Puppet Masters

AOC draws heat by calling for '9/11-style commission' on family separations

Jon Levine, Ben Cohn
NY Post
Sat, 20 Jul 2019 16:12 UTC

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Queens/Bronx) called for a "9/11-style commission" to look into the Trump administration's policy of separating migrant families at the US border.

Speaking Saturday at a town hall in Queens, she said the US has a "lifelong commitment" to migrant children who have been separated under the policy, which the administration said it discontinued after coming under heavy criticism.

It "will take a 9/11-style commission," the liberal darling said. "We need a commission on child separation."

Her mention of 9/11 to criticize a Trump policy drew a quick rebuke from the Republican National Committee.

Police seize explosives at storehouse used by pro-independence group Hong Kong National Front

RT
Mon, 22 Jul 2019 16:51 UTC

© Reuters/Tyrone Siu
Police stand guard at Hong Kong's tourism district Tsim Sha Tsui during anti-extradition bill protest, China July 7, 2019.

One person was arrested after Hong Kong police discovered a stash of explosives and weapons, stored along with banners and clothes bearing the emblem of the Hong Kong National Front (HKNF) party, in a raid on Friday night.

Police said Saturday a bomb disposal unit was called to a warehouse belonging to the pro-independence group to carry out a controlled detonation of the highly unstable substance tri-acetone tri-peroxide (TATP). A total of two kilograms (4.4 pounds) of TATP was discovered by the police, in addition to 10 incendiary devices, acidic substances, and sharp tools that could be used as weapons, the Hong Kong Free Press reported.

Comment: The conflict over the changing relations between Hong Kong and China has been brewing since 2014 when the US began funding an "Occupy"-style movement in Hong Kong. The West is losing its grip on another colony and is becoming desperate.

More on the protests and counter-protests in Hong Kong:

Tens of thousands of people showed up for a rally in support of police officers in Hong Kong days after a video emerged showing protesters brutally beating a riot cop. Several Chinese flags were spotted in the crowd.

The rally on Saturday evening drew in thousands of locals, including representatives of local minorities, immigrants and celebrities. Some reportedly travelled from the mainland to take part in the massive protest in Tamar Park on Saturday evening.

Turnout estimates vary dramatically between the police and the 70 or so pro-government activists and public personalities who organized the protest. While the organizers said that 316,000 people took to the streets on Saturday, police put the number at 103,000.

The rally ended with a call for unity and against violence. "We don't want violence. We don't want a split. We want rule of law, peace, stability and unity!" the organizers said in a joint statement, the South China Morning Post reported.

The rally was convened shortly after family members of 60 police officers penned an open letter to Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, calling on the government to launch an inquiry into the recent unrest and refrain from using police officers as "human shields" that are "forced to bear the consequences of the government's maladministration."

Hong Kong has been gripped by protests over a now-suspended extradition bill that would have allowed the former British colony to hand over criminal suspects to mainland China. Police have been heavily criticized for their ham-fisted approach to tackling the unrest. Initially peaceful demonstrations over the extradition bill quickly spiraled into violence and saw multiple fierce clashes between police and demonstrators, whom Lam described as "rioters."

Earlier this week, a video went viral showing a group of protesters kicking a policeman down an escalator during Sunday's demonstration in a mall in Hong Kong's Sha Tin district.

Hell freezes over? New York Times wants closer relationship with Russia, congratulates Trump

Graham Dockery
RT
Mon, 22 Jul 2019 16:57 UTC

The New York Times' editorial board, fresh from peddling anti-Russia conspiracies for two years, has made a remarkable about-turn. Now the paper wants closer relations with the Kremlin, all to thwart China's ambitions.

'Russiagate' has maintained an iron grip on American political discourse for two years now, even after Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report cleared President Donald Trump of conspiring with the Kremlin to steal the 2016 US election. In the media, the public has been treated to nightly conspiracy theories and bizarre connect-the-dots articles claiming to prove collusion; and lawmakers have crafted ever more draconian sanctions bills against Russia and have slotted opposition to Russia into their campaign messages.

Meanwhile, Moscow and Beijing have looked to each other, holding joint military exercises and upping their trade volume to more than $100 billion in 2018. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev recently announced plans to build a new, 2,000km-long highway linking Europe and China, while President Vladimir Putin has been mulling connecting Russia's Northern Sea Route with China's Maritime Silk Road, an ambitious global trade route linking China with ports in Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.

Israeli security company reportedly has tool that spies on Apple, Google and Facebook cloud data

Kate Fazzini and Annie Palmer
CNBC
Fri, 19 Jul 2019 23:38 UTC

© Jack Guez | AFP | Getty Images
An Israeli woman uses her iPhone in front of the building housing the Israeli NSO group, on August 28, 2016, in Herzliya, near Tel Aviv

An Israeli cybersecurity company has developed spyware that can scrape data from the servers of Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft products, according to The Financial Times.

The report says NSO Group's proprietary smartphone malware, Pegasus, harvests not only data stored on a device, but also any information stored in the cloud, including a user's location data, archived messages and photos.

NSO Group, who previously installed malware in Facebook's WhatsApp, denied that it markets software capable of capturing data in the cloud. It's unclear if it has developed the tools internally.

Pakistani soldier killed by 'unprovoked' cross-border fire from India - Islamabad

RT
Mon, 22 Jul 2019 16:32 UTC

The Pakistani Army accused India of shelling its outposts along the Line of Control (LoC) and said one of its soldiers died during the exchange of fire. New Delhi says its forces retaliated after Pakistani troops attacked first.

According to Islamabad, Indian troops struck its positions with rockets and mortar fire at several locations in the northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and the Pakistani-controlled part of Kashmir on Saturday. The Pakistani Army said it responded to "unprovoked ceasefire violation" and retaliated, hitting Indian outposts and "causing casualties."

One Pakistani soldier was killed and four locals were injured, including two young girls, the army said.

New Delhi claimed that Pakistan opened fire first, shelling the Mendhar area on the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir and targeting Indian outposts with mortars and small arms. Indian troops then retaliated to suppress the fire coming from the Pakistani side, the army's spokesperson said.

India did not report any casualties.

Iraqi parliament to reopen investigation into 2007 Blackwater shooting in Baghdad

Sputnik
Mon, 22 Jul 2019 16:21 UTC

The Iraqi parliament intends to reopen the investigation into the 2007 Nisour Square massacre, in which employees of US security firm Blackwater, now Academi, killed 17 people and injured 20 more in Baghdad, Adnan Assadi, a member of the security and defence committee of the legislature, told Sputnik.

"Now is a proper time to start an investigation and persecute those involved. The security and defence committee will start investigating the case, invite the relevant organizations and hold talks with the government since this requires a parliamentary decision or a bill. We will take up the issue in order to protect the Iraqis," Assadi said.

He also stressed that the investigation would begin after parliament returned from its summer recess. As for why the Iraqi government never conducted another probe into the Nisour Square tragedy, Assadi speculated this was because fighting the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia) in the country was the main priority.

On September 16, 2007, Blackwater mercenaries opened fire against unarmed locals while escorting US diplomats, claiming that the convoy was targeted by a car bomb. No explosives were found in the vehicle. Afterwards, Blackwater was temporarily banned from Iraq. The Iraqi Interior Ministry said that year, citing the results of the initial investigation, that the mercenaries were fully responsible for killing the civilians.

Interview with British Army major general's son draws criticism of BBC bias over UK-Iran tanker crisis

RT
Mon, 22 Jul 2019 16:00 UTC

Iran tanker seizure british general son BBC

© Reuters ; Wikipedia
(Main) A boat of Iranian Revolutionary Guard sails next to Stena Impero, a British-flagged vessel (Top right) Major General Rupert Jones

The BBC has been slammed for interviewing the son of a British major general as an 'independent' source on the UK-Iran tanker crisis, bringing into question the impartiality of the state broadcaster.

Mark Curtis, historian and columnist at the Middle East Eye, has taken to social media to hit out at the BBC's choice of 'neutral' expert, to highlight the apparent conflict of interests.

Curtis tweeted: "BBC doing a great job on Iran. Here's the son of a serving UK Major General (UK's Standing Force Commander) being interviewed as an independent source on TV..."

Comment: U.S. vassals seem to be wising up to the trap the Empire is setting for them.

Israel begins illegal demolition of residential buildings in the West Bank

RT
Mon, 22 Jul 2019 15:42 UTC

© Mussa Qawasma / Reuters
Israeli forces patrol as a machinery demolishes a Palestinian house at Wadi Hummus July 22, 2019

Israel has started demolishing 13 residential buildings in East Jerusalem's Wadi Hummus for being too close to the separation barrier, even though the area falls under the Palestinian Authority's administration.

Israel Defense Force soldiers were seen placing explosives in a building set for demolition after they arrived before dawn. Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said 700 police and 200 soldiers were involved in the operation. They evacuated a family from one of the buildings and removed activists protesting the demolition. Construction vehicles smashed up a number of buildings.

Comment:

It must be the Russians! Anonymous MI6 sources hold Russia responsible for Iran seizing British ship

Simon Rite
RT
Mon, 22 Jul 2019 13:34 UTC

For anyone wondering how an international incident happened that didn't have a link to Russia, no need to worry because those ubiquitous 'MI6 sources' are back to accuse Moscow of involvement in tensions between Britain and Iran.

Iran seized a British oil tanker in the Gulf over the weekend, saying it was "violating international maritime rules," although it's more likely because Britain seized an Iranian tanker earlier this month.

July has been a big month of tenuous Russia-blaming already, with Britain's foreign secretary suggesting Moscow could be behind an email leak from the UK ambassador in Washington, and US Presidential hopeful Kamala Harris accusing Russian bots of creating "heat" around the knee-bending superbowl protest of Colin Kapaernik.

So, now the Russia accusations are heading to the high seas and Britain's once-proud tabloid newspaper the Sunday Mirror has been on to its MI6 sources (anonymous of course) who claim that the Steno Impero tanker may have been "steered towards Iranian waters by false GPS coordinates sent by Russian spy technology."

The most anonymous of spooks also reportedly said: "Russia has the technology to spoof GPS and may have helped Iran in this venture as it was extremely brazen. It would make British shipping extremely vulnerable and will be of grave concern to Royal Navy warships in the region. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Russian intelligence have worked very closely in Syria, protecting and promoting their interests."

Why the United States will not launch a ground war against Iran - Pt. 2

Steve Brown
The Duran
Sun, 21 Jul 2019 00:00 UTC

Comment: For the first part of this analyisis, see: Why the United States will not attack Iran

While it is too soon to predict how the United States and its allies Israel and Saudi Arabia will react, let's explore the reasons why any US response will be largely symbolic, even if that involves a token strike versus Iran.

In recent weeks we have seen numerous probing attempts and provocations in and around the Strait of Hormuz — whether false flags or actual events — intended to raise the profile of the US's unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA, and renewed US sanctions versus Iran. Iran is pushing the issue with the United States, and is apparently offering a sacrificial pawn on the board (or perhaps knight!) by seizing two British oil tankers alleged to be operating illegally in the Strait of Hormuz.

While it is too soon to predict how the United States and its allies Israel and Saudi Arabia (both sworn enemies of Iran) will react, let's explore the reasons why any US reactionary response will be largely symbolic, even if that involves a token strike versus Iran.

Global alliances have shifted

Turkey has defacto announced its withdrawal from NATO, by its purchase of S-400 missiles. That purchase and collaboration with Russia guarantees its departure from NATO, even if Turkey has not publicly announced such a withdrawal. Furthermore, while Turkey's military bases host US aircraft and operations, Turkey says it will not allow its bases to be used in any attack on Iran, by the US.

Iraq, an ally of Iran, has likewise stated that it will not allow its territory to be used as a base for attacking Iran.

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Puppet Masters

AOC draws heat by calling for '9/11-style commission' on family separations

Police seize explosives at storehouse used by pro-independence group Hong Kong National Front

Hell freezes over? New York Times wants closer relationship with Russia, congratulates Trump

Israeli security company reportedly has tool that spies on Apple, Google and Facebook cloud data

Pakistani soldier killed by 'unprovoked' cross-border fire from India - Islamabad

Iraqi parliament to reopen investigation into 2007 Blackwater shooting in Baghdad

Interview with British Army major general's son draws criticism of BBC bias over UK-Iran tanker crisis

Israel begins illegal demolition of residential buildings in the West Bank

It must be the Russians! Anonymous MI6 sources hold Russia responsible for Iran seizing British ship

Why the United States will not launch a ground war against Iran - Pt. 2

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