A thorough reappraisal of our “special relationship” with the United Kingdom and exposure of its activities to the detriment of the US is imperative.”…This won't happen. Next step: US must cancel elections and admit US taxpayers are slaves. This won't happen either. For us to be free again, the US will have to be broken up.
10/13/2018, “Britain on the Leash with the United States-but at Which End?” James George Jatras, Strategic Culture
“Control of the Middle East-and opposing the Russians-became a British obsession, first to sustain the lifeline to India, the Jewel in the Crown of the empire, then for control of petroleum, the life’s blood of modern economies. In the context of the 19th and early 20th century Great Game of empire, that was understandable.
Much later, similar considerations might even support Jimmy Carter’s taking up much the same position, declaring in 1980 that “outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force.” The USSR was then a superpower and we were dependent on energy from the Gulf region.
But what’s our reason for maintaining that posture almost four decades later when the Soviet Union is gone and the US doesn’t need Middle Eastern oil? There are no reasonable national interests, only corporate interests and those of the Arab monarchies we laughably claim as allies. Add to that the bureaucracies and habits of mind that link the US and UK establishments, including their intelligence and financial components.
In view of all the foregoing, what then would policymakers in the United Kingdom think about an aspirant to the American presidency who not only disparages the value of existing alliances – without which Britain is a bit player – but openly pledges to improve relations with Moscow? To what lengths would they go to stop him?
Say ‘hello’ to Russiagate!
One can argue whether or not the phony claim of the Trump campaign’s “collusion” with Moscow was hatched in London or whether the British just lent some “hands across the water” to an effort concocted by the Democratic National Committee, the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, the Clinton Foundation, and their collaborators at Fusion GPS and inside the Obama administration. Either way, it’s clear that while evidence of Russian connection is nonexistent that of British agencies is unmistakable, as is the UK’s hand in a sustained campaign of demonization and isolation to sink any possible rapprochement between the US and Russia.
As for Russiagate itself, just try to find anyone involved who’s actually Russian. The only basis for the widespread assumption that any material in the Dirty Dossier that underlies the whole operation originated with Russia is the claim of Christopher Steele, the British “ex” spy who wrote it, evidently in collaboration with people at the US State Department and Fusion GPS. (The notion that Steele, who hadn’t been in Russia for years [since 1993], would have Kremlin personal contacts is absurd. How chummy are the heads of the American section of Chinese or Russian intelligence with White House staff?)
While there are no obvious Russians in Russiagate there’s no shortage of Brits. These include (details at the link):
Andrew Wood, a former British ambassador to Russia
Stefan Halper, a dual US-UK citizen.
Ex-MI6 Director Richard Dearlove.
Robert Hannigan, former director of GCHQ; there is reason to think surveillance of Trump was conducted by GCHQ as well as by US agencies under FISA warrants. Hannigan abruptly resigned from GCHQ soon after the British government denied the agency had engaged in such spying.
Alexander Downer, Australian diplomat (well, not British but remember the Five Eyes!).
Joseph Mifsud, Maltese academic and suspected British agent.
At present, the full role played by those listed above is not known. Release of unredacted FISA warrant requests by the Justice Department, which President Trump ordered weeks ago, would shed light on a number of details. Implementation of that order was derailed after a request by – no surprise – British Prime Minister Theresa May [proving again that on matters of crucial importance to US taxpayers, we’re immediately judged subordinate to unelected UK parasites thousands of miles away]. Was she [Theresa May] seeking to conceal Russian perfidy, or her own underlings’? [Sadly, dinners with ordinary Americans aren’t “magical” like they are with English speaking parasitic European monarchs. The Trump family was dazzled by the UK monarchy when it hosted Trump for a state visit in June 2019. Trump daughter Ivanka described dinner at Buckingham Palace as “magical.”…"President Trump’s Instagram page…shared a photo of Trump and the queen raising their glasses in honor of one another. “Tonight we celebrate an alliance that has helped to ensure the safety and prosperity of both our peoples for decades, and which I believe will endure for many years to come,” the caption stated, in part.”]
It would be bad enough if Russiagate were the sum of British meddling in American affairs with the aim of torpedoing relations with Moscow. (And to be fair, it wasn’t just the UK and Australia. Also implicated are Estonia, Israel, and Ukraine.) But there is also reason to suspect the same motive in false accusations against Russia with respect to the supposed Novichok poisonings in England has a connection to Russiagate via a business associate of Steele’s, one Pablo Miller, Sergei Skripal’s MI6 recruiter. (So if it turns out there is any Russian connection to the dossier, it could be from Skripal or another dubious expat source, not from the Russian government.) Skripal and his daughter Yulia have disappeared in British custody. Moscow flatly accuses MI6 of poisoning them as a false flag to blame it on Russia.
A similar pattern can be seen with claims of chemical weapons use in Syria: “We have irrefutable evidence that the special services of a state which is in the forefront of the Russophobic campaign [which isn’t primarily about Russia, is first about permanent enslavement of US taxpayers to the Endless War Industry–especially now that the US is a massive state sponsor of Islamic terrorism] had a hand in the staging” of a faked chemical weapons attack in Douma in April 2018.”…
[Ed. note: Douma was proved fake per leaked OPCW report. In May 2019, a previously unpublished copy of Feb. 2019 OPCW report was made public after being leaked. It made clear that the April 2018 Douma event was staged, that cylinders had not been dropped from the air, that they’d been placed by hand on the bed and balcony.…“The cover-up of evidence that
the Douma incident was staged is not merely misconduct. As the staging
of the Douma incident entailed mass murder of civilians, those in OPCW
who have suppressed the evidence of staging are, unwittingly or
otherwise, colluding with mass murder.“…5/18/19, “CONFIRMED: Chemical Weapons Assessment Contradicting Official Syria Narrative Is Authentic,” Caitlin Johnstone, Strategic Culture] (continuing): “Ambassador Aleksandr Yakovenko pointed to the so-called White Helmets, which is closely associated with al-Qaeda elements and considered by some their PR arm: “I am naming them because they have done things like this before. They are famous for staging attacks in Syria and they receive UK [and US] money.””…
[Ed. note: White Helmets is a glamorous terror group: “An Oscar for a Propaganda Flick,” Consortium News, 3/3/2017… Islamic terrorist leader praises White Helmets as “hidden soldiers:” “This March [2017], a leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, the powerful newly rebranded al-Qaeda-led rebel coalition in Syria, hailed the White Helmets in a special video message as the “hidden soldiers of the revolution.”…”Abu Jaber praises [terrorist] humanitarian workers, such as the White Helmets.” 3/19/17.….”Investigation: White Helmets Committing Acts Of Terror Across Syria,” Mint Press News, 9/6/2017]
(continuing): “Moscow warned for weeks before the now-postponed Syrian government offensive in Idlib that the same ruse was being prepared again with direct British intelligence involvement, even having prepared in advance a video showing victims of an attack that had not yet occurred.
The campaign to demonize Russia shifted into high gear recently with the UK, together with the US and the Netherlands, accusing Russian military intelligence of a smorgasbord of cyberattacks against the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) and other sports organizations, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the Dutch investigation into the downing of MH-17 over Ukraine, and a Swiss lab involved with the Skripal case, plus assorted election interference. In case anyone didn’t get the point, British Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson declared: “This is not the actions of a great power. This is the actions of a pariah state, and we will continue working with allies to isolate them.”
To the extent that the goal of Williamson and his ilk is to ensure isolation and further threats against Russia, it’s been a smashing success. More sanctions are on the way. The UK is sending additional troops to the Arctic to counter Russian “aggression.” The US threatens to use naval power to block Russian energy exports and to strike Russian weapons disputed under a treaty governing intermediate range nuclear forces. What could possibly go wrong?
In sum, we are seeing a massive, coordinated hybrid campaign of psy-ops and political warfare conducted not by Russia but against Russia, concocted by the UK and its Deep State collaborators in the United States. But it’s not only aimed at Russia, it’s an attack on the United States by the government of a foreign country [UK] that’s supposed to be one of our closest allies, a country with which we share many venerable traditions of language, law, and culture.
But for far too long, largely for reasons of historical inertia and elite corruption, we’ve allowed that [UK] government to exercise undue influence on our global policies in a manner not conducive to our own national interests. Now that government, employing every foul deception that earned it the moniker Perfidious Albion, seeks to embroil us in a quarrel with the only country on the planet that can destroy us if things get out of control. This must stop.
A thorough reappraisal of our “special relationship” with the United Kingdom and exposure of its activities to the detriment of the US is imperative.”
…………………………………
Added:
..
Image, by so-called White Helmets, via AP, is staged, fake.…(Pictures like this caused “heartbroken” mother Ivanka to urge her father to bomb Syria in 2017)
4/8/2018, “Trump calls out ‘Animal Assad’ for attack, criticizes Putin,” AP via Military Times, Jonathan Lemire. (Trump even forces US taxpayers to give millions of their hard-earned tax dollars to glamorous jihadist group White Helmets.….More on White Helmets…It’s very simple: US taxpayers are global slaves and everyone is fine with that.)
5/21/19, “Has OPCW Become a Four-Letter Word?” Martin Jay, Strategic Culture
(Syria map showing Douma)
The two cylinders in Douma, Syria were both placed by hand, not dropped from the air: “The conclusion of the Engineering Assessment is unequivocal: the “alternative hypothesis” that the cylinders were manually placed in position is “the only plausible explanation for observations at the scene.” As reported on 3/1/2019, there was no sarin gas or any nerve agent present. “The cover-up of evidence that the Douma incident was staged is not merely misconduct. As the staging of the Douma incident entailed mass murder of civilians, those in OPCW who have suppressed the evidence of staging are, unwittingly or otherwise, colluding with mass murder.“…“Assessment by the engineering sub-team of the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission investigating the alleged chemical attack in Douma in April 2018,” Working Group on Syria, Propaganda, and Media…Army of Islam was one of the groups, all of which were British, that alleged the April 7, 2018 Douma, Syria so-called attack.…Trump knew it would take months to substantiate such a claim, yet he bombed Syria only a week later on April 14, 2018. In May 2019–A previously unpublished copy of Feb. 2019 OPCW report was made public after being leaked. It made clear that the April 2018 Douma event was staged, that cylinders had not been dropped from the air, that they’d been placed by hand on the bed and balcony.
………………………………..
Added: Here’s UK’s Channel 4 with some “news” from Idlib accusing Russia and Syria of possible war crimes against White Helmets jihadist group in Idlib. This is basically White Helmets inventing a story about themselves. The only “reporting” from Idlib is from jihadists or known jihadist supporters. Normal reporters know if they go to Idlib they’ll be killed by Islamic terrorists, so their “Idlib” reports are filed from places like Beirut. Pathetic UK is so happy to help Islamic terrorists (as is the US) that they showcase a White Helmets PR piece as possible “war crimes” by Russia and Syria for the purpose of inciting US taxpayer funded war with Russia. No mention of US illegal invasion and occupation of Syria or that US is state sponsor of Islamic terrorism:
7/12/19, “Channel 4’s “Inside Idlib” – The Last Gasp of a Dying Campaign,” Off-Guardian.org, Kit Knightly, UK “Footage showing attack on White Helmets ambulance is evidence of possible war crime.”
“Channel 4 just announced a new addition to their on-going “Iside Idlib” report: a 10-minute video which – they claim – is evidence of the Russian and Syrian governments committing a war crime.
The war-crime itself is said to be a “double-tap” airstrike, ie. An airstrike, waiting for the first responders to arrive, and then another airstrike. (The term actually originates from US drone strikes in Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan…I don’t know if C4 had any special reports about that.)
Watch the video [at link], do you see evidence of a war crime?
Here’s what I saw:
*Fairly quiet countryside.
*Men in White Helmets running around some fig trees.
*Men in White Helmets shouting in Arabic.
*A dust cloud.
*A damaged van/ambulance.
*An injured man/a man pretending to injured/a dummy (You can never be sure with the WH).
*More running and shouting.
*One more dust cloud, much further away.
*People in white helmets looking sad.
Here’s what I didn’t see:
*Any Russian or Syrian planes.
*Any Russian or Syrian military personnel.
*Any Russian or Syrian military equipment.
*Any evidence of the “first airstrike”.
*Any bombs falling.
*Any evidence of a war crime.
If this is really the best they have, then they have nothing. It is, frankly, embarrassing.
THE REPORT
The written report that accompanies the video isn’t much better – it’s essentially just a Cliff Notes version of Jon Snow’s rather simpering commentary, but there’s some interesting language to deconstruct, and omissions to take note of.“An investigation by Channel 4 News has obtained evidence of possible war crimes in Syria.”
I just love this beginning part. So up itself, so pompous.
We KNOW there was no “investigation”, they didn’t dig this up or ferret it out – the people who made it want it to be on TV.
That’s the reason they made it. Channel 4’s “investigation” was checking their email.
Either GCHQ directly dumped it into their inbox one morning, or some NGO proxy did it for them…either way, there was no “investigation”. At best – at best – there were some fact checks AFTER they got the video, just to make sure they weren’t going to make fools of themselves. (Spoiler alert: they did).
As a general rule, with Western mainstream media, when they say “an investigation has obtained” they honestly do mean “someone emailed this to us”. That goes double for bellingcat.
That’s just how it works.
“…with airstrikes that appear to deliberately target [so-called] rescuers.”
Er…no they don’t. There are five “airstrikes” in the video (according to them, I only saw 2 at most). Of these five, only one (allegedly) hit anywhere even vaguely near an ambulance. If the Syrian airforce have a miss-rate of 80% how on earth are they winning this war?
“Footage caught on multiple cameras allegedly shows a so-called ‘double-tap’ operation in Idlib province.”
They keep coming back to this “multiple cameras” angle, I don’t know why. I think it might be a pre-emptive defence against accusations of fakery, maybe? Which would be pretty revealing in and of itself.
Oh, by the by, the “multiple cameras” are the go-pros and bodycams being worn by the White Helmets. I don’t know if they always wear them, or if they just wore them to that scene. Either way, it’s weird.
..........
If they always wear them…well, they must be expensive, and given the White Helmets are just plucky little volunteers that’s a hell of an investment. (Also, if the White Helmets are always wearing portable cameras, you’d think – five years into their existence – they’d have some pretty solid evidence of war crimes in Syria by now. But apparently this is the best they’ve got. Funny that).
If they put them on for this event especially., well, that’s obviously fishy.
“Evidence of this kind has rarely been seen before; a complete incident caught on multiple cameras.”
…there they go with the multiple cameras thing again. It’s really nothing like as compelling as they seem to think it is.
Oh, and “evidence of this type” has been seen MANY times before.
I can’t tell you how many videos of dusty men screaming into walkie talkies I’ve seen. Each and every one labelled “daring rescue caught on camera” or “Syrian war crimes exposed”.
This is no different. (In fact, it’s worse, because the field of fig trees is actually quite nice, compared with Indistinguishable Pile of Rubble #6).
It’s not a “complete incident” either, because even by their own admission we never saw the initial “strike”, supposing it actually happened.
“But, if proven, the so-called “double-tap” tactic is a war crime.”
Yes, and the Flat Earth theory if proven, would totally and irreversibly change our understanding of the universe.
“If proven” is a great phrase that way…it sounds serious, like it means something. It carries the implication of “and it will be soon”, but what it actually means – is that it’s not even close to being proven yet.
The war crime isn’t proven to have even happened, let alone to have been carried out by the Russian Syrian Air Force. And it won’t be proven, because the video has no evidence in it.
The footage is barely evidence, let alone proof. It could be recreated with 2 Go Pros, a barrel of dust and some discount fireworks.
WHITE HELMETS
Interestingly, though he’s obviously a man sincerely concerned about human rights and truth and all that good stuff, Mr Snow leaves out a fair amount of information about the White Helmets.
For example, he says that “Assad’s government considers [the White Helmets] enemy combatants.” But he doesn’t say why that’s the case.
Just to fill you all in, Assad’s government “considers the White Helmets enemy combatants” because they are directly funded by the American and British governments and because they regularly support – and even take part in – terrorist activities.
He says that “over 250” of the White Helmets have been killed, but doesn’t say that they claim to have a staff of over 3000 (paid) volunteers.
So, despite being just “carpenters and bakers”, and despite being constantly deployed to war-zones, and despite being the victims of the murderous Assad regime’s nefarious “double-tap” tactics….only 8% of them have been killed. In five years.
Less than one per week.
Considering the sheer number of hospitals the Syrians and Russians are alleged to have bombed – well into triple figures by now – that’s actually remarkable. Almost impossible, you might say. Those white helmets must really work.
My favourite part is when Snow has to describe the trick of “smearing mud on the ambulances to hide the White Helmets logo”, without once pausing to question:
1) Where these plucky little ex-bakers managed to get all these modern ambulances customised with their own logo.
2) Why they don’t just stop painting the logo on in the first place.
Just reflect for a second – they have a logo.
How bonkers is that? They’re supposed to be a destitute resistance movement, helping the poor victims of Assad’s brutality. Volunteer bakers and carpenters and school teachers who just want to help…and someone, at some point, is supposed have said “Guys, we should get a logo done,”.
That’s insane.
Did the French Resistance get a logo designed and then tool around occupied Paris in vans with their name painted on the side?
It’s just so…Western. So focus group. So public relations. So modern. The logo has to exist because that’s the brand. They need the logo to help sell the message. It’s the only way they know how to work.
It’s been done to death, but the White Helmets – as the media paint them – just don’t make any sense. They are a narrative beyond ridiculous, that simply can’t exist in the real world, and watching media pundits earnestly describing the Looney Tunes madhouse they’re trying to sell us has become funny.
I honestly don’t know what the point of this exercise was. It says nothing new, it shows nothing new. It’s a news story from two years ago, warmed up and repackaged.
The public is well past the White Helmets’ schtick, we all know what they are by now. The White Helmets are what you get when you give Al Qaeda a makeover. The result of a Western PR agency tasked with rebranding the unrebrandable.
This fight is over, and our side won. I don’t know what C4, or whoever supplied them this video, were hoping to achieve, but I can tell you they won’t achieve it.
This is the best evidence they have, the best they’ve ever had, they say that themselves. And it’s nothing. The information war for Syria is over. The White Helmets’ PR push failed. Turns out Assad didn’t have to go after all.
It’s really time the UK media woke up to this fact. At this point it’s just getting sad.”
..............
No comments:
Post a Comment