Welcome to Sott.net
Tue, 02 Nov 2021
The World for People who Think

Puppet Masters
Map

X

Senator Lindsey Graham: 'China's hands all over N. Korea's condemnation of US talks'


RT
Mon, 09 Jul 2018 09:45 UTC
Kim Yong Chol Pompeo
© Andrew Harnik / Reuters
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is seen with North Korean official Kim Yong Chol on July 6, 2018.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) has accused Beijing of being behind Pyongyang's condemnation of recent talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, while making bizarre threats to North Korea's leadership.

Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Graham said: "I see China's hands all over this," adding that there is "no doubt" in his mind that China is "pulling the North Koreans back."

Graham cited the ongoing trade war between Washington and Beijing as the possible motivation. "We're in a fight with China."

He went on to state that the US has "more bullets than they (China) do when it comes to trade," stating that "we can hurt them more than they hurt us."


Comment: He might want to rethink that. Trade is not something that exists in isolation, and if anyone is able to put the 'hurt' on someone it's going to be China on the US.


Graham then had a message for Pyongyang, referencing the fact that Kim Yong Chol, a top adviser to Kim Jong-un and a former spy chief, had asked Pompeo if he slept well during his visit to North Korea.

Comment: Senator Graham, like his other war mongering counterparts, continues the "war is peace" fantasy. There is yet to be an 'intervention' that has produced 'long-term stability' and 'national security' as a result. In fact, the opposite of that is what occurs.

      Read More...
Info

France, Germany and the UK agree to establish dollarless trade with Iran


RT
Mon, 09 Jul 2018 10:13 UTC
Iran exchange
© Morteza Nikoubazl / Reuters
Major European countries party to nuclear negotiations with Iran - France, Germany and the UK - have agreed to maintain trade with Tehran independent from the US dollar, said Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Lavrov told reporters in Vienna that French companies Total and Peugeot have already left Iran as they decided that the US market is more important for them. French shipping company CMA CGM, one of the world's largest cargo shipping companies, has recently announced that it will stop doing business with Iran out of fear of becoming targeted by Washington.

"Our French colleagues explained they cannot do anything. The only thing they can do is to collectively and individually develop such forms of trade and settlements with Iran that won't depend on the dollar and will be conducted by companies that see trade with Iran as more profitable than with the US," the Russian Foreign Minister said. According to Lavrov, the decision particularly concerns small and medium-sized companies. He explained that the participants in the Iranian deal have agreed to work out measures to protect the countries' businesses from US sanctions.

"Everyone agrees that this [US sanctions - Ed.] is an absolutely illegal and unacceptable policy, but, of course, this can hardly be changed and there will be enough struggle in trade, economic and political spheres," the minister said. Last week, EU lawmakers gave approval for the European Investment Bank (EIB) to do business in Iran in an attempt to save the 2015 nuclear deal. The US withdrew from the deal on May 8. US sanctions will snap back in two parts, with a first round returning in August, and with the harshest sanctions returning in early November.

Comment: The US violated all its international commitments and now through threats and ultimatums is forcing its European partners to choose the same irresponsible path.
See also:

      Read More...
Newspaper

Finland's President thinks EU "not strong enough" for international politics, wants US and Russia to discuss disarmament


Sputnik
Mon, 09 Jul 2018 09:29 UTC
Sauli Niinistö
© AP Photo / Ivan Sekretarev
Sauli Niinistö
According to Sauli Niinistö, the lack of solidarity and resolve, coupled with increasing personification and polarization in world politics, creates an opportunity for the US and Russia to negotiate European issues without Europe's involvement.

The EU is not sufficiently united or strong enough in terms of international politics, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö admitted in a lengthy interview with the Finnish tabloid newspaper Ilta-Sanomat this past weekend.

While calling the upcoming meeting between Putin and Trump, which is scheduled in Helsinki on July 16, "promising," Niinistö said he was still worried about increasing polarization and world politics being increasingly centered on individuals. In particular, Niinistö expressed fears that the lack of solidarity and resolve in Europe allows the US and Russia to negotiate European issues without Europe's involvement.

Niinistö said this lack of solidarity and resolve creates an opportunity for the US and Russia to negotiate European issues without Europe's involvement.

Comment: The EU is a shambles and only has itself to blame. Russia is involved because of its now undeniably crucial influence on the multipolar world stage and because otherwise the US would be running the demented pantomime just like in the old, terrible times of yore: Also check out SOTT radio's:

      Read More...
Bad Guys

Douma 'chemical' incident analysis: Deception in plain sight


Media Lens
Wed, 25 Apr 2018 18:18 UTC
US syria missile strike
Part 1: Deception In Plain Sight

UK corporate media are under a curious kind of military occupation. Almost all print and broadcast media now employ a number of reporters and commentators who are relentless and determined warmongers. Despite the long, unarguable history of US-UK lying on war, and the catastrophic results, these journalists instantly confirm the veracity of atrocity claims made against Official Enemies, while having little or nothing to say about the proven crimes of the US, UK, Israel and their allies. They shriek with a level of moral outrage from which their own government is forever spared. They laud even the most obviously biased, tinpot sources blaming the 'Enemy', while dismissing out of hand the best scientific researchers, investigative journalists and academic sceptics who disagree.

Anyone who challenges this strange bias is branded a 'denier', 'pro-Saddam', 'pro-Gaddafi, 'pro-Assad'. Above all, one robotically repeated word is generated again and again: 'Apologist... Apologist... Apologist'.

Claims of a chemical weapons attack on Douma, Syria on April 7, offered yet another textbook example of this reflexive warmongering. Remarkably, the alleged attack came just days after US president Donald Trump had declared of Syria:
'I want to get out. I want to bring our troops back home. I want to start rebuilding our nation.'
The 'mainstream' responded as one, with instant certainty, exactly as they had in response to atrocity and other casus belli claims in Houla, Ghouta, Khan Sheikhoun and many other cases in Iraq (1990), Iraq (1998), Iraq (2002-2003), Libya and Kosovo.
      Read More...
Rocket

Syrian air defenses repel Israeli missile strike on Tiyas Military Air base in Homs


Sputnik
Mon, 09 Jul 2018 08:39 UTC
A Su-22 fighter jet
© Sputnik / Iliya Pitalev
A Su-22 fighter jet at the Syrian Air Force in Homs province
Syrian air defense forces thwarted a strike on Sunday night that targeted the T4 air base in Homs province, Reuters reported.

The T4 airbase, also known as the Tiyas Military Air base, is reportedly used by Iranian forces. An army officer in the southern Syrian desert claimed that the air defense systems shot down projectiles allegedly launched from south of the Tanf region toward the T4 air base.

Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed that a missile shelling targetet "Iranian fighters" at the T4 Air base, AFP Reported.

Comment: On July 8, warplanes of the Israeli Air Force (IAF) carried out an airstrike on the Syrian T-4 airbase in the central governorate of Homs, according to the Hezbollah media wing in Syria.
The General Command of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) announced in an official statement that the Syrian Arab Air Defense Forces (SyAADF) engaged with the Israel warplanes and managed to damage one warplane and to shot down several air to surface missiles.


However, other Israel missiles managed to hit the airbase, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA). The state-run news agency added that the missiles caused material damage only.


      Read More...
Robot

US bullies smaller nations into adopting anti-breast-feeding WHO resolution, until Russia steps in...

Andrew Jacobs
New York Times
Sun, 08 Jul 2018 21:24 UTC
breast-feeding
A resolution to encourage breast-feeding was expected to be approved quickly and easily by the hundreds of government delegates who gathered this spring in Geneva for the United Nations-affiliated World Health Assembly.

Based on decades of research, the resolution says that mother's milk is healthiest for children and countries should strive to limit the inaccurate or misleading marketing of breast milk substitutes.

Then the United States delegation, embracing the interests of infant formula manufacturers, upended the deliberations.

American officials sought to water down the resolution by removing language that called on governments to "protect, promote and support breast-feeding" and another passage that called on policymakers to restrict the promotion of food products that many experts say can have deleterious effects on young children.
homer facepalm

FACEPALM
When that failed, they turned to threats, according to diplomats and government officials who took part in the discussions. Ecuador, which had planned to introduce the measure, was the first to find itself in the cross hairs.

Comment: Trump himself gets many things right, but holy moly, he has brought some serious crazy with him in his wake.

      Read More...
Dollars

The 'Trade War' is just the beginning of a new global monetary system

Russell Napier
Zero Hedge
Fri, 06 Jul 2018 20:28 UTC
RMB/Dollar
© Frontera
Renminbi • Dollar
A Country Matures, An Exchange Rate Declines

After two weeks on the road visiting clients your analyst returns with a better view of the consensus outlook. There is, though, much in the consensus to disagree with. In particular it seems peculiar that the consensus believes the democratically elected government of Italy, with policies entirely contrary to EU membership, will be put through the bureaucratic meat grinder in Rome and Brussels and turned into EU sausage, in a similar process that minced the political representatives of Greece.

While this might well be the case, it is hard to understand that the grinding destruction of this democracy, even if it is only moderate compared to the Greek experience, can be anything but bad for growth and asset prices in the EU. Disciplining these politicians to abandon their manifesto promises and follow the ways of the EU is highly unlikely to be a painless experience, either for Italy or the rest of the EU. Nonetheless, investors are content to believe that a painless disciplining of Italy's elected representatives is all but inevitable. We shall see.

Perhaps the most prevailing consensus view is that the recent weakness of the RMB represents a Chinese counter-punch in the trade war with the US. Coming when it does, it is easy to see the accelerated decline of the RMB as a tactical and not a strategic move. Comments by the PBOC on July 3rd have probably reassured many investors that the managed exchange rate regime is not at risk and that the RMB will continue to be managed against a basket of currencies. Your analyst does not agree.
      Read More...
Star of David

Israel in fear of exposure: Dirty tactics against BDS

Ali Abunimah
The Electronic Intifada
Tue, 26 Jun 2018 00:00 UTC
Frank Luntz
© Washington Times
Frank Luntz, Israeli lobby strategist
A top Israel lobby strategist is afraid of The Electronic Intifada. Speaking at a conference sponsored by the Israeli government last week, Republican pollster Frank Luntz presented slides showing words he deems most effective for use in Israeli propaganda.

At one point, according to the publication The Media Line, Luntz warned audience members not to post photos of the slides online. "If you do, it will end up on The Electronic Intifada, and it will be used against everyone in this room," Luntz said.

Luntz was no doubt referring to The Electronic Intifada's reporting on a similar conference in May 2016 on how to defeat the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinians rights. At that time, Luntz abruptly ended his presentation fearing his slides would be publicized.

Comment: BDS support must be working because the push-back from Israel is increasingly strong.

      Read More...
Hammer

Iran nuclear deal partners agree to work without US, Iran wants guarantees and says Russia has "important role"


Press TV
Fri, 06 Jul 2018 16:46 UTC
iran deal eu
© AFP
Iran has threatened to withdraw from the deal if it does not receive enough economic guarantees to remain in it
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says all the remaining signatories to a 2015 landmark nuclear agreement have political will to stand up to the United States' move to withdraw from the deal.

Zarif made the remarks while addressing reporters in the Austrian capital Vienna on Friday following a meeting with his counterparts from Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia for the first time since US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out from the nuclear accord, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, in May.

The US president announced on May 8 that Washington was walking away from the nuclear agreement and that he plans to reinstate US nuclear sanctions on Iran and impose "the highest level" of economic bans on the Islamic Republic.

Comment: It is becoming clear to the world that US no longer calls the shots and it either works with them or it gets left behind: Also check out SOTT radio's:

      Read More...
Hotdog

Ex-CIA chief and Deep State puppet Brennan compares Trump to Bernie Madoff

Emily Birnbaum
The Hill
Fri, 06 Jul 2018 14:53 UTC
Bernie Madoff
© Getty Images
Former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Brennan on Thursday compared President Trump to convicted fraudster Bernie Madoff.

"You are to governance & politics what Bernie Madoff was to the stock market & investment advice," Brennan tweeted at Trump.

"The two of you share a remarkably unethical ability to deceive & manipulate others, building Ponzi schemes to aggrandize yourselves," Brennan added. "Truth & justice ultimately caught up with Bernie."

Comment: Brennan is just another Deep State puppet, repeating the party line:

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