Putin's strategy in Syria has worked like a charm. First, there were around 2 weeks of murky, rumor-filled reports of a build-up of Russian military activity in Tartus and Latakia, Syria. Some were false, some had a seed of truth, but it got everyone talking -- this at the same time that Western media was hyping the refugee crisis and the danger of ISIS 'infiltrating Europe'. Second, there was talk of a new coalition to fight ISIS. This irked the West: Russian assistance in Latakia makes any no-fly zone in Syria a no-go. And a real coalition risks actually defeating ISIS, which the West doesn't really want. (They were counting on ISIS as the means or pretext of taking out Assad.) Now, quick on the heels of Putin's talk at the UN and his meeting with Obama, Russia has begun airstrikes in Syria using the West's own pretext - the threat of radicalized nationals 'returning home' . (Of course, Russia has other reasons for going to Syria, too.)

Already, after just one day of airstrikes, the U.S. has pretty much folded, stating that they are stopping any additional training of radical Syrian jihadis, and 'adjusting' their policy regarding Assad, at least temporarily. News is coming fast, so here are a few of the highlights from the past two days. (Check out Joe Quinn's SOTT Focus for some real gems from yesterday's news.)

Russian Defense Ministry releases video of first day's airstrikes (Russian TASS - Sept. 30)

The footage shows what Russia identifies as ISIS command posts, destroying ammunition depots, weapons, fuel, and military equipment storage in the mountainous areas. As noted by Defense Ministry-General Major Igor Konashenkov, "all strikes were done after aerial reconnaissance and better clarify the data obtained from the headquarters of the Syrian army. According to him, Russian aircraft and weapons have not been used in the vicinity of civilian infrastructure."

You may, or may not, have noticed the growing body of evidence over the past year or two that strongly suggests that the U.S. government and its European "allies" are not really serious about destroying "ISIS".

The first hint came early last year when the jihadi mercenaries took large swathes of Iraq and Syria, and the West did nothing but wring its collective hands and fret, and resolve to bolster the fighting capability of the wonderful "rebels".

The second hint came this year when the U.S. and their partners began piecemeal airstrikes against "ISIS" that appeared to merely spur the head-choppers on to more success.

The third hint came with reports that weapons supplies being sent to "Syrian rebels" were 'accidentally' ending up in the hands of the head-choppers.

The most recent confirmation that Western politicians and military types effectively view "ISIS" as 'their guys' came in the last few weeks when the Pentagon reacted to news that Russia was in the process of establishing an air base in western Syria, from which to attack all foreign forces in Syria involved in the four-year-long attempted coup against the Syrian government.

In his recent interview for CBS' 60 Minutes, Putin flatly rejected Western media claims that the Syrian military commits war crimes, not least the incessantly repeated claim that the Syrian military is wantonly dropping 'barrel bombs' over civilian areas, telling American journalist Charlie Rose, "Speaking in the professional language of the intelligence services, I can tell you that this kind of assessment is an 'active measure' by enemies of Assad. It is anti-Syrian propaganda." Since the conflict began, many massacres have been blamed on Syrian forces, but later turned out to have either not taken place at all or have been carried out by so-called 'rebels' or 'terrorists'.

Within a year of the so-called 'Syrian uprising' they told us the death toll was hitting 100,000. By late 2013 it was 200,000. And today Western media outlets throw around figures of 'over 320,000 dead'. The primary source for these figures throughout the 'civil war' - which is really a war of conquest by proxy mercenaries in the pay of Washington, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, - has been the 'Syrian Observatory for Human Rights', an opposition 'group' whose reports about what's happening in Syria have been taken at face value, despite its clear interest in portraying the Syrian government in the worst possible light. The information on which the figures are based are internationally considered so dubious that the UN gave up trying to keep an accurate count almost two years ago.

Routinely cited by every single Western media outlet, and its reports taken as gospel truth, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has effectively been inventing a narrative of what's happening in Syria that fits Western foreign policy interests. With no real 'ears on the ground' in Syria, SOHR produces reports on troop movements, government policy, and public sentiment, all of which amount to so many lies that are uncritically swallowed and regurgitated by Western presstitutes. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) consists of one Syrian expat - Abdul Rahman, aka Rami Abdulrahman, aka Osama Suleiman - and his 'team of four activists in Syria'. Rahman, a three-term convicted criminal in Syria, found refuge in the West, where he miraculously sees all in Syria from his two-bedroom house above a clothes shop in Coventry, England.

This week on Behind the Headlines we spoke with Russian journalist Dmitry Babic about current events from Russia's perspective. Babich, a graduate of Moscow State University, has been covering Russian politics for over 25 years. He has previously been a senior correspondent at RIA Novosti, foreign editor at The Moscow News, and editor-in-chief at Russia Profile magazine.

Focusing on Russia's modern political history and international relations, Babic was a political analyst at The Voice of Russia, a role he now continues with Sputnik International. He is a frequent commentator on international TV news, including RT, CNN, CCTV and Al Jazeera.

Behind the Headlines hosts Niall Bradley and Joe Quinn discussed so-called 'color revolutions' with Babic, what's happened in Ukraine since the US-backed coup in Kiev, and the flood of refugees streaming out of the Middle East towards Europe.

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Today, Saturday, the largest mosque in Europe, the Baitul Futuh Mosque in London, is on fire. Completed in 2003, the 5.2-acre mosque can hold up to 10,000 people and cost a reported £15 million ($23 million) to build. Its ground and first floors are in flames, and around 70 firefighters and 10 engines are working to put them out. Information is still scarce - no word as to the cause or if anyone was hurt or trapped in the building.

This comes just three days after Moscow reopened what is now Russia's biggest mosque, the Moscow Grand Mosque, which sizes up at 4 acres and has a capacity of over 10,000. First built in 1904, it has been completely rebuilt, a project that started four years ago. Turkish President Recep Erdogan and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spoke, along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, at the grand opening.

The contrast between the two events couldn't be more fitting, given the present political and religious climate.

Broadcasting from deep in the heart of the American Empire, join your host Elan Martin, and fellow Sott.net editors, as they discuss everything from current events and the latest machinations and manipulations of the global elite to history, science, and religion, and how it all fits together.

Accompanying the devastating geopolitical and social instability we see all around us is an incredible surge in weird weather, as well as earth changes of all types. How can this be happening? Is this merely coincidence or are the two phenomenon connected in some way? Join us as we discuss the rising tide of earth changes and social chaos.

The Truth Perspective is brought to you by the SOTT Radio Network and SOTT.net, your one-stop source for independent, unbiased, alternative news and commentary on world events.

Live every Saturday from 2-4pm EST / 11am-1pm PST / 8-10pm CET.

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Are Nitrates bad for bacon lovers? Do calories really need to be counted so religiously? Is fiber actually any good for your gut? What about that "high cholesterol?" We'll be tackling these and other popular food myths today on the Health and Wellness Show. As always, Zoya will be joining us for the Pet Health Segment where she will be talking about fleas and how to get rid of them.

Running Time: 01:53:00

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Russia invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea. Russia shot down MH17. Russia is planning to invade the Baltics. Russia is behind the Syrian refugee crisis. Day after day, the media churns out lie after lie from the bizarro realm of unreality in which so-called 'think tanks' exist. Their utterly schizoidal insistence that everyone adopt their paranoid anti-Russian stance means that as soon as you've countered one set of lies, a new set is already making the rounds.

One such screed in Newsweek recently, 'Putin's Big Lie Turns Reality on Its Head', written by Adrian Karatnycky, was reproduced from the Atlantic Council, an institution that is up there with the Brookings Institute in terms of a blood-soaked legacy from making the world safe for democracy American hegemony.

Karatnycky, a Ukrainian, is a 'Senior Fellow' following a decade as President of Freedom House, a CIA front, and another 'think tank' that has been instrumental in 'exporting democracy' - to American standards, of course.

Karatnycky's article begins:

Each summer, as part of ongoing efforts to influence their young, Russia's government leaders and propagandists head to a conference center on the Klyazma River about 130 miles northeast of Moscow to address the "Terra Scientia" Russian Youth Education Conference.

Despite its lofty name, the conference bears little trace of free inquiry. Over the course of six weeklong shifts - each with around 1,000 participants representing a different sphere of endeavor - Russia's most politically reliable youth leaders are introduced to a steady stream of ideas, messages and talking points to be used over the course of the year in civic and educational work.

This week on Behind the Headlines your regular hosts, Joe Quinn and Niall Bradley, are once again joined by 'The Truth Perspective' host, Harrison Koehli.

From the ongoing U.S./Saudi Arabia-manufactured Syrian 'civil war' and a possible Russian-inspired 'peace process' to the continued US-Japanese sabre-rattling in Asia; from the British people's 'new hope' UK opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn to the increasingly desperate plight of Syrian refugees in Eastern European nations as they try to reach 'prosperity' in Germany and Western Europe; we'll be discussing all the latest developments in global politics, society and 'earth changes' and calling out the BS in the process.

Join us this Sunday September 20th 2015, 2-4pm EST - 8-10pm CET.

Running Time: 02:19:00

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Broadcasting from deep in the heart of the American Empire, join your host Elan Martin, and fellow Sott.net editors, as they discuss everything from current events and the latest machinations and manipulations of the global elite to history, science, and religion, and how it all fits together.

This week, join The Truth Perspective as we cover the news and major events of the day. We'd like to do so with particular emphasis on the therapeutic and righteous value of the Rant, giving articulate AND emotional expression to our thoughts and feelings about what we're seeing. Its ok to feel saddened, outraged, and shocked at the many things we are seeing and hearing happening at this time on the BBM. Robots we're not.

To this end, we are inviting you to call in and Rant - in as purposeful but liberating a way as possible! Of course, we're always happy to receive callers on the show, but this week we'd really like to hear from you and open up the show to discuss the things that YOU would like to give voice to, but that are ideally related to areas that are quite often discussed.

Live every Saturday from 2-4pm EST / 11am-1pm PST / 8-10pm CET.

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