Huat Ah! It was Pot Called Kettle Nigger! Russia say UK Responsible for Chemical Attack! Nuke London

[Tony Tan]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...cation-foreign-intelligence-agency/514039002/

Russia blames UK for Syria chemical attack that killed dozens, many of them children
Associated Press Published 9:33 a.m. ET April 13, 2018 | Updated 11:40 a.m. ET April 13, 2018

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The Russian military says that an alleged chemical attack in Syria was staged and directed by Britain.

Volunteer first responders and activists claimed a chemical attack by the Syrian government killed over 40 people in the town of Douma, which drew international outrage and prompted Washington and its allies to consider a military response. Moscow warned against any strikes and threatened to retaliate.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, released statements by medics from Douma’s hospital who said a group of people toting video cameras entered the hospital, shouting that its patients were struck with chemical weapons and causing panic. The medics said none of the patients were hurt by chemicals.

Konashenkov said Friday that Britain was “directly involved in the provocation,” but didn’t elaborate or provide evidence.

Russia’s foreign minister claimed earlier on Friday that the suspected attack in Douma last weekend was staged with the help of an unspecified foreign intelligence agency.

A day before a team from the international chemical weapons watchdog was to arrive in Douma, just east of Damascus, Sergey Lavrov said Russian experts have already inspected the site of the alleged attack and found no trace of chemical weapons.

Moscow, he said, has “irrefutable information that it was another fabrication.” Lavrov did not offer evidence to back up his claim. Other Russian officials – both from Moscow and speaking at the United Nations – alleged quickly after Saturday’s suspected attack that the images of the victims in Douma were a sham.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also claimed that following Syrian rebels’ withdrawal from the eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus, stockpiles of chemical agents were allegedly found there. The ministry also pointed at previous use of chemicals by the rebels in fighting with Syrian government troops.

Speaking to reporters in Moscow, Lavrov reiterated a strong warning to the West against military action in Syria, saying any such “adventures” in Syria would increase flows of refugees into Europe.

“I hope no one would dare to launch such an adventure now,” Lavrov said.

Russia has been a staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government and has helped turn the tide of war in his favor since entering the conflict in September 2015. Syria’s civil war, which began as a popular uprising against Assad, is now in its eighth year.

A fact-finding mission from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is expected to head to Douma, the site of the suspected attack. Both the Russian military and the Syrian government said they would facilitate the mission and ensure the inspectors’ security.

Lavrov said Russia expects OPCW team to quickly visit the site. The Russian military said its chemical experts visited Douma shortly after the alleged attack and found no trace of chemical agents in ground samples. It also said Russian officers found no patients with chemical attack symptoms at a local hospital, and no indication of any burials having taken place of the victims.

On Thursday, Russia’s military said Douma has been brought under full control of the Syrian government under a Russia-mediated deal that secured the evacuation of the rebels and thousands of civilians after it was recaptured by Syrian forces. The government, however, said evacuations from Douma were ongoing and no Syrian government forces had entered the town.

Douma and the sprawling eastern Ghouta region near the capital, Damascus, had been under rebel control since 2012 and was a thorn in the side of Assad’s government, threatening his seat of power with missiles and potential advances for years. The government’s capture of Douma, the last town held by the rebels in eastern Ghouta, marked a major victory for Assad.

Lavrov said that “intelligence agencies of a state that is now striving to spearhead a Russo-phobic campaign were involved in that fabrication.” He didn’t elaborate or name the state.

In a reference to the U.S., he said that it “it would only benefit those who are protected by the ocean and expect to sit there and engage in continuous efforts to stir up the region in order to advance their geopolitical goals.”

Russia has dismissed the purported chemical attack as fake and strongly warned the U.S. and its allies against launching a military strike in Syria.

Lavrov noted that Russian and U.S. militaries have a hotline to prevent incidents, adding that it’s not clear if it would be sufficient amid mounting tensions.

“We are open for those contacts, they help to understand each other better,” Lavrov said.

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[Tony Tan]

It is very Dirty NIGGER Politics = FRAME U and VICTIMIZE YOU, or Call a dog a bad name and hang it.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-43747922

Russia says Syrian 'chemical attack' was staged

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Image caption Russia is an ally of Syria and gives military backing to its government
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said a reported chemical attack in Syria was staged by foreign agents.

A spokesman for Russia's defence ministry accused the UK of being involved staging the attack.

The US and France say they have proof it took place and, alongside the UK, are considering military retaliation.

Russia, which has military forces deployed in Syria in support of the government, has warned that Western air strikes risk starting a war.

During a press briefing on Friday, Mr Lavrov said he had "irrefutable evidence" that the attack was staged as part of a "Russophobic campaign" led by one country, which he did not name.

• Firepower of key countries
• What can Western military intervention achieve?
• Are we heading for a third world war?

General Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for Russia's defence ministry, said: "We have... evidence that proves Britain was directly involved in organising this provocation."

The UK's envoy to the UN has called this a "grotesque, blatant lie", Reuters news agency reports.

The White House says it is continuing to assess intelligence and talk to its allies about how to respond.

Meanwhile the UN's secretary general has said the Middle East is "in chaos" and the Cold War is "back with a vengeance".

Antonio Guterres was speaking to a special meeting of the UN Security Council, called by Russia.

He urged countries to "act responsibly in these dangerous circumstances".

A delegation from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will arrive in Syria's Eastern Ghouta region on Saturday. Few details are expected to be released about the movements of the chemical weapons inspectors, for safety reasons.

What proof is there of a chemical attack?
The suspected attack, denied by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government, was carried out in the Eastern Ghouta town of Douma on Saturday, reportedly killing dozens of people.

Control over the town has since passed from rebels to the Syrian and Russian military authorities.

The Violations Documentation Center (VDC), a Syrian opposition network which records alleged violations of international law in Syria, said bodies were found foaming at the mouth, and with discoloured skin and cornea burns.



Media captionUnverified video shows children being treated after the alleged gas attack
On Thursday, unnamed US officials told NBC News they had obtained blood and urine samples from victims which had tested positive for chlorine and a nerve agent.

• Syria 'chemical attack': What we know

The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Hayley, told the network: "We definitely have enough proof but now we just have to be thoughtful in our action."

French President Emmanuel Macron also said he had "proof" that the Syrian government had attacked Douma with chemical weapons but did not give further details.

A UN report last year found the Syrian government responsible for a deadly chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun, in which more than 80 people died.

That attack was followed by a US cruise missile attack on a Syrian airbase.

How is the West responding this time?
In the UK, cabinet ministers agreed it was "highly likely" the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was responsible for the alleged attack and said the use of chemical weapons must not "go unchallenged".

During a phone call on Thursday, UK Prime Minister Theresa May and US President Donald Trump had agreed to "keep working closely" on the issue, Mrs May's office said.



Media captionTrump: Decisions on Syria will be made "fairly soon"
The US president has said Russian President Vladimir Putin bears responsibility for the alleged attack in Douma because of his support for the Syrian government.

On Wednesday he warned Russia that missiles were "coming" but later tweeted that he had "never said when". It "could be very soon or not so soon at all", Mr Trump said.

• What can Macron and Trump do?
• The significance of Eastern Ghouta's fall
• Why is there a war in Syria?

What is Russia saying about the risk of war?
Russia has described the reports of a chemical attack as a "provocation" designed to justify Western intervention.

Moscow's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused Washington of putting international peace at risk.

"The immediate priority is to avert the danger of war," he said on Thursday.

Senior Russian figures, including the head of the military, have warned that US missiles will be shot down and their launch sites targeted if Russian personnel come under threat.

On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich criticised Mr Trump's rhetoric.

"We cannot depend on the mood of someone on the other side of the ocean when he wakes up," the Tass news agency quoted him as saying.

After six weeks of heavy fighting and an estimated 1,700 civilian deaths in the Eastern Ghouta, rebels are now leaving the area.

The final evacuations of about 4,000 remaining Islamist fighters and civilians were taking place on Friday, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring organisation.



Media captionIf US strikes cause Russian casualties there'll be retaliation, says the BBC's Steve Rosenberg
Related Topics

• Syria
• Russia
• Syrian civil war
• United States
• Suspected Syria chemical attack
• United Nations

 

[Tony Tan]

http://thehill.com/policy/international/382990-russia-calls-chemical-attack-in-syria-a-fabrication

Russia calls chemical attack in Syria a ‘fabrication’
By Josh Delk - 04/13/18 09:53 AM EDT 203
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Russian officials are suggesting that an apparent chemical weapons attack in Syria was a "fabrication" staged by an unnamed foreign intelligence agency.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow has "irrefutable information that it was another fabrication," after inspection by Russian chemical experts, according to The Associated Press.

Lavrov did not offer any evidence, however, to back up his claim.

The Saturday attack targeted a hospital in the Duoma region, near the capital of Damascus, which killed 40 people and injured hundreds of others.

Russia's Foreign Ministry claims that no evidence of chemicals or deaths in the bombing area were found in its inspection.

The minister said “intelligence agencies of a state that is now striving to spearhead a Russo-phobic campaign were involved in that fabrication.”

Multiple Russian officials have also declared that photos of the carnage and victims in the capital's suburbs were also fakes, according to The AP.

Russia's denial of the attack comes as Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, is set to study the area for evidence. Both the Syrian and Russian governments have said they would support the study.

U.S. officials suspect the Russia-backed Assad regime is behind the attack.

Trump administration officials told The Associated Press in February they believed forces loyal to Assad might have been in the process of working on new or more refined chemical weapons.

U.S. security officials immediately called for international action to intervene in the situation after the chemical attack Saturday, and President Trump has threatened a possible military strike against the government forces.

Lavrov warned against U.S. military "adventures" in the country, but signaled that Russia remains open for negotiations.

State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said this week that Russia "ultimately bears responsibility for the brutal attacks," which the Syrian government has also denied.

 

[Tony Tan]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-13/russia-says-syria-chemical-attack-staged/9657314


Russia says Syria chemical attack staged, calls for emergency UN meeting to 'avert danger of war'
Updated about 3 hours ago

Photo: Donald Trump said missiles "will be coming" and lambasted Moscow for standing by Bashar al-Assad. (Reuters)
Related Story: Why Eastern Ghouta is the focal point of the Syrian conflict
Related Story: If Trump launches 'smart' missiles at Syria, this is what could happen next
Related Story: A new storm is brewing in the Middle East as Israel and Iran face off in Syria
Related Story: Allies back US on Syria strike but Trump holds fire
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has claimed the suspected chemical attack in the Syria was staged with the help of an unspecified foreign intelligence agency, while the UN Security Council has scheduled an emergency meeting on Syria.

Key points:

• The emergency meeting is scheduled for Friday evening
• Inspectors will begin an investigation of the alleged chemical attack site in Douma
• Lebanon's Hezbollah says there's no risk of a US-Russia war

"Intelligence agencies of a state that is now striving to spearhead a Russophobic campaign were involved in that fabrication," he said.

US President Donald Trump threatened strikes on Syria after a suspected gas attack on a rebel-held town which a Syrian medical relief group said killed at least 60 people, and a Russian envoy voiced fears of a wider conflict between Washington and Moscow.

Mr Lavrov said Russian experts had inspected the site of the alleged attack and found no trace of chemical weapons.

Moscow, he said, has "irrefutable information that it was another fabrication". Mr Lavrov did not offer evidence to back up his claim.

Speaking to reporters in Moscow, he reiterated warnings to the West against military action saying that even the smallest miscalculation in Syria could lead to new waves of migrants and that ultimatums and threats did not help the dialogue.

"God forbid anything adventurous will be done in Syria following the Libyan and Iraqi experience," Mr Lavrov told a news conference on Friday.

Photo: A medical worker giving toddlers oxygen through respirators following an alleged poison gas attack. (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP)


'A dangerous escalation'
The UN Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting after Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia raised concerns over the "the dangerous escalation" of the situation in Syria.

Mr Nebenzia said Russia was very concerned with "the dangerous escalation" of the situation and "aggressive policies" and preparations that some governments were making.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said on Friday international relations should not depend "on the mood of someone on the other side of the ocean when he wakes up", in apparent reference to Mr Trump.

Fears of confrontation between Russia, the Syrian state's key ally, and the West ran high after Mr Trump said missiles "will be coming" and lambasted Moscow for standing by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.




Mr Trump has since tempered his remarks on attacking Syria and even as he consulted allies Britain and France, there were signs of efforts to prevent the crisis from spiralling out of control.




The White House said "no final decision has been made" on Syria after Mr Trump met his national security team.

The UN emergency meeting is scheduled to take place on Friday evening.

'Immediate priority to avert the danger of war'
Mr Nebenzia told reporters after a closed council meeting on chemical weapons in Syria that Russia was calling for the emergency meeting to hear from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the threat to international peace and security from possible military action against Syria.

"We hope that there will be no point of no return — that the US and their allies will refrain from military action against a sovereign state," Mr Nebenzia said.

He said it was a priority to get inspectors from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to the Damascus suburb of Douma, where the suspected gas attack took place last weekend, so they could see what happened — and "that nothing prevents them from doing it".

The significance of Eastern Ghouta

What is it about Eastern Ghouta that has made its population the victims of such frequent and vicious attacks?


The OPCW said the investigators would start work on Saturday (local time).

"The immediate priority is to avert the danger of war," Mr Nebenzia said.

Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem downplayed the rising tensions in Syria saying he did not believe it would spiral into a direct US-Russia conflict or a wider all-out war.

The heavily armed Shi'ite Hezbollah movement has been a vital military ally of Mr Assad in the seven-year war.

"We rule out the situation developing into a direct American-Russian clash or a wide state of war," Sheikh Naim Qassem told Lebanese daily al-Joumhouria in an interview.

"The conditions do not point to a total war happening ... unless Trump and [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu completely lose their minds," he said.

Russia's military said Douma had been brought under full control of the Syrian government under a Russia-mediated deal that secured the evacuation of the rebels and thousands of civilians after it was recaptured by Syrian forces.

The Government, however, said evacuations from Douma were ongoing and no Syrian Government forces had entered the town.

Mr Lavrov noted that Russian and US militaries had a hotline to prevent incidents, adding that it was not clear if it would be sufficient amid mounting tensions.

Media player: "Space" to play, "M" to mute, "left" and "right" to seek.

Video: Video purports to show remains of missile dropped on Douma (ABC News)


AP/Reuters

Topics: unrest-conflict-and-war, international-law, world-politics, donald-trump, russian-federation, united-states, syrian-arab-republic

First posted about 5 hours ago

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[Tony Tan]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...s-Kremlin-bomb-Cyprus-Russian-blood-shed.html

Saturday, Apr 14th 2018 2AM 27°C 5AM 27°C 5-Day Forecast
'If Russian blood is shed, then Russia will retaliate': Ex-General warns the Kremlin could bomb Cyprus and repeats threats to US ships

• Lieutenant-General Evgeny Buzhinskiy warned that Russia would fight back
• Said Syria intervention is a ‘direct way to military confrontation with Russia’
• Told BBC's Today show Moscow could hit UK carriers in the Mediterranean

By Sara Malm For Mailonline and James Tapsfield, Mailonline Political Editor

Published: 12:29 BST, 13 April 2018 | Updated: 15:13 BST, 13 April 2018

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A former Russian General has warned that any intervention by the US, Britain and France could be a ‘direct way to military confrontation with Russia’.

Lieutenant-General Evgeny Buzhinskiy, who previously served on the Russian General Staff, said if 'Russian blood is spilled', then Moscow will respond in kind.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today show that he believed if Russia determined that the UK was behind any attack on Syria, Moscow could order hits on UK forces in the Mediterranean.

+4
Warning: Buzhinskiy said that if a military intervention led to the death of Russian forces in Syria, Putin would respond in kind to any aggressors

‘As our chief of the general staff said a couple of weeks ago, Russia would shot down the missiles and its carriers and I don’t think he was joking, that’s a very serious situation and that’s true,’ he said.

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Asked if that could mean striking back at Cyprus, he said: ‘If our military determined that the missiles were launched from the UK, carriers of course, UK carriers and missiles would be hit back.’

+4
Strong words: Lieutenant-General Evgeny Buzhinskiy said any intervention could be a ‘direct way to military confrontation'

Mr Buzhinskiy said it would be ‘very difficult to find a significant military target in Syria where there are no Russians’.

‘We have several thousands advisers in all military installation in all military units,’ he said. ‘If Russian blood is shed then Russia will retaliate.’

Mr Buzhinskiy said Russian intelligence showed there were ‘no chemical attacks’ and the episode was ‘staged’.

He echoed a statement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who said Friday that Moscow has 'irrefutable' evidence that the alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma, eastern Ghouta was staged with the help of a foreign secret service.

'We have irrefutable evidence that this was another staged event, and that the secret services of a certain state that is now at the forefront of a Russophobic campaign was involved in this staged event,' he said during a press conference.

+4
Russian soldiers wait at the entrance of the Wafideen Camp for the arrival of buses carrying forcibly evacuated rebel fighters and their family members from Douma on Thursday

+4
Attack: A young child is seen receiving oxygen through respirators following an alleged poison gas attack in of Douma, near Damascus, Syria, on Saturday

U.S. President Donald Trump has been having discussions with both Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron regarding an international response to the alleged chemical attack in eastern Ghouta on Saturday.

Both May and Trump have agreed that whatever the final decision on airstrikes, the Syrian regime must not go unchallenged following the attack which left at least 80 dead and hundreds injured in the city of Douma.

Mrs May won backing from her senior ministers on Thursday to take unspecified action with the United States and France to deter further use of chemical weapons by Syria.

Macron, meanwhile, said on Thursday that France had proof the Syrian government carried out the Douma attack and would decide whether to strike back when all necessary information had been gathered.




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[Tony Tan]

http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/...ays_b92082e6-8651-4f12-9673-80b8c6d4cb35.html

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People evacuated from Douma arrive in Aleppo
MOSCOW - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday that Russia has "irrefutable data" that the attack in Douma, Syria "was staged".
"And the special services of a country, which is now seeking to be in the first ranks of the Russophobic campaign, were involved in this staged event," Lavrov said.
"God forbid any reckless actions be taken in Syria such as those that took place in Libya and Iraq," he said, adding that "even the smallest incidents in Syria could lead to new waves of migrants in Europe and elsewhere, which we and our European neighbours do not need at all".
According to Interfax, Lavrov said the only ones who could like such a situation are those who are "protected by the ocean".
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladmir and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone.
Responding to a question on whether the two leaders had discussed the situation in Syria, Putin said, "Yes, the conversation touched on this topic".
During their call, Putin and Macron decided to order their respective defense and foreign ministries to stay in "close contact" for a "de-escalation" of the situation in Syria, according to the Kremlin.
Both leaders expressed "satisfaction" on the arrival in Damascus of inspectors from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
Putin said an "objective" investigation is needed, prior to which "unfounded accusations" against "anyone" should be avoided.
"We have proof that last week chemical weapons were used in Syria by the regime," Macron said on Thursday, in a live interview with French national broadcaster TF1.
Also on Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, speaking at a press conference with the prime minister of Denmark, ruled out German participation in a military intervention in Syria.

© Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved

 

[Tony Tan]

http://www.spiked-online.com/newsit...rice-of-western-narcissism/21300#.WtDiKPYRWKk

Syria: the bloody price of Western narcissism
Brendan O’Neill
editor

The Twitter bombardiers have no idea of the horrors they will unleash.

I
13 April 2018

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t is the casualness, the thoughtlessness, with which Western leaders promised to bomb Syria that has been most horrifying.

War, you might think, is a serious endeavour. One that requires thought, discussion, a weighing-up of consequences. There has been none of that in Theresa May’s media-trumpeted promise to avenge the victims of the alleged chemical attack in Douma, or Donald Trump’s Twitter-blasts against ‘the animal Assad’ and his hints that he will punish Russia and Iran for supporting him, or in commentators’ demands that we bomb Syria because it is our ‘moral imperative’. On the contrary, these Twitter bombardiers, these iPad imperialists, openly eschew thought. Thought is for cowards. We must simply act and act now to show that we are good, they cry. They have no idea of the horrors that even their escalation of the tensions over Syria, regardless of whether or not they drop bombs, could unleash.

The behaviour of Western leaders has been alarming. They are like infants, bereft of the capacity for cool analysis, utterly lacking in diplomatic discretion. We mock teenagers and celebrities for Instagramming the minutiae of their lives, but such emotional incontinence pales into insignificance in comparison with the way the leaders of the free world have blurted through their iPhones their intention to punish some of the most powerful nations on Earth.

First Trump responded to Assad’s alleged chemical assault by tweeting that Assad would pay a ‘big price’, as would Russia. When the Russians said they would shoot down American missiles, Trump tweeted: ‘Get ready Russia, because [missiles] will be coming.’ Then Theresa May’s insiders, clearly with her say-so, told the media she wants ‘military action against Assad’. This is how war is prepared for now: with a leaked comment; with an eye on retweets, rather than on whether Britain threatening to enter into a war that will essentially be with Russia is a good idea.

It is bad enough when domestic politics is reduced to gesture and PR, where spindoctoring and headline-hunting take precedence over really thinking through what needs to be done with the NHS or the economy. But to reduce global politics, such serious life-and-death matters as military intervention and the West’s relationship with Russia, to the stuff of fired-off tweets is positively lethal. That both Trump and May have now backtracked on their infantile war talk – Trump says an attack could take place soon or ‘not so soon at all!’ – is not evidence that they have come to their senses. Rather, it highlights the staggering folly of their initial comments, of their unanchored, undiplomatic threats, of their transformation of war from the pursuit of politics by other means into the pursuit of PR benefits by other means. Their driving force remains, not reason or realpolitik, but the imperative of PR.

Must-reads from the past week
Syria
Now, the US defence secretary James Mattis says the US is still looking for evidence on who carried out the Douma attack and says Washington is worried that a US strike on Syria could ‘escalate out of control’. So after the threat of war against Assad comes the search for proof that Assad is responsible for Douma. After Western leaders warn Russia that missiles are coming comes the concern that such military intervention could ‘escalate out of control’. To organise international affairs in such a threaten-first, find-proof-later manner is incredibly dangerous. It speaks to the loss of any diplomatic or serious sensibility among those who oversee politics in the 21st century.

The truth is that it is too late to worry about things ‘escalating out of control’. The escalation is done. You cannot corner a nation like Russia with warnings and promises of missiles and expulsions of their diplomats and expect there not to be dire consequences. Russia is not Libya or Somalia or Panama or any of the other nations the West has threatened in recent decades. It is Russia. It has an international reputation to protect, it has interests in the Syrian theatre, and it is increasingly concerned with what NATO is doing in the nations around its borders. Threatening it – ‘missiles are coming’ – is a deeply serious, destabilising business. That our leaders seem not to know this is terrifying. They play with fire and don’t even know they play with fire.

We won’t be the ones who suffer, though. It will be Syrians. The determination of some in the West to make Syria a stage upon which they might further re-enact the Cold War they so badly miss will intensify and further internationalise the Syrian conflict, injecting even more global concerns into a war already riddled with them. It will inflame oppositional forces, who will spy in the West’s war talk a chance to put further pressure on Assad. It will entrench Russia, which now, right away, has even more to lose in Syria than it did previously. Russia will now see itself not only as backing Assad in Syria, but also as defending its international integrity there. It will draw Turkey further into the region: witness Turkish ministers echoing Trump and saying, ‘Assad must go’. It will convince Iran that Syria is the place in which it must demonstrate its regional power, given that Syria is the place in which the West now calls into question its regional power. The war is bloodier, already. More intense, already. People will die as a result of the infantilism of the foreign offices of the West.

And what will they die for? Nobody seriously believes a few bombs dropped in such a destroyed nation as Syria will save lives or end the war. But the bombs won’t be designed to do that. Their sole aim will be to send a message about us. They will in essence be militaristic press releases designed to make a statement about the apparent moral seriousness of the Western world. Douma is ‘our shared shame’, says a writer for the Guardian who insists a military assault is our ‘moral imperative’. Douma is ‘an assault on the world’s conscience’, says one headline. Douma’s ‘dead children… chide us through our [TV] screens’, says one pro-bombing observer.

The narcissism! They think this war is about them; they think the dead children are about them; they think everything is about them. They want bombs on Syria not because they think such action will solve the crisis – they often admit it won’t – but because they hope it will salve their consciences. Make it easier for them to look in the mirror. That Western war talk and action are likely in fact to make things worse is immaterial to them – all that matters is that their ‘shame’ is leavened. Syrians will pay a bloody price for this narcissism. They already are. The escalation has already happened. The stakes are already raised. The war is already worse. If you must feel shame, feel shame that you have done that.

Brendan O’Neill is editor of spiked.

Picture by: Getty

 

[Tony Tan]

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-seven-us-spy-planes-spotted-near-syrian-coast-ria/

Breaking: Seven US spy planes spotted near Syrian coast – RIA
By
Leith Aboufadel
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13/04/2018
2


BEIRUT, LEBANON (7:00 A.M.)- Seven U.S. spy planes were spotted flying near the Syrian coast on Friday morning, Russia-based RIA Novosti reported.

Citing the Twitter user @Mil_Radar, the Russian publication reported that the seven spy planes departed from Sigonella at 3:35 P.M. yesterday and made their way just west of the Syrian coast.


The spy planes were identified as the US Navy’s P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft that were recently deployed to the Sigonella Airbase in Sicily.

According to the RIA report, these spy planes were reportedly flying near Russia’s Hmaymim Airbase in Syria’s Latakia province.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has yet to comment on these claims.

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[Tony Tan]

https://www.rt.com/news/424047-russian-mod-syria-statement/

Syria 'chemical attack' staged to provoke US airstrike, London pushed perpetrators – Russian MoD
Published time: 13 Apr, 2018 14:21 Edited time: 13 Apr, 2018 16:56
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© Reuters TV / Reuters
The Russian Defense Ministry has presented what it says is proof that the reported chemical weapons attack in Syria was staged. It also accused the British government of pressuring the perpetrators to speed up the “provocation.”
During a briefing on Friday, the ministry showed interviews with two people, who, it said, are medical professionals working in the only hospital operating in Douma, a town near the Syrian capital, Damascus.

In the interviews released to the media, the two men reported how footage was shot of people dousing each other with water and treating children, which was claimed to show the aftermath of the April 7 chemical weapons attack. The patients shown in the video suffered from smoke poisoning and the water was poured on them by their relatives after a false claim that chemical weapons were used, the ministry said.

“Please, notice. These people do not hide their names. These are not some faceless claims on the social media by anonymous activists. They took part in taking that footage,” said ministry spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov.

“The Russian Defense Ministry also has evidence that Britain had a direct involvement in arranging this provocation in Eastern Ghouta,” the general added, referring to the neighborhood of which Douma is part. “We know for certain that between April 3 and April 6 the so-called White Helmets were seriously pressured from London to speed up the provocation that they were preparing.”

According to Konashenkov, the group, which was a primary source of photos and footage of the purported chemical attack, was informed of a large-scale artillery attack on Damascus planned by the Islamist group Army of Islam, which controlled Douma at the time. The White Helmets were ordered to arrange the provocation after retaliatory strikes by the Syrian government forces, which the shelling was certain to lead to, he said.

One of the interviews published by the ministry showed a man who said his name was Halil Ajij, and who said he was a medical student working at Douma’s only operational hospital. This is how he described the origin of the footage:

“On April 8, a bomb hit a building. The upper floors were damaged and a fire broke at the lower floors. Victims of that bombing were brought to us. People from the upper floors had smoke poisoning. We treated them, based on their suffocation."

Ajij said that a man unknown to him came and said there was a chemical attack and panic ensued. “Relatives of the victims started dousing each other with water. Other people, who didn’t seem to have medical training, started administering anti-asthma medicine to children. We didn’t see any patient with symptoms of a chemical weapons poisoning,” he said.

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‘They can go anywhere they want in Douma’: OPCW team arrives in Syria to investigate alleged attack
The first photos claiming to show the aftermath of the alleged chemical attack on April 7 were published online on the same day, and featured the bodies of many people, including children, some with foam around their mouths and noses. Footage from the hospital was released on Sunday, with the sources behind it claiming that it had been shot on Saturday.

Konashenkov said Russia hoped that international monitors from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which is due to investigate the circumstances of the incident, will help establish the truth. He added Eastern Ghouta is currently trying to return to peaceful life after being liberated from militant groups by Syrian government forces. He called on other nations and international organizations to provide humanitarian aid, which is badly needed in the area. Russia is already supplying food, medicine, building materials and other essential supplies to the neighborhood, he said.

Residents of the neighborhood, who previously fled violence, are returning to their homes now that the area is relatively safe, the Russian official said. The latest reports from the ground say about 63,000 people have returned, which is over half of the displaced residents, he added.

The reported chemical weapons attack escalated tensions over Syria, just as Damascus was about to seize full control of Eastern Ghouta. The US and allies such as the UK and France threatened military action in response to what they claim is an atrocity committed by the Syrian government. Russia insists the incident was staged and said it reserves the right to counter any attack on Syria.

RT spoke about the Russian claims with Lord Alan West, a retired officer of the British Royal Navy. He said he had strong reservations about taking allegations against Damascus at face value, because it didn’t make much military sense.

“It seems to be utterly ludicrous for the military that is in the process of taking over an area to go and do something with chemical weapons, which will draw the wrath of the larger enemy down upon them,” he said. “If I was advising the opponents of [Syrian President Bashar] Assad, I would be delighted to kill a few people there. Let’s face it, [the insurgents] don’t care if they kill women and children.”

“I am not willing to accept tweets. We need to see incontrovertible truth about what has happened there and make a decision on that basis,” he added.


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[Tony Tan]

https://www.rt.com/uk/424025-skripal-russia-ambassador-uk/


UK appears to be ‘destroying’ evidence in Skripal case – Russian envoy
Published time: 13 Apr, 2018 12:08 Edited time: 13 Apr, 2018 15:43
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© Reuters
The UK appears to be pursuing a policy of “destroying evidence” in the case of the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal, the Russian envoy to the UK said during a press conference on Friday.
READ MORE: UK claims of Russia spying on Skripals is a ‘big surprise’ – Russian Ambassador Yakovenko

The accusation came from Alexander Yakovenko, as he was updating the media on the developments in the Salisbury poisoning case. He reiterated Russia’s dismay over the British government’s refusal to allow Russian diplomats access to Skripal and his daughter Yulia, who was also poisoned, saying that from Moscow’s point of view, the two Russian nationals appear to have been abducted by the British authorities.

The ambassador said London’s approach to the high-profile case followed a pattern of crimes, in which the UK chose to classify details from the public and ignore Russia’s request to disclose them.

Salisbury: a classified case by RT America on Scribd

The latest such case is the death of Russian businessman Nikolay Glushkov on March 12, after the apparent attack on the Skripals, Yakovenko said.

He confirmed Russia’s receipt on Thursday of a classified report from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which the organization sent after confirming Britain’s identification of a toxic agent used in the poisoning. Yakovenko said Moscow is studying it carefully and will make its opinion public when ready. He stressed that Russia’s criticism of the way the UK chose to engaged the OPCW in the case did not amount to doubting the merits of the report.

The Russian diplomat also commented on the situation in Syria and Britain’s possible military action there. He advised the UK against taking rash steps in Syria based on a fabricated chemical weapons attack last Saturday, saying it would be similar to the misguided intervention in Iraq in 2003.

He briefed journalists on the latest development in Douma, a town in the suburbs of Damascus, where the alleged attack took place and where Russian military police has been deployed on Thursday. He suggested that the media compared the situation in Douma, which is relatively undamaged after its capture by the Syrian government forces, to that in the city of Raqqa, which was practically obliterated by the US-led coalition and its allies on the ground last year, when they took the city from the jihadist group of Islamic State.

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[chonburifc]

Saport sor lian kias but at the same time saeport my yankee gayphone.

 

[Tony Tan]

https://www.rt.com/news/424018-gaza-protests-idf-wounded/

1 dead, more than 150 injured as IDF fires on Palestinians at #GreatReturnMarch (VIDEOS)
Published time: 13 Apr, 2018 11:22 Edited time: 13 Apr, 2018 16:46
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Mohammed Salem / Reuters
A Palestinian is dead and more than 150, including a Red Crescent volunteer, have been injured at protests at the Gaza border. The Great Return March has now seen 35 Palestinians killed and more than 1,000 wounded by Israeli fire.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society reports that 153 people have been injured, with 63 of those hit by live ammunition. Fifty-nine have been treated for tear gas inhalation, and 24 hit directly by tear gas canisters. Seven people have also been wounded by shrapnel. A Red Crescent volunteer was shot in the knee in Rafah.

Five protest encampments have been set up along the border. RT’s live feed from Rafah, in Gaza showed Palestinians have set tires alight to obstruct the view of Israeli forces.

The six week Great Return March protest kicked off on March 30 and is planned to continue up until the anniversary of Nakba on May 15, which Palestinians refer to as the mass exodus from their land during the establishment of the state of Israel. Israelis celebrate this as Independence Day.

READ MORE: Great Return March: 10 Palestinian protesters killed after IDF fire on Gaza border (VIDEOS)

Ten Palestinians were killed in last Friday’s protests, including journalist Yasser Martaja and two teenagers. More than a thousand Gazans have also received treatment for tear gas inhalation.

Footage filmed along the border during clashes on April 13 shows a person being rushed towards an ambulance on a stretcher.

Other social media footage shows Palestinians drawing protest signs, flying a kite and firing a slingshot towards Israel.

The IDF has been criticized for its use of force in response to the protests. Footage from the demonstrations shows Israeli snipers gunning down unarmed protesters. The state maintains it’s protecting Israelis from Hamas terrorists.

The Gaza Health Ministry has accused Israeli forces of targeting a health center in Khan Yunis with tear gas, which it says has hindered the work of medical crews. It shared footage on social media showing medics running from a tent, inside which smoke is visible.

“Over the last hour, several attempts to harm or breach the security infrastructure took place. In addition, a number of attempted terror attacks occurred, during which an explosive device and firebombs were hurled,” the IDF said on Twitter.

“IDF troops are responding with riot dispersal means and are firing in accordance with the rules of engagement. The IDF won’t allow any harm to security infrastructure & will act against the violent rioters & terrorists who threaten either.”

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[Tony Tan]

Putin should stop being so civilized and make up his mind to settle business with Ang Moh.

1. Nuke Israel 3 warheads
2. @ same time nuke Berlin London Paris @each 3 warheads
3. Major US bases in EU @1 warhead each @ same time
4. Wipe EU from Russian Border All the way across European Plains as per Cold War plans
5. Take UK & Ireland as well
6. All can be done within 1 month with the help of nukes
7. Xijinping & Kim Jong Nuke will plug USA to serve as vanguard for Putin, ensure USA's own trouble is deeper than EU and can not cover even own ass (Hwasong ICBM 1st, DF ICBM as backup) Mushroom fireworks all over USA.

New World Order by Czar Putin