Russia
Includes Ukraine and Eastern/Central Europe and NATO
2017
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DECEMBER 2017

• Trump Says Russia Inquiry Makes U.S. ‘Look Very Bad’
  By Michael S. Schmidt and Michael D. Shear Dec. 28, 2017 WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Trump said Thursday that he believes Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel in the Russia investigation, will treat him fairly, contradicting some members of his party who have waged a weekslong campaign to try to discredit Mr. Mueller and the continuing inquiry. During an impromptu 30-minute interview with The New York Times at his golf club in West Palm Beach, the president did not demand an end to the Russia investigations swirling around his administration, but insisted 16 times that there has been “no collusion” discovered by the inquiry. “It makes the country look very bad, and it puts the country in a very bad position,” Mr. Trump said of the investigation. “So the sooner it’s worked out, the better it is for the country.” [Russiagate]
• Putin opponent Alexei Navalny launches presidential bid
  Outspoken Putin critic gets initial backing to run for president Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny announced Dec. 24 he had gathered enough nominations to challenge Vladimir Putin in March's presidential election. (Reuters) By Andrew Roth December 24 MOSCOW — As a presidential campaign with predictable results kicks off in Russia, opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Sunday announced his dark-horse bid despite the government’s warnings that he will be disqualified before the ballots are printed for the March election. In a small forest and dacha community in the outer reaches of Moscow, exactly 742 supporters raised small red voting cards in support of the whistleblower turned opposition leader, who over the past half-decade has become the most dogged foe of President Vladimir Putin. Navalny needed at least 500 people to formally nominate him. [Russia confrontation] [Putin] [Election [Navalny]
• Russian submarines are prowling around vital undersea cables. It’s making NATO nervous.
  The Russian submarine Dmitry Donskoy, the world’s largest in active service, arrives at Kronstadt Navy base, outside St. Petersburg, in July. (Olga Maltseva/AFP/Getty Images) By Michael Birnbaum December 22 at 6:56 PM BRUSSELS — Russian submarines have dramatically stepped up activity around undersea data cables in the North Atlantic, part of a more aggressive naval posture that has driven NATO to revive a Cold War-era command, according to senior military officials. The apparent Russian focus on the cables, which provide Internet and other communications connections to North America and Europe, could give the Kremlin the power to sever or tap into vital data lines, the officials said. Russian submarine activity has increased to levels unseen since the Cold War, they said, sparking hunts in recent months for the elusive watercraft. “We are now seeing Russian underwater activity in the vicinity of undersea cables that I don’t believe we have ever seen,” said U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Andrew Lennon, the commander of NATO’s submarine forces. “Russia is clearly taking an interest in NATO and NATO nations’ undersea infrastructur [Russia confrontation] [Submarine] [Resurgence] [NCW] [Message]
• The White House’s odd statement about giving U.S. intelligence to Putin
  By Aaron Blake December 18 at 9:32 AM President Trump weighed in on Russia and North Korea on Dec. 15. (The Washington Post) The White House did something very unusual Sunday, releasing details of a call between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and including information about U.S. intelligence that was shared to foil a terrorist plot in Russia. And the readout of the call sounds quite a bit like it was drafted by a certain someone — exclamation point and all. [US Russia cooperation] [Terrorism]
• Putin thanks Trump for CIA intel that foiled a planned terrorist attack in Russia
  In this still from a video, Russian Federal Security Service operatives detain a suspect in St. Petersburg. (Russian Federal Security Service via AP) By David Filipov December 17 at 4:24 PM MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday phoned President Trump to thank him for a tip from the CIA that thwarted a terrorist attack being planned in St. Petersburg. The unusual call — countries share intelligence all the time, but presidents rarely publicly thank one another for it — was confirmed by White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Putin told Trump that the information provided by the CIA allowed Russian law enforcement agencies to track down and detain a group of suspects who were planning to bomb the centrally located Kazan Cathedral and other crowded parts of Russia’s second-largest city. [Terrorism] [Putin] [Russia US]
• The unchecked threat from Russia
  By Editorial Board December 16 at 7:26 PM
  THE CACOPHONOUS and frequently confusing debates over the Russia investigations by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and several committees of Congress tend to obscure some big and virtually uncontested truths: that the regime of Vladi­mir Putin intervened in the 2016 election with the intention of harming U.S.?democracy; that it will almost certainly seek to do so again; and that there has been no concerted effort to defend the country from this national security threat. We say “virtually uncontested” because the principal dissenter from this consensus, which unites U.S. intelligence agencies and a large bipartisan majority in Congress, is President Trump — who continues to shove away the conclusive proof about Russia’s actions compiled by American intelligence professionals and to obstruct efforts by his Cabinet and staff to respond to them. [Russia confrontation] [Russiagate] [Anti-Trump]
• U.S. F-22s fired warning flares at Russian planes in close call over Syria, Pentagon says
  By Alex Horton December 15 at 10:12 AM An F-22 Raptor over Iraq in 2017. (Department of Defense) A pair of U.S. jets intercepted two Russian fighter aircraft over Syria on Wednesday, the Pentagon said, the kind of highly dangerous yet constant encounter that is occurring with more regularity despite agreements between the countries to avoid potentially deadly mistakes. Two F-22A Raptors were diverted from supporting ground operations against Islamic State militants and intercepted the Russian Su-25 aircraft after they crossed into U.S. coalition airspace east of the Euphrates River near Bukamal, a key town on the border of Iraq and in the region where militants have congregated following defeat in Raqqa. The Russian warplanes were so close to coalition jets that the jets shot flares and even chaff — clouds of metal meant to confuse radar systems but possibly used in this case as an additional visual warning. [US Syria policy] [Russia confrontation] [Legality] [Chutzpah]
• Putin blames Trump’s political opponents for poor U.S.-Russian relations
  On Dec. 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with more than 1,000 journalists to answer questions ranging from Russia's Olympic doping scandal to N. Korea. (The Washington Post) By Andrew Roth and David Filipov December 14 at 10:37 AM MOSCOW — Russian President Vladi­mir Putin on Thursday said that he doubted President Trump would be able to improve relations between their two countries because Trump was being held back by his political opposition. Trump undoubtedly has had some successes as president, including a booming U.S. stock market, Putin said. But, he asserted, reports about Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election were being invented to create questions about his U.S. counterpart’s legitimacy. “There are things that he would want to do but hasn’t been able to so far, like reforming health care or other goals. For instance, he spoke about improving relations with Russia,” Putin said in remarks carried on national television. “It’s clear that, even if he wanted to, he’s not in a condition to do that because of some clear restrictions” created by his opponents. “I don’t know if he still wants [to improve relations with Russia], or if it’s totally exhausted, but I hope he still does,” Putin added. [Russia confrontation] [Putin] [Media]
• Putin is outplaying Trump in the Middle East
  By Ishaan Tharoor December 12 at 1:00 AM Want smart analysis of the most important news in your inbox every weekday along with other global reads, interesting ideas and opinions to know? Sign up for the Today's WorldView newsletter. Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to Syria on Monday as part of a whirlwind Middle Eastern tour. Putin, who also stopped in Egypt and Turkey, met leaders, posed for photo-ops, inked a huge energy deal and, all in all, played the part of an influential international statesman. While President Trump has sparked outrage across the region, Putin played the role of sober and dependable partner. [Russia Middle East] [Putin] [Chagrin] [Decline] [Incompetence]
• Putin’s Re-election Is Assured. Let the Succession Fight Begin.
  By Neil Macfarquhar Dec. 11, 2017 MOSCOW — Ask Russian analysts to describe the coming campaign for the March 2018 presidential election and their answers contain a uniform theme: a circus, a carnival, a sideshow. With the victory of President Vladimir V. Putin assured, the real contest, they say, is the bare-knuckled, no-holds-barred fight to determine who or what comes after him by the end of his next six years in office, in 2024. What might be called the Court of Putin — the top 40 to 50 people in the Kremlin and their oligarch allies — will spend the next presidential term brawling over that future. When Mr. Putin confirmed last week that he would run again, he might as well have been firing the starting gun for the race toward his succession. He is barred by the Constitution from seeking a third consecutive term, his fifth total, in 2024. [Russia confrontation] [Putin] [Election] [Public opinion] [Chagrin]
• Whirlwind Putin Tour Highlights Moscow’s New Reach in Mideast
  By Neil Macfarquhar and Anne Barnard Dec. 11, 2017 MOSCOW — President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia undertook a whirlwind tour to his new allies in the Middle East on Monday, underscoring the extension of Russia’s influence in the region and the continuing shrinkage of the United States’ role. Mr. Putin touched down in rapid succession in Syria and Egypt, where he met briefly with their leaders, and landed in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, later in the day. His excursion came as anger at the United States was running high over President Trump’s unilateral decision to recognize Jerusalem, the third holiest city in Islam, as the capital of Israel. That decision has helped isolate the United States and Israel, angering allies in Europe and the Arab world while helping to convince the Arab public that the United States is solidly anti-Muslim. [Russia Middle East] [Putin] [Chagrin]
• VIDEO: Saakashvili threatens to jump off roof in Kiev before being detained
  The ever-grotesque situation in Ukraine took another nose dive into farce today as Mikhail Saakashvili, ex-president of Georgia and governor of Odessa, climbed to the roof of his eight storey apartment building in Kiev and threatened to jump – for no very obvious reason. His rash action was apparently precipitated by the arrival of the Ukrainian Security Service (the SBU) to search his home as part of an ongoing criminal investigation, in which Saakashvili is charged with attempting to “oust the Ukrainian authorities”. According to some unsourced claims both Saakashvili and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko have accused each other of being Russian agents. Presumably at least one of them is wrong.
• Russia names Radio Free Europe and Voice of America ‘foreign agents’
  A general view shows the headquarters of Russia's Justice Ministry in Moscow. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) By David Filipov December 5 at 10:39 AM MOSCOW — Russia on Tuesday named Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and seven affiliated news services as foreign agents, and the Russian parliament prepared to ban the organizations from attending its sessions. The moves come as Moscow follows through on its promise to retaliate for similar U.S. actions against the English-language Russian network RT, which Russian leaders characterize as an assault on freedom of the press. [Russia confrontation] [Response] [Censor]
• Russian FM Reveals First Victims in Case of War on Korean Peninsula
  20:15 02.12.2017(updated 20:20 02.12.2017) Get short URL 22894 Russian Foreign Minister has shared his view on the possible reasons for the latest North Korean missile launch and commented on the situation on the peninsula. MINSK (Sputnik) – Russia condemns the provocative actions of the United States with regard to North Korea, as well as Washington's attempts to involve Tokyo and Seoul in provocations, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated, adding that Japan and South Korea "will become the first victims in case of the outbreak of a war on the Korean peninsula." According to the minister, Pyongyang has refrained from launching missiles for over two months prior to the latest launch on Wednesday. Lavrov explained that the US officials made it clear to Russia that next US drills close to the North Korean borders were not scheduled to take place until spring 2018. "We have been working with Pyongyang. Then, all of a sudden two weeks after the United States had sent us the signal [about readiness to dialogue], they announced unscheduled drills in December. There is an impression that they were deliberately provoking [North Korean leader] Kim Jong Un to make him break the pause and gave in to their provocations," Lavrov said. The foreign minister, however, stressed that Russia fully complied with the sanctions regime imposed by UN Security Council against North Korea. While the tensions on the Korean Peninsula have reached an unprecedented level this summer amid North Korea's missile launches, Russia and China have proposed the so-called "double freeze" plan, which stipulates simultaneous halt of Pyongyang's nuclear tests and US-South Korea joint drills, which have repeatedly been slammed as provocative by the leadership of the DPRK. However, Washington has rejected the plan. [Freeze] [Russia Korea]
• N. Korea escalating calls on US to recognize it as nuclear power
  Posted : 2017-12-03 16:02 Updated : 2017-12-03 17:32 By Jun Ji-hye North Korea is escalating calls on the United States to recognize Pyongyang as a nuclear power state after firing what it claimed was a new, more powerful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching any part of the mainland U.S. last week. The Kim Jong-un regime said the recognition would be the precondition for any negotiations with Washington on its nuclear and missile programs, according to Russian delegates who recently visited Pyongyang. Pyongyang has repeatedly made such a demand in an apparent bid to sit down at the negotiating table on equal footing with Washington and seek a peace treaty with the U.S. The renewed demand would make it more difficult to resolve the nuclear stalemate as the Donald Trump administration has made it clear it would not recognize the North as a nuclear power and is preparing harsher sanctions against the repressive state, urging it to give up its nuclear ambition. Vitaly Pashin, a member of Russia's lower house of parliament, told Russian news agencies Friday the North is "ready to sit at the negotiating table." "We met with Kim Yong-nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea," Pashin told Russian news service Interfax. "He said North Korea is ready to sit down at the negotiating table." Pashin noted the North Korean high-ranking officials told him the only condition under which Pyongyang would begin negotiations with Washington is the Trump administration's recognition of the North as a nuclear power state. Pashin told another Russian news agency Tass that the North also criticized South Korea-U.S. joint military drills, quoting North Korean officials as saying Pyongyang had refrained from military provocations for 75 days "awaiting reciprocal steps from the U.S. , which, instead of meeting (North Korea) halfway, announced large-scale surprise military drills." [NK US policy] [Overture] [Russia NK]
• Lavrov: US statements on military solution for North Korea tantamount to playing with fire
  Russian Politics & Diplomacy December 01, 18:20 UTC+3 Moscow will do its utmost to ensure the problem be resolved exclusively by peaceful political and diplomatic means, Sergey Lavrov said Share © AP Photo/Andy Wong Read also Kremlin warns against severing ties with North Korea ROME, December 1. /TASS/. Moscow believes Washington’s latest statements in favor of a military solution in relations with North Korea are a big mistake and tantamount to playing with fire, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday. "If somebody is very eager to use force to wipe out North Korea, as the United States’ UN envoy has said (a very bloodthirsty tirade it was), I believe that it was a big mistake and an attempt to play with fire. We will do our utmost to not let this happen and to ensure the problem be resolved exclusively by peaceful political and diplomatic means," he said [Russia Korea]
• Progress Report on the US-Russian War
  The Saker • December 1, 2017 I am often asked if the US and Russia will go to war with each other. I always reply that they are already at war. Not a war like WWII, but a war nonetheless. This war is, at least for the time being, roughly 80% informational, 15% economic and 5% kinetic. But in political terms the outcome for the loser of this war will be no less dramatic than the outcome of WWII was for Germany: the losing country will not survive it, at least not in its present shape: either Russia will become a US colony again or the AngloZionist Empire will collapse. In my very first column for the Unz Review entitled “A Tale of Two World Orders” I described the kind of multipolar international system regulated by the rule of law that Russia, China and their allies and friends worldwide (whether overt or covert) are trying to build and how dramatically different it was from the single World Hegemony that the AngloZionists have attempted to establish (and almost successfully imposed upon our suffering planet!). In a way, the US imperial leaders are right, Russia does represent an existential threat, not for the United States as a country or for its people, but for the AngloZionist Empire, just as the latter represents an existential threat to Russia. Furthermore, Russia represents a fundamental civilizational challenge to what is normally called the “West” as she openly rejects its post-Christian (and, I would add, also viscerally anti-Islamic) values. This is why both sides are making an immense effort at prevailing in this struggle. Last week the anti-imperial camp scored a major victory with the meeting between Presidents Putin, Rouhani and Erdogan in Sochi: they declared themselves the guarantors of a peace plan which will end the war against the Syrian people (the so-called “civil war”, which this never was) and they did so without inviting the US to participate in the negotiations. Even worse, their final statement did not even mention the US, not once. The “indispensable nation” was seen as so irrelevant to even be mentioned. [Russia confrontation] [Decline]

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NOVEMBER 2017

• Putin’s proposal for Ukraine is another trap for Trump
  By Josh Rogin Global Opinions November 26 at 7:05 PM After playing into Russia’s hands on Syria, the Trump administration now risks repeating the error in Ukraine, where diplomatic discussions over a Russian initiative are heating up. Moscow’s plan is to legitimize its invasion and control over parts of two eastern provinces by drawing President Trump into another bad deal. Vladi­mir Putin’s pattern is familiar. He uses his military to escalate fighting on the ground and then approaches the West with a proposal sold as de-escalation. Appealing to European and U.S. desires for peace without Western intervention, the Russian president puts forward an alleged compromise. But in the details, Putin’s proposals are really designed to divide his adversaries and cement his gains. [Russia confrontation] [Ukraine] [Trump] [Putin]
• Putin wins backing from Iran, Turkey for new Syria peace push
  Denis Pinchuk, Stephen Kalin Russia’s Vladimir Putin won the backing of Turkey and Iran on Wednesday to host a Syrian peace congress, taking the central role in a major diplomatic push to finally end a civil war all but won by Moscow’s ally, President Bashar al-Assad. Presidents Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Vladimir Putin of Russia and Hassan Rouhani of Iran meet in Sochi, Russia, November 22, 2017. Kayhan Ozer/Turkish Presidential Palace/Handout via REUTERS Syrian opposition groups, meeting in Saudi Arabia to seek a unified position ahead of peace talks, decided to stick to their demand that Assad leave power, Al Arabiya television reported, following speculation they might soften their stance after their hardline leader quit. Two days after being visited by Assad in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, President Putin hosted his counterparts Tayyip Erdogan and Hassan Rouhani there. In a joint statement, the three leaders called on the Syrian government and moderate opposition to “participate constructively” in the planned congress, to be held in the same city on a date they did not specify. [Russia Syria] [Decline]
• Russia likely to reduce troops in Syria before year-end: military chief
  Reuters Staff The size of Russia’s military force in Syria is likely to be significantly reduced and a drawdown could start before the end of the year, the chief of the Russian military general staff said on Thursday. Chief of the General Staff of Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, arrives for the opening ceremony of the International Army Games 2017 in Alabino, outside Moscow, Russia, July 29, 2017. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov Russia’s military support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, notably through air strikes, has been crucial in defeating Islamic State and Syrian opposition forces. “There is very little left to do before the completion of military objectives. Of course, a decision will be made by the supreme commander-in-chief and the deployment will be reduced,” Valery Gerasimov told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and military top brass in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Gerasimov said forces would likely be “substantially” reduced but leave Russia with two military bases, a ceasefire-monitoring center and “a number of necessary structures to support the situation which has developed” in Syria. [Russia Syria]
• Russia-gate Spreads to Europe
  November 16, 2017 Exclusive: The Russia-gate hysteria has jumped the Atlantic with Europeans blaming Russia for Brexit and Catalonian discontent. But what about Israeli influence operations or, for that matter, American ones, asks Robert Parry. By Robert Parry Ever since the U.S. government dangled $160 million last December to combat Russian propaganda and disinformation, obscure academics and eager think tanks have been lining up for a shot at the loot, an unseemly rush to profit that is spreading the Russia-gate hysteria beyond the United States to Europe. British Prime Minister Theresa May. Now, it seems that every development, which is unwelcomed by the Establishment – from Brexit to the Catalonia independence referendum – gets blamed on Russia! Russia! Russia! The methodology of these “studies” is to find some Twitter accounts or Facebook pages somehow “linked” to Russia (although it’s never exactly clear how that is determined) and complain about the “Russian-linked” comments on political developments in the West. The assumption is that the gullible people of the United States, United Kingdom and Catalonia were either waiting for some secret Kremlin guidance to decide how to vote or were easily duped. [Russiagate] [Russia excuse]
• The Slimy Business of Russia-gate
  September 28, 2017 Special Report: As the U.S. government doles out tens of millions of dollars to “combat Russian propaganda,” one result is a slew of new “studies” by “scholars” and “researchers” auditioning for the loot, reports Robert Parry. By Robert Parry The “Field of Dreams” slogan for America’s NGOs should be: “If you pay for it, we will come.” And right now, tens of millions of dollars are flowing to non-governmental organizations if they will buttress the thesis of Russian “meddling” in the U.S. democratic process no matter how sloppy the “research” or how absurd the “findings.” Russian President Vladimir Putin, following his address to the UN General Assembly on Sept. 28, 2015. (UN Photo) And, if you think the pillars of the U.S. mainstream media – The Washington Post, The New York Times, CNN and others – will apply some quality controls, you haven’t been paying attention for the past year or so. The MSM is just as unethical as the NGOs are. So, we are now in a phase of Russia-gate in which NGO “scholars” produce deeply biased reports and their nonsense is treated as front-page news and items for serious discussion across the MSM. Yet, there’s even an implicit confession about how pathetic some of this “scholarship” is in the hazy phrasing that gets applied to the “findings,” although the weasel words will slip past most unsuspecting Americans and will be dropped for more definitive language when the narrative is summarized in the next day’s newspaper or in a cable-news “crawl.” For example, a Times front-page story on Thursday reported that “a network of Twitter accounts suspected of links to Russia seized on both sides of the [NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem] issue with hashtags, such as #boycottnfl, #standforouranthem and #takeaknee.” The story, which fits neatly into the current U.S. propaganda meme that the Russian government somehow is undermining American democracy by stirring up dissent inside the U.S., quickly spread to other news outlets and became the latest “proof” of a Russian “war” against America. However, before we empty the nuclear silos and exterminate life on the planet, we might take a second to look at the Times phrasing: “a network of Twitter accounts suspected of links to Russia.” The vague wording doesn’t even say the Russian government was involved but rather presents an unsupported claim that some Twitter accounts are “suspected” of being part of some “network” and that this “network” may have some ill-defined connection – or “links” – to “Russia,” a country of 144 million people. [Russia confrontation] [US_election16] [NGO] [Think Tanks]
• ‘Any Russians?’: Sessions pokes fun at fervor over Kremlin-related dealings in convention speech
  Sessions: ‘Any Russians’ in the audience? Attorney General Jeff Sessions started a speech to the Federalist Society with a joke on Nov. 17. He asked if there were “any Russians” in the audience. (Reuters) By Matt Zapotosky November 17 at 4:21 PM The attorney general’s got jokes. Three days after the top U.S. law enforcement official was grilled on Capitol Hill over his knowledge of Trump campaign dealings with Russians, Jeff Sessions opened a speech at the National Lawyers Convention in Washington on Friday by asking whether Russia’s former ambassador was in attendance — or anyone at all who had visited his country. “Is Ambassador Kislyak in the room?” Sessions said, drawing laughter from a standing-room-only crowd. “Any Russians? Anybody been to Russia? Got a cousin in Russia, so .?.?.” [Russia confrontation] [Sessions]
• McCarthyism Redux: Attacks on the Russian Media
  by John Wight Photo by Mike Maguire | CC BY 2.0 “We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not fearful men, not descended from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate and to defend causes which were for the moment unpopular.” US broadcast journalist, Edward Murrow, spoke these words in the 1950s, protesting against the witchhunt of communists, alleged communists, and of anyone thought to evince anything resembling sympathy or support for ideas associated with communism by Senator Joseph McCarthy, inspired by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) hearings of the 1940s. McCarthy and his team were able to sow fear, paranoia, and a rigid adherence not to democracy or free speech but to intolerance of dissent and the questioning of the received truths that sustained America’s engagement with the rest of the world. [Russia confrontation] [Censor]
• Russian legislators pass law targeting international media as ‘foreign agents’
  A screen shows the results of the vote on the media law during a session of the Russian State Duma on Nov. 15. (Sergei Ilnitsky/European Pressphoto Agency-EFE/Rex/Shutterstock) By Andrew Roth November 15 MOSCOW — Russian lawmakers voted unanimously Wednesday to pass legislation allowing authorities to force any foreign media organization to register as a “foreign agent” under penalty of fines or a possible ban on operations in Russia. The legislation, passed 414 to 0 in retaliation for the registration of English-language Russian news network RT under a similar statute in the United States, was drafted hastily and is likely to be signed into law by Russian President Vladi­mir Putin by the end of the month. The bill approved by the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, did not include a list of media organizations to be targeted; lawmakers said they would be chosen by Russia’s Ministry of Justice. Likely targets are U.S. news organizations that receive government funding, including Voice of America and Radio Free Europe, as well as the privately owned CNN. [Russia confrontation] [Censor] [Response]
• Former U.S. intelligence officials: Trump being ‘played’ by Putin
  By John Wagner November 12 President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin talk at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Danang, Vietnam. (Jorge Silva/Reuters) Two top former U.S. intelligence officials said Sunday that President Trump is being “played” by President Vladi­mir Putin on Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and accused him of being susceptible to foreign leaders who stroke his ego. “By not confronting the issue directly and not acknowledging to Putin that we know you’re responsible for this, I think he’s giving Putin a pass,” former CIA director John Brennan said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “I think it demonstrates to Mr. Putin that Donald Trump can be played by foreign leaders who are going to appeal to his ego and try to play upon his insecurities, which is very, very worrisome from a national security standpoint.” Appearing on the same program, former director of national intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. said he agrees with that assessment. [Russia confrontation] [Trump]
• Trump says Putin sincere in denial of Russian meddling
  By Karen DeYoung, Ashley Parker and David Nakamura November 11 1:28 Trump: ‘I really believe’ Putin’s denials of election meddling President Trump says he believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin is being truthful when he denies that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election. (Reuters) President Trump said that President Vladi­mir Putin had assured him again Saturday that Russia did not interfere in the 2016 presidential campaign, and indicated that he believed Putin’s sincerity, drawing immediate criticism from lawmakers and former intelligence officials who assessed that the meddling took place. “I asked him again,” Trump said after what he described as several brief, informal chats with Putin in Danang, Vietnam, where they were attending a regional conference. “You can only ask so many times .?.?. He said he absolutely did not meddle in our election. He did not do what they are saying he did. “I really believe that when he tells me that, he means it .?.?. I think he’s very insulted, if you want to know the truth,” Trump told reporters traveling with him aboard Air Force One from Danang to Hanoi, on the ninth day of a long Asia tour. Trump voiced similar conclusions after his only previous meeting with Putin, last July in Germany. [Trump] [Russia confrontation] [US_election16]
• Britain’s May slams Russia for election meddling and fake news (unlike President Trump)
  By William Booth November 14 at 8:28 AM Play Video 1:22 Britain's Theresa May says Russia is guilty of 'meddling in elections' Speaking at the Lord Mayor's banquet in London, the British prime minister said that Russia is seeking to 'weaponize information.' (The Washington Post) LONDON — Dispensing with diplomatic niceties, British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday night charged Vladimir Putin’s Russia with attempting to “undermine free societies” and “sow discord” in Britain and the West by “weaponizing information” and “deploying its state-run media organizations to plant fake stories.” “So I have a very simple message for Russia. We know what you are doing. And you will not succeed,” May said. “The U.K. will do what is necessary to protect ourselves, and work with our allies to do likewise.” May’s condemnation, in a speech before business executives in a London banquet hall, was quite different from remarks over the weekend by President Trump, who appeared to take sides with the Russian president. [Theresa May] [Russia confrontation] [Russia excuse] [Jeremy Corbyn]
• How will Democrats cope if Putin starts playing dirty tricks for Bernie Sanders (again)?
  By James Kirchick November 12 at 8:00 PM James Kirchick is a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution and author of “The End of Europe: Dictators, Demagogues, and the Coming Dark Age.” When Russia interferes in the 2020 presidential election on behalf of Democratic nominee Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), how will liberals respond? [Russia confrontation] [Sanders]
• RussiaDidIt: cheap meddling, closet Marxists and racial tensions
  by Ricardo Vaz, from InvestigAction.net Cover photo: “Racism – Shame of America” – Soviet poster about the civil rights struggle in the United States Are you a western journalist or analyst with an issue you cannot explain? Do your symptoms include an unwillingness to learn anything from history and an unconditional embrace of western exceptionalism? Then we have just the thing for you: RussiaDidIt! Taken in the appropriate dosage, RussiaDidIt can be used for just any issue, small and large, old and new, near and far. Call your local US embassy or EU office and order your RussiaDidIt talking points. Side effects may include total paranoia, loss of credibility and a desire to wear the EU flag as a cape. It seems like all the evils that plague the western world these days have a common cause. Brexit, Catalonia, Trump, racial tensions, the lack of credibility of the EU, all of these have a simple explanation, if we are to believe the mainstream media and pundits: Russia is behind it. And not just Russia, but Putin himself. He must be the busiest villain in history. True journalists like Robert Parry have analysed and exposed the rise of this new McCarthyism, and how uncorroborated, or sometimes outrightly false, allegations gradually become unquestionable facts. [1] Screenshots from the Washington Post and Politico In this piece we examine three articles that have different angles of this RussiaDidIt approach. They have the paranoia of Russian meddling in US elections as a background, but everything applies just as well to similar stories about the EU. Inevitably it all ties back to an inability, or unwillingness, to learn anything from history, and this disgusting myth that everyone should look up to the West as a beacon of superior values. We start of course with the ineffable Guardian. [Russia confrontation] ]Media] [Russiagate]
• Don Draper Rules: Russian Ads and American Madness
  November 3, 2017 by Chris Floyd So we’ve finally seen some of the social media ads which we are told skewed the entire election in 2016 and constituted a key part of the internet assault on America launched by Vladimir Putin’s “troll army.” Scary stuff blazoned across front pages and screen scrolls everywhere. But before going on, perhaps we should find out what makes a social media account part of Putin’s invasion force? Well, according to Twitter, it is ANY account created in Russia. Or any account where the user has a Russian email address. Or if their name contains Cyrillic characters. Or if they ever tweet in Russian. Or if they have ever logged in from any Russian IP address — even a single time. Twitter says: “We considered an account to be Russian-linked if it had even one of the relevant criteria.” Not even Glenn Beck would draw so many far-fetched connections. One glance at the Twitter criteria tells you that it could enroll every single Russian dissident into Putin’s “troll army.” I personally know several people in Russia who are adamantly opposed to Putin and all he stands for — and have put their lives on the line for their beliefs. According to Twitter — and the US Congress, the mainstream media, the Democratic Party and innumerable liberal commentators — these people are also part of Putin’s “troll army.” Even a single log-in from any Russian IP address makes you part of the troll army. (What if you were visiting Russian dissident friends and checked your Facebook on their computer? Why, you’re a Kremlin stooge, pal, and don’t try to deny it.) Even people who have left Russia — maybe even fled from Putin — but still, use their native language in their tweets can now be counted as part of the troll army. Essentially, any social media post that can be remotely tied to Russia in any possible way can be seen as part of Putin’s assault on American democracy — no matter what it says, who wrote it, or where they wrote it, or why. This is madness. Absolute madness. It demonizes and criminalizes Russians and people connected to Russians far more extensively than we saw even in McCarthyite times. At least in those days, a Russian dissident couldn’t be accused of being a Kremlin stooge for writing a communication in his or her native language. Or using the Russian postal service. But that’s where we are now. So back to those ads. Congressional committees have released images of “Russian-linked” ads which apparently “reached” 150 million Americans. I assume that means they appeared somewhere on a social media page of 150 million Americans at some point; how many people read them or even noticed them is another matter. Of course, the social media companies like to pretend to advertisers that readers devour every ad and promoted post; that’s how they make their money, after all. But apparently no one in Congress uses social media; if they did, they would know that normal human beings ignore 99 percent of the ad crap that litters their Facebook and Twitter feeds. But anyway, after many months, we’ve at last seen some of these history-changing ads which came, according to criteria that are never quite clear, from Russia’s “troll farms.” What did we see? Hillary Clinton in a devil costume boxing with Jesus. A Clinton-backing Satan arm-wrestling with Jesus. Pro-gun memes. Anti-immigrant memes. Memes about military-hating Democrats. Basically, the same sort of things your cranky uncle or Foxicated cousin has been sending around on email for the past 20 years. The idea that someone could be dissuaded from voting for Hillary Clinton because of something like this is absurd. (“Ah was sure gonna vote for Mizzus Clinton until Ah saw Jeeezus didn’t like her none! Now Ah’m votin’ fer Trump!”) Anyone “swayed” by this kind of thing would already be committed to voting for Trump or any rightwing candidate. Yet we’re supposed to believe that a handful of crude ads like this were far more effective than Clinton’s hundreds of millions of dollars worth of ads. If that’s the case, then Madison Avenue should hire Putin; he’s the new Don Draper. [Russiagate] [Facebook]
• Why is the US Air Force collecting samples of Russian DNA?
  The US Air Force recently put out a request for samples of DNA and RNA from Russians and people of Russian descent. Their reasons are unclear. This story, fairly predictably, has got very little coverage in the MSM…none, in fact. Vladimir Putin mentioned it in a speech, and there have been articles in the alternative media (The Duran and Zero Hedge have mentioned it, and some international networks such as RT, teleSur etc.)…but mainstream news? Totally silent. This is not some “crazy conspiracy theory”, the request (pictured above) is publicly available on US government websites. [Russia confrontation] [cbw]
• Post-ABC poll: Most Americans approve of Trump-Russia probe, and nearly half think Trump committed a crime
  By Emily Guskin and Matt Zapotosky November 2 at 2:00 PM More than twice as many Americans approve as disapprove of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s investigation of possible coordination between Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and the Russian government, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds, indicating that the conservative effort to discredit the probe has fallen flat as the case has progressed toward its first public charges. A 58 percent majority say they approve of Mueller’s handling of the investigation, while 28 percent say they disapprove, the Post-ABC poll finds. People’s views depend in large part on their political leanings, but overall, Americans are generally inclined to trust Mueller and the case he has made so far. Meanwhile, fewer than 4 in 10 Americans say they believe Trump is cooperating with Mueller’s investigation, while about half believe he is not. [Russiagate] [Public opinion]
• Iran, Turkey Endorse Russian Plan To Host Syrian Peace Talks Without West
  November 01, 2017 04:39 GMT Turkey and Iran have endorsed Russia's proposal to host talks between the Syrian government and its opponents next month in Sochi to try to move the war-torn country toward a political settlement. A joint statement released by Russia and Iran, the Syrian government's main backers, and Turkey, which backs its armed opponents, on October 31 agreed to the "initiative of Russia" to host Syrian government representatives and opposition groups in a face-to-face meeting on November 18 without any representatives from the West. The Russian Foreign Ministry's website listed 33 Syrian organizations invited to a "Congress of Syrian National Dialogue," including Kurdish groups that previously have been left out of peace negotiations though they currently control at least a quarter of Syrian territory. The congress proposal was one of the few notable outcomes from the seventh round of talks on Syria held in the Kazakh capital, Astana, on October 30 and 31. [Russia Syria] [Peace talks] [Decline]
• Vladimir Putin to Meet Iran's Top Leaders
  By Henry Meyer and Stepan Kravchenko November 1, 2017, 3:00 PM GMT+13 • Russian president to attend Tehran talks with Iran, Azerbaijan • Russia voices alarm at ‘unpredictable’ U.S. behavior • How Putin Became the Symbol of Russian Power Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with Iran’s top leaders as Moscow voices increasing criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump’s move away from the nuclear agreement with the Islamic Republic. Putin travels to Tehran on Wednesday for talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that will focus on the nuclear issue and their cooperation in Syria, as well as economic ties, the Kremlin said in an emailed statement. He’ll also take part in a three-way summit between Russia, Iran and neighboring Azerbaijan. [Russia Iran] [Iran deal]
• Russia-Financed Ad Linked Clinton and Satan
  By Cecilia Kang, Nicholas Fandos and Mike Isaac Nov. 1, 2017 WASHINGTON — Lawmakers released scores of political ads on Wednesday purchased by Russian agents on Facebook and Twitter that showed the extent of the Kremlin’s attempts to polarize the American voting public on issues like race, police abuse and religion. Russia-linked actors created accounts with names like Blacktivists and Back the Badge aimed at voters concerned about police relations with their communities, and other accounts that called for secure borders that were aimed at immigration hard-liners. One account, Army of Jesus, published an illustration of an arm-wrestling match between Christ and the devil. “Satan: If I win, Clinton wins!” the headline read. The sampling of ads, some of which had been made public earlier, came during a second day of hearings with the top lawyers for Facebook, Twitter and Google and were intended to show the executives how pervasively Russia used their platforms to further its campaign of misinformation. Lawmakers of both parties expressed frustration with answers that fell short of what they had hoped and insisted that the companies, long the darlings of American technology, do better. [Russiagate]
• Russian Influence Reached 126 Million Through Facebook Alone
  By Mike Isaac and Daisuke Wakabayashi Oct. 30, 2017 Photo Facebook and Google have faced pressure from lawmakers after disclosures of Russia-linked interference on their platforms last year. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Mark Warner spoke about online political ads and preventing foreign interference in elections this month. Credit Al Drago for The New York Times WASHINGTON — Russian agents intending to sow discord among American citizens disseminated inflammatory posts that reached 126 million users on Facebook, published more than 131,000 messages on Twitter and uploaded over 1,000 videos to Google’s YouTube service, according to copies of prepared remarks from the companies that were obtained by The New York Times. The detailed disclosures, sent to Congress on Monday by companies whose products are among the most widely used on the internet, came before a series of congressional hearings this week into how third parties used social networks and online services to influence millions of Americans before the 2016 presidential election. [Russia confrontation] [Facebook] [US_election16] [Hysteria]

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OCTOBER 2017

• U.S. Commandos are a “Persistent Presence” on Russia’s Doorstep
  by Nick Turse “They are very concerned about their adversary next door,” said General Raymond Thomas, the head of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), at a national security conference in Aspen, Colorado, in July. “They make no bones about it.” The “they” in question were various Eastern European and Baltic nations. “Their adversary”? Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Thomas, the commander of America’s most elite troops — Navy SEALs and Army Green Berets among them — went on to raise fears about an upcoming Russian military training event, a wargame, known as “Zapad” or “West,” involving 10 Russian Navy ships, 70 jets and helicopters, and 250 tanks. “The point of concern for most of these eastern Europeans right now is they’re about to do an exercise in Belarus… that’s going to entail up to 100,000 Russian troops moving into that country.” And he added, “The great concern is they’re not going to leave, and… that’s not paranoia…” Over the last two decades, relations between the United States and Russia have increasingly soured, with Moscow casting blame on the United States for encouraging the Rose Revolution in Georgia in 2003 and the Orange Revolution in Ukraine a year later. Washington has, in turn, expressed its anger over the occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia following the Russo-Georgian War of 2008; the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine after pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych was chased from power; and interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. There have been recriminations on both sides over the other nation’s military adventurism in Syria, the sanctions Washington imposed on Moscow in reaction to Crimea, Ukraine, and human rights issues, and tit-for-tat diplomatic penalties that have repeatedly ramped up tensions. While Zapad, which took place last month, is an annual strategic exercise that rotates among four regions, American officials nonetheless viewed this year’s event as provocative. “People are worried this is a Trojan horse,” Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, who commands U.S. Army forces in Europe, told Reuters. “[The Russians] say, ‘We’re just doing an exercise,’ and then all of a sudden they’ve moved all these people and capabilities somewhere.” Russia is not, however, the only military power with “people and capabilities” in the region. In passing, SOCOM’s Thomas also mentioned the presence of other forces; troops that he readily admitted the public might not be aware of. Those soldiers were — just as he feared of the Russian troops involved in Zapad — not going anywhere. And it wasn’t just a matter of speculation. After all, they wear the same uniform he does. For the past two years, the U.S. has maintained a special operations contingent in almost every nation on Russia’s western border. “[W]e’ve had persistent presence in every country — every NATO country and others on the border with Russia doing phenomenal things with our allies, helping them prepare for their threats,” said Thomas, mentioning the Baltics as well as Romania, Poland, Ukraine, and Georgia by name. [Russia confrontation] [Special forces]
• Russia Uses Its Oil Giant, Rosneft, as a Foreign Policy Tool
  By Clifford Krauss Oct. 29, 2017 Continue reading the main story Russia is increasingly wielding oil as a geopolitical tool, spreading its influence around the world and challenging the interests of the United States. But Moscow risks running into trouble, as it lends money and makes deals in turbulent economies and shaky political climates. The strategy faces a crucial test this week in Venezuela, a Russian ally that must come up with a billion dollars to avert defaults on its debts. Russia has been making a flurry of loans and deals all centered on the Venezuelan oil business, money that could make the difference between the government’s collapse and its survival. In return, Moscow is getting a strategic advantage in Washington’s backyard. President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela was all smiles this month on a visit to Moscow seeking fresh financial backing, thanking Vladimir V. Putin “for your support, both political and diplomatic.” [Russia confrontation] [Venezuela]
• The Crooks, the Clowns and the Nazis
  A Dynamic Analysis of Ukraine Politics The Saker • October 26, 2017 Have you heard what the latest big news out of the Ukraine is? No? There is a mini-Maidan under way and Ukrainian nationalists seem to hope that Poroshenko will be kicked out before the end of the week. You did not know? Well, that is the real big news, the fact that you did not hear about this. Truthfully, what is going on is kind of interesting. Let me sum it up: the former President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili (who was stripped of his Georgian citizenship and of this Ukrainian citizenship) recently crossed the border (through Poland, of course) and proceeded to travel to Kiev to demand Poroshenko’s resignation. You think that I am kidding? Check t he Wikipedia article about him, it has all the details. It gets better. There is a consensus amongst analysts that Saakashvili is being used as a battering ram by somebody far more influential – Iulia Timoshenko, of course. But what is really new is that many well informed analysts and commentators seem to think that the USA and EU are not the main driving force behind these latest developments (though they are involved, of course). What is going on here? [Ukraine]
• From America With Love U.S. Commandos Are a “Persistent Presence” on Russia’s Doorstep
  By Nick Turse “They are very concerned about their adversary next door,” said General Raymond Thomas, the head of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), at a national security conference in Aspen, Colorado, in July. “They make no bones about it.” The “they” in question were various Eastern European and Baltic nations. “Their adversary”? Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Thomas, the commander of America’s most elite troops -- Navy SEALs and Army Green Berets among them -- went on to raise fears about an upcoming Russian military training event, a wargame, known as “Zapad” or “West,” involving 10 Russian Navy ships, 70 jets and helicopters, and 250 tanks. “The point of concern for most of these eastern Europeans right now is they're about to do an exercise in Belarus... that's going to entail up to 100,000 Russian troops moving into that country.” And he added, “The great concern is they're not going to leave, and... that's not paranoia...” [Russia confrontation] [Special forces]
• Three former Trump campaign officials charged by special counsel
  What we know about the first charges from the special counsel probe President Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, Manafort's former business associate Rick Gates and Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos have all been charged in the special counsel's investigation into Russian election interference. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post) By Matt Zapotosky, Rosalind S. Helderman and Carol D. Leonnig October 30 at 2:02 PM Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III on Monday revealed charges against three former Trump campaign officials — including onetime campaign chairman Paul Manafort — marking the first criminal allegations to come from probes into possible Russian influence in U.S. political affairs. One of the three men charged, former Trump foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, admitted making a false statement to FBI investigators who asked about his contacts with a foreigner who claimed to have high-level Russian connections. The agreement was unsealed Monday. [Mueller’s moves send message to other potential targets: Beware, I’m coming] Court documents described extensive efforts Papadopoulos made to try to broker connections with Russian officials and arrange a meeting between them and the Trump campaign, though some emails show his offers were rebuffed. The third person charged was Manafort’s longtime business partner, Rick Gates. [Russiagate]
• Trump campaign adviser admitted to lying about Russian contacts
  Who is George Papadopoulos? George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty in early October to lying to federal officials about his contacts with Russian nationals. He is one of three former Trump campaign officials facing criminal charges. (Elyse Samuels/The Washington Post) By Rosalind S. Helderman and Tom Hamburger October 30 at 1:25 PM George Papadopoulos, a former campaign adviser to President Trump, pleaded guilty earlier this month to lying to federal officials about contacts he had with people he believed had ties to the Russian government while he was affiliated with Trump’s campaign. Papadopoulos, who was named by Trump in March 2016 as a foreign policy adviser to the campaign, was first charged under seal in July and ultimately pleaded guilty in October to lying to federal agents investigating Russian interference in the presidential election. According to court papers released Monday, those contacts included an unnamed overseas professor whom Papadopoulos met in Italy in March, the same month he joined the campaign. In April 2016, the professor told him the Russian government had “dirt” on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, including thousands of Clinton’s emails. [Russiagate]
• Trump administration reveals new list of potential Russia sanctions
  Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. On Thursday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said that Tillerson thought the sanctions matter was “complex” and that officials took time “to make sure we get it right.” (Alex Brandon/AFP/Getty Images) By Matt Zapotosky, Karoun Demirjian and David Filipov October 27 at 7:11 PM The State Department on Friday listed 39 Russian companies and government organizations tied to the defense and intelligence sectors, and warned that anyone in the United States or elsewhere doing significant business with them could be hit with sanctions starting early next year. The list was a belated response to legislation, which President Trump reluctantly signed in August, giving him until Oct. 1 to produce a roster of targets for new sanctions. Designed to punish Moscow for its actions in Ukraine and its interference in the 2016 U.S. election, the bill was seen at the time as a way of forcing Trump’s hand. The bill, which had broad bipartisan support, included new sanctions on Iran and North Korea. The Russia list was published Friday on the State Department website, along with guidance for those who might be affected. The roster of targeted companies and agencies could have broad ramifications for U.S. and foreign entities that have dealings with them. Lawmakers from both parties offered tentative praise for the announcement, calling it a step in the right direction toward implementing the legislation. In addition to Russia’s official intelligence and defense apparatus, the bill directed consideration of sanctions for parts of the country’s energy, mining, railway and shipping sectors. There were also provisions to sanction entities accused of corruption and human rights abuses. Those that engage in “significant” transactions with the designated entities could face sanctions beginning Jan. 29. [Russia confrontation] [Sanctions]
• With Mattis Trip To Philippines, Reminders Of Waning U.S. Influence In Region
  by David Welna 1:37pm Oct 25, 2017 The steel-plated, modified Boeing 747 that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis travels the world on had flown west from suburban Washington, D.C., for 19 hours when it touched down Monday on an airstrip the U.S. once owned and operated. Clark Air Base in the Philippines used to be home to American bombers that pummeled Vietnam during the 1960s and early 1970s. And just as that ultimately futile U.S. intervention would become emblematic of a faltering American dominance in the region, so too is Clark Air Base now a ramshackle relic from another era, a time before the Philippines — the United States' oldest ally in Asia — reclaimed its sovereignty and politely showed the Americans the door. Mattis' trip to the Philippines had been billed as routine — a show of the American flag at an annual gathering of defense chiefs from 10 Southeast Asian nations. But it came at a time when things are anything but routine in that part of the world. Events there — primarily North Korea's sprint to nuclear warhead operability — are forcing the Trump administration to make real the pivot to Asia to which the Obama administration aspired. As it happened, the day Mattis landed might have showcased the U.S. as the still-indispensable nation in that part of the world. Washington had five months earlier dispatched military counter-terrorism experts, as well as spying technology and small arms, to help a severely tested Philippine effort to counter an ISIS-inspired insurgency in the city of Marawi on the island of Mindanao. But shortly after Mattis settled into his hotel at the old air base, Philippine Defense Minister Delfin Negrillo Lorenzana made an unexpected public announcement. "The Filipino government," he said, "aided by the government and massive support of the Filipino people, nipped the budding infrastructure and defeated terrorism in the Philippines." The siege of Marawi was officially over – but with nary an official nod of credit to the key American assistance in putting down the insurgency. Instead, Manila's official praise was reserved for Russia and China. Both had provided weapons that the Obama administration had failed to deliver due to concerns about Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's violent crackdown on suspected drug traffickers. Beijing donated 6,000 rifles and 9 million rounds of ammunition earlier this year. Russia timed its gift of 5,000 AK-47 Kalashnikov rifles and 20 military trucks to coincide with this week's gathering of defense ministers – and perhaps the arrival of Mattis. [Decline] [Philippines] [Resurgence]
• Philippines, Russia sign two military deals
  Manuel Mogato - Thousands of assault rifles and helmets were among the military gear Russia donated to the Philippines in a bid to widen its arms market in Southeast Asia at a time when Manila is seeking to diversify weapons systems, officials said on Wednesday. Russian sailors secure moorings onboard the navy vessel Admiral Panteleyev during a port visit in Manila, Philippines October 20, 2017. REUTERS/Dondi Tawatao Manila received about 5,000 Kalashnikov rifles, 5,000 steel helmets, about a million rounds of ammunition for the rifles and 20 army trucks in a ceremony attended by President Rodrigo Duterte, who also toured one of five visiting Russian warships. The gift came a day after Russia and the Philippines signed two military pacts, including a sales contract with Rosoboronexport, a state-owned vendor of Russian defence equipment [Philippines] [Russia]
• Has Pyongyang copied Soviet ICBMs with help from Ukraine?
  Fresh evidence suggests that a Ukraine-based institute may be behind North Korea's surprising advance in ICBM technology By Asia Unhedged October 25, 2017 Pyongyang’s rogue missile-firing has evoked a commotion among its neighbours. But the anger has turned into threats after Kim Jong-un’s regime astounded the world on July 4 – Independence Day in the United States – with its first intercontinental ballistic missile, which flew almost 1,000 kilometers after being launched. The Hwasong-14, which means ‘fire star’ in Korean, reached an altitude of 2,802 km and traveled 933 kilometers east into the Sea of Japan after a 39-minute flight. [Hwasong-14] [Ukraine]
• U.S. touts military ties in Philippines as Duterte courts Russia, China
  Phil Stewart, Manuel Mogato Philippines (Reuters) - The timing of U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’ trip to the Philippines this week couldn’t have been better, coming just as it celebrated a victory against Islamist militants in Marawi City - with a critical dose of help from the U.S. military. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis listens to a question during a joint news conference in New Delhi, India September 26, 2017. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi But as Mattis met President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, five Russian warships were parked off the Philippines and Moscow was preparing to formally hand over thousands of assault rifles, a million rounds of ammunition and 20 army trucks at a public ceremony on Wednesday. [Philippines] [Resurgence] [US Asia]
• Highlights from Putin’s Valdai International Discussion Club Address
  by Stephen Lendman Its 14th annual forum in Sochi addressed whether “a new world order (will) emerge from the current conflicts.” Its theme: “The World of the Future: Moving Through Conflict to Cooperation.” Participants from 33 countries were involved. Putin addressed the final session, his remarks always refreshingly candid – polar opposite double-talking Western officials, notably US ones. Below are the highlights of his remarks – quoted and summarized: [Putin] [Russian foreign policy]
  • Meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club
    Vladimir Putin took part in the final plenary session of the 14th annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club titled The World of the Future: Moving Through Conflict to Cooperation. October 19, 2017 [Putin] [Russian foreign policy]
• MH17 Inquiry – Series 2, Episode 1. “What if it was a BUK?”
  This is the first part in our second season of videos and articles covering the downing of MH17, prduced my MH17 Inquiry. The first season is available here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 and Part 6. Series 1 covered and disputed the major “findings” of both the MH 17 official inquiries and those of the “citizen journalist” groups. Beginning with in-depth investigations into the sightings of a BUK convoy in Zugres, that mysterious Elderberry bush, BBC coverage, sightings of a MIG fighter and ending with the enigmatic “To Whose Benefit?” Not being a group to sit on their laurels, nor on a cosy armchair like a Bellingcat … the MH 17 Inquiry authors have begun production of series 2, continuing their tradition of investigating on location, where the evidence is. The opening episode begins with a recap of the MH17 disaster, asking which countries have ever “accidentally” shot down a commercial passenger jet and how is it possible that such disasters happened? The inquiry travels to Tuusula in Finland, to study the only BUK M system in the world that is on public display at the Anti-Aircraft Museum and to interview Esa Kelloniemi, a retired Commander of a Finnish Anti-Aircraft Regiment with direct experience of both commissioning and commanding the deployment of BUK systems. Finland, we are told, chose the BUK M system in preference to others, not only because of its power but because of it’s target identification technology that includes an optical viewing system and complex Non-Cooperative Target Recognition (NCTR) technology that is so sophisticated that it can deduce, from analysis of the radar signals bouncing back from an aircraft, if that plane is a jet fighter or a passenger jet, a turbo-prop transport or a 777 with turbofans. Apart from that passenger jets fly at much higher altitudes than fighter jets normally do, so the BUK altitude detector system will clearly show the height of any potential target further aiding identification. The BUK it seems is equipped with all the technology required to confidently identify any plane, so it is not possible for a mistake to be made even by a fully trained operating crew, a civilian aircraft could not be targeted, as was possible before such sophisticated systems were in use. Neither is it possible, Esa explains, for untrained personnel or “beginners” to operate the sophisticated BUK system, it takes one year to train the required team of 3 operators to a basic operational level, then ongoing in-service training is required to learn the intricacies of all the systems. An accidental firing is not possible either, we are told, as the systems have to lock onto the target first, if it hasn’t and a launch takes place the system automatically self-destructs the missile. Nor is it possible for someone to impulsively press the launch button as it is locked with a key and as it is not target locked it will destroy itself anyway. So the facts seem to indicate that it is not possible, as some speculate, that someone captured a Ukrainian BUK system and wildly fired it at some unidentified plane, nor would it be possible for an accidental launch to actually bring down any plane. In addition, to those who say that “the Russians did it”, the inquiry reminds us that the Russian Air Defence Force has never shot down a civilian plane accidentally… so who did it? There is nobody, they say, who would be more disadvantaged by shooting down MH17 than the Russians and the Donbas Peoples Corp, what could possibly have been their motivation for such an act? It’s a logical conclusion, MH17 Inquiry say, that as Ukraine managed to shoot down a civilian jet in 2001 in a strikingly similar situation that we should look in their direction for the suspects. Who benefits? – Is the central question in any police or forensic investigation, so ask yourself “Cui bono?” [MH17]
• Russian TV Says U.S. Breaks Peace Treaty
  Eric Zuesse Headlining “‘More US troops at our borders’ – Russian Defense Ministry”, Russian Television (whose U.S. broadcasts the U.S. Government is considering to ban) reported, on Friday, October 13th, that “On Thursday, the U.S. announced the presence of a second [U.S.] regiment in the already very tense Baltic region, and Poland, and that’s a move which Moscow claims violates that fundamental peace treaty signed between Russia and NATO.” This report was referring to the NATO Founding Act, which had been signed in 1997 after Russian President Boris Yeltsin learned that the verbal promise which the agents of America’s President George H.W. Bush had made to Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev in 1990 that NATO would not move “one inch to the east”, was soon going to be broken, and that Hungary, Czech Republic, and Poland would be the first former Warsaw Pact nations to be added to NATO. Yeltsin was furious to learn of this, and so there were negotiations; and, this time around, Russia got the West’s signatures upon what was to be the contractual relationship between the by-now clearly expanding NATO, and the post-communist and now lone nation of Russia. The NATO Founding Act promised that: NATO reiterates that in the current and foreseeable security environment, the Alliance will carry out its collective defence and other missions by ensuring the necessary interoperability, integration, and capability for reinforcement rather than by additional permanent stationing of substantial combat forces. Accordingly, it will have to rely on adequate infrastructure commensurate with the above tasks. In this context, reinforcement may take place, when necessary, in the event of defence against a threat of aggression and missions in support of peace consistent with the United Nations Charter and the OSCE governing principles, as well as for exercises consistent with the adapted CFE Treaty, the provisions of the Vienna Document 1994 and mutually agreed transparency measures. Russia will exercise similar restraint in its conventional force deployments in Europe. The key phrase there is “permanent stationing,” and, as is common in treaties, it isn’t defined. Russia had wanted it to be defined, but the U.S. refused. [Russia confrontation] [NATO enlargement]
• How Moscow lost Riyadh in 1938
  by Yury Barmin 15 Oct 2017 Last week, Saudi King Salman was greeted in Moscow with a lot of pomp and media attention. The 81-year-old monarch arrived with a 1,500-strong delegation amid high expectations for major political and trade deals. The first visit of a Saudi king to Russia was rich in diplomatic courtesies, but it lacked in substance. What came out of the three days of meetings was much more modest than expected. The two countries signed only a handful of agreements, most of which were memoranda of understanding. An agreement was reached to establish a $1bn energy investment fund and a $1bn hi-tech investment fund. The two sides also negotiated the sale of S-400 defence systems. But against the backdrop of the $15bn-worth of arms contracts the US recently approved for Saudi Arabia, the Moscow-Riyadh agreement seems quite modest. It very much seems like the high-level meetings in the Kremlin failed to create an appearance of a political and economic breakthrough in relations. This shouldn't be all that surprising given that Russia and Saudi Arabia had a 54-year break in relations, during which the US became Riyadh's dominant partner and security guarantor. Perhaps the outcome of King Salman's visit could have been very different, if it weren't for an incident that spoiled Russian-Saudi relations 80 years ago and caused the break. It is a little-known fact that Riyadh and Moscow used to enjoy remarkably warm relations in the 1920s and 30s. The Soviet Union was, in fact, a diplomatic pioneer in Saudi Arabia: It was the first state to recognise Abdulaziz Al Saud (King Salman's father) as the King of the Hijaz and the Sultan of Nejd in February 1926 [Russia Saudi Arabia] [History] [Anti-colonialism]
• Sputnik and RT Under Investigation
  Is it news or propaganda? And what about the First Amendment? Philip Giraldi • October 10, 2017 • 1,600 Words • 109 Comments • Reply RSS RT Somehow everything keeps coming back around to Russia. In one of its recent initiatives, the Justice Department (DOJ) appears to be attacking the First Amendment as part of the apparent bipartisan program to make Vladimir Putin the fall guy for everything that goes wrong in Washington. In the past month, the DOJ has revealed that the FBI is investigating Russian owned news outlets Sputnik News and RT International and has sent letters to the latter demanding that one of its business affiliates register as a foreign agent by October 17th. The apparent line of inquiry that the Bureau is pursuing is that both are agencies of the Russian government and that both have been spreading disinformation that is intended to discredit the United States government and its institutions. This alleged action would make them, in the DOJ view, a propaganda arm of a foreign government rather than a news service. It also makes them subject to Department of the Treasury oversight under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938. [Russia confrontation] [Censorship]
• Vladimir Putin’s 17 years in power: The scorecard
  by Alex Krainer, The Naked Hedgie Editors: Today, October 7, 2017, Russia celebrates the 65th birthday of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. To mark the occasion, we are posting Alex Krainer’s review of Putin’s achievements since 2000. Mr. Putin can’t seem to get a break in the western media. I watched his recent interview with CBS’s Megyn Kelly with her tiresome, boring questions like, “did Russia interfere in our election,” “did your ambassador meet with Trump’s election officials,” “isn’t it true that you’re a corrupt murderous thug,” etc. Only in response to Kelly’s last question did Mr. Putin get to name a handful of his achievements in Russia. But someone ought to better prepare his talking points on this score. The excerpt below from my upcoming book summarizes how Russia has changed during the 17 years since Mr. Putin has been at the helm. On 26th July 2014 British magazine “The Economist” published an article titled “A web of lies,” opening with the following two sentences: “In 1991, when Soviet Communism collapsed, it seemed as if the Russian people might at last have the chance to become citizens of a normal Western democracy. Vladimir Putin’s disastrous contribution to Russia’s history has been to set his country on a different path.” Well, we have already seen how Russia fared in the 1990s after Soviet communism collapsed. For some reason, the bright minds at The Economist thought this path was so promising, it was a real shame – a disaster, no less – that Vladimir Putin took Russia on a different one. Let’s take a closer look at Mr. Putin’s “disastrous contribution.” To start with, Putin played the pivotal role in keeping the country from disintegrating. When he came to power, Russia’s regional governors were writing their own laws, disregarded presidential instructions and were not even returning their republics’ tax receipts to the Federation’s purse. Mikhail Gorbachev stated that Putin “saved Russia from the beginning of a collapse. A lot of the regions did not recognize our constitution.” [1] [Putin] [Resurgence]
• The notorious Kremlin-linked ‘troll farm’ and the Russians trying to take it down
  Lyudmila Savchuk in her apartment in St. Petersburg, in 2015. “I wanted to take down this factory of lies,” she says. (Dmitry Lovetsky/AP) By David Filipov October 8 SHUSHARY, Russia — She rode into a pitch-black truck stop on a scooter, stepped out of the pouring rain into a gas station cafe on the outskirts of St. Petersburg and recounted her quest to bring down Russia’s infamous “troll farm.” Lyudmila Savchuk is one of a disparate handful of Russian journalists, activists and legal experts who have tried to shed light on the shadowy operation that has become a focal point of U.S. investigations into Kremlin meddling in the 2016 presidential election. And like most people who challenge the established order in today’s Russia, Savchuk and the others are jousting against a nebulous entity with apparent Kremlin ties and evident protection from government and law-enforcement agencies. For them, this is a task that entails significant risks and little chance of success. How much the trolls affected the outcome of the U.S. election is unclear. But their omnipresence is evident on Twitter and in the comments sections of publications like The Washington Post, where trolls can be found criticizing news stories, lambasting other posters and accusing one another of being trolls. While the troll farm’s operations have stirred concerns about the reach of Kremlin propaganda across Europe and the United States, Savchuk and her cohorts are worried about their own country.
  “Every online forum, every comment section on every local site, everywhere I look, most of the commenters are trolls,” Savchuk said in an interview. “It’s like half the country is trolls.”
  Savchuk has also been accused of being a shill for foreign interests, the usual counterattack the state-run media mounts against whistleblowers. [Russia confrontation] [Social media] [Softwar]
• Google uncovers Russian-bought ads on YouTube, Gmail and other platforms
  By Elizabeth Dwoskin and Adam Entous October 9 at 7:00 AM SAN FRANCISCO — Google for the first time has uncovered evidence that Russian operatives exploited the company’s platforms in an attempt to interfere in the 2016 election, according to people familiar with the company's investigation. The Silicon Valley giant has found that tens of thousands of dollars were spent on ads by Russian agents who aimed to spread disinformation across Google’s many products, which include YouTube, as well as advertising associated with Google search, Gmail, and the company’s DoubleClick ad network, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss matters that have not been made public. Google runs the world’s largest online advertising business, and YouTube is the world’s largest online video site. [Russia confrontation] [Social media]
• NATO launches Black Sea force as latest counter to Russia
  Robin Emmott CRAIOVA, Romania (Reuters) - NATO launched a new multinational force in Romania on Monday to counter Russia along its eastern flank and to check a growing Russian presence in the Black Sea following the Kremlin’s 2014 seizure of Crimea. The force will initially be built around a Romanian brigade of up to 4,000 soldiers, supported by troops from nine other NATO countries, and complementing a separate deployment of 900 U.S. troops who are already in place. The plans are to include additional air and sea assets to give the force greater capabilities. “Our purpose is peace, not war,” Romanian President Klaus Iohannis told the NATO Parliamentary Assembly of alliance lawmakers, which is meeting this year in Bucharest. [Russia confrontation] [Proxy] [Romania]
• Who Killed Russian Lieutenant General Valery Asapov in Syria?
  by Robert Fisk October 6, 2017 Photo by Kremlin.ru | CC BY 2.0 The Russian air force arrived in Syria two years ago this week to save President Bashar al-Assad and his army. They succeeded. The Syrian army held out, albeit at the cost of (then) 56,000 of its soldiers. “We’re not going to have another Afghanistan here,” the Russians told everyone they met in Damascus. But of course, soon they would have forward air observers on the ground to vector their Sukhois onto their targets, de-mining specialists to pull the forests of Isis bombs out of the soil, military police officers to oversee the passage of Islamist fighters out of Syria’s great western cities. And generals to advise – and, last week, to be killed – in Syria. The death of Lieutenant General Valery Asapov in the suburbs of Deir Ezzor as he assisted Syrian commanders in their recapture of the city – surrounded by Isis for three years, its civilian population and at least 10,000 Syrian troops resupplied by helicopter – was given little attention in the Western media. The Kurdish assault on Raqqa, with a smattering of Arabs to smother the Kurdish face of the pseudo-“Syrian Democratic Forces” militia and with the help of American air attacks, took first place in the Western Middle East news agenda. But the Russian Defence Ministry took the death of their highest-ranking officer in Syria – along with two Russian colonels – very seriously indeed. They were right. General Asapov was commander of the Russian 5th army in the Far East Russian city of Ussiriysk, not far from Vladivostok. And how did he die? According to the Russians, he was killed under shellfire from Isis forces outside Deir Ezzor, a remarkable piece of targeting – if, indeed, Isis were working on the trajectories – for a group which usually wastes artillery shells by the hundred in order to hit their enemies. Did they know that he was visiting this particular military position? And if so, who taught them to fire so accurately? Or was this a chance success for a defeated Islamist army? These questions were asked at once by the Syrian army’s high command. And by the Russians who last week accused the US military in eastern Syria of direct collaboration with the “Islamic State”. Several websites, including Global Research, took the conspiratorial view that Asapov’s death was the indirect work of US forces – who were, they said, providing free passage through Isis for the “SDF” to reach Raqqa. I’ve never been a believer in plots but not many months ago, the US air force bombed and killed dozens of Syria’s army defenders in Deir Ezzor. In the immediate aftermath, Isis swarmed forward and cut the city in half. Odd, isn’t it, that the US – so desperate at the time to destroy Isis in Mosul – didn’t bomb these new Isis targets as they broke through the Syrian lines after US air crews had “mistakenly” killed the Syrian troops. [Russia Syria] [Outsourcing] [ISIS]

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SEPTEMBER 2017

• Cold War Then. Cold War Now.
  By William Blum Global Research, September 27, 2017 The anti-Russian/anti-Soviet bias in the American media appears to have no limit. You would think that they would have enough self-awareness and enough journalistic integrity -– just enough -– to be concerned about their image. But it keeps on coming, piled higher and deeper. One of the latest cases in point is a review of a new biography of Mikhail Gorbachev in the New York Times Book Review (September 10). The review says that Gorbachev “was no hero to his own people” because he was “the destroyer of their empire”. This is how the New York Times avoids having to say anything positive about life in the Soviet Union or about socialism. They would have readers believe that it was the loss of the likes of Czechoslovakia or Hungary et al. that upset the Russian people, not the loss, under Gorbachev’s perestroika, of a decent standard of living for all, a loss affecting people’s rent, employment, vacations, medical care, education, and many other aspects of the Soviet welfare state. Accompanying this review is a quote from a 1996 Times review of Gorbachev’s own memoir, which said: “It mystifies Westerners that Mikhail Gorbachev is loathed and ridiculed in his own country. This is the man who pulled the world several steps back from the nuclear brink and lifted a crushing fear from his countrymen, who ended bloody foreign adventures [and] liberated Eastern Europe. … Yet his repudiation at home could hardly be more complete. His political comeback attempt in June attracted less than 1 percent of the vote.” Thus is Gorbachev’s unpopularity with his own people further relegated to the category of “mystery”, and not due to the profound social changes. It should be noted that in 1999, USA Today reported: “When the Berlin Wall crumbled [1989], East Germans imagined a life of freedom where consumer goods were abundant and hardships would fade. Ten years later, a remarkable 51% say they were happier with communism.” [Soviet Union] [Russia confrontation]
• Straws in the wind for a reset in US-Russian relations
  By M.K. Bhadrakumar September 22, 2017 The receding specters of a war involving North Korea and a US-Russia confrontation in Syria. The sound of cracking ice in the frozen conflict in Ukraine. Russia and the United States bidding farewell to “tits-for-tat.” Is this the dawn of a brave new world? You might be skeptical, but it’s possible to draw positive conclusions from the two meetings, on successive days, between US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week. These meetings, in fact, bode well for another meeting ahead, between presidents Valdimir Putin and Donald Trump, this time in Danang, Vietnam, on the sidelines of the November 11-12 APEC summit. There are straws in the wind that cannot be ignored. Lavrov told the media after listening to Trump’s UN speech that he viewed it positively. Lavrov was in a forgiving mood towards the threats held out by Trump to “evil regimes” in North Korea, Iran and Venezuela. Indeed, he felt that it was a “remarkable speech,” with Trump voicing respect for sovereignty and equality in international affairs and promising that the US will not impose itself on other countries. “I think it’s a very welcome statement, which we haven’t heard from the American leaders for a very long time,” Lavrov noted with satisfaction. Thus, the foreplay has already begun that frames November’s Putin-Trump talks as a new page in Russian-American relations.
• ‘We need to cool hotheads down’: Lavrov urges diplomatic solution to N. Korea crisis
  Published time: 22 Sep, 2017 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov urged all parties to stick to a diplomatic approach to the Korean Peninsula crisis, condemning both the reckless tests of Pyongyang and belligerent rhetoric of the US. Read more Trump: ‘Madman Kim Jong-un will be tested like never before’ “We have to calm down the hotheads and understand that we need pauses, we need contacts,” Lavrov said when discussing the North Korean issue in New York. The ongoing exchange of threats surrounding the Korean standoff is unacceptable, Lavrov said. Likewise, “the nuclear-missile gambles” on the part of Pyongyang and calls to wage war on the Korean Peninsula do not contribute to defusing the tensions, he added. The efforts of certain countries to mediate the situation on the peninsula are welcome, and certain “neutral European countries” are ready to play that role, the Russian diplomat said. [Russia Korea]
• Russian special forces repel a US-planned attack in Syria, denounce the USA and issue a stark warning
  3312 Views September 21, 2017 26 Comments Something rather unprecedented just happened in Syria: US backed “good terrorist” forces attempted a surprise attack against Syrian government forces stationed to the north and northeast of the city of Hama. What makes this attack unique is that it took place inside a so-called “de-escalation zone” and that it appears that one of the key goals of the attack was to encircle in a pincer-movement and subsequently capture a platoon of Russian military police officers deployed to monitor and enforce the special status of this zone. The Russian military police forces, composed mainly of soldiers from the Caucasus region, fought against a much larger enemy force and had to call for assistance. For the first time, at least officially, Russian special operations forces were deployed to rescue and extract their comrades. At the same time, the Russians sent in a number of close air support aircraft who reportedly killed several hundred “good” terrorists and beat back the attack (Russian sources speak of the destruction of 850 fighters, 11 tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles, 46 armed pickup trucks, five mortars, 20 freighter trucks and 38 ammo supply points; you can see photos of the destroyed personnel and equipment here). What also makes this event unique is the official reaction of the Russians to this event. Head of the Main Operations Department at Russia’s General Staff Colonel General Sergei Rudskoi declared that: “Despite agreements signed in Astana on September 15, gunmen of Jabhat al-Nusra and joining them units that don’t want to comply with the cessation of hostilities terms, launched a large-scale offensive against positions of government troops north and northeast of Hama in Idlib de-escalation zone from 8 am on September 19 (…) According to available data, the offensive was initiated by American intelligence services to stop a successful advance of government troops east of Deir ez-Zor“. Today, other Russian officials have added a not-so-veiled threat to this accusation. The Russian Defense Ministry’s spokesman, Major General Igor Konashenkov has declared that: Russia unequivocally told the commanders of US forces in Al Udeid Airbase (Qatar) that it will not tolerate any shelling from the areas where the SDF are stationed (…) Fire from positions in regions [controlled by the SDF] will be suppressed by all means necessary. This is unprecedented on many levels. First, the Russians clearly believe that this attempt to kill or capture a platoon of the Russian military police was planned by the United States. The fact that they are making this accusation officially shows the degree of irritation felt by the Russians about the duplicity of the Americans. Second, this is the first time, at least to my knowledge, that Russian Spetsnaz forces had to be sent in to rescue a surrounded Russian subunit. All Spetsnaz operators survived, but three of them were wounded in the operation (the Russians are not saying how badly). The close air support by very low flying SU-25 aircraft was obviously coordinated by Spetsnaz forward air controllers and probably saved the day. In other words, this was a close call and things could have ended much more badly (just imagine what the Takfiri crazies would have done, on video, to any captured Russian serviceman!). Finally, a US-organized attack on what was supposed to be a “de-confliction” zone combined with an attempt to capture Russian soldiers raises the bar for American duplicity to a totally new level. The big question now is “do the Russians mean it?” or are they just whining with real determination to hit back if needed. [Russia Syria] [US Syria policy] [Russia confrontation]
• We Lived Better Then
  by Stephen Gowans Over two decades ago Vaclav Havel, the pampered scion of a wealthy Prague family, helped usher in a period of reaction, in which the holdings and estates of former landowners and captains of industry were restored to their previous owners, while unemployment, homelessness, and insecurity—abolished by the Reds– were put back on the agenda. Havel is eulogized by the usual suspects, but not by his numberless victims, who were pushed back into an abyss of exploitation by the Velvet revolution and other retrograde eruptions. With the fall of Communism allowing Havel and his brother to recover their family’s vast holdings, Havel’s life—he worked in a brewery under Communism—became much richer. The same can’t be said for countless others, whose better lives under Communism were swept away by a swindle that will, in the coming days, be lionized in the mass media on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s demolition. The anniversary is no time for celebration, except for the minority that has profited from it. For the bulk of us it ought to be an occasion to reflect on what the bottom 99 percent of humanity was able to achieve for ourselves outside the strictures, instabilities and unnecessary cruelties of capitalism. Over the seven decades of its existence, and despite having to spend so much time preparing, fighting, and recovering from wars, Soviet socialism managed to create one of the great achievements of human history: a mass industrial society that eliminated most of the inequalities of wealth, income, education and opportunity that plagued what preceded it, what came after it, and what competed with it; a society in which health care and education through university were free (and university students received living stipends); where rent, utilities and public transportation were subsidized, along with books, periodicals and cultural events; where inflation was eliminated, pensions were generous, and child care was subsidized. By 1933, with the capitalist world deeply mired in a devastating economic crisis, unemployment was declared abolished, and remained so for the next five and a half decades, until socialism, itself was abolished. Excluding the war years, from 1928, when socialism was introduced, until Mikhail Gorbachev began to take it apart in the late 1980s, the Soviet system of central planning and public ownership produced unfailing economic growth, without the recessions and downturns that plagued the capitalist economies of North America, Japan and Western Europe. And in most of those years, the Soviet and Eastern European economies grew faster. The Communists produced economic security as robust (and often more so) than that of the richest countries, but with fewer resources and a lower level of development and in spite of the unflagging efforts of the capitalist world to sabotage socialism. Soviet socialism was, and remains, a model for humanity — of what can be achieved outside the confines and contradictions of capitalism. But by the end of the 1980s, counterrevolution was sweeping Eastern Europe and Mikhail Gorbachev was dismantling the pillars of Soviet socialism. Naively, blindly, stupidly, some expected Gorbachev’s demolition project to lead the way to a prosperous consumer society, in which Soviet citizens, their bank accounts bulging with incomes earned from new jobs landed in a robust market economy, would file into colorful, luxurious shopping malls, to pick clean store shelves bursting with consumer goods. Others imagined a new era of a flowering multiparty democracy and expanded civil liberties, coexisting with public ownership of the commanding heights of the economy, a model that seemed to owe more to Utopian blueprints than hard-headed reality. Of course, none of the great promises of the counterrevolution were kept. While at the time the demise of socialism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe was proclaimed as a great victory for humanity, not least by leftist intellectuals in the United States, two decades later there’s little to celebrate. The dismantling of socialism has, in a word, been a catastrophe, a great swindle that has not only delivered none of what it promised, but has wreaked irreparable harm, not only in the former socialist countries, but throughout the Western world, as well. Countless millions have been plunged deep into poverty, imperialism has been given a free hand, and wages and benefits in the West have bowed under the pressure of intensified competition for jobs and industry unleashed by a flood of jobless from the former socialist countries, where joblessness once, rightly, was considered an obscenity. Numberless voices in Russia, Romania, East Germany and elsewhere lament what has been stolen from them — and from humanity as a whole: “We lived better under communism. We had jobs. We had security.” And with the threat of jobs migrating to low-wage, high unemployment countries of Eastern Europe, workers in Western Europe have been forced to accept a longer working day, lower pay, and degraded benefits. Today, they fight a desperate rearguard action, where the victories are few, the defeats many. They too lived better — once. But that’s only part of the story. For others, for investors and corporations, who’ve found new markets and opportunities for profitable investment, and can reap the benefits of the lower labor costs that attend intensified competition for jobs, the overthrow of socialism has, indeed, been something to celebrate. Equally, it has been welcomed by the landowning and industrial elite of the pre-socialist regimes whose estates and industrial concerns have been recovered and privatized. But they’re a minority. Why should the rest of us celebrate our own mugging? [Soviet Union] [Collapse] [Welfare]
• What would a Russia-NATO war look like? Russia’s wargaming it right now.
  Russia defeats 'Western Coalition' in military exercises On Sept. 18, President Vladimir Putin watched as the Russian military battled an imaginary Western invasion. (David Filipov, Joyce Lee/The Washington Post) By David Filipov,, Michael Birnbaum and Andrew Roth September 18 at 4:03 PM LUGA, Russia — A revitalized Russian military on Monday sent tanks, paratroopers, artillery, antiaircraft weapons, jets and helicopters into frigid rains to engage the forces of a mock enemy called the “Western Coalition.” The barrage of firepower , part of war games that began last week, was an explosive show of force that Baltic leaders said was a simulation of an attack against NATO forces in Eastern Europe. Russian President Vladi­mir Putin visited the field Monday, skipping the 72nd U.N. General Assembly in favor of the military exercises held jointly with Belarus. The muscle-flexing, which began Thursday, highlights the lethality of a fighting force that has taken a crash course of reforms and upgrades over the last decade. [Russia confrontation] [Conflict] [Military exercises] [Defensive]
• Russia rejects allegation it bombed U.S.-backed fighters in Syria Reuters Staff
  A fighter from Deir al-Zor military council which fights under the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) holds the council's flag in the village of Abu Fas, Hasaka province, Syria September 9, 2017. REUTERS/Rodi Said/File Photo MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia’s Defence Ministry on Sunday rejected allegations it had bombed U.S.-backed militias in Syria, saying its planes only targeted Islamic State militants and that it had warned the United States well in advance of its operational plans. [Russia Syria]
• U.S.-backed forces in Syria accuse Russia of airstrike
  A fighter from Deir al-Zour military council, which fights under the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in the village of Abu Fas, in Hasaka province. (Rodi Said/Reuters) By Louisa Loveluck September 16 at 10:24 AM BEIRUT — The U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State in Syria said Saturday that its partner forces have been attacked by Russian warplanes, escalating tensions on one of the country’s most complex and contested battlefields. The coalition said in a statement that an early morning airstrike targeted positions used by the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, a Kurdish-dominated militia backed by Washington, as well as the international advisers supporting them in a weeks-old offensive to dislodge Islamic State militants from the eastern province of Deir al-Zour. As the Islamic State loses territory across Syria and Iraq, oil-rich Deir al-Zour has become a hub for the group’s senior leaders. [Kurds] [Proxy] [US Syria policy] [Russia Syria]
• The Russia-China plan for North Korea: stability, connectivity
  Moscow has been busy building agreements that would extend Eurasian connectivity eastward. The question is how to convince the DPRK to play along By Pepe Escobar September 13, 2017 The United Nations Security Council’s 15-0 vote to impose a new set of sanctions on North Korea somewhat disguises the critical role played by the Russia-China strategic partnership, the “RC” at the core of the BRICS group. The new sanctions are pretty harsh. They include a 30% reduction on crude and refined oil exports to the DPRK; a ban on exports of natural gas; a ban on all North Korean textile exports (which have brought in US$760 million on average over the past three years); and a worldwide ban on new work permits for DPRK citizens (there are over 90,000 currently working abroad.) But this is far from what US President Donald Trump’s administration was aiming at, according to the draft Security Council resolution leaked last week. That included an asset freeze and travel ban on Kim Jong-un and other designated DPRK officials, and covered additional “WMD-related items,” Iraqi sanctions-style. It also authorized UN member states to interdict and inspect North Korean vessels in international waters (which amounts to a declaration of war); and, last but not least, a total oil embargo. “RC” made it clear it would veto the resolution under these terms. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the US’ diminishing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Moscow would only accept language related to “political and diplomatic tools to seek peaceful ways of resolution.” On the oil embargo, President Vladimir Putin said, “cutting off the oil supply to North Korea may harm people in hospitals or other ordinary citizens.” [Russia NK] [Eurasian landbridge]
• Putin Warns Against Hysteria About DPRK
  by Manuel E. Yepe September 12, 2017 Havana. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned at the opening of the high–level segment of the Ninth BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Summit against “military hysteria” around the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea. He said it could lead to a “planetary catastrophe” and called it “useless and ineffective” to impose new sanctions against Pyongyang such as those recently announced by Washington. Such a position raises the prospect of another dangerous confrontation between Moscow and the United States, whose president called for “the strongest possible sanctions” by the UN as a sign of rejection of North Korea’s sixth nuclear test. It was carried out in early September, according to according to a statement from Radio Havana Cuba quoting as its source the French Press Agency (AFP). [Putin] [US NK policy]
• As Germans prepare to vote, a mystery grows: Where are the Russians?
  Election campaign posters show Angela Merkel, German chancellor and leader of the Christian Democratic Union party, and Martin Schulz, leader of Germany's Social Democratic party, in Bonn, Germany, September 7. (Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters) By Griff Witte September 10 at 7:19 PM BERLIN — In 2015, suspected Russian hackers broke into the computer networks of the German Parliament and made off with a mother lode of data — 16 gigabytes, enough to account for a million or more emails. Ever since, German politicians have been watching nervously for the fruits of that hack to be revealed, and for possible embarrassment and scandal to follow. Many warily eyed September 2017 — the date of the next German election — as the likely window for Russian meddling to once again rattle the foundations of a Western democracy. But with the vote only two weeks away — and with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s European nemesis, Chancellor Angela Merkel, seemingly on track for a comfortable win — the hacked emails haven’t materialized. Nor have Russian-linked propaganda networks churned into overdrive with disinformation campaigns. Even Kremlin-orchestrated bots — blamed for the viral spread of fake news in last year’s U.S. presidential campaign — have been conspicuously silent. The apparent absence of a robust Russian campaign to sabotage the German vote has become a mystery among officials and experts who had warned of a likely onslaught. [Russia confrontation] [Hacking]
• Even the Saudis Are Turning to Russia as Assad’s Foes Lose Heart
  By Henry Meyer and Glen Carey September 8, 2017, 4:00 PM GMT+12 September 9, 2017, 1:11 AM GMT+12 • ‘Hard power’ forces Riyadh to give up on Syria regime change • Lavrov set to visit as Saudi focus shifts to containing Iran Sergei Lavrov Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg Saudi Arabia may be the latest country to give up on regime change in Syria and fall in line with Russia’s successful campaign to shore up President Bashar al-Assad. There are signs that the nations, long at odds over Syria, are now cooperating over a settlement that would leave Assad in place for the time being. The Saudis hosted a meeting of Syrian opposition factions last month, pushing for an accord between hardline anti-Assad groups and others less insistent on his immediate departure. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is headed to Riyadh tomorrow for more talks, before an expected visit to Moscow by King Salman. [Saudi Arabia] [Outsourcing] [Syria] [Russia]
• Putin: Trump willing to resolve North Korean situation, but it's 'impossible to scare them'
  • Oksana Kobzeva and Denis Pinchuk, Reuters • Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the 'Dialogue of Emerging Market and Developing Countries' on the sideline of the 2017 BRICS Summit in Xiamen, Fujian province Thomson Reuters VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he thought the North Korea crisis would not escalate into a large-scale conflict involving nuclear weapons, predicting that common sense would prevail. But he said he believed North Korea's leadership feared any freeze of its nuclear program would be followed by what amounted to "an invitation to the cemetery". Putin, speaking at an economic forum in the far eastern Russian port of Vladivostok alongside his South Korean counterpart and the Japanese prime minister, had previously warned that simmering tensions around Pyongyang's missile program could tip into "global catastrophe". But on Thursday, after days of talks with regional leaders and officials, Putin struck a more optimistic note, saying Russia could see that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump wanted to defuse tensions around North Korea. "All the competing sides have enough common sense and understanding of their responsibility. We can solve this problem through diplomatic means." [Putin] [Politeness] [Cultural miscommunication] [Russia NK]
• Russian firm tied to pro-Kremlin propaganda advertised on Facebook during election
  Play Video 1:52 Facebook says it discovered Russian ad sales from the 2016 election By Carol D. Leonnig, Tom Hamburger and Rosalind S. Helderman September 6 at 3:59 PM Representatives of Facebook told congressional investigators Wednesday that the social network has discovered that it sold ads during the U.S. presidential campaign to a shadowy Russian company seeking to target voters, according to several people familiar with the company’s findings. Facebook officials reported that they traced the ad sales, totaling $100,000, to a Russian “troll farm” with a history of pushing pro-Kremlin propaganda, these people said. A small portion of the ads, which began in the summer of 2015, directly named Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton, the people said, although they declined to say which candidate the ads favored. Most of the ads, according to a blog post published late Wednesday by Facebook’s chief security officer, Alex Stamos, “appeared to focus on amplifying divisive social and political messages across the ideological spectrum — touching on topics from LGBT matters to race issues to immigration to gun rights.” [Russia confrontation]
• Will MH17 be our 9/11? (25) The authorities, the media, and the general
  This article is a translation of "Wordt MH17 ons 9/11? (25) De overheid, de media en de generaal" General Wilfred Rietdijk, an adviser to the Dutch ministry of defence, in an interview last week has suggested that the authorities and the ‘important media’ work together to ensure that fake news will no longer or not as easily reach the public. The general calls MH17 an example of disinformation with which ‘Moscow’ manipulates Dutch citizens. A first reaction might be that the collaboration between the authorities and the media is up and running already, because most information on matters like MH17 has been completely synchronised. With the blanket surveillance meant to make it possible not only to snoop on us but to allow the police to look over our shoulder from the moment we switch on the laptop, alternative information can be tracked down at an early stage, so why worry? That I am reasonably well informed about MH17, is not owing to the ‘important media’, and even less courtesy the Dutch authorities. On the contrary, without the supply of alternative information I would still have to assume that the plane was downed by pro-Russian rebels with a Buk missile supplied by Russia. Of course there is also an ample supply of fake news on the Internet, but from the plausible explanations and the evidence supplied there one can construct a far more realistic account than the official point of view. ‘MH17 has saved Ukraine,’Poroshenko declared more than a week ago. That is spot-on. At least, once we read, for ‘Ukraine’, the ultra-nationalists who seized power in a violent coup d’état in February 2014, and we take into account what was at stake on the date of 17 July of that year. In that case, the president-oligarch who was elected in May to provide the coup regime with a veneer of legitimacy (and who increased his wealth sevenfold in 2015), is entirely right. [MH17] [Russia confrontation] [Netherlands]
• BRICS: Towards New Horizons of Strategic Partnership
  Vladimir Putin’s article BRICS: Towards New Horizons of Strategic Partnership was published ahead of the BRICS Summit, which will be held in Xiamen, China, on September 4 and 5. September 1, 2017 01:00 The 9th BRICS Summit will be held in Xiamen, China, on September 4 and 5. I consider it important in this regard to present Russia’s approaches to cooperation within the framework of this large and respected association and to share my views on the future of our further cooperation. I would like to begin by expressing our appreciation of China’s significant contribution as this year’s chair of the organisation, which has allowed the BRICS countries as a group to move forward in all the key areas of our partnership, including politics, the economy and culture. Moreover, the group of five has greatly strengthened its global standing. It is important that our group’s activities are based on the principles of equality, respect for one another’s opinions and consensus. Within BRICS, nothing is ever forced on anyone. When the approaches of its members do not coincide, we work patiently and carefully to coordinate them. This open and trust-based atmosphere is conducive to the successful implementation of our tasks. Russia highly values the multifaceted cooperation that has developed within BRICS. Our countries’ constructive cooperation on the international arena is aimed at creating a fair multipolar world and equal development conditions for all. [Putin] [BRICs]
• Putin says US and North Korea are 'on the verge of a large-scale conflict'
  By Kathleen Joyce Published September 01, 2017 Fox News Russian President Vladimir Putin cautioned the United States on Friday not to apply too much pressure on North Korea regarding its nuclear weapon program, saying the strained relationship between the two countries was “on the verge of a large-scale conflict.” Putin posted the warning on the Kremlin website before he left for the BRICS nations summit in China, Reuters reported. Putin called on the two nations to open up dialogue with one another. "It is essential to resolve the region's problems through direct dialogue involving all sides without advancing any preconditions [for such talks]," Putin wrote. "Provocations, pressure and bellicose and offensive rhetoric is the road to nowhere." TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RETALIATES AGAINST RUSSIA, FORCES CLOSURE OF US POSTS Putin wrote that relations between the two countries had worsened to the point that it had “balanced on the verge of a large-scale conflict.” "In Russia's opinion the calculation that it is possible to halt North Korea's nuclear missile programs exclusively by putting pressure on Pyongyang is erroneous and futile," Putin wrote. [US NK policy] [Putin] [US NK negotiations] [Preconditions] [Peace effort]
• Moon, Putin to have summit next week
  Posted : 2017-09-01 11:22 Updated : 2017-09-01 18:22 South Korean President Moon Jae-in is set to visit Russia next week for a bilateral summit with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and other heads of state, as well as a regional forum aimed at boosting economic cooperation in Northeast Asia that includes Russia's Far East, an official from Seoul's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Friday. The president will depart Wednesday for Vladivostok, where he will attend the Eastern Economic Forum, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Park Soo-hyun. Shortly after his arrival on a two-day visit, the South Korean leader will hold bilateral talks with Putin on a wide range of issues that will include North Korea and its recent missile provocations. [Russia SK]

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AUGUST 2017

• Russian Tanker Completes Arctic Passage Without Aid of Icebreakers
  By Russell Goldman Aug. 25, 2017 A Russian-owned tanker, built to traverse the frozen waters of the Arctic, completed a journey in record time from Europe to Asia this month, auguring the future of shipping as global warming melts sea ice. The Christophe de Margerie, a 984-foot tanker built specifically for the journey, became the first ship to complete the so-called Northern Sea Route without the aid of specialized ice-breaking vessels, the ship’s owner, Sovcomflot, said in a statement. The journey was the culmination of a centuries-old navigational dream and of a decade-long plan by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, whose government has indicated it plans to take political and economic advantage of changes to the Arctic’s climate. “This is a big event in the opening up of the Arctic,” Mr. Putin said of the tanker’s maiden voyage this year. The ship, transporting liquefied natural gas, completed the trip from Norway to South Korea Thursday of last week, in just 19 days, 30 percent faster than the regular route through the Suez Canal, the company said. [Climate change] [Artic route]
• New US strategy for Afghanistan is ‘dead-end’ – Lavrov
  Published time: 24 Aug, 2017 13:33 Edited time: 24 Aug, 201 The new US strategy in Afghanistan has no chance for success, as it mainly relies on the use of force, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. “The main emphasis in the new strategy, which was announced by Washington, is made on settlement through use of force,” Lavrov said at a press conference on Thursday. “We believe that it’s a dead-end approach.” Apart from that, the new strategy allows negotiations with the Taliban without any preconditions, which is also a significant flaw, Lavrov added, saying that it jeopardizes the joint international stance formed in the UN Security Council. “If I’ve got the new US strategy right, it allows contacts with the Taliban without them fulfilling any conditions at all,” Lavrov said. “I don’t think that it goes in line with our joint interest to follow the negotiated, coordinated line which is approved by the UN Security Council. But I hope that within the framework of the expert-level contacts we have with our American colleagues, we will be able to clarify this apparent contradiction.” [US Afghanistan] [Russia] [Taliban]
• Russia sends nuclear-capable bombers on mission near South Korea, Japan
  Reuters © REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin A Tupolev Tu-95MS strategic bomber lands at the Yemelyanovo airport near Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk. Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers have flown over the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan, the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea, prompting Japan and South Korea to scramble jets to escort them, Russia said on Thursday. Russia's Defence Ministry said in a statement the Tupolev-95MS bombers, code named "Bears" by NATO, flew over neutral waters and were accompanied by Russian Sukhoi-35S fighter jets and A-50 early warning and control aircraft. It gave no details about the overall number of aircraft that had taken part in what it called a pre-arranged flight and did not say when or why the mission took place. The TU-95MS bombers were refueled in mid-air during the mission, the ministry said. During parts of the route, the bombers were escorted by South Korean and Japanese military jets, it added. Russia, which shares a border with North Korea, has repeatedly voiced concerns about rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula caused by Pyongyang's nuclear missile program, and has complained about Japan's plans to deploy a U.S. anti-missile system on its soil. [THAAD] [Resurgence] [Russia confrontation]
• Russia Doubles Oil Shipments to N.Korea
  By Lee Dong-hwi August 22, 2017 10:50 Russia doubled its oil product shipments to North Korea in the first half of this year over the same period last year, the Sankei Shimbun reported on Monday. Russia has been a gaping loophole in international sanctions against the North. Russia exported 4,304 tons of gasoline, diesel and other oil products to the North in the first half, which are valued at US$2.4 million, according to Russian customs statistics. The figure is about double the 2,171 tons it sent to the North in the first six months of last year. There is speculation that the actual volume is much larger than the customs data reveal. Prof. Artyom Lukin of Russia's Far Eastern Federal University told the Japanese daily that Russia is estimated to be selling 200,000 to 300,000 tons of oil products to the North annually taking into account shipments sent via China. He said Russian conglomerates may be ostensibly reluctant to do business with the North because of the U.S.-led international sanctions, but small firms will continue transactions. Russia has so far blocked international efforts to cut off fuel supplies to the North. [Russia NK] [Oil] [Sanctions]
• Korea to strengthen biz ties with Russia
  Posted : 2017-08-18 16:41 Updated : 2017-08-18 17:36 100 business leaders to visit Vladivostok forum next month By Kang Seung-woo The government seeks to take 100 leading businesspeople to Russia to enhance bilateral economic cooperation. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Friday, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has sent letters to major companies asking whether they will join Trade Minister Paik Un-gyu's visit to the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), scheduled for Sept. 6 and 7 in Vladivostok. [Russia SK]
• Lumps of Coal: How China’s Demand for Russia’s Natural Resources Affects North Korea Sanctions Enforcement
  By Anthony Rinna | August 13, 2017 North Korea’s coal exports can be a source of confusion. It is well known that the DPRK has significant coal reserves spread across the country (as well as several valuable mineral resources, including, as the linked essay notes, magnesite, zinc, iron, tungsten ore, graphite, gold, barite, apatite, and molybdenite). It is also common knowledge that anthracite coal has been a robust export earner for the military and other powerful arms of the DPRK state for a number of years. On the other hand, the extent to which Chinese firms continue to import North Korean coal is unclear. That is only partly because coal exports are subject to a “livelihoods exemption,” which permits some but not all of the trade. There are also statistical questions surrounding Chinese customs data. But also, even in the event that Chinese firms have stopped importing from North Korea — in other words, if the Chinese government is in fact both willing and capable of enforcing UN sanctions — it is not clear how the demand for coal is being met. Here, Anthony Rinna investigates the Russian role in the DPRK sanctions system from precisely this perspective.– Christopher Green, Co-editor [Coal] [Sanctions] [Russia NK]
• The New York Times Pushes Propaganda War Against Russia
  by “Publius Tacitus”, via Sic Semper Tyrannis, August 1, 2017 There is no longer any doubt that the New York Times is nothing more than a willing cog in the establishment war machine and is happy to serve as a propaganda platform. While there are times that newspapers and electronic media outlets are unwitting dupes for propaganda, the article penned by Michael Gordon and Eric Schmitt (published on 31 July 2017) is the work of willing puppets masquerading as journalists: Russia’s Military Drills Near NATO Border Raise Fears of Aggression This screed starts with this piece of artful dishonesty: Russia is preparing to send as many as 100,000 troops to the eastern edge of NATO territory at the end of the summer, one of the biggest steps yet in the military buildup undertaken by President Vladimir V. Putin and an exercise in intimidation that recalls the most ominous days of the Cold War. Since when is it an act of “aggression” for a country–Russia in this case–to conduct military exercises in its own territory? Gordon and Schmitt also conveniently omit the facts that the United States has been engaged in a variety of military exercises on the border of Russia for the last year. Yet, rather than acknowledge that truth, Gordon and Schmitt push the lie that this is an unprovoked action by a militaristic Russia hell bent on conquering the world. How else is one to interpret the following quotes: The military exercise . . . .is part of a larger effort by Mr. Putin to shore up Russia’s military prowess, and comes against the backdrop of an increasingly assertive Russia. Beyond Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election in support of the Trump campaign, which has seized attention in the United States, its military has in recent years deployed forces to Syria, seized Crimea and intervened in eastern Ukraine, rattled the Baltic States with snap exercises and buzzed NATO planes and ships. . . . “There is only one reason you would create a Guards Tank Army, and that is as an offensive striking force,” General Hodges said. “This is not something for homeland security. That does not mean that they are automatically going to do it, but in terms of intimidation it is a means of putting pressure on allies.” If you read only this article you would be excused for assuming that Russia is on the prowl for no good reason. Fortunately, our media is not totally subservient to the war machine. NPR reported last week that the United States is actually carrying out the largest military operations on Russia’s border in 27 years: [Russia confrontation] [Media] [NYT]
• Breaking: Seymour Hersh Cracks ‘RussiaGate’ as CIA-Planted Lie, Revenge Against Trump
  By Eric Zuesse Global Research, August 02, 2017 During the later portion of a phone-call, by the world’s greatest investigative journalist, Seymour Hersh, Hersh has now presented “a narrative [from his investigation] of how that whole f**king thing began,” including who actually is behind the ‘RussiaGate’ lies, and of why they are spreading these lies. In a youtube video upload-dated August 1st, he reveals from his inside FBI and Washington DC Police Department sources — now, long before the Justice Department’s Special Counsel Robert Mueller will be presenting his official ‘findings’ to the nation — that the charges that Russia had anything to do with the leaks from the DNC and Hillary Clinton’s campaign to Wikileaks, that those charges spread by the press, were a CIA-planted lie, and that what Wikileaks had gotten was only leaks (including at least from the murdered DNC-staffer Seth Rich), and were not from any outsider (including ’the Russians’), but that Rich didn’t get killed for that, but was instead shot in the back during a brutal robbery, which occurred in the high-crime DC neighborhood where he lived. Here is the video, and here is the transcript of it: [Hersh] [DNC] [Leak] [Russia confrontation]
• Maliki’s visit to Moscow reflects many facets
  Iraqi Vice President Nouri al-Maliki had a lot on his mind when he paid a three-day visit to Moscow last week. He had a busy agenda that included high-level negotiations with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Russian Federation Council (Senate) Speaker Valentina Matvienko and President Vladimir Putin. Summary? Print Iraq’s vice president may have had upcoming elections and Iranian influence in mind when he visited Moscow recently. Author Vasily Kuznetsov Posted August 1, 2017 Diplomatic protocol did not call for a meeting with Putin, but the fact that the Iraqi politician met with Russia’s head of state points to the unique character of the visit. Another striking feature of Maliki’s trip was that it was arranged not by the Russian Foreign Ministry, but by the Senate. Matvienko has been quite active politically in recent months. It can be assumed that the organizers were unsure whether Putin himself would grant an audience to Maliki — so their meeting testifies to the Russian president’s keen interest in Iraqi affairs. Speaking about the visit’s objectives, the Iraqi vice president told RIA Novosti news that during the negotiations he would focus “on the need to activate Russia's role in the region, particularly in Iraq, and to intensify economic relations in the fields of electricity, energy and trade." He also said he would discuss Russia supplying military equipment to the Iraqi army. [Russia] [Iraq]
• Putin’s shock therapy may help Trump bury the Russia story
  Kremlin's demand that the US embassy reduce personnel puts a new spin on Russian collusion scandal By M.K. Bhadrakumar August 1, 2017 Electroconvulsive therapy, commonly referred to as shock treatment, is a part of psychiatric treatment whereby seizures are electrically induced as a last line of intervention for patients with major depressive disorder or mania. Statistically, a round of ECT has proved to be effective with 50% of patients with treatment-resistant major mental disorder. In inter-state relations, too, ECT comes useful in the toolbox of diplomacy. The Kremlin just administered shock treatment to the US establishment with its demand that the US must cut 755 diplomatic personnel the largest ever such act in the history of international relations. The ECT is usually administered only with the informed consent of the patient but Moscow may have done it unilaterally – albeit with several clear warnings and with good intentions. Of course, the circumstances are exceptional – other treatments have failed and an emergency has arisen with the potential suicide by the patient. The bill passed by Congress on Russia sanctions is already dispatched to the Oval Office for President Trump’s signature. The Russian expulsion can cripple the functioning of the US embassy in Moscow and its consulates in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok. But that is unlikely to have been President Vladimir Putin’s intention. [Russia confrontation] [Response]
• The Kremlin is done betting on Trump and planning how to strike back against U.S. sanctions
  By Andrew Roth July 29 at 5:58 PM MOSCOW — Your geopolitical nemesis is suffering a political meltdown and says you’re partly to blame. Angry legislators have slapped you with new sanctions, which their president says he will sign. What’s a resurgent autocracy to do? In Moscow, it’s time for some game theory. Regardless of whether the Kremlin believes its own denials of interfering in the 2016 elections, there is one undeniable truth: Russia is now Washington’s greatest political foe. Understanding that President Trump is “tied hand and foot,” as one foreign policy hawk here put it, Moscow is weighing options for retaliation. After a dalliance on the Trump train, Russia is once again channeling the ruthless realism that drives its political id, and embracing its role as antihero. “Okay, you think we’re bad guys, we’re going to be bad guys, and we’ll see whether you like it or not,” said Konstantin Eggert, a television political commentator, describing the Kremlin thinking. Russia’s decision on Friday to expel dozens, perhaps hundreds, of American diplomats and other embassy staff marks the first salvo in retaliation to American sanctions that promises to be unpredictable and fraught with emotion. It is built on the frustrations of a Russian leader who perhaps thought that a Trump presidency could change everything, and then watched those hopes dissolve in scandal and recriminations. [Russia confrontation] [Sanctions] [Response] [Media]
• Russia rebuffs US on North Korea, says Moscow, Beijing not to blame
  (Reuters) - Russia's foreign ministry accused the United States of trying to "shift responsibility" for developments on the Korean peninsula onto Russia and China, following another missile test by Pyongyang. The United States said on Friday that Moscow and Beijing were the principal economic enablers of North Korea’s nuclear weapon and missile program and that they bore special resposibility for the growing threat. "We view as groundless attempts undertaken by the U.S. and a number of other countries to shift responsibility to Russia and China, almost blaming Moscow and Beijing for indulging the missile and nuclear ambitions of the DPRK (North Korea)," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. Earlier China also rebuffed the U.S. criticism, saying the North Korean problem had not arisen because of China and that all countries should work together to find a solution. [US NK policy]

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JULY 2017

• Russia Seizes 2 U.S. Properties and Orders Embassy to Cut Staff
  By Neil Macfarquhar JULY 28, 2017 MOSCOW — Russia took its first steps on Friday to retaliate against proposed American sanctions for Moscow’s suspected meddling in the 2016 election, seizing two American diplomatic properties and ordering the United States Embassy to reduce staff by September. The moves, which Russia had been threatening for weeks, came a day after the United States Senate approved a measure to expand economic sanctions against Russia, as well as against Iran and North Korea. The bill, mirroring one passed by the House on Tuesday, now goes to President Trump for his signature. The latest move by the Kremlin strikes another blow against the already dismal diplomatic relations between the two sides, with each new step moving Moscow and Washington farther from the rapprochement anticipated a few months ago. “Russia’s response to the new sanctions was inevitable,” Aleksei Pushkov, a legislator and frequent commentator on international affairs, wrote on Twitter. “There is a high probability that this will not be the end of it.” [Russia confrontation] [Response]
• Russia Increasingly Propping up N.Korean Regime
  By Kim Jin-myung July 25, 2017 11:52 Russia has roughly doubled oil shipments and other exports to North Korea even as the international community is working to turn off the spigot for the belligerent regime. Moscow is fast emerging as a powerful backer of Pyongyang at a time when even China seems to be having second thoughts, and has been at the forefront of blocking discussion of further sanctions in the UN Security Council. A government official in Seoul said on Monday, "There's something going on that the traditional Pyongyang-Moscow friendship alone isn't enough to explain. Moscow seems to be trying to squeeze in between Pyongyang and Beijing to raise leverage in its relations with Washington and Seoul." [Russia NK]
• White House 'supports' sanctions bill on Russia, N. Korea, Iran
  Posted : 2017-07-24 10:59 Updated : 2017-07-24 11:03 The White House "supports" a bill Congress is moving to place sanctions on Russia, North Korea and Iran, press secretary Sarah Sanders said Sunday. Sanders' remark comes a day after lawmakers at the House and Senate announced an agreement in negotiations to pass a bill aimed mainly at preventing President Donald Trump from unilaterally lifting sanctions on Russia. The revised version also calls for new sanctions on Russia for its alleged meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the inclusion of sanctions that passed the House in May to punish the North for its missile and nuclear activities. "The original piece of legislation was poorly written but we were able to work with the House and Senate," Sanders said on ABC's "This Week." "And the administration is happy with the ability to do that and make those changes that were necessary, and we support where the legislation is now." The House is scheduled to put the bill to a vote on Tuesday. If it passes, the Senate will hold another vote before sending the legislation to the president's desk for signing. (Yonhap) [White House] [Sanctions]
• Sessions discussed Trump campaign-related matters with Russian ambassador, U.S. intelligence intercepts show
  Play Video 2:09 Sessions discussed Trump campaign matters with Russian ambassador, according to U.S. intercepts The accounts from Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak to his superiors, intercepted by U.S. spy agencies, contradict public assertions by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The Post's Greg Miller explains. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post) By Adam Entous, Ellen Nakashima and Greg Miller July 21 at 6:51 PM Russia’s ambassador to Washington told his superiors in Moscow that he discussed campaign-related matters, including policy issues important to Moscow, with Jeff Sessions during the 2016 presidential race, contrary to public assertions by the embattled attorney general, according to current and former U.S. officials. Ambassador Sergey Kislyak’s accounts of two conversations with Sessions — then a top foreign policy adviser to Republican candidate Donald Trump — were intercepted by U.S. spy agencies, which monitor the communications of senior Russian officials both in the United States and in Russia. Sessions initially failed to disclose his contacts with Kislyak and then said that the meetings were not about the Trump campaign. [Russia confrontation] [Deep state] [Anti-Trump] [Surveillance]
• Trump had undisclosed hour-long meeting with Putin at G-20 summit
  President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 7 had an undisclosed meeting that followed a first conversation during the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post) By Karen DeYoung and Philip Rucker July 18 at 11:32 PM After his much-publicized two-and-a-quarter-hour meeting early this month with Russian President Vladi­mir Putin at the Group of 20 summit in Germany, President Trump chatted informally with the Russian leader for up to an additional hour later the same day. The second meeting, undisclosed at the time, took place at a dinner for G-20 leaders, a senior administration official said. At some point during the meal, Trump left his own seat to occupy a chair next to Putin. Trump approached alone, and Putin was attended only by his official interpreter. In a statement issued Tuesday night after published reports of the conversation, the White House said that “there was no ‘second meeting’ between President Trump and President Putin, just a brief conversation at the end of a dinner. The insinuation that the White House has tried to ‘hide’ a second meeting,” it said, “is false, malicious and absurd.” “All the leaders” circulated around the room throughout the dinner, and “President Trump spoke with many leaders,” the statement said. “As the dinner was concluding,” it said, Trump spoke “briefly” with Putin, who was seated next to first lady Melania Trump. [Anti-Trump] [Russia confrontation] [Hysteria]
• Fracking Around with the Russians What will those rascals in Moscow do next?
  Philip Giraldi • July 18, 2017 It has been another week full of news about Russia. Americans might be surprised to learn that nearly every aspect of their lives has been somehow impacted by the insidious covert activity of a former global enemy that now has an economy the size of Spain or Italy. One of the latest claims is that Moscow has been covertly funding some environmental groups, most particularly those opposed to the use of fracking technologies. The allegations, which have recently surfaced in Congress, conceded that the Russians allegedly moved forward with their strategy to damage America’s energy independence without leaving behind “a paper trail,” thus there appears to actually be little or no supporting evidence for what is little more than a series of claims, which have been denied by the groups in question, including the highly respectable Sierra Club. Moscow has not commented. [Russia confrontation] [Canard] [Evidence]
• Russia rejects any US conditions for return of seized compounds
  By Mary Ilyushina and Hilary Clarke Moscow (CNN)Russia has described any possible conditions set by Washington to return two of the country's diplomatic compounds in the US that were closed down late last year as "unacceptable." "We have repeatedly said that we think any conditions are unacceptable. We think that the diplomatic property must be returned without any conditions and talks," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN Monday. "What is happening is -- de facto and de jure -- a violation of international law," he said. "Contacts are happening between the foreign policy departments. Kremlin, as it is, does not really participate but as you know this issue was raised by President [Vladimir] Putin during his G20 meeting with President Trump in a quite straightforward manner." Read: White House contradicts Trump on Putin meeting CNN has reached out to the White House for comment. Last December, then-President Barack Obama imposed a range of sanctions against the Russian government for its alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election, including the closure of two Russian compounds located in New York State and Maryland. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov is expected to meet with US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon in Washington later Monday to discuss the diplomatic compounds. Gorka: Time to move on from Russian election interference issue Trump has repeatedly cast doubt over the US intelligence community's assessment that Russian intelligence agencies interfered in the election. Putin did not retaliate to the seizure of the compounds at the time. But Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned last month that the Kremlin could retaliate if the compounds were not returned. "It is best to immediately return our property, otherwise Russia has the right to come up [with a] tit-for-tat response in relation to American property in Russia. I want to confirm that the retaliatory measures are in the works," Zakharova told reporters. [Russia confrontation] [US_Election16] [Legality] [Restraint]
• Incessant scandals threaten US-Russia progress on Syria
  MOSCOW — No sooner had Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump had their first face-to-face encounter, July 7 at the G-20 summit in Hamburg, than a new Russia-themed scandal engulfed Washington. Natalia Veselnitskaya, a Russian lawyer who had met with Donald Trump Jr. on June 9, 2016, may not have been sent by the Kremlin, as some Moscow insiders argue. However, the scrutiny of the meeting limits the Trump administration in its dealings with Russia, presumably affecting agreements reached in Hamburg, including on Syria. To understand why, one must take into account a number of contextual and structural factors in Russian foreign policymaking and current US-Russia relations in general. Summary? Print Moscow and Washington will need to safeguard any progress in their relations against fresh controversies and those opposed to cooperation. Author Maxim A. Suchkov Posted July 14, 2017 Asked what Russia made of the allegations of collusion involving the US president’s campaign and his son, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he had learned about the story from TV reports. “This morning, when I turned on the TV, all the Western TV channels were discussing that. It is amazing how serious people can blow things out of proportion,” he remarked. Lavrov went on to criticize reporting on the story, stating, “If journalists are ready to work only on the basis of unsubstantiated statements and are not prepared to take into account the fact that there is no hard evidence, then I can’t do anything.” [Russia confrontation] [Syria]
• ‘Category 5 hurricane’: White House under siege by Trump Jr.’s Russia revelations
  Donald Trump Jr. met with a Russian lawyer who promised damaging information about Hillary Clinton during his father's presidential campaign, after being told the information was "part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump." (Video: Elyse Samuels, Jenny Starrs/Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) By Philip Rucker and Ashley Parker July 12 at 6:42 AM The White House has been thrust into chaos after days of ever-worsening revelations about a meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a lawyer characterized as representing the Russian government, as the president fumes against his enemies and senior aides circle one another with suspicion, according to top White House officials and outside advisers. President Trump — who has been hidden from public view since returning last weekend from a divisive international summit — is enraged that the Russia cloud still hangs over his presidency and is exasperated that his eldest son and namesake has become engulfed by it, said people who have spoken with him this week. The disclosure that Trump Jr. met with a Russian attorney, believing he would receive incriminating information about Hillary Clinton as part of the Kremlin’s effort to boost his father’s candidacy, has set back the administration’s faltering agenda and rattled the senior leadership team. [Russia confrontation] [Anti-Trump] [Witch-hunt]
• The Russian Sanctions Policy: Reflecting the Long View
  By Anthony Rinna | July 10, 2017 North Korea’s unforeseen, successful test launch of a projectile that most experts agree looks a lot like an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) has again thrust Russia-DPRK relations into the limelight, and not only because the Russian Federation’s man in New York, Vladimir Safronkov stymied UN Security Council action on July 5 with a counter-narrative consisting of technical monitoring data showing a medium-range ballistic missile launch. Michael Elleman of the International Institute for Strategic Studies alleges that, yes, the launch was of an ICBM, and that it shows not only that Pyongyang has a more extensive procurement network in Russia than was previously thought, but also that the DPRK’s infamous team of missile scientists could have been in possession of Russian missile engine designs — if not actually working with Russian missile scientists — for quite a while. The truth of the matter will not emerge any time soon. However, it is already clear that North Korea is, alongside protracted wars in Ukraine and Syria, plus the erratic and possibly treasonous behavior of the US’ commander-in-chief vis-a-vis his Russian counterpart, an ever sharper thorn in the side of bilateral relations between Washington and Moscow. Which is all the more reason to pay attention to Sino-NK Russia and Eurasia Analyst Anthony Rinna’s analysis of the shifting nature of Russian foreign and security policy on its far eastern flank. — Christopher Green, Co-editor [Russia NK]
• Russia tells NATO to stop 'demonising' planned war games
  Robin Emmott Russian ambassador to NATO Alexander Grushko addresses a news conference after the NATO-Russia Council at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, July 13, 2016.Francois Lenoir BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Russia sought to reassure NATO on Thursday that its war games in September would respect international limits on size, but NATO's chief remained wary about their scale and scope. Russia and Belarus aim to hold maneuvers that some NATO allies believe could number more than 100,000 troops and involve nuclear weapons training, the biggest such exercise since 2013. NATO allies are nervous because previous large-scale Russian exercises employed special forces training, longer-range missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. [Russia confrontation] [Military exercises] [Double standards]
• The Russo-Chinese "Alliance" Explained
  Andrei Martyanov • July 9, 2017 RSS It is not an easy task for someone without a background in Chinese culture, including the language and the history, to write about this country. However, this becomes necessary when looking at the Chinese view of the outside world and especially when writing about the emerging Russo-Chinese alliance. There is very little doubt anymore about the reality of such an emerging alliance in the combined West, and rightly so. There is no better evidence of such an alliance than President Putin’s numerous meetings with Chairman Xi Jinping and his recently awarding the Chinese Leader an Order of St. Apostle Andrei Pervozvanny i in Moscow on July 4th prior to President Putin’s meeting with US President Donald Trump at the G20 summit in Hamburg. This understanding, however, comes with a caveat–many Western observers and analysts view China as the senior partner in such an alliance due to her sheer size, both demographically and economically. On the surface this is not a unreasonable assumption, but on the surface only. This belief is mostly a product of recent mythologies and false narratives about both China and Russia. It is also a product of misunderstanding the fundamental processes taking place inside the combined West and of the de facto bankruptcy of methods of socio-economic and derivative analyses. Is China an emerging global superpower? Absolutely! But does China know how to be a fully-fledged one? Not yet. China is learning, but unlike Russia, which has been intimately acquainted for centuries with the peculiarities of superpower status, first as a European and then a global one, she is yet to assert herself as a superpower. Those are not easy lessons to learn and they require more than just a huge economy and population. Yet many in the West continue to base their conclusions on two false narratives: 1. The gross underestimation of Russia’s economy and capability; 2. The gross overestimation of the same for China. Objectively, the Chinese economy objectively is already the largest in the world and nobody with even a modicum of common sense denies that. But here is the catch: just the size of an economy does not determine everything. Yes, it is very important, but not all that defines the power of a nation. As Correlli Barnett’s astute and empirically proven definition of power of the nation goes: power of the nation-state by no means consists only in its armed forces, but also in its economic and technological resources; in the dexterity, foresight and resolution with which its foreign policy is conducted; in the efficiency of its social and political organization. It consists most of all in the nation itself, the people, their skills, energy, ambition, discipline, initiative; their beliefs, myths and illusions. And it consists, further, in the way all these factors are related to one another. Barnett’s concise and brilliant definition received a further (more quantifiable) expansion when Samuel Huntington recited Jeffery R. Barnett’s 14 points criteria of West’s global dominance by the mid-1990s in his seminal The Clash Of Civilizations. Those criteria are sound and present a good framework within which assessments and comparisons could be made. Most of those 14 points are one way or another related to technological development, moreover–they are related to what can be defined as enclosed technological cycles. The larger the number of such enclosed technological cycles, the better. For many protagonists of monetarist economy and free trade orthodoxy, the whole idea that a nation can make something from scratch may sound as anathema. Yet, only nations that can extract resources, refine them and then manufacture a finished, sometimes extremely complex, product are the ones who are real power players globally. Despite some spectacular progress China has made in the last two decades, China, for all her technological advancements still lags behind in some of the most crucial areas that define national power and this cannot be ignored. It becomes especially important when assessing the roles and weights of the parties in this fledgling Russo-Chinese alliance. Take a look at several points by Huntington-Barnett (in the order they are presented by Huntington): [China Russia]
• Trump, Tillerson Tap Russia Hawk Volker for Ukraine Envoy
  The former NATO ambassador inherits a simmering conflict in Ukraine and a showdown with Russia. • By Robbie Gramer • July 7, 2017 • robbie.gramer Secretary of State Rex Tillerson tapped former U.S. ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker to be special representative to Ukraine, as the Trump administration grapples with how to end conflict in the war-shattered country more than three years after Russia’s invasion. With Volker’s appointment, announced hours before President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met face-to-face for the first time, the Trump administration now has a Russia hawk with extensive diplomatic experience charged with running the day-to-day slog ending a frozen conflict. “The fact that they appointed [Volker] is a sign this administration is serious about Ukraine,” John Herbst, former U.S. ambassador to Kiev, told Foreign Policy. [Russia confrontation] [Ukraine]
• Media Contempt for Facts Grows Along With the Dangers of War With Russia
  “Russiagate” has become a grave threat to US national security—but its discredited foundational allegations persist. By Stephen F. Cohen June 28, 2017 The John Batchelor Show, June 27 Nation Contributing Editor Stephen F. Cohen and John Batchelor continue their weekly discussions of the new US-Russian Cold War. (Previous installments, now in their fourth year, are at TheNation.com.) Cohen is increasingly alarmed that, as Washington and Moscow drift toward military conflict, the US political-media establishment remains obsessed with “Russiagate”—allegations that Russian President Putin ordered the hacking of the Democratic National Committee in 2016 to abet Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and that Trump’s associates, possibly the new president himself, “colluded” in this “hijacking of American democracy.” No actual evidence has ever been made public regarding either the purported hacking or the collusion. [Russia-gate] [[Russia confrontation] [Evidence]
• Prospects of Long-term Cooperation between Russia and South Korea
  9.06.2017 Author: Dmitry Bokarev The coming to power of Moon Jae-in that was elected president of South Korea occurred against the background of the recent aggravation of relations with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, that keeps on developing its own nuclear capabilities, along with conducting numerous missile test launches. Therefore, it’s pretty clear that the task of ensuring the security of the country he was entrusted with leading is the most important goal of the new South Korean leader, and he’s been pretty active in conducting discussions with representatives of Europe, the US, China, Japan and Russia to seek a peaceful solution to the problem at hand. However, while addressing the most pressing issues, a sagacious politician doesn’t forget about the long-term goals. From this point of view, new contacts between South Korea and Russia may have a special significance. [Russia SK]

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JUNE 2017

• Russia, China Continue Oil Supplies to N.Korea
  By Lee Kil-seong More June 29, 2017 12:26 North Korea imports 200,000-300,000 tons of oil from Russia annually, Voice of America reported Sunday. The information comes from Ri Jong-ho, who was a senior official with Room 39, a secretive branch of the Workers Party that manages the party coffers. He fled in 2014 and was given asylum in the U.S. last year. "We first strike a deal with Singaporean firms, which then enter into another contract with Russian oil companies," he told VOA. The oil is then shipped in by tanker, while oil imports from China come by pipeline. The North imports an estimated 1 million tons of crude oil, half of it free of charge, from China every year. "China also supplies the North with roughly 500,000 tons of crude oil by pipeline, all of which though goes toward Kim's massive military, all of which is free of charge," Ri said. The oil is not given to either enterprises or gas stations, he added. "If the operations of the North Korea-bound tankers carrying oil from Russia and China come to a full stop, the regime's lifeline will be severed." Cars line up at a gas station in Pyongyang. /AP The U.S. is trying to find ways of pressuring Russia and China to suspend their supplies of crude oil, gasoline, and diesel to the North. Already, China National Petroleum Corporation has suspended sales of fuel to North over the last month or two, Reuters reported Wednesday. Sources told Reuters CNPC made the decision "over concerns the state-owned oil company won't get paid, as pressure mounts on Pyongyang to rein in its nuclear and missile programs." [Russia NK] [China NK] [Oil] [Sanctions] [Defector]
• Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort files as foreign agent for Ukraine work
  Then-Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort listens to Ivanka Trump speak at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland on July 21, 2016. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post) By Tom Hamburger and Rosalind S. Helderman June 27 at 6:08 PM A consulting firm led by Paul Manafort, who chaired Donald Trump’s presidential campaign for several months last year, retroactively filed forms Tuesday showing that his firm received $17.1 million over two years from a political party that dominated Ukraine before its leader fled to Russia in 2014. Manafort disclosed the total payments his firm received between 2012 and 2014 in a Foreign Agents Registration Act filing late Tuesday that was submitted to the U.S. Justice Department. The report makes Manafort the second former senior Trump adviser to acknowledge the need to disclose work for foreign interests. [Anti-Trump] [Russia confrontation] [Geography] [Ukraine]
• America’s New Problem? Russia Wants to Solve the North Korea Crisis
  By Tom O'Connor On 6/28/17 at 3:28 PM Russia has drafted its own plans to solve the crisis on the Korean Peninsula, raising concerns in the U.S. as to whether Moscow’s intervention could upset Washington’s leverage in the region. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov said Tuesday that his country had devised a strategy for convincing North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program, which the U.S. has threatened to end with military action. President Donald Trump’s administration has so far tried to coax North Korea’s only major ally, China, into pressuring its neighbor, but Trump suggested last week that Beijing has not done enough. On the same day that Russia announced it was preparing its own attempt at tackling the conflict, U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley expressed her opposition to allowing Washington’s greatest rival potentially to get the upper hand as Beijing retreats. [Russia NK] [US NK policy] [Russia confrontation]
• Russia quietly begins building fourth military base in Syria
  Moscow plans to oversee new 'deconfliction zone' in country's south, charged among other things with clearing ISIS away from Jordanian border By Sami Moubayed June 29, 2017 1:12 PM (UTC+8) • Over the past few days, the Russian army has quietly started construction of a new military base in the countryside near Damascus, from scratch, tasked with manning and administering a “deconfliction zone” in the Syrian south, similar to four others agreed upon earlier in the year by Moscow, Ankara and Tehran. The first zones applied to Homs, Idlib, and the suburbs of Damascus, while the new one will encompass territory extending from Daraa, 13 kilometers north of the Syrian-Jordanian border, to the border itself, including the strategic city of Quneitra on the Golan Heights and al-Suwayda, a mainly Druze city. Whoever patrols it will also shoulder responsibility for purging the region of “non-Syrian” forces, in reference to al-Qaeda, Jabhat al-Nusra, ISIS and Hezbollah. [Russia Syria]
• Europe has been working to expose Russian meddling for years
  By Dana Priest and Michael Birnbaum June 25 at 5:20 PM RIGA, Latvia — As the United States grapples with the implications of Kremlin interference in American politics, European countries are deploying a variety of bold tactics and tools to expose Russian attempts to sway voters and weaken European unity. Across the continent, counterintelligence officials, legislators, researchers and journalists have devoted years — in some cases, decades — to the development of ways to counter Russian disinformation, hacking and trolling. And they are putting them to use as never before. [Russia confrontation] [Hysteria] [Media]
• Saudi power shift risks skidding on oil slick
  Russia may welcome the rise of Mohammed bin Salman but will closer cooperation between the two oil giants allow them to control prices? By M.K. Bhadrakumar June 24, 2017 Reading tea leaves in the convoluted world of Saudi politics can be tricky. So, Moscow’s jubilation over the appointment of Mohammed bin Salman as the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and the next in line to the throne is intriguing. The Crown Prince whom King Salman dismissed, Mohammed bin Nayef (MbN), had held the post of Saudi Arabia’s interior minister continuously since 2012 and had years of experience in intelligence work. MbN used to be regarded as the most pro-American of the Saudi leadership. In February, Mike Pompeo made his first overseas tour as CIA chief to Riyadh to confer the George Tenet Medal on MbN in recognition of his “excellent intelligence performance in the domain of counter-terrorism and his unbound contribution to [realizing] world security and peace”. Just four months later, King Salman has dismissed MbN. Presumably, Moscow would heave a sigh of relief that MbN has been retired. More importantly, Russian state news agency TASS promptly carried a report – quoting expert opinion, of course – that the new Crown Prince may be “ready to reach compromises concerning complex regional issues – the crises in Syria and Yemen.” The TASS report gave fulsome praise to MbS’ “political farsightedness by building trust-based dialogue with the Russian authorities, particularly with President Vladimir Putin”, which has taken the Saudi-Russian relations to “an unprecedented high in the past years”, and leading to a partnership that “opens the door to resolving conflicts in the Middle East.” Indeed, MbS is a familiar figure for the Kremlin. He visited Russia four times during the past two years to meet with Putin. A Moscow analyst at the Russian new agency Sputnik wrote on Wednesday: The fact that Mohammed bin Salman is slated to be Saudi Arabia’s next King – provided of course that no “black swan” event removes him from that position first – is wildly good news for Russia and China because of the very productive working relationships that each of them has established with the new Crown Prince. Neither of them endorses his militant policies in waging the war in Yemen or in bullying Qatar, but they understand just how positively transformational a figure he’s poised to be … Russia and China are poised to see their own interests promoted if Mohammed bin Salman becomes the next Saudi King.”What explains such an expectation? The matrix of Saudi-Russian energy cooperation largely explains it. The OPEC decision to cut oil production has been a joint Saudi-Russian project aimed at balancing supply and demand in the oil market and keeping oil price stable at around $50 per barrel. What explains such an expectation? Primarily, the matrix of Saudi-Russian energy cooperation. The OPEC decision to cut oil production has been a joint Saudi-Russian project aimed at balancing supply and demand in the oil market and keeping oil stable at around $50 per barrel. Moscow and Riyadh have a congruence of interests in stabilizing their oil income. But this congruence also involves countering the US’ rapidly growing profile as an energy exporter. [Russia Saudi Arabia] [Oil]
• Under pressure, Western tech firms bow to Russian demands to share cyber secrets
  By Joel Schectman, Dustin Volz and Jack Stubbs | WASHINGTON/MOSCOW Western technology companies, including Cisco, IBM and SAP, are acceding to demands by Moscow for access to closely guarded product security secrets, at a time when Russia has been accused of a growing number of cyber attacks on the West, a Reuters investigation has found. Russian authorities are asking Western tech companies to allow them to review source code for security products such as firewalls, anti-virus applications and software containing encryption before permitting the products to be imported and sold in the country. The requests, which have increased since 2014, are ostensibly done to ensure foreign spy agencies have not hidden any "backdoors" that would allow them to burrow into Russian systems. But those inspections also provide the Russians an opportunity to find vulnerabilities in the products' source code - instructions that control the basic operations of computer equipment - current and former U.S. officials and security experts said. While a number of U.S. firms say they are playing ball to preserve their entree to Russia's huge tech market, at least one U.S. firm, Symantec, told Reuters it has stopped cooperating with the source code reviews over security concerns. That halt has not been previously reported. Symantec said one of the labs inspecting its products was not independent enough from the Russian government. U.S. officials say they have warned firms about the risks of allowing the Russians to review their products' source code, because of fears it could be used in cyber attacks. But they say they have no legal authority to stop the practice unless the technology has restricted military applications or violates U.S. sanctions. [Russia confrontation] [Cybersecurity]
• Reuters (finally) realize there are Nazis in Ukraine
  by Kit Please note flags of the Azov Battalion, centre, NATO left, and Nazi, right. None of these people existed until Wednesday. Two days ago Reuters published this report, headlined “How Trump can show he’s tough on anti-Semitism”. I’m not sure why Trump – who has never been called an anti-Semite before, never publicly criticised Israel and whose daughter and son-in-law are both Jewish – suddenly needs to show he’s “tough” on anti-Semitism, but apparently he does. How is Mr Trump going to achieve this? He’s going to denounce Ukraine…because the government is endorsing fascism. For the sake of brevity I will present a bullet point list of the Ukrainian issues that so trouble the article’s author, Josh Cohen: [Ukraine] [Anti-Semitism] [Anti-Trump]
• Obama's secret struggle to punish Russia for Putin's election assault
  By Greg Miller, , Ellen Nakashima and Adam Entous The Washington Post WASHINGTON Early last August, an envelope with extraordinary handling restrictions arrived at the White House. Sent by courier from the CIA, it carried "eyes only" instructions that its contents be shown to just four people: President Barack Obama and three senior aides. Inside was an intelligence bombshell, a report drawn from sourcing deep inside the Russian government that detailed Russian President Vladimir Putin's direct involvement in a cyber campaign to disrupt and discredit the U.S. presidential race. But it went further. The intelligence captured Putin's specific instructions on the operation's audacious objectives - defeat or at least damage the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, and help elect her opponent, Donald Trump. [Russia confrontation] [US_election16]
• NATO jet approached plane carrying Russian defense minister, reports say
  Russia said on June 21 that a NATO F-16 approached a plane carrying the Russian defense minister over the Baltic Sea. Video released by the Russian army’s network shows a Russian Su-27 coming between the F-16 and what is described as the minister's plane. (Zvezda) By Andrew Roth June 21 at 3:42 PM MOSCOW — A NATO F-16 fighter jet approached and was then warned away from a jet carrying Russia’s defense minister, Russian media reported Wednesday, the latest in a string of aerial incidents that have marked rising tensions between the West and Russia. The incident occurred over the Baltic Sea in northeastern Europe, according to reporters traveling with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, in international airspace crowded with Russian and NATO jets testing one another’s nerve in sometimes dangerous proximity.
  On Wednesday, Shoigu’s jet was bound for the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad when it was intercepted by an F-16, the Russian reports said. The NATO jet closed in and began flying parallel to Shoigu’s plane, video shot on board and released by the Defense Ministry’s Zvezda news agency showed. A Russian Su-27 fighter accompanying Shoigu’s plane then approached from behind and rocked its wings to show that it was armed. Then, the F-16 veered off. [Russia confrontation] [Provocation]
• Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin: When the White House fixed a Russian election
  By Alan Gilman 14 June 2017 For the past nine months, the Democratic Party and what passes for the liberal media have been spearheading a neo-McCarhtyite campaign backed by powerful sections of the US intelligence apparatus and based on unsubstantiated allegations that the Russian government and President Vladimir Putin interfered in the US presidential election. Trump is being presented by these forces as a political stooge of Putin, with Moscow routinely labeled a “hostile foreign power.” This contrived scandal has been bolstered by FBI and congressional inquiries organized to investigate claims that the Trump election campaign colluded with the Russian government to damage the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and tip the election to Trump. Behind this political witch hunt is a ferocious struggle over US imperialist foreign policy, centering on opposition to Trump’s inclination to seek improved relations with Russia and shift, at least for the present, from the virulently hostile and aggressive policy toward Moscow carried out by the Obama administration. [Russia confrontation] [US_Election16] [Yeltsin] [Subversion]
• Russia threatens to treat U.S. coalition aircraft as targets over Syria
  A U.S. Navy F/A-18 shot down a Syrian government fighter jet shortly after the Syrians bombed U.S.-backed fighters in northern Syria on June 18, 2017. (Jake Cannady/U.S. Department of Defense via European Pressphoto Agency ) By David Filipov and Louisa Loveluck June 19 at 9:49 AM MOSCOW — Russia on Monday angrily condemned the downing of a Syrian aircraft by a U.S. fighter as a “flagrant violation of international law,” and said its forces will treat U.S.-led coalition aircraft and drones as targets if they are operating in Syrian airspace west of the Euphrates while Russian aviation is on combat missions. The Russian Defense Ministry also said it is suspending an agreement to minimize the risk of in-flight incidents between Russian and U.S.-led coalition aircraft operating over Syria. [US Syria policy] [Outsourcing] [ISIS] [Legality] [Escalation] [Russia] [Warning]
• Oliver Stone defended Vladimir Putin to Stephen Colbert. The audience laughed at him.
  By Stephanie Merry June 13 Play Video 1:58 Putin says Kremlin critic McCain 'lives in Old World' Russian President Vladimir Putin said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), known for his anti-Kremlin rhetoric, lives in the "Old World" and that Russia and the United States must work together on common challenges. (Reuters) Oliver Stone visited Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show” Monday night and had to answer some tough questions. The director has gotten some heat recently for his four-part documentary about Vladimir Putin — “The Putin Interviews” — which airs in one-hour installments on consecutive nights through Thursday. If the glimpse so far is any indication, the Oscar winner lobbed a lot of softballs at the Russian leader and took the dictator’s words at face value. Colbert, on the other hand, was a ruthless interrogator. In a short clip that ran before the interview, Putin claimed his country would never interfere in another country’s domestic affairs, to which Stone responded, “Thank you, sir. We’ll see you tomorrow.” Colbert pressed Stone on the moment, wondering why he didn’t push harder. “You have to be polite,” Stone insisted before throwing in some other facts to bolster his argument: It was a two-year deal, and Putin is a very busy man. “But no follow up on that question?” Colbert asked. “That doesn’t seem like an interview, that seems like an opportunity for him to merely propagandize.” Stone insisted the fourth hour will be more hard-hitting [Russia Confrontation] [Media] [Putin]
• ‘All this circus’: Putin takes heat from broke, angry Russians in live call-in show
  Russian President Vladimir Putin walks along the Cathedral Square of the Kremlin on Monday to take part in a holiday reception in Moscow. (Pool photo by Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik via AP) By David Filipov June 15 at 12:03 PM MOSCOW — Facing a wave of popular unrest not seen in years, Russian President Vladi­mir Putin took to the nation’s airwaves Thursday to assure citizens that their lives will be getting better. Judging from the questions the Kremlin leader fielded over four long hours, Russians aren’t feeling it. Just three days after tens of thousands of people turned out in more than 180 cities across Russia to express their dissatisfaction with the government, Putin used his annual “Direct Line with the President” call-in show to say that the Russian economy is showing signs of growth after a long recession and that “in general things will start moving to where people feel a change for the better.” [Thousands rally in anti-corruption protests across Russia] The questions that came in from viewers across the country reflected little of that. A Siberian teacher asked him how she is supposed to live on $280 a month. The residents of a Moscow suburb complained about a giant pile of garbage that they said is visible from space. A 24-year-old cancer patient from a far-northern mining town demanded to know why health care is in a shambles. “Please do not lose hope. I will see how to help, including you personally,” Putin told her. “We will work on your problem and on the hospital in your town. I promise!” Putin also touched on the political turmoil in the United States over Russian meddling in the 2016 elections.
  This mood of defiance is not likely to prevent Putin, whose approval rating has not been below 80 percent in three years, from winning reelection next March, but pollsters say Russians feel that their leaders are unaccountable. And the Kremlin agrees. [Russia confrontation] [Putin] [Media] [Heading]
• Tens of thousands rally across Russia in protests against corruption
  Hundreds arrested in Russian anti-corruption rallies Tens of thousands of protesters rallied across Russia June 12. The demonstrations follow March 26 nationwide anti-corruption protests. (Sarah Parnass, David Filipov, Andrew Roth/The Washington Post) By Andrew Roth and David Filipov June 12 MOSCOW — Shouting “We demand answers,” and “Stop lying and stealing,” tens of thousands of protesters turned out Monday across Russia in a nationwide anti-corruption rally called by opposition leader Alexei Navalny as part of his long-shot bid to unseat President Vladi­mir Putin. Russian authorities met the challenge with helmet and truncheon: Police said they had rounded up 650 protesters at illegal rallies in Moscow and St. Petersrburg alone, although the Russian OVD-info nongovernment group put the number of detained at more than 1,000. Navalny was detained outside his home, fined and, according to the independent Meduza news agency, sentenced to 30 days in jail, after he defied authorities by telling his supporters to crash a massive street festival of historical reeanactments staged for the official Russia Day state holiday. [Russia confrontation] [Navalny] [Media]
• Intelligence Officials Sidestep Senate Questions on Trump and Russia
  By EMMARIE HUETTEMAN and CHARLIE SAVAGE JUNE 7, 2017 Photo From left, the acting F.B.I. director, Andrew G. McCabe; Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein; the director of national intelligence, Dan Coats; and the N.S.A. director, Adm. Michael S. Rogers, appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday. Credit Doug Mills/The New York Times WASHINGTON — Two top intelligence officials refused to answer senators’ questions on Wednesday about whether President Trump had asked them to intervene in the F.B.I. investigation into Russian election interference, saying only that they had never felt “pressured” by the White House to do anything improper. The two officials — Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, and Adm. Michael S. Rogers, the director of the National Security Agency — testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee on the eve of a highly anticipated appearance before the panel by James B. Comey, who was fired as F.B.I. director by Mr. Trump last month. Mr. Comey, in prepared remarks released by the committee after the two officials testified, said Mr. Trump had asked him to drop an investigation into the president’s former national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn. [Russia confrontation] [Senate] [Anti-Trump] [Evidence]
• Putin: Syria chemical attack was provocation against Assad
  By IAN PHILLIPS and VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press June 2, 2017 — 11:20am ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted Friday that the Syrian leader didn't use chemical weapons against his people, saying the recent attack that killed scores of civilians was a "provocation" against President Bashar Assad. Speaking at an economic forum in St. Petersburg on Friday, Putin made one of his strongest rejections of blaming Assad's forces for the chemical attack in April. The attack in northern Syria killed at least 90, including many children. It was followed by an unprecedented U.S. strike on a Syrian air base from which aircraft suspected of being involved in the chemical raid took off. "We are absolutely convinced that it was a provocation. Assad didn't use the weapons," Putin said. "It was done by people who wanted to blame him for that." He added that Russian intelligence had information that a "similar scenario" was to be implemented elsewhere in Syria, including near Damascus. "Thank God, they were smart enough not to do that after we released information about it," he said. [Khan Sheikhoun] [False Flag] [Putin]
• Vladimir Putin denies he has compromising material on Donald Trump
  Russian president tells Megyn Kelly he has no relationship with Trump and had never met him Reuters Monday 5 June 2017 03.05 BST Last modified on Monday 5 June 2017 04.10 BST Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied he had any compromising material about US President Donald Trump. “Well, this is just another load of nonsense,” Putin said on NBC News’ Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly, when asked whether he had any damaging information on the Republican president. Russia and Trump: the chronicle of a scandal Read more The remarks were the latest in a series of denials from Moscow that have had little impact so far on a political crisis in the United States over potential links between Russia and Trump’s inner circle. The issue will be front and centre this week in Washington, where former FBI director James Comey is due to testify on whether Trump tried to get him to back off an investigation into alleged ties between Trump’s election campaign and Moscow. Comey, who was leading the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s probe into alleged Russian meddling in last year’s US presidential election, was fired by Trump last month, four years into his 10-year term.
  Putin also told NBC he had no relationship with Trump and had never met him, regardless of Trump’s previous travel to Russia as a businessman. Putin noted that executives from perhaps 100 American companies were currently in Russia. “Do you think we’re gathering compromising information on all of them right now or something?” Putin asked, before saying: “Have you all lost your senses?” [Russia confrontation] [Putin]
• Targeting North Korea, Scratching Russia: HR 1644
  By Anthony Rinna | June 05, 2017 On May 4, the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee passed the Korean Interdiction and Modernization of Sanctions Act (House Resolution 1644). An official House blog on HR 1644 states that continuing North Korean missile tests prove the failure of the US policy of “strategic patience,” and that while “diplomacy can work,” first the United States must gain greater leverage over North Korea through sanctions. To this end, the resolution extends the scope of US action beyond North Korea, taking aim at the country’s economic activities on the territories of third states. The full HR 1644 introductory text stipulates that reports be submitted to Congress on commercial activity by North Korean entities at Russian ports near the DPRK, which mostly means Nakhodka, Vanino and Vladivostok, as well as at Chinese ports including Dalian and Dandong (Title I, Section 104). The resolution also includes provisions on the employment of North Korean labor abroad, and while this part of the proposal (Title 2, Section 201) does not mention Russia or Russian entities directly, there can be little doubt that with the number of North Korean workers in Russia rising, the US has taken into account the function of those workers in the application of economic pressure on the DPRK. [US NK policy] [Secondary sanctions] [Russia NK]
• Putin calls U.S. election-meddling charge a ‘load of nonsense’ in Megyn Kelly interview
  Putin denies Russian interference in the U.S. 2016 presidential election Russian President Vladimir Putin denied the validity of U.S. intelligence reports that claim Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. Putin spoke at a forum in St. Petersburg moderated by Megyn Kelly. (Reuters) By David A. Fahrenthold June 4 at 8:43 PM Russian President Vladi­mir Putin testily rejected the idea that his government had interfered in the 2016 U.S. election — or that he is holding compromising evidence against President Trump — in an interview broadcast Sunday night with NBC’s Megyn Kelly. “They have been misled,” Putin responded when Kelly said that American intelligence agencies had concluded that Russia interfered in the campaign with the goal of electing Trump. “They aren’t analyzing the information in its entirety. I haven’t seen, even once, any direct proof of Russian interference in the presidential election.” The interview with Putin — conducted last week during an economic forum in St. Petersburg — was the opening segment in the debut episode of “Sunday Night With Megyn Kelly.” Kelly, who was a prime-time star on Fox News Channel, moved to NBC at the start of this year. The interview was tense at times, with Putin calling Kelly’s questions a “load of nonsense.” “Your lives must be so boring,” if Americans are reduced to making up stories about Russia, he said. [Russia confrontation] [Putin] [Media]
• To solve North Korea issue, Moon admin. should pursue northern cooperation
  Posted on : Jun.4,2017 07:47 KST Modified on : Jun.4,2017 07:47 KST South Korean government should increase training and education for greater interchange with Russia Recent changes in the international order have shown two major trends. One is the decline of Atlanticism under the leadership of the EU and US, amid developments such as Brexit and Washington’s trade protectionism. The other is the accelerating integration of Eurasia, with China’s Belt and Road Project and the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union, and now with the Chinese-Russian cooperation platform the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation expanding to include India and Pakistan. At the eastern tip of the Eurasian continent, the Korean Peninsula is facing greater security threats and international conflict than ever before as these two trends collide violently in the North Korean nuclear issue and the THAAD deployment. The Park Geun-hye administration’s Eurasia Initiative positioned the Eurasian continent as a key space for strategic cooperation in South Korean foreign policy. It was the right attitude, but it ended up fizzling due to a number of issues. Some of the key reasons given for this include the lack of any close scrutiny of North Korea risk factors and the lax attitude Seoul adopted in cooperating with Western economic sanctions against Russia following its actions in Ukraine. The lack of any real control tower also more or less ruled out any kind of systematic implementation of policies. When this buffet-style list of collaborative projects, which lacked a financial procurement plan to back them, failed to yield results, its place was filled with a more superficial style of administration, with a major focus on staging events. [Moon Jae-in] [SK NK policy] [Engagement] [Russia SK]
• Russia claims it has successfully tested hypersonic missile ‘which makes Western defences obsolete’
  State news agency reports that new system could be ready for use as early as next year Harriet Marsden Russian warships sail past exploding anti-missile ordnance during a rehearsal for the Navy Day parade in 2016 Reuters Russia has claimed it has carried out successful tests of a hypersonic missile, a year ahead of schedule. According to government-controlled news agency Sputnik, the missile system - known as Zircon - could be installed on Pyotr Veliky, the country’s nuclear-powered missile strike ship. The hypersonic missiles are a “quantum leap in technology,” defence analyst Tim Ripley’s told DW. [Military balance] [Hypersonic missile]
• Why Putin may be the real winner of Trump’s Europe foray
  By Matthew Schofield WASHINGTON Despite a White House description of President Donald Trump’s recent NATO conference appearance as “incredible” and “historic,” experts are wondering if the only clear winner from the trip was Russian President Vladimir Putin. The claim that the NATO visit was a rousing success overplays what were incremental adjustments, and ignores deep losses. But more than that, it helped create doubt among longtime allies that the United States remains what it has been since the alliance was formed 68 years ago, a firm friend. [Trump] [Incompetence] [Russia confrontation]
• We may owe our lives to a back channel with Russia
  President Kennedy appointed his own brother to be attorney general — the nation’s chief law enforcement officer. (Their father, Joseph Kennedy, insisted.) Among the personal scandals Bobby had to cover up were the president’s extramarital relations with Judith Exner, the girlfriend of Chicago mafia don Momo Giancana, and with call girl Ellen Rometsch, suspected by the FBI of working as an East German spy. (As I recounted in my biography of RFK, Rometsch denied both the spying and the sex, but RFK had her deported nonetheless.) More substantively, JFK used RFK to run covert actions against Cuba, including assassination plots against Fidel Castro. So perhaps it is unsurprising that, in late April 1961, during the first year of the Kennedy administration, when Soviet spy Bolshakov, using an American newspaperman as an intermediary, first approached Attorney General Kennedy for a secret meeting, Bobby did not hesitate to say yes. [Kennedy] [Backchannel] [Trump] [Kushner] [Double standards]
• Vladimir Putin fights election-tampering accusations with his own shots at US
  Published June 02, 2017 Russian President Vladimir Putin turned the tables on claims the Kremlin meddled in the U.S. presidential election, with a feisty Putin on Friday accusing American spies of “crude and systematic” widespread interference in Russian affairs. Putin, speaking at an economic forum in St. Petersburg moderated by NBC’s Megyn Kelly, said the probe into Russia’s alleged attempts to influence the election via collusion with President Trump’s campaign team was merely “hysteria,” Reuters reported. He even tried to calm an inquisitive Kelly by asking: “Isn’t there a pill they can give you?” He also compared the anti-Russian sentiment in the U.S. to anti-Semitism. “It’s like saying everything is the Jews’ fault,” said Putin, who placed the blame for Hillary Clinton’s November loss squarely at the feet of the Democratic presidential candidate and members of her party. Putin deftly brushed off questions about meetings that members of the Trump campaign – including then-Sen. Jeff Sessions – had with Russian diplomat Sergey Kislyak. “So our ambassador met someone. That's his job. That's why we pay him,” Putin said, according to a translation. “So what? What's he supposed to do, hit up the bars?” [Russia confrontation] [Hysteria] [US_election16] [Putin]
• Putin’s Defender
  An American Russia scholar on why he doesn’t believe the New York Times, doesn’t think the DNC was hacked, and just wants the U.S. and Russia to get along.
  By Isaac Chotiner Stephen F. Cohen has long been one of the leading scholars of Russia and the Soviet Union. He wrote a biography of the Bolshevik revolutionary Nikolai Bukharin and is a contributing editor at the Nation, which his wife, Katrina vanden Heuvel, edits and publishes. In recent years, Cohen has emerged as a more ideologically dexterous figure, ripping those he thinks are pursuing a “new Cold War” with Russia and calling for President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to form “an alliance against international terrorism.” Cohen has gone so far as to describe the investigations into the Trump campaign and Russia “the No. 1 threat to the United States today.” Cohen has been criticized by many people, myself included, for his defenses of Putin. (He once said the Ukraine crisis had been “imposed on [Putin] and he had no choice but to react.”) He scolded President Barack Obama for sending retired gay athletes to Sochi and recently went on Fox News to speak up for Trump’s war against leakers. I spoke by phone with Cohen, who is also a professor emeritus of Russian studies and politics at NYU and Princeton and the author of Soviet Fates and Lost Alternatives: From Stalinism to the New Cold War. During the course of our conversation, which has been edited and condensed for clarity, we discussed why Cohen won’t concede that the Democratic National Committee was hacked, whether it’s fair to call Putin a murderer, and why we may be entering an era much more dangerous than the Cold War. I heard you recently on Fox News. You said that the “assault” on President Trump “was the No. 1 threat to the United States today.” What did you mean by that? Threat. OK. Threat. That’s a good word. We’re in a moment when we need an American president and a Kremlin leader to act at the highest level of statesmanship. Whether they meet in summit or not is not of great importance, but we need intense negotiations to tamp down this new Cold War, particularly in Syria, but not only. Trump is being crippled by these charges, for which I can find no facts whatsoever. Wait, which charges are we talking about? That he is somehow in the thrall or complicity or control, under the influence of the Kremlin. I think it would help if he would admit what his own intelligence agencies are telling him, that Russia played some role in … No, I don’t accept that. I don’t accept that at all, not for one minute. People in the Trump administration admit this too. Well they’re not the brightest lights. And the president is? No. You didn’t ask me that. You asked me, you said, some of the president’s people. You’re referring to that intel report of January, correct? The one that was produced that said Putin directed the attack on the DNC? Get Slate in your inbox. I was referring to that and many news accounts that Russia was behind the hacking, yes. The news accounts are of no value to us. I mean you and I both know ... No value? None? No. No value. Not on face value. Just because the New York Times says that I don’t know, Carter Page or [Paul] Manafort or [Michael] Flynn did something wrong, I don’t accept that. I need to see the evidence. [Russia confrontation] [US_election16] [Evidence] [Media]

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MAY 2017

• With Italy No Longer in U.S. Focus, Russia Swoops to Fill the Void
  By JASON HOROWITZ MAY 29, 2017 ROME — President Trump made the most of his short time in Italy. He was treated to a private audience with the pope, met with both the country’s president and its prime minister in Rome, flew to Sicily for a summit meeting of world leaders and visited with American troops at a nearby naval air station. But as the sudden burst of diplomatic activity subsided with his departure, European and American officials fear a return to the new normal of American inattention as the administration struggles with political turmoil and Russia-related scandals back home. All the while, Russia is assiduously courting Italy, a country that once had the largest Communist party outside the Soviet bloc and that many analysts consider the soft underbelly of the European Union. In Rome, Mr. Trump left behind an embassy without an ambassador, and forfeited a geopolitical playing field that Moscow’s ambassador in Rome, Sergey Razov, is exploiting. [Russia confrontation] [Italy]
• What Did John Brennan and Anonymous Sources Really Say?
  Speaking to a Russian becomes treasonous Philip Giraldi • May 30, 2017 The Washington Post and a number of other mainstream media outlets are sensing blood in the water in the wake of former CIA Director John Brennan’s public testimony before the House Intelligence Committee. The Post headlined a front page featured article with Brennan’s explosive testimony just made it harder for the GOP to protect Trump. The article states that Brennan during the 2016 campaign “reviewed intelligence that showed ‘contacts and interaction’ between Russian actors and people associated with the Trump campaign.” Politico was also in on the chase in an article entitled Brennan: Russia may have successfully recruited Trump campaign aides. The precise money quote by Brennan that the two articles chiefly rely on is “I encountered and am aware of information and intelligence that revealed contacts and interactions between Russian officials and US persons involved in the Trump campaign that I was concerned about because of known Russian efforts to suborn such individuals. It raised questions in my mind whether or not Russia was able to gain the co-operation of those individuals.” Now first of all, the CIA is not supposed to keep tabs on American citizens and tracking the activities of known associates of a presidential candidate should have sent warning bells off, yet Brennan clearly persisted in following the trail. What Brennan did not describe, because it was “classified,” was how he came upon the information in the first place. We know from the New York Times and other sources that it came from foreign intelligence services, including the British, Dutch and Estonians, and there has to be a strong suspicion that the forwarding of at least some of that information might have been sought or possibly inspired by Brennan unofficially in the first place. But whatever the provenance of the intelligence, it is clear that Brennan then used that information to request an FBI investigation into a possible Russian operation directed against potential key advisers if Trump were to somehow get nominated and elected, which admittedly was a longshot at the time. That is how Russiagate began. [Russia confrontation] [CIA] [US_election16]
• Foot Soldiers in a Shadowy Battle Between Russia and the West
  By ANDREW HIGGINSMAY 28, 2017 Ladislav Kasuka was offered money to organize protests against NATO and the pro-Western Ukranian government in Prague. Credit Pavel Horejsi for The New York Times MELNIK, Czech Republic — Working at his computer, as he does most weekends, on an anti-Western diatribe for a Czech website, Ladislav Kasuka was not sure what to make of the messages that began popping up on his Facebook page, offering him money to organize street protests. “Do you need help?” read the first message, written in Russian, from a person he did not know. This was followed, in a mix of Russian and garbled Czech, by gushing encouragement for street demonstrations and increasingly specific offers of cash. An initial payment of 300 euros ($368) was offered for Mr. Kasuka, a penniless Czech Stalinist, to buy flags and other paraphernalia for a protest rally in Prague, the Czech capital, against the NATO alliance and the pro-Western government in Ukraine. Later, he was offered €500 ($558) to buy a video camera, film the action and post the video online. Other small sums were also proposed. [Russia confrontation] [Media] [Propaganda] [Social media]
• Putin says willing to send emissary to N. Korea for mediation
  Posted : 2017-05-25 11:40 Updated : 2017-05-25 11:40 Russian President Vladimir Putin has told a South Korean presidential envoy that he is willing to mediate between South and North Korea by dispatching his emissary to Pyongyang in a bid to help relieve tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Song Young-gil, a special envoy of South Korean President Moon Jae-in, quoted Putin as saying, in their Wednesday meeting, "I am willing," in response to his question asking whether he could send an emissary to Pyongyang to learn of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's intention and the country's internal situation. "The North Korean nuclear issue could never be resolved through war. That's impossible," Song also quoted Putin as saying during their 45-minute meeting in Moscow. "The problem should be solved through dialogue because using sanctions alone has limitations, and it could also work against North Korean people and incur humanitarian issues." The president also stressed the need to resume the forum of the six concerned countries, known as the six-party talks, to negotiate ways to deal with the North Korean issue as well as the need to open direct talks between North Korea and the United States. Putin said he will hold a phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump to talk him into resuming dialogue with Kim Jong-un, according to Song, a lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party. Touching on South Korea's staging of the U.S.-built Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, Putin reiterated Russia's opposition. "The THAAD system has limits in its effectiveness to fend against North Korea's long-range artillery. ... The problem of (North Korean nuclear and missile development) cannot be resolved by military responses only," Putin was also quoted as saying. Also discussed in the meeting were several trilateral economic cooperation projects involving the two Koreas and Russia, which were suspended in early 2016 following North Korea's nuclear tests and missile provocations. They include the trilateral logistics project aimed to link the three countries' sea ports to transport Russian coal to South Korea via North Korea. Putin expressed intentions to resume those economic projects, stressing that such joint work could help resolve tensions on the peninsula. They shared the understanding that South Korea needs to make efforts to pursue trilateral economic projects and agreed to discuss the issue further during a future summit between Moon and Putin. A free trade agreement between South Korea and the Russia-led regional block, the Eurasian Economic Union, and a bilateral project to jointly develop Arctic shipping routes were also suggested during the meeting, according to Song. Moon and Putin are set to meet in July on the sidelines of the Group of 20 meeting in Germany. Putin expressed his expectations for the summit and invited Moon to the Eastern Economic Forum that Russia is to host on Sept. 6-7. Song conveyed Moon's handwritten letter to Putin and Moon's messages indicating that he is eager to step up bilateral relations with Russia. With the meeting with Putin, Song wrapped up his Russian trip and plans to head back to Seoul on Thursday. (Yonhap) [Russia NK] [Russia SK]
• How a dubious Russian document influenced the FBI’s handling of the Clinton probe
  Play Video 2:48 The FBI used an unreliable intelligence document in the Clinton email probe By Karoun Demirjian and Devlin Barrett May 24 at 3:02 PM A secret document that officials say played a key role in then-FBI Director James B. Comey’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation has long been viewed within the FBI as unreliable and possibly a fake, according to people familiar with its contents. In the midst of the 2016 presidential primary season, the FBI received what was described as a Russian intelligence document claiming a tacit understanding between the Clinton campaign and the Justice Department over the inquiry into whether she intentionally revealed classified information through her use of a private email server. The Russian document cited a supposed email describing how then-Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch had privately assured someone in the Clinton campaign that the email investigation would not push too deeply into the matter. If true, the revelation of such an understanding would have undermined the integrity of the FBI’s investigation. Current and former officials have said that Comey relied on the document in making his July decision to announce on his own, without Justice Department involvement, that the investigation was over. That public announcement — in which he criticized Clinton and made extensive comments about the evidence — set in motion a chain of other FBI moves that Democrats now say helped Trump win the presidential election. But according to the FBI’s own assessment, the document was bad intelligence — and according to people familiar with its contents, possibly even a fake sent to confuse the bureau. The Americans mentioned in the Russian document insist they do not know each other, do not speak to each other and never had any conversations remotely like the ones described in the document. Investigators have long doubted its veracity, and by August the FBI had concluded it was unreliable. [Comey] [Russia confrontation]
• How Come USSOCOM Grew Fond of Russia’s Weapons?
  Column: Politics Region: USA in the World 45234123123123Lately we’ve been witnessing an ever increasing number of reports featured by the international media sources about the ever increasing interest of the American military and special services figures towards Russia’s weapons and military equipment. Over the years we’ve grown accustomed to the pictures of American pilots hurrying towards fighters that are similar in configuration to Russia’s Su-34, and that are wearing the recognizable sky-blue camouflage, which is pretty common in the Russian Air Force but has never been used in the United States. As it’s been noted earlier, such occurrences is a pretty common practice if a state is trying to organize a false flag attack in a bid it on its competitor. As early as 1962, during the Caribbean crisis, Washington was also planning to use warplanes that would bear the colors of the Cuban Air Force to strike a number of civilian targets in an attempt to push the Cuban government under the bus, as it was revealed by the former US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in a documentary that goes under the name “The Fog of War”. Today, those who are busy at work planning new military provocations are demanding American arms manufactures to build Russia’s weapons. For instance, it’s been reported that USSOCOM wants American companies to explore whether it is feasible to “reverse engineer or reengineer and domestically produce the following foreign-like weapons: 7.62×54R belt fed light machine gun that resembles a PKM (Pulemyot Kalashnikova Modernizirovany), and a 12.7×108mm heavy machine gun that resembles a Russian-designed NSV (Nikitin, Sokolov, Volkov), along with a number of other weapon types. [False flag]
• Prof Stephen Cohen: Media/Intelligence Assault on Trump is ‘Beyond Belief’
  Stephen Cohen, Professor of Russian studies at Princeton and NYU, interviewed by Tucker Carlson on Fox News …You and I have to ask a subversive question, are there really three branches of government, or is there a 4th branch of government? These intel services….” [Anti-Trump] [Russia confrontation] [Deep state] [Video]
• Russia: US strikes on pro-regime forces in Syria 'totally unacceptable'
  By James Masters, CNN Updated 1507 GMT (2307 HKT) Story highlights • Russia criticizes attack on military convoy • US coalition carried out airstrikes on Wednesday (CNN)Russia has condemned a series of US coalition airstrikes on a military convoy allied with President Bashar al-Assad in Syria as "totally unacceptable." Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov hit out at the attack Friday, according to state news agency RIA-Novosti. "Any military actions leading to the aggravation of the situation in Syria definitely affect the political process, especially if such actions are committed against the Syrian armed forces," Gatilov is quoted as saying. "This is totally unacceptable; it is a violation of Syrian sovereignty." The US said Thursday it had struck a convoy of 20 pro-regime vehicles in Syria a day earlier. It is the second time since Donald Trump became President that the US has intentionally struck pro-regime forces in Syria. [US Syria policy] [Aggression] [Proxy]
• Invasion of the Putin-Nazis
  by CJ Hopkins So, here we are, a little over one hundred days into “The Age of Darkness” and the “racially Orwellian” Trumpian Reich, and, all right, while it’s certainly no party, it appears that those reports we heard of the Death of Neoliberalism were greatly exaggerated. Not only has the entire edifice of Western democracy not been toppled, but the global capitalist ruling classes seem to be going about their business in more or less the usual manner. The Goldman Sachs vampires are back in the White House (as they have been for over one hundred years). The post-Cold War destabilization and restructuring of the Middle East is moving forward right on schedule. The Russians, Iranians, North Koreans, and other non-globalist-ball-playing parties remain surrounded by the most ruthlessly murderous military machine in the annals of history. Greece is being debt-enslaved and looted. And so on. Life is back to normal. Or … OK, not completely normal. Because, despite the fact that editorialists at “respectable” papers like The New York Times (and I’m explicitly referring to Charles M. Blow and Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman) have recently dropped the completely ridiculous “Trump is a Putinist agent” propaganda they’d been relentlessly spewing since he won the election, a significant number of deluded persons, having swallowed their official vomitus (i.e., the vomitus of Blow and Krugman, and other neoliberal establishment hacks) like the hungry Adélie penguin chicks in those nature shows narrated by David Attenborough, are convinced (these deluded persons are) that the Russians are waging a global campaign not only to maliciously hack, or interfere with, or marginally influence, free and fair elections throughout the Western world, but to control the minds of Westerners themselves, in some Orwellian, or possibly Wachowskian fashion. Worse yet, these deluded persons are certain, the Russians are now secretly running the White House, and are just using Trump, and the Goldman Sachs gang, and capitalist centurions like General McMaster, as a front for their subversive activities, like denying Americans universal healthcare and privatizing the hell out of everything. [Russia confrontation] [Media]
• Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian foreign minister and ambassador
  By Greg Miller and Greg Jaffe May 15 at 7:45 PM Play Video 2:33 Trump revealed highly classified intel in Oval Office meeting with Russians During a May 10 meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak, Trump began describing details about an Islamic State terror threat, according to current and former U.S. officials. (Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry/The Washington Post) President Trump revealed highly classified information to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador in a White House meeting last week, according to current and former U.S. officials, who said Trump’s disclosures jeopardized a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State. The information the president relayed had been provided by a U.S. partner through an intelligence-sharing arrangement considered so sensitive that details have been withheld from allies and tightly restricted even within the U.S. government, officials said. The partner had not given the United States permission to share the material with Russia, and officials said Trump’s decision to do so endangers cooperation from an ally that has access to the inner workings of the Islamic State. After Trump’s meeting, senior White House officials took steps to contain the damage, placing calls to the CIA and the National Security Agency. [Russia confrontation] [canard] [Deep state] [Intelligence] [Anti-Trump]
• Russia warns against ‘intimidating’ North Korea after its latest missile launch
  By Amanda Erickson May 15 at 12:40 PM Russian President Vladimir Putin greets World War II veterans at Moscow's Red Square during a Victory Day parade on May 9. (Yury Kochetkov/Pool photo via AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin is urging foreign leaders to keep a cool head on North Korea. Speaking in China, Putin condemned North Korea's latest missile launch as “dangerous.” But he also cautioned against “intimidating” the country, comments almost certainly directed at Washington. “I would like to confirm that we are categorically against the expansion of the club of nuclear states, including through the Korean Peninsula,” Putin told reporters. “We are against it and consider it counterproductive, damaging, dangerous.” [[Missile test] [Russia NK]
• N. Korea-Russia trade jumps in Q1 despite sanctions
  Posted : 2017-05-16 10:02 Updated : 2017-05-16 10:02 Trade between North Korea and Russia soared more than 85 percent in the first quarter of the year on-year owing largely to Russia's export increase despite the U.N. trade ban against the North's nuclear and missile provocations, a U.S. broadcaster said Tuesday. The bilateral trade recorded $31.83 million between during the January-March period, up 85.3 percent from a year before, Voice of America (VOA) said, citing data from Russian federal customs authorities. Russia shipped a total of $31 million worth of products to the North, with coal at the top with $22 million, or some 71 percent of the total, according to VOA. Lignite came next with $4.7 million, followed by oil with $1.2 million. On the other hand, Russia's imports from the North dived 88 percent to $420,000 during the three-month period, it said. Major import items were chemical products ($150,000) and wind instruments ($110,000), it added. (Yonhap) [Russia NK] [Trade]
• U.S. lawmakers want Trump to explain giving intelligence to Russia
  By Susan Cornwell and Susan Heavey | WASHINGTON President Donald Trump came under pressure on Tuesday from U.S. lawmakers, including his fellow Republicans, to explain why he shared highly sensitive intelligence information with senior Russian officials at a meeting in the Oval Office last week. U.S. officials said Trump discussed intelligence about Islamic State with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak at last Wednesday's meeting. The officials said the information had been supplied by a U.S. ally in the fight against the militant group. The New York Times identified the ally as Israel but two U.S. national security sources said they doubted the report. [Anti-Trump] [Russia confrontation] [Israel]
• Political chaos in Washington is a return on investment for Moscow
  By Greg Miller May 14 at 9:15 PM Russia has yet to collect much of what it hoped for from the Trump administration, including the lifting of U.S. sanctions and recognition of its annexation of Crimea. But the Kremlin has collected a different return on its effort to help elect Trump in last year’s election: chaos in Washington. The president’s decision to fire FBI Director James B. Comey last week was the latest destabilizing jolt to a core institution of the U.S. government. The nation’s top law enforcement agency joined a list of entities that Trump has targeted, including federal judges, U.S. spy services, news organizations and military alliances. The instability, although driven by Trump, has in some ways extended and amplified the effect Russia sought to achieve with its unprecedented campaign to undermine the 2016 presidential race. In a declassified report released this year, U.S. spy agencies described destabilization as one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s objectives. [Russia confrontation] [Blame] [Trump] [US_Election16]
• The ‘Soft Coup’ of Russia-gate
  May 13, 2017 Special Report: The Russia-gate hysteria has grown stronger after President Trump’s firing of FBI Director Comey, but the bigger question is whether an American “soft coup” is in the works, reports Robert Parry. By Robert Parry Where is Stanley Kubrick when we need him? If he hadn’t died in 1999, he would be the perfect director to transform today’s hysteria over Russia into a theater-of-the-absurd movie reprising his Cold War classic, “Dr. Strangelove,” which savagely satirized the madness of nuclear brinksmanship and the crazed ideology behind it. A scene from “Dr. Strangelove,” in which the bomber pilot (played by actor Slim Pickens) rides a nuclear bomb to its target in the Soviet Union. To prove my point, The Washington Post on Thursday published a lengthy story entitled in the print editions “Alarm at Russian in White House” about a Russian photographer who was allowed into the Oval Office to photograph President Trump’s meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The Post cited complaints from former U.S. intelligence officials who criticized the presence of the Russian photographer as “a potential security breach” because of “the danger that a listening device or other surveillance equipment could have been brought into the Oval Office while hidden in cameras or other electronics.” To bolster this alarm, the Post cited a Twitter comment from President Obama’s last deputy CIA director, David S. Cohen, stating “No, it was not” a sound decision to admit the Russian photographer who also works for the Russian news agency, Tass, which published the photo. One could picture Boris and Natasha, the evil spies in the Bullwinkle cartoons, disguised as photographers slipping listening devices between the cushions of the sofas. Or we could hear how Russians are again threatening to “impurify all of our precious bodily fluids,” as “Dr. Strangelove” character, Gen. Jack D. Ripper, warned us in the 1964 movie. Watching that brilliant dark comedy again might actually be a good idea to remind us how crazy Americans can get when they’re pumped up with anti-Russian propaganda, as is happening again now. Taking Down Trump I realize that many Democrats, liberals and progressives hate Donald Trump so much that they believe that any pretext is justified in taking him down, even if that plays into the hands of the neoconservatives and other warmongers. Many people who detest Trump view Russia-gate as the most likely path to achieve Trump’s impeachment, so this desirable end justifies whatever means. Boris and Natasha, the evil spies from the Rocky and Bullwinkle shows. Some people have told me that they even believe that it is the responsibility of the major news media, the law enforcement and intelligence communities, and members of Congress to engage in a “soft coup” against Trump – also known as a “constitutional coup” or “deep state coup” – for the “good of the country.” The argument is that it sometimes falls to these Establishment institutions to “correct” a mistake made by the American voters, in this case, the election of a largely unqualified individual as U.S. president. [Coup] [Russia confrontation]
• Rapewhistling for Hitler
  Anatoly Karlin • May 9, 2017 About two thirds of the USSR’s 27 million casualties were civilians – that is, almost 10% of its prewar population. Had those percentages been applied to Nazi Germany, it would lost 8 million people – an order of magnitude than the 400,000 civilians it lost due to Allied strategic bombing, and the 600,000 who died during the expulsions of ethnic Germans from Eastern Europe (the vast majority of which were carried out by local authorities, not the Red Army or the NKVD). About 3.3 million out of 5.7 million Soviet POWs died in Nazi custody (compared to 15% of German POWs in the half-starved USSR, and low single digit figures for Allied POWs in Nazi Germany). Had the Soviets treated its 4.2 million German POWs as harshly, with a death rate of 60%, the German number of military dead would have risen from 5.3 million to around 7.3 million. That’s not far off the figure of 8.7 million Soviet military deaths (9.2 million taking into account unregistered militia in 1941). It’s now well known that Nazi long-term plans called for the eventual genocide of about 75% of the Soviet population, and the helotization/expulsion of the rest. If we count probabilities, assuming there was a 50% chance of Nazi victory over the USSR in 1941-42, and a 50% chance of Generalplan Ost being implemented in its full scale, that translates to around 200 million times 25% equals 50 million additional deaths. This means that in the average of all possible timelines, about 75 million Soviet citizens died, or 37.5% of its prewar population. That translates to around 30 million if these percentages are applied to Germany and its East European diaspora. And yet for some people – for the most part, the most Rusophobic neocons and Cold Warriors, the more Nazi elements of the Alt Right, and deranged Poles and Balts who don’t quite realize what Hitler had in store for them – the Soviet rape of about 2 million women in Eastern Germany at the end of the war is supposed to be a really huge, defining war crime, even something that delegitimizes the overall Soviet victory.* [War crimes] [WWII]
• The Scandal Hidden Behind Russia-gate
  May 11, 2017 Exclusive: Official Washington has the Russia-gate scandal almost 180-degrees wrong; it is not about protecting democracy, but about pushing Americans into more wars, the true scandal that is being missed, writes Daniel Lazare. By Daniel Lazare The Washington Post and New York Times editors are trying to relive the glory days of their youth by comparing Trump’s firing of FBI chief James Comey to Richard Nixon’s Saturday Night Massacre at the height of Watergate. Donald Trump, it seems, is a threat to democracy just as Tricky Dick was more than 40 years ago, so the only thing that can save us is a special prosecutor who will get to the bottom of Russia-gate once and for all. But not only is this nonsense, it’s pernicious nonsense that itself amounts to a cover-up. Here’s how Russia-gate is not the same as Watergate and why, in fact, it’s the opposite: Difference No. 1: Watergate was about a real event, the June 17, 1972, break-in at the Democratic National Committee’s offices at the Watergate Hotel in which five people were caught red-handed in the act....
  Cox was thus operating in the realm of hard, cold, tangible fact. But Russia-gate is different since the alleged crime that is at heart of the scandal – last summer’s reported data break-in at the DNC – is so far based on purest speculation. No burglars has been apprehended, no links have been clearly established with the reputed masterminds in Moscow, while Wikileaks continues to insist that the email disclosure was not a hack by outside intelligence operatives at all, but a leak by a “disgusted” insider. Since the FBI has never conducted an independent investigation – for as-yet-unexplained reasons, the DNC refused to grant it access to its servers despite multiple requests – the only evidence that a break-in even occurred comes from a private cyber-security firm, CrowdStrike Inc. of Irvine, California, that the DNC hired to look into the breach. [US_election16] [DNC] [Hacking] [Evidence]
• ‘Our correspondents feel like Jews in 1933’: Russia pushes back on criticism of state photographer in Oval Office
  By Adam Taylor May 12 at 1:19 PM President Trump meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, left, and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak at the White House on May 10. (Russian Foreign Ministry via AP) The presence of a Russian photographer working for a state-owned news agency during President Trump's meeting with Russian diplomats in the Oval Office on Wednesday sparked criticism from media advocates, as well as concerns over the risk of a security breach. White House officials seemed caught off guard by the controversy, initially saying they had not anticipated that the state news agency Tass would post photographs from the meeting. “They tricked us,” one unnamed official was quoted as saying by CNN. In response, Russian officials have fired back fiercely — by taking aim at the U.S. media. [Russia confrontation] [Hysteria]
• After meeting with Trump, Russian foreign minister again denies interference in U.S. election
  Secretary of State Rex Tillerson briefly addressed reporters with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on May 10. He did not answer questions about the firing of former FBI director James Comey. (The Washington Post) By Carol Morello May 10 at 2:59 PM Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that no evidence exists linking Russia to hacked emails during last year's election and that the issue never arose during his meeting in the morning with President Trump. Speaking to reporters at the Russian Embassy after his White House talks with Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Lavrov showed his irritation over repeated questions about Moscow’s alleged interference in the presidential elections. “I never thought I’d have to answer such questions, particularly in the United States given your highly developed democratic system,” he said, according to a simultaneous translation of his remarks into English. Lavrov frequently disparaged the suspicions of Russian election intrusion, which U.S. intelligence agencies have all pinned on Moscow. He at turns characterized the allegations as “noise” and a “humiliation” for the American people. “We are monitoring what is going on here concerning Russia and its alleged ‘decisive role’ in your domestic policy,” he said, according to a quote reported in Tass, which added a remark phrased less colorfully by the embassy interpreter. “We have been discussing specific issues but never touched upon this bacchanalia.” [Lavrov] [Russia confrontation[ [US_election16]
• Was Russia the Real Reason Trump Fired James Comey?
  The White House’s official rationale—that the FBI director was too harsh on Hillary Clinton—makes no sense. This much is clear: President Trump’s stated rationale for firing James Comey makes no sense. The president justified the FBI director’s abrupt dismissal on Tuesday with a memo from Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, in which Rosenstein systematically laid out an indictment of how Comey handled the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a personal email address and private email server while she was secretary of state. Rosenstein charged that Comey had “usurp[ed]” the attorney general’s authority by publicly recommended making no charges, overstepped his bounds by criticizing Clinton during a press conference, and then alerting Congress about newly found emails on the eve of the election. [Trump] [Comey] [Russia confrontation]
• Syria to get civilian safe zones
  Mediators from Russia, Turkey and Iran signed a memorandum today to create four safe zones for civilians in Syria, a major milestone in the fourth round of cease-fire talks in Astana, Kazakhstan. Summary? Print Cease-fire mediators have agreed to establish and enforce areas free from fighting in Syria. Author Maxim A. Suchkov Posted May 5, 2017 Speaking at a Russian Defense Ministry briefing May 5, Deputy Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Alexander Fomin credited the “constructive attitudes of Turkey and Iran” and the “helpful position of the United States.” The formation of the initiative, as revealed by Russian military leadership, had a twisted pre-history. President Vladimir Putin initially tasked the Russian Defense Ministry to elaborate on ways to secure the cease-fire. On April 25, a special working group of the Defense Ministry went to Damascus for meetings with the Syrian government. On April 26, the group moved to Turkey for meetings with Syrian leadership and militant opposition groups. [Russia Syria] [Safe zones]
• Flynn was warned by Trump transition officials about contacts with Russian ambassador
  Then-national security adviser Michael Flynn arrives to deliver a statement during the daily briefing at the White House on Feb. 1, 2017. (Carlos Barria/Reuters) By Greg Miller and Adam Entous May 5 Former national security adviser Michael Flynn was warned by senior members of President Trump’s transition team about the risks of his contacts with the Russian ambassador weeks before the December call that led to Flynn’s forced resignation, current and former U.S. officials said. Flynn was told during a late November meeting that Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak’s conversations were almost certainly being monitored by U.S. intelligence agencies, officials said, a caution that came a month before Flynn was recorded discussing U.S. sanctions against Russia with Kislyak, suggesting that the Trump administration would reevaluate the issue. [Flynn] [Russia confrontation] [Surveillance]
• Kareisky ethnic Koreans: “Strangers” where they came from, and “foreigners” South Korea
  Posted on : May.7,2017 08:34 KST Modified on : May.7,2017 08:34 KST Kareisky elementary school students study Korean and Russian at the Kareisky support center in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, Apr. 25. All the children’s parents work, so they stay at the center until 7 pm daily. Since they have to leave South Korea when they turn 19, the students also study Russian. (by Kim Seong-gwang, staff photographer) Fourth generation descendants of ethnic Koreans in former Soviet Union still wandering, seeking a real homeland Article 2 of the Enforcement Decree for the Overseas Korean Act defines two categories of overseas Koreans. The first includes those who previously possessed South Korean citizenship and direct descendents who have acquired citizenship in another country. The category also includes those who migrated overseas before the Republic of Korea government was established on Aug. 15, 1948. The second category includes individuals with citizenship in another country who have at least one parent or grandparent who possessed South Korean citizenship. Broken down, this means that the category of overseas Korean applies up to the third generation. So what about the fourth generation? [Diaspora]
• US dismisses Russia’s ban on military aircraft over Syria safe zones
  Published May 06, 2017 Fox News Russia seeks ban of military aircraft over Syria safe zones A State Department official on Friday said that the Russian proposal calling to bar U.S. military aircrafts from flying over designated safe zones cannot “limit” the U.S.’s mission against ISIS in the country in any way. “The coalition will continue to strike ISIS targets in Syria,” the official told The Wall Street Journal. “The campaign to defeat ISIS will continue at the same relentless pace as it is proceeding now.” A deal hammered out by Russia, Turkey and Iran to set up "de-escalation zones" in mostly opposition-held parts of Syria went into effect Saturday. The plan is the latest international attempt to reduce violence in the war-ravaged country, and is the first to envisage armed foreign monitors on the ground in Syria. The United States is not party to the agreement and the Syrian rivals have not signed on to the deal. The armed opposition, instead, was highly critical of the proposal, saying it lacks legitimacy. [US Syria policy] [Russia Syria] [Peace proposal] [Safe zone] [No fly zone] [Irony] [Double standards]
• Trump warms to taking Putin’s help in Syria
  By M.K. Bhadrakumar May 4, 2017 11:09 AM (UTC+8) The cracking of the ice on the frozen Russian-American lake can only mean a temperature change. The telephone conversation between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on Tuesday can be compared to ice cracking after an unusually cold and long winter. The readouts from the White House and the Kremlin both give a positive spin to the phone call. The White House said the conversation was a “very good one” and the Kremlin was satisfied that it was “businesslike and constructive”. It was left to US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to add texture to it. He said: “Well, it was a very constructive call that the two presidents had. It was a very, very fulsome call, a lot of detailed exchanges. So we’ll see where we go from here.” Syria was a principal topic of the conversation. In sum, US-Russia engagement on Syria is resuming. The two presidents focused on “future coordination of Russian and US actions” in Syria. The two countries will jointly seek ways “to stabilize the ceasefire and make it durable and manageable”, the Kremlin readout said. There is a hint here of the two militaries cooperating. The Kremlin readout added: “The aim is to create preconditions for launching a real settlement process in Syria.” The US formally joined talks in Astana this week on the Syrian ceasefire. Its participation was substantive, at the ambassadorial level, with the talks attended by Stuart Jones, acting assistant secretary of state heading the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. He is a career diplomat and “Arabist” whose previous assignments have been in Iraq, Jordan, Egypt and Turkey as well as a stint in the State Department’s Eurasian Bureau (dealing with Russia.) [Trump] [Putin] [US Middle East Strategy] [Russia Syria]
• "If You Take East-Syria, I'll Take That Yemeni Port"
  Will the U.S. leave Syria if doing so prevents a Russian fleet in Yemen? The question seems weird but if Russia succeeds with its negotiations in Yemen it will soon have to be asked. A U.S. neoconservative outlet recently published an interesting but mostly unsourced bit about Yemen: Russia is mediating negotiations for a political solution to the Yemen conflict outside of UN channels as a means to secure naval bases in Yemen. Russia is pursuing political negotiations with the UAE and former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh by beginning to discuss the future consensus Yemeni government. Saleh’s support for the Houthis is critical for the al Houthi-Saleh bloc to retain its influence across northern and central Yemen. The UAE may see this settlement as a way to halt the expansion of Iran’s influence in Yemen and to limit bearing further costs associated with the Yemeni war. Saleh previously expressed willingness to grant Russia military basing rights in Yemen. This basing would allow Russia to project power into one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes in the Red Sea and the Bab al Mandab strait, a global maritime chokepoint. Back in August 2016 the former Yemeni president Saleh had indeed made an offer to Russia: "In the fight against terrorism we reach out and offer all facilities. Our airports, our ports... We are ready to provide this to the Russian Federation," Saleh said in an interview in Sanaa. No one (but Russia?) took Saleh serious at that time. He was not, and is not, in a position to achieve control over Aden in southern Yemen nor any other relevant Yemeni port. I also doubted the recent report. Yes, until the early 1990s the Soviet Union had bases in southern Yemen and thousands of military advisers and trainers worked in the country. But Russia currently does not have the naval resources, nor the immediate interest, to open a new base in the area. Or so I thought. But a well-informed source in Yemen dispelled my doubts. It confirmed the report. Russia is negotiating with the UAE, the Houthi/Saleh alliance and the various southern groups in Yemen over a peace deal and has been doing so for the last six month. The deal would include Russian naval basing rights in Aden. [Yemen] [Resurgence] [US Middle East Strategy]
• New Report Suggests Russia's Enclave of Kaliningrad Might Need to be Militarily 'Neutralized'
  Michael Peck April 28, 2017 Russia is not happy over a new RAND Corporation study that suggests the Russian city of Kaliningrad—the former German city of Königsberg—might need to be militarily “neutralized.” “Just Try It,” warned the headline of a Sputnik News article on the RAND study, which Sputnik described as being “filled with standard rhetoric about the dangers of ‘Russian aggression’ in Eastern Europe.” Actually, there was nothing particularly bellicose about RAND’s U.S. government-sponsored research, titled “European Relations with Russia: Threat Perceptions, Responses and Strategies in the Wake of the Ukrainian Crisis.” It’s a straightforward analysis of European views on Russia and what they would like to see America do about the situation. Based on interviews with officials and scholars in the United States and Europe, including Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Sweden, the study found that Europeans are worried about Russian aggression. However, the aggression they fear isn’t a Cold War–style invasion, but rather “seizure of a border enclave or fomenting internal unrest.” That the Baltic states fear Russian “little green men” and breakaway “republics” isn’t exactly a surprise in Washington or Moscow. What really raised Russian hackles was a single bullet point in the study’s conclusions, regarding how the Pentagon should respond to European concerns. That bullet point recommended the Pentagon take “a clear view of the role that Kaliningrad might play, with its strong antiair defenses; how would NATO neutralize it?” Never mind that the RAND researchers immediately added that “the whole topic of neutralization of Kaliningrad brings up the issue of escalation and potential Russian response to what Russia would see as strikes on the Russian homeland.” [Russia confrontation] [Strike] [MISCOM] [RAND]
• Russians, in peaceful protest, call for Putin to quit
  By Andrew Osborn and Svetlana Reiter | MOSCOW Several hundred Russians lined up in central Moscow on Saturday under the gaze of riot police to hand over handwritten appeals for President Vladimir Putin to quit, as similar protests took place in other cities. Putin, who has dominated Russian politics for 17 years, has not said whether he will run in presidential elections in March 2018. But the 64-year-old politician, who enjoys high popularity ratings, is widely expected to do so. Saturday's protest in the capital -- called "We're sick of him" -- was organized by the Open Russia movement founded by Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Once Russia's richest man, he was freed by Putin in 2013 after spending a decade in jail for fraud, a charge Khodorkovsky said was politically-motivated. [Putin] [Russia confrontation] [Public opinion] [Oligarch] [Media] [Wishful thinking] [Heading]

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APRIL 2017

• Flynn probably broke the law by failing to disclose foreign payments, House Oversight leaders say
  House Oversight Committee leaders on April 25 said former national security adviser Michael Flynn likely broke the law when he failed to disclose income he received from Russia and Turkey. (Video: Bastien Inzaurralde/Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) By Karoun Demirjian April 25 at 4:51 PM The lead Democrat and Republican on the House Oversight Committee meted out a rare bipartisan rebuke of former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn on Tuesday after seeing private information that confirmed the former administration official failed to disclose foreign income from Russia and Turkey. [Flynn did not initially reveal income from Russia-related entities in financial disclosure] The public criticism of Flynn by the senior Republican on the House’s chief investigative panel is unusual and presents a dilemma for the White House, which was accused of failing to provide everything the committee asked for (Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said that the committee received all of the documents it requested). [Russia confrontation] [Flynn] [Witch-hunt]
• Iran ready for Shanghai Pact full membership – Russian FM Lavrov
  Published time: 24 Apr, 2017 09:33 Russia strongly backs Iranian membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), now that UN Security Council sanctions have been lifted from the country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. Iran is ready to become a full-fledged member of the organization, Lavrov said Friday during an SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Astana. Tehran has “settled the problem of the UN Security Council sanctions and hence fully meets the SCO membership criteria,” according to Lavrov. “We hope that during their June summit in Astana, the heads of our states will be able to discuss the possibility of launching the procedure for admitting Iran into the organization as a full member,” Lavrov said. [Iran] [SCO]
• Russia complains to U.S. over exclusion from Syria chemical probe
  By: Dennis Pinchuk, Reuters, April 22, 2017 (Photo Credit: Ammar Abdullah/Reuters) MOSCOW — Russia has told the United States it regrets Washington's opposition to letting its inspectors take part in an investigation into a chemical weapons attack in Syria earlier this month, the foreign ministry said on Friday. It said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke by phone to U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the two sides agreed to consider one more time an "objective investigation into the incident" under the aegis of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). [Khan Sheikhoun] [Evidence] [False flag]
• Beyond the Nuclear Threshold: Russia, NATO, and Nuclear First Use
  By Alexei Arbatov Head of the Center for International Security at Institute of World Economy and International Relations Friday 21 April 2017 In the first of a new ELN Issue Brief series on arms control, Dr Alexey Arbatov examines the evolving policies of Russia and NATO on the first use of nuclear weapons. Dr Arbatov’s brief goes beyond specific doctrinal points of concern, such as the concept of ‘escalating to de-escalate’ (the limited first use of nuclear weapons in order to force an opponent to choose between accommodation or escalation to full nuclear conflict), identifying the serious flaws in the political decision-making process that may ultimately lead to the use of nuclear weapons in Europe. According to the author, in the present state of confrontation, a direct military conflict between Russia and NATO in Eastern Europe, the Baltic or the Black seas would provoke an early use of nuclear arms by any side which consider defeat otherwise unavoidable. Dr Arbatov concludes with a plea that nuclear escalation in current circumstances is eminently possible, and that this must be addressed immediately by the leadership of all regional actors. [Russia confrontation] [Nuclear war]
• It’s Time for the Left to Take Questions About Russia, Trump, and Hacking Seriously
  It’s healthy to be skeptical. But it’s possible to take skepticism too far. By Joshua Holland April 20, 2017 On the American left, the issue of Russia’s intervention in the 2016 election has become deeply entangled with lingering resentments from the Democratic primary. This is often stated explicitly. The Intercept’s Glenn Greenwald told Amy Goodman that it’s “very obvious” that it’s “exceptionally important to Democratic partisans to believe that the reason they lost this election is not because they chose a candidate who was corrupt and who was extremely disliked and who symbolized all of the worst failings of the Democratic Party.” The Nation’s own Katrina vanden Heuvel wrote in The Washington Post that “Clinton supporters inflate the importance of the purported Russian hacks to excuse her painful defeat” and “see the scandal as a way to undermine Trump.” The problem with thinking about the allegations in these terms is that the 2016 election is over and Hillary Clinton has said she will not run for president again. But another Democrat will challenge Trump in 2020, and other Western countries—among them Germany, France, and the Netherlands—are worrying about similar attempts by the Kremlin to influence their own upcoming elections. Their intelligence agencies, like our own, tell us that a notably authoritarian right-wing government is likely to continue to intervene in these races on behalf of candidates who share at least some of its interests, and it’s especially important for progressives to take those claims seriously. Another problem with attributing allegations of Russian meddling to “Clinton supporters” is that most prominent Democrats have so far taken the position that the intelligence community’s findings are troubling and require a full investigation—a position that’s shared by Greenwald and vanden Heuvel, as well as a number of prominent Republicans. Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders told CNN that he thinks the “evidence is overwhelming” that “Russia did play a very harmful role, [an] unacceptable role” in the election, and that hacking the Democratic National Committee was Russia’s way of helping to “elect a candidate of their choice…[and] also an effort to try to undermine in a significant way American democracy.” [Russia confrontation] [US_election16] [Hacking] [Liberal]
• It’s Not ‘McCarthyism’ to Demand Answers on Trump, Russia, and the Election
  Using the language of the anticommunist witch hunt for this moment is a mistake. By Katha Pollitt Yesterday 7:00 am I was a small child in the early 1950s, but I remember the McCarthy years. I remember watching the Army-McCarthy hearings on our new TV with my mother in the living room, the drapes drawn so the neighbors couldn’t peer in, even though the window looked out on our garden. I remember her refusing to let FBI agents into our house (I was so proud of her). I remember looking out the dining-room window and watching them search our garbage. Some of the things that happened were funny—my parents used to roll their eyes over Cousin Victor, who would only call us from a pay phone. But some weren’t. My father, a lawyer, lost work, as did many others. McCarthyism harmed some 10,000 people—some of them Communists, like my parents, most not—and destroyed quite a few: There were divorces, nervous breakdowns, suicides. And, of course, it made the entire country more conformist, more fearful, and more stupid. [Russia confrontation] [US_election16] [Hacking] [Liberal]
• Russia Wants to Make Iran a Member of Asian Power Bloc, the Shanghai Five
  By Damien Sharkov On 4/21/17 at 8:09 AM Russia would support Iran joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, an emerging economic and political alliance led by China, often considered a counterweight to Western alliance organizations. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Iran fully fits the criteria for membership of the so-called Shanghai Five and said that discussions on its bid to join will happen this summer. “Next in line [for membership]...is Iran, which has resolved issues related to sanctions from the U.N. Security Council,” Lavrov told Russian state news agency Itar-Tass. Iran has expressed a wish to become full member of group under both former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and current leader Hassan Rouhani and was given observer status in 2005, allowing it attend summits. The country now “fully meets the criteria for membership,” Lavrov told journalists at the end of a meeting of the group’s foreign ministers, and added that the possibility of offering Iran a full place in the organization will be on the agenda in the upcoming meeting of the bloc in Kazakhstan in June. [Iran] [SCO]
• Kremlin comments on Russian troops reinforcement near border with North Korea
  Russian Politics & Diplomacy April 21, 15:15 UTC+3 The Kremlin spokesman says 'any country responds to changes in the international situation in building its own security' MOSCOW, April 21. /TASS/. Troop movements inside the country are not referred to public issues, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. The Russian presidential spokesman thus commented on media reports on the reinforcement of Russia’s military presence on the border with North Korea. "The issues of troops’ deployment and re-deployment are not referred to the category of public issues," the Kremlin spokesman said. As Peskov said, "any country responds to changes in the international situation in building its own security."
• UN Security Council passes statement on North Korea with Russian amendments
  April 21, 5:58 UTC+3 The statement was adopted after a one-day delay due to the need to reach consensus on the text Share © EPA/JUSTIN LANE UN, April 21. /TASS/. The UN Security Council has adopted the amended version of the condemnation of North Korea’s latest missile test, which includes a Russia-backed call for a dialogue with Pyongyang. Read also UN Security Council fails to condemn North Korea’s missile test The statement was adopted on Thursday after a one-day delay due to the need to reach consensus on the text. In the statement, the council’s members "strongly condemn" the April 15 missile test and "express their utmost concern" over North Korea’s "highly destabilizing behavior and flagrant and provocative defiance of the Security Council." [UNSC] [UNUS; [Missile Test] [Russia] [Appeasement] [Double standards]
• On Russia, Trump and his top national security aides seem to be at odds
  While President Trump has said that “things will work out fine between the U.S.A. and Russia,” other administration officials are taking a harder line toward Russian President Vladi­mir Putin. (Jim Lo Scalzo/Sputnik Pool/European Pressphoto Agency) By Greg Miller April 18 at 7:34 PM The message was defiantly optimistic, like a suitor determined to hold a relationship together despite mounting obstacles. “Things will work out fine between the U.S.A. and Russia,” ­President Trump declared on his Twitter account last week. “At the right time everyone will come to their senses & there will be lasting peace!” Trump’s interest in achieving warm relations with Moscow has been a consistent theme since the earliest days of his campaign, and it stands now as one of the few major foreign policy positions that he has not discarded or revised since taking office. [Trump] [Russia confrontation] [Dissension]
• Assessing Russia's Military Strength: Is America Seeking "Preventive War" to Forestall the Rise of Russian Power?
  Andrei Martyanov • April 17, 2017 There is a popular point of view in some of Russia’s political circles, especially among those who profess monarchist views and cling to a famous meme of 1913 Tsarist Russia development statistics, that WW I was started by Germany to forestall Russia’s industrial development which would inevitably challenge Germany’s plans on domination of Europe. A somewhat similar argument could be made for the WW II, but, in general, preventive wars are nothing new in human history. While “preventive” argument may or may not be a valid one regarding WW I, there is no doubt that it could be used, among others, when explaining the origins of a war. A classic example of such “preventive” war is, of course, US invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the mayhem which ensued there when US, as was stated then, “prevented” Saddam from obtaining Weapons of Mass Destruction, that is nuclear weapons, which, of course, he never had and wasn’t intent on obtaining. It is becoming increasingly clear that “preventive war” has become a preferred instrument in the hands of Washington establishment, be it Iraq, Libya or Syria. But what about Russia, one may ask, or China. Are “preventive wars” against them possible? Taken at face value the question may seem strange—both China, and especially Russia are nuclear armed states which can defend themselves. They do have deterrents and that supposedly should stop any attempt on any kind of war on them. This all is true but only so far. One may consider the current geopolitical situation in which China has all but created a new alternative economic power pole, and in which the US finds herself increasingly in the position of the still extremely important but second and, eventually, even third place player in Eurasian economic development. The United States doesn’t like being in second and doesn’t take such a reality kindly. [Russia confrontation] [Military balance] [Preventative strike]
• Russia unveils new Arctic military base
  Visitors to the Russian defence ministry website can now take a "virtual tour" of a new military base in a remote region of the Arctic. Such media openness contrasts markedly with Russia's traditional military secrecy. However, the tour does not show any new military hardware. The Arctic Trefoil permanent base is in Franz Josef Land, a huge ice-covered, desolate archipelago. The Russian military sees the resource-rich Arctic as a key strategic region. © BBC Franz Josef Land map President Vladimir Putin visited the new base, on Alexandra Land, last month. It is built on stilts - to help withstand the extreme cold - and will house 150 personnel on 18-month tours of duty. Winter temperatures typically plunge to minus 40C. Covering 14,000sq m (151,000sq ft), it is the second Putin-era Arctic base to be built for air defence units. The first base to be completed was Northern Clover on Kotelny Island, further east. A military airstrip is also under construction in Franz Josef Land, called Nagurskoye. © Getty Images The large complex is permanent and has plenty of energy and storage capacity Russia is building four other Arctic military bases - at Rogachevo, Cape Schmidt, Wrangel and Sredniy. Experts say the melting of Arctic sea ice - generally attributed to climate change - is making the polar seas more accessible for shipping. That could make it easier to prospect for untapped energy and minerals in the region. The 360-degree virtual tour shows the main living quarters at Arctic Trefoil, including a central five-storey atrium. The "trefoil" name refers to the main block's three wings. © Getty Images Arctic Trefoil base: Special design features were used to cope with the severe weather The base is self-sufficient in electricity, and equipped with a clinic, library, chapel, gym and cinema. A military expert quoted by RIA news agency, Col (Rtd) Viktor Litovkin, said Russia was pursuing several strategic goals in the Arctic: • Control of international shipping on the Northern Sea Route, including providing alerts about icebergs and severe weather • Protecting Russian oil and gas resources in the Arctic • Defending Russia against any intrusion by foreign warships and missile threats [Artic] [Resources] [Sea-lanes]
• What Russia-gate Has Wrought
  April 16, 2017 Exclusive: For five months, there was a daily drumbeat on Russia-gate, the sprawling conspiracy theory that Russia had somehow put Donald Trump in the White House, but suddenly the “scandal” disappeared, notes Robert Parry. By Robert Parry Democrats, liberals and some progressives might be feeling a little perplexed over what has happened to Russia-gate, the story that pounded Donald Trump every day since his election last November – until April 4, that is. Green Party leader Jill Stein and retired Lt. General Michael Flynn attending a dinner marking the RT network’s tenth anniversary in Moscow, December 2015, sitting at the same table as Russian President Vladimir Putin. On April 4, Trump fully capitulated to the neoconservative bash-Russia narrative amid dubious claims about a chemical attack in Syria. On April 6, Trump fired off 59 Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian airbase; he also restored the neocon demand for “regime change” in Syria; and he alleged that Russia was possibly complicit in the supposed chemical attack. Since Trump took those actions – in accordance with the neocon desires for more “regime change” in the Middle East and a costly New Cold War with Russia – Russia-gate has almost vanished from the news. I did find a little story in the lower right-hand corner of page A12 of Saturday’s New York Times about a still-eager Democratic congressman, Mike Quigley of Illinois, who spent a couple of days in Cyprus which attracted his interest because it is a known site for Russian money-laundering, but he seemed to leave more baffled than when he arrived. “The more I learn, the more complex, layered and textured I see the Russia issue is – and that reinforces the need for professional full-time investigators,” Quigley said, suggesting that the investigation’s failure to strike oil is not that the holes are dry but that he needs better drill bits. Yet, given all the hype and hullabaloo over Russia-gate, the folks who were led to believe that the vague and amorphous allegations were “bigger than Watergate” might now be feeling a little used. It appears they may have been sucked into a conspiracy frenzy in which the Establishment exploited their enthusiasm over the “scandal” in a clever maneuver to bludgeon an out-of-step new President back into line. If that’s indeed the case, perhaps the most significant success of the Russia-gate ploy was the ouster of Trump’s original National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who was seen as a key proponent of a New Détente with Russia, and his replacement by General H.R. McMaster, a protégé of neocon favorite, retired Gen. David Petraeus. McMaster was viewed as the key player in arranging the April 6 missile strike on Syria and in preparing a questionable “intelligence assessment” on April 11 to justify the rush to judgment. Although McMaster’s four-page white paper has been accepted as gospel by the mainstream U.S. news media, its many weaknesses have been noted by actual experts, such as MIT national security and technology professor Theodore Postol. How Washington Works But the way Official Washington works is that Trump was made to look weak when he argued for a more cooperative and peaceful relationship with Russia. Hillary Clinton dubbed him Vladimir Putin’s “puppet” and “Saturday Night Live” portrayed Trump as in thrall to a bare-chested Putin. More significantly, front-page stories every morning and cable news segments every night created the impression of a compromised U.S. President in Putin’s pocket. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaking with supporters at a campaign rally in Phoenix, Arizona, March 21, 2016. (Photo by Gage Skidmore) Conversely, Trump was made to look strong when he fired off missiles against a Syrian airbase and talked tough about Russian guilt. Neocon commentator Charles Krauthammer praised Trump’s shift as demonstrating that “America is back.” Trump further enhanced his image for toughness when his military dropped the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB), nicknamed the “mother of all bombs,” on some caves in Afghanistan. While the number of casualties inflicted by the blast was unclear, Trump benefited from the admiring TV and op-ed commentaries about him finally acting “presidential.” But the real test of political courage is to go against the grain on a policy that may be unpopular in the short term but is in the best interests of the United States and the world community in the longer term. [Trump] [Russia confrontation] [Syria_airstrike170406]
• Is Putin Incorruptible?
  first published in 2014, this alternative analysis by Sharon Tennison, who recounts her personal experience of Putin, is still more than relevant As the Ukraine situation has worsened, unconscionable misinformation and hype is being poured on Russia and Vladimir Putin. Journalists and pundits must scour the Internet and thesauruses to come up with fiendish new epithets to describe both. Wherever I make presentations across America, the first question ominously asked during Q&A is always, “What about Putin?” It’s time to share my thoughts which follow: Putin obviously has his faults and makes mistakes. Based on my earlier experience with him, and the experiences of trusted people, including U.S. officials who have worked closely with him over a period of years, Putin most likely is a straight, reliable and exceptionally inventive man. He is obviously a long-term thinker and planner and has proven to be an excellent analyst and strategist. He is a leader who can quietly work toward his goals under mounds of accusations and myths that have been steadily leveled at him since he became Russia’s second president. I’ve stood by silently watching the demonization of Putin grow since it began in the early 2000s –– I pondered on computer my thoughts and concerns, hoping eventually to include them in a book (which was published in 2011). The book explains my observations more thoroughly than this article. Like others who have had direct experience with this little known man, I’ve tried to no avail to avoid being labeled a “Putin apologist”. If one is even neutral about him, they are considered “soft on Putin” by pundits, news hounds and average citizens who get their news from CNN, Fox and MSNBC. I don’t pretend to be an expert, just a program developer in the USSR and Russia for the past 30 years. But during this time, I’ve have had far more direct, on-ground contact with Russians of all stripes across 11 time zones than any of the Western reporters or for that matter any of Washington’s officials. [Putin] [Corruption]
• Trump officials tell Russia to drop its support for Syria’s Assad
  Tillerson vows U.S. will stand up to those who commit crimes against 'innocents' Play Video0:40 Speaking April 10 at the commemoration of a German Nazi massacre in Italy, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson vowed the U.S. will confront anyone who commits crimes against "innocents." (Reuters) By Carol Morello April 10 at 9:57 AM Officials in the Trump administration on Sunday demanded that Russia stop supporting the Syrian government or face a further deterioration in its relations with the United States. Signaling the focus of talks that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is set to have in Moscow this week, officials said that Russia, in propping up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, bears at least partial responsibility for Tuesday’s chemical attack on villagers in Idlib province. “I hope Russia is thinking carefully about its continued alliance with Bashar al-Assad, because every time one of these horrific attacks occurs, it draws Russia closer into some level of responsibility,” Tillerson said on ABC’s “This Week.” [Russia confrontation] [Tillerson] [US Syria policy]
• US Airstrikes: What Did the Russians Know and When Did They Know It?
  by Robert Fisk So did Bashar al-Assad use gas? The Russians must know. They are in the air bases, in the ministries, in the military headquarters. And if they say the Syrians did not use gas, then they had better be sure. The Russians had advance warning of Trump’s 59 Cruise missiles. Many hours of warning – not the one hour that Washington claims – and would have ensured that Syrian jets were way out of the air base. Russians are not to be killed in the Syrian war; their presence would have meant casualties. Did the Syrian army, a trifle arrogant, perhaps, after their capture of eastern Aleppo decide to try to bring the war to an end in a quick way? The question must be asked. In the past, villages in which army officers lived – and in which their families lived – have been gassed. The Syrians blamed the Turks for giving the gas to Jabhat al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, and Isis. The Russians said earlier gas attacks on Damascus used chemical components shipped via Turkey to Syria from Libya. [Syria] [cbw]
• Tillerson: Russia must choose between US and West or Assad, Iran and Hezbollah
  By REUTERS April 11, 2017 14:48 Tillerson met on Tuesday in Italy with foreign ministers from the Group of Seven major advanced economies, joined by Middle East allies to forge a united position on Syria. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Monday that Russia must choose between the United States and like-minded western countries or Syrian President Bashar Assad, Iran and Hezbollah. "It is clear to us the reign of the Assad family is coming to an end," he told reporters at a meeting of Group of Seven foreign ministers shortly before leaving for Moscow. "We hope that the Russian government concludes that they have aligned themselves with an unreliable partner in Assad," he said. US planning strikes on Damascus, claims Putin [US Syria policy] [Russia confrontation]
• Vladimir Putin has claimed he has information the United States is planning a fresh wave of airstrikes in Syria - this time in the capital Damascus.
  The Russian president said Moscow had also received intelligence about planned fake chemical weapons attacks with the sole purpose of pinning the blame on Bashar al Assad's regime. Russia has rejected suggestions from the outset that the Syrian government was behind a gas attack in Idlib province which killed more than 80 people, including many children. The US retaliated with airstrikes on a Syrian airbase from which it believes the chemical attack in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun was launched.
  Mr Putin appealed to the United Nations to launch an official investigation into the attack.
  He compared the allegation levelled at Mr Assad to how the US justified its intervention in Iraq in 2003. Claims that Saddam Hussein's regime had weapons of mass destruction were never proven.(sic) [Syria] [False flag] [Evidence]
• Russia, before Tillerson visit, says worried USA may attack North Korea
  By Andrew Osborn | MOSCOW Russia said it hoped forthcoming talks in Moscow with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would be productive, but said it was extremely worried the United States might decide to unilaterally attack North Korea. North Korea is emerging as one of the most pressing foreign policy problems for U.S. President Donald Trump. Pyongyang has conducted five nuclear tests and is working to develop nuclear-tipped missiles that can reach the United States. A U.S. official told Reuters over the weekend that a U.S. Navy strike group led by a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was steaming towards the western Pacific as a show of force. Tillerson, on his first visit to Moscow as secretary of state, is due to hold talks with Sergei Lavrov, his Russian counterpart, on Wednesday at a time when U.S.-Russia ties are languishing at a post Cold War low. The Russian foreign ministry, in a statement ahead of his visit, said it was concerned about many aspects of U.S. foreign policy, including on Libya, Yemen and Syria, but said it was particularly concerned about North Korea. "We are really worried about what Washington has in mind for North Korea after it hinted at the possibility of a unilateral military scenario," the statement said. "It's important to understand how that would tally with collective obligations on de-nuclearising the Korean peninsula, something that is underpinned in U.N. Security Council resolutions." [US NK policy] [Invasion] [Russia]
• The Soviet Union fought the Cold War in Nicaragua. Now Putin’s Russia is back.
  By Joshua Partlow April 8 A view from the outside of the new Russian satellite station above a volcanic crater in Managua. Built alongside Laguna de Nejapa, on a hillside facing the U.S. Embassy, the base is intended to be a tracking site for GLONASS, Russia's version of a GPS satellite navigation system. Some suspect the site could also be used for spying activities. (Joshua Partlow/The Washington Post) MANAGUA, NICARAGUA — On the rim of a volcano with a clear view of the U.S. Embassy, landscapers are applying the final touches to a mysterious new Russian compound. Behind the concrete walls and barbed wire, a visitor can see red-and-blue buildings, manicured lawns, antennas and globe-shaped devices. The Nicaraguan government says it’s simply a tracking site of the Russian version of a GPS satellite system. But is it also an intelligence base intended to surveil the Americans? “I have no idea,” said a woman who works for the Nicaraguan telecom agency stationed at the site. “They are Russian, and they speak Russian, and they carry around Russian apparatuses.” Three decades after this tiny Central American nation became the prize in a Cold War battle with Washington, Russia is once again planting its flag in Nicaragua. Over the past two years, the Russian government has added muscle to its security partnership here, selling tanks and weapons, sending troops, and building facilities intended to train Central American forces to fight drug trafficking. The Russian surge appears to be part of the Kremlin’s expansionist foreign policy. In other parts of the world, President Vladimir Putin’s administration has deployed fighter planes to help Syria’s war-battered government and stepped up peace efforts in Afghanistan, in addition to annexing the Crimean Peninsula and supporting separatists in Ukraine. [Russia confrontation] [Resurgence]
• Vladimir Putin sends Russian frigate to Mediterranean to confront US ships which rained bombs on Syrian runway
  Mirror Jack Blanchard 3 hrs ago Vladimir Putin has diverted a warship from a routine voyage to protect Syria against further US airstrikes - which has heightened fears of conflict between Russia and the West. The Russian leader has sent the navy's Admiral Grigorovich frigate to the Mediterranean to position itself between US ships that bombed a military airfield near Homs on Friday. A Moscow source said the warship, armed with cruise missiles, was due to arrive in the Mediterranean later on Friday after it was moved from an exercise in the Black Sea. They told Russian news agency TASS : "The Russian ship armed with cruise missiles Kalibr will visit the logistics base in Tartus, Syria." [Syria_airstrike_170406] [Russian Response]
• Russia condemns U.S. missile strike on Syria, suspends key air agreement Moscow says U.S. ties 'hurt' by Syria strike
  Russian President Vladimir Putin believes a U.S. missile strike on a Syrian airbase has "seriously hurt" the U.S.-Russia relationship, according to news agencies citing the Kremlin. (Reuters) By David Filipov and Anne Gearan April 7 at 3:07 PM MOSCOW — Russia on Friday condemned a U.S. missile strike against Syrian government forces as an attack on its ally and said it was suspending an agreement to minimize the risk of in-flight incidents between U.S. and Russian aircraft operating over Syria. Even as Russian officials expressed hope that the strike against Syrian President Bashad al-Assad’s forces would not lead to an irreversible breakdown in U.S. relations with Moscow, the Kremlin’s decision to suspend the 2015 memorandum of understanding on the air operations immediately raised tensions in the skies over Syria. [Assad condemns U.S. missile strike as ‘arrogant aggression’ ] President Vladi­mir Putin’s spokesman said the risk of confrontation between aerial assets of the U.S.-led coalition and Russia has “significantly increased” after President Trump ordered the launch of 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base in retaliation for a chemical attack that killed scores of civilians. Later Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that it has officially informed the United States that it is suspending its obligations under the memorandum at midnight. [Syria_airstrike_170406] [Russian Response]
• Russia condemns U.S. missile strike on Syria
  By David Filipov April 7 at 2:32 AM MOSCOW — Russia issued a sharp rebuke against the United States after the U.S. military launched 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian military airfield late on Thursday, saying that the attack violated international law and would further damage relations that are already at their post Cold-War low. “President [Vladimir] Putin considers the American strikes against Syria an aggression against a sovereign government in violations of the norms of international law, and under a false pretext,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. The first direct American assault on the government of President Bashar al-Assad since that country’s civil war began six years ago would also negatively affect the war on terrorism, Peskov said. The Trump administration authorized the attack in retaliation for a chemical attack that killed scores of civilians this week. The attack dramatically expands U.S. military involvement in Syria and creates the possibility of a direct confrontation with Russia, which has backed Assad since 2015. [U.S. strikes Syrian military airfield in first direct assault on Bashar al-Assad’s government] The Syrian government in 2013 agreed to surrender its chemical weapons under the supervision of the Russian government. Moscow and Washington had agreed that Russian forces would find, secure and destroy the weapons to ensure that Assad would not use them. “Clearly, Russia has failed in its responsibility to deliver on that commitment from 2013,” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Thursday. “So either Russia has been complicit or Russia has been incompetent in its ability to deliver on that agreement.” But Peskov said that Russia had overseen the destruction of the weapons. “Syria does not have chemical weapons,” Peskov said. [Syria_airstrike_170406]
• Blackwater founder held secret Seychelles meeting to establish Trump-Putin back channel
  Blackwater founder Erik Prince met with a Russian person close to President Vladimir Putin, according to U.S., European and Arab officials. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post) By Adam Entous, Greg Miller, Kevin Sieff and Karen DeYoung April 3 at 4:29 PM The United Arab Emirates arranged a secret meeting in January between Blackwater founder Erik Prince and a Russian close to President Vladi­mir Putin as part of an apparent effort to establish a back-channel line of communication between Moscow and President-elect Donald Trump, according to U.S., European and Arab officials. The meeting took place around Jan. 11 — nine days before Trump’s inauguration — in the Seychelles islands in the Indian Ocean, officials said. Though the full agenda remains unclear, the UAE agreed to broker the meeting in part to explore whether Russia could be persuaded to curtail its relationship with Iran, including in Syria, a Trump administration objective that would be likely to require major concessions to Moscow on U.S. sanctions. [Russia confrontation] [Anti-Trump] [Hysteria] [Witch-hunt]
• By Jingo, an "Act of War!"
  More chickenhawks on parade for war with Russia Philip Giraldi • April 4, 2017 The latest Democratic Party shill to demonize Russia is, I am ashamed to say, my state of Virginia’s Senator Mark Warner, who, on Thursday said “Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a deliberate campaign carefully constructed to undermine our election.” Last Thursday, Warner was the top Democrat on a Senate Intelligence Committee panel investigating Moscow’s alleged interference in last year’s presidential election. The panel inevitably included carefully selected expert witnesses who would agree with the proposition that Russia is and was guilty as charged. There was no one who provided an alternative view even though a little Googling would have surfaced some genuine experts who dispute the prevailing narrative. Warner joined many of his esteemed colleagues in Congress who have completely accepted the allegations that Russia meddled in the election in spite of the failure of the Obama Administration to provide any indisputable evidence to that effect. Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland has called Moscow’s claimed interference an “attack” and labeled it a “political Pearl Harbor.” A number of other congressmen, to include Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey and Eric Swalwell of California have called it an act of war. And then there are echo chambers Senators John McCain and Mark Rubio on the Republican side of the aisle while former Vice President Dick Cheney was speaking at a business conference in New Delhi saying the same thing. Yes, that Dick Cheney. Why anyone in India would pay to hear him speak on any subject escapes me. [Russia confrontation] [Hysteria]
• Russia Being Forced to Enter Confrontation With NATO – Moscow
  © AFP 2017/ OLIVIER MORIN Politics 21:25 31.03.2017(updated 22:21 31.03.2017) Get short URL 71775143 Moscow is being forced to assume a confrontational stance in relations with NATO, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday. MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the ministry, NATO is not ready to return to practical cooperation with Russia in countering real threats to regional and global security. "We are being practically pressured to assume a confrontational paradigm of relations based on the logic of a military standoff," the ministry said in a statement commenting on the results of the recent Russia-NATO Council meeting at the level of ambassadors in Brussels. Only fundamental changes in the nature of NATO could lead to eventual improvement of the European security, the ministry said. [Russia confrontation] [NATO]
• Searching for Russia
  The Saker • April 1, 2017 • 3,200 Words Whether one likes Russia or not, I think that everybody would agree that this country is really different, different in a profound and unique way. And there is some truth to that. One famous Russian author even wrote that “Russia cannot be understood rationally” (he used the expression “cannot be comprehended by the intellect”). Add to this some already rather eccentric politicians like Vladimir Zhirinovskii who is known to mix very rational and well-informed analyses with utter nonsense and you get the famous “Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma”. Frankly, this is just some witty hyperbole, Russia is not that mysterious. It is, however, rather dramatically different from the west, central and east European countries and even though a big chunk of Russia lies inside the European continent west of the Urals, in civilizational terms she is far removed from the so-called “West”, especially the modern West.
• Trump’s new Russia expert wrote a psychological profile of Vladimir Putin — and it should scare Trump
  Review of “Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin” by Fiona Hill and Clifford G. Gaddy By Carlos Lozada March 31 Remember the unverified “dossier” assembled by a shadowy foreign intelligence veteran who alleged all manner of nefarious, kinky and compromising ties between Donald Trump and Russia? Well, now the Trump team has its own dossier on Russian President Vladimir Putin. It’s better sourced, convincingly written, damning in its conclusions — and its author is scheduled to start working at the White House on Monday. Fiona Hill, the incoming senior director for Russia and Europe on President Trump’s National Security Council staff, is the co-author of “Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin,” essentially a 500-page psychological profile of the Russian leader, from his early KGB years through his rise and rule at the Kremlin. It’s hard to know who really runs U.S. foreign policy these days, but to the extent that Hill can influence the Trump administration’s views on Russia, this book suggests a more clear-eyed, realpolitik perspective on Putin’s intentions and capabilities, with low expectations for the rapprochement Trump imagined during the 2016 campaign. In this telling, Putin sees the United States as a malicious, incompetent and disrespectful power, an obstacle in his relentless effort to restore and expand the might of the Russian state. His own might, too, of course. The greatness of Mother Russia is his goal, but the power of Vladi­mir Putin is his means. [Russia confrontation] [Putin]
• U.S. sweeping up Russian hackers in a broad global dragnet
  Roman Seleznev, a convicted cybercriminal, appears in a photo taken from his cellphone by U.S. authorities. Seleznev faces a possible 40-year U.S. jail term. He is one of a growing number of Russian hackers brought to justice by U.S. prosecutors. US Dept. of Justice By Tim Johnson WASHINGTON The arrests caught the Russian hackers totally by surprise. One was at a Finnish border crossing. Another was arriving at an airport in Spain. A third was dining at a restaurant in Prague. Still others were at luxury resorts in the Maldives and Thailand. Many have now turned up in U.S. courts. The long arm of U.S. law enforcement is spanning the globe like never before to bring criminal hackers to justice. And it may not be just about crime. The Justice Department cites fuzzy and overlapping boundaries between criminal hackers and Russian intelligence agencies, the same ones the U.S. accuses of coordinating the hacking and subsequent disclosure of emails from the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. [Extraterritoriality] [Rendition] [Russia confrontation] [Hacking] [Legality] [Kidnapping]
• For Russians in Washington, the spy jokes are getting old
  By Joe Heim March 31 at 10:54 AM Dr. Igor Efimov, chairman of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at George Washington University. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post) The spring of 2017 is maybe nyet the best time to be Russian in Washington. The drumbeat of news on how the long arm of the Kremlin reached into the American election process last year has become a bit overwhelming for many in the nation’s capital with ties to Russia. Longtime observers note that the allegations of hacking and collusion, and the accompanying barrage of headlines, are unlike anything seen here since before the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. [Russia confrontation] [Witch-hunt]
• Is Putin the 'Preeminent Statesman' of Our Times?
  Pat Buchanan • March 31, 2017 “If we were to use traditional measures for understanding leaders, which involve the defense of borders and national flourishing, Putin would count as the preeminent statesman of our time. “On the world stage, who could vie with him?” So asks Chris Caldwell of the Weekly Standard in a remarkable essay in Hillsdale College’s March issue of its magazine, Imprimis. What elevates Putin above all other 21st-century leaders? “When Putin took power in the winter of 1999-2000, his country was defenseless. It was bankrupt. It was being carved up by its new kleptocratic elites, in collusion with its old imperial rivals, the Americans. Putin changed that. “In the first decade of this century, he did what Kemal Ataturk had done in Turkey in the 1920s. Out of a crumbling empire, he resurrected a national-state, and gave it coherence and purpose. He disciplined his country’s plutocrats. He restored its military strength. And he refused, with ever blunter rhetoric, to accept for Russia a subservient role in an American-run world system drawn up by foreign politicians and business leaders. His voters credit him with having saved his country.” Putin’s approval rating, after 17 years in power, exceeds that of any rival Western leader. But while his impressive strides toward making Russia great again explain why he is revered at home and in the Russian diaspora, what explains Putin’s appeal in the West, despite a press that is every bit as savage as President Trump’s? Answer: Putin stands against the Western progressive vision of what mankind’s future ought to be. Years ago, he aligned himself with traditionalists, nationalists and populists of the West, and against what they had come to despise in their own decadent civilization. [Putin] [Public opinion] [conservatism]
• Here’s what we know so far about Team Trump’s ties to Russian interests
  By Bonnie Berkowitz and Denise Lu March 31, 2017 Latest development March 29, 2017 | The story of Sergei Millian, a Belarusan-American businessman, illustrates the challenge confronting the FBI as it seeks to separate fact from fiction. While some of the unproven claims attributed to him are bizarre, there are indications he had contacts with Trump's circle. Read more People involved Millian Trump Putin Congress and U.S. intelligence agencies are scrutinizing connections between Russia and the Trump campaign as they investigate evidence that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. Here are members of Team Trump who are known to have Russian connections and the story lines that have made those ties relevant. [Russia confrontation] [Anti-Trump] [Media]

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MARCH 2017

• Putin on U.S. election hack charge: ‘Read my lips: No’
  Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a plenary session of the 'Arctic: Territory of Dialogue' International Forum in Arkhangelsk, Russia, March 30. (Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/Kremlin / Pool/EPA) By Vladimir Isachenkov?|?AP March 30 at 12:31 PM MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin on Thursday emphatically denied allegations of Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election and said Moscow would maintain hopes of improving relations while waiting for political infighting in Washington to stop. Putin also said he is ready to meet with President Donald Trump in Finland if that country hosts an Arctic leaders’ summit, but added that he would wait longer if needed. “We are seeing what’s going on. They are preventing the new president from fulfilling his campaign promises on many issues: health care, other issues, international relations, ties with Russia,” Putin said in remarks at a forum in the northern Russian city of Arkhangelsk. “We are waiting for the situation to normalize and become more stable. And we aren’t interfering in any way.” [Russia confrontation] [US_election16] [Putin]
• Who is ‘Source D’? The man said to be behind the Trump-Russia dossier’s most salacious claim.
  By Rosalind S. Helderman and Tom Hamburger March 29 at 6:32 PM Meet Sergei Millian, a.k.a., 'Source D' Belarusan American businessman Sergei Millian is said to be the man behind one of the most salacious claims in the dossier on President Trump's involvement with Russia. Here's what you need to know about him. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post) In June, a Belarusan American businessman who goes by the name Sergei Millian shared some tantalizing claims about Donald Trump. Trump had a long-standing relationship with Russian officials, Millian told an associate, and those officials were now feeding Trump damaging information about his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. Millian said that the information provided to Trump had been “very helpful.” Unbeknownst to Millian, however, his conversation was not confidential. His associate passed on what he had heard to a former British intelligence officer who had been hired by Trump’s political opponents to gather information about the Republican’s ties to Russia. The allegations by Millian — whose role was first reported by the Wall Street Journal and has been confirmed by The Washington Post — were central to the dossier compiled by the former spy, Christopher Steele. While the dossier has not been verified and its claims have been denied by Trump, Steele’s document said that Millian’s assertions had been corroborated by other sources, including in the Russian government and former intelligence sources. [Anti-Trump] [Russia confrontation] [US_election16]
• Trump pressures House Intelligence Committee to probe the Clintons’ ties to Russia, not his
  By Philip Rucker March 27 at 10:11 PM President Trump sought Monday to pressure the House committee investigating Russia’s interference in the 2016 U.S. election, arguing that the panel should be probing Bill and Hillary Clinton’s alleged ties to the country instead of those of his own campaign advisers. In a pair of evening tweets, Trump wrote that the “Trump Russia story is a hoax” and listed a string of alleged financial and other connections the Clintons have had over the years with Russia. He asked why the House Intelligence Committee is not investigating the former president and former secretary of state. Why isn't the House Intelligence Committee looking into the Bill & Hillary deal that allowed big Uranium to go to Russia, Russian speech.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2017 ...money to Bill, the Hillary Russian "reset," praise of Russia by Hillary, or Podesta Russian Company. Trump Russia story is a hoax. #MAGA! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2017 Trump’s tweets come just hours after the White House announced that Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, had agreed to be questioned by the Senate Intelligence Committee, which also is conducting a broad inquiry into Russian election interference. The committee is expected to ask Kushner about his communications with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak as well as with the chief executive of a Russian state-owned bank. [Russia confrontation] [Trump] [Clinton]
• Turkey determined to test NATO
  Following Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s March 10 meeting in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin, it was reported that Turkey was engaged in negotiations to procure the Russian-made S-400 air defense system. Sergei Chemezov, the CEO of the Russian state-owned Rostec, said on March 14 that Turkey had asked for credit to buy the system, but that a deal had not yet been reached. “As soon as an agreement is signed and a decision is made on the amount of the loan, then we will sign a contract for the supply,” he said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed a day later that both sides were interested in a deal. [Turkey Russia] [Decline] [Realignment] [Air defence] [Arms sales]
• Russian police arrest anti-corruption leader Navalny, hundreds more in nationwide rallies
  Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Moscow on March 26 after opposition leaders encouraged its supporters to rally and demand the resignation of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. (Reuters) By David Filipov March 26 at 8:03 PM MOSCOW — A wave of unsanctioned rallies swept across Russia on Sunday to protest corruption in the government of President Vladi­mir Putin, in a nationwide show of defiance not seen in years, one the Kremlin had tried in vain to prevent with bans and warnings. Too angry to be cowed, they poured into the street, fed up with their country’s wide-reaching corruption and a government unwilling, or unable, to stop it. Police responded with barricades, tear gas and mass arrests in cities across Russia. By Sunday evening, riot police in body armor and helmets had hauled in more than 700 demonstrators in central Moscow, as the crowd, numbering in the tens of thousands, cheered, whistled and chanted, “Shame! Shame!” As twilight approached, protesters in the city clashed with police, and at least one officer was hospitalized with head trauma, the Meduza news agency reported. One of the first detained in Moscow was the chief architect of the rallies, Alexei Navalny, who called on people to protest in the wake of his allegations that Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has amassed vineyards, luxury yachts and lavish mansions worth more than $1 billion. [Russia confrontation] [Media] [Corruption] [Medvedev] [Navalny]
• Rouhani to visit Putin in Moscow as Iran and Russia move closer
  Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, center, attends a session of Iran’s Assembly of Experts in Tehran on March 7, 2017. (Ho/AFP/Getty Images) By Erin Cunningham March 26 at 5:00 AM ISTANBUL — As U.S. influence wanes across the Middle East, Iran and Russia have joined forces to expand their power in the region, strengthening political and diplomatic ties and stepping up joint military operations in Syria. In a sign of the closer relations, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is slated to travel Monday to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is expected to be Rouhani’s last major trip before he faces reelection in May. Together the two countries have fought Syrian rebels, sidelined the United States from regional diplomacy and embraced each other as bulwarks against the West. In a meeting Tuesday, Putin and Rouhani are scheduled officially to discuss projects in areas such as energy, infrastructure and technology. Unofficially, however, the talks are likely to be dominated by their tacit alliance in the Middle East. “The visit shows the importance that Russia has in Iranian foreign policy. For Russia, Iran is one of their most important political allies,” said Mohsen Milani, executive director of the Center for Strategic and Diplomatic Studies at the University of South Florida. [Russia Iran]
• Russia denies it is supplying the Taliban after Nato general claim
  24 March 2017 Russia has denied a top Nato general's allegation it may be secretly sending supplies to the Taliban in Afghanistan. Gen Curtis Scaparrotti told lawmakers in Washington on Thursday that Moscow was "perhaps" supplying the extremist group. On Friday, Zamir Kabulov, the Kremlin's special envoy in Afghanistan, said the allegation was "absolutely false". Russia has previously said its limited contact with the Taliban is aimed at bringing them to the negotiating table. Moscow considers the Taliban a terrorist organisation, and backed the Northern Alliance against the group in the civil war of the 1990s. But in December 2015 it did concede "the Taliban interest objectively coincides with ours" in Russia's fight against so-called Islamic State. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Afghan security forces pictured during a battle with the Taliban However, Gen Scaparrotti, Nato's Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: "I've seen the influence of Russia of late - increased influence in terms of association and perhaps even supply to the Taliban." He gave no further information to back up the allegation. [Russia confrontation] [Taliban] [Canard]
• Weapons of mass derision: Is Russian comedy the Kremlin’s secret weapon?
  by Alexey Timofeychev, from Russia Beyond the Headlines NATO analysts studied Russian comedy TV programs over the past nine years and concluded that they serve the Kremlin’s political objectives and are directed against the West. TV hosts Alexander Tsekalo, Sergei Svetlakov, Ivan Urgant and Garik Martirosyan, from left, during the filming of Prozhektorparishilton program for Channel One. Source: Maxim Li/RIA Novosti NATO’s Strategic Communications Center (StratCom) is sounding the alarm about the threat of Russian humor. On March 17 in Riga, Latvian specialists presented the report, “StratCom laughs: in search of an analytical network,” that was the result of nine years of research. The authors conducted a content analysis of four popular comedy programs on Russia’s Channel One TV since 2008. Special focus was given to the Club of the Merry and Witty, also known by it’s Russian initials, KVN, which is one of the oldest comedy shows on Russian television. [Humour] [Russia confrontation]
• More signs that House panel’s Trump-Russia probe is reeling
  By Matthew Schofield WASHINGTON A week that began with a public hearing by House Intelligence Committee that confirmed the FBI is conducting a counter-intelligence investigation into possible collusion between President Donald Trump’s election campaign and Russia ended on Friday with “deeply disturbing signs” that a House probe into the same topic is breaking apart. Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, announced Friday that he’d postponed what was to have been another public hearing on Tuesday, a decision that was angrily denounced moments later by Rep. Adam Schiff, the Californian who is the highest ranking Democrat on the committee. Schiff pointedly called the postponement was a cancellation. [Russia confrontation] [US_election16]
• House Russia probe in chaos over news Trump found in foreign surveillance reports
  House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., leaves after speaking with reporters outside the White House in Washington, Wednesday, March 22, 2017, following a meeting with President Donald Trump. Pablo Martinez Monsivais AP By Matthew Schofield and Franco Ordonez WASHINGTON The latest twist in whether or not President Donald Trump was “wiretapped” by the Obama administration provided little clarification of that issue on Wednesday. But it brought to the fore the question of whether Congress can carry out an objective investigation of Russian election meddling. Two days after the directors of the FBI and the National Security Agency publicly repudiated Trump’s tweeted allegations that he was wiretapped by the Obama administration, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes of California revived them with a confusing revelation that Trump and his advisers appear in intelligence reports derived from legal surveillance authorized by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. “To be clear, none of this surveillance was related to Russia or any investigation of Russian activities or of the Trump team,” Nunes told reporters before sharing his information with Trump at the White House. Democrats immediately cried foul and questioned whether Nunes’ actions disqualified him from leading the House investigation. The ranking Democrat on the committee, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, told reporters that Nunes had reported the information to the White House before he’d shared it with other members of the committee. [Russia confrontation] [Anti-Trump] [Wiretapping]
• Six big takeaways from Congress’s extraordinary hearing on Russia, President Trump and wiretapping
  By Amber Phillips March 20 at 2:00 PM FBI Director James B. Comey appears before the House Intelligence Committee on March 20. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post) On Monday, unsubstantiated claims that President Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower during last year's presidential campaign, substantiated claims about Russia's meddling in the U.S. election to help Trump win, and cloudy claims about Trump associates' ties to Russia all came to a head. FBI Director James B. Comey and National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers testified before the House Intelligence Committee in a rare public hearing about what they know and what they want to know. There was no smoking gun from either side's perspective, but we did learn more about what the FBI is investigating and what Republicans and Democrats in Congress want to investigate. [Russia confrontation] [US_election16] [Evidence]
• Tillerson plans to skip NATO meeting, visit Russia in April – sources
  By Arshad Mohammed and John Walcott | WASHINGTON U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson plans to skip a meeting with NATO foreign ministers next month in order to stay home for a visit by China's president and will go to Russia later in April, U.S. officials said on Monday, disclosing an itinerary that allies may see as giving Moscow priority over them. Tillerson intends to miss what would have been his first meeting of the 28 NATO allies on April 5-6 in Brussels so that he can attend President Donald Trump's expected April 6-7 talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, four current and former U.S. officials said. Skipping the NATO meeting and visiting Moscow could risk feeding a perception that Trump may be putting U.S. dealings with big powers first, while leaving waiting those smaller nations that depend on Washington for security, two former U.S. officials said. [Russia confrontation] [Tillerson] [Media] [Heading] [Xi-TrumpApril17]
• Rex Tillerson will go to Russia but skip NATO meeting next month
  By Carol Morello March 21 at 12:21 AM Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will travel to Russia next month, a week after a NATO summit meeting he is skipping, State Department officials said Monday. Tillerson’s trip to Moscow, right after he flies to Italy for a meeting of ministers from the Group of Seven countries, comes at a time when the Kremlin’s alleged cyberattacks during the presidential campaign and meetings with several Trump campaign officials are being scrutinized by the FBI and Congress. [Russia confrontation] [Media] [Heading] [Xi-TrumpApril17]
• Five things to watch at the House Intelligence Committee’s Russia hearing
  FBI Director James B. Comey leaves a closed-door meeting with senators at the Capitol on March 15. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) By Karoun Demirjian March 19 at 12:03 PM FBI Director James B. Comey and Adm. Mike Rogers, director of the NSA, will appear Monday before the House Intelligence Committee to speak about alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 elections, including potential connections between President Trump’s inner circle and the Kremlin. It is the first time Comey and Rogers have testified publicly since Trump took office two months ago — a period during which Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, resigned and Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from Trump-related investigations. In recent weeks, Trump joined the fray with counter-accusations of his own, such as his unfounded charge that the Obama administration conducted a wiretap of his phones at Trump Tower in New York. [Russia confrontation]
• Syrian UN Envoy: Putin Sent Message to Israel That Its Freedom to Act in Syria Is Over
  Ambassador Bashar Jaafari says Syrian use of anti-aircraft missiles against Israeli fighter jets also sends another message to Jerusalem. Jack Khoury Mar 20, 2017 8:21 PM Russia sets up new military base in north Syria, Kurds say Analysis The role Russia played in the Israel-Syria missile clash Growing tensions with Hezbollah, Hamas and Syria leave Israel little room for maneuvering Assad sends an explosive message to Israel Russia has sent a clear message to Israel that the rules of the game have changed in Syria and its freedom to act in Syrian skies is over, Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations said on Sunday night. “Putin sent a clear message,” said Bashar Jaafari, speaking on Syrian television. “The fact is that the Israeli ambassador [to Russia] was summoned for a conversation only a day after he submitted his credentials [to the Russian Foreign Ministry last Thursday], and was told categorically that this game is over.” Syria’s use of anti-aircraft fire against Israel last Thursday night has changed the rules of the game, too, Jaafari said, adding that Syria will not stand idly by in the face of an Israeli threat. He also claimed that when the civil war began in Syria in 2011, opposition militia groups sabotaged the anti-aircraft defense systems belonging to President Bashar Assad’s regime, giving Israel freedom to operate. [Russia Syria] [Israel]
• Russian company that paid Flynn deemed ‘unsuitable’ by Pentagon
  By Kevin G. Hall and David Goldstein WASHINGTON A Russian air cargo carrier that paid former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn more than $11,000 had been blacklisted without warning by the Pentagon months before he became Donald Trump’s top campaign adviser on military matters, according to documents obtained by McClatchy. Documents released Thursday by Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform omitted an important piece of information: At the time that the U.S. affiliate of Russian cargo airline Volga-Dnepr paid Flynn $11,250 in August 2015, the Russian company had been frozen out by the Pentagon since February that year and was trying to learn why. “Unsuitable for use,” is how a U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) email in May 2015 characterized the air cargo carrier. [Flynn] [Russia confrontation]
• Justice Department charges Russian spies and criminal hackers in Yahoo intrusion
  The Justice Department announced the indictments of two Russian spies and two criminal hackers in connection with the heist of 500 million Yahoo user accounts in 2014. (The Washington Post) By Ellen Nakashima March 15 at 11:56 AM The Justice Department announced Wednesday the indictments of two Russian spies and two criminal hackers in connection with the heist of 500 million Yahoo user accounts in 2014, marking the first U.S. criminal cyber charges ever against Russian government officials. The indictments target two members of the Russian intelligence agency FSB, and two hackers hired by the Russians. The charges include hacking, wire fraud, trade secret theft and economic espionage, according to officials. The indictments are part of the largest hacking case brought by the United States. [Russia confrontation] [Hacking]
• Why all the alarm over Trump ties to Russia, American millennials ask
  By Vera Bergengruen WASHINGTON Amid an avalanche of news raising alarm about Russian meddling in the U.S. election and ties between President Donald Trump’s administration and Moscow, many younger voters are questioning how big a threat the former Cold War foe really is. “Russia is just not the same danger they were to us 40 years ago,” said Sara Herrera, a 24-year-old who lives in Boca Raton, Florida. “Obviously if they’re trying to be interfering in our business that’s not OK, but how is that really dangerous to Americans? It’s not life and death anymore.” Mark Nguyen, 26, of Oakland, California, remembers his grandparents’ stories of “duck and cover” drills at school to prepare for a potential nuclear attack. [Russia confrontation] [Hysteria] [Public opinion]
• Waiter, 111 Million White Russians, Please
  Donald Trump's interest in Russia boils down to one word: racism.
  By Alec Dubro, March 10, 2017. Originally published in Lobelog. PrintFriendly and PDFPrint David Duke appears on the Russian network RT. So, what is the story with Donald Trump and Russia? It’s true that he seeks business deals wherever he can find them, and that he may have some financial and other links to the Putin regime. It’s true that allies Rex Tillerson and the recently departed Michael Flynn have strong and murky ties to the Putin government. Oil deals certainly are a big part of it. But that really doesn’t account for Trump’s apparently deep and abiding love for Russia—no matter how much difficulty it causes him. And searching for secret messages and deals, while necessary, will not reveal the connection. That’s because, on the deepest level, it’s not about business—it’s race. Trump, a reflexive and largely unthinking racist, is responding to the siren call of white nationalism, a call that may upend longtime geopolitical alliances. Whatever it brings, though, there is an emotional bond between much of the right wing in the U.S. and their counterparts worldwide that transcends politics and resides in the realm of mystical racism. [Trump] [US Russia] [Race]
• Obama’s Ukrainian Coup Triggered the Influx of 2.5 Million Ukrainian Refugees into Russia
  By Eric Zuesse Global Research, March 14, 2017 Strategic Culture Foundation 12 March 2017 On Tuesday, March 7th, Russia’s top parliamentarian dealing with the Ukrainian refugee influx into Russia — dealing, that is, with the people who have fled Ukraine as a result of U.S. President Barack Obama’s 2014 coup overthrowing Ukraine’s democratically elected President Viktor Yanukovych — presented the first-ever comprehensive number of asylum-applicants from Ukraine who have received asylum there after that February 2014 coup. The Russian government had never before publicly provided a number, but does have an established system of processing refugees, including assignment of official refugee status, which «allows the recipient various social benefits, including unemployment compensation» and so each Ukrainian refugee has a file with the government. As reported by Tass: Russia has received more than 2,500,000 refugees since the outbreak of the conflict in eastern Ukriane, Yuri Vorobyov, Deputy Speaker of Russia’s Federation Council (upper house of parliament) and Chairman of the Committee for Public Support to Residents of Southeastern Ukraine, said on Tuesday. «Europe has received 900,000 [refugees] and shuddered, while we have received over 2,500,000 refugees on our territory and continue to provide assistance», he said opening the round table discussion «Russia-Donbass: New Cooperation Mechanisms». [Ukraine] [Refugees]
• Russian Espionage Piggybacks on a Cybercriminal’s Hacking
  By MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ and JOSEPH GOLDSTEIN MARCH 12, 2017 To the F.B.I., Evgeniy M. Bogachev is the most wanted cybercriminal in the world. The bureau has announced a $3 million bounty for his capture, the most ever for computer crimes, and has been trying to track his movements in hopes of grabbing him if he strays outside his home turf in Russia. He has been indicted in the United States, accused of creating a sprawling network of virus-infected computers to siphon hundreds of millions of dollars from bank accounts around the world, targeting anyone with enough money worth stealing — from a pest control company in North Carolina to a police department in Massachusetts to a Native American tribe in Washington. In December, the Obama administration announced sanctions against Mr. Bogachev and five others in response to intelligence agencies’ conclusions that Russia had meddled in the presidential election. Publicly, law enforcement officials said it was his criminal exploits that landed Mr. Bogachev on the sanctions list, not any specific role in the hacking of the Democratic National Committee. [Russia confrontation] [Cybercrime] [FBI]
• A film about a slain Putin critic gets a screening — just off Red Square
  By David Filipov March 11 at 3:00 AM A woman lays flowers last month at a portrait of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov at the place where he was gunned down in Moscow in 2015. (Ivan Sekretarev/AP) It takes about 700 steps at a leisurely pace to stroll from the lavish mall along Red Square to the bridge over the Moscow River where, more than 740 days ago , Russia’s most prominent opposition leader was gunned down as he made that walk with his girlfriend. There, in the shadow of the red brick Kremlin walls, an informal shrine marks the spot and the memory of Boris Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister and President Vladi­mir Putin’s loudest critic. A neat row of flowers, candles and portraits is guarded in shifts around the clock by pro-democracy activists, who frequently find themselves targeted by police. It’s truly a makeshift memorial: When its guardians are hauled away, city workers remove the flowers and portraits, and it’s up to the next shift to remake it. Against this tense backdrop, something remarkable is happening in a small, luxurious movie theater inside that opulent mall. A film is showing that recounts, in unflinching detail, the rise and fall of Russian democracy through the story of Nemtsov’s political career, from a whiz-kid regional governor considered presidential material to the political margins of an illiberal society dominated by Putin. That the film “The Man Who Was Too Free,” was allowed to be made, much less shown across Red Square from the Kremlin, came as a shock to its creators, Mikhail Fishman and Vera Krichevskaya. [Russia confrontation] [Putin] [Nemtsov] [Media]
• The United States and the Russian Devil: 1917-2017
  by William Blum Conservatives have had a very hard time getting over President Trump’s much-repeated response to Fox News anchor Bill O’Reilly’s calling Russian president Vladimir Putin “a killer”. Replied Trump: “There are a lot of killers. We have a lot of killers. You think our country is so innocent?” One could almost feel a bit sorry for O’Reilly as he struggled to regain his composure in the face of such blasphemy. Had any American establishment media star ever heard such a thought coming from the mouth of an American president? From someone on the radical left, yes, but from the president? Senator John McCain on the floor of Congress, referring to Putin, tore into attempts to draw “moral equivalency between that butcher and thug and KGB colonel and the United States of America.” Ah yes, the infamous KGB. Can anything good be said about a person associated with such an organization? We wouldn’t like it if a US president had a background with anything like that. Oh, wait, a president of the United States was not merely a CIA “colonel”, but was the Director of the CIA! I of course speak of George Herbert Walker Bush. And as far as butchery and thuggery … How many Americans remember the December 1989 bombing and invasion of the people of Panama carried out by the same Mr. Bush? Many thousands killed or wounded; thousands more left homeless. Try and match that, Vladimir! And in case you’re wondering for what good reason all this was perpetrated? Officially, to arrest dictator Manuel Noriega on drug charges. How is that for a rationalization for widespread devastation and slaughter? It should surprise no one that only shortly before the invasion Noriega had been on the CIA payroll. [Russia confrontation] [Trump] [Narcissism]
• Is spotlight on Trump’s Russia ties slowing US-Russia cooperation in Syria?
  WASHINGTON — As media reports, congressional committees and the FBI scrutinize possible ties between Trump associates and the Russian government during the 2016 US election campaign, are prospects for US-Russia cooperation in the fight against the so-called Islamic State (IS) and in Syria on hold? The US domestic political environment may be constraining and slowing Trump’s ability to maneuver, but there are signs both sides are still interested in pursuing such cooperation, diplomatic observers said. Summary ? Print Intense scrutiny and investigations of possible ties between Trump associates and Russia may complicate prospects for US-Russian cooperation in the fight against IS and in Syria. It may happen anyway. Author Laura Rozen Posted March 7, 2017 “Both sides are interested in exploring cooperating in Syria, but there certainly are political constraints, there is no question,” Paul Saunders, the executive director of the Center for the National Interest, told Al-Monitor March 6. “On the US side, obviously we have our political environment here, and the Russians are well aware of the environment here,” said Saunders, who served as a senior Russia adviser at the State Department during the George W. Bush administration. “And that has led Russian officials to wonder what the Trump administration may be in a position to do.” “I think it is clear there is this political constraint,” Saunders said. “At the same time, I would say the president [Trump] knows how to act in ways to change the narrative.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov on March 6 blamed US “hysteria” about Russia for inhibiting discussions on improved bilateral ties. And March 7 discussions between the top military officers from the United States, Russia and Turkey held in Antalya, Turkey, were officially about the need to “de-conflict” military operations between the three nations and their Syrian proxies in the increasingly crowded battlespace near Manbij and al-Bab in northern Syria, officials said. [Russia Syria] [US Syria policy] [Intelligent design]
• The Putin-Trump era of Middle East negotiations
  The Palestinian leadership is encouraged by indications that Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning to play a major role in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Author Shlomi Eldar Posted March 7, 2017 TranslatorRuti Sinai A fascinating process has been underway in Palestinian foreign policy since the Nov. 8, 2016, election of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States. The Palestinians are trying to make sense of the new international order being shaped, and at the same time they are also formulating plans for the new era. Every step made by the new president is studied, and every declaration by the president undergoes deep analysis by advisers and experts attempting to interpret its real meaning. Together, they draw conclusions and map out action and reaction plans. One significant operative conclusion has recently come out of the frequent brainstorming at the Muqata, the Palestinian president's headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah: The classic negotiating formula created by the 1993 signing of the Oslo Accord, with the Israelis and Palestinians holding a dialogue or direct negotiations under American auspices, is a thing of the past. A Palestinian diplomatic source, speaking to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, said this conclusion was clear even before Trump took office, but it has now been revalidated. “There is no longer going to be a case in which the Americans are pushing Israel and the Palestinians into three-way negotiations without additional forces present,” he said. According to him, the rules of the game have changed. It is now clear to all involved that the circle of interests has expanded, and any talks will be conducted within the framework of an international conference involving several of the Arab states and led jointly by the United States and Russia. [Israel] [Decline] [Resurgence]
• Russia dismisses sweeping corruption allegations against Medvedev
  Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny helped found the Anti-corruption Foundation, which published an investigation accusing Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev of funneling more than $1 billion worth of bribes. (Sergei Ilnitsky/European Pressphoto Agency) By David Filipov March 5 at 2:32 PM MOSCOW — Anyone following the uproar in Washington over allegations of inappropriate ties to Russia within the Trump administration might be interested in Moscow’s reaction to sweeping corruption charges the country’s most recognizable Kremlin opponent has leveled against Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Crickets, pretty much. Alexei Navalny, who has said he will run for president in 2018, released last week a report and a 50-minute video detailing allegations that Medvedev has funneled more than $1 billion in bribes through companies and charities run by his associates to acquire vineyards, luxury yachts and lavish mansions. The Russian government quickly dismissed the accusations as an attention-grabbing stunt by a self-proclaimed presidential candidate with no chance of winning. [Russia confrontation] [CIA] [Navalny] [Corruption] [Medvedev]
• Obama’s intel chief says he knows of no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion
  President Donald Trump accused former President Barack Obama of having Trump's telephones “wire tapped” during last year's election. Obama’s top intelligence official denied the allegation Sunday. Pablo Martinez Monsivais AP By Anita Kumar WASHINGTON James Clapper, the longtime director of national intelligence under former President Barack Obama, said unequivocally Sunday that Donald Trump’s home and office were not wiretapped before the presidential election last year. Clapper, who served as director for more than six years before he departed in January, also said he knew of no evidence that members of Trump’s campaign had colluded with Russia during the election campaign and that no suggestion that they had was made in a January report on the subject. “We did not include anything in our report … that had any reflection of collusion between members of the Trump campaign and the Russians,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “There was no evidence of that included in our report. We had no evidence of such collusion.” [Russia confrontation] [Clapper] [Evidence] [US_election16]
• Why Would Jeff Sessions Hide His Talks with Sergey Kislyak?
  By Ryan Lizza March 3, 2017 In the first weeks of the Obama Administration, Michael McFaul, the President’s top aide on Russia policy at the National Security Council, found himself in a contentious negotiation with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian Ambassador to the United States. McFaul, a political scientist at Stanford who focussed on democracy promotion, was in his first government job. Kislyak, who is thirteen years older, was one of Russia’s most experienced diplomats. “He expected that I was going to be this neocon hawk on Russia,” McFaul told me. “And so he had his dukes up. He was ready for a fight.” Obama had inherited a plan for an aggressive missile-defense system for Eastern Europe that was a major irritant to Moscow. Kislyak, who studied physics, was an expert on arms control, and explained that the system was not solely defensive, as the Bush Administration had insisted. A radar system to be deployed in the Czech Republic was of particular concern to Kislyak. “I was the new guy, so I was willing to listen,” McFaul, who later became Obama’s Ambassador to Russia, said. “He was lecturing me about the dual capabilities of that radar and that it had capabilities against Russia. And I said, ‘That’s news to me.’ And he said, ‘Well, you need to learn.’ ” Kislyak, who has been the Russian Ambassador to the United States since 2008, had a point. The radar was not strictly defensive. “He was right about that one,” McFaul said. The Obama Administration later scrapped the plan, including the Czech radar station, a decision that was partly related to Obama’s attempted “reset” with Moscow. During the Obama years, as the U.S.-Russia relationship deteriorated, Kislyak, who is known for cultivating deep ties in Washington, went into overdrive trying to explain the Russian position. A few years ago, I attended a lunch at the Russian Ambassador’s residence on Sixteenth Street, a short walk from the White House, where Kislyak, a large and unprepossessing man, offered the Russian perspective to a skeptical group of reporters. “People that don’t know him well and see his gruff style, and his toeing the public line when he’s speaking publicly, underestimate how persistent he is at nurturing these kinds of relationships with people throughout the city,” McFaul said. Part of Kislyak’s success is that he can turn the stereotype of the severe Russian diplomat on its head. An Ambassador from Europe noted that, during a public debate he had with Kislyak, over Russia’s annexation of Crimea, Kislyak exceeded expectations. “I thought I had the much better case, but he acquitted himself so well because he was so smooth and friendly and soft-spoken,” the Ambassador said. “He could have been rough and abrasive and a Putin-style Russian Cold Warrior, which he was not. He played it very softly. Because he was not what people expected him to be, he ingratiated himself with the audience. ” [Russia confrontation] [McFaul]
• “Most of the World is Just Collapsing in Laughter” on Claims that Russia Intervened in the US Election: An Interview with Noam Chomsky
  by David N. Gibbs March 3, 2017 This interview took place at the University of Arizona, before a public audience, on February 2, 2017. I thank Marvin Waterstone for arranging the event, and Professor Chomsky, who approved this transcript for publication. The interview is presented in full, with only very slight editing for style. This interview originally appeared in the journal Class, Race, and Corporate Power. – D. Gibbs *** David Gibbs: The main issue on everyone’s minds is the inauguration of Donald Trump as president. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has emphasized the extreme danger that Trump poses, due to the augmented risk of nuclear war and uncontrolled climate change. After inauguration, the Bulletin’s metaphoric clock has been repositioned at two and a half minutes to midnight, with “midnight” signifying catastrophe. Do you agree with the Bulletin regarding the alleged dangers posed by the Trump presidency? [Trump] [Chomsky]
• MSM and Selective Blindness
  The McCarthy-like witch-huntery is gaining momentum. Where it’s going is hard to gauge…but, where ever it is, it will get there fast. Currently in the media cross-hairs is Trump’s AG Jeff Sessions. He is accused of lying about talking to the Russian Ambassador when asked by the Senate, his defence being he didn’t speak to them about the election, which is how he understood the question. He contends that, as a Senator and member of the Armed Services Committee, it was not unusual for him to be contact with the Russian Ambassador’s office. Essentially, unless you’re inclined to believe that a career politician who, in over 30 years in public office, never had a kind word to say about either Russia or the USSR has actually s been a deep cover agent for the past few decades, it seems like a minor semantic misunderstanding. It probably means nothing…as an issue in and of itself. As a chess move relating to the crazy media storm and intelligence leaks trying to undermine the new administration, it means a little more. But only a little. The media have taken a pick-and-choose attitude to the related social media storm. Gleefully repeating the words of Claire McCaskill, a Democratic senator and fellow member of the ASC, who tweeted out: I've been on the Armed Services Com for 10 years.No call or meeting w/Russian ambassador. Ever. Ambassadors call members of Foreign Rel Com. — Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) March 2, 2017 Unfortunately it took very little detective work to sniff out these, earlier tweets: Today calls with British, Russian, and German Ambassadors re: Iran deal. #doingmyhomework — Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) August 6, 2015 Off to meeting w/Russian Ambassador. Upset about the arbitrary/cruel decision to end all US adoptions,even those in process. — Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) January 30, 2013 Ironically, McCaskill then tried to get around this on…you guessed it…a question of semantics. This received some coverage, notably on CNN and in Business Insider, however The Guardian simply removed their embed of the original tweet, with no explanation, and made no comment on the other tweets. There was very little media comment on this tweet either, where the AP directly quotes the House Intelligence Chairman on this issue, who couldn’t be more clear: BREAKING: House Intelligence chairman: We still have no evidence of improper contacts with Russian officials. — The Associated Press (@AP) March 2, 2017 Pretty hard to get around that one on semantics. Better to just ignore it. I suppose the question becomes, does any of this really matter? Is this all just an elaborate sideshow to distract an increasingly impoverished civilian population? A method to spread discord and unrest? Or does the Trump administration pose any kind of real threat? [Russia confrontation] [Sessions] [Spin] [Disinformation]
• Syrian forces retake Roman-era city of Palmyra
  Doug Stanglin , USATODAY Published 7:39 a.m. ET March 2, 2017 | Updated 4:16 p.m. ET March 2, 2017 Play Video Palmyra recaptured from ISIS CLOSE Syria's military announced Thursday that its troops, aided by Russian air power, recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra from Islamic militants for the second time in a year. The statement from the Syrian army said its forces were bolstered by "allied and friendly troops," a reference to Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, the Associated Press reported. In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin was informed of the Syrian victory by his defense minister, Russia's TASS news agency reported. Syrian troops had seized Palmyra in March 2016 but lost it to the militants in December. The city, which is listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO, is located 150 miles northeast of Damascus. Syria’s state news agency SANA said militants' defenses began crumbling Sunday, and the government reached the town’s outskirts Tuesday. A SANA reporter said troops moved in slowly because of the threat of sniper fire, IEDs and car bombs but were "establishing control over new areas and killing scores of terrorists."
  Activist-run Palmyra News Network said the advancing forces pounded the town with artillery and airstrikes. [Palmyra] [ISIS] [Media] [Russia Syria] [Unique]
• Palmyra: Syrian forces 'completely retake' IS-held town
  2 March 2017 Syrian government forces and their Russian backers have completely recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra from so-called Islamic State (IS) militants, the two allies say. The army and other pro-government forces were reported to have entered deep into the city after IS pulled out. It ends the second occupation of Palmyra by the jihadists. The first time they controlled the area, the militants destroyed some of its most celebrated monuments. IS fighters were driven out in March last year, but managed to retake the city, its world famous ruins and the surrounding area in December. Syria's Ambassador to the United Nations Bashar al-Jaafari confirmed the recapture on Thursday. He said the city had been "liberated from the hands of the terrorist organisation" and that President Bashar al-Assad had kept his promise to drive them out. [Palmyra] [ISIS]
• Russia-gate began like Watergate – with a break-in that few noticed
  Amid growing controversy, Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself on Tuesday from any investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. This after The Washington Post revealed that contrary to testimony he gave to the Senate Judiciary Committee in January, he had met with the Russian Ambassador to the United States last September. C-SPAN By Tim Johnson tjohnson@mcclatchydc.com WASHINGTON If there were a starting point for the political turmoil around members of Donald Trump’s inner circle and their ties to Russia, it likely would be last June 15. On that day, news broke of a computer penetration. It seemed like a minor event and was barely noted in newscasts, not unlike the famous political break-in 44 years earlier at the Watergate complex that became synonymous with political scandal. A cybersecurity firm, CrowdStrike, posted a blog item saying it had detected a series of intrusions into the network of the Democratic National Committee in Washington. The culprits, it said, were Cozy Bear and Fancy Bear, nicknames of two highly skilled hacking units linked to the Russian security services. [Russia confrontation] [US_election16] [Hacking] [DNC]
• Sessions Revelations Leave Donald Trump in Another Fine Russian Mess
  By John Cassidy March 2, 2017 With President Trump being uncharacteristically quiet on Thursday morning amid a new batch of reports about his associates’ ties to Russia, it was left to the Kremlin to blast the “fake news” media. “The only piece of advice that I can give is that, in a situation like this, avoid reacting to all such anonymous, baseless fake news stories and rely only on official statements by genuine officials,” Dmitri Peskov, Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, said, in Moscow. Peskov appears to have been referring to a CNN report that Sergey Kislyak, the portly Russian Ambassador to Washington, is “considered by US intelligence to be one of Russia’s top spies and spy-recruiters in Washington.” Whether Kislyak is a spook or merely a hardworking diplomatic emissary, he has certainly been working the Trump beat diligently. [Russia confrontation] [Sessions] [Media]
• A Russian Perspective on the Korean Peninsula
  The US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies invites you to attend a discussion with Mr. Alexander Ilitchev. Given Russia’s historic relations with North Korea stretching several decades, there are a lot of speculations about how Russia will deal with recent provocations by North Korea. Mr. Ilitchev will share his analyses on how Moscow sees Pyongyang recently in the context of the new administration in the United States. Discussion on a Russian Perspective on the Korean Peninsula ?Alexander Ilitchev, Senior fellow at the Mansfield Foundation and former Senior Officer at the United Nations Moderator: Jae H. Ku, Director of the US-Korea Institute, Johns Hopkins SAIS Alexander Ilitchev is a senior fellow at the Mansfield Foundation. He is a career diplomat with extensive experience in the prevention, mediation, and resolution of armed conflict, most recently with the United Nations Secretariat. He began his career at the UN in 1992, serving as Senior Officer in the Department of Political Affairs. He covered various UN sanctions regimes as well as the Council’s work on various crises and conflicts. From 1997-2014 he was Northeast Asia Team Leader with the Asia and the Pacific Division. In that position he actively promoted preventive, good offices, and mediation efforts by the Secretary-General, focusing on the Korean Peninsula and on promotion of multilateral dialogue and cooperation on regional security. As policy adviser to the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Korean Peninsula from 2003-2005 he was responsible for the conceptual and operational aspects of that good offices diplomatic effort. Following his retirement from the UN, he served as a member of the Secretary-General’s High-Level Independent Panel on UN Peace Operations. [Russia Korea]
• Crimea: peninsula of torture
  Yegor Skovoroda 27 February 2017 Three years on from Crimea’s annexation by Russia, brutal torture is being used to scare the peninsula into silence and submission. 21 February, 2017: Russian security services search Crimean Tatar homes in Kamenka, Simferopol, arresting 10 people. Source: Grani. Three years on since the Russian authorities took control of Crimea, Russian security forces’ actions on the peninsula increasingly recall methods that first gained infamy in the North Caucasus. Crimean Tatars and pro-Ukrainian activists disappear without a trace, people who protest the policies of the new authorities are arrested, Salafi Muslims are persecuted. Just like in the Caucasus, it’s difficult for journalists, rights defenders and lawyers to operate in Crimea — they are all subject to pressure. Torture has come to Crimea, too. In particular, the Russian security services’ favourite method — electric shock. Ukrainian film director Oleg Sentsov and those arrested with him in 2014 have revealed the brutal torture they faced as part of an “anti-terrorism” investigation after the annexation of Crimea. Other Ukrainian citizens sentenced for their participation in Maidan, such as Alexander Kostenko and Andriy Kolomiets, have also been tortured. [Russia confrontation] [Crimea] [Torture] [Propaganda]

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FEBRUARY 2017

• Sleepwalking Into a Nuclear Arms Race with Russia
  by Pierre M. Sprey - Franklin “Chuck” Spinney The Nuclear Question is becoming increasingly obfuscated by spin and lobbying as the West sleepwalks into Cold War II — a walk made all the more dangerous when the loose lips of the U.S. tweeter-in-chief announced that another nuclear arms race is a great idea (see link and link). Two Cold War II issues are central and almost never addressed: What will be the Russians’ understanding of all the propaganda surrounding the Nuclear Question and the looming American defense spendup? And how might they act on this understanding? Background Barack Obama first outlined his vision for nuclear disarmament in a speech in Prague on 5 April 2009, less than three months after becoming President. This speech became the basis for what eventually became the New Start nuclear arms limitation treaty. But Mr. Obama also opened the door for the modernization of our nuclear forces with this pregnant statement: “To put an end to Cold War thinking, we will reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy, and urge others to do the same. Make no mistake: As long as these weapons exist, the United States will maintain a safe, secure and effective arsenal to deter any adversary, and guarantee that defense to our allies –- including the Czech Republic.” Why call for nuclear disarmament while opening the door to nuclear rearmament? [Nuclear strategy] [Russia confrontation] [MISCOM]
• U.N. Diplomats Look to Russia to Broker Syria Peace Talks
  With the United States now taking a diplomatic back seat, Russia - whose military intervention turned the tide of Syria's war and helped President Bashar al-Assad recapture Aleppo - is potentially a kingmaker. By Reuters On 2/24/17 at 10:31 PM The first U.N.-led Syria peace talks in almost a year are in danger of getting lost in procedure, as officials obsess about who will meet whom, but behind the scenes diplomats say it's largely up to Russia to call the tune. Russia and the United States were the prime movers behind the last peace talks, which halted as the war heated up. With the United States now taking a diplomatic back seat, Russia - whose military intervention turned the tide of Syria's war and helped President Bashar al-Assad recapture Aleppo - is potentially a kingmaker. But its endgame is unclear. "Our task is only to stabilize the legitimate authorities and deliver a final blow against international terrorism," Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday at a military ceremony as the Geneva talks began. Moscow has sought to revive diplomacy since its air force helped the Syrian army and allied militias defeat rebels in Aleppo in December, Assad's biggest victory in six years of war. Russia joined with Turkey and Iran to convene intra-Syrian negotiations in the Kazakh capital Astana to reinforce a shaky ceasefire and tried to expand their remit to political aspects, even making public a proposed Moscow-drafted constitution. With Astana handling the ceasefire, Geneva is left with the political conundrum and a U.N. mandate to discuss a new constitution, U.N.-supervised elections and transparent and accountable governance. [Russia Syria]
• Trump – for peace or for war with Russia?
  24/02/2017 In Moscow, the appointment of Mc Master as National Security Advisor of President Trump was taken as an unmistakable signal. “McMaster is…a 100 percent threat to Russia from the US, and it’s not getting weaker or smaller. Defense and intelligence wing of Washington will carry out a Russophobic policy,” the first deputy chairman of Russia’s Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security Franz Klintsevich told Sputnik on Tuesday. John McCain, the Republican chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and one of Trump’s most strident critics for going “soft” on Russia, was among those congratulating the White House on McMaster’s appointment. After having delivered extraordinary remarks at the Munich Security Conference over the weekend describing his own party’s administration as in “disarray,” McCain issued a statement Monday giving Trump “credit for this decision, as well as his national security cabinet choices. I could not imagine a better, more capable national security team than the one we have right now.” Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island also praised the naming of McMaster, declaring: “Every time they add a grown-up into the equation we should all be happy. And I think McMaster is a certified, card-carrying grown-up and a very, very respected military officer [among] his peers.” The media response was similar. The right-wing editorial board of the Wall Street Journal commented: “President Trump likes a government of billionaires and generals, and on Monday he chose another one as his National Security Advisor… This could be an inspired choice if Mr. Trump heeds his counsel and White House politicos don’t interfere.” The editorial acknowledged that “with former Marine General Jim Mattis at Defense and retired Marine General John Kelly at Homeland Security, the Trump administration is top-heavy with distinguished Pentagon brass.” It continued: “But someone—and we don’t mean Mr. Bannon—has to plot and steer a strategy for reclaiming US influence as China, Russia and Iran press to drive the US out of what they consider to be their spheres of influence in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. This means turning Mr. Trump’s ‘America First’ instincts into policies that don’t merely mimic President Obama’s strategic retreat.” [Russia confrontation] [McMaster]
• Propaganda paradox: Putin’s and Russia’s popularity grows in US
  Pavel Svyatenkov writes in Fort Russ: “ Vladimir Putin’s approval rating among Americans has grown, the famous public survey center Gallup has announced. According to their recent survey, 22% of Americans have a positive attitude towards the Russian President. In 2015, only 13% of Americans felt such. Moreover, the Russian President’s popularity has grown among Republicans, only 12% of whom in 2015 had a good attitude towards the head of the Russian state. Now 32% of them do. Among independent Americans, Putin’s rating has grown from 12% to 23%. Putin’s rating has fallen only among Democrats, dropping from 15% in 2015 to 10% today. [Russia confrontation] [Propaganda] [Public opinion]
• Trump attacks FBI on leakers of Russia reports: 'FIND NOW'
  U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the FBI on Friday for failing to stop leaks of national security information to the media and directed the agency to find those who pass on classified information. Trump's comments come amid media reports saying the FBI refused a White House request to knock down news stories saying members of Trump's team were in frequent contact with Russian intelligence agents during the presidential campaign. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the nation's top law enforcement agency, did not answer a request for comment on Trump's remarks on Twitter. "The FBI is totally unable to stop the national security 'leakers' that have permeated our government for a long time. They can't even find the leakers within the FBI itself. Classified information is being given to media that could have a devastating effect on U.S. FIND NOW," Trump wrote. News reports by CNN and The Associated Press said White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus asked Andrew McCabe, the FBI deputy director, to deny a Feb. 14 New York Times report that said Trump's presidential campaign advisers had been in frequent contact with Russian intelligence officers. The request came after McCabe told him privately the report was wrong. [Russia confrontation] [FBI]
• White House adviser asked FBI to dispute Russia reports
  By Julie Pace?|?AP February 24 at 1:39 PM WASHINGTON — White House chief of staff Reince Priebus asked a top FBI official to dispute media reports that President Donald Trump’s campaign advisers were frequently in touch with Russian intelligence agents during the election, a White House official says. The official said that Priebus’ request came after the FBI told the White House it believed a New York Times report last week describing those contacts was not accurate. As of Thursday, the FBI had not stated that position publicly and there was no indication it planned to. The New York Times reported that U.S. agencies had intercepted phone calls last year between Russian intelligence officials and members of Trump’s 2016 campaign team. [Russia confrontation] [FBI]
• Russia military acknowledges new branch: info warfare troops
  • By vladimir isachenkov, associated press MOSCOW — Feb 22, 2017, 11:22 AM ET Along with a steady flow of new missiles, planes and tanks, Russia's defense minister said Wednesday his nation also has built up its muscle by forming a new branch of the military — information warfare troops. Sergei Shoigu's statement — which came amid Western allegations of Russian hacking — marked the first official acknowledgement of the existence of such forces. Speaking to parliament, Shoigu said that the military received a sweeping array of new weapons last year, including 41 intercontinental ballistic missiles. He added that the wide-ranging military modernization will continue this year, with the air force set to receive 170 new aircraft. The army will receive 905 tanks and other armored vehicles, and the navy will receive 17 new ships. Also this year, three regiments of Russia's strategic nuclear forces will receive new intercontinental ballistic missiles, Shoigu said. Each regiment has up to 10 launchers. The rising number of new weapons has raised demands for new personnel. Shoigu said the military currently needs 1,300 more pilots and will recruit them by 2018. Declaring the formation of the dedicated information warfare troops, Shoigu noted that "propaganda needs to be clever, smart and efficient." He wouldn't describe the troops' mission. [IO] [Military balance]
• US Raises Issue of INF Violation: Anti-Russian Campaign in Full Swing
  According to the New York Times, «a Trump administration official» has accused Russia of violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty). The statement was supported by the Defense Department. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain chimed in, saying «Russia’s deployment of nuclear-tipped ground-launched cruise missiles in violation of the INF treaty is a significant military threat to US forces in Europe and our NATO allies». According to him, Russian President Vladimir Putin was «testing» Trump. The statement was immediately used by hawks as a pretext for instigating tensions. For instance, Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, said he sees little reason for the US to continue adhering to the INF treaty in light of alleged Russia's «violations». He has recommended building up US nuclear forces in Europe, which currently include about 200 bombs that can be delivered by aircraft. The US withdrew land-based nuclear-armed missiles from Europe as part of the INF deal. The Treaty eliminated all ground-based nuclear and conventional missiles, as well as their launchers, with ranges of 500–1,000 kilometers (310–620 mi) (short-range) and 1,000–5,500 km (620–3,420 mi) (intermediate-range). Signed in December 1987 by President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, the INF deal is accredited with significantly reducing the threat of nuclear confrontation and accelerating the end of the Cold War. [Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty)] [Russia confrontation]
• Gallup poll: Greece would choose Russia as ally over NATO
  TornosNews.gr 20.02.2017 | 19:06 A divide between Orthodox and Catholic west appears, according to poll According to a multi-nation Gallup poll published, Greece and three other NATO member-states would prefer Russia fighting on their side! By far the largest number of countries polled by WIN/Gallup International chose the U.S. for their go-to defense partner, suggesting that it remains the world’s only military power with truly global reach and alliances, but Greece, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Turkey, all members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation chose Russia as their fighting partner. Another interesting finding showed that Russia and China would pick each other as allies in the event of military conflict. [Orthodox] [NATO]
• Mutual Assured Deterrence
  MOSCOW – The degradation of governance within the international system is a hot topic nowadays – and for good reason. The underpinnings of the rules-based world order are crumbling, and basic norms of international behavior and decency are in decay. By almost any definition, we seem to be living in a dangerous – even prewar – type of world. Relations between Russia and the European Union, and with the EU’s close ally the United States, are increasingly fragile. There has been an effort to cope with shifting power dynamics in Europe by restoring the military-political divide between NATO and Russia – this time, some 600 miles (965 kilometers) east of where it was during the Cold War. But that approach has created new dangers, particularly given the EU’s own fragility, and is unlikely to succeed. More broadly, the unipolar world order, with the US as hegemon, is withering away. Of course, that order was far from perfect. On the contrary, it was a source of large-scale disorder, not least through American support of regime change in countries near and far. Mounting chaos in the Middle East exemplifies the flaws in this approach. Nonetheless, there are concerns about what will replace that US-led order, not to mention how the transition will be managed. These concerns are intensified by the political tumult facing many developed countries, including the US itself. The failure of moderate establishment forces to grasp and respond to the forces now moving the world, from digitization to globalization, led to a governance vacuum, which has now given way to a moral and intellectual vacuum. But there is reason to believe that a new global order may be on the horizon – one with the potential to be more stable and orderly than Pax Americana ever was. One key pillar of that order will be Russia. [Détente] [Russian foreign policy]
• This Russian threat cannot go unchallenged
  By Editorial Board February 17 at 7:19 PM RUSSIA’S APPARENT violation of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty has moved a worrisome step forward. A ground-launched cruise missile that the United States has identified as a treaty violation is being deployed by Russia, according to a report in the New York Times. This threatens to upend an important treaty and poses a major challenge for the United States, especially since years of objections over the violation have been stonewalled by President Vladimir Putin. With a new U.S. administration taking office, it would make sense for President Trump to press Russia once more to adhere to the treaty, while holding out the possibility of military countermeasures if he does not. [Russia confrontation] [Missiles] [Treaty]
• As talks falter, Moscow finds brokering Syria peace trickier than waging war
  By Olzhas Auyezov | ASTANA With its show of military force, Russia changed the tide of the Syrian civil war. It is finding the next phase -- brokering an end to the fighting -- a tougher proposition. A round of Syria peace talks sponsored by Russia ended on Thursday with no joint communique, usually the minimum outcome of any diplomatic negotiation, and saw opposing Syrian groups exchanging angry tirades at each other and the brokers. With no concrete progress to report, media representatives at the talks venue in ex-Soviet Kazakhstan, were so hungry for a scrap of news that at one point a crowd formed around an Arabic speaker who they thought was a participant in the talks. He turned out to be another journalist. Western diplomats, who say Russian President Vladimir Putin's campaign of air strikes has worsened the conflict, have, in private, reacted to Russia's tribulations as a peacemaker with variations on the phrase: "We told you so." [Russia Syria] [Media] [Astana]
• Flynn in FBI interview denied discussing sanctions with Russian ambassador
  Then-national security adviser Michael Flynn speaks during the daily news briefing at the White House on Feb. 13. (Carolyn Kaster/AP) By Sari Horwitz and Adam Entous February 16 at 4:37 PM Former national security adviser Michael Flynn denied to FBI agents in an interview last month that he had discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with that country’s ambassador to the United States before President Trump took office, contradicting the contents of intercepted communications collected by intelligence agencies, current and former U.S. officials said. The Jan. 24 interview potentially puts Flynn in legal jeopardy. Lying to the FBI is a felony offense. But several officials said it is unclear whether prosecutors would attempt to bring a case, in part because Flynn may parse the definition of the word “sanctions.” He also followed his denial to the FBI by saying he couldn’t recall all of the conversation, officials said. Any decision to prosecute would ultimately lie with the Justice Department. [Flynn] [Russia confrontation] [FBI] [Entrapment]
• The coverup in search of a crime
  After first reporting the telephone contact between then national security advisor Michael Flynn and Russian Ambassador Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak,The Washington Post’s David Ignatius highlights the questions that still remain surrounding his resignation. (Adriana Usero/The Washington Post) By Charles Krauthammer Opinion writer February 16 at 7:52 PM ? It’s a Watergate-era cliche that the coverup is always worse than the crime. In the Mike Flynn affair, we have the first recorded instance of a coverup in the absence of a crime. Being covered up were the Dec. 29 phone calls between Flynn and the Russian ambassador to Washington. The presumed violation was Flynn negotiating with a foreign adversary while the Obama administration was still in office and, even worse, discussing with Sergey Kislyak the sanctions then being imposed on Russia (for meddling in the 2016 elections). What’s wrong with that? It is risible to invoke the Logan Act, passed during the John Adams administration, under which not a single American has been prosecuted in the intervening 218 years. It prohibits private citizens from negotiating with foreign powers. Flynn was hardly a private citizen. As Donald Trump’s publicly designated incoming national security adviser, it was perfectly reasonable for him to be talking to foreign actors in preparation for assuming office within a month. [Flynn] [FBI]
• The Dangerous Precedents Of The Hunt Against Flynn ... And Trump
  Kicking Flynn out of his office has hurt Trump. His standing is diminished. The efforts against Flynn, mainly by the "deep state" in the intelligence agencies, were designed to change Trump's declared foreign policy aims. They worked. Yesterday the White House spokesperson said: President Trump has made it very clear that he expects the Russian government to deescalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea. Today Trump tweeted: Donald J. Trump Verified account @realDonaldTrump Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration. Was Obama too soft on Russia? 4:42 AM - 15 Feb 2017 That is a position Trump had not preciously taken. "Return Crimea" is a no-no to any current and future Russian government. If Trump insists on this the prospective détente is already dead. Several writers along the political spectrum point out that this show of raw power by the "intelligence community" is a great danger. [Flynn] [Russia confrontation] [Deep state]
• Flynn, Russia and the World of Conspiracy Thinking
  by Melvin Goodman Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn has a well deserved reputation for conspiracy thinking. Presumably he will assume that the U.S. intelligence community, including the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the former director of National Intelligence, conducted a campaign to force his removal from the Trump administration. Ironically, the Kremlin, which has lived historically in a world of conspiracy thinking, will view the ouster of Flynn as part of a campaign by the U.S. establishment to prevent any improvement in Russian-American relations. In this conspiratorial realm, it’s important to acknowledge at the outset that Flynn was probably the least qualified and the most questionable individual in the 70-year history of the National Security Council to be selected as the president’s sherpa for national security policy. His behavior during the presidential campaign was thoroughly unprofessional and a source of embarrassment to the military establishment and the Republican Party. His retirement from the military several years ago was engineered by the White House and the Joint Chiefs of Staff because of his failed stewardship at the Defense Intelligence Agency. He had a reputation at DIA as a polemicist, and many of his pronouncements there were derided as “Flynn facts” because they had no basis in actual fact.
  Melvin A. Goodman is a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy and a professor of government at Johns Hopkins University. A former CIA analyst, Goodman is the author of “Failure of Intelligence: The Decline and Fall of the CIA,” “National Insecurity: The Cost of American Militarism,” and the forthcoming “The Path to Dissent: A Whistleblower at CIA” (City Lights Publishers, 2015). Goodman is the national security columnist for counterpunch.org. [Flynn] [Russia confrontation] [CIA] [Anti-Trump] [FBI]
• U.S. lawmakers push for answers on Trump team's Russia ties
  By Steve Holland and Patricia Zengerle | WASHINGTON Amid a deepening crisis over the relationship between President Donald Trump's aides and Russia, some senior Republicans on Wednesday issued their boldest challenge yet and vowed to get to the bottom of the matter, while Democrats demanded an independent probe. Trump, facing rising unease among fellow Republicans in Congress less than a month into his presidency, sought to focus the attention on what he called criminal intelligence leaks about his ousted national security adviser, calling Michael Flynn a "wonderful man" who was mistreated by the news media. The New York Times reported on Tuesday that phone call records and intercepted calls showed members of Trump's presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the Nov. 8 election in which Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton. [Anti-Trump] [Russia confrontation]
• Defense Secretary Mattis issues new ultimatum to NATO allies on defense spending
  By Dan Lamothe and Michael Birnbaum February 15 ? Mattis says that NATO is a 'fundamental bedrock' of transatlantic ties U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says the NATO military alliance is central to ties between America and Europe and remains of importance to the United States. (Reuters) BRUSSELS — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis issued an ultimatum Wednesday to allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, warning that if they do not boost their defense spending to goals set by the alliance, the United States may alter its relationship with them. “I owe it to you all to give you clarity on the political reality in the United States and to state the fair demand from my country’s people in concrete terms,” Mattis said. “America will meet its responsibilities, but if your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to the alliance, each of your capitals needs to show its support for our common defense.” The statements came during a closed-doors meeting with defense ministers from other NATO countries and were provided to reporters traveling with the defense secretary to Brussels. It marks an escalation in Washington’s long-running frustration that many NATO countries do not spend at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product as they have pledged. President Trump often made that point during his upstart run for the White House, at various times calling the alliance “obsolete” while grousing that its 28 members need to pay “their fair share.” [Military expenditure] [NATO] [Russia confrontation] [Contradictions] [Mattis]
• A Chat with Joshua Frank on Trump, Russia and US Intel: “The Goal of Impeachment”
  by Andrew Smolski February 15, 2017 Joshua Frank is managing editor of CounterPunch. You can troll him on twitter @joshua__frank Andrew Smolski: What do you make of the recent New York Times story that Trump aides have had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence? Is it because of the insults toward US intel agencies? Or are they genuinely that motivated for a war with Russia? Is this just incompetence on the part of Trump and Co.? Joshua Frank: Honestly, I think it has less to do with Russia and more to do with their dislike for Trump. Russia is the excuse, not the cause. AS: Why less do with Russia? Hasn’t the US been pushing further and further towards Russia’s border with more provocative military maneuvers? JF: That’s been ongoing for sometime now and certainly military and intelligence agencies in the US have been pushing for more confrontation with Russia, whether over their actions in Crimea or Syria. This is a continuation of that, no doubt. Then there’s the allegations of Russian hacking of our elections, with no hard proof mind you – but allegations don’t need to be totally true to do real damage. That said, to the CIA’s credit, they do know a thing or two about manipulating the outcome of foreign elections. But I think in the case of Trump, Russia is more of a convenient enemy than a legitimate one. [Anti-Trump] [Russia confrontation] [Pretext]
• Flynn episode ‘darkens the cloud’ of Russia that hangs over Trump administration
  By Rosalind S. Helderman and Tom Hamburger February 14 at 8:19 PM ? Once again, Donald Trump is embroiled in controversy related to Russia. The ouster of Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Flynn, caught by intelligence agencies speaking with the Russian ambassador about U.S. sanctions and then misleading administration officials about the interactions, marked the latest chapter in a months-long saga in which Trump has been unable to break free from the shadow of the United States’ longtime rival. Two advisers left the campaign amid questions about their ties to Moscow and the oligarchs that hold sway there. The FBI is probing ties between Trump associates and Russia, as is the Senate Intelligence Committee. The president himself has repeatedly praised Russia’s authoritarian leader, Vladi­mir Putin, while he has long expressed a desire to build a Trump Tower in Moscow and boasted of how the Trump brand holds special appeal for Russian investors. [Russia confrontation] [Flynn]
• In first under Trump, Russian jets buzzed a U.S. destroyer at close range
  By Thomas Gibbons-Neff February 14 at 4:11 PM A Russia Su-24 buzzes the U.S.S. Donald Cook in the Baltic Sea. 12 April 2016. (Photo released by U.S. Navy) A Russian Su-24 buzzes the USS Donald Cook in the Baltic Sea on April 12, 2016. (U.S. Navy) Multiple Russian aircraft buzzed a U.S. destroyer patrolling in the Black Sea last week, in an incident the captain of the American ship called “unsafe,” the Pentagon said Tuesday. The three flybys occurred on Feb. 10 and were first reported by the Washington Free Beacon. Lt. Col. David Faggard, a U.S. European Command spokesman, said the USS Porter, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, was returning from an exercise with the Romanian navy when an Il-38 sub-hunting quad-engine aircraft approached at a high speed and low altitude. The Il-38 was followed by two Su-24 fighter-bomber jets and then a single Su-24. Faggard said the aircraft did not respond to radio calls and that they did not have their identification transponders turned on. He could not confirm whether the jets were armed and would not specify the altitude of the aircraft. “Incidents like this are concerning because a miscommunication could turn into an accident or miscalculation,” Faggard said, adding that the captain of the Porter called the flybys “unprofessional.” During the campaign, President Trump had suggested that such incidents show “how low we’ve gone that they can toy with us like that.” He said that Russian President Vladimir Putin should be warned in a phone call to stop and if the flybys continued then “when that sucker comes by you, you gotta shoot.” U.S. military forces have continued to deploy into Eastern Europe under plans laid out under the Obama administration. Russia has routinely decried the troop deployments and Navy maneuvers as NATO provocations. [Russia confrontation] [Joint US military] [Black Sea] [Continuities]
• Trump Decapitates the Russia Peace Initiative
  By Prof. John McMurtry Global Research, February 15, 2017 Trump folds under totalizing corporate media and war-state pressures today. The resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn decapitates his presidency’s peace initiative with Russia after years of campaigning for it. General Flynn is not another Trump slob. He is the most advanced military intelligence authority in the US today. He is the former Director of the US Defense Intelligence Agency with a higher budget than the CIA. He knows the Middle East and Afghanistan civil wars and terrorist operations by direct experience in combat arms, conventional, special operations and top intelligence assignments, including the senior intelligence officer for the Joint Special Operations Command. Most importantly, Gen. Flynn is opposed to the Russia-is-the-Enemy war party that rules the US on corporate media, big money, government, and dark state levels. As one may tell from his face and words, Flynn is the flinty opposite of the war-monger mentality ruling Washington and Wall Street, John McCain, Hillary Clinton and so on through the neo-con and neo-liberal propagandists and spooks holding the bi-partisan establishment together in the greatest looting operation by far that the world has ever seen – the US corporate war state [Russia confrontation] [Flynn] [Outsourcing]
• As Flynn falls under growing pressure over Russia contacts, Trump remains silent
  By Philip Rucker, Adam Entous and Ed O'Keefe February 12 at 8:11 PM ? White House national security adviser Michael Flynn is under increasing political pressure and risks losing the confidence of some colleagues following reports that he misled senior administration officials about his discussion of sanctions with a Russian envoy shortly before President Trump took office. As White House aides scramble to get their stories straight about the exact nature of those communications and as Democrats call for Flynn’s security clearance to be suspended or revoked, neither Trump nor his advisers have publicly defended Flynn or stated unequivocally that he has the president’s confidence. [Russia confrontation] [Flynn]
• Trump denounced nuclear arms treaty in phone call with Putin – sources
  Julian Borger and Ben Jacobs in Washington 2 hrs ago Donald Trump has told Vladimir Putin he does not want to renew a 2010 arms control treaty that limits the number of strategic nuclear weapons the US and Russia can deploy. Trump angrily denounced the New Start Treaty in a 28 January phone call to the Russian leader, according to sources briefed on the call. Reuters, which first reported Trump’s remarks, said the new US president also had to pause the hour long call to ask what the New Start Treaty was. The White House spokesman, Sean Spicer, confirmed that the call was paused but said it was because the president wanted to solicit the views of his aides. “It wasn’t like he didn’t know what was being said,” Spicer said. “He wanted an opinion on something.” He did not give any further details, describing the hour-long conversation as a “private call”. The Kremlin had previously characterised it as a friendly discussion in which “both sides demonstrated a mood for active, joint work on stabilizing and developing Russian-American cooperation,” According to accounts of the conversation given to the Guardian, the phone call began with a friendly exchange, with both leaders stressing their own popularity and complimenting each other on their domestic support. Then when Putin brought up two issues on which their countries had cooperated on, New Start and the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, Trump lost his temper, dismissing both as strategic losses for the US given away by Barack Obama, and he began hectoring Putin. [Trump] [Arms control] [Russia confrontation]
• Just how much trouble is Michael Flynn in?
  By Chris Cillizza February 10 at 3:13 PM Flynn spoke with Russia’s ambassador about sanctions during presidential transition The Post’s Adam Entous reports that national security adviser Michael Flynn’s conversations with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. during the transition of power included discussion of sanctions. (Video: Bastien Inzaurralde/Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) On Wednesday, national security adviser Michael Flynn told The Washington Post that he and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak had never discussed the sanctions put in place by the Obama administration in a series of communications in December 2016. On Thursday, Flynn told The Post — through a spokesman! — that, well, who could say what he and Kislyak talked about. Flynn “indicated that while he had no recollection of discussing sanctions, he couldn’t be certain that the topic never came up,” the spokesman said. That's, um, bad. It strains credulity that on Wednesday, Flynn could issue a flat denial about conversations he had with Kislyak, but on Thursday, suddenly his memory of those conversations changed. It also runs counter to the version of events that Flynn as well as then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence and several other senior Trump officials put out in the wake of the revelations that Flynn and Kisylak had been in contact, even as an investigation by the Obama administration was concluding that Russian hackers had interfered with the U.S. election process for the express purpose of hurting Hillary Clinton and helping Trump. [Russia confrontation] [Flynn]
• What Nikki Haley should know about annexed Crimea
  Wed, Feb 8, 2017 By Arina TSUKANOVA (Russia) What Nikki Haley should know about annexed Crimea The speech by the new US permanent representative to the UN Security Council, Nikki Haley, at a Security Council meeting on 3 February backed up the idea that the new administration policy on Crimea will be followed up. Haley said exactly the same nonsense as Samantha Power before her: «Our Crimea-related sanctions will remain in place until Russia returns control of the peninsula to Ukraine». The White House supported Haley’s statement the same day. It is interesting that Mrs Haley was speaking about the territory of Crimea rather than the people. I wonder how she seeks the «return» of the Crimean Peninsula to Ukraine – with the people or without them? It’s a pity that this question has remained unanswered yet. Does Nikki Haley know whether the Crimean people regard themselves as Ukrainians or not? It is unlikely that the US ambassador to the UN wants to move the people out of Crimea so that she can give the peninsula back to Ukraine. Especially as she would have to move not only the living, but also the dead, since the ‘Ukrainian’ history of Crimea is very short, around a quarter of a century. It is surprising that the citizen of a country whose constitution begins with the words «We the people of the United States…» is doing everything to avoid a conversation in terms of «We the people of Crimea…» From the point of view of the people who live on the Crimean Peninsula, Ukraine annexed Crimea in 1991, grossly violating the rules of international law. Crimea became part of independent Ukraine illegally, and repeated attempts by the Crimean people to redress this injustice met with opposition from Kiev. [Russia confrontation] [Ukraine] [Crimea] [Nikki Haley]
• US senator's gaffe: Russia 'invading' Korea [VIDEO]
  Posted : 2017-02-08 14:03Updated : 2017-02-08 15:11 By Lee Han-soo U.S. Senator Maxine Waters was left red-faced after saying Russian leader Vladimir Putin is invading Korea. The blunder was made on Monday (local time) during a speech criticizing President Donald Trump's close relationship with his Russian counterpart. "Knowing that he is responsible for supplying the bombs that killed innocent children and families in, um, in um, yeah, Aleppo," she stuttered while a lawmaker behind her told her the region now engulfed in civil war. If it had ended there, she might have been spared the embarrassment. But she went on to say "and the fact that he is wrapping his arms around Putin while Putin is continuing to advance into Korea." She did not elaborate on which Korea she was referring to but South and North Korea have never been invaded by Russia. Many speculate that Waters might have been referring to Crimea, the former Ukrainian territory Russia annexed in March 2014. Waters ended her speech by saying that her ultimate goal is to impeach Trump. Her blunder has become a sensation on the internet, with even the White House blasting her mistake. [Russia confrontation] [Bizarre] [Ignorance] [Governance]
• Russia Rejects Trump’s Charge That Iran Is Top Terrorist State
  by Henry Meyer and Stepan Kravchenko 7 February 2017, 1:57 AM NZDT • Alliance against Islamic State must include Iran, Russia says • U.S. sanctioned Iran for missile tests as tensions escalate Russia rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that Iran is the world’s “number one terrorist” nation, and said that the government in Tehran should be part of a proposed coalition to fight against Islamic State. “All those who see Islamic State as an existential threat should start to act in a coordinated manner and I’m sure that if we look objectively at potential members of this coalition, Iran should, of course, be part of our joint efforts,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters on Monday. Trump labelled Iran as the top sponsor of state terrorism in an interview with Fox News broadcast Sunday, adding: “They are sending money all over the place, weapons.” Russia doesn’t agree with this characterization and values its “friendly” relations with Iran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday on a conference call with reporters. [Trump] [Iran confrontation] [Contradictions]
• O’Reilly told Trump that Putin is a killer. Trump’s reply: ‘You think our country is so innocent?’
  By Abby Phillip February 4 at 7:43 PM WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Trump has long been effusive in his praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike. In an interview with Fox News's Bill O'Reilly, which will air ahead of the Super Bowl on Sunday, Trump doubled down on his “respect” for Putin — even in the face of accusations that Putin and his associates have murdered journalists and dissidents in Russia. “I do respect him. Well, I respect a lot of people, but that doesn’t mean I’ll get along with them,” Trump told O'Reilly. O'Reilly pressed on, declaring to the president that “Putin is a killer.” Unfazed, Trump didn't back away, but rather compared Putin's reputation for extrajudicial killings with the United States'. “There are a lot of killers. We have a lot of killers,” Trump said. “Well, you think our country is so innocent?” Trump added that he thinks the United States is “better” getting along with Russia than not. [Russia confrontation] [Putin] [Trump] [Double standards] [Self delusion]
• Putin's Russia in biggest Arctic military push since Soviet fall
  By Andrew Osborn | MURMANSK, Russia The nuclear icebreaker Lenin, the pride and joy of the Soviet Union's Arctic great game, lies at perpetual anchor in the frigid water here. A relic of the Cold War, it is now a museum. But nearly three decades after the Lenin was taken out of service to be turned into a visitor attraction, Russia is again on the march in the Arctic and building new nuclear icebreakers. It is part of a push to firm Moscow's hand in the High North as it vies for dominance with traditional rivals Canada, the United States, and Norway as well as newcomer China Interviews with officials and military analysts and reviews of government documents show Russia's build-up is the biggest since the 1991 Soviet fall and will, in some areas, give Moscow more military capabilities than the Soviet Union once had. The expansion has far-reaching financial and geopolitical ramifications. The Arctic is estimated to hold more hydrocarbon reserves than Saudi Arabia and Moscow is putting down a serious military marker. "History is repeating itself," Vladimir Blinov, a guide on board the icebreaker Lenin, which is named after communist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin, told a recent tour group. "Back then (in the 1950s) it was the height of the Cold War and the United States was leading in some areas. But we beat the Americans and built the world's first nuclear ship (the Lenin). The situation today is similar." Under President Vladimir Putin, Moscow is rushing to re-open abandoned Soviet military, air and radar bases on remote Arctic islands and to build new ones, as it pushes ahead with a claim to almost half a million square miles of the Arctic.
  Politicians are keener to discuss a commercial Arctic push. New roads and a railway are being built and ports overhauled as Moscow expands its freight capacity and, amid warmer climate cycles, readies for more traffic along its Arctic coast. It hopes the Northern Sea Route, which runs from Murmansk to the Bering Strait near Alaska, could become a mini Suez Canal, cutting sea transport times from Asia to Europe. [Russia confrontation] [Resurgence] [Artic] [Logistics] [Northern Sea Route]

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JANUARY 2017

• Russia's knockout game in Syria
  A series of successful wiles and meticulous manoeuvring allowed Russia to become the main architect of Syria's future. John Bell John Bell is Director of the Middle East Programme at the Toledo International Centre for Peace in Madrid. He is a former UN and Canadian diplomat, and served as Political Adviser to the Personal Representative of the UN Secretary-General for southern Lebanon and adviser to the Canadian government. Russia and Turkey recently concluded talks in Astana about Syria. It was a remarkable cooperation given that Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet just over a year ago, damaging relations between the two countries. What tactics has Russia used to manage such delicate relationships and become the main architect of the future of Syria? If we look at the past and present, we can see a successful pattern of Russian manoeuvring. In July 2015, the commander of Iran's elite Quds force, Qassem Soleimani, visited Moscow, after which Russia entered the Syrian war. Russia then moved towards working with the Obama administration as co-partners in developing ceasefires, an International Support Group for Syria, and a United Nations-led Geneva process. The cooperation with the US did not work; however, Russia achieved its goal of appearing an equal to the US globally. The US entered that game without a policy on Syria, nor any weight on the ground. Former US Secretary of State John Kerry's words and techniques were no match for the Russian investment of hardware, and he effectively played into Russia's process. The US has since been unceremoniously dumped by Russia in regards to Syria. Once Russia's goal of global parity was achieved, the Americans were no longer necessary. Russia invited the Trump administration to Astana (Iran rejected the American presence), but it was clearly a Russian defined process. [Russia Syria] [Russia confrontation]
• Russia Is a Terrible Ally Against Terrorism
  By Daniel Benjamin Jan. 23, 2017 Since early in his campaign, President Trump has made counterterrorism cooperation a pillar of his argument for improving relations with Russia. On the face of it, that idea might seem attractive: two of the world’s largest militaries and intelligence communities working together against the Islamic State and other jihadist networks to achieve progress that neither could alone. But it’s a bad idea. A partnership with Russia of the kind Mr. Trump proposes has the potential to profoundly undermine the United States’ counterterrorism progress and shred our relationships with Sunni Muslims around the world. Moreover, it’s doubtful such an alliance could actually be forged. Mr. Trump suggested in a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal that counterterrorism cooperation would be reason enough to lift the sanctions the Obama administration has levied for Russian interference in the presidential election. As he put it, “If you get along and if Russia is really helping us, why would anybody have sanctions if somebody’s doing some really great things?” Russian counterterrorism has never been about doing “really great things.” It has been principally about indiscriminate violence — targeting a few terrorists and recklessly slaughtering civilians in the hope that no one will dare continue to plot attacks. If you’re not sentimental about human rights, that may have some effect on a limited, confined population. But it's the opposite of American counterterrorism, which aims to remove dangerous terrorists while causing as few civilian deaths as possible. [Russia confrontation] [US Middle East Strategy] [Jihadist]
• RT Fending Off Attacks in Fight Without Rules
  Alex GORKA | 25.01.2017 The access of RT (Russia Today), a Russian state-funded media company, to its Facebook page was partially blocked by the social network. The ban would have coincided with President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20. The pretext was a copyright complaint about an Associated Press (AP) video stream of Barack Obama's press conference on RT's Facebook page on January 18. The ban, initially set to last until January 21, was lifted on January 19. RT has a sizable Facebook presence, with 4.1 million likes. This is the first time that Facebook has ever blocked the content of any media outlet from appearing on the service. No other news outlet has been punished by Facebook in a manner like this. The event is part of a broader picture. A few hours after the Facebook ban, RT claimed that some users had complained about not being able to see news from the broadcaster on other social media platforms. It was corrected later. Dataminr, a news-alert service partly owned by Twitter, has terminated its contract with the broadcaster. RT has received a request from YouTube to show that its employees were not among the individuals sanctioned by the US over Ukraine. [Russia confrontation] [Censorship]
• War or Peace in the Trump Era
  We need to build on the call for a new détente with Russia, even as we oppose Trump’s and Putin’s authoritarianism and domestic policies. By Joseph Gerson, January 23, 2017. Former Secretary of Defense William Perry has long been warning that nuclear war is more likely now than during the Cold War. Now we face the added uncertainty of Donald Trump taking our already militarized government to new heights with increased military spending and by stocking his regime with an unprecedented number of generals. We also find ourselves in a hall of mirrors with a president who lies out of all sides of his mouth and contradicts himself from moment to moment, and who apparently is not on the same page with his secretaries of state and defense. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are committed to ending the post-war liberal democratic order, with Trump praising his new best friend in Moscow while criticizing Angela Merkel as German elections approach. Adding to the surrealism, Putin has joined Trump in the lie that the Donald “won a convincing” election victory, and gold coins emblazoned with Trump’s image are being minted in Moscow. But, it is difficult to see into the future when Trump’s picks for secretaries of war and state speak about the importance of NATO and the need to be tough with Russia, while their boss challenges these commitments. Yet, nominee for secretary of state Rex Tillerson’s Exxon-Mobil has long sought an end to the sanctions against Russia in order to open vast new oil fields. And then we have the right-wing Republicans from John McCain to Max Boot and many Democrats committed to investigating the Russian sabotage of the election, a break-in that was more successful and damaging than Watergate. We don’t know if we had a Manchurian candidate and now a Manchurian president. Nor do we really know who will be leading U.S. foreign and military policy formulation. Just last weekend we watched the rise and fall of Trump’s ignorant and improvisational bid to trade ending sanctions against Russia for a mutual reduction of superpower nuclear arsenals. Trump supports spending for the trillion-dollar nuclear triad, but he has been silent about the quadrupling U.S. military spending in Europe, the deployment of U.S. troops to Poland, and the presence of first-strike-related U.S. missile defenses in Romania and soon in Poland. [US Russia] [Trump foreign relations]
• N. Korea seeking to advance into Russia's maritime province
  North Korea is aggressively seeking cooperation with Russia's maritime province, proposing cooperation between the two countries' ruling parties, a U.S. broadcaster reported, citing a local media. According to PrimaMedia in the maritime province, Rim Chong-il, North Korean consul-general in Vladivostok, paid a call to Valentine Shumatov, a regional chairman of the Russian ruling party United Russia, on Jan. 11, Radio Free Asia said. During the meeting, made at the request of the North, the two sides agreed on cooperation between the parties in the fields of culture, tourism, science medicine and education, the broadcaster said. It's unusual that the North is targeting the Russian ruling party's regional chapter to advance its interests, although it has been endeavoring to send more laborers to Russia, the broadcaster said. The move is analyzed as an intention to advance into the maritime province, one of Russia's economic hubs, it said. (Yonhap) [Russia NK] [RFA]
• As Syrian Peace Talks Begin in Kazakhstan, Russia Takes Center Stage
  by Patrick Cockburn The Syrian peace talks arranged by Russia, Turkey and Iran that opened today in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, show that President Bashar al-Assad is winning the six-year-old war, but his final victory may be a long way off. Several participants in the conference have good reasons to fight on and Isis has recently made important advances. Representatives of some of the rebel armed groups sat on one side of a round table, while the Syrian government delegation sat on the other, but the rebels said there would be no face to face talks. The most positive likely outcome of the meeting would be a reinforcement of the shaky ceasefire that began on 29 December and has been only partly effective. The US is not taking part in the talks, in contrast to previous abortive negotiations, but has sent its ambassador to Kazakhstan indicating that it does not oppose them. The most important feature of the conference is that it proves that Russia’s military intervention in the civil war on the side of Mr Assad since 2015 has promoted it to being the most powerful foreign power engaged in the Syrian war. [Russia Syria] [Astana]
• The Russians Are Coming
  Oliver Stone Jan 6· As 2016 closes, we find ourselves a deeply unsettled nation. We’re unable to draw the lines of our national interest. Is it jobs and economy, is it national security, or is it now in our interest to ensure global security?—?in other words, act as the world’s policemen? As the “failing” (to quote Trump) New York Times degenerates into a Washington Post organization with its stagnant Cold War vision of a 1950s world where the Russians are to blame for most everything?—?Hillary’s loss, most of the aggression and disorder in the world, the desire to destabilize Europe, etc.?—?the Times has added the issue of ‘fake news’ to reassert its problematic role as the dominant voice for the Washington establishment. Certainly this is true in the case of Russia’s ‘hacking’ the 2016 election and putting into office its Manchurian Candidate in Donald Trump. Apparently the CIA (via various unnamed intelligence officials), and the FBI, NSA, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper (who notoriously lied to Congress in the Snowden affair), President Obama, the DNC, Hillary Clinton, and Congress agree that Russia, and Mr. Putin predominantly, is responsible. [Russia confrontation] [Personalisation] [Vituperation]
• Foolish GOP Warmongers want to Make Russia the Enemy: It isn’t the Soviet Union Reborn
  01/23/2017 10:30 am ET Doug Bandow Contributing writer, policy analyst No position taken by President-elect Donald Trump more upsets leading Republican legislators than his desire to reconcile with Russia. GOP propagandists routinely assert that 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney was right when he declared Russia “without question our No. 1 geopolitical foe.” Perhaps in Neoconservative nightmares. But not in terms of America’s national interests. Vladimir Putin is not a nice fellow. He apparently profited greatly from his political ascent; worse, he left a trailed of ruined, imprisoned, and murdered critics. Not all of the latter were angels and he might not be responsible for all of the casualties attributed to him. But obviously he’s no friend of liberal values. But then, neither are the Saudi royals. The leaders of the Central Asian states. Egypt’s new pharaoh, General/President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Turkey’s sultan-wannabe, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. And plenty of other governments with which Washington routinely cooperates while complaining very little about their brutality at home. A lamentable lack of respect for human rights does not turn a state into a threat to the U.S. [Russia confrontation] [Libertarian]
• Russia’s new influence may limit Trump’s scope in Middle East
  By Liz Sly January 22 at 10:00 AM ASTANA, Kazakhstan — At a time of widespread global anxiety about President Trump’s foreign policy goals, the Middle East stands almost alone in its optimism about his presidency. The United States’ traditional Arab allies are hoping he reengages in the region after years of what they perceive as neglect by Barack Obama’s administration. U.S. rivals are hoping he becomes an ally and aligns with their interests. But after eight years of steady disengagement by his predecessor, Trump may find his room for maneuver constrained by the expanded influence of Russia and Iran, analysts say. “Even if Trump wants to have a more assertive policy, he will not be able to bring America back as the strongest regional player,” predicted Ibrahim Hamidi, the chief diplomatic correspondent of the pan-Arab newspaper Al-Hayat. “The Americans can’t go back to being the only super­power anymore.” That Trump does intend to pursue a more assertive Middle East policy has been evident from some of the more consistent of his often contradictory statements, including his inauguration pledge to eradicate what he called “radical Islamic terrorism . . . from the face of the earth.” Although the president and some of his foreign policy nominees appear to have opposing views on some issues — such as the importance of NATO and whether Russia can be trusted — they seem to agree on the need to do more to fight the Islamic State and to push back against Iran’s widening influence, making the Middle East one of the few areas on which there appears to be some level of foreign policy consensus. [US Middle East Strategy] [Trump] [Russia]
• Syria talks set to begin in Astana as ceasefire holds
  The Astana meeting marks a distinct change from what has previously been a diplomatic process led by UN, say analysts. By Dylan Collins Dylan Collins is a Deputy Editor at Al Jazeera English. He has reported from across the Middle East. Astana, Kazakhstan - Key players in the war in Syria are due to meet on Monday in Astana to begin talks aimed at consolidating a nationwide ceasefire and potentially paving the way towards a political settlement. The talks, organised by Russia, Turkey and Iran, come weeks into a countrywide ceasefire brokered by Moscow and Ankara that has largely held despite incidents of violence across the country. The negotiations, expected to last several days, will bring together representatives from the armed opposition, along with delegates from the Syrian government, Russia, Turkey, Iran and the United Nations, and are to be followed by a UN-mediated meeting in Geneva on February 8. The talks mark the most serious effort in months to put an end to nearly six years of war in Syria, which have left much of the country in ruins, killed nearly half a million people, and displaced half of the population. “ It is important to underline that this time Syrian opposition will be represented by the forces which fight in Syria, not just by political figures who mainly reside abroad and are detached from the reality on the ground.” Alexey Khlebnikov, Russian foreign policy expert Details of the Astana format and its goals remain murky. The opposition has said that its sole focus will be to shore up a nationwide ceasefire, while Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, has said he believes the talks will lead to local "reconciliation" deals with rebels. Analysts say the meeting in Astana marks a distinct change from what has previously been a diplomatic process led by UN and initiatives put forward jointly by the United States and Russia. "I think the difference in these so-called peace talks that are taking place in Astana is that Russia is now firmly in the driver's seat, where in the past, the UN-led negotiations had the United Nations as an overseer and convener of the talks, where both sides were at the table and essentially nothing was agreed upon," Nader Hashemi, director of the Centre for Middle East Studies at the University of Denver, told Al Jazeera. "After the fall of Aleppo, Russia now is in full charge." [Syria] [Russia Syria]
• Samantha Power Can See Russia from Her Padded Cell
  by David Swanson January 19, 2017 At the Atlantic Council — a “think” tank funded by such bastions of democracy as Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, not to mention that center of peaceful nonviolence NATO — Samantha Power announced on Tuesday that Russia is a menacing danger to the United States of America and to the rule of law in the world, which statement in fact constituted a menacing danger to the U.S. and to the rule of law in the world. Power cited the “Russian government’s aggressive and destabilizing actions.” “For years, we have seen Russia take one aggressive and destabilizing action after another. We saw it in March 2014, not long after mass peaceful protests in Ukraine brought to power a government that favored closer ties with Europe, when Russia dispatched its soldiers to the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. The ‘little green men,’ as they came to be called, for Russia denied any ties to any of them, rammed through a referendum at the barrel of a gun, which Mr. Putin then used to justify his sham attempted annexation of Crimea.” The “peaceful protests” involved hundreds of casualties, while the “ramming at the barrel of a gun” involved zero. The “peaceful protests” followed the preemptive exposure of U.S. facilitation of a coup. The new government quickly began threatening the rights and lives of ethnic Russians. The annexation of Crimea followed an overwhelming vote, which the United States has never dared to propose be re-done. The annexation was successful. Russia always had troops in Crimea. That it sent in more was to its discredit but legal under its basing agreement. [Samantha Power] [Russia confrontation]
• America’s Russian Problem
  by Melvin Goodman January 19, 2017 Russian-American relations over the past several years have taken on some of the most familiar aspects of the Cold War. The conventional wisdom is extremely one-side, concluding that Russian President Vladimir Putin is entirely responsible for the setback as a result of his actions in Georgia, Crimea, Ukraine and Syria, and that the Russian leadership is not trustworthy on any diplomatic or political level. This is a simplistic view. Before there can be any progress in resolving the considerable differences between Moscow and Washington, it is paramount that the U.S. contribution to the imbroglio is recognized. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union twenty-five years ago, a brace of American presidents (Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama) have taken advantage of Russia’s considerable geopolitical weakness. Clinton was the first to do so with the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which marked a betrayal of U.S. commitments not to do so. [Russia confrontation]
• ‘$10,000 stuffed in a diplomat’s car': Moscow has its own complaints about spies — American spies
  By Andrew Roth January 17 at 12:07 PM Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks at a news conference in Moscow on Tuesday. He complained about American espionage. (Ivan Sekretarev/Associated Press) MOSCOW — U.S. spies under diplomatic cover sneaking along Russia's borders with Europe. Ten thousand dollars and a recruitment letter shoved into a Russian diplomat's car. Those are just some of the sensational allegations that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov leveled against the United States on Tuesday as he laid out Moscow's case against Washington in the hidden intelligence war. Many of the alleged incidents were previously undisclosed. In Washington, State Department spokesman John Kirby declined to respond directly to Lavrov’s allegations about trying to turn diplomats into spies. For months, Russian officials have seethed at accusations that they hacked the U.S. presidential election and were harassing U.S. diplomats in Russia. In a nationally televised news conference, Lavrov fired back, complaining that U.S. Embassy employees in Moscow were disguising themselves to join in Russian opposition protests and that Russian diplomats in the United States were increasingly being targeted for recruitment. [Russia confrontation] [Espionage] [Subversion]
• Russia’s Putin rejects Trump dossier report as plot against ‘legitimacy’ of president-elect
  Putin says Russian prostitutes are best in the world, but doubts Trump met with them During a news conference at the Kremlin on Jan. 17, Russian President Vladimir Putin called reports that President-elect Donald Trump has been compromised by Russian intelligence “total nonsense.” He also used a Russian euphemism to describe prostitutes. (AP) By Andrew Roth and David Filipov January 17 at 4:29 PM ? MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday called reports that Donald Trump has been compromised by Russian intelligence “total nonsense” and said allegations were fabricated to “undermine the legitimacy” of Trump’s presidency. It was the Russian president’s first direct denial of the contents of an uncorroborated dossier written by a former British intelligence agent hired to compile opposition research. The dossier claimed that Trump was compromised by Russian intelligence agents during a 2013 visit to Moscow to hold the Miss Universe pageant. “The people who are ordering this kind of false information, who are now disseminating it against the president-elect of the United States, who fabricate it and use it in a political fight, are worse than prostitutes,” Putin told journalists after talks with Moldovan President Igor Dodon in Moscow. “They have no moral boundaries.” [Dirty tricks] [Russia confrontation] [Obama] [Anti-Trump] [Humour]
• After 2016 campaign, more Americans consider Russia a threat: Reuters/Ipsos poll
  Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a video link, dedicated to the start of natural gas supplying from mainland Russia to Crimea, in Moscow, Russia, December 27, 2016. Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS By Chris Kahn | NEW YORK Americans are more concerned than they were before the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign began about the potential threat Russia poses to the country, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Friday. The Jan. 9-12 survey found that 82 percent of American adults, including 84 percent of Democrats and 82 percent of Republicans, described Russia as a general "threat" to the United States. That's up from 76 percent in March 2015 when the same questions were asked. The increased concern comes after a brutal election season during which Democrats and others raised questions about President-elect Donald Trump's financial ties to Russia and the U.S. intelligence community accused Russia of engaging in cyber attacks during the election. Trump, who has repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as a strong leader and signaled during his campaign that he might take a softer line in dealing with Moscow, only recently accepted that Russia committed the hacks after receiving detailed briefings from intelligence officials. Trump initially criticized the findings, saying the culprit could be China or "somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds." The poll asked people to rate Russia and a slew of other countries on a 5-point scale ranging from "no threat" to "imminent threat." It found that Americans were more likely to label Russia a threat than they were Iran, Syria, China, Saudi Arabia, Cuba or Yemen. Only North Korea ranked higher, with 86 percent of Americans labeling it as a threat [Threat] [Public opinion] [Bizarre]
• Would Buzzfeed Have Published the Martin Luther King Sex Tape?
  Kompromat--the term for the acquistion and exploitation of compromising material, often of an embarrassing sexual nature--is very much in the news today, thanks to the allegation that Russian security services have dirt on Donald Trump and are blackmailing him to follow Kremlin policies. On Martin Luther King Day, we can remember a great American--and one who was subjected to the most notorious kompromat exploit in US history--Martin Luther King Jr. [Deep state] [FBI] [Blackmail]
• Donald Trump v. the Spooks
  January 16, 2017 Exclusive: President-elect Trump is in a nasty slugfest with U.S. intelligence agencies as they portray him as a Russian tool and he blasts their attempt to delegitimize his election, says ex-British intelligence officer Annie Machon. By Annie Machon The clash between plutocratic President-elect Trump and the CIA is shaping up to be the heavyweight prize fight of the century, and Trump at least is approaching it with all the entertaining bombast of Mohammed Ali at the top of his game. Rather than following the tradition of doing dirty political deals in dark corners, more commonly known as fixing the match, Trump has come out swinging in the full glare of the media. President-elect Donald Trump In that corner, we have a deal-making, billionaire “man of the people” who, to European sensibilities at least, reputedly espouses some of the madder domestic obsessions and yet has seemed to offer hope to many aggrieved Americans. But it is his professed position on building a rapprochement with Russia and cooperating with Moscow to sort out the Syrian mess that caught my attention and that of many other independent commentators internationally. In the opposite corner, Trump’s opponents have pushed the CIA into the ring to deliver the knock-out blow, but this has yet to land. Despite jab after jab, Trump keeps evading the blows and comes rattling back against all odds. One has to admire the guy’s footwork. So who are the opponents ranged behind the CIA, yelling encouragement through the ropes? The obvious culprits include the U.S. military-industrial complex, whose corporate bottom line relies on an era of unending war. As justification for extracting billions – even trillions – of dollars from American taxpayers, there was a need for frightening villains, such as Al Qaeda and even more so, the head choppers of ISIS. However, since the Russian intervention in Syria in 2015, those villains no longer packed as scary a punch, so a more enduring villain, like Emmanuel Goldstein, the principal enemy of the state in George Orwell’s 1984, was required. Russia was the obvious new choice, the old favorite from the Cold War playbook. [Anti-Trump] [CIA] [Dirty tricks] [Russia confrontation]
• Mike Pence deflects questions about contacts with Russia during campaign
  By Abby Phillip January 15 at 10:01 AM President-elect Donald Trump stands with Vice President-elect Mike Pence at a news conference at Trump Tower in New York on Jan. 11. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Vice President-elect Mike Pence declined to answer repeated questioning on Sunday about whether the Trump campaign had any contacts with Russia during the campaign. Pressed on the issue on “Fox News Sunday,” Pence deflected, noting that he joined the campaign in the summer. "All the contact by the Trump campaign and associates were with the American people," Pence said. "We were fully engaged with taking his message to 'Make America Great Again' all across the country." Finally, asked by host Chris Wallace if he had ever asked Donald Trump if there were any contacts in the campaign between Trump or his associates and Russians, Pence answered “of course not.” “Why would there be any contacts between the campaign” and Russia, he said. He added that questions about contacts with Russia during the campaign were part of an attempt to cast doubts on the legitimacy of Trump's election. “This is all a distraction, and it’s all part of a narrative to delegitimize the election,” Pence said. “The American people see right through it.” [Russia confrontation] [Anti-Trump] [Media] [Heading]
• The Russian Dossier Reminds Me of the Row Over Saddam’s WMDs
  by Patrick Cockburn I read the text of the dossier on Donald Trump’s alleged dirty dealings with a scepticism that soon turned into complete disbelief. The memo has all the hallmarks of such fabrications, which is too much detail – and that detail largely uncheckable – and too many names of important people placed there to impress the reader with the sheer quantity and quality of information. I was correspondent in Moscow in the 1980s and again during the first years in power of Vladimir Putin. Every so often, people would tell me intriguing facts about the dark doings of the Kremlin and its complicity in various crimes, such as the infamous apartment block bombings in 1999. But my heart used to sink when the informant claimed to know too much and did not see that what they were saying contained a fatal contradiction: Putin and his people were pictured as unscrupulous and violent people, but at the same time they were childishly incapable of keeping a secret damaging to themselves. The conclusions reached in the Trump dossier similarly claim to be based on multiple sources of information where, in the nature of things, they are unlikely to exist. The dossier cites at least seven of them. “Speaking to a trusted compatriot in June 2016 sources A and B, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry and a former top level Russian intelligence officer still active inside the Kremlin respectively, [said that] the Russian authorities had been cultivating and supporting US Republican presidential candidate, Donald TRUMP, for at least five years.” I obviously failed as a correspondent when I was in Russia because it turns out that Moscow is choc-a-bloc with fellows in senior positions willing to blow the gaff on the Kremlin’s deep laid plans. [Russia confrontation] [Dirty tricks] [Anti-Trump] [Satire]
• CIA, FBI and NSA produce joint report, jointly prove nothing
  by Ricardo Vaz, originally published at Invesig’Action The recent hysteria surrounding Russia’s alleged interference with the November presidential elections saw another episode after an intelligence report, jointly elaborated by the CIA, FBI and NSA, was released on Friday, January 6th. After weeks of bombshell headlines based on statements from anonymous intelligence officials, western media finally had an official intelligence report to support their bombshell headlines. Unsurprisingly, all headlines look very similar, with the Guardian even changing the title of their main story after realising it was not menacing enough. The problem is that, much like the old stories, the new ones do not contain any evidence to support the claims, because the report itself does not have anything in that regard. The report says that the “evidence” remains highly classified. These outlets are just being fed the same (non-)information in a new package, and reporting it as “remarkably blunt” (WaPo) and “damning and surprisingly detailed” (NYT) does not change the fact that there are no facts to back this thesis that there was a campaign orchestrated by the Russian state which decided the American presidential elections. Repeating the same accusation time and again is not a way of proving it, and given their track record, we cannot just take intelligence agencies at their word.[1] [Russia confrontation] [US_election16] [Hacking] [Evidence]
• Russia says facing increased cyber attacks from abroad
  Russia is facing increased cyber attacks from abroad, a senior security official was quoted on Sunday as saying, responding to Western accusations that Moscow is aggressively targeting information networks in the United States and Europe. U.S. intelligence agencies say Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a cyber campaign aimed at boosting Donald Trump's electoral chances by discrediting his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential campaign. Russia has dismissed the accusations as a "witch-hunt". "Recently we have noted a significant increase in attempts to inflict harm on Russia's informational systems from external forces," Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Russia's Security Council, told the Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily, according to excerpts of an interview to be published in full on Monday. "The global (Internet) operators and providers are widely used, while the methods they use constantly evolve," said Patrushev, a former head of the FSB secret service and a close ally of Putin.
  Patrushev accused the outgoing U.S. administration of President Barack Obama of "deliberately ignoring the fact that the main Internet servers are based on the territory of the United States and are used by Washington for intelligence and other purposes aimed at retaining its global domination". [Russia confrontation] [Cyberwar]
• Is Obama Behind the Hit on Trump? How the Deep State Game is Played
  It's now publicly accepted that the CIA, factions in the CIA, whatever, object to Trump and are making life difficult for him. The interesting question is, is President Obama just a passenger on the runaway Deep State train, thoughtlessly rattling through his hollow valedictories, or is he the conductor? or the engineer? I was struck by this possibility while reflecting on David Ignatius' revelation on Thursday that intercepts showed that Trump's security adviser, Michael Flynn, had been on the phone with the Russian ambassador several times on the day President Obama announced the expulsion of the Russian diplos. [Anti-Trump] [Russia confrontation]
• Did the Russians Really Hack the DNC?
  by Gregory Elich
  January 13, 2017 Russia, we are told, breached the servers of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), swiped emails and other documents, and released them to the public, to alter the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. How substantial is the evidence backing these assertions? Hired by the Democratic National Committee to investigate unusual network activity, the security firm Crowdstrike discovered two separate intrusions on DNC servers. Crowdstrike named the two intruders Cozy Bear and Fancy Bear, in an allusion to what it felt were Russian sources. According to Crowdstrike, “Their tradecraft is superb, operational security second to none,” and “both groups were constantly going back into the environment” to change code and methods and switch command and control channels. On what basis did Crowdstrike attribute these breaches to Russian intelligence services? The security firm claims that the techniques used were similar to those deployed in past security hacking operations that have been attributed to the same actors, while the profile of previous victims “closely mirrors the strategic interests of the Russian government. Furthermore, it appeared that the intruders were unaware of each other’s presence in the DNC system. “While you would virtually never see Western intelligence agencies going after the same target without de-confliction for fear of compromising each other’s operations,” Crowdstrike reports, “in Russia this is not an uncommon scenario.” [1] Those may be indicators of Russian government culpability. But then again, perhaps not. Regarding the point about separate intruders, each operating independently of the other, that would seem to more likely indicate that the sources have nothing in common. Each of the two intrusions acted as an advanced persistent threat (APT), which is an attack that resides undetected on a network for a long time. The goal of an APT is to exfiltrate data from the infected system rather than inflict damage. Several names have been given to these two actors, and most commonly Fancy Bear is known as APT28, and Cozy Bear as APT29. The fact that many of the techniques used in the hack resembled, in varying degrees, past attacks attributed to Russia may not necessarily carry as much significance as we are led to believe. Once malware is deployed, it tends to be picked up by cybercriminals and offered for sale or trade on Deep Web black markets, where anyone can purchase it. Exploit kits are especially popular sellers. Quite often, the code is modified for specific uses. Security specialist Josh Pitts demonstrated how easy that process can be, downloading and modifying nine samples of the OnionDuke malware, which is thought to have first originated with the Russian government. Pitts reports that this exercise demonstrates “how easy it is to repurpose nation-state code/malware.” [2] In another example, when SentinalOne Research discovered the Gyges malware in 2014, it reported that it “exhibits similarities to Russian espionage malware,” and is “designed to target government organizations. It comes as no surprise to us that this type of intelligence agency-grade malware would eventually fall into cybercriminals’ hands.” The security firm explains that Gyges is an “example of how advanced techniques and code developed by governments for espionage are effectively being repurposed, modularized and coupled with other malware to commit cybercrime.” [3] Attribution is hard, cybersecurity specialists often point out. “Once an APT is released into the wild, its spread isn’t controlled by the attacker,” writes Mark McAdle. “They can’t prevent someone from analyzing it and repurposing it for their own needs.” Adapting malware “is a well-known reality,” he continues. “Finding irrefutable evidence that links an attacker to an attack is virtually unattainable, so everything boils down to assumptions and judgment.” [4] [DNC] [Hacking] [Russia confrontation] [Attribution] [Evidence]
• Trump 'compromising' claims: How and why did we get here?
  By Paul Wood BBC News, Washington 12 January 2017 Donald Trump has described as "fake news" allegations published in some media that his election team colluded with Russia - and that Russia held compromising material about his private life. The BBC's Paul Wood saw the allegations before the election, and reports on the fallout now they have come to light. The significance of these allegations is that, if true, the president-elect of the United States would be vulnerable to blackmail by the Russians. I understand the CIA believes it is credible that the Kremlin has such kompromat - or compromising material - on the next US commander in chief. At the same time a joint taskforce, which includes the CIA and the FBI, has been investigating allegations that the Russians may have sent money to Mr Trump's organisation or his election campaign. [Trump] [Russia confrontation] [Dirty tricks]
• The Deep State Goes to War With President-Elect, Using Unverified Claims, as Democrats Cheer
  Glenn Greenwald
  2017-01-11T14:35:34+00:00 In January 1961, Dwight Eisenhower delivered his farewell address after serving two terms as U.S. president; the five-star general chose to warn Americans of this specific threat to democracy: “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.” That warning was issued prior to the decadelong escalation of the Vietnam War, three more decades of Cold War mania, and the post-9/11 era, all of which radically expanded that unelected faction’s power even further. This is the faction that is now engaged in open warfare against the duly elected and already widely disliked president-elect, Donald Trump. They are using classic Cold War dirty tactics and the defining ingredients of what has until recently been denounced as “Fake News.” [Trump] [Deep State]
• U.S. Spy Report Blames Putin for Hacks, But Doesn’t Back It Up
  The long-awaited public report on Russia’s role in the DNC hack accused the Kremlin of working to elect Trump—without providing much new information to prove it. Kimberly Dozier, Noah Shachtman, Michael Weiss 01.07.17 12:15 PM ET U.S. spy chiefs presented their case at Trump Tower on Friday that Russia was behind the hacks that rocked the 2016 presidential election. But they didn’t help themselves by releasing a strongly-worded report that is scant on new evidence—and is, in some cases, a literal rehash of outdated information. “There was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines,” President-elect Trump said in a statement right after he met with Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, CIA Director John Brennan, FBI Director Jim Comey, and NSA chief Adm. Michael Rogers. “Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election [and with]… a clear preference for President-elect Trump,” the intelligence chiefs announced through an unclassified report released after the meeting that sounded like it was coming from an alternate universe. The night-and-day report and reaction hint at either a difficult relationship to come between the president and America’s spies, or a cagey response by a future commander in chief who is only beginning to realize how the chess masters in the Kremlin play the game of geopolitics. The unclassified report is unlikely to convince a single skeptic, as it offers none of the evidence intelligence officials say they have to back it up—none of those emails or transcripts of phone calls showing a clear connection between the Russian government and the political intrusions. The reason—revealing how U.S. spies know what they know could endanger U.S. spy operations. [US Election16] [Hacking] [Russia confrontation] [Evidence]
• The Scheme to Take Down Trump
  January 14, 2017 Exclusive: The U.S. intelligence community’s unprecedented assault on an incoming U.S. president – now including spreading salacious rumors – raises questions about how long Donald Trump can hold the White House, says Daniel Lazare. By Daniel Lazare Is a military coup in the works? Or are U.S. intelligence agencies laying the political groundwork for forcing Donald Trump from the presidency because they can’t abide his rejection of a new cold war with Russia? Not long ago, even asking such questions would have marked one as the sort of paranoid nut who believes that lizard people run the government. But no longer. Donald Trump speaking with supporters at a campaign rally at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. October 29, 2016. (Flickr Gage Skidmore) Thanks to the now-notorious 35-page dossier concerning Donald Trump’s alleged sexual improprieties in a Moscow luxury hotel, it’s clear that strange maneuverings are underway in Washington and that no one is quite sure how they will end. [Anti-Trump] [Dirty tricks] [Coup]
• First sign of enhanced U.S.-Russia relations under Trump: An invite to Syria talks
  By Karen DeYoung and Greg Miller January 13 at 4:34 PM ? Russia has invited the incoming Trump administration to Syrian peace talks it is sponsoring later this month with Turkey and Iran, part of a process from which the Obama administration pointedly has been excluded. U.S. participation, especially if an agreement is reached, would be the first indication of the enhanced U.S.-Russia cooperation that President Vladi­mir Putin and President-elect Donald Trump have forecast under a Trump administration. [Russia US] [Russia Syria] [Trump]
• This former British spy was identified as the Trump dossier source. Now he is in hiding.
  By Karla Adam January 13 Christopher Steele, who wrote reports on compromising material Russian operatives allegedly collected on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, is a former officer in Britain's MI-6, according to people familiar with his career. (Reuters) LONDON — The former British intelligence officer who had a key role in drafting the dossier that alleged Russia holds compromising material and information on President-elect Donald Trump has gone into hiding, according to British reports. Christopher Steele, a former MI6 officer and the director of a private-sector security firm in London, was named as the author of the 35-page packet making the explosive — and unsubstantiated — claims. [Anti-Trump] [Dirty tricks][Russia confrontation]
• Kremlin calls allegations of involvement in hacker attacks 'stupidity'
  Xinhua, January 13, 2017 The Kremlin said Thursday that Moscow considered allegations of its involvement in hacker attacks on the United States as "stupidity." "I do not remember how many dozens of times we have repeated and at what levels that we categorically deny any charges against us in this regard, as we believe it is a sheer stupidity," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti news agency. He added that this issue "has become a real hysteria. As we know, in hysteria it is not possible to find a rational kernel, we have to wait until it is over." Peskov made the remarks in response to the comment made by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state Rex Tillerson Wednesday that it was a "fair assumption" that Putin could be involved in the hacker attacks. U.S. intelligence agencies last week published part of a classified report claiming that Putin had ordered an influence campaign in 2016 involving hackers to secure Trump's victory in the presidential elections. Peskov said Moscow believed that many statements in this report were "fake and unprofessional information." [US_election16] [Hacking] [Russia confrontation] [Hysteria]
• Russian tech expert named in Trump report says US intelligence never contacted him
  An image of Alexsej Gubarev from the Russian website of Servers.com, which is owned by his parent company, XBT Holding. By Kevin G. Hall and Tim Johnson McClatchy Washington Bureau WASHINGTON — A Russian venture capitalist and tech expert whose name and company are mentioned in the now-notorious document alleging connections between the Donald Trump campaign and Russian hackers says no intelligence officers have ever contacted him about the accusations, which he says are false. A report compiled by a former Western intelligence official as opposition research against Trump was made public Tuesday when BuzzFeed posted its 35 pages. The document included unsubstantiated claims of collusion between the Trump campaign team and the Kremlin. It also alleged that global tech firm XBT Holding, with operations in Dallas, was instrumental in the hack of leaked Democratic Party emails that embarrassed Hillary Clinton and fellow Democrats. XBT, owner of Dallas-based enterprise-hosting company Webzilla, is run by a successful Russian tech startup expert, Aleksej Gubarev. In a phone interview from Cyprus, where he said he’d lived since 2002, Gubarev said he was surprised to see his name in the report. [Russia confrontation] [US_election16] [Trump] [Dirty Tricks]
• Trump Will Inherit the Biggest NATO Buildup in Europe Since the Cold War
  Rumbling off cargo ships in these opening weeks of 2017 are the tanks and trucks of the biggest U.S. and NATO arms buildup on the European continent since the 1980s. [Russia confrontation] [Escalation]
• RT jubilant after US Intel report gives it tons of free publicity
  Russia Insider reports: “ So who is really working for the Kremlin here? Last Friday the US Intel Community published a report on Russia’s alleged (and unsubstantiated) interference in US elections and gave RT more free advertising than it could ever buy itself. Almost one third of the 25-page report talks about RT. Its TV hosts feature as prominently as alleged Russian hackers and spooks. And RT could not be happier about it, in fact they’re running victory laps. Its report on the CIA hatchet job proudly highlighted RT was a prime target with the headline “RT stars in ODNI report on ‘Russian activities and intentions’ in U.S. presidential election”. Its follow up rebuttal of the report took things to its logical conclusions and openly thanked the US Intel Community ending with the words: “Oh, and thanks for the free advertising, ODNI! Be sure to check out more of our coverage on the RT America YouTube page.” [Russia confrontation] [RT]
• These Reports Allege Trump Has Deep Ties To Russia
  A dossier, compiled by a person who has claimed to be a former British intelligence official, alleges Russia has compromising information on Trump. The allegations are unverified, and the report contains errors. Originally posted on Jan. 11, 2017, at 12:20 p.m. A dossier making explosive — but unverified — allegations that the Russian government has been “cultivating, supporting and assisting” President-elect Donald Trump for years and gained compromising information about him has been circulating among elected officials, intelligence agents, and journalists for weeks. The dossier, which is a collection of memos written over a period of months, includes specific, unverified, and potentially unverifiable allegations of contact between Trump aides and Russian operatives, and graphic claims of sexual acts documented by the Russians. BuzzFeed News reporters in the US and Europe have been investigating various alleged facts in the dossier but have not verified or falsified them. CNN reported Tuesday that a two-page synopsis of the report was given to President Obama and Trump. Now BuzzFeed News is publishing the full document so that Americans can make up their own minds about allegations about the president-elect that have circulated at the highest levels of the US government. [Russia confrontation] [Trump] [Dirty tricks]
• America’s Russian Dybbuk
  by Gerald Sussman From ancient Hebrew folklore, the dybbuk is a demonic spirit that inhabits a person’s body and soul in order to get what it wants. American foreign policy is endlessly driven to search and destroy imaginary demons: Noriega, Milosevic, Saddam, Ho, Tojo, Nasser, Gaddafi, Lumumba, Castro, Osama, Yanukovych, and a host of others in its hit parade. Obama wouldn’t be fulfilling his duty as warmonger-in-chief if he didn’t submit at least one new person to the pantheon of evil nogoodniks. He found his dybbuk in Vladimir Putin. Apparently, the Democrats and their partners within the Republican cabal, particularly McCain and Graham, believe that Mr. Putin qualifies as an evil spirit, a super dybbuk, who controls the destiny of American politics – and even the Vermont electrical grid. Anyone who questions this is simply possessed, which obviously includes the soon-to-be White House zombie, Mr. Trump. Playing on the old Western trope of the untamed Russian Bear, Obama has titled the Putin conspiracy Grizzly Steppe. In his last remaining days in office, the American president is hoping to create dramatic memorabilia, such as his expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats just before Christmas, to fill what would otherwise be a rather vacant Obama Library. Unfortunately for the Cold Warriors, the Kremlin dybbuk responded by simply laughing it off as not worth responding in kind. Focused on his legacy obsession, Obama’s sour grapes is not only about his limited achievements and his party shamelessly losing the election to a crude, narcissistic, and inexperienced child-like politician but also about his loss of face in the Middle East conflict, where the Russians are scoring military and diplomatic points left and right. It’s also about Obama’s last ditch efforts to dispossess Trump of any legitimate power, employing well-tested Cold War propaganda tactics to try to break up any Republican policy consensus. What is the basis on which liberals insist on depicting the Russians in such dark conspiratorial terms? First, the Cold Warriors assert that Russia is an aggressor, citing its alleged “invasion” of South Ossetia in 2008. On December 26, 2016, Dan Lamothe, a Washington Post national security reporter, and formerly an embedded journalist in Afghanistan, told viewers on C-Span that Russia is an imperialist state. His evidence? He claims that Russia “invaded” Georgia in 2008. Even the New York Times, a reliable echo chamber of the State Department, had to admit on November 6, 2008 that its earlier report (August 8, 2008) that Russia initiated the conflict in that autonomous region was false. There has since been a broad understanding among informed reporters, though not Mr. Lamothe, that it was the president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, who attacked South Ossetia and the Russian peacekeepers who were stationed there to prevent Georgian attacks on nearby Russian towns. Russia chased out the invaders and left South Ossetia with its autonomous status intact. [Russia confrontation] [Obama]
• Decision to brief Trump on allegations brought a secret and unsubstantiated dossier into the public domain
  By Greg Miller, Ellen Nakashima and Karen DeYoung January 11 at 10:12 PM As the nation’s top spies prepared to brief President Obama and President-elect Donald Trump on Russian interference in the 2016 election, they faced an excruciatingly delicate question: Should they mention the salacious allegations that had been circulating in Washington for months that Moscow had compromising information on the incoming president? Ultimately, they concluded they had no choice. A 35-page dossier packed with details of supposed compromising personal information, alleged financial entanglements and political intrigue was already in such wide circulation in Washington that every major news organization seemed to have a copy. “You’d be derelict if you didn’t” mention the dossier, a U.S. official said. To ignore the file, produced by a private-sector security firm, would only make the supposed guardians of the nation’s secrets seem uninformed, officials said, adding that many were convinced that it was only a matter of time before someone decided to publish the material. [Trump] [Russia confrontation] [Dirty tricks] [Intelligence community] [MISCOM]
• “Trust, But Don’t Verify”: US Intelligence Agencies and the New Cold War
  by Mark Weisbrot Just as the first casualty of war is said to be the truth, the first casualty of the New Cold War is irony. Our most prominent journalists seem to have missed the Orwellian irony of Senator John McCain asking Director of National Intelligence (DNI) James Clapper at Friday’s Senate hearings if Julian Assange has any credibility. Assange has maintained that the hacked or leaked emails of Democratic Party officials did not come from the Russian government, or any other government. As is well known, Clapper lied to Congress about a serious violation of the constitutional rights of tens of millions of Americans. This lie is a crime for which he actually could have been prosecuted. In March 2013, Clapper falsely answered, “No, sir” to the question, “Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions, or hundreds of millions of Americans?” He later admitted that his answer was untrue. Clapper lied again in Friday’s testimony, saying that Assange was “under indictment” for “a sexual crime.” In fact, Assange has not been indicted for anything, and the government of Sweden has never even charged him with a crime. In reality, he is a political prisoner, and the United Nations Working Group on arbitrary detention has found that he has been arbitrarily detained since 2010 by the UK and Sweden, and ordered his release and compensation. He has offered from the beginning of his political persecution to co-operate with the Swedish authorities in any investigation, and to be interviewed at any time in London. He could not safely return to Sweden without guarantees that he would not be sent to the US, where he currently faces a high likelihood of imprisonment (even before any trial) for having published leaked documents that exposed US war crimes and other embarrassments. For years, neither Sweden nor the UK would agree to that because, it appears, their foreign ministries are collaborating with the US government to keep him imprisoned. For anyone on a jury who had to weigh the testimony of Clapper against that of Assange, it would be a no-brainer. Not only is Clapper a proven and serial liar, but in 10 years of WikiLeaks revelations, Assange has never been shown to have lied about anything. [Russia confrontation] [US_election16] [WikiLeaks]
• Angry Trump blames U.S. intelligence for 'phony' Russia dossier
  By Ayesha Rascoe | NEW YORK President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday angrily denounced the publishing of claims he had been caught in a compromising position in Russia and attacked U.S. intelligence agencies over the leak of the information. "I think it was disgraceful, disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake out there," Trump told a news conference. He called the dossier that makes salacious claims about him "fake news" and "phony stuff." "I think it's a disgrace ... That's something that Nazi Germany would have done," the Republican said days ahead of his inauguration. Trump acknowledged that Russia likely hacked the Democratic National Committee and the emails of other top Democrats during the 2016 presidential election, but defended his goal of better ties with Moscow. [Trump] [Canard] [Russia confrontation]
• Allegations Against Russia Less Credible Every Day
  by David Swanson January 9, 2017 The U.S. government has now generated numerous news stories and released multiple “reports” aimed at persuading us that Vladimir Putin is to blame for Donald Trump becoming president. U.S. media has dutifully informed us that the case has been made. What has been made is the case for writing your own news coverage. The “reports” from the “intelligence community” are no lengthier than the New York Times and Washington Post articles about them. Why not just read the reports and cut out the middle-person? The New York Times calls the latest report “damning and surprisingly detailed” before later admitting in the same “news” article that the report “contained no information about how the agencies had collected their data or had come to their conclusions.” A quick glance at the report itself would have made clear to you that it did not pretend to present a shred of evidence that Russia hacked emails or served as a source for WikiLeaks. Yet Congresswoman Barbara Lee declared the evidence in this evidence-free report “overwhelming.” What should progressives believe, the best Congresswoman we’ve got or our own lying eyes? [Russia confrontation] [US_election16] [Hacking] [Evidence]
• All Russian Puppets?
  by Serge Halimi On 9 February 1950, at the height of the cold war, a little known Republican senator declared: ‘I have here in my hand a list of 205 people that were known to the secretary of state as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping the policy of the state department.’ With that, McCarthy stepped into US history through the door marked infamy. No such list existed, but the ensuing wave of anti-communist hysteria and purges shattered the lives of thousands of Americans. In 2017 it is plainly the loyalty of the next US president to his country that is at issue. With his cabinet of generals and billionaires, reasons to fear him are legion. But the Democratic Party and many in the western media seem obsessed with the bizarre idea that Donald Trump will be ‘a puppet for the Kremlin’ (1), and that he owes his election to data hacking orchestrated by the Russians. McCarthyist paranoia may be a long time in the past, but the Washington Post has just revived that history, on 24 November, relating worries about the possible existence of ‘more than 200 websites’ that ‘wittingly or unwittingly published or echoed Russian propaganda.’ [Russia confrontation] [McCarthyism]
• Declassified US Intelligence Report on Russia: a Critical Review
  by Vincent Emanuele The Office of the Director of National Intelligence recently released a declassified report concerning Russia and the 2016 US presidential elections. The report is titled, “Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections.” The report is the joint effort of The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and The National Security Agency (NSA). It’s an easy read (25 pages). I suggest reading the entire report and forming your own conclusions. I was originally going to dissect the report line-by-line, but instead decided a quick overview would be more useful. Plus, most of the report is redundant and provides virtually no new information, let alone evidence or sources. [Russia confrontation] [US_election16] [Hacking] [Evidence]
• The Russian Honeypot
  Posted on : Jan.8,2017 22:23 KST John Feffer In the world of espionage, the “honeypot” is trap in which someone seduces an unsuspecting diplomat or embassy employee. Then the seducer – a “swallow” (woman) or a “raven” (man) – blackmails the dupe. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union developed a certain expertise in using honeypots to extract information from CIA operatives, FBI agents, and ambassadors. Russia is in the news at the moment for a more high-tech spying operation – its alleged hacking of Democratic Party e-mail accounts. The Obama administration claims that it has proof of Russian fingerprints on this operation and thus its influence on the November presidential elections. The White House has imposed a set of additional sanctions against Russia and also expelled 35 Russian diplomatic personnel. These charges are serious and should be investigated. But they are a distraction. The real operation Russia is conducting in the United States is an old-fashioned honeypot trap. But it’s not a conventional version of the scheme in which an attractive woman makes eyes at a lonely intelligence officer. [Russia confrontation] [Trump] [Putin] [Bizarre]
• Washington Invented Hacking and Interfering in Elections
  Weaponized hacking all began with Stuxnet
  Philip Giraldi • January 10, 2017 Is the United States the victim of an unprovoked cyber and media attack by Russia and China or are the chickens coming home to roost after Washington’s own promotion of such activity worldwide? On Thursday Director of National Intelligence James Clapper asserted to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that while no foreign government had been able to interfere with actual voting machines, “U.S. agencies are more confident than ever that Russia interfered in America’s recent presidential election. And he called the former Cold War foe an ‘existential threat’ to the nation.” Pressed by Senator John McCain whether the “attack” constituted an “act of war,” Clapper demurred, saying that it would be a “very heavy policy call” to say so. He also said that he could not judge if the election outcome had been changed due to the claimed outside interference. Clapper also claimed that the Russian effort included including the creation and dissemination of fake stories, explaining that “ While there has been a lot of focus on the hacking, this is actually part of a multifaceted campaign that the Russians mounted.” Clapper singled out Russian state funded TV channel RT, previously called Russia Today. “Of course RT…was very, very active in promoting a particular point of view, disparaging our system.” [Full disclosure: I have been on RT numerous times.] Apart from the nonsense about foreign broadcasters being part of a conspiracy to “disparage our system” and destroy our democracy, I confess that I was willing to be convinced by what seemed to be the near-unanimous intelligence and law enforcement agency verdict but, any such expectations disappeared when the 17 page report on the hack was actually released on Friday. Entitled Declassified Intelligence Community Assessment of Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections, the report is an exercise in speculation minus evidence indicting alleged Russian interference in the recent election. It even came with a significant caveat, “Judgments are not intended to imply that we have proof that shows something to be a fact.” [Russia confrontation] [US_election16] [Hacking] [Evidence] [Stuxnet]
• Russian Interference in the Election: A Media Hoax?
  Stephen J. Sniegoski • January 6, 2017 The mainstream media’s narrative that the Russian government interfered with the United States election, and that this interference invalidated, or at least tainted, Trump’s election has culminated in President Obama taking a series of measures against Russia, which consist of: imposing sanctions on the GRU and the FSB (the two major Russian intelligence organizations), four officers of the GRU, and two Russian individuals who allegedly used “cyber-enabled means to cause misappropriation of funds and personal identifying information;” expelling 35 diplomats and intelligence officials; and closing two Russian compounds in Maryland’s Eastern Shore and Long Island, New York. These actions were said to have been taken not only because of Russian interference in the election but for a number of other instances of Russian malfeasance that go back in time and are unrelated to alleged election interference. And there was no evidence provided that showed, or even claimed to show, that the particular individuals and entities covered by these measures had anything to do with the alleged election interference.[1] Like other common memes—such as anti-Semitism, racism, and sexism—used to silence debate, the exact meaning of Russian interference in the election is unclear—and Obama’s inclusion of a number of extraneous issues in his explanation for taking retaliatory action against Russia muddles the issue even more. The reference to Russian interference in the election includes a composite of alleged Russian misdeeds—“fake news,” computer hacking, and manipulating voting machines [2] –which are usually lumped together but are actually quite different and should be analyzed separately since the combination approach only serves to obfuscate the issue. Of course—and this probably would not be shocking to most readers of this essay—many of those who promote the idea of Russian culpability are not really concerned about pursuing a Socratic search for truth but instead want to anathematize Putin’s Russia and/or delegitimize Trump’s election victory. First, let me take care of the most extreme claim—that Russian hackers manipulated election results to make Trump president. This would be a nearly impossible task since voting machines are not attached to the Internet, and it was never pointed out how the Russians could do this on any significant scale.[3] Nonetheless, Hillary Clinton was urged by “a group of prominent computer scientists and election lawyers” to demand a recount in three states—Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania—in which Clinton seemed to be slightly ahead in pre-election polls but which were won by Trump by narrow margins. The group claimed to have statistical evidence that the vote had been altered.[4] The basis of this claim, however, was quite flimsy since it simply rested on an analysis that showed that in Wisconsin counties with electronic voting machines, Clinton received 7 percent fewer votes than in counties with paper ballots or optical scanners. It was then assumed that the same thing could have occurred in Michigan and Pennsylvania. [Russia confrontation] [US_election16] [Hacking] [Evidence]
• The released report on Russian meddling isn’t enough
  By David Ignatius Opinion writer January 9 at 7:46 PM The intelligence community’s allegation that Russia intervened covertly in the 2016 election describes a significant assault on our democracy. The country needs to know more: The charge needs to be followed up with an independent investigation that continues after Donald Trump becomes president on Jan. 20. Congress should commit now to such a bipartisan inquiry. If there is a possibility that U.S. laws were violated by the Russian political attack, the FBI and the Justice Department should begin a formal legal investigation. The Justice Department probe could be led by an independent counsel or an experienced U.S. attorney, such as Preet Bharara of the Southern District of New York, whom Trump has already said he will reappoint. The allegations about Russian hacking are framed in the unclassified report released last Friday by Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr., on behalf of the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency. That report made strong charges, but it didn’t provide detailed supporting evidence, which is contained in other, classified reports. The allegations are public, in other words, but not the proof. [US_election16] [Hacking] [Evidence]
• The Russia hacking report is an indictment of Obama, not Trump
  By Marc A. Thiessen January 9 Let’s be clear: Hillary Clinton did not lose the 2016 election because of Russian meddling or WikiLeaks. And here is the proof: WikiLeaks began publishing its trove of Democratic National Committee emails on July 22, 2016, three days before the Democratic National Convention. By then, Hillary Clinton was already in a deep hole with American voters. Long before WikiLeaks, Americans had concluded that Clinton was a congenital liar. A CNN poll taken July 13-16 found that 65 percent of voters said Clinton was neither honest nor trustworthy and that 57 percent would not be proud to have her as president. A July 16 CBS News poll showed similar results — 67 percent of voters said Clinton was not honest or trustworthy. And little wonder. By then, Clinton had lied so often, for so many years, about so many things — her emails, the Clinton Foundation, Benghazi, arriving in Bosnia under sniper fire, Whitewater, the firing of White House travel aides, the Madison S&L — that most Americans no longer believed a word she said. [DNC] [Hacking] [Hillary Clinton] [Obama]
• New Intelligence Report Adds No Evidence Of "Russian Hacking" (Updated)
  January 06, 2017 UPDATE: Up to today there is no public evidence that Russia hacked the Democratic National Council and/or released DNC material to Wikileaks. After today's new intelligence report (pdf) there is still no such evidence. (One third of the report is dedicated to criticize the Russian government's TV outlet Russia Today for criticizing Hillary Clinton. The RT viewer numbers claimed in the report are evidently false from 2012 and thereby completely irrelevant.) There are rather wild assertions and a lot of conjecture but zero facts that could be accepted as proof. [US_election16] [Russia confrontation] [Hacking] [Evidence]
• US Report Still Lacks Proof on Russia ‘Hack’
  January 7, 2017 Exclusive: Despite mainstream media acceptance, the U.S. intelligence community’s assessment on alleged Russian “hacking” still lacks hard public evidence, a case of “trust-us” by politicized spy agencies, writes Robert Parry. By Robert Parry Repeating an accusation over and over again is not evidence that the accused is guilty, no matter how much “confidence” the accuser asserts about the conclusion. Nor is it evidence just to suggest that someone has a motive for doing something. Many conspiracy theories are built on the notion of “cui bono” – who benefits – without following up the supposed motive with facts. But that is essentially what the U.S. intelligence community has done regarding the dangerous accusation that Russian President Vladimir Putin orchestrated a covert information campaign to influence the outcome of the Nov. 8 U.S. presidential election in favor of Republican Donald Trump. Just a day after Director of National Intelligence James Clapper vowed to go to the greatest possible lengths to supply the public with the evidence behind the accusations, his office released a 25-page report that contained no direct evidence that Russia delivered hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman John Podesta to WikiLeaks. The DNI report amounted to a compendium of reasons to suspect that Russia was the source of the information – built largely on the argument that Russia had a motive for doing so because of its disdain for Democratic nominee Clinton and the potential for friendlier relations with Republican nominee Trump. But the case, as presented, is one-sided and lacks any actual proof. Further, the continued use of the word “assesses” – as in the U.S. intelligence community “assesses” that Russia is guilty – suggests that the underlying classified information also may be less than conclusive because, in intelligence-world-speak, “assesses” often means “guesses.” The DNI report admits as much, saying, “Judgments are not intended to imply that we have proof that shows something to be a fact. Assessments are based on collected information, which is often incomplete or fragmentary, as well as logic, argumentation, and precedents.” But the report’s assessment is more than just a reasonable judgment based on a body of incomplete information. It is tendentious in that it only lays out the case for believing in Russia’s guilt, not reasons for doubting that guilt. [Russia confrontation] [US_election16] [Hacking] [Evidence]
• Neo-Liberal paranoia is extreme, and it is everywhere
  by Kit I consider Nick Cohen an unpleasant man. His columns are smug, rude, ill-informed, intellectually dishonest, hypocritical and self-righteous. A perfect example of the modern journalist, in his natural habitat. However, before today, I never considered him to be truly, literally insane. “ Russian Treachery is extreme and it is everywhere! This startlingly subtle sentiment is the headline to Cohen’s latest…offering. I haven’t changed it or exaggerated it, with the exception of adding an exclamation point that is, in the original, only heavily implied. In the past I have written detailed, point by point refutations of pieces from the Guardian – similarly bizarre ramblings from Cohen and Natalie Nougayrede – but when the message is so rampantly hysterical…what is there to say? There’s nothing to refute here but the loud and incoherent repetitions of made up facts and establishment lies, already disproven a million different times by a thousand dedicated and honest alt-news sites. The work has been done. The truth is out there. To not see it, at this point, is an act of willful blindness. There’s no evidence any of the European “far right” are funded by the Russian government, there’s no evidence the FSB (or whoever) hacked the US presidential election, there’s no evidence the Syrian or Russian military deliberately targeted hospitals. Corbynistas aren’t anti-semites. Brexiters aren’t neo-Nazis. Hashtag fakenews. [Russia confrontation] [Media] [Hysteria]
  • Russian treachery is extreme and it is everywhere
    Nick Cohen
    Vladimir Putin’s worldwide influence is pernicious. Dare Theresa May confront it? Saturday 7 January 2017 18.00 GMT Last modified on Saturday 7 January 2017 22.00 GMT Nationalism always breaks its promises because nationalists hate enemies in their countries more than they hate the enemies of their countries. Millions of American conservatives proved it when they voted for Donald Trump, even though he was an open admirer of a hostile foreign power. Local hatreds, not national security, moved them. They hated Obama more than they feared Putin. They hated political correctness. They hated – not without reason – the attacks on freedom of speech. They hated rich liberals and defence lawyers. They hated Black Lives Matter and immigrants speaking Spanish in the shop queue. They hated the “experts” who told them that fossil fuel caused global warming and gun ownership caused crime. For all their patriotism, when it came to the crunch, they cared as little for national security as the “reds” their ancestors condemned in the 20th century. You should never lose your capacity for shock. Even connoisseurs of the grotesque have had to take a deep breath and count to 10 after watching the Republican president-elect of the United States preferring the word of Julian Assange to the word of his own intelligence agencies. That Assange is cowering from rape charges in the basement of the Ecuadorian embassy, and maintaining that the same United States would persecute him if he emerged to face his accusers like an honourable man, only made the task of regaining your composure harder. If that is not enough for you, consider that the CIA once inspired fear around the world. Now it is so feeble it cannot stop a Russian plot in plain sight to manipulate a US election. The FBI once harassed real and imagined communists it claimed were in the pocket of the Kremlin. In 2016, its director intervened on behalf of the Kremlin’s chosen candidate in the US presidential election. Russian enmity is hardly a secret. Watch Putin’s propaganda station, RT, which Ofcom believes to the amazement of all serious journalists to comply with Britain’s rules on broadcasting accuracy and impartiality, and you see that the regime hates the west and uses anti-western conspiracies to explain away its thefts and crimes. [Russia confrontation] [Putin] [Bizarre] [Media]
• Russians dismiss U.S. report accusing Putin as ‘one more giant fake’?
  The first page of the Joint Analysis Report by the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, released Dec. 29. (Jon Elswick/AP) January 7 at 4:30 PM MOSCOW — Russian commentators on Saturday dismissed, with no small amount of derision, the conclusion by U.S. intelligence agencies that President Vladi­mir Putin personally ordered a campaign to sabotage the American presidential election. Few in Russia have ever accepted the notion that the Kremlin intervened to hurt Hillary Clinton and help President-elect Donald Trump, but the 14-page declassified report, lacking as it was in details, drew instant contempt from Moscow’s chattering classes. “This is one more giant fake,” tweeted Alexei Pushkov, a senior Russian legislator and erstwhile pundit. The intelligence agencies’ report, released Friday, may have come off as a blunt assessment of the Kremlin’s role in orchestrating a coordinated campaign of cyberattacks and propaganda dumps to an audience in the United States. But in Russia, the view was that the report revealed nothing that Russians hadn’t already heard from the Clinton campaign and the White House, which formally accused Russia of interfering in the election in October and later directly accused Putin. And because President Obama already delivered on a promise to punish Russia for the hacks in a set of sanctions at the end of December, some were scratching their heads about the validity of the report. [Russia confrontation] [US_Election16] [Hacking] [Evidence]
• DNC Refused to Give FBI Access to Its Servers … Instead Gave Access to a DNC Consultant Tied to Organization Promoting Conflict with Russia
  By Washington's Blog Global Research, January 06, 2017 Washington's Blog 5 January 2017 The Democratic National Committee “rebuffed” a request from the FBI to examine its computer services after it was allegedly hacked by Russia during the 2016 election, a senior law enforcement official told CNN Thursday. “The FBI repeatedly stressed to DNC officials the necessity of obtaining direct access to servers and data, only to be rebuffed until well after the initial compromise had been mitigated,” a senior law enforcement official told CNN. “This left the FBI no choice but to rely upon a third party for information. *** The FBI instead relied on the assessment from a third-party security company called CrowdStrike. As first reported by George Eliason, CrowdStrike’s Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder Dimitri Alperovitch – who wrote the CrowdStrike reports allegedly linking Russia to the Democratic party emails published by Wikileaks – is a fellow at the Atlantic Council … an organization associated with Ukraine, and whose main policy goal seems to stir up a confrontation with Russia. [1]. [Russia Confrontation] [DNC] [Hacking]
• Declassified report says Putin ‘ordered’ effort to undermine faith in U.S. election and help Trump
  By Greg Miller January 6 at 4:49 PM ? Russia carried out a comprehensive cybercampaign to upend the U.S. presidential election, an operation that was ordered by Russian President Vladi­mir Putin and “aspired to help” elect Donald Trump by discrediting his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in a report released Friday. The report depicts Russian interference as unprecedented in scale, saying that Moscow’s assault represented “a significant escalation in directness, level of activity, and scope of effort” beyond previous election-related espionage. The campaign was ordered by Putin himself and initially sought primarily to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, “denigrate Secretary Clinton” and harm her electoral prospects. But as the campaign proceeded, Russia “developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump” and repeatedly sought to elevate him by “discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him.” [Russia confrontation] [US_Election16]
• Why the DNC Emails Were Leaked Not Hacked
  by William Binney and Ray McGovern It has been several weeks since the New York Times reported that “overwhelming circumstantial evidence” led the CIA to believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin “deployed computer hackers” to help Donald Trump win the election. But the evidence released so far has been far from overwhelming. The long anticipated Joint Analysis Report issued by the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI on Dec. 29 met widespread criticism in the technical community. Worse still, some of the advice it offered led to a very alarmist false alarm about supposed Russian hacking into a Vermont electric power station. Advertised in advance as providing proof of Russian hacking, the report fell embarrassingly short of that goal. The thin gruel that it did contain was watered down further by the following unusual warning atop page 1: “DISCLAIMER: This report is provided ‘as is’ for informational purposes only. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not provide any warranties of any kind regarding any information contained within.” [US_Election16] [DNC] [Russia confrontation] [Hacking]
• US concludes Vladimir Putin ordered campaign to influence US election 'after British intelligence tip-off'
  By David Lawler, Washington 7 January 2017 • 2:49am US intelligence agencies accused Vladimir Putin of launching an "influence campaign" to damage Hillary Clinton in a new report, with sources saying British intelligence provided the tip about Russia's hacking of the Democratic Party. The report said Russia showed a "clear preference" for Donald Trump, the president-elect, and carried out cyber attacks and issued propaganda both to boost his chances and to undermine confidence in American democracy. [Russia confrontation] [US_Election16] [Hacking] [UK]
• Donald Trump blasts 'fools' who oppose good Russian ties
  US President-elect Donald Trump has posted a series of tweets condemning those who oppose good relations with Russia as "'stupid' people, or fools". Mr Trump vowed to work with Russia "to solve some of the many... pressing problems and issues of the WORLD!" His comments came after an intelligence report said Russia's president had tried to aid a Trump election victory. Mr Trump said Democrats were to blame for "gross negligence" in allowing their servers to be hacked. In a series of tweets on Saturday, Mr Trump said that having a good relationship with Russia was "no bad thing" and that "only 'stupid' people, or fools, would think that it is bad!" He added that Russia would respect the US more when he was president. [Trump] [US Russia]
• Declassified report says Putin ‘ordered’ effort to undermine faith in U.S. election and help Trump
  By Greg Miller and Adam Entous January 6 at 7:40 PM ? Russia carried out a comprehensive cyber campaign to sabotage the U.S. presidential election, an operation that was ordered by Russian President Vladi­mir Putin and ultimately sought to help elect Donald Trump, U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in a remarkably blunt assessment released Friday. The report depicts Russian interference as unprecedented in scale, saying that Moscow’s role represented “a significant escalation in directness, level of activity, and scope of effort” beyond previous election-related espionage. [Russia confrontation] [US_Election16] [Hacking]
• Top U.S. intelligence official: Russia meddled in election by hacking, spreading of propaganda
  By Ellen Nakashima, Karoun Demirjian and Philip Rucker January 5 Clapper: Russia is 'bent on establishing a presence in the' West At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Jan. 5, National Intelligence Director James Clapper responded to a question from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.). (Reuters) The country’s top intelligence official testified to Congress on Thursday that Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign went well beyond hacking to ­include disinformation and the dissemination of “fake news” — an effort, he said, that continues. “Whatever crack, fissure, they could find in our tapestry .?.?. they would exploit it,” said Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr., testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on foreign cybersecurity threats, especially Russian hacking and interference in the election. The hearing brought one of the most contentious post-election ­issues directly to Capitol Hill and to a national audience. Predictable partisan political lines were drawn. Most Republicans seemed disinclined to address head-on the intelligence community’s allegations of Russian hacking and used the hearing to criticize President Obama’s handling of the cyberattacks. But Democrats and the leading Republicans on the committee — Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) — eagerly questioned intelligence officials about Russian interference in the election and seemed ready to embrace their conclusions about the Kremlin’s motives. [Russia confrontation]
• Russia cyber attacks are 'major threat,' Congress probe hears
  Russia "major" cyber threat to U.S.: Clapper By Dustin Volz and Patricia Zengerle | WASHINGTON Russian cyber attacks pose a "major threat" to the United States, top U.S. intelligence officials told a congressional hearing on Thursday despite skepticism from President-elect Donald Trump about findings that Moscow orchestrated hacking of the 2016 election. Although Trump called himself a "big fan" of the intelligence community on Thursday, he is heading for a conflict over the issue with Democrats and some fellow Republicans in Congress. Many lawmakers are wary of Moscow and distrust Trump's praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin and efforts to heal the rift between the United States and Russia. Trump, who becomes the U.S. president on Jan. 20, will be briefed by intelligence agency chiefs on Friday on hacks that targeted the Democratic Party during the presidential election campaign that he won. [Russia confrontation] [Hacking] [MISCOM] [Trump]
• Trump’s criticism of intelligence on Russia is dividing Hill GOP
  Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) speaks with U.S. service members on Jan. 2 on a visit to the NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Center in Krtsanisi, outside Tbilisi, Georgia. (Zurab Kurtsikidze/European Pressphoto Agency) By Karoun Demirjian and Greg Miller January 4 at 9:49 PM President-elect Donald Trump’s broadside against the intelligence community is dividing Capitol Hill Republicans, with some ready to pounce on Trump’s skepticism that Russia interfered with the U.S. elections and others urging a more cautious approach. The resulting schism could widen as Congress begins probing the CIA’s charges that Russia intervened in the November elections in an attempt to help Trump, potentially becoming one of the first significant intraparty breaches of the Trump presidency. [Trump] [CIA] [Hacking][McCain] [Russia confrontation]
• Julian Assange’s claim that there was no Russian involvement in WikiLeaks emails
  By Michelle Ye Hee Lee January 5 at 3:00 AM Fact-checking Julian Assange's denial of Russian involvement in WikiLeaks emails The Washington Post's Fact Checker took a closer look at Julian Assange's assurance that there is no link between the Russian government and the hacked DNC emails that WikiLeaks released during the 2016 presidential campaign. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post) Host Sean Hannity: “Can you say to the American people unequivocally that you did not get this information about the DNC, John Podesta’s emails — can you tell the American people 1,000 percent you did not get it from Russia . . . “ Julian Assange: “Yes.” Hannity: “. . . or anybody associated with Russia?” Assange: “We — we can say and we have said repeatedly . . . “ Hannity: “Right.” Assange: “. . . over the last two months, that our source is not the Russian government and it is not a state party.” — exchange on “Hannity” on Fox News, Jan. 3, 2017 Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, categorically denied links between the Russian government and the hacked documents his organization released during the 2016 presidential campaign. After the interview aired on Fox News, President-elect Donald Trump pointed to Assange’s claim to cast doubt on allegations of Russian involvement in the WikiLeaks emails: We will stipulate that governments regularly spy on each other, and the United States also gathers intelligence on governments such as Russia, China and India. The difference here is that intelligence operations allegedly led to the release of information to the public, via WikiLeaks and media coverage. Note the wording in the exchange. Hannity asks Assange if he can guarantee 1,000 percent that WikiLeaks “did not get it [hacked information] from Russia … or anybody associated with Russia.” Assange interjects with “yes” before Hannity finishes his question, then says that “our source is not the Russian government and it is not a state party.” His answer leaves open the possibility that the information could have come through an intermediary. As seen in Trump’s tweet, this exchange was ultimately interpreted as Assange saying the “Russians did not give him the info.” [Assange] [Hacking] [Media] [Russia confrontation]
• Fantasies About Russia Could Doom Opposition to Trump
  by David Swanson To many Democrats for whom killing a million people in Iraq just didn’t rise to the level of an impeachable offense, and who considered Obama’s bombing of eight nations and the creation of the drone murder program to be praiseworthy, Trump will be impeachable on Day 1. Indeed Trump should be impeached on Day 1, but the same Democrats who found the one nominee who could lose to Trump will find the one argument for impeachment that can explode in their own faces. Here’s a “progressive” Democrat: “In his dalliance with Vladimir Putin, Trump’s actions are skirting treason. … By undermining further investigation or sanctions against the Russian manipulation of the 2016 election, Trump as president would be giving aid and comfort to Russian interference with American democracy.” There’s a bit of a nod there — in the word “investigations” — to the lack of any evidence that Russia manipulated any U.S. election, yet that manipulation is stated as fact, and a failure to support further sanctions as punishment for it becomes “aid and comfort.” What level of punishment exactly constitutes the absence of aid and comfort? And how does that level of punishment compare with the level likely to produce war or nuclear holocaust? Who knows. [Trump] [Russia confrontation] [Impeachment]
• Romney on Russia Revisited
  Michael AVERKO | 03.01.2017 | WORLD Republican Mitt Romney has taken the neocon line, which spins the image of successive US presidents (Bill Clinton, George W Bush and Barack Obama) attempting to improve Washington's relations with Moscow - leaving the suggestion that Russian behavior makes that advocacy difficult. During his 2012 US presidential bid, Romney was ridiculed by the Democratic Party establishment for his belief that Russia posed the number one geopolitical (or existential) threat to the US. At the time, the Democratic connected MSNBC host Chris Matthews, chided Romany for ignoring the positive changes in post-Soviet Russia. Matthews approvingly referenced then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's rebuttal to Romney. Fast forward to the present and one finds a number of Democrats and not necessarily registered Democrats like CNN's Fareed Zakaria, change course by saying that they were wrong and Romney was right about Russia. (There's some debate on where Zakaria's views can be actually placed. Notwithstanding, he's arguably best categorized in the neoliberal grouping, which has an influential base in the Democratic Party.) Contrary to the neocon belief shared by some others, something else has been at play which has continuously warped much of the US mass media and political establishment commentary about Russia. Concisely put, whenever a major Russia related news issue occurs, there's a noticeable knee jerk reaction to slant towards the anti-Russian perspective. Such examples include the situation in Ukraine (in 2004 and 2014) and Georgia in 2008). More recent instances concern the suspect coverage of doping in Russian sports and the allegation of a Vladimir Putin backed Russian government effort to hack the Democratic party, for the benefit of Donald Trump [Russia confrontation]
• Trump alleges delay in his briefing on ‘so-called’ Russian hacking; U.S. official says there wasn’t one
  By John Wagner and Greg Miller January 4 at 9:09 AM Arriving at an annual New Year's Eve celebration at his Mar-a-lago, Fla., estate, President-elect Donald Trump left open the possibility of a meeting with Taiwan's president if she visits the United States after he is sworn in on Jan. 20. Trump also pushed back on intelligence claims about Russian hacking. (Reuters) President-elect Donald Trump took to Twitter on Tuesday night to say that a planned intelligence briefing for him on “so-called ‘Russian-hacking’” had been delayed until Friday, a development he called ‘very strange!” -- but one that a U.S. official said wasn't a delay at all. The tweet was the latest sign of Trump’s skepticism about a case pressed by the Obama administration, based on the work of U.S. intelligence and law-enforcement agencies, that Russia tried to influence the U.S. presidential election by hacking several Democratic email accounts, among other actions. Several leading Republicans have also endorsed that view. [US_election16] [Russia confrontation] [Hacking] [Trump] [Evidence]
• Assange: Russian government not the source of WikiLeaks emails
  Published January 03, 2017 Damning emails from Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman did not come from Russian hackers and the claim is being made to "delegitimize" Donald Trump, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange told Fox News' Sean Hannity in an exclusive interview. Hannity sat down with Assange in London's Ecuadorian embassy, where the Australian native has been holed up for five years battling extradition to Sweden on unrelated charges. Part I of the interview is set to air Tuesday night at 10 p.m. on Fox News Channel's "Hannity." In excerpts released prior to airing, Assange is adamant that the hacked emails his organization released of Clinton official John Podesta did not come from Russia, as the Obama administration has claimed. “We can say, we have said, repeatedly that over the last two months that our source is not the Russian government and it is not a state party,” Assange said. [Assange] [US_election16] [WikiLeaks] Russia confrontation]
• Here’s why Russia gives itself high marks for 2016
  Russia’s chief diplomatic and military agencies are reporting on their performance for the just-ended year, and the news appears to be good. Russia achieved many of its 2016 goals in the Middle East and paved the way for potentially significant successes in 2017 and beyond. Maxim A. Suchkov Posted January 2, 2017 A newly released report, Overview of Foreign Policy 2016, states, “The key track in strengthening international security and stability in 2016 was the struggle against terrorism.” In this regard, the Middle East and the North Africa region were central to Russian foreign policy, with Syria having been a focal point of Moscow’s political and military effort in 2016. Indeed, since the start of its military campaign in Syria in the fall of 2015, Russia has dramatically reinforced its regional presence — in some cases, probably contrary to its preliminary calculations. Russia’s ultimate plans for Syria are a matter of speculation. But as far as Moscow’s initial objectives, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu partly addressed those recently. At the December extended session of the Defense Ministry, Shoigu said the key task put forward by President Vladimir Putin was achieved: Russian air forces “turned the tide” in Syria. Among the key achievements Shoigu noted were smashing of “large militant groups” in Hama, Homs and Latakia; freeing Aleppo; and “unlocking the traffic artery” tying Damascus to the country’s north. [Russia Syria]
• Russian government hackers do not appear to have targeted Vermont utility, say people close to investigation
  The investigation by officials began Friday, when the Vermont utility reported its alert to federal authorities, some of whom told The Washington Post that code associated with the Russian hackers had been discovered within the system of an unnamed Vermont utility. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images) By Ellen Nakashima and Juliet Eilperin January 2 at 10:02 PM As federal officials investigate suspicious Internet activity found last week on a Vermont utility computer, they are finding evidence that the incident is not linked to any Russian government effort to target or hack the utility, according to experts and officials close to the investigation. An employee at Burlington Electric Department was checking his Yahoo email account Friday and triggered an alert indicating that his computer had connected to a suspicious IP address associated by authorities with the Russian hacking operation that infiltrated the Democratic Party. Officials told the company that traffic with this particular address is found elsewhere in the country and is not unique to Burlington Electric, suggesting the company wasn’t being targeted by the Russians. Indeed, officials say it is possible that the traffic is benign, since this particular IP address is not always connected to malicious activity. [Russia confrontation] [Hacking] [Hysteria]
• 2016: The year of Russia’s triumph
  by The Saker, via Unz Review Just like European maps place Europe in the center of the planet, so do most western commentators look at the past year from a US/Europe-centered perspective. Which is fair enough. Furthermore, the AngloZionist Empire has just suffered two major disasters, the Brexit and the election of Trump, so there is truly much interesting to focus on. Still, what I want to do today is to look at the year which is ending from a Russian perspective. The following were the major challenges Russia faced in 2016: 1. The Nazi regime in Kiev 2. The civil war in the Donbass 3. Ukrainian attempts to blockade Crimea 4. The rabid hostility of the US Administration 5. NATO’s policy of military confrontation in Europe 6. The united European front against Russia 7. Western sanctions, the subsequent drop in investments and credit and the low oil prices 8. The growing dissatisfaction of the Russian people with the economic polices of the government 9. The struggle against the “liberal” 5th column inside Russia 10. The international aggression against Syria 11. The demonization of Russia in general and of Vladimir Putin in particular 12. Terrorist attacks against Russia Let’s take these one by one now and score them: [Resurgences]
• Putin won 2016, but Russia has its limits as a superpower?
  By David Filipov December 31, 2016 ? MOSCOW — In a New Year’s address that came off like a victory lap, Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked his country Saturday in the wake of a wildly successful 2016 that saw the Kremlin leader shore up Russia’s standing abroad and acquire a host of powerful geopolitical friends. Putin heads into 2017 on a strong note, having brokered a cease-fire in Syria that sidelined the United States and having won the praise of President-elect ­Donald Trump by declining to retaliate in response to the Obama administration’s decision to punish Moscow over its alleged interference in the U.S. election. “We are working, and working successfully, and we are achieving much,” Putin said in the nationally broadcast address. “I would like to thank you for the victories and achievements, for your understanding and trust, and for your true, sincere care for Russia.” [ Putin says he won’t deport U.S. diplomats as he looks to cultivate relations with Trump ] Putin is as popular as ever at home, and his stature abroad has been bolstered by Russia’s leading role in the Syrian peace process, the rise in countries in the Western alliance of nationalists who favor better ties with Moscow, and the impression that the Kremlin can tip elections with its hackers, trolls and political spin machines. [Russia confrontation] [Putin]
• THAAD and the Great Power Context: Russia’s Regional Interests in Korea
  By Anthony Rinna | January 01, 2017 Recent security developments on the Korean peninsula underscore the point that, per Parag Khanna, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” Great power aspirations and regional interests have begun to overlap in East Asia once again, this time under different circumstances to those of the past. Where once Moscow sought influence over Korea to stem the threat from Japanese imperial expansion,1) today’s diplomatic standoff over Thermal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) has opened a new chapter in the old saga of great powers and the eternal quest for security. Tensions no longer stem from a zero-sum competition for influence in Northeast Asia; instead, Russia and the United States harbor conflicting security interests on the Korean peninsula and in the wider region. [THAAD] [Russia]
• Obama strikes at Russia to get at Trump
  M.K. Bhadrakumar December 31, 2016 While announcing a series of major sanctions against Russia on Thursday, US President Barack Obama cited two reasons for doing so – first, “aggressive harassment” of American diplomats by Russian security; and, second, “cyber operations aimed at the US election.” The formulation was kept vague. The US and Russia maintain an intense and at times intrusive surveillance regime on each other’s diplomats. The action-reaction syndrome is so finely honed that it is predictable. If either side chooses to make a fuss about it, the intention can only be propagandistic. [US_election16] [Russia Confrontation] [Hacking] Obama] [Trump] [Expulsion]
• Trump refuses to face reality about Russia
  By Editorial Board
  December 30 at 7:01 PM ALTHOUGH PRESIDENT Obama’s sanctions against Russia for interfering with the U.S. presidential election came late, his action on Thursday reflected a bipartisan consensus that penalties must be imposed for Moscow’s audacious hacking and meddling. But one prominent voice in the United States reacted differently. President-elect Donald Trump said “it’s time for our country to move on to bigger and better things.” Earlier in the week, he asserted that the “whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what is going on.” No, Mr. Trump, it is not time to move on. U.S. intelligence agencies are in agreement about “what is going on”: a brazen and unprecedented attempt by a hostile power to covertly sway the outcome of a U.S. presidential election through the theft and release of material damaging to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. The president-elect’s dismissive response only deepens unanswered questions about his ties to Russia in the past and his plans for cooperation with Vladi­mir Putin. [Russia confrontation]
• Three reasons for Obama’s new Russia sanctions that have nothing to do with ‘hacking’
  Danielle Ryan Published time: 30 Dec, 2016 14:40 There are a few reasons Washington has imposed new political sanctions on Russia this week — including the expulsion of 35 diplomats — and none of the reasons have anything to do with Russia “hacking” the American election. So, let’s go through them. There are three primary motivators for Barack Obama here. Reason 1: Part of a face-saving exercise for Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party Barack Obama’s party has been kicking up such an unholy fuss over Russian “hacking” for months. The Democrats fully intended to blame the Russians if the election went Donald Trump’s way — and as expected, since November 9, they have been gung ho about Putin stealing the election from Hillary Clinton. Clinton voters, many of them, fully believe groups of hooded Kremlin-backed hackers in Vladivostok stole their election. They believe this with such ferocity because it is what they were told to believe by their party, by their country’s intelligence agencies, and by the media. The hurt feelings after losing the election could only be alleviated by directing the blame toward outside forces that had nothing to do with their candidate or their campaign…… Reason 2: Last-ditch attempt to sour relations between Trump and Russia It’s too early to tell what the Trump effect on US-Russia relations will be, but the current administration is doing everything in its power to ensure it won’t be entirely restorative. That’s rather sad, because after an eight-year-long plummet into a new and dangerous Cold War, surely improving the relationship should be a top priority. Instead, the Obama administration seems intent on trying to convince Trump that the Russians really are the baddies for all seasons and that only the most aggressive approach will work when dealing with the Kremlin. Reason 3: An immature revenge over Syria It surely can’t be a coincidence that these sanctions were communicated on the day a new ceasefire was announced in Syria; a ceasefire organized by Russia, Iran and Turkey, with the US playing no part. A bitter pill to swallow, indeed. [Russia confrontation] [Obama] [Hacking] [Evidence]

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