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scarcity"},{"term":"bankers"},{"term":"bigAgri"},{"term":"cohttp:\/\/www.blogger.com\/img\/blank.giflor revolutions"},{"term":"coup"},{"term":"cretaceous"},{"term":"dinosaurs"},{"term":"election"},{"term":"energy"},{"term":"erdogan"},{"term":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/img\/blank.gif"},{"term":"india"},{"term":"jackBlood"},{"term":"organic"},{"term":"overpopulation"},{"term":"pivot"},{"term":"post scarcity"},{"term":"real revolution"},{"term":"russian language"},{"term":"serbia"},{"term":"singularity"},{"term":"tehranTimes"},{"term":"telecom"},{"term":"tyranny"},{"term":"vaccines"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Land Destroyer"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":""},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/feeds\/posts\/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default?alt=json-in-script\u0026orderby=published"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default?alt=json-in-script\u0026start-index=26\u0026max-results=25\u0026orderby=published"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"1320"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"25"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-5658504989446153642"},"published":{"$t":"2015-02-12T07:35:00.002-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-02-12T07:35:29.749-08:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"New British Cyber Brigade Aims at Manipulating Public "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-nzTtvbp5vo4\/VNzHVydfrsI\/AAAAAAAAKtY\/UEPJ6PRQHGI\/s1600\/C444555.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-nzTtvbp5vo4\/VNzHVydfrsI\/AAAAAAAAKtY\/UEPJ6PRQHGI\/s1600\/C444555.jpg\" height=\"312\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFebruary 12, 2015 \u003C\/b\u003E(\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2015\/02\/11\/rus-v-britanii-sozdayut-internetarmiyu\/\"\u003EVladimir Platov - NEO\u003C\/a\u003E) - With each passing day Great Britain is losing its reputation as a proud international power since becoming widely recognized for what it is – an obedient servant of Washington that is losing credibility at a record pace. Therefore, British authorities have been seeking ways to “achieve greatness.” At the same time, they realize perfectly well, given the deepening economic and social crisis in the United Kingdom, it could hardly aspire to achieve success in the reconstruction of its image as a great industrial power, a champion of naval warfare or a flourishing cultural center. No wonder then, that over the last decade Britain’s focus has been devoted to purely destructive activities, such as establishing conditions for new conflicts around the globe and providing “assistance” to the White House in its quest for military and political interventions in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Hong Kong, and the list goes on.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt’s no coincidence then that the White House advised London to establish a special unit within its military structure – the British Cyber Command, transferring up to 1500 officers under its command just “for starters”. One must note that Washington has already created its own special unit for cyberwarfare back in 2009. This unit goes under the name of United States Cyber Command, with its headquarters being located at Fort Meade (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2013\/10\/25\/rus-ssha-i-kibervojny-chast-4\/\"\u003EMaryland\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAccording to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2015\/jan\/31\/british-army-facebook-warriors-77th-brigade\"\u003EThe Guardian\u003C\/a\u003E, the 77th brigade will formally come into being in April. The brigade will be carrying out covert operations on social networks exclusively, in an effort to spread disinformation and manipulate the population of certain countries, which should create “favorable conditions” for applying political pressure or the executing of regime change in strategically important regions of the world. Its headquarters will be located to the west of London in Newbury (Berkshire) while it’s official insignia will be the famous symbol of Chindits (a mythical god-like lion guarding temples in Myanmar and other countries in South-East Asia), that was used by a a British India ‘Special Force’ which participated in the suppression of guerrilla Japanese troops deep in the forests of Southeast Asia.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe use of social networks to overthrow unwanted regimes has been Washington’s modus operandi for decades now. This led to the creation of a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2014\/03\/20\/rus-informatsionny-e-diversii-belogo-doma\/\"\u003Ewhole industry\u003C\/a\u003E of disinformation and the manipulation of public opinion. The events surrounding the Arab Spring, countless other color revolutions and the latest events in Ukraine can serve as a perfect example of how an unstable sociopolitical and economic situation in a country can be exploited by Western intelligence agencies to a achieve a radical change in the sovereign governments of other states .\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Algeria, Jordan, Syria, Ukraine, and Hong Kong along with a number of other countries, social networks have been used to coordinate the movement of protest groups, which allowed the gathering of a considerable number of protesters in designated areas. Back in 2011 the The Guardian reported the US Department of Defense was developing special software designed solely for manipulating social network users into buying pro-American propaganda. This operation was codenamed \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2014\/03\/20\/rus-informatsionny-e-diversii-belogo-doma\/\"\u003EOperation Earnest Voice\u003C\/a\u003E. This software has been put to “good use” in Britain, the United States and other Western countries during the Ukraine crisis for mass distribution of misleading information about Russia. This operation went as far as attempting to rewrite the history of World War II, with the active participation of Polish and Baltic politicians.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-C3xNdubkyCw\/VNzIGm8Ub2I\/AAAAAAAAKtg\/1xM0-GCksbw\/s1600\/75444433.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-C3xNdubkyCw\/VNzIGm8Ub2I\/AAAAAAAAKtg\/1xM0-GCksbw\/s1600\/75444433.jpg\" height=\"218\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EThe news on the creation of the 77th Brigade came shortly\u003Cbr \/\u003E after the announcement made by Lieutenant General Marshall Webb the Commander, NATO Special Operations Forces HQ on the need to improve counter-information efforts against the Islamic State, as well as Russian and alternative media’s coverage of the true causes of the ongoing events in Ukraine, and the large scale extermination of the civilian population by Kiev military units. These concerns, along with the recent events in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, were the reason behind the assembly of a British cyber squad.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis new unit is hardly the UK’s first foray into cyberspace, as it has been using IT to achieve its goals for years. Back in 2007, under the secret project codenamed Prism, NSA and Britain’s GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters), established a link with a number of international IT giants such as Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk , AOL, Skype, YouTube, and Apple. Under this project security agencies were allowed to collect and exchange private information, along with using social networks to spread disinformation. From that moment on, secret services could read private e-mails and keep track of file transfers in the global information space, which allowed them to control the activities of the leaders of different countries, along with business representatives and foreign diplomats\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile attempting to provide British authorities with an excuse to establish a national cyberwarfare squad, The Guardian notes that such units are being used extensively in the armies of the United States and Israel, where they are responsible for providing “informational support” for the policies that are being pursued by their respective governments. Israel can be considered a pioneer in modern cyberwarfare since Tzahal units have been using social networks to propagate aggressive propaganda during operations in the Gaza Strip as far back as 2008-2009. Today Tzahal is operating on more than 30 social platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Instagram, to oppose Palestinian Hamas, Iran and other countries, including those outside the Middle Eastern region.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAmerican and a number of other Western intelligence agencies are spending billions of dollars and Euros annually to keep secret programs in cyberspace up and running, while justifying this under the convenient guise of the “war on terror”, which is not only an assault upon the rights of Americans themselves, but also corroding democratic values in Europe and well \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2015\/01\/03\/rus-izuchenie-sotsial-ny-h-setej-v-interesah-spetssluzhb-ssha\/\"\u003Ebeyond\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EVladimir Platov, an expert on the Middle East, exclusively for the online magazine \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\"\u003E“New Eastern Outlook”\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/5658504989446153642"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/5658504989446153642"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/02\/new-british-cyber-brigade-aims-at.html","title":"New British Cyber Brigade Aims at Manipulating Public "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-nzTtvbp5vo4\/VNzHVydfrsI\/AAAAAAAAKtY\/UEPJ6PRQHGI\/s72-c\/C444555.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-8641787429657136568"},"published":{"$t":"2015-02-10T00:10:00.001-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-02-10T00:10:45.592-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Europe"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"NATO"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Russia"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"NATO: Global Hegemony in the Guise of \"Collective Defense\" "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFebruary 10, 2015 \u003C\/b\u003E(\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2015\/02\/10\/global-hegemony-in-the-guise-of-collective-defense\/\"\u003ETony Cartalucci - NEO\u003C\/a\u003E) - Chief among the stated reasons the United States has decided to arbitrate the future of Ukraine for its citizens, is the grave danger Russia allegedly poses not only to Kiev, but to Europe and the rest of the world. This despite the fact that it was the US which facilitated violent protests that eventually overthrew the elected government of Ukraine in 2013-2014 in the first place, leading directly to the war now unfolding in the heart of Eastern Europe.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dl_ODduBrI0\" width=\"560\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt was not long ago that another ambitious power cited Russia as a threat and invoked \"collective defense\" to justify what would become a contest between nations leaving tens of millions dead and entire countries in ruins. Nazi Germany's leader, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/research.calvin.edu\/german-propaganda-archive\/hitler4.htm\"\u003EAdolf Hitler would claim\u003C\/a\u003E regarding his decision to invade Russia that:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe purpose of this front is no longer the protection of the individual nations, but rather the safety of Europe, and therefore the salvation of everyone.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EI have therefore decided today once again to put the fate of Germany and the future of the German Reich and our people in the hands of our soldiers.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003ESounding eerily familiar are US and NATO justifications for their continued expansion east and escalations made against Russia today. And also like that other ambitious power, the United States has waged wars all across the planet, far from Russia's borders and with little to do with Russia's interests beyond its borders, long before it turned its sights on Moscow.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-1BvrdmRd92k\/VNJl6b2gfXI\/AAAAAAAAKrs\/QuKX2N0-c74\/s1600\/NATOexpansion.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-1BvrdmRd92k\/VNJl6b2gfXI\/AAAAAAAAKrs\/QuKX2N0-c74\/s1600\/NATOexpansion.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"302\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003ESince World War II, the United States has invaded, bombed, and\/or occupied the Korean Peninsula, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Somalia, Lebanon, Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria. Some of these nations have been attacked by the US more than once. In many more countries the US has facilitated the violent overthrow of various governments, particularly in South America and the Middle East, first through the use of its Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), then through more veiled organizations \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=tVi2lJTBU_g\"\u003Elike the National Endowment for Democracy (NED)\u003C\/a\u003E. It has troops stationed in over a hundred nations around the world, occupying hundreds of military installations. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIts NATO alliance openly seeks to expand. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2014\/08\/03\/the-myth-of-russian-aggression\/\"\u003EA look at the map of NATO expansion \u003C\/a\u003Eover the past several decades after its creation shows it clearly encroaching upon and encircling Russia - violently overthrowing many of the nations along Russia's borders with backed uprisings like those seen most recently in Ukraine. In fact, the previous uprising in Ukraine, the \"Orange Revolution,\" was admittedly the work of the US.\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E T\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 20.2222232818604px; text-align: justify;\"\u003Ehe Guardian would admit in its 2004 article, “\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2004\/nov\/26\/ukraine.usa\" rel=\"nofollow\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #6fa8dc; line-height: 20.2222232818604px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EUS campaign behind the turmoil in Kiev\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 20.2222232818604px; text-align: justify;\"\u003E,” that:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E…while the gains of the orange-bedecked “chestnut revolution” are Ukraine’s, the campaign is an American creation, a sophisticated and brilliantly conceived exercise in western branding and mass marketing that, in four countries in four years, has been used to try to salvage rigged elections and topple unsavoury regimes.\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003EFunded and organised by the US government, deploying US consultancies, pollsters, diplomats, the two big American parties and US non-government organisations, the campaign was first used in Europe in Belgrade in 2000 to beat Slobodan Milosevic at the ballot box.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EMore recently, the US State Department's Victoria Nuland was recorded talking with the US Ambassador to Ukraine, \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=KIvRljAaNgg\" style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003Eliterally handpicking the regime\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E that would take the place of the government they helped overthrow. Just recently, the New York Times admits that the West is \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2015\/02\/04\/world\/middleeast\/saudi-arabia-is-said-to-use-oil-to-lure-russia-away-from-syrias-assad.html?_r=0\" style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003Eintentionally rigging global oil prices\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E to undermine Russia. Such provocations are not the work of nations seeking peace or to deescalate tensions, but insidious provocations meant to continue to goad perceived enemies into reacting so as to then\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003Edisingenuously\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;cite additional \"threats\" that require additional \"collective defense.\" \u0026nbsp;And so, over the cliff such interests lead the entire Western World.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThis is Called \"Imperialism\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EHistorically, a nation maintaining such a posture is known as an \"imperialist.\" Imperialists maintain a variety of tricks to make their aspirations for global hegemony appear as a series of reluctant moves made in its own defense, or the defense of others.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EThe Unit\u003C\/span\u003Eed States in particular has refined this strategy to include the \"defense of democracy\" around the world, intervening where it claims there are deficiencies. Even as it claims Russia is the aggressor in Ukraine, it has not only claimed the need to back mobs in Kiev earlier in the overthrow of an already elected government for the sake of \"democracy,\" it also claims the Moscow itself suffers from a deficit of democracy - meaning that the destabilization and chaos the US has unleashed in Ukraine will eventually be visited upon Russia. Russia, apparently, is expected to simply wait until that happens. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENot surprisingly, Russia has instead decided to defend itself. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHistorians would remind the people of present the final outcome of Adolf Hitler's use of \"collective defense\" to invade its neighbor to the east. The war would cost tens of millions their lives and Germany itself would be decimated and divided for decades afterward, undertaking a painful process of reconstruction, reconciliation, and retribution for the crimes it had committed against humanity.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor the German people themselves, they paid the highest price for the crimes of but a handful of special interests. Some of those special interests, particularly the Nazi Party, were liquidated entirely. Others, including bankers and industrialists who empowered and enriched themselves during the rule of the Nazis - including many American companies - escaped with absolute impunity and are to this day profiteering from new wars they tacitly support from the background through \"think tanks\" they fund producing policy papers that eventually transform into bills, declarations of war, and talking points featured on the nightly news.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHistory needs not repeat itself. People can just as easily reject arguments made for \"collective defense\" as such arguments are made. NATO will not fight a war without soldiers. Already in its proxy war with Russia in Ukraine, it has found few willing to subject themselves as pawns in this game. Ukrainians are ironically seeking shelter in Russia, not from \"Kremlin backed rebels,\" but from recruiters in Kiev seeking more young men to feed into a war of aggression precipitated by foreign interests. By simply spreading the word the trenches are dug that tangle the treads of this machine as it creeps forward.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci style=\"background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003ETony Cartalucci, Bangkok-based geopolitical researcher and writer, especially for the online magazine\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003E“\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003ENew Eastern Outlook”\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/8641787429657136568"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/8641787429657136568"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/02\/nato-global-hegemony-in-guise-of.html","title":"NATO: Global Hegemony in the Guise of \"Collective Defense\" "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/dl_ODduBrI0\/default.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-1496817987737565615"},"published":{"$t":"2015-02-10T00:09:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-02-10T00:09:17.630-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Europe"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"NATO"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Russia"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ukraine"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"On War Crimes and Double Standards in Ukraine First"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-wo6WZ920zjI\/VNm8DVu442I\/AAAAAAAAKsg\/cevLe5cg0is\/s1600\/UN-monitors-to-investigate-human-rights-abuses-in-Ukraine.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-wo6WZ920zjI\/VNm8DVu442I\/AAAAAAAAKsg\/cevLe5cg0is\/s1600\/UN-monitors-to-investigate-human-rights-abuses-in-Ukraine.jpg\" height=\"255\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFebruary 10, 2015\u003C\/b\u003E (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2015\/02\/08\/on-war-crimes-and-double-standards-in-ukraine\/\"\u003EEric Draitser - NEO\u003C\/a\u003E) - The Western media has been abuzz in recent days with the claim that videos posted to youtube, which show Ukrainian prisoners being “mistreated” by anti-Kiev rebels, amount to war crimes. Naturally, such claims deserve attention as violations of international laws governing war and treatment of prisoners are of concern to all. However, it is equally true that those calling for prosecution of the anti-Kiev rebels are applying a farcical double standard as they have utterly ignored the exponentially more egregious war crimes committed by the Ukrainian military and its neo-Nazi auxiliaries.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis complete whitewashing of countless war crimes committed by Kiev is not coincidental, nor is it a mystery. In fact, it is part of a coordinated campaign by the western media and western non-profit industrial complex to frame the narrative in such a way as to cast Kiev ‘s forces as righteous and just, while the anti-Kiev rebels are terrorist criminals. This complete inversion of reality is par for the course for the West, which, recognizing it cannot achieve its geopolitical ambitions in Ukraine by force, instead will seek to do it through propaganda.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat the Evidence Shows\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe videos that surfaced on youtube which allegedly show evidence of war crimes committed by the anti-Kiev rebels have sparked much debate internationally. The western media has seized on claims of “torture” and “war crimes” made by individuals whose objectivity is certainly in doubt. Take for instance the article in the pro-Kiev outlet “Kyiv Post” entitled \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.kyivpost.com\/content\/kyiv-post-plus\/kremlins-mercenaries-post-videos-of-captive-ukrainian-soldiers-human-rights-activists-charge-war-crimes-committed-graphic-video-378507.html\"\u003EKremlin’s mercenaries post videos of captive Ukrainian soldiers; human rights activists charge war crimes committed\u003C\/a\u003E which presents an entirely one-sided account of the alleged crimes, entirely laden with insinuation but conspicuously short on verifiable facts.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HrQwVJ_Ih0s\/VNm8K6nP6cI\/AAAAAAAAKss\/n3XoWMXVQ8c\/s1600\/svoboda-party-nazi4.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-HrQwVJ_Ih0s\/VNm8K6nP6cI\/AAAAAAAAKss\/n3XoWMXVQ8c\/s1600\/svoboda-party-nazi4.jpg\" height=\"300\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EThe article cites Yulia Gorbunova, a researcher affiliated with Human Rights Watch, who stated, “Tortures and killings could be qualified as war crimes…During the parade of prisoners in Donetsk, the prisoners were subjected to humiliating and degrading treatment. It is a violation of international humanitarian law regarding the prohibition of outrages upon personal dignity.” Indeed, she is correct that torture and killings could be regarded as war crimes. However, what is deliberately left out of the narrative is the context in which these actions took place. Providing this context casts very serious doubt as to the objectivity and reliability of Gorbunova and the NGOs working in Ukraine.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEssentially, Gorbunova and her colleagues are cherry-picking their information so as to charge anti-Kiev rebels with war crimes, while completely ignoring the widespread war crimes committed by pro-Kiev forces, including indiscriminate \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/2014\/10\/19\/us-ukraine-crisis-donetsk-idUSKCN0I80G820141019\"\u003Eshelling of civilians\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2014\/jun\/30\/russian-journalist-dead-cameraman-ukraine-avidiivka\"\u003Edeliberate targeting of journalists\u003C\/a\u003E and medical personnel, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/rt.com\/news\/191364-new-mass-grave-ukraine\/\"\u003Emass killings and mass graves\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/rt.com\/op-edge\/175880-ukraine-white-phosphorous-shelling\/\"\u003Ethe use of internationally banned weapons\u003C\/a\u003E, etc., all of which have been documented. Even Human Rights Watch (HRW), the very organization Gorbunova works for, and not exactly an objective party as it is part and parcel of the US soft power apparatus, has documented a number of egregious war crimes committed by the Ukrainian military and neo-Nazi militias.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn its report \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2014\/07\/24\/ukraine-unguided-rockets-killing-civilians\"\u003EUkraine: Unguided Rockets Killing Civilians\u003C\/a\u003E, HRW documented that “Unguided Grad rockets launched apparently by Ukrainian government forces and pro-government militias have killed at least 16 civilians and wounded many more in insurgent-controlled areas of Donetsk and its suburbs in at least four attacks between July 12 and 21, 2014.” We did not hear an outcry from Gorbunova over these heinous war crimes which have killed, and continue to kill, hundreds (if not more) innocent civilians in Donetsk, Lugansk, and the surrounding areas. Can one be considered a serious human rights investigator if one makes an equivalence between marching soldiers publicly through the streets and the deliberate shelling of civilians? Such an obvious bias certainly calls into question the objectivity of Gorbunova and HRW.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAccording to HRW, “Grad rockets are notoriously imprecise weapons that shouldn’t be used in populated areas. If insurgent and Ukrainian government forces are serious about limiting harm to civilians, they should both immediately stop using these weapons in populated areas.” Though of course one would agree that the use of such weapons by either side harms civilians, it presupposes that each side is equally responsible. Naturally, one should note that it is the Kiev regime’s military that is launching these rockets against both rebels and the civilian population, while the rebels are using such rockets against military positions held by the Ukrainian army. This simple fact, conveniently left out of HRW’s report, should significantly alter how the issue is perceived. Rather than a war between two equally criminally responsible parties, there is undoubtedly an asymmetry in the violations of the rules of war.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-vk9vDGk1CIg\/VNm8fylzyAI\/AAAAAAAAKsw\/TWK8-01zIPo\/s1600\/clusterUragan-Cluster-Munition-Rocket-Ukraine-HRW-599x399-_500x333.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-vk9vDGk1CIg\/VNm8fylzyAI\/AAAAAAAAKsw\/TWK8-01zIPo\/s1600\/clusterUragan-Cluster-Munition-Rocket-Ukraine-HRW-599x399-_500x333.jpg\" height=\"266\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003ETo be fair, there are portions of the HRW report that do intimate, though perhaps stop short of explicitly stating, the fact that Kiev bears the majority of the blame. The report states, “Human Rights Watch called on all parties to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, particularly Ukrainian government forces, to stop using Grad rockets in or near populated areas because of the likelihood of killing and wounding civilians.” Indeed, the use of the phrase “particularly Ukrainian government forces” does suggest that Kiev is more culpable than the rebels, and is a tacit admission of such by HRW.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo, HRW, the organization now proclaiming from the proverbial mountaintops that the rebels have committed war crimes, has itself documented far worse war crimes committed by Kiev. Are we to believe that “outrages upon personal dignity” somehow take precedence over hundreds of dead women and children? Such a position is intellectually dishonest and morally reprehensible. The silence on this point in the western media is deafening.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt should also be noted that, despite the “humiliation” of being paraded publicly through the streets, the Ukrainian soldiers, who just hours before had been shelling the city, were not seriously harmed. In fact, the rebels provided them protection from the residents of the city who, quite understandably, wanted to tear them limb from limb. So, while it would be for a court to decide whether or not such “humiliation” amounts to war crimes, it is undeniable that the rebels provided their prisoners some degree of security, preventing them for the most part from being physically assaulted.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne other point conveniently missing from the Kyiv Post article, and all reporting on the matter in the West, is what the actual Ukrainian captive soldiers admitted on camera, namely that their own commanders lied to them about their mission, deliberately sending units that were outmanned and outgunned on what can only be regarded as a suicide mission. So, who exactly is to blame for those deaths? Certainly, no one with any knowledge of war would call it a “war crime” (at least not by how that term is defined) when one side kills the uniformed soldiers of the other side. However, what do we call it when one side knowingly sends its soldiers to die? Is this a crime? Or is this simply not worth mentioning?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELet’s Prosecute ALL War Crimes\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EI am in agreement with many in the West who are calling for war crimes investigations to be opened. It is absolutely necessary for the historical record, not to mention for the sake of morality and legality, to investigate and, where warranted, prosecute anyone committing war crimes in the conflict in Ukraine.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHowever, where I differ from many so-called “human rights campaigners” and “journalists” is in the application of a single standard in all these developments. Unlike the HRW and Amnesty International mouthpieces, I believe all sides should be prosecuted for crimes they have committed, and I absolutely reject the notion that there is any kind of equivalence between humiliation of prisoners and slaughter of civilians. I reject entirely the idea that all war crimes are equal – they are not.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt is undeniable that the allied troops in World War II – Soviet, American, British, etc. – committed what must be regarded today as war crimes, all throughout the conflict. But would anyone seriously argue that such crimes are equal to the slaughter of millions of Jews, Poles, Romani (“Gypsies”), the mentally handicapped, homosexuals, etc.? It would be an affront to historical memory and the suffering of millions to make such an equivalence.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt is equally undeniable that fighters in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere violated various aspects of international law in resisting the US invasions and subsequent occupations, including the use of terrorism that killed many civilians. But could one really be taken seriously when equating these crimes with the far more egregious crime of launching an aggressive war on an entire nation? Of course not, that would be utterly absurd.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd so, the issue of the crimes themselves becomes secondary to the far more important matter of context. And it is the removal of war crimes from their context that transforms these matters from the moral to the political. Indeed, it is purely a matter of political expediency, which war crimes are discussed and trumpeted, and which ones are swept under the rug.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo, yes, let’s investigate and, if necessary, prosecute Givi and any other anti-Kiev rebels who may have violated the Geneva Convention. But, before we can get to the minor matters of “humiliation” and “violation of dignity,” let’s address the shelling of civilians, the mass executions, the May 2nd massacre in Odessa, the use of white phosphorous bombs by the Ukrainian military, the MH17 incident, forcible conscription at gunpoint, and the myriad other crimes committed by Kiev. Once these prosecutions have taken place, then we should move on to matters of “dignity.”\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDon’t worry…I won’t be holding my breath.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EEric Draitser is an independent geopolitical analyst based in New York City, he is the founder of StopImperialism.org and OP-ed columnist for RT, exclusively for the online magazine \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\"\u003E“New Eastern Outlook”\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/1496817987737565615"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/1496817987737565615"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/02\/on-war-crimes-and-double-standards-in.html","title":"On War Crimes and Double Standards in Ukraine First"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-wo6WZ920zjI\/VNm8DVu442I\/AAAAAAAAKsg\/cevLe5cg0is\/s72-c\/UN-monitors-to-investigate-human-rights-abuses-in-Ukraine.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-8221814447579217669"},"published":{"$t":"2015-02-06T23:35:00.001-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-02-06T23:35:36.891-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"economics"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"GCC"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"middle east"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"MiddleEast"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"SaudiArabia"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Mystery Behind Dropping Oil Prices Solved - Concerted Manipulation "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-Zq-StBEgfaY\/VNIAct3unBI\/AAAAAAAAKrc\/v5ALNRgIip4\/s1600\/saudi%2Bking.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-Zq-StBEgfaY\/VNIAct3unBI\/AAAAAAAAKrc\/v5ALNRgIip4\/s1600\/saudi%2Bking.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"335\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFebruary 7, 2015\u003C\/b\u003E (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2015\/02\/07\/mystery-behind-dropping-oil-prices-solved-concerted-manipulation\/\"\u003EUlson Gunnar - NEO\u003C\/a\u003E) Who's surprised? Various stories had been invented by media houses across the Western world in an attempt to explain why oil prices have conveniently fallen, just in time to pressure Russia, Venezuela and Iran, and all while covert political subversion, attempts to sell all-out-war and other measures have completely failed to assert US interests around the world. The obvious answer was market manipulation, an answer US and other Western news sources refused to admit ... that is until now.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe New York Times in their article, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2015\/02\/04\/world\/middleeast\/saudi-arabia-is-said-to-use-oil-to-lure-russia-away-from-syrias-assad.html?_r=0\"\u003ESaudi Oil Is Seen as Lever to Pry Russian Support From Syria’s Assad\u003C\/a\u003E,\" finally admits, \"Saudi Arabia has been trying to pressure President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to abandon his support for President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, using its dominance of the global oil markets at a time when the Russian government is reeling from the effects of plummeting oil prices. \"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003EBut of course, despite this grain of truth, Saudi Arabia didn't do this on their own, since Saudi Arabia isn't destabilizing Syria on its own, or for its own interests. Saudi Arabia, while playing a significant part in the manipulation of global oil prices, is solely blamed for the purpose of compartmentalizing public perception. The reality is that global oil prices are being manipulated at the behest of the US not only to overthrow the government of Syria or pressure Iran, but to strike at Russia itself. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe New York Times would have us believe that Saudi Arabia is rigging international oil prices to \"bring peace in Syria,\" making no mention of Saudi Arabia's role in backing heavily armed militants streaming into the country turning it into a war zone to begin with. The NYT also makes no mention of the prospect of peace that might result should Saudi Arabia stop its immense state-sponsorship of international terrorism.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EFor the \"cause of peace,\" Saudi Arabia is already estimated to have lost $39 billion. For a regime that chops the heads off its political opponents in public demonstrations meant to inspire medieval fear among its people, the idea that it is willing to lose billions in oil revenue to \"promote peace\" in Syria is plainly absurd, and raises serious questions about the legitimacy of the NYT.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe New York Times would also mention Crimea's return to Russia, but would stop short of linking oil market manipulation to the conflict in Ukraine. However, this is actually the key to understanding global geopolitics and how dropping oil prices fit in. Syria and Ukraine are linked, and Saudi Arabia's role in putting pressure on Russia for one that matters a little to Riyadh (Syria), and another that matters not at all (Ukraine), shows how Riyadh's foreign policy is driven not by national interests, but by obligations it apparently owes to Washington and London (significant obligations that if not met would end with the dissolution of the House of Saud).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstead of focusing on Saudi Arabia and claims that it is solely responsible for global oil prices being cut in half despite no discernible changes in supply and demand, the global public should see a wider confrontation playing out.\u0026nbsp;The US is using its vast influence over finance, energy, the media and many other economic and political sectors to wage full spectrum war on those resisting its hegemonic expansion globally.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOther news agencies who helped invent explanations regarding dropping oil prices, included the Washington Post which claimed in its article, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/falling-oil-prices-put-pressure-on-russia-iran-and-venezuela\/2014\/10\/19\/273e3d24-5562-11e4-892e-602188e70e9c_story.html\"\u003EFalling oil prices put pressure on Russia, Iran and Venezuela\u003C\/a\u003E,\" that, \"THE SILVER lining in the recent financial market turbulence has been the continued decline in the price of oil, which is down about 25 percent since June. In addition to creating a windfall for U.S. consumers — one analysis reckoned the savings could amount to $600 per household — the drop, if sustained, will place considerable pressure on three problematic petrostates: Russia, Iran and Venezuela. The aggressively anti-American foreign policies pursued by all three countries in recent years have been financed in large part by soaring oil revenue.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESilver lining? Or concerted conspiracy? The NYT provides the light shining through the Washington Post's cloudy analysis, confirming indeed it is a concerted conspiracy.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat does this say about global energy markets and their intertwining with various other sociopolitical issues including the debate over climate change, spikes in prices that strangulate development globally and wars waged for \"humanitarian reasons\" against nations that just so happen to export oil outside of markets controlled by Washington and London? It says a lot, and illustrates that many of the facades and social crusades well-meaning people have taken up leave them carrying water for one of the most perverse, destructive industries on Earth, in human history ... big oil.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Saudis wouldn't last long without both internal and external security and support both military and political, provided by the US and others to prop up the otherwise politically and morally bankrupt petrostate. Despite exercising barbarism as a matter of national policy not seen in other countries since the dark ages, its head of state was given passionate eulogies by Western dignitaries as he passed away, with London going as far as flying its national flag at half-mast for the deceased monarch.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShowing general respect for others, good or evil, may not be so offensive, were it not for the fact that the US and UK regularly undermine and destroy the governments of others guilty of far less egregious crimes than those associated with the House of Saud. This illustrates that US foreign policy toward nations is not determined by moral or legal obligations, but rather the utility or opposition each state poses to the hegemonic designs driving US ambitions overseas.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETaking this to its logical conclusion, the US and its large collection of client states around the world, are undermining Syria, waging economic war against Russia, destabilizing China at home while chasing their investors out of any nation they're found in, not based on some moral imperative, but specifically because of the absolute, utter lack of morality. Understanding this cuts through the various invented stories constantly emanating from the Western media, including myths about miraculously dropping oil prices and their \"serendipitous\" and \"coincidental\" impact they just so happen to have on all of America's perceived enemies.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEven the Washington Post admits there really is no tie between Venezuela, Iran and Russia, except claims that each is \"autocratic\" and \"anti-American.\" The real common denominator is their respective resistance to US hegemony in their regions of the world. And while many reasons were invented to explain the convenient drop in oil prices, we can see once again that when events unfold the first question to be asked in identifying the perpetrators is \"to whose benefit?\" Had the Washington Post fulfilled their duty as journalists and asked this question, readers around the world would not have waited months to finally learn the truth behind dropping oil prices. The answer was simple but ridiculed as \"Kremlin propaganda\" at the time, but of course, is now fully admitted to to be machinations carried out by Russia's enemies.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELesson learned? Hopefully the next turn in economic fortune in the markets, or terrorist act carried out that \"just so happens\" to benefit the US and its partners around the world, people will hold those who stand to benefit the most with increased scrutiny and suspicion. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"post-body entry-content\" id=\"post-body-3492532881128498496\" itemprop=\"description articleBody\" style=\"background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 722px;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Ci style=\"font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;\"\u003EUlson Gunnar, a New York-based geopolitical analyst and writer especially for the online magazine “\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003ENew Eastern Outlook\u003C\/a\u003E”.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/8221814447579217669"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/8221814447579217669"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/02\/mystery-behind-dropping-oil-prices.html","title":"Mystery Behind Dropping Oil Prices Solved - Concerted Manipulation "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-Zq-StBEgfaY\/VNIAct3unBI\/AAAAAAAAKrc\/v5ALNRgIip4\/s72-c\/saudi%2Bking.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-8941416778958929110"},"published":{"$t":"2015-02-03T21:53:00.003-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-02-03T21:53:46.857-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Asia"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Thailand"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"US"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"US Meddling in Asia Backfiring "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: large;\"\u003EComments made in wake of US-backed proxy regime's fall in Thailand further alienate the waning superpower.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-pabERRytQNE\/VMkYMnXWY1I\/AAAAAAAAKmA\/WEmI2k86Evo\/s1600\/Danny_Russel_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-pabERRytQNE\/VMkYMnXWY1I\/AAAAAAAAKmA\/WEmI2k86Evo\/s1600\/Danny_Russel_1.jpg\" height=\"276\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E: US State Department's Daniel Russel, a chief proponents of the US\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Pivot to Asia\" strategy aimed at using Southeast Asian nations as client\u003Cbr \/\u003Estates to encircle and contain China, recently made comments condemning\u003Cbr \/\u003EThailand's attempts to reign in a notorious criminal family - one the US so\u003Cbr \/\u003Ehappens to have backed for the past decade.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFebruary 4, 2015 \u003C\/b\u003E(\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2015\/02\/04\/us-meddling-in-asia-backfiring\/\"\u003ETony Cartalucci - NEO\u003C\/a\u003E) - First \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2014\/10\/01\/hong-kong-s-occupy-central-is-us-backed-sedition\/\"\u003Ein Hong Kong\u003C\/a\u003E, now in Thailand, ongoing US plans to install proxy regimes to extend hegemony across Asia-Pacific have fallen into disarray.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe latest row comes after US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel made comments condemning the recent coup that first deposed, then saw the impeachment of ex-Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra over a vast array of corruption and abuse of power charges.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ERussel was quoted by \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.state.gov\/p\/eap\/rls\/rm\/2015\/01\/236308.htm\"\u003Ean official US State Department transcript\u003C\/a\u003E of a speech he gave in Thailand as saying:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E...a narrow, restricted process -- carries the risk of leaving many Thai citizens feeling that they've been excluded from the political process.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThat's the reason why we continue to advocate for a broader and more inclusive political process that allows all sectors of society to feel represented, to feel that their voices are being heard. I'd add that the perception of fairness is also extremely important and although this is being pretty blunt, when an elected leader is removed from office, is deposed, then impeached by the authorities -- the same authorities that conducted the coup -- and then when a political leader is targeted with criminal charges at a time when the basic democratic processes and institutions in the country are interrupted, the international community is going to be left with the impression that these steps could in fact be politically driven.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003ERussel's comments about \"Thai citizens feeling that they've been excluded\" is the preamble Shinawatra's own political front often uses to justify acts of terrorism and armed insurrection that have left hundreds of people dead. It is also a familiar line used to justify engineered US-backed violence in other nations aimed at regime change.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ERussel's claims that Shinawatra's criminal charges were \"politically driven\" beg belief. For the US to defend a prime minister openly serving as a proxy for a convicted criminal hiding abroad, and who presided over a regime that recklessly destroyed the economy while literally murdering its political opponents in the streets, is a clear breach of diplomatic protocol and unbecoming of the alleged purpose of the US State Department itself.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIndeed, the US State Department exists to represent the will of the American people abroad, not to impose it upon others.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe Thai government quickly condemned the comments, and a large public backlash followed, aimed at what is now increasingly seen as direct US meddling in Thailand's internal affairs. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat the US Sees in the Shinawatras\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003EYingluck Shinawatra came to power in 2011, running openly as a proxy for her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, a convicted criminal who fled abroad to evade a 2 year jail sentence as well as a myriad of other pending criminal court cases. The election motto for Thaksin Shinawatra's \"Peua Thai\" political party was literally, \"Thaksin Thinks, Peua Thai Does,\" an overt admission that a convicted criminal is still, quite literally attempting to rule the country. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-9cMtyPJYIm4\/VMkcMVXDp-I\/AAAAAAAAKmM\/Fcb_fVZjscM\/s1600\/ThaksinCFR.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-9cMtyPJYIm4\/VMkcMVXDp-I\/AAAAAAAAKmM\/Fcb_fVZjscM\/s1600\/ThaksinCFR.jpg\" height=\"266\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003ETo explain why the US has breached diplomatic protocol, and is targeting Thailand's national sovereignty by meddling in its internal affairs, it must be noted that Thaksin Shinawatra himself  has been a long-time family friend of the Bush political dynasty, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/thanong.tripod.com\/03072001.htm\"\u003Ewas a member of the Carlyle Group\u003C\/a\u003E, and since being ousted from power himself in a similar military coup in 2006, has been openly represented by some of the largest corporate lobbying firms on Earth, including, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2bangkok.com\/07-news07apr.html\"\u003EKenneth Adelman\u003C\/a\u003E of the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.fara.gov\/docs\/3634-Exhibit-AB-20070125-4.pdf\"\u003EEdelman PR firm\u003C\/a\u003E (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.freedomhouse.org\/template.cfm?boardmember=4\u0026amp;page=10\"\u003EFreedom House\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.crisisgroup.org\/en\/about\/board\/kenneth-adelman.aspx\"\u003EInternational Crisis Group\u003C\/a\u003E,\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.newamericancentury.org\/Bushletter-040302.htm\"\u003EPNAC\u003C\/a\u003E), James Baker of \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/disclosures.house.gov\/ld\/pdfform.aspx?id=200059128\"\u003EBaker Botts\u003C\/a\u003E (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cfr.org\/about\/membership\/roster.html?letter=B\"\u003ECFR\u003C\/a\u003E, Carlyle Group), \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2007\/10\/29\/washington\/29blackwill.html?_r=3\u0026amp;adxnnl=1\u0026amp;oref=login\u0026amp;pagewanted=print\u0026amp;adxnnlx=1194092186-oD\/P7hK9sBgiXh7U96GOBA\"\u003ERobert Blackwill\u003C\/a\u003E (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cfr.org\/about\/membership\/roster.html?letter=B\"\u003ECFR\u003C\/a\u003E) of \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/soprweb.senate.gov\/index.cfm?event=getFilingDetails\u0026amp;filingID=1AA1A98A-2494-44E5-A5CB-F658EB445C4B\"\u003EBarbour Griffith \u0026amp; Rogers (BGR)\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/soprweb.senate.gov\/index.cfm?event=getFilingDetails\u0026amp;filingID=4064D36C-F215-480C-8F07-B383B45BEE09\"\u003EKobre \u0026amp; Kim\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.prweek.com\/article\/809248\/front-page-thaksin-brings-bell-pottinger\"\u003EBell Pottinger\u003C\/a\u003E (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/media\/2013\/dec\/09\/bell-pottinger-tim-bell-pr-interview\"\u003Eand here\u003C\/a\u003E) and currently \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2011\/02\/globalist-page-robert-amsterdam.html\"\u003ERobert Amsterdam\u003C\/a\u003E of \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/disclosures.house.gov\/ld\/pdfform.aspx?id=300322917\"\u003EAmsterdam \u0026amp; Partners\u003C\/a\u003E (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.chathamhouse.org\/membership\/corporate\/corporate-list\"\u003EChatham House\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile in office Shinawatra took up a decidedly pro-US stance, economically and geopolitically. To the protest of the Royal Thai Army and the Thai people themselves, Shinawatra \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nationmultimedia.com\/home\/THAKSIN-VOWS-Troops-will-stay-in-Iraq-91151.html\"\u003Esent Thai troops to aid in the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq\u003C\/a\u003E. He also authorized the US CIA \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.atimes.com\/atimes\/Southeast_Asia\/JA25Ae01.html\"\u003Eto use Thai territory to carry out their abhorrent \"rendition\" program\u003C\/a\u003E. Shinawatra also attempted to ram-rod through \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2011\/02\/flash-back-thailands-thaksin-and-us-fta.html\"\u003Ean unpopular and quite illegal free trade agreement with America's Fortune 500\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAlso during his time in office, Shinawatra committed a series of atrocities against the Thai people themselves. First, in 2003 he initiated what he called a \"war on drugs.\" \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.hrw.org\/reports\/2004\/thailand0704\/4.htm\"\u003ENearly 3,000 were extrajudicially murdered in the streets over the course of just 90 days\u003C\/a\u003E. It would later turn out that more than half of those killed had nothing at all to do with the drug trade. In this act alone, Thaksin became the single worst human rights offender in Thai history. The following year, he would violently put down protests in Thailand's troubled southern provinces killing 85 people in a single day, now known as the  \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2bangkok.com\/26895.html\"\u003ETak Bai incident\u003C\/a\u003E.\" \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-lSXcCkCVG_U\/VMkcUFUiU5I\/AAAAAAAAKmU\/LW1z6OvUKxo\/s1600\/Sondhi_Shot_01.JPEG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-lSXcCkCVG_U\/VMkcUFUiU5I\/AAAAAAAAKmU\/LW1z6OvUKxo\/s1600\/Sondhi_Shot_01.JPEG\" height=\"266\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E: One of Thaksin Shinawatra's opponents narrowly escaped an\u003Cbr \/\u003Eassassination attempt made in broad daylight in which over 100 bullets were\u003Cbr \/\u003Efired into his vehicle.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003EIn addition to these two notorious atrocities, according to  \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amnestyusa.org\/our-work\/countries\/asia-and-the-pacific\/thailand\"\u003EAmnesty International\u003C\/a\u003E, 18 human rights defenders were either assassinated or disappeared during his first term in office. Among them \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.bangkokpost.com\/news\/local\/385684\/wife-of-missing-lawyer-somchai-neelapaijit-slams-dsi\"\u003Ewas human rights activist and lawyer Somchai Neelapaijit\u003C\/a\u003E. He was last seen in 2004 being arrested by police and never seen or heard from again.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShinawatra also conducted a campaign of terror and murder against his opponents.  In April of 2009 gunmen would fire over 100 rounds into the vehicle of anti-Shinawatra activist, protest leader, and media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/worldnews\/asia\/thailand\/5169789\/Founder-of-Thailands-yellow-shirt-movement-shot-in-apparent-assassination-attempt.html\"\u003Ein a broad daylight assassination attempt\u003C\/a\u003E. He was injured but survived. On April 10, 2010, heavily armed professional militants deployed by Thaksin Shianwatra and his \"red shirt\" front \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.bangkokpost.com\/news\/politics\/289785\/col-romklao-was-killed-by-men-in-red-tarit-reveals\"\u003Etargeted and assassinated Colonel Romklao\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.bangkokpost.com\/news\/politics\/289785\/col-romklao-was-killed-by-men-in-red-tarit-reveals\"\u003E Thuwatham\u003C\/a\u003E who was at the time commanding crowd control operations near Bangkok's Democracy Monument. Thaksin's \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/altthainews.blogspot.com\/2013\/12\/thailand-former-pm-abhisits-murder.html\"\u003Ered shirts\" would go on to clash with the military for weeks\u003C\/a\u003E before ending their riot with mass city-wide looting and arson.   And in August of 2013, businessman and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nationmultimedia.com\/home\/Ekkayuth-crusade-picks-up-momentum-105716.html\"\u003Eoutspoken Thaksin opponent\u003C\/a\u003E Ekkayuth Anchanbutr was \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nationmultimedia.com\/national\/Ekkayuths-body-found;-theft-motive-disputed-30208186.html\"\u003Eabducted and murdered\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor those familiar with the true nature of US foreign policy, the US buttressing a brutal but obedient dictator is an all too familiar tale, one that continues today with the US State Department openly working to undermine the legitimacy of the current Thai government and its efforts to fully uproot the Shinawatra regime along with the US-backed networks of sedition that helped Shinawatra retain its tight grip on the levers of Thai political power for over a decade.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat this grip appears to have been loosened, indicates that America's ability to interfere with impunity has diminished.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ERussel's comments were not made to a receptive Thai public - most of whom welcomed the military coup deposing the Shinawatra regime. Even in 2011, a meager 35% of Thailand's total electorate voted for Shinawatra's party, and of those who bothered to vote, Peua Thai failed to earn the popular majority. According to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/altthainews.blogspot.com\/2013\/12\/thailand-survey-confirms-regimes-reds.html\"\u003Ean Asia Foundation poll conducted in 2010\u003C\/a\u003E, a mere 7% of Thailand's 70 million citizens, identified themselves strongly as \"red,\" the color associated with Shinawatra's political front.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe myth that the military overthrew a \"popularly elected democratic government\" could not be any further from the truth - and such myths have only gained traction thanks to the enormous and continuing support Shinawatra \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/altthainews.blogspot.com\/2014\/06\/exposing-fake-academics-their-foreign.html\"\u003Eand the networks supporting his political power\u003C\/a\u003E receive from the West's immense media monopolies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EDespite these monopolies, the backlash Russel's comments have earned both himself and the United States' agenda in Thailand is disastrous. No longer do many Thais see the current political crisis as merely a battle between Thaksin Shinawatra and Thailand's traditional political order, but instead, as an existential battle against a foreign agenda that has created and to this day continues to prop up Shinawatra and a vast network aimed at overturning both Thailand's existing political order, and its sovereignty in the process.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci style=\"background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003ETony Cartalucci, Bangkok-based geopolitical researcher and writer, especially for the online magazine\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003E“\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003ENew Eastern Outlook”\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/8941416778958929110"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/8941416778958929110"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/02\/us-meddling-in-asia-backfiring.html","title":"US Meddling in Asia Backfiring "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-pabERRytQNE\/VMkYMnXWY1I\/AAAAAAAAKmA\/WEmI2k86Evo\/s72-c\/Danny_Russel_1.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-3492532881128498496"},"published":{"$t":"2015-02-03T21:52:00.002-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-02-03T21:52:56.363-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Asia"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"china"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gunnar"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"HongKong"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"NEO"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"US"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Occupy Hong Kong, Take Two"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFebruary 4, 2015\u003C\/b\u003E (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2015\/02\/03\/occupy-hong-kong-take-two\/\"\u003EUlson Gunnar - NEO\u003C\/a\u003E) Were Hong Kong's street demonstrations a movie, the director's chair would certainly be placed in Washington D.C. Several independent researchers \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2014\/10\/24\/hong-kong-s-umbrellas-are-made-in-usa\/\"\u003Ehave exposed\u003C\/a\u003E the shockingly large number of direct links between funding and political backing from Washington and nearly every prominent leader organizing street demonstrations in Hong Kong.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-N29CZbc2gJI\/VM5Bt5Mk6FI\/AAAAAAAAKp0\/MePE5rYwT9A\/s1600\/Protesters-carrying-yello-008.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-N29CZbc2gJI\/VM5Bt5Mk6FI\/AAAAAAAAKp0\/MePE5rYwT9A\/s1600\/Protesters-carrying-yello-008.jpg\" height=\"384\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe yellow umbrellas winding through Hong Kong's streets, whose numbers are inflated by American and British media's expert use of tight angles and close ups, could be considered \"take two.\" Take one wasn't fit for Washington's vision for Hong Kong, which is ironic considering the protests claim to be fighting for Hong Kong's self-determination. Regardless, the last round of protests fared poorly, with the majority of Hong Kong's residents turning on protesters who blocked roads for weeks, hurting local businesses and disrupting the lives, peace, and prosperity of the majority.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EA loud, disruptive minority, disrupting the peace and prosperity of the majority, all while shouting \"pro-democratic\" slogans presents another irony and one that seems lost on some.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWashington's Studio Faces Stiff Competition\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe problem for Washington is that its ability to manage public perception has been drastically diminished. This, all while the ability of others, particularly nations targeted by Washington's schemes, now have the ability to bring their side of the story to a larger audience. The balance of power struck means that attempts to portray crooked, clumsy criminals, awkward academics and washed up politicians as another iteration of the global \"occupy\" phenomenon were destined to fail from the beginning. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EChina in particularly is no longer the plaything of the West. It can defend itself, and it can do so across multiple dimensions from matters of media to those of military. So quickly did Beijing expose and pacify the core premise of the Occupy Central movement, that one wonders why Washington is even trying again.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhy Again? Why So Soon?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESome might argue that Washington and the troupe of politicians and activists it sponsors have nothing to lose by trying. Several of the movement's leaders are facing increasing legal scrutiny, especially concerning large sums of cash they were moving around during the last round of protests. While success for the protests is a distant, remote possibility, the chances of each leader involved in them in turn self-destructing are much more likely. As time passes, that likelihood only seems to be increasing, leaving Washington and this immense, expensive network it has constructed in perpetual shambles. For Washington, it might be \"now or never.\" \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut perhaps there is another explanation, and one that security agencies in Beijing should be vigilant regarding, and that is the possibility that the US has somehow managed to formulate a strategy it believes may succeed. Pushing forward a pitiful, already defeated protest through the streets of Hong Kong may be a probing action to help inform precisely how to make its next moves, or it might be to lure Beijing and Hong Kong's local administrators into complacency.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe possibility that this otherwise spent force is serving as a diversion for greater unrest or violence planned for elsewhere cannot be discounted. The US currently maintains \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2014\/04\/03\/us-ambassadors-diplomats-or-agitators\/\"\u003Ea variety of \"entry points\" into China in order to disrupt it\u003C\/a\u003E. The others being the Tibet Autonomous Region and Xinjiang province in western China. The latter of these two is particularly volatile, with heavily armed, fanatical extremists currently honing their skills in what appears to be a CIA-backed exchange program bringing Chinese terrorists to Syria to fight alongside other US-backed militants, before returning home, bringing with them weapons, cash and extensive battlefield experience (and possibly some new friends).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWhat Worked for Beijing Before Will Work Again\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBeijing did two important things during the last round of US-backed protests. First, they categorically dismissed the protesters' demands. Doing anything less would have legitimized the leadership and their agenda. The second important thing Beijing did was then go on to systematically expose the leadership, their ties to foreign interests and improprieties revolving around how they were funding their protests.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBeijing's increasingly mature intelligence networks and growing sophistication across mass media greatly helped these efforts where traditional methods would have not only failed, but perhaps even accelerated instability.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETogether, an insurmountable wall was erected between Washington and its troupe of politicians, activists, and money men, and their goal of not only destabilizing Hong Kong, but helping seed the grounds of the mainland for similar subversion. All Beijing had to do was then wait for the local population to grow tired of the occupations, and by not allowing itself to be provoked into violence. The wait wasn't long. Without incidents to spur on protesters and attract attention from a wider audience, the public was not only inconvenienced by the occupations, but bored as well.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBy the end of the protests, the people of Hong Kong were begging police to drag Washington's cast of characters and all their extras from the streets. Even some of the protesters themselves appeared relived that the streets were finally being cleared.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut what Beijing might also try to do is reach out to those attracted unwittingly to the protests either out of youthful ignorance and curiosity or confusion regarding the actual definition of democracy, and Washington's definition. Alternative avenues for those feeling disenfranchised should be created, ones that lead away from street demonstrations and political contests, and toward more practical means to address their grievances, real or imagined.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt is difficult to tell if there will be a \"take three,\" because it all depends on what these recent protests at the beginning of 2015 are truly aimed at achieving. Since achieving political transformation in Hong Kong is all but an impossibility, the only two options that appear to remain are the creation of instability meant to spread to the mainland, or a diversion meant to distract Beijing and tie up resources while a more insidious plot prepares to unfold.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci style=\"background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15.3999996185303px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;\"\u003EUlson Gunnar, a New York-based geopolitical analyst and writer especially for the online magazine “\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003ENew Eastern Outlook\u003C\/a\u003E”.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/3492532881128498496"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/3492532881128498496"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/02\/occupy-hong-kong-take-two.html","title":"Occupy Hong Kong, Take Two"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-N29CZbc2gJI\/VM5Bt5Mk6FI\/AAAAAAAAKp0\/MePE5rYwT9A\/s72-c\/Protesters-carrying-yello-008.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-109025360259709212"},"published":{"$t":"2015-02-01T23:48:00.001-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-02-01T23:48:28.524-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Asia"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Thailand"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"US Embassy Mute Over Bangkok Bombings "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-sraXC4BgUfg\/VM8qtfeGmoI\/AAAAAAAAKq8\/MbCkwCFBMk4\/s1600\/Thailand.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-sraXC4BgUfg\/VM8qtfeGmoI\/AAAAAAAAKq8\/MbCkwCFBMk4\/s1600\/Thailand.jpg\" height=\"257\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFebruary 2, 2015\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;(\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/altthainews.blogspot.com\/2015\/02\/us-embassy-mute-over-bangkok-bombing.html\"\u003ETony Cartalucci - ATN\u003C\/a\u003E) - \u0026nbsp;Imagine a bomb going off in New York City's Times Square and the US government making an announcement about the Super Bowl instead.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThat's just what happened in Thailand Sunday evening\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/altthainews.blogspot.com\/2015\/02\/urgent-terrorism-strikes-thailand.html\"\u003Ewhen a double bombing took place in the very heart of downtown Bangkok\u003C\/a\u003E. While there were no injuries, it is a dangerous sign sent by incredibly dangerous terrorists who have killed hundreds of people in the past 10 years as part of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's bid to claw his way back into power. In the wake of the bombing, the US Embassy in Thailand neither warned people about the violence, nor condemned it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstead, the official US Embassy Twitter account congratulated the New England Patriots for their win during the Fortune 500 social-engineering sporting spectacle, the Super Bowl.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBombing is Part of US-backed Strategy\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf you visit the US Embassy's website, the first link is to information about the \"roles of civil society and political institutions on democratization in Thailand,\" or in plain English, US-backed subversion aimed at overwriting Thailand's indigenous institutions with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/altthainews.blogspot.com\/2014\/06\/exposing-fake-academics-their-foreign.html\"\u003Eforeign-backed NGOs\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;that serve foreign interests. The story features a publication titled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/photos.state.gov\/libraries\/thailand\/591452\/alert\/alert0115.pdf\"\u003EDemocratic Regression in Thailand (.pdf)\u003C\/a\u003E,\" referring to\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/altthainews.blogspot.com\/2014\/05\/thailand-coup-ousts-us-backed-dictator.html\"\u003Ethe ousting of US-backed dictator and mass murderer, Thaksin Shianwatra\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-X73ZYiZFn9w\/VM8rEK-OhQI\/AAAAAAAAKrE\/cgMKeEjtyxA\/s1600\/30253073-03_big.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-X73ZYiZFn9w\/VM8rEK-OhQI\/AAAAAAAAKrE\/cgMKeEjtyxA\/s1600\/30253073-03_big.jpg\" height=\"312\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E: Shinawatra's political party, led by demagogues like Nattawut Saikua\u003Cbr \/\u003Eto this day continues to threaten violence and in particular, bombings in\u003Cbr \/\u003EBangkok, as a means to leverage concessions from the current government.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003EReuters, BBC, CNN, and others who were last year were hysterical over protests aimed at ousting the Shinawatra family, claiming they were \"anti-democratic militants,\" brushed off the bombing as a non-event - with some even inferring the current government may have staged it - a tempting theory if Shinawatra's political party didn't openly threaten to bomb Bangkok just days ago,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nationmultimedia.com\/politics\/Junta-vows-crackdown-on-provocateurs-30253073.html\"\u003Eas reported by the Nation\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe bombing is most likely a trial balloon to see how the government reacts, with more likely to follow if the US believes it can sufficiently destabilize Thailand and the popularity of the current government in order to either stage large protests or execute a US-backed \"counter-coup\" or a combination of both. The bombing may have been small, but the implications are large.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EComplacency is precisely what the perpetrators of this attack need to move on to the next step. Galvanized resistance and demonstrable resolve will indicate to the terrorists and their sponsors that they have met yet another obstacle in their efforts undermine and overthrow Thailand's current sociopolitical order.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/109025360259709212"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/109025360259709212"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/02\/us-embassy-mute-over-bangkok-bombings.html","title":"US Embassy Mute Over Bangkok Bombings "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-sraXC4BgUfg\/VM8qtfeGmoI\/AAAAAAAAKq8\/MbCkwCFBMk4\/s72-c\/Thailand.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-2793681401904915677"},"published":{"$t":"2015-02-01T10:22:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-02-01T10:22:19.836-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Asia"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Thailand"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"URGENT: Terrorism Strikes Thailand "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: large;\"\u003EOusted regime that vowed violent reprisals, finally follows through.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-6wSFM5laSA4\/VM5jEMbWrLI\/AAAAAAAAKqE\/9aM9LutPdtM\/s1600\/30253177-01_big.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-6wSFM5laSA4\/VM5jEMbWrLI\/AAAAAAAAKqE\/9aM9LutPdtM\/s1600\/30253177-01_big.jpg\" height=\"326\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFebruary 2, 2015\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Tony Cartalucci - LD) -\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nationmultimedia.com\/breakingnews\/Two-homemade-bombs-explode-in-front-of-Siam-Parago-30253175.html\"\u003ETwo powerful bombs exploded in downtown Bangkok Sunday night\u003C\/a\u003E, just days after ousted prime minster Yingluck Shinawatra was impeached from office amid threats from her political party that violence would follow.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EIndeed just days ago the Nation would report in an article titled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nationmultimedia.com\/politics\/Strong-reaction-to-impeachment-30252608.html\"\u003EStrong reaction to impeachment\u003C\/a\u003E,\" that:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EFormer prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra's impeachment yesterday was hailed by her opponents as the dawn of a new era, but characterised by her supporters as a new chapter that would ignite political violence and deepen division.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EThe political violence referred too of course, was not to be \"spontaneous\" in nature, but rather openly carried out by leading members of Shinawatra's political party.\u0026nbsp;The Nation more recently reported in an article titled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nationmultimedia.com\/politics\/Junta-vows-crackdown-on-provocateurs-30253073.html\"\u003EJunta vows crackdown on provocateurs\u003C\/a\u003E,\" that (emphasis added):\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EPrime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday pledged to take legal action against people who threaten to use violence to protest against the government and state officials.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe premier referred to politicians who said they would stage rallies and violence against the government to stop reconciliation, and would create violence like that seen in the South.\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EOnce again, the ousted regime of Yingluck Shinawatra, along with her deposed brother Thaksin Shinawatra, has promised and now carried through with acts of terrorism and violence aimed at\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003Edestabilizing\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E, dividing,\u0026nbsp;and destroying the nation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EThaksin Shinawatra, a convicted criminal living abroad to evade a two-year jail sentence for corruption and a long list of pending court cases has for the past decade led brutal campaigns of mass murder, terrorism, and targeted assassinations against his opponents and the people of Thailand, all\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/01\/us-state-department-collaborating-with.html\"\u003Ewith enthusiastic Western backing\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cb\u003EA Blood Soaked Regime Doing What it Does Best - Killing and Terrorizing\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-D5h7i-V3nXs\/VM5mtl1rW3I\/AAAAAAAAKqs\/rUP8TA7Qo5A\/s1600\/30230389-01_big.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-D5h7i-V3nXs\/VM5mtl1rW3I\/AAAAAAAAKqs\/rUP8TA7Qo5A\/s1600\/30230389-01_big.jpg\" height=\"247\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003ETIME Magazine during the 2013-2014 protests leading up to Shinawatra's ouster, \"predicted\" bloodshed as her removal appeared imminent. In a January 2014 article titled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/world.time.com\/2014\/01\/16\/bangkok-shutdown-yingluck-supporters-prepare-to-fight-for-democracy\/\"\u003EBangkok Shutdown: Yingluck Supporters Prepare to Fight for Democracy\u003C\/a\u003E,\" it stated: \u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21px;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EAs Thailand’s anti-government protests enter their fourth day, observers say prospects for violent confrontation are increasing,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003Ewith reports of government supporters stockpiling weapons in case of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s ouster.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21px;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EAccording to the Bangkok Post, radical members of the Red Shirts — diehard champions of Yingluck and her notorious brother Thaksin Shinawatra —\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003Eare readying a cache of arms\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;in case the 46-year-old premier is forced from office by either military or judicial intervention.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21px;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EThe paper quoted a Red Shirt source as saying\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003E“There are strong anti-coup and anti-court sentiments among the red-shirt mavericks who are familiar and experienced with weapon use.”\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003EThe following day, a grenade targeting an anti-Shinawatra protest leaders claimed the life of one man and maimed several others in a broad daylight attack. Other attacks and incidents would follow including:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;\"\u003E\u003Cli style=\"line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 22.3999996185303px;\"\u003EA\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/altthainews.blogspot.com\/2014\/01\/thailand-regime-assassinates-protest.html\" style=\"color: #3d85c6; text-decoration: none;\"\u003Ebrazen broad-daylight\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/altthainews.blogspot.com\/2014\/01\/thailand-regime-assassinates-protest.html\" style=\"color: #3d85c6; text-decoration: none;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;assassination\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;of\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003ENGO worker, activist, and protest leader Sutin Taratin during the\u003C\/span\u003E\u0026nbsp;February 2014 general elections.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli style=\"line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003EA grisly attack in the eastern province of Trat\u0026nbsp;carried out by Shinawatra's militants\u0026nbsp;that left scores maimed\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nationmultimedia.com\/politics\/Five-year-old-girl-succumbs-to-injuries-30227530.html\" style=\"color: #3d85c6; line-height: 21.5599994659424px; text-decoration: none;\"\u003Eand a five-year old girl dead\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;with a\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;similar attack carried out in Bangkok the same day that left many maimed\u003C\/span\u003E\u0026nbsp;along with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/thailand-political-violence-leaves-3-children-dead\/\" style=\"color: #3d85c6; text-decoration: none;\"\u003Ea woman and two children killed\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli style=\"line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/englishnews.thaipbs.or.th\/m79-grenade-hits-nacc-office\/\" style=\"color: #3d85c6; text-decoration: none;\"\u003EMultiple M79 grenade attacks\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;carried out on the office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission in northern Bangkok in conjunction with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.bangkokpost.com\/news\/politics\/401570\/update-reds-block-nacc-office\" style=\"color: #3d85c6; text-decoration: none;\"\u003Ea blockade carried out by the regime's \"red shirts\u003C\/a\u003E.\" The blockade was aimed at\u0026nbsp;obstructing\u0026nbsp;criminal proceeding against then prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra. Regime supporters\u0026nbsp;would be arrested for possession of AK47s, M79 grenade launchers, and RGD-5 hand grenades, the latter two\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nationmultimedia.com\/politics\/Police-find-cache-of-war-weapons-near-NACC-30230389.html\" style=\"color: #3d85c6; text-decoration: none;\"\u003Ewith lot numbers matching those used in previous attacks\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;across the city.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli style=\"line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EThe accidental discovery made by police of a white Mazda parked outside the resort of regime\u0026nbsp;MP Sitthichai Kittithanesuan,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.bangkokpost.com\/news\/pdrc-protests\/410487\/police-fear-guns-linked-to-protests\" style=\"color: #3d85c6; text-decoration: none;\"\u003Econtaining AK47s in the backseat\u003C\/a\u003E. The car was owned by an \"adviser\" to a regime minister.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli style=\"line-height: 1.4; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003ERegime militants carried out an M79 grenade attack and drive-by shooting on Bangkok's Democracy Monument on May 15\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nationmultimedia.com\/politics\/Three-dead-several-injured-in-attack-on-antigovern-30233679.html\" style=\"color: #3d85c6; text-decoration: none;\"\u003Ethat killed 3 and left dozens more injured\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn total, nearly 30 would die and over 800 wounded. In essence, Shinawatra and his movement openly declared they would resort to terrorism, prepared for it, then carried it out, and have now, once again attempted to maim and murder innocent people in order to seize back power.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERed Sunday\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EIn Thai culture, each day of the week has its own color associated with it. Because Sunday is associated with red, Shinawatra's supporters known as \"red shirts\" have chosen it as a day of activism. One of Shinwatra's political enforcers, Sombat Boonngam-anong, literally leads a faction calling themselves the \"Red Sunday\" group.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe timing of the double bombing on Sunday is meant to send a message to the current Thai government now in the process of finally and permanently uprooting Shinawatra and his political machine from Thailand's political landscape, that there will be no peace or stability if further impunity is not granted.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EDespite just days ago Shinawatra's own political enforcers\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nationmultimedia.com\/politics\/Junta-vows-crackdown-on-provocateurs-30253073.html\"\u003Evowing to carry out acts of terrorism and specifically a bombing\u003C\/a\u003E, Western pundits and defenders of Shinawatra's political network are claiming Shinawatra had nothing to gain by carrying out such violence. Omitted are the thousands of people put to death under his regime during his time in power.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIndeed, in 2003 he had\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.hrw.org\/reports\/2004\/thailand0704\/4.htm\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;3,000 people extrajudicially murdered in the streets over the course of just 90 days\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in what he called a \"War on\u0026nbsp;Drugs.\" It was later revealed that over half of those mass murdered had no connection whatsoever to the drug trade. Despite even Thailand's Constitutional Monarchy calling for an investigation into the deaths, Shinawatra's impunity was already such that no investigation or legal proceedings were brought against him.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe following year, Shinawatra would order protests in Thailand's troubled south be put down,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2bangkok.com\/26895.html\"\u003Eseeing 85 mass murdered in a single day\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAlso during Shinawatra's time in office, according to\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amnestyusa.org\/our-work\/countries\/asia-and-the-pacific\/thailand\"\u003EAmnesty International\u003C\/a\u003E, 18 human rights defenders were either assassinated or disappeared during his first term in office. Among them\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.bangkokpost.com\/news\/local\/385684\/wife-of-missing-lawyer-somchai-neelapaijit-slams-dsi\"\u003Ewas human rights activist and lawyer Somchai Neelapaijit\u003C\/a\u003E. He was last seen in 2004 being arrested by police and never seen or heard from again.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EOusted in a military coup in 2006, Shinawatra would continue to conduct a campaign of terror and murder against his opponents. In April of 2009 gunmen would fire over 100 rounds into the vehicle of anti-Shinawatra activist, protest leader, and media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/worldnews\/asia\/thailand\/5169789\/Founder-of-Thailands-yellow-shirt-movement-shot-in-apparent-assassination-attempt.html\"\u003Ein a broad daylight assassination attempt\u003C\/a\u003E. He was injured but survived. Also in 2009, Shinawatra would call for riots in Bangkok where his supporters gunned down two shopkeepers amid widespread looting and vandalism.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-UnQdSwjBiN4\/VM5lMBiUmWI\/AAAAAAAAKqY\/EKL8CMyUSTc\/s1600\/Red_Shirt_Terrorists_April10_2010.jpg\" height=\"426\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImages\u003C\/b\u003E: Thaksin Shinawatra deployed some 300 heavily armed terrorists in Bangkok in 2010 triggering bloodshed that would claim nearly 100 lives and leave the city in flames after a final day of serial arson was carried out by his political supporters.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-UnQdSwjBiN4\/VM5lMBiUmWI\/AAAAAAAAKqY\/EKL8CMyUSTc\/s1600\/Red_Shirt_Terrorists_April10_2010.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EOn April 10, 2010, heavily armed professional militants deployed by Thaksin Shianwatra and his \"red shirt\" front\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.bangkokpost.com\/news\/politics\/289785\/col-romklao-was-killed-by-men-in-red-tarit-reveals\" style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003Etargeted and assassinated Colonel Romklao\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.bangkokpost.com\/news\/politics\/289785\/col-romklao-was-killed-by-men-in-red-tarit-reveals\" style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;Thuwatham\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003Ewho was at the time commanding crowd control operations near Bangkok's Democracy Monument. Thaksin's \"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/altthainews.blogspot.com\/2013\/12\/thailand-former-pm-abhisits-murder.html\" style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003Ered shirts\" would go on to clash with the military for weeks\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003Ebefore ending their riot with mass city-wide looting and arson. Nearly 100 would die in the bloodshed, during which \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2bangkok.com\/10-redpublications1003a.html\"\u003Ered\" publications\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;eagerly called on its followers to come to the city and join in armed insurrection.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnother high-profile assassination would take place in August of 2013, when businessman and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nationmultimedia.com\/home\/Ekkayuth-crusade-picks-up-momentum-105716.html\"\u003Eoutspoken Thaksin opponent\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;Ekkayuth Anchanbutr was\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nationmultimedia.com\/national\/Ekkayuths-body-found;-theft-motive-disputed-30208186.html\"\u003Eabducted and murdered\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-aUtdyTrSZVM\/VM5lS2uq1mI\/AAAAAAAAKqg\/Uahui_MQke8\/s1600\/658999.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-aUtdyTrSZVM\/VM5lS2uq1mI\/AAAAAAAAKqg\/Uahui_MQke8\/s1600\/658999.jpg\" height=\"410\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E: A weapons catch seized by the Thai army from Shinawatra's armed networks in the wake of the 2014 coup.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EClearly, the recent bombing is but the uninterrupted continuation of Shinawatra's decade of mass slaughter in his bid to eliminate his opponents and silence any and all opposition while consolidating and exercising absolute control of the nation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/2793681401904915677"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/2793681401904915677"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/02\/urgent-terrorism-strikes-thailand.html","title":"URGENT: Terrorism Strikes Thailand "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-6wSFM5laSA4\/VM5jEMbWrLI\/AAAAAAAAKqE\/9aM9LutPdtM\/s72-c\/30253177-01_big.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-7302688257936318886"},"published":{"$t":"2015-02-01T05:47:00.002-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-02-01T05:47:54.452-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Asia"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"china"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"HongKong"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"US-backed Mobs Back in Hong Kong's Streets "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-2bmhOPapyZo\/VM4tDgD6UuI\/AAAAAAAAKpk\/ur_nv6OXTng\/s1600\/_80705829_80705828.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-2bmhOPapyZo\/VM4tDgD6UuI\/AAAAAAAAKpk\/ur_nv6OXTng\/s1600\/_80705829_80705828.jpg\" height=\"223\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EFebruary 1, 2015\u003C\/b\u003E (Tony Cartalucci - LD) - The \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2014\/11\/hong-kongs-people-have-spoken-end.html\"\u003Ebad taste left in the majority of Hong Kong residents' mouths\u003C\/a\u003E from America's \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2014\/10\/01\/hong-kong-s-occupy-central-is-us-backed-sedition\/\"\u003Elast attempt at subversion in the Chinese special administrative region\u003C\/a\u003E, has barely begun to fade as the US State Department and its mobs of \"umbrella revolutionaries\" take back to the streets in a verbatim reprisal of \"Occupy Central\" which ended in humiliation and defeat just months ago.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELed by the exact same exposed, corrupt opposition leaders, the clearly diminished movement was unable to \"occupy\" any part of downtown Hong Kong. The number of protesters was put at around 5,000 by Hong Kong's police, while the movement's leadership claimed their numbers were more than double that.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe South China Morning Post would admit \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/hong-kong\/article\/1697807\/civil-disobedience-move-planned-first-post-occupy-march-kicks\"\u003Ein a recent article\u003C\/a\u003E that: \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u0026nbsp;Leading the charge were key figures of the Occupy Central movement including Benny Tai Yiu-ting, Chan Kin-man and Reverend Chu Yiu-ming. Others at the front included Democratic Party founding chairman Martin Lee Chu-Ming as well as Daisy Chan Sin-Ying.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBenny Tai, who poses as the founder of the \"Occupy Central\" movement, has been sufficiently exposed as a proxy of the US State Department with nearly every organization he is associated with a direct recipient of US government funding. Also mentioned by the South China Morning Post is Martin Lee, who was literally in Washington D.C. before the US State Department's foreign-sedition funding arm, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), appealing for aid ahead of planned unrest earlier last year.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-B7x1KwAuTJU\/VM4oKlsZMMI\/AAAAAAAAKpQ\/D5W5IR2IsLM\/s1600\/Feb1_2015_FreedomHouseGoogleAd.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-B7x1KwAuTJU\/VM4oKlsZMMI\/AAAAAAAAKpQ\/D5W5IR2IsLM\/s1600\/Feb1_2015_FreedomHouseGoogleAd.png\" height=\"544\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E: Google search results for \"Hong Kong protests\" are topped by sponsored ads posted by the US State Department's Freedom House - raising the\u0026nbsp;absurdity\u0026nbsp;and transparency of American meddling abroad and their attempts to misinform and manipulate people's perception at home.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis most recent street demonstration featured protesters carrying custom-made umbrellas in matching colors, a US gimmick used in sowing political upheaval that has earned such demonstrations the titled, \"color revolution.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis latest attempt by the US to divide and subvert political order in China is particularly absurd - with Google searches returning sponsored results by the US State Department's \"Freedom House\" covering the \"Hong Kong Protests,\" a clear attempt at spearheading the information war waged to confuse and misinform the general public about the true nature driving current street demonstrations.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EProtest Leaders Specialize in US-Subsidized Sedition\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EAs previously reported, opposition leader\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003EBenny Tai is a law professor at the University of Hong Kong and a regular collaborator with the US NED and its\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003ENational Democratic Institute (NDI)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;funded Centre for Comparative and Public Law (CCPL) also of the University of Hong Kong.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; color: black; float: right; line-height: 21.5599994659424px; margin-left: 1em; padding: 5px; position: relative; text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-R_QEKWOkCMo\/VE_HjfvvlAI\/AAAAAAAAKLc\/Ks-Kye0B7Vg\/s1600\/bennytai-epa-0903-net2.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; color: #6fa8dc; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"247\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-R_QEKWOkCMo\/VE_HjfvvlAI\/AAAAAAAAKLc\/Ks-Kye0B7Vg\/s1600\/bennytai-epa-0903-net2.jpg\" style=\"-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 0px 0px 0px; background: transparent; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E: \"Occupy Central's\" head organizer, Benny Tai, conducts the majority\u003Cbr \/\u003Eof his political activity within the US NED\/NDI-funded Centre for\u003Cbr \/\u003EComparative and Public Law (CCPL), yet NED claims no \"Occupy Central\"\u003Cbr \/\u003Eleader is receiving any assistance from NED. One must wonder what NED\u003Cbr \/\u003Edefines as \"assistance\" if cash handouts do not apply. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EIn\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.law.hku.hk\/ccpl\/aboutthecentre\/annual_reports\/AnnualReport2006-7.pdf\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003E2006-2007 (annual report, .pdf\u003C\/a\u003E) he was named as a board member - a position he has held until at least as recently as last year. In CCPL's\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.law.hku.hk\/ccpl\/Docs\/Annual%20Report%202011%20-%202013.pdf\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003E2011-2013 annual report (.pdf\u003C\/a\u003E), NDI is listed as having provided funding to the organization to \"design and implement an online Models of Universal Suffrage portal where the general public can discuss and provide feedback and ideas on which method of universal suffrage is most suitable for Hong Kong.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECuriously, in CCPL's most recent annual report for\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.law.hku.hk\/ccpl\/Docs\/Annual%20Report%202014.pdf\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003E2013-2014 (.pdf\u003C\/a\u003E), Tai is not listed as a board member. However, he is listed as participating in at least 3 conferences organized by CCPL, and as heading at least one of CCPL's projects. At least one conference has him speaking side-by-side another prominent \"Occupy Central\" figure, Audrey Eu. The 2013-2014 annual report also lists NDI as funding CCPL's \"Design Democracy Hong Kong\" website.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECivic Party chairwoman Audrey Eu Yuet-mee, in addition to speaking at CCPL-NDI functions side-by-side with Benny Tai, is entwined with the US State Department and its NDI elsewhere. She regularly attends forums sponsored by NED and its subsidiary NDI. In 2009 she was a featured speaker at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.synergynet.org.hk\/en_m9_detail.php?id=718\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003Ean NDI sponsored public policy forum\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;hosted by \"SynergyNet,\"\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.synergynet.org.hk\/pdf\/20080221494_en.pdf\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003Ealso funded by NDI\u003C\/a\u003E. In 2012 she was a guest speaker at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/womencentre.org.hk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/FWC-AR-11-12.pdf\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003ENDI-funded Women's Centre \"International Women's Day\" event\u003C\/a\u003E, hosted by the Hong Kong Council of Women (HKCW) which\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.ndi.org\/hong-kong\" style=\"color: #33aaff;\"\u003Eis also annually funded by the NDI\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-tY2C65LgVDg\/VM4ojMbhEOI\/AAAAAAAAKpY\/1jAm6zNIBtM\/s1600\/anson_Chan_Martin_Lee_DC_April2014.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-tY2C65LgVDg\/VM4ojMbhEOI\/AAAAAAAAKpY\/1jAm6zNIBtM\/s1600\/anson_Chan_Martin_Lee_DC_April2014.jpg\" height=\"240\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E: \"Occupy Central\" leader Martin Lee in Washington before the\u003Cbr \/\u003ENational Endowment for Democracy (NED) appealing for aid in upcoming\u003Cbr \/\u003Eunrest.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThese connections are not accusations concocted by \"state controlled Chinese news outlets,\" but rather documented by the US State Department and its subsidiaries and recipients themselves.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EMartin Lee, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2014\/10\/us-covers-up-support-for-hong-kong.html\"\u003Ewho previously was claimed not to be involved in the \"Occupy Central\" movement by the US NED\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;in a vain attempt to dispel evidence implicating the US in funding political subversion in Hong Kong, is now clearly in the front ranks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EPerhaps NED believes both the people of Hong Kong, and global audiences have forgotten \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2014\/10\/entire-occupy-central-protest-scripted.html\"\u003Ehis recent trip to Washington D.C.\u003C\/a\u003E where he spoke at a NED-sponsored event focused on forcing China to honor demands made by the UK as it departed Hong Kong after a century and a half of imperial occupation. \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EThe widespread, positive spin the Western media is greeting recent protests with despite their immense unpopularity locally, is a clear indicator that the immense US-backing propping up \"Occupy Central\" before is still well in place.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIt is no wonder then, why the US State Department must spend US taxpayer's money to buy top-ranked Google ads regarding Hong Kong's recent protests - the ads \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/freedomhouse.org\/blog\/background-hong-kong-s-quest-democracy?gclid=CPu70uvmwMMCFYeSvQodbn8ARg#.VM4jidKUeXB\"\u003Eleading to pages claiming to explain the \"background\" of the political crisis.\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EClearly, if people skipped past Wall Street and Washington's rhetoric and the constant din of lies emitted by the West's vast media monopolies, and simply followed the money, the truth - not to mention the immense illegitimacy - of \"Occupy Central\" would be obvious. And with such truth being so obvious, such machinations are doomed to fail. In fact, the West's attempts to stir trouble up in Hong Kong so soon after its previous failure, almost defies explanation - because while it may have retained the ability to fool Western audiences, it has demonstrated absolutely it has fooled no one in Hong Kong or greater China.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/7302688257936318886"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/7302688257936318886"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/02\/us-backed-mobs-back-in-hong-kongs.html","title":"US-backed Mobs Back in Hong Kong's Streets "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-2bmhOPapyZo\/VM4tDgD6UuI\/AAAAAAAAKpk\/ur_nv6OXTng\/s72-c\/_80705829_80705828.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-3723062679339859856"},"published":{"$t":"2015-01-30T21:38:00.004-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-01-30T21:38:53.450-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"HealthGenetics"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"solutions"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":" The Coming Biological Infowar: US Proposes DNA Database "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-REJLpuPT1g0\/VMxoFbmnL2I\/AAAAAAAAKoo\/1UJWEfDnECM\/s1600\/514467main_41s_factoring_DNA_1024.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-REJLpuPT1g0\/VMxoFbmnL2I\/AAAAAAAAKoo\/1UJWEfDnECM\/s1600\/514467main_41s_factoring_DNA_1024.jpg\" height=\"300\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJanuary 31, 2015\u003C\/b\u003E (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/localorg.blogspot.com\/2015\/01\/the-coming-biological-infowar-us.html\"\u003ETony Cartalucci - LocalOrg\u003C\/a\u003E) - The US is proposing a government-backed  DNA database composed of over a million volunteers' genetic material. RT  would report in their article, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/rt.com\/usa\/227967-dna-genetic-analysis-disease\/\"\u003EGot genes: Obama proposes genetic biobank of 1mn Americans’ DNA to fight disease\u003C\/a\u003E,\" that: \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EA new $215 million US government proposal would seek more than 1  million American volunteers for analysis of their genetic information in  an initiative to fight disease, while developing targeted health care  based on one’s DNA.\u003C\/i\u003E \u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E                 \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E  Officials hope the biobank project, announced Friday by President   Barack Obama, can merge existing genetic studies with a diverse   range of new volunteers to hit 1 million participants. \u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EWhile this initial database is composed of  volunteers, involuntary blood samples are already collected by US law  enforcement agencies around the country and amassed in an existing, and  ever-expanding network. Additionally, the new proposal seeks to  establish \"precision medicine\" as a standard in medical care, implying  that everyone's DNA will eventually be required by medical practitioners  to administer increasingly state-run healthcare.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESuch information will undoubtedly end up in an expanded, nationwide iteration of this new proposed network.\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESerial Abusers and Their New Toy\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile  precision medicine is indeed a powerful tool in fighting disease and  repairing injury - in fact, truly the future of medicine - those  appointing themselves as its arbiter in the US have already demonstrated  they cannot be trusted with such a responsibility. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERT would also note in their report that: \u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ci\u003EHow the US government will ensure that individual genetic   information is kept private will certainly become a point of   concern for many. A government-led database system amassing   genetic coding will likely face resistance in this age of a   global spying regime run by the US National Security Agency (NSA)   and a genetic patent system used by the likes of Monsanto to   consolidate legal ownership of the natural world. \u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EIndeed, a DNA database would be to our bodies,  what the Internet was to our computers - with an NSA-like entity  invading, abusing, exploiting, and manipulating not just our personal  data, but the very genetic code that makes us who we are. The dangers  are immense, and the abuse of genetic information has already been  eagerly explored by the very special interests driving this new  initiative. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EThe prospect of using one's genes against them in the form of genospecific  weapons was mentioned in the Neo-Conservative Project for a New American  Century's (PNAC) 2000 report titled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.newamericancentury.org\/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf\"\u003ERebuilding America's Defenses\" (.pdf)\u003C\/a\u003E which stated: \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe  proliferation of ballistic and cruise missiles and long-range unmanned  aerial vehicles (UAVs) will make it much easier to project military  power around the globe.\u0026nbsp; Munitions themselves will become increasingly  accurate, while new methods of attack – electronic, “non-lethal,”  biological – will be more widely available. (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.newamericancentury.org\/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf\"\u003Ep.71 of .pdf\u003C\/a\u003E) \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAlthough  it may take several decade for the process of transformation to unfold,  in time, the art of warfare on air, land, and sea will be vastly  different than it is today, and\u0026nbsp; “combat” likely will take place in new  dimensions: in space, “cyber-space,” and perhaps the world of microbes.\u0026nbsp;  (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.newamericancentury.org\/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf\"\u003Ep.72 of .pdf\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd  advanced forms of biological warfare that can “target” specific  genotypes may transform biological warfare from the realm of terror to a  politically useful tool. (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.newamericancentury.org\/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf\"\u003Ep.72 of .pdf\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EThis  targeting will require a database of genetic information - which when  coupled with the NSA's already omnipresent surveillance - will enable  the growing police state to locate and target individuals with  genospecific weapons with unimaginable precision - a literal \"touch of  death\" on equal to mythological gods able to strike down their enemies  at will.\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EHow to Have the Best of Both Worlds\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe  race to establish a top-down healthcare system based on  genetically-driven precision medicine is done with the knowledge that  the democratization of technology, including that involved in biology  and genetics, is accelerating toward local labs being able to reproduce  or even out-compete developments made by large pharmaceutical giants.  This follows the same pattern IT followed, where disruptive technology,  institutions, and paradigms allowed for rapid decentralization and  downsizing.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-8CQ_2gN3ov8\/VMxptlWpONI\/AAAAAAAAKo0\/IyBCguf-N6E\/s1600\/article1a.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-8CQ_2gN3ov8\/VMxptlWpONI\/AAAAAAAAKo0\/IyBCguf-N6E\/s1600\/article1a.jpg\" height=\"245\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr align=\"left\"\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E: Precision medicine can precisely help us. It can also precisely hurt. \u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003ESmall  groups of people or even individuals now have a platform online with  which to compete against multi-million dollar media studios. Likewise,  3D printing is driving a similar revolution in manufacturing. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"Do-it-Yourself biology\" (DIYbio) is now positioned to disrupt the fields of biotech, human health, and medicine.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith  DIYbio, individuals and communities can manage their own genetic  information, sharing it how and when they decide, and work directly on  applications to alter, improve, or repair it. The decentralization of  this powerful technology also will establish a balance of power. Those  with malevolent intentions will be kept in check by the fact that so  many more people have a vested interest in preventing the abuse of this  technology. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELike in the world of IT today, backups, firewalls,  and a general knowledge of \"good practices\" will help protect the vast  majority from the abuse of emerging genetically-driven precision  medicine.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAlready, there is a wealth of information  online regarding DIYbio - which like its counterpart in IT - maintains  an open source, collaborative ethos. People, understanding that  preventing the use of this technology is impossible, can begin  empowering themselves with it to ensure a balance of power is struck to  prevent its wide scale abuse.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECoincidentally, the  proposed decentralization of the Internet by local mesh networks would  also serve to build defenses for genetic information stored by  individuals on such networks. Establishing and promoting the idea of  moving away from all forms of highly centralized systems maintained by  serial offenders of our privacy and human rights, by democratizing the  very technology they seek to monopolize and use against us, is the first  step in winning this new battle before it starts. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/3723062679339859856"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/3723062679339859856"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/01\/the-coming-biological-infowar-us.html","title":" The Coming Biological Infowar: US Proposes DNA Database "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-REJLpuPT1g0\/VMxoFbmnL2I\/AAAAAAAAKoo\/1UJWEfDnECM\/s72-c\/514467main_41s_factoring_DNA_1024.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-5375214964042248544"},"published":{"$t":"2015-01-30T08:31:00.004-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-01-30T08:31:56.751-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"middle east"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"MiddleEast"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Syria"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"ISIS Mercenary Admits Getting Funds from US "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003ETerror horde receiving funds routed through US despite the NSA's immense and growing spying powers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-4MMLFEp_wfk\/VMkwQF_t0TI\/AAAAAAAAKmk\/dbUJu-ipK14\/s1600\/1414324972-.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-4MMLFEp_wfk\/VMkwQF_t0TI\/AAAAAAAAKmk\/dbUJu-ipK14\/s1600\/1414324972-.jpg\" height=\"223\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E: Implausible deniability - \"accidental\" airdrops of weapons to ISIS\u003Cbr \/\u003Emilitants, and now torrents of cash being routed through the allegedly\u003Cbr \/\u003Eunwitting US are but a few examples of how the West's \"accidental\" support\u003Cbr \/\u003Eprops up the only organization in Syria capable of fighting its proxy war\u003Cbr \/\u003Eagainst Damascus for it. So many\u0026nbsp;coincidences\u0026nbsp;add up to concerted\u003Cbr \/\u003Econspiracy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJanuary 30, 2015\u003C\/b\u003E (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2015\/01\/30\/isis-mercenary-admits-getting-funds-from-us\/\"\u003ETony Cartalucci - NEO\u003C\/a\u003E) - Once again, another \"coincidence\" appears to be contributing to the so-called \"Islamic State's\" (ISIS) resilience and vast resources. A recent investigation being conducted by Pakistani security forces involving a captured ISIS fighter has revealed that he and many fighters alongside him, received funds that were routed through the US.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Express Tribune, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/tribune.com.pk\/about\/\"\u003Ean affiliate of the New York Times\u003C\/a\u003E, recently reported in an article titled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/tribune.com.pk\/story\/828761\/startling-revelations-is-operative-confesses-to-getting-funds-via-us\/\"\u003EStartling revelations: IS operative confesses to getting funds via US\u003C\/a\u003E,\" that:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E“During the investigations, Yousaf al Salafi revealed that he was getting funding – routed through America – to run the organisation in Pakistan and recruit young people to fight in Syria,” a source privy to the investigations revealed to Daily Express on the condition of anonymity.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EAl Salafi is a Pakistani-Syrian, who entered Pakistan through Turkey five months ago. Earlier, it was reported that he crossed into Turkey from Syria and was caught there. However, he managed to escape from Turkey and reached Pakistan to establish IS in the region.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EThe Tribune would also reveal that the findings of the investigations were being shared with the United States. The source cited by the \u0026nbsp;Tribune suggested a compelling theory as to why the US has attempted to portray itself as \"at war with ISIS,\" stating: \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ci\u003E“The US has been condemning the IS activities but unfortunately has not been able to stop funding of these organisations, which is being routed through the US,” a source said.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ci\u003E“The US had to dispel the impression that it is financing the group for its own interests and that is why it launched offensive against the organisation in Iraq but not in Syria,” he added.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EIndeed, the story reveals several troubling aspects regarding ISIS' operations in Syria. First, Al Salafi's ability to effortlessly enter into Syria through NATO-member Turkey, then escape back to Pakistan, again, via Turkey once again confirms that the source of ISIS' strength is not captured Syrian oil fields or ransoms paid in exchange for hostages, but rather from a torrent of fighters, arms, equipment, and cash \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2014\/11\/breaking-germanys-dw-reports-isis.html\"\u003Eflowing from NATO territory in Turkey\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESecond - the US does indeed claim to be at war with \"ISIS,\" going as far as unilaterally bombing Syrian territory while claiming \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2015\/01\/16\/us-is-preparing-up-to-5k-militants-that-would-flee-to-isil\/\"\u003Eit must now train more militants\u003C\/a\u003E not only to topple the Syrian government, but now also to fight ISIS - yet appears incapable of stopping torrents of cash flowing from its own borders into the hands of its implacable enemy. A similar conundrum presented itself amid the recent Paris killings, where France too is participating in military operations aimed at both toppling the Syrian government and allegedly fighting ISIS - yet claims to be unable to stop thousands of its own citizens from leaving its borders to join ISIS' ranks.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe All-Selectively-Seeing Eyes of American Surveillance\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFinally, now that the US is reportedly aware that money destined for ISIS has been routed through its own borders, surely it can leverage its massive and continuously growing surveillance state to identify where the money originated from. The individuals, organization, or government that provided the funds can then suffer the same fate other \"state sponsors of terrorism\" have suffered at the hands of US foreign policy, including sanctions, invasion, and occupation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-eULthXgUdOk\/VMkw9pziqCI\/AAAAAAAAKms\/qT1B97r-3Ow\/s1600\/article-2379575-1B034EFB000005DC-24_634x489.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-eULthXgUdOk\/VMkw9pziqCI\/AAAAAAAAKms\/qT1B97r-3Ow\/s1600\/article-2379575-1B034EFB000005DC-24_634x489.jpg\" height=\"492\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHowever, the likelihood that the US was unaware of these routed funds - specifically because of its massive and continuously growing surveillance state - is unlikely, as is the likelihood that the US is not also fully aware of where the funds originated from. Der Spiegel in a report titled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.spiegel.de\/international\/world\/how-the-nsa-spies-on-international-bank-transactions-a-922430.html\"\u003E'Follow the Money': NSA Monitors Financial World\u003C\/a\u003E,\" would state (emphasis added):\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EIn the summer of 2010, a Middle Eastern businessman wanted to transfer a large sum of money from one country in the region to another. He wanted to send at least $50,000 (€37,500), and he had a very clear idea of how it should be done. The transaction could not be conducted via the United States, and the name of his bank would have to be kept secret -- those were his conditions.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThough the transfer was carried out precisely according to his instructions, it did not go unobserved. \u003Cb\u003EThe transaction is listed in classified documents compiled by the US intelligence agency NSA that SPIEGEL has seen and that deal with the activities of the United States in the international financial sector. The documents show how comprehensively and effectively the intelligence agency can track global flows of money and store the information in a powerful database developed for this purpose.\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EThe obstacle the US faces in stemming funds destined for ISIS centers then, not on knowing about them, but on the fact that both the US itself and its closest allies in the region surrounding Syria are directly complicit in the funding. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs exposed by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh in his 2007 article,  \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/reporting\/2007\/03\/05\/070305fa_fact_hersh?currentPage=all\"\u003EThe Redirection: Is the Administration’s new policy benefiting our enemies in the war on terrorism?\u003C\/a\u003E\" it was stated explicitly that (emphasis added): \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003ETo undermine Iran, which is predominantly Shiite, the Bush Administration has decided, in effect, to reconfigure its priorities in the Middle East. In Lebanon, the Administration has coöperated with Saudi Arabia’s government, which is Sunni, in clandestine operations that are intended to weaken Hezbollah, the Shiite organization that is backed by Iran.\u003Cb\u003E The U.S. has also taken part in clandestine operations aimed at Iran and its ally Syria. A by-product of these activities has been the bolstering of Sunni extremist groups that espouse a militant vision of Islam and are hostile to America and sympathetic to Al Qaeda.\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EThus, it is clear, that from 2007 where the US, Saudi Arabia, and Israel openly conspired to stand up, fund, and arm a terrorist army to fight a proxy war against Syria and Iran, to 2015 where this army has finally manifested itself as the \"Islamic State\" complete with funding, arms, and fighters streaming in from NATO members, the source cited by the Tribune claiming that \"the US had to dispel the impression that it is financing the group for its own interests,\" and thus must now feign to be interested in stopping the organization in Syria, is the most compelling and logical explanation available.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt will be interesting to see if the New York Times itself picks up its affiliate's story, or if the US State Department, reportedly aware that ISIS funds are being routed through America, makes a comment on this recent development. What is more likely, however, is that the \"War on Terror\" charade will continue, with the US propping up ISIS, using it both as impetus to funnel more cash and weapons into the region that will inevitably - and intentionally - end up in ISIS' hands, or as an excuse to intervene militarily in Syria's conflict more directly.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci style=\"background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003ETony Cartalucci, Bangkok-based geopolitical researcher and writer, especially for the online magazine\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003E“\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003ENew Eastern Outlook”\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/5375214964042248544"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/5375214964042248544"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/01\/isis-mercenary-admits-getting-funds.html","title":"ISIS Mercenary Admits Getting Funds from US "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-4MMLFEp_wfk\/VMkwQF_t0TI\/AAAAAAAAKmk\/dbUJu-ipK14\/s72-c\/1414324972-.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-6913955418571774851"},"published":{"$t":"2015-01-30T08:30:00.001-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-01-30T08:30:55.520-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Africa"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"AFRICOM"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"EU"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"NATO"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nigeria"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"US"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nigeria: Inside Boko Haram (Part 2) "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-ggWXQ7kpUz0\/VMuvWWbP-9I\/AAAAAAAAKng\/LIT05Y9oFsg\/s1600\/Boko-Hram1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-ggWXQ7kpUz0\/VMuvWWbP-9I\/AAAAAAAAKng\/LIT05Y9oFsg\/s1600\/Boko-Hram1.jpg\" height=\"317\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJanuary 30, 2015\u003C\/b\u003E (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.counterpunch.org\/2015\/01\/29\/inside-boko-haram\/\"\u003EEric Draitser - Counterpunch\u003C\/a\u003E) - \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.counterpunch.org\/2015\/01\/27\/unraveling-the-mystery-of-boko-haram\/\"\u003EThe first installment\u003C\/a\u003E of this article focused on the relationship between Boko Haram and the domestic politics of Nigeria, as well as the regional resource war that has developed around the Lake Chad Basin.  It exposed the connections between individuals and networks both in Nigeria and Chad that are actively supporting and\/or facilitating Boko Haram, and in doing so, participating in a dangerous game of regional destabilization.  Naturally, the question becomes: why? In whose interests is this destabilization being carried out? What is the larger economic and geopolitical calculus at work?  It is to these questions that we must now turn. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFor at least the last 500 years, Europeans have looked to Africa as a potential source of wealth and power.  From the earliest Portuguese expeditions up through the present day, the West has seen in Africa vast, and seemingly unlimited, riches.  From gold, diamonds, and other precious materials, to energy and, impossible not to mention, human labor, the Europeans (and in recent times Americans) have swarmed Africa as the locusts of capitalism, stripping it of its wealth and then asking why Africa is so chaotic.  Such cynical, and blatantly imperialist, ambitions have always lain at the center of Western strategy on the so-called “Dark Continent.”  So too are they at the heart of the current situation in Nigeria, and West Africa generally. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn examining the complex web of relations connecting events in West Africa, a disturbing, though hardly surprising, trend appears: as Western geopolitical and economic interest in the region increases, so too does instability grow.  While it may seem counter-intuitive, in fact this trend makes perfect sense.  While the US and Europe invoke ad nauseam the term “stability,” the reality is that chaos and instability are perfectly suited for their neocolonial objectives.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFrance, for centuries a dominant power in Africa, figures prominently in this 21st Century competition to exploit Africa for its own enrichment.  In its former colonies in West Africa, France has once again established itself both as a military and, perhaps more importantly, economic power.  Using the twin pretexts of terrorism and humanitarianism, France has successfully veiled its true intentions in the region, namely the plunder of mineral and energy resources.  Because the naked imperialism of the French Colonial Empire is politically unacceptable by today’s standards, France has had to present itself as the benevolent patron, an altruistic power that simply wants to help its former colonial children get back on their feet.  However, when one digs a bit deeper, it becomes clear that the France that once enslaved Haiti, colonized Algeria and much of North Africa, and mercilessly exploited West Africa, is very much alive and well. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-15BrEYmIc5g\/VMuvcq0rTgI\/AAAAAAAAKno\/7MJhYvFUxd8\/s1600\/Flag_map_of_Colonial_Africa_(1939).png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-15BrEYmIc5g\/VMuvcq0rTgI\/AAAAAAAAKno\/7MJhYvFUxd8\/s1600\/Flag_map_of_Colonial_Africa_(1939).png\" height=\"400\" width=\"390\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EBut France is certainly not alone in eyeing potential economic benefits in West Africa.  Recently, Germany has stepped into the fray, making it clear that it seeks to become more assertive militarily and economically in the region.  As the major economic engine of Europe, Germany is in prime position to take full advantage of the insecurity coupled with the tremendous demographic growth of West Africa.  In Ghana, Nigeria, and elsewhere, Germany sees untapped potential markets for its exports, as well as a military foothold.  In this way, the European Union, more and more seen as the domain of Germany, places itself at the center of a growing competition in the region. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd then of course there is the inescapable, intractable military powerhouse of the United States which has quietly, but very significantly, increased its military capability – “footprint” to use the parlance of AFRICOM and strategic planners – all throughout the continent.  This deafeningly quiet military expansion has, at its root, the goal of checking the rise of China’s economic influence throughout the continent.  With regard to West Africa, the US has established a widely dispersed, though obviously coordinated, network of small military installations which Washington hopes to use to expand its hegemony over the African space without the proverbial “boots on the ground.”  Indeed, this is precisely in accordance with the function of AFRICOM since 2007, namely maintaining US military engagement without investing in large-scale deployment. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith this larger objective of blocking Chinese economic penetration in Africa, the US and its European toadies have transformed the continent into a proxy battleground, one which has destabilization as a potent weapon.  In the case of West Africa, as in other parts of the continent, it is the people who will pay in blood for the economic and geopolitical ambitions of the Empire. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMeet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe growing instability throughout Francophone West Africa has provided a convenient pretext for France to reassert its hegemony in its former colonies.  The 2012 coup in Mali, and the subsequent civil war and rise of terrorism, gave the French military the opening it needed to permanently station military forces throughout the region.  However, the real question is not whether or not France is right in “aiding” its former colonies, but rather, what its real agenda truly is.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDespite the rhetoric of democracy, stability, and the rule of law, France has very self-interested motives.  With regard to Boko Haram, Nigeria, and the Lake Chad basin, France is the primary beneficiary of the energy extraction taking place there, as its port of Le Havre is the final destination for the unrefined oil.  As I noted in \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.counterpunch.org\/2015\/01\/27\/unraveling-the-mystery-of-boko-haram\/\"\u003EPart 1\u003C\/a\u003E, the Lake Chad Basin has an estimated mean volume of 2.32 billion barrels of oil, 14.65 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 391 million barrels of natural gas liquids.  Taken in total, both in terms of actual and potential exports, these energy reserves are worth billions.  But France’s economic interests certainly do not stop with energy. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-bz_3W_Vm3-k\/VMuv6djXS3I\/AAAAAAAAKnw\/UEWuocSkokg\/s1600\/29-French-Reuters.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-bz_3W_Vm3-k\/VMuv6djXS3I\/AAAAAAAAKnw\/UEWuocSkokg\/s1600\/29-French-Reuters.jpg\" height=\"300\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EFrance has a keen interest in exploiting lucrative mineral deposits throughout the region.  Were one to doubt the sincerity of France’s neocolonial intentions as it regards mineral extraction, one need look no further than the fact that the French “socialist” government of Hollande is investing more than half a billion dollars in a new, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.dw.de\/france-to-set-up-state-mining-venture-to-secure-minerals-supply\/a-17449888\"\u003Estate-owned mining company\u003C\/a\u003E.  As French industry minister Arnaud Montebourg stated upon the announcement of the new venture, “Francophone African countries, notably, would like to work with us rather than do business with foreign multinationals.”  Naturally, one should take such a statement with a healthy dose of skepticism as to just how much choice those countries, let alone their citizens, have in the matter.  Not only will France be looking to exploit minerals deposits of lithium and germanium, but also the all-important rare earth minerals so lucrative in this age of microprocessors and other technology for which such minerals are a necessity. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMoreover, Montebourg’s interesting phrase “foreign multinationals” is quite revealing.  On the one hand, it seems that, in the minds of the French political and business elite, they themselves are not “foreign” when operating in Francophone countries.  The neocolonialism of such a mentality is impossible to ignore.  Secondly, it seems almost self-evident that the “foreign multinationals” to which he is referring are the Chinese companies (private and state-owned) which have made tremendous inroads all throughout the region in terms of mineral extraction and investment.  So, France is clearly cognizant of a turf war between themselves and China for these riches in West Africa. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn addition to the rare earth and other minerals, there are the vast deposits of uranium throughout the region that have piqued France’s interest.  As \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/thinkafricapress.com\/niger\/vive-la-francafrique-nuclear-colonialism-uranium-areva\"\u003EThink Africa Press\u003C\/a\u003E reported in 2014:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EFrance currently sources over 75% of its electricity from nuclear energy and is dependent on Niger for much of its immediate and future uranium supply. This dependence could grow even further when production at the recently-discovered Imouraren uranium deposit is up and running in 2015. The mine is set to produce 5,000 tonnes of uranium per year and would help make Niger the second-largest uranium producer in the world. Areva, which is 87% owned by the French state and holds a majority share in three out of the four uranium mining companies operating in Niger, is funding the new mine.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EAdd to this the fact that the president of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou, is a former employee of Areva, the company that, despite the ongoing conflict with the government of Niger over royalty percentages, still maintains a near monopoly over the uranium trade.  It should come as no surprise then that the main competition for Areva (and France) for this lucrative trade is China which “already owns 37% stake in Niger’s SOMINA mine and has carried out uranium exploration throughout the country.”  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-vekTM6icERs\/VMuwVMDBw0I\/AAAAAAAAKn4\/LlH9xvG12QM\/s1600\/201312613191533734_20.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-vekTM6icERs\/VMuwVMDBw0I\/AAAAAAAAKn4\/LlH9xvG12QM\/s1600\/201312613191533734_20.jpg\" height=\"263\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EThe battle between France and China for influence and control of strategic minerals and markets is increasingly becoming central in France’s overall policy in the region.  France’s goal is to reestablish economic hegemony in its Francophone “sphere of influence” as is evidenced by the French government’s policy paper entitled \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr\/rapports-publics\/134000824\/\"\u003EA partnership for the future: 15 proposals for a new economic dynamic between Africa and France\u003C\/a\u003E which could be seen as a blueprint for French policy in the region.  Undoubtedly this increased emphasis is due to the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.jamestown.org\/regions\/africa\/single\/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=42051\u0026amp;tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=55\u0026amp;cHash=8e372fe5ecd8a63b4cfccecb1544d46e\"\u003Efact\u003C\/a\u003E that “Over the past decade, France’s share of African trade plummeted from 10 to 4.7 percent, while China’s African market share soared to over 16 percent in 2011.”  The contours of this proxy war should be becoming more apparent. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe Germans Are Coming \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile Germany’s engagement in Africa was never as deep or long-standing as that of France, Britain, or other European empires, it’s unlikely that anyone would accuse Germany of being a slouch when it comes to aggressive imperialism.  Though the 19th Century “Scramble for Africa” is long since in the Germany’s well-engineered rear-view mirror, Berlin has recently demonstrated a shift in its commitments on the continent; Germany intends to be a player militarily and, most importantly, economically. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn a recent policy paper entitled \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.auswaertiges-amt.de\/cae\/servlet\/contentblob\/677752\/publicationFile\/195378\/140521_Afrika-Leitlinien-Download.pdf\"\u003EFederal Government Policy Guidelines for Africa\u003C\/a\u003E, the German government notes that “Africa’s potential stems from its demographic development and the fact that it is a huge market of the future with strong economic growth, rich natural resources, a great potential for increasing agricultural production and food security by its own efforts…African markets are developing dynamically and – beyond the extractive industries – will be of growing interest to German business” (also noted \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.wsws.org\/en\/articles\/2015\/01\/22\/germ-j01.html\"\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-L4Tmr8QSqEw\/VMuwcLtOG5I\/AAAAAAAAKoA\/oyuGeW8ZYco\/s1600\/.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-L4Tmr8QSqEw\/VMuwcLtOG5I\/AAAAAAAAKoA\/oyuGeW8ZYco\/s1600\/.jpg\" height=\"426\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEssentially then, Germany views Africa generally, and West Africa specifically, as a major emerging market that can be capitalized on by German corporations. Perhaps this is why Chancellor Merkel has reiterated Germany’s commitment to provide \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/allafrica.com\/stories\/201303080903.html\"\u003Emilitary aid\u003C\/a\u003E in the form of financial support, training, logistics, policing, etc. to its longtime partner in Ghana.  And it is through the intermediary of Ghana that Germany seeks to expand its military engagement in the region.  After a recent meeting in Germany between the leaders of the two countries, it was reported on the German cabinet’s \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.bundesregierung.de\/Content\/EN\/Artikel\/2015\/01_en\/2015-01-19-merkel-praesident-mahama_en.html;jsessionid=F9B35617A50D800513210B1788C3C6EA.s1t2?nn=393830\"\u003Eofficial website\u003C\/a\u003E that, in response to the threat of Boko Haram:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EAngela Merkel supported the proposal of the Ghanaian President to found a regional African intervention force…Ghana’s President promised that Ghanaian troops would be deployed. The Bundeswehr [Germany military forces] cooperates with the Ghana Armed Forces. In the interests of peace building and crisis prevention Germany is working to put in place and stabilise regional security structures, partly through the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, which was founded ten years ago with German support. Germany also supports Ghana in the establishment of an engineers regiment as part of the planned African Union intervention force.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EIt is clear that Germany sees in Ghana a viable partner through which it can achieve a military presence in the region.  Using Boko Haram as the pretext, it seems that once again German military force, coupled with financial assistance, will be used to guarantee the all-important market access that Germany desperately desires.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe larger context is clear too.  Germany is the world’s \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.cia.gov\/library\/publications\/the-world-factbook\/rankorder\/2078rank.html\"\u003Esecond leading exporting economy\u003C\/a\u003E behind China (excluding the EU as a single economy), and as such, sees China as its primary rival for market penetration.  It goes without saying that, like France, Germany is concerned that Chinese economic hegemony in West Africa could sideline German business, forcing it to take a back seat to China.  And so, like their European cousin France, Germany looks to its military, and the pretext of counter-terrorism, to ensure its own economic position. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe Imperialist Elephant in the Room\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-6EH86Sk2VoI\/VMuw5rxY2lI\/AAAAAAAAKoI\/GKsQkJrJ7LI\/s1600\/2000px-Africom_emblem_2.svg.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-6EH86Sk2VoI\/VMuw5rxY2lI\/AAAAAAAAKoI\/GKsQkJrJ7LI\/s1600\/2000px-Africom_emblem_2.svg.png\" height=\"320\" width=\"247\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EWhile Germany and France have clear economic motivations for expanding their presence in West Africa, the United States’ agenda is far less obvious.  Although the United States invests heavily in Africa in the aggregate, it is not nearly as dependent on African raw materials or the emerging market as its European allies.  Instead, Washington’s concern is being outpaced by China on the continent as a whole.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs renowned Professor and China scholar Deborah Brautigam noted in her 2013 \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/uschinacenter.as.nyu.edu\/docs\/IO\/27891\/Brautigam_NYU_Chinese.pdf\"\u003Ereport\u003C\/a\u003E Chinese Investment in Africa, “Chinese imports and exports, outbound investment aid, and export finance are all sharply on the rise. For example, trade between China and Africa rose from $10 billion in 2000 to $166.3 billion in 2011… [In 2012] Chinese leaders announced a goal of $20 billion in finance to African countries by 2015. If carried out, an average of between $6 and $7 billion would flow to Africa per year.” \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBrautigam’s numbers illustrate the fact that, while still slightly below yearly US total investment on the continent ($9 billion), China is rapidly challenging US economic hegemony in Africa. Having invested in a variety of sectors from mining and oil, to telecommunications and banking, China has made itself into a viable alternative to US, World Bank, and IMF investment and aid. Naturally, this has upset the political and corporate establishment in the US who see in China a threat to their power.  It is precisely this challenge from China that is the true motivation for the quiet expansion of the US military presence on the continent, especially in West Africa and the Sahel.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe United States has established a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.motherjones.com\/files\/AfricaMilitaryMapLegend630.jpg\"\u003Evast network\u003C\/a\u003E of drone bases\/facilities throughout the region, though military officials refuse to acknowledge the facilities as anything more than “temporary staging areas” or some other vacuous euphemism.  However, a simple look at the map, combined with disparate reports in various media, paints a much more insidious picture of what the US is doing. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-RVXmBAXBbjY\/VMuxEF1JfPI\/AAAAAAAAKoQ\/qOFUm8OZSVY\/s1600\/africom4.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-RVXmBAXBbjY\/VMuxEF1JfPI\/AAAAAAAAKoQ\/qOFUm8OZSVY\/s1600\/africom4.jpg\" height=\"226\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EUnder the auspices of AFRICOM, the United States is in nearly every significant country in the region.  In Chad, which figures prominently in the Boko Haram narrative, the US has indefinitely stationed \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/national-security\/us-deploys-80-military-personnel-to-chad\/2014\/05\/21\/edd7d21a-e11d-11e3-810f-764fe508b82d_story.html\"\u003Emilitary personnel\u003C\/a\u003E ostensibly to search for the missing Chibok girls.  However, the White House’s own press statement reveals a much more far-reaching objective, namely that “These personnel will support the operation of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft for missions over Northern Nigeria and the surrounding area.”  Translation: The US has drones and other surveillance covering the entire Lake Chad Basin.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile the US only acknowledged a tiny contingent of soldiers, the reality is that far more US forces are engaging in Chad in one form or another.  Perhaps this is best illustrated by the not-so-coincidental fact that Chad has been selected to host AFRICOM’s \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.africom.mil\/newsroom\/article\/24027\/chad-to-host-flintlock-2015\"\u003EFlintlock 2015\u003C\/a\u003E military exercises “which will kick off Feb. 16, 2015 in the capital N’Djamena with outstations in Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and Tunisia, and will run through March 9, 2015.”  Got that?  US military personnel will be leading exercises all throughout the region, with specific attention to the Lake Chad Basin countries.  But it certainly doesn’t stop there. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe US announced in 2013 that it was constructing a major drone base in Niger.  As the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/national-security\/drone-base-in-niger-gives-us-a-strategic-foothold-in-west-africa\/2013\/03\/21\/700ee8d0-9170-11e2-9c4d-798c073d7ec8_story.html\"\u003EWashington Post\u003C\/a\u003E reported:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe Predator drones in Niger…give the Pentagon a strategic foothold in West Africa… Niger also borders Libya and Nigeria, which are also struggling to contain armed extremist movements… [Nigerien] President Issoufou Mahamadou said his government invited Washington to send surveillance drones because he was worried that the country might not be able to defend its borders from Islamist fighters based in Mali, Libya or Nigeria… “We welcome the drones,” Mahamadou said… “Our countries are like the blind leading the blind,” he said. “We rely on countries like France and the United States. We need cooperation to ensure our security.”\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EAnd here the connection between US military engagement and Boko Haram and other terrorist groups becomes painfully clear.  The United States cynically exploits the instability in the region – a direct outgrowth of the US-NATO war against Libya – to further entrench its military muscle.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs if one needed further proof of US intentions, the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.marinecorpstimes.com\/article\/20140930\/NEWS08\/309300058\/Marines-establish-three-new-staging-locations-West-Africa\"\u003EMarine Corps Times\u003C\/a\u003E reported in September 2014 that, “The Corps has established three new staging outposts in Senegal, Ghana and Gabon that will help Marines respond to crises in Africa more quickly.”  Of course AFRICOM and the military bureaucracy don’t refer to these installations as “bases,” but rather as “cooperative security locations.”  But such a moniker does little to change the fact that these are permanent US military facilities in West Africa. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESeemingly no country in the region is free of US military penetration.  The \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/national-security\/us-expands-secret-intelligence-operations-in-africa\/2012\/06\/13\/gJQAHyvAbV_story.html\"\u003EWashington Post\u003C\/a\u003E reported in 2012 that:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EA key hub of the U.S. spying network can be found in Ouagadougou, the…capital of Burkina Faso… Under a classified surveillance program code-named Creek Sand, dozens of U.S. personnel and contractors have come to Ouagadougou in recent years to establish a small air base on the military side of the international airport.  The unarmed U.S. spy planes fly hundreds of miles north to Mali, Mauritania and the Sahara.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003ETaken in total, it becomes apparent that the US has established a vast military infrastructure throughout West Africa and the Sahel, far larger than anything either publicly acknowledged or even privately recognized.  Ostensibly, the US is establishing this network of bases for the purposes of counter-terrorism, in order to meet the security challenges posed by Boko Haram, AQIM, and other groups.  However, those of us who are less gullible, and generally skeptical of the intentions of the US and its military, can see clearly what Washington is doing. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe military infrastructure, surveillance, aid to countries in the region, etc. are part of a coordinated attempt by the US to check China’s growing influence on the continent.  The US is perfectly cognizant of the fact that it is increasingly unable to compete with China in terms of investment and mutually beneficial trade on the continent.  And so, the US falls back on its primary lever of hegemony – it’s military.  Seen in this way, terrorism becomes less of a threat than a window of opportunity to cement Washington’s place as the dominant hegemon in Africa. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-vOzG-7D4BRo\/VMuxUIohCMI\/AAAAAAAAKoY\/V2FlKhmczS0\/s1600\/Coleman_BeatingBokoHaram.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-vOzG-7D4BRo\/VMuxUIohCMI\/AAAAAAAAKoY\/V2FlKhmczS0\/s1600\/Coleman_BeatingBokoHaram.jpg\" height=\"260\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EPerhaps most tragic is that the fate of the Chibok girls, along with the innocents at Baga, and others throughout northern Nigeria and the greater region, has become a mere afterthought in the grand scheme of imperialism in Africa.  Their lives have been made into bargaining chips to be played to the advantage of France, Germany, and the US primarily.  \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut of course, mum’s the word when it comes to these uncomfortable truths.  “Nothing to see here,” our fearless media tells us.  Sadly, for the vast majority of people in the West, this is undeniably true; there is simply nothing worth seeing. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EEric Draitser is the founder of \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.stopimperialism.com\/\"\u003EStopImperialism.com\u003C\/a\u003E. He is an independent geopolitical analyst based in New York City. You can reach him at ericdraitser@gmail.com. \u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/6913955418571774851"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/6913955418571774851"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/01\/nigeria-inside-boko-haram-part-2.html","title":"Nigeria: Inside Boko Haram (Part 2) "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-ggWXQ7kpUz0\/VMuvWWbP-9I\/AAAAAAAAKng\/LIT05Y9oFsg\/s72-c\/Boko-Hram1.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-4750486230188232195"},"published":{"$t":"2015-01-29T05:26:00.001-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-01-29T05:28:22.130-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Asia"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Thailand"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"US State Department Collaborating with Deposed Thai Dictator "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-fk2DaWe7i4A\/VMo0I3LpZAI\/AAAAAAAAKnI\/WD5rM1FebNE\/s1600\/Danny_Russel_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-fk2DaWe7i4A\/VMo0I3LpZAI\/AAAAAAAAKnI\/WD5rM1FebNE\/s1600\/Danny_Russel_1.jpg\" height=\"276\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJanuary 29, 2015\u003C\/b\u003E (Tony Cartalucci - LD) - \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.bangkokpost.com\/news\/politics\/461168\/foreign-ministry-calls-in-us-over-visiting-diplomat-comments\"\u003EComments made by Daniel Russel\u003C\/a\u003E, a representative of the US State Department, condemned the current Thai government's legal proceedings against deposed prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, the nepotist proxy of her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, also deposed in a military coup in 2006, and guilty of mass murder, serial corruption and abuse of power, terrorism, and backing armed insurrection in 2009 and 2010.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERussel's comments were verbatim the talking points used for years by the Shinawatra regime to fend off attempts to check its autocratic despotism, and were again repeated by the remnants of Shinawatra's political front in Thailand after Russel's comments, prompting Thai authorities \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.bangkokpost.com\/news\/politics\/461585\/more-pheu-thai-politicians-summoned-to-ncpo\"\u003Eto summon 3 senior members of Shinawatra' political party\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDuring Shinawatra's short term in office, her political party bankrupted the country and devastated its rice industry, jeopardizing the livelihoods of millions of farmers. Nearly one million farmers went unpaid for over half a year after a government subsidy scheme collapsed amid rampant corruption and theft. The rice scheme in particular led to Shinawatra's impeachment from office, an impeachment the US maintains is \"politically driven.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAlso during Yingluck Shinawatra's tenure in office, amid growing protests against the regime she posed as head of, her brother's political network employed heavily armed terrorists wielding M16s, AK47s, M79 grenade launchers, pistols, and hand grenades, killing nearly thirty unarmed protesters and bystanders including women and children, and maiming over 800 more.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-0lZZX6j2ebk\/VMo0PoOQn3I\/AAAAAAAAKnQ\/QHzesnAi548\/s1600\/Red_Shirt_Terrorists_April10_2010.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-0lZZX6j2ebk\/VMo0PoOQn3I\/AAAAAAAAKnQ\/QHzesnAi548\/s1600\/Red_Shirt_Terrorists_April10_2010.jpg\" height=\"426\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E: The Shinawatra regime has employed heavily armed terrorists throughout its time in power, including in 2010 (above) where militants murdered soldiers, police, protesters, and by-standers alike - caught openly brandishing war weapons. Despite the depravity of the Shinawatra regime throughout its time in power, the US State Department is still defending it, and condemning those attempting to remove its destructive influence from Thailand's political\u0026nbsp;landscape.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EConfirmation of Shinawatra's role in the terrorism aimed at breaking the will of protesters and maintaining his grip on political power in Thailand, came from one of his most stalwart foreign media supporters, ex-senior Reuters editor Andrew McGregor Marshall, who fled Thailand and has worked as part of Shinawatra's lobbying and public relations efforts since 2011. Marshall claims to have spoken directly with the killers and has confirmed that they were indeed \"red,\" the term used to describe members of Shinawatra's political machine.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-sipETqGzMpY\/VMoyy-42OwI\/AAAAAAAAKm8\/H4CgbdkMX4o\/s1600\/Marshall_Confession_Jan19_2015_3.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-sipETqGzMpY\/VMoyy-42OwI\/AAAAAAAAKm8\/H4CgbdkMX4o\/s1600\/Marshall_Confession_Jan19_2015_3.png\" height=\"590\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe US then, in addition to defending a deposed prime minister guilty of immense, overt criminality and corruption, is also defending a deposed regime that employed terrorism and mass murder against its own people. If Marshall's story is true, Russel should perhaps be questioning why the new Thai government is only impeaching Yingluck Shinawatra, and not trying her for treason or for supporting terrorism.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIf Marshall's story is not true, perhaps networks like the BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera and papers like the Guardian should stop deferring to him as an \"expert\" on Thai politics.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERegardless, that the narrative employed by both the US State Department and Shinawatra's political machine, echoes similar US-backed sedition seen recently in Hong Kong, and documented in other nations including Libya, Syria, and Egypt where protests led to wide scale violence and even full-scale war. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/4750486230188232195"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/4750486230188232195"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/01\/us-state-department-collaborating-with.html","title":"US State Department Collaborating with Deposed Thai Dictator "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-fk2DaWe7i4A\/VMo0I3LpZAI\/AAAAAAAAKnI\/WD5rM1FebNE\/s72-c\/Danny_Russel_1.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-6749090382836496964"},"published":{"$t":"2015-01-28T09:50:00.003-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-01-29T05:30:27.482-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Iraq"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"middle east"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"MiddleEast"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Syria"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"war on terror"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"US \"Fighting\"Terror Group with Fictional Leaders"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: large;\"\u003EUS claims to be waging war against \"Islamic State\" whose various \"al-Baghdadi\" leaders do not exist.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJanuary 29, 2015\u003C\/b\u003E (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2015\/01\/28\/us-fighting-terror-group-with-fictional-leaders\/\"\u003ETony Cartalucci - NEO\u003C\/a\u003E) - In 2007, the New York Times revealed tha\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003Et long-vilified \"Islamic State\" leader Abdullah Rashid al-Baghdadi did not exist, and that the creation of this fictional character was a ruse to obfuscate the role of foreigners in the creation and perpetuation of \"Al Qaeda in Iraq.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-qzVuCDsBQG8\/VL3aufPWjCI\/AAAAAAAAKj4\/hUUtR6jw4Yg\/s1600\/Ben-Kingsley-as-the-Mandarin-in-Iron-Man-3.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-qzVuCDsBQG8\/VL3aufPWjCI\/AAAAAAAAKj4\/hUUtR6jw4Yg\/s1600\/Ben-Kingsley-as-the-Mandarin-in-Iron-Man-3.jpg\" height=\"206\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E: The \"Mandarin\" from Ironman 3. Art imitating life, or life\u003Cbr \/\u003Eimitating art as ISIS and its leadership are revealed as fictional?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EIn an article titled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2007\/07\/18\/world\/africa\/18iht-iraq.4.6718200.html?_r=4\u0026amp;\"\u003ELeader of Al Qaeda group in Iraq was fictional, U.S. military says\u003C\/a\u003E,\" the NYT reports that:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EBrigadier General Kevin Bergner, the chief American military spokesman, said the elusive Baghdadi was actually a fictional character whose audio-taped declarations were provided by an elderly actor named Abu Adullah al-Naima.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EThe NYT would also reveal the purpose of the deception: \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe ruse, Bergner said, was devised by Abu Ayub al-Masri, the Egyptian-born leader of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, who was trying to mask the dominant role that foreigners play in that insurgent organization.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EThe ploy was to invent Baghdadi, a figure whose very name establishes his Iraqi pedigree, install him as the head of a front organization called the Islamic State of Iraq and then arrange for Masri to swear allegiance to him. Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's deputy, sought to reinforce the deception by referring to Baghdadi in his video and Internet statements.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EThe admission by US military leaders, reported in the NYT, reveals that the so-called \"Islamic State\" was nothing more than an appendage of Al Qaeda - with Al Qaeda itself directly armed, funded, and backed by stalwart US allies, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Despite the NYT and the Pentagon's admissions, the entire ruse has continued, on an\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003Eexponential\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;scale.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUS Intentionally Raised and Unleashed Al Qaeda Upon Iraq and Syria\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EAl Qaeda's current presence in Iraq and Syria, and their leading role in the fight against the Iranian-leaning government's of Damascus and Baghdad, are the present-day manifestation of a Western criminal conspiracy exposed as early as 2007. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003ERevealed by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh in his 2007 article,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/reporting\/2007\/03\/05\/070305fa_fact_hersh?currentPage=all\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #6fa8dc; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21.5599994659424px; text-decoration: none;\"\u003EThe Redirection: Is the Administration’s new policy benefiting our enemies in the war on terrorism?\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\" it was stated explicitly that (emphasis added):\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21px;\"\u003ETo undermine Iran, which is predominantly Shiite, the Bush Administration has decided, in effect, to reconfigure its priorities in the Middle East. In Lebanon, the Administration has coöperated with Saudi Arabia’s government, which is Sunni, in clandestine operations that are intended to weaken Hezbollah, the Shiite organization that is backed by Iran.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cb style=\"line-height: 21px;\"\u003EThe U.S. has also taken part in clandestine operations aimed at Iran and its ally Syria. A by-product of these activities has been the bolstering of Sunni extremist groups that espouse a militant vision of Islam and are hostile to America and sympathetic to Al Qaeda\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21px;\"\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-ncgQRGtzbPA\/VL3feYMjopI\/AAAAAAAAKkE\/TkONdXrR_ok\/s1600\/2014_Iraq_ISIS_Mapjpg.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-ncgQRGtzbPA\/VL3feYMjopI\/AAAAAAAAKkE\/TkONdXrR_ok\/s1600\/2014_Iraq_ISIS_Mapjpg.jpg\" height=\"305\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E: \"ISIS\" territory leads directly from NATO territory in Turkey.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003EHersh would go on to document in his 9-page report, the West and its regional partners intentional engineering of a devastating, regional sectarian bloodbath.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile the NYT attempted to shift blame to sponsors in \"Pakistan\" in 2007, the paper itself, along with many others across the West's vast media monopolies, have since then admitted that America's closest allies in the Middle East are behind Al Qaeda in Syria and Iraq, not \"Pakistan.\" \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Daily Beast would report in an article literally titled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/articles\/2014\/06\/14\/america-s-allies-are-funding-isis.html\"\u003EAmerica's Allies Are Funding ISIS\u003C\/a\u003E,\" that: \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), now threatening Baghdad, was funded for years by wealthy donors in Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, three U.S. allies that have dual agendas in the war on terror.\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe extremist group that is threatening the existence of the Iraqi state was built and grown for years with the help of elite donors from American supposed allies in the Persian Gulf region. There, the threat of Iran, Assad, and the Sunni-Shiite sectarian war trumps the U.S. goal of stability and moderation in the region.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003EUnfortunately for the spin doctors at the Daily Beast, the fact that this \"threat of Iran, Assad, and the Sunni-Shiite sectarian war,\" has already been revealed as a joint enterprise not only among Persian Gulf autocracies, but in fact, led by the United States itself, means that Al Qaeda's expansion in Syria and Iraq, is the verbatim manifestation of the conspiracy warned about by Hersh in 2007. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBaghdadi Ruse Not Only to Hide \"Foreign\" role, but to Hide US-Saudi Involvement\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EToday, another \"al-Baghdadi\" allegedly leads the \"Islamic State.\" His existence and leadership role is also unconfirmed and the likelihood that Al Qaeda's \"Baghdadi ruse\" is simply being repeated, amid feigned and complicit ignorance by the Pentagon, is all but confirmed. \u0026nbsp;Not only does the \"Islamic State's\" leader appear to be entirely fictional, but so is ISIS itself. It is nothing more than the rebranding of Al Qaeda, working seamlessly with other Western and Persian Gulf-backed militant fronts including Al Nusra, for the explicit goal of overthrowing the government of Syria and using the despoiled nation as a staging ground for a similar proxy war to be waged upon Iran.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe United States, bombing a fictional terrorist organization led by a non-existent, fictional character, is at the very heart of the ruse described by the NYT in 2007, a ruse that continues to present day. The goal is not to eliminate ISIS, but to use the fictional front as a pretext to further intervene on behalf of real militant extremists forming the core of the joint US-NATO-Saudi proxy front for the purpose of overthrowing the government in Damascus.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAttempts to portray ISIS as an \"indigenous\" movement sprung from the Iraqi and Syrian deserts, is to obfuscate the fact that Al Qaeda is currently harbored by NATO in nearby Turkey, and the summation of its support, fighters, weapons, and cash flows from NATO territory, not \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2014\/11\/01\/us-destroying-syria-s-oil-infrastructure-under-guise-of-fighting-isis\/\"\u003Eseized oilfields\" in Syria\u003C\/a\u003E or from amongst local populations.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis reality comes into sharper focus considering other recent reports that so-called \"ISIS\" territory has in fact, doubled in the wake of US airstrikes, not shrunk. Fox News reports in their article, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/2015\/01\/15\/isis-reportedly-expanding-control-syrian-territory-despite-us-led-airstrikes\/\"\u003EISIS control of Syria reportedly expands since start of US-led airstrikes\u003C\/a\u003E,\" that: \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe Islamic State terror group reportedly has increased the amount of territory they control in Syria as the U.S.-led bombing campaign approaches its four-month anniversary.\u003Cbr \/\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. government and independent assessments, say that the Islamic State, commonly known as ISIS, has control of a large swath of northeastern Syria and is creeping toward key cities in the country's west, including Aleppo, a center of the uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EAt face value, it would seem as if US policy has failed utterly, if in fact its goal was to truly neutralize ISIS. But with ISIS a fictional creation led by non-existent leaders, and the stated goal of the US being the overthrow of the Syrian government, the doubling of territory held by Al Qaeda, and Al Qaeda's approach to cities like Aleppo on the brink of being liberated by Syrian troops, it is clear that America's presence in Syria - not to mention in neighboring Iraq - is to support, not stop these terrorist forces. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERecognizing the West's role in Syria as unprecedented, deplorable, genocidal state-sponsorship of terrorism, and treating the terrorist fronts operating in and along Syria's borders as a foreign incursion, may allow Syria and its allies to reveal current military operations as a massive counter-terrorism effort, not a \"civil war,\" and allowing for more open support for the government in Damascus to ensure this effort succeeds.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci style=\"background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003ETony Cartalucci, Bangkok-based geopolitical researcher and writer, especially for the online magazine\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003E“\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003ENew Eastern Outlook”\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/6749090382836496964"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/6749090382836496964"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/01\/us-fightingterror-group-with-fictional.html","title":"US \"Fighting\"Terror Group with Fictional Leaders"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-qzVuCDsBQG8\/VL3aufPWjCI\/AAAAAAAAKj4\/hUUtR6jw4Yg\/s72-c\/Ben-Kingsley-as-the-Mandarin-in-Iron-Man-3.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-8204450943807537718"},"published":{"$t":"2015-01-27T18:46:00.001-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-01-27T18:46:24.755-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Africa"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Chad"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Libya"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Nigeria"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"stopimperialism"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nigeria: Unraveling the Mystery of Boko Haram"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJanuary 28, 2015 \u003C\/b\u003E(\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.counterpunch.org\/2015\/01\/27\/unraveling-the-mystery-of-boko-haram\/\"\u003EEric Draitser - Counterpunch\u003C\/a\u003E) The most entertaining mysteries are the ones with compelling protagonists, enigmatic and often surreptitious antagonists, and surprising or shocking conclusions. Indeed, without these essential elements, one is unlikely to read the story at all. However, when it comes to politics and geopolitics, somehow our mass media storytellers – the scores of journalists, military and counter-terrorism ‘experts,’ and establishment mouthpieces – fail to even point us in the right direction. Not only do they not follow the threads of the story, they prefer to pretend they simply aren’t there.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-rVNvlM-WW4Y\/VMhIgdH8q2I\/AAAAAAAAKlE\/7YGyEkWfQYs\/s1600\/Boko-Haram.jpg\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com\/gadgets\/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-rVNvlM-WW4Y%2FVMhIgdH8q2I%2FAAAAAAAAKlE%2F7YGyEkWfQYs%2Fs1600%2FBoko-Haram.jpg\u0026amp;container=blogger\u0026amp;gadget=a\u0026amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd so it is with the great ‘mystery’ of Boko Haram, a group that in just a few years has become one of the most recognizable terrorist entities in the world. Having carried out heinous massacres of men, women, and children, abducted thousands of innocents, and destroyed whole towns, Boko Haram now symbolizes just that perfect blend of barbarism, religious and ideological fundamentalism, and non-white skin, which come together to cast them, in the eyes of westerners especially, as the manifestation of evil – the devil incarnate that can only be destroyed by the forces of righteousness. You know, the ‘good guys.’\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut what happens when there are no ‘good guys’ to be found? What happens when you follow the story only to find the most cynical of intentions from every player involved? Such is the case with this Boko Haram story, and indeed the regional politics and geopolitics of West Africa as a whole.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn trying to unravel the labyrinthine web of political, economic, and strategic threads connecting a number of significant actors, it becomes clear that no analysis of Boko Haram is worth reading unless it approaches the issue from three distinctly different, yet intimately connected, angles. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFirst, there is Nigeria’s domestic politics, and the issue of Boko Haram and the perception of the government and opposition’s responsibility for the chaos it has wreaked. With \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-africa-30938612\"\u003Eelections\u003C\/a\u003E scheduled to take place in February, Boko Haram and national security have, quite understandably, become dominant issues in the public mind. The mutual finger-pointing and accusations provide an important backdrop for understanding how Boko Haram fits both into the public discourse, and into the strategies of political networks behind the scenes in Nigeria, and the region more broadly.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-q3grKErc1f0\/VMhLJOrnI4I\/AAAAAAAAKlY\/t5ysrGtWQxI\/s1600\/Oil-Nigeria.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-q3grKErc1f0\/VMhLJOrnI4I\/AAAAAAAAKlY\/t5ysrGtWQxI\/s1600\/Oil-Nigeria.jpg\" height=\"266\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESecond is the all-important regional political and economic chessboard. In West Africa – an area rich in strategic resources – there are a few interested parties who stand to gain from Boko Haram’s ongoing attacks which amount to a destabilization of the entire Nigerian state. Nigeria’s neighbor Chad has \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thecable.ng\/exclusive-chad-fuelling-boko-haram-insurgency-eyes-borno-oil-deposits\"\u003Erecently come under heavy scrutiny\u003C\/a\u003E from Nigeria’s military apparatus for its purported role in financing and facilitating Boko Haram’s expansion. Chad sees in Nigeria potential oil profits as it expands its own oil extraction capabilities throughout the Chad Basin – a geographical region that includes significant territory in Chad, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Niger. Of course, major oil companies, not to mention powerful western nations such as France, have a vested interest in maintaining their profits from West African oil.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFinally and, perhaps most importantly, is the continental and global perspective. Nigeria, as Africa’s most dynamic economy, presents major opportunities and challenges for key global powers. For China, Nigeria represents one of its principal investment footholds in Africa. A key trading partner for Beijing, Nigeria has increasingly been moving out of the direct orbit of the West, transforming it from a reliable, if subservient, Western ally, into an obstacle to be overcome. Coinciding with these developments has been the continually expanding US military presence throughout Africa, one that is increasingly concentrated in West Africa, though without much media fanfare aside from the Ebola story.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe international media has seized on the heart-rending story of the\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/news\/daily-comment\/year-ends-nigerias-kidnapped-girls\"\u003Egirls of Chibok\u003C\/a\u003E – the ubiquitous #BringBackOurGirls meme – and for most people that is all they know about Boko Haram. However, such a superficial understanding of one of the most complex international stories in recent years does little to further the discourse, or bring about a resolution. Rather, a more nuanced understanding puts Boko Haram into a larger international context, one which can go a long way to dismantling the organization, and the air of mystery that surrounds it. While many of the details remain murky at best, with powerful players operating behind the scenes, the contours of a regional destabilization and a proxy war become discernible. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThe Politics of Boko Haram\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith national elections less than a month away, the competing factions of Nigeria’s political establishment are busily trying to scapegoat their opponents, with each side implying that the other is either in league with Boko Haram, or is deliberately trying to capitalize on the situation. The two major parties – the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led by President Goodluck Jonathan, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) – have made Boko Haram into a political hot potato, passing it back and forth in hopes that voters will associate it with their opponent. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELast September, before Boko Haram once again made international headlines with their most recent offensives, the political mudslinging was already fierce. The Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party Councillors Forum, Collins Onogu \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.punchng.com\/news\/well-soon-reveal-apc-members-sponsoring-boko-haram-pdp\/\"\u003Estated\u003C\/a\u003E that:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EMost of those who have been rendered homeless in the North Eastern part of the country by Boko Haram are PDP members. What is their offence? The spokesperson of APC…has neglected his duty and he is now making statements on behalf of Boko Haram….APC has been using the media to blackmail President Goodluck Jonathan, their plan is to make the country ungovernable for him, they have plans of diverting the attention of Nigerians but it will not work out.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-boER2OYGYzA\/VMhMZQlKt8I\/AAAAAAAAKlk\/MFMGaggw3C8\/s1600\/President-Goodluck-Jonathan-3.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-boER2OYGYzA\/VMhMZQlKt8I\/AAAAAAAAKlk\/MFMGaggw3C8\/s1600\/President-Goodluck-Jonathan-3.jpg\" height=\"278\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EWhile Onogu’s characterization of the issue is certainly debatable, it is quite clear the PDP sees the issue of Boko Haram as a major political liability for their party, and for President Jonathan. It is for this reason that Collins and other PDP leaders have repeatedly threatened to “reveal the names of APC members sponsoring Boko Haram.” It’s entirely possible that the PDP might do this purely to sabotage their opponents in the campaign. However, it is equally true that the PDP is desperately trying to deflect the blame for a crisis that has developed while the Government has been under their control. Either way, the PDP is smearing the APC in order to guilt them by association.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EConversely, the APC has not only denied all the charges, they have made their own counter-claims, alleging that former high-ranking PDP officials are intimately involved in financing Boko Haram. John Oyegun, national chairman of the APC \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.vanguardngr.com\/2014\/09\/boko-haram-sponsorship-weve-vindicated-apc\/\"\u003Esaid\u003C\/a\u003E in September 2014:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EDr. Stephen Davis, a man hired by the President Jonathan-led Federal Government to negotiate with Boko Haram for the release of the Chibok girls decided to speak out, believing the best way to tackle the insurgency is to expose the sponsors. And who are they?…he named former Borno Governor Ali Modu Sheriff and a former Army Chief, Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, as the sponsors of Boko Haram… The sponsors of Boko Haram are within the PDP and the Presidency. They are known friends of President Jonathan. He knows them and they know him.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EThese revelations, vehemently denied by the PDP and Nigerian President Jonathan’s administration, certainly raise important questions as to the networks supporting and financing Boko Haram, and when, where, and why they were originally organized. According to leaked intelligence information obtained by the Nigerian news outlet\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/blog4all-com.blogspot.com\/2014\/09\/premium-times-exclusive-secret.html?zx=42110552bd083d57\u0026amp;_sm_au_=iSVR788DSsWjttWF\"\u003EPremium Times\u003C\/a\u003E, the former governor of Borno State, and Goodluck Jonathan ally, Ali Modu Sheriff has been one of the principal financiers and organizers of Boko Haram, basing his operations out of Chad (more on Chad later). The dated communications obtained by Premium Times “painted a picture of what appears to be a powerful regional support structure involving the Chadian president, Nigerian officials and Niger Republic, and spearheaded by Mr. Sheriff whom the intelligence presents as a powerful figure within this circle.”\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAdd to this information the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/saharareporters.com\/2014\/09\/04\/how-modu-sheriff-sponsored-boko-haram-femi-falana-san\"\u003Efindings of a presidential panel\u003C\/a\u003E commissioned by President Jonathan:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Report traced the origin of private militias in Borno State in particular, of which Boko Haram is an offshoot, to politicians who set them up in the run-up to the 2003 general elections. The militias were allegedly armed and used extensively as political thugs. After the elections and having achieved their primary purpose, the politicians left the militias to their fate since they could not continue funding and keeping them employed. With no visible means of sustenance, some of the militias gravitated towards religious extremism, the type offered by Mohammed Yusuf.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECertainly there are a lot of questions to answer here. Is Sheriff simply a former ally who has since “gone rogue” and decided to establish his own private army to enrich himself and his foreign patron? Conversely, could it be that Sheriff continues to be connected, if perhaps only indirectly, with the government in Abuja? The communications between Sheriff’s network and Nigerian military officials as far back as 2011 does seem to suggest at least an indirect connection between them. As such, there is obviously a complex web of relations connecting various parties in Nigeria, as well as its neighbors, with Boko Haram. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAccording to a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.premiumtimesng.com\/news\/headlines\/168053-exclusive-secret-intelligence-report-links-ex-governor-sheriff-chad-president-to-boko-haram-sponsorship.html\"\u003E2011 intelligence memo\u003C\/a\u003E from field officers in Chad, “members of Boko Haram sect are sometimes kept in Abeche region in Chad and trained before being dispersed. This happens usually when Mr. Sheriff visits Abeche.” So, even the most conservative analysis would have to admit there is undeniably a connection between the domestic politics of Nigeria, especially within the ruling party, and international actors who have their own agenda. And it is those actors, and their motivations, that deserve careful analysis.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003ERegional Conflict, Resource War\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWest Africa’s vast riches have long since been a prize for colonial powers and post-colonial states alike. Nigeria alone has become a global player in terms of oil production – supplying at least 8 percent of US oil imports – though it is debatable whether that has been much of a blessing for the Nigerian people. Throughout the region, economic interests have been central to the policies and agendas of a number of states whose leaders have both dollar signs in their eyes, and hegemony on their minds. This has only accelerated in recent years, especially since the imperialist war that toppled former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, perhaps the single force in Africa providing stability, and keeping peripheral actors such as Chad, Niger, and others more or less in line. Naturally, Gaddafi’s impact was seen a bit differently by those rulers whose ambitions suffered because of it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPerhaps no leader has been more ambitious in recent years than Chadian President Idriss Déby who has played a central role in the entire Boko Haram story, from accusations that his government has provided them safe haven, to his possibly genuine, possibly disingenuous attempts to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thecable.ng\/revealed-chadian-president-fooled-nigeria-phantom-boko-haram-ceasefire\"\u003Ebroker a ceasefire\u003C\/a\u003E between the terror group and the Nigerian government. He has been linked with the aforementioned Ali Modu Sheriff, the alleged mastermind of the Boko Haram network. Intelligence information from a number of sources does seem to point to a direct connection. In addition, a 2009 US diplomatic cable published by \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/wikileaks.org\/plusd\/cables\/09STATE67105_a.html\"\u003EWikileaks\u003C\/a\u003E revealed that:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EA well-trained veteran Chadian extremist, Abu-Mahjin, who has limited ties to al-Qa’ida associates, recently traveled to Nigeria. He may be planning to conduct or facilitate a terrorist operation…recent tearline stated, ‘Nigerian-based probable Chadian extremist is keen to obtain more funds…it is not clear when he will receive this additional finance.’\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003ECould it be that Abu-Mahjin acted as a de facto intermediary between certain elements in Nigeria and Chad? It is certainly plausible that, at the very least, the connection between Chad and Boko Haram goes back to the very transformation of that organization into a terrorist entity.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EBut what can Chad offer? And why would they?\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-WOTm1iKIzYs\/VMhNDS-SdtI\/AAAAAAAAKls\/tI8oPMm2wbo\/s1600\/403px-Map_of_Aouzou_stip_chad-svg.svg.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-WOTm1iKIzYs\/VMhNDS-SdtI\/AAAAAAAAKls\/tI8oPMm2wbo\/s1600\/403px-Map_of_Aouzou_stip_chad-svg.svg.png\" height=\"400\" width=\"268\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003ETo answer the former question, one must dive into recent history to see how Déby came to power. Curiously enough, his rise to the presidency was directly thanks to Gaddafi who, after years of war with Chad – war in which Déby himself led troops against Libyan forces – backed Déby against the former government of Hissène Habré who had been \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20140427034400\/http:\/www.nytimes.com\/1991\/05\/17\/world\/350-libyans-trained-to-oust-qaddafi-are-to-come-to-us.html?scp=3\u0026amp;sq=libya\u0026amp;st=nyt\"\u003Ehosting a number of anti-Gaddafi Libyans\u003C\/a\u003E with close ties to US intelligence, such as the once again relevant \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2014\/06\/09\/benghazi-the-cia-and-the-war-in-libya\/\"\u003EGeneral Hifter\u003C\/a\u003E. As \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/content.time.com\/time\/printout\/0,8816,153366,00.html\"\u003ETime\u003C\/a\u003E magazine noted in 2001, “While the full scope of Déby’s relationship with Gaddafi remains hazy, it is known that Libya equipped Déby’s army with as many as 200 Toyota land cruisers fitted with 23-mm Soviet-made cannons.” It is quite likely that the military backing for Déby went far deeper than what is being acknowledged here.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn any event, the NATO-led war that toppled Gaddafi in 2011 radically changed the political character of the region. Suddenly, someone like Déby could pursue his own regional ambitions without the ever-watchful eye of Gaddafi who stood against any forces that sought to destabilize West Africa in the service of western corporations. With a long-established network of weapons and fighter smuggling, Chad became a major transit point for many of the weapons (and fighters) streaming out of Libya by the end of 2011. While much of the military hardware went through the Sahel region, likely into the arms of the equally shadowy Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), it is probable that a significant amount of it went to Chad. The long-standing ties with elements of the Libyan military only increase the likelihood that Chad became a refuge and\/or conduit for countless weapons and fighters.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo, as Libya collapsed, and weapons and fighters came streaming out, Chad all of a sudden found itself in a position of strength, able to finally pursue an agenda to enrich itself, or at least enrich Déby and the clique around him. But what is it that he wants? \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn recent years, oil discoveries throughout the Chad Basin have transformed how the states of West Africa view their economic future. At the heart of the basin is Lake Chad, surrounded by the nations of Chad, Cameroon, and Niger. According to a \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/pubs.usgs.gov\/fs\/2010\/3096\/\"\u003E2010 assessment from the US Geological Survey (USGS)\u003C\/a\u003E, the Chad Basin has “estimated mean volumes of 2.32 billion barrels of oil, 14.65 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, 391 million barrels of natural gas liquids.” The potential size of these resources certainly has whet a few palettes, both in the region and internationally. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAll the countries of the basin have expressed strong desire in recent years to begin exploiting the energy reserves there. However, thus far, Nigeria has been unable to do so due to the Boko Haram insurgency.\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.epmag.com\/terrorists-dampen-oil-hopes-nigerias-lake-chad-basin-713436\"\u003EE\u0026amp;P (Exploration \u0026amp; Production)\u003C\/a\u003E, the publication of Hart Energy, noted in March 2014:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EHopes of stepping up oil exploration in Nigeria’s Lake Chad Basin have been dashed by the brutal attacks of Islamic Boko Haram and the Ansaru sect terrorists in the country’s northeastern region…Between 2011 and 2013 the Nigerian government provided $240 million to facilitate oil and gas exploration activities in the Lake Chad Basin…Oil prospecting in the Lake Chad Basin was “yielding promising results and may lead to commercial exploration of oil and gas this year,” Nigeria’s Vice President Namadi Sambo said in 2013…But the deadly activities of the Boko Haram insurgents halted plans.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003ESo, while Nigeria is forced to put the brakes on its oil exploration and development in the Chad Basin, its neighbors, most notably Chad, continue theirs. As Dr. Peregrino Brimah \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/ends.ng\/boko-haram-big-oil-and-the-chad-connection\/\"\u003Eexplained\u003C\/a\u003E, “The Boko Haram insurgency has conveniently provided Chad, under the government of Idriss Déby, unfettered access to oil under Nigeria’s soils through 3D oil drilling from within its territorial borders, which the country exports.” So, in true Daniel Plainview “I drink your milkshake” style, Déby has engaged in siphoning off Nigeria’s oil wealth, and exporting it for massive profits for himself and his cronies. But of course, Chad is not alone in this endeavor, as it has company from Cameroon and Niger, both of whom are doing precisely the same thing. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-GJ-AoxVbl-k\/VMhI1VfoAFI\/AAAAAAAAKlM\/D9fkw-z3a3s\/s1600\/benghazi-libya-al-qaeda.jpg\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"283\" src=\"https:\/\/images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com\/gadgets\/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-GJ-AoxVbl-k%2FVMhI1VfoAFI%2FAAAAAAAAKlM%2FD9fkw-z3a3s%2Fs1600%2Fbenghazi-libya-al-qaeda.jpg\u0026amp;container=blogger\u0026amp;gadget=a\u0026amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EStanding above and behind this practice is the former colonial power France – the one-time colonial master of Chad, Cameroon, and Niger. Today, France’s dominant role continues as its port of Le Havre is the final destination for the unrefined oil extracted from under the feet of West Africans. Needless to say, there are very powerful interests both in Africa and Europe who want to ensure that the flow of their precious oil continues unabated. Moreover, they will do anything to prevent the major oil exporting power of the region, namely Nigeria, from being able to cut in on their action. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd this regional rivalry is, at least in part, the reason why Boko Haram really has the potential to spark international conflict. Last October, after Nigerian military forces launched an \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.20minutes.fr\/monde\/1463373-20141017-cameroun-huit-soldats-107-islamistes-boko-haram-tues-combats\"\u003Eoffensive against Boko Haram\u003C\/a\u003E, the ensuing battle spilled across the Nigeria-Cameroon border where, depending on who you believe, either Nigerian forces retreated, or they pursued Boko Haram suspects. In total, 107 Boko Haram militants were killed, along with 8 Cameroonian military officers and dozens of civilians. In this way, the resource war is transmogrified into a shooting war. The destabilization of the entire region is not far off from that.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt is precisely this danger of a regional destabilization that has so many observers around the world biting their nails. The obvious danger is that West Africa could become, like the Sahel and most of North Africa, a locus of extremism and terror. However, the most pressing question of all is why. In whose interest is it to see the whole region destabilized? What is the global and geopolitical context for understanding these decidedly complex and interconnected issues?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPart 2 of this article will examine the geopolitical and strategic context within which these events should be understood. It will detail how the US and certain European powers are exploiting the situation for their own gain. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EEric Draitser is the founder of \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.stopimperialism.com\/\"\u003EStopImperialism.com\u003C\/a\u003E. He is an independent geopolitical analyst based in New York City. You can reach him at ericdraitser@gmail.com. \u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/8204450943807537718"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/8204450943807537718"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/01\/nigeria-unraveling-mystery-of-boko-haram.html","title":"Nigeria: Unraveling the Mystery of Boko Haram"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-q3grKErc1f0\/VMhLJOrnI4I\/AAAAAAAAKlY\/t5ysrGtWQxI\/s72-c\/Oil-Nigeria.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-826658373820752368"},"published":{"$t":"2015-01-27T18:10:00.001-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-01-27T18:10:13.406-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"EU"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Europe"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"NATO"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"NEO"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"EU Exploits Paris Attacks to Build US-Style Police State in Europe"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-TuTwcEhZ7-c\/VMhD1jJoT8I\/AAAAAAAAKkw\/dR2fewKUOig\/s1600\/french-terror-640x390.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-TuTwcEhZ7-c\/VMhD1jJoT8I\/AAAAAAAAKkw\/dR2fewKUOig\/s1600\/french-terror-640x390.jpg\" height=\"243\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJanuary 28, 2015\u003C\/b\u003E (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2015\/01\/26\/rus-charlie-hebdo-i-posledstviya\/\"\u003EVladimir Platov - NEO\u003C\/a\u003E) - After the bloody events in Paris, when journalists of Charlie Hebdo were murdered in the broad daylight, all across the globe numerous journals have been discussing who could benefit from this tragedy.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn some countries (primarily Muslim) the manifestations against the provocative publications of controversial cartoons of the Prophet that mocked the religious feelings of all Muslims are still on the rise. Some experts have linked these provocative anti-Muslim cartoons with the acquisition of Charlie Hebdo by the Rothschilds in December 2014, the latter of whom are constantly worrying about their profits. But now they can be fairly content since after these tragic events the number of copies sold increased tenfold.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnother group of experts believes that the attack on French journalists was the result of direct actions of Western intelligence agencies. Therefore, the consequences of the Charlie Hebdo massacre can be compared to those of 9\/11 attack, such as the tightening of security in Europe. These agencies have been seeking ways to create obstacles to the spread of Islam in Europe, along with obtaining legislative support to establish total surveillance over the activities and private lives of Europeans. Political elites behind such agencies believe that democratic rights, the protection of which has been the focal point of all populist political speeches in the West, should be narrowed. Police control in Western countries is increasingly intrusive with each passing day, as the growing distrust and discontent of the European population becomes more apparent. Western elites have failed to put forward comprehensive social and economic measures that could ease this growing angst, therefore an increase in political activity, anti-government demonstrations, and electoral control over ruling parties was inevitable.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe recent two-day meeting of Foreign Ministers of the EU in Brussels, summoned to discuss the “urgent measures to strengthen the fight against terrorism.” can be regarded as damning evidence against Western elites. It was of little surprise for experts that the topic of these discussions was the adoption of a EU version of the US Patriot Act, that is used by Washington to control not only its fellow citizens, but “allies” alike.\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EIn an attempt to set an example to the rest of Europe, Paris took the first steps in the general tightening of a growing police state in Europe, by spending a week pushing the agenda for the urgent need of this new legislative initiative across national media. Ultimately, the French Patriotic Act was adopted last week in the form of a new anti-terrorism law, as it was announced by French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls. According to Waltz, “to strengthen security efforts” a total of 122,000 police and military officers will be mobilized all across France.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn addition, France will create 2,680 new security positions over the next three years to “help counter the threat of Islamic extremism“. This threat is posed by 3,000 suspects in France and abroad, out of which 1,300 are living in metropolitan areas and have ties with terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq. The French government is planning to allocate a total of 425 million euros to fund this project.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHowever, these figures sound pretty confusing, since it is hard to believe that France can put such security measures in place against the activities of a mere 3,000 suspects by introducing pretty much the same number of positions in the national security to watch after them, while spending 1,5 million euros per officer.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-4XLbAV7Gsr0\/VMhEo8O5nCI\/AAAAAAAAKk4\/z8ROeDvUwLs\/s1600\/svoboda.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-4XLbAV7Gsr0\/VMhEo8O5nCI\/AAAAAAAAKk4\/z8ROeDvUwLs\/s1600\/svoboda.jpg\" height=\"285\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EHowever, Manuel Valls made it clear that, in addition to the fight against the “radicalization” of French society, which will take a hefty 60 million euros out of the budget, the new anti-terrorism law will increase the amount of surveillance over the Internet and social networks. He underlined that as a result of severe control over the social networks and personal correspondence of French citizens, national intelligence agencies have managed to flag more than 30,000 cases of “illegal” content.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAccording to the new anti-terrorism law, the French secret services now have the right to carry out investigations in places of work and living of specific individuals that were found “suspicious”, while sharing the information obtained this way with the US and other allied countries.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThus, Paris is clearly following the lead of Washington in the use of a pretext of fighting against “radical Islam” and “terrorism” in order to tighten up national legislation by adopting a French version of the notorious Patriot Act. Somehow it doesn’t make Western intelligence agencies look less guilty as far as the attack on Charlie Hebdo is concerned. French authorities are now empowered to undermine thousands of opponents of Elysee Palace, along with progressive and pro-democracy organizations and parties, as well as members of the independent press, as has been done in the US.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat follows will be other European countries putting on a similar totalitarian hat, by handing over the personal lives of their civilians to intelligence services, both local and American.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EVladimir Platov, an expert on the Middle East, exclusively for the online magazine \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\"\u003E“New Eastern Outlook”\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/826658373820752368"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/826658373820752368"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/01\/eu-exploits-paris-attacks-to-build-us.html","title":"EU Exploits Paris Attacks to Build US-Style Police State in Europe"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-TuTwcEhZ7-c\/VMhD1jJoT8I\/AAAAAAAAKkw\/dR2fewKUOig\/s72-c\/french-terror-640x390.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-2895108647062058388"},"published":{"$t":"2015-01-23T09:49:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-01-23T09:49:02.435-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"middle east"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"MiddleEast"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Syria"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Syria: The Battle for Aleppo "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EWith Aleppo encircled, West seeks wildcard to save their terror hordes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-1AmwEv6h1Yc\/VLobDAo4x0I\/AAAAAAAAKio\/L85IX04FmYk\/s1600\/5ac73fac-f06b-4a7f-a5e8-7b529a555765.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-1AmwEv6h1Yc\/VLobDAo4x0I\/AAAAAAAAKio\/L85IX04FmYk\/s1600\/5ac73fac-f06b-4a7f-a5e8-7b529a555765.jpg\" height=\"223\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJanuary 24, 2015\u003C\/b\u003E (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2015\/01\/23\/with-aleppo-encircled-west-seeks-wildcard-to-save-its-terror-hordes\/\"\u003ETony Cartalucci - NEO\u003C\/a\u003E) - The Syrian Arab Army is reportedly close to completely encircling militants that have occupied the northern city of Aleppo since they \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2012\/07\/in-syria-how-to-liberate-pro-army-city.html\"\u003Einvaded it from NATO territory in 2012\u003C\/a\u003E. Once the encirclement is complete, analysts believe the the city will be finally liberated, in a process similar to \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2014\/05\/07\/syrian-conflict-the-battle-for-homs\/\"\u003Ethe retaking of Homs\u003C\/a\u003E further south.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe desperation of militants facing this final phase in the Battle for Aleppo is indicated by their Western sponsors' attempts to broker a ceasefire and arrange \"aid\" to reach them. Similar attempts were made in vain during the closing phases in the Battle for Homs in mid-2014 - with the city of Homs having been an epicenter of terrorist activity beginning in 2011, and now under the control of the Syrian government. \u0026nbsp;Small pockets of militants have been isolated within Homs, allowing order to be restored across the majority of the city and the surrounding region.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs the Syrian government systematically regains control of a nation up-ended by Western-backed terrorists flooding the country accompanied by a seemingly inexhaustible torrent of cash, weapons, and equipment, the desperation of these Western interests has visibly increased.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Guardian, chief among the many propagandists distorting the conflict since it began in 2011, is now attempting to form a narrative extorting global security by claiming only by NATO establishing a no-fly-zone over Aleppo and repelling Syrian government forces, can \"moderate rebels\" hold on to the city and repel lingering \"Islamic State\" (ISIS) forces.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn a report titled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2014\/dec\/23\/syria-battle-for-aleppo\"\u003ESyrian rebels prepare to defend ruined Aleppo as troops and militias close in\u003C\/a\u003E,\" the Guardian claims:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003ESince then the regime’s incremental gains have been hard fought, with most inroads being pushed back by rebel fighters and locals, both still reeling from their losses of manpower in the war with Isis. Meanwhile Isis has lurked 20 miles away, taunting the Islamic Front with a radio station it has set up that regularly plays Islamic chants insulting the group’s members.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E“They were strategic [losses] for us,” said the Aleppo commander of the gains by Isis. “And [yet] the Americans doubt our commitment to fighting them? When [the US] came back to Syria, we thought the least they could do is to stop Assad’s air force from flying. But they have bombed the city more than at any time before the Americans arrived. Of course we believe they have a deal with the regime. It is obvious.”\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EOf course the reality is that the US has merely used ISIS as a pretext to violate Syrian airspace, with the next step being to establish long-planned no-fly-zones, if possible, to thwart the Syrian Arab Army. Just as in Libya, the no-fly-zone would simply hand the rest of Syria over to ISIS and other Al Qaeda affiliates - clearly the most dominate militant force engaged in fighting the Syrian government, and clearly the recipients of the vast majority of material support supplied by NATO and their regional partners, most notably Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Israel.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-v68GZZ9yUKo\/VLobJzcAIKI\/AAAAAAAAKiw\/ICqegthLAZU\/s1600\/Rif_Aleppo2.svg.png\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-v68GZZ9yUKo\/VLobJzcAIKI\/AAAAAAAAKiw\/ICqegthLAZU\/s1600\/Rif_Aleppo2.svg.png\" height=\"323\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E: Government forces (in red) have nearly completed the encirclement of Aleppo.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt should be noted, that while the Guardian claims the remaining encircled militants in Aleppo are at odds with ISIS, the same report admits these same militants coordinate with US State Department listed foreign terrorist organization, Al Nusra. The Guardian would admit:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe fight for Zahraa, one of the few Shia enclaves in northern Syria, is being led by the al-Qaida-aligned Jabhat al-Nusra, with whom the Islamic Front have an understanding but no formal alliance. After barely holding ground for much of the past year, al-Nusra recently seized large chunks of territory near the Turkish border, reasserting itself as a power player at the expense of non-jihadist groups. The fast-changing dynamic is forcing a new reckoning with the Islamic Front, which says it has waited fruitlessly for help from Arab states that was promised but never delivered.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EThese same ISIS forces that are allegedly at odds with \"moderate rebels\" have seen \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2015\/01\/16\/us-is-preparing-up-to-5k-militants-that-would-flee-to-isil\/\"\u003Ethousands of so-called \"moderates\" defecting\u003C\/a\u003E into their ranks recently bringing with them large sums of Western cash and weapons. That Al Qaeda - both Al Nusra and ISIS - seems to thrive along the Turkish border indicates that NATO support is not at all going to \"moderate rebels,\" but instead, intentionally to Al Qaeda, or to moderate groups NATO knows is working with, or soon to join Al Qaeda.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith a menace of the its own creation - perpetuated to this day and thriving along the borders of NATO, seeking safe-haven in NATO territory \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2014\/11\/breaking-germanys-dw-reports-isis.html\"\u003Eand receiving an uninterrupted line of supplies from NATO territory\u003C\/a\u003E with absolute impunity - the West seeks to extort from the world through fear of ISIS' spread, greater direct military intervention, up to and including no-fly-zones, and perhaps more muscular policies including the carving out of \"safe havens\" within which ISIS can stage larger and more effective military operations deeper into Syria.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs exposed in 2007 by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and veteran journalist Seymour Hersh in his New Yorker report titled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/magazine\/2007\/03\/05\/the-redirection\"\u003EThe Redirection\u003C\/a\u003E,\" the West conspired to intentionally build up and unleash terrorist mercenaries affiliated with Al Qaeda across the Arab World to fight a proxy war against Iran and its growing arc of influence. US support was to be laundered through Saudi Arabia as to maintain a veneer of plausible deniability and operational compartmentalization. Clearly, what is unfolding in Syria today, is the verbatim manifestation of Hersh's meticulous, 9-page report.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETo confound this criminal conspiracy, Syria and its allies must ensure that the ongoing conflict is exposed as a terrorist invasion, not a \"civil war,\" and that any strategy formulated to combat this terrorist scourge must include the Syrian government - demonstrably the most capable force confronting Al Qaeda in the Levant since 2011. Thus, the more aid the West and its regional allies supply this terrorist front with, the greater support Syria has upon the global stage to fight it - painting Western foreign policy into a corner, and allowing Syrians to finally restore order to their besieged nation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci style=\"background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003ETony Cartalucci, Bangkok-based geopolitical researcher and writer, especially for the online magazine\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003E“\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003ENew Eastern Outlook”\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/2895108647062058388"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/2895108647062058388"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/01\/syria-battle-for-aleppo.html","title":"Syria: The Battle for Aleppo "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-1AmwEv6h1Yc\/VLobDAo4x0I\/AAAAAAAAKio\/L85IX04FmYk\/s72-c\/5ac73fac-f06b-4a7f-a5e8-7b529a555765.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-2864291227987848683"},"published":{"$t":"2015-01-21T01:36:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-01-21T01:36:06.234-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"EU"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Europe"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Germany"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"NATO"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"NEO"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"US Spying in Germany - With Friends Like These, Who Needs Enemies?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-7YTwur5TPk0\/VL9xAEpr7fI\/AAAAAAAAKkU\/hpXOnQool4s\/s1600\/131029020551-gemran-protests-obama-spying-story-top.jpg\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com\/gadgets\/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-7YTwur5TPk0%2FVL9xAEpr7fI%2FAAAAAAAAKkU%2FhpXOnQool4s%2Fs1600%2F131029020551-gemran-protests-obama-spying-story-top.jpg\u0026amp;container=blogger\u0026amp;gadget=a\u0026amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJanuary 21, 2014\u003C\/b\u003E (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2015\/01\/21\/rus-bananovaya-respublika-germaniya\/\"\u003EVladimir Platov - NEO\u003C\/a\u003E) - A German spy employed by Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) was arrested in Berlin in early July 2014. He was charged with handing out the top secret documents to foreign secret services, namely the CIA. A few days later it was announced that German law enforcement agencies began searching for another US spy that had been stealing information from the The Federal Ministry of Defence.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe general secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) Yasmin Fahimi called for the adoption of a list of “effective countermeasures” that would allow Germany to protect its national secrets from being stolen by Washington. Speaking on national TV Yasmin Fahimi said that: “We are not yet another banana republic.”\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe incident involving a CIA spy uncovered within the BND ranks was perceived by most Europeans as total nonsense: a total of 218 top secret documents were stolen from BND by a 31-year-old employee Marcus R. over a period of two years while he was cooperating with the ”friendly” CIA. The White House was paying “the loyal agent” according to the “banana republic,” rates up to and including 25 thousand euros, omitting glass beads and colored feathers.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHowever, according to the German newspaper Bild, the investigation found out this January that this double agent had provided the US intelligence with a list of 3,500 of BND employees, all who are currently working across the world. This can hardly be regarded as an expression of Washington’s friendship towards Germany.\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E...if Washington has been treating Germany like a regular “banana republic”, one can only imagine what it has been doing to smaller countries in Europe, across the Middle East, and in Southeast Asia as well.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003ESuch aggressive US intelligence activities in Germany have become commonplace, but no prominent politician of this vassal state yet has voiced his concerns over this fact. Indeed, within the last few years, according to the German newspaper \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.sueddeutsche.de\/politik\/spaeh-affaere-bnd-leitete-daten-vondeutschen-an-nsa-weiter-1.2157406\"\u003ESuddeutsche Zeitung\u003C\/a\u003E, BND has been transferring the personal data of German citizens to the US National Security Agency (NSA), via to the world’s largest center-neutral Internet exchange point DE-CIX in Frankfurt. According to the newspaper, the NSA has been intercepting up to 500 million phone calls and Internet messages in Germany per month. And all this was done despite the fact that private information is protected by the German Constitution, yet it seems that the well-being of its “big brother” is by far more important to German politicians that their own Constitution. In addition, the NSA had made a number of attempts to use DE-CIX to obtain a profile on the European Aerospace and Defense group and its French management, a fact released by Edward Snowden last year.\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EAccording to numerous publications in Bild and Sonntag, more than a dozen employees of German ministries and departments are still working as CIA informants.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne should note that a sharp increase in US intelligence activities against Germany have been observed as early as October 2013, when Edward Snowden announced that the CIA and NSA tapped all of Angela Merkel’s phones. The scandal was followed by a phone conversation on this matter between the German Counsellor and the US President in January 2014. Shortly after, the US declared a policy of “no spying against the leaders of friendly countries.”\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-8AookF3Q5KQ\/VL9xPRBFXdI\/AAAAAAAAKkc\/jXJHfbrHYq0\/s1600\/DE-CIX_GERMANY_-_Switch_Rack_(6218137120).jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-8AookF3Q5KQ\/VL9xPRBFXdI\/AAAAAAAAKkc\/jXJHfbrHYq0\/s1600\/DE-CIX_GERMANY_-_Switch_Rack_(6218137120).jpg\" height=\"478\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIn response to the revealed information about the phone tapping at the end of 2013, Merkel established a committee to investigate foreign electronic surveillance, which included representatives from the ruling parties – the Conservatives and the Social Democrats along with “green” and “left” opposition figures. However, the latter stated that the committee is not interested in a thorough investigation of all the circumstances of US intelligence activities in Germany due to the desire to avoid the deterioration of relations between “fellow states” – Germany and the United States.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEngland, speaking as the most loyal vassal of Washington, has been trying to justify recent US intelligence activities in Germany on the pages of the online magazine \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/articles\/2014\/07\/09\/why-we-need-to-spy-on-the-germans.html\"\u003EThe Daily Beast\u003C\/a\u003E, by trying to convince the audience that the need for surveillance over Germany is a must “given its intense business and political ties to Russia and Iran, and Moscow’s decades-long cultivation of intelligence assets and collaborators from the first Cold War up through the current one, American intelligence agencies would be crazy not to conduct intensive espionage operations in Germany. “\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELast summer, while referring to the scandal surrounding the activities of US intelligence in Germany, the President of the European Commission , Jean-Claude Juncker in an interview with foreign journalists noted that there may be a crisis of trust between the EU and the US and that authorities must try to explain to their American partners that friends are listening to each other, but don’t wiretap each other. According to Juncker this incident could lead to a crisis of confidence – not only in regards to transatlantic relations, but also among EU citizens.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt’s hard not to sympathize with Germany’s hardships and the lack of decency its citizens face, therefore it’s only natural that anti-American sentiments will grow. According to surveys, more than half of Germans believe in these circumstances that it’s dangerous to cooperate with the US ever more closer and they expect their Chancellor to give Washington a response, the one Angela Merkel had promised to give last year, but never dared.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EStill, if Washington has been treating Germany like a regular “banana republic”, one can only imagine what it has been doing to smaller countries in Europe, across the Middle East, and in Southeast Asia as well. And maybe none of these countries are actually aware of what is going on if their citizens have been reading the White House propaganda outlets that haven’t touched upon the illegal activities of American intelligence agencies elsewhere around the world?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EVladimir Platov, Middle East expert, exclusively for the online magazine \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\"\u003E“New Eastern Outlook”\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/2864291227987848683"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/2864291227987848683"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/01\/us-spying-in-germany-with-friends-like.html","title":"US Spying in Germany - With Friends Like These, Who Needs Enemies?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-8AookF3Q5KQ\/VL9xPRBFXdI\/AAAAAAAAKkc\/jXJHfbrHYq0\/s72-c\/DE-CIX_GERMANY_-_Switch_Rack_(6218137120).jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-7098176857846208443"},"published":{"$t":"2015-01-20T05:33:00.001-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-01-20T05:33:12.306-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Europe"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Gunnar"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"NATO"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"NEO"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Russia"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Ukraine"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Et tu Poland? Putin Excluded from Holocaust Commemorations"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJanuary 20, 2015\u003C\/b\u003E (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2015\/01\/19\/et-tu-poland-putin-excluded-from-holocaust-commemorations\/\"\u003EUlson Gunnar - NEO\u003C\/a\u003E) - Glancing at the headlines one might believe Russian President Vladimir Putin had inappropriately decided not to attend Holocaust commemorations in Poland.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-A0S_KZxqsNk\/VLtH1o9FzBI\/AAAAAAAAKjA\/GdTJVLVzuZo\/s1600\/6a010536b72a74970b017d407fad65970c.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-A0S_KZxqsNk\/VLtH1o9FzBI\/AAAAAAAAKjA\/GdTJVLVzuZo\/s1600\/6a010536b72a74970b017d407fad65970c.jpg\" height=\"426\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn one breathtaking display of misinformation, Reuters would report in its article\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/2015\/01\/13\/us-auschwitz-anniversary-putin-idUSKBN0KM0QD20150113\"\u003EPutin will not attend Holocaust commemorations in Poland\u003C\/a\u003E that, \u003Ci\u003E\"Sources told Reuters on Monday that Putin was unlikely to join world leaders gathering at the site of the Auschwitz death camp because distrust caused by the conflict in Ukraine has cast a pall on arrangements.\"\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn reality, The Russian leader was never invited by Poland, the nation hosting the commemorations.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe geopolitical thrust and accompanying misinformation is designed to reinforce the perception that Russia is now a hegemonic threat, on par with Nazi Germany during World War II. Reality could not contradict this contrived narrative more.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOn June 22, 1941, Operation Barbarossa was launched. Three massive German armies moved at lightning speed into the Soviet Union as part of a long anticipated Nazi attempt to conquer Russia. The invasion would quickly overwhelm unprepared Russian forces bringing German armies up to the gates of several major Russian cities, Moscow included.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAlong their way, Nazi forces would carry out mass arrests and executions of Eastern European Jews, Slavs, and Russians. While welcomed as \"liberators\" in western Ukraine where populations eagerly aided and abetted Germany's sweeping genocide, the Russian people and their allies fought bitterly at the cost of millions of lives to first slow then stop the invasion, then turn it back before finally reaching the gates of Berlin themselves.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-3MgAs6BfSgs\/VLtIV4uWf4I\/AAAAAAAAKjI\/C-jP3Ty75xA\/s1600\/197nqay5t295sjpg.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-3MgAs6BfSgs\/VLtIV4uWf4I\/AAAAAAAAKjI\/C-jP3Ty75xA\/s1600\/197nqay5t295sjpg.jpg\" height=\"197\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EEurope's Jews, imprisoned and mass murdered by the millions, owe their eventual liberation to the heroic sacrifices of the Russian people who fought the majority of the war in Europe against Germany, years before American boots landed on the beaches of Normandy in 1944.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThus, Russian President Vladimir Putin is a representative of the nation and the peoples who formed the vanguard against the Nazi scourge and ended the threat of fascism in Europe. While American soldiers were shocked to find Hitler's death camps upon the conclusion of the war, the Russian people had been living the nightmare of Germany's systematic regional genocide for years, firsthand. Putin's exclusion from Holocaust commemorations is more than mere politics, it is a warning sign that an old enemy once again stirs in its dark lair.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUpon the conclusion of World War II, the Americans along with their newly formed NATO alliance, quickly made use of Nazis who surrendered to them rather than face \"justice\" at the hands of the Soviets for their serial crimes against humanity. The Americans integrated them into some more noble causes such as space exploration, but also among darker networks including intelligence, propaganda and even domestic terror networks (later to be known notoriously as Operation Gladio).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFormer Nazis and their ideological allies in Soviet territory like the Ukraine, were continuously backed by NATO at the end of the World War to resist Soviet rule. These networks have survived, continuously, and manifest themselves even today in the form of the current regime in Kiev, which violently overthrew the elected government of Ukraine between late 2013 and early 2014.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFully backed by NATO, these successors of Nazi collaborators who literally served Adolf Hitler's catastrophically tragic bid at global domination and assisted in the genocide that accompanied that bid, are carrying out similar dark deeds in eastern Ukraine, albeit on a smaller but no less tragic scale. In true form reflecting the obscenely dishonest narratives woven by Nazi propagandists like Joseph Goebbels, the Western world has sidestepped these historic and current realities and instead insist Russia, not literal fascists carrying Nazi flags, represent the resurgence of a fascist threat in Europe today.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPresident Putin's exclusion from Holocaust commemorations is a direct part of forming and reinforcing this narrative. No greater insult could be given to the victims, survivors and heroes who suffered and eventually overcame the Nazi scourge than to twist and intentionally distort history, propping up the successors of villains and condemning those representing the millions of Russian lives lost to confront such villains and a people who are once again ready to confront them again.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEurope once again approaches precariously the precipice of self-inflicted tragedy. Fascism both old and new is festering and spreading in all directions as European leaders and the special interests that direct them seek a familiar ploy used when all else fails to unite and regiment their peoples. Once again Russia seems to be standing alone in the face of this growing menace along their border, and once again the Russian people are quietly preparing to make sacrifices befitting the heroic deeds of their fore-bearers.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMust it come to this? What if people saw and pointed to the gross hypocrisy and betrayal of Poland and the forces of fascism once again festering within that dealt the nation such a tragic blow during the last World War? What if people realized, regardless of their feelings toward Russia, that the path they are on leads only to self-ruination? Could Europeans as a whole realize there is a middle path between the extremes being presented before them? The coming weeks and months will yield these answers. For those who have keenly kept one eye on history, and one on current events today, they must try to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst, remembering the lessons World War II has taught them, even if such lessons seem to be lost on everyone else.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci style=\"background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EUlson Gunnar, a New York-based geopolitical analyst and writer especially for the online magazine “\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003ENew Eastern Outlook\u003C\/a\u003E”.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/7098176857846208443"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/7098176857846208443"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/01\/et-tu-poland-putin-excluded-from.html","title":"Et tu Poland? Putin Excluded from Holocaust Commemorations"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-A0S_KZxqsNk\/VLtH1o9FzBI\/AAAAAAAAKjA\/GdTJVLVzuZo\/s72-c\/6a010536b72a74970b017d407fad65970c.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-5836104821804977065"},"published":{"$t":"2015-01-20T05:32:00.002-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-01-20T05:32:24.075-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"BRICS"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Europe"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"solutions"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Economic War, BRICS, and the Power of Self-Sufficiency "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-wzXmtfQUjEs\/VKUcwEkjdcI\/AAAAAAAAKe0\/Euw45FRfwU4\/s1600\/cuba.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-wzXmtfQUjEs\/VKUcwEkjdcI\/AAAAAAAAKe0\/Euw45FRfwU4\/s1600\/cuba.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJanuary 20, 2015 \u003C\/b\u003E(\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2015\/01\/20\/economic-war-brics-and-the-power-of-self-sufficiency\/\"\u003EUlson Gunner - NEO\u003C\/a\u003E) - The toughest, most resilient people as both individuals and as societies all generally have one thing in common - self-sufficiency. This by no means suggests isolationism, but rather the ability to survive, even thrive through one's own work using resources at their own disposal.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EAs a principle, self-sufficiency, self-reliance, and individualism defined young nations like the United States, catapulting it upon the world stage as a global leader after spending time racked in debt and in England's shadow. By establishing its own industry, its own institutions (including those of a financial nature) and its own military might, the United States transcended the tangled webs of interdependency locking Europe's ever-shifting, fragile alliances together.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EThe evolution of human civilization along the lines of socioeconomics and technology has changed the roles, effectiveness and relevancy of those industries and institutions that had once made America great and in turn, those nations that had attempted to emulate such features have now all found themselves within the same boat - the boat of globalization.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGlobalization is the hitherto pinnacle of interdependency, crippling any nation that falls foul of those sitting at the center of this entangled geopolitical order. There are many examples of nations that haven fallen foul including Cuba, Iraq, Iran and more recently Russia. In each case, respective economies depended heavily upon imports or exports or both. The response in defense against crippling economic warfare is self-sufficiency.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EIn Cuba, urban agriculture became a necessity long before it became a trend in urban centers elsewhere around the world. Iran has become independent in many aspects including arms manufacturing. Iraq, it can be said, was ultimately undone by sanctions combined with military invasion and occupation by the United States. Now in Russia, we see a nation first shifting its markets toward friendlier allies, then attempting to develop itself from within.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003ECombined with the overall instability of a global system of interdependencies ran by an inept, greedy and self-destructive oligarchy centered upon Wall Street and London, economic warfare is a serious and continuous threat to all nations. And while headlines are dominated by America's economic war on Russia at the moment, amid that war many of the United State's closest allies have suffered as well.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-PP2eMgvaaiw\/VKUdK8tMNTI\/AAAAAAAAKfE\/hempmK-VxF0\/s1600\/_77358188_023732737-1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-PP2eMgvaaiw\/VKUdK8tMNTI\/AAAAAAAAKfE\/hempmK-VxF0\/s1600\/_77358188_023732737-1.jpg\" height=\"223\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EFrance had planned on selling Russia two Mistral-class amphibious assault ships for a total of 1.2 billion Euros. Because of pressure on France to support NATO's proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, the delivery of the vessels has been indefinitely suspended. In addition to losing the 1.2 billion Euros for the contract already paid for by Russia, there is an additional penalty of 251 million Euros. Because of France's tangling interdependencies with the US, European Union, and England, it is incapable of making a decision that represents its own best interests and those of the French people.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003ESimilar scenarios have played out across Southern Europe where Russia's South Stream Pipeline was to run but has now since been canceled due to US, British and EU pressure.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELikewise for Russia, instead of building their own amphibious assault ships, they have decided to depend on the French which was clearly a mistake. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn theory, for nations capable of building their own ships, cars, electronics or producing their own food and energy, the whims of foreign interests have much less impact. In practice, such nations are difficult to come by, and vulnerabilities in the form of sociopolitical and economic interdependencies are a feature of nearly every nation's geopolitical standings.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003ESelf-Sufficiency as a Matter of National Defense\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EThe BRICS nations, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, as well as other growing developing nations particularly in Southeast Asia, would do well to not only learn the dangers of interdependencies, but the merit of proactive self-sufficiency, not as a knee-jerk reaction, but as a proactive form of national defense.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-LC_NbdQW6kM\/VKUdvZ33bZI\/AAAAAAAAKfM\/XXNdpSK0UTY\/s1600\/grow-food.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-LC_NbdQW6kM\/VKUdvZ33bZI\/AAAAAAAAKfM\/XXNdpSK0UTY\/s1600\/grow-food.jpg\" height=\"400\" width=\"283\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EEverything from industry to agriculture and even human health is becoming increasing dependent on advanced technology. Nations lagging behind in terms of education, research, and development are likely to fall prey to monopolies controlled from beyond their borders. A nation dependent on another is not only not truly a free and independent nation state, it is also immensely vulnerable to the meddling of those nations who control these monopolies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EWashington and Riyadh's grip on the petrodollar is one example of this. Their ability to then manipulate global energy prices has been regularly used as an economic weapon against its enemies, most recently Russia. While a clumsy and unsustainable weapon to wield, the world would be a far better and more stable place if the firewalls of socioeconomic independence were stronger.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShould Russia prevail, it is hoped that while they will likely continue reaping the benefits of their resource-based export economy, they will also look inward for another source of strength to augment, then eventually replace their vulnerable interdependencies. Other BRICS nations would be wise to begin doing so long before it becomes a necessity. For nations like Brazil, who has invested decades in developing energy independence, such a proposition is much more in reach.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EUltimately, self-sufficiency as an individual or as a nation or bloc of nations does not mean isolationism. It means being able to thrive without, and thriving twice as much with. While it is difficult to convince industries and entrepreneurs to steer toward this more sustainable ground, tying self-sufficiency in with national defense can allow for measures otherwise shortsighted business sectors would reject. In the long run, say in Russia, business leaders who eagerly pursued globalism as a means toward riches are surely regretting their shortsightedness now. Sanctions force Russia, under pressure, to implement measures that should have been put in place years ago.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETying self-sufficiency to national security, particularly now in Russia where jobs and prosperity are in peril is not a long stretch, especially considering that Russia's current economic woes are part of what is essentially an attack on Russian sovereignty, peace and prosperity to begin with.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ci style=\"background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EUlson Gunnar, a New York-based geopolitical analyst and writer especially for the online magazine “\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003ENew Eastern Outlook\u003C\/a\u003E”.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/5836104821804977065"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/5836104821804977065"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/01\/economic-war-brics-and-power-of-self.html","title":"Economic War, BRICS, and the Power of Self-Sufficiency "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-wzXmtfQUjEs\/VKUcwEkjdcI\/AAAAAAAAKe0\/Euw45FRfwU4\/s72-c\/cuba.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-3353171466871196326"},"published":{"$t":"2015-01-18T22:58:00.001-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-01-19T00:08:55.398-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Europe"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"NEO"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Russia"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"stopimperialism"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Did a Russian Parliamentarian Just Commit Treason?"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EPowerPoint given by Russian opposition leader blueprints US-backed violent overthrow of Russian government. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJanuary 19, 2015\u003C\/b\u003E (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/stopimperialism.org\/\"\u003EEric Draitser\u003C\/a\u003E - LD) - An interesting thing happened in Washington recently, and it had nothing to do with Beltway politics, Democrats vs. Republicans, or any of the other standard fare for the middle of the week in mid-January.  Rather, a relatively small, little publicized event took place at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a prominent liberal-leaning think tank in Washington.  \u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit; line-height: 1; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-FJM8lXgcut0\/VLyZVVWRp8I\/AAAAAAAAKjY\/5iZM26-fvPM\/s1600\/CSIS_PowerPoint_Treason.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-FJM8lXgcut0\/VLyZVVWRp8I\/AAAAAAAAKjY\/5iZM26-fvPM\/s1600\/CSIS_PowerPoint_Treason.jpg\" height=\"324\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E: Ilya Ponomarev prepared an entire PowerPoint detailing his contempt for Russia and his best advice for its ruination. The entire presentation \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=uIJEXaXuxeE\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003Ecan be viewed here\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit; line-height: 1; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan id=\"docs-internal-guid-8e6f5c12-00a9-f700-a5f0-8d9eb8a922f0\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe event, “\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=uIJEXaXuxeE\u0026amp;feature=youtu.be\"\u003ERussia’s Opposition in a Time of War and Crisis\u003C\/a\u003E,” featured prominent Russian liberal opposition parliamentarian (member of the Russian Duma) Ilya Ponomarev, a noted critic of Russian President Putin, providing a detailed presentation regarding the current political climate in Russia, and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2014\/12\/20\/the-impending-russian-maidan\/\"\u003Ethe potential for the ousting or overthrow of the Russian government\u003C\/a\u003E.  Yes, you heard that right. A Russian elected official came to the United States to give a talk about how best to effect regime change in his own country.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan id=\"docs-internal-guid-8e6f5c12-00a9-f700-a5f0-8d9eb8a922f0\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003EAt this point, the question is not so much whether what Ponomarev did was improper.  The much more pressing issue is whether or not, by making this presentation in Washington precisely at the moment of heightened tensions between the US and Russia, Ponomarev has committed treason. While this may seem a rather extreme characterization, it is in fact quite appropriate.\u003Cspan id=\"docs-internal-guid-8e6f5c12-00a9-f700-a5f0-8d9eb8a922f0\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan id=\"docs-internal-guid-8e6f5c12-00a9-f700-a5f0-8d9eb8a922f0\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EWhat Is Treason and Does It Apply?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan id=\"docs-internal-guid-8e6f5c12-00a9-f700-a5f0-8d9eb8a922f0\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003EIf we define treason as “the offense of acting to overthrow one’s government or to kill or harm its sovereign,” then Ponomarev’s actions seem to tread very close to the threshold for treason.  Moreover, the fact that such a presentation was delivered at CSIS – a think tank rife with “strategic planners” and proponents of the use of “soft power” to expand US hegemony – is instructive as it provides a window into both Ponomarev’s thinking and, perhaps more importantly, that of the political establishment in the US. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDuring his presentation, Ponomarev touched on a number of critical issues related to Russia’s domestic political situation, trying to illustrate for the attendees that the political reality in Russia, despite the simplicity of the western corporate media narrative, is rather complex.  Though he described the Putin-led government as “Bonapartist,” he noted that “Putin is Russia’s only reliably working institution.”  While the veracity of that statement is debatable, it does seem interesting that an elected Russian lawmaker would go to a foreign country under the auspices of wanting to help his country move forward, and then proceed to advocate the overthrow of the “only reliable institution.”  Would this not be a thinly veiled attempt to advocate for destabilization, putsch, or something similar?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u003Cspan id=\"docs-internal-guid-8e6f5c12-00a9-f700-a5f0-8d9eb8a922f0\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003EThe most significant portion of Ponomarev’s presentation centered on a slide titled “Conditions for the Change of Power in Russia,” which laid out essentially a roadmap or blueprint for regime change in Russia.  Ponomarev’s slide outlined what he believes to be the essential elements for successful overthrow of the democratically elected government.  These include:\u003Cspan id=\"docs-internal-guid-8e6f5c12-00a9-f700-a5f0-8d9eb8a922f0\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Col style=\"margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cli dir=\"ltr\" style=\"list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EOrganized street protest (versus spontaneous one)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\"ltr\" style=\"list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EAppealing vision of the future presented to the majority of Russians\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\"ltr\" style=\"list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ELeader, acceptable for all protesters and the elites\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\"ltr\" style=\"list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EAccess to some financial resources\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\"ltr\" style=\"list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EPart of the elites should support the revolution\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\"ltr\" style=\"list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ETrigger event\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-r-FgGWa1Hwk\/VLym3j1bwoI\/AAAAAAAAKjo\/ysK9ZfFg9BQ\/s1600\/march2.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-r-FgGWa1Hwk\/VLym3j1bwoI\/AAAAAAAAKjo\/ysK9ZfFg9BQ\/s1600\/march2.jpg\" height=\"315\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003EExamining these points, it is clear that Ponomarev is not merely “informing” the assembled policymakers, journalists, and guests about what should happen, but rather is making a case for what \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2014\/09\/20\/try-new-maidan-in-russia-doubt-it\/\"\u003Emust be \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2014\/09\/20\/try-new-maidan-in-russia-doubt-it\/\"\u003Emade \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2014\/09\/20\/try-new-maidan-in-russia-doubt-it\/\"\u003Eto happen\u003C\/a\u003E.  This is no educational exercise, but a thoughtfully crafted appeal to the political establishment of the US to support Ponomarev and his faction both financially and politically.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003EOf course the prescription above is nothing new to keen political observers who have followed the development of the crisis in Ukraine, and who have knowledge of how “soft power” works, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2014\/02\/10\/7849\/\"\u003Eand the concept of the “color revolution\u003C\/a\u003E.”  What Ponomarev is describing has happened more than a few times before.  What is particularly troubling this time is that a sitting parliamentarian, himself a beneficiary of the democratic electoral process, is openly advocating an anti-democratic, unconstitutional overthrow of his own government.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd Ponomarev is perfectly aware of this fact.  Indeed, he included in the slide entitled “Conditions for the change of power in Russia” the following points:\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cul style=\"margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cli dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-style: italic; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EUnlikely – elections\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-style: italic; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ELikely – revolution (non-violent or violent)\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli dir=\"ltr\" style=\"font-style: italic; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ECompromise with the current elites increases probability of non-violent changes, but decreases the probability of successful reforms in the future\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHere, Ponomarev is openly acknowledging a number of critical points. First, that regime change is unlikely to come through elections.  This is a blatant admission that not only is Putin democratically elected and wildly popular, but that the opposition will never have anything close to enough popular support to defeat him.  In other words, Ponomarev is tacitly saying that Putin must be overthrown precisely because the Russian people support him, and will likely continue to do so.  Imagine: a democratically elected politician from a country supposedly run by an “authoritarian dictator” comes to the US – allegedly the world’s great champion of democracy – to advocate an anti-democratic regime change scenario.  The hypocrisy is beyond words. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EImagine: a democratically elected politician from a country supposedly run by an “authoritarian dictator” comes to the US – allegedly the world’s great champion of democracy – to advocate an anti-democratic regime change scenario.  The hypocrisy is beyond words.\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003ESecond, and this is crucial to the question of treason, is the fact that Ponomarev is advocating “non-violent or violent revolution” in collaboration with a foreign power.  Here the propagandists and assorted mouthpieces for the Empire might argue that CSIS is a private institution that is not affiliated with the US Government.  One would have to painfully naïve about the nature of power in the US and how it functions to believe such a line of argument. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECSIS, with its long association with individuals such as Zbigniew Brzezinski who come from the uppermost echelons of power, is one of a small number of hugely influential think tanks that directly impact US foreign policy.  CSIS, along with the Rand Corporation, Council on Foreign Relations, and a handful of other groups, are a useful barometer for measuring the pulse of the US establishment, and for individuals such as Ponomarev to get close to the levers of US power. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETherefore, it could be argued that Ponomarev is openly collaborating with a foreign government – in this case through the nominal intermediary of CSIS – to bring about the overthrow of his own government. I would refer readers back to the above-referenced definition of treason. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThird, and perhaps most telling about Ponomarev, is the fact that he openly warns against any form of compromise with the government, or the elites with influence in the government.  Such a preemptively hostile, and inherently adversarial, relationship with the government precludes any possibility for dialogue or even negotiation.  Considering the fact that, at best, Ponomarev and the liberal opposition represent a relatively small proportion of the Russian people (primarily the western-oriented business, finance, and media community, and the young liberals they can mobilize on the streets), the net effect of what he is advocating is that a small, foreign-backed minority with deep pockets seize control of the government in a quite possibly violent putsch.  Ukraine anyone? Treason anyone?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile such open treason might come as a shock to many outside Russia, those who follow the country closely are all too aware of the insidious role of the United States in fomenting unrest and bankrolling the liberal opposition.  It is an open secret in Russia that many, if not most, of the opposition liberals are either directly or indirectly collaborating with the US against their own country.\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ELiberal Opposition or Agents of a Foreign Power?\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003EIt would be an extreme oversimplification, and not entirely honest, to characterize all Russian liberals as foreign agents.  Some are simply socially liberal people who see in the West a political, economic, social and cultural template for their own society.  Needless to say, such a view is a small minority in Russia where traditional values and social\/cultural conservatism have been on the rise since the end of the Soviet Union, and especially since Putin came to power. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHowever, when one examines key figures and institutions of the liberal establishment in Russia – both in politics and civil society – it becomes clear that some of the most influential are in fact collaborating with foreign powers (especially the US) to undermine the Russian government.\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"315\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yf3LjntNX20\" width=\"560\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003EBoris Nemtsov is not only one of the leading liberal opposition figures in Russia, he is also a notoriously corrupt and oligarch-friendly politician who, in recent years, has fashioned for himself the public persona of an anti-corruption, anti-oligarch crusader.  Of course, he doesn’t care to mention his notorious, and politically and financially lucrative, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.rumafia.com\/person.php?id=1648\"\u003Erelationship with disgraced Russian oligarch Khodorkovsky\u003C\/a\u003E. Nor does he advertise his deep commitment to aiding the US further its own agenda, as evidenced by his appearance at the now infamous 2012 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=yf3LjntNX20\"\u003Egathering at the US Embassy\u003C\/a\u003E of liberal leaders with then newly appointed Ambassador, and self-described “expert” in regime change, Michael McFaul. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESimilarly, Nemtsov’s ally Vladimir Ryzhkov, according to various \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/regime-change-in-the-russian-federation-why-washington-wants-finito-with-vladimir-putin\/28571\"\u003Eaccounts\u003C\/a\u003E, “formed a Committee…in 2003 to ‘draw’ funds of the imprisoned Khodorkovsky along with soliciting funds from fugitive oligarchs such as Boris Berezovsky and western foundations such as the Soros Foundation. The stated aim of the effort was to rally ‘democratic’ forces against Putin.”  The anti-corruption campaigner seemed to have little qualms with being financed by the most corrupt forces in the country. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGary Kasparov, the outspoken opposition figure, former chess champion and darling of the US neocon establishment, has his own questions to answer.  As F. William Engdahl has \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/regime-change-in-the-russian-federation-why-washington-wants-finito-with-vladimir-putin\/28571\"\u003Ewritten\u003C\/a\u003E:\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EIn April 2007, Kasparov admitted he was a board member of the National Security Advisory Council of [the] Center for Security Policy, a “non-profit, non-partisan national security organization that specializes in identifying policies, actions, and resource needs that are vital to American security.” Inside Russia Kasparov is more infamous for his earlier financial ties to Leonid Nevzlin, former Yukos vice-president and partner of Michael Khodorokvsky. Nevzlin fled to Israel on being charged in Russia on charges of murder and hiring contract killers to eliminate “objectionable people” while Yukos vice-president.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECan one really doubt the true intentions of a Russian “activist” and “leader” who happily sits on the board of a US think tank that focuses on “American security” (coded language for US foreign policy objectives)?  Rather than being interested in progress in Russia, Kasparov is motivated only by his desire to gain power and prestige. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBeyond just the individuals, a number of influential “civil society” organizations deeply tied to the US establishment figure prominently in the liberal opposition. These organizations (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ned.org\/where-we-work\/eurasia\/russia\"\u003EStrategy 31\u003C\/a\u003E, the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.mhg.ru\/english\/190C97F\"\u003EMoscow-Helsinki Group\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ned.org\/where-we-work\/eurasia\/russia\"\u003ELevada Center\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/lh3.ggpht.com\/-Hj6DpFuBDCI\/TvsagsiDgDI\/AAAAAAAABCo\/fruNa31-rHg\/s1600\/NEDgolos.jpg\"\u003EGOLOS\u003C\/a\u003E, and many others) are either directly or indirectly funded by the United States through its myriad soft power organs, the most infamous among them being the National Endowment for Democracy. That these organizations knowingly take money from the US Government, and then present themselves as objective, disinterested civil society organizations is the height of cynicism and hypocrisy. What does one call such an organization if not an “agent of a foreign power”? I would again refer readers to the above-cited definition of “treason.” \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhether or not Ponomarev’s presentation fits the legal definition of treason would be for lawyers and legal scholars to decide.  What is clear however is that Ponomarev, and indeed the vast bulk of the Russian liberal establishment, is a de facto appendage of \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2014\/12\/20\/the-impending-russian-maidan\/\"\u003EUS soft power in Russia\u003C\/a\u003E.  They act not in the interests of the Russian people, but of themselves and their patrons in the West.  As such, it is up to the people of Russia to address this sort of treacherous behavior in their elected (and unelected) officials.  And it is up to those of us around the world – those who refuse to go along with western imperialism in its many forms – to expose these individuals and organizations wherever they rear their ugly heads. \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003EEric Draitser is an independent geopolitical analyst based in New York City, he is the founder of \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/stopimperialism.org\/\"\u003EStopImperialism.org\u003C\/a\u003E and OP-ed columnist for RT and frequent contributor to “\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\"\u003ENew Eastern Outlook\u003C\/a\u003E.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/3353171466871196326"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/3353171466871196326"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/01\/did-russian-parliamentarian-just-commit.html","title":"Did a Russian Parliamentarian Just Commit Treason?"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-FJM8lXgcut0\/VLyZVVWRp8I\/AAAAAAAAKjY\/5iZM26-fvPM\/s72-c\/CSIS_PowerPoint_Treason.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-6291033056455912673"},"published":{"$t":"2015-01-15T23:09:00.001-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-01-15T23:09:32.522-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"middle east"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"MiddleEast"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Syria"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"3,000 \"Moderate Rebels\" Defect to ISIS - US Preparing 5,000 More "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit; font-size: large;\"\u003EHarbinger of what's to become of US \"rebel army\" it plans to stand up in spring.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-C8ntJXxDpW0\/VLC3U--H0HI\/AAAAAAAAKhw\/nyxa9j5k38Y\/s1600\/Hazm-5-650x455.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-C8ntJXxDpW0\/VLC3U--H0HI\/AAAAAAAAKhw\/nyxa9j5k38Y\/s1600\/Hazm-5-650x455.jpg\" height=\"280\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJanuary 16, 2015 \u003C\/b\u003E(\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2015\/01\/16\/us-is-preparing-up-to-5k-militants-that-would-flee-to-isil\/\"\u003ETony Cartalucci - NEO\u003C\/a\u003E) - Reported along the peripheries of the Western media, it was reported recently that some 3,000 so-called \"moderate rebels\" of the \"Free Syrian Army\" \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.almasdarnews.com\/article\/3000-fsa-fighters-defect-isis-qalamoun-mountains\/\"\u003Ehad defected to the \"Islamic State\" (ISIS)\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;While not the first time so-called \"moderates\" have crossed over openly to Al Qaeda or ISIS, it is one of the largest crossovers that has occurred.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWith them, these 3,000 fighters will bring weapons, cash, equipment, and training provided to them by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United States, the UK, and perhaps most ironic of all in the wake of the recent terror attack in Paris, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/01\/a-timeline-whered-paris-shooters-get.html\"\u003EFrance\u003C\/a\u003E. Indeed, ISIS and Al Qaeda's ranks continue to swell amid this insidious network of \"terror laundering\" that is only set to grow. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EIt was an open conspiracy exposed\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003Eby Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh in his 2007 article,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/reporting\/2007\/03\/05\/070305fa_fact_hersh?currentPage=all\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; line-height: 21.5599994659424px; text-decoration: none;\"\u003EThe Redirection: Is the Administration’s new policy benefiting our enemies in the war on terrorism?\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\"\u003C\/span\u003E, that \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003Ethe US and its regional allies sought to use Al Qaeda and other extremist groups to wage a proxy war on Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah in Lebanon. This conspiracy has clearly manifested itself today in the form of ISIS. Despite a feigned military campaign waged against ISIS, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2014\/11\/01\/us-destroying-syria-s-oil-infrastructure-under-guise-of-fighting-isis\/\"\u003Etargeting primarily Syria's oil infrastructure\u003C\/a\u003E, the true source of ISIS' strength, emanating \u0026nbsp;from NATO territory in Turkey, remains unscathed and uninterrupted. Additionally, torrents of cash, weapons, and supplies are working their way across ISIS' rank and file through the migration of so-called \"moderates\" under their banner.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EBefore this brigade-sized defection, several other \"vetted moderate rebel\" groups, armed by the US in particular, have openly pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda. The most notorious incident was when terror group Harakat Hazm, provided antitank TOW missiles by the US, openly pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda's Syrian franchise, US State Department-listed foreign terrorist organization Al Nusra. Al Nusra would assume possession of the TOW missiles, using them allegedly in a successful campaign in Syria's Idlib province.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"text_exposed_show\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; line-height: 20px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: black; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;\"\u003ET\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003Ehe Daily Beast would report in its \u0026nbsp;September 2014 article, \"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/articles\/2014\/09\/23\/al-qaeda-plotters-in-syria-went-dark-u-s-spies-say.html\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; line-height: 21.5599994659424px; text-decoration: none;\"\u003EAl Qaeda Plotters in Syria ‘Went Dark,’ U.S. Spies Say\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E,\" that\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOne Syrian rebel group supported in the past by the United States\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cb\u003Econdemned the air strikes on Tuesday. Harakat Hazm, a rebel group that received a shipment of U.S. anti-tank weapons in the spring\u003C\/b\u003E, called the airstrikes “an attack on national sovereignty” and charged that foreign led attacks only strengthen the Assad regime.The statement comes from a document, purportedly from the group, that has circulated online and was posted in English translation from a Twitter account called Syria Conflict Monitor. Several Syria experts, including the Brookings Doha Center's Charles Lister, believe the document to be authentic.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EBefore the official statement, there were signs that Harakat Hazm was making alliances in Syria that could conflict with its role as a U.S. partner.\u003Cb\u003E\u0026nbsp;In early Septemeber\u0026nbsp;a Harakat Hazm official told a reporter for the L.A. Times: “Inside Syria, we became labeled as secularists and feared Nusra Front was going to battle us…But Nusra doesn't fight us, we actually fight alongside them. We like Nusra.”\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"text_exposed_show\" style=\"color: #141823; display: inline; line-height: 20px;\"\u003EThis group would later be reported by the Western press as having \"surrendered\" to Al Qaeda.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 18.4799995422363px;\"\u003EThe International Business Times would claim in its article, \"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.ibtimes.co.uk\/syria-al-nusra-jihadists-capture-us-weaponry-moderate-rebels-1472864\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-decoration: none;\"\u003ESyria: Al-Nusra Jihadists 'Capture US TOW Anti-Tank Missiles' from Moderate Rebels\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 18.4799995422363px;\"\u003E,\" that:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EWeaponry supplied by the US to moderate Syrian rebels was feared to have fallen into the hands of jihadist militants affiliated to al-Qaida after clashes between rival groups. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EIslamist fighters with Jabhat al-Nusra seized control of large swathes of land in Jabal al-Zawiya, Idlib province, at the weekend, routing the US-backed groups the Syrian Revolutionaries Front (SFR) and Harakat Hazm, activists said. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EWashington relied on SFR and Harakat Hazm to counter Isis (Islamic State) militants on the ground in Syria, complementing its air strikes.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EClearly however, Harakat Hazm's \"surrender\" was merely the finalizing of its growing alliance with Al Nusra.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EUS Prepares Another Brigade for ISIS\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EWhen \"moderates\" appear inevitably destined for the ranks of ISIS, and with US weapons falling into Al Qaeda's hands along with entire brigade-sized defections taking place, what the world would last expect is for the US to prepare another brigade-sized army to arm, fund, train, and turn loose inside of Syria. But that is precisely what the US is planning to do.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EStars and Stripes would report in its article, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.stripes.com\/news\/agreement-reached-for-us-to-train-syrian-rebels-in-turkey-1.314676\"\u003EAgreement reached for US to train Syrian rebels in Turkey\u003C\/a\u003E,\" that:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ci\u003EOfficials say the initial round of training would produce of 5,000 trained Free Syrian Army members within about a year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ci\u003ESaudi Arabia in September agreed to host the training of moderate Syrian rebels to assist the U.S. strategy to combat Islamic State insurgents, who control territory in Syria and Iraq.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ci\u003EU.S. support of the Free Syrian Army has been criticized as halting by supporters of greater U.S. involvement in Syria, and the group suffered setbacks when units were overrun and driven from their bases in recent weeks by members of another insurgent group, the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EOnly this \"Free Syrian Army\" wasn't overrun and driven out by Al Nusra - as previously mentioned - instead many of these groups had been part of long-running alliances with the Al Qaeda franchise, and simply made it official, bringing their Western arms, cash, and training with them. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-9qlGWyAA_7M\/VLC3io1aoAI\/AAAAAAAAKh4\/ERKBlTzK8nE\/s1600\/922021105.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-9qlGWyAA_7M\/VLC3io1aoAI\/AAAAAAAAKh4\/ERKBlTzK8nE\/s1600\/922021105.jpg\" height=\"231\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EFor the US already, plausible deniability is impossible with revelations as early as 2007 exposing America's desire to use Al Qaeda as a proxy military force. With Harakat Hazm turning over US-supplied antitank TOW missiles to Al Qaeda, and now an entire brigade-sized defection by so-called \"Free Syrian Army\" fighters to ISIS - what besides \"disaster\" could befall America's new brigade it plans to start training this spring?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInevitably, these fighters, their supplies and weapons will end up consolidated under ISIS and Al Nusra's banner. Terrorism continues to grow in Syria not because of ISIS' control over oilfields and revenue from hostage ransoms, but because the US and its partners continue to intentionally feed into its maw thousands of trained fighters, weapons, and billions in cash, equipment, and other supplies.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen these terrorists begin filtering into Europe and America, the same interests involved in intentionally creating this massive terrorist enterprise in Syria will wring their hands demanding what little is left of civilization at home be dismantled, after having insidiously and intentionally destroyed it abroad.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci style=\"background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003ETony Cartalucci, Bangkok-based geopolitical researcher and writer, especially for the online magazine\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003E“\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003ENew Eastern Outlook”\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/6291033056455912673"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/6291033056455912673"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/01\/3000-moderate-rebels-defect-to-isis-us.html","title":"3,000 \"Moderate Rebels\" Defect to ISIS - US Preparing 5,000 More "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-C8ntJXxDpW0\/VLC3U--H0HI\/AAAAAAAAKhw\/nyxa9j5k38Y\/s72-c\/Hazm-5-650x455.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-1322756383309447354"},"published":{"$t":"2015-01-11T06:51:00.001-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-01-17T19:21:31.035-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Europe"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"France"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"middle east"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"MiddleEast"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Oops - Paris Attackers Funded by Pentagon Dinner Guest "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJanuary 11, 2015\u003C\/b\u003E (Tony Cartalucci - LD) Corroborating claims by French security agencies, a bizarre interview conducted just before the death of terror suspect Chérif Kouachi reveals that he had been in Yemen and in direct contact with none other than\u0026nbsp;Anwar Al Awaki - the notorious Al Qaeda leader allegedly killed in a drone strike in Yemen in 2011.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable align=\"center\" cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-H4ELPgFfI20\/VLKFacS4MAI\/AAAAAAAAKiI\/ex7IoV6V7d0\/s1600\/08paris10-articleLarge-v2.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-H4ELPgFfI20\/VLKFacS4MAI\/AAAAAAAAKiI\/ex7IoV6V7d0\/s1600\/08paris10-articleLarge-v2.jpg\" height=\"426\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E: The Kouachi brothers, arrested twice for terrorism, convicted and imprisoned for terrorism, having met senior leadership of Al Qaeda, having trained with and fought alongside Al Qaeda, French intelligence would - 6 months ago - deem the dangerous duo a \"low risk.\" 6 months also happens to be the perfect time frame within which they could plan, fund, and begin executing their grand finale. Are we to believe it is a coincidence French intelligence turned the spotlight off just in time for them to piece together the worst terror attack in France in decades? Who is it French intelligence considers \"high risk\" and isn't immediately arresting?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EThe UK Mirror in an article titled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/world-news\/paris-shootings-listen-terrorist-amedy-4953451\"\u003EParis shootings: Listen to terrorist Amedy Coulibaly's bizarre conversation with hostage during supermarket siege\u003C\/a\u003E,\" quoted Kouachi as saying:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EWe are just telling you we are the defenders of the prophet and that I Chérif Kouachi have been sent by Al Qaida of Yemen and that I went over there and that Anwar Al Awaki financed me.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003ENot only was Anwar Al Awaki a senior leader in Al Qaeda, he also infamously spent dinner with top brass at the Pentagon shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks in Washington, New York, and over Pennsylvania.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECBS News would report in their article, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/qaeda-linked-imam-dined-at-pentagon-after-9-11\/\"\u003EQaeda-Linked Imam Dined at Pentagon after 9\/11\u003C\/a\u003E,\" that: \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EAnwar al-Awlaki - the radical spiritual leader linked to several 9\/11 attackers, the Fort Hood shooting, and the attempted Christmas Day bombing of an airliner - was a guest at the Pentagon in the months after 9\/11, a Pentagon official confirmed to CBS News.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EAwlaki was invited as \"...part of an informal outreach program\" in which officials sought contact \"...with leading members of the Muslim community,\" the official said. At that time, Awlaki was widely viewed as a \"moderate\" imam at a mosque in Northern Virginia.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EAt the same time, the FBI was also interviewing Awlaki about his contacts with three of the 9\/11 attackers - Nawaf al-Hazmi, Khalid al Midhar and Hani Hanjour - who were all part of the crew of five that hijacked the American Airlines jet that hit the Pentagon. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-BDdTtGomAQE\/VLKGvYIdBmI\/AAAAAAAAKiU\/BwsChSjHHTg\/s1600\/AnwarAlAwlaki0.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-BDdTtGomAQE\/VLKGvYIdBmI\/AAAAAAAAKiU\/BwsChSjHHTg\/s1600\/AnwarAlAwlaki0.jpg\" height=\"305\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E: Just another coincidence... Senior Al Qaeda leader Anwar Al Awlaki\u003Cbr \/\u003Ewas clicking glasses together at the Pentagon with American military brass\u003Cbr \/\u003Ejust months after the 9\/11 attacks in 2001. Also, \"coincidentally,\" he had in\u003Cbr \/\u003Efact met at least one of the several alleged hijackers. He also, just before\u003Cbr \/\u003Ebeing liquidated by a US drone attack in 2011, allegedly funded the terror cell\u003Cbr \/\u003Eresponsible for the recent Paris shootings.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EIndeed, Anwar Al Awaki would admit to having met Hazmi - in yet another incident the general public is supposed to believe is simply an astonishing coincidence.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe list of \"coincidences\" and \"accidents\" is so far impressive and include the following:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E1. French authorities arrested and imprisoned Chérif Kouachi in 2005 for terrorism. He would be released in 2008 after sentencing was suspended for \"time served,\" this despite evidence suggesting Kouachi may have even gone as far with his plot as travel to Yemen.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003ESlate Magazine would report in their article, \"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.slate.com\/blogs\/the_slatest\/2015\/01\/07\/cherif_kouachi_terrorism_past_2005_arrest_2008_conviction_for_planning_iraq.html\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; line-height: 21.5599994659424px; text-decoration: none;\"\u003EThe Details of Paris Suspect Cherif Kouachi’s 2008 Terrorism Conviction\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E,\" that:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EKouachi was arrested in January 2005, accused of planning to join jihadists in Iraq. He was said to have fallen under the sway of Farid Benyettou, a young \"self-taught preacher\" who advocated violence, but had not actually yet traveled to Iraq or committed any acts of terror. Lawyers at the time said he had not received weapons training and \"had begun having second thoughts,\" going so far as to express \"relief\" that he'd been apprehended.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: transparent;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E2. Kouachi and brother Said would be implicated in another terrorist plot again in 2010 but were not prosecuted due to a lack of evidence. The BBC in their report titled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-europe-30722038\"\u003ECharlie Hebdo attack: Suspects' profiles\u003C\/a\u003E,\" would state:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EIn 2010 Cherif Kouachi was named in connection with a plot to spring another Islamist, Smain Ait Ali Belkacem, from jail - a plot hatched by Beghal, according to French anti-terror police.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EBelkacem used to be in the outlawed Algerian Islamic Armed Group (GIA) and was jailed for life in 2002 for a Paris metro station bombing in 1995 which injured 30 people.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003ESaid Kouachi, 34, was also named in the Belkacem plot, but the brothers were not prosecuted because of a lack of evidence.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E3. With French intelligence agencies' knowledge, the Kouachi brothers would then travel to Yemen in 2011, receiving weapons training directly from Al Qaeda. \u0026nbsp;CNN's report titled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2015\/01\/08\/politics\/paris-suspects-al-qaeda-yemen\/\"\u003EFrance tells U.S. Paris suspect trained with al Qaeda in Yemen\u003C\/a\u003E,\" would report:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EA U.S. official says the United States was given information from the French intelligence agency that Said Kouachi traveled to Yemen as late as 2011 on behalf of the al Qaeda affiliate there. Once in Yemen, the older brother of the two received a variety of weapons training from al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) -- the affiliate in Yemen -- the official said, including on how to fire weapons. It is also possible Said was trained in bomb making, a common jihadist training in Yemen. Two other U.S. officials confirmed that information about the Yemeni travel was passed to the U.S. from French intelligence agencies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Ci\u003EIn addition, French Justice Minister Christiane Taubira told CNN's Christiane Amanpour in an interview broadcast on CNN International that one of the brothers traveled to Yemen in 2005. Taubira would not say which brother.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EAdmissions that one of the brothers had traveled to Yemen in 2005, suggests the possibility he may indeed have received weapons training from Al Qaeda before his arrest and imprisonment later that same year.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E4. It was reported that the brothers then fought in Syria before returning last summer, approximately 6 months ago.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003EUSA Today would report in an article titled, \"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/world\/2015\/01\/07\/france-charlie-hebdo-satirical-publisher\/21377861\/\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #6fa8dc; line-height: 21.5599994659424px; text-decoration: none;\"\u003EManhunt continues for two French terror suspects\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E,\" that:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EThe brothers were born in Paris of Algerian descent.\u003Cb\u003E\u0026nbsp;Cherif was sentenced to three years in prison on terrorism charges in May 2008. Both brothers returned from Syria this summer.\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E5. Also about 6 months ago, \u0026nbsp;French intelligence decided the suspects' serial offences along with their direct contact with Al Qaeda - including the receiving of\u0026nbsp;terrorist training and battlefield experience fighting along side them in Syria - were \"low risk\" cases and therefore not worthy of their attention.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EAstoundingly, UK's Daily Mail would report in their article, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-2904932\/Police-stopped-watching-Paris-killers-six-months-ago-terror-cell-kosher-deli-attacker-crossbow-jihadi-wife-fled-Syria-deemed-low-risk.html\"\u003ERevealed: Police stopped watching Paris killers six months ago after terror cell of kosher deli attacker and his crossbow jihadi wife - who has fled to Syria - were deemed 'low-risk'\u003C\/a\u003E,\" that:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EThe world’s most wanted female terrorist has fled to Syria, it was revealed last night – as police admitted they stopped surveillance on her deadly Parisian cell six months ago because they were deemed ‘low-risk’.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EThe Daily Mail would go on to report on other cell members including\u0026nbsp;Amedy Coulibaly, also killed by police during the recent shootings and attacks in Paris - also a notorious serial offender, known terrorist, and also previously arrested, convicted, and sentenced to prison for terrorism.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\"Who decided this cell was \"low risk\" six months ago? That is probably where the French people should begin searching for justice - if justice is in fact what they seek.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003ESix months, coincidentally, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2014\/09\/terronoia-theater-presents-staged-isis.html\"\u003Eis also about the typical length (6-10 months) of security and intelligence \"sting operations\" targeting terrorists\u003C\/a\u003E. It provides an appropriate time frame within which an event like the recent attacks could have been planned, funded, and eventually carried out. The public is expected to believe this obvious terror cell who had been in and out of prison for terrorism over the course of a decade and in direct contact with Al Qaeda, was suddenly dropped from the attention of French intelligence just in time for them to carry out their most spectacular crime to date?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWho decided this cell was \"low risk\" six months ago? That is probably where the French people should begin searching for justice - if justice is in fact what they seek.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cb\u003EEurope Has Been Here Before\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EUnfortunately, these \"coincidences\" and \"accidents\" are not coincidences and accidents at all. They fit an obvious pattern of staged provocations within the context of an intentionally engineered \"strategy of tension,\" identical but scaled up from what NATO was exposed to have committed during the Cold War as part of its \"stay behind networks,\" \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=k83L3I6Z35w\"\u003Emore commonly known as \"Operation Gladio\u003C\/a\u003E.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EIndeed, if NATO could carry out attacks during the Cold War, targeting Western Europeans in deadly brutality designed to appear as the work of NATO's enemies, why would NATO now be suddenly excused from the investigation as a prime suspect? With the \"coincidences\" and \"accidents\" described above, those occupying the highest of France's political, military, and intelligence offices, should be removed, tried, and imprisoned for criminal negligence at the very least.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EAs the puzzle pieces continue to fit together, the picture that appears is one of brazen, intentional provocation either to divide society at home, or wage war abroad, or both. And as this picture comes into focus, the rhetoric designed to distract the public from seeing it will reach a fevered pitch.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/1322756383309447354"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/1322756383309447354"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/01\/opps-paris-attackers-funded-by-pentagon.html","title":"Oops - Paris Attackers Funded by Pentagon Dinner Guest "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-H4ELPgFfI20\/VLKFacS4MAI\/AAAAAAAAKiI\/ex7IoV6V7d0\/s72-c\/08paris10-articleLarge-v2.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-7727562054218091535"},"published":{"$t":"2015-01-09T19:56:00.002-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-01-09T19:56:33.423-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Europe"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"France"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"middle east"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"MiddleEast"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"NATO"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Syria"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Paris Shooting Suspects Under French Radar for YEARS "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-16sKnViEhwQ\/VLCgjsg3YCI\/AAAAAAAAKhQ\/wjrA5Y_wA-8\/s1600\/635563451321222181-AFP-536569364-69865962.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-16sKnViEhwQ\/VLCgjsg3YCI\/AAAAAAAAKhQ\/wjrA5Y_wA-8\/s1600\/635563451321222181-AFP-536569364-69865962.JPG\" height=\"281\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E: Dead men don't talk. French security agencies successfully liquidate \u003Cbr \/\u003Eall suspects in the\u0026nbsp;recent Paris shooting.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJanuary 10, 2015\u003C\/b\u003E (Tony Cartalucci - LD) - The Paris shooting suspects were no strangers to the French government and its security and intelligence agencies. One suspect,\u0026nbsp;Cherif Kouachi, was arrested by French police in 2005, tried and sentenced to 3 years in prison for\u0026nbsp;\"association with wrongdoers with the intention of committing a terrorist act,\" but his sentence would later be suspended.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003ESlate Magazine would report in their article, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.slate.com\/blogs\/the_slatest\/2015\/01\/07\/cherif_kouachi_terrorism_past_2005_arrest_2008_conviction_for_planning_iraq.html\"\u003EThe Details of Paris Suspect Cherif Kouachi’s 2008 Terrorism Conviction\u003C\/a\u003E,\" that:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EKouachi was arrested in January 2005, accused of planning to join jihadists in Iraq. He was said to have fallen under the sway of Farid Benyettou, a young \"self-taught preacher\" who advocated violence, but had not actually yet traveled to Iraq or committed any acts of terror. Lawyers at the time said he had not received weapons training and \"had begun having second thoughts,\" going so far as to express \"relief\" that he'd been apprehended.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EStrange then that Kourachi and his brother would then be reported to have traveled to the Middle East to receive training from Al Qaeda, then to have fought in Syria in a war backed in part by France, before returning home and carrying out this most recent terror attack, all while being tracked by French intelligence. If Kouachi could be arrested for \"association with wrongdoers with the intention of committing a terrorist act,\" why wasn't he arrested immediately upon his return to France for having received and employed military training by a terrorist organization?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003ECNN would report in an article titled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2015\/01\/08\/politics\/paris-suspects-al-qaeda-yemen\/\"\u003EFrance tells U.S. Paris suspect trained with al Qaeda in Yemen\u003C\/a\u003E,\" that:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EWestern intelligence officials are scrambling to learn more about possible travel of the two Paris terror attack suspects, brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi, with new information suggesting one of the brothers recently spent time in Yemen associating with al Qaeda in that country, U.S. officials briefed on the matter told CNN. Additional information from a French source close to the French security services puts one of the brothers in Syria.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"background-color: white; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; margin-bottom: 14px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #362f2d;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 20px;\"\u003ETo explain how terrorists well-known to France's legal system and intelligence community could simply \"disappear,\" the Wall Street Journal in an article titled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/kouachis-links-to-yemen-overlooked-by-french-intelligence-1420837677\"\u003EOverburdened French Dropped Surveillance of Brothers\u003C\/a\u003E,\" would attempt to claim:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"background-color: white; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; margin-bottom: 14px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #362f2d;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 20px;\"\u003EThe terror attacks in Paris that have killed 17 people over three days this week represent one of the worst fears—and failures—of counterterrorist officials: a successful plot coordinated by people who had once been under surveillance but who were later dropped as a top priority.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"background-color: white; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; margin-bottom: 14px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #362f2d;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 20px;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #362f2d; line-height: 20px;\"\u003EThe U.S. provided France with intelligence showing that the gunmen in the Charlie Hebdo massacre received training in Yemen in 2011, prompting French authorities to begin monitoring the two brothers, according to U.S. officials. But that surveillance of Said and Chérif Kouachi came to an end last spring, U.S. officials said, after several years of monitoring turned up nothing suspicious.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"background-color: white; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; margin-bottom: 14px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #362f2d;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 20px;\"\u003EIt is a narrative that begs to be believed - considering the brothers had already tangled with the law, already traveled to Yemen to receive training from Al Qaeda, and with evidence suggesting they were indeed still being tracked since it is now known they have recently returned from Syria. The Wall Street Journal would also claim that France depends heavily on US intelligence, contradicting US intelligence officials who have said their information came from their French counterparts. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #362f2d;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 20px;\"\u003EFrance reportedly has over 1,000 citizens under surveillance who have recently traveled to Iraq and Syria, believed to have fought alongside terrorists France itself has been arming. In an NBC article titled, \"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/storyline\/paris-magazine-attack\/french-intelligence-tracking-1-000-who-have-been-iraq-syria-n282066\" style=\"color: #362f2d; line-height: 20px;\"\u003EFrench Intelligence Is Tracking 1,000 Who Have Been to Iraq, Syria: Expert\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #362f2d;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 20px;\"\u003E,\" it is reported that:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"background-color: white; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; margin-bottom: 14px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #362f2d;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 20px;\"\u003E\"French intelligence is mostly focused today on more than 1,000 French citizens that traveled to Syria and Iraq since 2012,\" said Jean-Charles Brisard, the author of \"Zarqawi: The New Face of Al-Qaeda.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"background-color: white; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; margin-bottom: 14px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #362f2d;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 20px;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #362f2d;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 20px;\"\u003EHe added that one-fifth of them were being tracked around the clock. \"This is a problem of resources,\" he added. \"We cannot follow everyone.\"\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"background-color: white; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; margin-bottom: 14px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #362f2d;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 20px;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"color: #362f2d;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 20px;\"\u003EBrisard said the brothers had been \"well known to French intelligence [for] several years now.\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-DlTm4TpuSUA\/VLCht4JdK1I\/AAAAAAAAKhY\/iW6-o8lfgrE\/s1600\/Libya_pic_1.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-DlTm4TpuSUA\/VLCht4JdK1I\/AAAAAAAAKhY\/iW6-o8lfgrE\/s1600\/Libya_pic_1.jpg\" height=\"255\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E: France helped NATO successfully hand Libya over to Al Qaeda\u003Cbr \/\u003Eterrorists who - with NATO support - would use it as a springboard to attack\u003Cbr \/\u003ESyria. The ultimate goal is to use Al Qaeda terrorists to overrun Iran, then\u003Cbr \/\u003Esouthern Russia and western China.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; margin-bottom: 14px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; color: #362f2d; line-height: 20px;\"\u003EIt is almost certain that the suspects were not only being tracked by French and US intelligence, but selected as prime candidates for pulling off the provocative attack in Paris last week - as part of a greater agenda of manipulating public perception to further crush civil liberties at home and expand hegemonic wars overseas. France is already occupying several of its former colonies in Africa, had participated in the destruction of Libya and its subsequent handover to Al Qaeda terrorist, who with NATO backing, used it as a springboard to attack Syria.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003EIn fact, it is now confirmed that France had provided weapons to  terrorists fighting the Syrian government since 2011. France 24 would report last year in an article titled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/20140821-france-arms-syria-rebels-hollande\/\"\u003EFrance delivered arms to Syrian rebels, Hollande confirms\u003C\/a\u003E,\" that:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EPresident Francois Hollande said on Thursday that France had delivered weapons to rebels battling the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad “a few months ago.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EIt is likely that if the Paris shooters were indeed in Syria, they may likely have been holding French-supplied weapons as they honed their skills later to be used to spill French blood in Paris.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EThree Possibilities - All Damning \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThere are really only three possibilities left for France, NATO, and the greater Western World. First, the attacks were known to be impending and were willfully allowed to be carried out with an insidious agenda lined up to fully exploit the public hysteria to follow. Second, the attacks were prodded along by French, US, or other Western or Western-aligned intelligence agencies. Or third, the global spanning surveillance state the West is erecting with the promise of making the world safe at the expense of our freedom has left us both unsafe, and without our freedom.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EDetermining the degree to which this attack was influenced or engineered by Western intelligence agencies will be difficult to establish. However, considering that NATO itself \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=k83L3I6Z35w\"\u003Ehas been exposed in the past\u003C\/a\u003E to have used extremist groups to carry out deadly terrorist attacks almost identical to the recent Paris shooting, means that Western intelligence agencies should be prime suspects until otherwise ruled out.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EThe shooters were well known to Western intelligence, were part of a Western proxy war in Syria, were under surveillance, most likely handled before and perhaps even during the attack last week, and were all subsequently \"liquidated,\" just as was done amid a wave of NATO-sponsored \u0026nbsp;terror attacks against Western Europe during the Cold War, now known as \"Operation Gladio.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAl Qaeda is NATO's Mercenary Foreign Legion\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEven if these attacks were organized by \"Al Qaeda,\" the fact still remains that Al Qaeda was intentionally selected, armed, funded, and to this day backed in nations like Syria by the West, including France, in an effort to overthrow Damascus by proxy.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003EAs exposed by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh in his 2007 article,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/reporting\/2007\/03\/05\/070305fa_fact_hersh?currentPage=all\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; line-height: 21.5599994659424px; text-decoration: none;\"\u003EThe Redirection: Is the Administration’s new policy benefiting our enemies in the war on terrorism?\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\" it was stated explicitly that (emphasis added):\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21px;\"\u003ETo undermine Iran, which is predominantly Shiite, the Bush Administration has decided, in effect, to reconfigure its priorities in the Middle East. In Lebanon, the Administration has coöperated with Saudi Arabia’s government, which is Sunni, in clandestine operations that are intended to weaken Hezbollah, the Shiite organization that is backed by Iran.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cb style=\"line-height: 21px;\"\u003EThe U.S. has also taken part in clandestine operations aimed at Iran and its ally Syria. A by-product of these activities has been the bolstering of Sunni extremist groups that espouse a militant vision of Islam and are hostile to America and sympathetic to Al Qaeda\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21px;\"\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003ESince 2007, it is clear that the so-called \"Islamic State\" (ISIS) and various franchises of Al Qaeda operating in Syria \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2014\/12\/17\/isis-bloody-footprints-lead-from-nato-territory\/\"\u003Eare harbored in NATO-member Turkey\u003C\/a\u003E, with convoys originating from Turkish territory supplying terrorists operating in Syria with an unending torrent of supplies. So even as the US feigns to be striking at the source of ISIS power - allegedly seized Syrian oil fields - in reality, the US, along with its stalwart Persian Gulf allies Saudi Arabia and Qatar - are at the same time supplying this proxy terrorist army with billions in aid year to year - aid that is immune to US airstrikes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENATO Extremism\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ctable cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" class=\"tr-caption-container\" style=\"float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ctbody\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-q9dwk7rdnIE\/VLCiJh4rpqI\/AAAAAAAAKhg\/URo-_bpf8_M\/s1600\/2014_Iraq_ISIS_Mapjpg.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-q9dwk7rdnIE\/VLCiJh4rpqI\/AAAAAAAAKhg\/URo-_bpf8_M\/s1600\/2014_Iraq_ISIS_Mapjpg.jpg\" height=\"305\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd class=\"tr-caption\" style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003EImage\u003C\/b\u003E: ISIS is supposedly an independent terror organization living off the\u003Cbr \/\u003Elands it has supposedly conquered. In reality, it is clear it is instead an\u003Cbr \/\u003Einvasion originating from NATO-member Turkey, with the aid not of oil\u003Cbr \/\u003Emoney from seized Syrian fields, but rather cash and weapons supplied by\u003Cbr \/\u003ENATO and the Persian Gulf autocracies.\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/td\u003E\u003C\/tr\u003E\u003C\/tbody\u003E\u003C\/table\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EHowever one attempts to examine the recent Paris shooting - it is clear it is not an issue of \"free speech,\" \"Islamic extremism,\" or a need to show \"tolerance,\" but rather an issue involving NATO sponsorship of terrorism worldwide, and the complicity or failure of invasive surveillance networks and intelligence agencies that either helped carry out the operation, willfully allowed it to be carried out, or missed it entirely indicating unforgivable incompetence requiring punitive action against those occupying the highest offices in the French government.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhatever the case may be, what follows will be a shameless attempt to exploit the hysteria prevailing across much of Europe. The most immediate threat is the West not backing off from its sponsorship of terrorists fighting the government of Syria, but the doubling down of the very policy that produced the killers involved in the Paris shooting. Indeed, even as Western politicians wring their hands over the loss of life in Paris this week, the Military Times would report, astoundingly, that the US is going ahead with a plan to train, arm, equip, and back a new \"rebel army.\" In an article titled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/story\/military\/pentagon\/2015\/01\/06\/syria-rebel-training\/21349561\/\"\u003ESyria rebel training could start in early spring\u003C\/a\u003E,\" it states:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EThe long-awaited coalition program to train the Syrian moderate opposition could begin by early spring, and officials are beginning to identify individual fighters who could participate, the Pentagon said Tuesday.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EApparently, despite so-called \"moderate Syrian rebels\" being revealed as simply Al Qaeda or Al Qaeda affiliates, with many literally turning their US, French, British and other NATO-supplied weapons over to terrorist groups, the US desires to send yet more weapons, cash, and training - in what one could only call a deliberate attempt to feign opposition to Al Qaeda while willfully expanding their ranks and armories, as well as both their tactical and strategic capabilities. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIt is no wonder then, why the Western media has attempted to focus so diligently on \"Islamic extremism\" as the cause of the recent Paris shootings. Should the emotional raw nerves of the European people not be manipulated, and were people simply to follow the money, they would realize NATO extremism was to blame. They would also realize that the backlash in the wake of the Paris shooting was not to help stem such extremism, but to only embolden it further.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/7727562054218091535"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/7727562054218091535"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/01\/paris-shooting-suspects-under-french.html","title":"Paris Shooting Suspects Under French Radar for YEARS "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-16sKnViEhwQ\/VLCgjsg3YCI\/AAAAAAAAKhQ\/wjrA5Y_wA-8\/s72-c\/635563451321222181-AFP-536569364-69865962.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6296737490016844972.post-4794574021276744308"},"published":{"$t":"2015-01-08T02:57:00.001-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2015-01-08T02:57:44.033-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Europe"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"France"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"middle east"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"MiddleEast"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"NATO"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Syria"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Paris Shooters Just Returned from NATO's Proxy War in Syria "},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: left;\" trbidi=\"on\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003EShooters were radicalized in Europe, sent to Syria, returned, have been previously arrested by Western security agencies for terrorism and long on the watch-list of French and other Western intelligence agencies. Yet \"somehow\" they still managed to execute a highly organized attack in the heart of Europe. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-ZqxJ5_PnkeA\/VK44XOprl0I\/AAAAAAAAKg8\/p8VrnQF0vN4\/s1600\/08paris10-articleLarge-v2.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-ZqxJ5_PnkeA\/VK44XOprl0I\/AAAAAAAAKg8\/p8VrnQF0vN4\/s1600\/08paris10-articleLarge-v2.jpg\" height=\"266\" width=\"400\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cb\u003EJanuary 8, 2015\u003C\/b\u003E (\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2015\/01\/08\/paris-shooters-just-returned-from-nato-s-proxy-war-in-syria\/\"\u003ETony Cartalucci - NEO\u003C\/a\u003E) - In an all too familiar pattern \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/anthony.cartalucci\/posts\/1522064184736317\"\u003Eand as predicted\u003C\/a\u003E, the shooters involved in the attack in Paris Wednesday, January 7, 2015, were French citizens, radicalized in Europe and exported to Syria to fight in NATO's proxy war against the government in Damascus, then brought back where they have now carried out a domestic attack. Additionally, as have been many other domestic attacks, the suspects were long under the watch of Western intelligence services, with at least one suspect having already been arrested on terrorism charges.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUSA Today would report in an article titled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/world\/2015\/01\/07\/france-charlie-hebdo-satirical-publisher\/21377861\/\"\u003EManhunt continues for two French terror suspects\u003C\/a\u003E,\" that:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe suspects are two brothers — Said, 34, and Cherif Kouachi, 32, both French nationals — and Hamyd Mourad, 18, whose nationality wasn't known, a Paris police official told the Associated Press. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EUSA Today would also report (emphasis added):\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe brothers were born in Paris of Algerian descent.\u003Cb\u003E Cherif was sentenced to three years in prison on terrorism charges in May 2008. Both brothers returned from Syria this summer.\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EThe implications of yet another case of Western-radicalized terrorists, first exported to fight NATO's proxy war in Syria, then imported and well-known to Western intelligence agencies, being able to carry out a highly organized, well-executed attack, is that the attack itself was sanctioned and engineered by Western intelligence agencies themselves,. This mirrors almost verbatim the type of operations NATO intelligence carried out during the Cold War with similar networks of radicalized militants used both as foreign mercenaries and domestic provocateurs. Toward the end of the Cold War, one of these militant groups was literally Al Qaeda - a proxy mercenary front armed, funded, and employed by the West to this very day.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EAdditionally, in all likelihood, the brothers who took part in the attack in Paris may have been fighting in Syria with weapons provided to them by the French government itself. \u0026nbsp;France 24 would report last year in an article titled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/20140821-france-arms-syria-rebels-hollande\/\"\u003EFrance delivered arms to Syrian rebels, Hollande confirms\u003C\/a\u003E,\" that:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EPresident Francois Hollande said on Thursday that France had delivered weapons to rebels battling the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad “a few months ago.”\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EDeflecting blame for the current attack on \"radical Islam\" is but a canard obscuring the truth that these terrorists were created intentionally by the West, to fight the West's enemies abroad, and to intimidate and terrorize their populations at home.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003EWe Must Sidestep the Canards\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAs with any false flag attack engineered by a government for the purpose of manipulating public perception and pushing through otherwise unjustifiable policy both foreign and domestic, a series of canards are erected to distract the public from the true nature of the attack.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn the recent attack in Paris, France, the canards of \"free speech,\" \"condemning radical Islam,\" \"tolerance,\" and \"extremism\" have all taken center stage, displacing the fact that the terrorists who carried out the attack were long on the leash not of \"Islamic extremists\" but Western intelligence agencies, fighting in a Western proxy war, as a member of a well-funded, armed, and trained mercenary force that has, on record since as early as 2007, been an essential component of Western foreign policy. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EIndeed, Al Qaeda and its various rebrandings are not the creation of \"Islamic extremism,\" but rather \u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EWestern foreign policy using \"extremism\" as part of indoctrinating the rank and file, but directed by and solely for the purpose of serving an entirely Western agenda.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003EAs exposed by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh in his 2007 article,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\"\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/reporting\/2007\/03\/05\/070305fa_fact_hersh?currentPage=all\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; line-height: 21.5599994659424px; text-decoration: none;\"\u003EThe Redirection: Is the Administration’s new policy benefiting our enemies in the war on terrorism?\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\" it was stated explicitly that (emphasis added):\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\" style=\"background-color: white; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21px;\"\u003ETo undermine Iran, which is predominantly Shiite, the Bush Administration has decided, in effect, to reconfigure its priorities in the Middle East. In Lebanon, the Administration has coöperated with Saudi Arabia’s government, which is Sunni, in clandestine operations that are intended to weaken Hezbollah, the Shiite organization that is backed by Iran.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cb style=\"line-height: 21px;\"\u003EThe U.S. has also taken part in clandestine operations aimed at Iran and its ally Syria. A by-product of these activities has been the bolstering of Sunni extremist groups that espouse a militant vision of Islam and are hostile to America and sympathetic to Al Qaeda\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"line-height: 21px;\"\u003E.\u003C\/span\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003ETo this day, the US, its NATO partners including Turkey, and regional partners including Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/2014\/12\/17\/isis-bloody-footprints-lead-from-nato-territory\/\"\u003Eare arming, funding, harboring, training, and otherwise perpetuating\u003C\/a\u003E these \"Islamic extremists\" within and along both Syria and now Iraq's borders.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EIn reality, without Western backing, \"laundered\" through the Persian Gulf autocracies and manifesting themselves in a global network of mosques jointly run by Persian Gulf and Western intelligence agencies, there would be no \"Islamic extremism\" to speak of. To focus on \"extremism\" as a cause, rather than as a means used by the true perpetrators of this global-spanning campaign of Western-\u003C\/span\u003Esanctioned\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;terrorism, is not only to perpetuate such canards, but to invite the perpetuation of this very terrorism we are shocked and\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003Ehorrified\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;by.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWest Apparently Maintaining Domestic Radicalization\/Recruitment Centers\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003EThe recent \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2014\/12\/the-shape-shifting-sheik-and-sydney.html\"\u003ESydney cafe hostage crisis\u003C\/a\u003E featuring an Iranian dissident granted\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003EAustralian\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;asylum and featured in anti-Iranian propaganda, exposed a vast network of\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003Eradicalization\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;and recruitment run in the Australian city of Sydney, used to organize support and fighters to be sent to the West's proxy war in Syria. The network included many\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003Enotorious\u003Cspan style=\"font-family: inherit;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;individuals, well known to Australian law\u0026nbsp;enforcement and intelligence\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003Eagencies, and many of whom had traveled to Syria, taken part in fighting alongside known terrorist organizations, and were allowed to return and continue their political activities in Australia.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Daily Mail's article, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-2874073\/Why-did-Counter-Terrorism-police-ask-Sydney-man-former-terror-accused-Zaky-Mallah-ISIS-flag.html\"\u003EWhy did police ask former terror suspect for an ISIS flag?\u003C\/a\u003E\" would state:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ci\u003ECounter terrorism police have contacted Sydney man and one time terror accused Zaky Mallah and asked him for an ISIS flag.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ci\u003EJust over four hours into the Martin Place siege, officers the NSW Police Joint Counter Terrorism Team and asked him if he could give them an ISIS flag.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ci\u003EZaky Mallah, 30, from Westmead in western Sydney offered the Counter Terrorist police the flag that hangs on the wall of his apartment, the moderate Islamic Front flag, but 'they weren't interested'.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EThe article would also state: \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003ETwo years ago Mr Mallah travelled to Syria and lived with the FSA rebels engaged in the bloody civil war against Muslim hardliner President Bashar el Assad 'before it got crazy over there'. After returning home, he encouraged young people to go to Syria and engage in jihad to experience the freedom fight taken up against El Assad...\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EAs in Australia, France apparently also has a stable of former terrorists who had traveled to Syria and returned, all while on their watch lists - and in Australia at least - some of these terrorists are literally on security agency speed dials and are clearly a part of a network the intelligence community both monitors and in fact, maintains.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESuch networks have turned out thousands of recruits to fight in NATO's war in Syria. The BBC would report in an article titled, \"\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-middle-east-29372494\"\u003EIslamic State crisis: '3,000 European jihadists join fight'\u003C\/a\u003E,\" that:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe number of Europeans joining Islamist fighters in Syria and Iraq has risen to more than 3,000, the EU's anti-terrorism chief has told the BBC.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EGilles de Kerchove also warned that Western air strikes would increase the risk of retaliatory attacks in Europe.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003EHow exactly is the public expected to believe that such a vast number of terrorists can migrate overseas to fight alongside terrorist forces the West is currently, allegedly, fighting, without the West being able to stem such a tide? Clearly, just as arming Al Qaeda in Syria was done intentionally, so to have the floodgates been open, allowing European terrorists to both join NATO's proxy war in Syria, and to return home and join NATO's growing war against its own people.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOperation Gladio on Steroids\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESuch networks don't just mirror NATO's \"stay behind networks\" formed during the Cold War, supposedly created to activate in the wake of a full-scale Soviet invasion of Western Europe, but instead used as a covert front of political and terroristic provocation - such networks today are a \u003Ci\u003Econtinuation \u003C\/i\u003Eof NATO's secret armies.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ciframe allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"315\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/k83L3I6Z35w\" width=\"420\"\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ENATO's provocateurs used during the Cold War were a mixture of nationalists, anti-communists, former Nazi SS officers, and extremists of every stripe. Their particular beliefs were, however, ultimately irrelevant since they were used for a singular agenda defined not by these beliefs, but by NATO's own agenda.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMany of the militants and extremists NATO used were liquidated upon the completion of the many false flag attacks NATO organized at the cost of hundreds of innocent European lives. Likewise, today, many of the gunmen or bombers involved in the long string of suspicious domestic attacks carried out by NATO's modern \"stay behind network\" are either killed on sight, or imprisoned and forgotten.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile NATO's Cold War operations appeared confined to conducting terrorism upon its own people, today's networks are used to carry out both proxy wars overseas as well as to carry out terrorist attacks at home. The expansive nature of this network and the threat it poses to global peace and stability should be at the center of the Paris attack debate - not the alleged beliefs, religion, or supposed agenda of the attackers who, just like their Cold War counterparts, were nothing more than patsies and pawns amid a much larger and insidious game.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci style=\"background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003ETony Cartalucci, Bangkok-based geopolitical researcher and writer, especially for the online magazine\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003E“\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/journal-neo.org\/\" style=\"color: #6fa8dc; text-decoration: none;\"\u003ENew Eastern Outlook”\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21.5599994659424px;\"\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/4794574021276744308"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/6296737490016844972\/posts\/default\/4794574021276744308"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/landdestroyer.blogspot.com\/2015\/01\/paris-shooters-just-returned-from-natos.html","title":"Paris Shooters Just Returned from NATO's Proxy War in Syria "}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Land Destroyer"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/07975347030080073643"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"http:\/\/img2.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-ZqxJ5_PnkeA\/VK44XOprl0I\/AAAAAAAAKg8\/p8VrnQF0vN4\/s72-c\/08paris10-articleLarge-v2.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"}}]}});