Puppet MastersS


Snakes in Suits

NATO redeploys Indian Ocean flotilla 'thanks to Russia'


Sputnik
Sun, 27 Nov 2016 15:22 UTC
NATO in Somalia seas
© AFP 2016/ ARCEL MOCHET
This week, NATO country ships and aircraft officially ended Operation Ocean Shield - a mission launched in 2008 to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia. Although officials have cited a drop-off in activity by Somali pirates, they've also admitted to a shift in the "global security environment," specifically the growing "threat" posed by Russia.

Reuters quoted NATO spokesman Dylan White as saying that NATO has had to adapt to changes in its assessment of global security threats, including by "increasing maritime patrols in the Baltic and Black Seas." The spokesman didn't mention Russia specifically, but these bodies of water are two areas where NATO has significantly increased its presence over the last two and a half years, to the ire of Moscow. Reuters wrote that the effective disbandment of NATO's Indian Ocean task force was in line with efforts to "shift resources to deter Russia."
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USA

What are the chances that Hillary Clinton could still move into the White House? - A look at the US election process


Sputnik News
Sun, 27 Nov 2016 20:57 UTC
Killary
© AFP 2016/Jewel Samad
As the US Electoral College voters are set to elect the US president and vice president later in December, Russian media review whether Democratic contender Hillary Clinton still has a last chance to move into the White House and does the president-elect have any reason to be nervous.

The November 8 presidential election in the US was not, in fact, the final point of the election process of the US head of state.

Back in the 18th century, the Founding Fathers of the US prudently excluded any chances for unfit people to become the country's President.

Not trusting the choice of the masses, they designed a system of bringing a trustworthy candidate into office. The system has also become a compromise to the idea suggested at the time that the President would be voted for by Congress.

And so the scheme whereby the election of the US President is decided by the popular vote of qualified citizens, the Electoral College, came into being.

It's made up of the 538 Americans who actually elect the president. The number corresponds to the seats each state has in the US Senate and the House of Representatives (there are 100 seats in the Senate and 435 in the House), plus the three electoral votes allotted to Washington, D.C.

Pegging each state's electoral vote count to the size of its congressional delegation was specifically designed to give smaller states proportionally more influence than larger states.

The national popular vote therefore simply doesn't matter to the election of the president, however it awards electoral votes to each state based on state-by-state results.

Therefore, on November 8 the country was choosing the qualified citizens who would then elect the president.
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Attention

Jihadi fronts in Aleppo fall apart, SAA creates 2 pockets - Egypt enters the fray?

Bernhard
Moon of Alabama
Sun, 27 Nov 2016 20:42 UTC
hanano aleppo
The Syrian army (SAA) and its allies made huge progress in east-Aleppo. There, as seemingly everywhere else, the Jihadi' fronts are breaking down. Disunity in the opposition, in reflection of disunity among their sponsors, disrupts all of their attempts for new initiatives. The largely hidden Russian air campaign behind the "rebel" frontlines diminished their material and personal reserves.


Comment: The rebels are reportedly turning on each other:
"Clashes between militant groups have intensified because some militants, who are controlling Eastern Aleppo, wanted to leave the city but were encountered by the most hardline groups," the center's statement said.

"Eastern Aleppo sees a growing number of locals who are disaffected with militants' actions. Grassroots revolts against terrorists' atrocities are taking place with increasing frequency," it read adding that the residents of three districts including Haidaria and Hanano, controlled by militants for at least four years, have squeezed them out.

New help for the Syrian alliance will soon come in form of Egyptian forces. With various "rebel" enclaves eliminated by fighting or peace deals more Syrian troops will be freed and become available for new campaigns. Turkey has been told in no uncertain words to pull back from its Syria (and Iraq) plans. With more forces available and under solid Russian (air) protection new SAA initiatives towards Idleb in the north of the country as well as against Raqqa in the east will now become possible.
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SOTT Logo Radio

SOTT Focus: Behind the Headlines: Fake News About Fake News: WaPo Blacklists SOTT.net as Kremlin Disinfo


Sott.net
Sun, 27 Nov 2016 17:00 UTC
pro-Trump Kremlin troll
© RT
In the wake of the Trumpocalypse, "fake news" has been in the news. First it was Facebook being blamed for Trump's win because of the pro-Trump fake news floating around social media in the lead-up to the election.

Then, an obscure left-wing activist college professor hastily compiled a list of "fake news" sites and posted it on her social media. The list was picked up by such fake news sites as CNN, WaPo, Boston Globe, NY Magazine, USA Today, Business Insider, and more, with recommendations for serious readers to avoid such tainted goods.

Now, the Washington Post has cited an obscure list of "Russian propaganda" websites to justify its claim that a "Russian propaganda effort" helped spread fake news during the election. Included on the list? SOTT.net, among numerous other great alternative news websites.

Today on Behind the Headlines we share our thoughts on "fake news", who the real fakers are, and what we think about being labelled as Kremlin trolls or useful idiots.

Running Time: 01:37:19

Download: MP3

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Propaganda

Fake News: Pro-militant media claims civilian casualties from "Russia-Assad airstrikes", shows mannequins in "video proof"


South Front
Sun, 27 Nov 2016 00:00 UTC
Aleppo MANNEQUINS propaganda
© Unknown
Pro-militant media outlets and 'non-government' organizations continue to implement a wide range of propaganda techniques to blame Syrian-Russian forces for civilian casualties across Syria. While it's hard to expect any war without civilian casualties, the approach implemented by the mainstream media and its allies from the "Syrian moderate opposition" is shameless.

Now, pro-militant media accounts are spreading a fresh video (made by a media outlet known as "EMC") that shows alleged results of Russian-Syrian airstrikes.

Comment: See also:

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Attention

Juncker chastizes Obama's calling Russia a 'regional power'; EU resolution against alt news agencies


RT
Sun, 27 Nov 2016 15:44 UTC
Juncker
© Strategic Culture FoundationJean-Claude Juncker
Outgoing US President Obama made a big mistake calling Russia a "regional power," the European Commission chief said in an interview. Europe, instead, should treat Russia as "one big entity and a proud nation," and there is a lot to learn about it.

"The EU occupies 5.5 million square kilometers, Russia takes up 17.5 million. Russia must be treated as one big entity, as a proud nation," Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, the EU executive body, told Euronews on Saturday. He admitted that the EU is "very ignorant about Russia" at this point, and that "we have a lot to learn."

Juncker, who has been leading the European Commission for the past two years, went on to criticize US President Barack Obama, who in 2014 branded Russia "a regional power that is threatening some of its immediate neighbors, not out of strength but out of weakness."

"Russia is not, as President Obama said, 'a regional power.' This was a big error in assessment," Juncker maintained. Following his measured tone, he stressed that the EU is not dependent on US foreign policy. Washington "will do what it wants to do and Europeans will have their own interests within their own scope to manage," he said, referring to the current state of bilateral dialogue between Brussels and Moscow.

Comment: EU is finding itself divided and in no-where's land holding the short stick.

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Newspaper

Turkey detains BBC, VoA reporters, no reason provided


RT
Sun, 27 Nov 2016 15:18 UTC
Hatice Kamer, BBC
© Gulf TimesHatice Kamer, BBC
Reporters working for BBC and Voice of America have been detained in southeastern Turkey. Turkey arrested dozens of journalists after the failed July coup attempt in a nationwide crackdown on the media.

Hatice Kamer, a correspondent for BBC Turkey, was detained Saturday in the town of Sirvan. She was covering a November 17 mine collapse, which left at least 11 people dead and five missing under the rubble. The Turkish language service of the BBC said Kamer intended to meet with families of the victims. Kamer was released on Sunday, BBC Turkey later reported.

Voice of America freelance reporter Khajijan Farqin was detained in Diyarbakir, the US government-funded outlet said, citing a Saturday message from her family. Details remain unclear, with her attorney unable to reach her for five days due to the state of emergency in the province, the report said. Diyarbakir is the unofficial capital of Turkish Kurds. In July 2015, Ankara launched a massive crackdown against the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the predominantly Kurdish southeast of the country.

Turkey has reportedly not provided any reason for either detention. Earlier this month, 52-year-old French journalist Olivier Bertrand was detained in Gaziantep and subsequently deported.

Comment: A message to the message-makers most likely.

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Jet4

Tehran: Offers Russia more permanent military base access


Sputnik
Sun, 27 Nov 2016 12:40 UTC
Russian warplane
© Iran ReviewRussian bombers to be welcomed at Nojeh Air Base in Iran.
Commenting on Iran's announcement that it could allow Russia to use the Hamadan air base in western Iran for Moscow's aerial operation against terrorists in Syria, Russian political and military analyst Alexander Perendzhiev said that Tehran might even change its legislation to give Russia a more permanent presence at the base.

On Saturday, Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan announced that the country's authorities could allow Russia to use its Nojeh airbase near the western city of Hamadan for Moscow's aerial operation against terrorists in Syria if the situation in the crisis-torn Middle Eastern nation demanded it. "If the situation and conditions [in Syria] demand to provide the support, we will do this job," Dehghan said, as quoted by the Tasnim news agency.

Later in the day, the Russian upper house of parliament's defense committee chair, Viktor Ozerov told RIA Novosti that Russia could use Iran's airbase if the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, which is used for anti-terror strikes in Syria, moves away from the Syrian borders for a new mission. "Russia might need to use the airbase in Hamadan if the Admiral Kuznetsov carries out another operation and is not be able for carrying out airstrikes against terrorists in Syria," he said.
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Attention

Erdogan's message to EU Parliament: "Know your limits!"


RT
Sun, 27 Nov 2016 08:00 UTC
pissyerdogan
© RT.com"Know your limits!"
The EU is in no position to dictate to Turkey when it comes to fighting terrorism, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after EU lawmakers voted to call for halting membership talks with Ankara. On Thursday, the EU Parliament passed a non-binding motion urging a temporary halt to membership talks with Turkey, citing Ankara's crackdown after July's failed coup. European lawmakers strongly condemned the "disproportionate repressive measures"following the failed coup attempt, which "violate basic rights and freedoms protected by the Turkish Constitution."

In the second series of remarks following the EU's move, Erdogan once again called on Brussels to know its "limits." "The government and parliament can extend the length of state of emergency. What's it to you? Does the European Parliament rule this country or the government [of Turkey]? Know your limits! Those days are over," Erdogan said, as cited by Anadolu new agency.

"Saying 'don't fight terrorism' to a country who fights against terror every day is to tell them to put up the shutters," the president noted in Istanbul on Saturday. "Are you [European Parliament] inviting terrorist groups?" he wondered. Turkey would continue to "go on its way no matter what they say," following the goals laid out by the government for 2023, the president added.

Comment: In this tit-for-tat pissing contest, Erdogan has also dangled the option (does he have one?) of joining China and Russia in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a more ideal situation for Turkey than the EU. This, however, may not be in the best interests of the EU since it would mean the SCO would gain a Middle Eastern foothold. Meanwhile, Erdogan has the means at hand to completely overturn the applecart and flood the EU with refugees.
See also:

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Bomb

Russian defense experts confirm militants used mustard gas against civilians in Syria


RT
Sat, 26 Nov 2016 19:51 UTC
Mustardgas
© The Hindu
Russian Defense Ministry experts said that a chemical agent that was found in an unexploded mortar shell and later used in a militant attack on a village in Aleppo Governorate, was indeed mustard gas, according to a ministry statement.

On November 16, Russian military experts found an unexploded crude homemade 240-mm mortar shell with a capsule in the rear in the area of Maarat Umm Hawsh village in Aleppo Governorate. The shell was used in an attack on the village on September 16, leaving 40 people injured. It contained a capsule in its rear filled with dark oily liquid.

"An analysis conducted in strict accordance with the [the UN Organization for Prohibition of the Chemical Weapons] OPCW procedure requirements confirmed that the samples [taken from the mortar shell and the shelling site] contained ... mustard gas," a statement issued by the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Comment: The UN, a puppet organization subsidized by the US, is obediently remiss in responding to atrocities affecting Syria, especially involving the investigation of US-supported terrorists for crimes against civilians.

See also:

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