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American firms are biggest losers due to US sales ban on composite materials to Russia

The MC-21
© United Aircraft Corporation
The MC-21
The US ban on composite materials to Russia has not stopped the production of its MC-21 passenger jet, but has deprived American businesses of up $200 million in revenues, according to the Russian trade minister.

Despite Washington's move putting the brakes on production for at least half a year, Russia has found a way to proceed with development of the Irkut MC-21-300 plane, according to Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov.

"We definitely won't return to those suppliers who previously had the opportunity to do it [provide composite materials for the jet]. Speaking about the costs, it's about $2 million for each plane," the minister said at the 2019 Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) exhibition in Malaysia on Monday. Given the order of composite supplies could cover up to 100 aircraft, US firms lost a deal worth up to $200 million.

Comment: As new partnerships and work-arounds defy the impact of US sanctions, perhaps the only country that will truly suffer a longterm financial effect may be the one that issued them.

See also:


Quenelle - Golden

Massive turnout for anti-war demonstrations in Yemen on fourth anniversary of US-UK-Saudi invasion

Demonstration Sanaa
© Krar Al-Moayed
Sabaeen Square in Sanaa where mass demonstrations were held on the fourth anniversary of the Saudi-led war on the Yemen, March 26, 2019.
Massive demonstrations took place across Yemen's major cities on Tuesday to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the Saudi-led war on the country. The war ostensibly began on March 26, 2015, when Saudi Arabia, backed by the U.S. and other regional allies, launched a large-scale attack on Yemen under the pretext of reinstating ousted former president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. The war's real purpose was to defeat the Houthi Ansar Allah movement, which gained popular support following the Arab Spring and has grown even more powerful since the Saudi war began.

Massive rallies throughout the country

In Yemen's capital city of Sana'a, where the largest demonstrations took place, hundreds of thousands of residents from the suburbs of Sana'a and its neighboring provinces gathered in the southern al Sabaeen district carrying Yemeni flags and holding banners emblazoned with messages of steadfastness, promises to challenge the Saudi-led Coalition, and pledges of resistance against foreign forces in Yemen.

Bad Guys

Regime change ramp-up? Guaido announces Venezuela-wide 'tactical action' against Maduro

guaido
© Reuters / Ivan Alvarado
US-backed Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has announced "tactical actions" by his supporters will begin next week after a nationwide protest, part of his "Operation Freedom" designed to topple President Nicolas Maduro.

The ominously vague "tactical action" relies on the organization of so-called "Aid and Freedom Committees," according to a tweet from Guaido which scheduled the event for April 6. The committees, planned civilian "freedom cells" he set up across Venezuela with the help of opposition lawmakers in recent weeks, will supposedly rise up when he gives the signal, ultimately marching on the Miraflores presidential palace - where President Maduro has stubbornly remained despite Guaido's self-coronation in January.

Guaido officially announced "Operation Freedom" earlier this month, advertising it as a "full-fledged revolution in all states of Venezuela simultaneously." After the freedom and aid committees come "labor and sectoral committees" in the public and private sectors, to be followed by "constitutional forces" within the Venezuelan army - which with its continued loyalty to Maduro remains the primary thorn in Guaido's side. Impatient with the military's failure to join his coup, Guaido has hinted he is open to foreign military intervention. Meanwhile, for the US, "all options remain on the table."

Comment: What he's calling for is terrorism (which is already underway as we've seen with the black-outs). And the US is fully behind it.


Chess

US top brass warn against punishing unbending India for buying Russia's S-400 missiles

s-400
© Sputnik / Aleksey Malgavko
US defense officials are trying to convince India to reject Russian S-400 missiles, but warn against slapping sanctions on the nation if it completes the deal. However, as with Turkey, efforts have so far failed.

India's decision to purchase the S-400 air defense system from Russia, as well as the fact that it leaves New Delhi exposed to American sanctions, was discussed during a House Armed Service committee hearing on Wednesday.

Assistant Defence Secretary Randall Schriver told the lawmakers he thought "it would be an unfortunate decision" if the Indians completed the S-400 deal. "We are very keen to see them make an alternative choice," he said, adding that "we're working with them to provide potential alternatives".

A similar line came from Admiral Philip Davidson, Commander of the Indo-Pacific Command. "I continue to make the point with them that our interoperability and compatibility going forward will be advantaged with the purchase of US systems," he said.

Comment: The US really has no play against countries that are powerful enough to ignore American imperial dictates.


Stop

Facebook bans all praise of 'white nationalism' & 'white separatism'

national socialist movement
© Reuters / Jim Urquhart
Commander Jeff Schoep of the National Socialist Movement, a white nationalist group, speaks at a rally in Arkansas
Facebook has announced that it will ban content relating to 'white nationalism' and 'white separatism' from its platform. The nature of the content that will be banned raises some free speech concerns.

Facebook's hate speech policies already forbid any content praising or promoting "white supremacy." The company has, until now, drawn a distinction between this content and "white nationalism" and "white separatism," much to the ire of civil rights activists, who argue that the terms are interchangeable.

"Going forward," the company announced in a blog post on Wednesday, "while people will still be able to demonstrate pride in their ethnic heritage, we will not tolerate praise or support for white nationalism and separatism."

As of next week, users attempting to post such content will be redirected to Life After Hate, a nonprofit staffed by former extremists that seek to turn young people away from white supremacy. The new policy will apply to both Facebook and Instagram.

Marijuana

US House to soon approve legislation ending interference with states' marijuana legalization

dea raid
In a new interview at Boston Herald Radio, United States House of Representatives Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern (D-MA) said he expects the House, in the next few weeks, will approve by "an overwhelming vote" legislation requiring the US government to respect states' marijuana legalization. "We need to make sure that our federal laws do not obstruct what states are doing," declared McGovern.

McGovern further states in the interview that he believes the legislation will have bipartisan support in the US Senate. The question remains, though: Will Senate leadership also allow a floor debate and vote on such legislation?

McGovern's new comments, in which he also explains the Rules Committee he chairs will guide the marijuana legislation to the House floor for a vote, are in line with his declaration in November, soon after Democrats won a majority in the House, that US laws had fallen behind as states liberalized marijuana laws and that, as Rules Committee chairman, he would end his Republican predecessor's years-long practice of blocking marijuana amendments from reaching the House floor for debates and votes.

McGovern's comments in the Boston Herald Radio interview provide one more indication of the great momentum behind ending marijuana prohibition across America. The Ron Paul Institute (RPI) will be holding a conference on May 18 in Houston, Texas where RPI Chairman Ron Paul and drug war experts will explore the timely topic of ending the war on marijuana, as well as the rest of the war on drugs. You can find out more about the conference and purchase conference tickets here.

Kyle Jaeger provides more information regarding McGovern's new comments concerning congressional consideration of marijuana legislation in a Wednesday Marijuana Moment article.

Eye 2

A history of covert self-interest guides British foreign policy in the Middle East

Therese May British Parliament
© Associated Press
Covert involvement in Yemen raises the same old questions about the machinations of the British oligarchy

On Tuesday in the British parliament, Labour's shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry asked an urgent question relating to allegations that British troops have been covertly fighting in Yemen and supporting the Saudi-led coalition.

As reported in the Mail on Sunday, five British special forces troops from the elite Special Boat Service (SBS) were injured while "advising" Saudi Arabia on their deadly campaign in Yemen.

The commandos were injured in gun fights as part of a top-secret campaign, and other reports have claimed British troops have been killed in such battles. British soldiers from the Special Air Service (SAS) have reportedly been secretly deployed and operate "dressed in Arab clothing".

Comment:


Bullseye

Stop listening to the Spymasters and Generals

comey and brennan
© GARY CAMERON/REUTERS/Newscom
For weeks, former CIA Director John Brennan has hinted that he believed Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation would end with the indictment of President Trump or another member of the Trump family. He suggested as much during a recent appearance on MSNBC, in which host Lawrence O'Donnell desperately tried to convince his audience that Brennan knew something they didn't.

Now that Attorney General William Barr has received Mueller's report, and is not considering charges against the Trump family, Brennan is singing a different tune.

"I don't know if I received bad information, but I think I suspected there was more than there actually was," he admitted on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program Monday morning.

Handcuffs

Former Russian minister detained over massive embezzlement, may face 20 years in prison - UPDATE

Mikhail Abyzov
© Sputnik / Iliya Pitalev
Mikhail Abyzov
Former Russian minister, Nikolay Abyzov, who only left the cabinet last year, was detained by the Federal Security Service (FSB) over accusations of organizing a criminal group to embezzle 4 billion rubles (around $15.5 million).

The investigators believe Abyzov and his accomplices obtained the money by swindling the shareholders of two major energy companies in Russia's Novosibirsk Region. The funds were then transferred abroad through offshore firms, which the ex-minister was a beneficial owner between 2011 and 2014.

The actions of the criminal group that Abyzov "organized and headed" have jeopardized the energy security and stable economic growth of several Russian Regions, the Investigative Committee said.

The probe against the 46-year-old is head by the top branch in the Investigative Committee, which only deals with high priority cases, with the assistance of the FSB.

Comment: A Moscow court has ruled that Abysov will remain in custody pending his trial on embezzlement charges, refusing the defendant's bail.


Snakes in Suits

Wrong button? 10 MEPs who voted to reject debate on Article 13 say they didn't mean to

European Parliament
© REUTERS/Vincent Kessler
Members of the European Parliament
A vote to consider amendments to the controversial Article 11 and Article 13 copyright laws has failed in the European Parliament by a margin of five votes. However, enough MEPs to flip the result now say they mis-clicked.

A total of 13 MEPs have issued corrections to their voting on Tuesday, when the European Parliament narrowly rejected debating amendments that might have watered down or even completely erased Articles 11 and 13 from the updated EU copyright rules.

Instead, the lawmakers voted to bypass additional debate on the highly contentious provisions by 317 votes against 312, and proceeded to pass the entire legislation by 348 votes to 274.

According to European Parliament voting guidelines, MPs can register corrections to their votes, but without changing the actual result, which is done and dusted once the voting is finished.