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US bringing missile defense systems to Iraq in bid to protect troops against 'potential Iranian attack' - CENTCOM


RT
Tue, 10 Mar 2020 16:12 UTC
Patriot
© AFP / BULENT KILIC
FILE PHOTO A Patriot missile launcher system
Pulling out the 'Iran threat' card, the head of the US Central Command has announced that Washington is in the process of installing "air defense systems" and "ballistic missile defense systems" in Iraq.

US Marine Corps General Kenneth McKenzie revealed his country's latest military maneuver in the Middle East during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Tuesday.

"We are also in the process of bringing air defense systems, ballistic missile defense systems, into Iraq in particular, to protect ourselves against another potential Iranian attack."

Comment: And the Pentagon insists its presence in Iraq is a 'force for good'...

See also:

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Star of David

Not off the hook: Court rejects Israeli PM Netanyahu's bid to delay corruption trial


Sputnik
Tue, 10 Mar 2020 19:07 UTC
Netanyahu
© Lasha Darkmoon
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu
The prime minister's lawyers had asked for a delay, saying that more time was needed to study evidence.

An Israeli court has rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request to delay the beginning of his corruption trial, paving the way for it to begin next week as it was planned.

According to the presiding judge, there is no need for a delay since the first session that will take place on 17 March is a procedural reading of the charges, which means that Mr Netanyahu's response is not required.

Comment: This may be Netanyahu's last gambit. His immunity request has already been denied.

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Arrow Up

Hezbollah learned important lessons in recent Idlib attacks, for if Israel ever attacks

Elijah Magnier
ejmagnier.com
Mon, 09 Mar 2020 19:05 UTC
hezbollah
For the first time in its official existence in 1985, Lebanon's Hezbollah has now clashed on the battlefield with the Turkish army, one of NATO's strongest. The face-to-face clash between Hezbollah and the Turkish military took place in the rural area of Idlib where dozens of Turkish service members lost their lives while fighting side-by-side with jihadists and foreign fighters of different nationalities, including al-Qaeda members. The Turkish-NATO army used similar weapons and tactics to Israel. They surprised Hezbollah by using armed drones and precision bombing behind the frontline, killing nine militants and wounding 65 in one single attack. So many Hezbollah militants were killed in one place due to the collapse of the entire building they gathered under, located behind the main battlefield line.

Another factor was the unexpected withdrawal of Russian air coverage at the moment Turkey was sending its Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAVs) (or Unmanned Aerial System (UAV) better known as armed drones) deep inland, bombing Iran and its allies for the first time. This confrontation has introduced a new military doctrine to Hezbollah militants and has taught them new lessons based on experiences Hezbollah has never been confronted with in the past. Turkey used its UCAVs, TRG-122 satellite-guided rockets, High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and ground attacks by the Turkish army fighting alongside jihadists. It is most likely what Israel has been threatening Hezbollah with, in the event of war.

Moreover, Israel's concern about the outstanding Hezbollah night assault capability on Saraqed has a double edge, pinpointing ability and a procedure Hezbollah can successfully carry out against Israel in case of war - thus triggering concern in Israel. Indeed, Israel is increasingly voicing concern about the level of threat posed by Hezbollah's 'al-Radwan' Elite force spread along the borders of Lebanon. Could Israel be planning a similar quick attack against Hezbollah's forces?
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Oil Well

Jumping the gun on oil production cuts is a Saudi problem, not a Russian one

John Helmer
Dances with Bears
Mon, 09 Mar 2020 18:25 UTC
Bin Salman Alexander Novak russia OPEC oil
© Reuters/Leonhard Foeger
Saudi Arabia's energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud and Russia's energy minister Alexander Novak at the Opec and Opec+ meeting in Vienna, Austria, on December 6 2019.
Russia is not the initiator of the war on the oil front which is now under way. Not Russian Energy Minister, Alexander Novak, but Mohammed Bin Salman, the Saudi Crown Prince and chief executive of the sheikhdom.

This is war propaganda from the Financial Times : " 'There was a consensus among Opec [to cut production]. Russia objected and has said that from April 1 everyone can produce whatever they like. So the kingdom too is exercising its right,' said one person familiar with Saudi oil policy."

This is more lying from the New York Times: "Moscow refused to accept production cuts to offset the effect of the coronavirus outbreak"
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Bad Guys

US offered Ankara intelligence on Idlib, FM Cavusoglu claims, says S-400 won't stop Turkey from getting Patriot missiles


RT
Tue, 10 Mar 2020 18:41 UTC
turkish tank
© REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
Turkish military vehicles enter the Bab al-Hawa crossing at the Syrian-Turkish border, in Idlib governorate, Syria, February 9, 2020
The US was willing to give Turkey intelligence regarding Syria's Idlib, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has claimed, adding that the purchase of Russian anti-air systems won't prevent Ankara from acquiring Patriot missiles.

The senior Turkish diplomat told state-owned Anadolu Agency on Tuesday that Washington had offered land, sea and air intelligence regarding the northwestern region, considered by Damascus and Moscow as the last terrorist stronghold in Syria.

According to Cavusoglu, Turkey and Russia will begin patrols around a critical highway in Idlib, as part of a recent ceasefire agreement brokered by the two sides. He warned that Turkey would retaliate if Syrian forces violated the agreement.

Cavusoglu also insisted that Ankara's refusal to back out of a deal with Russia to obtain S-400 anti-air systems would not disqualify Turkey from acquiring US Patriot missiles, should they be offered in the future. Washington has repeatedly insisted that the S-400 batteries cannot be integrated into NATO systems. US President Donald Trump has urged Ankara to drop the Russian military hardware, promising in return to sell Ankara Patriot missile systems.

More recently, Turkey has urged the US to deploy Patriot missiles along its southern border with Syria - purportedly in order to deter Russian and Syrian warplanes. The Pentagon has so far resisted the request, reportedly over concerns that the move would have negative "global ramifications."

Comment: According to Washington's special envoy for Syria, the U.S. is considering exploring NATO aid for Turkey in Idlib, and planning sanctions against Russia and Syria if the ceasefire is violated (presumably that means if Syria and Russia kill terrorists):
James Jeffrey arrived in Brussels on Tuesday to meet with NATO allies and discuss "ways to support Turkey's security concerns," the State Department said in a statement.

In a conference call with reporters, Jeffrey said that Washington is "looking" at what NATO can do for Turkey in Idlib, and that "everything is on the table."

He reportedly warned that the United States could respond with sanctions if Russia or Syria violate the ceasefire brokered in Moscow between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin last week.

However, Jeffrey ruled out the use of ground troops should the ceasefire be broken. He also used the opportunity to say that Ankara must clarify its position on its purchase of Russian S-400 anti-air systems. The arms sale has been a major point of tension between Ankara and Washington, with the US urging Turkey to drop the deal and buy US-made Patriot missiles instead.


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Hourglass

Oil price war: Saudi Arabia's move was calculated and it will lose, Russian stocks crash lowest since 2008, price will bounce back


RT
Tue, 10 Mar 2020 10:14 UTC
chess
© Pixabay / FelixMittermeier
Riyadh's actions in the oil market could be a grave miscalculation and will definitely backfire, but they will not make Moscow dance to its tune, analysts have told RT.

Crude oil prices suffered the biggest one-day fall since 1991 on Monday after top oil producers failed to agree on new output cuts and Saudi Arabia decided to boost production and offer discounts. Such an upheaval inflicts pain not only on Russia and Saudi Arabia, but also on all the members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). However, Riyadh is clearly going to lose this price war, says Eike Hamer, political commentator and publisher of the Wirtschaft Aktuell newsletter.

"[The Saudis] are playing a very dangerous poker game, and they're playing it against a chess player. But they don't have a good hand. But the chess player has a very good hand and the chess player is Russia," he said in an interview with RT.

Comment: See also: Forget the oil prices, the whole US dollar bubble is deflating - Veteran stock broker Peter Schiff

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Putin

Putin slams idea that Hitler & Stalin share equal responsibility for WW2 as 'garbage' promoted by 'ignorant people' in EU Parliament


RT
Tue, 10 Mar 2020 17:57 UTC
Joachim Von Ribbentrop Stalin Molotov
© Agence France-Presse
German Foreign Minister Joachim Von Ribbentrop (L), Joseph Stalin (2nd L) and the Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov (R)
Vladimir Putin has lashed out at the European Union, which now holds Nazi Germany and the USSR equally responsible for starting World War Two. The Russian President is concerned at ongoing historical revisionism.

Putin also pointed out that, unlike the European Union, Russia has condemned the secret articles in the controversial Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, signed in 1939 by Moscow and Berlin.

He recalled the tumultuous end of the 1930s in the latest episode of TASS news agency's 20 Questions to Vladimir Putin, which focused entirely on the wartime period.

Comment:

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Snakes in Suits

Joe Biden calls factory worker 'full of s**t', shushes female staffer


RT
Tue, 10 Mar 2020 18:08 UTC
biden
© Reuters / Brendan McDermid
Joe Biden ended up in a shouting match with a Michigan factory worker who accused him of trying to take Americans' guns away, resulting in the former VP calling the voter a "horse's ass" and saying he is "full of s**t."

The man accused Biden of "actively trying to end our Second Amendment rights" at a campaign stop on Tuesday as voters headed to the polls for the crucial Michigan primary.

"You're full of s**t," an incensed Biden shot back.

Sensing disaster, a female staffer attempted to rescue Biden and usher him on, but he quickly brushed her off, telling her: "No. Shush. Shush."


Biden then told the gathered voters that he supports the second amendment and he is "not taking your guns away at all."

Comment: Nice to know Biden can keep his cool while dealing with low levels of criticism and minor pressure. Another angle:


See also:

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Question

75 years after Russia & America worked as allies to defeat Hitler, Trump refuses Putin's Moscow celebrations invite

Jonny Tickle
RT
Tue, 10 Mar 2020 17:34 UTC
trump
© Wim MacNamee/Getty
While the 'Russiagate' hoax kept millions entertained in the fantasy world of US cable news, it also had plenty of real-world consequences. Now another can be added to the list: the White House's absence from Moscow on May 9.

US President Donald Trump has rejected Vladimir Putin's invitation to the Russian capital to mark the 75th anniversary of the World War II victory over Nazi Germany, according to Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Trump's non-attendance, which could be seen by many in Russia as an extraordinary affront to Soviet Russia's disproportionate sacrifice in annihilating fascism, marks an incredible U-turn after he previously showed a willingness to come to the May 9th parade. It can only be presumed that fear of being seen in Moscow during an election year forced the president's hand, given he has endured years of bizarre smears about his supposed connections to Russia.

Comment: Trump is known to have benign, if not warm feelings for Russia, and a personal liking for Putin. It would be a shame that the optics of a visit on such an important occasion would dictate his attendance.

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Control Panel

Russian parliament tables proposal to allow Putin run again in 2024 Presidential elections


RT
Tue, 10 Mar 2020 11:17 UTC
Russian Parliament
© Reuters / Evgenia Novozhenina
Proceedings in Russia's State Duma have been temporarily suspended and President Vladimir Putin is set to make an address this afternoon. It comes after a suggestion that Presidential term limits could be re-set.

The idea was floated by Valentina Tereshkova, an MP from the ruling 'United Russia' party, who is also famous for being the first woman in space. She wants to give the incumbent head of state a chance to compete in the 2024 Presidential election.

Under existing rules, Putin must stand aside after the current mandate, his fourth, ends. However, putative constitutional changes currently being discussed would limit future Presidents to only two terms. Tereshkova wants to start the clock again, making Putin eligible for two more runs before he would be bound by the new restrictions.

In her speech, she said in the situation Russia now faces [economically and politically] there are "unpredictable risks" meaning "reliable insurance" is needed.

"This insurance, I am 100% sure, is from strong Presidential power and the moral authority of the person who holds the post," Tereshkova explained. "The question is not really about him [Putin], it is about us, the citizens of Russia, and its future... why make any artificial structures? Everything must be honest and transparent."

Her speech was met with applause. The head of the United Russia parliamentary party, Sergei Neverov, said it would support such an amendment. Meanwhile, Vyacheslav Volodin, the house speaker, said the initiative required consultation with the president himself and leaders of all Duma parties.

Comment: As for the other issues Putin had proposed, Russia's Parliament had responded favorably:
Russian MPs have voted in favor of a bill to amend the country's Constitution. The changes include broadening the powers of parliament as well as limiting the number of lifetime presidential terms for one person.

The bill was supported by 382 deputies during the second and main reading on Tuesday. 44 MPs abstained from the vote, mostly members of the opposition Communist party.

Russians will head to the polls to vote on the proposed constitutional changes on April 22. Amendments to the country's' principal law, among other things, include redistributing some powers away from the president to the Duma, restricting the president to two overall terms, banning officials from having foreign citizenship and setting the minimum wage above the basic cost of living.

During his speech in the parliament's lower house (Duma), Putin pointed out that this was "long overdue."

The changes are aimed at strengthening the country's sovereignty and traditions, while creating the conditions for "for steady, positive, evolutionary development of Russia in the long-term historical perspective."
President Putin also rejected an initiative for early elections which was a point of contention among some MPs:
Vladimir Putin said he saw no need to hold snap parliamentary elections after the adoption of proposed amendments to Russia's Constitution. The idea had been floated on Tuesday in the lower house of the Russian parliament.

If there's a lack of consensus on the issue among MPs and "there's no such unity as the chairman [of the Parliament Vyacheslav Volodin] told me than I don't see any need for an early election to the State Duma," Putin said in an address parliament on Tuesday.

The proposed amendments to the Constitution will transfer some of the presidential powers to the parliament, thus raising the question: "Does this State Duma in its current composition have the right to take on those new responsibilities?" he said.

But if the people, who go to the polls on April 22, back those amendments then they'll confirm the Duma's new authority.
The people are the only source of power and if they say so the issue will be off the table.
MP Alexander Karelin, from the ruling United Russia party, who came up with the idea of a snap election, removed his motion from consideration by the Duma after Putin's address.

Earlier on Tuesday, the three-time Olympic wrestling champion argued that "it would be only fair" to hold a new vote as the president is looking to increase the role of the parties in ruling the country.

State Duma veteran Vladimir Zhirinovky of the Liberal Democratic Party, who was initially supportive of Karelin's proposal, joked that Putin's words became a huge relief for some of his colleagues who were "close to a heart attack" due to the possibility of an early election.

[...]


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