(2020-07-09). "Pinning Down Putin" Biden, the Democrats and the Next War. counterpunch.org The latest Foreign Affairs features a piece by former Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, "Pinning Down Putin: How a Confidant America Should Deal With Russia." A protege of former secretaries of state Madeleine Albright and Hillary Clinton, she is a notorious "liberal interventionist," married to neocon pundit Robert Kagan. She is perhaps best known
(2020-07-09). Cold War with China and the Thucydides Trap: a Conversation with Richard Falk. counterpunch.org 
Should there be a Second Cold War an alleged US concern for human rights would indeed become another ongoing tool of propaganda. In this interview, International Relations scholar Richard Falk breaks down the grave dangers and prospects for a New Cold with China. Falk worries that tensions and rivalries both regionally and economically could result
(2020-07-09). Russia did it Again: Chasing the Bounty Hunters. dissidentvoice.org Russia did it again. This time it's paying to kill Americans. How criminal! Such things only Americans would do — Washington, the Pentagon, CIA…. Because killing and have killed is in their mindset and bloodstream. That's what criminals do: They project their own crimes onto others. The latest NYT reporting is, "It's not the Taliban …
(2020-07-09). As Long As Mass Media Propaganda Exists, Democracy Is A Sham. thealtworld.com "A majority of Americans believe that Russia paid the Taliban to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan last year amid negotiations to end the war, and more than half want to respond with new economic sanctions against Moscow, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday," "Overall, 60% of Americans said they found reports of Russian bounties on American soldiers to be 'very' or 'somewhat' believable, while 21% said they were not credible and the rest were unsure," says Reut…
(2020-07-09). The Latest 'Russiagate' Bombshell Took One Week To Be Exposed As Dud. popularresistance.org Within just one week the recent attempt to revive 'Russiagate' has failed. It was an embarrassing failure for the media who pushed it. Their 'journalists' fell for obvious nonsense. They let their sources abuse them for political purposes. | On June 27 the New York Times and the Washington Post published stories which claimed that Trump was informed about alleged Russian bounty payments to the Taliban for killing U.S. soldiers and did nothing about it: | A Russian military spy unit offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to attack coalition forces in Afghanistan, including U.S. and British troops, in a strik…
(2020-07-09). Israel's Attacks On Iran's Nuclear Sites Signal A New Phase Of Conflict. popularresistance.org Over the past week, mysterious explosions and fires have wracked key infrastructure connected to Iran's nuclear programme at Natanz and Parchin, key facilities engaged in uranium enrichment and the production of rocket fuel for ballistic missiles. | The US and Israel have accused Iran of violating UN resolutions and the nuclear deal in testing new ballistic-missile technology. Although Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has repeatedly denied any intent to create nuclear weapons, even going so far as to issue a fatwa against it, Iran's enemies are convinced it plans to "go nuclear". | The recent attacks…
(2020-07-08). Is China the New Indispensable Nation? strategic-culture.org 
Usually when there are protests, however minor, happening in a nation that has run afoul of the United States the "International Community" and "Human Rights Activists" rally to push for regime change. However, now that there are mass protests exploding over the United States these types of voices are completely silent. American police are free to destroy CHAZ and other camps however they see fit. This is the power of America, however this time around there sure are a lot of red flags and Communist sentiments in the mouths of the protestors. If we were still in the Cold War the Soviet Union would have been instan…
(2020-07-08). Afghanistan: What is to be Done? counterpunch.org 
The mainstream media is asking the wrong questions regarding the possibility of Russian bounties for American soldiers. Over and over, they ponder what did the president know and when did he know it? These were important questions that Senator Howard Baker asked of President Nixon during Watergate, but they are meaningless questions for Donald Trump, given his ignorance and indifference.
(2020-07-08). Christopher Steele to pay damages to Russian bankers for 'inaccurate and misleading' claims in his infamous dossier. rt.com 
A London judge has ordered former British spy Christopher Steele to pay thousands of pounds in damages for not verifying the claims he included in his scandalous Russian dossier, which alleged Donald Trump's ties with Moscow. | Steele was taken to court by Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven, Russian bankers from Alfa Group, who contested one of the key allegations in the paper — that they were responsible for delivering "large amounts of illicit cash" to President Vladimir Putin in the 1990s. | Justice Mark Warby of the High Court of England and Wales ruled on Wednesday that Steele's claim against Fridman and…
(2020-07-08). Hero to zero? Former Communist presidential candidate Grudinin may go bankrupt after $15 million judgement. rt.com 
Pavel Grudinin, the Communist Party candidate in the 2018 Russian presidential election, may be facing bankruptcy after the Tenth Arbitration Court of Appeal upheld a decision against him for 1.066 billion rubles ($15 million). | Grudinin called the judgement "dangerous," as he does not have the money to pay. | The former Communist political candidate is the director of Lenin State Farm, a 2,000-hectare sprawl of fields growing fruits and vegetables on the outskirts of Moscow. His farming enterprise has enabled him to become a millionaire. | Grudinin's potential bankruptcy comes as the result of attacks from m…
(2020-07-08). Russia & Turkey working on ways to achieve truce in Libya, despite Tripoli's unwillingness to stop fighting — Lavrov. rt.com 
Moscow and Ankara are discussing ways to reach a ceasefire in Libya, but one of the warring sides — the GNA in Tripoli — is not on board, instead it's counting on winning militarily, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. | Lavrov noted that the other side, Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) "is ready to sign a document on the immediate cessation of hostilities." | Libya remains divided since NATO's bombing campaign in 2011 led to the overthrow of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi, and the devastation of the once prosperous North African state. | The fighting between the GNA, backed by…
(2020-07-08). UN Syria commission never went to Idlib, obsessed with blaming Damascus — Lavrov. rt.com 
The UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria relied on unverifiable third-hand sources and is obsessed with blaming Damascus, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after the Syrian government was accused of 'war crimes' in Idlib. | "This so-called independent commission uses facts drawn from social networks and from some sources that have asked to remain anonymous, citing security concerns," Lavrov said on Wednesday. He was commenting on the findings of three UN officials, who never bothered actually visiting the war-torn province. | While the Russian Foreign Ministry seeks to address the Syrian conflict, or an…
(2020-07-08). How the Pentagon failed to sell Afghan government's bunk 'Bountygate' story to US intelligence agencies. thegrayzone.com Another New York Times Russiagate bombshell turns out to be a dud, as dodgy stories spun out by Afghan intelligence…
(2020-07-08). Patriotism Is Bullshit, And Other Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com It is 2021. The Biden administration has launched a full-scale invasion of Syria and the US and Russia are at a nuclear standoff unseen since the Cuban missile crisis. All top Twitter trends relate to the widespread debate over whether or not Sesame Street is guilty of kink shaming. | ~ | A vote for Kanye is a vote for Trump. | A vote for the Green Party is a vote for Trump. | A vote for no one is a vote for Trump. | A vote for Joe Biden is a vote for Trump. | Everything is a vote for Trump. | Everything is Trump. | You are Trump. | I am Trump. | Trump is all there is. | There is no escape. | ~ | Leaving aside th…
(2020-07-08). Russia-Baiting Is the Only Game in Town. globalresearch.ca There is particular danger at the moment that powerful political alignments in the United States are pushing strongly to exacerbate the developing crisis with Russia. | The New York Times, which broke the story that the Kremlin had been paying the …
(2020-07-08). Were the Skripals Secretly Executed by Britain's Government? dissidentvoice.org Where are Sergei and Yulia Skripal? Are they still alive? Their having been poisoned in England on 4 March 2018 didn't kill them. Sergei Skripal is (or was) the Russian and British double agent (Russian spy who defected to UK), who had become imprisoned for six years in Russia, and then became spy-swapped to, and …
(2020-07-08). 100 years since formation of Soviet Extraordinary Commission for the Liquidation of Illiteracy. wsws.org The Soviet literacy campaign remains the largest and most successful in world history.
(2020-07-08). Eurasian nations register new coronavirus cases, deaths. yenisafak.com Coronavirus cases and fatalities continued to rise across Eurasia on Wednesday.- KazakhstanIn the Central Asian country of Kazakhstan, new cases rose by 1,376 to reach the total of 51,059.Recoveries increased by 630, bringing the tally to 16,928, the Health Ministry said.The government is trying to eliminate the drug shortage in pharmacies.The country's Foreign Ministry announced that humanitarian aid sent by Russia arrived in the country.The country had announced to implement a 14-day-quarantine procedure as of July 5.- UkraineHealth Minister Maksym Stepanov announced 807 more virus cases over the past 24 hours,…
(2020-07-08). Russia, Turkey seek solution to Libya crisis: Lavrov. yenisafak.com Russia and Turkey will continue joint efforts on finding a solution to the Libyan crisis, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday.The two countries are seeking an approach that would allow for immediate cease-fire in Libya, the minister said, speaking at a news conference in Moscow."Within the dialogue, sanctioned at the highest level by the presidents of Russia and Turkey, we have been working on finding approaches that would allow us to immediately declare a cease-fire and start resolving all other issues," the top diplomat said.He said the first essential step toward a solution is to declare "a c…
(2020-07-08). UNSC Blocks Russian Draft on Syria Aid Delivery Via 1 Border Crossing, Diplomatic Source Says. sputniknews.com UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – The UN Security Council did not support a Russian-drafted resolution that would have authorized the delivery of humanitarian aid into northwest Syria through one checkpoint in Turkey for half a year, a diplomatic source at the United Nations told Sputnik.
(2020-07-08). NASA Astronauts and Russian Cosmonaut Perform Habitability Test of Crew Dragon Capsule. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, who piloted the Crew Dragon, International Space Station Commander Chris Cassidy, and Flight Engineer Anatoly Ivanishin performed the one-hour habitability test of the SpaceX Crew Dragon, NASA said in a press release.
(2020-07-08). Ulyanov reacts to Bolton's remarks on Lt. Gen. Soleimani. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 09 (MNA) — Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov reacted to Bolton's remarks regarding the assassination of Lt. Gen. Soleimani.
(2020-07-08). Iran, Russia seeking to expand energy coop. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 08 (MNA) — Iranian deputies from Ministries of oil and energy held a videoconference with Deputy Minister of Energy of Russia on Wednesday.
(2020-07-07). RussiaGate Overdrive: Weapons of War by Other Means on Targeted Nations and Individuals. globalresearch.ca Leading global human rights abuser USA is followed by Britain close behind. | Time and again, ruling authorities of both countries accuse other nations for their own high crimes — notably relating to wars of aggression they wage against nonbelligerent states …
(2020-07-07). Iran Vows Retaliation Against Cyber or Other Attacks on Its Legitimate Nuclear Facilities. globalresearch.ca Iran's legitimate nuclear facilities have no military component, according to the IAEA nuclear watchdog organization and annual US intelligence community assessments of global threats. | Days earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif explained that legitimate Iranian nuclear sites are subject to unprecedented …
(2020-07-07). Revealed: Saudi Arabia Tripled its Theft of Yemen's Oil amid Price War with Russia. mintpressnews.com 
Saudi Arabia has been eyeing the largely untapped oil reserves in Yemen for decades, now, with the war seemingly winding down, it's scrambling to secure them at any cost.
(2020-07-07). Russia steps up patrols against marmot hunting after bubonic plague outbreaks in neighboring China & Mongolia. rt.com 
Russia is increasing patrols on its border with China and Mongolia after both of its neighbors reported suspected cases of the bubonic plague. The aim is to stop people from hunting marmots, which can carry the illness. | The rodents are thought to have been the source of the recent outbreak. Russian authorities have warned of the dangers of eating marmots. | Occurrences of the plague have been found in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia, and the Mongolian province of Khovd. | The bubonic plague is one of the plague's three variants, and was responsible for killing up to 200 million people in the 14th Centur…
(2020-07-07). If China seeks world domination, should the US keep doing business with it? FBI chief Wray seems to want it both ways. rt.com 
If the picture of Chinese 'malign influence' in the US is as dire as FBI Director Chris Wray painted it, the two nations ought to be at war. Yet Wray doesn't advise that, suggesting it's all just Russiagate-like fear-mongering. | "China is engaged in a whole-of-state effort to become the world's only superpower by any means necessary," Wray argued on Tuesday, speaking at an event hosted by the Hudson Institute in Washington, DC. | In addition to being able to execute its malign influence projects with "authoritarian efficiency," China is "calculating, they're persistent, they're patient and they're not subject…
(2020-07-07). Putin's Vision for an Anti-Fascist/Open System Future and You. strategic-culture.org 
During the course of President Putin's June 24 "We understand how important it is to strengthen friendship and trust between nations, and are open to dialogue and cooperation on the most pressing issues on the international agenda. Among them is the creation of a common reliable security system, something the complex and rapidly changing modern world needs. Only together can we protect the world from new dang…
(2020-07-07). Private: Why the High Dudgeon over Alleged Russian Bounties for Taliban Slaying of US Troops. counterpunch.org Democratic politicians like presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden and House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi and liberal media pundits are all screaming for "action" against Russia based on an article in the New York Times that relies on anonymous sources in the "military" and "US intelligence." The article, picked up by most major media unquestioningly, asserts base on
(2020-07-07). Britain Is Following Its Big Brother By Imposing So-Called Humanitarian Sanctions. thealtworld.com The UK's imposition of so-called "humanitarian sanctions" against 49 individuals from Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, and Saudi Arabia that it claims are supposedly involved in "human rights abuses" is nothing more than London following its "big brother's" lead from "across the pond" in…
(2020-07-07). Video: Syrian Army Fights ISIS in Homs. SDF Rejects Deal with Damascus. globalresearch.ca Clashes between government forces and ISIS terrorists have continued in central Syria since July 2, when ISIS cells stormed army positions in eastern Homs. In response, the Syrians supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces launched a security operation in the …
(2020-07-07). Dishonest Democrats, a Lying President and Fort Hood Crime Base. globalresearch.ca Once again dishonest Democrats have engaged in another embarrassing political food fight against a lying President over an unsubstantiated "Russian bounties" story by the New York Times. Based on a report by an "intelligence operative" in Afghanistan and without any …
(2020-07-07). Will the 'Liar and Thief' Be Brought Down by a Russian Hoax? thealtworld.com July 4, 2020, Independence Day in the United States, saw something that hasn't happened in the US before, the American military turn on a sitting president. The accusations were something new as well, equating Donald Trump with infamous American traitor, Benedict Arnold, the turncoat that gave the British the vital American fortress at West Point during a critical juncture of the Revolutionary War. | We need to take a second here and understand where America is currently. Tens of millions are unemployed in the United States. Tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of small to medium businesses are closed…
(2020-07-07). Our Nation Needs a Wake-Up Call to the Nuclear Threat. thenation.com Our Nation Needs a Wake-Up Call to the Nuclear Threat…
(2020-07-07). Russia digs trench around Siberian village to enforce COVID quarantine. yenisafak.com Russian authorities have dug a trench around a remote Siberian village to enforce a quarantine, after dozens of residents contracted the coronavirus, which local officials believe was spread at a traditional shaman ritual.The village of Shuluta, located some 30 kilometres south east of Lake Baikal in Siberia's Buryatia region, has 37 confirmed cases of the virus among its 390 residents.Ninety-five other people are believed to have been in contact with those infected and are also required to quarantine, said the head of the local administration, Ivan Alkheyev.Alkheyev said the outbreak started after dozens of vill…
(2020-07-07). Tehran hosts meeting of Iran-Russia universities' chancellor. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 08 (MNA) — The 5th meeting of Iran-Russia universities' chancellor was held virtually at University of Tehran.
(2020-07-07). Iran's nuclear activities unstoppable: Rabiei. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 07 (MNA) — Government Spokesman Ali Rabiei reacted to the recent incident in Natanz nuclear facility, highlighting that nothing can stop Iran's nuclear program.
(2020-07-07). AEOI rejects rumors on blast in Shahid Rezaei nuclear site. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 07 (MNA) — In a statement on Tuesday, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) dismissed the rumors of an explosion in Shahid Rezaei nuclear site in the Iranian province of Yazd.
(2020-07-06). Afghan President Ghani to host online conferences, seeking 'global consensus' on Taliban talks. rt.com 
Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani was expected to start pushing on Monday for a global consensus on peace talks with the Taliban. Ghani is hosting three online conferences with representatives of some 20 countries this week, AFP reported. | They aim to "build a consensus" for the peace talks at both a regional and international level, according to the Foreign Ministry in Kabul. | The United States, Russia and the United Nations will take part, officials said. Other participating countries include Pakistan, India, Iran, China, Egypt, and Qatar. | However, just hours ahead of the first online meeting on Monda…
(2020-07-06). Shield of the Union: How the Russian Navy Protected America in the Civil War. strategic-culture.org Strange things happen in civil wars: During the Russian Civil War in 1919, 13,000 U.S. troops were dispatched by President Woodrow Wilson to occupy the cities of Archangelsk in the Arctic and Vladivostok on the Pacific. | Half a century earlier, thousands of Imperial Russian Navy sailors and their officers flooded the cities of San Francisco and New York. But the circumstances were very different. They were there to defend the United States from foreign invasion — not to threaten it and they brilliantly succeeded in their tasks. | The incredible story is well told in "Friends in Peace and War: The Russian N…
(2020-07-06). Provocative US Military Drills Near Chinese Waters. globalresearch.ca Imagine how the US and world community would react if Chinese, Russian, or Iranian warships conducted military exercises in the Gulf of Mexico or off America's east or west coasts. | Bipartisan hardliners in Washington and establishment media might consider this …
(2020-07-06). Foreign Election Interference: Who is to Blame? counterpunch.org 
he New York Times has always taken the view that U.S. election interventions have "generally been aimed at helping non-authoritarian candidates" whereas Russia has "more often intervened to disrupt democracy or promote authoritarian rule." Too bad the Times could not interview Iran's Mohammed Mossadegh, Chile's Salvador Allende, or the Congo's Patrice Lumumba, who were targeted by the Central Intelligence Agency and replaced by brutal regimes that ruled for decades.
(2020-07-06). 'It is not clear': Putin says Russian tourists are no closer to going abroad as world governments can't figure out what to do. rt.com 
Russian President Vladimir Putin has no idea when countries will open their borders to Russian tourists, because the world's governments can't work out what they want to do — and other Europeans don't even agree with each other. | That's according to the president himself, speaking with Vitaly Savelyev, head of Russia's flag-carrying airline Aeroflot. | "It is not clear what our partners in many countries of the world will do, including in Europe, as they still can't figure out between themselves," he said. "And it is not clear when they will open their borders and territories to third-country nationals,…
(2020-07-06). Russian Bounties: Here We Go Again. strategic-culture.org In case you've been living in a cave the last few weeks, here's latest news scoop riling the United States: Russia has been paying the Afghan Taliban bounties for American scalps. | How do we know? Because the New York Times tells us so, and the Times is not the kind of paper to make stuff up. But how does the Times know it's true? Because sources say so, sources so super-sensitive and high up that it can't reveal their names. All it can say according to in a front-page
(2020-07-06). Washington Threatens Military Action Against Iran After UN Meeting. popularresistance.org "The international community in general – and the UN Security Council in particular – are facing an important decision: do we maintain respect for the rule of law, or do we return to the law of the jungle by surrendering to the whims of an outlaw bully?" Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said of Washington's recent moves. Several delegates at the Security Council meeting criticized US President Donald Trump for pulling out of the Obama-era nuclear accord, challenging its ability to legally trigger the deal's sanctions "snapback". Russia's UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, called the US campaign "a maxim…
(2020-07-06). Russia, Afghanistan And The Big Lie. popularresistance.org There is no end to the Russiagate fraud. All major charges have been disproved. No one was convicted of the dreaded "collusion" that was reported endlessly for the last four years. Damning information is now declassified and casts doubt on the veracity of the whole story. CrowdStrike, the Democratic National Committee cybersecurity firm, admitted under oath they had no proof of hacking by Russia or anyone else. Robert Mueller ended his two-year-long, multi-million-dollar investigation with nothing except convictions for process crimes. | Why then did the New York Times print a story with an unnamed intelligence a…
(2020-07-06). Russian church leader says calls to turn Hagia Sophia into mosque threaten Christianity. yenisafak.com Patriarch Kirill, the leader of Russia's Orthodox Church, said on Monday that calls to convert Istanbul's Hagia Sophia into a mosque posed a threat to Christianity.Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has proposed restoring the mosque status of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, an ancient building at the heart of both the Christian Byzantine and Muslim Ottoman empires and now one of Turkey's most visited monuments.The proposal has been criticised by several religious and political leaders, including the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch, spirtual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, as well as Greece, France an…
(2020-07-06). Russia opposes launch of JCPOA's 'dispute resolution'. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jul. 06 (MNA) — A senior Russian diplomat said that the launch of dispute resolution mechanism in JCPOA is not a good idea.
(2020-07-06). Netherlands 'Justice' Is Totally Corrupt: MH17 Case as Example. strategic-culture.org On Friday, July 3rd, the judge in the Netherlands court case against Russia as having fired a Buk missile that brought down the Malaysian Airlines plane that Ukrainian Air Traffic Control had instructed to fly over Ukraine's civil-war zone on 17 July 2014 ruled out any consideration of evidence from Russia.