Welcome to Sott.net
Wed, 03 Nov 2021
The World for People who Think

Puppet Masters
Map

Megaphone

Putin aide: Russia has no plans to enter arms race


RT
Wed, 17 Jun 2015 17:05 UTC
Image
© RIA Novosti/Ramil Sitdikov
A Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile
A Russian presidential aide has told reporters that Russia has no plans to launch a new arms race, but will nevertheless react to all new threats.

"Russia is trying to react to new threats, nothing more than this. We are not entering an arms race, we are against any arms race as it would weaken our opportunities in the economic sphere," Yuri Ushakov was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.

"We are in general against this," he said. "I think that our president has made very precise statements on this matter."

Ushakov's comments came soon after President Vladimir Putin told Russia's top brass that military forces will get 40 new nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles in 2015. The president noted in his speech that the new missiles "will be capable of penetrating the most modern defenses" and promised that the Russian government would persist in paying specific attention to realization of a massive military rearmament program.
      Read More...
Red Flag

Britain braced for "serious economic risk" if Greece leaves Eurozone


RT
Wed, 17 Jun 2015 16:53 UTC
Image
© Reuters/Andy Rain
British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne
Prime Minister David Cameron's spokeswoman has announced the UK is "stepping up" preparations for the "serious economic risk" which would ensue should Greece opt to leave the Eurozone.

Her remarks come as Cameron meets with the leaders of Italy and Luxembourg on Wednesday to discuss the Greek financial crisis.

Government officials held contingency planning talks in February to evaluate the possible implications of a Grexit, but they have since stepped up their preparations following revelations that Greece could default on its debts.

Cameron's spokeswoman said Chancellor George Osborne had discussed the matter in the House of Commons on Tuesday, adding the authorities were taking "all steps to protect ourselves from such eventualities."
      Read More...
Bulb

Greece considers joining BRICS bank


Sputnik
Wed, 17 Jun 2015 16:35 UTC
Image
© Sputnik
The Greek government is considering whether it could get involved in the BRICS New Development Bank, Greece's Minister of Economy, Infrastructure, Shipping and Tourism Giorgos Stathakis told Sputnik Wednesday.

"We are fully supporting the BRICS initiative, and we are investigating ways for Greece to get involved in this initiative that could be beneficial for both sides," the minister said.

A source in the Greek government told Sputnik in May that Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was likely to discuss his country's membership of the NDB, with BRICS leaders in St. Petersburg during a June 18-20 economic forum.

The five major developing economies - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - bill their venture as an alternative to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), one of Greece's three main creditors, to which Athens owes a $1.7-billion repayment by the end of June.
      Read More...
Yoda

Putin: Russia will direct its military might at anyone who threatens it

Mike Wheatley
Russia Insider
Wed, 17 Jun 2015 16:27 UTC
Image
© Bohan Shen_沈伯韩 vis Flickr.com
The president reminded reporters that it is NATO that is inching closer to Russian territory, while Russia hasn't moved anywhere

Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed that the country would be forced to direct its military might at anyone who might threaten it, as tensions with the Western powers refuse to subside.

Russia has been increasingly at odds with the West over the crisis in the Ukraine, which has seen a large part of its eastern territory taken over by separatist forces demanding independence from Kiev, TASSreported.

"We will be forced to aim our armed forces ... at those territories from where the threat comes," said Mr. Putin at a press conference following talks with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto in Moscow.
      Read More...
Dollars

BRICS central banks begin negotiating alternative to SWIFT payment system


RT
Wed, 17 Jun 2015 16:22 UTC
Image
© RIA Novosti/Alexei Druzhinin
From left: Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff, Chinese President Xi Jinping and the President of South Africa Jacob Zuma during a meeting with the heads of state and government of the BRICS member countries
The BRICS members have kicked off consultations on an alternative to the global SWIFT system that processes about 1.8 billion financial messages annually, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov.

The BRICS system for the transmission of financial information is expected to protect the member countries from any possible disruptions, and provide better security.

"The finance ministers and executives of the BRICS central banks are negotiating ... setting up payment systems and moving on to settlements in national currencies. SWIFT or not, in any case we're talking about ... a transnational multilateral payment system that would provide greater independence, would create a definite guarantee for [BRICS - ed.]countries on risks associated with arbitrary decisions ...made by countries that have current payment systems under their jurisdiction," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told RIA in an interview published Wednesday.
      Read More...
Bulb

Russia and China to exclude dollar from natural gas payments


RT
Tue, 16 Jun 2015 16:05 UTC
Image
© Reuters/Laszlo Balogh
Russia and China expect to use the ruble and yuan in payments for gas supplied using the western Altay pipeline. When it and the eastern Power of Siberia pipeline is open Beijing will become the biggest consumer of Russian gas.

"As a sales contract is not signed, then, of course, the currency of payment has not yet been determined. However, the Chinese side and the Russian side are discussing [currency-Ed.] today and are in intricate negotiations on the possibility of paying in yuan and rubles,"Gazprom Export CEO Elena Burmistrova said Tuesday.

Gazprom says it's not going to disclose the pricing formula for gas supplied to China via the western route because negotiations are underway, and pricing is a commercial secret, she added.

The western Altay route is expected to supply 30 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas a year to China. A basic agreement on the supply was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping on May 8.
      Read More...
Eye 2

Monsanto found to have supplied Israel with white phosphorous during '08-'09 Gaza War


Sputnik
Wed, 17 Jun 2015 15:16 UTC
Image
© AP PHOTO/ EYAD BABA
A Palestinian man is treated for burns in Jan. 2009. Human Rights Watch reported in March 2009 that Israel had used white phosphorous in the densely populated Gaza strip, in violation of international law.
Agribusiness giant Monsanto - best known for their genetically modified soybeans and "probably carcinogenic" herbicide - has supplied the US government with white phosphorous used in incendiary weapons for at least 20 years, and some of that made its way to Israel for use in Operation Cast Lead.

The blog Current Events Inquiry dug into some heavily redacted documents posted in 2012 on the US Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website, to discover that Monsanto was the purveyor of white phosphorous to the US, and subsequently Israel, including during Operation Cast Lead, which resulted in heavy casualties among Palestinians in Gaza in 2008 and 2009.

The "Justification & Approval" document describes the solicitation of 180,000 pounds of white phosphorous (WP), and gives insight into the history of US procurement of the chemical.

"The Government is aware of only one source, Monsanto, who currently manufactures WP in the US," the document states, explaining that a company that produces such a chemical should be granted special protections under emergency conditions.

      Read More...
Light Sabers

McCain: Ukraine has yet to provide evidence to him of Russian involvement in Ukraine war

Leandra Bernstein
Sputnik
Tue, 16 Jun 2015 15:07 UTC
Image
© REUTERS/ Yuri Gripas
Representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) have yet to present evidence of alleged Russian involvement in the conflict in Ukraine to the Ukraine supporter in the US Senate, Senator John McCain told Sputnik on Tuesday.

"No, I have not met with them yet," McCain said responding to reports that the SBU representatives delivered evidence of Russian engagement in Ukraine to US lawmakers this week.

McCain serves as the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and has repeatedly called for the US provision of defensive arms to bolster Ukraine's security.

On Monday, Senior SBU Advisor Markiyan Lubkivskiy wrote on Facebook that evidence of alleged Russian involvement in Ukraine gathered by the Ukrainian military has been delivered to US lawmakers.

McCain said that he does not know whether or not the evidence had been delivered to US lawmakers, but added he has "no doubt about" Ukrainian allegations against Russia.

Moscow has repeatedly denied claims that it is engaged in the internal affairs of Ukraine, and has played an active role in a series of attempted peace negotiations to end the conflict.

Comment: There are two things worth noting about this story. First, the reason that no evidence has been provided to McCain is that because there is no evidence to give. Second, that McCain would think he is so important that he should personally be given the evidence from the Ukrainians. The guy's self-importance is in the upper atmosphere. Also, the fact that McCain has "no doubt" about Russian involvement without any evidence showing that should give pause to anyone who thinks he is capable of any kind of objective thought. He's going to stick to the "Russian aggression" narrative whether there is evidence or not.

      Read More...
Eye 2

U.S. support of terrorists like al-Nusra is no conspiracy theory

Robert Fisk
The Independent
Wed, 17 Jun 2015 14:43 UTC
Image
© Rex
Al-Nusra and its supporters wishes to rebrand itself as a completely different and more moderate entity than Islamic State
No apologies for returning today to the strange case of the "moderate" Jabhat al-Nusra rebels, the throat-cutters and executioners who are playing the anti-Isis card to woo the US.

Their leader, you may recall, told Qatar's Al Jazeera channel that his al-Qaeda affiliated warriors will oppose both Isis and Bashar al-Assad - and even protect Syria's Christian and Alawite minorities. The usual American nomenklatura are telling the world this is tosh. It's the "conspiracy theorists" who are to blame, they say, for suggesting that the US might send barrel-loads of new weapons to such men. No. The US would never deal with those who are on its infamous, though pointless, "terrorist list". Besides, Qatar would never promote these killers as moderates - would they?

Well, first, let's take another look at all these conspiracy theorists. By chance, that inestimable French journal Le Monde Diplomatique this month carries a wodge of articles under the title "Did you say conspiracy?", painfully dissecting how many false-flag stories turned out to be true. There's the Mukden incident, for example, a 1931 Chinese attack on imperial Japan which turned out to be a Japanese attack on China and led to the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, the Rape of Nanking, et al.

Comment: No cash? No prospects? Join IS and help yourself and the US government!



      Read More...
Megaphone

Putin has made it clear that Russia poses no threat to NATO, says US pundit


Sputnik
Wed, 17 Jun 2015 14:04 UTC
Image
© Sputnik/ Ramil Sitdikov
Russian President Vladimir Putin has made it clear that his country is not threatening NATO, according to Jeffrey Sommers, an associate professor of political economy and public policy at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Russia does not pose a threat to NATO countries, as was clarified by the country's President Vladimir Putin, Jeffrey Sommers, associate professor of political economy and public policy at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said in an interview with RT.

"I don't think Russia is a threat to NATO at all, and that's what needs to be recognized," Sommers said.

"Vladimir Putin has been very, very careful to assure the West that this is not a reprise of Soviet expansionism that we see on the part of Russia's military buildup, which from its perspective is to protect its interest, and to protect itself against what it sees as a reprise of the always contingent nature of history," he added.

According to him, the possible deployment of about 5,000 NATO troops in Eastern Europe does not represent a threat to Russia.

Comment: Bilateral cooperation is possible between parties when there is some shared level of respect and sanity. Unfortunately for the world, the US has neither. The puppets for the beligerent elite do want to push Russia into war with their vassel states. Fortunately for the world, Putin and his advisors are much too smart for that.

      Read More...
Amazon Smile
Revolt! T-shirts