Russia Says Israel Has to Stop Attacking Syria

FARSNEWS2019/2/8
Russia Says Israel Has to Stop Attacking Syria
TEHRAN (FNA)- Israel’s strikes on Syria must stop as they additionally worsen the situation, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin told reporters.

"As for recent Israeli strikes, we have stated that such arbitrary attacks on a sovereign state must stop," he said, TASS reported.

"I would like to point out that our military has a deconfliction line with Israel, which has been operating for over a year. We work to upgrade it," Vershinin added.

"Any attacks additionally worsen the situation," the senior Russian diplomat pointed out, stressing that "no one’s actions in Syria can go beyond the fight against terrorists".

On January 20, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that the country’s air defenses had thwarted an Israeli air strike in the country’s South. The Russian defense ministry, in turn, said that Syrian air defenses had thwarted an attack on Duvali Airport in Southeast Damascus carried out by Israel’s F-16 planes. The attack killed four Syrian military servicemen and left six wounded. More than 30 Israel missiles and aviation bombs were destroyed.

On January 13, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel was ready to increase attacks on Iranian facilities in Syria in order to prevent Tehran from strengthening its position in the country.

トゥルシーガバード が 米国のタブーを公言

FARSNEWS2019/2/8
US Congresswoman: Trump Supporting Al-Qaeda, Saudis Main Sponsors of Terrorism
TEHRAN (FNA)- US Democrat Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard strongly criticized President Donald Trump for supporting Al-Qaeda terrorist group, and said the Riyadh government is the main state supporter of terrorism in the region.

"Trump says he is going to focus on counter-terrorism while simultaneously supporting/helping al-Qaeda and partnering with the Saudis, the actual leading state sponsors of terror, who spread the extremist ideology that fuels the likes of ISIS (ISIL) and al-Qaeda," Gabbard wrote on his Twitter account while referring to a recent report by CNN on Saudi Arabia's support for terrorist groups, specially al-Qaeda.

A new report by CNN found that Saudi Arabia gave US-made weapons to al-Qaeda-linked fighters in Yemen, in violation of a US-Saudi arms deal.

It noted that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are using the weapons to buy the loyalties of various militias or tribes and gain influence in Yemen’s political landscape.

A US defense official confirmed to CNN there is an ongoing investigation into the matter.

Venezuela Did Not Request Russian Military Assistance Amid Crisis − Moscow

SPUTNIK2019/2/8
Venezuela Did Not Request Russian Military Assistance Amid Crisis − Moscow
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Caracas did not send to Moscow a request for Russian military assistance, Alexander Shchetinin, head of the Latin American department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, said in an interview with Sputnik.

We consider and analyse requests from our strategic partners very carefully. We did not receive a request on this issue", Shchetinin said, answering the question whether Caracas asked Moscow for Russian military assistance to Venezuela amid the current political crisis in the Latin American country.

Russia is open to dialogue with all Venezuelan politicians who are ready for a constructive discussion of the situation in Venezuela, Shchetinin noted.

"As for Venezuelan politicians, we are open to dialogue with everyone who has a constructive approach [to the situation], who is primarily concerned about the interests of Venezuelan people and the country's socioeconomic development, and speaks for the establishment of an inclusive political dialogue to this end", Shchetinin said.

Commenting on the financing partnership, he stated that Russian-Venezuelan investment cooperation is based on legal agreements that must be respected by any responsible government in the country.

"Our economic and investment cooperation [with Venezuela] is based on a well-developed legal and contractual framework; it is in the interest of both countries, including in the interests of the Venezuelan economy and people. These legal agreements must be respected by every responsible government driven by real economic priorities rather than ideological ones", the diplomat said in an interview.

He also stated that international consultations on the situation in Venezuela must not turn into a "dialogue on capitulation" but should be aimed at the reconciliation of opposing political forces in the country.

"What does Russia propose in the context of what is happening in Venezuela? To respect [Venezuela's] sovereignty. To prevent a destructive, including forceful, foreign intervention. To establish a dialogue. If international assistance is needed to do this, we support it. Therefore, we welcome the initiative of Mexico, Uruguay, and the CARICOM [Caribbean Community] countries. However, we believe that this cannot and must not be a 'dialogue' on some kind of capitulation. This should be a dialogue on reconciling [political forces in Venezuela] and overcoming the crisis", Shchetinin stressed.

READ MORE: Bolivia Not Supporting Montevideo Declaration on Venezuela

Venezuela continues to be locked in the midst of a political crisis after National Assembly leader Guaido announced on January 23 that he was now interim president, citing the alleged illegitimacy of last year's presidential election as grounds for his declaration.

Although being dismissed by the Maduro administration in Caracas, Guaido has found ample backing internationally, with Trump's open support soon being followed by a multitude of nations, including sizeable European powers such as the United Kingdom, France and Austria.

RT2019/2/8
'Washington willing to send its sons to die in absurd war' – Venezuela’s Maduro in open letter to US
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has slammed Washington’s belligerent rhetoric against his country in an open letter addressed to the American people.

Maduro published an image of the letter on his official Twitter account, saying it would be delivered to the White House to demand respect for Venezuela’s “inalienable right to Peace. “

In the letter, Maduro denounces US President Donald Trump’s aggressive statements against him – which include branding Maduro an illegitimate dictator and hinting at a military intervention.

They want to invade and intervene in Venezuela – they say, as they said then – in the name of democracy and freedom. But it's not like that. The story about the usurpation of power in Venezuela is as false as the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Maduro accuses Trump of “disrupting noble dialogue initiatives,” which are promoted by Uruguay and Mexico and backed by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and aim to "a peaceful solution and dialogue favorable for Venezuela."

Pompeo Claims Hezbollah's 'Active Cells' in Venezuela Are Cause for US Action

SPUTNIK2019/2/8
Pompeo Claims Hezbollah's 'Active Cells' in Venezuela Are Cause for US Action
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro previously appealed to US citizens to ask them for support and to prevent the Trump administration from turning his country into “another Vietnam”.

In an interview with Fox News reporter Trish Regan, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed that the Lebanon-based Hezbollah movement maintains a presence in crisis-hit Venezuela.

“People don’t recognise that Hezbollah has active cells. The Iranians are impacting the people of Venezuela and throughout South America. We have an obligation to take down that risk for America”, he told Regan.

According to the US secretary of state, Venezuela has been controlled by the Cubans, who “invaded” the country years ago:

“The Cubans have been controlling the security apparatus, protecting Maduro and destroying the way of life for the Venezuelan people for an awfully long time. Today we tried to deliver humanitarian assistance from… the United States and Colombia into Venezuela and the Venezuelan military under the direction of Mr Maduro stopped that. That is horrific stuff”.

The interview comes just a day after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro showed up at Bolivar Square in Caracas to promote a campaign against US interference:

TWEET: "I thank people that came to Bolivar Square in Venezuela to sign a petition and speak against the interference of the US empire in the affairs of our motherland. This is a wonderful manifestation of love and consciousness. We are going to collect 10 million signatures for peace!"

A few days ago, US President Donald Trump said that a military intervention in the South American country was an “option”.

In an interview with Sputnik, Nicolas Maduro laid out the primary goal behind US involvement in Venezuela, which he said was oil since the country has the biggest certified reserves of oil in the world.

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro attends a military exercise in Turiamo, Venezuela February 3, 2019.

Venezuela plunged into a political crisis after Juan Guaido, the head of the opposition-led National Assembly, proclaimed himself the country’s interim president on 23 January. The move was immediately recognised by the United States, which urged Maduro to step down.

Maduro, for his part, blasted Guaido as a “puppet” and accused Washington of staging a coup, subsequently breaking diplomatic ties with the US.

The Trump administration, in turn, introduced sanctions against Venezuela’s state-owned oil company PDVSA to pressure Maduro and passed control over certain frozen assets held by US-insured banks to Guaido.

Reacting to the move, the Venezuelan Supreme Court froze Guaido’s financial transactions and bank accounts within the country’s jurisdiction and banned him from leaving Venezuela until an investigation into his activities is completed.

ベネズエラ大統領 ニコラス・マドゥロの危機対処を観察しましょう

ニコラス・マドゥロは、生年月日 1962年11月23日 (年齢 56歳)、まさに男盛りです。バス運転手で社会に出ています。身長190cm、大男です。米国の仕掛けたクーデーター、どう対応する。男の本領が発揮されます。シリアのアサドは頑張り抜き、最大の危機を脱しつつあるように見えます。

Wikipedia
Nicolás Maduro Moros (/məˈdʊəroʊ/; Spanish: [nikoˈlas maˈduɾo ˈmoɾos];born 23 November 1962) is a Venezuelan politician serving as the 46th President of Venezuela since 2013 and previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2006 to 2013 and as Vice President of Venezuela from 2012 to 2013 under President Hugo Chávez.

Beginning his working life as a bus driver, Maduro rose to become a trade union leader before being elected to the National Assembly in 2000. He was appointed to a number of positions within the Venezuelan government under Chávez, ultimately being made Foreign Minister in 2006. He was described during this time as the "most capable administrator and politician of Chávez's inner circle". After Chávez's death was announced on 5 March 2013, Maduro assumed the powers and responsibilities of the President. A special election was held on 14 April 2013 to elect a new President, and Maduro won with 50.62% of the votes as the candidate of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela. He was formally inaugurated on 19 April. He has ruled Venezuela by decree since 19 November 2013 through powers granted to him by the Venezuela legislature. His presidency has coincided with a decline in Venezuela's socioeconomic status, with crime, inflation, poverty and hunger increasing; analysts have attributed Venezuela's decline to both Chávez and Maduro's economic policies, while Maduro has blamed speculation and economic warfare waged by his political opponents. Shortages in Venezuela and decreased living standards resulted in protests beginning in 2014 that escalated into daily marches nationwide, resulting in 43 deaths and a decrease in Maduro's popularity. Maduro's loss of popularity saw the election of an opposition-led National Assembly in 2015 and a movement toward recalling Maduro in 2016, though Maduro still maintains power through loyal political bodies, such as the Supreme Tribunal, National Electoral Council and the military.

RT2019/2/5
'Stop Trump's insane actions!' Venezuela's Maduro talks to RT about avoiding war

RT2019/2/5
It’s not just Venezuela: Nicaragua & Cuba also on the way of American imperialism – K. Livingstone

To be continued? ‘3rd suspect’ in Skripal poisoning saga may have stayed in UK, report claims

RT2019/2/7
To be continued? ‘3rd suspect’ in Skripal poisoning saga may have stayed in UK, report claims

A third Russian suspect the UK says was implicated in targeting the Skripals may have remained in the country, a Telegraph report has said, adding fresh intrigue to the never-ending poisoning controversy.

The suspect, identified as Sergey Fedotov, had allegedly traveled to the UK on the same day Sergey Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned in Salisbury, the Telegraph reports. He was slated to leave the country on the same flight as two other suspects, Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, but has suddenly aborted the ‘escape plan’, raising the prospect of him remaining in the UK at least for some time after, according to unnamed sources.

“It is not clear why Fedotov did not board the flight. But at the last minute he checked himself and his bags off it,” the sources maintained, adding, “he could still have been running around Britain.”

The third suspect’s real identity remains unclear as does his role in the Salisbury incident. The revelation seems to contradict what the newspaper reported last October, when it said“the third man” left the UK on March 4, 2018 with Petrov and Boshirov.

According to the Telegraph report, the 45-year-old Fedotov was using a passport to enter the UK that differed by only a few digits from the travel documents used by Petrov and Boshirov.

The Russian Embassy in the UK denounced the Telegraph’s latest claim, suggesting it could have been launched by British secret services. They are “trying to keep the Skripal poisoning story afloat by initiating targeted leaks based upon ‘informed sources’” to distract public attention from Brexit, the diplomatic mission claimed.

British authorities say the former double agent and his daughter were targeted by the Russian intelligence in a failed assassination plot. They maintain the Skripals were hit by a weapons-grade nerve agent called ‘Novichok’ that was smuggled into the country. London was prompt to pin the blame on Moscow, accusing it of ordering a targeted assassination of the former double agent.

Pompeo gets kebab-skewered after posting geography-challenged map of DIVIDED Turkey

　　
RT2019/2/7
Pompeo gets kebab-skewered after posting geography-challenged map of DIVIDED Turkey
Mike Pompeo has found himself barraged by enraged Turkish netizens after the US Secretary of State shared a gif which, for reasons that may forever remain a mystery, appears to include an erroneously bisected map of Turkey.



Like many internet outrages, this gaffe began with the most innocent of intentions: The State Department chief wanted to tweet out a thank you to all the countries that have followed Washington’s lead by recognizing self-declared interim president Juan Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate leader. But this did not go as planned, as the map that the State Department media intern apparently selected divides NATO-ally Turkey into two separate territories.

The faux pas did not sit well with Turkish Twitter, which mercilessly grilled Pompeo for his lousy geography skills.

“There is a flaw in the map of the Republic of Turkey – do not make such mistakes!” one of the more reserved responses read.

One particularly outraged Turkish netizen reiterated his country’s unwavering support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, while making a not-so-politically-correct suggestion where Pompeo should shove his inaccurate map.

“Do you need a basic geography education mr pompeo? I believe you ve made a ridiculous mistake on Turkish Republic map. Poor US people. With such politicians they have no future!” wrote another incensed Twitter user.

Despite being a US military ally, Turkey has resisted calls by Washington to back Guaido, the little-known opposition figure who declared himself Venezuela’s acting president in late January. This is just the latest point of contention between the two allies, with Ankara striving to lead an independent regional policy at times clashing with US vision, as well as recently building up closer ties with Russia.

Geography has never been America’s strong suit. Fox News once famously confused Iraq with Egypt, and at least one study has shown that there’s a direct correlation between Americans not knowing where a country is, and wanting the US military to intervene in said country.



Another study found that those Americans who can find North Korea on the map are “more likely to prefer diplomacy” (but only 36 percent could).

Juan Guaido will open up Venezuelan oil to foreign companies, his US envoy says

RT2019/2/7
Juan Guaido will open up Venezuelan oil to foreign companies, his US envoy says
An envoy to the US for Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó has said the country’s oil reserves would be opened to foreign investors, bolstering suspicions that Washington’s support of Guaidó is oil-dependent.

Guaidó’s representative in Washington, Carlos Vecchio, told Bloomberg that the opposition leader wanted to increase oil production and scrap current requirements that state-owned oil giant PDVSA must keep a controlling stake in joint ventures. Currently, PDVSA must maintain a 51 percent stake in joint projects.

US President Donald Trump threw his support behind Guaidó in January and called on “illegitimate” Maduro to step down after the opposition leader declared himself interim president.

“We want to go to an open economy, we want to increase oil production,” Vecchio said during an interview at Bloomberg’s DC office. “The majority of the oil production that we want to increase will be with the private sector.”

Vecchio’s comments will come as no surprise to analysts who predicted Trump is supporting capitalist Guaidó against socialist Maduro in order to gain access to Venezuela’s vast natural resources for eager American companies.

Vecchio, who attended Trump’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday as a guest of Florida Senator Marco Rubio, also said that Citgo, the US refiner controlled by PDVSA would not file for bankruptcy despite earlier reports, saying it was "not necessary.”

According to Bloomberg, Vecchio also suggested that the White House might consider issuing an executive order to protect Venezuela from creditors, which the US did for Iraq. He also said it was possible that Venezuela under Guaidó might not honor debt agreements made by the Maduro government.

In the interview, Vecchio urged Russia, who backs Maduro, to stay neutral in order to “facilitate our relationship in the future.” Russia has condemned Trump’s regime-change efforts in Venezuela and called for mediation to resolve the political crisis.

READ MORE: UK must stop acting as ‘Donald Trump’s poodle’ over Venezuela – Labour MP (VIDEO)

US officials have not been shy about admitting that oil is a major interest and motivating factor in the decision to support Guaidó. Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton told Fox News that it would “make a big difference to the United States economically” if US companies could “invest in and produce the oil capabilities in Venezuela.”

WikiLeaks cables also revealed that the first "fundamental interest" the US has in Venezuela is continued supply of petroleum imports.

French & German farmers forced to destroy crops after GMOs found in Bayer/Monsanto seeds

RT2019/2/7
French & German farmers forced to destroy crops after GMOs found in Bayer/Monsanto seeds
French and German farmers have been forced to dig up thousands of hectares of rapeseed fields after authorities found an illegal GMO strain mixed in with the natural seeds they’d bought from Bayer-Monsanto.

Authorities discovered the illicit seeds in three separate batches of rapeseed seeds last fall, but the public has only just been notified. While Bayer issued a recall, by the time the farmers learned of it some of the seeds had already been planted, covering 8,000 ha in France and 3,000 ha in Germany.

Bayer-Monsanto estimated the number of rogue seeds at just about .005 percent of the total volume of rapeseed seeds sold to both nations under the brand name Dekalb, but each country has a ban on GMO cultivation, with strict penalties for “accidental” contamination of standard crops.

The agrochemical giant refused to estimate the total cost of the GMO contamination, which knocks out not only this season’s crop but also the next season’s, as farmers will be barred from growing rapeseed next year “to avoid re-emergence of the GMO strain,” according to Bayer-Monsanto’s French COO Catherine Lamboley. They offered to compensate farmers €2,000 per hectare, which would work out to about €20 million between both countries.

The cause of the contamination is unknown, Lamboley said, claiming the seeds were produced in Argentina “in a GMO-free area” and declaring that the company “has decided to immediately stop all rapeseed production in Argentina.” The rogue GMO seeds were of a variety grown in Canada that is banned in Europe, although imported food made with the modified rapeseed is permitted for human and animal consumption as long as it is adequately labeled.

Bayer acquired Monsanto for $63 billion last year at a low point in the reputation of the chemical company. The company found itself in the legal spotlight again this week, as French farmer Paul François, who has been fighting Monsanto in court for 12 years, faced his last appeal after a court overturned two previous rulings in his favor. François alleges Monsanto’s Lasso weedkiller caused his disabilities, which include amnesia, vertigo, seizures, irritability and even recurring comas. American groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson, who claimed Monsanto’s glyphosate weed killer Roundup caused his cancer, won $78 million in a history-making verdict last year that has opened the door to over 9,000 other lawsuits pending against the company. France banned Lasso in 2007, and last month a French court canceled authorization to market Roundup, citing health concerns. While glyphosate is legal in France, its use is strictly regulated and President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to outlaw it by 2021.

In January, it emerged that Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment had plagiarized entire chapters from Monsanto company literature in a “safety assessment” aimed at proving to EU regulators that the controversial pesticide was safe as it came up for relicensing in 2017. While the relicensing passed, individual European countries have increasingly come out against the chemical.

‘Killing spree’: UK soldiers told to kill unarmed citizens in Iraq and Afghanistan – report

RT2019/2/6
‘Killing spree’: UK soldiers told to kill unarmed citizens in Iraq and Afghanistan – report

A disturbing media report claims that the British Army allowed soldiers to shoot unarmed civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldiers say they killed children and covered up civilian deaths by planting weapons beside bodies.

Speaking to Middle East Eye (MEE), soldiers detailed the relaxed rules of engagement that instructed them to shoot at unarmed civilians who they thought were involved in surveillance of the British troops, with one veteran describing it as a “killing spree.”

In Basra, Iraq, in 2007 soldiers say they were told it was okay to shoot anyone holding a phone or a shovel, or anyone who looked suspicious. The relaxation of the rules was said to be due to concerns that these unarmed civilians were acting as spies for combatants, or that they were involved in planting roadside IEDs.

“We were shooting old men, young men. This is what I witnessed,” a soldier told MEE. “I have never seen such lawlessness.”

The soldiers who spoke to MEE revealed instances in which young boys were killed and explained there were cover-ups to make slain civilians appear as though they were combatants. When two unarmed teenagers were killed in Helmand in Afghanistan, an ex-soldier alleges that a Soviet-era assault rifle and a machine gun were taken from storage in the base and placed next to the dead teenagers’ bodies before they were photographed.

“I think that explains why we were keeping those weapons on the bases,” he said.

A Royal Marine told the outlet that one of his men was forced to admit to killing an Afghan boy, who was about eight years old, when the boy’s father arrived at the base carrying his dead child and demanded an explanation.

“Our commanders, they would tell us: ‘We will protect you if any investigation comes. Just say you genuinely thought your life was at risk - those words will protect you,’” one of the ex-soldiers said.

RT has contacted Britain’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) for details on the soldiers’ accounts. It has yet to receive a response. The MoD declined to comment when MEE invited them to respond to the allegations laid out in their report.

READ MORE: Ex-soldier sues British Army after contracting chronic disease from animal excrement

While the publication said it was unable to independently verify each claim made by the soldiers, their stories are backed up with other accounts from the wars, such as in the Sniper One book by Dan Mills, a sergeant who fought in Amarah in 2004 in the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment and explained a colonel told them they could hit unarmed spotters.

“Nowhere in the Rules of Engagement does it say you can’t shoot unarmed people,” he reportedly said.

In 2017, it was revealed that the UK’s Royal Military Police were investigating reports of the Special Air Service (SAS) planting weapons beside Afghan men killed in raids on their homes.

An infantryman who served in Nad-e Ali in Helmand, Afghanistan, told MEE troops were told in 2010 that they were “no longer shooting dickers” [suspected lookouts] but said these shootings continued. The cover-up of the killing of the two teenage boys took place after this announcement.

He explained that the two boys approached their base on a scooter and troops fired warning shots at them. The pair continued heading in their direction, but then turned to go another way. It was then that the “corporal decided to fire a GPMG (general-purpose machine gun) into them,” the infantryman said. “He fired about 10 or 12 rounds. They were hit three times.”

“We were told that our story was this: they were armed and we believed they posed a threat to one of our patrols that was in the area they were driving towards. Then we were asked: ‘Does anyone have a problem with this? If so, tell us now,” he recounted.

Iraq doesn’t want to be battlefield between US and Iran

rudaw2019/2/6
Iraq doesn’t want to be battlefield between US and Iran
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region −Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi rejected the possibility of the United States keeping troops in the country to watch Iran because they don’t want it become another battlefield. The premier also hailed cooperation between Peshmerga and Iraqi forces.

“There are no American military bases in Iraq. We have said that more than once. There is no SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) between the United States of America and Iraq as mentioned by some media outlets,” Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi said in his weekly press conference on Tuesday.

Besides the global coalition’s forces training Iraqis, there are no forces in Iraq with a different mission, he added.

“That is why, when it is said that the mission of these forces is to fight a neighboring country, like Iran for example, we reject that notion. The constitution itself prevents us from such approaches,” he added.

Abdul-Mahdi and the new government have repeatedly said they do not want Iraq to get caught up in the regional power struggle between Arab states and Iran.

“We don’t accept Iraq being the battlefield of a side waging a war against someone,” said Abdul-Mahdi.

The legislature has the final say in foreign force approvals.

“Whatever the parliament decides, we will apply [it], and we will go forward. But I don’t think there is an official request,” Abdul-Mahdi said of the rumors of a parliamentary motion by the Sayirun alliance to force foreign troops to leave.

The matter will be “administered” constitutionally, added the Iraqi PM.

“We tell all our friends, whether to our friends in Iran or the American side, that Iraq is a country that has friendly relations with everyone,” asserted the PM.

Pivoting to domestic forces, Abdul-Mahdi dismissed that negotiations are underway between the Iraqi Ministry of Defense and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Peshmerga.

“Agreements are between countries, not within one country. Peshmerga today are an important part of the security setting and military forces,” said Abdul-Mahdi.

The Peshmerga are constitutionally enshrined as a force within the Iraqi Security Forces.

“Today, there is frankly unprecedented cooperation between Iraqi military forces and Peshmerga. There is cooperation,” added the Iraqi PM.

Without cooperation between Peshmerga, Hashd, the Iraqi Army, other units, and the global coalition, there couldn’t have been success in the war against ISIS, he added.

This week, there was a meeting between the Peshmerga ministry and Iraq’s defense ministry over joint work and security in the disputed territories.

This could potentially lead to the return of Peshmerga forces to the disputed in coordination with the Iraqi forces.

Five sub-committees − for east and west Nineveh, Saladin, Kirkuk and Diyala − will begin meeting in the next week to discuss coordination.

シリアで取材中に死亡した米国人女性記者の遺族に約330億円の損害賠償 米国裁判所

※　共同2019/2/2 10:342/2 11:25updated
英記者死亡「シリア政権が殺害」
米裁判所が認定
　【ロンドン共同】英紙サンデー・タイムズの米国人女性記者メリー・コルビンさん＝当時（56）＝が2012年にシリア西部ホムスでアサド政権軍の砲撃で死亡した事件について、米裁判所は1日までに、アサド政権が意図的にコルビンさんを標的とし殺害したと認定、同政権に対しコルビンさんの遺族に3億ドル（約330億円）の損害賠償を命じた。英紙タイムズが1日報じた。
　黒い眼帯がトレードマークのコルビンさんはシリア内戦を取材中で、反体制派の拠点地区に滞在していた。フランス人カメラマンも死亡した。
　原告代理人らは、アサド政権の米国内の資産差し押さえを目指すという。
・・・反体制派の拠点地区に滞在していれば砲撃を受けてとばっちりに合うのは当たり前。今盛んにシリア市民を爆撃で殺している米軍の責任に触れずにこんな報道だけ流すのはおかしくないか。



※　Partisangirl認証済みアカウント @Partisangirl氏の2019/2/5のツイート
#Syria-n courts need to find US government guilty for 500,000 deaths and sue them for 500,000 billion dollars in response.

・・・引用終わり・・・

とても書きにくいですが書いておきます。

シリアに取材に入った日本人記者や研究者は、ほとんどがISISに理解を示していました。イラクでテロリストグループの名が入ったキーホールダーを見とがめられた人すらいます。

アルカイダやISISとのコネを誇示する人までいました。先般解放された独立ジャーナリストは、トルコからテロリストのサイドに取材に入っています。

日本の記者がテロリストの側から便宜を図ってもらえることなど期待できません。テロリストの背後にいる上部指揮命令組織は日本人ジャーナリストに一次情報を取らせることに意味があるとは考えていません。フェイクニュースを書かせなければならないのにそんな教育の手間はかけていられないからです。

テロリストの下部組織にとっては、日本人ジャーナリストはカネになるかならないかにしか関心がありません。真実を見抜く力のあるジャーナリストに真実を報じられては困るのです。

日本では、ジャーナリスト、研究者の双方ともにシリアのレジムチェンジに加担していた、少なくとも心情的に同調していたといえるでしょう。

東京外国語大学の教員が運営する次のブログには、次の説明があります。

シリア・アラブの春 顛末記：最新シリア情勢
2011年3月半ば、チュニジアやエジプトでの政変に触発されるかたちで、シリアに「アラブの春」が波及し、「シリア革命2011」が発生、同国の混乱は「シリア内戦」として知られることになりました。

本ブログ（開設当初のサイト名は「シリア・アラブの春（シリア革命2011）顛末期」、2014年1月21日に現在のサイト名に変更）は、アラビア語の新聞、通信社、ウェブサイトなどを通じて収集した情報をもとに、「アラブの春」波及後のシリア情勢をより網羅的に把握・紹介することをめざします。

なお、本ブログは科学研究費補助金（基盤研究(B)）「現代東アラブ地域の政治主体に関する包括的研究：非公的政治空間における営為を中心に」（課題番号21310157　実施年度2009〜2011年度（平成21〜23年度）　研究代表者：青山弘之）における研究活動の一環として、開設されました。

・・・引用終わり・・・

今、欧米の論者が「アラブの春」などという言葉を使う場合は、否定的、批判的なニュアンスで使っています。ところが日本では今でも上のように何らわだかまりがないかのように使われているのです。

シリア問題をはじめとして欧米のアラブ政策には、早くから批判的な声が上がっていました。欧米の独立ジャーナリストは、市民サイドに焦点を当てて現地に入り、現地の人々から話を聞いています。その積み重ねが彼らのリポートの重みを増しているのです。

日本人の専門家、ジャーナリストの姿勢は米軍采配下のテロリストの敗北となっても何ら変わっていないように見えます。

外国語で読まなければ、国際情勢はわからない。残念ながらそういう状況です。

Tulsi Gabbard：the neocon/neolib warmongers will do anything to stop me

来年の大統領選に立候補を表明したTulsi Gabbard　トゥルシーガバードに世界が注目しています。オリンピックはどうなろうと、米国大統領選に至る過程で何が起きるか、これからの世界情勢を占ううえでこれほどに重大な、注目される動きはありません。

※　Tulsi Gabbard認証済みアカウント @TulsiGabbard氏の2019/2/4のツイート
As commander-in-chief, I will work to end the new cold war, nuclear arms race and slide into nuclear war. That is why the neocon/neolib warmongers will do anything to stop me.

※　Tulsi Gabbard認証済みアカウント @TulsiGabbard氏の2019/2/4のツイート
@ggreenwald exposes that @NBC used journalistic fraud to discredit our campaign. But more important is their motive: “to smear any adversary of the establishment wing of the Democratic Party – whether on the left or the right – as a stooge or asset of the Kremlin.”

※　Sarah Abdallah @sahouraxo
Tulsi Gabbard: The US should not be in the business of intervening in Venezuela and picking who should lead the country. And we certainly should not be threatening military action. The US needs to stay out of Venezuela and let the Venezuelan people determine their own future.

https://twitter.com/sahouraxo/status/1092221846899040256



※　Sarah Abdallah @sahouraxo氏の2019/2/3のツイート
Tulsi Gabbard: I will end the regime change wars that have taken far too many lives, cost trillions of dollars, and undermined our security by strengthening terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS. We must stand up against the military industrial complex and perpetual wars.

※　Sarah Abdallah @sahouraxo氏の2019/2/5のツイート
Why do mainstream media outlets fear Tulsi Gabbard so much? Because she’s a staunch opponent of the regime change wars they have spent the last several decades promoting. Simple.

国際常識になっているイスラエルのパレスチナ虐殺のひどさ 日本のメディアは報じません

18歳の時にイスラエル軍にとらえられ、20年間軍の刑務所で過ごしたパレスチナの男性が解放されて母親と再会するところです。

https://twitter.com/i/status/1092411148610211840

INFを守らなかったのは米国なのによく言うよ！

米国のINF破棄、脱退は米国に不利だとの専門家の指摘があります。二国間、多国間の約束を反故にして制裁を振りかざせば自国の勝手な言い分が通ると彼らは幻想を抱いています。

SPUTNIK2019/2/4
US May Recall Its Withdrawal From INF If Russia Observes It - US Envoy

イタリアがグアイドをベネズエラの暫定的なリーダーと認めるEU声明に拒否権発動！！

sputnik
Source: Rome Vetoes EU Statement Recognising Guaido as Interim Venezuelan Leader

これが本当に実現すれば、すごいことです。英国のEU離脱でEUに対する英国の影響力はなくなるし、フランスは内政でガタガタ。イタリアはEU脱退もちらつかせて影響力を強めるでしょう。

UK, Spain, France, Sweden recognize opposition leader Guaido as Venezuela’s acting president

The UK, France, and Spain among a number of countries, have announced their recognition of Juan Guaido as Venezuela's interim president after Caracas did not cave into an ultimatum calling for elections with eight days.

“Nicolas Maduro has not called Presidential elections within 8 day limit we have set. So UK alongside European allies now recognises @jguaido as interim constitutional president until credible elections can be held,” UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt wrote in a tweet on Monday.

Germany, France, and Spain issued nearly identical warnings in late January, stating that they would recognize Guaido as the legitimate leader of Venezuela unless new elections were held. The date for this to happen will expire overnight, from February 3 to February 4.

In a tweet announcing Austria’s support for Guaido, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz claimed that President Nicolas Maduro has “so far refused to accept a free and fair presidential election” – leading Vienna to accept Guaido as Venezuela’s “lawful” leader. Sweden has done the same.

Maduro described the demand put forward by the European states as “the stuff of the empire, of colonial times.”

Efforts to provide Guaido with an official EU endorsement have apparently fallen flat, however. A source inside Italy’s Five Star Movement told RT that Rome shot down an EU statement meant to recognize Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate leader.

日本のヘイト集団の国際的知名度上昇

https://twitter.com/KjeldDuits/status/1091933007756181504

※　Kjeld Duits @KjeldDuits氏の2019/2/3のツイート
HAPPENING NOW IN #TOKYO
Makoto Sakurai and some twenty members of the far-right Japan First Party are getting ready to march through #Shinjuku, but are heavily outnumbered by protesters across the street



※　Kjeld Duits @KjeldDuits氏の2019/2/3のツイート
HAPPENING NOW IN #TOKYO
A police officer just told me there are about 300 police officers to prevent trouble between Makoto Sakurai's far-right Japan First Party and counter protesters

※　Kjeld Duits @KjeldDuits氏の2019/2/3のツイート
HAPPENING NOW IN #TOKYO
I estimate that there are now close to a hundred members of the far-right Japan First Party ready to start their march through #Shinjuku
Counter protesters are shouting "Stop the hate protest" from across the street

※　Kjeld Duits @KjeldDuits氏の2019/2/3のツイート
HAPPENING NOW IN #TOKYO
Anti-fascist counter protesters shout "Stop the hate protest" as Makoto Sakurai and supporters of the far-right Japan First Party are starting their march through #Shinjuku

※　Kjeld Duits @KjeldDuits氏の2019/2/3のツイート
HAPPENING NOW IN #TOKYO
Anti-fascist counter protesters trying to block Makoto Sakurai and supporters of the far-right Japan First Party on their march through #Shinjuku

※ Chris Lowndes ‏ @chrislowndes氏の2019/2/3のツイート
返信先: @KjeldDuitsさん、@robotopiaさん
Happens every week doesn't it? Same 100 right-wingers being largely ignored by 38M other inhabitants

※　Kat "Union Thug" Callahan ‏ @JezebelKat氏の2019/2/3のツイート
返信先: @KjeldDuitsさん
The counter protesters were promoting their response last night and this morning. @cracjp and @jijajoc, for examples.

※ ジャスティン Time ‏ @JNegronBK氏の2019/2/3のツイート
返信先: @KjeldDuitsさん
That’s all they got?

※　Kjeld Duits @KjeldDuits氏の2019/2/3のツイート
Eventually almost one hundred far-right supporters showed up

※ ジャスティン Time ‏ @JNegronBK氏の2019/2/3のツイート
The numbers are reflective of those willing to show their faces with the messaging. I’m more concerned with folks like policy makers, business leaders, mortgage lenders, etc. that share their views and aren’t public about it.

※ Good Morning,Vietnam ‏ @orangexlss氏の2019/2/3のツイート
返信先: @KjeldDuitsさん、@gamayauber01さん
And three hundred thousand Japanese police officers have been raised as a Racist by the Government of Japan. It is a picture that protects Ray Cest.

※ Good Morning,Vietnam ‏ @orangexlss氏の2019/2/3のツイート
In these cases they are protected by the police officers of Japan is the Raistocass group.

※　Chris Israel Barker ‏ @downpressor氏の2019/2/3のツイート
返信先: @KjeldDuitsさん、@robotopiaさん
“Fascist” has become a meaningless weasel word. From what I can tell it doesn’t apply to Japan First Party at all. Funny also how the local antifa is especially against freedom of speech and assembly.

※ かっちゃん☆ ‏ @8390hawk氏の2019/2/4のツイート
返信先: @KjeldDuitsさん
恥ずかしい日本人…。

※ 여름물 ‏ @adorablehyun氏の2019/2/4のツイート
返信先: @KjeldDuitsさん
Japan is jealous of Korea that's it. we don’t care about japan

※　kohara ‏ @koharatakaharu氏の2019/2/4のツイート
返信先: @KjeldDuitsさん
This is Japan Worst Party, isn't it?

※ Tokyotronic ‏ @robotopia氏の2019/2/3のツイート
返信先: @KjeldDuitsさん
What do they think they mean by "No Korea"?

Trump confirms use of US military in Venezuela among ‘options’ on table

RT2019/2/3
Trump confirms use of US military in Venezuela among ‘options’ on table
The option of sending the US military to Venezuela is on the table, while talking to President Nicolas Maduro is not, President Donald Trump said in an interview on Sunday.

While talking to CBS' Face the Nation, Trump would not expand on the prospects of military involvement in the crisis in the Latin America country besides replying that "it's an option."

He also confirmed that he refused to talk to President Maduro when he suggested a meeting a few months ago. According to Trump, there is no point in talking to Venezuela's elected president because "we're very far along in the process" and there are "horrible things happening" in the country, such as "poverty," "anguish," and "crime."

"You have a young and energetic gentleman but you have other people within that same group that have been very, very – if you talk about democracy – it's really democracy in action," Trump said.

Washington jumped in with its support of Juan Guaido, the head of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, who declared himself "interim president" almost two weeks ago. While US allies on the continent and in Europe have backed Guaido, Russia, Mexico, Turkey, and a number of other countries urged dialogue and little international involvement in Venezuela's internal affairs.

RT2019/2/3
‘Inhuman’ humanitarianism: Caracas slams US as it vows to send aid to Venezuela while backing coup

Washington has earned a bitter rebuke from Caracas as it bluntly told the Venezuelan government to “get out of its way” while it delivers “humanitarian aid” to Venezuela after supporting a coup and imposing more sanctions.

Those who “wage unjust wars… devastate innocent… populations, subject economies to a blockade, cause death, hunger, destruction and suffering” dare to declare their actions “humanitarian,” Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza wrote on Twitter.

Venezuela has been in a dire financial situation for years following the collapse of oil prices that led to hyperinflation and shortages of food and other essential supplies. The country has also been pressured by US sanctions, with the latest hitting its state oil company. Last week, political turmoil was added to the mix after opposition leader Juan Guaido announced himself the interim head of the country with immediate support from the US.

Amid all this turmoil, a good benefactor, US National Security Advisor John Bolton, proudly announced that the US “will mobilize and transport humanitarian aid−medicine, surgical supplies, and nutritional supplements” all for the benefit of “the people of Venezuela.” He explicitly made it clear the decision to send aid was taken at the “request of Interim President Juan Guaido, and in consultation with his officials.” He also told the legitimately elected Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, to literally “get out of the way” of the US as it calls the tune in his own country.

And yes, this is the same well-known warhawk Bolton, who never regretted his support for the Iraq war, argued that the US has no choice but to “end” North Korea, and vowed to “increase pressure on the corrupt regime” of Venezuela less than a month ago.
Most notably, it is the same man who sparked controversy just days ago as he was spotted holding a yellow notepad allegedly containing the words “5,000 troops to Colombia,” at a press conference in Washington, DC.

Aiding ‘democracy’ or staging regime change?

Earlier, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry published a lengthy piece in which it argued that America’s only goal is to “re-colonize” Venezuela, using a “puppet” regime and plunder its natural resources, thus robbing the Venezuelans of the riches of their country.

Over the past year, the US repeatedly imposed increasingly restrictive sanctions on Venezuela’s finances and debt issuance, even though the country was already struggling to cope with hyperinflation and growing poverty rates. However, as soon as Guaido emerged as Venezuela’s self-proclaimed leader, Washington started talking about humanitarian aid.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pledged $20 million in humanitarian aid to Guaido’s fledgling government, and gave the opposition leader access to Venezuelan assets held in US banks.

The US spares no effort in providing backing to the opposition leader, who mostly manifested himself in his new position by regularly talking to US officials, calling for new protests and mulling the idea of accepting US military “support.” No one ever heard about him calling for a national dialog or even accepting such an offer from the Venezuelan government, though.

Washington’s supposed ‘care’ about the fate of the Venezuelan people mostly amounts to a desire to oust Maduro from power. Bolton’s Friday statement came on the heels of a speech by Vice President Mike Pence in Miami, in which he vowed to speak “about our commitment to freedom & democracy for the Venezuelan people.”

His speech, however, was not about the Venezuelan people as much as it was about Maduro being a “dictator with no legitimate claim to power.” However, the reality on the ground might in fact be much different from how Washington portrays it.

Twisted reality

As large as the anti-government demonstrations are, they are met with rallies just as big in support of Maduro. Washington protégé Guaido also failed to get universal international recognition. Apart from the US, he was recognized as the sole legitimate ruler by Canada and the majority of South American countries, including neighboring Colombia and Brazil. The EU also called on its member states to recognize his legitimacy.

However, states such as Russia, China, Iran, and Turkey continue to recognize Nicolas Maduro as Venezuela’s democratically-elected president. Moscow stressed that all nations should respect Venezuela’s sovereignty and vowed to defend its national interests in the country “with all mechanisms available.” In a recent blow to the US efforts, Italy said it “does not recognize” Guaido as interim president.

The UN was also reluctant to work with the Venezuelan opposition leader while bypassing the legitimate government. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the international body is ready to provide assistance to Venezuela but would need “consent and cooperation of the government.” He also said that it is not the UN’s function to recognize anyone as a legitimate leader of any state.

The US-sponsored ‘popular revolution’ seems to be stalling as Guaido has apparently failed to lure the majority of the people, as well as government officials and the army, to his side so far. One, however, can only hope that such a state of affairs will not prompt the US to do anything drastic in its apparent regime-change drive.

Tinder datesって知っていました？ 出会い系アプリだそうです

RT2019/2/2
Aussie cop jailed for using police database to look up Tinder dates
A senior police officer who used a secure database to check up on women he met on Tinder has been jailed for six months, and fined for possessing bestiality content.

Western Australia Police officer Adrian Trevor Moore, once a nominee for cop of the year, pled guilty to 180 charges, 177 of which were for unlawful computer access-related charges at the Perth Magistrates Court on Friday, WA Today reports.

Between 2006 and 2018, Moore looked up 92 women, the majority of whom he came across on dating apps such as Tinder. One woman’s information was accessed 13 times, while another was searched for six times over a number of years.

The police veteran was also caught with videos and images of women engaged in sex acts with dogs and horses when his home was searched last year. Moore was sentenced to six months in prison, and received a AU$2,000 fine for possessing images of bestiality, ABC reports.

The former officer’s defense insisted his violations were down to simple “due diligence” before Moore met up with the women, while the prosecution described them as a “gross and sustained breach of trust.”

Moore was exposed when one of his victims reported him to the police last January, sparking an internal investigation that saw him step down in March, before resigning in May. He said he had looked up the women on the database out of curiosity and boredom.

参考
love-hacks
Tinder攻略テクニック36選｜3035マッチした私が考えるティンダーの極意

「Tinderに攻略法はある？」「会える/ヤレると噂を聞くけどコツがあるの？」など、Tinderの攻略法が気になりますよね。

『Tinder』は恋人探しには向いていませんが、ライトな出会いを向きのアプリとして、その特徴を理解して正しく使えば成功率を高めることができます。

私はTinderを使い倒して3,000マッチ※することができました。このページでは3,000マッチするために行った攻略法を以下の流れでお伝えします。※ページ内に画像あり。

・・・えっ、恋人探しでなくて「ライトな出会い向き」！？

ブラジルのダム決壊

※　SpaceWill @bjspaceview氏の2019/2/1のツイート
The imagery showing buildings and trees that have been completely devastated after the Brazilian dam collapse. The dam collapse affected an area about 3 sq km of farmland and residence. #Brumadinho

以下の画像、前半の4枚はGoogle Mapからキャプチャー、後半の4枚はSpaceWill @bjspaceview氏のツイートに付されていたもの。














theguardian　Sun 27 Jan 2019 20.12 GMT
Fresh alert over Brazil dam collapse as relatives’ anguish intensifies


RT認証済みアカウント @RT_comの2019/2/2のツイート
Caught on cam: Moment dam collapses in Brazil resulting in deadly mudslide

https://on.rt.com/9n3u
https://twitter.com/i/status/1091574583885479937