between US and Palestinian officials, and that his government was seeking a new mediator as Washington had surrendered its neutrality with Trump's declaration.

"We will seek a new mediator from our Arab brothers and the international community, a mediator who can help with reaching a two-state solution," al-Maliki said.

The statement comes after an earlier announcement by Fatah Friday that Pence is unwelcome in Palestine, following President Donald Trump's decision to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, acknowledging the disputed city as the Israeli capital.

Comment: Read here for more reactions from world leaders: Armageddon? World Reacts to Trump's Jerusalem Decision - Hamas, Fatah, Hezbollah Warn of New Intifada

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Gold Bar

US dollar dominance threatened by Russia-China real gold standard


RT
Sat, 09 Dec 2017 20:24 UTC
russian gold bars
© Ilya Naymushin / Reuters
The BRICS counties are considering starting an internal gold trading platform, according to Russian officials. When this happens, the global economy will be significantly reshaped, and the West will lose its dominance, predicts a precious metals expert.

In 2016, 24,338 tons of physical gold were traded, which was 43 percent more than in 2015, according to Claudio Grass, of Precious Metal Advisory Switzerland.
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Take 2

SOTT Exclusive: Trump trolls again, this time claiming the US 'won two world wars and brought communism to its knees' at Florida rally

Beau Christensen
Sott.net
Sat, 09 Dec 2017 19:40 UTC
trump
© Twitter/@realDonaldTrump
Our favorite entertainer Donald Trump had some pretty interesting takes on history while giving a speech at a rally in Pensacola, Florida. If you were ever wondering who won the first two World Wars and defeated the evil Communism, wonder no more:
"We are the nation that dug out the Panama Canal, won two world wars, put a man on the moon and brought communism to its knees"
He did it again folks. We might want to bestow on Trump the 'World's Number One Troll' award, because very few days go by without The Donald saying something that is both entertainingly dumb and the perfect pot-stirrer to get the liberal media in a rabid furor over his idiocy. But Trump's no fool, he knows that there's no bad press as long as they spell your name right. The sad thing about this is that, with most being woefully ignorant of world history, very few Americans will take exception to his comments. Even the 'left' may find a stirring of national pride as a result of this Presidential tweet, enough at least to force them to shut up and leave Trump's twitter account alone for 5 minutes.

Unfortunately, Trump is wrong. Not just wrong in the sense that I don't agree with him, but factually, historically wrong.
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Light Sabers

Art of the broken deal: Trump is now publicly bashing Mohammed bin Salman - Why the change and why now?


Moon of Alabama
Fri, 08 Dec 2017 14:52 UTC
Mohammed bin Salman
The Trump administration seemed to get along very well with the Saudi tyrant and his son Mohammed bin Salman. They together admired the orb and joined up to bash Iran. But now the Trump administration scolded and embarrassed MbS three times in as many days. One wonders what is going on behind that scene.

In mid-November a mysterious buyer bought a probably fake Leonardo da Vinci painting of Jesus Christ for a cool $450 million. On December 6 the New York Times reported that some Saudi prince was the front-man for the purchase:
He is a little-known Saudi prince from a remote branch of the royal family, with no history as a major art collector, and no publicly known source of great wealth. But the prince, Bader bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan al-Saud, is the mystery buyer of Leonardo da Vinci's painting "Salvator Mundi," which fetched a record $450.3 million at auction last month, documents show.

The revelation that Prince Bader is the purchaser, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times, links one of the most captivating mysteries of the art world with palace intrigues in Saudi Arabia that are shaking the region. Prince Bader splurged on this controversial and decidedly un-Islamic portrait of Christ at a time when most members of the Saudi elite, including some in the royal family, are cowering under a sweeping crackdown against corruption and self-enrichment.

As it happens, Prince Bader is a friend and associate of the leader of the purge: the country's 32-year-old crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.

Comment: This gets back to the leaked Saudi memo where the Saudis basically agreed to give up on publicly supporting the Palestinian cause in favor of a deal with the U.S. and Israel that would support the sheikdom against Iran. If that's the case, then the Saudis are a lot like the U.S. - making "deals" with other countries and only expecting the other side to keep up their own end of the bargain!
An internal Saudi memorandum, leaked to the Lebanese paper Al-Akhbar, reveals its major elements. (Note: The genuineness of the memo has not been confirmed. In theory it could be a "plant" by some other party. But Al-Akhbar has so far an excellent record of publishing genuine leaks and I trust its editors' judgement.)

According to the memo the Saudis are ready to give up on the Palestinian right of return. They forfeit Palestinian sovereignty over Jerusalem and no longer insist of the status of a full state for the Palestinians. In return they ask for a U.S.-Saudi-Israeli (military) alliance against their perceived enemy on the eastern side of the Persian Gulf.

Negotiations on the issue were held between the Saudis and the Zionist under the aegis of the United States. Netanyahu and Trump's "shared personal assistant, wunderkind Jared Kushner", is the point men in these negotiations. He made at least three trips to Saudi Arabia this year, the last one very recently.

The Saudi operations over the last month, against the internal opposition to the Salman clan as well as against Hizbullah in Lebanon, have to be seen in the context and as preparation of the larger plan. To recap:
  • Last week the current front-man of the Palestinians, Mahmoud Abbas, was ordered to Riyadh. There he was told to accept whatever will be presented as U.S. peace plan or to resign. He was urged to cut all Palestinian ties with Iran and Hizbullah:
Since the warnings, which could threaten the new Palestinian unity agreement signed by Fatah and the Iranian-backed Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian media displayed a rare degree of unity in recent days by coming out against Iran.
  • On November 6 a letter by the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahoo to Israeli embassies was intentionally "leaked". In it Netanyahoo urges his diplomats to press for full support for the Saudi plans in Lebanon, Yemen and beyond. On the same day Trump tweeted:
Donald J. Trump‏ @realDonaldTrump - 3:03 PM - 6 Nov 2017
I have great confidence in King Salman and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, they know exactly what they are doing....
Notice that only a month ago Trump tweeted that the leadership of the Clown Prince knows exactly what it's doing. What a difference a month makes!

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Eye 1

Credibility of Roy Moore accuser Beverly Nelson shattered as she admits to forging yearbook evidence (UPDATE)

JOHN NOLTE
Breitbart
Fri, 08 Dec 2017 17:16 UTC
Beverly Young Nelson Gloria Allred
© EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ/AFP/Getty Images
Beverly Young Nelson has finally admitted that she forged a portion of the infamous high school yearbook that she and attorney Gloria Allred used as proof of her accusations against U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore.

And in yet another blow to the credibility of ABC News, the disgraced, left-wing network downplayed the bombshell by presenting this admission of forgery as adding "notes" to the inscription. Worse still, the reporter actually coaches Nelson, puts words in her mouth, downplay the enormous significance of her deceit.

Comment: Now, how about we see some charges filed against the real predator in this case: Beverly Young Nelson. See also: Update:
Donald Trump Jr. takes on Allred on Twitter:



From the Gateway Pundit:
A conflict of interest waiver is a legal agreement outlining that a conflict of interest could exist within a partnership and all parties are taking steps to work around the matter in a fair and amicable manner.

No question Trump Jr. won the internet today with that one!


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Map

What is the likelihood of war with Iran?

Petr Lvov
New Eastern Outlook
Sat, 09 Dec 2017 18:26 UTC
Iran army
The analytical group SouthFront recently released a remarkable video about the possibility of a war involving Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran and Israel. Of course, this inevitably means that the war would involve Russia and the United States as well.

To understand the context of this scenario, one first needs to understand what has happened in Syria and other Middle Eastern countries in recent years. The original plan of the US and Saudi Arabia (behind whom stood an invisible Israel) was the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad and his replacement with Islamic fundamentalists or takfiris (Daesh, al-Qaeda, Jabhat al-Nusra). The plan involved the following steps:
  • sweep away a strong secular Arab state with a political culture, armed forces and security services;
  • generate total chaos and horror in Syria that would justify the creation of Israel's "security zone", not only in Golan Heights, but also further north;
  • start a civil war in Lebanon and incite takfiri violence against Hezbollah, leading to them both bleeding to death and then create a "security zone", this time in Lebanon;
  • prevent the creation of a "Shiite axis" of Iran/Iraq/Syria/Lebanon;
  • continue the division of Syria along ethnic and religious lines, establish an independent Kurdistan and then to use them against Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran.
  • give Israel the opportunity to become the unquestioned major player in the region and force Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and everyone else to apply for permission from Israel in order to implement any oil and gas projects;
  • gradually isolate, threaten, undermine and ultimately attack Iran with a wide regional coalition, removing all Shiite centers of power in the middle East.

Comment: The past two decades have shown the neocons' destructive ambitions unleashed upon the world. They show no signs of giving up their hegemony: The end times may be here for ISIS, but the Deep State still has plans for Syria and Iran

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Gold Seal

Syria and Iraq announce defeat of ISIS - U.S. occupation forces will be next


Moon of Alabama
Sat, 09 Dec 2017 18:56 UTC
syria iraq map
© South Front
The Islamic State in Syrian and Iraq is officially defeated. The UN resolution which allowed other countries to fight ISIS within Syria and Iraq no longer applies. But the U.S. military, despite the lack of any legal basis, wants to continue its occupation of Syria's north-east. The attempt to do so will fail. Its Kurdish allies in the area are already moving away from it and now prefer Russian protection. Guerrilla forces to fight the U.S. "presence" are being formed. The U.S. plan is shortsighted and stupid. If the U.S. insists on staying there many of its soldiers will die.

Two days ago the Syrian Arab Army closed the last gaps on the west bank of the Euphrates. Having fought all the way from Aleppo along the river towards the east the Tiger Force reached the liberated Deir Ezzor from the west. All settlements on the way are now controlled by the Syrian government. The remaining Islamic State fighters were pushed into the desert where they will be hunted down and killed.

Comment: Two years and two months after Russia intervened, all of ISIS's territory has been liberated. All that remains are a few desert regions. They sure make it look easy, don't they? That's not to minimize the number of Syrians and Russians who have died liberating the country. But think about it. Just over two years... And yet the U.S. has been in Iraq and Afghanistan for over 15 years. Isn't it about time the U.S. and the rest of the world starts judging the U.S. military by their actual results? Because their ability has been weighed - and found wanting.

No wonder the Kurds are turning to the Russians for support. By actually winning a war, Russia has signaled to the whole Middle East that they are an effective and reliable military force. They essentially outbid the Americans. And if there's one thing the American military doesn't like, it is being told their they're second-rate.

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Jet5

Russian MoD blasts US Air Force for hampering Syria op as Russian Su-35 chased away rogue US F-22 jet


RT
Sat, 09 Dec 2017 19:52 UTC
Russian Sukhoi Su-35 bomber
© Vasily Maximov / AFPA Russian Sukhoi Su-35 bomber lands at the Russian Hmeimim military base in Latakia province, in the northwest of Syria
A Russian interceptor has been scrambled to stop a rogue US fighter jet from actively interfering with an anti-terrorist operation, the Russian Defense Ministry said. It also accused the US of provoking close encounters with the Russian jets in Syria.

A US F-22 fighter was preventing two Russian Su-25 strike aircraft from bombing an Islamic State (IS, former ISIS) base to the west of the Euphrates November 23, according to the ministry. The ministry's spokesman, Major General Igor Konashenkov described the episode as yet another example of US aircraft attempts to prevent Russian forces from carrying out strikes against Islamic State.

"The F-22 launched decoy flares and used airbrakes while constantly maneuvering [near the Russian strike jets], imitating an air fight," Konashenkov said. He added that the US jet ceased its dangerous maneuvers only after a Russian Su-35S fighter jet joined the two strike planes.

Comment: See also: Russian MOD press briefing: "The conductor's hand is felt" - Konashenkov blasts Western lies about Russia's op in Syria (VIDEO)

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Sheriff

Kazakh president threatens to sack cabinet ministers unless they repatriate $12B in offshore cash


Russia Feed
Fri, 08 Dec 2017 00:00 UTC
nazarbayev
Kazakhstan's president, Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev on December 6 threatened to sack his cabinet if they failed to get large state-owned companies to bring home cash held in offshore accounts.

Nazarbayev, in what appeared to be something of an angry rant at a meeting with central government and regional officials, said: "Eighteen Kazakh companies keep $12 billion abroad. That money could help our economy... The state provided you with the conditions to make that money and you are hiding that money of Kazakhstan somewhere else? Enough is enough!"

"Enough of toying around, look at them, carried away with their games, keeping their money abroad, buying yachts and mansions in multiple countries," he continued. "It is safer to keep money here, at home, we will ensure it is safe."
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Sherlock

The FBI is still investigating Bernie Sanders' wife's shady land deal; potential for indictment

Lukas Mikelionis
Fox News
Fri, 08 Dec 2017 17:31 UTC
Jane and Bernie Sanders
© APSen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and wife Jane Sanders walk in Philadelphia during the final day of the Democratic National Convention, July 28, 2016. Sanders remains under federal investigation for a land deal she made as president of Burlington College in Vermont in 2010.
A federal investigation launched in 2016 into possible bank fraud by Jane Sanders, wife of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, is still underway -- with "a potential" grand jury review possible.

The probe could thwart Sanders' 2020 presidential ambitions -- as well as the Vermont political plans of Jane Sanders' daughter, Carina Driscoll.

Individuals questioned by the FBI confirmed to Fox News that the investigation was still open, with FBI agents interviewing at least one witness within the last six weeks.

Jane Sanders is under investigation following a land deal she clinched when she was president of Burlington College in Vermont in 2010.

In order to expand the college, Sanders sought to obtain a tract of land from a Roman Catholic parish. She secured a $6.7 million loan from a bank and a $3.6 million loan from the parish from which she planned to purchase the property.

Comment: See also:

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