Puppet MastersS


Camcorder

Western media's lack of interest in Saakashvili's theatrical arrest and escape does not bode well for him

Bryan MacDonald
RT
Tue, 05 Dec 2017 21:50 UTC
Ukraine national guard Saakashvili
© Gleb Garanich / ReutersUkrainian National Guard officers guard a car carrying former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili onboard during clashes with his supporters in Kiev, Ukraine December 5, 2017
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's attempt to frame his political opponent Mikhail Saakashvili as a Kremlin agent is truly beyond parody.

However, the refusal of most prominent western media outlets to cover the breaking story from Kiev spells danger for "Mischa."

As I write, on Tuesday afternoon, the dramatic events are completely absent from the front pages of America's CNN, New York Times, and Washington Post. This stands in contrast to their often hysterical live coverage of far less dramatic protests by Russia's small liberal opposition.

Comment: Saakashvili's farcical arrest turns violent as supporters clash with police In Kyiv

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Handcuffs

Saakashvili's farcical arrest turns violent as supporters clash with police in Kyiv

Christopher Miller
RFE/RL
Wed, 06 Dec 2017 21:00 UTC
Saakashvili
© Stepan Franke/European Press AgencyFormer Odesa Governor Mikheil Saakashvili (center) walks with protesters in downtown Kyiv on December 5.
Hundreds of anticorruption protesters clashed with police in Kyiv, calling for the ouster of Ukaine's president, as authorities launched a manhunt to find protest leader Mikheil Saakashvili after his dramatic escape from police custody.

Ukrainian Prosecutor-General's Office spokesman Andriy Lysenko said late on December 5 that the authorities ordered the manhunt for the former Georgian president after a chaotic scene in which Saakashvili's supporters freed him from a police van after security forces stormed his apartment and detained him.

Lysenko said in a Facebook post that prosecutors had informed National Police chief Serhiy Knyazev that Saakashvili, who is also the former governor of Ukraine's Odesa region whom the authorities accuse of ties to an "organized crime" group, was a wanted man.

But Saakashvili vowed to continue resisting arrest, saying in an interview with the German Bild tabloid due to be published on December 6 that "the secret service won't manage to detain me."

Comment: Moon of Alabama comments:
Today a slapstick comedy played out in Kiev. It's background though is mysterious.

In 2015 the billionaire currently ruling the Ukraine by the grace of Washington, Petro Poroshenko, invited the disgraced former president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, to run the city and region of Odessa. Saakashvili is charged in is home country Georgia with abuse of office and he has lost his Georgian citizenship.

The administration of Odessa is as corrupt as any other in the Ukraine but the money was flowing into the wrong pockets. Saakashvili set out to change that. He soon stepped on the sensible toes of some mighty people. After a year Poroshenko dismissed him. Saakashvili moved to the capital Kiev and started a ruckus against his former benefactor. Soon he was under investigation and accused of this or that criminal deed. When as he traveled outside of the country his Ukrainian passport was revoked and his reentry into the Ukraine was prohibited. Saakashvili entered anyway under the protection of some mysteriously paid supporters and moved back to Kiev. He recently led several protests marches against Poroshenko. Saakashvili was again indicted, this time for allegedly being paid by Moscow to arrange for a "Russian winter" coup against Poroshenko in Ukraine. Today the police went to arrest him at his apartment in Kiev.

When the police arrived Saakashvili fled onto the roof of the eight story house where he was caught (video) by the police.

He was brought to the ground and pushed into a police van.

His supporters, who somehow had arrived in mass, blocked the road. After an hour and some clashes with the police they freed him (video) from the vehicle.

Saakashvili and his supporters went to hold a protest in front of the parliament. At the same time the Ukrainian Prosecutor General reported inside the parliament of tapped phone-calls in which some Russian middleman agrees to pay Saakashvili half a million for running more protests. Local TV transmitted a split-screen live stream of both.
Saakashvili Ukrainian Prosecutor General
One wonders what this really is about.

Who pays Saakashvili and his "protesters"?

What does Saakashvili, or the people behind him, want?

Why doesn't Poroshenko arrest Saakashvili in some unsuspicious moment?

Why not let him have an 'accident'?

Why not deport him to Georgia where he would likely go to jail?


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Monkey Wrench

Democrats call on Al Franken to resign after allegations of 'sexual misconduct'


RT
Wed, 06 Dec 2017 20:52 UTC
Al Franken
© Melina Mara/The Washington PostSen. Al Franken is seen outside his office on Capitol Hill, on Nov. 27.
Over a dozen Senate Democrats have called on their colleague Al Franken of Minnesota to resign after a sixth woman accused him of sexual misconduct. Calls for his resignation were first made by eight female Democratic senators.

"I have spent a lot of time reflecting on Senator Franken's behavior. Enough is enough," declared Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) in a Facebook post Wednesday.

"The women who have come forward are brave and I believe them," she added. "While it's true that his behavior is not the same as the criminal conduct alleged against Roy Moore, or Harvey Weinstein, or President Trump, it is still unquestionably wrong, and should not be tolerated by those of us who are privileged to work in public service."

Comment: Liberal hysteria has reached such a high point that they are now 'eating their own' over minor issues, which at the core lies a fundamental dynamic of American societal and political collapse: a blind pursuit of power driven by a false noble image and unrelenting victimhood.

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Star of David

Trump recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital - makes it official, Israel controls USA


Moon of Alabama
Wed, 06 Dec 2017 20:58 UTC
trump pence jerusalem
U.S. President Trump announced today a change in the official U.S. view of the city of Jerusalem in Palestine:
President Trump on Wednesday formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, reversing nearly seven decades of American foreign policy and setting in motion a plan to move the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to the fiercely contested Holy City.

"It is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel," said Mr. Trump.

Comment: The United States of Israel vs. the world:

French Pres Macron: "This decision is a regrettable decision that France does not support and goes against international law and all the resolutions of the UN Security Council. ... The status of Jerusalem is a question of international security that concerns the entire international community. The status of Jerusalem must be determined by Israelis and Palestinians in the framework of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations."

Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan: Trump's "decision will open the gates of hell on US interests in the region. ... Trump's decision on Jerusalem will not succeed in changing the fact that Jerusalem is an Arab Muslim land ... time will prove that the biggest losers [from it] are" Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

PLO secretary-general Saeb Erekat: "He destroyed the two-state solution." Trump "disqualified his country from any role whatsoever" in the peace process. "As a chief Palestinian negotiator, how can I sit with these people if they dictate on me the future of Jerusalem as Israel's capital."

Corrupt POS of Israel Netanyahu called on "all states" to follow the U.S.'s recognition, saying, "We are deeply grateful to the US President for his courageous and fair decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the forthcoming move of the US embassy." Courageous? Nope. Fair? Not even close. Chances that "all states" will follow suit? Zero.

Ironically, the thirteen Christian patriarchs and church leaders in Jerusalem wrote an open letter to Trump, saying his decision will cause irreparable harm.
"We are certain that such steps will yield increased hatred, conflict, violence and suffering in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, moving us farther from the goal of unity and deeper toward destructive division," wrote the leaders of the Greek Orthodox, Coptic, Catholic, and other branches of Christianity that are represented in the city.


"Our solemn advice and plea is for the United States to continue recognizing the present international status of Jerusalem. Any sudden changes would cause irreparable harm," reads the letter, which insists that "the Holy City can be shared."


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X

The new Cold War has destroyed the Olympics

Neil Clark
RT
Wed, 06 Dec 2017 19:34 UTC
Russia Olympics
© Alexey Kudenko / Sputnik
The announcement by the International Olympic Committee that Russia would be banned from the PyeongChang Winter Olympics - but that Russian athletes, if proven 'clean' from doping would be able to compete under a neutral banner- has to be seen in its wider geopolitical context.

The decision comes amid a backdrop of unrelenting Russophobia fueled by Western elites who are furious Russia has thwarted their plans for regime change in Syria and is generally getting in the way of US hegemonic aspirations and the neocon/globalist agenda.

Revealingly, straight after the IOC decision was announced leading Russophobes, like US Senator John McCain, were renewing their calls for the 2018 football World Cup to be taken away from Russia, showing that this is about the reviving of Cold War politics and not drugs. It's clear 'The Endless War' lobby in the West wants Russia isolated, humiliated and banned from everything. Sport is only one front in their obsessive campaign, attacks on the Russian media is another. In the current climate, it is virtually impossible Russia would get a fair hearing.

Comment: For more on these double standards and details on the hypocrisy surrounding the political campaign against Russia in the Olympic ban see: The US-Inspired Olympic Ban on Russia: Another Pyrrhic Victory for the Ailing Empire of Chaos

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Bizarro Earth

The deep state components that make up the 'secret government'

Arjun Walia
Collective Evolution
Wed, 22 Nov 2017 00:00 UTC
Webflag
© The Economist
The Deep State refers to a coordinated effort by career government employees and other individuals to influence state policy without regard for democratically elected leadership.
"Democracy is popular because of the illusion of choice and participation it provides, but when you live in a society in which most people's knowledge of the world extends as far as sports, sitcoms, reality shows, and celebrity gossip, democracy becomes a very dangerous idea. Until people are properly educated and informed, instead of indoctrinated to be ignorant mindless consumers, democracy is nothing more than a clever tool used by the ruling class to subjugate the rest of of us." - Gavin Nascimento
When Eisenhower coined the term "Military Industrial Complex," his main concern was the potential for the "disastrous rise of misplaced power."

After him, John F. Kennedy (JFK) warned the citizenry that we are living in
"a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations." He went on to state that "its preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried, not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed."
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Attention

ME risks paying too high a price for the murder of Saleh

Alexander Orlov
New Eastern Outlook
Tue, 05 Dec 2017 00:00 UTC
Yemen Houthi
© AFP
At the end of November, a major crisis erupted in Yemen, when former President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced his intentions to start negotiations with the Saudi-led coalition that has been trying to bomb Yemen into submission. This resulted in the Houthis movement voicing accusations of treason against their former ally who they've been supporting in the struggle against the pro-Saudi runaway President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The day before these accusations were made by the Houthis, they would announce that they've managed to hit a nuclear power plant being built in the United Arab Emirates with a missile. Previously, a similar missile hit an airfield in Riyadh, which resulted in the latter rushing to spread allegations that the Houthis are using missiles supplied to them by Tehran.

Amid the internal conflict in Yemen, any attempt to use it toward one's own interests by Saudi Arabia, the Arab League or even Iran may trigger disastrous consequences. After all, Saudi Arabia and Israel have been looking for an excuse to launch strikes against Iranian troops in Syria along with nuclear facilities deep inside the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Now one can expect Saudi Arabia to begin forming an anti-Iranian coalition under the guise of uniting the Arab League. It is even possible that the UN is going to be drawn into this process, accusing Tehran of hostile actions against certain Arab states along with attempts to pursue Shia expansion across the Middle East.

Comment: A really, really bad situation in Yemen has potentially become a whole lot worse. Saleh served an ongoing purpose regardless of Houthi posturing. His death is a pivot point and its ramifications are just beginning to unfold.

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Snakes in Suits

FBI is denying Congress access to data exposing the big lie of Trump-Russia collusion

Alex Christoforou
The Duran
Tue, 05 Dec 2017 16:16 UTC
FBI files
© Unknown/KJN
The FBI is out of control and thinks it's above the law.

FBI agent Peter Strzok was heavily involved in 2 politicized cases.

1. The Clinton email investigation,

2. Russian collusion probe and oversaw interviews with Mike Flynn.

Peter Strzok sent controversial anti-Trump texts to his mistress.

Peter Strzok was removed from Robert Mueller's team and the FBI is not explaining why, even as Congress requests it to do so.

The Trump-Collusion case is unraveling and being exposed as an FBI, politicized witch hunt to sabotage Trump's presidency.

Tucker Carlson does a brilliant job explaining how the FBI has been corrupted beyond comprehension.


Comment: See also:

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Star of David

Flynn indictment exposes Team Trump's collusion with Israel, not Russia

Max Blumenthal
AlterNet
Tue, 05 Dec 2017 01:33 UTC
Kushtanyahu
© Jerusalem Post
But you wouldn't know it from reading most mainstream coverage of the revealing affair.

When Congress authorized Robert Mueller and his team of lawyers to investigate "links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump," opponents of the president sensed that sooner or later, hard evidence of Trump's collusion with the Russian government would emerge.

Seven months later, after three indictments that did little, if anything, to confirm the grand collusion narrative, Mueller had former National Security Council advisor Michael Flynn dragged before a federal court for lying to the FBI. The Russia probe had finally netted a big fish.

As the details of the Flynn indictment seeped out into the press, however, the bombshell was revealed as another dud. To the dismay of many Trump opponents, nothing in Flynn's rap sheet demonstrated collusion with Russia. Instead, the indictment undermined the Russiagate narrative while implicating another, much more inconvenient foreign power in a plot to meddle in American politics.

Comment: Kushner is in over his head. His ties to Netanyahu and Israel should bar him from all work in this sector. See also:

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Star of David

Trump expected to recognize Jerusalem as Israeli capital, but delay embassy relocation


RT
Wed, 06 Dec 2017 02:16 UTC
US embassy Tel Aviv
© Amir Cohen / ReutersU.S Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel
US President Donald Trump is expected to announce official US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Wednesday, according to various reports citing US and White House officials. The US Embassy, however, will not be relocated immediately.

The US Embassy move from Tel Aviv would be a symbolic and substantive shift in US policy on the Israel-Palestine question. While the US ostensibly supports a two-state solution, it could be extremely detrimental to any peace deal, as Palestinians view East Jerusalem as the rightful capital for their own future state.

Sources close to the White House told ABC News and the Associated Press that recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital will not be a political statement. Part of Jerusalem could still potentially be a capital for a Palestinian state, ABC News reported.

Trump is expected to sign a six-month waiver for a 1995 US law mandating the embassy move to Jerusalem. The process for opening a new embassy would take years, and US law requires the president to keep waiving the move requirement until a new embassy is ready to open.


Comment: Netanyahu is hoping the US embassy move and the designation of Jerusalem as Israel's capital will validate Israel's 1967 annexation of the eastern section of Jerusalem and negate Palestine's original claims on the region. With this move, Trump can kiss his hopes for the "deal of the century" bye-bye.

See also:

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