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US Navy sued for $600mn by German tech company over 'unlicensed software'


RT
Thu, 21 Jul 2016 09:43 UTC
Navy
© U.S. Navy / Reuters
The US Navy has allegedly installed pirated copies of 3D virtual reality software on "hundreds of thousands" of its computers without permission, a German technology company claims. The firm is suing the military for $600 million in unpaid licenses.

Washington has taken a tough stance on software piracy over the past few years, pressing to criminalize copyright infringement and restrict access to copyrighted material. Now, it is the US military facing a $600-million lawsuit over alleged use of pirated software in a massive scale.

In a lawsuit filed in a US Federal Claims court last week, Bitmanagement, a German-based software provider, claimed the US Navy has been extensively using unlicensed copies of its virtual reality application called BS Contact Geo, TorrentFreak news outlet reported on Wednesday.
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USA

Trump: US can't dictate rule of law to Turkey, praises Erdogan's coup squelch


RT
Thu, 21 Jul 2016 12:10 UTC
trump hands in air
© www.politico.com
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for quelling last week's uprising. As for the aftermath, Trump told The New York Times he believes the US can't "lecture" others on civil liberties.

Trump delivered his view as he went over his main campaigning points with The New York Times ahead of the Thursday convention. Most focused on a heavy redefinition of American roles with regard to military presence and spending in other countries.

"I give great credit to him for being able to turn that around," he said of Erdogan's actions Friday night in quelling a coup attempted by a group of rebellious military. He also chose not to criticize the Turkish leader for his tactics in the aftermath of the uprising, which have seen thousands of military, education, and government personnel imprisoned, dismissed or suspended.

"I don't know that we have a right to lecture. Just look about what's happening with our country. How are we going to lecture when people are shooting our policemen in cold blood? How are we going to lecture when you see the riots and the horror going on in our own country?" Trump said.

The Republican presidential hopeful also mused over pressing Ankara into securing civil liberties in the post-coup environment. "When the world sees how bad the United States is and we start talking about civil liberties, I don't think we are a very good messenger," Trump explained. The Obama administration has so far appeared not to offer any strategy for dealing with Erdogan, with Turkey being a crucial ally in the region and home to American nuclear weapons.

Comment: Trump is not Hillary. And, occasionally he has a legitimate point. But the US oligarchy is no longer interested in legitimacy or good points. The presidency is a joke, which fits nicely with aspects of Trump. With Hillary, there will be hell raised to a brand new level. Choosing is not a decision; it is barely a question.

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Eye 1

Update: President Erdogan says other countries might be involved in coup attempt

Huaxia
Xinhua
Thu, 21 Jul 2016 04:45 UTC
Erdogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that other countries might be involved in July 15 coup attempt.

"There might be other countries involved in the coup attempt. Judicial process will reveal it," Erdogan said in an interview with Al Jazeera in Ankara.

Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric based in the U.S., and his people are behind the coup attempt, Erdogan said.

The Turkish president said he was informed about the coup attempt first by his brother-in-law and his initial reaction was disbelief.

He admitted that there was intelligence weakness for the incident. "If there were accurate intelligence they could prevent the coup attempt," Erdogan said.

Comment: See also: Failed Turkey coup: Why Russia warned Erdogan ahead of time

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Boat

Still making waves: Soviet-era Kirov class battlecruisers serve as a reminder to America of Russian naval prowess

Robert Farley
National Interest
Wed, 20 Jul 2016 18:10 UTC
Russian cruiser Kalinin
© Wikimedia Commons/U.S. Navy
A starboard bow view of the Soviet Kirov class nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser Kalinin.
In the 1970s, the Soviet Union embarked on a project to do what no navy had done for decades—build a surface warfare vessel comparable in size to the battleships of World War I and World War II. The U.S. Navy—and every other navy in the world—had given up on ships of this size due to expense and vulnerability. Why concentrate capabilities in a single ship which could quickly fall victim to missiles and torpedoes?

The Soviets not only persisted in building the ships, but have kept them in service even after the Cold War ended. Originally intended to threaten the U.S. Navy's most precious warships—aircraft carriers and ballistic missile submarines—the surviving ships now play a different role, showing the flag and ensuring that the world keeps Russian naval power in mind.
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Chess

Trump's statements on NATO anger European leaders


RT
Thu, 21 Jul 2016 19:12 UTC
trump
© Jim Young / Reuters
Eastern European NATO members, long in the habit of accusing Russia of aggressive plans to target them, were apparently given a cold shower by US presidential hopeful Donald Trump, who cast doubt over Washington's commitment to defend them.

"NATO is the basis for our security," Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said Thursday at a news conference in Poland, commenting on Trump's remarks. "I expect that also in the United States, whoever wins the presidential election, I hope the United States will remain a solid NATO partner."

The core of the North Atlantic Treaty is collective defense. Every member is bound to declare war on any nation attacking a NATO member. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Trump said America's obligation to do so was undermined by other NATO members who are not keeping their end of the bargain.

"They have an obligation to make payments. Many NATO nations are not making payments, are not making what they're supposed to make," he said in reference to the 2 percent GDP benchmark for defense spending, which is routinely not observed by most of the bloc's members.
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Snakes in Suits

Trump reportedly considering making fracking billionaire head of energy sector if elected president


RT
Thu, 21 Jul 2016 19:05 UTC
trum harold hamm
© Reuters
U.S. Republican Presidnetial nominee Donald Trump and Harold Hamm, founder and CEO of Continental Resources
If Donald Trump becomes president, America may get a 'fracker-in-chief' as its energy minister. Harold Hamm, an Oklahoma oil man and Republican donor, has been advising the Republican candidate on energy.

Reuters reported Wednesday that sources close to the Trump campaign have indicated that the candidate is considering Hamm for the position of energy secretary in his prospective cabinet, citing four anonymous sources.

The move would actually make Hamm, who is currently the CEO of Continental Resources, the first US energy secretary selected straight from the oil and gas industry since the cabinet position was created in 1977.

In his speech before the Republican National Convention, Hamm said that Trump would protect American interests by taking a more laissez-faire approach to the energy industry than President Obama or presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
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Jet5

Russian bombers destroy 2 ISIS command centers in Palmyra


RT
Thu, 21 Jul 2016 19:01 UTC
Sukhoi 22M airplane
© Vladimir Astapkovich / Sputnik
A Sukhoi 22M airplane
Six Russian Tu-22M3 long-range bombers have destroyed two terrorist command centers and compounds during anti-IS airstrikes near the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, Russia's Defense Ministry said.

Early in the morning on Thursday, six Tu-22M3 long-range bombers took off from a Russian air base to conduct "a concentrated strike" on Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) targets east of the Syrian city of Palmyra as well as outside the towns of As-Sukhnah, Arak and At-Taybah, the ministry's statement said.

"The militants' command centers, manpower and combat vehicles have been targeted," it also said.

"According to imagery intelligence, the airstrike destroyed two command centers of terrorist groupings, [their] manpower and combat vehicles in shelter," the Defense Ministry added.

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Question

Failed Turkey coup: Why Russia warned Erdogan ahead of time

Nikolai Starikov [Translated by Julia Rakhmetova]
Russia Insider
Thu, 21 Jul 2016 18:45 UTC
putin erdogan
Putin prefers the devil he knows to the unpredictable pro-US military

Let's start with the history of coups in Turkey. Traditionally, they have been conducted by the military, which modern Turkey's founder Kemal Ataturk designated as the guardians of secularism, stability and integrity. Since WWII, there were military coups in 1960, 1971, 1980 and 1997, and the US was behind EVERY one.

During the first coup in 1960, they tried to prevent a rapprochement with the USSR, turning off credit, and Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes planned to visit Moscow to set up an alternative source of crediting and economic assistance. The military took over, and the politicians who wanted to repair relations with Russia were removed.

The coup in 1971 was similar to the one in Chile that happened a little later in 1973, and which was also organized by the CIA. The goal was to stop the country from sliding "to the left" under politicians who held social values. The 1980 and 1997 coups were also conducted with US blessing.

Did Turkey's foreign policy change after the military came to power? No, Turkey was a faithful vassal of the US and remained pro-American, with all attempts to change that policy severely punished.
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Bomb

Retaliation beyond massacre: France deliberately bombs Syrian civilians after Nice attack


RT
Wed, 20 Jul 2016 15:20 UTC
Bombing Manbij
© www.theeventchronicle.com
Syria appeals to UN after French & US airstrikes kill hundreds of civilians. Did they think the city was empty?
Western coalition forces knew they were attacking an area inhabited by civilians and yet they carried out a bombing. How can 30 airstrikes be a mistake? How can they all be a mistake, political commentator Marwa Osman asked RT. The Syrian Foreign Ministry has written to the UN blaming US and French warplanes for the deaths of more than 100 civilians near the city of Manbij.

The alleged French act of aggression claimed the lives of more than 120 civilians, most of them children, women and elderly. The fate of scores of other civilians still under the debris is unknown. The letter also mentioned the French air strikes came a day after US warplanes conducted a bombing raid, which Damascus claims killed 20 other civilians.


Comment: Local sources raised the death number to 300 and counting.


RT: In January, the US-led coalition was reportedly (as claimed by CNN) prepared for up to 50 civilian deaths when it decided to target an ISIS cash vault. Can the risk of so-called collateral damage be justified for the greater good?

Marwa Osman: They blatantly call it 'collateral damage' when it is lives of the Syrian people which are being lost here. No one is talking about this, about the grave lives of the people who are living in Syria because of this coalition, because of the support this coalition has been giving to all sorts of groups. We already saw that the same thing in the French bombing, we saw the same thing that happened in a school in Iraq's Nineveh massacre of 36 children after ISIS claimed responsibility for the Paris attacks. And now after the Nice attack, we see this in Syria. This is beyond unacceptable, this is beyond a massacre. They knew that this is an inhabited area by civilians and yet they did it. How can 30 airstrikes be a mistake? How can they all be a mistake? This is unacceptable...

Comment: Vengeance has no place in war. Who is going to make France and the US accountable? Surely not the UN.

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Magnify

The white-washed WADA report on Russian doping will make you laugh through your tears

Fritz Morgen [Translated by Elina Nigamatyanova]
Russia Insider
Thu, 21 Jul 2016 18:02 UTC
Russian athlete
© JIRO MOCHIZUKI/PHOTORUN
MARIYA SAVINOVA, THE 2012 OLYMPIC 800-METER CHAMPION
It's difficult to read the pro -American WADA report about doping in Russia without laughing - it sounds so crazy that it seems more like a comedy scenario about bad Russians than serious research.

According to the WADA, during the Olympic Games in Sochi, KGB agents not only passed vials of urine through a hole in a wall (!), but also in some mysterious way, got the urine samples into sterile containers, adding salt in the process.

Rodchenkov, a Russian defector, treated sportsmen to the alcoholic cocktail "Dushes" of his creation. This magic concoction allegedly helped sportsmen eliminate doping substances faster.

Again, like some low budget movie - the KGB, the holes in walls, adding salt to the urine with a magical vodka-based elixir.... A classic selection of cheap thrills. But the situation is complicated by the fact that the WADA doesn't have standard evidence.
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