Puppet Masters

Israeli justice, its continuing farce

Yotam Ben-Hillel
Mondoweiss
Wed, 15 May 2019 00:00 UTC

© Saeed Qaq/APA Images
A Palestinian man sits next to belongings removed from his house as Israeli police officers stand guard during a demolition of the house in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina, October 29, 2013. A statement from the Jerusalem Municipality said there was a court order for the demolition of the house, which was built without a permit.

One of the major topics highlighted in the recent Israeli elections was the increasing attempt to restrain the ostensibly extensive powers of the Israeli judiciary and its alleged interference - the High Court in particular - in the government's actions. Whereas Israelis can easily and willingly be fooled by the notion of a superpower liberal court threatening to overturn any right wing administration initiative, Palestinians residing in the occupied territories know better. Forbidden from participating in elections determining their own fate, 52 years of Israeli occupation have made Palestinians increasingly distrustful toward the Israeli judiciary.

In late April the Israeli High Court of Justice dismissed a petition, submitted by several Palestinian village councils from different areas of the West Bank together with human rights organizations, which demanded to revoke a new Israeli military order aiming to grant the Israeli Civil Administration excessive powers to demolish within 96 hours any type of new building - houses, schools, livestock structures, etc. - erected "illegally" in Area C of the West Bank.

The petitioners argued that the new order changes the existing legal arrangements, as set in Jordanian Planning Law applied to the occupied Palestinian territory, and therefore breaches international humanitarian law requiring the occupying power to respect laws already in force in the occupied territory. Whereas the existing Jordanian Law sets regulated appeal procedures, which include a hearing and opportunity to apply for a building permit, the newly introduced order qualifies the Israeli Civil Administration to conduct a swift demolition while grossly violating the right to due process.

Top Hezbollah official: US plots in the ME will fail

PressTV
Tue, 14 May 2019 04:13 UTC

A high-ranking member of the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement says US President Donald Trump's administration is in a state of confusion concerning the developments unfolding in Middle East, stating that Washington's schemes in the region will not thrive.

Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said:

"(The United States of) America knows that its ability to change equations in the region is weak because there are resistance fighters and a resistance front. Therefore, it cannot dictate what it wants and impose its Israeli and non-Israeli plans."

He then advised leaders of the Persian Gulf kingdoms to review their foreign policy, emphasizing that US plots in the Middle East will fail as the anti-Israel resistance front is confronting them with all available means.

'Putin smiles': A clear signal for Russophobic media to disparage Pompeo's diplomacy trip

RT
Wed, 15 May 2019 19:34 UTC

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's recent trip to Sochi to meet with the Russian president and foreign minister has heads exploding. Many in the media, it seems, will not tolerate a shred of diplomacy with Russia.

By all indications Tuesday's meetings in the Russian resort city of Sochi were productive, with both parties showing a desire for warmer relations. Pompeo told Russian FM Sergey Lavrov that President Donald Trump "is committed to improving this relationship." But much of the mainstream media, to nobody's surprise, was having none of it.

MSNBC's Chris Hayes remains fixated on the Trump-Russia conspiracy theory, months after Robert Mueller's seemingly endless investigation discredited it. Hayes saw the meetings as an opportunity to breathe new life into the idea of "collusion."

Comment: See also:

Iran is high-hanging fruit, which is why US is unlikely to attack

Neil Clark
RT
Thu, 16 May 2019 19:17 UTC

There's been lots of talk about an imminent war with Iran. The US is engaging in a military build-up in the Persian Gulf and the rhetoric from Washington is increasingly bellicose.

However, a full-scale conflict is still unlikely, because Iran, unlike other countries the US has attacked, is no soft target.

The US already deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East earlier in the month. The Pentagon also announced that a battery of Patriot missiles and transport ship, the USS Arlington, were on their way to the Gulf.

Taken together with the fiercely anti-Iranian rhetoric of foaming-at-the-mouth neo-con figures in the Trump administration, such as National Security Advisor John Bolton, and unsubstantiated claims that Iran had sabotaged four tankers in the Persian Gulf, does this mean we are heading for a conflict?

While we shouldn't dismiss the risks of something very big kicking off soon, as a betting man, my money is on the US NOT attacking the Islamic Republic.

Saudi-led warplanes pound rebel targets after drone pipeline attack

AFP
Thu, 16 May 2019 00:00 UTC

Saudi-led coalition warplanes bombed Yemeni rebel targets including in the capital on Thursday following insurgent drone strikes on a key oil pipeline that Riyadh said were ordered by its arch-rival Tehran.

The new bombardment came after the UN envoy, who has been spearheading efforts to end more than four years of conflict in the Arab world's poorest country, warned it still faced the threat of plunging into all-out war.

The Saudi deputy defence minister warned that Tuesday's attack by Yemeni rebels on a major pipeline in the kingdom was "tightening the noose" around peace efforts.

The Saudi-led coalition, which has been battling the Huthi rebels since March 2015, confirmed that its warplanes were carrying out multiple strikes across rebel-held territory. "We have begun to launch air strikes targeting sites operated by the Huthi militia, including in Sanaa," a coalition official, who declined to be identified, told AFP.

The coalition said it had hit "a number of legitimate military targets" that the rebels used to store munitions. The rebels' Al-Masirahn television said the coalition carried out at least 19 strikes, 11 of them in the capital.

Comment: See also:

China formally arrests two Canadians on spying charges

CBC
Thu, 16 May 2019 18:35 UTC

© Associated Press/International Crisis Group/Canadian Press
Michael Spavor, left, and former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig, right

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Beijing of not playing by the same rules the large majority of democracies follow after Chinese authorities formally arrested two Canadians, accusing them of crimes related to national security.

Businessman Michael Spavor, who worked with North Korea, and former diplomat Michael Kovrig were picked up separately in December, shortly after Canada arrested Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver, and were recently arrested, according to both Chinese and Canadian officials.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang told a daily news briefing in Beijing on Thursday morning that Kovrig - who now works for the International Crisis Group (ICG) a non-governmental organization which focuses on conflict resolution - is suspected of gathering state secrets for other countries and Spavor is accused of stealing and illegally providing state secrets, said Lu.

He didn't say when the men will be formally charged, just that they had recently been arrested.

Comment: Previously:

Maduro's minister reportedly meets secretly with Guaido's representative in Norway

RT
Thu, 16 May 2019 18:31 UTC

Envoys representing the Venezuelan opposition and government are meeting in Norway, multiple reports said. The news comes two weeks after Juan Guaido failed to rally troops to oust Nicholas Maduro.

Members of the Venezuelan government and opposition are holding secret talks at an undisclosed location in Norwegian capital, Oslo, several media outlets reported on Thursday, citing sources within the opposition, as well as in Norwegian diplomatic circles.

The government delegation is said to be led by Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez, while the opposition leader Juan Guaido is being represented by lawmaker Stalin Gonzalez. Guaido's two political advisers are reportedly present, along with a state governor allied with President Nicolas Maduro.

'As if Germany is a US colony': Bundestag energy chief lashes out at Russia sanctions

RT
Thu, 16 May 2019 18:28 UTC

Only the US - not Germany or the EU - is interested in economic sanctions against Russia, the head of the Bundestag's economy and energy committee has said. German MPs are looking at ways to lift the restrictions, he added.

Bundestag energy and economy chief Klaus Ernst of Die Linke party accused the US of behaving as if Germany is its colony, as Washington tries to bully Europeans out of buying Russian gas.

"Those measures don't only target Russians, they deliberately target Europeans, for example German energy companies involved in Nord Stream 2," he said at a conference on the prospects of energy cooperation between Russia and the EU, organized by the Russian Gas Society - an association of Russian energy companies, relevant research institutions and local administrations.

Anti-coup activists arrested as police batter down door of Venezuelan Embassy in DC - flagrant violation of international law

RT
Thu, 16 May 2019 13:36 UTC

In clear violation of international law, police broke into Venezuela's embassy in Washington DC, arresting activists invited by staff. They prevented the building from being seized by US-backed coup leader Juan Guaido's people.

After spending over a month camped out in the embassy, the final four activists of the Venezuelan Embassy Protection Collective have been placed under arrest after police broke down doors and entered the premises on Thursday.

Garbage war: Manila recalls diplomats as Canada fails to reclaim truckloads of illegally dumped trash from Philippines

RT
Thu, 16 May 2019 07:31 UTC

“They have been sending their trash to us. Well, not this time. We will quarrel with each other. So what if we quarrel with Canada? We’ll declare war against them, we can beat them,” Duterte said.

Manila has recalled its diplomats from Canada after Ottawa failed to reclaim truckloads of garbage that was dumped in the Philippines years ago. The move came after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened war if nothing changed.

Foreign secretary of the South Asian nation, Teodoro Locsin Jr, wrote on Twitter that until the North American state takes back its trash, the Philippines "shall maintain a diminished diplomatic presence in Canada."

A Canadian company illegally dumped more than 100 containers of trash in the Philippines between 2013 and 2014. The Canadian government took the responsibility of shipping the trash back, but failed to meet the deadline.

A Fox News host (Lisa Booth) asking some of the right questions (nothing new if you're not new to the ranks of SOTTypes though). Her spiel begins...

Animanarchy

I've got a LOT of rope. Just let me know.

DeliciousTears

Brand new JP Sears video. Spiritual People Then vs Now: [Link]

Animanarchy

Well, if anyone would know a 'rigger', it's Obomber. The democratic party is filled with riggers, as the last 'election' amply demonstrated.......

Winston Smith

Government, aided by mainstream media: lie upon lie upon lie....

ReRan

Puppet Masters

Israeli justice, its continuing farce

Top Hezbollah official: US plots in the ME will fail

'Putin smiles': A clear signal for Russophobic media to disparage Pompeo's diplomacy trip

Iran is high-hanging fruit, which is why US is unlikely to attack

Saudi-led warplanes pound rebel targets after drone pipeline attack

China formally arrests two Canadians on spying charges

Maduro's minister reportedly meets secretly with Guaido's representative in Norway

'As if Germany is a US colony': Bundestag energy chief lashes out at Russia sanctions

Anti-coup activists arrested as police batter down door of Venezuelan Embassy in DC - flagrant violation of international law

Garbage war: Manila recalls diplomats as Canada fails to reclaim truckloads of illegally dumped trash from Philippines

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