Russia Begins Operations in Syria: End Game for the US Empire?

[sToRmR1dR]

Defeating Ultra-Imperialism: Can China's model work best for Russia?

http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/09/defeating-ultra-imperialism-can-chinas.html

September 2nd, 2016 - Fort Russ News -
Katehon - Samir Amin -

http://katehon.com/article/samir-amin-how-defeat-collective-imperialism-triad

Samir Amin, born 3 September 1931, is an Egyptian-French Marxian economist. He lives in Dakar, Senegal. He is noted for his introduction of the term Eurocentrism in 1988. He is a world-known economist, and explains the reason for the decaying condition of the modern economy and gives a recipe for salvation from global imperialism.

An exclusive interview for Katehon

I can sum my point of view on the situation over the modern economy in the following way. We have been in a long systemic crisis of capitalism, which has started in 1975 with the end of the convertibility of the Dollar in gold. It is not a like the famous financial crisis in 2008. No, it is a long systematic crisis of monopoly capitalism which started forty years ago and it continues. The capitalists reacted to the crisis with the sets of measures. The first onewas to strengthen centralization of control over the economy by the monopolies.

An oligarchy is ruling all capitalist countries - the United States, Germany, France, Great Britain and Russia as well. The second measure was to convert all economic activity productions into subcontractors of monopoly capital. I mean, they have not even a hint of freedom. Competition is just rhetoric, there is no competition[/b]. There is an oligarchy which is controlling the whole economic system. Now, we are facing a united front of imperialist powers, which are forming a Collective imperialism of the Triad.

The Triad is the United States, Western and Central Europe, and Japan. This group of countries has become a single imperialist power, the leader of which is the US. This has led to the deepening of the depth of the crisis. The crisis is in the shape of an “L”. The normal crisis is in the shape of a “U”, the economy rises up after the decline. But this crisis is different. There is no way out of the crisis; the only way to get out is to move out of capitalism. There is no other possible solution. Capitalism should be considered as a moribund system. In order to survive it is moving to destruction and to wars.

We have an alternative which is the socialism. I know that it is not very popular to say, but the only solution is socialism. It is a long road which starts from reducing the power of the oligarchy, reinforcing the state control and establish a state-capitalism, which should replace private capitalism. It doesn’t mean that private capitalism will not survive, but it should be subordinated to state control. The state control should be used also in order to support a social progressive policy. This should guarantee good full-employment, social services, education, transport, infrastructure, security etc.

The role of China is very big, because it is, perhaps, the only country in the world today, which has a sovereign project. That means that it is trying to establish a pattern of modern industry, in which of course, private capital has a wide place, but it is under the strict control of the state. Simultaneously it gives a view of the present to the culture. The other pattern of Chinese economy culture is based on family producers. China is walking on two legs: following the traditions and participating globalization. They accept foreign investments, but keep independence of their financial system. The Chinese bank system is exclusively state-controlled. The Yuan is convertible only to a certain extent, but under the control of the bank of China. That is the best model that we have today to respond to the challenge of globalists imperialism.

Maybe Russia is moving in this direction, but not as much as China, because it has payed a very big price for the destruction of the shock therapy from Gorbachev and Yeltsin. Those leaders have led Russia to a private oligarchy, closely related to the international financial capitalism of the US, Germany and others. This has reduced Russian capacity of control. But now Russia is moving gradually towards reestablishing control of the state over its own economy.

The world now is in serious danger. The collective imperialism of the US, Western Europe and Japan are run by US leadership. In order to keep their exclusive control over the whole planet, they do not accept independence of other countries. They do not respect the independence of China and Russia. That is why we are about to face continuous wars all over the world.

The radical Islamists are the allies of imperialism, because they are supported by the US in order to carry out destabilization. This is permanent war. I do believe that the best response to it is the Eurasian project. Russia should unite with China, Central Asian countries, Iran and Syria. This alliance could be also very attractive for Africa and good parts of Latin America. In such a case, imperialism would be isolated.

‘We do not trade territories’: Putin on Kuril Islands compromise with Japan

https://www.rt.com/news/357970-putin-japan-bloomberg-interview/

Although signing a peace treaty with Japan remains a key issue, the territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands emerged as a result of WWII and is not subject to revisal, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, warning against opening “Pandora's box.”

“We do not trade territories,” Putin said in an interview with Bloomberg, when asked if he was ready to consider “giving up” one of the Kuril Islands in order to reach a political resolution and greater economic cooperation with Japan.

He added, however, that the “peace treaty with Japan of course is a key one, and we would very much like to find a solution to this problem with our Japanese friends.”

“We had a treaty signed in 1956 and surprisingly it was ratified both by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and by the Japanese parliament. And then the Japanese side refused to implement it, and after that the Soviet Union also, so to say, nullified all agreements reached within the framework of the treaty.”

Refusing to draw parallels between Tokyo’s claims and the territorial dispute between Russia and China, Putin said the latter was resolved after 40 years of negotiations and was only due to a “high level of trust” between the states.

“If we reach the same level of trust with Japan, we might be able to reach certain compromises,” Putin said.

“However, there is a fundamental difference between the issue related to Japan’s history and our negotiations with China. The Japanese issue resulted from World War II and is stipulated in the international instruments on the outcomes of World War II, while our discussions on border issues with our Chinese counterparts have nothing to do with World War II or any other military conflicts.”

When a reporter, as he claimed, jokingly asked if Russia was ready to negotiate sovereignty of the Kaliningrad region, Putin warned against opening “Pandora's box.”

"If someone is willing to reconsider the results of World War II, let us discuss this. But then we will have to discuss not only Kaliningrad, but also the eastern lands of Germany, the city of Lvov, a former part of Poland, and so on, and so forth. There are also Hungary and Romania on the list,” the Russian president explained.

“If someone wants to open this Pandora's box and deal with it, all right, go for it then,” Putin said.

Putin to Meet With Japanese PM, Investors at Eastern Economic Forum

http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160902/1044874927/eastern-economic-forum.html

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the second Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Russia’s Far East on Friday.

VLADIVOSTOK (Sputnik) – Putin and Abe will first discuss bilateral ties and sensitive international issues and will then move on to talks in expanded format that will be attended by delegations of the two countries, according to Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov.

The Russian leader arrived in the Far East on August 31 and will take part in the EEF that is taking place on September 2-3 on the campus of Russia’s Far Eastern Federal University on Russky Island.

According to the Kremlin, Putin will meet with prospective investors on Friday and will discuss further ways of developing business in the region.

Lavrov: European Union More Bureaucratic Than NATO

http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160902/1044873908/lavrov-nato-eu-relations.html

Bureaucracy is more wide-spread in the European Union than it is within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the Russian Council on Foreign and Defense Policy.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – According to the Russian foreign minister, Europe currently wants to cut ties with Moscow because that is what is being dictated by the United States, but it is not, however, a traditional Western European stance.

"The European Union has ‘capped’ them all, even NATO, where dialogue is constructed in a more democratic way," Lavrov said, explaining that "the current processes are due to the fact that the principles of solidarity and mutual responsibility are enshrined in bureaucracy, which is starting not only to perform the functions delegated to member-states, but also draws on the ‘blanket’ which is still covering these member states, not letting them ‘freeze’ and allowing them to feel comfortable."

Lavrov also stressed that Russia cannot regard as lawful, from the perspective of the national interests of each individual state, the interests that NATO is defending under the influence of the United States.

NATO Turning Into Ideological Organization

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has turned into an ideological organization, where member-states are actively searching for anti-Russian arguments to show off to each other, Lavrov stated.

"We are getting the impression that the Russia-NATO Council was called only to go over the Ukrainian issue once again. This means that the North Atlantic alliance has turned into some kind of an ideological organization where its members are trying to show off in front of each other their ability to find anti-Russian arguments," Lavrov told the Russian Council on Foreign and Defense Policy.

"Of course, not everyone is engaged in that, there are people there who understand that it is a road to nowhere."

The NATO-Russia council was created in 2002 as a consultative mechanism. NATO suspended all practical civilian and military cooperation with Russia after the Ukraine crisis broke out in April 2014.

The first Russia-NATO Council meeting at the level of permanent envoys in two years was held on April 20, but failed to yield any significant results due to the sides’ disagreement on a number of geopolitical issues. One more meeting of the council at the level of ambassadors was held in the Belgian capital of Brussels on July 13.

Number of Talks With Kerry ‘Unprecedented’

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also said that the number of his talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry has been "unprecedented" in recent times.

"I will be honest, we have never had problems of mutual understanding with John Kerry," Lavrov told the Russian Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, adding that "It is not accidental that since January of this year alone, we have talked with the US Secretary of State, according to my aides’ calculations, about 40 times. This is unprecedented, I can’t remember anything like it."

According to Lavrov, there has never been such a high number of talks between the foreign ministers of Russia and the United States, or any other two states.

"Since the start of the year John Kerry visited Russia twice, and if we take the period from May of last year, it was his fourth visit."

Return to Pre-Sanctions Level of EU-Russia Trade Requires Political Change

http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160902/1044875362/eu-russia-trade-level.html

A return to the level of trade between Russia and the European Union that existed before Western sanctions were imposed against Russia is impossible without political decisions on the part of Moscow and Brussels, Russia's First Deputy Economic Development Minister Alexei Likhachev said.

RUSSKY ISLAND (Sputnik) – The minister recalled that in 2013, when Russian-EU trade was at its highest, the trade volume stood at $436 billion, with direct investment volume reaching $350 billion.

"We are currently in a state of awaiting a signal from Brussels regarding formal consultations, formal talks in any format convenient for the European Union," Likhachev said on Friday, explaining that "without a clear political signal, with no conceptual reversal in the relations between Moscow and Brussels there will certainly be no return to the same figures on the volume of trade."

Likhachev stressed that Brussels has not signaled its readiness to start talks on sanctions in the past two and a half years.

The United States, the European Union and some of their allies have introduced several rounds of anti-Russia sanctions since Crimea reunified with Russia in 2014, accusing Moscow of meddling in the internal Ukrainian conflict.

Russia has repeatedly refuted the accusations and warned that the sanctions are counterproductive and undermine regional and global stability.

Likhachev said on Friday that the latest expansion of US sanctions against Russia will only have a minimal impact on the Russian economy.

ASEAN Summit in Sochi Gave Strong Impetus to Russia-ASEAN Dialogue - Lavrov

http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160902/1044875789/asean-summit-dialogue-impetus.html

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN’s) Summit in Sochi gave a strong impetus to develop the dialogue between Russia and the Association, a statement by Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, read out at a plenary session of the Russia–ASEAN University Forum in Russia's Vladivostok on Friday, said.

RUSSKY ISLAND (Sputnik) – ASEAN comprises Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. The Russia-ASEAN summit was held in the Russian resort city of Sochi in May.

"The Sochi summit has given a strong impetus to build multi-faceted dialogue with ASEAN. For the first time in history, the ten leaders gathered on the Russian territory, we see this as recognition of the constructive role of Russia in the affairs of the Asia-Pacific region, in ensuring its security, stability and economic development," Lavrov’s statement said, as read out by Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov.

According to the statement, the cooperation with ASEAN “has been firmly entrenched among the key foreign policy priorities" of Russia.

"Our dialogue is aimed at achieving political results," the statement added.

Putin: Russia to Continue Talks With China on Entry to Export Markets

http://sputniknews.com/business/20160902/1044879742/putin-russia-china-export.html

Russia will continue talks on entering China's export markets, President Putin said.

RUSSKY ISLAND (Sputnik) — Russia will continue negotiations on the entry to Chinese export markets, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday.

"We have already talked about this with our Chinese partners and I talked about this during the recent visit to Beijing. Partners are aware of this. Moreover, they are positive about this. We pointed out which countries have access to the domestic Chinese pork market. They all understand that. I hope that the decision will be found. We will continue these negotiations," Putin said at a meeting with potential Far East investors.

The investors drew president's attention to the necessity to open export markets, especially Chinese market, and asked Putin to put this issue on the agenda.

China Developing New-Generation Strategic Bomber

http://sputniknews.com/military/20160902/1044876112/china-new-strategic-bomber.html

China is developing a new-generation strategic bomber that will soon be presented to the public, China’s Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Ma Xiaotian said.

BEIJING (Sputnik) — According to Ma, the Chinese air force’s strike capabilities have significantly increased over time.

“We are currently developing a new generation of strategic bombers, soon you will be able to see it,” Ma told the Global Times (Huanqiu Shibao) newspaper.

Ma gave no additional details on the new bomber.

Last year, China unveiled its Xian H-6K strategic bomber, a licensed copy of the Soviet Tu-16 aircraft. The H-6K is equipped with the DH-20 cruise missile, which gives the Chinese bomber the ability to hit targets located as far away as Australia.

 

[angelburst29]

Defeating Ultra-Imperialism: Can China's model work best for Russia?

http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/09/defeating-ultra-imperialism-can-chinas.html

September 2nd, 2016 - Fort Russ News -
Katehon - Samir Amin -

http://katehon.com/article/samir-amin-how-defeat-collective-imperialism-triad

Samir Amin, born 3 September 1931, is an Egyptian-French Marxian economist. He lives in Dakar, Senegal. He is noted for his introduction of the term Eurocentrism in 1988. He is a world-known economist, and explains the reason for the decaying condition of the modern economy and gives a recipe for salvation from global imperialism.

An exclusive interview for Katehon

I can sum my point of view on the situation over the modern economy in the following way. We have been in a long systemic crisis of capitalism, which has started in 1975 with the end of the convertibility of the Dollar in gold. It is not a like the famous financial crisis in 2008. No, it is a long systematic crisis of monopoly capitalism which started forty years ago and it continues. The capitalists reacted to the crisis with the sets of measures. The first one was to strengthen centralization of control over the economy by the monopolies.

In my opinion, this whole article is worth it weight in GOLD! Excellent find, StoRmR1dR!

It's condensed, yet simplifies the economic crises that has set the World on fire. It plainly shows, in layman terms, the progress developed in China, in economic and social reforms, to help stabilize it's Nation and offer revitalization to other Countries, in a working relationship, while keeping it's own Culture and Sovereignty. Likewise, Russia is working it's way up in reforms, equally taking steps to stabilize it's economic and financial structure, while setting a precedence (blueprint) in which to negotiate Peace Treaties, in the form of Statesmanship and adhering to International Laws. Russia also relies on it's own History, Culture and Sovereignty to promote it's social values. Neither, China or Russia are warmongers or aggressors for World domination. Yet, the article clearly defines the Unites States position in destabilizing other parts of the World, for complete domination. It explains, in simple words, why America is going down the tubes and is walking a fine line in it's own destruction. We have no one else to blame. Not Russia or China. America's quest for power and dominance - has sucked it's own Nation - dry and obsolete. Few of us have yet to realize - the ship already - sunk to the bottom!

 

[angelburst29]

More than 400 people were killed by cluster bombs in 2015, most of them dying in Syria, Yemen and Ukraine, which have not signed up to a treaty banning the weapon, an international anti-cluster bomb coalition said on Thursday.

Over 400 Killed By Cluster Bombs In 2015, More Than A Third Of Them Children ! (Map)
http://novorossia.today/400-killed-cluster-bombs-2015-third-children/

Cluster bombs, dropped by air or fired by artillery, scatter hundreds of bomblets across a wide area which sometimes fail to explode and are difficult to locate and remove, killing and maiming civilians long after conflicts end.

They pose a particular risk to children who can be attracted by their toy-like appearance and bright colours.

In 2015, cluster bombs killed 417 people, more than a third of them children, the Cluster Munition Coalition said, adding that the actual number of casualties was likely to be much higher.

“The suffering is still continuing and civilians continue to be the predominant victims of cluster bombs,” said Jeff Abramson, programme manager at Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, which is part of the coalition.

“Unfortunately now we’re seeing a new spate of people being injured at the time of attack, which is something that needs to be condemned very strongly,” he told Thomson Reuters Foundation by telephone from Geneva.

Abramson did not give figures for 2014, saying data was constantly being revised due to difficulties in gathering it, especially in conflict zones like Syria.

The majority of cluster bomb casualties in 2015 were in Syria (248), followed by Yemen (104) and Ukraine (19), the coalition said in a report.

None of these countries are signatories of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of the weapons, it said.

The Convention, which came into force in 2010, also requires the destruction of stockpiles of cluster bombs and clearance of contaminated areas.

Since August 2015, five more countries – Colombia, Iceland, Palau, Rawanda and Somalia – have ratified the Convention, while Cuba and Mauritius acceded, bringing the total number of states that have signed or accepted the treaty to 119, the coalition said.

Casualties were also recorded in Laos, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Western Sahara, Chad, Cambodia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

The report was published ahead of the Sixth Meeting of states Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions that will be held in Geneva on Sept. 5-7.

Coca-Cola was accused of hiring hitmen from a prominent paramilitary group between 1990 and 2002 to kill at least 10 trade union leaders.

Coca-Cola Accused of Funding Colombian Death Squad
http://novorossia.today/coca-cola-accused-funding-colombian-death-squad/

U.S.-based Coca-Cola company along with more than 50 other companies were accused by Colombian courts of financing terrorism for their ties to the now-disbanded paramilitary organization, United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, a fact trade union leaders have been denouncing for decades.

The cases against the companies will be heard in a transitional justice tribunal after the peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and the government is signed.

Coca-Cola was accused of hiring hitmen from the AUC between 1990 and 2002 to kill at least 10 labor union leaders who were trying to organize Coca-Cola’s plants. U.K. oil company BP has also be taken to court for its funding of AUC, along with kidnapping and human rights abuses.

Other companies suspected of financing terrorism, commonly referred to as the “para-economy,” include Colombia’s largest beverage company Postobon, cement company Cementos Argos, state oil company Ecopetrol and banana distributor Chiquita Brands International.

In June, families of victims killed by paramilitary groups opened a federal lawsuit against Chiquita in the U.S. for supporting the AUC. The company was estimated to have made at least 100 payments to the group worth US$1.7 million between 1997 and 2004.

The right-wing AUC coalition, deemed a terrorist organization by the Colombian government, disbanded in 2006. The paramilitary group was responsible for a number of massacres, human rights abuses, kidnappings and extortions that resulted in the displacement of thousands of Colombians.

Some politicians and authorities have been sentenced in relation to links with the AUC, the majority of businesses involved have not been punished for their illegal financial activities.

Investigations and punishment of businesses involved with paramilitary groups have commonly stuttered over whether payments were voluntary or not and if companies received any benefits in return.


Putin: Washington does not know the line between "moderate opposition" and extremist in Syria
http://katehon.com/news/putin-washington-does-not-know-line-between-moderate-opposition-and-extremist-syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed Friday that the United States agree that the terrorist organizations absorb part of the "opposition", but they do not know how can separate between the normal and radical opposition.

Putin said to "Bloomberg" agency that "the talks taking place difficulty, and one of the main difficulties is that we insist that the so-called proper part of the opposition must be separated from the radical groups and terrorist organizations such as "Jabhat Alnussra", and our American partners did not mind it."

Putin stressed that changing the name of "Jabhat Alnussra" and other terrorist groups does not change anything, saying "they're starting to absorb the so-called proper part of the opposition, and this don't mean any good thing. In addition, this is no longer a component of the internal confrontation.

These are militants from abroad, have access to weapons and equipment from abroad as well, and in the essence of the matter our American partners, in agreement with this vision, but they do not know how to achieve it, "in reference to the separation between the terrorists and the "opposition".


Uzbekistan officially reported that Islam Karimov has passed away
http://katehon.com/news/uzbekistan-officially-reported-islam-karimov-has-passed-away

Friday, 2 September, 2016

The death of President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov has been officially confirmed by Uzbekistan media. It is expected that he will be buried in Samarkand, his hometown.

Islam Karimov has led Uzbekistan since 1991. Who will take the post of acting president, it is not yet known.

More background from Katehon:

The President of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, has suffered a stroke and is in intensive care. The question of a possible successor for the Uzbek leader is on the agenda. In any case, this is an occasion to think about what path Uzbekistan will take under a new leader.

 

[angelburst29]

Coca-Cola was accused of hiring hitmen from a prominent paramilitary group between 1990 and 2002 to kill at least 10 trade union leaders.

Coca-Cola Accused of Funding Colombian Death Squad
http://novorossia.today/coca-cola-accused-funding-colombian-death-squad/

U.S.-based Coca-Cola company along with more than 50 other companies were accused by Colombian courts of financing terrorism for their ties to the now-disbanded paramilitary organization, United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, a fact trade union leaders have been denouncing for decades.

Coca-Cola Has Always Had A Connection To The Cocaine Business
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/coca-cola-has-always-had-a-connection-to-the-cocaine_us_57c8757ae4b07addc4119330?ir=Weird+News&utm_hp_ref=weird-news

When news broke yesterday about the discovery of $56 million worth of cocaine at a Coca-Cola plant in France, the press was all abuzz. But as it turns out, this Cocaine-Cola connection is not entirely new; Coca-Cola has been intimately linked to domestic manufacture of cocaine in the United States for years. A little glimpse into Coke’s history reveals all.

 

[Ca.]

Putin's Dire Warning: US Nuke Buildup Pushing World to Nuclear War Sep 1, 2016
Russia Insider

http://<iframe width="560" height="...tg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Ca.]

Putin Pushes for Oil Freeze Deal With OPEC, Exemption for Iran (Video)
September 2, 2016 Bloomberg
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-02/putin-pushes-for-oil-freeze-deal-with-opec-exemption-for-iran

Vladimir Putin said he’d like OPEC and Russia, producers of half of the world’s oil, to reach a deal to freeze supply and expects the dispute over Iran’s participation can be resolved.

Read this article in Russian
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-02/OCVGFN6JTSEB01​

“From the viewpoint of economic sense and logic, then it would be correct to find some sort of compromise,” Putin said in an interview in Vladivostok. “I am confident that everyone understands that. We believe that this is the right decision for world energy.”

While talks collapsed in April over whether Iran should join in, countries now recognize the nation -- freed just months ago from international sanctions -- should be allowed to continue raising production, Putin said. The Russian president said he may recommend completing the plan when he meets with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Group of 20 summit in China next week.

Oil rallied more than 10 percent last month on speculation the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will reach an accord with non-members at an informal meeting in Algiers this month. The prolonged slump in crude prices -- stuck at half the levels seen two years ago -- is battering the economies of producer nations, giving oil-market rivals cause to cooperate.

“I would very much like to hope that every participant of this market that’s interested in maintaining stable and fair global energy prices will in the end make the necessary decision,”

said Putin.

Prince bin Salman “is a very reliable partner with whom you can reach agreements, and can be certain that those agreements will be honored,”

he said.

While talks collapsed in April over whether Iran should join in, countries now recognize the nation -- freed just months ago from international sanctions -- should be allowed to continue raising production, Putin said. The Russian president said he may recommend completing the plan when he meets with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Group of 20 summit in China next week.

Oil rallied more than 10 percent last month on speculation the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will reach an accord with non-members at an informal meeting in Algiers this month. The prolonged slump in crude prices -- stuck at half the levels seen two years ago -- is battering the economies of producer nations, giving oil-market rivals cause to cooperate.

“I would very much like to hope that every participant of this market that’s interested in maintaining stable and fair global energy prices will in the end make the necessary decision,” said Putin. Prince bin Salman “is a very reliable partner with whom you can reach agreements, and can be certain that those agreements will be honored,”

he said.

Click here to see a clip of Putin’s comments on Russia’s oil output.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2016-09-02/our-oil-output-is-increasing-says-putin

“Our Saudi partners at the last moment changed their view,”

said Putin.

“We didn’t reject the idea of freezing output. Our position hasn’t changed.”

Until now, Russia had sounded wary of giving the proposal another chance. Novak said yesterday that no accord is necessary when prices are around $50 a barrel, according to a report by RIA Novosti. Brent futures traded at $46.08 a barrel in London at 12:15 p.m. local time.

Russia is ready to take part in informal talks with OPEC later this month, even if a deal isn’t immediately forthcoming, Novak said Friday on sidelines of an economic forum in Vladivostok.

“Now it’s a meeting where we can discuss the current situation," Novak said, after commenting that, as with Doha, thorough preparation was required for discussions on oil-output levels. “I think this is just the first step."

The world’s biggest energy exporter, Russia is reliant on oil and natural gas for about 40 percent of its budget revenues and battling the longest recession in two decades as crude prices remain below $50 a barrel. Burdened by social spending and military commitments, the government is seeking ways to ease the budgetary pain before parliamentary elections later this year and a presidential vote in 2018.

OPEC nations are scheduled to hold informal talks on Sept. 27 in Algiers, on the sidelines of an industry conference, the International Energy Forum. Novak is due to attend the conference.

Putin said that oil producers recognize that Iran, which has mostly restored the output halted during three years of trade restrictions, deserves to complete its return to world markets.

“Iran is starting from a very low position, connected with the well-known sanctions in relation to this country,” Putin said. “It would be unfair to leave it on this sanctioned level.”

Saudi Arabia, whose rivalry with Iran in regional conflicts from Syria to Yemen remains unabated, has given only cautious support to renewed negotiations. Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said Aug. 26 that while a freeze would be “positive” for market sentiment, no “intervention of significance” is required as global markets are rebalancing by themselves.

Even if a deal is concluded, analysts from Commerzbank AG to Citigroup Inc. warn that simply capping output at current levels -- rather than cutting production -- would do little to tackle the persisting surplus in global markets. Besides, most of the countries involved are already producing as much as they can, making a pledge to keep output flat irrelevant, they say.

Other OPEC members, from Iran and Iraq to Libya and Nigeria, may still press on with plans to restore lost output or add new capacity, undermining the point of a “freeze,” the banks said. While supportive of a limit, Putin’s remarks indicated that Russian production has the potential to increase.

“The oil companies, they are continuing to invest,” he said. “Our oil output is increasing.”

Special Report Bloomberg Videos
Exclusive Interview With Vladimir Putin September 2, 2016
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/special-reports/vladimir-putin

Russia's president blasts the Trump and Clinton campaigns, calls the DNC hack a public service, pushes for an oil freeze with OPEC and more in an exclusive interview with Bloomberg's John Micklethwait.

Putin Blasts Trump and Clinton for ‘Shock’ Campaign Tactics
Vladimir Putin blasted both Donald Trump’s and Hillary Clinton’s tactics on the campaign trail but refused to publicly take sides in a U.S. presidential race in which he’s been accused of secretly favoring the New York real estate billionaire.

Putin Says Russia and U.S. Close to Breakthrough Deal on Syria
Vladimir Putin said Russia and the U.S. are close to striking a deal on fighting terrorists in Syria, potentially a major step toward ending a civil war that’s flooded Europe with refugees and helped give rise to Islamic State.

Putin Pushes for Oil Freeze Deal With OPEC, Exemption for Iran
Vladimir Putin said he’d like OPEC and Russia, producers of half of the world’s oil, to reach a deal to freeze supply and expects the dispute over Iran’s participation can be resolved.

Putin Says DNC Hack Was a Public Service, Russia Didn’t Do It
Vladimir Putin said the hacking of thousands of Democratic National Committee emails and documents was a service to the public, but denied U.S. accusations that Russia’s government had anything to do with it.

Putin: Trump and Clinton Are Not Setting the Best Example
Vladimir Putin blasted both Donald Trump’s and Hillary Clinton’s tactics on the campaign trail but refused to publicly take sides in a U.S. presidential race in which he’s been accused of secretly favoring the New York real estate billionaire. “They’re both using shock tactics, just each in their own way,” the Russian president said in an interview. The Russian president sat down with Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait for an exclusive interview in Vladivostok, Russia, ahead of the annual G-20 summit in Hangzhou.

Putin Sees Rosneft Sale as Soon as This Year to Ease Budget
Vladimir Putin said Russia is pushing ahead with plans to sell a fifth of Rosneft PJSC, the country’s largest listed oil producer, as the government seeks to cut its budget deficit.

Putin Says Euro Area May Shrink After Brexit Sets a Precedent
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the euro area could someday shrink in size if its stronger members sought to close ranks.

Putin Says Oil Output Is Increasing
Vladimir Putin said he’d like OPEC and Russia, producers of half of the world’s oil, to reach a deal to freeze supply and expects the dispute over Iran’s participation can be resolved. The Russian president sat down with Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait for an exclusive interview in Vladivostok, Russia, ahead of the annual G-20 summit in Hangzhou.

Putin Sees Opening With Japan on World War II Island Dispute
Russian President Vladimir Putin struck a conciliatory tone before talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on a territorial dispute that’s prevented the countries from signing a World War II peace treaty.

Vladimir Putin: Abhorred Abroad, Loved at Home 4-16-16
The most popular politician in Russia is among the West’s most reviled: Vladimir Putin. His personal style matches the muscular nationalism he displayed when he annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in 2014 and embarked on a surprise air campaign in Syria the following year. It resonates in a culture that admires strength. His instinctively conservative social views, reflected in an anti-gay law that he passed in defiance of foreign protests, also go down well in a country where liberal values are

Putin warns of outside forces that wish to split Russia and take over its natural resources
Posted by FTR ⋅ November 4, 2007
http://spitfirelist.com/news/putin-warns-of-outside-forces-that-wish-to-split-russia-and-take-over-its-natural-resources/

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Defeating Ultra-Imperialism: Can China's model work best for Russia?

http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/09/defeating-ultra-imperialism-can-chinas.html

September 2nd, 2016 - Fort Russ News -
Katehon - Samir Amin -

http://katehon.com/article/samir-amin-how-defeat-collective-imperialism-triad

Samir Amin, born 3 September 1931, is an Egyptian-French Marxian economist. He lives in Dakar, Senegal. He is noted for his introduction of the term Eurocentrism in 1988. He is a world-known economist, and explains the reason for the decaying condition of the modern economy and gives a recipe for salvation from global imperialism.

An exclusive interview for Katehon

I can sum my point of view on the situation over the modern economy in the following way. We have been in a long systemic crisis of capitalism, which has started in 1975 with the end of the convertibility of the Dollar in gold. It is not a like the famous financial crisis in 2008. No, it is a long systematic crisis of monopoly capitalism which started forty years ago and it continues. The capitalists reacted to the crisis with the sets of measures. The first one was to strengthen centralization of control over the economy by the monopolies.

In my opinion, this whole article is worth it weight in GOLD! Excellent find, StoRmR1dR!

It's condensed, yet simplifies the economic crises that has set the World on fire. It plainly shows, in layman terms, the progress developed in China, in economic and social reforms, to help stabilize it's Nation and offer revitalization to other Countries, in a working relationship, while keeping it's own Culture and Sovereignty. Likewise, Russia is working it's way up in reforms, equally taking steps to stabilize it's economic and financial structure, while setting a precedence (blueprint) in which to negotiate Peace Treaties, in the form of Statesmanship and adhering to International Laws. Russia also relies on it's own History, Culture and Sovereignty to promote it's social values. Neither, China or Russia are warmongers or aggressors for World domination. Yet, the article clearly defines the Unites States position in destabilizing other parts of the World, for complete domination. It explains, in simple words, why America is going down the tubes and is walking a fine line in it's own destruction. We have no one else to blame. Not Russia or China. America's quest for power and dominance - has sucked it's own Nation - dry and obsolete. Few of us have yet to realize - the ship already - sunk to the bottom!

Thank you, much appreciate angelburst29! As you know I was born and raised in socialism and it was like a beautiful dream,and what Russia and China been doing, gives me a hope! :)


Russian-Built Surveillance Plane Superior to Foreign Rivals - Defense Minister

http://sputniknews.com/military/20160902/1044898927/russia-a100-awacs.html

The Russian-built Beriev A-100 airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft will surpass its foreign rivals, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The A-100 is designated to replace the Beriev A-50, currently in service in the Russian Air Force, and is expected to complete its maiden flight in 2017.

"According to its characteristics, the A-100 aviation system is superior to its foreign equivalents. Its intelligence capabilities will enable it to discover new classes of targets, to practice aircraft guidance and combat aviation," the minister said during a conference call.

Shoigu was speaking ahead of the Russian Defense Ministry's Army 2016 forum, which is set to take place on September 6-11 in Kubinka, a western suburb of Moscow. According to the minister, the forum will be the country's largest event for showcasing modern weapons and military equipment, and will exhibit the most advanced technological achievements from Russia and abroad.

He added that the plane will be able to survey the situation on land, at sea and in the air.

Putin: Russia and China in talks over Russian motor carriers

http://tass.com/economy/897440

According to Vladimir Putin, Russia is currently in talks with China over granting Russian motor carriers the right to transport goods to China

VLADIVOSTOK, September 2. / TASS / Russia is in talks with China about granting Russian motor carriers the right to transport goods on the Chinese territory, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with prospective investors of the Far Eastern Federal District.

"They have a general rule that trucks must move along specified routes and transportations are made by domestic carriers. Our Chinese friends understand that these are natural limitations and they create problems for economic actors. We are currently negotiating on how these activities can be liberalized," Putin said.

According to the Russian president, this is a real problem for Russian businesses, which have to repeatedly load goods into Chinese trucks on the border with China.

"I hope that we will reach any specific decisions, especially when it comes to specific manufacturers and specific traffic routes. I think that here we will find common ground and an agreement will be reached to simplify the route from a producer to a recipient," the president said.

Chinese J-20 Stealth Fighter Allegedly Spotted Near Indian Border

http://sputniknews.com/asia/20160902/1044906133/china-j20-india-border.html

This development is significant as it comes just days after China warned India against deploying the supersonic BrahMos missile in the same region.

China’s most formidable stealth fighter J-20 has been spotted near the border with India. Images of the J-20 positioned at the Daochenge Yading airport in the high altitude Tibetan Autonomous Perfecture which lies to the east of India’s north eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh first surfaced on social media.

On the deployment of the BrahMos missile, a Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson said, “We hope the Indian side can do more for peace and stability in the border region, rather than the contrary.”

Interestingly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is traveling to China in a couple of days to attend the G-20 summit where he is expected to meet Chinese leadership. Before attending the G-20, Modi will visit Vietnam, which China sees as an adversary.

The Chinese Chengdu J-20 is a twin engine fighter with stealth features which enable it to sometimes go undetected by radar unlike other fighter jets.

It is one of China’s most guarded military hardware. Positioning it at the Daochenge Yading airport, China has displayed its combat capability even at 14,000 ft in the Himalayan range, an area which is otherwise considered impossible terrain for air combat operations.

Lavrov: Any anti-terrorism coordination on Syria cannot be implemented without separating opposition from terrorists

http://sana.sy/en/?p=87047

Vladivostok, SANA-Russian Foreign Ministry affirmed on Friday that any agreements with the United States on coordinating counter-terrorism efforts in Syria will not be implemented till the so-called “opposition” is separated from terrorists.

During a press conference following talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Vladivostok city, Lavrov said that Russia is holding talks with US on a mechanism to coordinate efforts on Syria and it counts on it.

“Near-daily and weekly contacts are held between the Russian and US military and intelligence services in order to develop this mechanism. We expect that this work will be completed in the very near future,” Lavrov added.

He pointed out that the situation when Jabhat al-Nusra uses Syrian opposition to avoid strikes cannot continue forever.

“Many groups that Americans consider acceptable for negotiations have in fact allied with al-Nusra. Al-Nusra, meanwhile, uses them to escape attacks. This is a situation that cannot continue indefinitely,” Lavrov told reports, adding that this important issue relies on the possibility of the implementation of coordinating efforts to fight terrorism.

Syrian Authorities Evacuate over 300 Darayya Civilians via Mo'adhamiyeh

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950612000701

"Syrian authorities transferred 303 more civilians from Darayya's Eastern side going through Mo'adhamiyeh town towards Harjalleh," the sources said.

"Some 4000 people were also evacuated and relocated to the makeshift center in Harjalleh, prepared and equipped with all basic supplies by the government authorities in Damascus province," they added.

Reports said earlier today that terrorists in Mo'adhamiyeh in Western Ghouta are in the final stages of negotiation to completely surrender the key town to the Syrian government forces.

"A government delegation arrived in Mo'adhamiyeh on Friday morning after both parties failed to reach a settlement regarding the fate of the town yesterday," sources said adding, "Militants are refusing to turn in their heavy weaponry before surrendering the entire town to the Syrian army."

"An agreement is expected to be reached in the coming hours that would allow the government to take full control of Mo'adhamiyeh in exchange for transporting the Islamist rebels to Idlib province," they added.

EXCLUSIVE: Syrian Army Repels Terrorists' Attack on Palmyra City

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950612000784

A group of ISIL terrorists led by their notorious commander Yousef Ahmad Sultan launched an attack against the Syrian army's military positions in the Southern part of Palmyra city, but they were pushed back from their positions.

The terrorists sought to take control of the Syrian army's military positions in the surrounding areas of Arak and al-Sha'er gas regions.

Score of terrorists were killed and wounded in tough battle with the Syrian army and popular forces.

On Wednesday, the Syrian military forces stormed ISIL’s defense lines in the Eastern territories of Palmyra and won control over several silos in the gas-rich region.

The ISIL suffered a heavy death toll and its military hardware sustained major damage in the Syrian soldiers’ offensive in Arak gas-rich region.

After hours of fierce clashes, the Syrian army pushed ISIL back from wheat silos.

Syrian warplanes for their part pounded ISIL’s centers and vehicles along Palmyra-Al- Sukhnah, ending in destruction of ISIL’s vehicles carrying fresh forces.

Terrorists Launch Rocket Attacks on Aleppo Districts, Kill Several Civilians

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950612000679

"Over 10 civilians, including women and children, were killed and several more were injured in terrorist groups' heavy missile attacks on residential areas on al-Hamdaniyeh district," the sources said.

Reports said earlier today that Syrian military forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters struck Jeish al-Fatah's positions in military academy buildings, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.

"The Syrian Armed Forces and Hezbollah hit hard Jeish al-Fatah’s first-line of defense at Taslih college in the Southern flank of aviation technical college, ending in the killing and wounding several militants," the sources said.

"If Taslih college is captured, the Syrian Armed Forces will have successfully closed off the road to Eastern districts of Aleppo," they added.

Hundreds of Hezbollah Fighters Arrive in Northern Hama to Hit Terrorists back

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950612000723

"Ready-to-fight forces of Hezbollah are coordinating the processes of a large-scale operation with the Syrian army men to liberate the town of Souran and Taybat al-Imam from terrorist groups' occupation," the sources said.

Reports said earlier today that Syrian military forces continued to advance against the terrorist groups in Northern Hama and captured a key town along the highway to Aleppo after hours of non-stop battle.

The Syrian soldiers inflicted major casualties on the militants and beat them back form the small town of Ma'ardes.

Terrorists' military hardware also sustained major damage in the attacks.

 

[Windmill knight]

Putin's Dire Warning: US Nuke Buildup Pushing World to Nuclear War Sep 1, 2016

Thanks c.a., that was a good watch. Just a note that his declarations were from the 17th of June, as noted by Russia Insider under the comments section.

 

[angelburst29]

A Syrian army helicopter was shot down by terrorists near the city of Hama, leaving two people dead, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to Sputnik on Friday.

Syrian Source Confirms Government Helicopter Downing by Terrorists in Hama
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160903/1044914418/hama-helicopter-downing.html

Earlier in the day, reports claimed that a Syrian helicopter, possibly Russian or French-made, was downed to the northwest of government-controlled Hama.

"They shot down a Syrian army helicopter, a pilot and his assistant were killed."

Also earlier in the day, the Syrian army, backed by local militias, launched an offensive in north of the Hama province and retook the village of Maardes.

The United States has expanded sanctions against Russia over its support for anti-Kiev fighters in Ukraine and the 2014 reunification of the Crimean peninsula with the Russian mainland.

US Treasury Department expands sanctions against Russia
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/09/01/482759/US-sanctions-Russia

In an updated sanctions blacklist issued on Thursday, the US Department of the Treasury targeted companies building a multi-billion dollar bridge to link Russia with Crimea, and also added dozens of people and companies to the list. Those blacklisted include dozens of Russian companies and up to 37 individuals.

The Treasury pointed out seven companies which it said are directly involved in the construction of the 19 km (11.8 miles) road-and-rail connection across the Kerch Strait, which connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

The Treasury also named several subsidiaries of Russian gas giant Gazprom and 11 Crimean officials.

"Russia continues to provoke instability in eastern Ukraine despite its Minsk commitments," said John Smith, acting director of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, which imposes sanctions.

"Treasury stands with our partners in condemning Russia's violation of international law, and we will continue to sanction those who threaten Ukraine's peace, security and sovereignty."

The Syrian war has forced millions of people to leave their homes and go in search of a better and safer place to live. There is a camp for internally displaced persons, but often the number of people fleeing from war exceeds its capabilities. For children who have lost their parents, it is exceptionally difficult to go to such refugee camps.

'Children’s Village SOS' in Syria Gives Orphaned Children Second Chance
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160902/1044911110/syria-children-shelter.html

However, there are three “children's villages” run by the SOS non-profit organization for Syrian children who have lost their family, providing them with shelter and other essentials for living conditions.

A representative of SOS, Akhmed Murabbiya, told Sputnik that the purpose of the organization is to comfort children who have lost their families during the war. The organization provides them with a home where they can start over.

“Our village consists of several houses, each of which has a teacher and a warden. At the moment, we have three such villages, Al-Assad, As'Saboura and Aleppo. We have been able to shelter 500 children from different provinces of Syria,” Akhmed said.

Residents of these “children's villages” are orphaned youth who have lost one or both their parents in the war, which has lasted for more than five years now and killed hundreds of thousands of civilians.

“We provide them with medical care and education. Recently we set a goal to help children find their missing parents,” Akhmed added. According to him, the organization is cooperating in the search for missing parents together with other charities and government agencies.

The center in Aleppo specifically takes in children from various organizations who have psychological war trauma where they receive help. There are also various kinds of entertainment arranged for the kids and they are also given presents and toys. “Children with psychological trauma go through a rehabilitation procedure twice a week under the guidance of experienced psychologists,” Akhmed explained.

Head of the finance department, Lour Kat, told Sputnik that the SOS helps children aged 0 to 18 who have lost their parents. Particular attention is paid to school-age children as it is necessary to provide them with an education.

According to various reports about 19,000 children have been killed in the war and around 5.6 million children are in need of humanitarian assistance.

On September 2, Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov died at the age of 78, after being hospitalized due to a stroke, according to a statement by the country's government and parliament. His funeral will be held in his native city Samarkand on September 3.

Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov Dies at 78
http://sputniknews.com/asia/20160902/1044755078/islam-karimov-obituary.html

On September 2, 2016 an outstanding statesman and politician, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov died after a severe illness", the statement said.

three-day mourning has been announced in Uzbekistan staring on September 3, the statement read.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev expressed condolences to the Uzbek leadership over the death of Karimov. Medvedev will head the Russian delegation at the funeral of Karimov.

"His [Karimov's] departure from life is a great loss for the people of Uzbekistan, as well as the Commonwealth of Independent States and the countries-partners of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Islam Karimov was a prominent statesman, a true leader of the country. The most important milestones in the history of modern Uzbek state are associated with his name", the statement by Putin said.

The Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is sheltered at a police station following an explosion at a market in Davao city on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, which has killed 10 people, media reported on Friday.

Police Shelter Philippines President After Deadly Blast Kills 10 - Reports
http://sputniknews.com/asia/20160902/1044911694/philippines-president-blast.html

At least 50 people were injured in the explosion at the Roxas Street market, the cause of the blast is so far unknown, the Sky News reported.

President Duterte is the former mayor of Davao and was elected president in May. His anti-drug policy, leading to the killing of 900 alleged drug traffickers, has been repeatedly criticized by the UN as a human rights violation.

 

[Ca.]

Putin's Dire Warning: US Nuke Buildup Pushing World to Nuclear War Sep 1, 2016

Thanks c.a., that was a good watch. Just a note that his declarations were from the 17th of June, as noted by Russia Insider under the comments section.

Thanks for that observation Windmill knight. Being the mature statesmen that he is one can see it's like a WTF moment. I am only to sure he has grasped long long ago, he is dealing with a retard and psychotic, criminal organization.

T-shirt of the year. I'd wear it.......

https://www.sott.net/image

God Bless Nikita.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQE2amAs2-U

 

[angelburst29]

On September 2, Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov died at the age of 78, after being hospitalized due to a stroke, according to a statement by the country's government and parliament. His funeral will be held in his native city Samarkand on September 3.

Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov Dies at 78
http://sputniknews.com/asia/20160902/1044755078/islam-karimov-obituary.html

On September 2, 2016 an outstanding statesman and politician, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov died after a severe illness", the statement said.

The Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is sheltered at a police station following an explosion at a market in Davao city on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, which has killed 10 people, media reported on Friday.

Police Shelter Philippines President After Deadly Blast Kills 10 - Reports
http://sputniknews.com/asia/20160902/1044911694/philippines-president-blast.html

President Duterte is the former mayor of Davao and was elected president in May. His anti-drug policy, leading to the killing of 900 alleged drug traffickers, has been repeatedly criticized by the UN as a human rights violation.

Paraguayan authorities issued an alert because of an assassination attempt on life of country's President Horacio Cartes on the part of local drug mafia, Paraguayan Interior Minister Francisco de Vargas said.

Paraguay Issues Alert Due to Alleged Assassination Attempt on President
http://sputniknews.com/latam/20160903/1044918255/paraguay-president-assassination-attempt.html

He added that country's security agencies had been checking information about involvement of druglord Jarvis Pavao Ximenes in the assassination attempt.

"We proceed from the assumption that it would be the worst scenario. Therefore we have strengthened security of the president and other authorities," Vargas said, as quoted by the Paraguayan Interior Ministry on Friday, speaking about the threat of attacks planned by drug mafia.

According to Vargas, drug mafia could also destabilize the situation in country's prisons, where members of Brazil's Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) criminal group are taken into custody.

The PCC is one of the largest Brazilian criminal organizations, which is also active in Paraguay and Bolivia. Drug trafficking is one of the most significant areas of the group's activities.

Note: The "timing" of the attempted assassinations on the Presidents in Paraguay and the Philippine's by drug cartels, with Brazil's Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) criminal group as one suspect, comes only a few short days after Brazil's "official" President was Impeached by Senate Members, who have been accused "of corruption", and the swearing in - of the then Vice President, who is also under investigations for corruption?

On the heels of Brazil's Presidential Impeachment, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov suffers multible strokes and dies. Followed by assassination attempts on the Philippine and Paraguay Presidents?

Is Bolivia's President Evo Morales next on the list of assassination attempts?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-12166905

First elected in December 2005, Evo Morales, from the Aymara indigenous group, is first president to come from the country's indigenous majority.

But his first move, a few months after taking office, was to begin the process of putting Bolivia's rich gas fields under state control. By the middle of 2006, he had re-nationalised Bolivia's oil and gas industries.

The increased tax revenue allowed Bolivia to vastly increase its public investment and helped boost the country's foreign reserves.

With the gas money, President Morales's administration invested heavily in public works projects and social programmes to fight poverty which reduced by 25% during his government. Extreme poverty dropped by 43%.

He also pushed for a radical re-interpretation of Bolivian national identity largely through constitutional reform.

Amid protests and disputes, he won a referendum in August 2008 on whether he should stay in office, and then a few months later a referendum approved his plans for a new constitution.

It came into force in February 2009 setting out the rights of the indigenous majority, granting more regional and local autonomy to them and redefining Bolivia as a "multi-ethnic and pluri-cultural" nation.

It also set out moves for large-scale land reform, enshrining state control over key natural resources.

Bolivia's new identity was symbolised by the adoption of the whipala, a rainbow-coloured indigenous flag which is flown alongside the traditional red, yellow and green banner.

Bolivia's new indigenous voice was heard at international climate negotiations where Evo Morales argued from an indigenous perspective for greater respect for "Mother Earth".

Re-election Mr Morales's left-wing policies have worried and in some cases antagonised many middle-class Bolivians who believe he is too radical.

Opposition was concentrated in the wealthy eastern lowland province of Santa Cruz, Bolivia's economic powerhouse.

Regional leaders there led a campaign for greater autonomy, arguing that Mr Morales's socialist policies were damaging the economy.

But over the years, President Morales's relationship with the Santa Cruz business leaders has improved and there is growing respect in Santa Cruz for his growth agenda.

In December 2009 Evo Morales was re-elected president with 64% of the vote, easily defeating his conservative opponent and gaining ground in Santa Cruz.

When a referendum was held in February 2016 on allowing him to stand for a fourth term in office, it appears he narrowly lost the vote.

International profile Since coming to power, Evo Morales has forged close links with other left-wing Latin American leaders, particularly the late Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Fidel and Raul Castro in Cuba.

But relations with the US have been strained. In 2008 he expelled the US ambassador, Philip Goldberg, accusing him of conspiring against his government, and suspended operations of the US Drug Enforcement Administration in Bolivia.

In 2013, he expelled the US Agency for International Development (USAID), accusing it of seeking to "conspire against" the Bolivian people and his government.

In New York for the UN General Assembly in September 2014, President Morales called President Obama "an imperialist".

Like Mr Chavez, he has cultivated ties with foes of the US, such as Iran.

Having come to power with a radical programme aimed at addressing the extreme social divisions and inequalities of Bolivia, he has achieved in a few short years real social gains for the majority of Bolivians who look on his as their own.

But despite Bolivia's economic advancements, the country remains one of South America's poorest countries with analysts concerned it is overly dependent on natural resources.

In the first half of 2014, natural gas and minerals accounted for 82% of export revenues.

And the government's ability to fight crime and corruption has been questioned.

 

[angelburst29]

The United States has pursued two strategies to resolve the Syrian crisis – one led by the CIA, the other devised by the Pentagon, but instead of reinforcing each other they are getting in each other's way, with Turkey's military operation in northern Syria serving as tangible evidence of this trend.

Washington's Two Strategies in Syria Canceling Each Other Out
http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160903/1044921950/us-syria-two-strategies.html

Ankara launched its offensive, dubbed Operation Euphrates Shield, on August 24 to ostensibly push Daesh out of the border town of Jarablus and the surrounding areas. The Free Syrian Army backed by Turkish warplanes, tanks, artillery and special forces seized the town largely without any resistance from Daesh.
The Turkish troops and the rebels then started fighting US-backed Kurdish militias in areas that have already been liberated from the terrorist group by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Both Turkey and the SDF, largely made up of fighters from People's Protection Units (YPG), are key US allies in the region.

"The origins of the conflict lie in the fact that the United States has two policies in Syria. Initially the US policy was designed to support the opposition to the Assad regime," Jerusalem-based journalist Seth J. Frantzman wrote for the National Interest.

As part of these efforts, the US was vetting rebel armed groups that could prop up the so-called moderate opposition. Both the CIA and the Pentagon were involved in this process.

The Pentagon's $500 program was meant to produce approximately 5,000 fighters. The initiative ended in a major embarrassment for the US Department of Defense (DoD) when General Lloyd Austin, commander of US Central Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that only "four or five" US-trained rebels were fighting against Daesh.

According to Frantzman, the rise of Daesh prompted Washington to shift its focus from trying to depose Assad to counterterrorism. By late 2015, "Defense Department, CIA and State Department policies began to diverge, and the Defense Department began to see the Kurdish YPG and its effective fight against [Daesh] as the best partner for the anti-[Daesh] coalition forces," he said.

Turkey was not happy with this plan. As Kurdish forces moved further west and closer to the Euphrates, Ankara became increasingly insistent that the river was a red line that the Kurds were not allowed to cross. High-ranking Turkish officials have repeatedly said that if the Kurds decide to move further west, the Turkish military would launch a ground operation to stop them.

This is exactly what happened.

On August 12, the SDF took control of Manbij, a city located west of the Euphrates, in an operation that was conducted in close cooperation with the Pentagon. Three days later the Kurdish forces said that the Daesh-held town of al-Bab, situated further to the west, was their next target, adding that the Manbij offensive would continue until the militants are pushed out of surrounding areas. Two weeks later Ankara sent its Armed Forces to northern Syria.

On August 24, several hours after Operation Euphrates Shield was launched, US Vice President Joe Biden sent a strong message to the Kurds, saying that they must move back east of the Euphrates. Two days later John Kerry downplayed US support for the Kurds saying that there "has been some limited engagement with a component of Kurd fighters on a limited basis."

Washington's response to Turkey's incursion undoubtedly upset many Kurdish fighters since they, not Ankara, were instrumental in the US-led anti-Daesh efforts in northern Syria. "There is ample evidence that the DoD has been in competition with the CIA to find viable partners and that the DoD has been more successful in its relationship with the Kurds and SDF, who are far more effective than the plethora of Syrian rebel groups."

Moreover, the clashes between the Turkish military and the YPG appear to be pointing to Ankara's true goals in this region.

"The risk the United States faces is alienating the Kurds and seeing the SDF salient in Manbij collapse. This will set back US plans to launch a strike on Raqqa and cut off the head of the [Daesh] snake," Frantzman observed.

The Turkish military opened a new front in its Euphrates Shield operation in neighboring Syria.

Turkish Forces Open New Front in Syria, Enter Aleppo Province
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160903/1044933574/turkey-new-front-syria.html

Turkish tanks and other armored vehicles entered the Syrian province of Aleppo and shelled positions of Daesh militants, Hurriyet Daily news reported.

Turkish forces crossed the border from the Turkish province of Kilis, near the town of Cobanbey, some 25 kilometers from the place where the operation began.

According to the newspaper, Turkey sent Leopard tanks in addition to M60T tanks involved the operation. Moreover, several combat armored vehicles equipped with the Kirpi mine defense system were deployed to Syria.

In order to enter the Syrian territory, Turkish troops dismantled part of a wall which is currently being built on the border, DHA news agency reported citing military sources. The Euphrates Shield operation started on August 24 in the northern Syrian city of Jarablus and was backed by a US-led international coalition. At the time, nearly 40 Turkish tanks backed by some 1,000 Syrian rebel forces entered Syria. In response, Damascus accused Ankara of violating its national sovereignty.

On Thursday, the General Staff said that over 260 targets had been hit by airstrikes since the start of the operation without specifying whether some of these were Kurdish forces, which are also targeted by the operation, instead of Daesh.

On Monday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued an ultimatum to Kurds and demanded from them to withdraw to the east from the Euphrates. The United States, in turn, criticized Turkey for attacking Kurds and called for strikes against Daesh. The Russian Foreign Ministry called for Turkey not to attack Syrian opposition forces and Kurds. Moscow also stressed that all military operations in Syria should be coordinated with the Syrian government.

US forces hit Daesh targets near the Turkish border in northern Syria overnight using its newly deployed high-mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS), the special envoy of the US president for the anti-Daesh coalition said Saturday.

US Fires HIMARS Rockets at Daesh Targets in Syria From Across Turkish Border
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160903/1044932071/us-daesh-rockets-attack.html

He cited a Twitter message from the US Embassy in Turkey, which said HIMARS systems in Turkey were "in place and in action". This is the latest step in US-Turkish cooperation in the fight against the Daesh militant group, the diplomatic mission said.

"U.S. forces struck ISIL [Daesh] targets near Turkey's border in Syria last night via newly deployed HIMARS system," Brett McGurk tweeted.

The death of Uzbekistan’s veteran President Islam Karimov signifies the end of a whole era in the history of this former Soviet Central Asian republic, Gevorg Mirzayan, an assistant professor at the Financial University in Moscow, said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

Between East and West: Islam Karimov’s Death Leaves Uzbekistan in Limbo
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160903/1044929680/karimov-exit-legacy.html

During his 25 years at the helm, Uzbekistan’s first president managed to preserve the country’s territorial integrity and even salvage some of its Soviet-era economic potential,” Gevorg Mirzayan said, adding that now it all depended on what Karimov’s successors are going to do.

“The personality cult that has existed in Uzbekistan, of a great leader steering the nation to prosperity and progress, is the backbone of the country’s political system, but with the Arab Spring, information technologies and the great deal of popularity enjoyed by anti-state ideologies, the new Uzbek leaders will need more than just this cult to stay in power,” Mirzayan added.

To exploit the credit of public trust left behind by his predecessor, Gevorg Mirzayev noted, the new Uzbek leader will have to focus on the country’s socioeconomic development, including through the continued use of the Russian labor market as a point of destination for young Uzbeks who fail to find a job in their own country.

“He will also have to allow the free sale of dollars, because now people in Uzbekistan have to buy from banks at a rate which has nothing to do with reality, and also to crack down on corruption, including grass-root corruption. We know from Georgia’s experience how a clampdown on low-level corruption can send the authorities’ popularity sky high.”

“Islam Karimov loved to rule and firmly resisted any outside attempts to influence his decisions. That’s why he avoided close military and economic ties with either the US, Russia or China,” Mirzayan continued.


Always trying to underscore his independence, Islam Karimov stayed away from any integration projects with Russia and he even opened a museum of Russian occupation, the only such museum in Central Asia.

It wasn’t until very recently that, realizing that the threats posed to his country by Daesh and the situation in Afghanistan, appeared way more real that his fears of falling under Russia’s influence, Islam Karimov started turning to Russia. “It looks like the new Uzbek leadership will speed up this process especially if the domestic situation deteriorates and if the Kremlin proves that its Eurasian integration concept is not an attempt to bring back the Soviet Union,” Gevorg Mirzayan said in conclusion.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Russian Mi-8 Military Helicopter Crash-Lands in Sakhalin, No Casualties

http://sputniknews.com/military/20160903/1044932309/russia-mi8-sakhalin.html

A Mi-8 military helicopter made a hard landing Saturday in Russia’s eastern Sakhalin province, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The cause of the accident was not immediately clear, but the ministry said the landing took place in the dark and the weather conditions were severe.

"At 13:18 Moscow time [10:18GMT], a Mi-8 helicopter made a hard landing at the Sokol airfield while performing a routine flight," the ministry said, adding none of its crew members or passengers were hurt.

A source in the rescue services told RIA Novosti earlier today that the helicopter had caught fire after it crash-landed. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze. There were three crew members and seven passengers on board, the source said.

'Spy' Photos of Russia’s Top Secret Self-Propelled Gun Go Online

http://sputniknews.com/russia/20160903/1044932216/russia-gun-photos.html

Photos of the Phlox self-propelled truck-mounted gun have appeared on the Internet, posted by Uralvagonzavod Corp.’s deputy director Alexey Zharich, Rossiiskaya Gazeta reported.

The Phlox 120mm self-propelled howitzer is just one of about fifty advanced weapons systems that will have their world premiere during the Army-2016 military technology forum outside Moscow.

Most of the new system’s features remain under wraps. What is known is that its 120mm cannon a long-range gun, a howitzer and a mortar all in one.

Mounted on updated version of the Ural-4320 truck with an armored cabin, it has an effective firing range of up to 10,000 m and a minimum range of just 100 meters.

It has an initial ammunition supply of more than 80 complete rounds.

The Phlox fires in automatic mode and its gun is capable of rotating 360 degrees to lock on to a target.

It features an remote-controlled 12.7 mm machinegun mounted on top of the truck and a Shtora-like electro-optical jammer that disrupts antitank guided missiles, laser rangefinders and target designators.

'Super Warm': Arctic Nano-Boots Designed in Russia

http://sputniknews.com/russia/20160903/1044925773/russia-nano-boots.html

Unique snow boots for soldiers serving in the Far North, jointly developed by Novosibirsk footwear makers and scientists, have already been certified and will soon be on their way to their future owners.

According to the nano boots’ makers, their thermos effect created inside will keep their wearers warm even when it is minus 70 degrees Celsius outside.

“The boots are made from EVA, which is a super warm material. We also use thermoelastoplast to avoid punctures and skidding and nano tubes to enhance their warmth-retaining qualities,” Sergei Yung, director of a local shoe factory making the nano boots, told Life TV.

A number of state organizations, including military and emergency units, have already placed orders for the innovative footwear. 50,000 pairs of nano-boots will soon be available in army surplus stores and there will be more to come.

Sergei Yung mentioned a notable spike in public demand for quality military footwear following the ban on textile imports, which allowed the factory to move in and fill the gap.

“After Canada’s Buffin Company closed up shop here we took over. Our nano-boots are one of a kind as they are extremely frost-resistant and developed expressly for use in the Arctic,” he said.

Baltics Tense Over Moscow's 'Muscle Flexing' Amid NATO Buildup on Russian Border

http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160903/1044922424/baltics-nato-buildup.html

A team of NATO experts has arrived in Latvia ahead of the planned deployment of a Canadian-led battalion in this former Soviet republic. A similar 1000-strong NATO unit under German command will be stationed in Latvia’s neighboring republic of Lithuania.

The decision to deploy combat battalions in the Baltic countries and Poland is part of NATO’s current military buildup along the border with Russia.

Lithuania and Latvia are busily ramping up their armories trying to bring their defense outlays in line with NATO’s standard of 2 percent of the GDP.

Late last month Lithuania’s Defense Minister Juozas Olekas signed a deal with the German concern ARTEC and the Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation to buy 386 million euros’ worth of Boxer armored cars.

During their recent summit in Warsaw, NATO leaders approved the deployment of four multinational battalions to the Baltic States and Poland.

The Baltic countries regularly host NATO war games.

The latest stage of such exercises, codenamed Saber Strike 2016, was held in June with tank drills in Latvia’s Adazi military base, located near the capital Riga.

Conducted annually since 2010, the Saber Strike exercise is a set of collaborative military training drills involving US and European forces that is held in multiple locations throughout Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia.

On Friday Latvian, Estonian and Polish representatives headed to the Czech Republic to take part in NATO’s Ample Strike 2016 drills.

Slated to run until September 20, the exercises also involve military units from the US, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary and Finland.

During a recent visit to Riga, US Vice President Joe Biden said that 170 military exercises and other joint events were scheduled for this year alone.

In August, Brigadier General Michael Gschossmann, commander of the ground-based component of the German Air Force, said that the German and Dutch militaries were working to create a joint air and missile defense task force – equipped with Patriot rockets – that will likely see future deployments in Poland or the Baltic states “to send a political signal” to Russia.

It was against the backdrop of this frenzied military activity that the Lithuanian and Latvian defense ministries complained about the recent snap military drills in Russia which they described as a destabilizing factor and “a lack of transparency” on the part of Moscow.

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs went even further describing the “large-scale Russian military exercises” as “muscle flexing” and insisted on NATO’s permanent military presence in his country.

But with all this NATO military buildup on its borders, Russia has every reason to create a credible deterrence against a possible aggression.

Diplomat: West has to understand cooperation with Russia in fighting terrorism is crucial

http://tass.com/politics/897643

Western countries are starting to realize the attempts to boycott Moscow in this sphere threaten their own security, the diplomat believes

VLADIVOSTOK, September 3. /TASS/. Western countries are gradually returning to active cooperation with Russia in fighting terrorism, as they realize the attempts to boycott Moscow in this sphere threaten their own security, head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Department of New Challenges and Threats Ilya Rogachev told TASS on Saturday.

"Today, may western counterparts return to cooperation with Russia in fighting terrorism," the diplomat said. "This situation is pushing them to the understanding that they are punishing themselves by the attempts to boycott us in the anti-terrorist sphere.".

The diplomat has also said that Russia and Turkey should restore the dialogue on anti-terror efforts.

Although Moscow and Ankara now have quite a number of different views on fighting terrorism in Syria and Iraq, the official noted that:

"It is too early yet to organize bilateral commissions on fighting terrorism. "

However, restoration of a dialogue in this sphere is timely," he added.

Putin Arrives in East China's Hangzhou Ahead of G20 Leaders' Summit

http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160903/1044931314/putin-arrives-hagzhou-g20.html

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived Saturday in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, which is preparing to host a summit of the world’s 20 major economies.

HANGZHOU (Sputnik) — During the G20 summit, which will launch officially on Sunday and run through Monday, the Russian president is expected to meet heads of state and government at joint working sessions.

He will hold a series of bilateral meetings with the leaders of China, France, Britain and the Saudi deputy crown prince, among others.

Ahead of the G20 summit, Putin will traditionally attend an informal meeting of BRICS leaders – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – which is a club of five developing economies.

Aid delivered to families fleeing terrorists in Hama northern countryside

http://sana.sy/en/?p=87154

Hama, SANA – The Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) distributed aid to families in Hama city who have been displaced from the northern countryside of the province due to the recent attacks launched by the terrorist organizations.

Head of Hama branch of the SARC Mazen al-Halabi announced on Saturday that 3000 food packages, 2000 packages including canned food and thousands of bedcovers were delivered in the past few days, covering the needs of 80 percent of the displaced families in Hama city.

Supplies were also delivered to the nearby villages of Qamhana, Khattab, Maarshahour, al-Jajiyeh, Tizin, Kazo, al-Khalidiyeh and Kfarraa, according to al-Halabi.

Syrian Army, Popular Forces Launch Large-Scale Operation in Northern Hama

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950613000992

"The Syrian pro-government forces launched their attacks on terrorist groups from different Ma'ardes, Qamhaneh and Khirbet al-Hajameh and Khattab towards Tayab al-Imam," the Lebanese al-Akhbar reported.

"Attacks on Tayab al-Imam will end in closure of supply line between terrorists in Souran and Helfaya and will give overlooking positions to Syrian army over the village of Albu Yedheh, whose seizure by the Syrian army will ruin terrorists' plan to make a safe line from northeastern Hama to Northwester Hama," the paper added.

"Popular forces in al-Mahradeh have started their attacks on terrorist centers in Helfaya to prevent any possible counter-attack," the paper said, adding, "The Syrian Army's artillery units have planed very crucial role in Northern Hama's operation."

Reports said earlier today that Syrian and Russian fighter jets targeted separately the positions of the terrorist groups near four small towns in Northern Hama to pave the ground for the Syrian army soldiers to have easier access to the militants' defense lines.

Positions of Jund al-Aqsa near the towns of Taybat al-Imam, Souran, Helfaya and Morek were massively bombed by the Russian and Syrian fighter jets, killing and wounding scores of the terrorists and destroying their military hardware.

Meantime, some sources claimed that a military helicopter was downed to the Northwest of government-controlled Hama

"They shot down a Syrian army helicopter, a pilot and a co-pilot were killed."

The Syrian army and popular forces are trying to retake the village and town which Takfiri terrorists have seized back in Hama province.

Syrian Analyst: Mossad Training Special Spies to Assassinate Resistance Leaders

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950613000550

"The Zionist regime's spy agency, Mossad, has and is assassinating the leaders of resistance groups and freedom-seeking movements in the world by training groups of mercenaries and sneaking them into target countries," Mohammad Nasour told FNA on Saturday.

"Mossad has established special spy training centers and trained experts in the field of international relations to use them in its media for diverting the public opinion from the regime's crimes," he added.

Nasour also said that the main goal of the Zionist-US projects in the region is hitting a blow at the resistance front in a bid to guarantee the Zionist regime's survival.

Targeted assassinations have become the most significant and frequent form of Israeli military attacks, and serve as a tool to control the occupied Palestinian territories.

The same method is also used in countries which support the resistance front.

An NBC News report citing US officials said in 2012 that Mossad officials are training Iranian dissidents to assassinate Iranian nuclear scientists.

The report by the NBC News followed Iranian accusations that Israel and the US had been orchestrating attacks against Iranian scientists associated with Iran's nuclear program.

Scores of ISIL Fighters Break Ties with Takfiri Group East of Syria's Homs

http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950613001091

"For the fourth day in a row, the desert town of al-Sukhnah near the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur), witnessed several groups of ISIL terrorists who were leaving their positions due to their commanders' atrocities and harsh behaviors," the sources said.

"The ISIL security forces, meantime, have arrested the families of fled members. The fled members try to reach to Idlib and some camps at Syria-Turkey camp. Some of them also have moved to al-Rakban camp in Sothern Syria," the sources added.

"At least 30 fighters have left ISIL in al-Sukhnah," they went on to say.

Sources said earlier this week that Syrian military forces stormed ISIL’s defense lines in the Eastern territories of the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur) and won control over several silos in the gas-rich region.

The ISIL suffered a heavy death toll and its military hardware sustained major damage in the Syrian soldiers’ offensive in Arak gas-rich region.

After hours of fierce clashes, the Syrian army pushed ISIL back from wheat silos.

Syrian warplanes for their part pounded ISIL’s centers and vehicles along Palmyra-Al- Sukhnah, ending in destruction of ISIL’s vehicles carrying fresh forces.

Syrian Army foils the ISIS offensive in northeast Homs

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-army-foils-isis-offensive-northeast-homs/

Homs, Syria (11:55 A.M.) – It has been a long a day for the Syrian Armed Forces in the northeastern countryside of the Homs Governorate, as the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) launched wave after wave of attacks against their defenses near the key village of Huwaysis.

ISIS began their assault last night, capturing a significant chunk of territory between the village of Huwaysis and the Al-Sha’er Gas Fields.

The Islamic State’s rapid success required the Syrian Armed Forces to reinforce the Huwaysis area of northeast Homs and help drive back the encroaching terrorists.

Finally, after several hours of fighting, the Syrian Armed Forces were able to beat back the Islamic State’s assault and restore several points near Huwaysis.

If ISIS was successful in their recent endeavor to capture Huwaysis, then the most important Syrian airport in east Homs would be within striking distance for the terrorist group.

 

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The deal would call for full-coordination between US and Russian military and intelligence forces in Syria in exchange for Moscow forcing Assad to ground the Syrian Air Force.

US-Russia Set to Complete a Major Military Alliance Agreement in Syria
http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160904/1044941016/russia-military-intelligence-coordination-syria.html

The United States and Russia inch closer to completing a major agreement calling for military and intelligence cooperation in Syria in exchange for Russia agreeing to pressure President Bashar al-Assad to refrain from targeting civilian dense areas and allowing for both food and medical aid to flow into impacted areas according to reports from CBS News correspondent Margaret Brennan.

Pursuant to the proposed arrangement, the US and Russia would coordinate airstrikes against Daesh (ISIS) as well as al Qaeda-linked terrorists including the former al-Nusra Front. While the United States and Russia would jointly takeover the aerial campaign against jihadists in Syria, Assad’s Syrian Arab Army Air Force would be grounded in a bid to prevent unnecessary collateral damage against civilians and US-backed rebels.

The measure looks to rectify a major point of contention between the United States and Russia with many of the so-called 'moderate' rebels now finding themselves embedded with the freshly rebranded al-Qaeda affiliate formerly known as al-Nusra Front under the umbrella group known as The Army of Conquest. Russian airstrikes against al-Nusra targets have often come under scrutiny due to the interwoven nature of the anti-Assad alliance.

Washington appears to have a desire to prevent the conflict in Syria from taking on any additional fronts after Turkey entered into the Syrian conflict with a full-throttled air and ground campaign against US-backed YPG Kurdish rebels – a group with which US Special Forces are embedded with creating a severe danger of unintentional friendly fire between the allied countries.

The Obama administration has also found itself facing split allegiances in its bid to prop up anti-Assad rebels while fighting against Daesh (ISIS) militants with al-Nusra occupying a space within the coalition against the Syrian President that awkwardly bridges these forces with Daesh. While the United States considers al-Nusra to be a terrorist organization and does not provide weapons to the former al-Qaeda affiliate, the jihadists are often times derivative beneficiaries of US aid to the rebels.

While aligning with the anti-Assad rebels, the United States has also engaged in fierce bombing campaigns against al-Nusra objectives despite the group serving as the vanguard in the rebel effort to break the siege of Aleppo. The complex war zone environment in Syria has left many sides wondering who they are fighting and with somewhat unimaginable alliances of opportunity forming between different parties in the struggle.

The negotiations are a final salvo by the Obama administration to prevent the surge in deaths in Syria and to stem the flow of refugees into Europe at a time when the conflict nears a breaking point. Efforts at diplomacy appear to be led by a move dovish wing in the State Department including Secretary John Kerry who garnered a greater appreciation for Russia’s role in Syria after Putin helped Obama walk back from the "red-line" while leaders in the Pentagon are reportedly calling for the US to "walk out."

The deal, if completed "would also put Russian President Vladimir Putin back at global player status" according to CBS News analysis of the pending deal which they described as "groundbreaking."

The Russian President leveled his most fierce blow yet against interventionist foreign policies arguing that productive societal change must begin at the ground level from within rather than being imparted by outside liberators.

Putin Blasts Western ‘Democratization’ Saying it Causes Terrorism, Failed States
http://sputniknews.com/russia/20160904/1044941562/putin-american-foreign-intervention-terrorism.html

President Putin opined in an interview with Bloomberg at the Eastern Economic Forum that events from the last decade and a half show that the budding Western foreign policy theory of humanitarian interventionism, wars of liberation and outside efforts to bolster opposition to autocratic conditions result in fertile breeding grounds for terrorists and destabilize nation-states – with Iraq, Libya and Syria being the most prominent and graphic examples.

"I’ve always been of the opinion that you can’t change things from the outside, regarding political regimes, power change," Putin explained. "I’m sure – and the events of the past decade add to this certainty – in particular the attempts at democratization in Iraq, Libya, we see what they led to: the destruction of state systems and the rise of terrorism."

The Russian President himself has faced challenges from Western foreign policy thinkers who claim to espouse a theory of outside intervention to facilitate a culture of increased democratization – such as Open Society Foundations’ George Soros who had invested heavily in opposition media and entities inside of Russia which many in Moscow see as a thinly veiled effort to destabilize the government.

A similar cascade befell the regime of Viktor Yanukovych, the democratically elected leader of Ukraine, whose regime was ousted by the same “fifth column” forces of disruption that the leaks of George Soros files showed that the Hungarian-born billionaire advocated for and ultimately funded the creation of.

"Do you see any elements of democracy in Libya? Perhaps they will develop one day, hopefully. Or the ongoing civil war in Iraq – what is the future of Iraq in General? These remain big questions," said Putin in laying out his case. "The same goes for Syria. Every time we hear that 'Assad must go' (because someone from outside believes so), I can’t help but wonder: What is that going to lead to?… Isn’t it better to warm ourselves with patience and promote structural changes in society?"

The idea comes full-force with the regime change efforts in Iraq and Libya with former President George W. Bush calling the military campaign an effort to "liberate the Iraqi people" from the despotism of the violent dictator Saddam Hussein. A similar motive animated the Obama administration’s push, an effort spearheaded by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to force regime change in Libya so that pro-democratic forces could lead the country – instead it is a failed state controlled by Daesh (ISIS).

Speaking about democracy from the depths of despotism, Putin argued that "this won’t happen today or tomorrow, but perhaps therein lies the political wisdom: holding horses and not leaping ahead, but gradually pursuing structural changes, in this case, in the political system of society."

The Russian President’s argument makes sense even under Western political theology which is based on the notion of the rule of law and freedom of speech with a major precondition of being trust in institutions that are left stable enough to adapt to the needs and demands of the people.

The entire US military has witnessed a 48-percent hike in aviation crashes in 2014 and 2015 compared with the two previous years, a new investigation based on press reports reveals.

New investigation reveals 48% hike in US warplane crashes
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/09/04/483052/US-military-jet-fighters-FA18-Hornet-aviation-crashes-US-Marines-Mac-Thornberry

Pointing to recent crashes of two F/A-18 Hornet jetfighters during training exercises that left one Marine pilot dead, a Fox News TV report stated on Saturday that such accidents are becoming more frequent amid growing concerns that “insufficient training and an aging fleet hobble by a shortage of spare parts” are contributing factors.

"They are going up partly because they are not getting the training they should get. They're going up because maintenance is harder and harder to accomplish. They are going up because the airplanes are getting older and older," said Republican Congressman from Texas Mac Thornberry, who chairs the House Armed Services Committee, in an interview with Fox News.

Thornberry blames President Barack Obama for the emerging crisis saying that he has effectively sent more US troops into harm's way without paying for the increase in costs.

"When the president sends more people to Afghanistan more people to Iraq, he doesn't ask for more money. The costs just come out of the training, the maintenance and the readiness of our force. The problem is getting worse," he added.

So far in 2016, the report said, there have been nine military aircraft crashes, four of which involved Navy F/A-18 warplanes. There were 33 total crashes across all branches in 2014 and 2015 - up from just 23 in 2012 and 2013.

However, the admiral in charge of Navy aviation denies a link between the crashes and the age and readiness of their planes.

"I wouldn't characterize it as a crisis. I get the question a lot of, do you tie it to readiness or a lack of proficiency ... and in review of those mishaps, I can't make that connection," said Vice Admiral Mike Shoemaker last month.

According to official figures released by the US Navy, only 21 percent of its early model Navy F-18 Hornets can fly along with only half of its newer Super Hornets. Over 100 Super Hornets are not flying due to shortages in critical spare parts.

The report further reveals that US Navy's fleet of MH-60 Seahawk helicopters is not doing much better, with only 57 percent of its 412 M-60s able to fly.

The Navy, like the Marines, is having a difficult time finding available jets for its pilots to fly and train in -- amid more than $100 billion in defense budget cuts since 2009, a steady tempo of combat missions, and a delay in the delivery of the F-18's replacement, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Currently, the report added, of the Marines’ 273 F-18 aircraft, only 91 are able to fly with 88 of them waiting for spare parts.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Xi Jinping: Role of developing countries growing, BRICS is locomotive of this process

http://tass.com/world/897724

Xi Jinping noted that the countries should step up coordination and cooperation for the development of BRICS and the G20 group

HANGZHOU (China), September 4. /TASS/. The role of the developing countries in the global governance system is growing, and the BRICS member-countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) are the driving force of this process, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at an informal meeting of the BRICS leaders on Sunday ahead of the G20 summit in China’s Hangzhou.

"The joint economic growth of the emerging markets and developing countries is perhaps one of the most significant changes in the modern world, and the BRICS member-countries are the driving force of this process as well as important G20 participants," he said. Xi Jinping also noted that the countries should step up coordination and cooperation for the development of BRICS and the G20 group and pointed to the need "to help strengthen the role of the emerging economies and developing countries" to consolidate their position in the global governance structure.

Informal talks of the BRICS heads of state will become these countries’ preparatory work ahead of the G20 summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping also said.

"Since the beginning of this year, cooperation within the organization has maintained good dynamics thanks to joint work, new results have been achieved," he said.

"I hope that today’s meeting will end favorably and will be a good preparatory work ahead of the G20 summit opening in Hangzhou," Xi Jinping said. "I also hope it will lay the foundation for the BRICS summit to be held in Goa in a month’s time."

At the traditional informal meeting, the leaders of the five nations will discuss issues relating to this association and the G20 agenda. A large-scale BRICS summit is to be held in Goa (India) in mid-October.

Brazil is represented at the meeting by the country’s new President Michel Temer who took office on September 1. He had no official contacts with Vladimir Putin before.

The Chinese president welcomed the new president of Brazil and congratulated him on the success of the Rio Olympic Games.

China's leader: Russia playing important role in stabilizing world economy

http://tass.com/world/897727

According to Xi Jinping, China and Russia should strengthen mutual political support, including in protection of sovereignty

HANGZHOU (China), September 4. /TASS/. Russia plays an important role in promoting the healthy and stable development of the global economy, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in China’s Hangzhou on Sunday.

"Russia plays an important role in promoting the healthy and stable development of the global economy. I am confident that your participation in the G20 summit will contribute to achieving positive results at this forum," Xi Jinping said.

He recalled that in June Russia and China signed a large package of agreements. "All this vividly shows the parties’ strong determination to deepen comprehensive partnership and cooperation. It showed to the full extent our countries’ common stand on the pressing international and regional issues."

"In the current complex and rapidly changing situation in the world this is extremely important," the Chinese leader added.

For his part, Vladimir Putin noted that the G20 summit in Hangzhou had been prepared thoroughly, adding that Russia supports the issues put on the agenda by China. "We will be glad to take part in this discussion," he said.

China and Russia should strengthen mutual political support, including in protection of sovereignty, China's leader also said.

"We hope our sides will strengthen the contacts so that to implement our agreements," he said. "Our countries should even tighter strengthen the overwhelming cooperation, the mutual political support, the support of the other side in protection of sovereignty."

Beijing "supports vigorously Russia’s aspirations for the development according to the country’s realities," he continued. "We consider booming and development of Russia as our own chance in development."

The Chinese leader also stressed it necessary to promote more effectively the process of linking strategies of the EurAsian Economic Union and of the Silk Road, as well as strategies of Russia and China.

Xi: China, India to Contribute More Fully to Growth of Global Economy

http://sputniknews.com/business/20160904/1044944621/china-india-global-economy.html

China and India plan to contribute more significantly to the expansion of the world growth, China's President Xi Jinping said Sunday.

BEIJING (Sputnik) – Earlier in the day, Xi held a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G20 summit of the world's top economies in China’s eastern city of Hangzhou.

“China intends to deepen cooperation with India within the G20 framework and together contribute more fully to the growth of the world economy and improve the global economic governance,” the Chinese leader said at the meeting as quoted by the country’s foreign ministry.

He added that Beijing supports New Delhi’s efforts devoted to the 8th summit of the BRICS emerging economies, to be held in the Indian state of Goa in October.

Modi, on his part, noted during the talks that the strategic partnership between India and China is important both for the region and the world.

The G20 summit is taking place in the Chinese city of Hangzhou on September 4-5.

Obama receives diplomatic snub in China

http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/09/04/483070/US-China-Obama-Xi

US President Barack Obama has been delivered a calculated diplomatic snub in Hangzhou, China, where global leaders are convening for the G20 summit.

The problems began as soon as Obama's plane landed in Hangzhou on Saturday.

Unlike Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Brazilian President Michel Temer and British Prime Minister Theresa May, Obama did not have the red carpet to walk on when he stepped off the plane.

The US president was also forced to leave Air Force One through a little-used exit in the plane’s belly, only used on high-security trips, after Chinese officials failed to provide the rolling staircase.

In addition, there were heated altercations between Chinese and US officials after reporters were met by a line of bright blue tape held by Chinese security guards, who did not let them watch Obama disembark.

A White House staff member protested to this behavior, but one Chinese official shouted back, “This is our country! This is our airport!”

“The reception that President Obama and his staff got when they arrived here Saturday afternoon was bruising, even by Chinese standards,” according to The New York Times.

Reacting to the incident, Obama later said the row between the US and Chinese officials should not be overblown.

"I wouldn't overcrank the significance" of the tensions, he said at a news conference on Sunday.

But Mexico’s former ambassador to China, Jorge Guajardo, believes the reception was part a calculated snub.

“These things do not happen by mistake. Not with the Chinese,” Guajardo, who hosted presidents Enrique Peña Nieto and Felipe Calderón during his time in Beijing, told The Guardian.

“I’ve dealt with the Chinese for six years. I’ve done these visits. I took Xi Jinping to Mexico. I received two Mexican presidents in China. I know exactly how these things get worked out. It’s down to the last detail in everything. It’s not a mistake. It’s not.”

In another instance, when President Xi Jinping took Obama on a leisurely stroll following dinner on Saturday, Chinese security officials cut the number of American journalists who wanted to see the stroll to three from the original six, and then to just one reporter.

“This is our arrangement,” a Chinese official explained to his American counterpart.

“Your arrangement keeps changing,” the American replied.

Obama presses Xi on South China Sea

In his meeting with the Chinese president, Obama urged him to uphold China’s legal obligations and highlighted Washington's commitments to its regional allies.

"The president reaffirmed that the United States will work with all countries in the region to uphold the principles of international law, unimpeded lawful commerce, and freedom of navigation and over-flight," the White House said on Saturday.

A Hague-based court of arbitration ruled in July that China’s claims to sovereignty over the disputed areas or resources in the South China Sea “had no legal basis.”

China, however, dismissed the ruling, insisting that the tribunal had no jurisdiction over the issue.

In his talks with Obama, Xi said that China "will persist in peacefully resolving disputes through consultations with parties directly involved."

He called on the US to "play a constructive role" in regional peace and stability.

China claims sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea, parts of which are claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam as well as the Philippines.

The issue has been a source of tension between China, the US, and regional countries, which are seeking control of trade routes and mineral deposits there.

Former Deputy Undersecretary of US Navy Predicts War with China is 'Inevitable'

http://sputniknews.com/asia/20160903/1044938431/obama-hillary-china-navy-war.html

In an editorial on Saturday, the retired naval officer, writing on behalf of the neoconservative think tank The Hudson Institute, predicted that a bloody naval conflict with China was imminent.

The Former Deputy Undersecretary of the US Navy under both President Ronald Reagan and President George H.W. Bush penned a troubling editorial on Saturday calling on the Obama administration to taking a more hawkish stance against Chinese expansionism predicting that war with Beijing is inevitable and that the United States should do everything necessary to limit China’s strength in the meantime.

"A key component of the next president’s foreign policy must be to compel China to respect international law. Otherwise, we may be faced by a conflict with a growing navy at a time when ours is decreasing in size," said Seth Cropsey. "Obama has not made this imperative any easier."

The naval officer turned think tank war hawk contested Beijing’s claim to the South China Sea’s disputed islands citing the decision by the international tribunal at The Hague on July 12 and blasted the Obama administration’s response to the decision saying it "wholly ignored the military character of China’s actions to date in the South China Sea."

Cropsey contends that contrary to a statement made by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2015 to President Obama stating that the islands of the South China Sea would not be militarized, China has nonetheless "continued construction of hardened hangars demonstrat[ing] Beijing’s intent to deploy combat aircraft to the islands."

He surmised that China’s foreign policy is one of expansionism and imperialism where might makes right citing Beijing’s former Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi out of context who said, "China is a big country and other countries are small countries, and that’s a fact."

Cropsey argues in his piece further that China has its own brand of exceptionalism, distinct from American exceptionalism, that is somehow not predicated on the "rule of law" or "accepted norms of international behavior," but rather the country’s power to ignore international law altogether.

The position that he lays out somewhat astoundingly is that of former US Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, whose name has been floated as the next Secretary of State, who wrote in a 2000 article that apart from the words expressly laid out in treaties international law does not exist at all because, essentially, it is based on custom and if you violate that custom repeatedly then the customary international law changes.

Nonetheless, Cropsey returns to his opinion that “China does not respect international law” whereas "Japan and the United States do" before calling for a more adversarial posture towards Beijing because "the next US administration needs to understand that our fate as a great power is inseparable from America’s continued role as a great Pacific power."

As tensions continue to mount on the high seas at least some American military officials believe it is wise to provoke and isolate China just short of military conflict in order to limit the consequence of an inevitable war – a frightening reality for the wellbeing of the world that was once unthinkable.

US Preparing Electronic Warfare for 'Force-on-Force Conflict in Europe'

http://sputniknews.com/military/20160904/1044942435/us-electronic-warfare-conflict-europe.html

Having looked at the Russian military’s cyber warfare modernization, the United States rushed to develop similar capabilities that could be used in the event of a “large force-on-force conflict in a place like Europe.”

On August 11, the US Army announced the creation of the Army Rapid Capabilities Office to prevent “capability gaps” that have formed within the American military in recent years.

“Our adversaries are modernizing at a rapid rate, and in some cases, our capabilities are inadequate to keep up, to maintain our edge,” Maj. Gen. Walter E. Piatt, who is in charge of the operations in the new office said in a statement. "We need to … make sure that they are offset from us, not the other way around.”

Doug Wiltsie, a director of the Rapid Capabilities Office, at the time said that it will focus on “urgent, immediate or emerging threats” defined by the commanders on the ground. Army Secretary Eric Fanning obscurely remarked that the new establishment will work on new capabilities development rather than on creating new equipment.

According to Defense One citing a military analyst, many military authorities have been shocked by the pace of innovations in electronic warfare showcased in Russia’s Syrian campaign, which saw the use of “new waveforms that can disrupt an adversary’s electronics and paint enemy stealth aircraft.”

According to Fanning, “the combination of unmanned aerial systems and offensive cyber and advanced electronic warfare capabilities … provided Russian forces a new degree of sophistication.”

On Wednesday, he said that the new office will be accelerating development of cyber, electronic warfare, and position-and-timing gear.

Army Rapid Capabilities Office will use “targeted investments to execute strategic prototyping, concept evaluation and limited equipping — especially in areas where technology progresses rapidly,” Katrina McFarland, the Army acquisition executive said.

Steven Pifer, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, observed that the establishment of such an office would mean that the US has shifted its focus from the Middle East, where it has participated in a row of conflicts, to Europe.

“My guess is … that after 15 years of doing largely counter-insurgency operations in the Middle East, the Army is now taking a look at how it would do large force-on-force conflict in a place like Europe,” he said.

US, Russia Have Great Differences Over Peace Process in Syria

http://sputniknews.com/politics/20160904/1044943082/us-russia-syrian-conflict.html

The United States and Russia continue to support different sides in war torn Syria and have differences over the peace process in this country, US President Barack Obama said Sunday.

HANGZHOU (Sputnik) — On Saturday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US State Secretary John Kerry on the sidelines of the G20 summit in China was possible if the United States officially made a distinction between terrorists and opposition groups in Syria.

"We have great differences in terms of both the parties we support but also the process that is required to bring about peace in Syria. But if we do not get succumbing from the Russians on reducing the violence and easing the humanitarian crisis then it is difficult to see how we get to the next phase [of the Syrian settlement]," Obama said at a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Theresa May on the sidelines of the G20 summit in China.

At the same time, Obama noted that "the conversations with Russians are key" in reaching the solution of the Syrian crisis.