Russia
Includes Ukraine and Eastern/Central Europe and NATO
2016
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DECEMBER 2016

• Will Trump keep sanctions against Russia? Overturning them won’t be easy
  By Anita Kumar and Lesley Clark McClatchy Washington Bureau WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump, criticized for his friendly relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, faces major obstacles if he tries to lift sanctions newly imposed on Russia for election hacking. Politically, lawmakers of both parties, including Republican leaders, immediately began pressuring him to keep intact the penalties that President Barack Obama rushed into place Thursday following months of foreign hacking. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said he looked forward to working with the incoming administration to ensure “that — in the future — our response to such aggression is timely, decisive, and forceful enough to convince our adversaries not to do it again.” “I hope the incoming Trump administration, which has been far too close to Russia throughout the campaign and transition, won’t think for one second about weakening these new sanctions or our existing regime,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, incoming Senate Democratic leader. [Russia confrontation] [Sanctions]
• North-South Transport Corridor: Russia is Expanding its Footprint in Asia
  Author: Dmitry Bokarev Development of international transport corridors fosters trade and promotes political convergence of countries. Russia has long been seeking to reinforce its relations with the Middle Eastern, Central and Southeast Asian states. The routes connecting the richest Eurasian states run across the Russian Federation. Russia itself boasts a well-developed network of roads and railways. Being blessed with such a favorable geographic location, Russia can easily claim the role of a major international trade hub. This is, in fact, a core objective of the North-South International Transport Corridor (ITC). The idea to build a route connecting the coast of the Indian Ocean to the Northern Europe, which would run across Russia and Iran, is not novel. A Freight Forwarding Agreement was signed by Russian, Indian and Iranian freight forwarding companies back in 1999. The North-South Transport Corridor project was inaugurated in 2000 and officially launched in 2002. The corridor comprises several branches. Two of them, connecting Russia and Iran, are overland (the Eastern branch runs through Azerbaijan, the Western—via Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan). Another, Trans-Caspian branch is running across the Caspian Sea. The backbone of the Russian section of the ITC is a railway route linking the Port of Astrakhan (on the Caspian Sea), Moscow, Saint-Petersburg and Buslovskay Railway Station (on the Russian-Finnish border), where the route connects to the railway and highway networks, sprawling the entire Europe. It was anticipated that the ITC with its many benefits would transform into one of the most popular transport corridors in Eurasia. To compare to other routes connecting India to Europe, the North-South Transport Corridor is not only considerably shorter, but also runs overland materially reducing costs of transportation. [Eurasian landbridge]
• What The Russian Hacking Report DOESN’T Say
  By Washington's Blog December 29, 2016 Today, the Department of Homeland Security and FBI released a report alleging Russian hacking. It’s important to note what the report does NOT say … It does NOT allege any of the following: It doesn’t claim that it’s accurate. Instead, the report starts with a disclaimer, and uses the same type of weasel words – “as is”, “does not provide any warranties of any kind regarding any information” – that someone selling a lemon uses when he doesn’t want to talk about the fact that the blasted thing won’t run and doesn’t want to get sued for false misrepresentation: It doesn’t mention Wikileaks … not even once. In other words, the report does not allege that the Russians gave any Democratic Party or Podesta emails to Wikileaks It doesn’t address the fact that the NSA possesses records showing exactly how the emails went from the Democratic Party to Wikileaks, as it tracks all electronic communications in the U.S. It doesn’t address the fact that Russia would not have used widely known hacking methods (and wouldn’t have paid tribute within the code to a famous Russian intelligence officer), and that anyone could have copied these methods and names ?It doesn’t address the fact that top former NSA and CIA officials (and Wikileaks) says that these were not hacks at all … but rather leaks by American insiders ?It doesn’t address American intelligence services’ less-than-stellar history of truthfulness, and routinely skew intelligence to justify preordained policy outcomes ?It doesn’t address the fact that – according to the Los Angeles Times – the U.S. interfered in foreign elections 81 times between 1946 and 2000 … compared to only 36 times by the Ruskies ?It doesn’t address the fact that most Americans aren’t buying the whole claim that the Russians hacked our election
  In other words, the report really doesn’t say much of anything … [US_election16] [Russia Confrontation] [Hacking] [Evidence] [FBI]
• Obama escalates anti-Russian campaign with new sanctions and threats
  By Patrick Martin 30 December 2016 In an executive order accompanied by a series of official statements, US President Barack Obama has sharply escalated the campaign against Russia, based on unsubstantiated claims of Russian government hacking of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Hillary Clinton campaign in the presidential election. Obama has imposed sanctions on top Russian government officials, blacklisted several Russian IT companies and expelled 35 Russian diplomats stationed in the US, giving them only 72 hours to leave the country. Two Russian-owned facilities, in San Francisco and Maryland, are being shut down with less than 24 hours’ notice. “These actions are not the sum total of our response to Russia’s aggressive activities,” Obama declared. “We will continue to take a variety of actions at a time and place of our choosing, some of which will not be publicized.” This indicates that secret retaliatory measures, possibly including cyber-warfare actions to disrupt Russia’s economy, finances or infrastructure, are being taken. The text of the executive order, as posted on the White House web site, contains vague, sweeping language that has ominous implications for the democratic rights of the American people. Any political activist opposed to the official two-party system could face sanctions or even criminal charges for actions “with the purpose or effect of interfering with or undermining election processes or institutions.” Is uncovering internal documents of the Democratic National Committee or the emails of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta “interfering with or undermining election processes or institutions”? Evidently so, since that is the principal crime alleged against the Russian government. It is quite possible, however, that the documents were made public thanks to leaks by disgruntled DNC staff, perhaps angry about the content of the emails, which showed a deliberate effort by the DNC leadership to block the campaign of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and insure Clinton’s nomination. Would such leaks now be criminalized? What about making those documents widely available, as the WikiLeaks organization did? What about publishing excerpts or the full texts of those documents, as virtually the entire American media did? Where do “interfering with or undermining” end and freedom of speech and freedom of the press begin? Obama’s executive order makes no distinction. [Russia confrontation] [US_election16]
• Putin says he won’t deport U.S. diplomats as he looks to cultivate relations with Trump
  By Andrew Roth December 30 at 11:09 AM ? MOSCOW — In a rare break from the diplomatic tradition of reciprocal punishment, Russian President Vladi­mir Putin said Friday he would not deport U.S. diplomats in a tit-for-tat response to U.S. hacking sanctions, as Russia looks to cultivate relations with the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump. “We won’t create problems for American diplomats,” Putin said in a statement released by his press service Friday afternoon, adding that Russia retained the right to punish U.S. diplomats in the future. He said he would “plan further steps for restoring the Russian-American relationship based on the policies enacted by the administration of President Donald Trump.” In a terse response, the State Department said Friday: “We have seen President Putin’s remarks. We have nothing further to add.” [Russia Confrontation] [Response] [Putin]
• Russia slams Obama administration and CNN for ‘lie’ that it would shut American school in Moscow
  By Adam Taylor December 30 at 10:40 AM Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, has hit back at claims that authorities were planning to close an American school in Moscow in an act of retribution for wide-ranging U.S. measures against Russia, announced Thursday. “US officials ‘anonymously informed’ their media that Russia closed the Anglo-American School in Moscow as a retaliatory measure,” she wrote in a Facebook post, which was later translated by the Russian state news agency TASS. “That’s a lie. Apparently, the White House has completely lost its senses and began inventing sanctions against its own children.” CNN was one of the first news organizations to report the closure of the school, which is popular with the children of Western diplomats. The news was widely shared on social media. [Russia confrontation] [Canard] [Response]
• Trump praises Putin’s response to sanctions, calls Russian leader ‘very smart!’
  By Karoun Demirjian December 30 at 4:46 PM ? President-elect Donald Trump has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a strong leader. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) President-elect Donald Trump on Friday expressed his appreciation to Vladimir Putin after the Russian president said he would not expel American diplomats in response to new U.S. sanctions over hacking as a gesture to the incoming administration. “Great move on delay (by V. Putin),” Trump tweeted Friday afternoon. “I always knew he was very smart!” [Trump] [Putin]
• Escalating the Risky Fight with Russia
  December 28, 2016 Exclusive: To box in President-elect Trump, the neocons and liberal hawks are pushing for “crippling sanctions” against Russia that they see as crucial to their dangerous “regime change” agenda in Moscow, reports Robert Parry. By Robert Parry The neocons and their liberal-interventionist chums never seem to think through one of their “regime change” schemes. It’s enough that they wrote the plan down in some op-ed article or reached a consensus at a think-tank conference. After that, all there is to do is to generate the requisite propaganda, often accompanied by intelligence “leaks” and maybe some heartbreaking photos of children, to rile up the American people so they can be easily herded into the next slaughterhouse. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, flanked by Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria “Toria” Nuland, addresses Russian President Vladimir Putin in a meeting room at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on July 14, 2016. [State Department Photo] We’ve seen this pattern play out over and over again, from Iraq to Libya to Syria to Ukraine. You could even go back to the 1980s and the project for arming Afghanistan’s mujahedeen and a collection of international jihadists led by Osama bin Laden, a project enthusiastically supported by both Republicans and Democrats. The one consistent in these bloody follies is that the neocon/liberal-hawk plans never work out as they were drawn up. Time and again, it turns out that the great idea – looking so good on the op-ed page or sounding so smart at the think-tank conference – wasn’t all that great or smart after all. Remember how the Iraqis were going to welcome U.S. troops with flowers and how neocon favorite Ahmed Chalabi would be hailed as Iraq’s new leader; or how the murder of Muammar Gaddafi would be followed by the flowering of Libyan democracy; or how enforcing the “must go” edict on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would be accomplished pretty quickly; or how overthrowing democratically elected President Viktor Yanukovych was sure to put a stop to Ukraine’s endemic corruption. Instead, the people in those countries were left bloodied and battered while the areas around them became destabilized, too, now with those social and economic disruptions extending all the way to Europe, which not that long ago was one of the world’s bastions of stability. And, oh, yes, the Afghan operation from the 1980s gave us the Taliban and Al Qaeda. [Neocon] [Russia confrontation] [Liberal]
• Putin’s Russia has a museum dedicated to freedom — and people want to shut it down
  By David Filipov December 28 at 2:37 PM The Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center, in Yekaterinburg, Russia, has a museum that describes the first decade of Russia’s post-Soviet history, and the story of its first democratically elected president. (The Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center) YEKATERINBURG, Russia — It’s a stirring exhibition of Russia’s struggle to win rights and freedoms that the country no longer fully enjoys. It’s a shimmering memorial to a late president few Russians miss and an era most would rather forget. And although it’s overseen by the Kremlin, it’s also a tacit symbol of defiance to President Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian rule. Not surprisingly, many influential people want to shut down, or at least tone down, the unbridled take on 1990s Russia that is on display at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center, a state-of-the-art archive and museum dedicated to the country’s first freely elected president. The drumbeat of disapproval has only gotten louder amid this month’s 25th anniversary of the most profound event in which Yeltsin played a leading role, also something most Russians wish had never happened: the dismantlement of the Soviet Union. [Soviet Union] [Yeltsin] [Media]
• Russians No Longer Dispute Olympic Doping Operation
  By Rebecca R. Ruiz Dec. 27, 2016 MOSCOW — Russia is for the first time conceding that its officials carried out one of the biggest conspiracies in sports history: a far-reaching doping operation that implicated scores of Russian athletes, tainting not just the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi but also the entire Olympic movement. Over several days of interviews here with The New York Times, Russian officials said they no longer disputed a damning set of facts that detailed a doping program with few, if any, historical precedents. “It was an institutional conspiracy,” Anna Antseliovich, the acting director general of Russia’s national antidoping agency, said of years’ worth of cheating schemes, while emphasizing that the government’s top officials were not involved. [Russia confrontation] [Doping] [Sports] [Olympics]
• Russia calls U.S. move to better arm Syrian rebels with shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles a 'hostile act'
  By Andrew Osborn | MOSCOW Russia said on Tuesday that a U.S. decision to ease restrictions on arming Syrian rebels had opened the way for deliveries of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, a move it said would directly threaten Russian forces in Syria. Moscow last year launched a campaign of air strikes in Syria to help President Bashar al-Assad and his forces retake territory lost to rebels, some of whom are supported by the United States. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the policy change easing restrictions on weapons supplies had been set out in a new U.S. defense spending bill and that Moscow regarded the step as a hostile act. U.S. President Barack Obama, who has been sharply critical of Russia's intervention in Syria, signed the annual defense policy bill into law last week. State Department spokesman Mark Toner dismissed the Russian charges, saying the administration remains opposed to providing portable anti-aircraft missiles, or MANPADS, to Syrian opposition groups. "Our position on MANPADS has not changed. We have a very deep concern about that kind of weaponry getting into Syria," Toner said, referring to fears that portable anti-aircraft missiles could end up in the hands of Islamist militants and be used against civilian airliners. [US Syria policy] [Proxy] [Escalation]
• Obama administration is close to announcing measures to punish Russia for election interference
  President Obama speaks about counterterrorism during his visit to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa on Dec. 6. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters) By Ellen Nakashima December 27 at 8:24 PM The Obama administration is close to announcing a series of measures to punish Russia for its interference in the 2016 presidential election, including economic sanctions and diplomatic censure, according to U.S. officials. The administration is finalizing the details, which also are expected to include covert action that will probably involve cyber-operations, the officials said. An announcement on the public elements of the response could come as early as this week. The sanctions portion of the package culminates weeks of debate in the White House on how to revise a 2015 executive order that was meant to give the president authority to respond to cyberattacks from overseas but that did not cover efforts to influence the electoral system. [Russia confrontation] [US_election16] [Hacking] [Obama]
• Roaming Charges: the Russian Game
  by Jeffrey St. Clair The Russian Game is a chess strategy developed in the mid-19th Century by Alexander Petrov, a grand master from St. Petersburg. Petrov’s thinking about chess was deeply influenced by Napoleon’s invasion of Russia. Essentially, Petrov viewed chess as a kind of military exercise and his Russian Game was a defensive plan to protect the “homeland” of the chessboard from attack by an overwhelming imperial force through deception, misdirection and infiltration. Petrov’s Defense, as the Russian Game is also known, is a devious scheme of counterpunching, where the movements of your opposition are mirrored, creating the illusion that your opponent’s pieces are fighting themselves, until a line of counter-attack opens with devastating consequences. When played by a master, the Russian Game is meant to confuse, disorient and induce a feeling of paranoia in the invading force of pawns, rooks and knights Has Vladimir Putin deployed a Petrov Defense operation against the American electoral system? Has he mirrored decades of CIA and State Department-sponsored meddling in elections in eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America by unleashing a cyber-hack on the Democratic National Committee? Did the Russians hack the voting machines themselves, the way American operations once stuffed ballot boxes? Or is it all one big psy-op, an elaborate con out of a LeCarré novel, meant to make the American political and intelligence establishment re-enact the self-consumming witch-hunts of the McCarthy era? In other words, what if the real Russian plot was to plant the idea that Russia had hacked the vote? Thereby sending panic through the nation, launching investigations that devolve into wild goose chases, pitting intelligence agencies against each other. Frankly, I have no idea whether Russia influenced the US elections, though both nations have been meddling in each other’s business since at least the Russian Revolution. But it’s quite clear that both the CIA are FBI are meddling in the election, which should be a much more troubling reality for Americans. The CIA, in particular, is prohibited by statute from any kind of domestic operations, a ban which Obama’s executive order seems to violate. [US_election16] [Russia confrontation] [Hacking] [CIA]
• Urgent to [US] Progressives: Stop Fueling the Anti-Russia Frenzy
  by Norman Solomon, via Antiwar.org This week began with a mass email from the head of the Democratic National Committee, who declared: “By now, Americans know beyond any reasonable doubt that the Russian government orchestrated a series of cyberattacks on political campaigns and organizations over the past two years and used stolen information to influence the presidential campaign and congressional races.” DNC chair Donna Brazile went on: “The integrity of our elections is too important for Congress to refuse to take these attacks seriously.” The importance of election integrity had eluded Brazile when she was a regular on CNN, posing as neutral in the Clinton-Sanders battle. “Brazile is not apologizing for leaking CNN debate questions and topics to the Hillary Clinton campaign during the Democratic primary,” the Washington Post reported last month. “Her only regret, it seems, is that she got caught.” Many big factors affect any presidential race, and the Russian government may have tried to be one of them for the 2016 election – though it’s hardly the slam dunk that agencies like the CIA and U.S. mass media are now claiming. But in any event, this month it has become routine for a lot of progressive organizations and individuals to descend into a dangerous mode of partisan flackery. Less than two weeks ago – as soon as unnamed CIA sources told journalists that the Kremlin was behind hacks of DNC and Clinton campaign emails – a wide range of progressive online groups, activists and commentators reflexively embraced the dominant media spin. High profile among them was MoveOn, which used its big digital footprint to spur the frenzy. MoveOn matter-of-factly decried the “chilling news” of “Russia’s election tampering.” And, without a hint of media literacy, the group also informed its readers that “news broke that the Russian president himself was involved in the efforts to influence our November election – in favor of Donald Trump.” Such eagerness to share undocumented spin as absolute fact has led many progressive groups to go with knee-jerk reactions. Bent on gaining a propaganda advantage over Trump, those reactions are helping to stampede this country toward a modern form of McCarthyism – as well as brinkmanship with Russia that could lead to a cataclysmic military conflict. Zeal to blame Russia for a bad election outcome has spread like contagion among countless self-described progressives, understandably appalled by the imminent Trump presidency. But those who think they’re riding a helpful tiger could find themselves devoured later on. [Russia confrontation] [Manipulation] [Liberal] [Mis-support]
• Russia may play bigger role in N. Korea issues
  By Kim Jae-kyoung Russia is expected to play a bigger role in controlling North Korea's nuclear brinkmanship as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump put ExxonMobil Chief Executive Rex Tillerson at the helm of the State Department. Trump's choice of Tillerson, the 64-year-old Texas oilman with close ties to Russia, indicates that the billionaire investor will take a new approach to foreign policy, including that related to the Korean Peninsula. "We can be pretty sure new thinking will go on in Washington. Russia, for example, might become more important, and China less so," William Brown, a professor at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, said. He pointed out that Russia was a key contributor to the North Korean missile and nuclear programs and might be able to play a more constructive role in stopping it. Tillerson has been doing business in Russia for the last two decades and knows Russia's leadership well. In 2013, he received the Order of Friendship from Russian President Vladimir Putin for his work brokering a deal between ExxonMobil and the state-owned Russian oil giant Rosneft. [Tillerson] [Russia NK]
• Some very good news for Donald Trump: A strong majority still say Russia didn’t matter
  By Aaron Blake December 15 Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives at Yamaguchiube Airport in Ube, western Japan, on Thursday. (Koji Sasahara/European Pressphoto Agency) Republicans have been somewhat reluctant to jump whole-hog into investigating Russia's role in the 2016 election. And they have good reason: As I've mentioned, doing so inherently raises the possibility that Russia made the difference when it came to electing Donald Trump as president, given his tight margins in decisive states. Republicans don't want to cast any doubt on that. And Trump himself isn't even accepting the CIA's assessment that Russia tried to intervene. [US_Election16] [Russia confrontation] [Hacking] [Public opinion]
• Trump’s pick for commerce secretary shares a business circle with Putin associates
  By Kevin G. Hall WASHINGTON — Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross, tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as his commerce secretary, has been the top shareholder in a Cypriot bank with deep Russian ties and investors who made their fortunes under Russian President Vladimir Putin. There’s no indication of any questionable behavior by Ross, but his partners in the bank are sure to attract scrutiny during his Senate confirmation hearing and underscore the financial orbit around Putin that intersects with figures in Trump’s campaign and administration. Beyond the Russian ties, Bank of Cyprus’ chairman once headed Deutsche Bank, which has repeatedly run afoul of U.S. regulators and is a major lender to the Trump business empire. Cyprus is often used by Russia’s politically connected businessmen. In a March 2013 report, McClatchy detailed how Russians had come to dominate Cyprus as both customers and providers of financial services. Russian depositors and investors took losses that year in Cyprus when the European debt crisis nearly crumbled major banks. [Russia confrontation] [Media] [Canard] [Trump]
• Who's behind Russian diplomat's murder in Ankara?
  The Dec. 19 assassination of Andrei Karlov, Russia’s ambassador to Turkey, could have come straight out of a Terrorist 101 handbook — and perhaps it did. Turkish officials are seeking the true motive behind the slaying of Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov at a public event in Ankara Dec. 19. Author Pinar Tremblay Posted December 20, 2016 The authorities are examining potential motives for the slaying, including the possibility that the assassin was a Gulenist pretending to be a jihadist. Karlov was assassinated in Ankara while attending a photo gallery opening. The assailant was identified as Mevlut Mert Altintas, a 22-year-old off-duty riot police officer who was shot dead by his colleagues. [Assassination] [Turkey Russia] [Gulen]
• Congressional push for sanctions against Russia could set up clash with Trump
  By Karoun Demirjian December 18 at 10:45 AM ? Kissinger, McCain have 'no doubt' about Russian hacking Lawmakers and other political experts, Dec. 18, called for more information about Russia's suspected interference in the 2016 U.S. election. Kellyanne Conway, senior adviser to President-elect Trump, condemned efforts by members of the electoral college to seek an intelligence briefing on the matter prior to their Dec. 19 vote. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post) A showdown in Congress is looming over expanding sanctions against Russia, possibly pitting lawmakers once again against President-elect Donald J. Trump and his secretary of state nominee who previously has opposed them. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), an outspoken Trump critic, is the latest lawmaker to join the fray, stating that his goal in a series of investigations next year “is to put on President Trump’s desk crippling sanctions against Russia,” he wrote on Twitter. “They need to pay a price.” And on Sunday’s “State of the Union” on CNN, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the Armed Services Committee chair and a hardliner on Russia who believes that country hacked the election, called for a single select committee to investigate the alleged Russian meddling, as did incoming Senate Democratic leader Charles E. Schumer of New York. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has rejected that approach. The list of lawmakers who have called for expanded Russia sanctions includes Republicans and Democrats, Trump critics and members who supported the Republican’s White House bid. Their reasons are many, including anger over Moscow’s alleged role in a series of election-related hacks to revulsion at the Kremlin’s support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad torturing his own people. [Russia confrontation] [Syria] [Hypocrisy]
• The "Elite" Coup Of 2016
  •There is an "elite" coup attempt underway against the U.S. President-elect Trump. •The coup is orchestrated by the camp of Hillary Clinton in association with the CIA and neoconservative powers in Congress. •The plan is to use the CIA's "Russia made Trump the winner" nonsense to swing the electoral college against him. The case would then be bumped up to Congress. Major neocon and warmonger parts of the Republicans could then move the presidency to Clinton or, if that fails, put Trump's vice president-elect Mike Pence onto the throne. The regular bipartisan war business, which a Trump presidency threatens to interrupt, could continue. •Should the coup succeed violent insurrections in the United States are likely to ensue with unpredictable consequences. The above theses are thus far only a general outlay. No general plan has been published. The scheme though is pretty obvious by now. However, the following contains some speculation. [Trump] [Coup] [Russia confrontation] [Electoral College]
• A CIA-led Coup Against American Democracy Is Unfolding Before Our Eyes
  Paul Craig Roberts
  December 17, 2016 This article by Moon of Alabama is not conspiracy theory: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/46056.htm Read it carefully. Check out the links. The article is a documented and accurate description of a coup that is underway. The extraordinary lies that are being perpetrated by the media and by members of the US government have as their obvious purpose the prevention of a Donald Trump presidency. There is no other reason for the extraordinary blatant lies for which there is not a shred of evidence. Indeed, there is massive real evidence to the contrary. Yet the coup proceeds and gathers steam. President Eisenhower warned us more than a half century ago of the danger that the military/security complex presents to US democracy. In the decades since Eisenhower’s warning, the military/security complex has become more powerful than the American people and is demonstrating its power by overturning a presidential election. Will the coup succeed? In my opinion, former and present members of the US government and the media would not dare to so obviously and openly participate in a coup against democracy and an elected president unless they expect the coup to succeed. It is an easy matter for the ruling interests to bribe electors to vote differently than their states. The cost of the bribes is miniscule compared to the wealth and income streams that a trillion dollar annual budget provides to the military/security complex. The fake news of a Putin/Trump election-stealing plot generated by unsupported allegations of present and former members of US intelligence, the lame-duck President Obama, and the presstitute media provide the cover for electors to break with precedent “in order to save America from a Russian stooge.” The CIA-controlled European media, the politicians in Washington’s European vassal states, NATO officials, and the brainwashed European peoples will support the coup against Trump. The only ones speaking against the coup are the voters who elected Trump—all of whom are alleged to have been deceived by Russian fake news— the Russian government, and the 200 websites falsely described by the Washington Post and the secret organization PropOrNot as Russian agents. In other words, those objecting to the coup are the ones described by the coup leaders as those who made the coup necessary. I do not know that the coup will succeed, but looking at the commitment so many high level people have made to the coup, I conclude that those bringing the coup expect it to succeed. Therefore, we should take very seriously the expectation of success that those who control levers of power are demonstrating [Trump] [Coup]
• Did Russia elect Trump?
  By Sumantra Maitra China.org.cn, December 17, 2016 As readers know, world politics is buzzing with news that Russian intelligence services helped elect Trump. If the claim, hitherto unproven, is true, then it will go down in history as the greatest intelligence operation in the history of humanity. So far, however, there are contradictory claims and a lot of strings that are unattached. Here's what happened. The CIA came out with a report that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency. That's a shift from the claim that Russia intervened in U.S. elections to undermine faith in the democratic process. Apparently, according to the Washington Post, which came out with the scoop, intelligence agencies identified individuals with connections to the Russian government, who provided WikiLeaks with hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee and from other accounts, including that of Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman. According to a U.S. intelligence report, which was provided to the senators, the actors behind these selective leaks are known to the wider intelligence community and therefore can be attributed to covert state actions. It seems implausible, and I'm not the only one who thinks that way. In fact U.S. intelligence community, including the FBI and CIA, itself is divided on this. Adding to that, the Trump's team has now railed against its own intelligence saying these guys brought about the Iraq fiasco. How likely is it that Russia helped to elect Trump? For a start, imagine yourself planning an intelligence operation. You identify a likely agent, who might or might not serve your purpose. You then decide and order hacks on info, then give it to your agents to selectively disseminate, on the assumption that that will spread through social media and affect certain sections of people who might or might not then vote to elect this aforementioned agent. For anyone researching intel and military strategies, this would sound absurd. Trump won because of simple reasons. [US_election16] [Russia confrontation] [Hacking]
• The Cold War, Continued: Post-Election Russophobia
  by Gary Leupp Mainstream TV news anchors including MSNBC’s Chris Hayes are reporting as fact—with fuming indignation—that Russia (and specifically Vladimir Putin) not only sought to influence the U.S. election (and—gosh!—promote “doubt” about the whole legitimacy of the U.S. electoral system) but to throw the vote to Donald Trump. The main accusation is that the DNC and Podesta emails leaked through Wikileaks were provided by state-backed Russian hackers (while they did not leak material hacked from the Republicans). I have my doubts on this. Former U.S. ambassador to Uzbekistan and torture whistle-blower Craig Murray, a friend of Julian Assange, has stated that the DNC emails were leaked by a DNC insider whose identity he knows. The person, Murray contends, handed the material over to him, in a D.C. park. I have met Murray, admire and am inclined to believe him. (I just heard now that John Bolton, of all people, has also opined this was an inside job.) [US_election16] [Russia confrontation] [Hacking]
• Ah, So Putin Didn’t Hack Those Emails After All
  by Mike Whitney The neocon-driven propaganda campaign to prevent president-elect Donald Trump from taking office took an unexpected turn on Thursday when CBS posted an article claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally authorized the alleged hacking of the DNC. According to the report: “American intelligence officials say they are convinced that Russian hacking of our presidential election was approved by President Vladimir Putin. Sources confirm to CBS News they believe Putin was aware of attacks that began in July of last year. An official investigation is still going on. But this is the first time the hacking that plagued the Democratic National Committee until Election Day has been linked to Putin, reports CBS News correspondent Jeff Pegues. The hacks were so widespread and sustained over such a long period of time that U.S. Intelligence sources say it could not have been carried out without the knowledge of senior levels of the Kremlin. CBS News has learned that investigators believe the initial cyberattack involved thousands of malicious emails aimed at the U.S. government, military and political organizations.” (“Vladimir Putin likely gave go-ahead for U.S. cyberattack, intelligence officials say“, CBS News) As is true with earlier reports on the same topic, CBS fails to provide the names of any of its “U.S. intelligence sources”, any corroborating evidence to support its allegations, or any proof that its speculative stitching together of isolated facts produce an accurate account of what actually took place. No where in the entire hysterical narrative, do the authors mention the fact that neither the DNC nor the Podesta emails were “hacked” by a hostile foreign power, but “leaked” from within the DNC itself or by agents operating at the NSA. The most probable explanation for the alleged cyber intrusion is that the emails were given to WikiLeaks by a disgruntled employee operating in the Hillary campaign who was so sickened by the lies and corruption that he decided to blow the whistle. Is that so hard to believe? [US_Election16] [DNC] [Whistleblower] [Russia confrontation]
• EXCLUSIVE: Ex-British ambassador who is now a WikiLeaks operative claims Russia did NOT provide Clinton emails - they were handed over to him at a D.C. park by an intermediary for 'disgusted' Democratic whistleblowers
  Craig Murray, former British ambassador to Uzbekistan and associate of Julian Assange, told the Dailymail.com he flew to Washington, D.C. for emails He claims he had a clandestine hand-off in a wooded area near American University with one of the email sources The leakers' motivation was 'disgust at the corruption of the Clinton Foundation and the 'tilting of the primary election playing field against Bernie Sanders' Murray says: 'The source had legal access to the information. The documents came from inside leaks, not hacks' 'Regardless of whether the Russians hacked into the DNC, the documents Wikileaks published did not come from that,' Murray insists Murray is a controversial figure who was relieved of his post as British ambassador amid allegations of misconduct but is close to Wikileaks By Alana Goodman In Washington, Dc For Dailymail.com Published: 07:33 +11:00, 15 December 2016 | Updated: 10:01 +11:00, 15 December 2016 A Wikileaks envoy today claims he personally received Clinton campaign emails in Washington D.C. after they were leaked by 'disgusted' whisteblowers - and not hacked by Russia. Craig Murray, former British ambassador to Uzbekistan and a close associate of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, told Dailymail.com that he flew to Washington, D.C. for a clandestine hand-off with one of the email sources in September. 'Neither of [the leaks] came from the Russians,' said Murray in an interview with Dailymail.com on Tuesday. 'The source had legal access to the information. The documents came from inside leaks, not hacks.' [US_Election16] [DNC] [Russia confrontation] [Whistleblower]
• Here’s the Public Evidence Russia Hacked the DNC — It’s Not Enough
  Sam Biddle December 15 2016, 5:30 a.m. There are some good reasons to believe Russians had something to do with the breaches into email accounts belonging to members of the Democratic party, which proved varyingly embarrassing or disruptive for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. But “good” doesn’t necessarily mean good enough to indict Russia’s head of state for sabotaging our democracy. There’s a lot of evidence from the attack on the table, mostly detailing how the hack was perpetrated, and possibly the language of the perpetrators. It certainly remains plausible that Russians hacked the DNC, and remains possible that Russia itself ordered it. But the refrain of Russian attribution has been repeated so regularly and so emphatically that it’s become easy to forget that no one has ever truly proven the claim. There is strong evidence indicating that Democratic email accounts were breached via phishing messages, and that specific malware was spread across DNC computers. There’s even evidence that the attackers are the same group that’s been spotted attacking other targets in the past. But again: No one has actually proven that group is the Russian government (or works for it). This remains the enormous inductive leap that’s not been reckoned with, and Americans deserve better. We should also bear in mind that private security firm CrowdStrike’s frequently cited findings of Russian responsibility were essentially paid for by the DNC, which contracted its services in June. It’s highly unusual for evidence of a crime to be assembled on the victim’s dime. [Russia confrontation] [Hacking] [Evidence] [Allegation]
• FBI in agreement with CIA that Russia aimed to help Trump win White House
  By Adam Entous and Ellen Nakashima December 16 at 7:43 PM ? FBI Director James B. Comey and Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. are in agreement with a CIA assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election in part to help Donald Trump win the White House, officials disclosed Friday, as President Obama issued a public warning to Moscow that it could face retaliation. New revelations about Comey’s position could put to rest suggestions by some lawmakers that the CIA and the FBI weren’t on the same page on Russian President Vladi­mir Putin’s intentions. [Russia Confrontation] [[US_election16] [CIA] [FBI] [Canard] [Allegation] [Media]
• Questions for the Electors on Russian Hacking
  by Andrew Cockburn It is being reported that John Podesta, Chairman of the defeated $1.2 billion Clinton presidential campaign, is supporting the call by various officials, including at least forty Electors, that the members of the Electoral College be given a classified intelligence briefing on the alleged Russian hacking before the College votes on December 19. In the event such a briefing comes to pass, it might be helpful if the Electors had some informed questions to ask the CIA. 1/ The DNC hackers inserted the name of the founder of Russian intelligence, in Russian, in the metadata of the hacked documents. Why would the G.R.U., Russian military intelligence do that? 2/ If the hackers were indeed part of Russian intelligence, why did they use a free Russian email account, or, in the hack of the state election systems, a Russian-owned killchain2server? Does Russian intelligence normally display such poor tradecraft? [Russia confrontation] [Hacking] [False flag] [US_election16]
• CIA refuses House intel committee request for briefing on Russia hacking probe
  By Michael Doyle WASHINGTON — Capitol Hill tensions over handling of the alleged Russian cyber-hacking scandal boiled over late Wednesday, as the chairman of the House intelligence panel blasted U.S. spy agency officials for declining to brief the committee this week. In a blunt statement that exposed raw feelings and hinted at deeper conflicts, Rep. Devin Nunes, a California Republican, declared it was “unacceptable” that representatives of what is collectively called the Intelligence Community would not be appearing Thursday before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He said the CIA had not told the committee in its most recent briefing that it believed Russia had hacked Democratic party computers with the intent of helping Donald Trump win the presidency. “The committee is deeply concerned that intransigence in sharing intelligence with Congress can enable the manipulation of intelligence for political purposes,” Nunes said in his statement. “The committee is vigorously looking into reports of cyber-attacks during the election campaign, and in particular we want to clarify press reports that the CIA has a new assessment that it has not shared with us.” [Hacking] [Russia confrontation] [CIA] [Congress]
• The Democrats “Russia Hacking” Campaign Is Political Suicide
  Mike Whitney • December 12, 2016 The Democratic Party is doing incalculable damage to itself by shapeshifting into the party of baseless conspiracy theories, groundless accusations, and sour grapes. Hillary Clinton was already the most distrusted presidential candidate in party history. Now she’s become the de facto flag-bearer for the nutso-clique of aspiring propagandists at the CIA, the New York Times and Bezo’s Military Digest. How is that going to improve the party’s prospects for the long term? It won’t, because the vast majority of Americans do not want to align themselves with a party of buck-passing juveniles that have no vision for the future but want to devote all their energy to kooky witch-hunts that further prove they are unfit for high office. The reason Hillary Clinton lost the election is because she is a polarizing, untrustworthy warmonger. Period. Putin had nothing to do with it. [US_Election16] [Hacking] [Russia confrontation] [Democratic Party]
• Foreign Meddling in Our Vote? Remember How This Feels.
  During the Cold War, the CIA did everything it’s accusing Russia of doing today — and more.
  By Peter Certo, December 14, 2016. Originally published in OtherWords. Even in an election year as shot through with conspiracy theories as this one, it would have been hard to imagine a bigger bombshell than Russia intervening to help Donald Trump. But that’s exactly what the CIA believes happened, or so unnamed “officials brief on the matter” told the Washington Post. While Russia had long been blamed for hacking email accounts linked to the Clinton campaign, its motives had been shrouded in mystery. According to the Post, though, CIA officials recently presented Congress with a “a growing body of intelligence from multiple sources” that “electing Trump was Russia’s goal.” Now, the CIA hasn’t made any of its evidence public, and the CIA and FBI are reportedly divided on the subject. Though it’s too soon to draw conclusions, the charges warrant a serious public investigation. Even some Republicans who backed Trump seem to agree. “The Russians are not our friends,” said Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, announcing his support for a congressional probe. It’s “warfare,” added Senator John McCain. There’s a grim irony to this. The CIA is accusing Russia of interfering in our free and fair elections to install a right-wing candidate it deemed more favorable to its interests. Yet during the Cold War, that’s exactly what the CIA did to the rest of the world. [US_election16] [CIA][Russia confrontation] [Hacking]
• Moscow has the world’s attention. For Putin, that’s a win.
  By David Filipov December 14 at 3:01 PM ? MOSCOW — President Vladi­mir Putin is winning. For now. The Russian leader is winning because the post-Cold War order he has railed against has been thrown into chaos, and the Kremlin’s fingerprints are widely seen to be all over it. A year ago, Russia faced a united Europe, an expanded NATO alliance, a paucity of geopolitical allies and the possibility of four more years of poor relations with the United States under a Hillary Clinton presidency. Today, Putin’s military contingent in Syria just helped the government essentially retake Aleppo. The CIA has concluded that his hackers worked to help elect Donald Trump, who has dismissed commitments to Europe and touted better ties with Russia. President-elect Donald Trump has picked Rex Tillerson as his nominee for secretary of state. Here's what you need to know about Tillerson. (Thomas Johnson/The Washington Post) In Washington, London, Berlin and Paris, the Cold War notions of “fake news” and “Soviet-style propaganda” are back in style, except now people say them about shiny new concepts such as cyberattacks and WikiLeaks. Whether or not the Kremlin is guilty of doing all the things Western accusers say it is, Russia is now considered a master purveyor of geopolitical disorder. And that, for Putin, is a win. [Russia confrontation]
• Dead showed no wounds or blood. Who was behind this new chemical attack in Syria?
  By Matthew Schofield WASHINGTON — A month after the world’s leading anti-chemical weapons group condemned both the Syrian military and Islamic State for “the use of chemical weapons and toxic chemicals as weapons” they’ve issued a new statement of concern involving the on-going conflict, but this time it involves a bombardment in which Russia appears to have played a central role. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, based in The Hague, Netherlands, refers to “allegations regarding the use of chemical weapons in the area of Uqayribat, in the Hama Governate in Syria.” It states that the allegations have been made in media reports, which note that people were found dead, but without any visible wounds. “This area is located to the northwest of Palmyra and in territory understood to be controlled by the so-called Islamic State,” the statement reads. It goes on to say that “the use of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances is reprehensible and wholly contrary to the legal norms established by the international community.” In this instance, a BBC News report on a battle near Palmyra says Islamic State “members recaptured the city on Sunday, hours after Russian air strikes appeared to have driven them back.” The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports that the death toll from this latest attack is now at least 53. According to their witnesses, the victims “were killed in bombardment by warplanes using rockets carrying toxic gases.” While Syria still has jets capable of firing missiles, it has been widely reported that Russian jets were providing the air support in this battle. [Russia Syria] [Canard] [cbw]
• The CIA’s Absence of Conviction
  by Craig Murray I have watched incredulous as the CIA’s blatant lie has grown and grown as a media story – blatant because the CIA has made no attempt whatsoever to substantiate it. There is no Russian involvement in the leaks of emails showing Clinton’s corruption. Yes this rubbish has been the lead today in the Washington Post in the US and the Guardian here, and was the lead item on the BBC main news. I suspect it is leading the American broadcasts also. A little simple logic demolishes the CIA’s claims. The CIA claim they “know the individuals” involved. Yet under Obama the USA has been absolutely ruthless in its persecution of whistleblowers, and its pursuit of foreign hackers through extradition. We are supposed to believe that in the most vital instance imaginable, an attempt by a foreign power to destabilise a US election, even though the CIA knows who the individuals are, nobody is going to be arrested or extradited, or (if in Russia) made subject to yet more banking and other restrictions against Russian individuals? Plainly it stinks. The anonymous source claims of “We know who it was, it was the Russians” are beneath contempt. As Julian Assange has made crystal clear, the leaks did not come from the Russians. As I have explained countless times, they are not hacks, they are insider leaks – there is a major difference between the two. And it should be said again and again, that if Hillary Clinton had not connived with the DNC to fix the primary schedule to disadvantage Bernie, if she had not received advance notice of live debate questions to use against Bernie, if she had not accepted massive donations to the Clinton foundation and family members in return for foreign policy influence, if she had not failed to distance herself from some very weird and troubling people, then none of this would have happened. [Russia confrontation] [US_election16] [Hacking] [CIA]
• How far will they go to avoid a President Trump?
  by Kit These protests are totally organic. Just like they are everywhere else that elects a leader the CIA doesn't like. These protests are totally organic. Just like they are everywhere else that elects a leader the CIA doesn’t like. Overturning or ignoring Trumps victory poses a very real risk of massive riots and civic unrest. Would the Powers That Be really be willing to go that far? Shortly after the Brexit referendum I wrote this article, positing that the UK might undergo its own version of a “Color Revolution” in the wake of an unpredicatable and (from an establishment POV) unwelcome election result. The undermining and circumvention of the UK’s exit from the European Union is an ongoing process. Trump’s election may well add fuel to that fire....
  The question becomes: what will happen if the Electoral College decide to install Clinton in the White House? Or declare there needs to be a new election? There has been a lot of theorising that Obama and his backers will take a third term rather than let either Trump or Clinton take office. Or that he may have to use his emergency powers to declare martial law. If the EC throws out this election result, he may be forced to do just that. [US_Election16] [Coup] [Electoral College]
• U.S. Foreign Policy and the Electoral College Vote. Towards a December 19 Surprise?
  By Prof Michel Chossudovsky Global Research, December 12, 2016 In a previous article entitled Constitutional Crisis, Movement to Undermine President-elect Donald Trump’s Accession to the White House? I focussed on the process of confrontation between the Trump and Clinton factions leading up to the Grand Electoral College Vote on December 19th. While the Hillary Clinton faction supported by mainstream media propaganda is accusing Moscow of intervening in the US elections on behalf of Trump, they are also intent upon shifting the Electoral College vote in favour of Clinton with a view to blocking president-elect Trump’s accession to the White House. If this were to succeed, the U.S. would be precipitated into a deap-seated political crisis. It should be noted that this process is also coupled with extensive anti-Trump protests across America, organized by the Clinton faction. What is a stake: “are fundamental rivalries within the US establishment marked by the clash between competing corporate factions, each of which is intent upon exerting control over the incoming US presidency.” (Ibid) Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State Since the publication of my earlier article, ExxonMobil Chief Rex Tillerson has been chosen by Trump to occupy the key position of US Secretary of State. This appointment potentially points to a major shift in US foreign policy (including an openly anti-China stance by Trump). It is also points to rising divisions within the US establishment. Tillerson not only has a good relationship with president Vladimir Putin, ExxonMobil also has sizeable business interests in the Russian Federation including drilling projects in the Arctic, Black Sea and Siberia in partnership with Russia’s Rosneft. Needless to say these projects have been affected by Obama’s economic sanctions regime directed against Russia. In response to this controversial appointment, the Neocon faction linked both to the bi-partisan “War Party” has promised to block the confirmation of Tillerson’s candidacy in the US Senate. It should be noted that Wall Street is also divided. Financial institutions are engaged in an internal war. Donald Trump announced on December 12 his choice to head the White House National Economic Council (NEC): the appointee is Gary Cohn, Goldman Sachs President and Chief Operating Officer. The NEC director occupies a central advisory position regarding the formulation of government economic policy. Ironically, Cohn is a Democrat and Goldman Sachs is known to have supported the Hillary Clinton campaign. [US_election16] [Deep state] [Rivalries]
• Stalling Trump’s Accession to the White House? Twenty Trump Electors Could Flip
  By Kyle Cheney Global Research, December 14, 2016 Politico 13 December 2016 Larry Lessig, a Harvard University constitutional law professor who made a brief run for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, claimed Tuesday that 20 Republican members of the Electoral College are considering voting against Donald Trump, a figure that would put anti-Trump activists more than halfway toward stalling Trump’s election. Lessig’s anti-Trump group, “Electors Trust,” has been offering pro bono legal counsel to Republican presidential electors considering ditching Trump and has been acting as a clearinghouse for electors to privately communicate their intentions. “Obviously, whether an elector ultimately votes his or her conscience will depend in part upon whether there are enough doing the same. We now believe there are more than half the number needed to change the result seriously considering making that vote,” Lessig said. Lessig’s claims contradict the assertions of Republican National Committee sources who report that a GOP whip operation intended to ensure Republican electors remain loyal to Trump found only one elector — Chris Suprun of Texas — would defy Trump. [US_Election16] [Electoral College]
• What Are the Hearsay Leaks about “Russian Election Hacking” Attempting to Achieve?
  By Moon of Alabama Global Research, December 12, 2016 Moon of Alabama 10 December 2016 Yesterday I noted below: [T]he FBI also disagrees with at least parts of the alleged CIA conclusion … That is important because the FBI, not the CIA, is responsible to investigate cyber related crimes within the U.S. The Washington Post, which yesterday claimed a united view of the relevant agencies with only “minor disagreements”, today caught up with Moon of Alabama. The headline: FBI and CIA give differing accounts to lawmakers on Russia’s motives in 2016 hacks The FBI official’s remarks to the lawmakers on the House Intelligence Committee were, in comparison, “fuzzy” and “ambiguous,” suggesting to those in the room that the bureau and the [Central Intelligence A]gency weren’t on the same page, the official said. WaPo still asserts that it was a “Russian hack” from which the election relevant emails and other papers leaked. No evidence, none at all, has been presented to support that claim. Former UK Ambassador Craig Murray also strongly disagrees with the CIA claims: As Julian Assange has made crystal clear, the leaks did not come from the Russians. As I have explained countless times, they are not hacks, they are insider leaks – there is a major difference between the two. Murray claims to know the leaker, an insider person, and asks why the CIA and FBI, who claim to know the person related to Russia who leaked the papers, have then not arrested him or her. [US_election16] [Institutions] [CIA] [FBI] [Institutions] [Russia confronatation]
• Unpacking the New CIA Leak: Don’t Ignore the Aluminum Tube Footnote
  December 9, 2016/57 Comments/in 2016 Presidential Election, Cybersecurity, Russian hacks /by emptywheel This post will unpack the leak from the CIA published in the WaPo tonight. Before I start with the substance of the story, consider this background. First, if Trump comes into office on the current trajectory, the US will let Russia help Bashar al-Assad stay in power, thwarting a 4-year effort on the part of the Saudis to remove him from power. It will also restructure the hierarchy of horrible human rights abusing allies the US has, with the Saudis losing out to other human rights abusers, potentially up to and including that other petrostate, Russia. It will also install a ton of people with ties to the US oil industry in the cabinet, meaning the US will effectively subsidize oil production in this country, which will have the perhaps inadvertent result of ensuring the US remains oil-independent even though the market can’t justify fracking right now. The CIA is institutionally quite close with the Saudis right now, and has been in charge of their covert war against Assad. [Russia confrontation] [Hacking] [CIA]
• Anonymous Leaks to the WashPost About the CIA’s Russia Beliefs Are No Substitute for Evidence
  Glenn Greenwald December 11 2016, 1:11 a.m. The Washington Post late Friday night published an explosive story that, in many ways, is classic American journalism of the worst sort: The key claims are based exclusively on the unverified assertions of anonymous officials, who in turn are disseminating their own claims about what the CIA purportedly believes, all based on evidence that remains completely secret. These unnamed sources told the Post that “the CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency, rather than just to undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral system.” The anonymous officials also claim that “intelligence agencies have identified individuals with connections to the Russian government who provided WikiLeaks with thousands of hacked emails” from both the DNC and John Podesta’s email account. Critically, none of the actual evidence for these claims is disclosed; indeed, the CIA’s “secret assessment” itself remains concealed. [Russia confrontation] [Hacking] [US_election16] [Evidence] [CIA]
• Bolton suggests Russian election hacks were ‘false flag’ by Obama administration
  By Derek Hawkins December 12 at 5:26 AM John Bolton is being considered for deputy secretary of state in Donald Trump’s administration. Here’s what you need to know about the controversial front-runner. (Deirdra O'Regan/The Washington Post) John Bolton, a former U.N. ambassador reportedly being considered for deputy secretary of state in the Trump administration, said Sunday that reports of Russian interference in the presidential election may be a “false flag” conjured up by the Obama administration. In an interview with Eric Shawn of Fox News, Bolton claimed the Obama administration had “politicized” intelligence and suggested there may have been a hidden motive behind the CIA’s finding that Russians hacked computer networks belonging to the Democratic and Republican national committees. He questioned why the FBI did not uncover similar evidence of meddling by foreign intelligence services when it investigated Hillary Clinton’s private email server. “It’s not at all clear to me just viewing this from the outside that this hacking into the DNC and the RNC computers was not a false flag operation,” Bolton said. “The question that has to be asked is, why did the Russians run their smart intelligence service against Hillary’s server but their dumb intelligence services against the election?” [Russia confrontation] [Hacking] [US_election16] [John Bolton] [False flag]
• FBI and CIA give differing accounts to lawmakers on Russia’s motives in 2016 hacks
  CIA officials told senators it is now “quite clear” that electing Donald Trump was Russia’s goal. In an interview on Fox News Sunday on Dec. 11, President-elect Trump denied the CIA's assessment. (Victoria Walker/The Washington Post) By Ellen Nakashima and Adam Entous December 10 In a secure meeting room under the Capitol last week, lawmakers held in their hands a classified letter written by colleagues in the Senate summing up a secret, new CIA assessment of Russia’s role in the 2016 presidential election. Sitting before the House Intelligence Committee was a senior FBI counterintelligence official. The question the Republicans and Democrats in attendance wanted answered was whether the bureau concurred with the conclusions the CIA had just shared with senators that Russia “quite” clearly intended to help Republican Donald Trump defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton and clinch the White House. [Secret CIA assessment says Russia was trying to help Trump win White House] For the Democrats in the room, the FBI’s response was frustrating — even shocking. During a similar Senate Intelligence Committee briefing held the previous week, the CIA’s statements, as reflected in the letter the lawmakers now held in their hands, were “direct and bald and unqualified” about Russia’s intentions to help Trump, according to one of the officials who attended the House briefing. The Washington Post's Greg Miller explains what President-elect Donald Trump's clash with the CIA over Russia's suspected election interference means and how it started. (The Washington Post) The FBI official’s remarks to the lawmakers on the House Intelligence Committee were, in comparison, “fuzzy” and “ambiguous,” suggesting to those in the room that the bureau and the agency weren’t on the same page, the official said. [Russia confrontation] [Hacking] [CIA] [FBI] [Institutions]
• US Intel Vets Dispute Russia Hacking Claims
  December 12, 2016 As the hysteria about Russia’s alleged interference in the U.S. election grows, a key mystery is why U.S. intelligence would rely on “circumstantial evidence” when it has the capability for hard evidence, say U.S. intelligence veterans. Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity MEMORANDUM Allegations of Hacking Election Are Baseless A New York Times report on Monday alluding to “overwhelming circumstantial evidence” leading the CIA to believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin “deployed computer hackers with the goal of tipping the election to Donald J. Trump” is, sadly, evidence-free. This is no surprise, because harder evidence of a technical nature points to an inside leak, not hacking – by Russians or anyone else. Seal of the National Security Agency Seal of the National Security Agency Monday’s Washington Post reports that Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has joined other senators in calling for a bipartisan investigation of suspected cyber-intrusion by Russia. Reading our short memo could save the Senate from endemic partisanship, expense and unnecessary delay. [Russia confrontation] [[US_Election16] [CIA] [Evidence] [Institutions]
• Historical & Structural Reasons for Skepticism of CIA Claims: Remaining Agnostic on Claims of Russian Hackers
  by David Price Just in time for the American weekend news cycle, last Friday evening we learned from the Washington Post that Central Intelligence Agency issued a secret report concluding that Russian hackers were responsible for hacking Democratic computers and leaking stolen documents as an effort to determine the outcome of the American presidential election. We learn that a preliminary CIA report before the election indicated concerns of Russian involvement in the hacking of DNC email accounts, a hack which produced emails embarrassing candidate Hillary Clinton and members of her staff. The Washington Post reported that the CIA “concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency, rather than just to undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral system.” Soon after the Post story was published, the New York Times produced its own unnamed CIA source claiming that Russian hackers had also hacked the Trump campaign’s email servers, but that the Russians chose to not leak these files because Russians backed Trump in the election. The resulting flurry of reactions by talking heads on weekend news shows has led many Clinton supporters on social media to suggest that this anonymous CIA leak could form the basis of undermining the legitimacy of Trump’s presidency. [Russia confrontation] [[US_Election16] [CIA] [False flag]
• Exclusive: Top U.S. spy agency has not embraced CIA assessment on Russia hacking - sources
  By Mark Hosenball and Jonathan Landay | WASHINGTON The overseers of the U.S. intelligence community have not embraced a CIA assessment that Russian cyber attacks were aimed at helping Republican President-elect Donald Trump win the 2016 election, three American officials said on Monday. While the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) does not dispute the CIA's analysis of Russian hacking operations, it has not endorsed their assessment because of a lack of conclusive evidence that Moscow intended to boost Trump over Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, said the officials, who declined to be named. [Russia confrontation] [[US_Election16] [CIA] [Evidence] [Institutions] [ODNI]
• In Moscow, Trump's tapping of Tillerson lifts hope of US rapprochement
  How others see it Russian experts know ExxonMobil CEO and Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson well, and see Trump's selection of him as a signal that genuine detente is a possibility. By Fred Weir, Correspondent December 13, 2016 Moscow — It’s a rarity for Moscow to be enthusiastic over a US president's choice for secretary of State. It certainly wasn’t the case for either of the past two secretaries, Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. So Donald Trump's decision Tuesday to nominate ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson is proving to be a pleasant surprise to Russia. Even more than the election of Mr. Trump, which brought Russia's State Duma to its feet in a standing ovation, the nomination of Mr. Tillerson seems evidence to Russians close to the Kremlin that the new administration will move seriously to implement Mr. Trump's sketchy campaign promises about restoring good relations. [Tillerson] [SecState] [Detente]
• Putin lays out Moscow’s new Mideast strategy
  On Dec. 1, Vladimir Putin delivered his annual address to the Federal Assembly — Russia’s analogue to the State of the Union. In his 13th 70-minute address as president of Russia, Putin focused primarily on domestic matters — the economy and social issues in particular — with only about seven minutes dedicated to foreign policy issues. A new foreign policy strategy document released by Russia includes a comprehensive section on the Middle East — but will there be a shift in Moscow’s priorities in the region? Author Maxim A. Suchkov Posted December 9, 2016 The main message reflected the conjunction of “firmness and flexibility” that is characteristic of his speeches: “We aren’t seeking a confrontation with anyone. We aren’t seeking enemies, we need friends. But we will not allow our own interests to be neglected either.” He continued, “We understand the measure of our responsibility and are genuinely prepared to take part in solving global and regional problems where our participation is relevant, demanded and needed.” Later that day, Russia’s new foreign policy strategy was publicized. In fact, the document, officially titled “Foreign policy concept of the Russian Federation,” was signed by Putin Nov. 30 — one day before his annual address — but few people, even those who worked on it, saw the final version of the text before it was officially released. [Russia Middle East] [Putin]
• Kellyanne Conway calls CIA report on Russian election meddling ‘laughable and ridiculous’
  By Kristine Guerra December 11 at 1:45 PM Kellyanne Conway called the notion of Russian interference in the election to defeat Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump win the presidency “laughable and ridiculous.” On CBS's “Face the Nation” on Sunday morning, Trump's senior adviser and former campaign manager echoed statements made by her boss, who said in an interview with “Fox News Sunday” that he does not believe the CIA's conclusion that Russia had meddled in the presidential election to help him win. Conway specifically mentioned a Washington Post story stating that intelligence agencies have identified individuals connected to the Russian government as having worked to hurt Clinton's chances of winning the presidency. [Secret CIA assessment says Russia was trying to help Trump win White House] On Friday, The Post reported that administration officials broadly laid out the evidence that U.S. spy agencies had collected, showing Russia's role in cyber-intrusions in at least two states and in email hacks of Democratic organizations and individuals. They also made the case for a united, bipartisan front in response to what one official described as “the threat posed by unprecedented meddling by a foreign power in our election process.” [Russia confrontation] [US_Election16] [CIA] [Hacking] [Deep state]
• Trump vs. Congress on Russian hacking
  The president-elect calls intelligence reports of election meddling ‘ridiculous.’ But prominent senators from both parties disagree. By Seung Min Kim and Burgess Everett 12/11/16 08:30 AM EST Influential senators from both parties amplified calls for an independent investigation of Russian meddling in the U.S. election, setting up a clash with President-elect Donald Trump over U.S. policy toward Russia and potentially his pick for secretary of state. Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) issued a joint statement Sunday with the incoming Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer of New York, and top Armed Services Committee Democrat Jack Reed of Rhode Island that Russian interference in the election "should alarm every American." They said Congress must investigate further without allowing it to become a partisan issue But in an interview on "Fox News Sunday," Trump again bluntly dismissed reports of Russian meddling, calling them "ridiculous" and an attempt to undermine his victory. At the same time, Trump's incoming chief of staff suggested the president-elect would not oppose congressional inquiries. Still, the competing statements from Trump and the bipartisan group of senators sets the stage for a possible showdown over how far Congress goes to investigate Russia's apparent interference in the election. Other Republicans on Sunday joined the calls for a probe or cast doubt on Rex Tillerson, the ExxonMobil CEO with close ties to Vladimir Putin who is reportedly in line to be selected as secretary of state. The joint statement from the group of prominent senators from both parties will make it difficult for congressional leaders to dismiss the issue [Russia confrontation] [Hacking] [US_election16] [CIA] [McCain]
• Secret CIA assessment says Russia was trying to help Trump win White House
  CIA briefers told senators in a closed-door briefing it was now “quite clear” that electing Trump was Russia’s goal, according to officials. (Victoria Walker/The Washington Post) By Adam Entous, Ellen Nakashima and Greg Miller December 9 at 10:45 PM ? The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency, rather than just to undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral system, according to officials briefed on the matter. Intelligence agencies have identified individuals with connections to the Russian government who provided WikiLeaks with thousands of hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee and others, including Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman, according to U.S. officials. Those officials described the individuals as actors known to the intelligence community and part of a wider Russian operation to boost Trump and hurt Clinton’s chances. “It is the assessment of the intelligence community that Russia’s goal here was to favor one candidate over the other, to help Trump get elected,” said a senior U.S. official briefed on an intelligence presentation made to U.S. senators. “That’s the consensus view.” [US_Election16] [Trump] [Russia confrontation] [canard] [coup] [CIA]
• The CIA concluded that Russia worked to elect Trump. Republicans now face an impossible choice.
  By Aaron Blake December 9 at 10:17 PM ? A boy looks at a mural depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Belgrade, Serbia, on Dec. 5, 2016. The message on the mural reads in Serbian, Russian and English 'Kosovo is Serbia'. (Andrej Cukic/European Pressphoto Agency) This post has been updated with a defiant statement from the Trump transition team. The Washington Post is now reporting that the CIA has concluded something widely suspected but never flatly stated by the intelligence community: that Russia moved deliberately to help elect Donald Trump as president of the United States — not just to undermine the U.S. political process more generally. The Post's report cites officials who say they have identified individuals connected to the Russian government who gave WikiLeaks emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee and top Hillary Clinton aide John Podesta. One official described the conclusion that this was intended to help Trump as “the consensus view.” [US_Election16] [Trump] [Russia confrontation] [canard] [coup] [CIA]
• Russia is ‘No. 1 threat’ to United States, Air Force secretary claims
  Published time: 5 Dec, 2016 08:51Edited time: 5 Dec, 2016 08:56 The Secretary of the US Air Force has once again claimed that Russia is the “No. 1 threat” faced by the US, with several defense officials expressing similar opinions. It follows promises by US President-elect Donald Trump to improve relations with Moscow. “Russia is the No. 1 threat to the United States. We have a number of threats that we’re dealing with, but Russia could be, because of the nuclear aspect, an existential threat to the United States,” Air Force Secretary Deborah James told Reuters at the annual Reagan National Defense Forum on Saturday. She went on to speak of “very worrying” incidents of “very dangerous airmanship” by Russia, as well as alleged cyber-attacks by Russian hackers on US institutions. [Russia confrontation] [Threat]
• Russia to Japan: US missile defense in Asia-Pacific poses security risks
  Published time: 3 Dec, 2016 19:14 Moscow has brought the threats posed by the deployment of US missile defense systems in the Asia-Pacific region to Tokyo’s attention, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said following a meeting with his Japanese counterpart. “We turned the attention of our Japanese colleagues to the threats posed to the region by the deployment of the US global missile defense system. Russia believes that regional security cannot be provided by military blocs, but through equal and universal dialogue based on the principles of integrity and security,” Lavrov said at a meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, as quoted by RIA Novosti news agency. Earlier this year, the US and South Korea unveiled plans to deploy THAAD [Terminal High Altitude Area Defense] antimissiles by the end of 2017. China strongly objects to the move, saying it would compromise its own capabilities. Despite growing Russian and Chinese concerns over security in the region, Washington argues that THAAD only aims to counter threats from North Korea by keeping Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions at bay. [Missile defense] [THAAD] [Russia Japan]
• Democrats Suspect Trump Influence in Stalled Russia Sanctions
  By John Hudson December 2, 2016 - 3:13 pm A key Republican says the Senate has run out of time this year to lock in tough U.S. sanctions against Russia for annexing Crimea in 2014 — opening attacks from Democrats who for years have been accused of being too soft on Moscow. Senate Foreign Relations Chair Bob Corker told Foreign Policy there simply isn’t enough time to move on a House bill to keep U.S. sanctions in place for an additional five years. Corker said senators are more focused on a host of other issues, which include funding the government, medical research, and authorizing defense priorities for 2017. The current sanctions were imposed by President Barack Obama in an executive order, but could be scrapped by President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged warming relations with Russia in his incoming administration. The House bill would ensure they remain in place for five years. Senate Democrats say the reason Republicans aren’t moving the sanctions is for fear of falling out of step with Trump, who has long televised his goal of getting “along with Russia.” [Russia confrontation]
• A Bare-Knuckle Fight Over Recounts
  December 2, 2016 Democrats are trying to stop Donald Trump’s inauguration by claiming Russian interference in the election, but the White House sees no evidence and Trump is now challenging the recounts, reports Joe Lauria. By Joe Lauria When the Clinton campaign said it would join the recount in three Rust Belt states narrowly lost to Donald Trump, it didn’t say its motive was overcoming the vote totals but instead to find out if there was “foreign interference” in the election. “This election cycle was unique in the degree of foreign interference witnessed throughout the campaign,” wrote Clinton campaign counsel Marc Elias. “The U.S. government concluded that Russian state actors were behind the hacks of the Democratic National Committee and the personal email accounts of Hillary for America campaign officials.” Hillary Clinton speaking at a rally in Phoenix, Arizona, March 21, 2016. (Photo by Gage Skidmore) During the campaign Hillary Clinton made no secret of where she thought that foreign interference might be coming from. She repeatedly blamed Russia for trying to sway the election. [US_Election16] [Russia confrontation]
• Donald Trump: What can go Wrong? “Unlikely to Start a War with Russia”
  By William Blum Global Research, December 01, 2016 William Blum 30 November 2016 That he may not be “qualified” is unimportant. That he’s never held a government or elected position is unimportant. That on a personal level he may be a shmuck is unimportant. What counts to me mainly at this early stage is that he – as opposed to dear Hillary – is unlikely to start a war against Russia. His questioning of the absolute sacredness of NATO, calling it “obsolete”, and his meeting with Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, an outspoken critic of US regime-change policy, specifically Syria, are encouraging signs. Even more so is his appointment of General Michael Flynn as National Security Adviser. Flynn dined last year in Moscow with Vladimir Putin at a gala celebrating RT (Russia Today), the Russian state’s English-language, leftist-leaning TV channel. Flynn now carries the stigma in the American media as an individual who does not see Russia or Putin as the devil. It is truly remarkable how nonchalantly American journalists can look upon the possibility of a war with Russia, even a nuclear war. [Trump] [Russia confrontation]
• Effort to combat foreign propaganda advances in Congress
  By Craig Timberg November 30 at 7:43 PM ? Congressional negotiators on Wednesday approved an initiative to track and combat foreign propaganda amid growing concerns that Russian efforts to spread “fake news” and disinformation threaten U.S. national security. The measure, part of the National Defense Authorization Act approved by a conference committee, calls on the State Department to lead governmentwide efforts to identify propaganda and counter its effects. The authorization is for $160 million over two years. If approved by the full House and Senate, the measure could reach President Obama in December. It would be the most significant initiative against foreign governments’ disinformation campaigns since the 1990s. “This propaganda and disinformation threat is real, it’s growing, and right now the U.S. government is asleep at the wheel,” Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said in a statement. “The U.S. and our allies face many challenges, but we must better counter and combat the extensive propaganda and disinformation operations directed against us.” [Censorship] [Russia confrontation] [Propaganda] [Disinformation]
• How I Produce Fake News for Russia
  by David Swanson Apparently I’ve written “fake news” on behalf of Russia without ever receiving a dime from Russia or realizing what I was doing. It took the intrepid reporting of the Washington Post to alert me to what I have been engaged in. My “fake news” has been published in at least 18 Russian propaganda outlets included on the Washington Post-endorsed Enemies List. They are ahtribune.com, off-guardian.org, opednews.com, antiwar.com, beforeitsnews.com, blackagendareport.com, ronpaulinstitute.org, rt.com (that one is actually Russian), consortiumnews.com, countercurrents.org, counterpunch.org, globalresearch.ca, truth-out.org, truthdig.com, informationclearinghouse.info, washingtonsblog.com, mintpressnews.com, and nakedcapitalism.com. Since everything I write is also at davidswanson.org it’s a safe bet that that’s a Russian propaganda site as well, even though I hadn’t realized it. [Russia confrontation] [Canard]
• Russia to deploy mobile hospitals to Aleppo
  RT reports: “ Russia will soon deploy mobile hospitals to Aleppo region to provide treatment to residents, according to the Kremlin. The President ordered the Defense Ministry and the Emergencies Ministry to send to Syria’s Aleppo mobile hospitals, which will provide treatment for residents of the city and its neighborhoods,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday. The Defense Ministry will operate a special 100-bed clinic with trauma equipment for treating children, he added. This hospital will be able to service about 420 outcare-patients daily. The Emergencies Ministry is also to deploy a 50-bed clinic capable of treating 200 outcare-patients each day. The facilities will be operational “very soon,” Peskov said. It comes as the Russian military announced a breakthrough in Syria’s operation to retake the militant-held part of Aleppo. Tens of thousands of civilians, who were previously kept by armed groups as human shields, are now in the government-controlled part of the city and require supplies and medical attention. [Aleppo]

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NOVEMBER 2016

• Confessions of an Alleged ‘Russian Propagandist’: A Pentagon Hit?
  by Dave Lindorff ThisCantBeHappening.net didn’t make the Washington Post’s list of 200 news sites that are “purveyors of Russian propaganda” designed to “undermine Americans’ faith in democracy,” but an article by yours truly published on our site on September 29 which was picked up by CounterPunch.org and run the following day was cited as “proof” that CounterPunch is just such a perfidious agent of Russian subversion of the US — which I guess supposedly “outs” me as one of those secret Russian agents in the US alternative media. The article in question, headlined US Propaganda Campaign to Demonize Russia in Full Gear over One-Sided Dutch/Aussie Report on Flight 17 Downing, called out the Dutch “investigation” into that horrific shoot-down of a fully-loaded Malaysian jumbo jet over war-torn eastern Ukraine in 2013, pointing out that the prosecutors and investigators involved refused to accept any radar or transmission monitoring evidence offered by Russia or by separatist rebels in the region, using instead only evidence provided by the Ukrainian intelligence service and government — this despite the fact that both Ukraine and Russia possessed quantities of the BUK missile and mobile launchers that were known to have been involved in the downing of the plane, and should thus both be potential suspects in the case. I also noted that as reported by noted former AP investigative reporter Robert Parry on his own Consortium News site (also on the Washington Post’s hit list of Russian propaganda sites), and by retired CIA Senior Analyst Ray McGovern, the Dutch investigators never asked for nor received any satellite surveillance photos or NSA transcripts of relevant telecommunications concerning the shoot-down from the US, though such evidence certainly exists. The Washington Post article, written by Craig Timberg — surely either one of the most credulous and lazy journalists working in a major US news organization (and that’s really an accomplishment!), or a duplicitous propagandist for the US government posing as a journalist at the Post — relied upon only two sources for his dramatic “exposé” purporting to prove that a massive Russian propaganda campaign had surreptitiously attempted to undermine (perhaps successfully!) the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign and to throw the race to Donald Trump, at the same time undermining US foreign policy and faith in the US government while elevating the reputation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Both sources are falsely described by Timberg as being “two teams of independent researchers.” The assumption we clearly are meant to have is that these organizations have no institutional bias. [Russia confrontation] [Propaganda] [Think tanks] [Media]
• Washington Post Disgracefully Promotes a McCarthyite Blacklist From a New, Hidden, and Very Shady Group
  Ben Norton Glenn Greenwald The Washington Post on Thursday night promoted the claims of a new, shadowy organization that smears dozens of U.S. news sites that are critical of U.S. foreign policy as being “routine peddlers of Russian propaganda.” The article by reporter Craig Timberg — headlined “Russian propaganda effort helped spread ‘fake news’ during election, experts say” — cites a report by an anonymous website calling itself PropOrNot, which claims that millions of Americans have been deceived this year in a massive Russian “misinformation campaign.” The group’s list of Russian disinformation outlets includes WikiLeaks and the Drudge Report, as well as Clinton-critical left-wing websites such as Truthout, Black Agenda Report, Truthdig, and Naked Capitalism, as well as libertarian venues such as Antiwar.com and the Ron Paul Institute. [Russia confrontation] [Propaganda] [Think tanks] [Media]
• What Are the Ukronazis Up to in Crimea?
  The Saker • November 25, 2016 First, it appeared to be a fluke: this summer the Ukronazi regime sent a small terrorist unit into Crimea tasked with blowing up several targets in the Crimea (see here for details). They were arrested by the Russian security services. In November, another two saboteurs were caught by the FSB (see here). And now something really remarkable happened. The Ukronazi security service kidnapped two Russian citizens in broad daylight and accused them of being “deserters”. Turns out that the two kidnapped men are Maksim Odintsov and Alexander Baranov and that both of them are junior servicemen in the Russian military (ensign and junior sergeant). Apparently, what happened is this: Odintsov and Baranov used to serve in the Ukrainian military (at least that is what the SBU claims), but when Crimea, where Odintsov and Baranov live, returned to Russia they did what tens of thousands of other Ukrainian servicemen did – they joined the Russian military. The two were lured to the neutral zone between Crimea and the Ukraine by men who promised them that they could give them diplomas proving that they had a higher education from Ukrainian institutions. You can watch this video to see what actually happened next (no translation needed): The video also shows one of the two men, with a superb shiner on his face, admitting that he had served in the Ukrainian military and that he is guilty of treason. What is remarkable here is that the Ukronazis kidnapped these two men in broad daylight in an location which was clearly under video monitoring, and that they then showed one of the hostages with a clear sign of the beating he received. No matter how incompetent the SBU is, they are not so incompetent as to not realize the fantastically provocative nature of their actions. This was an absolutely deliberate provocation whose goal was to get some kind of Russian reaction, either in Crimea or somewhere else. What were they really hoping for? Probably for some kind of Russian reaction which would reach across the border: some kind of attack on the Ukrainian border post, or maybe an artillery strike. Maybe even an attempt to free the two men, or even a retaliatory counter-kidnapping. What they knew is that any Russian reaction across the border would have been met by a hysterical chorus of outrage from the western political leaders and their corporate media. [Russia Ukraine] [Putin] [Caution]
• Obama changes his mind on Russia
  by Patrick Armstrong It’s been quite a progression, hasn’t it? Part One: Weak, Regional, Failing “ Russia is a regional power that is threatening some of its immediate neighbors — not out of strength but out of weakness. Netherlands, 25 March 2014 “ But I do think it’s important to keep perspective. Russia doesn’t make anything. Immigrants aren’t rushing to Moscow in search of opportunity. The life expectancy of the Russian male is around 60 years old. The population is shrinking. And so we have to respond with resolve in what are effectively regional challenges that Russia presents. We have to make sure that they don’t escalate where suddenly nuclear weapons are back in the discussion of foreign policy. And as long as we do that, then I think history is on our side. Economist interview, 2 August 2014 [Russia confrontation] [Obama]
• US-Russia Clash at Biological Weapons Convention Meeting
  By Janet Phelan Global Research, November 24, 2016 Conflict broke out on the floor of the Biological Weapons Convention in Geneva on the third day of the three week long meeting, with the growing division between Russia and her allies on the one hand and the US and hers on the other, evidencing in verbal accusations launched by both sectors. Russia exerted her “right of reply” to respond to statements made by the US and Sweden which implicated Syrian forces in the use of chemical weapons in that war torn country. According to the spokesperson for the Russian Federation, such accusations were not only “off topic” at a meeting devoted to biological—not chemical—weapons but were also patently false. More likely, asserted the Russian spokesman, was that US-affiliated “jihadists” used chlorine gas and attempted to pin this on the embattled Assad regime. The US, he declared, is known to be supporting terrorist groups such as Al Nusra in that region. Not to be left out in the cold, the US-connected Ukrainian spokesperson also defended the US’s assertions. The representative from Syria also weighed in, stating he had no problem being referred to as “Bashar al Assad’s delegate”—apparently intended as a slur against the delegate—and spoke in support of the current regime in Syria. I think of this conference at the United Nations as Ground Zero. Every five years, there is a Review Conference of the Biological Weapons in Geneva, Switzerland. For three weeks, delegates from over a hundred and seventy nations meet to discuss the latest advances in biological weapons—whose got ’em, who might have ’em and what to do to protect a vulnerable world from their proliferation and deployment. It is a fairly low profile meeting, with little press interest and no major movements in international policy. For the fact is that the BWC is virtually the only international arms treaty that has no verification mechanism and no means of ensuring compliance. [cbw] [Russia confrontation]
• Russian propaganda effort helped spread ‘fake news’ during election, experts say
  Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an interview with RT in 2013, said that he wanted to “break the Anglo-Saxon monopoly on the global information streams.” (YURI KOCHETKOV/AFP/Getty Images) By Craig Timberg November 24 at 8:27 PM ? The flood of “fake news” this election season got support from a sophisticated Russian propaganda campaign that created and spread misleading articles online with the goal of punishing Democrat Hillary Clinton, helping Republican Donald Trump and undermining faith in American democracy, say independent researchers who tracked the operation. Russia’s increasingly sophisticated propaganda machinery — including thousands of botnets, teams of paid human “trolls,” and networks of websites and social-media accounts — echoed and amplified right-wing sites across the Internet as they portrayed Clinton as a criminal hiding potentially fatal health problems and preparing to hand control of the nation to a shadowy cabal of global financiers. The effort also sought to heighten the appearance of international tensions and promote fear of looming hostilities with nuclear-armed Russia. Two teams of independent researchers found that the Russians exploited American-made technology platforms to attack U.S. democracy at a particularly vulnerable moment, as an insurgent candidate harnessed a wide range of grievances to claim the White House. The sophistication of the Russian tactics may complicate efforts by Facebook and Google to crack down on “fake news,” as they have vowed to do after widespread complaints about the problem. There is no way to know whether the Russian campaign proved decisive in electing Trump, but researchers portray it as part of a broadly effective strategy of sowing distrust in U.S. democracy and its leaders. The tactics included penetrating the computers of election officials in several states and releasing troves of hacked emails that embarrassed Clinton in the final months of her campaign. [Russia confrontation] [US_election16] [Think tanks]
• Congress may spoil Trump’s Russian reset
  By Josh Rogin Global Opinions November 20 at 7:03 PM President-elect Trump’s plan to once again reset U.S.-Russia relations is already encountering stiff resistance from a Washington foreign policy community that insists on confronting Russian mischief in the United States and around the world. The incipient battle will be the first test of whether Donald Trump can fundamentally reorient U.S. foreign policy against the wishes of the establishment. [Russia confrontation] [Establishment] Congress] [Trump]
• Wrapping up his last foreign trip, Obama tries to make headway on Syria
  By Juliet Eilperin November 20 at 8:13 PM ? LIMA, Peru — President Obama spent the last day of his final foreign trip attempting to make headway on one of the most painful aspects of his foreign policy portfolio: the ongoing civil war in Syria. Just before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit opened its first formal session Sunday, Obama spoke briefly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was standing by his seat at a massive circular table around which all the participants were arrayed. The four-minute discussion, which a White House official described as “brief and informal,” represented the first time the leaders had spoken in person since members of the Group of 20 convened in China in September. “I am not optimistic about the short-term prospects in Syria,” Obama told reporters Sunday. Once Russia and Iran decided to back Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a brutal air campaign, “then it was very hard to see a way in which even a trained and committed moderate opposition could hold its ground for long periods of time,” he said. The president said that his administration would continue to press for a deal to stop the killing in the rebel holdout of Aleppo, but he displayed little optimism. [US Syria policy] [Obama] [Russia confrontation]
• Putin Is (Finally) Purging the Medvedev Government
  The Saker • November 17, 2016 While the word was focused in rapt attention on the outcome of the US Presidential election, Vladimir Putin did something quite amazing – he arrested Alexei Uliukaev, Minister of the Economy in the Medvedev government, on charges of extortion and corruption. Uliukaev, whose telephone had been tapped by the Russian Security Services since this summer, was arrested in the middle of the night in possession of 2 million US dollars. Putin officially fired him the next morning. Russian official sources say that Uliukaev extorted a $2 million bribe for an assessment that led to the acquisition by Rosneft (a state run Russian oil giant) of a 50% stake in Bashneft (another oil giant). Apparently, Uliukaev tried to threaten Igor Sechin, the President of Rosneft and a person considered close to Vladimir Putin and the Russian security and intelligence services. Yes, you read that right: according to the official version, a state-owned company gave a bribe to a member of the government. Does that make sense to you? How about a senior member of the government who had his telephone tapped and who has been under close surveillance by the Federal Security Service for over a year – does that make sense to you? This makes no sense at all and the Russian authorities fully realize that. But that is the official version. So what is going on here? Do you think that there is a message from Putin here? Of course there is! [Putin] [Atlanticists]
• Meeting Putin, Philippines' Duterte rails at Western 'hypocrisy'
  Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte lashed out at Western "bullying" and "hypocrisy" during his first meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and said when it came to alliances, the United States could not be trusted. In talks with Putin during an Asia-Pacific summit in Lima, Duterte held nothing back in his views about major powers like the United States, suggesting he is sticking to his guns on re-aligning foreign policy away from Washington, despite his warm words for incoming U.S. president, Donald Trump. "Historically, I have been identified with the Western world. It was good until it lasted," he told the Russian leader. "And of late, I see a lot of these Western nations bullying small nations. And not only that, they are into so much hypocrisy," he said, according to a transcript of Saturday's meeting provided by his office. [Duterte] [Realignment]
• Europe splits: Moldova and Bulgaria elect pro-Russian presidents
  Sergey Gladysh 6 days ago While Europe faces the worst identity and values crisis in its history, former Soviet bloc countries are realigning themselves with Russia. As the European Union continues to spiral towards an all-out disaster due to significant economic problems, the migrant crisis, cultural decay, and an overall loss of purpose, countries like Moldova and Bulgaria, which were once blinded by the false promises of the European dream, are beginning to shift course back towards the only nation in Europe today that is experiencing a remarkable renaissance – yes, Russia. In the second round of presidential elections, both of which took place on Sunday, November 13 – the pro-Russian candidates Igor Dodon of Moldova and Rumen Radev of Bulgaria have come out victorious over their pro-European rivals. [Resurgence]
• Pro-Russian candidate triumphs in Moldova presidential race
  By Alexander Tanas and Alessandra Prentice | CHISINAU A pro-Russian candidate for president of Moldova has won the race, preliminary results showed on Sunday, following a campaign in which he vowed to slam the brakes on seven years of closer integration with the European Union. With 98 percent of votes counted, online results showed Socialist candidate Igor Dodon had won 54 percent, and his pro-European challenger, Maia Sandu, had just under 45 percent. Dodon's win is in part a reflection of a loss of trust in pro-European leaders in the ex-Soviet state of 3.5 million, which was plunged into political and economic crisis after a corruption scandal came to light in late 2014. [Resurgence]
• McCain to Trump: Don't You Dare Make Peace with Russia!
  Written by Daniel McAdams Tuesday November 15, 2016 Sit down. This is going to shock you. (Not). We reported yesterday on the telephone call between US president-elect Trump and Russian president Putin, where the current and future presidents discussed the need to set aside differences and look to more constructive future relations. With serious observers of this past year's increasing tensions between US and Russia openly worrying about a nuclear war breaking out, with some 300,000 NATO troops placed on Russia's border, with sanctions hurting average businesspersons on both sides, a normal person might look at the slight thaw in Cold War 2.0 as an early positive indicator of the end of the Obama Era. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) begs to differ. In a blistering statement he released today responding to the Trump/Putin telephone call, Sen. McCain condemned any efforts by President-elect Trump to find common ground with Putin. Any claim by Putin that he wants to improve relations with the US must be vigorously opposed, writes McCain. He explains: We should place as much faith in such statements as any other made by a former KGB agent who has plunged his country into tyranny, murdered his political opponents, invaded his neighbors, threatened America’s allies, and attempted to undermine America’s elections. [McCain] [Russia confrontation]
• In the Democratic Echo Chamber, Inconvenient Truths Are Recast as Putin Plots
  Glenn Greenwald October 12 2016, 2:14 a.m. Donald Trump, for reasons I’ve repeatedly pointed out, is an extremist, despicable, and dangerous candidate, and his almost-certain humiliating defeat is less than a month away. So I realize there is little appetite in certain circles for critiques of any of the tawdry and sometimes fraudulent journalistic claims and tactics being deployed to further that goal. In the face of an abusive, misogynistic, bigoted, scary, lawless authoritarian, what’s a little journalistic fraud or constant fearmongering about subversive Kremlin agents between friends if it helps to stop him? But come January, Democrats will continue to be the dominant political faction in the U.S. — more so than ever — and the tactics they are now embracing will endure past the election, making them worthy of scrutiny. Those tactics now most prominently include dismissing away any facts or documents that reflect negatively on their leaders as fake, and strongly insinuating that anyone who questions or opposes those leaders is a stooge or agent of the Kremlin, tasked with a subversive and dangerously un-American mission on behalf of hostile actors in Moscow. [Hillary Clinton] [Emails] [WikiLeaks] [Russia confrontation]
• Russia Could Be Spending Less on Defense Than Six Other Nations in 2017
  Marko Marjanovic November 10, 2016 There are probably few people happier that Donald Trump will be the next US president than Russia’s finance minister Anton Siluanov. Responding to a third lean year in a row for Russia Siluanov’s ministry has come up with a budget proposal for 2017 that cuts across the board including a massive $15.5 billion cut in defense spending. That’s fully 27 percent of military spending for 2016! Naturally the defense ministry was going to fight the cut tooth and nail but with Hillary Clinton out of the picture they will have a harder time. If Siluanov prevails military expenditure in nominal dollar terms will go down from $60.5 billion in 2016 to $44.7 billion. This would make Russia only the 7th nation in the world by defense spending. US, China, Saudi Arabia, Great Britain, India and France would all be spending more dollars than Russia. Russia would be spending only $5 billion more than Japan and only $8 billion more than South Korea! [Russia] [Military expenditure]
• McCain Warns Trump on Putin as Transition Shows Signs of Disarray
  By JASON HOROWITZ, HELENE COOPER, JENNIFER STEINHAUER and ADAM GOLDMANUPDATED 11:41 AM The jockeying for power in the incoming administration of President-elect Donald J. Trump and on Capitol Hill is exposing frayed nerves and lingering anger — but also the seeds of new leadership in both parties. McCain to Trump: Don’t get cozy with Putin. Senator John McCain issued a blunt warning on Tuesday to President-elect Trump and his emerging foreign policy team: Don’t try another “reset” with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. During the campaign, Mr. Trump described Mr. Putin as a strong leader and suggested that the United States and Russia might join forces in fighting the Islamic State. Mr. Putin congratulated Mr. Trump on his election in a phone call on Monday and discussed working together to combat terrorism and resolve the crisis in Syria, according to the Kremlin’s account. [Russia confrontation] [Trump] [McCain]
• A Trump administration thaw with Russia is ‘unacceptable,’ McCain says
  By Karen DeYoung November 15 at 1:26 PM ? Sen. John McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent his first shot across the bow of President-elect Donald Trump’s national security plans Tuesday, saying that any attempt to “reset” relations with Russia is unacceptable. “With the U.S. presidential transition underway, Vladi­mir Putin has said in recent days that he wants to improve relations with the United States,” McCain (R-Ariz.) said in a statement released by his office. “We should place as much faith in such statements as any other made by a former KGB agent who has plunged his country into tyranny, murdered his political opponents, invaded his neighbors, threatened America’s allies and attempted to undermine America’s elections,” he said. [Russia confrontation] [Trump] [McCain]
• Trump, Putin agree in phone call to improve ‘unsatisfactory’ relations between their countries, Kremlin says
  By Elise Viebeck, Jerry Markon and Karen DeYoung November 14 at 5:14 PM Russian President Vladimir Putin (Pool photo by Sergei Karpukhin via AP) President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in a telephone conversation Monday that relations between their countries were “unsatisfactory” and vowed to work together to improve them, the Kremlin said in a statement. The statement said the two leaders discussed combining efforts in the fight against terrorism, talked about “a settlement for the crisis in Syria” and agreed their aides would begin working toward a face-to-face meeting between them. Trump’s office said in a statement that Putin had called to “offer his congratulations” and that the two had discussed “a range of issues including the threats and challenges facing the United States and Russia, strategic economic issues and the historical U.S.-Russia relationship that dates back over 200 years.” [Russia US] [Trump Putin]
• An advanced Russian jet just crashed during its debut off the Syrian coast
  By Thomas Gibbons-Neff November 14 at 1:33 PM ? In this Sept 1, 2012, photo, MiG-29 jets of the Russian aerobatic team Strizhi (Swifts) perform at an air show at a military airport near Belgrade, Serbia. (Darko Vojinovic/AP) A Russian fighter jet crashed in the Mediterranean Sea while trying to land on Russia’s sole aircraft carrier, which is stationed off the Syrian coast, the Russian Ministry of Defense said Monday in a statement. The plane went down several miles from the carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, according to the Defense Ministry. The pilot ejected and was recovered. [How Russia’s lone aircraft carrier will change the fight in Syria] “The health of the pilot is not in danger. The pilot is ready to carry out orders,” the Defense Ministry said. Earlier in the day, Pentagon officials said they had indications that the Russians had lost a plane, and Fox News — quoting intelligence officials — reported that the aircraft, a MiG-29K, went down after appearing to have mechanical issues shortly after takeoff. The Pentagon tracks Russian and Syrian government aircraft activity with airborne sensors and thermal-imaging satellites.
• Trump and Putin speak by phone, say they’ll work together to improve relations
  By Jenna Johnson, Karen DeYoung and Elise Viebeck November 15 at 8:48 AM ? President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in a telephone conversation Monday that relations between their countries were “unsatisfactory” and vowed to work together to improve them, the Kremlin said in a statement. Moscow said the two men discussed combining efforts in the fight against terrorism, talked about “a settlement for the crisis in Syria” and agreed that their aides would begin working on a face-to-face meeting between them. Trump’s office later said that Putin had called to “offer his congratulations” and that they had discussed shared threats and challenges, “strategic economic issues” and the long-term relationship between the two nations. On Tuesday, a Kremlin spokesman said that Putin and Trump had not discussed the Russian annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 or the rebellion by Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. “The overall tone of the conversation corresponded with the tone of statements already made during [Trump’s] election campaign concerning Russian-American relations,” the spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told journalists. [Trump Putin] [Russia US]
• Russia to give food, fuel to N. Korean flood victims
  The Russian government has decided to provide hundreds of tons of food and fuel in aid to North Korean flood victims pertinent to its President Vladimir Putin's instruction, U.S. broadcasters, monitored here, reported Friday. Typhoon Lionrock smashed the North Hamkyong Province in early September, in which North Korean news outlets have said left nearly 70,000 residents homeless. In its Thursday press release, Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry announced the decision to send more than 175 tons of food and over 700 tons of diesel oil, the Voice of America and Radio Free Asia said. The food aid includes sugar, grains and canned food, the broadcasters said. The aid will be transported from Russia's Khabarovsk to North Korea's Sonbong via Vladivostok, according to the broadcasters. In early this month, the Chinese government also announced a decision to supply 20 million yuan ($3 million) in aid to the North Korean flood victims. (Yonhap) [Russia NK] [Aid]
• Russia calls on chemical weapons watchdog to visit Syria's Aleppo
  Nov 11 The Russian Defence Ministry said on Friday it wanted the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to urgently send a mission to Aleppo, saying it had evidence Syrian opposition rebels had used chemical weapons there. The ministry said earlier on Friday it had found evidence that there was a high probability that the rebels had used chlorine gas and white phosphorous on the south-west edge of Aleppo in district 1070. It said it was basing its information on a study of soil samples, unexploded shells, and shrapnel. Major-General Igor Konashenkov said Russia would now hand over the evidence to the OPCW and wanted The Hague-based body to urgently send a team to Aleppo to gather its own evidence. He said Russian forces stood ready to help OPCW experts carry out their work in Aleppo. (Reporting by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Alexander Winning) [Syria] [cbw] [Jihadist]
• Moscow had contacts with Trump team during campaign, Russian diplomat says
  By David Filipov and Andrew Roth November 10 at 6:34 PM ? MOSCOW — Russian government officials conferred with members of Donald Trump’s campaign team, a senior Russian diplomat said Thursday, a disclosure that could reopen scrutiny of the Kremlin’s role in the president-elect’s bitter race against Hillary Clinton. The statement came from Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, who said in an interview with the state-run Interfax news agency that “there were contacts” with the Trump team. “Obviously, we know most of the people from his entourage,” Ryabkov said. “We have just begun to consider ways of building dialogue with the future Donald Trump administration and channels we will be using for those purposes,” Ryabkov was quoted as saying. [Russia confrontation] [Trump] [Unique]
• Donald Trump’s Victory: Prospects for Russia-US Relations
  Alex GORKA | 10.11.2016 Opportunities should not be squandered. It is especially important at a time when the overall political relationship between Washington and Moscow has tumbled to a nadir. Donald Trump’s victory and the expected drastic changes in the US foreign policy open up new prospects for the improvement of bilateral relations. It is useless to make predictions without the new president announcing who his foreign policy advisers will be. But it is possible to define in general terms what could and should be done to change the tide. With arms control and non-proliferation in doldrums, the tensions over Ukraine, the standoff between Russia and NATO and the failure to cooperate efficiently in Syria, the mission seems to be more of a tall order, but it would be a great mistake to waste time. The next president needs to accept that Moscow cannot simply be defeated or contained but it can be engaged through a comprehensive balance of cooperation and competition. Mr. Trump is savvy when it comes to economy but in order to tackle the relationship with Russia he’ll have to go outside of his comfort zone as the divisions are mainly related to security issues. However, his business experience resulting in pragmatic and business-like approach to foreign policy issues may be just exactly what is required to mark a new page in the Russia-US relationship. [Trump] [Russia US]
• In Crimea, Russia signals military resolve with new and revamped bases
  The missile bunkers that dot the verdant hills along Crimea's southern coast are known locally as Object 100. Until recently, tourists paid $50 to visit the crumbling and abandoned former Soviet sites, which served during the Cold War as a defense against naval attack from the Black Sea. Now the bunkers are coming back online. After Russia took control of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, signs went up in the woods around the sites warning visitors against entering a "forbidden zone of the Russian Ministry of Defence." A resident of a nearby village who said he was employed at the base last year said Russian soldiers had re-occupied the sites and blocked roads leading into the area. He was unable to say when the Russian soldiers arrived. "It is a functioning military base with an anti-ship missile system," the villager told a Reuters reporter who visited the area in July. The bunkers are just one small part of a new Russian program to militarize the Crimean peninsula. Based on recent site observations by Reuters, accounts from locals, media reports and official Russian data, Moscow has reanimated multiple Soviet-built facilities in the region, built new bases and stationed soldiers there. Crimea sits at the southern end of a line of new and refurbished Russian military facilities that stretches north in an arc through western Russia and ends in the country's Baltic outpost of Kaliningrad. [Resurgence]
• Hillary Clinton’s Exploits in McCarthyism
  November 8, 2016 The New Cold Warriors who surround Hillary Clinton have made Russia-bashing and McCarthyism the go-to tactics to silence the few voices warning of the grave and unnecessary risks of a new Cold War, notes James W Carden. By James W Carden Now that the 2016 election campaign is at long last over, an examination of the reckless, fact-free, innuendo-laden McCarthyite rhetoric which Hillary Clinton’s campaign surrogates deployed over the past several months is in order. The first and most obvious point to be made is that the anti-Russia hysteria that characterized the election, particularly in its final weeks, did not come out of nowhere; in fact, it should be seen as part of a natural progression of the elite media’s Russophobia which took root in and around the Ukraine crisis of late 2013-early 2014 and led, almost ineffably, not only to charges of Russian election-rigging in the United States but in the identification, in the pages of Newsweek and the Washington Post, of Russian fifth-columns within the United States. [Hillary Clinton] [Russia confrontation] [Hysteria]
• Soviet Woman, the Novel, Translated into English
  Soviet Woman is now translated into English A sample: ... 13-year-old Zhenya Kalashnikova stands on the roof of her house in her everyday winter coat. She looks with curiosity at the Soviet life all around her below . Zhenya's childhood and youth smell of apple blossom and fresh lemonade. She sees puppet theater at school. She hears the war memories of her grandparents and their romantic stories about the Soviet partisans. Her mother, a volunteer in the people's militia, armed with a whistle and an armband, is crazy about Belgian singer Salvatore Adamo. She takes Zhenya to watch races on a local cycling track and travels with her to Crimea through - at that time wealthy and peaceful - Ukraine... The writer of Soviet Woman spent her first 23 years in the USSR. After that she has lived and worked in four capitalist countries. She does not avoid fundamental questions, such as what is better: socialism or capitalism? She compares, based on her own turbulent experiences, her own happiness and sorrow. The Russian version of this book has caused a storm of personal reactions from readers, from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok. Now for the first time in English, all three volumes of this book that capitalist media call "controversial," Soviet Woman. For information about purchase write to: rabota47@yandex.r Author’s preface to the English language edition Why did I write this book? Because over the last twenty years I grew sick and tired of listening to endless incredible lies about what it was actually like to live in the USSR. These lies have become so pervasive today, that there is no escape from them anywhere: from movies and books to newspapers and school textbooks. And, it is not simply a case of a one-sided view of Soviet reality. If that were the case, it would have been half the trouble. But the deeper we go into the forest, the more anti-Soviet “wood” is being offered us: we are being showered with more and more of what can only be classified as wholly untrue. Examples of this I cite on many occasions in my book. For twenty years now I’ve read, watched and listened to all this — and I do not recognize my native country in what I read, saw and heard. I do not recognize it at all. Gradually, I became angry, because these lies are also about my parents, about my grandparents. Lying about our lives to our children and grandchildren, so that they would not know what it was really like to be a Soviet citizen. Finally, I became so tired of these shameless and endless lies that I felt what Tolstoy must have felt: “I can no longer be silent!” [Soviet Union]
• Will a Russian naval base appear in the South China Sea?
  2 November 2016 Author: Artyom Lukin, Far Eastern Federal University Russia’s defence ministry recently announced that Moscow is considering restoring Soviet-era military bases in Vietnam and Cuba. Talks have also begun in Moscow about negotiating with Egypt to lease military facilities for Russian naval and air forces. Russia currently maintains permanent bases outside its borders in four countries — Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Syria. If the plans for bases in the South China Sea, the Caribbean and the southern Mediterranean materialise, Russia could significantly expand its ability to project power in these key regions. Russian sailors stand at attention on board a vessel during their departure to return to Russia at a port in Qingdao, Shandong province, China, 27 April 2012. (Photo: Reuters/China Daily). Russia’s possible return to Vietnam’s Cam Ranh Bay is particularly important. Considered the finest deep-water shelter in Southeast Asia, Cam Ranh controls a vital sea lane in the South China Sea. In 1979, the Soviet Union signed an agreement with Hanoi for a 25-year free lease of the base at Cam Ranh. The facility became the largest Soviet military base outside the Soviet Union. But Russia evacuated Cam Ranh — and the electronic surveillance facility in Cuba’s Lourdes — in the early 2000s when the lease expired. The bipolar superpower rivalry that defined the Soviet-era had ended and Moscow decided it did not need military facilities so far from its borders — especially considering that Vietnam was asking for several hundreds of millions of dollars in annual rent. With Russia’s geopolitical resurgence and renewed tensions with the West, Moscow has begun to rethink its stance on overseas bases, including Cam Ranh. [Russia] [Resurgence] [China Russia] [NCW] [Vietnam]
• The Bombing of Aleppo: US Hypocrisy at Max Volume
  by Gareth Porter The Russian-Syrian bombing campaign in eastern Aleppo, which has ended at least for the time being, has been described in press reports and op-eds as though it were unique in modern military history in its indiscriminateness. In an usual move for a senior US official, Secretary of State John Kerry called for an investigation of war crimes in Aleppo. The discussion has been lacking in historical context, however. Certainly the civilian death toll from the bombing and shelling in Aleppo has been high, but many of the strikes may not be all that dissimilar from the major US bombing campaign in Iraq in 2003, nor as indiscriminate as Israel’s recent campaigns in densely populated cities. [Aleppo] [Hypocrisy] [Propaganda]
• US cool to Russia pause in Aleppo strikes
  Author Laura Rozen Posted November 2, 2016 WASHINGTON — The United States expressed skepticism Nov. 2 after Russia said it would extend a pause in airstrikes on Aleppo until Nov. 4 so that civilians, the wounded and opposition fighters could leave the besieged city. But while the United States described the plan as recycled and insufficient, American officials have taken note of the fact that Russia has largely halted aerial bombardment in Aleppo’s old city since mid-October, even while no humanitarian aid has been permitted to be brought into rebel-held eastern Aleppo, which has been besieged for over three months. Washington expressed skepticism about Russia’s plan to extend a pause in airstrikes on Aleppo until Nov. 4 so those needing medical care and opposition fighters could leave the city. “These humanitarian pauses are really nothing more than the Russians want to provide an opportunity for people to get out before they resume the bombing,” State Department spokesman John Kirby told journalists at the press briefing Nov. 2. “What we have seen in the past with these humanitarian pauses is no aid gets in and people get bombed again,” Kirby said. “We will see what happens.” Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement Nov. 2 that there were six corridors for civilians and sick people to leave eastern Aleppo. The statement said rebels could exit eastern Aleppo with their weapons via two corridors being set up, from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Nov. 4, while warning that efforts to break the siege were doomed. [Russia Syria] [US Syria policy] [Aleppo] [Hypocrisy]
• Russian experts come to Aleppo to collect evidence of chemical weapons use
  (TASS) A group of military experts from the Scientific Center of Troops of Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense of the Russian Armed Forces have arrived in Aleppo to collect samples in the areas where militants used chemical weapons, Russian Defense Ministry’s official spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Thursday. "Experts from the Russian Defense Ministry are equipped will all necessary technical means to perform express analysis, collection and delivery of samples to the Russian Federation. Toxic chemicals and products of their disintegration found in Aleppo will be analyzed at the laboratory of chemical-analytical control at the Scientific Center of the Troops of Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense that is accredited by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)," Konashenkov said. [cbw] [Syria]
• From ‘reset’ to ‘pause’: The real story behind Hillary Clinton’s feud with Vladimir Putin
  By Joby Warrick and Karen DeYoung November 3 at 2:01 PM Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attends a bilateral meeting with President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Group of 20 Summit in June 2012 in Los Cabos, Mexico. (Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press) In one of her last acts as secretary of state in early 2013, Hillary Clinton wrote a confidential memo to the White House on how to handle Vladimir Putin, Russia’s newly installed and increasingly aggressive fourth president. Her bluntly worded advice: Snub him. “Don’t appear too eager to work together,” Clinton urged President Obama, according to her recollection of the note in her 2014 memoir. “Don’t flatter Putin with high-level attention. Decline his invitation for a presidential summit.” [Hillary Clinton] [Russia confrontation]
• Russian MoD: Situation in Mosul nothing like in Aleppo
  MosulAirRaid.jpg A recent Western coalition air raid on Mosul. Al Masdar News reports: “ (TASS) The [Western] coalition has conducted 21 air strikes on Iraq’s Mosul and its suburbs in the past day alone whereas neither Russian nor Syrian warplanes have been used in Syria’s Aleppo for more than two weeks, Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Tuesday. “Mosul is being bombed daily from B-52H American strategic bombers, F/A-18 bombers based on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and from Rafale M [bombers] based on the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. In the past day alone, the coalition warplanes flew 25 sorties and delivered 21 air strikes on the city and its suburbs,” he said. Meanwhile, the Russian and Syrian warplanes “have performed no flights in Aleppo for more than two weeks,” he stressed. [Bombing] [Mosul] [Aleppo]
• Russophobia and the dark art of anti-Russian magazine covers
  by Dominic Basulto at Medium Chances are, if a story about Russia appears on the cover of a major Western magazine, it’s not good news. Most likely, there’s been an international scandal, a breakout of geopolitical tensions, the resumption of Cold War hostilities, or some nefarious Russian plot to bring the entire free world to its knees. Russophobia?—?or the unnatural fear of Russia?—?generally leads magazine editors to choose the most over-the-top images to convey Russia as a backwards, clumsy, non-Western and aggressively malevolent power. Unfortunately, that’s led to a few rules of thumb for anyone trying to create a magazine cover featuring Russia. You can think of these rules as the dark art of making an anti-Russian magazine cover: [Russia confrontation] [Media] [Propaganda]
• Is Putin Planning a November Surprise in Aleppo? Coinciding with US Elections?
  By Stephen Lendman Global Research, November 03, 2016 On October 18, Putin halted Russian aerial operations against eastern Aleppo terrorists – while continuing to provide Syrian forces with intelligence and logistical support. After several days of fierce fighting, terrorists failed to break through government forces encircling them. They remain trapped under siege, able to leave safely through Russian established humanitarian corridors if they cease fighting. So far they refuse, holding thousands of area residents hostage as human shields – perhaps mobilizing for another offensive. Syrian forces strengthened their ranks. Elite Tiger troops, Liwa Suqour al-Sahra Special Forces and Desert Hawks commandos are involved, aided by attack helicopters, missile systems, and sophisticated Russian-made T90 tanks – in place to repel further terrorist attacks. A Russian naval battle group led by the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, carrying Su-33 warplanes and Ka-31 attack helicopters, will arrive near Syria’s coast by Friday. Three Russian submarines armed with cruise missiles reportedly are accompanying it. On Tuesday, reports from Aleppo indicated Syrian forces blocked US-supported terrorists from reaching Al-Bab in northeastern Aleppo. Several villages north of the city were liberated. Heavy clashes continue around the 1070 Apartment Project and elsewhere. According to Syrian army al-Mahavir Battalion commander Mohannad Haaj, Washington OK’d use of toxic chemicals (believed to be chlorine gas), delivered by shelling civilians and government forces in parts of Aleppo they control – so far one reported death and dozens hospitalized. [Russia Syria] [cbw] [US Syria policy]
• MI5 chief: Britain faces growing threat from Russia
  By Tim Hume, CNN Updated 1604 GMT (0004 HKT) November 1, Story highlights • Kremlin spokesman rejects MI5 chief's claims • MI5 director-general also says "there will be" terrorist attacks in the UK London (CNN)Britain faces a growing threat from covert attempts at destabilization by Russia, the head of the country's security and counter-intelligence agency MI5 has said. In an interview with The Guardian newspaper published Tuesday, Andrew Parker, director-general of MI5, said that the covert threat from foreign countries, most notably Russia, was rising at a time when the threat of radical Islam drew the most attention. Russia was "using its whole range of state organs and powers to push its foreign policy abroad in increasingly aggressive ways -- involving propaganda, espionage, subversion and cyber attacks," he said, in the first newspaper interview with an incumbent MI5 chief in the service's history. Russia, US move past Cold War to unpredictable conflict "Russia is at work across Europe and in the UK today. It is MI5's job to get in the way of that." [Russia confrontation] [MISCOM]
• Amnesty International evicted from its Moscow office
  By Svetlana Reiter and Christian Lowe | MOSCOW Amnesty International, a campaign group which has accused the Kremlin of violating human rights with its bombing campaign in Syria, was evicted from its Moscow office on Wednesday. The Moscow city government, from which Amnesty leased the premises in the Russian capital's center, said the group was behind on the rent, but Amnesty said it had documents to prove it was up to date with payments. Staff at the Moscow office told Reuters they arrived at work to find the locks had been changed, official seals had been placed over the doors, and the electricity had been cut off. John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International's Europe Director, said the eviction may be part of an official crackdown on civil society groups that criticize the Kremlin, but he said there were other possible explanations too. {Amnesty International] [NGO] [Russia confrontation]
• Commentary: Don't be so sure Russia hacked the Clinton emails
  By James Bamford Last summer, cyber investigators plowing through the thousands of leaked emails from the Democratic National Committee uncovered a clue. A user named “?????? ??????????” modified one of the documents using settings in the Russian language. Translated, his name was Felix Edmundovich, a pseudonym referring to Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky, the chief of the Soviet Union’s first secret-police organization, the Cheka. It was one more link in the chain of evidence pointing to Russian President Vladimir Putin as the man ultimately behind the operation. [Hacking] [Russia confrontation] [Attribution]
• How the U.S. media fails to defend itself against foreign propaganda
  By Eric Chenoweth November 1 at 7:11 PM Eric Chenoweth is co-director of the Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe. Donald Trump’s presidential candidacy has posed many challenges to U.S. media. In at least one frightening respect, it has failed: News outlets are actively abetting an authoritarian and imperialist foreign power’s attempt to manipulate a U.S. presidential election to aid its favored candidate, Trump, and sanctioning an assault on the individual and civil liberties of all American citizens. There is consensus among U.S. intelligence and law-enforcement agencies that the WikiLeaks “dump” of emails from the Democratic National Committee, former secretary of state Colin Powell and John Podesta, chairman of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, is the result of illegal, targeted hacking directed by Russian intelligence services. [Russia confrontation] [Hacking] [MISCOM]
• Russia's foreign minister says Syria process 'sabotaged'
  Published November 02, 2016 Associated Press ATHENS, Greece – Russia's foreign minister accused other countries involved in Syrian peace negotiations of having "sabotaged" the process with continued backing of militant groups intent on toppling President Bashar Assad. Sergey Lavrov made the remarks Wednesday on a visit to Greece, a NATO and European Union member that has maintained close ties with Russia. He didn't name any countries. Peace talks have involved U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and the foreign ministers of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Iran. "Unfortunately on many occasions, efforts for a political resolution have been sabotaged. That is not in accordance with U.N. Security Council resolutions . Some parties are backing extremists aimed at removing the Assad regime," Lavrov said. "If those resolutions had been carried out in an honest way, the situation in Syria would have already improved." [US Syria policy] [Renege] [Outsourcing]
• Harry Reid’s incendiary claim about ‘coordination’ between Donald Trump and Russia
  By Aaron Blake October 31 at 7:15 AM Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). (The Washington Post) In a letter to FBI Director James B. Comey on Sunday night, outgoing Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) says Comey may have broken the law. And that's not even the most brazen claim in the letter — not by a long shot. In the course of arguing that Comey's disclosure that the FBI is looking into new Hillary Clinton investigation emails may have violated the Hatch Act, Reid slips in an extremely bold claim about the Trump campaign and the Russian government. In my communications with you and other top officials in the national security community, it has become clear that you possess explosive information about close ties and coordination between Donald Trump, his top advisors, and the Russian government — a foreign interest openly hostile to the United States, which Trump praises at every opportunity. The public has a right to know this information. I wrote to you months ago calling for this information to be released to the public. There is no danger to American interests from releasing it. And yet, you continue to resist calls to inform the public of this critical information. Even for a man known for bare-knuckle politics, this is remarkable. [Russia confrontation] [Trump] [Hysteria]

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OCTOBER 2016

• Russia or the Neocons: Who endangers American democracy?
  What is behind the US election cycle Russophobia?
  Vladimir Golstein October 22, 2016, 9:21 pm? 8 ? 2053 Political discourse of American mass media is inundated with another wave of Russophobia and fear mongering. Besides the obvious military threat (Russia’s nuclear arsenal), or the challenges to the US foreign policy (the conflicts in Ukraine or Syria), a new fear has been introduced into the news: the US political system is endangered by Russia’s computer hacking, informational warfare, and its support of Donald Trump. The newspaper titles sound like a commercial for the upcoming Invasion of the Body Snatchers sequel. The Washingon Post announces: “Russia Is Now a Threat. The US Should Treat It Like One.” Time magazine raises the stakes: “Russia Wants to Undermine Faith in the U.S. Election.” Atlantic warns of the “The Dangers of the Putin-Trump relationship,” articulating the already familiar litany of complaints: “Russia is directly interfering in the US elections … it is a dangerous escalation that threatens the integrity of the US electoral process.” While US Today allows notorious neocon named Max Boot to discover not just the threat, but an actual war. His “Time to Get Real About Russia Cyber War,” is rather blunt: “Our democracy is under attack by Russia, but almost no one is treating the situation with the gravity it deserves.” Well, nobody treats the situation with the gravity it deserves because they are treating it with much greater gravity. In fact, some of the commentators are so grave, that they are ready to give in already. Zack Beauchamp concludes his tirades against Russian hacking in the following manner: “Russia’s strategy is even more dangerous that it appears. Not only does it undermine democracy using the press but it actually gets the press to undermine itself. And there’s not much we can reasonably do about it, either.” [Russia confrontation]
• In latest threat to Nato, Russia tests new nuclear-capable hypersonic glider warhead
  An HGV can maneuver during the approach to a target at high speed, making interception significantly harder. IBTimes Staff Reporter October 28, 2016 17:22 IST Russia has successfully tested its advanced hypersonic glider warhead, also known as Object 4202, a media report said on Friday. "It's the first, totally-completed test of the warhead capable of reaching the speed of 7 km/second on the maximum altitude," Xinhua news agency quoted Russian media as saying The warhead was fired on Tuesday from the Dombarovsky area in Russia's western Orenburg region to the Far Eastern Kamchatka's firing field of Kura. Popular defence blog MilitaryRussia.ru says the launch was meant to test Russia's hypersonic glider warhead, currently known by its developer designation, 'object 4202', or Aeroballistic Hypersonic Warhead. A select few countries are currently developing the technology. The US has the HTV-2, a device developed by DARPA that has two partially successful tests under its belt.The Chinese warhead using the same technology is called DF-ZF, with Beijing first confirming a test in 2014. India is also studying hypersonic flight technology, but unlike Russia, the US and China, it is reportedly not developing a strategic missile warhead. A hypersonic glider vehicle (HGV) is different from a conventional ballistic missile warhead in that it travels most of the time in the stratosphere rather than in space. It gives an HGV-tipped missile greater range and may give anti-missile systems a shorter window to respond to an attack. More importantly, an HGV can manoeuvre during the approach to a target at high speed, making interception significantly harder, because it makes guiding an interceptor missile towards the attacking vehicle challenging and potentially impossible with current rocket technology, RT News reported. [Russia confrontation] [Military balance]
• 2 Top Putin aide hacked: Proxy cyberwar suspected
  Anna Arutunyan, Special for USA TODAY 6:16 p.m. EDT October 27, 2016 MOSCOW — A gigabyte of leaked emails this week to a top aide of Russian President Vladimir Putin reveal direct political and financial ties with pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. Putin has consistently denied any connection to the separatists, whether with military or financial support. Fighting has raged in eastern Ukraine for two years, since rebels in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions proclaimed their independence from Ukraine and sought to join Russia. More than 9,600 people have been killed. [Ukraine] [Russia confrontation] [Hacking]
• Playing With Fear: Russia’s War Card
  By Michael Khodarkovsky Oct. 26, 2016 CHICAGO — The Russian media have been talking up war for some time, but it has now reached new heights of warmongering. Dmitry Kiselev, a television journalist known for his close ties to the Kremlin, keeps threatening the West with nuclear weapons. Another ally of President Vladimir V. Putin, the voluble ultranationalist party leader Vladimir V. Zhirinovsky, recently declared that if Hillary Clinton were elected, it would mean World War III. Clearly, the Kremlin is deliberately creating a sense of impending war by having its own media insist that NATO has put Russia under threat — from the military alliance itself and its democratic ethos. Ominously, Mr. Putin loses no opportunity to extol the Russian people’s wartime virtues of heroism and martyrdom. [Russia confrontation] [Inversion] [Émigré]
• Britain, U.S. sending planes, troops to deter Russia in the east
  NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg briefs the media during a NATO defence ministers meeting at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, October 26, 2016. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir By Robin Emmott and Phil Stewart | BRUSSELS Britain said on Wednesday it will send fighter jets to Romania next year and the United States promised troops, tanks and artillery to Poland in NATO's biggest military build-up on Russia's borders since the Cold War. Germany, Canada and other NATO allies also pledged forces at a defense ministers meeting in Brussels on the same day two Russian warships armed with cruise missiles entered the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Denmark, underscoring East-West tensions. In Madrid, the foreign ministry said Russia had withdrawn a request to refuel three warships in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta after NATO allies said they could be used to target civilians in Syria. [Russia confrontation] [NATO enlargement]
• Russia beefs up Baltic Fleet amid NATO tensions: reports
  By Andrew Osborn and Simon Johnson | Moscow/Stockholm Russia is sharply upgrading the firepower of its Baltic Fleet by adding warships armed with long-range cruise missiles to counter NATO's build-up in the region, Russian media reported on Wednesday. There was no official confirmation from Moscow, but the reports will raise tensions in the Baltic, already heightened since Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, and cause particular alarm in Poland and Lithuania which border Russia's base there. The reported deployment comes as NATO is planning its biggest military build-up on Russia's borders since the Cold War to deter possible Russian aggression. [Russia confrontation]
• Russian Battle Group Moves to Syria: Demonstrating Power Projection Capability
  NATO is concerned about the movement of Russian naval battle group on its way to the Mediterranean. The ships are being carefully monitored by NATO ships and aircraft. Media in NATO countries have raised ballyhoo about it. The reaction is negatively emotional. The ships’ movement is covered like an unexpected event, though the news was first announced this summer. Perhaps, many believed that Russia’s maritime power projection capability should not be taken seriously. Now those who thought so are proven wrong. Reuters cited a diplomat saying on condition of anonymity «They are deploying all of the Northern fleet and much of the Baltic fleet in the largest surface deployment since the end of the Cold War». «This is not a friendly port call. In two weeks, we will see a crescendo of air attacks on Aleppo as part of Russia's strategy to declare victory there», the diplomat said. The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is sailing to Syria to serve as a platform for carrying out airstrikes against terrorists until at least February 2017. The ship can carry more than 50 aircraft. This time the air group’s configuration includes 15 Sukhoi Su-33 all-weather air superiority jets and Mikoyan MiG-29K/KUB multirole fighters, and 10 Kamov Ka-52K, Ka-27, and Ka-31 helicopters. [Russia Syria]
• Israel wary of Russian comeback to the region
  For decades now, Israel has enjoyed decisive aerial superiority over all its rivals in the Middle East. There is no doubt that the Israeli air force is the strongest in the region and one of the most advanced in the world. As such, it has benefited for decades from an almost absolute monopoly over all of the other players in the region. Summary? Print Russia has extended its presence in the region to such an extent that any IDF jet crossing the Israeli border in the north immediately appears on Russian military radar screens. Author Ben Caspit Posted October 24, 2016 TranslatorDanny Wool Ever since the signing of the peace agreement with Egypt in 1979 and Egypt’s exit from the circle of hostility, the Israeli air force has had absolute freedom of operation. This reached its climax with the bombing of an Iraqi nuclear reactor (Operation Opera) in 1981, the bombing of a Syrian nuclear reactor (according to foreign news sources) in 2007, multiple bombings of arms convoys moving from Syria to Lebanon over the past few years, similar bombing runs in Sudan (also according to foreign sources) and other clandestine operations wherever there are Israeli interests of some sort or another. Over the past few months, however, Israel has woken up to a troubling new reality. That freedom of operation, which its air force once enjoyed with absolute impunity, is now dependent on a foreign factor, which is out of Jerusalem’s control. What began as aid to the Bashar al-Assad regime in its struggle to survive has become a massive Russian military presence along Israel’s northern border. The Russians have recently tightened their control over the region significantly in all matters concerning control of the air. As of now, Israel lacks any fighter jet that can take off without setting off a flashing light in the Russian aerial defense headquarters in Tartus (a coastal city in Syria) or on a Russian ship in the Mediterranean Sea. [Russia Syria] [Israel]
• Mosul operations make strange bedfellows
  By M.K. Bhadrakumar October 25, 2016 3:41 PM (UTC+8) Turkey has scaled down its demand for full participation in the military operations currently under way for the liberation of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State. Meanwhile, Russia has scaled up its politico-military agenda in Syria, which will now be the “liberation” of the entire country under the leadership of President Bashar al-Assad. This would be the latest sign of the fusion between the conflicts in Iraq and Syria and the pragmatic interdependency that has developed between Turkey and Russia amidst an acceleration of US-Iranian engagement. [Turkey Russia]
• America vs. Russia: Will Missile Defense Help in a Global Nuclear War?
  Leonid Nersisyan is a military columnist for the REGNUM information agency, and editor-in-chief for New Defence Order magazine, Moscow, Russia The intensity of relations between the United States and Russia has reached its zenith. That has led nuclear deterrence and missile defense to once again become a relevant subject of discussion, as they were during the Cold War. I have already discussed the countries’ balance of strategic nuclear forces in a separate series of articles covering land, undersea and air components. Now it's time to pay attention to their missile-defense system capabilities and assess whether they can—at this point or in the future—shift the strategic balance towards any party’s side. [Missile defense]
• Trump Should Follow Putin's Example in the Coming Crisis
  The Saker • October 22, 2016 Watching the last Presidential debate was a rather depressing experience. I thought that Trump did pretty well, but that really is not the point here. The point is this: no matter who wins, an acute crisis is inevitable. Option one: Hillary wins. That’s Obama on steroids, only worse. Remember that Obama himself was Dubya, only worse. Of course, Dubya was just Clinton, only worse. Now the circle is closed. Back to Clinton. Except this time around, we have a woman who is deeply insecure, who failed at every single thing that she every tried to do, and who now has a 3 decades long record of disasters and failures. Even when she had no authority to start a war, she started one (told Bill to bomb the Serbs). Now she has that authority. And now she had to stand there, in front of millions of people, and hear Trump tell her “Putin outsmarted you at every step of the way” (did you see her frozen face when he said that?). Trump is right, Putin did outsmart her and Obama at every step. The problem is that now, after having a President with an inferiority complex towards Putin (Obama) we will have a President with the very same inferiority complex and a morbid determination to impose a no-fly zone over Russian forces in Syria. Looking at Hillary, with her ugly short hair and ridiculous pants, I thought to myself “this is a woman who is trying hard to prove that she is every bit as tough and any man” – except of course that she ain’t. Her record also shows her as being weak, cowardly and with a sense of total impunity. And now, that evil messianic lunatic with a deep-seated inferiority complex is going to become Commander in Chief?! God help us all! [Trump] [Deep state] [Putin]
• Washington’s New Lock-Step March of Folly
  October 22, 2016 Exclusive: Confident in a Hillary Clinton victory, Washington’s foreign policy elite is readying plans for more warfare in Syria and more confrontations with nuclear-armed Russia, an across-the-spectrum “group think” that risks life on the planet, says Robert Parry. By Robert Parry As polls show Hillary Clinton closing in on victory, Official Washington’s neoconservative (and liberal-hawk) foreign policy establishment is rubbing its hands in anticipation of more war and more strife, including a U.S. military escalation in Syria, a take-down of Iran, and a showdown with nuclear-armed Russia. What is perhaps most alarming about this new “group think” is that there doesn’t appear to be any significant resistance to the expectation that President Hillary Clinton will unleash these neocon/liberal-hawk forces of intervention that President Barack Obama has somewhat restrained. [Hillary Clinton] [Russia confrontation] [Syria]
• Congressman raises concern over potential use of Russian satellites for troops’ Internet service
  By Christian Davenport October 21 at 12:39 PM Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., talks with attendees of a House Armed Services Committee hearing in Rayburn Building on the Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl prisoner exchange, June 11, 2014. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) (CQ Roll Call via AP Images) In a letter to the Pentagon Friday, U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter said he was concerned a contract to provide Internet service to deployed soldiers could allow the use of Russian satellites, jeopardizing troops’ privacy and security. Previous service at bases’ Internet cafes had “stringent security measures,” Hunter wrote to Army Lt. Gen. Alan Lynn, the head of the Defense Information Systems Agency. But he said he was worried the “contracting arrangement creates unnecessary security risks, given that our deployed warfighters could be exposed to transmitting their personal information over unprotected networks that are controlled by foreign and potentially hostile entities.” In an interview, Hunter, a California Republican who served three tours as Marine, said, “this is one of the dumbest things we could do. Why give the Russians the ability to basically spy on American military personnel when there are so many other options?” [Russia confrontation] [Internet] [Ironic] [Decline]
• Russia sends warships toward Syria via the English Channel — and with them, a message
  By Karla Adam, Michael Birnbaum and Andrew Roth October 21 at 2:17 PM A handout photograph made available by Dover Marina.com on 21 October 2016 showing Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov in the English Channel, 21 October 2016. (Dover Marina.com/Handout) LONDON — In scenes that haven’t been common since the end of the Cold War, Russian warships sailed through the English Channel early Friday in a theatrical display of Russian military might. Britain dispatched two of its own warships to carefully monitor the Russian flotilla, which included the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, as it sailed by, reportedly en route to the eastern Mediterranean to aid in the war in Syria. The aircraft carrier can hold as many as 40 planes, and it is suspected that they will be used in the bombing campaign in the Syrian city of Aleppo. Given Russia’s fierce bombardment of that city, many Western military officials see the ships’ course as a slow-moving harbinger of bloodshed to come in Syria. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned the Kremlin on Thursday not to take any step that would escalate the violence. [Russia confrontation]
• Russia’s quest for power
  The international system has been evolving ever since the bipolarity of the Cold War ended. As the unipolar U.S. moment was short lived, and none of the international powers has enough capacity to unilaterally dominate its peers, a somewhat multipolar world system is slowly emerging. Under such conditions, Russia, since Vladimir Putin’s rise to the presidency a second time, has been trying to attain pole position in such a multipolar world. At the same time, Russia has been uncomfortable with the regime changes around the globe, stimulated by the West in general, and the latter’s involvement in its near abroad. Thus, in order both to recover its former glory and to end what it perceives as Western containment over its borders, it has begun to successfully push back the Western influence in its near abroad, starting with its conflict with Georgia in August 2008. [Turkey Russia] [Sea power] [Inversion]
• Generating Hate against Russia: The Absurd New Anti-Russian Propaganda From The New York Times
  By Robert Parry Global Research, October 18, 2016 Mint Press News The New York Times is so determined to generate hate against Russia that it has lost all journalistic perspective, even portraying Russia’s military decoys – like those used in World War II. If the dangers weren’t so great – a possible nuclear war that could exterminate life on the planet – The New York Times over-the-top denunciation of all things Russian would be almost funny, like the recent front-page story finding something uniquely sinister about Russia using inflatable decoys of military weapons to confuse adversaries. The Oct. 13 article, entitled “Decoys in Service of an Inflated Russian Might,” was described as part of a series called “DARK ARTS … How Russia projects power covertly,” suggesting that the nefarious Russians aren’t to be trusted in anything even in the case of “one of Russia’s lesser-known military threats: a growing arsenal of inflatable tanks, jets and missile launchers.” [Russia confrontation] [Media] [NY Times]
• UK bank to close RT accounts, 'long live freedom of speech!' – editor-in-chief
  Published time: 17 Oct, 2016 11:12 The UK bank servicing RT has given notice that it will close the broadcaster’s accounts, without explanation. The UK government has denied any involvement in the bank's decision. “They closed our accounts in Britain. All of them. ‘Decision not to be discussed’. Long live freedom of speech!” RT's editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan said on her Twitter account. She added that RT’s assets were not frozen and can still be withdrawn from the accounts. The National Westminster Bank has informed RT UK that it will no longer have the broadcaster among its clients. The bank provided no explanation for the decision. “We have recently undertaken a review of your banking arrangements with us and reached the conclusion that we will no longer provide these facilities,” NatWest said in a letter to RT’s London office. The bank said that the entire Royal Bank of Scotland Group, of which NatWest is part, would refuse to service RT. The letter said the decision was final and that it is “not prepared to enter into any discussion in relation to it.” [Russia confrontation] [Financial sanctions] [Banking]
• RT and Wikileaks – coordinated effort to silence alt. news sources?
  In a slow-developing situation, the last few days has seen the two of the most high-profile anti-establishment media voices in the UK – Wikileaks and RT – come under some form of covert attack. Over the weekend Wikileaks official twitter account suggested, and then confirmed, that the Ecuadorian Embassy in London had cut Julian Assange’s internet access: The sudden social-media silence, in conjunction with some unusual coded tweets sent the night before, fuelled speculation that Assange had been killed, or that Ecuador had caved and handed him over to the Americans. Neither of which appear to be the case. Meanwhile, RTUK have had their UK-based bank accounts frozen by NatWest, a move the Treasury denies any all knowledge of. [Russia confrontation] [WikiLeaks]
• West Blames Russia for Aleppo While Killing Civilians in Mosul
  Alex GORKA | 18.10.2016 Double standards dominate the West as it blames Russia for each and everything going wrong in this world. The best example is the West’s accusations of Russia allegedly committing “war crimes” in Aleppo. Despite the fact than the all measures to reduce the losses among civilians had been taken with timely warnings, escape corridors prepared, humanitarian aid rushed in and air strikes limited to targets of military value, Russia is blamed for not caring about civilian residents. Now the operation conducted by US-led coalition to liberate Mosul from Islamic State (IS) is under way to threaten the lives of estimated 1,5 million civilians. The New York Times editorial on October 14 said the city must be liberated regardless of the human cost. [Mosul] [Double standards] [Aleppo]
• Are the Russians really preparing for war?
  By David Filipov October 15 Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi of the Russian Military General Staff talks to reporters in September. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/Assocaited Press) Some activities going on in Russia these days might make it seem like the country is genuinely preparing for war. Talk of bunkers and rations; missiles moving around; politicians uttering dire warnings — are these harbingers of a Russian-U.S. conflict? The Washington Post's Moscow bureau decided to rank the signs to see how likely they suggest that Russia is getting ready to fight. [Russia confrontation] [Media]
• US 'losing in Syria': Russian official
  By Zhang Lulu China.org.cn, October 16, 2016 A Russian official said on Saturday that the United States had "lost their position" in Syria and must cooperate with Russia, otherwise it'll continue to lose in the Middle East. Sergey Zheleznyak, deputy general secretary of Russia's ruling party the United Russian Party, made the remarks at the CPC in Dialogue with the World 2016, a dialogue the Communist Party of China (CPC) has held annually since 2014. "The United States tries to save their position in the Middle East, but now they are losing it in Syria. That is why they should all change their politics and combine their efforts with us to make a peaceful Syria, or they'll continue to lose their position on the Middle East," said Zheleznyak. [US Syria policy]
• Trump refusal to accept government assessments on Russian hacks dismays former officials
  By Dana Priest and Tom Hamburger October 14 at 3:48 PM ? Former senior U.S. national security officials are dismayed at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s repeated refusal to accept the judgment of intelligence professionals that Russia stole files from the Democratic National Committee computers in an effort to influence the U.S. election. The former officials, who have served presidents in both parties, say they were bewildered when Trump cast doubt on Russia’s role after receiving a classified briefing on the subject and again after an unusually blunt statement from U.S. agencies saying they were “confident” that Moscow had orchestrated the attacks. “It defies logic,” retired Gen. Michael V. Hayden, former director of the CIA and the National Security Agency, said of Trump’s pronouncements. [Russia confrontation] [Hacking] [Trump]
• British Government And White Helmets Exposed On The BBC
  Video "Russia is acting to defend international law?" Posted October 15, 2016 [Syria] [UK] [Russia confrontation]
• The United States and NATO Are Preparing for a Major War With Russia
  Massive military exercises and a troop buildup on NATO’s eastern flank reflect a dangerous new strategy. By Michael T. Klare July 7, 2016 For the first time in a quarter-century, the prospect of war—real war, war between the major powers—will be on the agenda of Western leaders when they meet at the NATO Summit in Warsaw, Poland, on July 8 and 9. Dominating the agenda in Warsaw (aside, of course, from the “Brexit” vote in the UK) will be discussion of plans to reinforce NATO’s “eastern flank”—the arc of former Soviet partners stretching from the Baltic states to the Black Sea that are now allied with the West but fear military assault by Moscow. Until recently, the prospect of such an attack was given little credence in strategic circles, but now many in NATO believe a major war is possible and that robust defensive measures are required. In what is likely to be its most significant move, the Warsaw summit is expected to give formal approval to a plan to deploy four multinational battalions along the eastern flank—one each in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Although not deemed sufficient to stop a determined Russian assault, the four battalions would act as a “tripwire,” thrusting soldiers from numerous NATO countries into the line of fire and so ensuring a full-scale, alliance-wide response. This, it is claimed, will deter Russia from undertaking such a move in the first place or ensure its defeat should it be foolhardy enough to start a war. [Russia confrontation] [Escalation] [War] [Baltics]
• Warmongering in Washington, Preparation for War in Moscow
  In reaction to US words and deeds, the Kremlin is preparing the Russian nation for the possibility of war. By Stephen F. Cohen October 12, 2016 Nation Contributing Editor Stephen F. Cohen and John Batchelor continue their weekly discussions of the new US-Russian Cold War. (Previous installments are at TheNation.com.) Continuing the subject of last week’s discussion—the growing possibility of actual military conflict between the United States and Russia­—Cohen and Batchelor agree that more recent developments have made this prospect even more dire. Cohen argues that we should be “shocked” less by Donald Trump’s sex talk or by Hillary Clinton’s misdeeds as secretary of state than by the entire political-media establishment’s indifference to Washington’s drift toward war with Russia. [Russia confrontation]
• Moscow accuses Washington of destroying U.S.-Russia relations
  Thu Oct 13, 2016 2:55pm GMT By Dmitry Solovyov and Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian Foreign Ministry accused the Obama administration of destroying relations with Moscow in the run-up to the U.S. presidential election next month, saying on Thursday that it hoped the next occupants of the White House would be better. In comments that underline how deeply a hacking scandal and differences over Syria and Ukraine have damaged U.S.-Russia relations, Maria Zakharova, the Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman, told a news conference Washington was playing a dangerous game. "We see with regret how Washington continues to destroy our bilateral relations," said Zakharova. "The level of Russophobic propaganda coming from the very top is now starting to go off the scale." Calling White House accusations Russia was behind a hacking campaign against Democratic Party organisations "a lie," she accused the Obama administration of trying to make U.S. voters perceive Russia as the enemy. [Russia confrontation]
• More N.Korean Workers Defect in Russia
  By Kim Myong-song October 12, 2016 13:00 An increasing number of North Koreans are defecting from Russia where some 20,000 of them labor in often inhuman conditions, a source said Tuesday. The source said about a dozen North Korean workers at a single construction site in Russia have recently told South Korean authorities that they want to defect. Altogether some 40 North Koreans including loggers in Siberia have defected and are staying in a shelter in Russia. .[Defection] [Canard] [Overseas labour]
• N. Korea spy agency official fled to South
  10 workers in Russia also seek asylum
  By Kang Seung-woo A senior official from North Korea's spy agency fled to South Korea last year, a source said Wednesday ? a sign suggesting growing discontent with leader Kim Jong-un among the country's elite. "An unidentified official from the Ministry of State Security defected to the South," said a source familiar with North Korean affairs. That ministry is in charge of collecting intelligence and cracking down on the people, he added. "As far as I know, the official told the relevant South Korean authorities about growing public discontent with the North Korean leader." It is rare for a senior official of the powerful Ministry of State Security to escape to South Korea. [Defection] [Overseas labour]
• Russian senators back permanent deployment of air force to Syria
  Published time: 12 Oct, 2016 07:44Edited time: 12 Oct, 2016 10:47 Russian senators have ratified an agreement that allows permanent deployment of the country's air force in Syria, solidifying Moscow’s projection of power in the Middle East. One hundred and fifty-eight Russian senators thrust their support behind the permanent air force at the Syrian base in Khmeimim during the Wednesday vote, with one senator abstaining. “Russia’s Air Force group will be located in Syria only for defense purposes and does not target third countries,” Viktor Ozerov, chair of the Defense Committee in the Federation Council, told RIA Novosti after the vote Ozerov added the decision marks Russia’s “substantial input” into the international effort to stabilize the situation in Syria. [Bases] [Russia Syria]
• What US-Russia fallout means for Syria
  The rapid unraveling of the US-Russia relationship over their failed effort to establish a cessation of hostilities between Syria’s government forces and moderate opposition groups may become increasingly dangerous for Syrians and the Middle East as a whole. Indeed, respected Russian defense and foreign policy expert Dmitri Trenin, a former Russian military officer who directs the Carnegie Moscow Center, has argued that Syria could become a “battlefield between the two” and that this is an “exceptionally disturbing prospect that should keep people in Moscow and Washington awake at night.” Trenin is right to be concerned. A collapsing US-Russia relationship could have profound consequences for Syria’s civil war and the Middle East. Author Paul J. Saunders Posted October 11, 2016 The day after the United States issued a press statement announcing its suspension of talks with Russia on implementing the cessation of hostilities, The Washington Post reported on a National Security Council meeting to discuss possible strikes on Syria’s military, including options such as cruise missile attacks on runways, presumably intended to slow or stop Syrian airstrikes (particularly around Aleppo). The next day, Russia’s Defense Ministry spokesman appeared to respond directly to this article. In a press briefing, he warned the United States that Russia had deployed S-300 and S-400 missile systems at its facilities in Syria, that US strikes would threaten Russian military personnel “on the ground” in the country and that Russian air defense crews would “hardly” have time to assess incoming attacks to determine their flight paths. This amounts to a statement that Moscow might respond directly to any US attacks on Syrian forces. In an interview with Al-Monitor, Trenin confirmed this and noted that the spokesman’s reference to “unidentified flying objects” was especially significant. “I take this as a warning that not only US cruise missiles but also its aircraft might become Russian targets,” he said, adding that “Moscow seeks to deter the US from attacking Syrian government forces and assets.” [Russia confrontation] [Syria]
• Putin dismisses accusations of meddling in U.S. election
  “If they decided to do something, let them do it,” Lavrov said. James Oliphant and Katya Golubkova | WASHINGTON/MOSCOW Even as WikiLeaks released another trove of internal documents from Hillary Clinton’s campaign on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted his country was not involved in an effort to influence the U.S. presidential election. Last week, the U.S. government formally accused Russia of launching a hacking campaign to “interfere with the U.S. election process.” Clinton’s campaign, which has charged the Kremlin is trying to help Republican Donald Trump win the White House on Nov. 8, took its allegations a step further on Tuesday when John Podesta, chairman of the Democratic nominee’s campaign, accused the Trump campaign of colluding with Russia. In Moscow, Putin said nothing in the hacking scandal is in Russia’s interests and said all sides in the U.S. presidential campaign were misusing rhetoric about Russia for their own purposes. “They started this hysteria, saying this (hacking) is in Russia’s interests, but this has nothing to do with Russia’s interests,” Putin told a business forum. Putin said his government would work with whoever won the U.S. election, "if, of course, the new U.S. leader wishes to work with our country." [Russia confrontation] [Hacking]
• Nuclear Poker
  Israel Shamir • October 9, 2016 If the greatest poker game of all times will end by nuclear grand slam, and the survivors will review the causes of WWIII, they will die laughing. The Third World War had been fought to save al Qaeda. Yes, my dear readers! Uncle Sam invaded Afghanistan in order to punish al Qaeda, and now he started the World War to save al Qaeda. Positively a great ambivalent passionate love/hate relationship between the American gentleman and the Arab girl, from 9/11 to Aleppo. For the future historians, the WWIII commenced with the US decision to terminate bilateral talks with Russia over Syria. Let the arms do the talking, they said. Here is an exclusive revelation: The US decided to suspend talks after Russia called for withdrawal of al Qaeda (al Nusra Front etc.) fighters from Aleppo. This was the casus belli. I have in my possession two war-starting documents: Document One, headlined October 2 Agreement. This is an American draft of an agreement presented by State Secretary John Kerry to Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Its first line said “The Russian Federation will ensure an immediate halt on October 3 to all offensive military operations etc.”. It is based on the older short-lived Lavrov-Kerry agreement with an important addition: “without the previous requirement for repositioning of forces”. Document Two, called Reducing violence in Aleppo, full-scale humanitarian assistance to civilian population, setting of “effective Cessation of Hostilities” and separation of moderate opposition forces and Jabhat Al-Nusra. It is subtitled “position document draft”. This is the Russian counter-proposal, confirming the Geneva agreement of September 9, 2016. Its most important part is the call to separate al-Qaeda fighters (aka terrorists) through pushing the terrorists out of Aleppo via humanitarian corridor to the Castello Road. This Document has been answered by American termination of talks. Thus, the Russians wanted to take al-Qaeda out of Aleppo, so the city can be fed and brought back to life. The Americans were ready to start armed hostilities against Russia for the right of Al Qaeda to remain in the city. In other words, the Americans did not believe in their own myth of moderate opposition. They knew, as well as the Russians, that without “terrorists”, the insurgency in Syria is doomed. They did not want to let Syria be under Assad and with the Russians. As usual, they made a lot of humanitarian-sounding noise about suffering children of Aleppo. Why Aleppo, and not Mosul with its mounting victims? Just because the killers of Mosul are supported by the US? Why not Yemen, where Saudi troops using American weapons (procured after giving a hefty bribe to Clinton’s war chest) to kill more children than there are in Aleppo? [US Syria policy] [Russia confrontation] [Outsourcing] [Brinkmanship]
• Russian Options Against a US Attack on Syria
  The Saker • October 6, 2016 The tensions between Russia and the USA have reached an unprecedented level. I fully agree with the participants of this CrossTalk show – the situation is even worse and more dangerous than during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Both sides are now going to the so-called “Plan B” which, simply put, stand for, at best, no negotiations and, at worst, a war between Russia and the USA. The key thing to understand in the Russian stance in this, and other, recent conflicts with the USA is that Russia is still much weaker than the USA and that she therefore does not want war. That does not, however, mean that she is not actively preparing for war. In fact, she very much and actively does. All this means is that should a conflict occur, Russia you try, as best can be, to keep it as limited as possible. In theory, these are, very roughly, the possible levels of confrontation: [Russia confrontation] [Syria]
• Russia's robust stance puts America's imprudence in Syria on leash
  Source: Xinhua | 2016-10-10 05:31:45 | Editor: huaxia A member of the Syrian civil defence volunteers, known as the White Helmets, looks at a destroyed building following a reported air strike on the rebel-held town of Douma, on the eastern outskirts of the capital Damascus, on October 5, 2016. (AFP/Xinhua) DAMASCUS, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Tension has recently hit a new high between Moscow and Washington over the situation in Syria, which prompted the Russian leadership to send clear messages to the U.S. that the double-dealing and duplicity are no longer tolerable, analysts say. The Russian messages to the United States were on the military and diplomatic levels, following a number of statements and actions by Washington, regarding possible escalation against the Syrian army. [Russia Syria] [China]
• Russia's top spin doctor in nuclear warning
  By Steve Rosenberg BBC News, Moscow Russian state TV host Dmitry Kiselyov has a reputation for attacking the West. Critics call him the "Kremlin's chief propagandist". And like many other top Russian officials, he is on the Western sanctions blacklist. But the warning he delivered to Washington in last night's edition of his show News of the Week was, even for him, particularly dramatic. "Impudent behaviour" towards Russia may have "nuclear" consequences, he said. "A Russian takes a long time to harness a horse, but then rides fast," said the news anchor, quoting a famous Russian saying. By "riding fast", Kiselyov was referring to a string of recent Russian military deployments: • Last week, Moscow sent three warships from the Black Sea Fleet to the Mediterranean: on board, cruise missiles that can carry nuclear warheads • Russia deployed nuclear-capable Iskander-M missiles into the Kaliningrad region bordering Poland • The Russians announced they would send 5,000 paratroopers to Egypt for military exercises • Moscow also suspended three nuclear agreements with the United States Image copyright Reuters Image caption The corvette Mirazh and two other Russian warships are joining a force deployed off Syria Kiselyov said that in recent days there had been a "radical change' in the US-Russian relationship. Moscow was taking action, he said, because of "the loud talk in Washington of a 'Plan B' for Syria. Everyone understands what this plan means: direct military force in Syria against President Assad's forces and the Russian military". In Washington, the US state department said last week it was continuing internal deliberations about "non-diplomatic" options regarding the war in Syria. [Russia confrontation] [Syria] [Warning]
• Slouching Toward War With Russia in Syria?
  The proposed Obama-Putin cooperation was killed by its enemies in Washington, with dire implications. By Stephen F. Cohen October 6, 2016 Nation Contributing Editor Stephen F. Cohen and John Batchelor continue their weekly discussions of the new US-Russian Cold War. (Previous installments are at TheNation.com.) The focus is on the Obama administration’s termination of months-long negotiations with Moscow for a joint US-Russian campaign against jihad terrorist forces in Syria. The discussion ranges from Syria to other fronts in the new Cold War, with Cohen making the following points: § Cooperation in Syria would have been the first major episode of détente in the new Cold War, indeed the first US-Russian military alliance since World War II, whose spirit might have spread to the dangerous conflicts in Ukraine and on Russia’s border with Eastern Europe, where NATO continues to build up its forces. The long-negotiated Syrian agreement was sabotaged not by Russia, as is alleged in Washington and by the mainstream media, but by American enemies of détente, first and foremost in the Department of Defense. DOD’s opposition was so intense that one of its spokesmen told the press it might disobey a presidential order to share intelligence with Moscow, as called for by the agreement, in flagrant violation of the US constitution. (A New York Times editorial not only failed to protest this threat but seemed to endorse it. Other major media seemed not even to notice the possibility of such a constitutional crisis, another indication of how badly the new Cold War, and the demonization of Russian President Putin, has degraded the US political-media establishment.) [Russia confrontation] [Syria] [War] [Dissension]
• «Why Do They Hate Us So?»: One Western Scholar’s Reply to a Russian Student
  I gave a lecture in Moscow during the spring about western-Soviet relations over the last century. With the partial exception of World War II, it is a narrative of unrelenting hostility. After I had finished, a student asked, «why do they hate us so?» The answer is not complicated. You cannot cross «da man» in the United States, that is, the powerful, wealthy US «deep state», which sets the rules for everyone else and enforces its worldwide hegemony against disobedient states and leaders. You could not get more disobedient than the Bolsheviks. In November 1917, or October according to Julian calendar, they seized power in Russia and declared their intention to make a world socialist revolution. You can imagine the indignation and anger of the western powers, all at war with Imperial Germany, looking over their shoulders to see that revolution had erupted in Russia. It’s a complicated story but not everyone in the west reacted blindly to the Bolshevik seizure of power; none other than the British Prime Minister David Lloyd George thought the Entente should back the Bolsheviks against the Germans. His idea was an early prototype of the eventual Grand Alliance. In 1918 there were few takers for that eccentric idea especially when the Bolsheviks annulled the tsarist state debt and nationalised banks and industries in which foreigners held billions in investments. In the west these actions struck at the heart of the capitalist world order, and for the next three years, the Entente sent money, arms and troops to overthrow the Soviet government. The Bolsheviks acted as defenders of the revolution but also as defenders of Russia. It was an easy transition since the so-called Allies, had they succeeded in reversing Soviet power, would have established a Russian semi-colony, much as they sought to do in the 1990s. The Poles too were mobilised against Soviet Russia, launching an offensive in April 1920, with tacit French support, to re-establish their 18th century eastern frontiers, including the city of Kiev. The Polish plan did not work out as intended, the Bolsheviks fought back, portraying themselves as defenders of the traditional Russian state. Admittedly it was an incongruous role for world revolutionaries, but if you scratched the skin of most Bolsheviks, you would find defenders of Russian national security interests. [Russia confrontation] [Operation Unthinkable]
• Russia says U.S. actions threaten its national security
  Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during a joint news conference with French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault following their meeting in Moscow, Russia, October 6, 2016. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday he had detected increasing U.S. hostility towards Moscow and complained about what he said was a series of aggressive U.S. steps that threatened Russia's national security. In an interview with Russian state TV likely to worsen already poor relations with Washington, Lavrov made it clear he blamed the Obama administration for what he described as a sharp deterioration in U.S.-Russia ties. "We have witnessed a fundamental change of circumstances when it comes to the aggressive Russophobia that now lies at the heart of U.S. policy towards Russia," Lavrov told Russian state TV's First Channel. [Russia confrontation]
• Russian Business Interests in China
  Sofia Pale Russian President, Vladimir Putin, was the key player at the G20 Summit that took place in September 2016 in China. This was due to not only political reasons: the Russian leader managed to garner extra popularity with international media outlets all because of an unexpected gift – a box of Russian ice cream, which Mr Putin personally presented to the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping. “Your ice cream tastes better because your cream is thicker,” announced the grateful host of the Summit. It is not a surprise that this situation will be beneficial to Russian ice cream producers, who will immediately take this opportunity and begin supplying their product to the Chinese market at an accelerated rate (currently, just a few tons are supplied every year, although the Russian product has carved out a niche). This minor episode illustrates a smooth turnaround of the Russian market in the export of goods to the East. Despite a number of challenges related to business practices, language and cultural barriers, trade between Russia and its most important Eastern partner, China, is currently developing quite successfully. Official data reports that in 2015, exports from Russia to China amounted to $33 billion, and Russia was ranked 16th in China’s top 20 trade partners. At the same time, China remains Russia’s main export partner. http://journal-neo.org/2016/10/05/russian-business-interests-in-china/ [Russia China economic relations]
• Russia hints at reclaiming Cuba, Vietnam bases in test for U.S.
  Threatening to open Cold War wounds and further aggravate ties with the United States that are already strained by the conflict in Syria, a senior Russian defense official said the military is considering a possible return to its Soviet-era bases in Cuba and Vietnam. In the clearest confirmation to date that Russia might scrap its decision to withdraw from the two countries more than a decade ago, Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov told lawmakers in Moscow on Friday that the military is revisiting the issue, without providing more details, according to the state-run Tass news service. Responding to a question about the plans, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the global security situation has become “rather fluid” after “substantial changes” over the past two years. “It’s natural that all countries are assessing these changes in accordance with their national interests and taking certain measures they consider necessary,” Peskov said, referring more detailed questions to the Defense Ministry. [Russia confrontation] [Response]
• Will Russia's line in the Syrian sand halt US imperial ambitions?
  Published time: 8 Oct, 2016 13:16 After three decades of untrammeled power, with the destruction of Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya the calamitous result, Russia has drawn a line in the sand in Syria against Washington’s double-dealing and duplicity. Making a desert and calling it peace, this is the message delivered to us down through the ages from the Roman historian Tacitus when it comes to the reality of empire, stripped bare of pretense and obfuscation. Its modern variant is 'destroying the village in order to save it'. Embodied within both is the same inarguable truth – that empire, any empire, is neither benign nor benevolent. Instead, it represents a monstrous perversion of morality and a violation of the right of all peoples and nations to self-determination. One of the most astounding aspects of empire is the consistent inability or refusal of its adherents in any given historical epoch to understand that it contains within in it the seeds of its own demise. This is entirely due to one of the most fundamental aspects of the human condition - namely that the injustice that supports untrammeled power invites its own response in the form of resistance. In Syria, this resistance has arrived in the form of Russia’s alliance with the Syrian government in halting yet another attempt at regime change, responsible for the litany of ruin mentioned earlier. Now, in Syria, the conflict and crisis has reached the point where Russia can no longer pretend it has a serious or honest partner in Washington when it comes to arriving at a negotiated settlement. A sequence of events that began with a US-led airstrike, claimed to have been an accident, against Syrian soldiers while they were engaged in combat against ISIS in the east, followed by the breakdown of a ceasefire in Aleppo, married to a barrage of unfounded allegations with regard to Russian and Syrian airstrikes targeting civilians, and finally with threats being made that more US airstrikes may be unleashed against Syrian Army positions, has brought Russia to the point of no return. [Imperialism] [Russia Syria]
• Russia’s UN envoy: Without veto power, UNSC would become America’s mouthpiece
  Published time: 16 Sep, 2016 07:57 World leaders and top diplomats gather in New York for the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly. Ending the war in Syria, easing the plight of refugees and migrants across the globe, tackling the threat of terrorism and nuclear proliferation - those are just some of the issues on the agenda of the world’s biggest international body. Can the gathering of nations agree on how to act on these problems? Why is the veto right so important for maintaining a balance in UN decision-making? Should new permanent members be admitted to the UNSC? We ask Russia’s top diplomat in New York, Ambassador to the United Nations - Vitaly Churkin. Sophie Shevardnadze: Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s Ambassador to the UN, welcome to the show. Ambassador, I don’t get to talk to you very often, so I got a lot I want to cover, hopefully we’ll have time to do that. Let’s start from the latest news. President Obama has compared the Russian President Putin to Saddam Hussein in a speech at an election fundraiser and then scolded Donald Trump for giving an interview to RT - shocker! Surely that won’t help your diplomatic work with your American colleagues. Is it really worth trying to grab election points for your candidate at home at the expense of the working relationship with Russia on the international scene? Vitaly Churkin: No, I don’t think so. Frankly, I wouldn’t exaggerate this unfortunate statement by President Obama. I’m sure he is a person who is educated enough to know that this kind of comparison is absolutely absurd. Sometimes politicians say things they come to regret later. Unfortunately in the past few months we have lived and worked in an environment where in the United States they were throwing about all kinds of statements about Russia. I think we need to keep our focus at the problems at hand and let’s hope that we’ll be able to do that despite some ripple effects which some statements can provoke from time to time. [UNUS] [Churkin] [Veto]
• MH17 and the JIT: A Flawed Investigation
  234234123123On Tuesday 28 September 2016 the results of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) investigation into the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 on 14 July 2014 were released. Their report has been widely awaited and was expected to provide answers to many of the key questions left unanswered by the report of the Dutch Safety Board released a year earlier. Instead of answers however, the JIT investigation left as many questions unanswered as before. Worse, the conclusions it did present were so fundamentally flawed that any residual confidence in the integrity of the investigation has been eliminated. In any criminal investigation there are certain basic principles that need to be observed. Without being in any way exhaustive, the following points can be made that demonstrate that none of those basic principles have been observed. http://journal-neo.org/2016/10/07/mh17-and-the-jit-a-flawed-investigation/ [MH17]
• U.S. government officially accuses Russia of hacking campaign to interfere with elections
  By Ellen Nakashima October 7 at 9:48 PM ? The Obama administration on Friday officially accused Russia of attempting to interfere in the 2016 elections, including by hacking the computers of the Democratic National Committee and other political organizations. The denunciation, made by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Homeland Security, came as pressure was growing from within the administration and some lawmakers to publicly name Moscow and hold it accountable for actions apparently aimed at sowing discord around the election. “The U.S. Intelligence Community is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from U.S. persons and institutions, including from U.S. political organizations,” said a joint statement from the two agencies. “.?.?. These thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere with the U.S. election process.” [Russia confrontation] [Hacking] [Election]
• . The US Air Force Just Dropped Two Fake Nukes
  A B-2 stealth bomber drops an inert B61 nuclear bomb. By Marcus Weisgerber October 6, 2016 The tests in the Nevada desert come as tensions rise with Russia and the Pentagon seeks to replace its aging nuclear arsenal. A pair of U.S. Air Force B-2 bombers dropped two 700-pound faux nuclear bombs in the middle of the Nevada desert within the past few days. Now the Pentagon wants to tell you about it. Conducted “earlier this month,” according to an Oct. 6 press release, the test involved two dummy variants of the B61, a nuclear bomb that has been in the U.S. arsenal since the 1960s. One was an “earth penetrator” made to strike underground targets, the other a tactical version of the B61. Neither carried an actual warhead. “The primary objective of flight testing is to obtain reliability, accuracy, and performance data under operationally representative conditions,” said the statement from the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Energy Department arm that oversees such tests. “Such testing is part of the qualification process of current alterations and life extension programs for weapon systems.” But why now? Perhaps it has to do with tensions with Russia, which are higher than they have been in decades, and which have sparked fears of a new nuclear arms race. Earlier this week, the Russian government announced it would conduct a massive drill to prepare its citizens for nuclear war. [Nuclear weapons] [Russia confrontation] [Escalation]
• Russia strongly warns U.S. against striking Syrian army
  By: Vladimir Isachenkov, The Associated Press, October 6, 2016 (Photo Credit: Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP) MOSCOW — The Russian military on Thursday strongly warned the United States against striking the Syrian army, noting that its air defense weapons in Syria stand ready to fend off any attack. The statement underlined high tensions between Moscow and Washington after the collapse of a U.S.-Russia-brokered Syria truce and the Syrian army's offensive on Aleppo backed by Russian warplanes. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said any U.S. strikes on areas controlled by Syrian President Bashar Assad's government could jeopardize the lives of Russian servicemen. [Russia Syria] [Warning]
• Russian oil, grain give boost for N Korea
  By Sung-hui Moon North Korea's economy looks set to improve this year, supported by deliveries of Russian oil - via pipelines running through China - and grain under the terms of favorable loans, according to North Korean sources. Light industry especially will benefit, as Russian shipments of crude oil totaling 500,000 tons are expected to enter the country this year by sea and through pipelines in China, a source in North Hamgyong province, which borders China, told RFA's Korean Service. "Authorities have recently told relevant officials 'Don't waste this opportunity,'" RFA's source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "This means they should make the most of the crude oil being sent from Russia to produce raw materials used in light industry," RFA's source said. Crude oil, when processed, can be used to produce textiles, fertilizers, polyvinyl, and other synthetics, the source said. Large quantities of oil were shipped to North Korea's Nampo port in late January, RFA's source said, adding that Russian oil now also steadily flows via pipelines in China to the Victory Chemical Works in the port city of Rason. Chinese pipelines are used to transport Russian oil to North Korea because no pipeline connects the two countries directly, the source explained. The price of gasoline and diesel have now fallen sharply in North Korean markets, and whole wheat sent from Russia is now helping to stabilize food prices in the reclusive, nuclear-armed country, a source in Yanggang province, also bordering China, told RFA. "The price of gasoline has dropped from 11 yuan [US$1.75] to 5 yuan [US$0.80] per kilogram, and grain from Russia is selling at the price of 3.2 yuan [US$0.51] per kilogram," the source said. Russia has also promised to supply North Korea with electricity for this year's farming season, after a drought last year stalled much of the country's production of hydroelectric power, the source said [Russia NK]
• On Assad and Syria: a Reply to a Reader
  by Diana Johnstone
  A reader sent me the following short comment on my article about destroying Syria: “Not a word about Assad’s crimes or Russia bombing civilians?” Here is my reply to such objections: Dear … If you are in need of words about Assad’s crimes or Russia bombing civilians, just look around you. They are everywhere. First of all, I am not concerned with displaying my disapproval of crimes or of bombing civilians, something that should be taken for granted. I am concerned with avoiding World War III – or even endless war in Syria. As David Swanson insists, war is a crime. Once you are into a war, and especially a civil war with massive outside intervention, there are bound to be more and more crimes. But by the way, how are you so sure about Assad’s crimes or Russia bombing civilians ? Surely you must realize that our media regard them as the enemy and readily believe every version of events that portrays them as villains. An example of obvious exaggeration is official U.S. insistence that Russia deliberately bombs hospitals, etc., where if we do it, it is of course an accident. I am suspicious of all reports of crimes, knowing how much this war is a propaganda war and how easy it is to misrepresent events in other countries. But measuring how many crimes are committed by whom does not get to the root of the problem. The root of the problem, as I say in my article, is a longstanding ambition by the United States and its allies to replace the Syrian Arab nationalist state with an obedient pro-Western clique, friendly to Israel. Since that seems out of reach at the present, the strategy is simply to keep the war going as long as possible, deepening the chaos, until nobody much is left except the exiles in London being groomed by Western powers to win rigged elections. By dragging out the war, more and more children will die, as well as adults, whose lives are also worth something. But it is interesting that humanitarian propaganda focuses only on children, as if realizing that most Westerners are totally indifferent to the massive deaths of Arabs – unless they are toddlers. Or kittens. Best wishes, Diana Johnstone [US Syria policy]
• What’s Behind Time Magazine’s Putin Demonizing?
  by David Swanson “Russia Wants to Undermine Faith in the U.S. Election. Don’t Fall For It.” Thus reads the cover ofTime magazine with a photo of Vladimir Putin on the cover staring at me from shelves as I sit in an airport. Genuinely curious, I check out Massimo Calabresi’s article online. Of course, U.S. elections are almost completely unverifiable and do not even pretend to meet international standards. [US_Election16] [Russia confrontation]
• Syria conflict: Russia sends missile system to Tartus base
  Russia has confirmed it has sent an S-300 air defence missile system to its naval base in Syria's port of Tartus. Defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the purpose of the system was to guarantee the security of the base from the air. The move comes amid growing tension with the West. On Monday, the US halted talks with Russia on trying to co-ordinate air strikes against jihadists. A ceasefire brokered by Washington and Moscow collapsed last month. "Let me remind you that the S-300 is a purely defensive system and poses no threat to anyone," Maj-Gen Konashenkov said. "It is unclear why the deployment of the S-300 caused such alarm among our Western partners." The spokesman said the system was similar to one earlier deployed at sea on the cruiser Moskva. Analysis: Jonathan Marcus, BBC defence and diplomatic correspondent The deployment of S-300 surface-to-air missiles (known to Nato as the SA-23) to Russia's naval base at Tartus is the first time this system has been deployed outside Russian territory. It joins another sophisticated anti-aircraft system, the S-400, already in place at the Russian air base near Latakia. The S-300 is highly mobile - its radars, launchers and command systems carried on a number of tracked vehicles. It is one of the most lethal area defence systems ever developed intended to engage aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles. Its deployment indicates that Russia is significantly bolstering its air defences in Syria. This is a clear signal to Washington that there would be a heavy price to pay should the US be tempted to intervene in some way against Russian or Syrian operations. [Russia Syria]
• By train from Tokyo to Moscow? Russia suggests new railroad links
  Posted on : Oct.4,2016 16:21 KST Possibility for Japan-Russia cooperation comes up ahead of Putin’s December visits, but tech challenges remain Initiative to connect Japan to Siberia by train With plans to connect North and South Korea by railroad postponed indefinitely, there is now a possibility that a railroad linking Tokyo and Siberia via Hokkaido may open up first. This is one of the ideas offered to promote economic cooperation between Russia and Japan before Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Japan in mid-December. [Railway] [Japan Russia] [TSR]
• No sign of Obama’s predicted ‘quagmire’ as Russia’s engagement in Syria escalates
  The Syrian Army and rebels fight fierce battles in the center and north of Aleppo, as part of a major government offensive to retake the rebel stronghold. (Reuters) By Liz Sly September 30 ? BEIRUT — In the year since Russia began conducting airstrikes in support of the Syrian government, the intervention has worked to secure two of the most important Russian objectives. No longer is President Bashar al-Assad’s hold on power in ­Damascus seriously challenged by the five-year-old rebellion against his rule. Russia’s role as a regional and global power, a vital player in any effort to resolve the Syrian war, has also been assured. A third key goal remains elusive. The military support to ­Assad has not yet proved sufficient either to defeat the anti-Assad rebellion or to force a settlement on Russian terms. But there is no suggestion yet that Russia is finding itself in the “quagmire” President Obama predicted would ensue when the intervention first got underway a year ago, nor is Moscow showing any sign of tiring of the military engagement. Rather, Russia now appears to be doubling down on its military support for Assad, with the violence escalating and no end in sight. [Russia Syria] [Double standards]
• Putin suspends nuclear pact, raising stakes in row with Washington
  By Dmitry Solovyov and Christian Lowe | MOSCOW Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday suspended a treaty with Washington on cleaning up weapons-grade plutonium, signaling he is willing to use nuclear disarmament as a new bargaining chip in disputes with the United States over Ukraine and Syria. Starting in the last years of the Cold War, Russia and the United States signed a series of accords to reduce the size of their nuclear arsenals, agreements that have so far survived intact despite a souring of U.S.-Russian relations under Putin. But on Monday, Putin issued a decree suspending an agreement, concluded in 2000, which bound the two sides to dispose of surplus plutonium originally intended for use in nuclear weapons. The Kremlin said it was taking that action in response to unfriendly acts by Washington. [Russia confrontation] [Response]
• Obama Warned to Defuse Tensions with Russia
  October 2, 2016 A group of ex-U.S. intelligence officials is warning President Obama to defuse growing tensions with Russia over Syria by reining in the demonization of President Putin and asserting White House civilian control over the Pentagon. ALERT MEMORANDUM FOR: The President FROM: Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity SUBJECT: PREVENTING STILL WORSE IN SYRIA We write to alert you, as we did President George W. Bush, six weeks before the attack on Iraq, that the consequences of limiting your circle of advisers to a small, relatively inexperienced coterie with a dubious record for wisdom can prove disastrous.* Our concern this time regards Syria. Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, addresses the general debate of the General Assembly’s seventy-first session. 20 September 2016 (UN Photo) President Barack Obama addresses the General Assembly’s seventy-first session on Sept. 20, 2016 (UN Photo) We are hoping that your President’s Daily Brief tomorrow will give appropriate attention to Saturday’s warning by Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova: “If the US launches a direct aggression against Damascus and the Syrian Army, it would cause a terrible, tectonic shift not only in the country, but in the entire region.” Speaking on Russian TV, she warned of those whose “logic is ‘why do we need diplomacy’ … when there is power … and methods of resolving a problem by power. We already know this logic; there is nothing new about it. It usually ends with one thing – full-scale war.” We are also hoping that this is not the first you have heard of this – no doubt officially approved – statement. If on Sundays you rely on the “mainstream” press, you may well have missed it. In the Washington Post, an abridged report of Zakharova’s remarks (nothing about “full-scare war”) was buried in the last paragraph of an 11-paragraph article titled “Hospital in Aleppo is hit again by bombs.” Sunday’s New York Times totally ignored the Foreign Ministry spokesperson’s statements. [Russia confrontation]
• Russian military intervention spares Syria fragmentation
  Xinhua, September 30, 2016 A year has passed since Russia launched military operations in Syria against the radical rebel groups, in what was seen by Syrian analysts as an intervention that has saved Syria from fragmentation. Unlike the U.S.-led intervention with the pretext of fighting the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria, the Russian intervention to support the Syrian government forces is seen to have helped shift the course of actions on ground in favor of the Syrian government army, which has been facing an array of ultra-radical groups for over five years. Local analysts said the Russian air force intervention has protected Syria from division, especially that many plans to fragment Syria were put forward in the shape of a political solution. [Russia Syria] [Fragmentation]
• Russia’s Military Operation in Syria: What It Accomplished in One Year
  Andrei Akulov | 03.10.2016 Russian forces have been operating in Syria for a year. The operation began on September 30, 2015, at the request of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. On this date, the Russia’s Federation Council (the upper house of parliament) gave the country’s president its consent to use the military in Syria. The Russian Aerospace Forces, deployed to the Khmeimim air base in the province of Latakia, delivered first airstrikes against terrorists without delay. «The best way to fight international terrorists… is to act preemptively, to fight and eliminate militants in the areas they have already occupied without waiting for them to enter our home», Russian President Vladimir Putin explained Russia’s involvement in a nationally televised address the day after the operation began. Russia planned, executed and sustained the campaign masterly overcoming all problems related to logistical issues while supplying forces at great distance from the mainland. The military deployed dozens of bombers and fighter jets and over 4,000 military personnel. Within weeks, the Russian aviation was conducting up to 75 sorties a day each time hitting designated targets. For comparison, NATO had 180 aircraft deployed in the region that flew only 20 sorties daily. Quite often they came back with full payload without finding targets to strike. Russia’s capability to maintain a very high sortie rate for a long period of time and the absence of combat and operational losses (except for the Su-24M frontline bomber shot down by the Turkish Air Force) came as, perhaps, the biggest surprise to experts. [Russia Syria] [Conflict]
• U.S. abandons efforts to work with Russia on Syria
  State Department: 'Russia failed to live up to its own commitments' By Karen DeYoung and David Filipov October 3 at 6:45 PM ? U.S.-Russia relations fell to a new post-Cold War low Monday as the Obama administration abandoned efforts to cooperate with Russia on ending the Syrian civil war and forming a common front against terrorists there, and Moscow suspended a landmark nuclear agreement. The latter move, scuttling a deal the two countries signed in 2000 to dispose of their stocks of weapons-grade plutonium, was largely symbolic. But it provided the Kremlin with an opportunity to cite a series of what it called “unfriendly actions” toward Russia — from Ukraine-related and human rights sanctions to the deployment of NATO forces in the Baltics. The United States, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement, has “done all it could to destroy the atmosphere encouraging cooperation.” [Russia confrontation] [Syria] [Inversion]
• Russia-Baiting and Risks of Nuclear War
  September 30, 2016 Exclusive: The propaganda war on Russia is spinning out of control with a biased investigation blaming Moscow for the MH-17 tragedy and angry exchanges over Syria, raising the risks of nuclear war, says ex-CIA analyst Ray McGovern. By Ray McGovern As U.S. and Russian officials trade barbed threats and as diplomacy on Syria is “on the verge” of extinction, it is tempting to view the ongoing propaganda exchange over who shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in July 2014 as a side-show. That would be a huge mistake – easily made by President Obama’s wet-behind-the-ears sophomoric advisers who seem to know very little of the history of U.S.-Russia relations and appear smug in their ignorance. Adult input is sorely needed. There are advantages to having some hands-on experience, and having watched how propaganda wars can easily escalate to military confrontation. In a Sept. 28 interview with Sputnik Radio, I addressed some serious implications of the decision by the U.S. and two of its European vassal states (the Netherlands and Ukraine) to stoke tensions with Russia still higher by blaming it for the downing of MH-17. In short, there is considerable risk that the Russians may see this particular propaganda offensive (which “justified” the European Union’s economic sanctions in 2014), together with NATO’s saber rattling in central Europe, as steps toward war. In fact, there is troubling precedent for precisely that. A very similar set of circumstances existed 33 years ago after the Soviets did shoot down Korean Airlines Flight 007 on Sept. 1, 1983, when it strayed over sensitive military targets inside the Soviet Union and the KAL-007 pilots failed to respond to repeated warnings. [Russia confrontation] [MH17] [IO] [KAL 007]
• Russia sends more warplanes to Syria amid world anger at 'barbarous' strikes
  By Dmitry Solovyov and Ellen Francis | MOSCOW/BEIRUT Russia is sending more warplanes to Syria to ramp up its campaign of air strikes, a Russian newspaper reported on Friday, as Moscow defied global censure over an escalation that Western countries say has torpedoed diplomacy. U.S. President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the Russian and Syrian bombing of the city of Aleppo as "barbarous", the White House said after the two leaders spoke by telephone. Fighting intensified a week into a new Russian-backed government offensive to capture all of Syria's largest city and crush the last remaining urban stronghold of the rebellion. [Russia Syria] [IO]
• Russia says U.S. Syria statement shows Washington supports terrorism
  Russia is outraged by the threatening tone of the latest U.S. statement on Syria, viewing it as tantamount to supporting terrorism, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday, according to Russian news agencies. Ryabkov was referring to a statement made by U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby who said on Wednesday that Russia had an interest in stopping the violence in Syria because extremists could exploit the vacuum there and launch attacks "against Russian interests, perhaps even Russian cities." "We cannot interpret this as anything else apart from the current U.S. administration's de facto support for terrorism," Ryabkov was quoted as saying. "These thinly disguised invitations to use terrorism as a weapon against Russia show the political depths the current U.S. administration has stooped to in its approach to the Middle East and specifically to Syria." U.S. officials said on Wednesday that Obama administration officials had begun considering tougher responses to the Russian-backed Syrian government assault on Aleppo, including military options, as rising tensions with Moscow diminish hopes for a diplomatic solution. Ryabkov was quoted as saying that Moscow saw no alternative to an original U.S.-Russia plan to try to get a ceasefire in Syria and that Washington should focus on implementing it. He said a seven-day ceasefire plan proposed by the United States was unacceptable however and that Moscow was proposing a 48-hour "humanitarian pause" in Aleppo instead. [Russia confrontation] [Outsourcing]
• US threatens to halt talks with Russia on Syria
  WASHINGTON — In what would mark a dramatic shift of policy from the international diplomatic effort it has pursued the past year, the United States warned Russia Sept. 28 that it will suspend US-Russian engagement on Syria if Russia does not take immediate steps to halt a Russian-backed Syrian regime assault on rebel-held eastern Aleppo that has killed 96 children since Sept. 23, according to United Nations agencies. Washington has threatened to suspend US-Russian engagement on Syria if Moscow does not take immediate steps to halt a Russian-backed Syrian regime assault on rebel-held eastern Aleppo. Author Laura Rozen Posted September 28, 2016 The warning, made in a phone call by Secretary of State John Kerry to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov Sept. 28, comes as the State Department said nondiplomatic options are being discussed for dealing with the mounting loss of life in the Russian and Syrian air assaults on Aleppo. But US officials stressed they still consider a diplomatic solution that would restore the Syria cease-fire deal and get the Syrian parties into political talks in Geneva their preferred option. “Moscow has a decision to make,” State Department spokesman John Kirby told journalists at the State Department press briefing Sept. 28. “Given what we have seen in the ground and in the air, around Aleppo, unless something dramatically changes very, very soon … we are going to have to take those steps to suspend our bilateral engagement on Syria,” Kirby said. “That is not an insignificant move for us.” For the first time since 2013, the Obama administration is coming under pressure to consider coercive/military options in Syria to stop the indiscriminate assault on besieged eastern Aleppo and to give leverage to stalled cease-fire diplomacy with Russia. [Russia confrontation] [Syria] [Ban Ki-moon] [Double standards]
• Darkness and fear in Aleppo as the bombs rain down
  By Liz Sly and Louisa Loveluck September 28 BEIRUT — The bombings at night are the worst. There is no electricity in the rebel-held portion of eastern Aleppo, and the warplanes flying overhead target any light piercing the blackness beneath. So families huddle together in the dark, gathered in one room so that they don’t die alone, listening to the roar of the jets and waiting for the bombs to fall. After they do, rescue workers venture out, navigating the rubble and craters left by earlier bombings, to dig out victims without headlights or lamps. They haul them to hospitals swamped with patients being treated on the floor by doctors who barely sleep and must choose which lives to save and which to let go. In the small hours of Wednesday morning, it was the turn of two hospitals to be hit in the dark. The hospitals, the two biggest in eastern Aleppo, were struck by bombs shortly after 3:30 a.m., killing two patients and putting the buildings out of use for the victims of more bombings later in the day. Such is the tenor of life in rebel-held Aleppo, which had become accustomed to regular airstrikes in the four years since rebels seized control of the eastern portion of the city — but nothing like the intensity of the past week. The collapse of a U.S.- and ­Russian-sponsored cease-fire on Sept. 19 was followed by the launch of a Syrian government offensive, backed by Russian airstrikes, to recapture the neighborhoods held by the rebels. The operation heralded what residents, doctors and medical workers describe as the most ferocious bombardments yet [Russia Syria] [Media] [IO]
• Putin is making a mistake in Syria — and Russia will pay the price
  By Philip Gordon September 28 Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Moscow on October 20, 2015. (Alexey Druzhinyn/Pool via European Pressphoto Agency) Philip Gordon is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. From 2013 to 2015 he was special assistant to President Obama and White House coordinator for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf. One of Vice President Biden’s favorite sayings on foreign policy is to never tell another man or woman what’s in his or her interest. That is a good general rule; I heard him repeat the saying many times while I was working on Middle East policy in the White House. But when it comes to Russia’s recent actions in Syria, I believe the rule needs to be broken. Russian President Vladimir Putin may fancy himself a master strategist, but in Syria he is making a mistake that will come back to haunt him — and Russia — for a long time to come.
  Even after all the killing and displacement, Syria remains a majority Sunni country, and many of them will continue to fight against the regime — backed and armed by Saudis, Turks, Qataris. [Russia Syria] [Outsourcing] [Agency]
• NATO is reviewing ‘nuclear playbook’ to deter ‘terrible attacks’ by Russia – Pentagon chief
  Published time: 27 Sep, 2016 04:41Edited time: 27 Sep, 2016 11:19 The Pentagon chief put Russia on par with North Korea when he spoke about threats faced by the US and its allies, and the need to invest billions into refreshing NATO’s nuclear playbook to integrate conventional and unconventional deterrence methods. Addressing US servicemen, missile units and B-52 crews at Minot Base, Defense Secretary Ash Carter stated that the US and its allies had not built any new nuclear weapons or delivery systems in the last 25 years – and said that American nuclear forces must be ready to engage in a possible nuclear confrontation with Russia. [Carter] [Nuclear weapons] [Threat] [Russia media]
• “Proof that Russia and Iran Want War”: Look How Close They Put Their Countries To Our Military Bases!
  By Washington's Blog Global Research, March 27, 2015 [Cartoons]
• Troubling Gaps in the New MH-17 Report
  September 28, 2016 Exclusive: The new accusation of Russian complicity in 2014 Malaysia Airlines shootdown was based on Ukrainian intelligence intercepts that were selectively interpreted while contrary information was ignored, writes Robert Parry. By Robert Parry The key conclusion of the Dutch-led criminal inquiry implicating Russia in the 2014 shootdown of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 relied heavily on cryptic telephone intercepts that were supplied by the Ukrainian intelligence service and were given incriminating meaning not clearly supported by the words. The investigators also seemed to ignore other intercepts that conflicted with their conclusions, including one conversation that appeared to be referring to a Ukrainian convoy, not one commanded by ethnic Russian rebels, that was closing in on the Luhansk airport, placing Ukrainian troops deep inside rebel territory. [MH17]
• JIT: Flight MH17 was shot down by a BUK missile from a farmland near Pervomaiskyi
  28 september 2016 - Landelijk Parket The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) is convinced of having obtained irrefutable evidence to establish that on 17 July 2014, flight MH-17 was shot down by a BUK missile from the 9M38-series. According to the JIT there is also evidence identifying the launch location that involves an agricultural field near Pervomaiskyi which, at the time, was controlled by pro-Russian fighters. This was announced today by the JIT during a presentation for the relatives of the victims. Members of the JIT, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine, are working together on the criminal investigation into the crash of flight MH17. Today, the interim results of the criminal investigation which included the findings regarding the weapon and launch location were presented. The investigation into those responsible for the crash will take more time. [MH17]

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SEPTEMBER 2016

• MH17 investigation: missile 'came from Russia'
  Xinhua, September 28, 2016 The Buk missile that downed flight MH17 was brought from Russia and fired from a region in eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian rebels, according to the Joint Investigation Team's (JIT) report released Wednesday by the Netherlands Public Prosecutor's Office. Wreckage of flight MH17 is seen after the presentation of the investigation report on the cause of its crash, at the Gilze-Rijen air base, the Netherlands, on Oct. 13, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua] Wreckage of flight MH17 is seen after the presentation of the investigation report on the cause of its crash, at the Gilze-Rijen air base, the Netherlands, on Oct. 13, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua] The Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 was shot down by a Buk missile which was brought from Russia to Ukraine. The weapon was fired from a field in the Ukrainian village Pervomajsk, which at the time of the disaster was in the hands of pro-Russian rebels. The launcher was then brought back to Russia, according to the JIT's initial probe. The investigation team said they based their findings on information collected from radar images, thousands of pieces of wreckage, photos, videos, tapped phone calls and testimonials from people who have seen the Buk missile being driven. [MH17] [Chinese media]
• Key lawmakers accuse Russia of campaign to disrupt U.S. election
  By Greg Miller September 22 at 7:00 PM Two senior Democratic lawmakers with access to classified intelligence on Thursday accused Russia of “making a serious and concerted effort to influence the U.S. election,” a charge that appeared aimed at putting pressure on the Obama administration to confront Moscow. The jointly issued statement from Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Adam B. Schiff — Californians who are the ranking Democrats on the Senate and House intelligence committees, respectively — described recent cyber penetrations of the Democratic National Committee and other U.S. political entities as intrusions that were likely directed by Russian President Vladi­mir Putin. “At the least, this effort is intended to sow doubt about the security of our election and may well be intended to influence the outcomes,” the statement said. “We believe that orders for the Russian intelligence agencies to conduct such actions could come only from very senior levels of the Russian government.” Feinstein and Schiff said they reached their conclusion “based on briefings we have received” from U.S. intelligence agencies. [Russia confrontation] [Hacking] [US_election16] [Trump] [Coup] [Canard]
• That brief U.S.-Russia strategic partnership 15 years ago? New interviews reveal why it derailed.
  By Andrew C. Kuchins September 23 at 11:00 AM Russian President Vladimir Putin talks with President George W. Bush during a photo session at the APEC leaders summit in Shanghai on Oct. 21, 2001. (Fred Chartrand/AP) U.S.-Russia relations hit new lows this week after the seeming collapse of Syria’s week-old cease-fire. But there was a brief time 15 years ago when the Washington and Moscow had a real opportunity to establish a more durable partnership on security issues. This was the consensus view in 40 interviews I conducted this year with former U.S. and Russian officials about the past and future of U.S.-Russia relations. Several former U.S. officials I spoke with acknowledged the crucial Russian contributions immediately after 9/11 to support the Northern Alliance and provide logistical support and share intelligence to U.S.-led coalition efforts to remove the Taliban from power in Afghanistan. As one official remarked, “Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in 2001 marked the closest alignment of U.S. and Russian interests, and Russian support was as important as that of any NATO ally.” [Russia confrontation] [Missile defense] [NOTO enlargement]
• Democracy’s Last Chance
  Israel Shamir • September 21, 2016 The Russian parliamentary elections went smooth as a silk dress under the hand. The ruling party, United Russia, has got a big majority of the seats in the Parliament, while the other three parties, the Communists (CPRF), the Nationalists and the Socialists shared the rest. Pro-Western parties did not cross the threshold and remained outside, as before. The turnout had been low. The official figure pointed to a respectable 48%, but reports in real time indicated it was much lower than that. The last real time figures stood at 20% for Moscow and 16% for St Petersburg. These numbers started to climb inexplicably after 5 pm, and Eduard Limonov, a known writer and a keen observer of the political scene, remained convinced that the turnout had been artificially “improved”. [Russia] [Election] [Democracy] [Trump]
• Samantha Powers Condemns Russia for Condemning a U.S. War Crime
  by Gary Leupp U.S. ambassador to the UN Samantha Power was furious Saturday when a Russian demand for an emergency closed-door session of the UN Security Council forced her to show up at the UN building to explain U.S. actions. The Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin called the session to condemn the U.S. for an attack on a Syrian Army position in Deir Ezzor earlier that day that had killed at least 62 government troops (perhaps as many as 83) and injured over 100. This was a clear, egregious violation of the weeklong ceasefire negotiated by Secretary of State John Kerry and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and generally observed by the Syrian army and the “moderate” armed opposition. The U.S. immediately ceased the strike after the Russians protested. The Pentagon announced that it was not targeting Syrian forces, indeed apologizing to Damascus via Moscow for the loss of life. It says the incident is under investigation. [Russia Syria] [Russia confrontation]
• Russia says coalition drone was in area when Syria aid convoy hit
  By AT Editor on September 21, 2016 (From AFP) Russia on Wednesday said a Predator drone from the US-led coalition flew over an aid convoy in Syria when it was destroyed, denying again that it bombed the humanitarian column. Damaged aid trucks are pictured after an airstrike on the rebel held Urm al-Kubra town Damaged aid trucks after an airstrike on the rebel held Urm al-Kubra town, western Aleppo city, Syria September 20. REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah “The evening of September 19 in the sky over that area at a height of 3,600 meters and moving at a speed of 200 kilometers per hour there was an attack drone from the international coalition that took off from the Incirlik air base in Turkey,” Russian military spokesman Igor Konashenkov said. “What is more, the aircraft entered the area over the town of Urum al-Kubra, where the convoy was located, several minutes before it (the convoy) burst into flames and left 30 minutes later,” he said. Russia’s military did not directly accuse the US-led coalition of carrying out a drone attack on the column but pointedly said that the aircraft is capable of “carrying out high-accuracy strikes”. [Syria]
• Former NATO chief Rasmussen wants US ‘to police the world’
  Published time: 21 Sep, 2016 11:58 / Former NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen has called on the US to act as the world’s policeman to “counter autocrats like President [Vladimir] Putin.” He made the comments in an editorial for the Wall Street Journal. In his opinion, only the US has the “credibility” to be a “policeman to restore order, a firefighter to put out the flames of conflict, and a kind of mayor, smart and sensible, to lead the rebuilding.” Central to his desire to have a strong America is his belief in the necessity to counteract President Putin, who he called an “autocrat,” while adding that “Russia is obsessed with rebuilding the empire the Soviet Union lost. "The world needs such a policeman if freedom and prosperity are to prevail against the forces of oppression, and the only capable, reliable and desirable candidate for the position is the United States,” the former NATO secretary general wrote in his editorial. [Russia confrontation] [NATO]
• U.S. believes Russian aircraft hit Syria aid convoy: official
  by Michelle Nichols and Angus McDowall | UNITED NATIONS/BEIRUT The United States believes two Russian aircraft attacked an aid convoy near Aleppo in a strike that shattered a one-week truce, U.S. officials said on Tuesday, but Russia denied involvement. Despite the military blame game over Monday's deadly attack, diplomats struggled to save the U.S.-Russian ceasefire agreement that took effect on Sept. 12. The incident, in which 18 trucks from a 31-vehicle convoy were destroyed, looked likely to deal a death blow to diplomatic efforts to halt a civil war now in its sixth year. Two Russian Sukhoi SU-24 warplanes were in the skies above the aid convoy at the exact time it was struck late on Monday, two U.S. officials told Reuters, citing U.S. intelligence that led them to conclude Russia was to blame. Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman denied the assertion, telling reporters at the United Nations the U.S. administration "has no facts" to support the claim, adding: "We have nothing to do with this situation." Earlier Russia, which denied its aircraft or those of its Syrian government allies were involved, had said it believed the convoy was not struck from the air at all but had caught fire because of some incident on the ground. [Russia Syria] [Russia confrontation]
• UN rows back from describing Syria convoy attack as air strikes
  By AT Editor on September 20, 2016
  Russia says the aid convoy caught fire, was not bombed
  By Tom Miles and Angus McDowall GENEVA/BEIRUT (Reuters) – The United Nations rowed back on Tuesday from describing an attack on an aid convoy in Syria as air strikes, saying it did not have conclusive evidence about what had happened. A damaged UNHCR truck is pictured after an airstrike on the rebel held Urm al-Kubra town A damaged UNHCR truck after an “airstrike” on the rebel held Urm al-Kubra town, western Aleppo city, Syria September 20. REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah The incident, in which 18 trucks from a 31-vehicle convoy were destroyed on Monday evening, had looked likely to deal a death blow to a week-old ceasefire. It drew vigorous denunciations from around the world. The U.N., Red Cross and United States had all described it as an air strike, implicitly pinning the blame on Russian or Syrian aircraft that fly in the area for breaking the ceasefire with a strike on a humanitarian target. But Russia, which denied its aircraft or those of its Syrian government allies were involved, said on Tuesday it believed the convoy was not struck from the air at all but had caught fire because of some incident on the ground. The Syrian Red Crescent said the head of one of its local offices and “around 20 civilians” had been killed, although other death tolls differed. After the Russian explanation, the U.N. put out a revised version of an earlier statement, removing wording on “air strikes” and replacing it with references to unspecified “attacks”. U.N. humanitarian spokesman Jens Laerke said the references to air strikes in the original statement, attributed to the top U.N. humanitarian officials in the region and in Syria, were probably the result of a drafting error. “We are not in a position to determine whether these were in fact air strikes. We are in a position to say that the convoy was attacked,” he said. [Russia Syria] [UNUS]
• Putin’s lesson for Obama in Syria
  By Jackson Diehl Deputy Editorial Page Editor September 18 at 6:59 PM ? In the great American debate about Syria, there has been an intervention by Vladi­mir Putin — and it has made Barack Obama the loser. Since 2012, Obama has been stubbornly arguing that there is no workable option for even a limited U.S. intervention in Syria’s civil war. John F. Kerry, Hillary Clinton, David Petraeus and Leon E. Panetta, among others, pushed the president to use U.S. air power or stepped-up support for rebels to tilt the balance of the war against the regime of Bashar al-Assad, thereby making possible a political settlement favorable to the United States and its allies. Obama repeatedly refused. There was no way to get involved, he said, without starting the U.S. military down a slippery slope that would lead to another quagmire, like Iraq or Afghanistan. Anyway, he said, U.S. intervention would only worsen the war, encourage extremism and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis. All those bad things happened in the absence of American action. And now Putin has proved that the concept Obama rejected — that a limited use of force could change the political outcome, without large costs — was right all along. The difference, of course, is that the result has been a victory for Russia, Iran and the Assad regime, at the expense of the United States and its Arab, Israeli and Turkish friends. [US Syria policy] [False analogy] [Russia confrontation] [Context]
• Pro-Putin party wins 44.5 percent in parliament vote: exit poll
  By Andrew Osborn and Gleb Stolyarov | MOSCOW/SARANSK, Russia The ruling United Russia party won 44.5 percent in a parliamentary election on Sunday, an exit poll showed, slightly down on the last election but still enough to preserve the dominance of President Vladimir Putin's allies in parliament. The nationalist LDPR party was in second place with 15.3 percent, according to the exit poll by state-run pollster VTsIOM. The Communists were in third on 14.9 percent and the Just Russia party was fourth with 8.1 percent. Liberal opposition parties, the only grouping openly critical of Putin, failed to get over the five percent threshold needed for party representation, the exit poll showed. Some of their candidates could still make it into parliament in constituency races. [Election] [Public opinion]
• Ferguson: Ukraine could be a 'footnote' to the U.S.’s deal over Syria
  Ukraine is set to be a “footnote” to a grand settlement between the United States and Russia over Syria, according to historian and author Niall Ferguson. Ferguson, who was in Kyiv at the 2016 Yalta European Strategy Conference, said in an interview with the Kyiv Post on Sept. 17 that Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to be angling for a “U.S.-Russia carveout” which would see Bashar al-Assad remain in Syria. The other part of that agreement would be a deal over Ukraine that would grant autonomy to the Russian-separatist controlled areas of Luhansk and Donetsk oblast, along with recognition of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. “The initiative has been ceded to Russia, Putin is in a position to determine the level of conflict, and ramped it up this summer in order to pressure the United States in to going down the bilateral road that he is attracted to,” Ferguson said. Russia has repeatedly tried to cast ongoing tensions with the United States and Europe as a product of Western expansion into Eastern Europe, with a particular focus on the addition of the Baltic states to NATO. But Ferguson dismisses the notion that the West overreached in expanding eastward. [NATO enlargement] [Russia confrontation]
• Pentagon grudgingly accepts Syria deal amid deep mistrust of Russia
  The U.S. and Russia reached a deal on Syria's cease-fire. Here's how it happened. The United States and Russia announced a new multi-step plan to bring Syria closer to a negotiated peace deal. (Jason Aldag, Karen DeYoung/The Washington Post) By Karen DeYoung and Missy Ryan September 15 at 6:08 PM Hours after reaching an agreement on Syria last Friday with Secretary of State John F. Kerry and clearing the final deal with Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov wandered the halls of their meeting venue in Geneva, waiting for Kerry to get the okay from Washington. In a secure room upstairs, a frustrated Kerry was on hold. Already deep into a conference call with President Obama’s top national security team, he was waiting for the Defense Department to locate its legal counsel to sign off on one of the many provisions of the accord that Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter was questioning. [Syria has not granted ‘a single permit’ to aid besieged Aleppo, says U.N. official] “I hope before Washington gets some sleep, we can get some news,” Lavrov said as he offered pizza and vodka to reporters awaiting an announcement. Clearly on a propaganda roll, he observed that the wheels of government appeared to turn more efficiently in his country than in the United States. Obama, who did not attend the principals’ meeting, ultimately approved the agreement and a news conference was held at midnight, Geneva time. But beneath the politics and diplomacy of the deal — which began with a cease-fire Monday, to be followed, if it succeeds, by coordinated U.S.-Russian counterterrorism airstrikes — the prospect of military-to-military cooperation does not sit well with the Defense Department. “There is a trust deficit with the Russians; it is not clear to us what their objectives are,” Gen. Joseph L. Votel, head of the U.S. Central Command, said Wednesday. “They say one thing, and we don’t necessarily see them following up on this.” [As Russia reasserts itself, U.S. intelligence agencies focus anew on the Kremlin] That mistrust resides most deeply in Carter, who officials familiar with the Russia negotiations said almost single-handedly delayed Friday’s final agreement with his repeated questions during the conference call. Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, voiced little objection during the principals’ meeting, officials said. [US Syria policy] [Russia confrontation] [Pentagon] [Ash Carter]
• Russia’s courting of Nicaragua concerns Washington
  Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega has chosen his wife, Rosario Murillo, to be his running mate in upcoming elections. He’s expected to win re-election to a third consecutive term in the Nov. 6 voting. By Franco Ordoñez Washington — Russia’s cozy military relationship with Nicaragua, which is rapidly evolving into a single-party regime, is raising concerns in Washington. Russia recently sold Nicaragua 50 tanks, won access to Nicaragua’s airspace and ports, and is building a law enforcement center near the Pacific coast. The Obama administration is “closely monitoring” Russia’s presence in Nicaragua and is expressing concern about the lack of democratic space [Russia confrontation] [Nicaragua] [Democracy] [Spin]
• From Russia with love: Moscow and Beijing pledge closer support amid tensions with West
  PUBLISHED : Monday, 05 September, 2016, 3:00am Catherine Wong catherine.wong@scmp.com . President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, have pledged greater ­“coordination” in international and regional affairs as the two ­nations deepen their ties amid growing tensions with the West. During a meeting with Putin in Hangzhou on Sunday, Xi also said China and Russia would deepen their strategic cooperation and resolutely support one another’s national sovereignty and security, Xinhua reported. Xi also called for greater coordination between the two nations over China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative to revive the land and maritime Silk Roads dating back to the days of Marco Polo and the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union. Their meeting was the second time Putin has visited China this year after his June visit when more than 30 trade deals were signed. The two countries have become closer through military and trade cooperation in recent years after Moscow turned to China in the face of sanctions imposed by the West over Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula. [THAAD] [China Russia]
• Russia says U.S. refuses to share Syria truce deal with U.N. council
  Smoke rises over a damaged site as Civil Defence members try to put out a fire after an airstrike on al-Jalaa street in the rebel held city of Idlib, Syria. REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah By Michelle Nichols | UNITED NATIONS Russia said on Friday that a U.N. Security Council endorsement of a Syria ceasefire deal between Moscow and Washington appeared unlikely because the United States does not want to share the documents detailing the agreement with the 15-member body. Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin and U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power had been due to brief the council behind closed-doors on Friday but that was canceled at the last minute. "The main problem ... which in my mind makes it impossible to produce any resolution, is that they are refusing to give those documents to members of the Security Council or even to read those documents to the members of the Security Council," Churkin told reporters. "We believe that we cannot ask them (council members) to support documents which they haven't seen," said Churkin, suggesting there was lack of unity in U.S. President Barack Obama's administration toward the agreement. [US Syria policy] [Dissension]
• Putin wants revenge and respect, and hacking the U.S. is his way of getting it
  By Andrew Roth and Dana Priest September 16 at 7:12 PM MOSCOW — The recent spate of embarrassing emails and other records stolen by Russian hackers is President Vladimir Putin’s splashy response to years of what he sees as U.S. efforts to weaken and shame him on the world stage and with his own people, according to Russia experts here and in the U.S. intelligence world and academia. Putin is seeking revenge and respect, and trying to reassert Russia’s lost superpower status at a time of waning economic clout and an upcoming Russian election, according to interviews with specialists here and in Washington, with a senior U.S. intelligence official, recently retired CIA operations officers in charge of Russia, and the last three national intelligence officers for Russia and Eurasia analysis in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. [Russia confrontation] [Putin] [Hacking]
• Pro-Putin party seen winning even greater sway in Russia's parliament
  By Andrew Osborn | MOSCOW The ruling United Russia party is expected to win even greater dominance over Russia's lower house in a parliamentary election on Sunday, showing that support for President Vladimir Putin is holding up despite sanctions and a deep economic slowdown. The election for the Duma, or lower house, is being seen as a dry run for Putin's expected presidential campaign in 2018. [Elections] [Public opinion] [Russia confrontation] [Sanctions]
• Getting Fooled on Iraq, Libya, Now Russia
  September 14, 2016 Exclusive: After the British report exposing falsehoods to justify invading Iraq in 2003, a new U.K. inquiry found similar misconduct in the 2011 attack on Libya, but no lessons are learned for the West’s new propaganda about Russia, writes Robert Parry. By Robert Parry A British parliamentary inquiry into the Libyan fiasco has reported what should have been apparent from the start in 2011 – and was to some of us – that the West’s military intervention to “protect” civilians in Benghazi was a cover for what became another disastrous “regime change” operation. The report from the U.K.’s Foreign Affairs Committee confirms that the U.S. and other Western governments exaggerated the human rights threat posed by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and then quickly morphed the “humanitarian” mission into a military invasion that overthrew and killed Gaddafi, leaving behind political and social chaos. [Disinformation] [Media] [Iraq] [Libya] [Russia confrontation]
• The man who discovered CTE thinks Hillary Clinton may have been poisoned
  By Cindy Boren September 12 Bennet Omalu participates in a Capitol Hill briefing last January. (Getty Images) Bennet Omalu, the forensic pathologist who has made the NFL so uncomfortable with his discovery of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in the brains of deceased players, suggests that Hillary Clinton’s campaign be checked for possible poisons after her collapse Sunday in New York. Omalu, whose story was famously told in the movie “Concussion,” made the suggestion on Twitter, writing that he advised campaign officials to “perform toxicologic analysis of Ms. Clinton’s blood.” I must advice the Clinton campaign to perform toxicologic analysis of Ms. Clinton's blood. It is possible she is being poisoned. — Bennet Omalu (@bennetomalu9168) September 12, 2016 The suggestion was greeted somewhat skeptically in the replies. @bennetomalu9168 pic.twitter.com/MOcbGM56ba — Abe Froman (@kingkielbasa22) September 12, 2016 But this is Omalu, whose credentials and tenacity are well known. He wasn’t giving up on Twitter, adding that his reasoning is that he does not trust Russian President Vladimir Putin or Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee who has expressed admiration for Putin. [Russia confrontation] [Hysteria] [Trump]
• U.S., Russia reach deal on cease-fire in Syria
  The U.S. and Russia reached a deal on Syria's cease-fire. Here's how it happened. The United States and Russia announced a new multi-step plan to bring Syria closer to a negotiated peace deal. (Jason Aldag, Karen DeYoung/The Washington Post) By Karen DeYoung September 9 at 8:05 PM GENEVA — The United States and Russia agreed here Friday to the renewal of a cease-fire in Syria, to begin Monday with the cessation of all air and ground attacks by all parties, including the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. If the truce holds for seven consecutive days and humanitarian aid begins to flow unimpeded to besieged areas, Secretary of State John F. Kerry said the United States and Russia will then establish a “Joint Implementation Center” to coordinate their intelligence and air attacks against agreed terrorist targets in Syria. A “bedrock” of the agreement, Kerry said, is Russia’s ensuring that Assad’s air force will no longer fly combat missions over opposition and civilian areas. “This step is absolutely essential,” Kerry said. “By all accounts, Assad air attacks have been the main driver of civilian casualties and migration flows” out of Syria. [US Syria policy] [Inversion] [Victim]
• US-Russian Syria deal has limited shelf life
  By M.K. Bhadrakumar on September 11, 2016 The Syria deal will crumble in no time in the event of Hillary Clinton’s victory in the presidential elections in November. She will not be satisfied with anything less than a regime change in Russia after the March 2018 presidential elections there. According to Clinton’s advisors, Putin cannot survive as leader if he is dealt a humiliating defeat in Syria or Crimea. So she will go for Russia’s jugular in Syria by stepping up the US military intervention and pressing ahead with hard-line policies to oust President Bashar Al-Assad. The body language of the media briefing on Friday night at Geneva regarding the US-Russia ceasefire deal over Syria was exceptional in the air of cordiality that both Secretary of State John Kerry and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov displayed. [Russia confrontation] [Hillary Clinton]
• Russia & US-brokered Syria ceasefire coming into force, 48hr pause to start at sunset
  Published time: 11 Sep, 2016 21:00Edited time: 12 Sep, 2016 03:05 The landmark new Syrian ceasefire plan, brokered in Geneva by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his US counterpart, John Kerry, is set to start on Monday evening. It will initiate an initial 48-hour truce, which must then hold for the entire week. The truce is to see the nationwide halt of Syrian government military action against rebels as well as cooperation on strikes against terrorist targets. The agreement also envisions a halt to offensives by the rebel forces in Syria and their separation from terrorist groups. Kerry previously said that the ceasefire comes into effect “at sundown” on September 12, Damascus time. According to the deal extremist organizations such as Islamic State (IS, formerly known as ISIS/ ISIL) or Fateh al-Sham (Formerly Jabhat Al-Nusra) are excluded from the cessation of violence and will be subjected to further attacks. In case the ceasefire holds for at least a week Moscow and Washington would also establish the Russian-US Joint Implementation Centre (JIG) that would serve the purpose of “delineation of territories controlled by Al-Nusra and opposition groups in the area of active hostilities." [Syria]
• 25 years since collapse of USSR, 25 years of global instability
  Published time: 11 Sep, 2016 14:52 Vladimir Vyatkin Yes, you have read the title of this article correctly. And no, this is not a press release by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. What this is, however, is an article documenting what has happened on the international stage since, and as a consequence of, the USSR’s demise, 25 years ago – an event which continues to affect the lives of ordinary people across the world, whether they are aware of it or not, and whether they like it or not. This article stands diametrically opposed to the West’s standard narrative of the USSR, and it is this which makes this article particularly pertinent today, given that the West’s portrayal of itself as the “foundation of global peace and stability” has come to be exposed as nothing more than a façade and a manipulative lie. With that in mind, I ask of you, the reader, to be open-minded when reading this article and to set aside what Western politicians and mainstream journalists have constantly told you about the Soviet Union – a country which, amongst many other achievements, secured the victory over Nazism in the Second World War. As Winston Churchill wrote, it was the USSR that “tore the guts out of the Nazi war machine.” Prior to 1991, the West, which is effectively the United States, had intervened, either by direct military force or through subversion, in the affairs of a number of independent, sovereign countries, such as Vietnam and Chile. And those interventions, which were illegal under international law, resulted in vast losses in human life and caused regional instability which, of course, had knock-on effects on global stability. However, from 1991 onwards, the rate at which the US has intervened in the domestic affairs of countries has increased exponentially, breaking international law like never before and acting in a brazen way like never before. The end result of those interventions has been to make the world more dangerous and more unstable than at any time since the Second World War. [Soviet Union] [Collapse]
• Syrian cease-fire backed by U.S. and Russia gets off to rocky start
  Syrian men carrying babies make their way through the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported airstrike on the rebel-held Salihin neighborhood of the northern city of Aleppo. (Ameer Alhalbi/AFP/Getty Images) By Liz Sly and Karen DeYoung September 12 at 7:29 PM ? BEIRUT — A U.S.- and Russian-backed cease-fire agreement that went into effect Monday was almost immediately violated, diluting hopes for an imminent halt to the relentless violence that has raged for the past five years and raising new questions about U.S. policies aimed at ending the war. Residents and activists of the besieged rebel portion of Aleppo said that Syrian government helicopters had dropped barrel bombs on one neighborhood of the city and that loyalist forces were shelling a route intended to be used for the delivery of humanitarian aid. Pro-government media accused the rebels of launching a new attack in the southern province of Quneitra, and there were reports of airstrikes and artillery shelling in other parts of the country. [Syria] [Ceasefire]
• Park Gets Surprise Gift from Putin
  President Park Geun-hye looks at a scroll given to her by Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, Russia on Saturday. /Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae President Park Geun-hye looks at a scroll given to her by Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, Russia on Saturday. /Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae President Park Geun-hye received an unexpected gift from her Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Saturday. Meeting her in Vladivostok, the Russian leader presented Park with a scroll by her father, strongman Park Chung-hee, with his New Year's wish for 1979, the year of his assassination. Cheong Wa Dae on Sunday said that it was a "personal gift" by Putin. The scroll translates as "with strong teamwork, let's move forward together," according to a mounted plaque at the bottom of the frame, and is attributed to "South Korea's great leader Park Chung-hee." Putin said he heard that Park painted a New Year's scroll every year and obtained her father's last work. It came from a Korean who moved to the U.S. after Park's assassination and sold it there, he said. Cheong Wa Dae said that it has no idea how the Russians got hold of the scroll. A web search reveals that an American with the initials GLW tried to sell a scroll attributed to Park Chung-hee online. He claimed his parents became close to a Korean family who moved into the same building in Colorado in 1979 and gave them the scroll when the American couple moved to New Mexico around 1982 and 1983. GLW said his father asked him to inquire about the work before he died in late 2006. The Korean family did not associate with other Koreans and told his parents they fled their country after Park's assassination in 1979 due to "political circumstances." [Russia SK] [Park Chung-hee]
• New suggestions of Russian tie to hacks of U.S. vote systems
  By Tim Johnson WASHINGTON — The Russian internet nodes used to hack into voting systems in Illinois and Arizona were also used in recent penetrations of Turkey’s ruling party, the Ukrainian Parliament and a political party in Germany, a U.S. cybersecurity firm said Friday. Individuals using Russian infrastructure “are looking to manipulate multiple countries’ democratic processes,” said an alert from ThreatConnect, an Arlington, Virginia, firm that tracks digital intrusions. The company said, however, that it still did not have enough information to attribute the attacks to any individual or country. Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, told the Bloomberg news agency that a public leak of more than 19,000 emails siphoned from computers at the Democratic National Committee earlier in the summer was for the public good. He denied, however, that Russia had perpetrated the hack. “Listen, does it even matter who hacked this data?’’ Putin told Bloomberg in Vladivostok, the Pacific port. “The important thing is the content that was given to the public.” Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/national-security/article99653607.html#storylink=cpy [Russia confrontation] [Hacking] [US_election16] [Deep state]
• U.S. investigating potential covert Russian plan to disrupt November elections
  By Dana Priest, Ellen Nakashima and Tom Hamburger September 5 at 2:38 PM ? U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies are investigating what they see as a broad covert Russian operation in the United States to sow public distrust in the upcoming presidential election and in U.S. political institutions, intelligence and congressional officials said. The aim is to understand the scope and intent of the Russian campaign, which incorporates ­cyber-tools to hack systems used in the political process, enhancing Russia’s ability to spread disinformation. The effort to better understand Russia’s covert influence operations is being coordinated by James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence. “This is something of concern for the DNI,” said Charles Allen, a former longtime CIA officer who has been briefed on some of these issues. “It is being addressed.” A Russian influence operation in the United States “is something we’re looking very closely at,” said one senior intelligence official who, like others interviewed, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. Officials also are examining potential disruptions to the election process, and the FBI has alerted state and local officials to potential cyberthreats. [Russia confrontation] [US_election16] [Deep State] [Hacking]
• [G20 Summit] Park, Putin avoids mentioning THAAD
  President Park Geun-hye and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold talks in Vladivostok, Saturday. / Joint press corps By Kang Seung-woo VLADIVOSTOK ? The leaders of South Korea and Russia reaffirmed their stances against North Korea's nuclear program and agreed to strengthen dialogue during talks, held in Vladivostok, Saturday. President Park Geun-hye and Russian President Vladimir Putin also had discussions about South Korea's plan to allow a U.S. anti-missile shield on its soil "in a cordial mood," according to Cheong Wa Dae officials. The leaders, however, did not mention the thorny issue during a joint press conference after the talks, which appeared to mean that they did not want bilateral relations to be affected by the dispute over the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. "In order to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue as well as other items, we agreed to further enhance our strategic dialogue," Park said during a joint press conference following her fourth summit with Putin. "The summit confirmed that South Korea and Russia are partners in handling the North Korean nuclear issue and other matters." Putin also said, "We had in-depth discussions about the current situation on the Korean Peninsula and reached an agreement that the two nations do not accept the self-proclaimed nuclear status of Pyongyang." [THAAD] [Russia SK]
• Pres. Park digs in her heels on THAAD issue in written interview with Russian media
  Posted on : Sep.3,2016 13:33 KST President Park Geun-hye is welcomed upon arriving at Vladivostok International Airport on Sept. 2. She is visiting Russia to attend the Eastern Economic Forum. (by Kim Gyoung-ho, staff photographer) Through summit meetings with Putin and Xi, Park hopes to resolve conflicts involving THAAD deployment South Korean President Park Geun-hye said in a written interview with the Russian media on Sept. 2 that “if North Korea didn’t have any nuclear weapons, THAAD wouldn’t be necessary either.” The remark is thought to be an attempt to underline the legitimacy of the THAAD deployment plan as Park embarks on back-to-back summit meetings with the leaders of Russia and China. [THAAD] [Russia SK] [Pretext]
• Park, Putin agree firm stance against North Korea nuke threat
  By Kang Seung-woo VLADIVOSTOK, Russia -- President Park Geun-hye and her Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin reaffirmed their stance against North Korea's nuclear weapons program, Saturday, agreeing to further enhance strategic communication to resolve the issue. The two heads of state held a bilateral summit in the far eastern Russian city on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF). "North Korea has threatened to carry out additional nuclear tests and launch a preemptive nuclear strike while advancing its nuclear capabilities. For South Korea which lies within minutes' distance of North Korea's possible strikes, it is a matter of life or death," she said in a joint press conference following her fourth summit talks with Putin. [Russia SK] [Media] [Spin]

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AUGUST 2016

• Russia’s “secret propaganda assault on Britain”
  by Paul Robinson, August 1, 2016 A couple of newspaper articles caught my attention this weekend. The first was in The Times, and claimed the following: “ President Putin has launched a secret propaganda assault on Britain from within its own borders, The Times can reveal. The Kremlin is spreading disinformation through a newly opened British bureau for its Sputnik international news service, and is infiltrating elite universities by placing language and cultural centres on campuses. Analysts said that the push was part of Russia’s military doctrine, which specifies the use of ‘informational and other non-military measures’ in conflicts. The Times is particularly alarmed by the fact that, ‘the University of Edinburgh accepted £221,000 from the Russkiy Mir (Russian World) Foundation to host Britain’s first Moscow-sponsored language and cultural centre. The foundation has also opened centres at Durham University, which accepted £85,000, and St Antony’s College, Oxford.’ According to The Times, ‘A Nato source accused Russia of “operationalising information” from within Britain. “The Russian information effort is to muddy the waters, to create uncertainty,” he said.’ The second article was published in Sunday’s New York Times. In this, the former US ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul claims that ‘Everywhere, autocrats are pushing back against democrats, and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia is the de facto leader of this global movement.’ America must resist this movement, McFaul says. Otherwise, ‘The threats will grow and eventually endanger our peace, as we saw in Europe and Japan in the 1930s, and Afghanistan in the 1990s.’ What exactly should America do? McFaul suggests: “ Just as the Kremlin has become more sophisticated at exporting its ideas and supporting its friends, so must we. We should think of advancing democratic ideas abroad primarily as an educational project, almost never as a military campaign. Universities, books and websites are the best tools, not the 82nd Airborne. But it’s best not to do this openly, McFaul admits. He says, ‘Direct financial assistance to democrats is problematic: A check from an American embassy can taint its recipients. America’s next president should privatize such aid and help seed new independent foundations.’ So, let me get this straight. Russkii Mir openly provides money to the University of Edinburgh for the study of Russian language and culture. That constitutes a ‘secret propaganda assault on Britain’. Ambassador McFaul proposes giving money to Russian universities through disguised channels and for decidedly political purposes, and that is ‘advancing democratic ideas’. ‘Nuff said! Paul Robinson is a professor at the University of Ottawa. He writes about Russian and Soviet history, military history, and military ethics. [Russia confrontation] [IO] [Education]
• Russian Military Options in Syria and the Ukraine
  The Saker • August 15, 2016 The past two weeks have been rich in military developments directly affecting Russia: Syria: 1) Russia has announced that she will transform the Khmeimim airfield into a full-fledged military base with a permanently deployed task force. 2) Russia will deploy her heavy aircraft-carrying missile cruiser (often referred to in the West as an “aircraft carrier”) Admiral Kuznetsov to the eastern Mediterranean to to check the combat capabilities of the ship and its strike group and to engage, for the very first time, the state-of-the-art Ka-52K Katran helicopters. The Ukraine: 1) Following the failure of the Ukronazis to infiltrate saboteurs on the Crimean Peninsula ,which President Putin called “stupid and criminal”,Poroshenko has now ordered a reinforcement of his military forces on border with Crimea and eastern Ukraine and placed its military on its highest alert. 2) The authorities in Kiev decided not to accept the credentials of the new Russian ambassador to the Ukraine. 3) President Putin declared that in this context, negotiations with Kiev are “pointless”. While not directly connected, all of these news items point to a possible military escalation which could result in Russia having to engaged her military in combat operations in Syria, Crimea and Novorussia. Thus is makes sense at this point to review the Russian options in all these theaters of war. [Russia Syria] [Ukraine]
• Iran ends Russian use of air base because of unwanted publicity
  By Andrew Roth August 22 at 7:22 AM ? MOSCOW — An Iranian official said Monday that Russia would no longer use the Islamic republic’s air bases to strike targets in Syria — an apparent rebuke of Moscow for announcing the deployment in the media last week. At a news conference in Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said that Russia’s use of Iran’s Hamadan Air Base was “temporary, based on a Russian request,” and that it is “finished for now.” Russia “has no base in Iran,” Ghasemi added, according to an Associated Press translation of his remarks. [Russia Iran]
• THE RED LINE CROSSED, IN THE CROSS-HAIRS, AT TRIGGER POINT — WAITING FOR AN OCTOBER SURPRISE
  By John Helmer, Moscow First there was the red-line announcement. On Friday in Athens there was the cross-hairs statement. By the month of October, the month before the US presidential election, there will be the trigger point. The US and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies are going to war with Russia, accelerating the inevitability that Russia will strike in self-defence. This is what the first and second statements by President Vladimir Putin warn. There will be no statement of warning when the trigger point arrives. At his press conference in Athens on Friday, Putin warned that the installation of an Aegis anti-missile base in Romania, operational this month, and the rush to do the same in Poland, are hostile acts, just short of casus belli — cause of war. To make this clear, Putin used a vivid phrase — ???? ??? ????????. It refers to gunsights or cross-hairs for targeting army artillery, airforce cannon, or naval torpedoes. [Russia confrontation]
• Putin's Warning: Full Speech 2016
  Published on Jul 24, 2016 Initially, I translated only a small portion of this segment as I felt the key message must be made obvious. However, I have been pleasantly surprised with many people around the world reaching out to translate this into other languages, as well as to see the full address. This candid conversation took place with representatives of various media outlets during the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, in June 2016. Putin urged journalists to report genuinely on the impending danger that is a nuclear arms race. Nobody has anything to gain from a nuclear stand-off against Russia. The power hungry decision-makers are few in number, but powerful enough to have subverted mainstream media to misrepresent Russia as the main threat to international security. If you are a journalist or a blogger, please do your part and share this message. Time is of the essence , especially in light of the recent NATO summit in Warsaw (July 2016) where the alliance stipulated that Russia is the main threat to international security (did you think that might be ISIS?) YouTube would not let me upload the video I did on the Summit, but it can be found on my Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/174777588 [Putin] [Russia confrontation]
• Cold-War Casualties From Ukraine and Syria to the New York Times’s ‘Standards’
  Factional politics may have killed Obama’s proposed détente with Russia and the Minsk peace process in Ukraine, while the Times publishes another gutter article—this one about Paul Manafort. By Stephen F. Cohen August 17, 2016 Nation contributing editor Stephen F. Cohen and John Batchelor continue their weekly discussions about the new US-Russian Cold War. (Previous installments are at TheNation.com.) Cohen begins by reminding listeners that the preceding 40-year Cold War was accompanied by factional, often behind-the-scenes politics for and against US-Soviet Cold War relations, and which often spilled over into the media. It is happening again, perhaps more dangerously and disgracefully. [Russia confrontation] [Media] [Trump]
• Hello, want to push back at Uncle Sam? Then go to Syria
  By M.K. Bhadrakumar on August 18, 2016 Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s recent visit to St Petersburg to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian jet fighters taking off from an Iranian base for the first time to hit Syrian targets and Erdogan’s proposed visit to Iran probably next week point to a trilateral Turkey-Iran-Russia format emerging on Syria. China seems to be entering the equation laterally as indicated by top military officer Rear Admiral Guan Youfei’s meeting with Syrian Defense Minister Fahad Jassim al-Freij in Damascus. Turkey, Iran, Russia and China have a shared interest or even need to push back at the US, each for its own reasons. Small is beautiful. Tehran presents a really small explanation to the breaking news that Russian strategic bombers took off from an Iranian air base to carry out missions in Syria. The chairman of the powerful national security and security policy commission of the Majlis, Alae’ddin Broujerdi said the four-nation agreement between Iran, Russia, Iraq and Syria aimed at bolstering the campaign against terrorism is under implementation and this accounted for it. Period. [Russia Iran] [Russia Syria]
• Turkey considering military ties with Russia as NATO shows unwillingness to cooperate – Ankara
  Published time: 18 Aug, 2016 14:03 Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has lashed out at NATO, saying the alliance is not fully cooperating with Ankara. In an interview with Sputnik, he hinted that Turkey would consider military cooperation with Russia. Cavusoglu says that Ankara has become alarmed at the lack of willingness shown by NATO to cooperate with Turkey, which is a member of the alliance. "It seems to us that NATO members behave in an evasive fashion on issues such as the exchange of technology and joint investments. Turkey intends to develop its own defense industry and strengthen its defense system,” he said in an interview with Sputnik. Read more Turkish diplomats slam NATO for ‘trying to dictate terms’ of Ankara’s foreign policy “In this sense, if Russia were to treat this with interest, we are ready to consider the possibility of cooperation in this sector," Cavusoglu said when asked about the possibility of working with Russia in the defense sphere. It is Cavusoglu’s strongest rebuke of NATO to date. In an interview with the Anadolu news agency on August 10, he said that Turkey and Russia would look to establish a joint military, intelligence, and diplomatic mechanism, while adding that relations with NATO were not as satisfactory as he would have wished. [Turkey Russia]
• Strikes from Iranian air base show Russia’s expanding footprint in the Middle East
  Russian bombers use airbase in Iran to strike targets in Syria The Russian Defense Ministry has said long-range Russian TU-22M3 bombers based in Iran have struck a number of targets inside Syria. (Reuters) By Erin Cunningham and Karen DeYoung August 16 at 5:59 PM ISTANBUL — Russian bombers flying from an Iranian air base struck rebel targets across Syria on Tuesday, Russian and Iranian officials said, dramatically underscoring the two countries’ growing military ties and highlighting Russia’s ambitions for greater influence in a turbulent Middle East. The long-range Tu-22 bombers took off from a base near Hamadan in western Iran and launched raids in the Syrian provinces of Aleppo, Deir al-Zour and Idlib, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. The ministry said the bombers were accompanied by Russian fighter jets based in Syria. Both countries are staunch allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, but the flights marked the first time Russia has launched strikes from Iranian territory. Iran has long banned foreign militaries from establishing bases on its soil. But the raids appeared to signal a budding alliance that would expand Russia’s military footprint in the region. Iran and Russia “enjoy strategic cooperation in the fight against terrorism in Syria, and share their facilities and capacities to this end,” Iran’s National Security Council chief, Ali Shamkhani, said Tuesday, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). [Russia Iran] [Russia Syria]
• Western Media Responds to Latest Ukrainian Sabotage of Crimea
  by Roger Annis Western governments and media have a problem with the right-wing regime that is governing Ukraine. The country’ economy is a shambles. Even the regime’s own backers in the West acknowledge the country and economy are hopelessly mired in corruption. Extremists and neo-Nazis, even, occupy high positions in the police, army and government. What’s more, the regime is a source of instability as well as embarrassment for its pro-Western neighbours, notably Poland. Poles are none too happy that Ukrainian ultranationalists who allied with Nazi Germany during World War and conducted massacres of their Polish forebears are being rehabilitated as national heroes in Ukraine. All of this creates a public relations problem for Western governments and their NATO alliance that can explode at any time. A case in point is the arrests in early August of several bands of Ukrainian ultranationalist saboteurs who infiltrated across the Ukraine-Crimea border with explosives in hand. The operation was foiled on August 6 when the infiltrators were discovered and quickly rounded up, though not before the Ukrainian army provided cross-border covering fire. When the smoke cleared, one Russian soldier and one Russian policeman were dead. [Russia confrontation][Ukraine] [Media]
• Russia, spurning U.S. censure, launches second day of Syria strikes from Iran
  A still image, taken from video footage and released by Russia's Defence Ministry on August 16, 2016, shows a Russian Tupolev Tu-22M3 long-range bomber based in Iran, flying after bombs were dropped off, at an unknown location in Syria. Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation/Handout via Reuters By Alexander Winning and Andrew Osborn | MOSCOW Russia launched a second day of air strikes against Syrian militants from an Iranian air base, rejecting U.S. suggestions its co-operation with Tehran might violate a U.N. resolution as illogical and factually incorrect. State Department spokesman Mark Toner on Tuesday called the Iranian deployment "unfortunate," saying the United States was looking into whether the move violated U.N. Security Council resolution 2231, which prohibits the supply, sale and transfer of combat aircraft to Iran. Russia bristled at those comments on Wednesday after announcing that Russian SU-34 fighter bombers flying from Iran's Hamadan air base had for a second day struck Islamic State targets in Syria's Deir al-Zor province, destroying two command posts and killing more than 150 militants.
  "It's not our practice to give advice to the leadership of the U.S. State Department," Major-General Igor Konashenkov said in a statement. "But it's hard to refrain from recommending individual State Department representatives check their own logic and knowledge of basic documents covering international law." [Russia Iran] [UNSC] [Russia Syria]
• Will road to Moscow lead Ankara to Damascus?
  Turkey’s diplomatic initiatives to overcome its long-felt isolation internationally and in the Middle East have begun to yield results. After reconciling with Israel and Russia and sending friendly messages to Cairo, Ankara appears to have extended its initiative to Damascus, taking its pulse for a possible reconciliation. Turkey has reportedly resorted to the same track II diplomacy to Damascus that it used to reconcile with Moscow. Author Hale Gönültas Posted August 16, 2016 Ismail Hakki Pekin is the one name associated with back channel diplomacy for the Ankara-Damascus file. Pekin, a retired lieutenant general who served as head of intelligence for the chief of the General Staff, is currently deputy chairman of the Homeland Party, which is known to have maintained good relations with the Damascus regime from the outset of the Syrian crisis. Pekin said he assumed a mediation role after an indirect request from the Ankara government. He spoke with Al-Monitor on the feasibility of reconciliation between Ankara and Damascus and also on the recent developments between Ankara and Moscow. [Turkey Syria]
• Turkey-Russia: The Sultan and the Tsar Need for Each Other
  08/15/2016 01:13 am ET | Updated 3 days ago Raghida Dergham ? Columnist and Senior Diplomatic Correspondent, Al Hayat The Battle of Aleppo has changed the parameters of bargaining between Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s Recep Erdogan, forcing the tsar and the sultan into a position where they need each other equally. Erdogan’s about-face took a different turn in the wake of the military developments in Aleppo, which explains why Putin appeared more cautious when receiving Erdogan in St. Petersburg compared to his guest. But the elephant in the room is the United States: Neither is Putin prepared to sacrifice his coordination with Washington on Syria and the implicit accords on several issues; nor is Erdogan prepared to cast aside his important position vis-à-vis the United States, despite his apparent escalation meant for internal consumption in the aftermath of the failed coup in Turkey. Both men need the special relations they have with the United States, but both need each other to save themselves from their predicaments in Syria and Turkey respectively. Erdogan can play a large role in rescuing Putin from a potential quagmire in Aleppo, amid voices in Russia demanding an end to Russia’s bloody involvement in Syria through accords with Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia towards a political settlement that ends the military attrition. Likewise, Putin can rescue Erdogan from the global media onslaught and growing international isolation, as he moves to consolidate power and concentrate it in his hands in Turkey. However, the Syrian issue that is crucial for both leaders is not decided only by them both. Rather, they are both constrained and bound by others. Indeed, it was not Erdogan alone who altered the parameters in the battle of Aleppo. Rather, it was an effort with the US-led international coalition along with Gulf countries, led by Saudi Arabia. To be sure, the weapons that arrived in the hands of the Syrian rebels during the battle was US-sourced, Gulf-funded and Turkish-delivered, allowing the tide to turn during the battle. For his part, Putin’s calculations in Aleppo were never identical to those of Iran there, and Russia is not part of Iran’s regional-sectarian ambitions. When victory was within reach, Moscow turned a blind eye and focused on trying to win the battle. But now that military supplies to the rebels have become a clear reality as clear as the new shift in US policy, it is a whole new discussion imposed by the battlefield. But negotiating cards are part of the discussion, in which the regional and international players and axes overlap. [Russia Turkey]
• UK Govt Warms To Reversal of NATO-Russia Military Build Up
  Daniel Kawczynski, Member of Foreign Affairs Select Committee and Chairman of the All Party Group for Poland, is the latest high profile Member of Parliament to call for a change in the relationship between NATO and Russia, specifically asking for a reversal of the military build-up on the Russian and NATO borders and a de-escalation of the recent tensions. Mr. Kawczynski, writing in a letter to the Telegraph newspaper, said whilst acknowledging that many in the London political circles “are suspicious of Russian motives and intentions” and see Russia as “causing concern for European security particularly over her actions in Crimea and in Eastern Ukraine”, Kawczynski points to the real danger of the current “arms race” getting out of control, especially on the borders of NATO and Russia. [Russia confrontation] [Friction] [UK] [Theresa May]
• Vladimir Putin and Theresa May agree to improve relations between Russia and UK and to hold face-to-face meeting
  Theresa May and Vladimir Putin have held their first phone conversation since she became prime minister • Barney Henderson 9 August 2016 • 11:43pm Vladimir Putin and Theresa May have spoken for the first time since she took office and both expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of Russian-British relations. The announcement by the Kremlin could herald the start of improved relations between the two countries that have been strained since the 2006 poisoning death of former spy Alexander Litvinenko and the Ukraine crisis, among other issues. In the phone call, which Moscow said was initiated by Britain, both leaders "expressed dissatisfaction with the current parameters of cooperation in both the political and economic sphere". Boris: Putin must be held to account if involved in Litvinenko murder Play! 00:42 The Kremlin said Mr Putin and Mrs May agreed to develop a dialogue between security agencies on issues related to aviation security, and made plans for a face-to-face meeting in the "near future". The statement noted that Mrs May confirmed Britain's intention to participate in ceremonies marking the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the first British Second World War convoy in the Russian city Arkhangelsk this month. [Russia confrontation] [Friction] [UK] [Theresa May]
• Putin, Erdogan have a deal on Syria
  By M.K. Bhadrakumar on August 13, 2016 After Turkish President Recep Erdogan’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg, Ankara says the next administration in Syria should be inclusive and secular so that everyone can live with their beliefs. This is as close as Turkey has ever come to accept that Assad has a legitimate role to play. It is the ‘morning-after’ that needs to be watched when a crucial summit meeting takes place. And, as details become available, it emerges that the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Erdogan at St. Petersburg on August 9 has been exceptionally productive. Neither side showed interest in labeling the qualitatively new level of relationship in hackneyed terms, but then, it doesn’t matter whether one calls it ‘alliance’, ‘quasi-alliance’ or ‘entente’. What matters is that a profoundly meaningful relationship is commencing. Russia and Turkey go back far in history and do not need foreplay. The critical mass developed within 48 hours of the conversation in St. Petersburg. Within a day of Erdogan proposing and Putin accepting the idea of a ‘mechanism’ comprising diplomats, military and intelligence officials of the two sides to discuss the nitty-gritty of Syrian conflict, a composite Turkish delegation took off for Moscow to meet Russian counterparts on August 11. Evidently, Erdogan traveled to St. Petersburg with an ‘action plan’. In fact, he was accompanied by spy chief Hakan Fidan. Turkey wants the two sides to take concrete steps. The discussions in Moscow are expected to set the ball rolling. [Turkey Russia]
• Hillary, Trump, and War with Russia
  The Goddamdest Stupid Idea I Have Ever Heard, and I Have Lived in Washington
  Fred Reed • August 11, 2016 Don’t look for a walk-over. The T14 Armata, Russia’s latest tank. You don’t want to fight this monster if you can think of a better idea, such as not fighting it. Russia once made large numbers of second-rate tanks. That worm has turned. This thing is way advanced and outguns the American M1A2, having a 125mm smoothbore firing APFSDS long-rods to the Abrams 120mm. (As Hillary would know, that’s Armor-piercing, fin-stabilized, discarding-sabot. You did know, didn’t you, Hill?) This isn’t the place for a disquisition on armor, but the above beast is a very advanced design with unmanned turret and, well, a T34 it isn’t. (I was once an aficionado of tanks. If interested, here and here.) A good reason to vote for Trump, a very good reason whatever his other intentions, is that he does not want a war with Russia. Hillary and her elite ventriloquists threaten just that. Note the anti-Russian hysteria coming from her and her remoras. Such a war would be yet another example of the utter control of America by rich insiders. No normal American has anything at all to gain by such a war. And no normal American has the slightest influence over whether such a war takes place, except by voting for Trump. The military has become entirely the plaything of unaccountable elites. A martial principle of great wisdom says that military stupidity comes in three grades: Ordinarily stupid; really, really, really stupid; and fighting Russia. Think Charles XII at Poltava, Napoleon after Borodino, Adolf and Kursk. [Russia confrontation] [War] [China confrontation] [South China Sea] [Hillary Clinton]
• Russia to make Hmeymim full-fledged military base in Syria
  Xinhua, August 12, 2016 Russia is planning to turn the Hmeymim air base in Syria into a full-fledged military base and to place a permanent contingent of air forces, a Russian official has said. "After the legal status of Hmeymim is agreed upon, it will become a full-fledged base of Russian armed forces with appropriate infrastructure," Frants Klintsevich, first deputy head of the Russian Federation Council's Defense and Security Committee, was quoted as saying by a report published Thursday on the website of Russian newspaper Izvestia. He also said that Russia understands that if no action is taken, terrorism will threaten Russia. "If Western countries don't want to agree on joint actions, we will strengthen relations with Syria, Iran and Iraq," said Klintsevich. The official said Russia's support to Syria has allowed the country's seriously demoralized armed forces to restore their combat capability. Strategic bombers and nuclear weapons will not be located in the base, because it does not match with Russia's international obligations, he added. [Russia Syria]
• Erdogan's Visit to Russia: A Partial Reset in Relations
  Andrey Areshev | 13.08.2016 On 9 August, high level talks were held between Russia and Turkey in St. Petersburg. It was Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s first overseas trip since the failed military coup and just a few days before there had been an impressive rally in his support. Relations between the two countries deteriorated following the tragic incident involving a Russian Su-24 fighter jet and the Turkish president’s visit indicates a return to dialogue, said Vladimir Putin. Beginning in a limited format, the talks continued with the involvement of the head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organisation, Hakan Fidan, the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia, Valery Gerasimov, and the heads of a number of ministries and departments. «Our priority is to reach the pre-crisis level of bilateral cooperation. And this is really an urgent task», stressed Putin, noting that in the last five months alone, the volume of trade between Russia and Turkey had fallen by 43 percent, whereas in 2015 this figure was 26 percent. «We have painstaking work ahead of us to revive our trade and economic cooperation. We have already begun this process but it will take time». The Turkish leader’s visit to St. Petersburg was accompanied by assumptions regarding a quick normalisation of bilateral relations and the unfreezing of ambitious economic projects. However, the expectation that trade and economic links will be able to iron out the critical difference in approach to sensitive regional security issues (first and foremost with regard to Syria) is unjustified. Russia’s economic sanctions against Turkey have been extremely damaging to certain sectors of the Turkish economy. According to some estimates, the two countries were on the verge of open conflict in February and March due to Ankara’s undisguised intention to partially occupy northern Syria. The threat of internal destabilisation and economic turmoil forced Erdogan to adjust his foreign policy and even send a letter of apology to Moscow. According to the Hurriyet Daily News, the content of the letter was edited by the two parties a number of times during May and early June. [Turkey Russia]
• U.S. urges Russia to halt Syria sieges; Russia slams aid politicisation
  UNITED NATIONS | By Michelle Nichols United Nations Security Council must not allow civilians on both sides of the Syrian city of Aleppo to be cut off from humanitarian aid, the United States said on Monday as Russia accused Washington of politicizing a humanitarian issue. Insurgents effectively broke a month-long government siege of eastern, opposition-held Aleppo on Saturday, severing the primary government supply corridor and raising the prospect that government-held western Aleppo might become besieged. The United States, Britain, France, New Zealand and Ukraine organised an informal Security Council meeting on Aleppo on Monday with briefings by a "White Helmet" rescue worker and two U.S.-based doctors from the Syrian American Medical Society who recently returned from Aleppo. "If the fighting continues it is conceivable that civilians on both sides of Aleppo could be cut off from the basic assistance they need. We cannot allow this to happen," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said. [US Syria policy] [Manipulation] [Russia confrontation]
• Putin and Erdogan move toward repairing ties amid tension with West
  ST PETERSBURG/ISTANBUL | By Olesya Astakhova and Nick Tattersall Russia and Turkey took a big step toward normalizing relations on Tuesday, with their leaders announcing an acceleration in trade and energy ties at a time when both countries have troubled economies and strains with the West. President Vladimir Putin received his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan in a Tsarist-era palace outside his home city of St Petersburg. It was Erdogan's first foreign trip since last month's failed military coup, which left Turkey's relationship with the United States and Europe badly damaged. The visit is being closely watched in the West, where some fear both men, powerful leaders ill-disposed to dissent, might use their rapprochement to exert pressure on Washington and the European Union and stir tensions within NATO, the military alliance of which Turkey is a member. [Turkey Russia]
• Military Success in Syria Gives Putin Upper Hand in U.S. Proxy War
  By MARK MAZZETTI, ANNE BARNARD and ERIC SCHMITT AUG. 6, 2016 Proxy War in Syria: U.S. vs. Russia WASHINGTON — The Syrian military was foundering last year, with thousands of rebel fighters pushing into areas of the country long considered to be government strongholds. The rebel offensive was aided by powerful tank-destroying missiles supplied by the Central Intelligence Agency and Saudi Arabia. Intelligence assessments circulated in Washington that the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, was losing his grip on power. But then the Russians arrived, bludgeoning C.I.A.-backed rebel forces with an air campaign that has sent them into retreat. And now rebel commanders, clinging to besieged neighborhoods in the divided city of Aleppo, say their shipments of C.I.A.-provided antitank missiles are drying up. For the first time since Afghanistan in the 1980s, the Russian military for the past year has been in direct combat with rebel forces trained and supplied by the C.I.A. The American-supplied Afghan fighters prevailed during that Cold War conflict. But this time the outcome — thus far — has been different. “Russia has won the proxy war, at least for now,” said Michael Kofman, a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington. Russia’s battlefield successes in Syria have given Moscow, isolated by the West after its annexation of Crimea and other incursions into Ukraine, new leverage in decisions about the future of the Middle East. The Obama administration is now talking with President Vladimir V. Putin’s government about a plan to share intelligence and coordinate airstrikes against the Islamic State and other militant groups in Syria, and Mr. Putin has thus far met his goals in Syria without becoming caught in a quagmire that some — including President Obama — had predicted he would. [Russia Syria] [US Syria policy] [Proxy] [Outsourcing]
• NATO’s War on Russia: Someone Is Playing Us
  For 17 months, since the Minsk Agreements were signed in February 2015 to try to bring peace to the eastern Ukraine the Kiev regime, and its neo-Nazi and NATO allies, have been preparing for a new offensive against the east Ukraine republics. On July 22nd the Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin stated in a letter to the UN Security Council that “a relapse of large-scale military operations in eastern Ukraine may bury the process of peace settlement there.” He then called on Kiev’s allies to pressure Kiev to back off its war preparations which include the continuous shelling of civilian areas by Ukraine heavy and medium artillery and constant probing attacks by Ukraine and foreign units over the past spring and summer months. The commander of the Donetsk Republic forces stated in a communiqué on July 22 that the region along the contact line between the two sides was shelled 3,566 times in one week alone ending on the date of the communiqué and confirmed the information set out in Churkin’s letter and reports of the Organisation For Security Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that the Kiev regime had transferred more heavy artillery, mortars, tanks, multiple rocket launchers to the front. The shelling has destroyed civilian housing, a water treatment plant and other infrastructure with the clear objective of forcing out the residents and to prepare the ground for a large scale offensive. Ambassador Churkin added that not only were regular Kiev forces massing in the east but they had also deployed the new-Nazi Azov and Donbas “volunteer” battalions, and that Kiev has begun a wide ranging seizure of land in the neutral zone and the towns located there.
  The situation has become increasingly dangerous as the war against Russia is conducted without limits, that is, across all sectors of life from the military and economic to sports. The International Olympic Committee has now banned the core of the Russian Olympic track and field team from competing at the Games, plus any others who have faced doping allegations in the past, an act of collective punishment that is totally unjustified since it is based on the dubious statements of a wanted man in Russia, Grigory Rodchenkov, who is singing for his supper in the United States, and will sing any song they want him to. The whole scandal is motivated not by problems with doping, but by an attempt to further isolate Russia from the world and slander its leadership and people. The result is that the Olympic Games will be a farce both as a sports event and as a symbol of peace in the world and should be cancelled or boycotted. On top of all this, compelling evidence is daily coming out that the attempted coup against the government of Turkey was instigated by the Americans and its partners in other NATO countries in order to stop President Erdogan from a rapprochement with Russia. [Russia confrontation] [Drugs] [Olympics] [Hybrid war]
• Putin encourages Iran to join Russia-led Eurasian alliance
  Published time: 5 Aug, 2016 13:31 Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised the successful cooperation between Moscow and Tehran, and has expressed hope that a free trade zone can soon be established between Iran and the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union. “Iran is Russia’s longtime partner. We believe that bilateral relations will benefit from the reduction of tensions around Iran following the comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear program,” Putin said in a major interview with Azerbaijani state news agency Azertac released on Friday. He added that Iranian leaders shared his approach. In some branches of the economy Russian-Iranian cooperation has already become strategic, Putin noted. This concerned first of all the nuclear energy sphere, with Russia completing and servicing the Bushehr power plant in Iran and reaching agreements on building eight more nuclear power units. Overall the two states have managed to increase bilateral trade by 70 percent and bring it to $855 million in the first five months of 2016. [Russia Iran]
• In endorsing Clinton, ex-CIA chief says Putin made Trump his ‘unwitting agent’
  By Abby Phillip August 5 at 11:43 AM ? Michael Morell, shown in November 2012, is a former director of the CIA. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images, file) Former CIA director Michael Morell endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and blasted GOP rival Donald Trump, accusing him of becoming an unwitting agent of Russian President Vladimir Putin in an op-ed on Friday. Morell wrote that while he is neither a registered Democrat nor a Republican and has never made his preference for president public, he chose to publicly declare his support for Clinton in this election. [Ex-CIA chief backing Clinton said the man most responsible for keeping U.S. safe was Muslim-American. Here's his story.] "First, Mrs. Clinton is highly qualified to be commander in chief. I trust she will deliver on the most important duty of a president — keeping our nation safe," Morell wrote in the op-ed published in the New York Times. "Second, Donald J. Trump is not only unqualified for the job, but he may well pose a threat to our national security." [CIA] [Trump] [Russia confrontation]
• Can Turkey really turn to Russia?
  Author Semih Idiz Posted August 2, 2016 Russia appears to be the main beneficiary of the July 15 attempted coup in Turkey. Moscow clearly sees a strategic opportunity for itself given the sharp increase in anti-American and anti-European sentiments in Turkey, which are being fanned by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Despite anger at the West after the recent failed coup, the strategic ties some desire with Russia do not appear realistic. Erdogan supporters, and many Turks opposed to Erdogan, are convinced of a US finger in the attempt to topple Erdogan. The fact that Fethullah Gulen — the Islamic cleric accused of masterminding the coup — resides freely in Pennsylvania, and the belief that the United States is dragging its feet over Ankara’s demand for Gulen’s extradition, has raised anti-American feelings among Turks to a fever pitch. This belief has also increased calls for Turkey to seek strategic partnerships with Russia and to replace ties with the United States, NATO and the European Union. These calls are clearly being monitored closely in Moscow. Eyes will therefore be focused on Erdogan’s talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Aug. 9. [Turkey Russia] [Turkey US] [Coup]
• Dangerous Propaganda: Network Close To NATO Military Leader Fueled Ukraine Conflict
  By Christoph Schult and Klaus Wiegrefe Former NATO Supreme Allied Comander Europe Philip Breedlove at a press conference in 2015 Working with dubious sourcing, a group close to NATO's chief military commander Philip Breedlove sought to secure weapons deliveries for Ukraine, a trove of newly released emails revealed. The efforts served to intensify the conflict between the West and Russia. In private, the general likes to wear leather. Philip Mark Breedlove, 60, is a well-known Harley-Davidson fan, and up until a few weeks ago, he also served as the commander of NATO and American troops in Europe. Even during his tenure as the military leader of the alliance, the American four-star general would trade his blue Air Force uniform for motorcycle gear and explore Europe's roads with his friends Photos show a man with broad shoulders, a wide gait and an even wider smile. The pictures of the general's motorcycle tours were recently made public on the online platform DC Leaks. Restraint, it seems, was never Breedlove's thing.
  The photos are the entertaining part of an otherwise explosive collection of Breedlove's private email correspondence. Most of the 1,096 hacked emails date back to the dramatic 12 months of the Ukraine crisis after Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014. Thousands died in the skirmishes between Kiev's troops and Moscow-aligned separatists. More than 2 million civilians fled eastern Ukraine. [Russia confrontation] [Ukraine] [Refugees]

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JULY 2016

• Donald Trump’s incredible new defense of his Russia-spying-on-Hillary comments: Just kidding!
  By Aaron Blake July 28 at 11:53 AM Trump urges Russia to hack Clinton’s emails Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump says it's "far-fetched" and "ridiculous" to say Russia hacked Democratic Party emails to help him become president. (Reuters) Donald Trump says many controversial things. And as the political world reacts accordingly, his defense of those comments is often liable to change. And like clockwork, such is the case with his comments calling on Russia to find Hillary Clinton's deleted emails. A day after making the comments and defending them, Trump has a novel explanation for all of it: I was joking! Here's his exchange with "Fox and Friends" from Thursday morning: BRIAN KILMEADE: Clinton campaign says this is a national security issue. Now, the idea that you'd have any American calling for a foreign power to commit espionage in the U.S. for the purpose of somehow changing an election, I think that we're now in a national security space. Your reaction? TRUMP: You have to be kidding. His client, his person, deleted 33,000 emails illegally. You look at that. And when I'm being sarcastic with something — KILMEADE: Were you being sarcastic? TRUMP: Of course, I'm being sarcastic. But you have 33,000 e-mails deleted, and the real problem is what was said in those emails from the Democratic National Committee. You take a look at what was said in those emails — it's disgraceful. It's disgraceful. They talk about religion, they talk about race, they talk about all sorts of things, including women, and what they said in those emails is a disgrace. Trump backer and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani offered the same explanation later on CNN: "No. He was telling a joke. When he got off the plane, he tweeted out the emails should be sent to the FBI. He was joking around." Here's why this sarcasm explanation doesn't hold water: [Trump] [Russia confrontation]
• The Americans who think Vladimir Putin isn’t so bad
  By Adam Taylor July 28 at 11:43 AM ? Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/Kremlin pool via AP) For many Americans, Vladimir Putin is perceived as some kind of international boogeyman, with alleged links to nefarious plots all over the world. This perception helps explain why many Americans find Donald Trump's seemingly admiring comments about the Russian president so unnerving. Yet Trump seems unmoved by critics of this rhetoric. On Wednesday, after widespread speculation that Russian-backed hackers had helped release a series of embarrassing emails from the Democratic National Committee, the Republican presidential nominee appeared to push further than ever before, appearing to appeal for Russian leadership to hack Hillary Clinton's email. (On Thursday morning, Trump told Fox News that he was being sarcastic when he made the statement.) Trump's comments may seem to fly in the face of conventional wisdom, alienating potential American voters by linking himself with the alleged misdoings of a feared foreign leader. But perhaps not all Americans are so fearful of Putin. It seems that a minority may even revel in the idea that, actually, Putin is good. [Russia confrontation] [Putin] [Public opinion] [Indoctrination]
• Russian Defense Minister: Large-scale humanitarian operation launched in Aleppo city
  28 July? 2016 Moscow, SANA- Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu affirmed that the Syrian government and the Russian forces launched on Thursday a large-scale humanitarian operation in Aleppo city to guarantee the safety of the residents of its eastern neighborhoods. The minister pointed out, in statements published by RT website, that the operation aims “to assist civilians taken hostage by terrorists, as well as militants who chose to lay down their weapons,” adding that “three humanitarian corridors will open there.” The Hmeimim Russian Center for coordination and monitoring the cessation of hostilities agreement has deployed centers in the vicinity of the corridors to provide food and medical assistance to the families who exit the eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo city, adding that the Center issued an order to begin the delivery of food aid and initial supplies by air to the civilians besieged by militants inside the city with special attention to children supplies, the supplies for sick people as well as personal hygiene kits. The minister stressed the importance of informing the residents of the city about opening the safe corridors by dropping leaflets from the air, loudspeakers and also via text messages. [Russia Syria]
• Provoking Russia
  by Serge Halimi . Are the leaders of European member states of NATO planning to follow the example of José Manuel Barroso, who became a lobbyist for Goldman Sachs after his term as president of the European Commission? Were they using the NATO summit to prepare for a career switch as consultants to General Dynamics or some other US arms manufacturer? The suggestion is of course absurd — but hardly less so than their announcement at the July summit in Warsaw that NATO will deploy a new mobile unit of 4,000 troops in Poland or one of the Baltic states — within artillery range of the home base of the Russian fleet in the Baltic, and of St Petersburg. Russian leaders already felt resentful towards NATO — a cold war organisation that ought to have disappeared with the Soviet Union (1) — for meeting in the city where the Warsaw Pact was signed in 1955 under the aegis of the USSR. The views of US army general Curtis Scaparrotti, NATO’s new commander in Europe, won’t have helped: ‘The command structure has to be agile enough that from peacetime to provocation to conflict … is a natural transition’ (2). NATO also invited Petro Poroshenko, president of Ukraine — not a member of NATO and in a state of simmering conflict with Russia. Beat that for provocation. [Russia confrontation]
• Clinton has now made Democrats the anti-Russia party
  By Josh Rogin July 27 at 10:38 PM ? Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Scranton, Penn., on Wednesday. (Carlo Allegri/Reuters) In their zeal to portray Donald Trump as a dangerous threat to national security, the Clinton campaign has taken a starkly anti-Russian stance, one that completes a total role reversal for the two major American parties on U.S.-Russian relations that Hillary Clinton will now be committed to, if she becomes president. The side switching between the parties on Russia is the result of two converging trends. U.S.-Russian relations have gone downhill since Russian President Vladimir Putin came back to power in 2012, torpedoing the Obama administration’s first term outreach to Moscow, which Clinton led. Then, in the past year, Trump’s Russia-friendly policy has filled the pro-engagement space that Democrats once occupied. And now, for mostly political reasons, the Clinton campaign has decided to escalate its rhetoric on Russia. After Trump suggested Wednesday that if Russia had indeed hacked Clinton’s private email server it should release the emails, the Clinton campaign sent out its Democratic surrogates to bash Russia and Trump in a manner traditionally reserved for Republicans. [Russia confrontation]
• Trump invites Russia to meddle in the U.S. presidential race with Clinton’s emails
  Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said the United States gets "no respect" from Russian President Vladimir Putin during a town hall event in Scranton, Pa., July 27. (The Washington Post) By Philip Rucker, Robert Costa and Jose A. DelReal July 27 at 10:39 PM PHILADELPHIA — Republican nominee Donald Trump pleaded directly Wednesday with the Russian government to meddle in the U.S. presidential election by finding and releasing tens of thousands of private emails from his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton — an extraordinary and perhaps unprecedented maneuver in American politics. “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” Trump said during a news conference at one of his South Florida resorts. He added later, “They probably have them. I’d like to have them released.” Asked whether Russian espionage into the former secretary of state’s correspondence would concern him, Trump said, “No, it gives me no pause. If they have them, they have them.” [Trump] [Hillary Clinton] [Clinton_emails]
• A letter to Boris
  by Paul Robinson, Irrussianality, July 16, 2016
  Dear Boris, Our paths have crossed intermittently over the past four decades, at school and university, and then when you were editor of The Spectator. Congratulations on becoming Britain’s Foreign Secretary! As Russia is my area of specialization, I hope that you won’t consider it presumptuous of me to offer you some advice on Anglo-Russian relations. 1.Consult people other than the usual Russian ‘experts’. I know from previous encounters that you have an open mind. Consult widely. People like Bill Browder, Ed Lucas, Peter Pomerantsev, and Luke Harding dominate the discourse about Russia in the UK, but they present a very one sided, and rather exaggerated, view of Russia. Read instead what people such as Richard Sakwa and Mary Dejevsky are saying. They are far from being ‘Kremlin stooges’, and they will provide you with a far more nuanced picture. 2.Remember that Russia is more than Vladimir Putin. There is a tendency to personify our issues with Russia, to make it out that everything we dislike is the fault of Vladimir Putin, and that if he were to leave office Russia would start acting very differently. This is incorrect. Russia is rather more democratic than people imagine, in the sense that government policy reflects public opinion reasonably well. If anything, in the realm of foreign policy, Putin is slightly more moderate than a lot of the Russian public. There is next to no pressure on him to act in a more friendly way towards the West. On the contrary, the main opposition parties – the Communists, Zhirinovsky’s Liberal Democratic Party, and Just Russia – continually urge him to take a harder line. Putin doesn’t do so, because he has to seriously consider the costs and benefits of his actions, but you should not imagine that whoever succeeds him will be free to suddenly change policy in a pro-Western direction. [Russia confrontation] [Boris Johnson]
• Armageddon Approaches
  Paul Craig Roberts
  July 22, 2016 The Western pubic doesn’t know it, but Washington and its European vassals are convincing Russia that they are preparing to attack. Eric Zuesse reports on a German newspaper leak of a Bundeswehr decision to declare Russia to be an enemy nation of Germany. http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2016/06/09/germany-preparing-for-war-against-russia.html This is the interpretation that some Russian politicians themselves have put on the NATO military bases that Washington is establishing on Russia’s borders. Washington might intend the military buildup as pressure on President Putin to reduce Russian opposition to Washington’s unilateralism. However, it reminds some outspoken Russians such as Vladimir Zhirinovsky of Hitler’s troops on Russia’s border in 1941. [Russia confrontation]
• Russian Plan to Sell Fighter Jets to Iran
  Feb. 19 2016 Russia's deal with Iran for the delivery of Su-30SM fighter jets needs advance approval from the United Nations, U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, the Reuters news agency reported Thursday. Conducting the sale without permission of the UN Security Council would be in violation of the organization's embargo on arms supplies to Tehran, he said. Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan arrived in Moscow on Monday to discuss a deal worth $8 billion which includes the delivery of helicopters, anti-ship missile systems, diesel submarines and other war machinery, the Kommersant newspaper reported. [UNUS] [Russia] [Iran] [Arms sales]
• Russian Foreign Policy: 'We Are Smarter, Stronger and More Determined'
  Interview conducted by Christian Neef Relations between Russia and NATO are deteriorating. Kremlin foreign policy advisor Sergey Karaganov speaks with SPIEGEL about the risk of war, NATO's aggressive posturing and the West's inability to understand Russian values. SPIEGEL: Sergey Alexandrovich, NATO is boosting its presence in Eastern Europe in reaction to recent Russian advances. Western politicians have warned that the two sides could stumble into a situation that might result in war. Are such warnings excessive? Karaganov: I was already speaking of a prewar situation eight years ago. SPIEGEL: When the war in Georgia broke out. Karaganov: Even then, trust between the great powers was trending toward zero. Russia began rearming its army and, since then, the situation has worsened considerably. We warned NATO against approaching the borders of Ukraine because that would create a situation that we cannot accept. Russia has stopped the Western advance in this direction and hopefully that means that the danger of a large war in Europe has been eliminated in the medium term. But the propaganda that is now circulating is reminiscent of the period preceding a new war. SPIEGEL: You are hopefully referring to Russia. Karaganov: The Russian media is more reserved than Western media. Though you have to understand that Russia is very sensitive about defense. We have to be prepared for everything. That is the source of this occasionally massive amount of propaganda. But what is the West doing? It is doing nothing but vilifying Russia; it believes that we are threatening to attack. The situation is comparable to the crisis at the end of the 1970s and beginning of the 1980s. SPIEGEL: You are referring to the stationing of Soviet intermediate-range ballistic missiles and the American reaction? Karaganov: Europe felt weak at the time and was afraid that the Americans might leave the continent. But the Soviet Union, though it had already become rotten internally, felt militarily strong and undertook the foolishness of deploying the SS-20 missiles. The result was a completely pointless crisis. Today, it is the other way around. Now, fears in countries like Poland, Lithuania and Latvia are to be allayed by NATO stationing weapons there. But that doesn't help them; we interpret that as a provocation. In a crisis, we will destroy exactly these weapons. Russia will never again fight on its own territory ... [Russia foreign policy] [Russia confrontation] [War] [Fragmentation]
• WADA recommends banning Russia from Olympics after investigation reveals far-reaching doping program
  By Will Hobson July 18 at 4:04 PM World Anti-Doping Agency accuses the Russian government of complicity in doping regime The World Anti-Doping Agency, which polices drug cheating in sports, accused the Russian government of complicity in a widespread doping regime, calling into question whether any Russian athletes should be permitted to compete at Summer Olympics next month. (Reuters) The global agency that polices drug cheating in sports called for banning all Russian athletes from the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro next month after an investigative report released Monday found “beyond a reasonable doubt” that the Russian government ran a widespread doping system for years in multiple Olympic sports. Russia’s Ministry of Sport covered up positive doping results by hundreds of elite athletes in both Summer and Winter Olympic sports, the World Anti-Doping Agency found. Russian athletes got away with drug cheating in at least 30 sports, WADA said, most prolifically in track and field and weightlifting, but also in swimming, cycling, skating, ice hockey and even table tennis [Russia confrontation] [UNUS] [Drugs] [Olympics]
• Washington Is Politicizing The Olympics: Ongoing Attempts to Ban Russia. Geopolitical Implications
  By Dr. Paul Craig Roberts Global Research, July 19, 2016 Washington and its Canadian vassal are trying to use a Western media-created Russian athletic doping scandal to ban Russian participation in the Olympic games in Brazil. Washington and Canada are pressuring other countries to get on board with Washington’s vendetta against Russia. The vendetta is conducted under the cover of “protecting clean athletics.” You can bet your life that Washington is not motivated by a respect for fairness in sports. Washington is busy at home destroying fairness to the poor, and Washington, which disregards the sovereignty of countries and international law against naked aggression, is busy abroad destroying millions of lives for hegemonic purposes. We could conclude that Washington wants hegemony in sports just as it does in foreign affairs and wants Russian athletes out of the way so that Americans can win more medals. But this would be to miss the real point of Washington’s campaign against Russia. The “doping scandal” is part of Washington’s ongoing effort to isolate Russia and to build opposition to Putin inside Russia. There is a minority known as “Atlanticist Integrationists” inside the Russian government and in the business sector that believes that it is more important for Russia to be integrated into the West than to be sovereign. This minority of Russians is willing to trade off Russian independence for Western acceptance. Essentially they are traitors who Putin tolerates. [Russia Confrontation] [Softwar] [Drugs] [Olympics]
• “MH17 two years on”: Luke Harding’s cynical exploitation of one family’s pain
  by Catte If Luke Harding’s wild-eyed narcissism was less in tune with the current western agenda then his editors at the Guardian might be taking him aside and quietly suggesting counselling and medication. But things being as they are, his narratives of battling Demon Russia and its Empire of Evil tend to make the front page, however rabidly insane, libellously mendacious or simply cringeworthy they may be. But yesterday the Guardian unleashed this: notatallbiasedheadlinehardingmh17 Absorb the headline and the intent behind it. Something of a tour de force of moral bankruptcy even for the team that brought you the Polonium story. We don’t just get racism, warmongering and towering falsehoods here. No – we can also experience the exploitation of 20 year old Richard Mayne’s short life and tragic death and his family’s pain! So sit back and enjoy as Harding rushes in where the sane and ethical might fear to tread, boldly turning one family’s unspeakable tragedy into grist for his own Putin-hate mill. You see, happily for Luke and the pro-war agenda, Richard was killed on board MH17, and his parents blame Vladimir Putin… “ Amid their grief, the Maynes came to a grim conclusion: Richard had been murdered. The man whom they believe murdered him is Vladimir Putin. It was Putin, they believe, who gave orders for the Russian military to cross the border, setting in train a series of consequences, including the shooting down of MH17 and 10,000 dead in the conflict. Let’s be crystal clear at this point. No one can blame this family for their anger. They’re desperate and grief-stricken and need someone to be punished for the crime that took their son. The fact Putin is their target is an understandable human response, and no one could condemn them. But even in a world of wall-to-wall media deception there’s something freshly disgusting in the way this piece weaves saccharine “sympathy” for the tragically bereaved into a simplistic narrative of polarity and hatred, likely to produce nothing but more death, and more grieving families like the Maynes. [MH17] [Media]
• Syria and Korea: The Logic of Peace and War
  Christopher Black The bold initiative by the Russian government to withdraw some of its forces from Syria is a lesson in the use of limited military means to achieve limited political ends. With the finesse of a skilled surgeon, the Russian intervention saved the Syrian government from being overwhelmed by the NATO proxies attacking it, inflicted a fatal blow to the American attempt to achieve hegemony in the Middle East, enhanced Russian prestige in the world, and demonstrated that the economic warfare being waged against Russia by the USA, EU and Canada, has had no effect on either Russian determination to choose an independent foreign policy or the military means to put it into effect. http://journal-neo.org/2016/03/20/syria-and-korea-the-logic-of-peace-and-war/ [Russia Syria] [Syria withdrawal] [US NK policy]
• NATO Reaffirms Its Bogus Russia Narrative
  July 11, 2016 Exclusive: President Obama and NATO leaders signed on to the false narrative of a minding-its-own-business West getting sucker-punched by a bunch of Russian meanies, a storyline that suggests insanity or lies, reports Robert Parry. By Robert Parry It’s unnerving to realize that the NATO alliance – bristling with an unprecedented array of weapons including a vast nuclear arsenal – has lost its collective mind. Perhaps it’s more reassuring to think that NATO simply feels compelled to publicly embrace its deceptive “strategic communications” so gullible Western citizens will be kept believing its lies are truth. But here were the leaders of major Western “democracies” lining up to endorse a Warsaw Summit Communiqué condemning “Russia’s aggressive actions” while knowing that these claims were unsupported by their own intelligence agencies. President Barack Obama walks from Marine One on arrival on the White House’s South Lawn, July 5, 2016, a few days before leaving to attend the NATO Summit in Warsaw, Poland. Official White House photo by Lawrence Jackson President Barack Obama walks from Marine One on arrival on the White House’s South Lawn, July 5, 2016, a few days before leaving to attend the NATO Summit in Warsaw, Poland. Official White House photo by Lawrence Jackson The leaders – at least the key ones – know that there is no credible intelligence that Russian President Vladimir Putin provoked the Ukraine crisis in 2014 or that he has any plans to invade the Baltic states, despite the fact that nearly every “important person” in Official Washington and other Western capitals declares the opposite of this to be reality. But there have been a few moments when the truth has surfaced. For instance, in the days leading up to the just-completed NATO summit in Warsaw, General Petr Pavel, chairman of the NATO Military Committee, divulged that the deployment of NATO military battalions in the Baltic states was a political, rather than military, act. “It is not the aim of NATO to create a military barrier against broad-scale Russian aggression, because such aggression is not on the agenda and no intelligence assessment suggests such a thing,” Pavel told a news conference. [Russia confrontation] [IO] [Inversion]
• NATO commander sees no imminent Russian threat to Baltics
  NATO is not contemplating a troop build-up in East Europe and the Baltics beyond exisiting plans as there is no imminent threat from Russia, despite fears amongst Baltic states, the alliance's military chief said on Monday. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia see themselves in the frontline of any potential conflict with Russia and are putting their armies on a war footing. NATO is planning a new NATO force in Poland and the three Baltic nations. The four battalions, of up to 1,000 troops each, are part of a wider deterrent to be approved at a summit in Warsaw on July 8 that NATO hopes will discourage Russia from orchestrating the kind of campaign it used to annex Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in February 2014. General Petr Pavel, chairman of the NATO Military Committee, said the battalions would act as a political deterrent rather than a military one. No bigger force was needed at this point, he said. "Deployment of substantial military force is not being considered," he told a news conference. "It is not the aim of NATO to create a military barrier against broad-scale Russian aggression, because such aggression is not on the agenda and no intelligence assessment suggests such a thing." [Russia confrontation] [NATO] [Friction]
• Putin’s “Threats” to the Baltics: a Myth to Promote NATO Unity
  by Gary Leupp In his book 2017: War with Russia published a few months ago, former deputy commander of NATO Sir Alexander Richard Shirreff predicts that to prevent NATO expansion Russia will annex eastern Ukraine and invade the Baltic state of Latvia in May 2017. Most dismiss the book as sensationalist fantasy, but it draws attention to the fact that NATO is in fact aggressively expanding, and holding large-scale war games in Romania, Lithuania, and Poland, and Russia is truly concerned. Why Latvia? Shirreff is not alone in trying to depict Latvia and the other Baltic states (Estonia and Lithuania) as immanently threatened by Russia. The stoking of Baltic fears of such are a principle justification for NATO expansion. The argument begins with the assertion that Vladimir Putin (conflated with Russia itself, as though he were an absolute leader, a second Stalin) wants to revive the Soviet Union. His occasional comment that the collapse of the USSR was a “catastrophe” is repeatedly cited, totally out of context, as proof of this expansionist impulse. It continues with the observation that there has been tension between Russia and the Baltic states since their independence in 1991. And while Russia has never threatened the Baltic states with invasion or re-incorporation, the fear mongers like to conjure up Sir Richard’s World War III scenario. So it’s not difficult to understand why NATO, in its largest war games since the end of the Cold War, would choose Poland, which borders both Russia (the Kaliningrad enclave) and Lithuania, as their setting. Dubbed Anaconda-2016, the ten-day exercise involves 31,000 troops from 24 countries including non-NATO members Kosovo, Macedonia and Finland. Germany, whose foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has actually criticized the exercise as “saber-rattling and warmongering,” has sent 400 military engineers but no combat troops. This follows the June announcement that NATO would deploy four multinational battalions (about 4000 troops) in the Baltic states and Poland to “bolster their defenses against Russia.” The idea is that Russian actions in Georgia in 2008 and in Ukraine since 2014 show that Russia poses a grave threat to European security. It doesn’t actually. Its military budget is one-twelfth of NATO’s. It has no motive. Russia has responded to the unrelenting expansion of NATO to encompass it with stern words and defensive military measures but calm and ongoing appeals for cooperation with nations it (despite everything) continues to refer to as “our partners.” But since the Baltics have become the focus of (supposed) NATO-Russian contestation, let’s look at what the problem is all about. [Russia confrontation]
• The West escalates with Russia: Make no mistake, a second Cold War is now official NATO policy
  NATO's aggressive posture towards Russia sets a dangerous course for Obama's successor Patrick Lawrence There have been 22 NATO summits since the first convened in Paris 59 years ago. If you study the chronology, they are more frequent during those times the alliance loses its declared purpose and has to find some new task — a new “threat” to justify the vast bureaucracy in Brussels, the comfortably seconded generals, the military exercises, the incessant production and reproduction of mass anxiety and, of course, the defense contracts that are NATO’s abiding raison d’être. Hence, nearly back-to-back summits — eight in 10 years — from the late 1980s through the 1990s, when NATO spluttered to explain itself in the post–Soviet context. Hence, 12 summits in the new century’s 16 years as strategists flit from one “mission” to another, never persuasively, while adding a dozen members on the alliance’s eastern flank—all but one (Croatia) former members of the Warsaw Pact. The NATO convention concluded last week was a standout — easily the most important of the post-Cold War era. We must not miss its meaning. NATO summits may not be your taste, and who can fault anyone for this? But Warsaw has everything to do with the life you will live in coming years. Think of it as “trending now” if you must — now, as in the next decade or two at a minimum. [NCW] [Russia confrontation]
• The United States and NATO Are Preparing for a Major War With Russia
  Massive military exercises and a troop buildup on NATO’s eastern flank reflect a dangerous new strategy. By Michael T. Klare July 7, 2016 For the first time in a quarter-century, the prospect of war—real war, war between the major powers—will be on the agenda of Western leaders when they meet at the NATO Summit in Warsaw, Poland, on July 8 and 9. Dominating the agenda in Warsaw (aside, of course, from the “Brexit” vote in the UK) will be discussion of plans to reinforce NATO’s “eastern flank”—the arc of former Soviet partners stretching from the Baltic states to the Black Sea that are now allied with the West but fear military assault by Moscow. Until recently, the prospect of such an attack was given little credence in strategic circles, but now many in NATO believe a major war is possible and that robust defensive measures are required. [Russia confrontation]
• Major Syria Developments Soon?
  The Saker • July 9, 2016 A number of events have happened recently which point to the possibility that something might be brewing in the Syrian conflict. First and foremost, there was Erdogan’s apology to Russia which was really much more than just an apology. The Turks have really extended a hand to Russia and their offer officially includes not only a return of Russian tourists or the sale of Turkish veggies in Russia, but a strong collaboration between the two countries against terrorism and even join military operations. The Turks have even indicated that they would be willing to offer Russia the use of the Incirlik airbase for Russian aircraft involved in the air operations against Daesh & Co. Then the Turks denied it, which is fair enough and which is how they, apparently, do business. Either way, the Russians politely declined (more about that later) [Russia Syria] [Turkey]
• MH17 Inquiry: The Elderberry Bush
  Episode 2 of the investigative series by the MH17 Inquiry Youtube channel Was the dashcam video titled MH17 Russian BUK launcher in Makiivka Ukraine video July 17 2014, uploaded to the Euromaidan PR channel in May 2016, actually filmed on July 17 2014 as claimed, or some weeks earlier? The latest episode from MH17 Inquiry suggests the latter. Do you agree with them? It all depends on one small bush… (We think it’s also apposite to remind ourselves at this point that, whenever or wherever these BUK videos were filmed, even now, two years later, no conclusive evidence has been produced that a BUK, whether owned by Ukraine or by the rebels, had anything to do with the downing of MH17.) [MH17]
• Hacked Emails Reveal NATO General Plotting Against Obama on Russia Policy
  Lee Fang Zaid Jilani July 1 2016, 4:41 p.m. Retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, until recently the supreme commander of NATO forces in Europe, plotted in private to overcome President Barack Obama’s reluctance to escalate military tensions with Russia over the war in Ukraine in 2014, according to apparently hacked emails from Breedlove’s Gmail account that were posted on a new website called DC Leaks. Obama defied political pressure from hawks in Congress and the military to provide lethal assistance to the Ukrainian government, fearing that doing so would increase the bloodshed and provide Russian President Vladimir Putin with the justification for deeper incursions into the country. Breedlove, during briefings to Congress, notably contradicted the Obama administration regarding the situation in Ukraine, leading to news stories about conflict between the general and Obama. But the leaked emails provide an even more dramatic picture of the intense back-channel lobbying for the Obama administration to begin a proxy war with Russia in Ukraine. In a series of messages in 2014, Breedlove sought meetings with former Secretary of State Colin Powell, asking for advice on how to pressure the Obama administration to take a more aggressive posture toward Russia. “I may be wrong, … but I do not see this WH really ‘engaged’ by working with Europe/NATO. Frankly I think we are a ‘worry,’ … ie a threat to get the nation drug into a conflict,” Breedlove wrote in an email to Powell, who responded by accepting an invitation to meet and discuss the dilemma. “I seek your counsel on two fronts,” Breedlove continued, “how to frame this opportunity in a time where all eyes are on ISIL all the time, … and two, … how to work this personally with the POTUS.” Breedlove attempted to influence the administration through several channels, emailing academics and retired military officials, including former NATO supreme commander Wesley Clark, for assistance in building his case for supplying military assistance to Ukrainian forces battling Russian-backed separatists. “I think POTUS sees us as a threat that must be minimized, … ie do not get me into a war????” Breedlove wrote in an email to Harlan Ullman, senior adviser to the Atlantic Council, describing his ongoing attempt to get Powell to help him influence Obama. [Russia confrontation] [Breedlove] [US military]
• Has Turkey finally made nice with Russia?
  Maxim A. Suchkov Posted June 30, 2016 Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan have had their first phone conversation in seven months. After the 42-minute talk, Putin, speaking at a government session, said the pair had agreed to resume bilateral relations. The news came just hours after Turkey suffered a terrorist attack June 28 at Istanbul Ataturk Airport. In only one day, the image of Turkey in the Russian media was transformed dramatically from “accomplices” to “victims” of terrorists. Certainly the letter sent from Erdogan to Putin the day before gave the process a boost. The letter, with apologies for the Nov. 24 downing of a Russian warplane, was the culmination of numerous attempts by Turkish leadership to reconcile with the Kremlin. But the U-turn in Russian rhetoric and policies is even more amazing, taking into account the reaction that letter first spurred — ranging from victorious bravado to restrained contentment. “The letter, even though addressed personally to President Putin, is an important sign for Russia as it essentially signals that the line of behavior our country chose proves it was 100% correct and accurate,” said Sen. Konstantin Kosachev, formerly Putin’s private envoy for post-Soviet states. [Russia Turkey]

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JUNE 2016

• How 100 Syrians, 200 Russians and 11 Dogs Out-Witted ISIS and Saved Palmyra
  by Franklin Lamb Palmyra Something just didn’t feel quite right to Syrian army brass as they penciled in final plans to liberated Palmyra in early March 2016 and as they debated how best to drive Daesh (ISIS) out of Palmyra and deep into the surrounding unwelcoming Syrian desert. This, according to army intelligence officials and commanders who this week briefed this observer at various locations around Palmyra. [ISIS]
• Why NATO is missing the point with Russia
  27/06 14:58 CET Nato last week decided to classify cyber attacks as a potential act of war The decision, as well as being poorly thought out, is just another example of the alliance’s US-driven obsession with Russia, according to one of Italy’s most senior military figures. General Leonardo Tricarico, a former Nato commander and Chief of Staff of the Italian air force, told Euronews that instead of focusing on the traditional enemy of Russia, NATO should look to the more immediate threats to its members. NATO should reformulate its policy around the triple challenges of migration, terrorism and cyber security, General Tricarico has told Euronews. Defence strategy should be predicated on dealing with these three problems across the board. The focus on security along the alliance’s eastern front is misguided, he suggests. [NATO] [Russia confrontation] [Cyberwar] [Attribution]
• US Options in the Ukraine: Trigger a Religious War?
  The Saker • June 25, 2016 Listening to the imperial media one might be excused for thinking that nothing dramatic is happening in the Ukraine and that the crisis has basically leveled off in some way. Well, why not? They just had recent elections and, apparently, that went well, Russia is still showing her usual bad will and threatening behavior towards Europe, but at least Putin was forced to release the Ukrainian Jeanne d’Arc (aka Nadezhda Savchenko), and there is hope that the united front of the EU and NATO will eventually force Putin to stop his aggression against the Ukraine and to comply with the Minsk Agreements. Oh, and the Ukrainian National Bank has announced, I kid you not, a return to growth (by 0.1%) for the first quarter of the year. Alas, the disconnection between this kind of nonsense and reality is total. Yes, elections did take place, but they were anything but free, the neo-Nazis are now more influential than ever and the fact that Putin did agree to exchange Savchenko for 2 Russian citizens accused of being, I kid you not, GRU Spetsnaz operators, was just a slick way for him to stop Savchenko from being his problem while making her Poroshenko’s (and even Timoshenko’s). As for the Minsk Agreements, Russia is not part to them at all, she just is a guarantor along with Germany and France. But yes, Poroshenko is still in power, people are still finding goods in stores and no new “Maidan” has taken place. So, externally, things are not too bad. The problem with that rosy image is that nobody at Langley really believes it. The folks at Langley know that the Ukrainian economy is basically dead and coasting to its inevitable breakdown on inertia. They know that the government services are barely kept alive by western aid and that even that is not enough to maintain the authority of the central government which is gradually becoming irrelevant and replaced by local ‘authorities’ (oligarchs and mobsters). Even more importantly, they now have lost any hope of drawing Russia into this conflict and they are seeing clear signs that the “European front” is cracking: France, Italy and others are already showing signs of discontent with the current situation, as has Germany (all these countries have their own “Langleys” who are making exactly the same dire predictions). So the big question for the USA is what to do next? The initial plan was to make the Ukraine a sort of “black hole” which would suck in all the economic, political, and military resources of Russia, ideally by having Russia occupying the Donbass. But now that the Russians have declined to get sucked in, it is Europe which is now threatened with the Ukrainian black hole. [Russia confrontation] [Ukraine] [Orthodox] [Sectarianism]
• Brexit is Good News for Russia, but a Headache for NATO
  Britain’s exit from the EU will undercut its role as America’s key ally in Europe, leaving the continent more divided and distracted -- just the way Putin likes it. • By Dan De Luce, Paul McLeary • June 26, 2016 The only person happier than Boris Johnson over Britain’s exit from the European Union may be Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin has spent years trying to create fissures within the NATO alliance and the European Union, but with little success. Now Britain’s vote to leave the EU fulfills Putin’s wish for a more divided Europe, one potentially preoccupied with its own disagreements while London’s influence recedes. “They are drinking copious amounts of vodka in the Kremlin today,” Derek Chollet, a former senior advisor at the Pentagon, told Foreign Policy “What makes it depressing is that this was an unforced error,” said Chollet, now at the German Marshall Fund. “Putin has been trying to force divisions in the West, but he actually hasn’t been succeeding that well. This is a benefit to him without him having to do anything.” Russian politicians celebrated the vote, hoping it would sabotage the continent’s resolve when it comes to enforcing the sanctions levied against Russia over its military intervention in Ukraine. “Without Britain, there won’t be anybody in the EU to defend sanctions against us so zealously,” Sergey Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow, wrote on Twitter. Andrei Klimov, deputy chairman of the international affairs committee of the upper house of the Russian Parliament, told the New York Times on Friday that he doesn’t “think the European Union will now have time to think about Ukraine or about sanctions.” Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, agreed. He tweeted Friday that “Putin benefits from a weaker Europe. UK vote makes EU weaker. It’s just that simple.” [Brexit] [Russia confrontation] [NATO]
• The 2016 NATO Summit: What will be on the agenda in Warsaw?
  • Dr Ian Anthony Featured Authors: Dr. Ian Anthony, Dr. Ian Davis(*) At their Summit in Warsaw on 8–9 July, the heads of state and government of the NATO member countries will have a very full agenda of key topics for discussion. It seems unlikely that the leaders will seek to revise key guidance documents—the 2010 NATO Strategic Concept and the 2012 Deterrence and Defence Posture Review. However, it is widely recognized that both documents contain some language and ideas that are no longer in line with the way NATO members see current security problems. For example, even if France did not invoke article 5 of the Washington Treaty, there is a consensus among member states that the terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015 were an act of armed aggression. Since 2010, the Islamic State (IS) group has joined al-Qaeda as an enemy of NATO. Moreover, NATO has now agreed that a cyberattack can, under certain conditions, be considered an act of aggression that would require an article 5 response. In addition, the current Strategic Concept describes the threat of a conventional attack against the NATO alliance as low and underlines the strategic importance of NATO-Russia cooperation. Today, while NATO stops short of describing Russia in its documents as an enemy, and continues to hold out the possibility of cooperation under certain conditions, it is equally clear that NATO no longer sees Moscow as a partner. How to deal with Russia is one of six broad interlinked agenda items that are likely to dominate the Warsaw Summit: • the conflict in Ukraine and relations with Russia; • strengthening collective defence; • rethinking deterrence and the roles of nuclear weapons, missile defence and cybersecurity; • addressing the ‘arc of crises’, especially armed Islamist extremism, while staying engaged in Afghanistan; • the ‘open door’ and partnerships policies; and • the ‘burden sharing’ debate. [NATO]
• THE RED LINE CROSSED, IN THE CROSS-HAIRS, AT TRIGGER POINT — WAITING FOR AN OCTOBER SURPRISE
  By John Helmer, Moscow First there was the red-line announcement. On Friday in Athens there was the cross-hairs statement. By the month of October, the month before the US presidential election, there will be the trigger point. The US and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies are going to war with Russia, accelerating the inevitability that Russia will strike in self-defence. This is what the first and second statements by President Vladimir Putin warn. There will be no statement of warning when the trigger point arrives. At his press conference in Athens on Friday, Putin warned that the installation of an Aegis anti-missile base in Romania, operational this month, and the rush to do the same in Poland, are hostile acts, just short of casus belli — cause of war. To make this clear, Putin used a vivid phrase — . It refers to gunsights or cross-hairs for targeting army artillery, airforce cannon, or naval torpedoes. Putin was translated by Reuters as saying: “If yesterday in those areas of Romania people simply did not know what it means to be in the cross-hairs, then today we will be forced to carry out certain measures to ensure our security,’ Putin told a joint news conference in Athens with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. ‘It will be the same case with Poland,’ he said.” Read the Reuters report in full. [Russia confrontation] [Missile defense]
• Back from the Brink: Toward Restraint and Dialogue between Russia and the West
  June 2016 Relations between Russia and the West have fallen to an historic low. Hopes for sustained and comprehensive cooperation have dimmed significantly. Competition and selective cooperation is the new normal. The prime objective for the next few years should be limiting the potential for dangerous military incidents that can escalate out of control. Russia and the West must come back from the brink. They need to better manage their conflictual relationship. Restraint and dialogue are now needed more than ever. [Russia confrontation] [False balance]
• Trolling for War with Russia
  Pat Buchanan • June 21, 2016 Some 50 State Department officials have signed a memo calling on President Obama to launch air and missile strikes on the Damascus regime of Bashar Assad. A “judicious use of stand-off and air weapons,” they claim, “would undergird and drive a more focused and hard-nosed U.S.-led diplomatic process.” In brief, to strengthen the hand of our diplomats and show we mean business, we should start bombing and killing Syrian soldiers. Yet Syria has not attacked us. And Congress has not declared war on Syria, or authorized an attack. Where do these State hawks think President Obama gets the authority to launch a war on Syria? Does State consider the Constitution to be purely advisory when it grants Congress the sole power to declare war? Was not waging aggressive war the principal charge against the Nazis at Nuremberg? [US Syria policy] [Hawks] [Consequences]
• EU agrees extending Russia economic sanctions, formal decision pending: sources
  Brussels | By Gabriela Baczynska and Alastair Macdonald Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2016 (SPIEF 2016) in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 17, 2016. Reuters/Grigory Dukor/File Photo The European Union's Brussels envoys agreed on Tuesday to extend until the end of January the energy, financial and defense sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine, but formal approval is still pending, diplomatic sources said. After more than two years of sanctions imposed over Moscow's annexation of Crimea from Kiev and a pro-Russian insurrection in eastern Ukraine, more EU politicians are now urging a softer stance toward Russia, a key trade partner and energy provider. The initial decision on Tuesday must still be formally approved by the bloc's ministers after France and Britain asked for time to receive comments from their parliaments, although these have no power to block it. [Russia confrontation] [Friction]
• Did Obama push Dutch & Australian govts to start war with Russia after MH17?
  by John Helmer at Dances with Bears NOTE: bold emphases are ours -OffG President Barack Obama and his advisors spent at least a week, and as much as three weeks, planning to send up to 9,000 combat troops into eastern Ukraine, on the border with Russia, following the shoot-down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 two years ago. The scheme, which was to have involved Dutch and Australian army units, with German ground and US air support, plus NATO direction, has inadvertently leaked from the publication of a report this week by a former Australian Army captain. The military plan, according to James Brown, now head of research at the US Studies Centre of the University of Sydney, “would have consumed the bulk of the Australian Army.” Captain Brown also claims “planning for these military options consumed Australia’s intelligence agencies. The National Security Committee of [the Australian ministerial] Cabinet met every day for more than three weeks , and staff and agencies produced a frenzied stream of briefings on Ukraine, Russia and the intentions of [President] Vladimir Putin.” According to Dutch sources, the military plan of attack was aborted when Germany refused to participate directly, or allow its bases and airspace to be used. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced the Dutch were pulling their troops out of the plan on July 27. He said at the time: “Getting the military upper hand for an international mission in this area is, according to our conclusion, not realistic.” That was ten days after the MH17 crash. But Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his cabinet continued, Brown and his sources reveal, to plan the operation with the US for another 10 days. [Russia confrontation] [Alliance] [Friction] [MH17]
• 75 years after Germany Invaded Russia, Putin sees history repeating itself
  from Russia Insider & RT OffG says: Vladimir Putin’s address to the closing session of the Duma highlights Russia’s increasing anxiety over the warmongering rhetoric issuing from Washington and NATO. His emphasis – yet again – on his country’s willingness to work co-operatively with the West is in stark contrast to the disingenuous representations in the corporate media, where Russia is routinely presented as “aggressive” and a “threat.” In truth, Russia is doing nothing “aggressive” other than decline to bend to Western pressure over its own interests. This is fast becoming much more than a question of political allegiance. The West is openly encouraging the impression it is preparing for war. Even if this is just elaborate pretence, or budget-enhancing sabre-rattling, it’s clear the rhetoric is at an unprecedented pitch. Coupled with the almost endless NATO “exercises” on or near the Russian border, and the build-up of military hardware in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, the potential for this to go critical – even if no-one intends it – is probably greater now than during most times in the Cold War. Russia manifestly does not want war. But they will defend themselves if they need to. Russia will take adequate measures to counter NATO’s increasingly “aggressive rhetoric,” President Vladimir Putin told MPs at the closing session of the State Duma. He called to create an international security system open to all countries. It’s necessary to create a collective security system void of “bloc-like thinking” and open to all countries, Putin said on Wednesday in Russia’s parliament. [Russia confrontation] [WWIII]
• The Slow Death of the Syria Cease-Fire Brings a Hybrid War With Russia Closer
  06/20/2016 12:09 pm ET Alastair Crooke Fmr. MI-6 agent; Author, ‘Resistance: The Essence of Islamic Revolution’ BEIRUT — Gradually, the mist of ambiguity and confusion hanging over Syria is lifting a little. The landscape is sharpening into focus. With this improved visibility, we can view a little more clearly the course of action being prepared by Iran, Russia and the Syrian government. Russia is emerging from an internal debate over whether the U.S. is truly interested in an entente or only in bloodying Russia’s nose. And what do we see? Skepticism. Russia is skeptical that NATO’s new missile shield in Poland and Romania, plus military exercises right up near its border, are purely defensive actions. Iran, meanwhile, is studying the entrails of the nuclear agreement. As one well-informed commentator put it to me, Iran is “coldly lethal” at the gloating in the U.S. at having “put one over” Iran. Because, while Iran has duly taken actions that preclude it from weaponizing its nuclear program, it will not now gain the financial normalization that it had expected under the agreement. [Russia confrontation] [US Syria policy] [Iran deal]
• Russia's Position Regarding Missile Defense, NATO Ignored – Putin
  Russia Ready to Cooperate With Any Elected US President - Putin ST PETERSBURG (Sputnik) — The Russian President addressed the Economic Forum guests with a question considering NATO expansion: "For some reason, NATO infrastructure must constantly be expanded and moved closer to the Russian borders. Did this emerge yesterday? Now they are accepting Montenegro. Who is threatening Montenegro? Therefore, this is complete disregard towards our position in everything," Putin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). He also called Washington’s unilateral withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty an issue. "An outside threat, an outside enemy is needed, otherwise why is this organization [NATO] needed?… If we continue following such logic, act to escalate and intensify efforts to scare each other, then one day we may come to a Cold War. We have a completely different logic, it is aimed at cooperation and search for compromise," the Russian president stressed. [Russia confrontation] [NCW] [MISCOM] [NATO]
• Inside Trump’s financial ties to Russia and his unusual flattery of Vladimir Putin
  By Tom Hamburger, Rosalind S. Helderman and Michael Birnbaum June 17 Donald Trump was in his element, mingling with beauty pageant contestants and business tycoons as he brought his Miss Universe pageant to Russia for a much-anticipated Moscow debut. Nonetheless, Trump was especially eager for the presence of another honored guest: Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump tweeted Putin a personal invitation to attend the pageant, and a one-on-one meeting between the New York businessman and the Russian leader was scheduled for the day before the show. Putin canceled at the last minute, but he sent a decorative lacquered box, a traditional Russian gift, and a warm note, according to Aras Agalarov, a Moscow billionaire who served as a liaison between Trump and the Russian leader. Still, the weekend was fruitful for Trump. He received a portion of the $14 million paid by Agalarov and other investors to bring the pageant to Moscow. Agalarov said he and Trump signed an agreement to build a Trump Tower in the heart of Moscow — at least Trump’s fifth attempt at such a venture. And Trump seemed energized by his interactions with Russia’s financial elite, at the pageant and a glitzy after-party in a Moscow nightclub. “Almost all of the oligarchs were in the room,” Trump bragged to Real Estate Weekly upon returning home. Miss Universe 2013 Gabriela Isler of Venezuela and pageant owner Donald Trump point at each other while posing for a photograph after the Miss Universe pageant in Moscow on Nov. 9, 2013. (Ivan Sekretarev/AP) Trump’s relationship with Putin and his warm views toward Russia, which began in the 1980s when the country was still part of the Soviet Union, have emerged as one of the more curious aspects of his presidential campaign. [Trump] [Russia confrontation] [Smear]
• -Steinmeier criticizes NATO 'saber-rattling'
  The German foreign minister has said recent NATO maneuvers could further inflame the security situation in eastern Europe. He has called for dialogue with Russia ahead of an upcoming NATO summit in Warsaw in early July. In comments published Saturday, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier sharply criticized recent NATO military exercises in eastern Europe, calling such drills counterproductive to security in the region. DW recommends NATO alliance starts biggest military exercise amid tensions with Russia On June 7, NATO launched exercises codenamed "Anakonda-16," which simulated a Russian attack on Poland. The two-week-long drills involve some 31,000 troops, including 14,000 from the United States, 12,000 from Poland and 1,000 from the UK, as well as dozens of fighter jets and ships, along with 3,000 vehicles. Speaking to Germany's "Bild am Sonntag" newspaper, Steinmeier (SPD) said more dialogue and cooperation with Russia are needed, not what he deemed military posturing. "What we shouldn't do now is inflame the situation further through saber-rattling and warmongering," Steinmeier said in comments made available ahead of publication on Sunday. "Whoever believes that a symbolic tank parade on the alliance's eastern border will bring security, is mistaken. "We are well-advised to not create pretexts to renew an old confrontation," he added. Steinmeier instead called for dialogue and diplomacy, saying it would be "fatal to now narrow the focus to the military, and seek a remedy solely through a policy of deterrence." He told the newspaper that a willingness to negotiate must also be present alongside military precautions, and that the alliance should be prepared to "renew discussions about the benefits of disarmament and arms control for security in Europe [Russia confrontation] [Germany] [Friction]
• Cracks emerge in the European consensus on Russia
  Berlin | By Noah Barkin Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2016 (SPIEF 2016) in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 17, 2016. Reuters/Grigory Dukor/File Photo As the European Union squabbled over refugees, Greek bailouts and austerity in past years, it showed striking unity in another area: its resolve to punish Russia for the annexation of Crimea and support of separatists in eastern Ukraine. That consensus was possible because German Chancellor Angela Merkel was able to keep Russia-friendly members of her own government on-side and convince skeptical EU states like Slovakia, Hungary and Italy to back extensions of the bloc's economic and financial sanctions against Moscow. Another six month extension seems likely to be agreed on Tuesday. But that cannot hide the fact that the mood in Berlin is shifting. And with that shift, the first real cracks are emerging in the European consensus on how to deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin. [Russia confrontation] [Friction]
• Ukraine’s Broken Road to Europe
  The country’s roads are an embarrassment. Does an ambitious reconstruction project in Odessa point the way forward? • By Dan Peleschuk • June 16, 2016 - 12:42 pm The highway was built by the Soviet government around the middle of the last century, but precious little has been done since then in the way of upkeep. The asphalt is pitted with potholes ranging in size from baseballs to kiddie pools, and the roadside doubles as a graveyard for blown tires and broken hubcaps. In places the road is so badly damaged that drivers prefer to use makeshift dirt paths that have sprung up parallel to it. In places the road is so badly damaged that drivers prefer to use makeshift dirt paths that have sprung up parallel to it. At least there they can maintain a steady, if not exactly expedient, 25 miles per hour As bad as it is, the M15 highway is more or less representative of most provincial Ukrainian roads, whose poor conditions will cost the country up to $4.8 billion (about 5 percent of GDP) over the next two years, officials say. Earlier this spring, a top official at Ukravtodor, a rough equivalent to the United States’ Federal Highway Administration, announced that some 97 percent of Ukraine’s roads are in need of repair. That unsettling fact is as good an indicator as many others that the country is still struggling to improve its notoriously corrupt and ineffective government. “The Putin regime presents Ukraine as a failed state, and nothing supports that notion more than weak governmental institutions and the absence of roads,” says Sasha Borovik, the former deputy governor of Odessa and an outspoken reformer. “And in Ukraine, you pretty much have both.” [Ukraine] [Corruption] [Governance] [Infrastructure]
• End of Ceasefire in Syria: Aleppo on Fire
  Alex Gorka | 13.06.2016 On June 9, the defense ministers of Russia, Syria and Iran met in Tehran to discuss counter-terrorism activities and security initiatives that would prevent jihadists from conducting wider operations in the region. Russian Defense Ministry statement said the talks were focused on «priority measures in reinforcing the cooperation» in the fight with Islamic State (IS) and al-Nusra terrorist groups. The trio agreed that a «comprehensive ceasefire» and humanitarian aid were vital in establishing firm peace in Syria. The agenda also included «supporting the Syrian army» and «specified priorities», like preventing ammunition and weapons supplied by other countries from getting into the hands of internationally-recognized terrorist groups. [Russia Syria]
• Seoul seeks Moscow's cooperation on NK
  By Yi Whan-woo Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se will meet with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, Monday, to discuss issues related to North Korea, the foreign ministry said Sunday. Yun, who took office in 2013, is the first South Korean foreign minister to visit Russia since 2011. [Russia hope]
• Nuland to Congress: We Spend $100 Mil a Year Trying to Destabilize Russia (Video)
  by Ricky Twistdale, via Russia Insider On Tuesday [June 7, 2016], the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations scheduled a two-hour anti-Russian hate-fest. Lies, misinformation and jaw-dropping stupidity were on full display. The star witness of course, was Tricky Vicky Nuland. These congressional committee meetings crack me up. In theory, they’re supposed to be interviewing witnesses to collect information. In reality it’s a platform for congressmen to make speeches satisfying the special interests who own them and then they read questions from prepared notes provided to them by “experts” or lobbyists (or maybe the witnesses themselves). Then they get the answers they want to hear from the witnesses. It is 100% theater. [Russia confrontation] [Nuland]
• Russia's Aerospace Defense Forces Will Return to Syria
  After most of Russia’s Aerospace Defense Forces were withdrawn from Syria, the situation in the country began to change rapidly. The «New Syrian Army» was created on the Jordanian border, consisting of Kurds and Arabs under the command of American instructors. This is a fairly powerful, well-equipped group, tasked with laying siege to Raqqa, the «capital of the Islamic State», from the east. Another Kurdish-Arab army, the Lions of Rojava, is advancing on Raqqa from the Turkish border in the north. It is led by Americans wearing Kurdish military uniforms. At almost the same time, Turkish army tanks crossed the Syrian border and embedded themselves in those regions through which ammunition, food, and fresh manpower travel on their way to the IS raiders lodged in Aleppo. According to the Russian General Staff, trucks are bringing weapons and ammunition from Turkey to the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group, and this influx of supplies is continuing. This is why the Syrian army, fatigued by war, is losing the offensive edge that could be seen when it was conducting joint operations with Russia’s Aerospace Defense Forces. There has been no expansion of the boundaries of the area around Palmyra that is under government control, and there are no longer any immediate plans to take the city of Deir ez-Zor, which was to have followed Palmyra. The previous delicate balance is beginning to tip against Damascus, due to the influx of fresh forces from Turkey. It is starting to seem like American diplomacy in Syria is trying to draw Russia into the next round of negotiations about what turned out to be a sham ceasefire, because anti-government forces continue to regroup, and the armed gangs that allegedly belong to the moderate opposition continue to launch ceaseless attacks on government troop positions. Sergey Lavrov spoke by telephone with US Secretary of State John Kerry and demanded in no uncertain terms that the Turkish-Syrian border be closed. In addition, the minister insisted that Washington fulfill its promise that the Syrian opposition groups backed by the Americans would disassociate themselves from the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists. But these negotiations are unlikely to change anything. The Americans will not cooperate with Russia’s goals. But even if the Americans wanted to, how could they force Turkey to alter its military policy? [US Syria strategy] [Outsourcing] [Russia Syria]
• NATO Exercises Encircling Russia: U.S. Might be Sleepwalking into a Doomsday Scenario
  As U.S. destroyers and warships enter the Black Sea for the first time since the Cold War, NATO?s ten-day military exercises encircling Russia threatens peace in Europe says Richard Sakwa, Professor of Russian and European Politics at University of Kent NATO Exercises Encircling Russia: U.S. Might be Sleepwalking into a Doomsday ScenarioSHARMINI PERIES, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, TRNN: It's the Real News Network. I'm Sharmini Peries, coming to you from Baltimore. NATO launched a 10-day long military exercise in Poland on Monday. The exercise, codenamed Anaconda 16, involves 31 thousand NATO troops from 24 participating nations with the US providing the largest number of military personnel and the [dollar], since the US current assumes roughly 73 percent of NATO's annual budget. Relations between NATO and Russia have been tense since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its support for separatists in Eastern Ukraine. Joining us to discuss all of this is Richard Sakwa. He is a professor of Russian and European politics and the University of Kent in the UK. His latest book is "Frontline: Ukraine's Crisis in the Borderlands." Thank you so much for joining us today. RICHARD SAKWA: My pleasure. PERIES: So, professor, this is one of NATO's biggest exercises in Eastern Europe since the Cold War. What is the US-NATO objectives in the Baltic area this time? SAKWA: Basically it's what they call a reassurance. The idea is that Russia has become a more assertive power, and the idea is, is that countries in the Baltic and Poland and some of the other central European countries need to be assured that the United States, NATO and the collective defense alliance would come to their defense in case of an attack. So, you may have heard that there has been much discussion that the Baltic republics, in particular Latvia, is under threat. So the idea is that by demonstrating a common will, a common purpose and above all the commitment of the United States [to] the defense of the NATO alliance that Russia would put off undertaking what they argue is more aggressive actions. PERIES: Now, the US-led NATO buildup on land, sea and around the Russian borders, accompanied by the activation of May, I guess 2016, this year, missile defense installation as well in the region, all of this is perceived as a threat to the very existence of Russia as a sovereign state. The Russian foreign minister himself said that Russia is not very pleased with the NATO's military infrastructure moving into countries surrounding Russia and it is not happy about dragging other states into this military activity. He added that they will invoke Russia's sovereign right to ensure its security and will respond to NATO's activity in the Baltic region accordingly. This is all very scary. What did he mean by that? SAKWA: Well, the big picture in the media terms is that NATO has enlarged from 12 countries in 1991 to 28 now, or 29, Montenegro due to join soon. So, the alliance, from being a defense alliance against the Soviet Union, has become obsessed with enlargement and it?s now enlarged all the way to Russia's borders with a potential enlargement to Georgia and to Ukraine. Now, in many ways you could argue that NATO enlargement is not a danger because it's not an offensive alliance. It's security, and it's actually avoided the sort of fragmentation of security in Europe. That would be fine if Russia was part of that security order [Russia confrontation] [NATO enlargement]
• U.S., NATO countries begin largest military exercise in eastern Europe since Cold War
  By Thomas Gibbons-Neff June 7 at 9:57 AM ? The biggest military exercise in eastern Europe since the Cold War kicked off in earnest Tuesday as roughly 2,000 NATO paratroopers were set to fill the skies over Poland. The operation, called Anakonda 2016, is billed as a Polish-led training exercise and will span roughly 10 days. More than 30,000 troops from 24 different countries, including non-NATO states such as Finland and Kosovo, are set to participate in a series of events spread across Poland. The exercise is designed to emulate a “joint defensive operation on a large scale,” according to a release by the U.S. Army. U.S. Army soldiers assigned to Charlie Co., 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment and Alpha Battery, 319th Field Artillery Regiment, participate in an airborne operation during Anakonda 2016 in Drawsko Pomorskie, Poland, on June 6. (U.S. Army) Components of Anakonda 2016 include live-fire training, the deployment of air defenses, bridging operations across the Vistula river, operating in an electronic warfare environment and unspecified “cyber” operations, according to the Army release. Anakonda will also pull in resources from two other training exercises occurring simultaneously in the region called Saber Strike 16 and Swift Response 16. [Russia confrontation] [Provocation] [NCW]
• U.S. asks Russia to not hit Nusra Front in Syria, Moscow says
  Vladimir Isachenkov, The Associated Press 6:48 p.m. EDT June 3, 2016 MOSCOW — Russia's foreign minister said Washington has asked Moscow not to target the al-Qaida's branch in Syria, the Nusra Front, but the U.S. insisted Friday that it only wants Russia to carefully select it targets to avoid hitting civilians and legitimate opposition groups. Sergey Lavrov said that Russia has long insisted that the moderate, U.S.-backed opposition groups should leave the areas occupied by Nusra. He said in televised remarks that Russia and the U.S. have engaged in close dialogue on how to secure a cease-fire in Syria, but added that fighting the Islamic State group and Nusra should be a top priority. [US Syria strategy] [Al Nusra]
• North Korea Missile Tests to Trigger Nuclear Arms Race in Asia Pacific
  Peter Korzun North Korea has demonstrated its determination to up the ante in its confrontation with the world community by attempting to fire a missile from its east coast on May 31. It exploded shortly after liftoff– an unusual streak of flops even by the checkered standards of North Korea.This was the latest in a string of unsuccessful ballistic missile tests as the country tries to advance its weapons program in defiance of the United Nations and great powers, including its regional ally China and friendly neighbor Russia – both countries joining other UN Security Council (UNSC) members in strong condemnation of the tests. The UNSC unanimously adopted a resolution in March considered to be the toughest sanctions package in history imposed on the defiant country. [Missile] [Arms race] [Naiveté] [Cliché]
• Commentary: How NATO really provoked Putin
  By Lucian Kim A specialist inspects a U.S Air Force F-15 Eagle fighter after a certification of the arresting gear at the military air base in Lielvarde, Latvia, May 19, 2016. Reuters/Ints Kalnins Poland is about to host the largest multinational military exercises on its territory in more than a decade. The “Anakonda-16” exercises, involving 31,000 troops from more than 20 countries, are intended to showcase the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s unity and speed one month before the alliance’s summit in Warsaw. The U.S. Army will play a key role, with a mechanized regiment based in Germany simulating a mission to rescue the Baltic states from a Russian attack. The exercises come just weeks after the United States inaugurated the first of two controversial missile-defense installations in Eastern Europe. Next year, the Pentagon plans to quadruple military spending in Europe to $3.4 billion and begin rotating an armored brigade through Eastern Europe — in addition to extra NATO forces to be deployed to Poland and the Baltics. [Russia confrontation] [NATO] [Naiveté] [Inversion] [Missile defense]
• Same Problem, Different Angles: Japan and South Korea’s Divergent Approaches to Cooperation with Russia
  by Tony Rinna At the onset of 2016, a fresh set of North Korean security provocations — a nuclear test and subsequent rocket launch — prompted the Russian foreign ministry to condemn Pyongyang’s actions more harshly than ever before. In the past, Moscow had merely condemned the DPRK for its tests, but these most recent acts of adventurism not only prompted cautionary words from Russian officials about the potential for kinetic action against North Korea, but also highlighted Russia’s role as a regional actor. In so doing, a puzzling outcome arose: Japan and South Korea took markedly different approaches to the shifting Russian strategy. [Russia Japan] [Russia SK]
• Open Letter: A Russian Warning
  from Club Orlov
  We, the undersigned, are Russians living and working in the USA. We have been watching with increasing anxiety as the current US and NATO policies have set us on an extremely dangerous collision course with the Russian Federation, as well as with China. Many respected, patriotic Americans, such as Paul Craig Roberts, Stephen Cohen, Philip Giraldi, Ray McGovern and many others have been issuing warnings of a looming a Third World War. But their voices have been all but lost among the din of a mass media that is full of deceptive and inaccurate stories that characterize the Russian economy as being in shambles and the Russian military as weak—all based on no evidence. But we—knowing both Russian history and the current state of Russian society and the Russian military, cannot swallow these lies. We now feel that it is our duty, as Russians living in the US, to warn the American people that they are being lied to, and to tell them the truth. And the truth is simply this: “ If there is going to be a war with Russia, then the United States will most certainly be destroyed, and most of us will end up dead. Let us take a step back and put what is happening in a historical context. Russia has suffered a great deal at the hands of foreign invaders, losing 22 million people in World War II. Most of the dead were civilians, because the country was invaded, and the Russians have vowed to never let such a disaster happen again. Each time Russia had been invaded, she emerged victorious. In 1812 Nepoleon invaded Russia; in 1814 Russian cavalry rode into Paris. On June 22, 1941, Hitler’s Luftwaffe bombed Kiev; On May 8, 1945, Soviet troops rolled into Berlin. But times have changed since then. If Hitler were to attack Russia today, he would be dead 20 to 30 minutes later, his bunker reduced to glowing rubble by a strike from a Kalibr supersonic cruise missile launched from a small Russian navy ship somewhere in the Baltic Sea. The operational abilities of the new Russian military have been most persuasively demonstrated during the recent action against ISIS, Al Nusra and other foreign-funded terrorist groups operating in Syria. A long time ago Russia had to respond to provocations by fighting land battles on her own territory, then launching a counter-invasion; but this is no longer necessary. Russia’s new weapons make retaliation instant, undetectable, unstoppable and perfectly lethal. [Russia confrontation] [Military balance] [Military expenditure]
• Led by Poland, the European “House Negroes” Compete for the Darwin Awards
  The Saker • June 3, 2016 And now, when all of these benefits and all this aid has been lost and discarded, England, leading the France offers to guarantee the integrity of Poland — the same in Poland, which just six months ago with greed hyena appetite took part in the robbery and destruction of the Czechoslovak state. -Winston Churchill, The Gathering Storm We really live in a crazy world. In preparation for the next NATO summit in Warsaw, already announced as ‘landmark summit‘, kids in Poland will be exposed to 4 hours of NATO propaganda a week for the next two months. Apparently, the Poles believe that their safety will be greatly enhanced if they succeed in creating the strongest possible tensions between NATO and Russia. Either that, or they think that the Russians will be absolutely terrified, that they will return the Crimea to the Ukronazi junta in Kiev, abandon the Donbass and unilaterally demilitarize. There is nothing new here. Poland – the country which Winston Churchill called a “greedy hyena” – has a long history of trying to attack Russia when Russia is at her weakest, and the greatest Polish “heroes” are famous for attacking Russia in the times of internal trouble. Except that this time around Russia is not weak and the Russian people are solidly behind the Kremlin. You could say that the Russian bear is utterly unimpressed by the Polish hyena, especially when it hides behind the American eagle to bark at Russia. The Polish view of history is nothing short of bizarre. For example, Polish politicians constantly blame the Soviet Union for the 1939 Soviet-German non-aggression Treaty (aka “Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact”) of 1939. They conveniently “forget” that a full five years before 1939 Poland was the first to sign the 1934 Polish-German non-aggression treaty (for some reason not known as the “Pilsudski-Hitler Pact”). Speaking of Pilsudski, take a look at this (very politically correct) summary of his life and actions and you will see that having megalomaniacal Fascist national heroes is not only a Ukrainian feature. Apparently, history taught the Poles absolutely nothing. They are hardly alone. [Russia confrontation] [Poland]
• After imposing his will on Syria, Putin is moving onto Libya
  Saturday, 4 June 2016 Dr. Azeem Ibrahim After imposing Moscow’s will on the situation in Syria, Putin is moving on to Libya. And this new proxy conflict he is waging with the West has many of the same hallmarks of the last one: the West backs a pitiful attempt at a ‘democratic’ government with unfortunate Islamist leanings, Putin backs an authoritarian, militaristic autocrat, and ISIS sits squarely in the middle, a target of everyone’s rhetoric but too rarely of their weapons. And once again, the West is being outmaneuvered. The Western-backed government of National Accord ruling from Tripoli is anything but democratic, and is barely held together with the ‘protection’ of Islamist ‘Libya Dawn’, a coalition which includes former Al-Qaeda jihadists, amongst other interesting characters. And the ‘protection’ also comes at the cost of Dawn steadily usurping the institutions of this government recognized by the West and the UN. A very thin veil of civility is masking a very chaotic and merciless struggle for power between groups that have very little in common and very little shared notion of what Libya should look like in the future. Meanwhile, in the eastern city of Tobruk, the elected parliament of Libya, the House of Representatives, increasingly alienated from the government by the intrusion of Dawn into the political process in Tripoli, is being attracted into the sphere of influence of the rebel General Haftar who controls the East of the country, most of the oil fields, and who is backed by Russia. [Libya] [Russia] [CIA] [Saudi Arabia]
• MH-17 Probe Relies on Ukraine for Evidence
  June 5, 2016 Exclusive: The oft-delayed probe into the 2014 shoot-down of MH-17 over eastern Ukraine has been tainted by its dependence on Ukraine’s intelligence service for much of its evidence, as a new interim report makes clear, reports Robert Parry. By Robert Parry The Dutch-led investigation into the 2014 shooting-down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 relies heavily on information provided by the Ukrainian security service and operates primarily from a field office in Kiev, despite the fact that Ukraine should be a principal suspect in the mystery of who was responsible for killing 298 people. The cozy relationship between the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) and the Ukrainian government’s secret service emerges from a report presented to Dutch families of MH-17 victims in the last few days, a portion of which was made available to me. [MH17]
• Syrian Situation: the War Continues
  Alexander Orlov As of the end of May this year, the situation in Syria has, in principle, remained largely unchanged, despite the intense fighting amongst all the parties involved in the conflict, including external participation from Russia and the “international” coalition led by the United States. Although the zone of influence of the terrorist groups like the IS and “Jabhat al-Nusra” has gradually narrowed, no decisive turning point has been reached yet. New Islamic militants are joining their ranks to replace those “Jihadis” who have fallen in battle or deserted the group. These new fighters receive financial aid and weapons from rich Arab nations, as well as from Turkey albeit not via official government structures. Despite the announcement of May 20, that from May 25 Moscow intended to begin unilaterally targeting and taking out the Syrian terrorists who have continued fighting and have not dissociated themselves from Jabhat al-Nusra, and the US refusal to accede to these air strikes, Russia still hopes to reach an amicable agreement with Washington on this crucial matter. However, America is trying to independently organize the Syrian armed opposition into offensive units against the positions held by the IS in Aleppo, in an obvious attempt to prevent the recovery of control by the government troops. Against this background, during the week, both Russian aircraft and Syrian Air Force aircraft attacked the positions of IS and “Jabhat al-Nusra” militants that are not covered in the cease-fire agreement, in the provinces of Aleppo and Homs, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, and Raqqa. On May 25 and 28, there was a joint air strike by aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces and Syrian Air Force on a convoy of oil tankers in the eastern province of Homs. [Russia Syria] [Outsourcing] {US Syria policy]
• Russia-Supported Syrian Army Launches Major Offensive to Liberate Raqqa
  Alex Gorka | 04.06.2016 Some time ago it was widely believed that Aleppo was the key target for turning the tide of war in Syria. Now the Syrian military seems to reconsider its plans. It has decided to liberate the de facto Islamic State (IS) capital Raqqa – the big city under full militant control and a major base of operations for the terrorist group.It can and must be done. The recent Palmyra liberation by Russia-supported Syria forces is an inspiring example. On June 3, the Syrian army backed by Russian air strikes launched a prolonged, full-scale offensive to oust IS from Raqqa, nearing a region where US-backed militias have also attacked the jihadist group. Thousands of the Syrian Army’s most experienced troops amassed at the town of Ithriya (in southern Aleppo). The Russian Aerospace Forces delivered strikes to hit IS-held territory in eastern areas of Hama province near the province of Raqqa, where the Syrian army was advancing. The move is prompted by inefficiency of US-led coalition forces, which are also involved in the combat actions to make IS militants flee. [Russia Syria]
• Stephen Cohen – “Unprecedented NATO Mobilization – Looks Like War With Russia”
  via Russia Insider The large-scale US-NATO amassing of military force on Russia’s Western borders, NATO’s “Eastern Front,” is unprecedented and creates the impression of preparation for actual war Nation contributing editor Stephen F. Cohen and John Batchelor continue their weekly discussions of the new US-Russian Cold War. (Previous installments are at TheNation.com.) This installment continues last week’s focus on the extraordinary US-NATO build-up of military forces—on land, sea, and in the air—on and very near Russia’s borders, the opening of, as Cohen terms it, “NATO’s Eastern Front.” The size of the build-up, and its proximity to Russia, had no precedent during the preceding 40-year Cold War, leading Cohen to ask if this is already something more than “Cold War,” a mobilization for real war. US and NATO officials have recently made clear this is only the beginning of what will be a very large-scale and permanent amassing of military power on the new Eastern Front. And Moscow, while remembering the German invasion of 1941, is reacting accordingly by mobilizing its own forces on its Western territories and promising more “counter-measures.” Even though the alleged threat of ongoing “Russian aggression,” which Washington and Brussels officials cite as justification, clearly does not exist, no critical questions about the NATO build-up have appeared in the American mainstream media, only applause and calls for “more and bigger military exercises,” as a New York Times editorial put it. [Russia confrontation]
• EU Commission President Goes to Russia: Major Diplomatic Breakthrough
  European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has agreed to attend an event in Russia in June, a Commission spokeswoman announced on May 30, in a move that may stir debate on the EU's fraught relations with Moscow. «President Juncker has been invited and plans to participate in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on 16 June», the spokeswoman stated. «He will use this opportunity to convey to the Russian leadership as well as to a wider audience the EU's perspective regarding the current state of EU-Russia relations», she added. The annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum will be held on June 16-18. This year’s topic is «Capitalizing on the New Global Economic Reality». The annual event brings together politicians, business leaders and think tankers. This time Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, Greece’s Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura, former French Foreign Minister Hubert Védrine and Europe’s former Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson are on the guest list. Major US investors will take part in the forum. «Business will do what it sees as necessary. What is not forbidden is allowed. According to our information, the leading investors will attend the Russian forum. American companies will be among them. The policy of ignoring the forum has failed. Interested companies, in any case, will attend and no one will hinder them», said Russian Embassy in Washington spokesman Grigory Zasypkin. Last year, SPIEF was attended by PwC, Boston Consulting, Schlumberger, Intel, ExxonMobil, Boeing and other American companies. In 2015, the forum saw 205 agreements, memorandums and contracts signed, with a total worth of $4.5 billion. [EU Russia]
• Russian President Wraps Up Visit to Greece
  Russian President Vladimir Putin has just wrapped up a working visit (May 27-28) to Greece in the context of the votive Greece-Russia Year 2016. Military guard was at the airport to greet the Russian leader in a welcoming ceremony – an unusual sign of special respect in view it was not an official, but a working visit. F-16 fighters flew overhead as Vladimir Putin was met by Defense Minister Panos Kammenos. This is the first time the Russian President visited the country in 10 years. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras visited Moscow for talks with Putin twice last year, in April and June, ahead of his re-election in September. Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos visited Russia in January. President Putin's trip to Greece is also his first visit to the EU this year. He attended the global climate talks in Paris at the end of 2015. Greece has kept close relations with Moscow even after the EU imposed economic sanctions in the summer of 2014 in response to Crimea becoming part of Russia and the tensions over Ukraine’s crisis. [Greece Russia]
• MH17: The Continuing Charade
  James O’Neill The Sun Herald (Sydney) of 22 May 2016 reported that the Australian families of the MH17 disaster had “served” the European court of Human Rights (ECHR) with a claim seeking compensation of $10 million for each victim. The report referred to the “proposed respondents” to the claim being the Russian Federation and its President Vladimir Putin. The solicitor acting for the plaintiffs was quoted in a separate report (1) claiming, “we have facts, photographs, memorandums (sic), tonnes of stuff.” He also claimed that the claim document ran to “over 3500 pages in length.” These reports closely followed the publication of the New South Wales Coroner’s Court report into the deaths of six of the victims who were resident in New South Wales. The Coroner’s findings closely followed those of the Report of the Dutch Safety Board of 13 October 2015, attributing the deaths of those aboard MH17 to a BUK missile detonating close to the aircraft, causing the plane to disintegrate and a consequent immediate loss of life to all aboard. It was not part of the Coroner’s jurisdiction to attribute blame, that being the subject of a separate criminal investigation (JIT). The results of that investigation are expected to be announced later this year. The Dutch head of the JIT investigation, Mr Fred Westerbeke wrote to all the Dutch victim’s families in February 2016 giving them an update on the investigation. A query to the Australian Federal Police as to whether the Australian families might receive a similar briefing was effectively ignored.
  Something Mr Westerbeke did say that was of particular interest was that the United States had released their satellite data to the Dutch Security Services. Whether that data could be used and if so in what format, was for security reasons an unresolved issue. Those data are of considerable significance. It is known that there were three US satellites overhead the Donbass region at the material time. They had the undoubted capability of determining exactly what was fired at MH17, from precisely where, and by whom. US Secretary of State John Kerry claimed as much in an interview with NBC shortly after the tragedy. The American refusal to publically release the data leads to the very strong inference that it is being concealed for the reason that it does not support the “blame Russia” meme so favoured by the western media. [MH17]

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MAY 2016

• Jamala ‘Won’ Singing Paean to Tatar SS Nazis
  Author: F. William Engdahl I don’t want to discuss the musical merits of who should have won the recent Eurovision amateur song contest in Stockholm. It’s brazenly clear that the Ukrainian ethnic Tatar Jamala won in a rigged contest to make a political intervention. As she subsequently openly admitted, it was between the actions of Stalin in World War II against Crimean Tatars and the actions of Moscow in 2014 in Crimea. The song of Jamala was blatantly political and by Eurovision rules ought to be grounds to strip her of the title regardless of her singing talent or lack of same. What is conspicuously absent from Western media coverage in what is seen by many as a blatant politicization of the music festival is who those 1944 Crimean Tatars were fighting in the mourning song of Jamala. The answer may surprise some. Jamala’s song, 1944, mourns the hardship suffered by Crimean Tatar Muslims who were deported in the thousands by Stalin to Central Asia. The image left by Jamala is of barbarian cruelty by the Soviet dictator against innocent Tatars. Hoever to give an historically accurate picture, the Tatars of Crimea during that war were hardly innocent civilians. Tens of thousands of them had been organized on orders from Hitler into Crimean Tatar SS brigades. The issue at hand is not whether Stalin reacted to the Tatar situation in 1944 with brutality. Even the Soviet Union acknowledged that was so after Stalin’s death. What the current media scrupulously ignores is what was the historical reality in 1944 that the song of the 32-year-old Crimean Tatar Jamala leaves out. http://journal-neo.org/2016/05/28/jamala-won-singing-paean-to-tatar-ss-nazis/ [Nazism] [Jihadist]
• How Russia Is Preparing for WWIII
  The Saker • May 26, 2016 I have recently posted a piece in which I tried to debunk a few popular myths about modern warfare. Judging by many comments which I received in response to this post, I have to say that the myths in question are still alive and well and that I clearly failed to convince many readers. What I propose to do today, is to look at what Russia is really doing in response to the growing threat from the West. But first, I have to set the context or, more accurately, re-set the context in which Russia is operating. Let’s begin by looking at the AngloZionist policies towards Russia. The West’s actions: First on this list is, obviously, the conquest by NATO of all of Eastern Europe. I speak of conquest because that is exactly what it is, but a conquest achieved according to the rules of 21st century warfare which I define as “80% informational, 15% economic and 5% military”. Yes, I know, the good folks of Eastern Europe were just dreaming of being subjugated by the US/NATO/EU/etc – but so what? Anyone who has read Sun Tzu will immediately recognize that this deep desire to be ‘incorporated’ into the AngloZionist “Borg” is nothing else but the result of a crushed self-identity, a deep-seated inferiority complex and, thus, a surrender which did not even have to be induced by military means. At the end of the day, it makes no difference what the locals thought they were achieving – they are now subjects of the Empire and their countries more or less irrelevant colonies in the fringe of the AngloZionist Empire. As always, the local comprador elite is now bubbling with pride at being, or so they think, accepted as equals by their new masters (think Poroshenko, Tusk or Grybauskaite) which gives them the courage to bark at Moscow from behind the NATO fence. Good for them. Second is the now total colonization of Western Europe into the Empire. While NATO moved to the East, the US also took much deeper control of Western Europe which is now administered for the Empire by what the former Mayor of London once called the “great supine protoplasmic invertebrate jellies” – faceless bureaucrats à la François Hollande or Angela Merkel. Third, the Empire has given its total support to semi-demonic creatures ranging from al-Khattab to Nadezhda Savchenko. The West’s policy is crystal clear and simple to the extreme: if it is anti-Russian we back it. This policy is best exemplified with a Putin and Russia demonization campaign which is, in my opinion, far worse and much more hysterical than anything during the Cold War. Fourth, the West has made a number of highly disturbing military moves including the deployment of the first elements of an anti-missile system in Eastern Europe, the dispatching of various forms of rapid reaction forces, the deployment of a few armored units, etc. NATO now has forward deployed command posts which can be used to support the engagement of a rapid reaction force. What does all this add up to? [Russia confrontation] [Military balance]
• Putin says Romania, Poland may now be in Russia's cross-hairs
  ATHENS | By Denis Dyomkin Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday warned Romania and Poland they could find themselves in the sights of Russian rockets because they are hosting elements of a U.S. missile shield that Moscow considers a threat to its security. Putin issued his starkest warning yet over the missile shield, saying that Moscow had stated repeatedly that it would have to take retaliatory steps but that Washington and its allies had ignored the warnings. [Missile defense]
• Ex-NATO Chief Rasmussen is now Poroshenko's new advisor
  Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and ex-NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at NATO summit, 2014 (Photo by President.gov.ua) Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and ex-NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen at NATO summit, 2014 (Photo by President.gov.ua) And this assignment was not left unnoticed by Russia Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has been appointed as a new advisor to the Ukrainian President. Petro Poroshenko signed the relevant decree on May 27. Rasmussen, who also was Danish Prime Minister, has already confirmed the fact. [Ukraine] [NATO] [Russia confrontation]
• How Russia Implements Sanctions Against North Korea
  Konstantin Asmolov According to the press reports, Russia has made the decision to suspend its financial relations with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and discontinue importing products of the North Korean mining sector. A draft presidential decree on the implementation of the UN Security Council’s resolution (adopted on March 2 in response to Pyongyang’s nuclear-missile tests) prepared by Russian Foreign Ministry and posted on regulation.gov.ru provides the details. The immediate measures include the closing of subsidiary organizations, branches and representative offices of North Korean banks, joint ventures with the participation of North Korean banks, and the prohibition of equity participation in the ownership or correspondent relations with North Korean banks. The draft decree also envisions the shutting down of Russian representative offices, branches of banks and the closing of bank accounts in North Korea if the Russian party involved has “reasonable grounds to believe the respective financial services can contribute to the development of North Korea’s nuclear-missile program.” Citizens of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea working for companies or individuals listed in the UN Security Council’s blacklist will become subject to deportation from Russia. Russia is also considering banning imports of North Korean coal, iron, iron ore, gold, titanium and vanadium ore as well as rare-earth minerals. The transit of Russian coal via the North Korean port of Najin will not be affected (as an exception). [Russia NK] [Sanctions]
• Pentagon-Linked Analysts Push Preemptive Strike on Russia, Missile Defense
  01:39 24.05.2016(updated 01:41 24.05.2016) Get short URL The Beltway military punditry floats one of its most inflammatory ideas yet, in calls for a preemptive strike against Moscow along with calls to bolster America’s missile defense system. On Friday, a DC-based think tank issued a report calling for additional funding to advance US missile defense technology to combat what they view as a rising nuclear missile threat from Russia. Earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin scoffed at Western assertions that Russia poses the preeminent threat to the US and NATO, labeling the idea of an attack against the military alliance "the type of thing that only crazy people think, and only when they are dreaming." Faced with the need to keep the budget spigot open, a Cold War-inspired Beltway commentariat continues to ratchet up "protective measures" against Moscow’s "aggression," by installing a missile defense system in Romania and constructing another similar missile defense system in Poland [Russia confrontation]
• More Game-Playing on MH-17?
  By Robert Parry Global Research, May 24, 2016 A newly posted video showing a glimpse of a Buk missile battery rolling down a highway in eastern Ukraine has sparked a flurry of renewed accusations blaming Russia for the July 17, 2014 shoot-down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 killing 298 people. But the “dash-cam video” actually adds little to the MH-17 whodunit mystery because it could also support a narrative blaming the Ukrainian military for the disaster. The fleeting image of the missile battery and its accompanying vehicles, presumably containing an armed escort, seems to have been taken by a car heading west on H-21 highway in the town of Makiivka, as the convoy passed by heading east, according to the private intelligence firm Stratfor and the “citizen journalism” Web site, Bellingcat. However, even assuming that this Buk battery was the one that fired the missile that destroyed MH-17, its location in the video is to the west of both the site where Almaz-Antey, the Russian Buk manufacturer, calculated the missile was fired, around the village of Zaroshchenskoye (then under Ukrainian government control), and the 320-square-kilometer zone where the Dutch Safety Board speculated the fateful rocket originated (covering an area of mixed government and rebel control). [MH17]
• Former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul
  . ABSTRACT In this interview, former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul discusses US–Russian relations and how they might be improved, given Russian President Vladimir Putin’s suspicious views of US intentions. Until his return to the United States in 2014, Michael McFaul was the US ambassador to Russia, serving for two years in that post as relations between the two countries went from tense to dreadful. During his ambassadorship – and in three preceding years as a special assistant to the president on the National Security Council – McFaul played a major role in the Obama administration’s approach to Putin’s Russia, first helping to drive an attempted “reset” of US–Russian relations and then trying to deal with events that essentially made the reset obsolete: Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and its semi-stealthy invasion of Eastern Ukraine. McFaul returned to academia in 2014, but he remains deeply engaged with US–Russian policy, serving as the director and a senior fellow at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, and a professor of political science. He’s also been an informal adviser on Russian and European affairs to the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. McFaul spoke with Bulletin editor in chief John Mecklin in January, as the US presidential primaries were kicking off, the situation in Syria continued to be complex and appalling, and the West and Russia remained at loggerheads over Ukraine. BAS: What do you think is the best way forward for the United States, the West, NATO? Is there really anything to do? Or should we just be waiting for Putin to be out of the picture? McFaul: Well, I would first say, the best way to improve US–Russian relations is for Putin to rethink some of the provocative things he’s done, right? [Russia confrontation]
• Russia proposes joint air strikes on Syria rebels but U.S. is cool
  By Reuters Published: 05:05 EST, 21 May 2016 | Updated: 05:05 EST, 21 May 2016 MOSCOW, May 20 (Reuters) - Russia has proposed to the U.S.-led coalition that they stage joint air strikes on Syrian rebels, including militant Islamist group Nusra Front, who are not observing a ceasefire, but the United States responded coolly on Friday. Such action would begin as of May 25 and be coordinated with the Syrian government, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu told a Defence Ministry meeting broadcast on state television, adding Moscow reserved the right to stage strikes unilaterally. He said joint air strikes should also target convoys carrying weapons and ammunition crossing into Syria from Turkey. "We believe the adoption of these measures will allow a transition to a peaceful process to be achieved in the entire territory of Syria," he said. "Of course, these measures have been coordinated with the leadership of the Syrian Arab Republic." Shoigu said discussions with U.S. military experts based in Jordan and other counterparts in Geneva had begun on Thursday. But the United States made clear on Friday it had little interest in the idea, noting Russia has floated similar proposals in the past and stressing that it expected Moscow to pressure its ally the Syrian government and to avoid unilateral strikes. [Russia Syria] [US Syria policy] [Rebuff]
• Russian nuclear war 'in a year'
  Thursday, 19 May 2016 By Victoria Craw of news.com.au A former NATO boss has warned Europe could be locked in nuclear war with Russia "within a year" triggered by a Russian incursion into Baltic States; Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. The chilling warning comes from General Sir Richard Shirreff, who served as NATO's Deputy Supreme Allied Commander. He said an attack would trigger article five of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) which deemed aggression against one member an attack on all. "I have this awful vision of the Baltic States being seized, NATO unable to respond, Putin then blackmails using nuclear weapons what is called chillingly 'nuclear de-escalation' and NATO is unable to do anything about it," the retired general said. "The alliance collapses and at a stroke, Putin has destroyed ... the organisation perhaps he most fears the most, NATO. America is decoupled from Europe and the world is changed irrevocably." [Russia confrontation] [MISCOM]
• Despite supposed withdrawal, Russia building up new base in Syria, Pentagon says
  By Thomas Gibbons-Neff May 18 at 2:16 PM The Palmyra citadel is seen as a Russian vehicle blocks a road leading to the ancient city in Syria on April 14. (Hassan Ammar/AP) Despite pledging to withdraw the majority of its forces from Syria in March, the Russian military remains firmly entrenched throughout the country and is even continuing to expand in some areas, the Pentagon said Wednesday. Army Col. Steve Warren, a spokesman for the U.S.-led campaign against the Islamic State, told reporters Tuesday that Russian capabilities are “almost identical” to what they were before President Vladimir Putin’s announcement that his country’s forces would soon be returning home. [How Russian special forces are shaping the fight in Syria] “They continue to have air power there, they continue to have ground forces, they continue to have artillery, said Warren, speaking from Baghdad in a teleconference with reporters. “They still have Spetsnaz providing advice and assistance to the Syrian regime.” Spetsnaz are Russian Special Operations forces. He added that the Pentagon was also monitoring Russia’s build-up of a forward operating base near the ancient city of Palmyra. [Syria withdrawal] [Russia confrontation]
• Russia’s Diversity of Opinion
  May 15, 2016 The usual U.S. depiction of Russian media is that all you get is Kremlin propaganda, but prime-time talk shows actually offer wider diversity of opinion and more substantive debates than what appears on American TV, says Gilbert Doctorow. By Gilbert Doctorow I remember with a shudder an exchange I had with Elmar Brok on March 5, 2015, on The Network, a debate program of Euronews. Brok, a German and chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, comes from Angela Merkel’s CDU party and within the Parliament is in the European People’s Party bloc, on the center right, the bloc which really calls the shots in the Parliament. Brok is big, brash and doesn’t hesitate to throw his weight around, especially when talking with someone outside the Establishment whom he has no reason to fear. We were discussing the shooting of Boris Nemtsov, which occurred just days before. Brok insisted the murder was the responsibility of Vladimir Putin, not that Putin had pulled the trigger but he had created the atmosphere where such things could happen, etc., etc. One way or another the talk shifted to the allegedly autocratic nature of the Putin “regime,” with its crackdown on freedoms and, in particular, its ever tightening control of media. At that point, I objected that the Russia media were very diverse editorially, with many different points of view expressed freely. Brok shot back that this was patently untrue, and he did not hesitate to cross all red lines and indulge in libel on air by asking how much the Kremlin paid me to say that. Apart from the obvious, that an authoritarian like MEP Brok would not know freedom of speech if he tripped on it, I think back to that exchange every week whenever I turn on Russian state television and watch one or another of the main political talk shows. These shows are very popular with Russians and draw in audiences numbering tens of millions. The longest running is by veteran presenter Vladimir Soloviev. A competing show in this format on Pervy Kanal, the country’s flagship television station, is Special Correspondent hosted by a journalist 20 years Soloviev’s junior, Yevgeni Popov. Now that I have just made my first appearance on Popov’s program (on May 11), I can state with full confidence that my impressions as a viewer are borne out by what I experienced as a participant: respect for diversity of opinion in a marketplace of ideas. [Media] [Russia]
• A Gift of Culture to Battered Palmyra
  May 9, 2016 In an extraordinary act of culture and courage, a Russian orchestra performed in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra recently liberated from the Islamic State, but Western media mocked the event, notes Gilbert Doctorow. By Gilbert Doctorow Even those with a limited knowledge of Russia may be credited with having heard of St. Petersburg being called the Venice of the North. This is a title it must share with a variety of other claimants famed for their canals, such as Bruges in Belgium, although St. Petersburg has more justification than competing cities given its common architectural roots with the Venice of the South, namely the leading Eighteenth Century Italian architects who contributed greatly to forming its appearance. To cognoscenti there is also another twin city association of St. Petersburg, that of Northern Palmyra. That notion goes back to the age of Catherine the Great, who was likened to the Third Century Queen Zenobia, powerful ruler of the Palmyran Empire, who conquered Egypt and a large swathe of Anatolia. In the time of Pushkin, Russian writers further developed the allusion, drawing more generally upon the reputed beauty and cultural richness of Roman Palmyra. The links of consciousness did not end there. Later in the Nineteenth Century, St. Petersburg based archeologists were among the Europeans taking part in digs in Palmyra and writing about their adventures. With this twin city awareness borne by the Russian intelligentsia to this day, it is not so surprising that precisely a St. Petersburg conductor, Valeri Gergiev, thought up the grand gesture, an act of great imagination that was realized on May 5. He brought the Symphony Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theater to Palmyra, recently liberated from the Islamic State by a Russian-backed offensive mounted by the Syrian government. [Russia confrontation] [Media] [Palmyra]
• Russia-ASEAN Summit: Posturing or Power Play?
  By Tony Cartalucci Global Research, May 17, 2016 New Eastern Outlook 16 May 2016 Earlier this year, despite immense fanfare, the US-ASEAN Summit held in Sunnylands, California ended in a fizzle rather than a bang. Little of substance emerged from and admittedly “symbolic” summit, and the US even went as far as criticizing guests as they departed – lecturing them regarding “democracy” and “human rights.” Coupled with this send-off designed to humiliate, was the US State Department’s various funded media fronts operating in each respective ASEAN state, mocking and denigrating ASEAN leaders who have fallen from Washington’s favor.
  Could a Russia-ASEAN Summit Provide an Alternative? Later this month Russia is to host its own version of a joint ASEAN summit. In addition to the Russia-ASEAN Summit, there will be various bilateral meetings between Russian leaders and respective ASEAN states, including Thailand. Russia, unlike the US, does not possess extensive extraterritorial networks of NGOs dedicated to subverting and coercing foreign governments. It has no historical or current presence in Asia militarily, unlike the US who is permanently occupying Japan, building bases in the Philippines, and regularly provokes security crises in the South China Sea. Russia spends a fraction of what the US does on its military overall, and cultivates a multipolar, non-interventionist worldview in direct contrast to America’s “intentional order” it places itself atop. [Russia ASEAN]
• The Ukraine Between Fascism, Ochlocracy and Breakup
  The Saker • May 14, 2016 There is less talk about the rump-Ukraine in the news these days, especially in the western corporate media, and there is a good reason for that: that short-lived Urkonazi “Banderastan” is falling apart. This is hardly surprising since the entire concept was never viable in the first place. Let’s remember how it all began. It is crucial to remember that there was no spontaneous revolution or insurrection in the Ukraine, the Euromaidan had nothing to do with Europe and everything to do with the USA. Oh sure, the Ukrainian people were told that it was about “joining the EU”, but that was never even a remote possibility. The sole purpose of the Euromaindan was to prevent the rebirth of a “new Soviet Union”. No matter how ludicrous the notion of a USSR v2 might be, this is what was in the always paranoid, self-deluded and ignorant minds of the US “deep state”. Two of the main spokesmen for that US deep state were very clear about this: First, we have the crucial statement made by Hillary Clinton in early December of 2012: “There is a move to re-Sovietise the region,” (…) “It’s not going to be called that. It’s going to be called a customs union, it will be called Eurasian Union and all of that,” (…) “But let’s make no mistake about it. We know what the goal is and we are trying to figure out effective ways to slow down or prevent it.” Now, it is absolutely irrelevant to argue about whether Hillary was right or wrong in her interpretation. what matters is that she, and her political masters, really believe is that Putin wants to re-create the Soviet Union. Next, we need to recall another crucial statement, made this time by Zbigniew Brzezinski who wrote: Without Ukraine Russia ceases to be empire, while with Ukraine – bought off first and subdued afterwards, it automatically turns into empire…According to him, the new world order under the hegemony of the United States is created against Russia and on the fragments of Russia. Ukraine is the Western outpost to prevent the recreation of the Soviet Union. Again, it does not matter at all whether evil Zbig is right or wrong. What matters is that this was the real cause of the Euromaidan: the Americans wanted to create an anti-Russia right across the Russian border. [Ukraine] [Russia confrontation]
• Japan’s Leader Visits Russia Breaking Ranks with US
  Alex GORKA | 13.05.2016 On April 6, President Vladimir Putin met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Black Sea resort of Sochi. The leaders discussed the ways to bolster bilateral ties and resolve the decades-long territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands. Ukraine, North Korea, Syria, international terrorism and bilateral cooperation were also included in the agenda. The parties decided to renew the regular meetings in the 2+2 format at the level of defense and foreign ministers. An agreement was achieved to continue contacts between the two countries' security councils. Russia also supported Japan’s involvement in the task force on humanitarian issues in Syria. Japan was invited to take part in anti-smuggling exercise in the Pacific in July-August this year. Many things were discussed confidentially behind closed doors. As expected, there were no breakthroughs on the territorial dispute and peace treaty, though the parties said the discussions were constructive. [Japan Russia] [Wishful thinking]
• Examining the Evidence of Russia's Involvement in a Malaysia Airlines Crash
  Analysis May 13, 2016 | 14:55 GMT Satellite imagery obtained by Stratfor sheds new light on the July 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine. Recent scrutiny of open-source materials, much of it led by a U.K.-based collective investigation project known as Bellingcat, has zeroed in on a Russian-made Buk surface-to-air missile system that was in eastern Ukraine around the time Flight MH17 was shot down. The Buk system is suspected of originating from an anti-aircraft missile brigade based in Russia. In early May, new video footage of unknown origins was released, appearing to place the Buk system in question near separatist-controlled Donetsk on July 17, 2014, just hours before the airliner was shot down. [MH17] [Russia confrontation]
• Russia international efforts to enforce financial sanctions on North Korea
  Posted on : May.9,2016 18:00 KST Enforcement will include the closure of North Korean bank affiliates and other economic projects in Russia Russia has announced plans to take measures needed for the enforcement of financial sanctions as part of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2270 (UNSCR 2270), which was adopted in March in the wake of North Korea’s fourth nuclear test in January. Interfax and Tass reported on May 6 on an announcement by the Russian Foreign Ministry citing the draft of a decree by President Vladimir Putin for the resolution’s enforcement. “By presidential decree, all necessary measures are to be adopted within 90 days of Mar. 2 to close North Korean bank affiliates, branch offices, missions, and joint ventures within Russia and ban the purchasing of shares in and remittance transactions with North Korean banks,” the announcement said. The report also said the establishment of new North Korean bank affiliates, branch offices, missions, and joint ventures in Russia would be banned. On Mar. 2, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted UNSCR 2270 sanctioning North Korea after its nuclear test and long-range rocket (missile) launches this year. [Sanctions] [UNUS]
• Russia to Cut Banking Ties with N.Korea
  Russia is expected to freeze all financial transactions with North Korean banks and halt imports of minerals under fresh sanctions adopted in March, TASS reported last week. Moscow recently drafted a presidential decree to close subsidiaries, branches, and joint ventures of North Korean banks within 90 days from the date the UN Security Council resolution. The draft also bans imports of minerals like iron, iron ore, gold, and titanium from the North. But TASS did not say when Russia will start implementing sanctions or whether all the draft provisions will be adopted as they are. According to the draft, the measures should be in place no later than early June. In February, the UNSC had to delay adoption of the resolution because Russia wanted some provisions in the draft amended. At the time, Russia sought to protect its interests by demanding that the North should be allowed to continue to import foreign coal via Rajin port and North Korean flag carriers can keep refueling at foreign airports when flying home. The demands were accepted. [Financial sanctions]
• Counter-Propaganda, Russian Style
  The Saker • May 5, 2016 Listening to the western corporate media one would get the impression that the Kremlin controls all the Russian media with an iron grip and that not a word of criticism of Russia, never mind Putin himself, is ever allowed. So bad is this situation that the AngloZionists are now funding new “information” efforts to counter-act the Russian propaganda machine and bring some much needed information to the Russian people who clearly do not realize that they are being lied to and deprived from any truthful or even alternative information. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. First, while some Directorates of the KGB have been renamed and reorganized, the Directorate in charge of dissidents, “other thinkers” and assorted ideological “enemies of the state” (the 5th Main Directorate) has been disbanded completely. So there is no “ideological police in Russia”. Some forms of speech are, indeed, banned – “extremist” speech (terrorism, violence, racism, hate speech, etc.) and some specific organizations, like the Ukrainian “Right Sector” or the Tatar “Mejlis”. Other than that, the only control over speech in Russia is based on criminal charges. So, really, Russia is not unique in that matter at all – she more or less does the exact same as European states. Second, there is *a lot* of criticism of Putin and the government in general in a very active RuNet (Russian Internet), not only in Russia, but also worldwide (USA, Canada, Kazakhstan, the Ukraine, etc.). Some of the criticism comes from a rather small pro-US minority, but most of it comes from the anti-US camp: nationalists, Communists and critics of the government economic policies all blame Putin for being too weak and unwilling to confront the West frontally. Unlike in the Ukraine, foreign media organizations are not banned, and neither are their broadcasts or newspapers. [Media] [Propaganda]
• Palmyra concert 'like Nero fiddling as Rome burned'
  By Josie Ensor, Beirut and Yusuf Eissa 7 May 2016 • 7:34pm As the bombs dropped on Kamounia camp, 200 miles away in the ancient city of Palmyra, Russia was staging a classical concert in its ruins as part of a bold propaganda stunt celebrating its role in recapturing it from Islamic State. Introducing his favourite Marinsky Orchestra by video link, Vladimir Putin, Assad’s chief ally, said Palmyra’s liberation was hope for ridding modern civilisation of the “terrible plague of terrorism.” “The concert was evidently meant to reinforce a narrative that the Russians were the guardians of the country’s civilisation,” Kyle Orton, a Middle East analyst at the Henry Jackson Society, said. “But the bombing of the refugee camp was surely a far better indication of what Putin and his client Assad intended for its “modern civilisation.“ “It was like Nero fiddling as Rome burned,” a British diplomat based in the Middle East, observed. [Russia Syria] [Media] [Russia confrontation]
• U.S. and NATO escalate, plan bases on Russian border
  By John Beacham May 04, 2016 On May 3, U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, in Germany for a NATO ceremony, accused Russia of “nuclear saber-rattling.” A very serious claim, if true. Carter said, “Moscow’s nuclear saber-rattling raises troubling questions about Russia’s leaders’ commitment to strategic stability.” This statement came right on the heels of the revelation that NATO is developing plans to station 4,000 troops in Poland and the Baltic states right on the border with Russia. Part of the plan may include installing a German battalion on a border with Russia. Stationing U.S. and NATO troops on the border of Russia, especially if Germany were to set up a permanent base, would be a very serious provocation.
  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said, “NATO military infrastructure is inching closer and closer to Russia’s borders. But when Russia takes action to ensure its security, we are told that Russia is engaging in dangerous maneuvers near NATO borders. In fact, NATO borders are getting closer to Russia, not the opposite.” U.S. responsible for major powers climbing the ladder of escalation There is no simplistic dynamic in the deteriorating relations between the United States and Russia, but let’s be clear. It is not Russia that is encircling the United States with missile batteries and troops. It is the United States that is encircling Russia with missile batteries and troops. It isn’t Russia that wages war on the U.S. economy. The exact opposite is true. It isn’t Russia that is carrying out a series of military exercises all along the U.S. border that simulate the invasion of the United States. The exact opposite is true. [Russia confrontation] [NATO enlargement]
• Russian delegation in Syria’s ancient Palmyra marks liberation from Islamic State
  A view of the ancient Syrian site of Palmyra showing some of the damage caused while it was held by the Islamic State, which was driven out in late March. (-/AFP/Getty Images) By Andrew Roth May 5 at 3:30 PM PALMYRA, Syria — At an ancient Roman amphitheater where just months ago the Islamic State staged mass beheadings, Russia on Thursday deployed a celebrated conductor and a renowned cellist on a cultural offensive to mark the liberation of Palmyra and re­inforce Russia’s role in Syria. In place of the warplanes and special forces­ fighting here in March, President Vladimir Putin sent the Mariinsky Orchestra led by conductor Valery Gergiev and joined by cellist Sergei Roldugin, one of Putin’s close friends and a subject of recent leaks about secret offshore holdings. The symbolism was lost on no one. Speaking by video link from Moscow, Putin told the gathering that the world should unite behind Syria to restore the historical site as a sign of hope in the battle against terrorism. It was an odd moment of manufactured optics aimed at public vindication of Russia’s role in this five-year conflict that has killed 250,000 people and displaced millions who have sought asylum in neighboring countries of the Middle East and in Europe. [Russia Syria] [Palmyra]
• US Lawmakers to Kill Open Skies Treaty
  Andrei Akulov | 02.05.2016 On April 28, US House Armed Services Committee supported a substantial increase in defense spending. At $610 billion, the legislation is one of the largest single annual budget measures considered by Congress. The package authorizes more money for advanced fighter jets, new navy ships, and cyberwarfare. The measures are aimed against Russia and Russian interests are high on the agenda. The US House Armed Services Committee voted to allocate $150 million to help train and equip Ukrainian government forces in their fight against self-proclaimed republics in the east of the country. They backed an administration proposal called the European Reassurance Initiative, ? $3.4 billion effort to increase the US military presence in Eastern Europe. The Pentagon is planning to increase the number of combat brigades rotating into Europe, as well as station heavy weaponry and equipment. Committee lawmakers also debated restrictions on the use of Russian-built rocket engines in launching US military satellites. Since US sanctions were imposed on Russia in 2014, American officials have proposed curtailing the use of the RD-180 engines, which are built by a Russian state-owned corporation. The debates to stop buying Russian engines continue despite the opinion of Air Force officials who have said that there won’t be a viable American-built alternative to the Russian-built engines for several years. The bill also tackles the question of another major arms control agreement: The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty. The United States has reported that Russia has allegedly violated it. This claim has been strenuously denied. The US is in violation of this agreement using long-range cruise missile capable Mk-41 launchers for BMD systems in Europe. Committee members also took aim at another key confidence building treaty. The Treaty on Open Skies authorizes countries to conduct surveillance flights over one another’s territory to monitor military forces. The bill aims to cut off funding for cooperation with Russia on US overflights until intelligence officials confirm the flights are no threat to national security. Signed March 24, 1992, the Open Skies Treaty is also aimed at building confidence and familiarity. It permits each state-party to conduct short-notice, unarmed, reconnaissance flights over the others' territories to collect data on military forces and activities. [Russia confrontation] [Escalation] [Renege]
• Russia's Deadly S-500 Air-Defense System: Ready for War at 660,000 Feet
  Dave Majumdar The Russian military expects to receive the first examples of the new Almaz Antey S-500 air and missile defense systems in the near future. Meanwhile, tests are continuing on the advanced S-350 Vityaz system, which will eventually replace the existing S-300PS air defense batteries. May 3, 201 “We expect the first samples of the S-500 anti-aircraft missile system to be delivered soon,” Lt. Gen. Viktor Gumyonny, commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces’ air defense troops, told Rossiya-24 according to TASS The new weapon—which will form the upper tier of Russia’s layered integrated air defense system—is expected to be able to engage targets at altitudes of about 125 miles—or 660,000 feet. That means that S-500 will be able to engage targets such as incoming ballistic missiles in space at ranges as great as 400 miles. The first regiment of S-500 will be deployed to protect Moscow and central Russia. [Military balance] [Missile defense]
• As U.S. rotates generals in Europe, job is prevent new 'Cold War'
  Stuttgart, Germany | By Phil Stewart Philip Breedlove, commander of Supreme Allied Command Europe and U.S. European Combatant Command, testifies before a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington February 25, 2015. Reuters/Joshua Roberts/Files As he stepped down as America's top commander in Europe on Tuesday, retiring Air Force General Philip Breedlove recalled how he began his career more than three decades ago trying to keep the peace during the Cold War with the Soviet Union. "I think my career is now ending here, trying to prevent a Cold War - and continue to keep the peace," Breedlove said in a farewell address, shortly before he received a final salute from troops at European Command headquarters in Germany. [Russia confrontation] [NATO] [Inversion] [Media]

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APRIL 2016

• Handle the Bear with care
  A Russian SU-24 jet makes a close-range, low altitude pass near the USS Donald Cook on 12 in the Baltic Sea. By Stephen Kinzer April 28, 2016 One morning EARLIER tHIS month an American guided missile destroyer, the USS Donald Cook, set sail from Poland on a NATO exercise. It slowed down less than 50 miles from a Russian military base and began a series of maneuvers, including landings by Polish helicopters and the deployment of an antisubmarine device. Alarmed Russian commanders responded by sending fighter jets to buzz the ship. They reportedly swooped to within 30 feet of the deck. It was a scary confrontation. The US Navy called Russia’s action “unsafe and unprofessional.” Russia’s ambassador to NATO replied that the NATO exercise “wasn’t military activity proper, but rather an attempt to exert pressure on Russia.” Both were right. So was Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev when he said, “We have slid into a new time of Cold War. [Russia confrontation]
• USS Donald Cook: Mission in Baltic Sea
  Yuriy Rubtsov | 29.04.2016 «It is reckless. It is provocative. It is dangerous», said US State Secretary John Kerry describing the incident when the guided missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) was buzzed by a pair of Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer fighters in the Baltic Sea on April 11, 2016. On April 14, Russian Defense Ministry said that the jets were on a training mission in the area and operated «in strict compliance with international laws». According to the Ministry, there was nothing extraordinary or unexpected. The pilot observed all the prescribed security measures flying over the ship at the distance of 37.8 nautical miles (70 km) from the Russian naval base. A similar incident occurred two years ago. On April 12, 2014 USS Donald Cook was buzzed by a Su-24 in international waters in the Black Sea. Back then, the US strongly reacted accusing Russia of international law violation. The incident has given rise to ballyhoo, but nobody asks what the Donald Cook was doing in the Baltic Sea. According to the US European Command (EUCOM), the warship was conducting exercises with NATO allies. One may guess that the real mission was something the US command prefers not to talk about. The ship has become a frequent visitor near Russia’s territorial waters. [Russia confrontation]
• The Conspiracy Files: Who Shot Down MH17?
  Confirmed for BBC Two on 3 May at 9pm to 10pm
  On 17 July 2014, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, crashed, killing 298 passengers in the worst air disaster for two decades. Alarmingly, the devastating crash occurred just four months after the mysterious disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370. Is this just a coincidence? The cause of the crash has been focus of a host of conspiracy theories, many of which involve Russia, Ukraine and the CIA. The official investigation report into MH17 flight argues that only a powerful ground-to-air missile could be responsible. Yet, there are eyewitness accounts of other aircrafts seen flying next to MH17 close to impact. To further fuel the conspiracies, Russia and Ukraine blame each other but both countries are unable to provide all the critical radar data from that day. Not all family members trust the official explanations and there is a long way to go to bring about justice for the victims. This programme tracks down eye witnesses, and speaks with secret intelligence sources to try to sort fact from fiction. Don’t miss this compelling Conspiracy Files unfold to see whether the mystery can be unravelled. [MH17] [Media]
• Iran and Russia move closer but their alliance has limits
  Dubai/Moscow | By Bozorgmehr Sharafedin and Lidia Kelly Russia's President Vladimir Putin (L), who arrived to attend the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), meets with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, November 23, 2015.Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/Kremlin/File Photo via Reuters When Iran took delivery of the first parts of an advanced Russian air defense system this month, it paraded the anti-aircraft missile launchers sent by Moscow to mark Army Day. Tehran had cause to celebrate: the Kremlin's decision a year ago to press ahead with the stalled sale of the S-300 system was the first clear evidence of a growing partnership between Russia and Iran that has since turned the tide in Syria's civil war and is testing U.S. influence in the Middle East. But the delay in implementation of the deal also points to the limitations of a relationship that is forged from a convergence of interests rather than a shared worldview, with Iran's leadership divided over ideology and Russia showing signs of reluctance to let the alliance develop much more, according to diplomats, officials and analysts interviewed by Reuters. Some Iranian officials want a strategic alliance, a much deeper relationship than now. But the Kremlin refers only to ongoing cooperation with a new dimension because of the conflict in Syria, in which both back Damascus. [Iran Russia]
• Three Churches’ Summit
  Israel Shamir • April 21, 2016 As the Russian Easter approaches – it will symbolically coincide this year with May Day – it is the right time to speak of a very important recent spiritual event that received too little publicity in the West, but it kept Russia all agog. This was not an Oscar nomination, after all. Two old men, heads of two great churches had met on the territory of the third church. These were Kyril and Francis, the bishops of Moscow and Rome on the last vestige of the communist territory, in Cuba. They represented two ancient and venerable churches: the Roman Catholic and the Russian Orthodox, separated by a millennium-old schism, and as the ghost, the Communist church was present at this summit. They published their Havana Declaration, a powerful document, affirming their common ground, acknowledging their long separation, avoiding theological debates, hoping for more rapprochement, burying some old (and not too old) hatchets. This is a great step forward; for many years, this meeting could not take place. Russian state leaders have met with the Pope: Vladimir Putin did a few times, so did Gorbachev, but the heads of the Russian Church never agreed to the meeting. The Russians wanted the Catholics to stop proselytising on Russia’s canonical territory and to reign in the Ukrainian Uniates. Pope Francis is the first bishop of Rome who agreed with these demands. In their declaration, they agreed that “their mission entails mutual respect for members of the Christian communities and excludes any form of proselytism. We are not competitors but brothers. We urge Catholics and Orthodox in all countries to learn to live together in peace and love, and to be “in harmony with one another”. This is good. In my eyes, Catholic Church is the Church of the West, while the Orthodox Church is the Church of the East. Each church has its own garden to tend, its own traditions and ways. The East likes its priests bearded, the West prefers them shaved. The East likes them married, the West likes them married to the church. The East has no single head and spiritual leader: every national church is equal to its sister-church. The West has the Pope. The East takes for Eucharist its leavened bread mixed with wine, the West prefers unleavened bread for all, with wine for the clergy only. Such differences are normal and do not prevent the churches’ rapprochement. Pope Francis agreed that the creation of Uniate churches (i.e. Orthodox by their liturgy but Catholic in every other way) has been a mistake, but those created – in the Ukraine and the Middle East – let them be. This agreement pleased Moscow and angered Kiev and Lvov. Ukrainians spoke darkly of “treason”, while the violently anti-Russian (and anti-Vatican, and anti-God) magazine The Economist saw “the pope kissing Putin’s ring” (sic!). This is really a historical step, putting an end to the Western attempts to colonise the East, the attempts that began with the Crusades and led to many wars. Now the two great churches can work together, as equals. [Religion] [Orthodox] [Schism]
• Russia threatens to use 'all necessary measures' after US destroyer sails close to border
  Moscow accuses the US of intimidation as Nato criticised Russian actions in Ukraine Rebecca Flood | Russia has declared it will take "all necessary measures" against the US following the latest sabre rattling by the two world powers. Moscow accused Washington of intimidation after a US naval destroyer in the Baltic Sea sailed close to its territory. Russian ambassador to Nato, Alexander Grushko, said his country would not take such actions lightly. Speaking after a meeting with the US ambassador to Nato, Douglas Lute, and other Nato representatives, Mr Grushko added: “This is about attempts to exercise military pressure on Russia. “We will take all necessary measures, precautions, to compensate for these attempts to use military force.” Tensions flared when Russian SU-24 attack planes flew dangerously close to guided-missile destroyer the USS Donald Cook last week. [Russia confrontation] [False balance] [Media]
• Is Putin Preparing a Governmental Purge?
  The Saker • April 21, 2016 As he does once a year, last week President Putin spend over three and a half hours answering 80 questions out of the 3+ million questions which were received. The show, which was aired live on Channel One, Rossiya-1 and Rossiya-24 TV channels, and the Mayak, Vesti FM and Radio Rossii was an unprecedented success which was watched and commented upon by millions of Russians. You can read the full transcript of the show by clicking here, and the transcript of a conversation between Putin and the journalist corps following the show here. The main Russian TV channel, Rossia-1, also aired not one, but two special talk-shows (see here and here) solely dedicated to a discussion of Putin’s performance. These talk-shows are the famous “Evening with Vladimir Soloviev” – by far the highest visibility talk-show on Russian TV. Just for the record, Rossia-1 is the crown-jewel of the powerful and state-controlled All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK) media holding. Between the call-in show with Putin (3 hours and 40 minutes), the first talk show (2 hours and 12 minutes) and the second talk show (1 hour 44 minutes) the Russian public was exposed to a stunning seven and a half hours of discussion. Some will call it “propaganda”, which can be viewed as negative or as positive, but which changes little. The main issue here is that this was a major, huge, public-communications effort. So what was the overall message which was conveyed by all this? Let me summarize it for you: First, Putin is the unchallenged and beloved leader of all the Russian people, he is an extremely effective manager, a defender of the simple Russian people everywhere and he is the last recourse for those who have been wronged by the authorities. Let me add here that all the opposition party heads fully agreed with this. Right now, nobody in Russia dares to criticize Putin personally, not because some KGB goons are going to come in the night and drag him away to a concentration camp, not at all, but simply because bad mouthing Putin is now tantamout to political suicide. Even some members of the non-system political opposition (aka 5th columnists) are realizing this now. Second, a lot of Russian people are hurting, badly. Not because of sanctions or the drop in the prices of gas and oil, but because of the corruption, incompetence and ideological blindness of the “economic block of the Russian government”. The economy is a mess due to corrupt governors, lazy government bureaucrats and outright sabotage by a quasi-universally hated “economic block of the government”. Sanctions (especially the denial of credits) and the fall in the price of oil do make things worse, but they are not the real problem or even a major part of the problem. [Putin] [Governance]
• Why Russia Harasses U.S. Aircraft
  April 20, 2016 | 09:00 GMT Summary Since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, tension with the West has been high, affecting eastern Ukraine, Syria and hot spots across the former Soviet sphere. Less overtly, Moscow has been working to protect areas vital to Russian interests by raising the stakes of U.S. operations there. This has manifested in numerous aggressive interceptions of U.S. military aircraft in flight, especially over the Black and Baltic seas. The interceptions, which are reportedly occurring more frequently, aim to dissuade Washington from operating in that airspace. [Russia confrontation]
• Serbia's Choice Ahead of Key Vote: Russia or the West
  By dusan stojanovic, associated press ·JAGODINA, Serbia — Apr 19, 2016, 8:02 AM ET His fists are clenched, his legs slightly apart, expressing firmness and leadership. His head is turned slightly to the side, blue eyes looking into the distance with an air of calm determination. The larger-than-life figure of Russian President Vladimir Putin has a prominent place in Serbia's only wax museum among the Balkan country's historic and religious leaders and other famous individuals such as top-ranked tennis player Novak Djokovic. The only foreigner in the crowd, Putin — dressed in a blue, tailored suit, white shirt and a red and white dotted tie — has drawn thousands of visitors in the past weeks, testifying to the admiration many Serbs feel for both the Russian president and Russia as a whole. "If only Putin had been around in 1999, no one would have dared bomb us," said Milorad Arizanovic, referring to NATO's 78-day air war against Serbia over its crackdown against Kosovo Albanian separatists. Standing by Putin's figure, the 65-year-old retiree declared: "Finally there is someone who's standing up to the West." [Serbia] [Russia confrontation]
• Interview with Andrew Korybko by “Pechat”
  April 20, 2016 An American studying in Moscow? For “Pechat” readers, that is a fascinating profile that sounds almost unreal. Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you came to study in a country that most Serbs greatly respect and admire, while most of your Serbian peers dream of studying in America? Hi, and thank you for this very privileged opportunity to address your readers, I’m very honored that they’re interested in learning more about me. Let me begin by telling you about my family and that will hopefully help to explain a lot. My patronymic is Russian and my great-grandfather left what is modern-day Ukraine for Poland after the end of World War II. Aside from him, most of my dad’s side of the family are ethnic Poles and have lived in the country since time immemorial, and my dad was an immigrant from Poland (where he was born and raised) until he returned back to his homeland a few years ago. My mom’s side is what is particularly relevant to our readers. She was born in the US to immigrants that came from Yugoslavia, specifically Slovenia, after World War II. My matronymic grandparents ended up raising me because my parents were divorced, and I learned a lot from them. One thing that they instilled within me is a respect for all other people and identities, because this is what Yugoslavia was all about – strength through differences, unity through diversity!
• Forbes: Thuggish Russian Regime Shows its Colors in Baltic
  Forbes Condemns Russia’s Destabilizing Behavior Toward U.S. Navy Vessel
  Washington, D.C. – Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04), Chairman of the House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, released the following statement on Russian aircraft provocations against the USS Donald Cook (DDG-75) in the Baltic Sea: "The Russian regime has shown itself to be a thuggish, authoritarian detriment to the liberty of its own people and the peace and stability of its neighbors. From Georgia to Ukraine to these provocative passes over an American warship in international waters, Moscow has shown itself determined to bring back the days of Cold War tension between the U.S. and Russia. U.S. naval activity in Europe must be expanded accordingly to address the threat posed by Russia’s international behavior.” [Russia confrontation]
• Russian attack planes buzzed a Navy destroyer in the Baltic Sea
  Apr 14, 2016 Russian attack planes made low altitude passes by a U.S. Navy destroyer USS Donald Cook in the Baltic Sea multiple times Monday and Tuesday, coming as close as an estimated 30-feet from the ship. These Navy video clips show a low-altitude pass with a U.S. sailor shouting, “Below the bridge wing,” meaning the Russian plane was flying below the level of the Cook’s navigation bridge. Courtesy of the U.S. Navy [Russia confrontation]
• The Dutch Referendum: A Storm Warning for Ukraine
  Dmitry Minin | 14.04.2016 The results of the Dutch referendum on Ukraine’s Association Agreement with the European Union will likely turn out to be more helpful than harmful to Kiev. Brussels will also find it useful. Because the fact is – watching how this agreement between Ukraine and the EU has played out over the past year has only substantiated the most ominous predictions. Ukraine’s association with the EU promises to completely gut the country’s economy in just a couple of years. There is no future for Ukrainian agriculture, nor for its industrial sector that has lost markets in the East and cannot possibly find any in the West. Ukrainian exports to all destinations continue to plummet, including those headed west. The path to Europe is blocked because of quotas and Europe’s own overproduction of food, and Russia is a no-go for both political reasons as well as the lack of strategic vision on the part of the Ukrainian government. Experts claim that the problem is not that the Dutch are particularly overly skeptical about Ukraine. Citizens of many European countries – France and Italy for example, where no referendums have been held on this issue – feel the same. It has nothing to do with «Ukrainophobia». Many of the respondents in the Netherlands who oppose the Association Agreement claimed that it would be harmful to Ukraine itself. [Ukraine] [EU]
• The Controversy About Stalin – a “basket” of Preliminary Considerations
  The Saker • April 11, 2016 When introducing Jimmie Moglia’s video series about Stalin I promised to share with you my own take on this most controversial personality. Let me immediately say that what I will write below is most definitely not some seminal analysis of the life and personality of Stalin, but rather few more or less disjointed thoughts on a topic which I still feel that I do not understand. The figure of Stalin has always been a controversial one. Some thought of him as the “leader of all times and all nations” (“????? ???? ?????? ? ???????”) while other saw him like the epitome of evil, a genocidal maniac who killed more people than any other individual in history. In reality, that kind of polarization is probably a strong indication of the fact that this issue is a very complex one and that a simple black and white answer is unlikely to correctly evaluate the person of Stalin and his legacy. The fact that there really was a “personality cult” during Stalin’s life and that it was followed by a emotional denunciation by Khrushchev only made things worse. Stalin is most definitely a polarizing figure and I myself have been submitted to that polarization from my early childhood. I write an anonymous blog and I always say that what matters is not who people are, or have been, but what they have to say, their ideas. But in this case, my own views have been so strongly polarized that at the very least I have to honestly admit and explain it before proceeding any further. I was born in a family of Russian refugees who left Russia at the end of the civil war. In Soviet parlance we were what was called ‘????????? ???????????” a term I would roughly translated as “escaped White-bandits” or “not executed White-bandits”. Whatever the preferred translation, this was hardy a term of endearment, to say the least. And the feeling was very mutual. Not only was my family full of “White Guards”, my own grandfather joined the Russian Schutzkorps in Serbia. After the war, my family emigrated to Argentina where, I would argue, probably the most virulently anti-Communist part of the Russian emigration typically re-settled. While I myself was born in Switzerland where my parents had moved (Swissair was hiring pilots in the early 19060s), I was raised a a rabid anti-Communist and I was involved in so many anti-Soviet activities that one day a KGB officer in Spain even made a death threat against me (he did not have the authority to do so and was, in fact, severely punished by his own people for that – but that I only learned later). To make a long story short, for most of my life my feelings about Stalin were very much similar to what many Jews today feel about Hitler: absolute total hatred, disgust and rejection. Followers of this blog know that, to put it mildly, I have had to reconsider most of what I have been believing for years and, to some degree, this also affects my current views (however tentative and unformed) about Stalin. I am basically torn between two mutually exclusive “thought currents”: [Stalin] [Emigre]
• As Ukraine Collapses, Europeans Tire Of US Interventions – OpEd
  By Ron Paul April 11, 2016 On Sunday Ukrainian prime minister Yatsenyuk resigned, just four days after the Dutch voted against Ukraine joining the European Union. Taken together, these two events are clear signals that the US-backed coup in Ukraine has not given that country freedom and democracy. They also suggest a deeper dissatisfaction among Europeans over Washington’s addiction to interventionism. According to US and EU governments – and repeated without question by the mainstream media – the Ukrainian people stood up on their own in 2014 to throw off the chains of a corrupt government in the back pocket of Moscow and finally plant themselves in the pro-west camp. According to these people, US government personnel who handed out cookies and even took the stage in Kiev to urge the people to overthrow their government had nothing at all to do with the coup. When Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland was videotaped bragging about how the US government spent $5 billion to “promote democracy” in Ukraine, it had nothing to do with the overthrow of the Yanukovich government. When Nuland was recorded telling the US Ambassador in Kiev that Yatsenyuk is the US choice for prime minister, it was not US interference in the internal affairs of Ukraine. In fact, the neocons still consider it a “conspiracy theory” to suggest the US had anything to do with the overthrow. [Ukraine] [Coup] [Russia confrontation] [EU]
• Russian Ka-52 «Flying Tank» Combat Helicopter: Success Story
  Russia’s air operation in Syria is the most spectacular event to hit the radar screen recently. It is the first time in the post-Soviet history the Russian Armed Forces were deployed and extensively used in real combat conditions beyond the boundaries of the former Soviet Union. The Syrian campaign is the largest engagement of the Russian Aerospace Forces unparalleled in the history of Russian (and even Soviet) military aviation in terms of complexity, intensity and distance from home bases. The operation was the first major practical test for Russia’s reborn military might in the air and it has been passed with flying colors.
• Moscow Economic Forum puts Russian Government Through the Wringer
  by Ulrich Heyden Moscow There is keen interest in Russia for alternative policies to address the economic turmoil the country is enduring. This was demonstrated by the large number of participants at the Moscow Economic Forum which took place at Moscow State University on March 23 and 24.” Scientists, entrepreneurs, politicians and students crowded into lavish halls of a new wing of the famous university. Sharp criticism of the Russian ruling class was frequently voiced by speakers and audience members. Said to be “separated from the people”, influencing the decisions of the top economic elite in Russia was said to be “virtually impossible”. A “new feudalism” has arisen Such harshly critical words were last heard in Moscow at anti-Putin demonstrations during the winter of 2011/12. On March 24, renewed criticism was voiced at the forum session titled ‘A third political force’. No one in attendance disagreed. Tough criticism of the government was also aired during the plenary session. No one was arrested. There were no police to be seen. The reason? The criticisms came this time not by liberal critics planning to overthrow Putin but from left economists and entrepreneurs who are demanding more patriotism in the economic policy of the Russian government. [Economy]
• Syria: The Guardian View on…Things they Just Made Up
  by Kit The Western MSM are all a flutter: Russia are pulling out of Syria (sort of). They can’t quite decide if it’s a victory, or a defeat. They don’t know if it’s because they ran out of money, are giving up, or it’s all a big lie – but they all agree on two things: 1) Russia have not achieved anything and 2) This is a massive surprise. Such a surprise that Putin announced the plan five months ago, in a story printed in the Telegraph. This is what the Western world has come to, I suppose, if a politician SAYS he’s going to do something and then actually DOES IT, this is…surprising. How sad. The Guardian are firmly of the belief that this is “A Bad Thing” – in fact they are so against Russia leaving Syria, that one almost forgets they were just as strongly against Russia entering Syria in the first place. Because Russia and reasons. Whether in the petulant and childish summation “written” by Shaun Walker, or this one of their ridiculous “Guardian view” editorials (written anonymously, of course), the battle lines are being drawn: The fight is with reality. The Walker piece is standard Walker-fare. Long on snide one-liners, short on content. Long on narrative, short on evidence. He describes the withdrawal as a move “analysts never saw coming” – presumably because none of them read the Telegraph. [Syria withdrawal] [Media]
  • Russia's exit from Syria a move military analysts never saw coming
    Vladimir Putin’s announcement took many with close links to the military hierarchy by surprise and some observers question if it’s even real Shaun Walker in Moscow Monday 14 March 2016 21.37 GMT Last modified on Thursday 17 March 2016 12.26 GMT Five and a half months, 9,000 fighter jet sorties, a reprieve for Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the downing of a Russian passenger jet over Egypt and the end forever of the burgeoning bromance between the Turkish and Russian presidents: thus goes the summary of Russia’s intervention in Syria, which has irrevocably changed the contours of the five-year-old conflict and its surrounding geopolitics. “I consider the objectives that have been set for the Defence Ministry to be generally accomplished,” Vladimir Putin announced matter-of-factly on Monday evening, announcing the imminent withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria. The vaguely stated objective of “fighting terrorism”, so conducive to mission creep and unfinishable wars, has clearly not been accomplished. Isis, after all, is still very much there. But if there is indeed now a withdrawal, it will prevent the Syria mission from turning into a long, drawn-out affair with rising Russian casualties. Already, analysts have noted an increasing number of support personnel operating in the country – special forces, tank crews and heavy artillery – that began appearing outside the Latakia base. “There’s not really huge enthusiasm for the Syrian conflict in the military and a worry about mission creep. The more forces you’ve got there the more vulnerable you are,” said Mark Galeotti, professor of global affairs at New York University who is currently based in Moscow. But Putin’s announcement took military analysts by surprise: if Russia’s dramatic entry into Syria was presaged by a quiet but noticeable logistical build-up, nobody saw the exit coming, including those with close links to the military hierarchy. [Syria withdrawal]
  • Russian operations in Syria could last 'three or four months'
    Russian air strikes in support of Bashar Assad's embattled government enter third day amid mounting reports of an imminent regime ground offensive By Roland Oliphant
    2:41PM BST 02 Oct 2015
    Russian forces in Syria flew 18 sorties against 12 targets between Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, the Russian ministry of defence has said, as one official said the air strikes could last "three to four months". Russian jets hit targets including Isil training camps and command posts in the provinces of Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, and Raqqa in the previous 24 hours, the ministry said in a statement released shortly after midday on Friday. The latest air strikes come as further details emerged of the shape of Russia’s military campaign in Syria, with fresh reports of an imminent Iranian and Hizbollah-backed ground offensive being planned in co-ordination with the Russian air strikes. [Russia Syria] [Syria withdrawal]
• Secret Offshore Money: Fabricated Putin Link to Leaked Panama Papers
  By Stephen Lendman Global Research, April 05, 2016 The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) calls itself an initiative “focusing on…cross-border crime, corruption, and the accountability of power.” Its financial backers include the Open Society Foundations, the Ford Foundation, Australian billionaire Graeme Wood and other sources. It was used to facilitate the largest ever financial leak, a reported 11.5 million documents, revealing secret offshore holdings of current and former world leaders, along with numerous other high-profile public and private figures. The Panama-based Mossack Fonseca law firm is at the heart of the scandal, quietly providing services for high-profile clients, including apparently hiding wealth in tax havens, making money trails murky in the process. No current or earlier Western leaders or officials so far were named, only UK prime minister David Cameron’s father, Ian. Is evidence of their possible tax avoidance, money laundering or other illegal or suspect activities being concealed? According to Forbes magazine, America had 536 billionaires in 2015, Western European countries hundreds more. ICIJ revealed information on 140 politicians from over 50 countries with wealth hidden in 21 tax havens. They include “heads of state, their associates, ministers (and) elected officials.” Key national leaders named include Argentine president Mauricio Acri, former Georgia prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, Saudi Arabia’s king Salman, other current and former Middle East leaders, and US-installed Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko. Yet ICIJ’s Panama Papers report prominently featured Putin’s image, alleging his ties to an “offshore network,” despite no evidence suggesting it. [Panama Papers] [IO] [Russia confrontation]
• Panama Papers: Revealed: the $2bn offshore trail that leads to Vladimir Putin
  A massive leak of documents shines new light on the fabulous fortunes of the Russian president’s inner circle Putin’s best friend: the cellist who holds the key to his fortune Iceland’s PM faces snap election over revelations What are the Panama Papers? dollars - video explainer Luke Harding Sunday 3 April 2016 18.50 BST Last modified on Monday 4 April 2016 07.06 BST A network of secret offshore deals and vast loans worth $2bn has laid a trail to Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin. An unprecedented leak of documents shows how this money has made members of Putin’s close circle fabulously wealthy. Though the president’s name does not appear in any of the records, the data reveals a pattern – his friends have earned millions from deals that seemingly could not have been secured without his patronage. The documents suggest Putin’s family has benefited from this money – his friends’ fortunes appear his to spend. The files are part of an unprecedented leak of millions of papers from the database of Mossack Fonseca, the world’s fourth biggest offshore law firm. They show how the rich and powerful are able to exploit secret offshore tax regimes in myriad ways. The offshore trail starts in Panama, darts through Russia, Switzerland and Cyprus – and includes a private ski resort where Putin’s younger daughter, Katerina, got married in 2013. The Panama Papers shine a particular spotlight on Sergei Roldugin, who is Putin’s best friend. Roldugin introduced Putin to the woman he subsequently married, Lyudmila, and is godfather to Putin’s older daughter, Maria. [Russia confrontation] [Softwar] [IO] [Putin] [Panama Papers]
• Massive leak exposes how the wealthy and powerful hide their money
  Highlights 12 world leaders maintain offshore entities Putin’s oldest friends shuffle $2 billion around Soccer stars, billionaires and friends of powerful named Offshore corporations have one main purpose - to create anonymity. Recently leaked documents reveal that some of these shell companies, cloaked in secrecy, provide cover for dictators, politicians and tax evaders. Sohail Al-Jamea and Ali Rizvi / McClatchy By Kevin G. Hall and Marisa Taylor McClatchy Washington Bureau WASHINGTON — A massive leak of documents has blown open a window on the vast, murky world of shell companies, providing an extraordinary look at how the wealthy and powerful conceal their money. Twelve current and former world leaders maintain offshore shell companies. Close friends of Russian leader Vladimir Putin have funneled as much as $2 billion through banks and offshore companies. Those exposed in the leak include the prime ministers of Iceland and Pakistan, an alleged bagman for Syrian President Bashar Assad, a close pal of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and companies linked to the family of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Add to those the monarchs of Saudi Arabia and Morocco, enough Middle Eastern royalty to fill a palace, honchos in the troubled body known as FIFA that controls international soccer and 29 billionaires featured in Forbes Magazine’s list of the world’s 500 richest people. Also mentioned are 61 relatives and associates of current country leaders, and another 128 current or former politicians and public officials. [Russia confrontation] [Panama Papers] [IO]
• Reports of Russia’s Defeat in Syria are Greatly Exaggerated
  Tony Cartalucci In the immediate aftermath of Russia’s announcement of a partial withdrawal from Syria upon accomplishing its initial objectives, pundits, politicians, and analysts in the West attempted to capitalize on it by portraying Russia in retreat, broke economically, and attempting to avoid a quagmire it had entangled itself in. However, more honest and thoughtful analysis noted that Russia’s partial withdrawal was more diplomatic than strategic – a grand gesture by Moscow to the West that it was able and willing to give the perpetrators of this proxy war a graceful exit out – and that enough Russian assets would remain in theater to ensure all gains made by Russian and Syrian forces were not only maintained, but expanded upon further in the near and intermediate future. Since the announcement, this analysis has proven to be accurate, with Russia continuing to conduct effective military operations in Syria, and most notably, helping the Syrian Arab Army liberate the ancient city of Palmyra – which was overrun by the so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS) ironically at the height of the United States-led coalition’s alleged battle against the internationally listed terrorist organization. [Syria withdrawal]
• Bring American Seapower to Bear in Europe
  To counter Russian aggression, seaborne forces must be deployed to European waters. By J. Randy Forbes — April 1, 2016 As a result of the brazen Russian aggression recently witnessed in the Crimea, Ukraine, and Syria, there is widespread recognition that U.S. military presence and activity in Europe must be increased. Even the Obama administration is reversing course on its plans to shutter European bases and withdraw forces and equipment from the continent. To date, however, public discussion and government proposals have been too narrowly focused on the deployment of additional American ground and air forces to deter and counter further Russian aggression. It is true that these forces are needed to signal American commitment. But, while necessary, increased presence on the ground will not be sufficient, and ought to be complemented by the presence of additional American naval forces in European waters. Deterring Russian aggression in Europe is not a new mission for our naval forces. Indeed, throughout the Cold War, it was a top priority. During this period the Navy typically maintained one or two carrier strike groups on station in the Mediterranean, ready to respond to any conflict or crisis along with one to two dozen surface combatants, amphibious ships carrying Marines, and an unspecified number of submarines. In the North Atlantic, American submarines, surface ships, and aircraft were constantly tracking Soviet subs threatening the United States and our sea lanes to Europe. Perhaps most important, ballistic-missile submarines were kept constantly on station, undetectable beneath the waves, ensuring that our nation and the NATO alliance had the ability to respond to even the most devastating nuclear attack. [Russia confrontation] [Seapower] [MISCOM]
• Russia vows ‘totally asymmetrical’ response to major US troop build-up in Europe
  Published time: 31 Mar, 2016 01:41 Edited time: 31 Mar, 2016 11:09 Russia’s envoy to NATO has vowed a “totally asymmetrical” response if the alliance stands by a plan to deploy new armored units to Eastern Europe. Citing Russian “aggression” as a pretext, the US has announced “continuous troop rotations” starting 2017. “We are not passive observers, we consistently take all the military measures we consider necessary in order to counterbalance this reinforced presence that is not justified by anything,” Moscow’s permanent representative at the alliance, Aleksandr Grushko, said in an interview with TV channel Russia-24 on Wednesday. “Certainly, we’ll respond totally asymmetrically.” Grushko did not elaborate on his statement, but said Russia’s actions would correspond to its “understanding of the extent of the military threat, would not be extremely expensive, but also highly effective.” “As of today, assessing as a whole what that the US and NATO are doing, the point at issue is a substantial change for the worse in the security situation,” he said. [Russia confrontation] [Asymmetry] [Response]
• Russian defense minister’s plane followed by NATO jets over Baltic Sea
  Published time: 28 Mar, 2016 17:07 Heading towards Kaliningrad over the neutral waters in the Baltic Sea, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu’s plane got shadowed by a bunch of NATO fighters that kept a distance of 2 kilometers from his aircraft, media reported. The NATO jets did not approach the defense minister’s plane, which was escorted by several Su-27 fighter jets, according to pool correspondents of RIA Novosti, TASS and Interfax, who were on the same plane as the defense minister. The correspondents identified the planes as Eurofighter Typhoons, multirole fighters designed for NATO. Shoigu, who had repeatedly voiced concerns over NATO’s continuing build-up across Eastern and Central Europe, arrived in Russia’s western exclave of Kaliningrad on Monday to inspect the reconstruction of the Chkalovsk Military Airfield outside the city. © Vladimir FedorenkoStop scaring Baltics with Russian tanks, deputy defense minister tells journalists The standoff between NATO and Russia escalated in 2014, after Ukraine, which had previously insisted on its non-aligned status, went through a violent protest that ousted its elected government and imposed a new one, backed by the West. Kiev’s new authorities have since made joining NATO one of their top priorities, claiming that they need protection against Russia. [Russia confrontation] [NATO]
• US General: NATO To Switch ‘Assurance To Deterrence’ in E. Europe
  RIGA, Latvia — NATO and the United States are switching their defense doctrine from assurance to deterrence in Eastern Europe in response to a “resurgent and aggressive Russia,” the top US general in Europe said Thursday. The comments by Gen. Philip Breedlove in the Latvian capital Riga come a day after the Pentagon said it would begin continuous rotations of an additional armored brigade of about 4,200 troops in Eastern Europe beginning in early 2017. “We are prepared to fight and win if we have to ... our focus will expand from assurance to deterrence, including measures that vastly improve our overall readiness,” Breedlove said following talks with Baltic region NATO commanders. “To the east and north we face a resurgent and aggressive Russia, and as we have continued to witness these last two years, Russia continues to seek to extend its influence on its periphery and beyond.” [Russia confrontation] [NATO] [Resurgence] [Escalation]
• Who Loses in Palmyra?
  Nikolai Bobkin | 01.04.2016 When Russia began its air campaign in Syria on 30 September 2015, the West did not believe it would be successful. Damascus had the support of just Russia and Iran, since America prevented Iraq from joining the alliance. Back then, the US president openly mocked the paucity of such a coalition and a second Afghanistan was predicted for the Kremlin. Just five and a half months later, however, most of the Russian forces were withdrawn from Syria, with little impact on the military capabilities of the Syrian army and its allies. Since 27 March, the black flags of Daesh are no longer flying over Palmyra. The city has been completely cleared of militants and is now under the control of the Syrian authorities. The liberation of Palmyra has dealt a huge moral blow to the ‘caliphate’, which up to that point had not experienced failure in its capture of new territories. Incidentally, when Palmyra was occupied by jihadists last year, many predicted that the fall of this strategically important centre would be followed by the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Now, however, these predictions are forgotten.
  And that’s just it. Not everyone in the US is pleased about the defeat of IS militants. Republican Rudolph Giuliani made a shocking statement live on Fox News that Hillary Clinton could be regarded as one of the founders of the Islamic State. Iran alleges that the US is even now still providing military aid to IS. Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Hassan Firouzabadi has told journalists that US military planes make regular flights to airports in terrorist-controlled cities to supply the terrorist group with weapons, money and foodstuff. The Iranian military authorities are of the opinion that the Americans are merely observing the fight against IS and are doing nothing. [Russia Syria] [Outsourcing] [ISIS]
• Russia claims Turkish NGOs are ‘main supplier’ of extremists in Syria
  Russia has accused Turkey of using three humanitarian organizations to funnel weapons and supplies to IS and other jihadist groups in Syria. Moscow also called for Turkey close the porous border to extremists. Deutsche Welle Russia claims Turkish NGOs are 'main supplier' of extremists in Syria Russia has accused Turkey of using three humanitarian organizations to funnel weapons and supplies to IS and other jihadist groups in Syria. Moscow also called for Turkey close the porous border to extremists. Russia’s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin on Friday sent a letter to the UN Security Council saying three Turkish humanitarian organizations were fronts for the country’s intelligence service to send weapons and supplies to extremists in Syria. “The main supplier of weapons and military equipment to ISIL fighters is Turkey, which is doing so through non-governmental organizations,” Churkin said in a letter dated March 18, referring to the self-declared “Islamic State” (IS) group by another acronym, ISIL. [Turkey] [NGO] [Outsourcing]

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MARCH 2016

• How Russian special forces are shaping the fight in Syria
  By Thomas Gibbons-Neff March 29 at 1:46 PM ? In this photo released on Sunday March 27, 2016, by the Syrian official news agency SANA, a burned vehicle with machine gun is seen next to a motorcycle draped with the Islamic State group flag, in the ancient city of Palmyra, central Syria. (SANA via AP) The troops that recently recaptured Palmyra, Syria, from the Islamic State included Syrian, Iranian and Hezbollah forces. And on Monday, Russian officials said there was another group that contributed to the victory: Russia’s elite special forces, also known as Spetsnaz. Russian troops are nothing new to the Syrian ground war. Since their arrival in September, the Russians have used naval infantry to secure a key port in Tartus and the perimeter of an airfield in Latakia. But Russian special forces operating on the front — aside from a small number of artillery and tank units — have remained mostly out of the public eye. With the seizure of Palmyra, though, that is no longer the case. Russian officials announced Monday that Palmyra was “liberated with participation of Spetsnaz and military advisers.” The Islamic State took Palmyra in May and shortly after partially destroyed a number of the city’s historic sites. Russian special forces have come to the forefront of Russia’s Syria narrative because the battle for Palmyra plays directly into the anti-Islamic State rhetoric that Russia used as a pretense to initially intervene, said Chris Kozak, a research analyst at the Institute of the Study of War. [Russia Syria] [Special forces]
• Here’s what an advanced Russian tank looks like after getting hit with a U.S.-made missile
  By Thomas Gibbons-Neff March 28 This footage posted online by Syrian rebels Feb. 26 appears to show rebel fighters aiming a U.S. anti-tank missile at a Russian tank. (Falcons of Mount Zawiya Brigade) Last month, a video surfaced online of one of Russia’s more advanced tanks facing off against a small team of Syrian rebels armed with a U.S.-made anti-tank missile in the suburbs of Aleppo. Such short videos have become common in the nearly five-year-old conflict, where the absence of media on the ground has given birth to a view of the war stitched together by YouTube videos. The Feb. 26 footage of the Syrians aiming at the Russian tank stands out, however, because it is likely one of the first instances of a Russian T-90 tank encountering a U.S. anti-tank missile in combat. [Outsourcing] [Jihadist] [Russia Syria]
• The Russian Air Force Teaches Its American Counterparts a Nasty Lesson in Syria
  Gordon Duff Russian pilots and planes flew more missions with less equipment than the US has done since the Cactus Air Force began operating out of Henderson Field on Guadalcanal in 1942. I don’t hate America and have huge respect for American pilots, the best in the world, and American combat aircraft, maybe not the best in the world but the best the corrupt Pentagon will allow the best pilots in the world to fly. Of course, the best pilots in the world had 15 years of continual warfare to train and get paid, on average, $10,000 per month compared to their Russian counterparts who get $500 per month and had two weeks to come up to speed. Thus, the first bombing operations were sloppy, but by week two, not only had things tightened up, but considering Russia has a much higher level of intelligence sharing with both Iraq and Syria and a higher respect for human intelligence “on the ground,” Russia was hitting far higher quality targets than American ever has. You see, despite good planes, even great planes, and we aren’t talking about the F35, the “flying garbage truck,” America’s corrupt military industrial complex uses the Air Force as a scam for bankrupting the US. The 400,000 man US Air Force, including reserve and National Guard units, with over 3000 “ready” combat aircraft, can still only run on average 8 sorties a day against ISIS yet as the American people to pay $800 billion to do it. [Russia Syria] [Airpower] [US military] [Corruption]
• Russia Bids Farewell
  Israel Shamir • March 25, 2016 The massive terrorist attack in Brussels came as a Not So Fast answer to Vladimir Putin’s Mission Accomplished. It appears the world needs more of Russian intervention in the Middle East if the black killers from the desert are to be stopped. Luckily, Russia is not in a rush to leave completely. From what I hear in Syria, the promised withdrawal is rather a figure of speech. Some Russians are leaving, others are staying. [Syria withdrawal]
• The Easter Rising and the Soviet Union: an untold chapter in Ireland’s great rebellion
  Brendan McGeever 25 March 2016 In a previously undocumented corner of history, research in old Soviet archives shows the extent of the USSR's interest in Ireland's Easter Rising. Lenin (centre) with Roddy Connolly (centre-right) at the Second World Congress of the Communist International, Petrograd, July 1920. It is early July, 1920. Roddy Connolly, teenage participant in the Easter Rising, is travelling without a passport in a cargo boat through the Norwegian fiords. The destination: Soviet Russia. As they edge towards the northern tips of the Kola Peninsula, the boat is blown off course by an incoming storm, pushing them some 250 miles towards the North Pole. After bouts of seasickness, they eventually dock in a besieged Murmansk, where Connolly begins a three-day rail journey across Civil War-torn Russia. Finally, he reaches revolutionary Petrograd, just in time for the opening of the Second World Congress of the Communist International. On arrival he is warmly greeted by Vladimir Lenin, who informs him that not only has he read his father’s book Labour and Irish History, but that he rates him “head and shoulders” above his contemporaries in the European socialist movement.(1) Roddy’s father was James Connolly, the Scottish-Irish revolutionary who led the Easter Rising of 1916. Though carried out by a relatively small number of poorly armed soldiers, the Rising had consequences all out of proportion to the military strength of its participants. It set in motion a chain of events that would eventually lead to the formation of an independent Irish Republic. As we approach the 100-year anniversary of this historic event, there is a chapter that remains untold: the story of how the Rising was remembered in the Soviet Union. [Easter Rising] [Soviet Union] [Ireland] [Nationalism]
• Syria and Korea: The Logic of Peace and War
  Christopher Black The bold initiative by the Russian government to withdraw some of its forces from Syria is a lesson in the use of limited military means to achieve limited political ends. With the finesse of a skilled surgeon, the Russian intervention saved the Syrian government from being overwhelmed by the NATO proxies attacking it, inflicted a fatal blow to the American attempt to achieve hegemony in the Middle East, enhanced Russian prestige in the world, and demonstrated that the economic warfare being waged against Russia by the USA, EU and Canada, has had no effect on either Russian determination to choose an independent foreign policy or the military means to put it into effect. The confusion and consternation in the NATO block as they realise that, once again, they have been outwitted, is dramatic. Once again the western intelligence services have proved to be asleep at the wheel, and their government leadership mired in fantasies of their own creation. The embarrassed silence from Washington, which for months has been claiming that Russia was going to be bogged down and chewed up by the Syrian war, reflects the incompetence of its political leadership, from President Obama to the contenders for the Presidency in the current American elections. None of them know what to do, except react in frustration, a reaction that does not exactly lead to rational policies. [Withdrawal] [Joint US Military] [Appeasement] [Russia NK]
• Russian Foreign Ministry names prime enemies in media warfare
  18.03.2016 | Source: Pravda.Ru Russian Foreign Ministry names prime enemies in media warfare. Maria Zakharova Source: Pravda.Ru archive An official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, named Russia's prime enemies on the front of media warfare of the West against Russia, RT reports. In particular, Zakharova mentioned a few politicians, who, speaking of the Russian military operation in Syria, compared it to the war in Afghanistan. "Western politicians - heads of state and leaders of international organizations - gave a very strong impetus to this information campaign. I would like to remind the names of our "heroes". Federica Mogherini was one of the first to make such a statement. She said that Russia could go on the Afghan scenario. US President Barack Obama warned Russia against the danger of being bogged down in Syria, like in the Afghan war. Turkish Prime Minister Davutoglu supported that too, although he was a little behind his colleagues, but still in unison with them," said Zakharova. According to Zakharova, such comparisons were made because Western special services were acting on the side of radical and Islamist groups both in Afghanistan and in the Middle East. [Russia confrontation] [Media]
• Was Putin’s Withdrawal from Syria a True Surprise?
  Maram Susli Putin’s announcement that Russian forces will be withdrawn from Syria has caused both shock and confusion amongst pundits and journalists across NATO’s media. Indeed the full reason behind Russia’s withdrawal may only be known by few individuals. However even those of us who are not ‘in the known’ should not be completely surprised by the announcement. The Russian government had already outlined the time frame of the operation in Syria when it began in last October. A Member of the Russian parliament, Alexei Pushkov, stated that the projected time-frame for the operations would be 3-4 months. The announcement to pull out was right on schedule, just slightly over the initial 4 months stated. Russians are wary of being bogged down in long and expensive wars, especially after the one that the Soviet Union waged in Afghanistan. Since the US is backing Al-Qaeda in Syria just as it did in Afghanistan, Russia was careful not to repeat the same scenario twice. Therefore there was a very strict timeline with very specific objectives. http://journal-neo.org/2016/03/19/was-putin-s-withdrawal-from-syria-a-true-surprise/ [Syria withdrawal]
• Week Twenty-two of the Russian Military Intervention in Syria: Putin Announces a New Strategy
  The Saker • March 19, 2016 These are amazing times indeed. Only two weeks ago I outlined the likelihood of a dramatic escalation of the war in Syria, and this week Vladimir Putin announced the withdrawal of what I would call the “tactical air strike” component of the Russian task force in Syria. How is that possible? How could the Russian warn about Turkish troops poised to invade Syria and then suddenly pull out a major chunk of their Syrian-based firepower. The dumbest explanation of them all was offered almost as soon as the Putin made his announcement: “the Russians are afraid and they are running away abandoning Syria”. This explanation was immediately picked up by a motley collection of very different folks: Americans whose delusion of US military might were shattered in the humiliating comparison between US and Russian military performance, Russian “hurrah-patriots” who will always accuse Putin of betraying something or somebody, armchair strategists who always cheer for more military action regardless of anything, etc. [Syria withdrawal] [Russia Syria]
• Russia's Syrian Withdrawal - Why It Happened and Why Regime Change Remains Off the Agenda
  Alexander Mercouris Thu, Mar 17, 2016 | 5,199 31 The Russian decision to withdraw part of their forces from Syria has come as a surprise. It has triggered a huge amount of speculation as to the reason. In reality the Russians - as they always do - have explained the reason carefully, though as always their explanations have gone unreported and are being ignored. [Syria Withdrawal]
• Great Game & Partitioning Of Syria
  Sat, Mar 19, 2016 By Shelley KASLI (India) Russia’s decision to greatly reduce its military presence in Syria, coming as it did with little warning, has left the world struggling for explanations. Russia is to maintain a military presence at its naval base in Tartous and at the Khmeymim airbase. In fact Russia is “withdrawing without withdrawing”. The partial withdrawal is seen by many as a message to the Assad government to not take Russia’s military aid for granted, and to be more flexible in the upcoming peace negotiations. As Robert F. Kennedy Jr., attorney and nephew of US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy explains, the major reason for the west’s attempt to overthrow the Assad government was to build a natural gas pipeline from Qatar that traversed Syria, capturing its newly discovered offshore reserves, and continued on through Turkey to the EU, as a major competitor to Russia’s Gazprom. By re-establishing the Assad government in Syria, and permanently placing its forces at Syrian bases, the Russian’s have placed an impenetrable obstacle to the development of the Qatar gas pipeline. Russia has also placed itself at the nexus point of other new offshore gas discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean, including Israel, Cyprus, and Greece. [Syria withdrawal] [Pipeline] [US Syria policy]
• Even As Russians Withdraw, Their Legacy in Syria Remains
  March 18, 2016 | 21:22 GMT As the departure of Russian forces from Syria announced March 14 continues, evidence of construction at Russia's main air base in the country demonstrates Moscow’s intention to maintain a military presence there. Imagery dated March 17 acquired by Stratfor of the Bassel al Assad air base in Latakia province and the naval base at Tartus highlights the ongoing Russian drawdown of its forces in Syria that Moscow contends will be largely completed by March 20. The imagery shows that as of noon local time March 17, more than a quarter of the Russian air group at Bassel al Assad air base had departed Syria. Three Su-34 combat aircraft and a Tu-154 transport plane were the first to leave March 15, followed a day later by all 12 Su-25 ground attack aircraft and a number of Il-76 transport planes. The transport planes carried the mechanics, aircrew and equipment that serviced the combat aircraft. The Russians have indicated that a number of Su-24 aircraft departed March 17, but the imagery indicates that the Su-24 group was still largely in place. It is possible that those Su-24s departed after the imagery was taken. [Syria withdrawal]
• Putin's Syria war a glimpse of what West won't do anymore (+video)
  Shifts in strategy By many measures, Russia's foray into Syria was enormously successful. But it was also straight from the imperialist playbook. By Howard LaFranchi, Staff writer March 17, 2016 Washington — Russia’s abrupt withdrawal of its expeditionary forces from Syria beginning this week came as a surprise at the White House and in other world capitals. But to understand what Russian President Vladimir Putin is up to, look back to Mr. Putin’s intervention in eastern Ukraine two years ago, some regional analysts say. “Essentially Putin is saying, ‘My model is that you go in quick, you go in dirty, you stick to limited goals and you get out – and that’s how you’re successful,’ ” says Nikolas Gvosdev, a Russia specialist at the United States Naval War College in Newport, R.I. In Ukraine, “he went in to prevent the collapse of the separatists, just as in Syria he shored up a staggering” President Bashar al-Assad, he adds. “Then you stay just long enough to ensure that the party you rescued is in a better place to negotiate a settlement that achieves their needs and your interests.” Putin’s broader ambition is to send the message that “Russia is back” as a world power, says Paul Stronski, a senior associate of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington. Indeed, Russia’s Syrian actions enhanced its relations with some regional powers that are traditional US partners, he says. Putin has basked in contrasting his model of intervention with what the US and West have done recently in Iraq and Libya. He “is encouraging people to compare what he’s accomplished with the missions carried out by Western powers in Iraq or Afghanistan, where they stayed too long and the limited success they had quickly fleeted away.” [Syria withdrawal] [Russia confrontation]
• Russia's Gazprom Halts Business with N.Korea
  Russian energy giant Gazprom has halted business with North Korea, RIA Novosti reported. Gazprom management was apparently worried that the company could otherwise suffer losses amid international sanctions against the North. Gazprom had been engaged in gas pipe construction and exploring natural gas deposits in North Korea. The Russian state news agency said Gazprom stated in a recent memorandum of understanding on the issuance of eurobonds that it is not involved in any business with the North. [Sanctions] [UNUS]
• Russia’s Withdrawal From Syria: the Beginning of the End?
  by Farhang Jahanpour On Monday 14 March, in a surprise move and without any warning to Western leaders, President Vladimir Putin ordered the withdrawal of the “main part” of Russian forces from Syria, and instructed his diplomats to speed up the push for peace. “The effective work of our military created the conditions for the start of the peace process,” he said. “I believe that the task put before the defense ministry and Russian armed forces has, on the whole, been fulfilled.” He added that with the participation of the Russian military, Syrian armed forces “have been able to achieve a fundamental turnaround in the fight against international terrorism.” According to Western reports, Russian forces are already being prepared for flights back to Russia and equipment is being loaded onto cargo planes. Although President Putin’s sudden announcement has given rise to a great deal of surprise and some false assumptions in the mainstream Western media and among political pundits, his decision is a timely, bold and constructive move that may result in some positive developments in the long-running catastrophe in Syria. One of the reasons for the negative and cynical comments about the Russian move is that in five months President Putin has achieved more in halting the advance of the terrorists in Syria than the West had achieved in five years, if indeed it had been the West’s real intention to defeat the terrorists. [Syria withdrawal] [US Syria policy]
• Would Moscow Persuade Damascus to Take Peace Seriously?
  Vladimir Simonov Late on March 14, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin summoned Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to the Kremlin in order to announce in front of numerous TV crews that Russia was beginning a partial withdrawal of its troops from Syria. The Head of State explained this step by noting that Russian pilots have successfully completed the mission they were entrusted with. At the same time, Putin announced that Russian military bases in Syria – one near the city of Tartus and the Khmeimim airbase were not going anywhere. It’s safe to say that this decision has caught the White House off guard. During a daily press briefing, White House spokesman Josh Ernest decided that he would simply ignore the questions, instead of providing any detailed answers. “President Putin announced the planned withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria. We hope to learn more about this in the coming hours, “- that’s all the White House PR team could come up with. [Syria withdrawal]
• Russia’s “Mission Accomplished” Moment in Syria
  Tony Cartalucci But unlike America’s in Iraq, Russia actually has accomplished its mission. In what appears to be another carefully planned masterstroke vis-a-vis the US, NATO, and its Persian Gulf allies upon and around the Syrian battlefield, Russia has announced that it is withdrawing its forces after its 5 month long intervention on behalf of the Syrian government in Damascus. The BBC reported in its article, “Syria conflict: Russia’s Putin orders ‘main part’ of forces out,” that: In a surprise move, Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his military to start withdrawing the “main part” of its forces in Syria from Tuesday. He said the Russian intervention had largely achieved its objectives. The comments come amid fresh peace talks in Geneva aimed at resolving the five-year Syrian conflict. In a hamfisted attempt to mitigate the impact of Russia’s statement, US analysts and commentators among many prominent Western news outlets have attempted to frame the announcement as a ‘cut and run’ move made by Moscow after decimating US-backed “moderate rebels,” and leaving the so-called “Islamic State” (ISIS) mainly intact. [Syria withdrawal]
• Iran cool on Russian pullout from Syria
  By M.K. Bhadrakumar on March 16, 2016 Damascus scrambled to insist that Russian President Vladimir Putin did discuss the military pullout from Syria on Monday evening with President Bashar al-Assad, and that Moscow’s decision was a consensus decision. This was only to be expected, since the western media have resuscitated the thesis that Putin is putting distance between the Kremlin and the Assad regime in a sign of flexibility at the Geneva peace talks, which are overseen by Russia and the US. The hurried trip by the US Secretary of State John Kerry to Moscow next week should help clarify that the decision on a pullout from Syria doesn’t necessarily signify a shift in Russia’s stance on Assad’s future. Having said that, Assad may be the least of the headaches in the period ahead. The real problem will begin if the US-Russia tandem on Syria triggers a “Muslim revolt” from some Mideast regional states. Of particular concern is the fact that the Obama administration’s capacity to extract good conduct from Turkey and Saudi Arabia is fast diminishing. [Syria withdrawal] [US Syria policy] [Overture]
• What the Russian “Withdrawal” from Syria Means and What It Doesn’t
  By Brandon Turbeville Global Research, March 16, 2016 With the recent announcement by Vladimir Putin that Russia is beginning a withdrawal of specific military personnel and equipment from Syria on Tuesday, March 15, the Western corporate media has been on fire with speculation that Russia is evacuating the country, retreating, and giving up on its military objectives. Indeed, the Western press is presenting the Russian announcement as a total withdrawal and a quick move out the exit door. Those who are both pro-Assad and anti-Assad have all shared their opinions, with many even on the pro-Assad/pro-Russian side opposing the Russian scale down of military involvement out of fear that the Russians are abandoning Assad. At the crux of this opposition to the Russia move, of course, is the fundamental misunderstanding of what the “withdrawal” actually is. [Syria withdrawal]
• US State Dept Pledges to Retain Sanctions Until Russia Returns Crimea
  Washington will not lift the anti-Russian sanctions until Moscow decides to “return Crimea to Ukraine”. MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Washington will not lift the sanctions imposed after the reunification of Crimea with Russia until Moscow decides to “return Crimea to Ukraine,” the spokesman for the US State Department said. Crimea, which has a predominately ethnically-Russian population, seceded from Ukraine to rejoin Russia two years ago following a referendum on March 16 in which over 96 percent of voters supported the move. “We will not accept the redrawing of borders by force in the 21st century. Sanctions related to Crimea will remain in place as long as the occupation continues. We again call on Russia to end that occupation and return Crimea to Ukraine,” John Kirby said in a statement Wednesday. He added that Washington remains committed to “a united, sovereign Ukraine.” In 2014, the United States, the European Union and some of their allies imposed a series of economic sanctions targeting key Russian sectors as well as a number of individuals and entities over Russia’s reunification with Crimea and its alleged interference in the conflict between Kiev and independence supporters in eastern Ukraine, denied by Moscow. [Russia confrontation] [Crimea] [Ukraine] [Sanctions]
• Syria crisis: Vladimir Putin 'willing to ditch President Bashar al-Assad to end five-year conflict'
  Western diplomats believe Putin is now willing to force the Syrian dictator out of office Laura Pitel Geneva | Vladimir Putin is willing to jettison President Bashar al-Assad as part of a deal to end the five-year conflict in Syria, Western powers believe. Following the surprise declaration by the Russian President that his five-month military mission in the country had fulfilled its objective, diplomats are convinced that Moscow could be ready to force the Syrian leader to allow a political transition. Russian warplanes and troops began leaving bases in Syria on 15 March, just hours after Mr Putin’s shock announcement that he would begin a partial draw-down, timed for maximum impact to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the Syrian uprising and the resumption of peace talks in Geneva. While they remain cautious about the extent of the military reduction, Western diplomats predict that Mr Putin is now prepared to sacrifice the Syrian President. [Russia Syria] [Syria withdrawal] [Personalisation]
• Russian pull-out from Syria positive if matched with action
  Xinhua, March 16, 2016 Syrian main opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) spokesman Salem al-Meslet on Tuesday cautiously welcomed Russian intentions to withdraw forces from Syria, but warned that words must be followed by action. "We heard the decision, but hearing is different from seeing things on the ground. It's important for us to see a full pull-out of the Russian troops, not only Russian troops but all foreign troops," al-Meslet explained. "It's a positive step if they are serious about implementing that. We'll wait and see and I believe our decision will be based on what we see on the ground," he added. [Syria withdrawal] [Chinese IR]
• «Main Part» of Russian Forces to Leave Syria: Mission Accomplished
  Peter Korzun | 15.03.2016 On March 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian military to withdraw most of its forces from Syria. According to the President, Russia's Hmeimim air base in Latakia province and its Mediterranean naval base at Tartus would continue to operate as normal. He said both must be protected «from land, air and sea». In a televised meeting with Russia’s foreign and defense ministries, Putin said the Russian air campaign has allowed Syria’s government forces to «radically» turn the tide of war and helped create conditions for peace talks. [Syria withdrawal]
• Generally Accomplished
  Anatoly Karlin • March 15, 2016 Today came the shock announcement that Putin has ordered the withdrawal of most of the Russian strike force in Syria commencing on March 15, 2016. In contrast to the weeks before the start of the intervention, when multiple observers including Stratfor observed signs of an imminent intervention, this has come as a complete surprise. Many ill thought out explanations have been rushed out. (1) The more rhetorical anti-Russian voices in the West and the pro-Western Russian liberal opposition claim that this was on account of Russia’s unwinding economy. No matter that Russia’s budget deficit is at less than 3% of GDP, comes on top of negligible government debt levels, and the mounting evidence its recession has bottomed anyway. (2) Fervent Assad and SAA supporters of 2015, who the year before had condemned Putin’s “betrayal” of Novorossiya, now rushed to condemn yet another “zrada.” (3) Maybe Borovoy’s ultimatum to Putin was successful after all? /s The real reasons that this happened are rather more prosaic. [Syria withdrawal]
• How Iran views the Russian withdrawal from Syria
  Iranian officials and analysts are speculating about why Russian President Vladimir Putin suddenly decided to begin withdrawing troops from Syria. Some wonder whether Russia won concessions from the United States and the Syrian opposition, but most seem to think that Russia's action is a positive sign, or at the least nothing to worry about. Iranian media and analysts speculate on Russia's sudden decision to pull some of its troops from Syria and what this means for the fate of the cease-fire. Author Arash Karami Posted March 15, 2016 Ali Akbar Velayati, foreign policy adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, spoke to Iranian reporters March 15 after holding a press conference with Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad in Iran. According to the media, Velayati said that during his meeting with Mekdad, they discussed “defending the territorial integrity” of Syria and its April 13 parliamentary elections. When asked if Iranian troops would replace the Russian forces leaving Syria, Velayati said that Russia's action “will not change the overall cooperation between Iran, Russia, Syria and allied forces such as Hezbollah.” Velayati noted that Russia still has an air base in Syria and, if necessary, would again up its effort against terrorists. Velayati added that at the moment, the Syrian government has the upper hand given recent gains by its allies, the cease-fires and the Geneva negotiations. In addition to its air base, Russia will also reportedly keep its maritime base in Syria operable, and nearly 1,000 military personnel will remain in the country. [Syria withdrawal] [Iran]
• Putin orders to begin withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria starting March 15
  Russian Politics & Diplomacy March 14, 20:40 UTC+3 The Russian leader hopes the withdrawal of Russian troops will become a good motivation for launching negotiations between political forces in the country MOSCOW, March 14. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued an order to begin withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria starting from March 15. "I think that the tasks set to the defense ministry are generally fulfilled. That is why I order to begin withdrawal of most of our military group from Syria starting from tomorrow," Putin said on Monday at a meeting with Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. [Russia Syria] [Syria withdrawal]
• Putin announces Russia will pull most of its military from Syria
  Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Russia will begin pulling most of its military from Syria. (The Washington Post) By Michael Birnbaum and Hugh Naylor March 14 at 6:23 PM ? MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin announced Monday that Russia would begin withdrawing the “main part” of its military from Syria, a surprise potential end to a six-month intervention that bolstered Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and dealt a grave blow to Syrian rebels. The decision came as U.N.- brokered peace talks between the Assad government and rebel representatives got underway in Geneva. The planned Tuesday start of the withdrawal coincides with the five-year anniversary of the beginning of street protests in Syria, an initially peaceful movement that was brutally repressed by Assad forces. [Russia Syria] [Syria withdrawal]
• New Group of Syrian Opposition Formed, Supported by Russia
  The group comprises oppositionists who live and work in Syria but who have not been included in the political structure that is currently in power ITAR-TASS 14 March 2016 A new Syrian opposition group has been formed at a meeting at Russia’s Hmeimim base and it may come to Geneva, Russian Ambassador to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva Alexey Borovavkin told TASS on Monday. “We are pleased to note that the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, and his office have welcomed the formation of a new moderate opposition group,” the diplomat said. “Staffan de Mistura has promised to negotiate the issue of inviting representatives of this group to the Geneva negotiations.” According to Borodavkin, this group comprises oppositionists who live and work in Syria but who have not been included in the political structure that is currently in power. [Russia Syria] [Diplomacy]
• Syria: Russia’s Military Might Surprises West
  Western media has raised hue and cry blaming Russia for great collateral damage in Syria. Much has been said about the Russian air strikes not being accurate enough to minimize the damage to civilian infrastructure and death toll among civilians. For decades, Western military leaders viewed Russia’s military capabilities with condescension pointing at «obsolete» equipment and many drawbacks. They used to say that Russia was no match for NATO. But the demonstration of Russia’s military capabilities in Syria has come as a shock. A just published confidential NATO analytical report on the issue has admitted Russia’s superiority over the Alliance’s forces and has praised Moscow for the «accuracy and efficiency» of its air strikes. According to the information obtained by German Focus magazine, the Russian Aerospace Forces operations are much more effective than NATO air strikes, despite the Alliance’s numerical superiority. The article written by Josef Hufelschulte published by Focus on March 5 refers to a classified NATO report, which informs that 40 Russian combat aircraft fly 75 sorties daily to deliver precision strikes against Islamic State targets. NATO experts believe Russian SU-35 aircraft to be superior to anything the Alliance has in its inventory. The paper emphasizes the fact that Russian crews are better trained. Russia’s combat capabilities are enhanced due to the intelligence data provided by Syrian military. According to the document, the Russian military operation made terrorists retreat from previously taken positions. What is especially important – the report mentions no Russian aircraft-inflicted civilian casualties at all. [Russia Syria] [Civilians]
• Could Russia Still Become an Ally of the West?
  The Saker • March 11, 2016 Listening to Donald Trump speaking about his desire to turn Russia into an ally, I caught myself wondering if that was even still a possibility. After all, “the West” – and by that I mean every single western politician – has been lying to Russia ever since the fall of the Soviet Union. Not only has the West lied to Russia (for example on the promise to to expand NATO), but the West has also back-stabbed Russia and sided, fully, with the most vicious and evil enemies of Russia including the Wahabis in Chechnia or the Nazis in the Ukraine. The West assembled a huge air force to mercilessly and illegally bomb the Serbs, a historical ally of Russia and fellow Orthodox people, in Croatia, then in Bosnia, then in Kosovo and then even in Montenegro and Serbia proper. The West also illegally and brutally overthrew Gaddafi in direct violation of UNSC Resolutions and now, having laid waste to Libya (and Iraq!), the West is trying to repeat this performance with Syria. In the case of the Ukraine, the West stood by while the Ukronazis used every single weapon in their arsenal, including chemical weapons, ballistic missiles, heavy artillery, multiple rocket launchers, cluster munitions and bombers against the cities of the Donbass and then imposed sanctions, no, not on Kiev, but on Russia. And even when the Ukronazis burned over 100 civilians in Odessa, the West fully backed them again. Before the Olympic Games in Sochi, the West then unleashed its “homo lobby” and its “pussy rioters” to try to paint Russia as some kind of quasi-Saudi society while never even uttering a single word of criticism against what was really taking place in the real Saudi Arabia, a close ally of the “indispensable nation”. And when Turkey ambushed a Russian bomber which had given its full flight plan to the US and then shot it down, the West had no more to say about it then when the local al-Qaeda franchise in Egypt bombed a Russian airliner. In its latest manifestation of rabid russophobia, the West, lead by the US Secretary of State Kerry, is demanding the release by Russia of a rabid Nazi deathsquad member accused of murdering 2 Russian journalists, Nadezhda Savchenko. Most amazingly, Kerry is claiming that Russia is violating her obligations under the Minsk-2 Agreement by judging Savchenko even though Russia is not a party to this agreement which has nothing to say about Savchenko’s case anyway. We can be pretty sure that if the Devil himself decided to appear somewhere in the USA or Europe and declared that he wanted to fight Russia, the West would give Satan full support, money, training, recognition, etc. Considering all of this, one could reasonably assume that anti-western feelings have reached a boiling point in Russia and that Russia will never again be an ally for the West. But that would be very wrong.
• [Analysis] New sanctions on North Korea sound a death knell for Rajin-Hasan economic project
  Posted on : Mar.9,2016 17:36 KST Trucks cross a bridge from Dandong, China into Sinuiju, North Korea, Mar. 8. In recent days there has been ample cross-border traffic despite sanctions on North Korea. (Yonhap News) Relations with Russia could be harmed by the South’s additional measures to cut off NK’s sources of foreign currency The maritime controls, which are one of the additional sanctions that South Korea announced it would take against North Korea on Mar. 8, constitute a death sentence for the Rajin-Hasan Project. The project was a trilateral logistics venture among South Korea, North Korea and Russia that was initiated by an agreement between the leaders of South Korea and Russia. South Korea’s relations with China have already cooled because of the possible deployment of the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Air Defense) missile defense system on the Korean Peninsula, and now ties with Russia are starting to fray as well. [Sanctions] [Rason] {Russia SK] [China SK] [THAAD]
• Park's Eurasia Initiative stalled
  By Yi Whan-woo President Park Geun-hye's signature project, the Eurasia Initiative, is at risk of being scrapped after the government decided Tuesday to pull out of a joint logistics project involving the two Koreas and Russia. Analysts said Wednesday that the suspension of the three-way project will consequently lead to the scrapping of the Eurasia Initiative, an envisioned inter-Korean railroad connecting to Russia's Trans-Siberian Railway, and on to Western Europe. The Rajin-Khasan project was a pivotal part of the initiative that Park introduced in October 2013. Her ultimate goal was to establish a unified logistics and energy network across the Korean Peninsula, Russia and Europe in the long term. The initial phase of the project sought to secure an international sales route for Siberian coal through a railroad between Russia's border town of Khasan and North Korea's ice-free port of Rajin. South Korean enterprises involved in the project imported coal from Rajin on Chinese-flagged vessels in three trial runs from 2014 to 2015. In a set of sanctions on Pyongyang, Tuesday, the government said it will ban the entry of foreign ships if they have visited North Korea six months before making a port call here. "It's risky to say that the government will officially scrap the Eurasia Initiative but the independent sanctions will inevitably and eventually lead to end of Park's ambitious diplomatic plan," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies. Park Young-ho of the Korea Institute for National Unification echoed a similar view, pointing out that Seoul has consistently said its punitive measures against Pyongyang will be lifted only when the military state gives up its nuclear ambitions. [Eurasian landbridge] [Russia SK] [Sanctions]
• Churchill's Fulton Speech 70 Years On: What's Changed? What Hasn't?
  March 5th marks the 70th anniversary of Sir Winston Churchill's speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, considered by many historians to signify the beginning of the Cold War. In a reflective article, Russian historian Dmitri Kosyrev contemplated on the world borne by the speech, and its enduring relevance today. In his piece, published by RIA Novosti, Kosyrev suggested that "the Cold War generals of today have something in common with Churchill, a theoretician, practitioner, strategist and ideologist of this war," although naturally they cannot match his historical magnitude. "The 70th anniversary of Winston Churchill's speech at Fulton (March 5, 1946 at Westminster College, Missouri, USA) can certainly be seen as the 'birthday' of the Cold War – that is, of the confrontation between the West and the Soviet Union/Russia. But there is something much more interesting in this speech; namely, it was the proclamation of an ideology and strategy of a new global era, on which the sun is only just now beginning to set." "But first, a couple of small details of the larger picture: The term 'Cold War' was not Churchill's creation, but that of his fellow countryman, writer George Orwell, who first used it in 1945. With these words, the author outlined the future state of relations between countries which would acquire nuclear weapons, but remain afraid to use them. Soon, he would accuse the USSR of beginning such a war against Britain and the United States. Gradually, the term would take root. However, at Fulton, it did not yet exist." "Instead," Kosyrev explains, "it would be there that the term 'Iron Curtain' would find its first use. And it was not Churchill offering to erect it in front of the Soviets; he believed that Moscow had already done so, thus partioning Europe." "Taken as a starting point for the beginning of the confrontation between the former allies, it could be said that the speech was chosen arbitrarily –there might have been other pretexts or speeches before it. But the fact is that Churchill was a great strategist, speaker and writer, and although he was no longer the leader of Britain at the time, his thoughts and his words carried weight in and of themselves. Especially given the fact that at Fulton, he was accompanied by US President Harry Truman." [Cold War] [Churchill] [Russia confrontation]
• Govt. to discuss trans-Korea project with Russia
  By Rachel Lee The government will soon discuss with Russia the Rajin-Khasan project, a joint logistics program involving the two Koreas and Russia, the foreign minister said, Sunday. "We will review the project in accordance with the (U.N. Security Council's) new sanctions against North Korea and soon hold consultations with Russia," said Yoon Byung-se on MBC television. The trilateral project is aimed at transporting bituminous coal produced in Western Siberia to South Korean ports through the North's port city of Rajin and Russia's border town of Khasan. The minister's remarks indicate that South Korea may be preparing to import coal directly from Russia in line with the U.N. resolution, which requires mandatory inspection of all cargo going in and out of North Korea and bans the exports of coal, iron and other mineral resources. [SEZ] [Rason]
• Assad miffs opposition, Russians with call for elections
  DAMASCUS, Syria — A precarious calm descended on the Syrian capital for the first time in five years after a cease-fire agreement went into effect Feb. 27 at midnight. The cease-fire crowned a deal brokered by the United States and Russia, opening the way for political negotiations. The calm stood in stark contrast to political tensions between Syria and Russia and the opposition's anger following President Bashar al-Assad's announcement Feb. 22 for parliamentary elections to be held April 13. After announcement of a cease-fire agreement Feb. 22, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad decreed that legislative elections be held April 13 in contravention of the agreement. Author Mustafa al-HajPosted March 4, 2016 Translator Pascale el-Khoury Assad's call for elections, coming hours after announcement of the cease-fire agreement, contradicted the agreement's planned phases for a political settlement of the Syrian crisis. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Feb. 24 that Russia will “vigorously” insist that elections take place with the consent of both the opposition and the government after the adoption of a new constitution. “I would like to emphasize that Russia is fully committed to the agreements on the content and stages of the political process of resolving the Syrian crisis in accordance with the decisions of the International Syrian Support Group (ISSG) and Resolution 2254 of the UN Security Council,” the TASS news agency quoted Zakharova as saying. Zakharova's statement prompted the Syrian government’s media adviser, Bouthaina Shaaban, to address the issue with the Russian media Feb. 24 during a Valdai Discussion Club meeting in Moscow. “The parliamentary elections in Syria are being held in compliance with the constitution. They are a constitutional procedure with which the government must proceed,” Shaaban said according to SANA, the official Syrian news agency. The constitution requires that elections be held every four years, the previous balloting taking place in 2012. [Syria] [Elections] [Russia Syria] [Friction]
• Week Twenty-one of the Russian Military Intervention in Syria: The Calm Before the Storm?
  The Saker • March 6, 2016 The ceasefire in Syria (which is not really a ceasefire, but rather a “focusing of combat operations”) is holding surprisingly well. This is primarily due to the brilliant tactic of forcing each fighting group in Syria to define itself either as a “good moderate”, and be guaranteed safety, or as as en “evil terrorist” and become an indisputably legitimate target which anybody can engage. De jure, the only ones who can legally engage anybody in Syria are only the Russians and the Syrians, everybody else, including the US-led coalition, is present there in total illegality, but de facto the latest agreement also acknowledges the right of all parties to engage the “evil terrorists”. By forcing each group to self-define itself the Russians have completely taken away any credibility from the rather ludicrous accusation that they were bombing the “good terrorists”, the latter category having basically disappeared from the conflict. And to be really honest and blunt about it, the US has been forced to accept the Russian definition of a terrorist as “anybody who fights against the Syrian government”. Oh, I know, they never agreed to such a wording, but since those who until now fought were categorized into “good” and “bad” opposition to the Syrian government and since now the “good opposition” accepts the truce/ceasefire, that means that all those who fight against the government are ipso facto “bad”. Thus anybody taking up arms against the Syrian government is “bad” and a legitimate target for total elimination. QED. [Russia Syria]
• UNSCR 2270: A Conundrum for Russia
  By Georgy Toloraya 05 March 2016 The international community’s relationship with North Korea has reached a bifurcation point that may have far-reaching consequences for the strategic positions of key national players. Specifically, the latest UN sanctions against the DPRK appear likely to substantially harm Russian economic and security interests on the Korean peninsula. Since the early 2000s, Russia has grown used to managing North Korea’s cycle of provocations, which has raised and eased regional tensions as reliably as seasons change. Yet the international community’s strong unanimous reaction to the DPRK’s latest nuclear test and rocket launch, reflected in the particularly robust international sanctions passed on March 2, may mean the tide has turned against Moscow. [UNUS] [Sanctions] [Cliché] [Agency]
• ‘Efficient, accurate’: Russian air warfare in Syria praised in classified NATO report
  Published time: 5 Mar, 2016 14:39 The Russian task force in Syria has demonstrated remarkable efficiency and professionalism, according to a German magazine citing confidential NATO analysis. The limited Russian contingent operating in Syria is outperforming the more widespread groupings of the US-led anti-Islamic State coalition, according to Germany’s FOCUS media outlet who came by the classified NATO document, which was prepared by the alliance’s military experts. [Russia Syria] [Airpower] [Intelligence]
• Syria Ceasefire a Triumph
  by Roger Annis On February 26, the UN Security Council unanimously approved a Russia-U.S. proposed resolution endorsing a ceasefire plan for Syria. The text of the UNSC resolution as well as summaries of statements by Security Council-member countries is published here on New Cold War.org. Warfare has all but ceased in Syria during the first 48 hours of the ceasefire, excepting an assault on the Kurdish town of Tel Abyad by Islamic State forces in eastern Syria that was repulsed by the YPG, the self-defense force of the Syrian Kurdish people. One might think that the seeming miracle of a ceasefire in Syria would be cause for celebration, but apparently no one in Western governments and media nor in some circles of the international left is cheering. Instead, they continue to flog their warnings about big, bad Russia. The significance of the Syria ceasefire is being downplayed. Much of Western media reporting is filled with stories of alleged violations as well as doubts that the ceasefire can hold. The reason for the doom and gloom is that the ceasefire is largely thanks to Russian military efforts and, most importantly, the ceasefire is a blow to the aspirations of the imperialist ‘regime change’ alliance led by the United States that wants the overthrow of Syria’s government and the transformation of Syria into the kind of ‘failed state’ disaster zone created by NATO in Libya. [Russia confrontation]
• North Korea-Russia Defense Relations: Drivers and Developments
  By Anthony Rinna | March 02, 2016 After a new boost to North Korea-Russia relations through 2014, the two ushered in what they declared would be a “Year of Friendship” in 2015. Ties between North Korea and Russia had previously been business-oriented in nature, at least since the 1990s, but more recent agreements have raised concerns within the UN human rights community. Moreover, relations between North Korea and Russia in the defense and military sphere also reached a new level in 2015. The new strategic relationship between North Korea and Russia raised the possibility of cooperation on aerial defense, intelligence, and North Korea’s nuclear arsenal (with nothing substantive or specific stated publicly as yet). Such tight-knit defense cooperation between North Korea and Russia is likely a long way off in practice, however. Furthermore, one must avoid the analytical trap of inflating the extent of North Korea-Russia military cooperation. As Kookmin University’s Professor Andrei Lankov reminds us in a prior piece for Sino-NK, despite the perceived working relationship between North Korea and the USSR, relations between the DPRK and the Soviet Union were occasionally hostile; strategists in the Kremlin did not consider North Korea to be a reliable ally. There is nothing to indicate that things have changed a great deal since then, and security cooperation between North Korea and Russia will likely see many setbacks now and in the future, just as it did in the past. [Russia NK]
• Russia emerges as a new factor complicating sanctions against North Korea
  Posted on : Feb.29,2016 12:04 KST Officials representing Russia at the UN say they need more time to assess sanctions bill agreed to by the US and China Russia is becoming a new variable in UN Security Council deliberations about a sanctions resolution against North Korea, declining to give its consent to a draft agreed to by the US and China and stating that it needs more time to review it. This also decreases the likelihood that the resolution will be adopted before the end of February, as the South Korean and US governments had hoped. If Russia asks for a revision to the resolution draft, there will have to be trilateral talks among the US, China and Russia. This could make the process of adopting the resolution take longer than expected. Since Russia is a permanent member of the UN Security Council with veto power, no sanctions resolution can be adopted without Russia’s consent. [Sanctions] [Russia]
• The Russian-American Agreement on Syria?
  The Saker • February 24, 2016 The recent agreement between the USA and Russia really solves nothing, it does not even end the war, and both sides are expressing a great deal of caution about its future implementation. And yet, this is a huge victory for Russia. While it is too early to say that “the Russian won in Syria”, I think that it is now fair to say that the Russian position on Syria has won. Here is why: First: nobody is suggesting anymore that Assad will be ousted or Damascus taken. That, in turn, means that everybody has now recognized that Syrian Arab Republic, backed by Russia, has successfully repelled the aggression of the huge coalition the AngloZionists built to overthrow Assad. Second: Russia has forced the UNSC and the USA to admit that the vast majority of those who fight Assad today are terrorists. Of course, this is not how this was declared, but if you look at the organizations which the UNSC has already declared as ‘terrorists’ then you already have an absolute majority of the anti-Assad forces. This means that the moral and legal legitimacy of the anti-Assad forces is lies in tatters. [Russia Syria]

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FEBRUARY 2016

• Guns fall silent as delicate Syria truce takes effect
  Beirut | By Tom Perry and Mariam Karoun Guns mostly fell silent in Syria and Russian air raids stopped on Saturday, as a cessation of hostilities appeared to hold for its first day, described by the United Nations as the best hope for peace in five years of civil war. Under the U.S.-Russian accord accepted by President Bashar al-Assad's government and many of his enemies, fighting should cease so aid can reach civilians and talks can open to end a war that has killed more than 250,000 people and made 11 million homeless. Russia, which says it intends to continue strikes against areas held by Islamist fighters that are not covered by the truce, said it would suspend all flights over Syria for the first day to ensure no wrong targets were hit by mistake. ADVERTISING Rebels reported what they described as occasional government violations, and one commander warned that unchecked, the breaches could lead to the agreement's collapse. A Syrian military source denied the Syrian army was violating the truce agreement. [Syria] [Media] [Russia Syria]
• Find Out Why the US Considers Russia “Threat Number One” to America’s Security. Bonanza for US Weapons Industry
  By Pravda.ru Global Research, February 26, 2016 Pravda 26 February 2016 Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, Major-General Igor Konashenkov, said that recent statements from the US military about Russia as a major threat to the national security of the United States were made in connection with the discussion of the military budget in Congress. “The statements from US security officials, who said that Russia was the main threat to US national security, were no surprise for us. This wave rises annually, at about the same time. The reason is simple: the discussion of the size of the military budget for the next year in Congress,” Konashenkov told RIA Novosti. “It is important to understand that the “Russian threat” has been Pentagon’s best-selling threat since the middle of the last century. Pentagon has been selling this threat to both US Congress and NATO partners. I wonder what they would be doing without us,” the official added. [Russia confrontation] [MISCOM]
• Russia BBC Panorama: Kremlin demands 'Putin corruption' proof
  26 January 2016 The Kremlin has called on the US Treasury to come up with proof after it told a BBC investigation it considered President Vladimir Putin to be corrupt. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters the allegation was an "official accusation" and a "total fabrication". Adam Szubin, who oversees US Treasury sanctions, told BBC Panorama that the US government had known Mr Putin was corrupt for "many, many years". It is thought to be the first time the US has made such a direct accusation. Washington has already imposed sanctions on Mr Putin's aides, but has stopped short of levelling corruption allegations at the president himself. US restrictions were placed on a number of Kremlin insiders in 2014, after President Putin ordered the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and conflict broke out in eastern Ukraine. The EU imposed similar measures against Russian companies and individuals, focusing on sectors of the Russian economy that were close to the elite. [Russia confrontation] [Putin] [Corruption] [Demonisation]
• Uncertainties Related to U.S. Policy toward Russia
  “Putin Is Corrupt” and Other Uncertainties Related to U.S. Policy toward Russia
  By Simond de Galbert, Heather A. Conley Feb 24, 2016 During a BBC interview aired on January 25, a surprising and seemingly “out of the blue” comment from Adam Szubin, U.S. acting under secretary of the treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, had many people scratching their heads. Szubin in essence said President Vladimir Putin of Russia is corrupt. Mr. Szubin, who previously served as director of the U.S. Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control between 2006 and 2015— the office in charge of implementing U.S. financial sanctions—described President Putin’s personal situation as one that paints a “picture of corruption” about which the U.S. government has been aware for “many, many years.” “We have seen him enriching his friends, his close allies, and marginalizing those who he doesn’t view as friends using state assets. Whether that’s Russia’s energy wealth, whether it’s other state contracts, he directs those to whom he believes will serve him and excludes those who don’t” he added, mentioning Putin’s “long time training and practices in terms of how to mask his actual wealth.” [Russia confrontation] [Putin] [Corruption] [Demonisation]
• What the Renunciation of Chemical Weapons Has Meant for Syria
  Igor Shumeyko | 24.02.2016 | 14:00 Propaganda, slander, and envious gossip about the effectiveness of the Russian air strikes are all part of the discussions about the operations of Russia’s Aerospace Defense Forces in Syria, although approval of «Putin’s loyalty to his allies» – compared with that «big wuss» Obama – can also be heard. But there has been no careful examination of one fairly important reason why Russia is supporting Syria’s Bashar al-Assad... Obviously, by operating far beyond its borders Russia is preventing the arrival of jihadists onto its own shores. And well it should. The accusations that Russia is hanging on to its «naval base» in Tartus are nonsense of course. Not even John McCain has ever thought to suggest that this modest supply and maintenance installation on the Syrian coast with two floating piers that are able to accommodate only small and medium-sized vessels actually represents a threat to the US military bases that dot the Persian Gulf. Those who are reacting to Russia’s more confident moves on the international stage with fits of irritation mixed with bewilderment write that Putin wants to «divert Russians’ attention from internal problems» and that the effectiveness of Russia’s military operations in Syria is only a reflection of the helplessness of the Obama administration. Or they inform the world – as Michael Ignatieff, a professor at Harvard’s John F Kennedy School of Government, wrote with breathless melodrama in the Financial Times, how «free Aleppo is dying under continuing Russian bombardment» and «Mr Assad is re-establishing his tyranny». However, for some reason everyone is forgetting what seems to me to be one crucial fact: because of Russia’s mediation efforts in 2013-14, Syria voluntarily pledged not to use the chemical weapons that were in its possession. [Syria] [cbw] [Russia Syria]
• Russians Ride Fast
  Israel Shamir
  February 24, 2016 The area around the Central Moscow tube stations looks like Aleppo after an air raid. Ruins, destroyed buildings, bulldozers gathering the shambles. No, Moscow was not hit by terrorists: this is a planned demolition of hundreds of small and not-too-small shacks erected (in defiance of planning law) in the vicinity of tube stations in the notorious Nineties, when the Law was vague and easily bought for ready money. The biggest of them, the Pyramid on top of Pushkinskaya Station, went down this week. The municipal workers promptly removed the vestiges of the collapsed constructions, while the erstwhile owners stared in disbelief. They were surprised by the city hall offensive against illegally built shantytowns; some of them kept trading till the last moment. They received a warning and a demolition order a few months ago, but they did not believe the city would actually apply the order. They were sure the last moment it will be rescinded. It was not. Hundreds of buildings went down in one night. [Russia confrontation]
• Russia wants to fly more spy planes over the U.S., and the Pentagon can’t stop it
  By Dan Lamothe February 23 at 2:55 AM ? In this March 27, 2008, file photo, the Pentagon is seen in this aerial view in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File) Russia filed a request Monday to fly a spy plane carrying advanced digital cameras over the United States. The move presents the United States with a dilemma: How does Washington respond at a time when Moscow and Washington are at odds over Syria and Ukraine and senior U.S. defense officials have identified Russia as the No. 1 existential threat to America? It would be complicated for the United States to block Russia’s request. The Treaty on Open Skies, which was first approved in 1992 and went into effect in 2002, allows signatories to fly unarmed aircraft carrying video and still cameras, infrared scanning devices and certain forms of radar over the territory of other treaty members. Inspections are carried out to make sure the cameras used meet the terms of treaty and are not too powerful. [Russia confrontation] [Treaty] [Unintended consequences] [Resurgence]
• Syrian Hospital Strikes & the Unexpected War Criminals
  Tony Cartalucci
  Accusations and denials continue to be traded between the West’s NGO, Doctors Without Borders or officially Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and the Russian and Syrian government. Despite the gravity of the accusations by the West and MSF, which suggest “deliberate” and egregious war crimes, they have thus far produced no evidence. Not only have they produced no evidence, they openly admit that so far, they have none. Reuters in their article, “MSF seeks independent probe into bombing of Syria hospital,” reveals as much by claiming (emphasis added): “This attack can only be considered deliberate. It was probably carried out by the Syrian government-led coalition that is predominantly active in the region,” she told a news briefing. Accounts from surviving hospital staff led MSF to believe that the government-led coalition had carried out the attack. “We say a probability because we don’t have more facts than the accounts from our staff,” Liu said, noting that it took time to collect forensic evidence. “The only thing predominantly in the region is the Syrian government-led coalition.” For an international organization to accuse two nations of “war crimes” with admittedly nothing more than “accounts,” not from an MSF hospital and their staff, but from an alleged hospital “supported by” MSF and run by local staff, indicates self-serving political motivation, not impartial, selfless charity. But beyond baseless accusations, this most recent incident reveals something far more sinister MSF may be guilty of. http://journal-neo.org/2016/02/21/syrian-hospital-strikes-the-unexpected-war-criminals/ [NGO] [MSF] [GPS] [Canard] [Russia confrontation]
• Week Nineteen of the Russian Intervention in Syria: Would Russia Use Nukes to Defend Khmeimim?
  The Saker • February 20, 2016 The past week saw no decrease in the tense confrontation between Turkey and Russia over Syria. While Russia’s position is simple – ‘we are ready to fight’ – the Turkish position is much more ambiguous: Turkish politicians are saying one thing, then the opposite and then something else again. At times they make it sound like an invasion is imminent, and at times they say that “Turkey plans no unilateral invasion”. Since a UN authorized invasion of Syria will never happen, this means some kind of “coalition of the willing”, possibly NATO. The problem here is that the Europeans have no desire to end up in a war against Russia. At the same time, the US and France refuse to allow a UN Resolution which would reaffirm the sovereignty of Syria. Yup, that’s right. The US and France apparently think that the UN Charter (which affirms the sovereignty of all countries) does not apply to Syria. Go figure… There are persistent rumors that top Turkish military commanders, categorically oppose any attack on Syria and that they want no part in a war with Russia. I don’t blame them one bit as they understand perfectly well two simple things: first, Turkey does not need a war, only Erdogan does; second, when Turkey is defeated, Erdogan will blame the military. There are also signs of disagreements inside the USA over the prospects of such a war, with the Neocons backing Erdogan and pushing him towards war just as they had done with Saakashvili while the White House and Foggy Bottom are telling Erdogan to “cool it”. [Russia Syria] [Turkey]
• Dutch Government media strategy for EU-Ukraine referendum leaked
  Sat, Feb 20, 2016 By Anneke DE LAAF (Netherlands) Dutch Government media strategy for EU-Ukraine referendum leaked This April 6th the Netherlands will hold a (non-binding) referendum on the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement (EUAA), as the result of a petition to the government signed by 427,939 voters. Until the results of the referendum are known, the EUAA cannot be ratified by the Dutch government and therefore cannot officially go into effect. The Dutch government headed by Prime Minister Mark Rutte is firmly in favour of the agreement and from the moment it became clear it would be obliged (by law) to organize the referendum, has urged voters on every possible occasion to vote “Yes”. The communication strategy the Rutte government is to follow in the upcoming weeks was leaked by Dutch RTL News on Wednesday (18-02-2016). Media experts have formulated guidelines and full statements for government officials to use when addressing voters. Political reporter Roel Geeraedts, who obtained the documents, describes it as “A prime example of State propaganda.” [Ukraine] [EU] [Netherlands] [Russia confrontation]
• Russia warns Assad not to snub Syria ceasefire plan
  Moscow | By Alexander Winning and Christian Lowe President Bashar al-Assad was out of step with the views of his main ally, Russia, when he said he planned to fight on until he re-established control over all of Syria, Russia's envoy to the United Nations was quoted as saying on Thursday. In the first public sign of cracks in the alliance between Moscow and Damascus, the envoy, Vitaly Churkin, said Russia had helped Assad turn the tide of the war so it was now incumbent on him to follow Russia's line and commit to peace talks. Churkin said Russia was working towards a peaceful settlement for Syria, and that attempting to take back control over the whole country would be a futile exercise which would allow the conflict to drag on indefinitely. Asked in an interview with Kommersant newspaper about Assad's comments that he would keep fighting until all rebels were defeated, Churkin said: "Russia has invested very seriously in this crisis, politically, diplomatically, and now also in the military sense. "Therefore we of course would like that Bashar al Assad should take account of that." "I heard President Assad's remarks on television... Of course they do not chime with the diplomatic efforts that Russia is undertaking.... The discussions are about a ceasefire, a cessation of hostilities in the foreseeable future. Work is underway on this." [Russia Syria] [Friction]
• Syrian army, allies advance against Islamic State in eastern Aleppo - reports
  Beirut Syria's army and allies, backed by Russian air strikes, recaptured 18 villages from Islamic State fighters in eastern Aleppo province on Saturday, a monitoring group said. The advance extended their control of parts of a road running towards the jihadist group's stronghold of Raqqa, and built on gains made in assaults that intensified sharply earlier this month. Damascus's offensive, drawing heavily on Russian air cover and ground support from Lebanese Hezbollah and Iranian fighters, has brought the Syrian army to within 25 km (15 miles) of Turkey's border. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syria's army and allied fighters recaptured 18 villages east of Aleppo, bringing under their control some 40 km (25 miles) of a highway that leads from the city to Raqqa. [ISIS] [Russia Syria]
• MSF seeks independent probe into bombing of Syria hospital
  Geneva | By Stephanie Nebehay People and Civil Defense members remove rubble while looking for survivors in the ruins of a destroyed Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) supported hospital hit by missiles in Marat Numan, Idlib province, Syria, February 16, 2016. Reuters/Ammar Abdullah The Medecins Sans Frontieres medical charity called on Thursday for an independent investigation into air strikes that killed 25 people at an MSF-backed hospital in north Syria early this week. MSF, also known as Doctors Without Borders, said the attack was probably carried out by Syrian and Russian forces as part of an offensive. Russian-backed Syrian government troops have been pushing toward the rebel stronghold of Aleppo. In all at least 50 civilians were killed when missiles hit five medical centers and two schools in rebel-held towns on Monday, the United Nations and residents said. An MSF-supported hospital in Marat Numan in Idlib province, west of Aleppo, was among those struck repeatedly, killing 9 medical personnel and 16 patients, it said. Ten others were wounded in the attack that destroyed the 30-bed facility. "According to accounts from medical staff onsite, four missiles struck the hospital in an attack lasting about two minutes. Forty minutes later, after rescuers arrived, the site was bombed again," said Dr. Joanne Liu, international president of the medical charity. • › Russia says 'no evidence' its warplanes target hospitals in Syria "This attack can only be considered deliberate. It was probably carried out by the Syrian government-led coalition that is predominantly active in the region," she told a news briefing. Accounts from surviving hospital staff led MSF to believe that the government-led coalition had carried out the attack. "We say a probability because we don't have more facts than the accounts from our staff," Liu said, noting that it took time to collect forensic evidence. "The only thing predominantly in the region is the Syrian government-led coalition." "We would like the facts to be established, we are open for other mechanisms for an independent investigation," she said. MSF said it had not provided the hospital's GPS coordinates to Syrian or Russian authorities, at the request of local staff. [NGO] [Russia Syria] [Russia confrontation]
• A Neighborly Concern: Russia’s Evolving Approach to Korean Problems
  By Georgy Toloraya 18 February 2016 A Neighborly Concern: Russia’s Evolving Approach to Korean ProblemsNorth Korea’s most recent nuclear test and “satellite launch” changed the Korean peninsula’s political landscape more than Pyongyang had probably anticipated, partly due to Moscow’s stronger-than-usual official criticism. The Kremlin explicitly protested the launch, asserting that Pyongyang had “ignored the global community’s appeals and [had] again demonstrated provocative disregard of international law.” Going further, Russia pressed North Korean leaders to “consider whether a policy of confrontation with everyone meets the country’s interests.”[1] The reprimand’s severity was a bit unexpected, as Moscow has generally avoided directing confrontational rhetoric toward the DPRK’s touchy leaders. Therefore, its description of the test and launch as “irresponsible” and “absolutely unacceptable” actions by “North Korean leadership” leaves no doubt that Pyongyang has exhausted the Kremlin’s patience.[2] [Russia NK]
• Ukrainian prosectors, judges ignoring evidence in Maidan Massacre killings
  From the Facebook page of Ivan Katchanovski (Ottawa), Jan 29, 2016 The Prosecutor General Office of Ukraine has charged a commander and two members of the special Berkut company with killing not 39 but 48 out of 49 protesters during the Maidan massacre on February 20, 2014. The sole exception is apparently a Georgian protester. Exact circumstances and location of his death are still not confirmed. The Berkut policemen are also charged with terrorism for the Maidan massacre. The new charges are made in spite of results of forensic medical and ballistic reports, videos, and testimonies of several dozen protesters that were presented in my APSA paper and revealed during the ongoing Maidan massacre trial of the two other Berkut members. All this evidence shows that least the absolute majority of the 49 protesters were killed from the Hotel Ukraina and other Maidan-controlled buildings. [Maidan] [False flag] [Ukraine]
• The 'Snipers' Massacre' on the Maidan in Ukraine
  Ivan Katchanovski University of Ottawa September 5, 2015 Abstract: The massacre of almost 50 Maidan protesters on February 20, 2014 was a turning point in Ukrainian politics and a tipping point in the conflict between the West and Russia over Ukraine. This mass killing of the protesters and the mass shooting of the police that preceded it led to the overthrow of the pro-Russian government of Viktor Yanukovych and gave a start to a civil war in Donbas in Eastern Ukraine, Russian military intervention in Crimea and Donbas, and an international conflict between the West and Russia over Ukraine. A conclusion promoted by the post-Yanukovych governments and the media in Ukraine that the massacre was perpetrated by government snipers and special police units on a Yanukovych order has been nearly universally accepted by the Western governments, the media, and many scholars. The Ukrainian government investigation identified members of the special company of Berkut as responsible for killings of the absolute majority of the protesters, but did not release any evidence in support, with the exception of videos of the massacre. [Maidan] [False flag] [Ukraine]
• NATO Threatens Russia, “We are Rolling into A New Cold War”. Speech by Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev
  2016 Munich Security Conference
  By Dimitri Medvedev Global Research, February 15, 2016 Voltaire Network 13 February 2016 Emphasis added by Global Research Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished colleague Mr Valls, distinguished Mr Ischinger, my speech will be of a more general nature, but I hope it will be useful. The first cold war ended 25 years ago. This is not long in terms of history, but it is a considerable period for individual people and even for generations. And it is certainly sufficient for assessing our common victories and losses, setting new goals and, of course, avoiding a repetition of past mistakes. The Munich Security Conference has been known as a venue for heated and frank discussion. This is my first time here. Today I’d like to tell you about Russia’s assessment of the current European security situation and possible solutions to our common problems, which have been aggravated by the deterioration of relations between Russia and the West. Before coming to this conference, I met with President Putin. We talked about his speech at the Munich conference in 2007. He said then that ideological stereotypes, double standards and unilateral actions do not ease but only fan tensions in international relations, reducing the international community’s opportunities for adopting meaningful political decisions. Did we overstate this? Were our assessments of the situation too pessimistic? Unfortunately, I have to say that the situation is now even worse than we feared. [NCW] [Russia confrontation] [Medvedev]
• Russia hit 1,888 targets in Syria in a week; U.S. count? Just 16
  Highlights With a cease-fire contemplated in perhaps a week, a look at Russia’s campaign Russian Defense Ministry provides a weekly assessment of airstrikes Huge difference in pace of military assault as Russia clears way for Syrian army The Russian Defense Ministry posted this image on its website showing a column of heavy trucks carrying ammunition being hit by a Russian airstrike near Aleppo, Syria. Russia reported striking 100 times as many targets as the U.S.-led coalition in Syria over the past week. Russian Defense Ministry - AP By Matthew Schofield BERLIN — In the seven days before the announcement early Friday that a cease-fire might go into effect in Syria in another week, Russian forces hit more than 100 times as many targets within the embattled nation as a military coalition that includes the United States. Exactly how the cease-fire proposed at an international conference in Munich would work is still being decided. The agreement announced by Russian and U.S. officials said “a nationwide cessation of hostilities . . . should apply to any party currently engaged in military or paramilitary hostilities” except the Islamic State, al Qaida’s Syrian affiliate – Jabhat al Nusra – “or other groups designated as terrorist organizations by the United Nations Security Council.” [Russia Syria] [US Syria policy] [Nusra] [Airpower] [Terrorism] [UNSC]
• Week Eighteen of the Russian Intervention in Syria: A Dramatic Escalation Appears Imminent
  The Saker • February 14, 2016 The situation in Syria has reached a watershed moment and a dramatic escalation of the war appears imminent. Let’s look again at how we reached this point. During the first phase of the operation, the Syrian armed forces were unable to achieve an immediate strategic success. This is rather unsurprising. It is important to remember here that during the first weeks of the operation the Russian did not provide close air support to the Syrians. Instead, they chose to systematically degrade the entire Daesh (Note: I refer to *all* terrorist in Syria as “Daesh”) infrastructure including command posts, communication nodes, oil dumps, ammo dumps, supply routes, etc. This was important work, but it did not have an immediate impact upon the Syrian military. Then the Russians turned to two important tasks: to push back Daesh in the Latakia province and to hit the illegal oil trade between Daesh and Turkey. The first goal was needed for the protection of the Russian task force and the second one hit the Daesh finances. Then the Russians seriously turned to providing close air support. Not only that, but the Russians got directly involved with the ground operation. The second phase was introduced gradually, without much fanfare, but it made a big difference on the ground: the Russians and Syrians began to closely work together and they soon honed their collaboration to a quantitatively new level which allowed the Syrian commanders to use Russian firepower with great effectiveness. Furthermore, the Russians began providing modern equipment to the Syrians, including T-90 tanks, modern artillery systems, counter-battery radars, night vision gear, etc. Finally, according to various Russian reports, Russian special operations teams (mostly Chechens) were also engaged in key locations, including deep in the rear of Daesh. As a result, the Syrian military for the first time went from achieving tactical successes to operational victories: for the first time the Syrian began to liberate key towns of strategic importance. [Russia Syria] [Turkey]
• A Syrian Breakthrough
  Israel Shamir • February 11, 2016 The Russians and their Syrian allies have cut the main supply line of the rebels to the north of Aleppo, the Azaz corridor. In our last report, we wrote about the Azaz corridor, “a narrow strip of land connecting Turkey to the rebel forces in Aleppo. Though it has been narrowed down to four miles in some places, the Syrian [government] Army can’t take it, despite the Russian aerial support. For the success of the whole operation, it is paramount to seize the corridor and cut the supply lines, but there is a heavy political flak and military difficulties. At the last Lavrov-Kerry meeting, the American State Secretary six times implored his Russian counterpart to keep hands off the Azaz corridor. The Americans do not want to see Russian victory; besides, the Turks threaten to invade Syria if the corridor is blocked.” [Russia Syria]
• US A-10s bombed city of Aleppo on Wednesday, shifted blame onto Moscow – Russian military
  Published time: 11 Feb, 2016 07:26 Two US Air Force A-10 warplanes carried out airstrikes on Aleppo Wednesday, destroying nine facilities, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported. The same day, the Pentagon accused Moscow of bombing two hospitals, despite no Russian flights over the city. “Yesterday, at 13:55 Moscow time (10:55 GMT), two American A-10 assault aircraft entered Syrian airspace from Turkey, flew right to the city of Aleppo and bombed targets there,” Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Thursday. Also on Wednesday, Konashenkov referenced, the Pentagon’s spokesman, Colonel Steven Warren claimed that Russian warplanes allegedly bombed two hospitals in Aleppo. “In his words, some 50,000 Syrian have been allegedly deprived of vital services,” Konashenkov said, pointing out that Warren forgot to mention either hospitals’ coordinates, or the time of the airstrikes, or sources of information. “Absolutely nothing.” “No Russian warplanes carried out airstrikes in Aleppo city area yesterday. The nearest target engaged was over 20km away from the city,” Konashenkov stressed, adding that on the contrary, airplanes from the US-led anti-ISIS coalition were active over Aleppo, “both aircrafts and UAVs.” “I’m going to be honest with you: we did not have enough time to clarify what exactly those nine objects bombed out by US planes in Aleppo yesterday were,” Konashenkov said. “We will look more carefully." However, a senior State Department official denied the allegations, saying that Russian reports are “false,” and that the US did not carry out any missions over Aleppo on Wednesday or Thursday, NBC reports. [Civilian] [Disinformation] [Syria]
• Putin’s Aleppo Gamble Pays Off
  by Mike Whitney Last week’s game-changing triumph in northern Syria has moved the Russian-led coalition to within striking distance of a decisive victory in Aleppo. After breaking a 40 month-long siege on the cities of Nubl and Zahra, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has encircled the country’s industrial hub and is gradually tightening the noose. Crucial supply-lines to the north have been cut leaving the Sunni extremists and anti-government militias stranded inside a vast, urban cauldron. It’s only a matter of time before these disparate renegades are either killed or forced to surrender. A victory in Aleppo will change the course of the war by restoring government control over the densely-populated western corridor. This is why the Obama administration is frantically searching for ways to either delay or derail the Russian-led juggernaut and avoid the impending collapse of US policy in Syria. Recent peace talks in Geneva were convened with one goal in mind, to prevent Syrian President Bashar al Assad and loyalist forces from retaking Aleppo. The negotiations failed, however, when Washington’s mercurial allies, the so called “moderate” rebels, refused to participate. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Syrian opposition withdrew “under pressure from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, two of the main backers of the rebels.” The WSJ’s admission was later confirmed by Secretary of State John Kerry who according to a report in the Middle East Eye “blamed the Syrian opposition for leaving the talks and paving the way for a joint offensive by the Syrian government and Russia on Aleppo.” [Russia Syria] [US Syria policy]
• 6 Reasons Not to Reboot the Cold War
  The Obama administration's final Pentagon budget calls for quadrupling spending on efforts to counter Russia. By Miriam Pemberton, February 10, 2016. Originally published in OtherWords. The Pentagon budget the Obama administration unveiled this week calls for quadrupling spending on efforts to counter Russia. The money would move more troops, tanks, and artillery into position near the Russia border. This last Obama budget would also fund another installment in a $1 trillion and 30-year plan to “modernize” our nuclear arsenal with new land-based missiles, bombers, and submarines. If Congress supports the White House’s request, this budget would have our country spending more, adjusting for inflation, than we did during most of the Cold War. The Republican-controlled Congress wants to add even more. Sounds like we’re gearing up for a reboot of that war, doesn’t it? Here are six reasons why this is a big mistake. [Russia confrontation] [Liberal] [NCW] [False desire]
• Russia's Syria dilemma
  Could the Syrian army’s recent military successes against rebel forces, and its possible conquest of Aleppo, be too much of a good thing for Moscow? After the suspension of the Geneva III talks, this is an important question for Russian leaders to consider. Moscow wants a political settlement to the Syrian war, but its military support, which is resulting in regime victories on the battlefield, could threaten that outcome. Author Paul J. Saunders Posted February 9, 2016 Conventional wisdom holds that Russia’s goal in Syria is to force the United States, regional powers and Syrians into choosing between President Bashar al-Assad’s Damascus regime and the violent extremism of the Islamic State and other groups. According to this view, Russia’s airstrikes work toward this goal by weakening nonextremist forces and gradually transforming the conflict from a three-way civil war into a two-sided, anti-terrorism operation. If this happens, ongoing US airstrikes against IS would more demonstrably benefit the Assad regime. The capture of Aleppo would surely represent a major victory for the Syrian regime and significantly strengthen its control over the most densely populated parts of the country, particularly in the wake of parallel victories in southern Syria, one being the recent capture of Sheikh Mishkin. Indeed, while the fighting around Aleppo is more complex than suggested in most Western media accounts, many fear that Aleppo’s fall could devastate the Syrian rebel forces. Despite this, a regime victory that appears to produce a lasting shift in momentum could have unintended consequences that expose differences between Moscow and Damascus and further complicate Russia’s involvement in the Syrian war. The central issue is that Russian and Syrian interests and objectives are not identical. Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/02/russia-syria-aleppo-influence-assad-geneva.html#ixzz3znJvpXfD [Russia Syria] [Wishful thinking] [Hawk]
• Week Seventeen of the Russian Intervention in Syria: Does Erdogan Want War with Russia?
  The Saker • February 6, 2016 The situation with Turkey is rapidly getting out of control: not only have the Turks conducted artillery strikes across the Syrian border, Turkey has refused to comply with its obligations under the Open Skies Treaty and refused to let a Russian surveillance aircraft overfly Turkey. The Russian military has now declared that it had detected signs of Turkish preparations for an invasion. The Turkish refusal to abide by the Open Skies Treaty is an extremely worrisome development, especially when combined with the Russian warnings about the preparation for an invasion of Syria, and the Russians are not mincing their words: [Russia Syria] [Turkey] [Erdogan]
• Peace Talks “Paused” after Putin’s Triumph in Aleppo
  By Mike Whitney Global Research, February 05, 2016 CounterPunch “This is the beginning of the end of jihadi presence in Aleppo. After 4 years of war and terror, people can finally see the end in sight.” — Edward Dark, Twitter, Moon of Alabama A last ditch effort to stop a Russian-led military offensive in northern Syria ended in failure on Wednesday when the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) backed by the National Defense Forces (NDF) and heavy Russian air cover broke a 40-month siege on the villages of Nubl and al-Zahra in northwestern Aleppo province. The Obama administration had hoped that it could forestall the onslaught by cobbling together an eleventh-hour ceasefire agreement at the Geneva peace talks. But when the news that Syrian armored units had crashed through al Nusra’s defenses and forced the jihadists to retreat, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura suspended the negotiations tacitly acknowledging that the mission had failed. “I have indicated from the first day that I won’t talk for the sake of talking,” the envoy told reporters, saying he needed immediate help from international backers led by the United States and Russia, which are supporting opposite sides of a war that has also drawn in regional powers.” (Reuters) De Mistura then announced a “temporary pause” in the stillborn negotiations which had only formally begun just hours earlier. Developments on the battlefield had convinced the Italian-Swedish diplomat that it was pointless to continue while government forces were effecting a solution through military means. After months of grinding away at enemy positions across the country, the Russian strategy has begun to bear fruit. Loyalist ground forces have made great strides on the battlefield rolling back the war-weary insurgents on virtually all fronts. A broad swathe of the Turkish border is now under SAA control while the ubiquitous Russian bombers continue to inflict heavy losses on demoralized anti-regime militants. Wednesday’s lightening attack on the strategic towns of Nubl and Zahraa was just the icing on the cake. The bold maneuver severed critical supply-lines to Turkey while tightening the military noose around the country’s largest city leaving hundreds of terrorists stranded in a battered cauldron with no way out. [Russia Syria] [US Syria policy] [Fragmentation]
• Armed with new U.S. money, NATO to strengthen Russia deterrence
  Brussels | By Robin Emmott Reuters/Yves Herman Backed by an increase in U.S. military spending, NATO is planning its biggest build-up in eastern Europe since the Cold War to deter Russia but will reject Polish demands for permanent bases. Worried since Russia's seizure of Crimea that Moscow could rapidly invade Poland or the Baltic states, the Western military alliance wants to bolster defenses on its eastern flank without provoking the Kremlin by stationing large forces permanently. NATO defense ministers will next week begin outlining plans for a complex web of small eastern outposts, forces on rotation, regular war games and warehoused equipment ready for a rapid response force. That force includes air, maritime and special operations units of up to 40,000 personnel. [Russia confrontation]
• Putin meets ‘old friend’ Kissinger visiting Russia
  Published time: 3 Feb, 2016 20:38 Russian President Vladimir Putin has continued his “long-standing, friendly relations” with former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger as the pair took the "opportunity to talk" at a meeting in his residence outside Moscow. The meeting is a continuation of a “friendly dialogue between President Putin and Henry Kissinger, who are bound by a long-standing relationship,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “They communicate all the time, use the opportunity to talk,” he added. Putin “values” this opportunity to discuss pressing international issues as well as exchange opinions on global perspectives, Peskov said. Putin and Kissenger have had over 10 tete-a-tete meetings so far, according to media reports. When Kissinger visited Russia in 2013 Putin said that Moscow always pays attention to his opinion and called the former secretary of state "a world class politician." Kissinger, a former US national security adviser and foreign policy head, pioneered the detente policy in 1969 steering the US-Soviet relations to a general ease. For his part in negotiating a ceasefire in Vietnam in an unsuccessful effort to put an end to the Vietnam war (1955-1975) he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973. In a December interview with German newspaper Handelsblatt, Kissinger said that he believes the West should understand there could be no resolution to the Syrian crisis and unity without Russia’s participation. He also said that one cannot defeat Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISISL) militants in the Middle East using diplomatic means. [Kissinger] [Putin]
• After four months, Russia’s campaign in Syria is proving successful for Moscow
  A civil defense member reacts at a site hit by what activists said were three airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in Idlib province, Syria, on Jan. 12. (Khalil Ashawi/Reuters) By Andrew Roth February 3 at 5:08 PM MOSCOW — Four months after launching airstrikes in Syria, the Kremlin is confident that Moscow’s largest overseas campaign since the end of the Soviet Union is paying off. Under the banner of fighting international terrorism, President Vladimir Putin has reversed the fortunes of forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which were rapidly losing ground last year to moderate and Islamist rebel forces in the country’s five-year-old crisis. Government forces are now on the offensive, and last week, they scored their most significant victory yet, seizing the strategic town of Sheikh Miskeen from rebels who are backed by a U.S.-led coalition. According to analysts and officials here, the Russian government believes it has won those dividends at a relatively low cost to the country’s budget, with minimal loss of soldiers’ lives and with largely supportive public opinion. “The operation is considered here to be quite successful,” said Evgeny Buzhinsky, a retired lieutenant general and senior vice president of the Russian Center for Policy Studies in Moscow. It could probably continue for one year or longer, he said, “but it will depend on the success on the ground.” Whether the benefits of Russia’s gambit to put soldiers on the ground in Syria will continue long term remains to be seen. President Obama warned last year that Russia was entering a “quagmire” reminiscent of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and it is unclear when Moscow could declare victory and whether it has an exit strategy. But as Assad’s forces push forward and as diplomatic talks in Geneva broke off in recriminations Wednesday after just two days, there is little pressure right now on the Kremlin to pull back. [Russia Syria] [Media]
• U.S. Fortifying Europe’s East to Deter Putin
  By Mark Landler and Helene Cooper Feb. 1, 2016 Lithuanian soldiers inspected a United States Army Stryker vehicle last year during an exercise. Lithuania and its Baltic neighbors, Estonia and Latvia, are among the NATO countries that have been asking for a statement of American military support. Credit Bryan Denton for The New York Times WASHINGTON — President Obama plans to substantially increase the deployment of heavy weapons, armored vehicles and other equipment to NATO countries in Central and Eastern Europe, a move that administration officials said was aimed at deterring Russia from further aggression in the region. The White House plans to pay for the additional weapons and equipment with a budget request of more than $3.4 billion for military spending in Europe in 2017, several officials said Monday, more than quadrupling the current budget of $789 million. The weapons and equipment will be used by American and NATO forces, ensuring that the alliance can maintain a full armored combat brigade in the region at all times. Though Russia’s military activity has quieted in eastern Ukraine in recent months, Moscow continues to maintain a presence there, working with pro-Russian local forces. Administration officials said the additional NATO forces were calculated to send a signal to President Vladimir V. Putin that the West remained deeply suspicious of his motives in the region [Russia confrontation] [Inversion] [NATO enlargement]
• Threats From Russia, China Drive 2017 DoD Budget
  By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. and Colin Clark on February 02, 2016 at 8:30 AM PENTAGON: After 25 years of war in the Middle East, the Pentagon’s 2017 budget is the first driven by Russia and China. “The program has been shifted to a more acute focus on the two high-end competitors, Russia and China,” a senior defense official told Sydney in an interview ahead of Secretary Ash Carter’s budget speech this morning. “The secretary feels strongly that we’re at a strategic inflection point,” the official said. “We’re going to have to start thinking differently for the next 25 years than we have been accustomed to in the last 25, and it’s primarily because of the reemergence of great power competition.” We must jettison assumptions like Russia being “a responsible international partner” and US forces going down to zero in Iraq and just 1,000 in Afghanistan. “None of that has come to pass.” [Pentagon] [Military expenditure] [Russia confrontation] [Resurgence] [China confrontation] [Inversion] [MISCOM]
• Week Sixteen of the Russian Intervention in Syria: a US Invasion of Syria Next?
  The Saker • January 31, 2016 This week was marked by major successes for the Syria military the Sheikh Miskeen region of the Daraa Province in the south of the country. In the meantime in the north, the Syrian Army continues its offensive north of the strategic Kuweires air base. But these military successes were eclipsed by rumors that the US was setting up and air base in northern Syria, possibly near Rmeilan, a town in the al-Hasakah Governorate in the northeast of Syria, and that this might be the preparation for a US ground intervention. Interestingly, the US media also began circulating rumors that the Russian were setting up a 2nd air base in northern Syria. Erdogan even declared that he “would not tolerate” a 2nd Russian air base in Kurdish Syria. And then, of course, there was the statement of Joe Biden who spoke of a US ‘military solution’ in Syria if no negotiated solution could be found. Listen to him claim that the US is capable of “taking out” Daesh: [Russia Syria] [US Syria policy]
• The Nth Wave of Russian Emigration
  Anatoly Karlin • January 21, 2016 One thing you start noticing when you read commentary on Russia long enough is how the same discredited tropes arise again and again. Zombie-like, they refuse to die. In 2011, for example, there was supposed to have been a “sixth wave of Russian emigration,” in which disillusioned Russians were said to have finally had enough with Putin and were bolting for the exits en masse. Perhaps this was so in the fervid imaginations of the RFERL staff, but in the real world, as proxied by things like numbers and records and statistics, Russian emigration had long collapsed to almost insignificant levels. All the Russians – actually, Jews and Volga Germans, for the most part – who were ever likely to leave Russia had already done so in the 1990s. As such, they picked an exceedingly bad time to come up with this “Sixth Wave of Russian Emigration” fable. Incidentally, Nikolay Starikov’s deconstruction of how this myth came to be, translated by yours truly, remains a highly relevant case study in how the Western propaganda machine against Russia works: Russian liberals misrepresent or outright invent figures which are quoted by ever more “authoritative” sources and are eventually picked up by and broadcast by a MSM which doesn’t care for elementary fact-checking whenever Russia is concerned. In 2014-2015, this particular myth is getting resurrected – articles on this have appeared in the RFERL (again), the Guardian, The Diplomat, the BBC, Business Insider, and most recently – in the Washington Post, in an article by Vladislav Inozemtsev on the “self-destructing” Russian economy. [Migration] [Russia confrontation] [Media]

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JANUARY 2016

• Faking History
  by Luciana Bohne January 26, 2016 “This is the final struggle Let us pull together and tomorrow The Internationale Will be the human kind.” — Written by Eugene Pottier in 1871, “The Internationale,” is the anthem of socialists, communists, anarchists, and social democrats. Anti-fascist Republicans sang it during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). Singing “The Internationale” today in Ukraine is punishable by up to ten years in prison. The Kiev Rada passed a law in December making it a crime to deny the “criminal nature” of the Soviet regime (1917-1991). From selling a Soviet-era postcard, to membership in the communist party, to singing the Soviet national anthem, the law penalizes all symbols and activities connected to the USSR. Volodymyr Chemerys calls attention to the law’s violations of human rights in a recent article in CounterPunch: A law was passed on “de-communization” which is in conflict with a number of fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed by the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. These include freedom of assembly and association (Article 11 of the Convention), freedom of expression (Article 10) and freedom of speech. Though this law consigns both Nazi and Soviet symbols to Roman-style damnatio memoriae (erasure from memory), a second law criminalizes any expressed doubts about the legitimacy of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) or the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) as Ukrainian independence fighters—though in the actual historical record they were counter-Soviet revolutionaries who collaborated with the Nazis in ethnic cleansing and egregious massacres of Jews, Poles, and others during WW II. One of the authors of the law was the son of Roman Shukhevych, leader of the UPA. “De-communization”—the stripping of all traces of the Soviet past —will cost bankrupt Ukraine millions of dollars. The names of cities, streets, parks and other places bearing the memory of Soviet or communist heroes will have to be changed. The hammer and sickle, the coat of arms of the Soviet Union, is being removed from the Motherland Monument in Kiev, tribute to victory over Nazi Germany. Scheduled for a change-of-name are Dnepropetrovsk, honoring the revolutionary Grigory Petrovsky, and Kirovgrad, named after Sergey Kirov, assassinated First Secretary of the Central Committee of Leningrad. It is an offense to say, “The Great Patriotic War”; the dispassionate “Second World War,” in tandem with the West, replaces the official, Soviet-era designation. I realize that some of these anti-communist acts may not shock the American public, disciplined for seventy years to a narrative similar to the one being re-written in Ukraine. [History] [Ukraine]
• Moscow Snowbound, Litvinenko Poisoned, and the Syrian War
  Israel Shamir • January 27, 2016
  TOP NEWS: Feeling Pinch of Oil Collapse, Some Russians Take to Streets, reported The New York Times. Indeed, at that time thousands of Russians were queuing in Central Moscow. The enormous line snaked around in the park, despite frost and snow. People stood three and four hours, braving winter weather: old ladies in furs and gentlemen in greatcoats, young people in anoraks, all sort of Russians from Moscow and from provinces. Do you think they were queueing for a fire sale to buy discount products or to change their depreciating roubles for dollars or whatever these desperate people were supposed to desire? Nope. This was the queue for the retrospective exhibition of Valentin Serov’s paintings, a Russian fin-de-siècle painter, in the New Tretyakov Gallery. Valentin Serov (1865-1911) is a Russian equivalent of Edgar Degas or Edouard Manet or perhaps of James McNeill Whistler, hardly the names to steer Western masses from midwinter slumber. His art is figurative, embedded in Russian classical tradition yet aware of new trends of his time – he was an Art Nouveau founder – but still impeccably humane. Serov is a very Russian painter of the kind despised by the modern conceptual connoisseurs of art who prefer a Warhol’s tin, a Hirst’s shark or a Pussy Riot’s scream. The queue was not a fruit of a successful spin campaign – this was quite a low profile operation. Rather, it was a manifestation of the unpredictable Russian revolt against the Brave New World, on a par with Russians’ rejection of the gender politics, their open celebration of their Christian religiosity and their disapproval of migration, legal and illegal. They can’t understand why the Germans invite Syrians, why the US judge sentences a woman to years of jail for sex with 17-year old boy, why officials have to officiate at gay marriages, why people must hide their crosses. The whole modern setup of the West annoys them as much as it perhaps annoys you. En masse, Russians are traditional in their attitudes; and their country drifts further away from the Atlantic consensus under the sanctions.
• U.S.-backed rebels lose a key town to Russian airstrikes in Syria
  Syrian pro-government forces celebrate on a street in the town of Sheik Miskeen on Tuesday, after retaking the strategic town from rebel forces. (AFP/Getty Images) By Liz Sly January 26 at 4:05 PM BEIRUT — Western-backed Syrian rebels on Tuesday suffered one of their most significant defeats since Russia’s military intervention in Syria turned the tide of the war in favor of President Bashar al-Assad, further complicating prospects for a negotiated settlement at peace talks scheduled later this week in Geneva. After a month-long offensive backed by Russian warplanes, government forces and allied ¬militias reclaimed control of the town of Sheikh Miskeen, strategically located at a crossroads commanding a southern supply route between the Jordanian border and the Syrian capital, Damascus. It was the latest in a string of defeats inflicted on rebel fighters in recent weeks, as Assad loyalists finally start to capitalize on nearly four months of intense Russian airstrikes that have mostly targeted the anti-Assad rebellion. [Russia Syria] [Jihadist] [Outsourcing]
• Media More Outraged by Possible Murder by Putin Than Definite Murder by Obama
  by Matt Peppe January 25, 2016 The British government, whose foreign policy is overtly hostile to their Russian counterpart, declared last week that their investigation into the killing of a former Russian intelligence agent in London nearly a decade ago concluded there is a “strong probability” the Russian FSB security agency was responsible for poisoning Alexander Litvinenko with plutonium. They further declared that Russian President Vladimir Putin “probably approved” of the act. The British investigation, which was likely politically motivated, seemingly raised more questions than it answered. But American corporate media were quick to use the accusations against Putin to demonize him, casting him as a pariah brazenly flaunting his disregard for international conventions. The Washington Post (1/23/16) editorial board wrote that “Robert Owen, a retired British judge, has carefully and comprehensively documented what can only be called an assassination… Mr. Owen found (Andrei) Lugovoi was acting ‘under the direction’ of the FSB in an operation to kill Mr. Litvinenko – one that was ‘probably approved’ by the director of the FSB and by Mr. Putin.” Actually, Owen did not find that former KGB operative Lugovoi was acting under the direction of the FSB to kill Litvinenko. He found there was a “strong probability” this was the case. This means that even in Owens’s view, there is not near certainty, which would meet the legal standard of reasonable doubt that would preclude a guilty judgement. There is even more doubt that even if it were the case the FSB ordered the murder, they did so on Putin’s orders. The New York Times editorial board (1/21/16) finds the investigation’s results “shocking.” For the Times, this confirms a pattern of Putin’s rogue behavior. They claim Putin’s “deserved reputation as an autocrat willing to flirt with lawlessness in his global ventures has taken on a startling new aspect.” Both of the prestigious and influential American newspapers argue that the British findings impugn Putin’s respectability in international affairs. The Times says: “Mr. Putin has built a sordid record on justice and human rights, which naturally reinforces suspicion that he could easily have been involved in the murder. At the very least, the London inquiry, however much it is denied at the Kremlin, should serve as a caution to the Russian leader to repair his reputation for notorious intrigues abroad.” The more hawkish Post says: “This raises a serious question for President Obama and other world leaders whose governments do not traffic in contract murder. Should they continue to meet with Mr. Putin as if he is just another head of state?” Putin’s alleged “sordid record on justice and human rights,” which is taken for granted without providing any examples, is seen as bolstering the case for his guilt in the case of the poisoning death of Litvinenko. This, in turn, adds to his “notorious” reputation as a violator of human rights. The Post draws a line between the lawless Putin and the respectable Western heads of state, such as Obama. Though they frame their call to treat Putin as an outcast as a question, it is clearly intended as a rhetorical question. It is curious that The Post draws a contrast between Putin and Obama, whose government is supposedly above such criminality. The newspaper does not mention the U.S. government’s drone assassination program, which as of last year had killed nearly 2,500 people in at least three countries outside of declared military battlefields.Estimates have shown that at least 90 percent of those killed were not intended targets. None of those killed have been charged with any crimes. And at least two – Anwar al-Awlaki and his 16-year-old son Abdul Rahman – were Americans. [Putin] [Russia confrontation] [Double standards]
• NATO: Parkinson's Law Used to Restore Order
  Dmitriy Sedov | 26.01.2016 | 08:00 World media came up with a scoop a few days ago: James Clapper, the US Director of National Intelligence, had been instructed by the US Congress to conduct a major review into Russian clandestine funding of European parties over the last decade. It gave rise to confusion. What does it actually mean? If Congress believed that Europe was infiltrated by Kremlin agents, it should inform European partners about it. It has not been done. Now Clapper has to send a team of investigators to Europe and conduct a major investigation into how the Kremlin is infiltrating European political parties. A review must be prepared to be submitted to Congress. It couldn’t be otherwise. The goal is to make precise who has been bribed by Russians and what sums have been paid. It’s not a mission to be carried out without leaving the headquarters in Langley. A team must be sent to investigate on spot. The US readiness to quickly lend a helping hand to other nations in trouble has become routine. But until now the United States has not treated its NATO allies this way. Something extraordinary has happened: Congress is worried about the change of mood within the ranks of NATO members’ political parties influenced by Moscow special services. US agents will have to make head or tail of it. They have a job to do. Another question pops up: where has Congress obtained the information about the Europe’s predicament? Here is the answer: United States special agencies themselves have instilled this idea. Perhaps, US lawmakers are not acquainted with the Parkinson’s Law otherwise they would understand what’s happening. The events unfold in accordance with the mathematical equation describing the rate at which bureaucracies expand over time. As the Parkinson’s Law states, «It is the essence of grantsmanship, therefore, to pursue the foundation executives that it was THEY who suggested the research project and that you were a belated convert, agreeing reluctantly to all they had proposed. This is the basic principle of non-origination».
• Putin Denounces Soviet Founder Lenin
  By The Associated Press Jan. 25, 2016, MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday criticized Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin, accusing him of placing a "time bomb" under the state, and sharply denouncing brutal repressions by the Bolshevik government. The harsh criticism of Lenin, who is still revered by communists and many others in Russia, is unusual for Putin, who in the past carefully weighed his comments about the nation's history to avoid alienating some voters. At the same time, he signaled that the government has no intention of taking Lenin's body out of his Red Square tomb, warning against "any steps that would divide the society." Putin's assessment of Lenin's role in Russian history during Monday's meeting with pro-Kremlin activists in the southern city of Stavropol was markedly more negative than in the past. Putin denounced Lenin and his government for brutally executing Russia's last czar along with all his family and servants, killing thousands of priests and placing a "time bomb" under the Russian state by drawing administrative borders along ethnic lines. [Putin] [Lenin]
• Russia strikes Syrian rebels near Turkey borders, Syrian army advances on ground
  Xinhua, January 23, 2016 Russian airstrikes on Friday targeted rebel-bound weapon shipment entering Syria from Turkey, pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV reported, as the Syrian military was making progress against the militant groups close to the Turkish borders. The Russian warplanes struck convoys crossing from Turkey into Syria and weapon depots near the Bab al-Hawa border-crossing, which is under the rebel control, the TV said. The Russian strikes also targeted a rebel battalion near Bab al-Hawa, killing many militants. It wasn't the first Russian strikes against weapon convoys reaching Syria. In 2015, particularly after the Turkish air force downed a Russian war jet over Syria on Nov.24, Moscow carried out intensive airstrikes against the Turkey-backed rebel positions on the Syrian-Turkish borders. [Russia Syria] [Chinese IR]
• Putin's Biggest Failure
  The Saker • January 24, 2016 The Russian 5th column: Chubais, Iudaeva, Dvorkovich, Shuvalov, Nabiullina, Kudrin, Uliukaev, Siluanov, Medvedev The Russian 5th column: Chubais, Iudaeva, Dvorkovich, Shuvalov, Nabiullina, Kudrin, Uliukaev, Siluanov, Medvedev Whatever happens in the future, Putin has already secured his place in history as one of the greatest Russian leaders ever. Not only did he succeed in literally resurrecting Russia as a country, but in a little over a decade he brought her back as a world power capable of successfully challenging the AngloZionist Empire. The Russian people have clearly recognized this feat and, according to numerous polls, they are giving him an amazing 90% support rate. And yet, there is one crucial problem which Putin has failed to tackle: the real reason behind the apparent inability of the Kremlin to meaningfully reform the Russian economy. As I have described it in the past many times, when Putin came to power in 1999-2000 he inherited a system completely designed and controlled by the USA. During the Eltsin years, Russian ministers had much less power than western ‘advisers’ who turned Russia into a US colony. In fact, during the 1990s, Russia was at least as controlled by the USA as Europe and the Ukraine are today. And the results were truly catastrophic: Russia was plundered from her natural wealth, billions of dollars were stolen and hidden in western offshore accounts, the Russian industry was destroyed, a unprecedented wave of violence, corruption and poverty drowned the entire country in misery and the Russian Federation almost broke up into many small statelets. It was, by any measure, an absolute nightmare, a horror comparable to a major war. Russia was about to explode and something had to be done. Two remaining centers of power, the oligarchs and the ex-KGB, were forced to seek a solution to this crisis and they came up with the idea of sharing power: the former would be represented by Anatolii Medvedev and the latter by Vladimir Putin. Both sides believed that they would keep the other side in check and that this combination of big money and big muscle would yield a sufficient degree of stability. I call the group behind Medvedev the “Atlantic Integrationists” and the people behind Putin the “Eurasian Sovereignists”. The former wants Russia to be accepted by the West as an equal partner and fully integrate Russia into the AngloZionist Empire, while the latter want to fully “sovereignize” Russia and then create a multi-polar international system with the help of China and the other BRICS countries. [Putin]
• Kerry Pressed for MH-17 Evidence
  January 21, 2016 Exclusive: The father of a young American who died aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 is pressing Secretary of State John Kerry to release evidence to support his early claims that the U.S. government possessed details about the launch of the missile that killed 298 people, reports Robert Parry. By Robert Parry The father of Quinn Schansman, the only American citizen to die in the 2014 shoot-down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine, has asked Secretary of State John Kerry to release the U.S. data that Kerry cited in claiming precise knowledge of where the suspected anti-aircraft missile was fired. One of the mysteries of the MH-17 case has become why the United States – after asserting that it possessed information implicating ethnic Russian rebels and the Russian government – has failed to make the data public or apparently even share it with Dutch investigators who are leading the inquiry into how the plane was shot down and who was responsible. Quinn Schansman, who had dual U.S.-Dutch citizenship, boarded MH-17 along with 297 other people for a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on July 17, 2014. The 19-year-old was planning to join his family for a vacation in Malaysia. In a letter to Kerry dated Jan. 5, 2016, Thomas J. Schansman, Quinn’s father, noted Kerry’s remarks at a press conference on Aug. 12, 2014, when the Secretary of State said about the Buk anti-aircraft missile suspected of downing the plane: “We saw the take-off. We saw the trajectory. We saw the hit. We saw this aeroplane disappear from the radar screens. So there is really no mystery about where it came from and where these weapons have come from.” Yet, where the missile launch occurred has remained a mystery in the MH-17 investigation. Last October, when the Dutch Safety Board issued its final report on the crash, it could only place the launch site within a 320-square-kilometer area in eastern Ukraine, covering territory then controlled by both Ukrainian and rebel forces. (The safety board did not seek to identify which side fired the fateful missile). [MH17]
• Russia’s Military Operation in Syria: Results and Conclusions
  Alex Gorka | 22.01.2016 | 08:00 Moscow's military involvement in the Syrian crisis has led to an increasingly important role for Russia in regional and global politics. The military operation is Russia’s first combat deployment away from its borders in decades. So far, it has demonstrated advanced military capabilities in a highly visible manner. The Russia’s Aerospace Forces launched a military operation in Syria on September 30. Over 1,000 sq. kilometers have been liberated from Islamic State militants. The aircraft have flown 5,662 sorties. The military have launched 97 cruise missiles against terrorist targets, Lt.Gen. Sergei Rudskoy, the head of the Chief Operations Directorate of the Russian General Staff, said on January 15. «Since September 30, the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria have made 5,662 sorties, including 145 sorties made by strategic missile and long-range bomber aviation, the Russian military have also carried out 97 launches of sea-based and air-based missiles», he reported. [Russia Syria]
• Emir of Qatar has Paid a Visit to Russia
  Viktor Mikhin Moscow seems to be turning into a sort of a political Mecca to where various political leaders are coming to discuss international issues. This is especially true for Arab leaders, that have not simply been regularly visiting Russia in the last six months, but consulted Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on the phone. The recent visit of the uncooperative Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Moscow only aggravated this trend. Emir opened the meeting with Vladimir Putin with a well-deserved rebuke: “We were waiting for you visit as early as last fall,” – he stated in a soft voice. Indeed, when all the monarchs of the Middle East were rushing to Russia last year, Qatar was in no hurry to take any steps, even though there’s a handful of issues that are to be discussed between the two countries, with some of them being pretty urgent. First appeared: http://journal-neo.org/2016/01/20/the-emir-of-qatar-has-paid-a-visit-to-russia/ [Qatar]
• Week Fifteen of the Russian Intervention in Syria: When No News Is Good News
  The Saker • January 17, 2016 We could say that the Russian intervention in Syria has settled into somewhat of a routine: the Russians are bombing, a lot, and the Syrians are advancing on almost all fronts, but slowly. While those who expected a rapid collapse of Daesh followed by a series of major government victories might be disappointed, I am personally rather encouraged by these events. Here is why: If the Syrians did not win in a rapid Blitzkrieg it is first and foremost because such a Blitzkrieg was never a real possibility. The Syrians never had the numbers to concentrate enough forces on one attack axis and to subsequently exploit a breakthrough. The Syrians also lack the firepower needed to prepare the Daesh defenses before attempting such a offensive. In fact, a secondary role for the Russian AirSpace forces has been to provide from the air the firepower the Syrians lacked in their ground forces. However, while a Blitzkrieg is always very impressive, if risky, there is another time tested form of warfare, attrition warfare, which can also yield results. I am not talking about a WWI kind of attrition warfare, of course, but one specific to the Syrian conflict. The Russians are steadily degrading Daesh on many levels: they are hitting their command posts, their ammo dumps, their logistics and supply routes, their training bases, etc. Since a lot of those targets have now been destroyed, the Russians are also providing more and more close air support, that is to say that they are now flying sorties in direct support of Syrian army operations. There is also mounting evidence that Russian officers are now working closely with the frontline Syrian units. This closer cooperation and coordination between the Russians and the Syrians has yielded many small victories and at least one major one: the city strategic of Salma, in northeastern Latakia province, has now been fully liberated (check out this video, in Russian but no translation is really needed, for footage of the liberation of this city: [Russia Syria]
• Obama changes tack on Russia, calls up Putin
  By M.K. Bhadrakumar on January 14, 2016 The US President Barack Obama sprang a New Year surprise on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin by telephoning him Wednesday night. It was a double surprise since the Russian New Year Holiday Week is ending on Thursday, January 14, and Obama rarely makes such gestures; and, secondly, the call signified a virtual U-turn just a day after the US president had made some unfriendly remarks about the Kremlin’s policies and caricatured Russia as undermining the international system. Kremlin described the Putin-Obama conversation as frank and constructive The Kremlin readout and the White House readout both make it clear that the two presidents held a detailed discussion on the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East tensions (Syrian conflict and Saudi-Iran rift) and North Korea’s dangerous nuclear brinkmanship. It was indeed a substantial phone conversation, signifying a Russian-American constructive engagement. [Russia confrontation] [Russia NK] [Test]
• MH17 Coroner’s Inquest: More Questions than Answers
  James ONeill An inquest into the deaths of the Australian passengers on board MH17 when it was shot down over Eastern Ukraine on 14 July 2014 was held in Melbourne, Australia, on 15 and 16 December 2015. The inquest was notable for a number of reasons, most of them not favourable to an understanding of what happened over Ukraine that July day. Any persons relying upon media reports of the inquest would be absolutely no better informed than when the inquest began, and at least in several instances either seriously misled or, more commonly, simply not informed about the few snippets of real information that were revealed. The overarching conclusion however, must be that this inquest was a travesty of an inquiry that did not service at all either to the coronial process or the right of the public to be better informed about one of the worst tragedies to befall Australian citizens in recent years. [MH17]
• Week Thirteen of the Russian Intervention in Syria: Debunking the Lies
  The Saker • January 2, 2016 Ever since the first rumors began to circulate about an impending Russian military intervention in Syria the Internet and the media have been flooded with all sorts of silly rumors, myths and outright lies about what could/would happen. These rumors, myths and outright lies are still being spread today, and not only by pro-US interest groups, but even by supposedly pro-Russian “analysts”. All this nonsense completely obfuscates the reality of the Russian intervention in Syria (but maybe that was the goal all along?) and tries to paint the Russian operation as a failure. After three months of Russian air and missile strikes in Syria, it is a good time to ask the question of whether the Russians have achieved some tangible results or whether, as some are suggesting, this has basically been a big PR operation. The key issue here is what criteria to use to measure “success”. And that, in turns, begs the question of what the Russians had hoped to achieve with their intervention in the first place. It turns out that Putin clearly and officially spelled out what the purpose of the Russian intervention was. On October 11th, he declared the following in an interview with Vladimir Soloviev on the TV channel Russia 1: Our objective is to stabilize the legitimate authority and create conditions for a political compromise [Russia Syria]
• Corruption in Ukraine is so bad, a Nigerian prince would be embarrassed
  By Josh Cohen December 30, 2015 United States Vice President Joe Biden has never been one to hold his tongue. He certainly didn’t in his recent trip to Kiev. In a speech before Ukraine’s Parliament, Biden told legislators that corruption was eating Ukraine “like a cancer,” and warned Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko that Ukraine had “one more chance” to confront corruption before the United States cuts off aid. Biden’s language was undiplomatic, but he’s right: Ukraine needs radical reforms to root out graft. After 18 months in power, Poroshenko still refuses to decisively confront corruption. It’s time for Poroshenko to either step up his fight against corruption — or step down if he won’t. When it comes to Ukrainian corruption, the numbers speak for themselves. Over $12 billion per year disappears from the Ukrainian budget, according to an adviser to Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau. And in its most recent review of global graft, anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International ranked Ukraine 142 out of 174 countries on its Corruption Perceptions Index — below countries such as Uganda, Nicaragua and Nigeria. Ordinary Ukrainians also endure paying petty bribes in all areas of life. From vehicle registration, to getting their children into kindergarten, to obtaining needed medicine, everything connected to government has a price. [Corruption] [Agency]
• Week Twelve of the Russian Intervention in Syria: Zag!
  The Saker • December 26, 2015 In last week’s review of the Russian military intervention in Syria I wrote that Kerry had lost every single negotiation he ever had with the Russians and that he had a record of agreeing to A only to come back to the US and then declare non-A. This time again, the Americans did not change their modus operandi, except that it was Obama himself who declared, yet again, that Assad must go, resulting in some commentators speaking of a “White House Schizophrenia”. Others, however, noted that this could be simply a case of face saving denials. Personally, I think that both of these explanations are correct. There is no doubt that Obama is an exceptionally weak, and even clueless, President. The man has proven to have no vision, no understanding of international relations, his culture is minimal while his arrogance appears to be infinite – he is all about form over substance. This is the ideal mix to win a Presidential election in the USA, but once in the White House this is also a recipe for disaster. When such a non-entity is placed at the top of the Executive branch of government, the different part of government do not get a clear message of what the policy is and, as a result, they each begin doing their own thing without worrying too much about what the POTUS has to say. The recent article by Sy Hersh “Military to Military” is a good illustration of that phenomenon. Being weak and lacking vision (or even understanding) Obama’s main concern is conceal his limitations and he therefore falls back on the oldest of political tricks: he tells his audience whatever it wants to hear. Exactly the sames goes for Kerry too. Both of these man will say one thing to the Russian rulers or during an interview with a Russian journalist, and the exact opposite to an American reporter. That kind of “schizophrenia” is perfectly normal, especially in the USA. [Obama] [US Syria policy] [Kerry] [Russia Syria]

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