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US and Russia agree on Aleppo ceasefire, U.S. says their terrorists have promised to withdraw and stop fighting


RT
Wed, 04 May 2016 01:27 UTC
syria
© Khalil Ashawi / Reuters
Russian and US military have managed to find an "effective mechanism" to maintain the cessation of hostilities in Syria, the head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation at Khmeimim airbase said, adding that the level of violence in the country has dropped significantly since February.

"The American side is working with opposition groups and has been able to convince them that the 'regime of silence' should be observed," Lieutenant General Sergey Kuralenko told journalists.


Comment: So did the moderate terrorists really agree? If so, perhaps they had a moment of clarity with the realization that in a day or two, they would all be dead thanks to Russian airstrikes and the Syrian Army. But we'll believe it when we see it. According to Russia's Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin, "We have been promised that the armed units of [the] so-called moderate opposition will break off all links with the al-Nusra, withdraw from territories it occupies and clearly state their readiness to take part in the peace settlement. This has not occurred so far."


He stressed that no shelling has been recorded in the area of the eastern Ghouta, Rif Dimashqin province in southwestern Syria, the recent days. "These tasks are fulfilled by both American side and [Syrian] government forces," he added.
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MIB

US escalation of terrorism, invasion of Syria and the proxy war against Russia and Iran

Prof Michel Chossudovsky
Global Research
Wed, 04 May 2016 00:00 UTC
Obama ISIS

US-NATO is not prepared to let go in Syria.

While the US sponsored Al Qaeda and ISIS rebels have largely been defeated, with the support of Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, the Obama administration is now intent upon replenishing so to speak its "moderate opposition" brigades inside Syria with a new influx of jihadist fighters.

Following the decimation of Daesh-al Nusrah positions throughout the country, thousands of Islamic militants have fled amidst the outflow of refugees.

The Western military alliance has responded to this defeat of "moderate" rebel positions by replenishing its proxy army, - ie. recruiting and training a new horde of mercenaries and jihadists with the support of Turkey, Israel and Saudi Arabia.

In this regard, the ongoing Battle for Aleppo is absolutely crucial. "Thousands of terrorists" were reported to have crossed the Turkey-Syria border in early May. No doubt, they will be deployed against government forces in Aleppo:

Comment: Looks like all the US has to do is disrobe their ISIS-clas special forces if they're killed in action and then claim the Russians were deliberately targeting US/Western forces, or something of that order. Only half-kidding here.

And Chossudovsky is correct, US/NATO is not prepared to let go of Syria.

Consider this recent move on the part of Obama:
The US government is extending its state of emergency imposed against the actions of the government of Syria, President Barack Obama wrote in a letter to the heads of both chambers of Congress, the White House announced on Tuesday.
"The Syrian regime's actions and policies, including pursuing chemical and biological weapons [and] supporting terrorist organizations... continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security... of the United States," Obama stated.
Obama wrote that he had therefore determined that it was necessary to continue the national emergency declared with respect to this threat as well as to maintain in force the sanctions to address the issue.
"The regime's brutal war on the Syrian people, who have been calling for freedom and a representative government, not only endangers the Syrian people themselves, but could yield greater instability throughout the region," Obama claimed in the letter.
Obama added that the US government condemned the Syrian government, which he referred to as "the Assad regime," and demanded that itend military operations against rebel forces then permit a political transition to a different regime.
Flabbergasting when you know that the whole thing is based entirely on already disproven lies.

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Sherlock

Washington demonizing China for keeping a check on Western NGOs bent on regime change

Peter Koenig
Global Research
Tue, 03 May 2016 00:48 UTC
us china flags
On April 28, the New York Times was blasting "Clampdown in China Restricts 7,000 Foreign Organizations". A perfect reason for demonizing China for infringing on the liberties of foreign NGOs - NGO's that try to help and do good in China. The 'doing good' is a concerted effort by foreign agents, including international and national organizations and NGOs that receive foreign training and funding to influence public opinion and eventually to cause civil unrest. Imagine, foreign agents teaching and influencing students at Chinese universities with western interests of, for example, privatizing China's public and social services; or directly interfering in sovereign state affairs, by for instance attempting to rig the Shanghai stock exchange.

Let's put this Chinese 'clampdown' in perspective. What would Washington say and do, if thousands of Chinese and Russian 'NGO's were to infiltrate US territory under all sorts of philanthropic pretexts, but in reality to subvert the US population against their government? - Well, there is no need to speculate with the answer. It's very clear, they would simply be banned. So, this is not even a game on equal footing. It's as usual - Washington pretends making the rules.

When China announced in March 2015 a planned reduction in GDP growth from 12%-14% of the past years to 6%-7% for at least 2016 and possibly beyond, it was a well-calculated move by the Chinese Central Bank. The past more than 10% growth was not sustainable - not for Chinese internal equality and stability, nor for the stagnant western export markets.
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Clipboard

FSA media efforts are a UK govt propaganda operation


Moon of Alabama
Tue, 03 May 2016 00:53 UTC
Free Syrian Army
© Khalil Ashawi / Reuters
Free Syrian Army fighters
The U.S. government, via its CIA, has financed the "moderate" anti-Syrian mercenaries fighting against the legitimate Syrian government with at least $1 billion a year. The Wahhabi dictatorships in the Middle East have added their own billions to finance al-Qaeda's efforts against the Syrian people. The U.S. continues to purchase and transport thousands of tons of weapons and ammunition to feed the war against the Syrian people. It also pays the various fighters and opposition groups. The U.S. efforts for regime change in Syria have been running since at least 2006 when the U.S. government started to finance anti-Syrian exile TV stations and held intensive planning talks with various anti-Syrian Islamist elements.

Together with the British government it also runs the current pro-mercenary public relation show to influence the "western" public to support its imperial meddling in Syria.
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Footprints

Belgian state report: Links between police services and Brussels attacks

Anthony Torres
World Socialist Web Site
Wed, 04 May 2016 00:28 UTC
abdeslam

Brahim Abdeslam and Salah Abdeslam
Press leaks on the report of the Belgian police surveillance committee ("P Committee") regarding the monitoring of the Abdeslam brothers again underscore the role of the imperialist proxy war in Syria and the complicity of police and intelligence in the attacks last November 13 in Paris and on March 22 in Brussels.

Immediately after the attacks, it was reported that the terrorists were known to the intelligence services as Islamists involved in traveling and fighting in Syria and the Middle East. Now, the Belgian report confirms that the scope of these networks and the protection they enjoyed in official circles in the context of the war played an important role in allowing the attacks to proceed.

The P Committee report blames the anti-terrorist services for neglecting the surveillance of Salah Abdeslam, who is accused of being the only survivor of the group that carried out the Paris attacks. His sudden arrest at the end of March in Brussels, after four months on the run, reportedly pushed the March 22 attackers into action.

According to the P Committee report, the anti-terrorist services lost Salah Abdeslam's GSM phone card and ignored his USB key, confiscated in February 2015, that is, nine months before the Paris attacks.


Comment: How convenient! Similar to how the CIA failed to notify the FBI that alleged 9/11 hijackers al-Mihdhar and al-Hazmi, who were under surveillance while attending an al-Qaeda summit in Malaysia, had entered the U.S. in 2000, and consistently blocked sharing details that would have brought them to the attention of people who were actually (if naively) serious about "catching terrorists". Certain CIA officials made sure that the 9/11 patsy hijackers were not discovered before 9/11. They needed the narrative to play out smoothly. It looks like something similar took place in Belgium.

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Snakes in Suits

Never Trump: The GOP exodus towards Killary begins as neocons pledge to support Clinton in presidential race


Sputnik
Wed, 04 May 2016 00:27 UTC
trump
© REUTERS/ Carlo Allegri
As billionaire Donald Trump becomes the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, following the withdrawal of Ted Cruz and John Kasich, a number of conservatives are abandoning ship.

Trump's candidacy was viewed as a long shot from the beginning, and many in the Republican establishment never imagined they would have to ask themselves: "What if Trump wins?" Now that this outcome is all but guaranteed - barring a last minute rule change by the RNC - most are accepting the reality of the situation.

Others, however, are standing by their #NeverTrump pledge, vowing to support Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton in the general election.

Comment: The reality is that it doesn't really matter who is Selected president, they will do what they're told and continue America down the path to imperial destruction. That's a train with no brakes right now. The question is will Trump be elected and crash the train in spectacular fashion.

But, it is interesting to see how many neocons have their undies in a bunch over Trump as president.

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Dollars

The war on cash officially begins: ECB ends production of €500 bill

Tyler Durden
Zerohedge
Wed, 04 May 2016 22:33 UTC
Euro 500 bill
Following the denial in February that this action is in any way about reducing cash, The ECB has made its decision on the EUR500 Bill:
  • *ECB ENDS PRODUCTION AND ISSUANCE OF €500 BANKNOTE
  • *ECB SAYS ISSUANCE OF EU500 NOTE TO STOP AROUND THE END OF 2018
  • *ECB SAYS OTHER EURO BANKNOTES WILL STAY IN PLACE
  • *ECB: EU500 CAN BE EXCHANGED AT CEN BANKS FOR UNLIMITED TIME
And just like that the second highest denominated European bank note in circulation (after the CHF1000 Bill) is dead...
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Bulb

China follows Russia and India by clamping down on Western NGOs

Josh Chin
Wall Street Journal
Thu, 28 Apr 2016 20:35 UTC
Ministry of Public Security is put in charge of registering the overseas groups, and police are authorized to search offices
forbidden city

Chinese legislators passed a law on Thursday granting police broad authority to supervise foreign nonprofit groups, reinforcing President Xi Jinping's drive to consolidate government control over China's society, culture and economy.


Comment: No, strengthening China's defences against predatory Western influences.


The law says any activities of foreign nonprofits that threaten national security or ethnic harmony will be punished. A draft of the law released last year drew an outpouring of opposition from foreign governments, rights groups, business associations and academics for being overly broad and treating foreign nonprofits as a security threat.


Comment: They are a security threat; potentially used by Western intelligence as a fifth column to subvert Chinese society from within.


The Obama administration reacted quickly and sternly to the law's passage, warning that while it was better than earlier versions, it would constrict contacts between individuals and groups in the U.S. and China.


Comment: That's the idea.


Comment: See also:

India ousts nearly 9,000 foreign NGOs

Cleaning house: Russia bans another US backed NGO

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Snakes in Suits

Blowing Hot Air: Kerry warns Assad of 'repercussions' if transition fails and he doesn't step down


PressTV
Wed, 04 May 2016 20:42 UTC
US Secretary of State John Kerry
© AFP
US Secretary of State John Kerry speaks to members of the media at the State Department May 3, 2016 in Washington, DC.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of the consequences of a new US approach if he does not accept a political transition in the next few months.

"The target date for the transition is 1st of August," Kerry told reporters at the State Department on Tuesday.

"So we're now coming up to May. So either something happens in these next few months, or they are asking for a very different track," he added.

The warning came amid a surge in violence in the northern city of Aleppo, putting further strain on a February 27 ceasefire brokered by Russia and the United States.

Comment: It's called democracy, Kerry, something with which you're obviously unfamiliar. Please, shut your mouth, and get over it.

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Bad Guys

The storm of lies surrounding Syria's humanitarian crisis: Aleppo Is Burning campaign calls for Syria no-fly zone

Vanessa Beeley
21st Century Wire
Tue, 03 May 2016 09:41 UTC
aleppoisburning

The latest slick propaganda campaign from the RealityCreators, sourced from one man's bedroom in Coventry, UK, also known as "Syrian Observatory for Human Rights"

"I would like to point out something, if you open the trending section in Facebook you will see that Aleppo, Syria is trending. They say the Syrian government is continuing air-strikes on Aleppo. The funny thing is we dont see or hear any planes." ~ Marianne R Bedoun, Aleppo

The following photo was taken from Soros funded ANA Press director, Deiaa Dughmoch's Facebook page. Translated as Aleppo citizens searching the skies for war-planes. According to Marianne Bedoun, they might be there some time.

aleppo looking for planes
Marianne was immediately targeted by hate speech from the followers of mainstream media and the US NATO governed propaganda outlets who are controlling the Aleppo narrative. This from one UK based Facebook responder:
"Its about hiding the truth that Assad is massacring the Syrian people to keep himself in power and the US and NATO are backing him up rather than engaging in any Wahhabi terrorist support operation. Its really quite racist to call those defending their homes and lives NATO backed terrorists but I guess you are so deep in this shit you cant see." ~ Dick Gregory. [Juggler, also available for childrens parties]
Marianne responded from inside Aleppo:
You are right I am so deep in this I cant exit because I am a Syrian living in Aleppo. And please tell me where did you get your facts? Your brain-washing western media? I am telling you what I see every minute. Racist? We are the ones defending our homes against their brutal ways...hell cannons, hand-made missiles etc every day since day one"

Comment: The propaganda war has raged intensely since the battle of Aleppo began, but those peddling the most nonsense about the evils of the Assad government are the exact same parties heavily invested in regime change in Syria and plunging the Middle East into chaos. Sadly, the short memories of the idiots parroting the propaganda do not allow them to remember the lies we were told about Iraq, Libya and the countless other interventions or CIA proxy wars which ended in disaster for the countries being 'liberated'.

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