Welcome to Sott.net
Fri, 05 Nov 2021
The World for People who Think

Puppet Masters
Map

Attention

Truth takes a back seat to profiteering in West's drive to demonize Russia

Devis Ziroldo
Russia Insider
Sat, 28 Mar 2015 23:04 UTC
Propaganda
© Russian Insider
It's an old game.
Sanctions against Russia are damaging the economies of many EU Countries, but "that doesn't matter," according to the Mainstream Media. The myth is "the West" must be continued, at all costs; thus, truth, or even the perception of it, must be sacrificed.

In a recent article by Italian newspaper La Stampa, "The firmness needed with Russia", about the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Renzi to Moscow, journalist Stefano Stefanini calls to arms. He has no doubts. Everything is certain. We are the good guys.

"Italy is friend with Russia, but they are objectively divided by their respective camps," "The tensions are all Putin's fault," and "This new cold war is provoked by the Kremlin" are only mild examples of the traditional anti-Russia stance by the newspaper based in Turin, which usually, in other days, is far more aggressive and biased against the Bear. The recurring theme of "the EU is united" is not missing, as you may expect. But nothing is further from the truth.
      Read More...
TV

NATO adds information warfare branch in Latvia


Sputnik
Sun, 29 Mar 2015 22:41 UTC
Image
© Flickr/ Antonio C.
The Latvian capital of Riga has recently become the new home of a branch of NATOChannel, a media content provider creating, video, audio, and internet content for the alliance, Latvian media reports.

The office, its staff relocated to the country from Kabul, Afghanistan, is set to join two other NATOChannel offices in Europe, located in Belgium and Spain.

NATO Communication Coordination, Public Diplomacy Division Chief Stephen Mehringer told Latvian business newspaper BB.lv that the Riga office will contain a regular contingent of only 3-4 journalists, set to report on the alliance's activities in Eastern Europe. The Riga contingent is rather modest; by comparison, the organization's Brussels office has 29 full time journalists, along with 10 freelancers.

Mehringer told BB.lv that Riga was picked because of its "good location, and because the city is home to NATO's Strategic Communications Center of Excellence."

Comment: The information warfare is starting to heat up. More preparations against Russia and winning hearts and minds of the unquestioning masses.

      Read More...
Red Flag

RAF holds biggest exercise in 13 years to repel a Russian threat


ITAR-TASS
Sun, 29 Mar 2015 22:17 UTC
Image
© EPA/CPL JIMMY WISE RAF)/BRITISH MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
The UK's Royal Air Force held the biggest exercise over British skies in the past 13 years to repel a Russian threat, The Sunday Times reported.

"The RAF has launched a series of air combat exercises to prepare for any 'mass' enemy air attack on the UK," the paper said, adding such large-scale air defense exercises over the British skies were held for the first time at least in the past 13 years.

According to the paper, the maneuvers involving more than 30 aircraft, including 20 Typhoon jet fighters and Tornado bombers were held in a day-long war game over the skies of northeast England earlier this month due to the increasingly frequent flights by Russian military aircraft in the international air space close to the UK's territory.

Similar air defense exercises dubbed the Rising Panther are expected to be held regularly above the British skies, up to six times a year, the paper said.

Comment: Are US/NATO/EU preparing before they provide some provocation against Russia?

      Read More...
Airplane

Germanwings crash: Not the full story?

Joe Quinn
Sott.net
Sun, 29 Mar 2015 17:09 UTC
Image
When I heard about the crash of Germanwings Flight GWI9525 in the French Alps on the morning of March 24th, I was shocked, but to be honest, not that shocked. It's not that I expected it to happen, but this was the fifth such incident in the last year. If that frequency is maintained, the statistically-very-low chances of meeting an untimely end on a commercial flight will have to be recalculated.

In the immediate aftermath of the crash I, like many others around the world, waited patiently for the details. What could possibly cause a modern, albeit a little aged, first-generation Airbus A320 to suddenly drop out of the sky and slam into a mountain side? I had a few theories, among them the incapacitating effects of an 'EMP' from an exploding overhead space rock. The shocking rise in fireball/meteorite sightings over the past 10 years makes this plausible, and might well have been the cause of the crash of AF447 into the South Atlantic ocean in 2009. But I waited, and I expected to wait because investigations of this sort can, and should, take quite a while to complete.

When dealing with airplane crashes, the most important information, even more important than the cockpit voice recordings, is the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) or ADR (Accident Data Recorder). The FDR records instructions sent to all electronic systems on an aircraft, including the auto-pilot and the security system for the entry to the cockpit.
      Read More...
Snakes in Suits

Ukraine's oligarchs turning on each other

Robert Parry
Consortium News
Wed, 25 Mar 2015 21:49 UTC
In the never-never land of how the mainstream U.S. press covers the Ukraine crisis, the appointment last year of thuggish oligarch Igor Kolomoisky to govern one of the country's eastern provinces was pitched as a democratic "reform" because he was supposedly too rich to bribe, without noting that his wealth had come from plundering the country's economy.

In other words, the new U.S.-backed "democratic" regime, after overthrowing democratically elected President Viktor Yanukovych because he was "corrupt," was rewarding one of Ukraine's top thieves by letting him lord over his own province, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, with the help of his personal army.

Comment: The vultures are feasting on the carcass.

      Read More...
Vader

Rick Perry says he's a 'Netanyahu guy' or in other words, a psychopath

Wendy Gittleson
AddictingInfo
Wed, 25 Mar 2015 00:12 UTC
Sometime over the last few months, the United States has gained a second president. This one was clearly not born in the U.S. In fact, he's never even lived in this country.

Our second president doesn't care about America's poor or middle class. He doesn't care about whether our children are educated. The only time our second president cares about domestic issues at all is if the money spent on them takes away from money budgeted for Israel or for wars in the Middle East.

Naturally, that second president is Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu. In many ways, Netanyahu has long been behind many of the U.S.'s policies. Israel is behind our Middle East policies. Support for Israel has long been a key to both the Jewish vote and to protecting our oil interests in the Middle East.

Evangelical Christians, especially those who believe in the end times, believe that Israel and the conversion of the Jewish people are key to the upcoming rapture.

For Republicans, support for Israel hits their top constituents - religious nuts and war mongers. It's only been in recent months, though, that they've turned Israel's Prime Minister into a Republican and like any Republican of late, he's used as some sort of anti-Obama.

Rick Perry sees him as an anti-Obama. In Bloomberg Politics, Perry was asked if he was "more a Netanyahu guy or an Obama guy." Yes, that was a serious question. Perry's answer, of course, was that he was a Netanyahu guy.
      Read More...
Better Earth

Putin to Federal Security Service: Western belligerence will not work on Russia - never has, never will

Vladimir Putin
President of Russia (Kremlin)
Thu, 26 Mar 2015 17:05 UTC
Vladimir Putin took part in a Federal Security Service board meeting. Meeting participants summed up the results of the Federal Security Service operations in 2014 and set priority targets for 2015.
putin
© Presidential Press and Information Office
At the Federal Security Service board meeting.
Good afternoon, colleagues.

We always attach great importance to the work of the key power agencies pertaining to national security. Today, within the framework of this expanded board meeting we will summarise the results of Federal Security Service operations in 2014 and set priority goals for the future.

I would like to begin by saying that, as you all know, the past year was not an easy one. The world situation has exacerbated. We witnessed growing tensions in the Middle East and a number of other areas of the world, while a state coup provoked civil war in Ukraine.

Russia is making significant efforts to reconcile the parties and normalise the situation. We have already received and continue receiving thousands, even hundreds of thousands of refugees and are doing all we can to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.
      Read More...
No Entry

Syrian president Assad: West doesn't want to 'completely' get rid of ISIS

Jon Stone
RT
Fri, 27 Mar 2015 18:13 UTC
assad

Bashar Assad told the Russian media that the West lacked 'seriousness' in taking on Isis
The alliance of 60 countries declaring plans to finish off the Islamic State is not serious, Syrian President Bashar Assad told Russian media. Some of its members would prefer to retain the terrorist force to blackmail different countries, he said.

The rate of airstrikes conducted by the anti-ISIS coalition member states, some of which are "rich and advanced," is only about 10 raids a day on the territory of both Syria and Iraq, Assad said in an interview published Friday.

"The Syrian Air Force, which is very small in comparison to this coalition, conducts in a single day many times the number of the airstrikes conducted by a coalition which includes 60 countries," Assad said.

"This doesn't make sense. This shows the lack of seriousness," said Syria's president. "They don't want to get rid of ISIS completely."

"There is no serious effort to fight terrorism, and what is being achieved by the Syrian forces on the ground equals in one day what is being achieved by these states in weeks," Assad said. "An anti-terrorist coalition cannot consist of countries which are themselves supporters of terrorism."

Comment: Assad is correct on all points. Well said, Mr. President. See:

      Read More...
Monkey Wrench

US raises pressure on Israel over Palestinian statehood

Joe Lauria, Carol E. Lee, Joshua Mitnick
Wall Street Journal
Fri, 27 Mar 2015 07:17 UTC
Bibi and Barry
© 3-reg.rtvslo.si
"Loathing" would be too good a term! Game on, pal!
The U.S. exerted new pressure against Israel by leaving open the possibility of letting the United Nations set a deadline for a Palestinian state, in what would be a departure from using American veto power to protect its close Mideast ally.

The prospect of a U.N. Security Council resolution arose Friday when French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Paris would introduce a measure setting a deadline for a negotiated settlement of the conflict and the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, possibly within two years.

On dozens of occasions in recent decades, the U.S. has lobbied against approval of such resolutions, using its veto authority as a permanent member of the Security Council as a last resort. In response to past resolutions concerning the Middle East, the White House has echoed Israel's contention that U.N. action cannot substitute for direct negotiations.


Comment: While Netanyahu's remarks have backed Israel into a corner, they have seemingly allowed Obama to step out of one. Perhaps there is a glimmer that the US can, for once, act on higher instincts instead of the dictates of Israel and its agenda. This is what makes other leaders in Israel cringe, not "humanitarian consideration" and certainly not the 2-state solution. And, coupled with an Iranian deal, there would hopefully advance certain checks and balances on unconfined Israeli aggression. Unfortunately, when an ally shows some independence and/or opposition, the possibility of covert events to act as "punishing reminders" to tow the line become more likely.

      Read More...
Pyramid

UK government has frozen bank accounts of just 6 out of hundreds of known British ISIS terrorists - List does NOT include head-chopper 'Jihadi John'

Robert Mendick & Robert Verkaik
The Telegraph
Sat, 14 Mar 2015 12:26 UTC
Image

The rising London rap star on the left, and the ISIS executioner on the right are the same person, according to MI6
Only six out of more than 600 British jihadists have had their bank accounts frozen under special terror laws, according to an official report.

The review also shows just £50,000 worth of assets was frozen in bank accounts opened by terror suspects operating in the UK. The amount was branded "remarkably low" by David Anderson QC, the Government's independent reviewer of terrorism legislation and author of the new study.

Mr Anderson's report into 'the operation of terrorist asset-freezing' lays bare the Coalition's failure to seize jihadists' money under the Terrorist Asset-Freezing Act (TAFA) 2010.

His findings will be seized upon by critics who have complained the Coalition has failed to crack down on terror financiers.

The report says more than 600 British-based jihadists have travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) and other terror groups such as al-Qaeda but only six currently have their assets frozen.

They are: Nasser Muthana, 20, and Reyaad Khan, 21, both from Cardiff, and Ruhul Amin, from Aberdeen, who all appeared in an Isil recruitment video last summer, which sparked widespread outrage.

Comment: What other logical conclusion can one draw from this but that the British government is exercising its power to protect these jihadists? Even now, after this has been brought to light on more than one occasion, the British government is not interfering with the capabilities of 'Jihadi John' and his 'Beatles' crew to access funding via London banks.

Why?

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