(2020-07-11). How the Pentagon failed to sell Afghan government's bunk 'Bountygate'. zcomm.org Another New York Times Russiagate bombshell turns out to be a dud, as dodgy stories spun out by Afghan intelligence and exploited by the Pentagon ultimately failed to convince US intelligence agencies…
(2020-07-11). Trump wants Christopher Steele, UK spy behind 'Russiagate' dossier 'tried and thrown into jail'. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump has called for the extradition, trial and imprisonment of disgraced British spy Christopher Steele, whose scandalous allegations against the president helped kickstart the 'Russiagate' investigation. | "This man should be extradited, tried, and thrown into jail," Trump said of Steele on Saturday, calling the British snoop a "sick lier [sic] who was paid by Crooked Hillary & the DNC!" | This man should be extradited, tried, and thrown into jail. A sick lier who was paid by Crooked Hillary & the DNC!
(2020-07-11). 'Another phony hit job': Trump slams NYT for 'made up' story about alleged Russian bounties in Afghanistan. rt.com 
A sensational New York Times report which alleged that Russia paid the Taliban to target US forces in Afghanistan was pure fabrication, Donald Trump has claimed after the Pentagon and intel agencies dismissed the story. | The claim that Moscow had placed bounties on US and coalition troops operating in Afghanistan, first reported by the Times last month, has been widely discredited by senior military and intelligence officials. Defense Secretary Mark Esper testified earlier this week that "all the defense intelligence agencies have been unable to corroborate that report." | Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gener…
(2020-07-11). Anti-Trump camp in meltdown over VIDEO of dancing Roger Stone after his prison term's commuted. rt.com 
Political huckster Roger Stone celebrated the commutation of his prison sentence in typically flamboyant style: by gyrating to music in a video that went viral and hit a raw nerve with his opponents and those of President Trump. | Ensnared by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's 'Russiagate' probe, Stone was sentenced in February to three years in prison for interfering with the investigation and tampering with witnesses — charges the long-time Republican maintained were baseless. Trump commuted his sentence on Friday — a move that doesn't overturn his conviction, but spares him a stint behind bars. | Fa…
(2020-07-11). Instead of Focusing on Bounties, Why Doesn't the U.S. End the Afghan War? zcomm.org Lawmakers are outraged over a recent story alleging that Vladimir Putin may be paying off Taliban soldiers to kill U.S. troops. But why are those troops still in Afghanistan?>
(2020-07-11). As Long as Mass Media Propaganda Exists, Democracy Is a Sham. strategic-culture.org Caitlin JOHNSTONE | "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,"
(2020-07-11). Russia reports 6,611 new coronavirus infections. yenisafak.com Russia on Saturday reported 6,611 new coronavirus cases, taking its nationwide tally of infections to 720,547.The country's coronavirus crisis response centre said 188 people had died from the virus in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 11,205.Russia said 497,446 people have recovered from the virus.
(2020-07-11). Unwrapping the Riddle of Srebrenica. strategic-culture.org Churchill's famous dictum about the Soviet Union, that it was "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma," is arguably just as applicable to Srebrenica. July 11 this year will be the twenty-fifth anniversary of that landmark event of the Yugoslav wars which the late Prof. Edward Hermann, speaking somewhat less poetically than Churchill, had called "the greatest triumph of propaganda at the close of the twentieth century." | Whether we choose to view Srebrenica as a criminal investigation to sort out who and at whose direction executed prisoners of war, or as a political provocation to lay the groundwork fo…
(2020-07-11). The U.S. Doesn't Need Another Cold War to Improve Itself. strategic-culture.org This is likely to lead to many violations of civil liberties committed in the name of national security. | Daniel LARISON | Hal Brands It is true that there was significant progress on civil rights during…
(2020-07-10). Putin, Russian Security Council discuss Libyan crisis. yenisafak.com "The situation in Libya was discussed with an emphasis on the absence of alternative to a ful settlement in this country," the Kremlin said in a statement on its official website following the meeting.Libya has been torn by civil war since the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.Libya's new government was founded in 2015 under a UN-led agreement, but efforts for a long-term political settlement failed due to the military offensive by warlord Khalifa Haftar's forces.The UN recognizes the Libyan government headed by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj as the country's legitimate authority.
(2020-07-10). The Washington Post and Its Cold War Drums. counterpunch.org 
The Washington Post has taken its Cold War campaign against China, Russia, and Iran to a new level. In the Sunday edition of its Outlook section,…
(2020-07-10). The Heat: U.S.-Russia ties. america.cgtn.com 
The Russia factor. How will relations between United States and Russia fare in an all-important election year?>
(2020-07-10). Trump commutes sentence of ally Roger Stone, jailed for 6 years in 'Russiagate' probe. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump has commuted the 'Russiagate' sentence of Roger Stone, a political operative who briefly worked on his 2016 campaign, just as Stone was ordered to report to prison to serve time behind bars. | Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced Stone in February to 40 months in prison for obstruction of justice, another 18 months for witness tampering, and 12 months for making false statements to Congress — but the sentences are to run concurrently, so the maximum time Stone would have spent behind bars is three-and-a-half years. | The charges stemmed from the investigation by Special Counsel Rob…
(2020-07-10). Trump commutes sentence of ally Roger Stone, sentenced to 6 years in 'Russiagate' probe. rt.com US President Donald Trump has commuted the 'Russiagate' sentence of Roger Stone, a political operative who briefly worked on his 2016 campaign, just as Stone was ordered to report to prison to serve time behind bars. | Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced Stone in February to 40 months in prison for obstruction of justice, another 18 months for witness tampering, and 12 months for making false statements to Congress — but the sentences are to run concurrently, so the maximum time Stone would have spend behind bars is three and a half years. | The charges stemmed from the investigation by special counsel Rob…
(2020-07-10). Netherlands to take Russia to European Court of Human Rights over 'role' in MH17 crash. rt.com 
The Dutch government has said it will file a suit against Russia at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). It alleges that Moscow played a part in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014. | "Today, the Dutch government decided to bring Russia before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) for its role in the downing of Flight MH17,"
(2020-07-10). New evidence shows FBI knew General Flynn was not 'agent of Russia' but prosecuted him anyway. rt.com 
President Donald Trump's first national security adviser Michael Flynn was "not acting as an agent of Russia" by the FBI's own determination, yet the Mueller probe was based on that claim and his legal odyssey still continues. | New evidence provided by the Justice Department to Flynn's legal team this week, and made public on Friday as part of a court filing, shows that the FBI determined Flynn wasn't a Russian agent, and believed he did not deliberately lie to agents during his January 2017 interview. | A handwritten document shows the officials believed there were no reasonable grounds for prosecution under…
(2020-07-10). New evidence shows the FBI knew General Flynn was not 'agent of Russia' but prosecuted him anyway. rt.com President Donald Trump's first national security adviser Michael Flynn was "not acting as an agent of Russia" by the FBI's own determination, yet the Mueller probe was based on that claim and his legal odyssey still continues. | New evidence provided by the Justice Department to Flynn's legal team this week, and made public on Friday as part of a court filing, shows that the FBI determined Flynn wasn't a Russian agent, and believed he did not deliberately lie to agents during his January 2017 interview. | A handwritten document shows the officials believed there were no reasonable grounds for prosecution under…
(2020-07-10). Dutch lawsuit with ECHR alleging Russia played part in MH17 downing will only further 'complicate' search for truth — Moscow. rt.com 
Russia had nothing to do with the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014, but it'll work with the European Court of Human Rights if the Netherlands files a law suit, Moscow has said. | Earlier on Thursday, the government of the Netherlands announced that it was planning to take Russia to the Strasbourg Court, alleging that Moscow had played "a role" in the plane crash six year ago, in which 298 lives, mostly of Dutch citizens, were lost. | Russia's Ministry of Justice countered in a statement that the ECHR hadn't yet informed it of the Dutch complaint. But if it's filed eventuall…
(2020-07-10). Russia & China veto Western resolution on keeping Syria-Turkey border crossings open, but Moscow's counter-proposal fails. rt.com 
A Russian UN Security Council resolution on Syrian-Turkish border crossings has been rejected, after Moscow and Beijing vetoed a draft by Western members who sought to reopen the checkpoints outside of government control. | The international body, working in an online format due to the coronavirus pandemic, rejected the Russian proposal with four votes in favor, seven against, and four abstentions. It is the fourth time that a vote on the rival measures has failed, with the council struggling to reach a compromise as the mandate of the border crossings expires on Friday. | Earlier on Friday, 13 out of 15 Secur…
(2020-07-10). Iran warns of consequences for any 'foreign elements' proven to be involved in mysterious Natanz nuclear-facility incident. rt.com 
Iran has vowed consequences for any foreign power that might have been involved in the recent incident at the Natanz uranium-enrichment site. The blast came amid a series of incidents at other Iranian vital sites. | "It is still too early to talk about and make any judgment regarding the main cause and reason for the blast [in Natanz], and relevant security bodies are investigating all the details of the incident," Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Abbas Mousavi said on Friday to reporters. | If they conclude that foreign elements have been involved, they will announce it, and there will be consequences.
(2020-07-10). "I Could Live With That": How the CIA Made Afghanistan Safe for the Opium Trade. counterpunch.org 
Jimmy Carter later confessed in his memoirs that he was more shaken by the invasion of Afghanistan than any other event of his presidency, including the Iranian revolution. Carter was convinced by the CIA that it could be the start of a push by the Soviets toward the Persian Gulf, a scenario that led the president to seriously consider the use of tactical nuclear weapons.
(2020-07-10). The collapse of the New York Times' "Russian bounties" campaign. wsws.org Less than two weeks after it kicked off a media frenzy, the Times published an editorial effectively conceding that there was no factual basis for its reporting that Russian military intelligence had paid bounties to Taliban fighters to kill American soldiers.
(2020-07-10). Has the Durham Investigation of the Russiagate Hoax Been Deep-Sixed? thealtworld.com I never had any expectation that the Trump Justice (sic) Department would investigate the Obama DOJ, FBI, and CIA officials who commited felonies while creating the Russiagate hoax that was intended to drive President Trump from office. The Washington Establishment never lowers the boom on its own. | Attorney General William Barr and US Attorney John Durham are establishment figures. So are the alleged targets of their investigation. But Trump is not an establishment figure. He challenged the establishment openly in his inaugeration speech, and the establishment has been after him ever since. | The alleged invest…
(2020-07-10). Israeli Security Summon Fatah Member for Interrogation in Jerusalem. imemc.org Israeli security services in the internationally-recognized occupied Palestinian East Jerusalem, summoned, on Thursday, a representative of the Fatah party, Shadi Matour, for interrogation. Official Palestinian News Agency (Wafa) said that Matour was summoned to the Muskobiya interrogation and detention center, also known as the Russian compound, shortly after he and …
(2020-07-10). China And Russia Promise Strong Mutual Support. telesurenglish.net China's President Xi Jinping and Russia's President Vladimir Putin Wednesday agreed to support each other in several areas to strengthen their relations as integral strategic partners. | RELATED: | Both presidents held a telephone conversation in which Xi emphasized how in the most difficult moments of the fight against COVID-19, China and Russia helped each other. | "China is ready to continue working with the Russian si…
(2020-07-10). Iran prepares retaliation for Israeli acts of sabotage. thealtworld.com Iran has postponed announcement of those it has concluded were responsible for the sabotage at the Natanz nuclear centrifuge facility and probably other sites. However, high ranking personnel in Tehran say that "investigations have concluded and the latest explosions may well have been related; indications are that Israel, plus another Middle Eastern country, are involved. Iran is studying its suitable and inevitable retaliation". | According to the source, "this has been confirmed beyond any doubt as an act of sabotage. The explosion at Natanz was destructive but security forces managed to thwart further attacks…
(2020-07-10). JCPOA: The Iran Nuclear Deal that Wasn't. globalresearch.ca July 14th, 2020, marks the fifth anniversary of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Agreement, often referred to as the Iran Nuclear Deal (or simply the Deal) — the Deal that wasn't. It was yet another attempt …
(2020-07-10). Iran explosions: Did Israel and the US just start a cyber war? thealtworld.com Explosions rocked a pair of Iranian factories involved in the manufacture of centrifuges for its nuclear program, and the development of advanced ballistic missiles. Iran suspects a cyberattack by either the US, Israel or both. | A series of
(2020-07-10). A New Tonkin Gulf Incident In The Making? popularresistance.org While the American public, the media, and Congress have largely been focused on the Covid pandemic, demands for racial justice, and other domestic concerns in recent months, the US military has been mobilizing all of its capabilities for a massive show of force in waters abutting China. Every Pacific-based US submarine is now deployed in the area; two nuclear-powered carriers and their escort ships are conducting naval maneuvers there; the Air Force has sent B-1 bombers overhead; and the Army is practicing to seize Chinese-claimed islands. | In the most provocative of these efforts, the carriers Nimitz and Ronald…
(2020-07-10). Dutch government to file suit against Russia over downing of MH17. yenisafak.com The Dutch government on Friday said it would file a suit against Russia at the European Court of Human Rights over the downing of Malaysia Airlines passenger flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine six years ago.The Netherlands, home to roughly two-thirds of the victims, holds Russia responsible for the crash on July 17, 2014. The Kremlin has consistently denied involvement.A letter to parliament said the Netherlands was filing the case at the European court to achieve "truth, justice and accountability" for all 298 victims.
(2020-07-10). Russia warns of growing nuclear war threat. yenisafak.com The risk of a nuclear war has risen significantly in recent years because of the US unwillingness to reaffirm its impossibility, the Russian foreign minister said on Friday."We are particularly concerned about the two-year-old refusal of the Americans to reassert the fundamental principle,…
(2020-07-10). UNSC Fails to Adopt Russian Draft Resolution to Deliver Syria Aid via 1 Crossing for One Year. sputniknews.com The previous resolution submitted by Russia was also blocked in the UNSC, with the United States, UK, Germany, France, Estonia, Belgium, and the Dominican Republican voting against the measure.
(2020-07-10). China's Reasonable Proposal for Arms Control and Washington's Duplicity. strategic-culture.org China underscored this week that it is willing to engage in negotiations with the U.S. to reduce nuclear arsenals and to underpin strategic stability. However, the offer comes with the caveat that Washington must first reduce its arsenal to the level of China's before Beijing will engage in such talks. | That is an eminently reasonable and logical proposal. The starting point is to look at the existing balance of forces. While the U.S. and Russia each possess about 6,000 nuclear warheads, China's arsenal is
(2020-07-10). VIDEO: Is Russia European? strategic-culture.org Is Russia a part of Europe? According to the map its origins definitely lay in Europe. But it sees itself unique | civilization with influence beyond its current constricted borders. Watch the video and read more in the
(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). 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). "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). 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). General Milley Tells US Congressional Panel No Evidence of Russian Bounties in Afghanistan. sputniknews.com WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The United States has no direct evidence of the alleged Russian bounties offered to Taliban* militants to kill US soldiers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley said in congressional testimony.
(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…
(2020-07-09). Militants Shell Settlements in Syria's Latakia, Aleppo, Idlib Provinces, Russian Military Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* terrorist group shelled settlements in the Syrian provinces of Idlib, Aleppo and Latakia, the head of the Russian centre for Syrian reconciliation, Rear Admiral Alexander Shcherbitsky, said during a press briefing on Thursday.
(2020-07-09). Russia Submits Draft UNSC Measure to Deliver Syria Aid Via 1 Crossing for 1 Year – Envoy. sputniknews.com UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – Russia has introduced another UN Security Council draft resolution that seeks to authorise the cross-border humanitarian aid delivery mechanism in northwestern Syria from Turkey through one crossing for a year, Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy said in a statement.
(2020-07-08). Is China the New Indispensable Nation? strategic-culture.org 
Usually when there are s, however minor, happening in a nation that has run afoul of the United States the "International Community" and "Human Rights s" rally to push for regime change. However, now that there are mass s 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 ors. If we were still in the Cold War the Soviet Union would have been instan…
(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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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…